The Price Guide to the Occult(49)

If only Madge had figured out what Nor had: that a wish for a love like the kind found in fairy tales was a wish that should never be granted. Fairy tales were ugly and gruesome things. Like Rona had, Nor preferred the Greek myths. At least those were meant to be tragic.

When they reached the compound, they were met by a full-blown typhoon in the shape of Dauphine and Judd.

“In that head, underneath all that goddamn hair, is there a brain, girlie?” Judd bellowed, pounding her fist against Dauphine’s table.

Nor slumped in her chair, eyes down. Am I actually supposed to answer that? she thought.

“And would you like that head to stay above ground,” Judd continued, “or should I call Apothia and tell her to grab a shovel and start digging you a grave?”

“Now you wait just a minute,” Dauphine interjected. Nor had to hand it to her. The woman barely reached Judd’s midsection when standing, but she was a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. “If I know my grandchildren as well as I think I do, I’m going to assume Nor didn’t act alone.” And she pinned Gage with an icy glare before turning back to Judd. “For that, I assure you, there will be consequences.”

Nor watched the color drain from Charlie’s face.

“The girl’s here now,” said Everly, the man in the cowboy hat. “She’s safe. And there’s nowhere safer. Do we agree?” Judd nodded reluctantly. “Then it’s settled,” he determined, and leaned back in his chair. “We just need to make sure she stays here.” He winked at Nor.

“It is certainly not settled,” Judd boomed.

“Our family hasn’t lost a Blackburn woman yet, and you know it,” Everly huffed. “Though sometimes at the expense of one of our own.” Gage’s expression, Nor noted, had turned particularly steely at that comment.

“Judd is well aware of the sacrifices our family has made.” Dauphine fixed her gaze on Nor’s grandmother. “That said, Judd,” she continued, “I think it’s about time you stop being such a pain in my ass and let us do our job. Everly is right. You will all be safer up here with us.”

Judd folded her arms across her chest. “Fine.”

Dauphine jumped into action before Judd could change her mind. “Nor, you’ll continue to stay here for the time being. Sena Crowe, please take the Oliveira boys, and —” She peered at Savvy through the jeweled spectacles balanced at the end of her nose. “I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t catch your name?”

“Savannah Dawson,” Savvy said with a small curtsy. “Guardian of Unwanted Things.”

The corners of Dauphine’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Sena Crowe, please escort the Oliveira boys and Savannah, Guardian of Unwanted Things, next door. They can stay with you and Charlie for the night. And be sure to tell your mother I apologize for the inconvenience.” She turned to Everly. “I take it you have the rest covered?”

“No one will get in or out of the compound without one of us knowing about it this time,” Everly asserted. “I can guarantee that.”

“As for the two of you,” Dauphine said to Charlie and Gage, “clearly my reservations about allowing you to join your cousins were sound.”

Gage opened his mouth to contest, and she held up a finger. “If I were you, I’d spend most of my time from this point on proving to me that you can be trusted, which will not be an easy task.”

Gage and Charlie nodded solemnly, and Nor burned with shame. It had been her idea to leave the compound. She should have been the one taking the blame, but when she caught Gage’s eye, he shook his head, and Nor kept her mouth shut.

Judd reached across the table and took Nor’s hands in hers. “Now,” Judd said, “I got more than a few things back home that need tending to. I’m going to trust that you’ll stay put.” She prodded at Nor’s wounds. Some of the blisters had already crusted over. “You want to tell me what you got into this time?”

Nor considered telling her grandmother that she seemed to have inherited the healing touch, that Gage’s pain had burned blisters into her skin. Gage had believed her, but what did he know? He’d never seen the effects of black magic like Nor and Judd had. What if Nor could do all these things because there was something bad in her? By telling Judd, she might be forcing her grandmother to confirm what Nor had always feared: that whatever rotten thing that was inside of Fern was inside of Nor as well.

“I’m not sure,” Nor finally mumbled.

Judd grunted, and Nor tried not to glance at the purple cloud she’d sent floating into the air. Before she had time to gasp, her pain fell to the table as tiny ice crystals, and the wounds disappeared.

“This is exciting,” Savvy said as Pike led them through the compound.

“Savvy,” Nor chided, “you’re staying because they think you’ll be safer here than on the main part of the island. Doesn’t that make you nervous? Don’t you at least want to call and warn your dad?”

Savvy shrugged and flipped one of her long blue braids over her shoulder. “Nah. He’s a tough old guy.”

As they passed under the fountain, Savvy stopped to stare at the statue’s impressive physique. “Her breasts are totally perfect,” she said in awe, moving from one side of the fountain to the other. “Look at her nipples. Oh my God, they follow me wherever I go.”