Legacy Of Magick (Legacy Of Magick Series, Book 1) (26 page)

I could hear sirens far off in the distance as Duncan, who didn’t seem to be any worse for wear, scooped up Ivy from the chair, and carried her out of the garage.

“You called the cops?” Duncan asked Bran.

“I told Lexie where I was headed.” Bran said.

“You better go.” Duncan told Bran from where he stood looking down at Julian.

Bran nodded to the three of us, and I handed him his helmet without a word. He put his helmet back on, walked his motorcycle (
his motorcycle!),
quickly off the property, and into the same woods Duncan and I had traveled through. We heard the bike start up, and Bran drove away.

“I’m missing my shoe.” Ivy announced.

“Honey, it’s only a shoe.” I patted her arm.

“But they are my favorite tennis shoes!” Ivy cried, and her teeth started to chatter.

“Okay, Okay. I’ll go look for it.” I said. Considering what she’d been through, the least I could do was try and find it.

I heard Duncan speaking to her quietly, probably trying to keep her calm, as I headed back into the garage. I eased around Julian’s car, and carefully climbed over the fallen junk and old car parts. I spotted her black tennis shoe by the chair, knelt down, and reached out to push an old, semi-crushed cardboard box out of the way. As soon as I touched the box, I felt the magick.

I yanked my hand back at first, and then I made myself touch the box again. I laid my whole palm flat against the side. As I did, a rush of power ran up my arm, across my back, and a vision slammed into me.
A full moon hung high in the night sky. But instead of a bright white, it burned a blood red color. I saw a book being torn apart into three pieces. And then I saw David Quinn packing up the box and tucking it at the back of the old metal shelf.

I blinked, and the vision slid away. I pulled the old box into my lap, ripped it open and impatiently pushed aside layers of old wadded up newspaper. At the bottom was a wrapped, half inch thick bundle with a book-like shape. It was tied up with faded red yarn and dried herbs were crumbled across the top. When I picked it up, the bundle felt flexible, and I knew I was holding part of the Blood Moon Grimoire.
I found it!

I held my breath as I pulled away some of the wrapping to find loose parchment pages from a very old book. The pages themselves were covered in mysterious symbols and beautiful script. One side of the papers looked ragged, as if they had indeed been torn away from their original binding. “Oh my god.” I whispered.

“Autumn?” Duncan called back.

“Coming.” I stood up, and smoothed the wrapping back around the pages. The police sirens were getting louder, so I had to act fast. I yanked up my hoodie, pulled my shirt free, and then tucked the pages into the front waistband of my shorts. I pulled my shirt over and tucked it in to secure the pages. Then I tugged my hoodie back down to cover the whole business. I grabbed Ivy’s shoe, and then scrambled back over all the debris on the floor.

“I’ve found something.” I said to Duncan.

“My shoe?” Ivy asked.

“Yes, but I also found a part of something
else
.” I raised my eyebrows at him and patted my belly.

Duncan’s eyes traveled down. “Really? You did?” He seemed astonished.

“I did.”

“Show me later.”

“You betcha.” I promised as he leaned over and kissed me.

“Oh gross.” Ivy complained from Duncan’s arms. “I’m right here you guys.”

“Sorry” I dropped a gentle kiss on Ivy’s unbruised cheek. “How are you doing?”

“I’ve been better.” She rolled her eyes up to Duncan. “I think I can stand up.”

“Nope. I’ve got you.” Duncan grinned down at her, “You don’t weigh much, shorty. But you do pack a hell of a wallop with your magick.”

“I really am sorry about hitting you with the shelf.” Ivy told him contritely.

I felt a laugh bubble up at Ivy’s apology, and Duncan and I grinned at each other. Together we stood in the night, and watched as the police arrived.

***    

It was early the next morning before everything had settled back down. The police had arrested Julian Drake, who, once he regained consciousness, babbled on about flying rakes, attacking tools, a stolen magickal book, and a masked phantom that had beaten him. I heard the police muttering about possible drug use and a psychiatric evaluation for Julian as they took him away.

