Wicked Folk (Witchy World Book 2) Read online

  "Do you recognize this man?" She held out a picture of an early thirties-something man dressed in khakis and a polo shirt.

  I looked at it and handed the picture to Gabriella. "Never seen him before. Is that him?" I asked.

  She ignored my question. "What's your relationship to the woman in Missouri?"

  "Similar taste in camping spots?"

  "Funny." She didn't seem to be amused.

  "We lost Agent Pileggi a few weeks ago," Anderson continued. "He was undercover, investigating a string of unsolved murders."

  "How many people?" Gabriella asked, handing the picture back.

  "Could be as many as thirty," she said. "Maybe more."

  "Why are you talking to us?" I asked. "Are we suspects?"

  "You haven't told me about the woman in Missouri," she said, redirecting the conversation.

  "You shouldn't say anything, Felix," Gabriella said.

  "He's not mirandized," Anderson said.

  "Still …"

  "The dead woman drew us down to the river and then attacked us," I said. "It's not a big mystery and I have no idea how she could have even known we were there."

  "In her state, she didn't know anything." Anderson confirmed something I suspected. "She was being driven by someone or something from another location."

  "You think that someone is from here?" I asked, my mind immediately going to Petaluma and dismissing the idea just as quickly.

  "Frankly, it's baffling," she agreed. "How many people knew you were coming here and when did you tell them?"

  "No one knew we'd be spending the night at Big Spring," I said.

  "Except Amak," Gabriella said.

  "Fine. Except Amak - and she's a good friend."

  "Is Amak a witch?"

  "Troll," I said, biting off the word princess as I thought better of sharing that information with someone I had no reason to trust. "You met her last year. She and her cousin dropped off those two lycan they hunted down."

  "Doesn't exactly fit the profile," Anderson answered. "If I recall, those trolls are Senwe Tribe. Senwe have witch doctors, but don't do necromancy."

  "You didn't answer my question," Gabriella said. "Why aren't you surprised to see Felix?" That’s my tenacious girl.

  "I've been looking for him," she replied plainly. "Coffee at Mugsies this morning was a pretty good clue."

  Gabriella stiffened. "Snooping through Felix's credit card purchases is an invasion of privacy."

  "We need your help," Anderson’s face, normally impassive, showed the strain behind her words. "I need your help." Her voice softened as she said the last.

  "How long have these murders been going on?" Gabriella asked.

  "Six years, but the death toll has accelerated."

  I took a breath. This was going to get worse. "Tell us what you know."

  "Felix. We shouldn't get involved," Gabriella said. "It's horrible, but we don't need to be part of this."

  "We already are," I said. "Go ahead, Dana."

  "Do you recognize this woman?" Anderson pulled another picture from her suit coat. As she did, she exposed the badge and revolver at her waist.

  It was a picture of a much younger Lace Faa. "Uh. I sort of recognizer her … but no, I don't really know her. Who is she?"

  "The woman's name is Lace Faa," she answered, lifting a skeptical eyebrow. "Originally one of the missing. We think she was at ground-zero."

  "Ground-zero? Sounds like you're describing a bomb," I said.

  "What do you mean by 'originally'?" Gabriella asked.

  "Law enforcement ran across her in Charlotte a few months back," she said. "Her boyfriend was murdered. Local LEOs ran her prints through IAFIS and she popped because of an unrelated incident when she was a juvie."

  "Where is she now?" I asked.

  "She wasn't held and by the time we realized she was important, she was in the wind," Anderson said.

  "Do you think she's part of it?"

  Anderson paused, considering her words. "Do we think she's murdered more than a couple dozen people? No. But whatever's going on, she knows something."

  "That's the help you needed?"

  "Finding Faa would be helpful, but no. I need something else." She swallowed hard. "It's my partner, Mulper. He's gone missing."

  "Describe missing. Was he undercover too?"

  "Not officially," she said. "Technically he's on vacation and the FBI isn't prepared to do anything for another week at a minimum. But I know him."

  "Simple as that? Just find him?" I asked. "It sounds like looking for him would be dangerous. Seems like we should just go back to Leotown."

