Circle of Blood (20 page)

Thomas got up and trailed after them to the car.

“Can we drop you somewhere?” Anthony asked at last.

“No,” Thomas said, turning to Samantha. “It was good getting to know you. I’d like to continue the conversation.”

“So would I,” she said. She gave him a quick hug and then slid into the car.

“I know this is a few years overdue,” he said, “but I think it’s time I took my little girl to the most magical place on earth.”

“Where would that be?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He grinned. “Why, Disney World, of course.”

“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather go,” she said with a laugh.

Samantha and Thomas had spent a week together in Disney World, which had actually turned out to be perfect. They could talk when they wanted to and busy themselves with rides and activities when one or both of them weren’t in the mood. When they finally posed for a picture with Sorcerer Mickey, it was all she could do not to laugh hysterically.

She had texted with Anthony for a few minutes every night before going to bed, but otherwise he’d given her space to deal with her father and all the new things she had to process. She loved him for that, but she had also begun to miss him so much it was unbearable.

When the week ended she and Thomas said good-bye as friends and made plans to get together again in a few months. It was beyond strange to her that the father whose name she had never even known was now going to be a part of her life. Even stranger, though, was the realization that she could finally return home to Boston and possibly pick up the pieces of her life that Lilith’s machinations had destroyed months before.

As she stepped out of the terminal and onto the sidewalk at the airport, she felt the bag in her arms begin to wiggle. Freaky had not appreciated being cooped up in the bag underneath the seat in front of her. She had discovered that for some reason she could no longer dispel Freaky’s energy and re-create him when she wished. He had become too real, too sentient; that was the only thing she could figure. Fortunately he was still pure energy and had no need for food, water, or the other things a flesh-and-blood kitten would have. She had not been prepared, though, to buy him a cat carrier and his own ticket on the plane. Clearly if he traveled with her by plane in the future, these were things they were going to have to work out.

A car pulled up to the curb and she felt a surge of joy as her adoptive mom hopped out and threw her arms around her. Her dad was smiling from behind the wheel.

She climbed into the backseat and quickly unzipped her bag. Freaky bounded out with an irritated mew.

“You got a kitten?” her mom said, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s a long story,” Samantha said.

“We look forward to hearing it,” her dad said, smiling at her in the rearview mirror.

“I love you guys,” she said.

“Not half as much as we love you,” he assured her.

“We were planning on going right out to eat, but does he need to get home?” her mom asked, eyeing Freaky.

“No, he’ll be fine in the car. I’m starving.”

“Won’t he overheat?” her dad asked.

“Not this kitten. He’s sort of . . . indestructible.”

“Okay . . . well, to the restaurant it is,” her dad said.

He drove right to one of her favorite seafood restaurants, a place they usually reserved for special occasions like birthdays. They went inside, were seated at a table, and she didn’t even bother picking up the menu since she already knew what she wanted.

“Let me guess,” her mom said with a smile. “Mahimahi in lemon caper butter sauce.”

Samantha grinned. “You know me so well.”

“True, but you seem different, happier,” her dad noted.

“A lot has happened,” she said.

“So we’ve gathered. Ed’s been over to visit twice in the last week,” her mom said. “Glad to see he’s mellowed out.”

Samantha nodded and picked up her glass of water.

“And the second time he brought around a young man by the name of Anthony,” her dad said, looking at her over the top of his menu.

Samantha nearly spewed her water. She choked it down and set the glass carefully back on the table. “He did?” she asked.

“Yes, although frankly, I always assumed that when a young man came to be introduced, you’d be the one bringing him and not Ed,” her dad said with a twinkle in his eye.

She shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with him,” she sighed.

“Which one?” her mom asked.

“Both,” she said with a laugh. “Well, what did you think of Anthony?”

“Nice, incredibly nervous, but nice,” her mom said.

“He’s clearly got some emotional baggage, but he seems to be working through it,” her dad added.

“Leave it to the psychologist to come up with that assessment,” she mocked.

“Careful, now, or I’ll start in on you and this change I’m noticing,” he teased.

