Chapter Nineteen
The Red Star
“This is severely messed up.”
Jennifer stares distastefully down at Jeremy, who's knee high in a dug out hole in the middle of the Westershade forest. Dirt has smeared up his wrists during the time he's spent digging. I guess his Werewolf strength and stamina are definitely going to come in handy.
Micah had decided to take Maylin home to heal when Jeremy had volunteered the idea of coming out here to dig up the mystery man back at Avery's house. We had all been very willing to let them go, me especially considering Maylin had been injured whilst protecting me. We could dig up a corpse without them.
“Well, you aren't the one digging up the grave.” Jeremy retorts and kicks the shovel into the dirt again. He tosses the next heap up beside her feet.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Jennifer asks me, shaking off dirt from her shoe as she looks around at the surrounding trees and dark sky.
“Positive.” I say, though I'm not that sure. It looks like the same place.
“How far down do you think you buried him?” Jeremy asks, pausing to lean against the shovel head.
“About six feet.”
He whistles. “No shallow grave for this guy then.”
“You better get back to work then,” Jennifer says and shoves her hands into her coat pockets. “We don't want to be out here all night.”
“Would you like to lend a hand?” He asks sarcastically and offers her the shovel. She shakes her head and twitches her nose.
“I'm good here.”
“Yeah, that's what I thought.” He says and starts digging again.
“So what are we looking for?” I ask. “I'm not really sure any of you will be able to smell what species he is since he's been buried out here for nearly three weeks.”
“Oh yuk, he's going to be decomposing and everything.” Jennifer cringes.
“Once again,” Jeremy says. “You aren't the one digging him up.”
“It was your idea.” She says then looks over at me. “It's worth a try, right? Especially since he could be the first step to figuring out why exactly these people are after you.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “I hope so.”
I won't let myself show just how truly terrified I am right now. Just in the last two hours I've had four Witches and a gang of eight or so Werewolves try to kill me. And that's not including the other four spread over the last three weeks. If this wasn't all so morbidly terrifying, I'd say that's almost some kind of record.
Avery pulls me aside from the others as Jennifer informs Jeremy that he isn't digging properly, which makes him jump into another list of reasons why she shouldn't be complaining. I could almost laugh at their bickering.
I tuck my chilly hands into my warm coat pockets as we look back at each other from the gathering around the grave.
“How are you doing?” She asks.
“I think my answer to that is a lot more complicated that it should be.” I tell her with a weak smile.
She nods. “That's understandable considering.”
We both look over at the people around the grave. Rhys stands off the the left of it with Tori beside him, watching Jennifer and Jeremy with a little smirk on his face. He looks up at us and his brow furrows in curiosity, but with a small half-smile from me his stormy grey eyes drop back down to stare at the dirt.
“Avery, if I am what Tori and everyone else thinks I am does that mean you and Rhys will be leaving soon?”
She frowns. “Why would you think that?”
“Well you told me before all of this that you were only visiting Westershade.” I say. “I figured this would pretty much put an end to that visit.”
Avery smiles and puts an arm around my shoulder, pulling me in at her side. “I'm not going anywhere, Park.”
I smile and lean my head against her shoulder, reveling in that small, comforting promise.
“I think I found it!” Jeremy calls.
We all tromp over to the hole and look down at him. He's dug a substantial amount since I last looked. He crouches down and brushes away the remaining layer of dirt covering our objective.
I spot the shiny black surface of the tarp I had used to wrap the body amongst the dirt. Jeremy immediately goes to work on the ropes on either end of the body.
“God, you tied it in like a thousand knots.” He says.
I shrug. “I didn't want it to come undone.”
When Jeremy finally manages to unwrap the ropes he throws them up onto higher ground then reaches down and starts to unfold the tarp. The first thing I see is the mans dark hair which is mattered with thick dirt. The next is his jacket, then his arms, legs and feet. Luckily, he's turned face down so I can't see the killing blow Blue had delivered to his throat. Jeremy looks up at us, or more particularly, Tori.
Tori steps away from Rhys and peers over the edge, down into the grave. She closes her eyes and takes in a long, deep breath through her nose. She stands there for a long moment before shaking her head.
“I can't get anything.” She says. “Parker was right. The bodies been here too long.”
Jeremy straightens up and leans against the makeshift wall of the grave to rest.
“Well, there goes the plan.” Jennifer says. “What now?”
"Since humans don't hunt the supernatural and this guy isn't a Werewolf, it's only logical that he would be a Witch, right?" Avery asks.
"Not really." Rhys says. "There's hundreds of different species of supernaturals all over the world. Just because Witches and Weres are the largest races doesn't particularly mean that it's narrowed down to just those two."
"So, we're looking at numerous possibilities?" She asks.
