Everspell (24 page)

Chapter Forty

LOGAN

“I think we’re the only dudes here, Logan.” I glanced over at Skylar.
Did he forget what kind of party this
was?

“No kidding, Sky. We’re at a baby shower. You were expecting to see the football team or something?” I stood on my tiptoes trying to look over the mass of women for my mom. I hoped to find her or Eden or Prudence to tell them about my Dad. I’d already tried to mindspeak to them, but either I’d gotten lousy at it or they were busy somewhere. “Now, focus on what we’re doing here. Do you see them anywhere?”

Skylar jumped up on a planter and bringing both hands to his forehead, he searched the entire backyard, twisting his body from the left to the right. After a few minutes, he stepped down, shaking his head. “Sorry, man. I don’t see Lily, Serena or Eden anywhere down here. My bet is Jade is upstairs and they’re up there with her." He continued glancing around, and I knew he was looking around for Gypsy. I hadn’t seen her either.
Where was everyone?
It ticked me off that in a house full of witches, I couldn’t seem to find one of them. Suddenly, I spotted one of the flying sisters, Libby, at the edge of the patio. I sprang toward her.

“Libby! Hey!” I wove through a sea of women, and reached her. She seemed surprised to see me.

“Hi Logan! Shouldn’t you be picking up a cake or something?”

“Got it. Where is everyone, anyway?”

“I watched Eden and Prudence head into the house in a hurry about twenty minutes ago. And earlier, Serena did the same thing. Maybe they went to help out Jade?”

“Aha! So, I
was
right!” Skylar interjected. I spun around and gave him a hard glare.

“So, Jade’s upstairs then?” I asked Libby.

“Mmm-hmm. She went up there earlier to change clothes and she hasn’t come back down yet.” Libby tilted her head to the side. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen anyone come down yet. I bet they’re all still up there!”

“I’m really trying to find my mom. Have you seen her?”

“Afraid I haven’t. There’s just so many people here, it’s hard to see anyone. Sorry, Logan.”

“Thanks anyway, Libby. I guess we’ll check it out upstairs and see if she’s up there.”

I really did need to get to my mom as soon as I could. I had parked my dad and Declan in the front room, hoping to get to her before she found them there, but that plan only worked if I could actually find her. I turned to Skylar. “Let’s go upstairs then.”

We both started to head indoors. The day had noticeably darkened. We hadn’t had a sunset yet but the sky outside seemed to be turning blacker by the second.

I poked my head back through the sliding glass doors to find I wasn’t the only one who noticed the gathering darkness. Most of the women outside, who had only moments before been laughing and enjoying refreshments and each other’s company, had quieted and were softly muttering and pointing toward the sky.

I stepped farther outside onto the patio and looked up too. I could easily see what had caused the beautiful day to darken; flying black things filled the air. Tiny specks at first, they were advancing at a rapid pace and seemed to be heading straight for the backyard party. I understood this long before the partygoers. I glanced behind me and telegraphed the situation to Skylar with a few sharp directional nods of my head. There were just too many witches gathered to mindspeak. He picked up on it immediately and shot over to my side.

“Logan, is that what I think it is?”

“I’m not sure I know what it is, but I know it ain’t good.”

“I think it’s Christophe.” Fear peppered Skylar’s words.

“You think? Of course, it’s Christophe!” I didn’t mean to snap, but I did. Once again, I found myself angered and dumbfounded that in a house normally chock full of spirited witches, I had been unable to find even one. My last meeting with Christophe had been a success because I had so much help from the sister witches; if I had to battle Christophe alone, would this match-up have the same outcome?

I hardly had time to wonder before I heard the first scream. Quickly followed by a second, then a third, a fourth, and just like that, the entire back yard soon filled with screaming women, rushing around mindlessly, pushing and running into one another.