Ivy had gone to the emergency room in an ambulance, with Duncan and me riding along. Gwen didn’t crack until after she arrived at the ER. When she saw Ivy,
then
she bawled. Hard to blame her. A few moments later she pulled it together, and sat stoically by her daughter’s side. Ivy bounced back quickly. She gave her report to the police, as did Duncan and I. When they asked us how we had found her, Duncan said that we’d been out jogging and spotted Julian’s car. Which was true, sort of. Maybe Officer Lexie smoothed that out for us, but to my relief, they let it pass. Luckily, no one seemed to notice that I had anything stashed under my hoodie. Ivy was released from the ER in a few hours with rope burns, a black eye and some facial bruises.

Once we were home, I turned the pages over to Bran. Gwen seemed impressed when I told the family how we had located Ivy, with David Quinn’s help, and then how I had found part of the Blood Moon Grimoire.

She was a little teary over Ivy still, and she cried when she gave Bran and I each a hard hug. She’d even embraced Duncan, and I got misty when I saw him hug her back. Then Gwen excused herself to help Ivy clean up and to get her settled.

After a quick assessment, there looked to be around thirty illustrated and hand written pages. Bran, Duncan and I all agreed, it was best to store them at the manor. At Duncan’s suggestion, Bran used his digital camera and took photos of the grimoire pages, and then downloaded them to a flash drive as a backup. I watched as Bran re-wrapped the antique pages in acid free, tissue and then set them in an archival box. Even though the girls and I had teased him, Bran’s family historian/ librarian title was well earned, along with his archival supplies, and knowledge for safely preserving the pages.

At the moment, Ivy was sitting up and holding court in the family room while her mother, sister, and most of the coven hustled around preparing a big breakfast in celebration that she was back home safely, and for the Autumn Equinox sabbat.

Duncan and I sat together on the front porch of the manor, rocking back and forth in the porch swing, and watching the sun come up. I could smell bacon frying from inside the house and the voices that drifted out were cheerful and full of fun. Duncan nuzzled my now clean neck. We had both finally had a chance to shower and to change clothes. Duncan had borrowed some clothes from Bran, our masked motorcycle hero, and it was nice to finally sit still, and to relax. Together.

“I wonder…” I sighed as we swung lazily back and forth.

“Hmmm?” Duncan said.

“Why did David, your dad, call that old abandoned house, home?” I asked.

“I heard some of the police officers talking.” Duncan began. “Looks like the house originally belonged to the Quinn family.”

I looked up at him. “What, so your father grew up there?”

“I’ll have my mother check the real estate records. But I bet the house once belonged to my grandparents.” Duncan said.

“That would make sense why your dad hid part of the Blood Moon Grimoire there.” I realized.

“There aren’t that many derelict houses in town, but still it’s interesting that Julian chose it to try and hide out in.” Duncan kept the porch swing rocking back and forth.

“Interesting, as in curious. Or
interesting
as in magickal coincidence?” I asked him.

“There’s no such thing as coincidence when it comes to magick.”

“So, are you sure that you’re okay with my family keeping the pages of the grimoire?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I don’t want anything to do with them. They’ve caused enough trouble.”

“My vision showed me that the book was torn, or divided, into three pieces.” I reminded him. “So that means there are two more sections hidden out there, somewhere.”

“We’ll find them.” Duncan gave me an encouraging squeeze, and I snuggled closer.

“We should go back to that old house,” I told him. “And see if we find any clues as to where the rest of the pages are.”

“We should, once the police release the scene.” Duncan mulled it over. “It was a nice property... It only needs some time and work. Dad’s old family house had good bones.”

“Seriously, you are a rehab addict.” I teased him.

“Thank you for making it possible for me to see my father again.” Duncan said quietly.

“You’re welcome. If you remember... I told you, you would see him again.” I slanted him a look.

“So you did.” Duncan said and pressed a kiss to my mouth. “By the way,” he pulled a little fabric drawstring bag out of his pocket, and handed it to me. “Happy birthday.”