  "That would be the smart move," Anderson agreed. "I might mention; I have access to information about your mother."

  Maggie stood, issuing a low growl as she did.

  "It's okay, Maggie." I dropped my hand and smoothed the hackles on her back. "What kind of information?"

  "I don't actually have it," she said. "I've just heard a few references and can put you in touch with someone who knows more. Fact is, I'm not authorized to give you that information unless you're helping with the investigation."

  Maggie barked and I had to step between her and Anderson.

  "Is there an issue with your dog?" Anderson asked, backing away. To her credit she didn't reach for the gun at her waist.

  "I'm not sure what's bothering her; she's generally friendly," I said.

  "What do you make of the walking dead?" Gabriella asked, helpfully changing the subject. "How do you explain that?"

  "Necromancy?" Anderson said, although it sounded like a question. I was surprised to hear her use the word so blatantly. I guess I was expecting more along the lines of denial, which she must have read in my face. "You don't need to look so surprised. You already figured it out. The thing with necromancers is they are often cult based and impossible to pick out in a crowd. They appear normal to the people around them, but they're anything but."

  "Dark Folk," I said, mostly to myself.

  "Some of them, yes," Anderson agreed. "We think the ring leader is one Willum Gordon; a man who should be avoided at all costs. He runs the community called Eppy Faire."

  "Necromancers don't need to kill," I said. "Sure, they deal with dead things, but there's no reason to draw that kind of attention."

  "Yes and no," Anderson answered. "We've dealt with plenty of necromancers and they're not all bad. There are even a couple employed by the FBI. Even with the bad ones, it's never this bad, though. Necromancers gain both power and satisfaction from working with the dead. The bad ones cross the line, pushing people into dangerous situations, but they rarely resort to murder. These killings are entirely different. In this case, someone or something seems to relish in these acts. Necromancers generally take little joy or interest in the act of dying. It is the dead they're interested in."

  "What about Gordon?" I asked.

  "He's a real mystery. As far as we can tell, he arrived five years ago, taking over leadership of the community. Two months after Lace Faa's missing person's report was filed, her mother was murdered and Willum moved to Eppy Faire. Six months after that, we started finding bodies," she said. "It wasn't until recently and with great sacrifice that we put this together, ironically, with the help of a necromancer who is able to see the last few moments of life under certain circumstances."

  "That's powerful," I said.

  "Yes, although not always helpful," she said. "Often times, a person is so focused on what they're losing in their last moments that they have no thoughts of the person doing the murder."

  "We're going out to Eppy Faire tonight and we'll see what we can find. No promises, though," I said.

  "Anything you could do to help," Anderson said and turned to go, leaving a picture of Mulper on the counter.

  As soon as Anderson was gone, I went to the back room. Lace had already taken off, not that I could blame her.

  ***

  "You're not supposed to bring food into a hospital," Estelle scolded
me, looking into the plastic bag I'd set on the rolling tray next to Gia's bed. Someone had arranged for Gia and Dolly to share a room in the small hospital.

  "Nosey little bug, aren't you?" I tweaked her ear affectionately. "What if I said it's Gia and Dolly's favorite and will make them feel better?"

  Estelle turned and walked over to the door, carefully closing it after scanning the hallway. I chuckled at her cloak and dagger routine.

  "Actually, we're going to get going," Luana said, standing. "I've a passel of girls who will be hungry soon. Estelle, give Felix your hug and say goodbye to Gia and Dolly." Luana wore bandages on her face and arms from the explosion and her hair had been cut shorter due to singe. Word was, however, she would not have any residual scars.

  "But he just got here …" Estelle complained.

  "If you give your hugs to Gia and Dolly, I'll walk out with you," I said.

  "You better." She wore a fierce look on her face, clearly not wanting to be trifled with.

  "Estelle … " Luana chided gently.

  "I'll walk with you, too," Judy said. "Come on, girls."

