Blood Moon (4 page)

“I will – you sure are pushy.”

“I’ve got to look after my best worker! Thanks again, Allison.
 
Call me if you need anything.”

“See you, Darby. Take it easy.”

Chapter 3

Darby woke to Harry’s usual chest dance on a beautiful Saturday morning.
 
No plans today, just time for some well deserved relaxing.
 
Maybe I’ll stay in my jammies all day today
, she thought to herself.
Or
,
I could stay in bed all day with Mr. Gorgeous.

Devon lay there sleeping oblivious to her thoughts.
 
Darby thought how handsome he was with the morning sun bathing him.
 
A ray of sunshine gently touched his head, revealing the hundreds of different tones of browns, reds, and golds melting together to form his very own perfect hair color of brown.
 
She couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of him. As she lay there admiring him and trying to ignore Harry’s persistence, she found comfort in just watching him breathe and sleep peacefully.
 

Poor Devon had barely slept in weeks with all that they had encountered.
 
Now was time to let him rest and catch up on some sleep. She knew if she stayed in bed, eventually Harry’s antics would get more severe, so she opted to quietly sneak out of bed and close the door. She went into the kitchen and started some coffee and of course fed Harry.
 
Then she headed to the porch for the paper.
 
As she went through the living room she glanced at Rowan’s bedroom door, which was still closed.
 
Had she even come out to eat?
 
Darby hoped she was doing the right thing by giving her sister some time and space.
 
She wanted so badly to hug her and see if there was anything she could do to help, but she had felt that Devon was right about this.
 
He had been very insightful regarding Rowan in Colorado. It seemed the evening they shared with Dean on the last night of the full moon had bonded them in a way she envied.

She continued to the front door and quietly got the paper off the porch.
 
As she walked back to the kitchen table she read the headline on the local page. She poured herself some coffee and read the rest of the paper while Harry did lazy figure eights around her legs.
 
He preferred to be petted, but he was pleasing himself by rubbing on her legs with each pass of his circles.
 
Darby got up and made herself a bowl of cereal.
 
While she was eating, she got thinking about Rowan.
 
Wasn’t Rowan’s favorite teddy bear down in the basement in Grandma Lorelai’s trunk?
 
That might make Rowan smile a little if I set him outside her door, she will know I am worried about her.

With that thought still meandering around her brain, she shuffled into her bunny slippers and went to the basement door. Most basements she encountered were scary with an air of creepiness, however, she had never felt that way in this basement.
 
She and Rowan had spent hours down here with their grandmother playing dress up and what not, so descending the creaky stairs was more like a walk down memory lane.
 

The basement was well lit too, unlike most that had only one tiny, sixty-watt, naked light bulb to brighten any looming shadows.
 
This basement had some natural lighting from windows evenly placed around the foundation. Darby quickly found the old trunk under some other boxes.
 
She carefully placed the random boxes onto a shelf just behind her and opened the trunk.
 
The scent of lavender filled her lungs from the little sachets that had been randomly placed in the trunk.
 
Grandma Lorelai’s favorite scent was lavender and she adorned every nook and cranny of her dressers, closets, and boxes with it.
 
Darby sat on a muffin-shaped footstool that seemed to be just the right height for peering into the trunk comfortably.
 

Lovingly, she started to pull things out of the old trunk.
 
A huge fuchsia feather boa was the first thing she set on the floor.
 
She and Rowan had certainly been quite glamorous walking around in their mom’s heels with that boa wrapped around their neck and dragging behind them.
 
She laughed to herself.
 
A box of old photos she sat on her lap and opened.
 
Pictures of her mom and dad before they had been married lay inside. At the bottom of the box of pictures, under a bunch of photos of Grandpa, was a small, brown book.
 
She hadn’t ever remembered seeing it before.
 
She flipped through it and saw pages of handwriting and dates.
 
Hmmm, someone’s diary.
 
That might be kind of fun to flip through as long as it isn’t too personal.
She set it aside to take upstairs with her.
 
She moved a hat and another box and there he was, Mr. Bear, Rowan’s favorite teddy bear from childhood. He looked just like Darby had remembered him.
 
She put the box of photos that was still on her lap and the fuchsia feather boa back in the trunk and closed it.
 
She grabbed Mr. Bear and the diary and headed back upstairs.

On her way up the stairs with the diary clutched in her armpit, she dusted off Mr. Bear and primped him a bit.
 
Mom must have washed him before she put him in the trunk.
 
He looks very dapper.
 
She straightened his bow tie and set him on the coffee table in the living room facing Rowan’s door so she would see him when she came out.
 

Then she sat on the couch and opened the cover of the diary and began to read.
 
