Kadie breathed a sigh of relief as she felt Rylan’s anger dissipate. Fighting down a growing panic, she Facetimed Micah and Ethan and told them what was happening.
“I didn’t think anything could ruffle his feathers,” Micah said. “He’s always been so strong and sure of himself. It has to be some kind of, I don’t know what. Another curse seems unlikely, especially one from a dead guy.”
“But that dead guy was a necromancer,” Kadie said. “Who knows what kind of evil he was capable of.”
“But he’sdead,” Ethan muttered. “I’ve never heard of the dead being able to influence the living. When witches die, their evil dies with them.”
“Well,” Micah remarked. “Technically, vampires are dead.”
Kadie shivered. “Don’t say that!”
“Well, it’s true,” Ethan said matter-of-factly. “Or Undead. So maybe it’s not as impossible as we think.”
“Or maybe it’s a curse or a plague peculiar to ancient vampires,” Micah suggested. “Like Luca’s curse only affected the young ones.”
“Or revenge from someone in his past,” Ethan suggested.
Kadie huffed a sigh. So many possibilities. Any one of them could be true. Or none at all.
“We’ll put our heads together,” Micah said. “The girls, too. If we think of anything, we’ll be in touch.”
“Tell Saintcrow to hang in there,” Ethan said. “And if you need us there, let me know.”
“I will. Thanks. Tell Holly and Sofia hi for me,” Kadie said, and ended the call. An ancient enemy? A curse from a deadnecromancer? A plague common to ancient vampires? Revenge from an old enemy? Or maybe a new one?
Kadie shook her head, then fired up her computer. They said you could find anything on the Internet. She hoped like hell whoevertheywere was right.
~ * ~
Three nights later, Saintcrow was at home, watching an old movie with Kadie, when Kincaid called. “I found her,” he said, without preamble.
“Her?” Saintcrow asked.
“The witch I told you about.”
“No shit. Is she with you?”
“No. She lives in a tree house in the Everglades.”
“The Everglades?”
“Yeah. And she rarely leaves there. I told her about your problem and she’s willing to meet with you, if you’re interested.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow night at midnight.”
Saintcrow snorted. “What is it with witches and midnight?”
“They don’t call it the witching hour for nothing, you know.”
“What’s it gonna cost me?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t say. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow night.”
Saintcrow grunted thoughtfully as he set his cell phone aside.
“The Everglades?” Kadie murmured. “You’re going there to meet a witch?”