Whiskey Witches by F.J. Blooding (moboreader .TXT) 📖

Paige knew she should tell Dexx. She’d just gotten her powers back, and now she was broken? How was it even possible to break a demon summoner?

Somehow, Sven had figured out how to do it.

What was his endgame? Why did he need to break her? What did he intend to do? If he needed her to open the gate, to power the key, to bring demons over, she couldn’t do that if they were all desperate to possess her. That was just…dumb.

Or maybe she was looking at it all wrong. Perhaps he simply needed her out of the way.

Out of the way for what?

That question terrified her.

Her phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up. “Whiskey.”

“White. We have a new body.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. You want to come down on your own, or should I send Dexx to come get you?”

“Is he with you?”

“Yeah.”

She didn’t need to know why. She stood and searched for her boots. “I’m on my way. Location?”

“Afton Villa Gardens. Plug that into your phone. I’m sure it’ll come up. If not, call me. I’ll guide you in.”

She knew where the gardens were. All the websites for the area promoted them. She’d decided that if she’d had a spare three minutes, she’d go as a tourist. It appeared someone had been listening to her. So, why not leave a body at the garden?

Grabbing her keys, she hurried out the door and down the stairs. The gardens were a short drive along the highway past the Metley Plantation. She pulled off the paved road and passed through the metal and stone gate. Old oaks studded either side, Spanish moss dangling from the branches. The driveway continued for another half mile or so, then spilled out into a courtyard of sorts with four statues of what might have been Greek gods or something. Two males. Two females.

Amazing how women of that era were strong and revered enough to have statues made of them. When did that thought process change?

With the arrival of the Bible?

That wasn’t a very Wiccan thought.

She parked behind Jackie and two other unmarked cars, and followed the sounds of talking. Past the statues stood the jagged remains of the villa the gardens had been named after. She couldn’t recall more than that.

Dexx looked up and broke away from the group of cops. “Have a hard time finding this place?”

“Nope. What do we have?”

He raised his eyebrows. “A new body.”

“Any clues left around the body?”

He shook his head and led the way around the cops, behind one of the crumbling walls. Pulling back several branches of a trailing vine, he revealed the victim.

A bright haze blinded her. She stooped to see under his arm. Symbols or lettering flowed in a burning fire, moving like fast-flowing lava. There wasn’t a single symbol she recognized, but words entered her mind in her own voice.

Somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond any experience, your eyes have their silence: in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me, or which I cannot touch because they are too near.

E. E. Cummings? Why would she know that? She’d never been a fan of poetry.

The fiery letters shifted, changed, morphing again, her own voice translating the words flowing along the body.

One day, you will understand. We complete one another. You will be mine and I will be yours.

Until that day, Paige, be well. I will protect you as only I can.

Paige took in a sharp breath. What…the fuck?

Dexx turned toward her and in that moment, she realized he’d been talking to her.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “What just happened there?”

She stared at the body, but it was now only a body. No writing. No words. Her internal voice remained quiet. “Nothing?”

“Liar. What happened?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“You know who I am, right?”

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, then reopened them, studying the body. Male. Mid-thirties maybe. Good looking. Clothes in good condition. “There was a message for me.”

Dexx’s eyebrows shot up.

“Did you see anything when we came through?”

“Just now?”