Shadow Silence (34 page)

“Kitty Kare! You found her! I can't believe that she survived.” And with that, she burst into tears, and sank down on the floor weeping. The walls had come down, and the reality of her loss had settled in.

*   *   *

O
riel had instructed Peggin to wear a simple white nightgown to the ritual and eat nothing after four
P.M.
She told me to dress in a black ritual dress, but I didn't have one. So far, I hadn't needed one. And since Peggin didn't have anything in white—let alone a white nightgown—we went shopping during the afternoon.

“I have to admit, I'm scared. The fact that Corbin is going to be there scares me even more. I can't see any reason for him to be, except that he's a doctor. And that means that they're right, this ritual will put my life in danger.” Peggin gave me a frightened look. And she didn't frighten easily. But the last few days had shaken her to the core. I hoped we could rebuild her self-confidence without any problem.

“You'll managed to pull through this,” I said. “You're a strong woman, Peggin, and I have so much faith in you. Besides, I won't let anything happen to you. You're my best friend. My BFF, and I'll always have your back.” I glanced at the clock. It was two
P.M.
“Let's grab a bite to eat before we finish shopping. Since you can't eat after four, let's get whatever you want.”

Peggin snorted.” You aren't by chance offering me a last
supper, are you?” As I stammered, she rolled her eyes and waved off my protest. “Actually I am hungry. And since I have no idea what's going to happen tonight, I want fried chicken and I want an ice cream sundae. Where can we get both?”

“Lindsey's Diner, of course. She learned to make fried chicken from her mother, I gather. And you know Mary Jane's fried chicken was the best ever.” When we were teenagers, we had hung out at the diner just for the fried chicken.

We bustled in, and spent an hour eating and chatting about nothing in particular. Finally, we had to get moving even though both of us were reluctant. I paid the bill, insisting to Peggin that she could pay me back later by taking me out for coffee. We stopped in at Hortense's Dress Shop, where I found a flowing long black dress that seemed like it could be used as a ritual dress, and Peggin was able to buy a white nightgown. She held up a white corset, but I shook my head.

“I don't think that's what they're talking about, and you'll make it very difficult for Corbin to do whatever he has to do.” I said, giving her a grin.

“Spoilsport,” she said, and chose a simple cotton shift. I wanted to believe that her joking around meant that she wasn't afraid, but I realized it was part Peggin, part bravado. I played along because there wasn't anything else I could do. She needed me to be strong so she could be strong.

We went back to my house, and I gave her and Deev some privacy. I didn't know what was going to happen, and I wanted them to have some time alone before we faced whatever it was we were going to face. I headed up to my ritual room, and knelt before the altar.

“Great Morrígan, please, whatever you do, help Peggin get through this. She may not be my lament singer, and she may not be my protector, but she is as much a part of my life as either one of them. I need her, Deev needs her, and this town needs her. Protect her and walk her through this ritual.”

As I stared at the altar, at the statue of the Morrígan that was placed front and center, it began to glow with a faint
light. The light began to fill the room and I felt a quiet sense of peace descend around me. It wasn't melancholy, and yet—there was a sense of loss about it.

Every time you walk through a dark pathway, you lose something. You lose a little bit of the sense that the world's fair, you lose a little bit of your naïveté. But you also gain from your journey. You gain strength, and wisdom, and the realization that you can survive more than you thought you could.

The voice drifted away and I wasn't sure whether it was my own thoughts, or whether the Morrígan had been speaking to me. Either way, I rose and silently walked out of the room. It was time to dress for the ritual.

*   *   *

D
eev didn't like being left at home, but I gently told him that he would simply interfere with the ritual and with Peggin's ability to concentrate. Finally, he quit bothering me about it.

“Watch the cats, we'll be back as soon as we can. I promise to call when we're done.” I handed him the remote and made sure he had plenty of snacks. He had actually been quite complacent about using the wheelchair and I had the feeling Corbin had him scared stiff.

When we reached the boardinghouse, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had been there a couple of times since Aidan moved there, but I had never seen Oriel's inner sanctum.

The living room had several of her guests reading the paper, watching TV—the usual. I recognized a writer who had come to Whisper Hollow to write a story about the town and never left. I couldn't remember his name, though I thought it was Shawn. He gave me a wave and went back to his book.

Oriel led Peggin and me into a back room that I knew was her own private parlor. She walked over to the grandfather clock and reached around behind it. A moment later a secret door slid back to reveal a staircase leading down. Whisper Hollow was full of secret passages, it seemed.

