The Banshee's Embrace

  The Banshee’s Embrace

  Victoria Richards

  Copyright 2012

  Copyright 2012 Victoria Richards (victoria-richards.com). All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons either living or dead, as well as any events or locations is entirely coincidental.

  In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, any means of reproduction, either electronic or physical, of any part of this book, without written permission is unlawful piracy and deemed a theft of the author's intellectual property. You may use the material from this book for review purposes only. Any other use requires written permission from the author or publisher.

  Table of Contents

  The Banshee Awakens

  Wizard Truths

  The Box of Souls

  Command Me

  Soul Reaper

  The Banshee Awakens

  The rain howled down, causing Jacqueline's skirt to stick to her as if it were a second skin. She didn't notice, nor did the pounding rain cause her any discomfort. Her attention was focused on the body next to her, her mind trying to make sense of everything that she'd seen.

  Eric is dead.

  The thought tore at her heart. Someone had just killed her husband. Even though she knew that, even though her mind knew she needed to run, to get the hell out of danger, Jacqueline could do nothing but stare down at the man who had somehow managed to save her from death.

  But how? How had he done it? The deep ache in her chest where she'd been hit was proof something happened, but had she imagined the sparks she'd seen flying from his fingertips, the sparks that had sailed through the wet night and at the mysterious man who'd attempted to assault her. No. It wasn't possible. Her mind was playing tricks. It had to have been a gun, some sort of new technology. Eric was a cop. He would have had access to those things. It had only looked like…

  Magic.

  The murderer had taken off into the night, not bothering to see if his victim was alive or dead. Her mind replayed the events of the past few minutes. Jacqueline had been certain that death was going to claim her, but as she'd lain on the soaked ground, Eric's worried face appeared above her. The wind had picked up, carrying with it an odd, almost melodious howl.

  "No, Jackie!" Eric's voice was stern, though blood dripped down the side of his face. "Don't listen to the song. It's not your time to become one of them."

  "Eric, baby…" She could feel the strength slipping from her body. It felt like something dark tugged at her spirit, something that wanted very badly for her to let go of life.

  What a weird thought…

  "No!" With a deep breath, Eric had raised his head to the night sky and begun chanting strange words. His hands glowed with a soft, comforting white light, and as he placed them on her chest, just above her heart, heat slid into her skin. The tugging feeling evaporated.

  "Eric?" As she sat up, he fell onto his side, eyes wide and empty.

  Her emotions were numb with dread, and though her mind had already darted and delved its way into a million questions, she willed herself to be still just a moment longer. Just a little while more. If she sat very, very still, everything would go back to normal. She'd wake up from the horror, from the truth.

  Eric is dead.

  She reached forward and touched the body of the man she'd been married to for five years. He was already cold. The rain lashed against him, and suddenly Jacqueline threw herself against his chest, ready to shield him from the harsh drops. Desperately, she breathed in his scent.

  Her skin tingled. Anxiety danced in her stomach, and the oddest sensation of power rippled through her abdomen. The spot on her chest where the man had hit her, that Eric had healed, ached. Her heart raced and dizziness washed over Jacqueline, mixing with the sensation of rain on her skin. She could literally feel this new energy rising through her body until it reached the esophagus.

  Jacqueline lifted her face to the sky. If she could have seen herself, she would have been shocked to see that her eyes were a deep, luminescent green. Her mouth opened and a long wail flew free from within her. Only it wasn't really a wail.

  It had melody.

  It lifted up through the air, skimming the rain and dancing across the night sky, carrying along the sound of her lament.

  ***

  Three miles away, Toby Williams rubbed at his counter top with a damp towel. He'd just flipped off the neon sign for Merlyn's Bar when the sound came to him. At first, it was faint, a soft song that sounded vaguely familiar. He moved to the window and stared out, curious.

  The bar was located at the end of an old dirt road that ran parallel to the river. It was the last stop for river rafters and tubers before they journeyed into the Galesburg Falls, a more dangerous stretch of water. Trees lined the lonely road on both sides, bending down low and creating a tunnel like effect at night. Tonight as Toby listened to the strange song he became aware of how listless and still the air was, almost as if it too had paused to listen to the mysterious melody.

  But as Toby watched, one by one the trees rustled as a gust wind blew through them. He pushed open the bar door and stood outside. One sniff of the air told him that rain was coming which was odd for July. Normally, this part of the state didn't see rain again until October.

  The lilting melody grew louder, carried by the force of the wind, until the melancholy song itself seemed to wrap around him, causing his cynical heart to beat a little faster. His eyes narrowed and he pulled gently at the blonde beard he'd been growing for the last few months. What was making that sound?

  There was movement to his left. Something or someone was hiding in the bushes.

  "Reveal," he said, waving his hand in the air as if parting a curtain.

  The bushes opened obligingly, displaying a small man trembling behind the brush.

  "Who are you?" Toby called out.

  The man jumped up, clapped his hands together, and without a word, disappeared into thin air.

  "Shit," Toby muttered. "Another wizard. What the hell is going on now?"

  Toby Williams stepped back inside Merlyn's Bar. Though he didn't need to, he locked the door behind him. With a soft sigh, he resumed his activity of cleaning the counter, but dread and curiosity brewed in his stomach.

