The Banshee's Embrace Read online

  "Sure, I guess so. It's hard to tell from here," Jacqueline said.

  "So are you okay? I was worried about you after the craziness of last night. That Toby didn't hurt you or try to get too friendly, did he?" Angela asked.

  "Well….." Jacqueline blushed and her friend gave a squeal of glee.

  "He did try to get friendly, didn't he? I knew he had a thing for you!"

  "It isn't exactly like that…" she began but Angela cut her off.

  "Wait! Don't give me the details yet! I have to go, but Derek and I are having dinner tonight and we totally want you to come. Say yes!" Angela pleaded. "It will be so much fun!"

  "I'll think about it." Oh god. Going out with Angela in a normal situation would have been fine, but so much had changed. Jacqueline didn't know if it was safe to make plans. "I need to check with someone first."

  "Who?" Angela's eyebrow lifted. "Oh. Wait. Do you have to check with Toby? Are you already…well, you know."

  "No. I mean, yes, I do need to talk to him first, but not for the reasons you think. How about I call you?"

  "Hmm…." Angela pouted. "Okay, but I'm not taking no for an answer. I expect you to come with me. You'll just love Derek! "

  The car horn honked. With a wave and a promise to harass her if she didn't call, Angela left. Jacqueline watched her drive off and then stepped back into the house. She headed upstairs to the bedroom.

  With a sigh, she lay on the bed and closed her eyes. Just a few minutes to think, to plan. That was all she needed. Yet, even as she lay there, she had the feeling that something was off.

  Jacqueline opened her eyes and then covered her mouth to keep from screaming. There at the foot of her bed stood Gabe, the Keeper of Souls. His green eyes glittered with rage, offset by the deadly looking knife he carried in his hand.

  "You should never have been born," he whispered angrily.

  With the blade pointed at Jacqueline's heart, he lunged for her.

  Command Me

  Worry gnawed at Toby.

  He'd been working for thirty minutes and couldn't get the feeling to go away. Normally, the cleaning up of Merlyn's Bar was enough to get him into the routine of the day, but the last twenty four hours had been a little crazy. Banshees, rogue wizards, soul keepers and near death experiences would take a toll on even the best of men.

  I shouldn't have left Jacqueline alone.

  There. That was the thought that bugged him. Yes, he understood that she needed a little breathing room, and he placed his best and strongest spells around her home in order to protect her, but something about it just felt…off.

  The Keeper the Souls, Gabe, had insisted on staying behind, saying he could keep a watch on the place and wasn't able to wander too far from the box anyway. That made him feel a little better.

  I like her, banshee freakiness and all.

  Oh shit. That was another thought that plagued him. He could sense an attachment forming towards the woman, one that he shouldn't have allowed to grow. The explosive kiss they'd shared had caught him off guard, and he couldn't help but imagine her in his bed. The thought of that soft blonde hair, resting on his pillow, the way her plump lips would tug at his--it made him a little dizzy. But as far as he could see, there was no happy ever after in this story. Jacqueline would have to die in order to become whole.

  Unless…

  No. There was no unless in the scenario. She was going to die and face her destiny, and for Toby, that meant no further attachments to her. From now on, Jacqueline Huston was just a supernatural who needed assistance. She was not the object of his affections. She was not a woman he intended to have any further thoughts about that weren't strictly professional. He'd done as the Brotherhood had instructed a year ago- keep an eye on the half banshee and made sure she stays out of trouble. However, the Brotherhood had told him that if trouble came, it would be up to him to deal with the fall out.

  Still…she is really hot.

  Toby shook his head, mad at having thoughts that just wouldn't go away.

  "What's the matter, Toby?" Matilda sat in her usual spot at the bar, sipping on a cold beer. "You got it bad for that girl, don't you?"

  "No, I don't."

  "You don't have to pretend with me."

  "Good. I'm not pretending. Jacqueline means nothing to me."

  "Really? I saw you kissing her. Didn't look like nothing." Matilda smiled, her eyes rimmed red from excessive alcohol use.