  Gabriella opened her mouth to speak and Gia interrupted her. "Gabriella, would you be a dear and locate a fried wonton for an old woman? They're no good once they get cold." Gabriella smiled kindly and nodded. Apparently, Judy wanted to talk to me alone – such was the subtlety of communication with witches.

  "Dolly is still sick." Estelle informed me once we were in the hallway and walking toward the parking lot. "Mom says she'll be better, but we'll have to take good care of her. She doesn't know why the bad book acted like that, but she says Luma gets to keep it for now. I don't know why that is. Do you know?"

  It occurred to me that we were down a girl and I wondered where Luma had gotten off to.

  "Where is Luma?" I asked.

  "She's with Thea. They're buddies," Estelle said.

  "You're getting pretty old. Have you started learning the blessings?" I asked, changing the subject.

  "I know all of them and Mom says next year I can join in the Spring Equinox. She doesn't want me doing too many things, but Luma is already in the circle." I chuckled at the girl's exuberance.

  "We'll have to get pizza before Gabriella and I head back home," I said as we arrived at Luana's van. "You get to pick the movie."

  "When are you leaving? And … I like Gabriella. She's so pretty. You have to bring her to movie night, too," Estelle chattered on, only stopping to take quick breaths.

  I waved at the van full of girls as they pulled away, leaving Judy and me in the parking lot.

  "That is a lot of energy," I said.

  Judy gave a warm smile as she watched the van leave the parking lot. "They are the future of Nightshade."

  "How is Dolly's husband holding up?" I asked. "I haven't seen him."

  "Herb left Dolly last year," Judy said. "He said he felt they'd grown apart, although I think something happened between him and Luma and he got scared."

  "How long has she been experimenting with necromancy?" I asked, reading confirmation in her face.

  "Little over a year," she answered. "Dolly is upset about it all. I'm glad you were here yesterday. Did you work things out with Thea?"

  "We talked, but it was awkward," I said. "She's changed. She was rude to Gabriella."

  "You've changed," Judy replied. "Thea has always been rude and she sees Gabriella as competition."

  "For me?"

  "Thea still talks about you," she answered. "But that's not why I wanted to get you alone. What is Petaluma still doing with that book? Dolly's not going to like it."

  "You were there," I said. "You saw what separation from the book did to her. She and the book are intertwined."

  "Are you sure?"

  "I am," I said. "The book has a parasitic spell which latched onto her. It would hurt her to remove it without first destroying that spell."

  "I don't know how to do that," Judy said. "Where could she have possibly found this book? It hasn't been handed down, as Dolly doesn't come from a long line of witches. Her mother was the first and she was just a kitchen witch."

  I grinned at the term 'Kitchen Witch.' It was one of Judy's least favorite terms. It referred to a time when magically inclined women hid their actions by practicing in kitchens, often with no support network to help them discover their craft.

  "I have a couple of books that I think might have some information on parasitic spells," I said.

  "You need to be careful with your family's library, Felix. Look what's happening with Luma," she said.

  "Someone planted that book, Judy," I said. "It was placed specifically where Luma would find it. There's no way she found it at a book store, even one run by Dark Folk."

  "Is that what she told you? That she found the book at Eppy Faire?" Judy asked.

  "It is," I said. "You can't stand between Luma and necromancy. If that's her magic, she'll learn it with or without you. It's no different than when you found me."

  "Except Petaluma has parents. One of whom is a practicing witch," she said.

  "The FBI is involved at Eppy," I said. "They're trying to keep a lid on a series of murders. That man Iris examined, he was an FBI undercover."

  "How do you know this?"

  "I had an unofficial visitor at the shop this morning," I said. "There's a missing agent they want me to look for."

  "You'll do no such thing," she said. "You need to get in your truck and go back to Leotown." She glowered at me, standing with arms akimbo.

  "FBI says they know there's a link to necromancy," I said. "Don't you see? Petaluma might be mixed up in this."

  "How does the FBI know about things like necromancy?"

  "I don't think all of the FBI does, but there's a group that looks into things like this. Apparently, they even have a few witches in their employ," I said.

  "I heard rumors," she said, leading me back into the hospital.