Rhys nods, but before he can speak again, Jeremy beats him to it.
"Actually, no." He says. Sometime during their conversation, he's gone back to examining the body. "Look at this."
Jeremy's head disappears into the hole again and everyone moves forward to look down into it. I force myself to step closer and peer over the edge.
Jeremy has pushed the mans dark hair out of the way and tried to remove as much of the blood caking his neck as he can. I can still see the remains of the dried liquid reaching down the nape of his neck and a dark patch stained into the fabric of his grey shirt.
We all lean in closer and try to get a better look at what exactly it is Jeremy's pointing at. He directs all our attention to the barely visible black marking on the back of the dead mans neck.
“He has an amplecti symbol.” Jeremy announces.
Everyone leans backwards with a collective exhale as if that sentence alone makes complete sense to them. Unlike everyone else, the words mean nothing to me.
“What's an amplecti symbol?” I finally ask.
"They are tattoos that represent a Witches acceptance of their power after their coming of age.” Jennifer explains. “Usually, it's a pattern or object that means something special to them. If he has one then that means he's one of them. A Witch."
"We still need to know though,” Tori says. "Why are both Weres and Witches coming after Parker if she's one of them?"
Almost in sync, everyone in the small clearing turn to look at me, silently waiting for the answer I don't know how to give.
“It doesn't matter.” Jennifer says after a long, silent moment. “Not now, at least. We all need to go home and get some sleep. Jeremy, recover the body so we can get out of here.”
Jeremy obliges without even the slightest complaint. We all listen to the sound of the shovel hitting lose earth and the pitter patter of it falling down into the hole again.
“Parker,”
Jennifer takes my arm from behind and pulls me back into step with her as Avery continues on down the path with Rhys, unaware of my departure considering they're both deep in conversation.
“Listen, I'm gonna do some research on this, find out why these people are coming after you.” Jennifer says, our shoulders bumping together as we walk. “I just don't understand it and I'm sure you'd like to know the reason too.”
“More than anything.” I answer. “Tell me when you find something, alright?”
She nods as we break through the tree line into my backyard. Rhys, Avery, Blue and I start off towards the back door as the others wave goodbye and melt back into the trees, headed towards Lochton. I'd offered to drive them when we first started on the path back towards Westershade from the forest but they'd respectfully declined. They said I deserved to rest and that they could make it there on their own.
Avery and Rhys have already made the decision of staying the night at my house despite my warnings of the fact that one of them will have to take the couch. Of course, Avery yelled shot-gun for my bedroom before Rhys could say anything. Not that he would have anyway. I'm sure the couch is fine.
I slide open the back door once I've unlocked it and walk into the silent house with Blue by my side. I crouch down and pick him up, cuddling him close to my chest as I go upstairs. Avery follows me and once I've put Blue down on my bed, I take a few sheets and blankets from the closet and go back downstairs to the lounge room.
“I can do that,” Rhys says when he first spots me stretching a sheet across the lounge cushions.
“So can I.” I say and continue on.
He thanks me when I'm finished and offers me a small smile. I smile back despite the heaviness in the center of my chest and retreat back to my room.
I'm ambushed by a hug when I step inside the door and Avery's familiar scent washes over me. Despite shifting, fighting and digging up a body she still has that lingering flowery perfume she always wears on her. I gladly wrap my arms around her and lay my head on her shoulder. Eventually, we pull apart and silently move towards our own beds. She takes the spare mattress on the floor and I crawl into bed with Blue, who purrs and lies his head on my stomach.
It's almost two in the morning and yet it takes a long time before I'm finally able to sleep.
But what feels like barely an hour later, I wake in a cold sweat, the sheets kicked down around my ankles. I blow out a frustrated breath between my teeth and roll out of bed, padding softly out of the room as not to wake Avery. Blue trots down the stairs in front of me, then stops and sits at my feet when I spot Rhys still awake, watching TV on a volume so low I can barely hear it even from where I'm standing.
“Can't sleep?” I ask and pass him into the kitchen.
He turns around and looks back at me. He shakes his head. “You?”
“I did for a little while.” I fill myself a glass of water from the tap and let the soothing cold wash down my scratchy throat.
Rhys joins me in the kitchen and leans against the bench. Blue seems more comfortable in his presence now and sits placidly licking his paws as I drain the rest of my water and put the empty glass in the sink. It slips from my shaky grasp and clangs loudly against the metal basin. The sound ricochets through both my head and the house. I lean forward and plant my trembling hands on the bench top.
“You're okay, you know that right?” Rhys says from behind me. “No one will come after you while Avery and I are here. You're safe.”
“I know, I know,” I run a hand through my hair, then turn around to face him. “It's just...I have this bad feeling that something worse is coming. I can't sleep because I'm terrified of it.”