  "Mom, it can't happen. Jacqueline's fate is on a different path."

  "You're just afraid."

  Toby glared. "Afraid?"

  "Sure. You're thinking about Gabriella and how that didn't work out. You don't want to be attached again." Matilda sipped her beer. "I could have killed your father for interfering. He should have just left you two kids alone. Then maybe you wouldn't be so gun shy about relationships."

  "He got his way in the end." Toby grabbed his broom and stabbed the floor with it.

  "Maybe."

  For a few minutes there was nothing but the sound of the bar's television. No other patrons had found their way in yet, and the shadows from the trees outside gave the place a cozy feel. Matilda grabbed Toby's arm as he swept the broom past her.

  "I wish your son had lived. I would have been proud to see him." Her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I never could look at your father the same after all that mess died down."

  "Mom." Toby gathered his courage, not liking these intimate conversations with Matilda, but for once, he wanted to get to the bottom of something that had always bothered him. "Did my father kill my son?"

  Matilda looked him, her expression blank.

  "I think he meant to kill the baby. You know how your dad was about mixing wizard blood lines. How many times did we hear him say that doing so caused an unthinkable balance in power? But I don't think he did it. I talked with Gabriella, you know. She told me the baby was stillborn," Matilda spoke softly. "I believed her."

  "That spirit that came out of the Box of Souls, Gabe, he says he looks like Trevor would have if he'd lived to be this age," Toby said.

  Matilda turned away, silent again.

  Toby resumed sweeping, careful to keep his thoughts from straying too far towards the lovely, Jacqueline Huston.

  Or his dead son.

  ****

  "What are you doing!?" Jacqueline screamed as she rolled to the side of her bed. The knife Gabe held slid into the mattress instead of her.

  "You should have died! I'm helping you!" Gabe pulled the knife free and turned to her. "Your kind should never have been born. It's an abomination!"

  "I can't help that my parents conceived me, you freak!"

  "I don't mean that kind of birth. I mean your half banshee nature!"

  "I can't help that either!"

  She screamed as he lunged at her again.

  "Can't we just talk about this?" Jacqueline asked before ducking through the bedroom door. Trying not to fall, she ran down the stairs, headed for the front door. "Shit!"

  Gabe materialized in front of her, a small smile on his handsome face.

  "You can't get away from me. I know how to track you. We're blood, Jacqueline."

  "Then why are you trying to kill me? I mean, family is supposed to be the one thing you can count on," she said as she backed away.

  "That's why I want to kill you. Look at it as the ultimate family gift."

  "Gift? How do you figure stabbing me is a gift?"

  "Because then you'll be dead and we can carry on with our respective job functions within the family tree." Gabe tapped his foot. "Hasn't that wizard explained to you that you are too dangerous the way you are now? You are upsetting the balance! If you die, everything will be as it should be."

  "I don't want to die!" Anger surged, bubbling up like a volcanic lava flow that had been repressed in the core of her being for too long.

  Gabe's eye widened.

  "What do you think you're doing," he asked. "You know you can't actually hurt me, right? I'm way too power
ful."

  "You're pissing me off," she answered. Energy pulsed beneath her skin and she raised her hands.

  Now it was his turn to step back. Jacqueline thought she saw just a hint of fear in his eyes, and she knew instinctively that he was lying to her about his inability to be harmed. What else might he be lying about?

  He placed the knife on the table next to the front door and held up his hands.

  "Okay, look. I've put the knife down."

  But the anger had taken hold and the energy she felt reminded her of the same strong feeling she'd gotten when the silver box was opened. Electricity sparked from her fingers.

  "Why are you scared?" She narrowed her eyes. "After all, you’re already dead. It's only living people I can harm. You said yourself that you are a more powerful being. Right?"

  He nodded quickly, but his eyes told a different story.

  "Wrong." She moved to him with small slow steps. "I bet I can hurt you. Maybe even tear your pathetic spirit apart."