It seemed it was her Grandpa George’s diary and was written when he was quite young, maybe Rowan’s age, early twenties or younger. It mentioned the family Book of Shadows several times and talked in great length about a family that apparently was not liked much by the O’Riellys, in particular, a young man named Walter Keaton.
 
From what Darby could assess, Grandpa George and Walter Keaton were great rivals.
 

She read tale after tale of bad encounters with Walter.
 
It seemed the feud had started in school, when Grandpa George and Walter Keaton had their eyes set on the same beautiful girl named Lorelei Ryan. Obviously, Grandpa George was the victor in the pursuit of Ms. Ryan’s affections, as they married sometime down the road, but not without ruffling Walter’s feathers.
 

The diary made mention of magical happenings. Darby thought,
So Grandpa must have dabbled in his powers as a youth.
 
He talked too, of how the Keaton family had the gift of magic.
 

But the most interesting entry in the book was its last.
 

Dear Diary

I caught Walter in my room this evening when his family was here for dinner.
 
Our parents were trying to patch up some dispute and thought a good way to do that would be a gathering such as dinner. When I asked Walter what he was doing in my room he wouldn’t say, but he was very near where I hide the Book of Shadows under my mattress and quilt.
 
He stormed out of the room when I asked him what he was looking for, but I am sure that he was up to something.
 

His family has always envied ours, and our powers.
 
Maybe he was looking to steal a spell from the book.
 
Granddad Norm told me I should never let any of the Keatons near the book.
 
He told me how once a long time ago a Keaton witch, hungry for more power, had written a spell to do just that. The spell spoke of the thirteen moons of the lunar year and offering thirteen girls in exchange for the power she’d receive.
 
Thirteen little girls went missing during the Full Blood Moon that year, never to be seen again.
 
Granddad said that this lunar spell had given the evil witch great power which she used to wreak havoc on the townspeople who were still mourning their lost children. In their time of need the townspeople turned to the O’Riellys for help to vanquish this evil witch somehow.
 
A spell had been written and recorded in our Book of Shadows to do just that, but as a precaution, it was then taken out of the book and hidden after vanquishing the evil witch in 1889.
 

It has been said the evil spell was put into our book for safekeeping. I think that the O’Riellys of Granddad’s time put a protection spell on the page, because I have been through the book hundreds of times and have never seen anything that powerful amongst its writings.
 

Maybe Granddad was confused. He does tend to get that way from time to time when he tells me stories.
 

I have to go to bed now, Mother is yelling from the kitchen and I certainly don’t want to get stuck doing the dishes all week for disobeying. Goodnight!

Darby had never before heard her grandfather mention any Keatons, nor had she seen any pages in the book that looked out of place.
I wonder if there is any record of the family in the archives in town hall?
 
Maybe it would be something interesting to do with Rowan when she is feeling up to it.

Blake thought about all that he and his brother had talked about.
 
He wanted to make amends with Rowan, but knew he may have hurt her beyond repair.
 
Maybe she will answer my text today; it couldn’t hurt to try
, he thought.

He picked up his phone and typed.

Hey – Just checking in on u. I’m trying hard 2 stay away 2 give you some space but I miss u a lot
.
 

Then he pushed send and hoped she’d respond.

After about five minutes he heard his phone chime.
Yes!
 

I’ve missed u 2. I have a lot 2 think about,
she wrote.

I know – I’m sorry 4 that.

:D

I’ve been reading a lot since we talked. I want 2 learn what I can about werewolves & was thinking maybe if u were ok w/ it, I could go C Dean.

I don’t know – u 2 didn’t exactly hit it off,
she countered.

I know but I want to apologize 2 him & 2 u 4 what I did. The best way 4 me 2 learn about werewolves is hang w/ 1 and u aren’t ready 4 that,
Blake wrote.

I appreciate what u r trying 2 do, but putting u & Dean in the same room is like mixing an open flame & TNT.

U R right I’m sure, but I want 2 B w/ U. I’m willing 2 take what he throws @ me in order 2 B w/ U 4 your next full moon.

IDK, Blake. U could get hurt.

I’m willing 2 take that chance Rowan. U may not believe me right now, but I do luv u.
 

Can I think about it? Or have you already made up your mind?
Rowan asked.

By all means think about it. I’m asking your permission here. I’m not doing NEthing again, w/o you knowing what’s going on.
 
If nothing else, I’ve learned 2 talk 2 the people U love before U jump in2 NEthing that’s remotely dangerous. :P

Thanks.

Thank you. If u decide it’s ok, maybe u could call Dean & ask him not 2 kill me when I come??

I’ll C what I can do! Not making NE promises. LOL.