Chapter 3

After ensuring that Roderick would reach out to me if he found anything, and knowing that hunting down Missy would not produce any additional information, I made my way to Haven House.

I stood outside on the walkway leading into the sanctuary for wayward and lost witches. It had also become a second home to Bree and her friends after her Gran's house had been burned down.

The words of Bramble still wove their way through my head and my heart, keeping me from thinking of anything else, my feet locked to the paving stones. She said she would help. And after the futile morning I'd had, I needed her help.

Even if I didn't fully trust her.

Hopefully by nightfall Roderick would have some information on Bree's whereabouts. Outside of Bramble's help, Roderick was the only lead I had.

The heavy weight of the Savannah air curled around me, full of the scent of blooming and living things. Reminding me that as long as there was life there was hope. There had to be.

Voices floated through the air, out the open window to me. Kinkly, Sarge, Penny, and Eammon were talking to Eric about breakfast.

Suzy…Suzy was back? Her laughter was light and full of happiness. Gods, how much had I missed while I was dead?

I didn't hear Feish's gurgling laughter, but I had no doubt she was around. Maybe making tea. Grumping about a book she was reading and why the love story made no sense.

They all sounded…happy. Safe. And I was about to tear that down for them, again. To tell them that Bree was gone, taken by the very people we were all trying to protect her from.

None of them had come looking for Bree, but…had they known she was with me? Or had she just said she needed to go do something? Was it possible that Bramble had erased their memories of her? If I remembered right, Bree wasn't supposed to leave the house without at least one companion.

They'd suspect something soon if they didn't already.

The minutes ticked by as I stared up at the house. The moments before they realized Bree was in terrible danger were less and less.

"You gotta tell them," Nancy said.

"I know. But listen to them. They are oblivious right now, and…I know what it is like to be on that side of things—the moment before you realize your world has been torn apart."

"You think waiting is going to make it better? Rip the bandage off, man. Don't be a pussy."

I grabbed the hilt of the dagger and squeezed until the black handle groaned.

"Jezebel's tits, man! Ease off, you'll crack me in half!"

I didn't answer him.

The door creaked open, and Dr. Mori stepped out. He was Bree's mentor, helping her understand how to control her powers over the dead. He himself was a Shinigami—a Japanese death dealer, and related to Bree from her father's side. His dark eyes moved over me, not surprised in the least. "I see she found you. I told the others she was safe, and with someone who would protect her with his life. Welcome back, Blacksmith." He dipped his head in my direction, not quite a bow, but an acknowledgment of what I was. "Where is Breena?"

And here it was, the moment I'd been dreading—dreading even more so after what he'd said. How adeptly he'd outlined my failure.

"She was taken," I said.

Dr. Mori's face tightened and paled at the same time. "By whom?"

"Inside. I will tell you all rather than tell the story ten times." I walked up the crumbling stone steps, feeling the weight of my feet, as if they were wrapped in concrete.

Dr. Mori stepped aside, and I crossed the threshold. For a moment, the world was bright at the reunion of myself and my friends.

"Crash!" Kinkly shot through the air, her tiny arms and gossamer soft wings wrapping around my neck as best they could.

"Kinkly, you are well?"

"Considering I was dead yesterday, yeah, doing pretty good." She flitted away from me, grinning. Her wings seemed better than ever, glittering in the late morning light. "How are you here? How are you alive? We thought…we thought we couldn't bring you through!"

"It took longer to bring him back," Dr. Mori said, his voice quiet. "The fae are slower to re-animate than others."

I looked at the other faces in the room. Penny eyed me, as did Sarge and Winnifred—the Garrache or better known as the first werewolf. I didn't blame them. Damian—demon and friend to Bree—was also there. Eammon leaned against one wall, his green eyes narrowed in mistrust as always.

Eric and Suzy stood in the doorway that led to the kitchen, hanging onto each other, love and joy radiating off them.

No Corb. Bree and I hadn't discussed whether he'd made it back from hell. He and I had both been stuck, fighting to get through the portal. Maybe he had made it through, too, only to leave them on their own again. I wouldn't put it past him.

"Well, man, whose side are you on now?" Eammon barked. "I never know with you!"

"Bree's," I said quietly. I looked around the room. "Where is Feish?"

"Feish went to check on Charlotte and Bridgette," Penny said. "They should be back soon."

Bridgette, goblin and nanny of Charlotte, the young witch Penny was training. Bridgette looked after Charlotte when her mother was at work.

I nodded. I should wait until they were all here, but…

"Where is Bree?" Suzy asked. "Dr. Mori said she was with someone who would protect her, that we weren't to worry. I assume that means she was with you?" Her eyes sparkled, her arm tightened around Eric.

I nodded. "She found me at the Hollows, as I…" I didn't know how to say?—

"As he crawled out of the ground back from the dead, as they say," Nancy said.

"Who the hell is that?" Sarge barked.

"Nancy," I said. "Demon stuffed in a blade. He belongs to Bree." I shook my head because this was not going well.

"Where is she? Where is Bree? Shouldn't she be with you?" Penny asked, fear at the edge of her voice.

"Well, he banged her good. You know they stuffed me in their clothes and hid me so I couldn't see a thing. But pretty sure it was good," Nancy barked. I slapped a hand over the dagger, muffling him.

"Bree was taken by vampires. More specifically, by a vampire named Evangeline. Remy helped create a portal of some sort to spirit them away."

Penny gasped and put her hand to her mouth. The room kind of froze, like I'd cast my own spell. Suzy's smile fled. Eric closed his eyes as if that would block out what I'd just said.

Kinkly drooped in the air, and the demon, Damian, caught her in the palm of his hand.