  She lifted her hands, a part of her surprised at the crackle of energy that sparked from her fingers.

  "I've wanted to experiment with my powers. Thanks for helping me out." The palms of her hands faced each other with just a small space in between. She focused her thought on that space, pleased when the sparks connected. Jacqueline glanced up at Gabe who watched in fascination and horror, and then slowly she pulled her hands apart, imagining that it was him she was stretching.

  "Wait!" Gabe pleaded and to her surprise, it did appear that his essence was being pulled apart just as her hands widened the space between them. "Please, Jacqueline."

  "What would happen if you I pulled my hands apart as far as I could?" Jacqueline gave him a cold smile. "I bet I could destroy you, split your very being. Doesn't sound like a pleasant option to me."

  "I'm sorry." Gabe looked like a bloated fruit ready to explode. "I was only trying to help." This isn't the kind of person you are, Jacqueline. What would Toby say if he saw this side of you?"

  Toby. She flinched at the name. Self-doubt crept into her consciousness.

  "Toby wouldn't… want… you… to… kill me." Gabe voice became garbled as he struggled desperately to speak. His essence was fat, reminding Jacqueline of the over-juiced Violet from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

  "You don't know anything about Toby."

  But she did. And she knew that for all his gruffness, his tough talk, Toby was a kind person on the inside. He probably wouldn't want her to end Gabe this way even if he had attacked her.

  And wasn’t this exactly why the other wizards wanted her? To kill?

  No! She was not a killer.

  Carefully and with all the concentration she could muster, Jacqueline brought her hands closer together until Gabe was no longer stretched out. She imagined the sparks in her hand being doused with water, and to her relief, they died out, leaving only a small scorch mark behind on each palm.

  "You did it." Gabe gave her a look filled with awe. "You actually controlled the power."

  "Who says I couldn’t?"

  "Everyone in the family. The last time there was a case like yours, the half banshee destroyed most of Europe before she was finally killed."

  "Well, if my ancestors handled her the way you were trying to handle me, maybe she just freaked out." Jacqueline took a deep breath, exhaustion hitting her.

  "But you didn't freak out, Jacqueline. You can control it!" Gabe sat down on the couch. "This is amazing."

  "Does it mean you're going to stop trying to kill me?"

  "I don't know. Wait!" he said hastily as her eyes narrowed again. "What I mean is, if you can control your power without the help of anyone else maybe there is hope."

  Jacqueline thought about that for a minute. Hope. It was a word to cling to, a word she desperately had needed all these long months of being alone and confused by the odd changes occurring within her.

  "How can I test this idea that I can control what I'm doing?" she asked. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

  "Simple. We set a trap and then you use your power on someone who might deserve to have their soul ripped out," he said. "That way if you can't control it, then it's still a win-win."

  "Um…I don't know if I want to kill someone even if they are bad. That's not my decision to make," Jacqueline said, alarmed by the idea.

  "What if it was the wizard who killed your husband?"

  Jacqueline gasped, shocked at the idea and yet…tempted, too.

  "Not that I'm agreeing to do that, but how would I find him?" she asked.

  "You need to be somewhere where he can be lured out into the open. Obviously, he's been watching you so why not help him out?"

  Angela. Hadn't she invited her to dinner that night? Jacqueline relayed the information to Gabe who nodded.

  "Yes. That could be perfect," he said.

  "But what about Angela? I don't want to get her hurt. Or her friend, for that matter." Jacqueline sighed. "No. This is a bad idea. Too risky. We should talk to Toby."

  "Look, no wizard is going to attack you in front of an entire restaurant full of people. He'll wait till you're alone. Only you won't be because I'll be there to guide you. Let's leave Toby out of it for now." Gabe grinned. "I think this is the way to prove you can control your gift and get the others wizards to back off. See, they think all they have to do is put a command spell on you, and then you will do whatever they want. But if you show them that you are the one in command, they might give up on their idea."

  "Well, I like any plan that doesn't involve me dying or being controlled by others. I'm in," Jacqueline said. "I'll go call Angela."