  "The agent who came to the shop today was looking for me," I said. "She thinks Lace is involved in the murders. Lace overheard and disappeared."

  "Poor girl," Judy said. "Whatever she's involved in, it's not her doing. This much I believe. The FBI isn't to be trusted, Felix. They are not above dealing with threats quite harshly. For every generation of witches, there has been an opposing group of self-appointed bigots who find power through fear. Salem is not so long ago. We must always remember to keep our confidences."

  I nodded solemnly. It was a well-worn conversation. Judy had no trust for authority figures where it related to practitioners. Once, as a know-it-all teen, I'd pointed out that Salem was three hundred years ago. She'd forced me to read a history of the events and then shown me how her own family tree had been severely pruned throughout history. It was a brutal, bloody past and I wasn't about to get into it with her.

  "All the more reason for me to check into it. If there's a tie to Luma I need to be there," I said. "Gabriella and I are headed to Eppy Faire tonight. I want to get a look at the book store where she found that manuscript."

  "I won't stop you, but you need to be careful, Felix," she said. "And for the record, Gabriella seems like quite a catch. Try not to mess it up."

  "Seriously?" I asked, scandalized, as we pushed back into the hospital room, the smell of Chinese food seeping into the hallway. Gabriella had placed herself next to the head of Gia's bed and was eating noodles with chopsticks.

  "You didn't tell me about your niece," Gia said, looking at Gabriella's phone.

  Judy's hand caught my arm and she spun me toward her. "A niece? You found your family?"

  "Clarita is my older brother, Geoff's, daughter. The court awarded custody to Gabriella when no other living relatives were found," I said.

  "You're a relative," Dolly pitched. She'd been uncharacteristically quiet for most of our visit due to the heavy pain medication she was under.

  "Custody was granted before we knew of Felix's familial line. Clarita is a powerful, early emerging witch," Gabriella said. "For her safety and guid
ance, I've accepted her into my coven."

  "How powerful?" Judy asked.

  "Not here," I said. "Not where there are phones."

  Gia's eyebrows shot up and she started coughing, which caused her to grab her neck and groan. "Only hurts when I laugh, sneeze or cough," she sputtered. "Just a little tea would help."

  Gabriella handed an insulated cup to her. "We have a wonderful arrangement. She visits Felix and Mag …" She stopped short and then continued. "She visits Felix every day while I'm at work and plays with Maggie."

  If any of the women caught her bobble - and I was sure both Gia and Judy had - they just smiled politely. The older witches were comfortable with shaded truth and recognized it for what it was.

  "When are they letting you out?" I asked Gia.

  "They said tomorrow morning, but you know hospitals. One thing will turn into another and it'll end up being late afternoon," she answered. "I'll be quite happy to be disconnected from all this." She lifted her arm to show off the IV.

  "We'll take good care of you," Judy said.

  "I think Gabriella and I are going to take off," I said. "We thought we'd check out Eppy Faire."

  "It's pretty at night," Dolly offered. "The carousels and big-top are all so cheerful."

  Eppy Faire

  "What did you talk with Judy about?" Gabriella asked once we were on the road.

  "She wanted to know about Petaluma and why she still had the book," I said.

  "Did you tell her about the parasitic spell?"

  "Yes. I also told her we had to leave it alone until we could figure out how to safely remove it. The aura of the spell is familiar, but I don't recall from what. It's not like any witch magic I've run into."

  "Describe it."

  "Oily. Slimy. Revolting," I said. "The book itself was different. It's not your standard witch fare, but not that far off either. It was darker, but not as repugnant as the thing wrapped around it."

  "And that thing is touching Luma?" Gabriella asked.

  "It's even siphoning a small amount of energy from her," I said. "The spell is bad stuff, but we could harm Luma if we just cut her off again."

  We drove in silence, finally turning at an old road sign which hadn't seen maintenance in years. The crumbling asphalt road wound up a mountain holler with thick trees that crowded the road, darkening the already dusk-dimmed route. I pulled on the headlights as we drove deeper into the dark side of the mountain, the sun having long since dropped behind the tall ridge.