The waitress came to take their order and as soon as she had left, Samantha leaned across the table. “Believe it or not, I finally found peace.”

“Praise the Lord,” her mother said softly.

“A pastor actually helped me put the last piece of the puzzle together. He helped me understand that the gifts aren’t evil. It’s what you do with them that is good or evil or even neutral.”

Her dad reached out and squeezed her hand. “I tried to tell you that years ago, but you just weren’t ready to listen or accept it. I’m so glad you’ve finally come to the place where you can.”

The waitress came back with their drinks. As soon as she’d left, Samantha’s dad took a sip of his coffee and grimaced. “Too cold,” he said with a sigh. “No one knows how to do real hot coffee anymore.”

“Have you really come to peace with everything?” her mom asked.

Samantha grinned. “Let me show you.”

She reached out and put her hand on her dad’s mug. A moment later it was boiling. She pulled her hand away. “It should be hot enough now.” Her dad had always taken his coffee scalding.

“I think I’m going to hug you,” he deadpanned. “Also, you must go with us to all restaurants from now on. I can have truly hot coffee again.”

She laughed. “Anytime you need hot coffee, I’m your girl.”

“You’re always my girl,” he said with a warm smile.

She felt herself beginning to tear up. Thomas might be her biological father, and she was looking forward to spending more time with him, getting to know him more, but these people were her mom and dad, the ones who loved her unconditionally and would always be there for her no matter what.

“I love you guys,” she whispered again, just because she felt it couldn’t be said enough.

They both beamed at her and took her hands. Then her dad took her mom’s free hand so the three of them were joined in a circle.

Samantha smiled. This was the circle she had always wanted, a family, not a coven. She had it, and she knew, thanks to them, that love was thicker than blood.

“Now, tell us all about this boy,” her mom said after a minute.

“And all about New Orleans. Ed’s narrative was exciting but lacked some perspective,” her dad said.

“And don’t forget to tell us why it’s okay that our grandkitten was stuffed inside a duffel bag.”

Samantha laughed. “Okay, but we’re going to be here all night.”

“That’s okay. We’ll order dessert,” her dad said.

“Twice,” her mom chimed in with a grin.

Samantha started laughing and she wasn’t sure she was ever going to stop and it felt so good. Slowly over dinner and what ended up being triple desserts all around, she explained everything that had happened, and even about Freaky.

Finally the restaurant closed and they had to leave, but they continued talking in the car all the way home and late into the night before they all had to retire to bed.

Samantha went to her old room. They had decided that she would stay with them for a couple of weeks while she looked for a new apartment. And to be honest, they were all looking forward to some quality time together. Plus, despite what Ed had told her, Samantha still had her doubts that she was going to be welcomed back at her old precinct. In the back of her mind she kept thinking that there was a very real possibility she was going to have to leave Boston again if she wanted to find work as a cop.

She just knew there was no way she was going back to San Francisco or New Orleans. She’d had her fill of the particular crazy both those places had to offer. Maybe she’d opt for somewhere nice and laid-back. Hawaii sounded good.

Her old bedroom held so many memories for her and she relived several of them as she got ready for bed, particularly the pivotal one when she had foresworn magic altogether and dripped her blood into the cross.

At last she lay down and forced herself to close her eyes. Her mind was still racing, though, and she had a hard time falling asleep, even with Freaky curled against her side purring and snoring all at the same time. It still amazed her that he’d managed to take on such a life of his own that she could no longer disperse his energy. It would make it harder to hide him when she wanted, but she was still actually quite glad.

“You’re a real boy now,” she whispered to him. Fortunately, though, he still didn’t come with the higher-maintenance functions of a real boy such as injuries. She could only imagine trying to explain that one to a veterinarian.

It was far into the night before she was finally able to fall asleep.

When she rose in the morning, she dressed for her day, feeling butterflies in her stomach. She left Freaky in her bedroom and then headed downtown. When she parked she said a silent prayer before getting out of her car.

Samantha walked back into her old precinct, fear prickling at the back of her mind. The last time she had been there, it was far from a happy experience. Ed had reassured her, though, that things would be different, that everyone was willing to welcome her back with open arms. She hadn’t asked him just how many of those arms he’d had to twist to guarantee that that would be the case.