  The other wizards would be paying him a call soon.

  ****

  One Year Later….

  Jacqueline was drunk. She knew it and didn't give a damn. So what if she was being loud and obnoxious? So what if she wasn't making sense? She was Jacqueline Huston and she could do whatever the hell she pleased!

  At least when she was drinking.

  "And another thing," she said to her friend Angela who was equally drunk. "I think that stupid Bella should have picked the wolf. I mean, come on! Why would you pick a dead guy for a boyfriend?"

  "He is pretty damn sexy," Angela lisped. "So sexy! Guys that sexy should be illegal."

  "Edward is a whiner," Jacqueline insisted. "Whine, whine, whine all the time."

  She tapped her empty red plastic cup on the bar for emphasis.

  "Speaking of wine." Jacqueline leaned over the bar and shouted down at the bartender. "Hey, Toby! I need some more wine down here. Bring me the good stuff! You know, the kind out of a box."

  Both women cracked up, laughing hysterically.

  Jacqueline noticed Toby moved slowly towards them. He was cool and collected, something she envied about him. In the year that she'd been frequenting Me
rlyn's Bar, she'd yet to see him let a situation get out of hand. Any attempt at a bar fight was nipped in the bud before the first punch was thrown. He exuded power, and Jacqueline had to admit it was a very sexy trait.

  Not that she thought of him that way, of course. She'd only been widowed a year. Still, sometimes when she was drinking, odd little thoughts would come to her, sparking her imagination.

  "You yelled?" Toby leaned back against the wall of the bar, his arms crossed as he gave them both the once over.

  "Yes. Could we please have another glass of your best Chardonnay?" Angela asked. She smiled at the bartender, tossed her long red hair, and attempted a flirtatious wink that somehow made her look like she was having a brain seizure.

  Jacqueline couldn't help laughing.

  "I think you two have had enough. Who is driving home?" Toby asked.

  "I'm cabbing it." Angela grinned. "I'm not stupid enough to drink and drive. Again."

  "Okay. One more glass for you." Toby turned to Jacqueline, and she couldn’t help but notice how his blue eyes sparkled just a little bit. "What about you?"

  "I'm walking. It's not like I live that far."

  "Hmmm…I think you mean staggering. I doubt you can do a regular walk at this point."

  "Aw…c'mon, Toby. Be a sport. Just one more glass of wine?" Jacqueline gave him her best smile. "Please?"

  "Does that tactic usually work for you?" Toby asked.

  "What tactic?" She batted her eyes and tried to look innocent as she played with a piece of her blonde hair. Since it was cut in a pixie bob, it didn't come off as cool as Angela's hair tosses did.

  "The one where you attempt to look like a simpering virgin?"

  "Oh shit. I wasn't going for virgin. Just cheap slut."

  Toby grinned, making Jacqueline happy. Getting Toby Williams to smile or laugh was no easy feat. She'd tried enough times to know!

  "Alright. A small glass. Sip it slow," Toby warned. He produced a wine bottle from the fridge behind the bar and expertly poured them each a drink. "You are both cut off after this one though. It's almost closing time."

  "Yes sir!" Angela saluted.

  "What she said!" Jacqueline also saluted. As Toby moved away, she leaned towards Angela. "Isn't he cute?"

  "Toby?"

  "No. Freakin' Attila the Hun. Yeah, Toby. Have you ever noticed what a great butt he has?"

  Angela leaned over the bar to get a better look.

  "I guess it's alright if you like guys with beards and mustaches. That's never been my thing," Angela said.

  "Maybe you've never had a beard and mustache touch you in the right place," Jacqueline suggested.

  "Jackie!"

  Both women giggled.

  "Seriously, you don't think there is something totally sexy about that guy, Angela?"

  "Well, if you like big muscles and tight black t-shirts that show off ripped abs, then yes, I think there is some definite hotness going on with Toby. I prefer my latest boyfriend though. He's the strong, silent type with amazing skills in the bedroom." Angela sipped her drink. "Toby's too quiet for me. He's a thinker. And he likes women with big boobs."

  She glanced down at her breasts and then over at her friend's ample chest.

  "You're probably his type, Jackie."

  "Oh hush," Jacqueline said with a laugh. "He's never looked at my breasts."

  "Not when you were paying attention."

  Jacqueline sipped her wine and cast another appraising look down the bar at Toby. He was leaning forward now, talking with some guys. Shit. She was probably crazy, but she couldn’t deny the small crush she had on him.

  "Uh oh." Angela's face turned pale. "I don't feel so good. I think I need to make a pit stop at the bathroom."

  "Okay." Jacqueline watched her friend stagger off towards the ladies room, knowing that Angela would spend the next few minutes worshipping the porcelain god as she threw up all the alcohol they'd consumed. "Drunk bitch."

  The older lady sitting two stools down from Jacqueline glared at her and then stuck up her middle finger.

  "I didn't mean you, Matilda," Jacqueline said with a shake of her head. "You're just a drunk."