EPILOGUE

A week later, I raked the last of the mulch into place in one of the garden beds of the charming little house that Duncan had finished rehabbing. The young family who had put a contract on the house would be taking possession soon, so we wanted to finish up. My hair was pulled neatly back and into a braid that went down the back of my purple shirt. New amethyst earrings, my birthday gift from Duncan, sparkled at my ears, in a sort of color coordination that I actually didn’t mind.

I looked over as Ivy finished planting more pansies, in the same flower bed that had been trashed the week before, when Julian had abducted her. She was moving a little slowly, and had covered her healing black eye with a pair of oversized sunglasses. She had worn them with a maxi dress, combat boots, and a huge floppy hat. All in black. Holly sat beside her twin, and looked adorable wearing jeans and a ‘We’re all mad here’ Cheshire cat t-shirt. She stayed quietly at Ivy’s side, ready to help her sister out if she needed it. Duncan was attaching metal numbers to the post of the mailbox, and Bran hauled a bag of pine bark mulch over for the girls and set it next to the flower bed.

No joke — Bran was lending a hand, and he was wearing an old pair of blue jeans and a sweatshirt with cut off sleeves. Who knew he even owned such clothes? I laughed to myself and went over to cut open the bags, and help them mulch the final bed of mixed flowers. A half hour later we were all done.

Once the gardens were finished, I stood in a loose circle with Duncan and my three cousins. Facing each other, we quietly performed a quick and discreet cleansing of the property, ensuring that the new residents would enjoy their home, without any lingering negative vibes hanging around. To anyone who drove by, it probably looked like we were simply standing and talking.

Once the cleansing was complete, the girls picked up the empty mulch bags, flower pots, and packs, and carried them to the back of my pickup truck. Holly fussed at Ivy for trying to pick up a shovel, and Ivy only laughed. Then she tossed her head, managing to keep that floppy black hat in place, and floated the shovel up, neatly snatching it out of mid air.

“Ivy!” Bran grumbled at her. “How about a little discretion?”

“Bran we just did a cleansing, smack in the middle of the yard. Right in front of Goddess and anybody.” Holly reminded him.

“Well yes, but there weren’t any floating garden tools!” Bran grumbled back.

The girls giggled and climbed into my pickup cab, while I snapped a few quick photos of the finished yard. It really had turned out great. I hoped the family that moved in, truly enjoyed it. I tossed Bran my truck keys, and he snagged them so he could drive the girls home. I would catch a ride home with Duncan.

We waved as they drove off, and Duncan and I stood there quietly for a few moments. Then he took out his phone and pulled me beside him. With the new little gardens behind us Duncan took a couple of selfies of the two of us.

I looked at the pictures he had taken, and had to smile. “Can you believe it’s October already? That means Halloween is right around the corner!”

“Samhain.” He corrected.

“Is that how you say it?” I tried again. “Sow-when?”

“You got it.” He opened the truck door for me, and I climbed in.

As we drove back to the manor, I watched the gibbous moon rise in the early evening sky. The full moon and the next lunar eclipse, or blood moon, was only a few days away. Duncan saw me looking up at the moon, and covered my hand with his.

“We have time.” He said quietly referring to the lost Blood Moon Grimoire that his uncle was obsessed with. The same old spell book that had caused Julian to snap and abduct Ivy in the hopes of forcing us to turn the grimoire over.

After Aunt Gwen and Bran had studied the pages, they’d discovered that the segment I had found was actually the
center
section of the grimoire. The problem was, we still had to find the rest of the book. As we rode along with the cool autumn air blowing in the windows, I realized that this quest was really only just beginning.

Not wanting to ruin a good day with talk of dark magick and evil grimoires, I changed the subject. “Aunt Gwen told me there is going to be a huge Costume Ball held in town hall on the day after Halloween.”

“You don’t say!” He acted surprised.

“Do you have plans to attend?” I batted my eyes at him.

“I had planned to go with you. I was thinking we should go as Morticia and Gomez Addams.”

“I like that idea!” I smiled at him as we pulled in the driveway of the manor. Like magick, the gate closed behind us. I reached over for a kiss and said. “Mister, you’ve got yourself a date for the Ball.”

The End    

Coming Summer 2015    

Secret of the Rose    

Book Two in the Legacy of Magick Series