Rhys face softens and to my horror, I feel the prickle of threatening tears in my eyes. I shake my head and take a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm and focus on something else.
“Do you know why Maylin was so angry when the Werewolf gang came?” I ask and cross my arms over my chest.
“Kind of.” he says. “But if you want to know the full story, you should probably ask her.”
I look down at the tiles, then push off the bench and walk to the lounge room doorway. Before leaving I turn around to face Rhys.
“Thank you for today, for protecting me and everything.” I say and Rhys bows his head, dropping his gaze onto the floor before looking up at me through his lashes. I give him a weak smile. “Try to get some sleep.”
Then, with Blue beside me, I return to my bedroom and this time I'm able to sleep.
The next morning, I'm downstairs making myself coffee when the phone rings. Rhys is asleep on the couch and Avery is still asleep upstairs so I answer the call as quickly as I can.
“Hello?”
“Hey Parker, it's Stacey.” The phone buzzes in my ear as I sip my coffee. “Are you doing anything today?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Well, me and Lara are going to do some Christmas shopping in Lochton. We want to know if you and Avery would like to come?” she asks.
I smile and look up the stairs, thinking Avery's answer will probably be yes.
“We'd love to.” I answer. “I'll have to wake Avery up, though. She's still asleep. Maybe we could meet up with you guys in an hour?”
“Alright.” There's a ruffle against the receiver and then the familiar click of a closet door. “I'll pick you both up from your house in an hour then.”
When I hang up, I bound up the stairs to my bedroom and bounce inside, the door swinging inward. The previous terror I felt seems to have completely washed away with Stacey's phone call. Now, I jump onto Avery's bed and she springs awake, bumping around and getting tangled in her blanket.
“What the-”
I stop jumping and grin down at her. “We're going shopping in an hour with Stacey and Lara, so get up and get ready!”
Avery groans and rolls over, burying her face in her pillow before rolling over again onto the floor. She throws off her blanket and gets back to her feet while I watch with a smile.
“What time is it?” She asks and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear that has escaped her messy bun.
“Eleven.” I say, then gesture towards the bathroom. “Go on.”
She shuffles off down the hall. I smile at her retreating figure, then walk back downstairs to the lounge room.
“Coffee?” I ask Rhys who's stretching his arms over his head and yawning.
“Sure,” he joins me in the kitchen and takes the freshly poured cup from me. “When you and Avery go I'm gonna head back to our house. But if you guys run into any trouble, I want you to call me immediately.”
He must have overheard the conversation with Stacey on the phone and already decided what he is going to do for the day.
Just under an hour later both Avery and I are ready to leave. That may seem like a lot of time to use for just getting ready but when you incorporate taking a shower, drying our hair, changing out of our pajamas, picking our clothing for the day, doing our make-up and eating something for breakfast, time just seems to rack up.
Rhys doesn't leave until Stacey and Lara pull up out the front of the house. Even once we're in the car and driving away, I see him in the review mirror watching until we turn the corner. I mustn't be the only one that's been shaken up.
“So where are we going?” Avery asks with a smile. I think she's really excited to be hanging out with Lara again and getting the chance to get to know Stacey better.
“Lochton mall, The Jumping Bean, then where ever else we want to go.” Stacey answers from the drivers seat.
“The Jumping Bean?” Avery frowns.
“It's a coffee shop.” Lara swivels in her seat to face us. “They built it, like, two years ago. Even though I don't like coffee, they have the best caramel lattes. And you have to try their croissants. They are to die for!”
Avery grins. “Alright then. That's what I'll get.”
From there we argue which coffee flavor and, in Lara's case, which tea flavor is the best. I barely even realize we've left Westershade as we chatter back and forth. I'm glad Stacey called. Today seems like the perfect day to just hang out together without having to worry about anything.
The day goes by so quickly, I'm almost shocked when I look down at my phone and see we're nearing five o'clock. The sky has dimmed around us from the usual beautiful blue to a crimson and orange wash of sunset.
I've trooped away from Stacey, Lara and Avery who've had their attention captured by a new clothing store we've never seen before. It must have come in only a couple weeks ago. But even so, I don't stay there for long. I wander down the sidewalk a little ways and end up in front of a large, blacked out window with a lit up sign in the center burning bright red. It reads;
THE RED STAR.
Nothing else on the outside of the small building shows what lies within. I look to the right and find a door with blinds that prevent me from peeking inside. An OPEN sign on the door beacons me forward and I step inside the little shop as a bell overhead rings at my arrival.