  Matilda, who was indeed quite drunk, nodded her head and went back to nursing her beer. Her shoulders hunched up and to Jacqueline, it appeared Matilda was trying hard to become invisible. Jacqueline had often wondered how old the other woman was. Fifty? Sixty? It was hard to tell, and the lines in Matilda's face grew deeper every day. Her black hair had long streaks of gray in it. Had it looked like that a year ago when she'd first met Matilda? Jacqueline didn't think so but she couldn't remember. So much about the last year had been a blur. So many things had changed.

  Except for the depression.

  That clung to her like bad perfume, coating her with such a heavy feeling that Jacqueline often woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air. Her doctor said she was having anxiety attacks, but deep down, she knew it was something more, something her doctor couldn’t begin to understand.

  Something was changing inside her.

  Before she could dwell on the thought, the loud blare of banjos burst from the jukebox. Mumford and Sons started playing the opening notes to Little Lion Man. A loud collective groan ran through the bar.

  "Closing time!" Toby shouted, cranking up the tune. People slowly began to move from their seat, some tossing money down at the bar or on the table. A few regulars, familiar with the song, grabbed a partner and danced to the jaunty folk melody.

  Sitting at the bar, Jacqueline hummed along and watched as the Wilsons made their way up to the bar to pay their tab. Belinda and Sean Wilson were the bar's resident fighting couple. They started out each night docile and calm, but as the evening wore on and the liquor flowed more freely, the couple would invariably start to argue. Usually the argument was about Belinda's inability to stop flirting with other guys. Sometimes it was about her need to flirt with other women. Regardless, they were always entertaining. As long as they didn’t drag you into the argument.

  Tonight they were arguing about the blouse Belinda had chosen to wear. It was a brilliant yellow that stood out in the dim bar and dipped down low to show a fair amount of cleavage.

  "You wouldn't be cold if you'd cover up a little bit," Sean said, pulling his money out.

  "I am covered." Belinda crossed her arms and tossed her pretty black hair.

  "Everyone can see your tits."

  "No, they can't. You can because you're standing close to me."

  "Belinda, everyone can see your goodies. Everyone! You might as well just flash the whole damn bar and be done with it," Sean glared.

  Jacqueline let out a low whistle, already knowing what was coming next. It was never a good to put ideas into Belinda's drunken little brain.

  "Fine." While Sean counted out his money, Belinda took her top off, revealing that she wore no bra underneath. She tapped him on the shoulder and raised her arms so that her naked breasts were thrust forward. "What do you think? Is that better?"

  For the customers eyeing Belinda's bare bosom, the whole night had just gotten better!

  "Dammit!" Sean swore.

  "Belinda!" Toby's stern voice could be heard above the music. "Put your shirt on or I'll throw your ass out and keep the shirt inside."

  A cheer went up from the crowd which was quickly silenced by a glare from Toby.

  "Sean, man up and get your woman out of here."

  With a sigh, Sean pushed Belinda out the door as she struggled to put her shirt back on.

  "Everybody out!" Toby hollered. "The boobs are outside now."

  "Wow." Jacqueline giggled at how quickly everyone exited. "That was some craziness."

  Toby glared at her. "What are you still doing sitting there? I told everyone to get out."

  "I'm waiting for Angela. She's in the bathroom."

  "You get five minutes. Then I'm going in the bathroom to drag her out by her hair."

  "What are you, a cave man? Have you been watching too much
Game of Thrones again?"

  Toby said nothing, but she could tell by the way he tossed bottles into the trash can that he wasn't in a great mood.

  "What are you so pissed about? It's not like Belinda takes her top off every night." Jacqueline got up and grabbed a few empty bottles from a nearby table. She handed them to him. "A little nudity is good for the soul."

  "But not good for my bar if she started a riot."

  "Please. Her ta-tas weren't that great."

  "Ta-tas?"

  "Just a little nickname Angela and I have for our lady parts."

  The beginning of a smile lifted the corner of Toby's mouth.

  Just as she was about to comment on it, Jacqueline felt a familiar tingling in her stomach. Her heartbeat increased and dizziness washed over her, causing her head to begin to ache. She swayed a little and grasped the bar for support.

  "Uh-oh," she whispered.

  "Jacqueline, if you are gonna throw up, please do it in the bathroom." Toby's voice came from far away. She barely heard it. In fact, another noise, one only she could hear, danced around in her head. "What's wrong with you?"

  "I need some air." She moved unsteadily to the door. The urge to be outside was strong, but she'd learned that it was important to follow the feeling, to not fight it. Fighting just made it worse.

  Toby came around from the bar and grabbed her arm before she could leave. One of his hands came up and gently turned her head towards him. Jacqueline looked into his deep blue eyes which were filled with concern and something else…wonder.

  "You're eyes," he said, studying them. "They're so green. Are they always like that?"

  "My eyes are brown." She pulled away. What was he talking about? Green eyes? The need to get outside was stronger, and the awful noise in her head was about to come bursting out, clashing with the fast paced rhythm of Mumford and Sons.

  Oh, god. Please don't let me be a total freak in front of Toby.

  The night air cooled her skin as she ran into the parking lot of Merlyn's Bar. The words of Little Lion Man floated behind her.