Everyone pointed at the sky and tried to find cover. The airborne creatures rapidly closed the distance and soon the air filled with the stench of their putrid, beating wings. Only seconds later, they began dive-bombing the patio. As they struck the ground, my eyes widened in disbelief as I watched them explode into huge rats. It reminded me of the high school dance Serena and I once attended that Christophe tried to destroy, but much, much worse. With horror, I realized that when the rats struck the ladies they burst open releasing some kind of acidic liquid, badly burning the skin of the partygoers. The women were screaming, clutching at one another, tables and chairs had been overturned, and food, smashed glasses and utensils littered the cobblestone floor. In horror, I watched as one woman, repeatedly fighting off the onslaught of the creatures, careened into one of the sturdy tables and fell hard to the concrete, legs tangled in a discarded tablecloth. I was about to rush to her aid when amid all of this chaos and hysteria, my dad and Declan appeared in the doorway.

“Son! Are you okay!”

“Dad! Watch out! Don’t come out here!” I had to holler to be heard above the screaming. Skylar and I took refuge under an overturned catering table and we were too far away from the sliding glass door to make a run for it. Bodies and debris littered the path between us and where my dad stood for us to try—too much to make a break for it. Just when I spun around, trying to decide what to do, I finally heard the voice I’d been trying to reach for the last hour.

Logan, what in the world is going on down there?

Chapter Forty-one

SERENA

It took all four of us to get Sully back on his feet and walk-drag him over to the easy chair in the corner of the room. Jade wasn’t pleased the attention no longer centered on her.

“Perfect! I’m in labor and he faints.” She leaned over and spoke loudly in her husband’s face. “Let me know when you’re ready to become a daddy, Sully, and we can get this shootin’ match going, okay?”

“I’m sorry, Jade. I’m ready, I swear. Can you just give me a minute?” It was odd to hear the pleading quality in Sully’s voice. Eden and I exchanged glances. We knew he had been caught off guard. “I wasn’t prepared to hear it right that second, that’s all. I’ll get with the program. I promise.”

Jade stared at her husband and appeared to soften. She straightened and sat in his lap. “I know you will, Sully. I’m just taking my nervousness out on you. I’m really kind of freaked out this is happening today myself.” She kissed Sully on the cheek. “We’re gonna be parents today, Sul!”

Eden attempted to take control of the situation. “Jade, have you been monitoring your contractions?”

Jade looked up sheepishly. “I know I’m supposed to be, but I don’t even have my watch on.”

I jumped in. “I’ve been trying to time them, Eden. She’s been having them about fifteen minutes apart. Some of them are even farther apart than that. From what I can tell, they don’t seem strong right now.”

“Well, we know that can change quickly. Let’s get her to the hospital.”

“Sounds like a plan. Sully? Do you two have a packed suitcase?” I busied myself helping Sully and Prudence bring the suitcase from the closet in Sully and Jade’s room. I didn’t even notice the darkening room until Prudence brought it up.

“I didn’t realize we’d given the darkest room in the house to Jade.”

“What?” I had been trying to drag Jade’s suitcase out from the back of her closet.
What had she packed in here?
An anvil?
I poked my head out and realized it
was
dark in here. “Turn on the light then.”

“I shouldn’t have to. It’s not even five yet. Why is it so dark?” Prudence crossed the room and peered out the window. “Oh. My. Spells. Serena, get over here.”

Something in Prudence’s voice made me drop the suitcase and join her at the window right away.

I stared with dread at the darkened sky. “What is that?”

“I don’t know.”

Horror spread its chill through me as the darkness took on the shape of things appearing in the sky. They materialized as terrible winged creatures, crashing themselves into the women gathered on the patio. Eden strode purposefully into the room.

“The spell of protection around the house has been compromised. It appears we are under siege. Everyone downstairs immediately.”

In that instant, I could hear Logan’s distress clearly and I sent him a signal.
We’re on our way.

****

We pounded downstairs and headed for the back yard. Silently, Eden, Prudence and I sent out a call in mindspeak for the rest of our coven sisters to gather with us as quickly as possible. As if by some kind of miracle, finally the communication had been received. Raven and Libby stood in the front room talking animatedly with Declan and Evan, and the twins, Aisling and Echo, Rochelle, and even Gypsy raced into the room. Idly, I wondered where Elizabeth and Lily were. Eden took charge immediately.

“We are under attack. We have defended and protected ourselves in the past and we shall again.” She turned her attention to our new arrivals. “And who is this?”

