Witches for Hire (Odd Jobs #1)(113)

“Father, stop it!”

The illusion played on, and Younger Jeremy picked at a loose floorboard. “I’ll go back to him,” he wailed, finally digging the slat free. Even though Younger Jeremy had kicked the habit, finding the drug stash and prepping the needle had been like riding a bike. In moments, he had the right dose to numb the pain. Younger Jeremy stopped as he filled the needle to the imagined line.

“Stop this!” the real Jeremy cried out to his past version as he remembered his thoughts from that night. That decision he made at the last moment to do more than just numb himself.

Younger Jeremy looked sadder and closed his eyes as he continued filling the needle. “I just want it all to go away.” He injected himself and lay down on the floor, expecting never to wake up.

The real Jeremy watched his younger self convulse and then go still. “Father, stop it!” he shouted.

But the illusion didn’t end, and somewhere near the kitchen, a woman’s voice called out, “Jeremy! Are you home? I wasn’t expecting you, so I don’t have anything for supper. I could bake a cake. Jeremy!”

The real Jeremy went to his knees as tears filled his eyes. “Make it go away.”

“At least give me a hello.” The illusion of his mother stopped in the doorway as she spotted Younger Jeremy prone on the floor. “Jeremy!” She fell to her son’s side and shook him. “No, no, no, you can’t do this to me. You can’t!” She slapped at Jeremy’s chest, but he wouldn’t wake.

The real Jeremy cradled his face in his hands, but without looking, he knew the scene by heart. The shuffling sound of his mother digging through his boot for his athame. The crying sound she made as she slit her wrist wide and blood dribbled on Jeremy’s chest. The feeling of her power effusing him, and calling back that single spark in him that hadn’t faded yet, and gasping awake in her arms. His own sobbing as he realized what she had done and what the price would be.

The room changed into a hospital room where Younger Jeremy was connected to so many wires. His mother patted his head and begged him to tell her why he did it.

Younger Jeremy looked at her with pain in his eyes as if just being tore him apart. “I’m bad, Mama, and I’ll become worse if I go to him again. I can’t help myself.”

His mother kissed his forehead and said she would make everything all right again.

The real Jeremy hiccupped as he cried. And she did. She even found my father when all she had to go on was a Southern American accent and a love of politics.

Then it dissolved into another hospital room, where Jeremy held his mother’s hand as she lay in the last moments of the cancer that struck out of nowhere and pushed her into a last battle just six months after Jeremy tried to kill himself. No spell could heal her, and even though Jeremy knew he was the cause, her last smiles to him couldn’t have been prouder.

“I’m sorry,” Younger Jeremy cried against her hand.

His mother beamed down at him, shaking her head. “I haven’t been able to give you much in this world, but I gave my boy his life. That’s everything to me.” She caressed Younger Jeremy’s face. “Look at you dressed in a suit like a proper man. I never thought I’d see that.” She squeezed his hand. “Promise you’ll stay my good boy, and don’t hurt yourself again.”

Younger Jeremy nodded.

The real Jeremy looked up, and his father was cradling his face the way his mother had done.

“You have been ever since then. You were not happy when you lived by no rules and did whatever you wanted. It almost destroyed you.” Tears dropped down Senator Ragsdale’s cheeks. “I love the man you’ve become, and I can’t lose my son.”

Jeremy blinked and warmth filled him. When he looked down, he was wearing a suit again.

“There’s my boy.” His father hugged him, and the room returned to normal.

“I have to go,” Jeremy sobbed out. “I can’t be here.”

Senator Ragsdale pulled back. “Okay.”

Large arms scooped him up into an embrace. Jeremy didn’t know how long Desmond had watched, but he buried his face in Desmond’s neck and let the world disappear.




“HOW ARE you cured too?” Simone asked the magician.

Desmond kissed the top of Jeremy’s head. “I didn’t know he overdosed on purpose.” He looked at her. “I know we’ve created a lot of mayhem, but may we save our apologies for tomorrow?” Without waiting for an answer, green light surrounded the couple, and they disappeared in a flash.

Simone blew out her breath. “I kind of understand why he keeps so many secrets. He’s still an asshole, but at least he has some good reasons for it.”

Senator Ragsdale laughed as he wiped his face dry. “I’m sorry my son caused so much trouble, and thank you for your help.”

Simone snatched up her crystals and smiled at the politician. “It was nice seeing you in action.” She led him out of the apartment, and they went down to the lobby in the elevator. She was pooped and couldn’t wait to hop in bed. As they walked outside, devastation met their eyes as far as they could see. “What the hell?”

Clive and Edarra walked over to them, the former scratching his head. “Desmond got a little feisty.”

Simone raised her brow at the smashed cars. “I’ve seen that kind of damage before.” She turned to Edarra.