She’d spoken briefly over the phone with Captain Roberts the night before and he had reassured her that, yes, they wanted her back and her badge and gun were waiting to be collected the next morning in his office. Still, she couldn’t help wondering if it was all some sort of mistake, if she’d get there and people would have changed their minds about having her around.

She should have made Ed come in with her, but he’d said he had a doctor’s appointment that couldn’t wait. Personally she wondered if he just didn’t want to be there in case there were unexpected fireworks.

She walked into the hallway and was surprised that she didn’t see anyone around. Normally there were officers busy heading in all directions. Something seemed off about the whole thing. It was unnaturally quiet as well. Had they heard she was coming and made themselves scarce? She really wasn’t sure how long she wanted to be working in a department where most of the other cops avoided her like the plague. When she finally entered the squad room, she was tense, braced for anything.

Anything but what she saw.

Every officer was standing there beneath a huge banner that proclaimed .

She blinked in shock and then her eyes found Ed’s. He was grinning from ear to ear.

“Surprise!” he said.

Everyone began to applaud and then to cheer. Captain Roberts approached her with her old badge and gun in hand. She felt a lump in her throat as she accepted them from him.

“The way we figure it, every department needs a secret weapon. We’re just glad we found ours,” he said with a grin.

“I don’t understand. I thought no one here wanted anything to do with me.”

He shrugged. “I told you to give it some time. When Ed came around, it was like opening the floodgate.” He chuckled. “Course it doesn’t hurt that since you’ve been gone there’ve been a couple of cases that we definitely could have used your expertise on.”

She nodded. “Well, whatever the reason, I’m grateful,” she said.

“I’m sorry this was so long coming.”

He stepped back and the other officers swarmed around her, patting her back, shaking her hand. A few of them even hugged her.

“Drinks tonight at O’Doul’s in honor of Samantha!” someone shouted.

Ed rolled his eyes. “Well, there go my and Vanessa’s plans to take you out to dinner tonight.”

Samantha smiled. “There’ll be plenty of time for that. When was the last time any of these guys even asked me to go out celebrating?”

He shrugged. “That’s what you get for being so darn unlikable.”

She smiled at him.

“Hey, don’t forget the cake!” someone shouted.

The crowd parted and someone wheeled a cart up with a large cake on it that said . There were some unlit candles on it.

She grinned.

“Okay, who forgot the matches?” the guy with the cake shouted.

“Don’t worry, boys. I’ve got this,” Samantha said.

She snapped her fingers and the candles lit.

There were gasps all around. She stepped forward, stared at the cake for a long moment, and then bent low and blew out the candles.

There was more cheering and anyone who hadn’t already patted her back surged forward to do so.

Great, you know they’re going to want you to do that at all the parties from now on,
Ed said, thinking the thoughts at her.

As long as they keep inviting me to the parties, I’m good with it,
she thought back. Then with a happy start, she realized that she truly was.

The rest of the day was crazy. Captain Roberts needed her to fill out some paperwork. Ed made a great show of reintroducing her to her desk, then took almost fiendish glee in piling it high with open-case files.

“So this is why you really missed me,” she finally quipped.

Everyone who hadn’t been able to make it to her welcome party dropped by at some point during the day to say hello. Then, when it was quitting time, she was swept up by a crowd of people heading for the bar down the street.

Samantha limited herself to soda, but no one cared what she was drinking as long as her glass stayed full. She realized that there was so much she had missed out on in life because she had always kept herself so closed off, and the simple joy of blowing off some steam with her coworkers was a new experience, one she vowed she’d repeat.

Ed left early to get home to Vanessa after making Samantha promise that she’d let them take her out to dinner later in the week. She knew that sooner or later all the attention would die down, but she decided to enjoy it while it lasted.

If the guys had had their way, the party would have lasted all night at O’Doul’s. As it was she managed to bow out at midnight. She made it back to her parents’ home and tumbled into bed in her old room, where Freaky already was asleep. He glared at her for waking him and she grabbed him and hugged him close as she fell asleep.