"What the hell?" Eammon bellowed. "We leave her with you for three seconds, and she gets taken? You did it, didn't you? You helped the Dark Council do this you big bastard!"

He lunged toward me, but Sarge caught him. "I don't think Crash would let them take her, Eammon. Not this time."

I couldn't even be angered by the accusation. I'd done enough harm, having to play both sides of the field, that they had every right to doubt me. I'd been compelled by the unbreakable magical agreement I'd made with the Dark Council, unable to do the right thing. But dying…and coming back had erased those bonds. I was freer than I'd ever been in my whole life. Untethered to my past.

"I…" I found myself at a loss for words. "I lost her. She was in my arms, and I lost her."

It was like my own words had dealt me a blow. My legs shook and I had to step back to grab the lintel of the door to hold myself up.

"I can't find her on my own," I said, "I need your help to find a way to save her," I said, feeling the world tilt again as if I were seeing her disappear a second time.

It felt like the oxygen had been sucked right out of the room, as if what I was saying had finally sunk in. Then there was an explosion of questions, most of which I couldn't answer. Where had they taken her? Why had they taken her? How were we going to get her back? Was she hurt?

"I don't think they plan to harm her…at least not right away." More gasps and I pushed through the pain tightening my heart at the thought of Bree being hurt or worse, killed. "I believe we have seven days to save her."

"Seven days ain't a lot," Eammon snapped. "Not when she could be anywhere!"

I nodded, trying to make sure I didn't forget anything. "I agree. The vampire…she said her name was Evangeline. I've got Roderick looking, speaking to his connections. It isn't much, but it's something."

"Isn't much?" Eammon snorted. "Boy, you are out of your mind! Unless you have a better way to find her, that is nothing. You can't trust Roderick!"

Robert swayed as he stepped into the room, his head bobbing from side to side faster than usual. "Friend. Where?"

Of course he was looking for Bree. Bree, who strongly resembled Evangeline, his former wife, in an uncanny way. Bree was beautiful though, whereas Evangeline was hard, with a heavy darkness that had stolen whatever beauty she might have had.

I knew that Robert could understand us, and also that he'd been able to communicate with Bree. "Evangeline, she was your wife?"

His swaying slowed, and his head lowered further. "Dead. Friend. Dead."

I felt the eyes of everyone on me as I addressed Robert, keeping my words slow.

"No. Evangeline is not dead. She's alive and she's taken Bree. You might be the only one who can help us find her. Do you know a place where Evangeline would hide? A place only she would know?"

Robert let out a low moan and clasped one bony hand over his head. A long series of muttering rumbled out of him, but there were no actual words. Not that I'd expected much more, but a tiny part of me had hoped that Robert could achieve something more with his limited vocabulary.

Then one word came through.

"Water," Robert mumbled. "Water."

"She's near water?" Kinkly asked. "Evangeline is near water?"

"Water!" Robert snapped, "Water. Water. Water!"

"That's good!" Kinkly flew around his head. "What else?"

But no matter what line of questioning Kinkly tried, Robert only managed to say water. Something? Sure. But it hardly narrowed things down.

I raked my hand over my hair, unintentionally mimicking Robert. "She could be anywhere in this world. Just like Eammon said."

"As far from us, and any help, as possible," Damian said. "That would be my guess."

I nodded. "My thoughts too. But that still leaves every coastline in the world, and plenty of large bodies of water. Rivers. Lakes."

No small thing.

"Friend." Robert swayed his way over to the door and tapped the panels with one bony finger. He looked over his shoulder at me, and I could have sworn there was a flash of blue in his sunken gaze. "Friend. Help."

I went to the door and opened it.

Robert stepped out and started down the steps, pausing at the bottom, where he motioned again for me to follow him.

"Go with him," Dr. Mori said. "There appears to be some urgency with what he wants to show you. I will try to reach Breena in her dreams. We have communicated many times in that way."

"Well Crash can't be going alone!" Eammon barked. "Who knows what might happen to you? You're as bad as that girl for finding trouble."

The short leprechaun who'd been Bree's first trainer shuffled down the steps ahead of me.

"He's not wrong," Sarge said as he stepped ahead of me. I looked back at the remainder of the group. "Anyone else?"

Penny made a shooing motion. "You go, see what you can learn. I will cast a scrying spell and pray that it will help us find her."

I turned and walked after Eammon and Sarge, who followed an unsteady Robert down the street.

I'd lost Bree, but her friends had not given up hope. It was the spell she had unwittingly cast on them. On all of us, binding us together was her belief that we were all capable.

I'd known Eammon and Sarge for years, always on the periphery, but they were not known for fighting through difficult problems. Before Bree, they had been known as men who gave up easily. Men who didn't keep trying.

Which was why they'd fit so well in the Hollows.

But Eammon had recruited Bree for the Hollows group, bringing in a person who had all the fire of a queen, all the heart of a healer, all the belief of a child in the world of the fae. She had given both of them—all of them—a reason to fight again—a reason to see that they were not the outcasts they'd believed themselves to be.

And now, when she needed them most, they were taking that gift and using it to save her.

"She is the best of us," Sarge said, almost as if he were reading my thoughts. "We can't lose her."

I caught up to him. "We won't lose her, Sarge."

I felt his eyes on me, weighing my words. "You really love her, don't you?"

"With everything that I am."

"Quit your hen party back there. That damn skeleton has started running!" Eammon bellowed.

Ahead of us, Robert had burst into a jog, something I'd never seen him do.

Was it because he understood this was important? Or was it because he sensed Bree was in danger?

I ran forward and scooped up Eammon, putting him on my back. "Then we'd best hurry. We don't want to lose our lead."