  ******

  "Jacqueline, this is my friend Derek," Angela said.

  Jacqueline reached to shake his hand, but instead of offering his in return, Derek gave her a gentle hug. Reflex made her return the hug, though she didn't like being pressed against some stranger. When he pulled away, both of his hands rested on her shoulders and he gave her a shy grin.

  "I feel like I already know you," he said. "Angela is always talking about her best friend Jacqueline."

  "Well, we've been friends for a long time." Jacqueline returned his smile and then looked at Angela who beamed with happiness. "Thanks for inviting me to dinner."

  "Our pleasure. Come. The table is ready for us."

  Derek led them into the dining room of Antoine's French Restaurant. Jacqueline couldn't help but notice how heads turned to look at Angela and her boyfriend. They were a pretty good looking couple, she thought. Jacqueline glanced at the simple green sundress she'd worn and sighed. She'd never outshine Angela who always looked radiant.

  But as they sat down, she saw more than one woman in the room stare longingly at Derek.

  Uh-oh. Angela's got to keep her eye on this one.

  Derek seemed oblivious to it, making sure that both ladies were seated before he took his own chair. The next few minutes were a rush of lightheartedness and small talk, but Jacqueline couldn't help but glance around the room.

  Could the wizard who'd killed her husband be here? Would he come out to play? A shiver ran down her spine and she tried to focus on the conversation.

  "Why don't we take Derek to Merlyn's Bar after this?" Angela suggested.

  "Oh, I don't know. We had so much excitement there last night." Jacqueline looked at her menu. The last thing she wanted was to go to Merlyn's Bar where Toby would have a chance to figure out what she was up to and the rogue wizard probably wouldn't go. The more she thought about it, the more she knew he would not approve of her plan.

  "Excitement? What happened?" Derek smiled at Angela. "You didn't mention anything earlier."

  "That's because I was so swept off my feet by you this afternoon." Angela blushed. "But someone was killed there last night. Jacqueline saw the whole thing."

  "Well, then I could see why she wouldn't want to go back. That would be a lot to take in."

  "Oh, yes…of course…I'm sorry Jackie, I wasn’t thinking." Angela patted Jacq
ueline's arm." You are feeling better, right? I just thought you might want to see…"

  "Yeah. I had some trouble sleeping, but I'm okay. I think we should go somewhere else for after dinner drinks, though." Jacqueline ignored the comment about who she might want to see.

  Dinner went smoothly after that, but about halfway through it, she began to get an odd feeling of being watched. On alert, she scanned the restaurant.

  "Looking for someone?" Derek asked, sipping his wine.

  "No. I'm just a people watcher."

  "Me, too," he confided and patted her hand.

  A spark of electricity flew between them.

  What had Toby said about sparks being a way to recognize another supernatural being?

  Cautious, she looked at Derek. He gave her a small smile and tilted his head to the side, a curious expression on his face. Without hesitation, Jacqueline put her other hand on top of his.

  The spark happened again.

  "Wow, that's some static electricity you have there," Angela commented.

  "Silence." Derek waved his hand in a broad circle and all the sound in the restaurant lowered, as if someone had turned the volume down on a stereo. "Freeze."

  As Jacqueline watched in stunned silence, the world around them slowed. Waiters froze in mid-step, and the other diners sat like statues, some with forks halfway raised to their mouths.

  "Angela," Jacqueline whispered. Her friend sat silent and still, a slight puzzled expression on her face.

  "Don't worry, Jacqueline," Derek said. "She's fine."

  "You're a wizard."

  "Very good."

  "You were in my kitchen this morning, pretending to be Toby."

  Derek grimaced." Yes, though as much I loved finally meeting you, being in the guise of that hack was not to my liking."

  "Why are you doing this? Are you the one trying to kill me?"

  "Why would I do that? You are more useful alive. You just need a little guidance. It's the Brotherhood that wants you dead. The Spark family has no desire to see that happen."