I jumped forward. There was really no time for this. “I’m sorry, Eden. This is Evan Daniels. And I believe you know Declan.” I knew I had glossed over the introductions, but seriously, wasn’t there a demon landing bursting rats all over the patio?

Faced with the shock of Declan and Evan’s presence, Eden kept her trademark cool, as usual. “Yes, thank you. Good to meet you. You are with us, I assume?” Faced with the imperiousness of her manner and with meeting the fabled leader of the Council, Evan and Declan could only nod. “Fine, then. Let’s get out there. Serena, lead the way.”

I should have been frightened, but with each step toward the backyard, I found my pulse quickening and my heart racing, not with fear, but excitement. Behind me, again, were the most talented and experienced witches I knew. We could meet the challenge of Christophe and his minions and whatever he intended to mete out to us head on, with the sure certainty that we were stronger, braver and more skilled in our abilities than any of the evil followers outside of those glass doors. I turned to address the group. I had little to say.

“Ladies, let’s make this one stick.”

Chapter Forty-two

LOGAN

I know Skylar and I were only underneath that table for a few minutes before I suddenly became ashamed. How could I be hiding and protecting myself when everyone I loved was in danger? I knew what I had to do.

Without even consulting Skylar, I slid out from the table and began to assess my surroundings. I heard a thunderous sound above me. I jerked my head up, dodging falling rats, and that’s when I realized I wouldn’t be waiting long for the freaky demon to hit this party.

Christophe stood on the roof of the house, with a pair of his creepy trolls on either side of him. I tensed my muscles, readying for the attack. At the same time, I heard Serena in my head.
Logan, we’re here!
You aren’t alone!
I stumbled backward, so I could see the patio door and the roof at the same time; I couldn’t let Christophe out of my sight. The sliding glass door whipped open and Serena, Eden and Gypsy stepped outside, their dresses billowing in the breeze, making them look supernatural and formidable all at the same time. They shifted outside quickly and behind them the whole coven appeared; Prudence, Raven, Finola, Libby, Aisling and Echo, Tabitha, Eve, Rochelle, even Jade stood in the back, protected by Sully and a circle of the guardian dogs, who were growling and baring their teeth. Only my mom and Elizabeth were missing. Far in the back of my mind, I wondered where they were and if there might be something wrong with the fact that they weren’t here.

I didn’t have to wonder for long. The atmosphere began to rapidly change. The fat, pulsing rats stopped dropping from the heavens and in the sky, clouds began to form menacing, swirling patterns.

Christophe greeted us from high atop our home, evilly cheerful. He stood, commanding our attention at the edge of the house, dressed in black pants and shirt with a silky black cape. He wielded an ominous-looking cane. With another chilling laugh, he boomed out a sarcastic greeting. “Good evening, Witches! So sorry for dropping in unexpectedly, but in a way, you could say I’ve been invited.” At that, Christophe flapped his cape with a flourish and whipped it to the side. Tethered together and being held firmly by one of the disgusting little green trolls, my mom and Elizabeth fought helplessly against the bonds.

“Mom!” I cried out, shock causing me to play right into the demon’s hand. When he heard my anguished cry, he laughed, a deep, disturbing sound.

“I see you’ve met my dates!” he roared.

Frantically, I turned toward the patio doors, searching for Serena and Eden, desperate for someone else to bear witness to this obscene horror, for someone else to look me in the eyes and tell me I couldn’t possibly be seeing what was happening right in front of me.

“Mom! Are you okay?” I hollered up to the roof as loud as I could, but neither my mom nor Elizabeth appeared to hear me.

A crazy wind whooshed up, howling and stirring anything not nailed down on the patio, created by the coven sisters standing on the cemented floor of the backyard lanai. Serena walked slowly toward the circular barbecue pit, and chairs and tables began to whirl in the air, clearing a path for the witches to form their circle in the middle. As they entered the area, Finola quickly leaned down to the guests, most having taken cover from the aerial onslaught, and cloaked them with invisibility. Raven and Prudence then took over with the injured ones, administering immediate remedies to the worst of their wounded.

I motioned for Skylar to join us, knowing that he would be better protected with the coven than alone. He darted out from the overturned table and ran to be with the coven. And then, near the back of the coven, my dad and Declan stepped out of the crowd.