Maudlin's Mayhem (Bewitching Bedlam #2)(47)

My aim was still true, and though I might have been out of form, I still managed to thrust hard enough to impale Thornton in the heart. As the blade slid through his flesh, he shrieked once, a loud, angry cry. He reached for me, but then froze as the silver blade fed on the energy of his heart. With a sudden pop, he broke into a thousand pieces of dust and ash, slowly scattering to the ground in a pile.

Weakened, I sank to my knees, crouching beside the ashes. A loud “M-row” echoed from the basement and I crawled over to open the door, slumping on the floor beside the steps. Bubba came racing out, followed by Aegis, who was still in bat form.

Bubba bounced on my lap as Franny appeared.

“You’re all right?” she said.

“Thanks to your warning. You saved my life, Franny. I never would have been prepared for the attack if you hadn’t warned me to run.” I stared up at her as Aegis landed on the top of my head. It was an annoying feeling to have a bat in my hair, but he wasn’t stuck and he knew very well what he was doing, rather than being snarled in the strands.

She glanced over at the pile of ashes. “He let himself in a few minutes before you came home. I tried to text you.”

“I had my phone silenced due to the ritual. Damn it, I forgot to turn it back on.”

“I thought so. Bubba used the secret cat door to get into the basement.”

We had created a secret cat door that couldn’t be seen, so Bubba could escape into the basement if need be. I hadn’t told Thornton about it because it was a potential danger for Aegis if someone figured out how to get into the basement during the day while he slept.

“Well, I owe you a debt, that’s for certain.” I let out a soft sigh, thinking that once again I had better call Delia to let her know what was going on. But I was tired of calling the cops. I was tired of things going wrong. Two days and the hex would be broken and everything would return to normal.

But even as I texted Sandy about what had just happened and then fetched the broom and dustpan to sweep up what had been the remains of Thornton, I couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t over just yet, and until it was, I would sleep with one eye open.





Chapter 13





NEEDLESS TO SAY, I didn’t sleep very well. By the time I woke up, the house was feeling very empty and a little scary. Two days in a row, I woke up without a love note on my pillow, and I realized just how much I missed that. Aegis as a bat had hung out with me till I calmed down, but I had made him return to the basement before I went to bed.

Bubba was stretched on the foot of the bed, waiting patiently. I blinked as I sat up, yawning. My body felt slow. Too much adrenaline the night before after running a public ritual like that had left me cramping and slightly sick to my stomach.

“Hey, Bubs. I don’t like what’s been happening,” I said as he bounced up to crawl into my lap. I leaned over, kissing the top of his ears. “You think I should start working out? If I’m going to be fighting vampires again, it makes sense for me to get back into shape.”

The thought of reentering that life was daunting. It had left me feeling scorched, like a dry husk in the wind. But maybe it wouldn’t be as bad now. It wasn’t like I was planning to cross the country, hunting down vampires like I had before. It simply meant being alert and prepared. And Thornton had taught me how far I had slipped on those factors.

Bubba let out a “Purp” as I scratched his ears. “Yeah, I guess I’ll hunt for a gym today.”

I showered quickly, then dressed in a skirt and tank top. Bubba bounced down the steps in front of me. I fed him, then stared into the fridge. Nothing looked appetizing. The phone rang and I let out a sigh as I answered it. It was the business line.

“Bewitching Bedlam, Maudlin Gallowglass speaking.”

“Hi, I’d like to book two rooms for next week. Three days, for four people total. Two couples. My twin sister and I share an anniversary, and the four of us want to explore Bedlam.” Her voice was pleasant enough.

“Hold one moment, please. I’ll be right with you.” I pressed the hold button and headed for my office, leaving Bubba happily chowing down.

As I settled into my office chair and opened my planner, I already knew that the days were clear. I’d canceled the guests for this week and there wasn’t anybody booked again until the second week in April. I picked up the phone again.

“All right, when did you want to book a room for?”

“Can you accommodate us for the nights of April fifth, sixth, and seventh?”

“Sure can. I require half the amount up front, and you have forty-eight hours to cancel. I charge a nonrefundable twenty-five-dollar processing fee, though. If I have to cancel for any reason, I refund all your money regardless of the date.”

I took her name, the names of the other guests, and her credit card information and charged her for three hundred seventy-five dollars. I gave her a confirmation number and sent her an email receipt. As I hung up, I sat back, relieved. At least something felt like it was getting back to normal, and by then, the hex would be broken.

Returning to the kitchen, I pulled out the bread and cheese and made myself a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast. I also made myself a quint-shot espresso and poured chocolate milk into it along with marshmallows and popped it in the microwave. Sixty seconds later and I had a frothy marshmallow mocha.