The small shop smells of incense and burnt matches, a scent that fits in well with the room's decor. Candles sit on tables and in little nooks on shelves pushed up against the walls that aren't taken up by books or jars. Fairy lights are strung up around the tops of the bookshelves and warm wood flooring lies beneath my feet. I notice that the blacked out window at the front of the room just appears like normal glass from inside. From here I can see a clear view of the street outside.
I wander further into the room and over to a shelf with three candles burning off the smell of violets. My fingertips trace along the spines of the books beside the candles. Most of them are guide books; guides to living a happier life, guides to regaining ones spiritual energy, guides to dealing with loss and grief.
I pick one of the books off the shelf that peaks my interest. It's in a foreign language, but the cover is dark red leather that's cool to the touch. Flower engravings border around the title of the book. It's a beautiful design.
“May I help you?”
I startle at the voice and the book nearly drops out of my hands. I fumble it back and forth, then finally manage to right myself. I turn around.
A woman is standing in the doorway at the back of the room, the beaded curtain she's walked through swaying gently behind her. She looks middle aged – reaching towards her sixties or so. She's slender and holds herself with a strong self-confidence, her hands linked together in front of her. Her dark brown hair is run through with strands of grey and white, dimming the once glossy colour. She has a sort of elderly beauty to her, and a wise, calm face that matches her persona well. She's wearing a dress of dark purple with a long skirt that brushes the floor. A thin, silk shawl hangs over her shoulders.
She smiles and waits for me to answer her original question.
“Um...I...” I actually have no idea what I'm doing in here. “What kind of shop is this? I mean, what do you sell?”
“Candles, incense, books.” She answers. “I also do tarot card readings.”
“Tarot card readings?”
She nods. “Would you like one?”
“Uh...” I think back to the money in my purse and recollect I probably have enough to pay for one session. “Sure, why not.”
The woman directs me towards a small table just beside one of the bookshelves. It's the kind of round table you usually would see a crystal ball sitting on. The psychic will wave her hands over it and bam – she suddenly knows exactly what's going to happen to you in the future. But, of course, this woman isn't a psychic. They don't exist, right?
“What's your name?” I ask as she shuffles a deck of cards.
“Morna.” She answers. “Morna De Rune. And yours?”
She looks up at me when she says this. A friendly smile flickers over her soft pink lips.
“Parker Kingsley.” I say to her.
Her smile brightens and she continues shuffling.
“Please split the deck.” She lays the cards out in front of me.
I pick them up and does as she's said, then put them back on the table in front of her.
Morna withdraws five cards from the deck. When she's laid out each card with the painted image staring upwards, visible to us both, she points to each one, naming them and their meaning.
"The Fool. Discovery and new beginnings." She says.
Discovery should already be out of the way now, right? Considering I now know what Avery and Rhys are, and what I apparently am too. Though I think I'm going to need a little more convincing for that certainty then just a werewolf with a good nose.
"The Papess. An increase in knowledge, but also the chance of an impending emotional outburst." That doesn't sound exactly fun. The increase of knowledge seems promising though.
“The Lovers. True relationships and internal conflict lie ahead of you.”
That one takes me by surprise.
"Death for transformation." Transformation...the full moon perhaps? That is coming up in just a few days.
"The Tower. Conflict and disruption of natural life. Not a good card to be dealt." Damn.
"Strength. Overcoming both mental and physical obstacles."
The moment after she's finished, Morna takes each card and puts them back into the deck. I reach for my wallet and begin to unzip it, preparing to pay the cost for her reading, but she puts up a hand to stop me.
“There's no need for that.” She says. “This session is free.”
I thank her and put my wallet back inside my bag, then rise out of my seat.
“You are very powerful, Parker Kingsley,” She doesn't look up at me as she says it but instead continues packing away the deck. “And you'll be surprised at how strong you truly are.”
“How do you-”
The woman straightens up and places the reasembled deck on the table. She smiles and links her hands back together in front of her.
“I know a lot of things, child.” She says, then looks past me to the front doors. “But you best be getting back to your friends. I'm sure they're starting to worry about where you've wandered off to.”
I stare at the woman for a half second before finally heading back towards the door. I pause as the bell dings on my way out and glance over my shoulder at Morna.
“Happy holidays, Parker.” She smiles and then steps through the beaded curtain she first walked through.
I leave The Red Star and walk back to the clothing store just a few blocks away. When I arrive, Avery is the first to ask where I've been.
“Just down the street a little,” I say and pull my gaze away from the direction of The Red Star. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Hey,” Stacey bounces over with an arm full of clothing and dumps a few pieces on me. “Try these on. You too, Avery. I think the dark blue dress will go really well with your eyes.”
I forget my encounter with Morna and let Stacey shuffle us off to the change rooms, allowing myself to pretend even for the moment that I'm just another normal teenage girl.