The stairwell was well lit, with a sturdy railing—nothing like the dark basement that had been in Peggin's house or the steep hidden stair in Niles's garage. The stairs were carpeted, probably to hush the sound of footsteps. As we headed down, the door closed behind us. Twelve steps later and we were in a private basement—in a large sitting room, with three doors off of it.

“That door leads to the restroom. The center door leads to my ritual room. The door on the left is a private chamber. Never enter it unless you have my permission. I have guardians set and they will not differentiate between friend or foe. If you have to, go ahead into the bathroom and then come on into the ritual room. I'll meet you there as soon as I am ready.” She vanished into her private chamber.

“I think I need to use the bathroom,” Peggin said.

I nodded. “I'll wait for you here.” I settled into one of the chairs, trying to think of anything I could to take my mind off what was about to ensue. It would help if I knew what the ritual was, I thought. Then again, if it was as dangerous as Oriel and Ivy had indicated, maybe not.

A few moments later Peggin returned from the bathroom, her eyes red. I realized she'd been crying. I gave her a silent hug and we headed into the ritual room.

Bryan was already there, as were Corbin and Starlight and Ellia and Ivy. They were gathered around what appeared to be a massage table. I blinked. Somehow I didn't expect the ritual to be all that relaxing. I glanced around the room.

Oriel's ritual room was quite different than mine or Ivy's. Each wall was painted to match one of the elements. The north wall was a jungle. East was covered with clouds. South was a volcanic expanse. And west was the rolling ocean. In front of each wall stood an altar table, dedicated to the element it represented. There were crystals everywhere, from small spheres of lapis lazuli to quartz spikes the size of a small ottoman. The ceiling was painted to represent stars and galaxies, and recessed lighting provided a dizzying array of faerie lights.

Peggin gasped, lowering herself to a chair next to Corbin. “This is incredible. Can you feel the energy here? The walls are practically singing with it.”

Ellia leaned forward, a gentle smile on her face. “They are singing. I could hear their voices—the ancestors live within this room. Or rather, it provides them a portal through which to speak. On the surface, the Heart of Whisper Hollow seems a gentle soul, but do not mistake that gentleness for weakness. Oriel is more powerful than all of us put together.”

Starlight stood, a somber look on her face. “Ellia is right. And we are each here for a reason. This ritual can be a dangerous one, but it is also a powerful blessing. I am here to represent Starlight and the Night Sky.”

Ivy stood. “And I am here to represent the Element of Water.”

Ellia stood. “And I, Air. I am the breath and the song.”

“And I am the Fire.” Aidan stood, flashing a soft smile to Peggin.

They all looked at me, and I suddenly realized why I was there. “I suppose I represent Spirit, don't I? And Bryan—” I turned to him.

“I am the guardian and sentinel of this ritual and of the Spirit.”

Oriel entered the room at that moment. She was dressed in a white gown that flowed over her curves like a Grecian toga. Around her neck she wore a cloak of fur, and around her head a circlet of woven holly. She carried a staff in one hand with a carved wooden crow affixed to the top; its sparkling eyes glittered like diamonds and might well have been.

“And I, I am the Heart and the Earth. I am she who protects the village. I'm she who embodies the essence of Whisper Hollow. I am the town incarnate, and I look after my people.” She turned to Corbin and inclined her head. “And today, for this ritual, we have the spirit of Healing with us.”

I glanced at Peggin, who looked absolutely petrified. Given any other day she would have probably been totally
entranced, but since she was the focus of the rite, I had no doubt that she would rather be anywhere else than right here.

Oriel nodded to the massage table. “Peggin, take off all of your jewelry and your shoes and lie on your back on the table. If you have any piercings, please remove that jewelry as well,” she said with a smile.

Peggin blushed. “Is there somewhere I can do that privately?”

“Ivy, please escort Peggin to the bathroom.”

We waited in silence for a few moments until Peggin returned, still blushing.

“She's ready,” Ivy said, retaking her position.

“Very good. Take your position on the table please, and try not to be afraid.” Oriel waited until Peggin had stretched out on the table, then walked over to stand by her head. She placed a soft hand on Peggin's forehead and motioned to her wrist. “Please extend your wrist. We need to look at the mark.”

Corbin walked over then, and took hold of Peggin's wrist, staring at the black filigree. “Close ranks.”

Oriel motioned to the rest of us. “Take your positions. Kerris, you will stand on the other side of Peggin's head, across from me. Bryan, stand at her feet. The rest of you know the drill.”

Ivy walked over to Peggin's right side, and I recognized that she was standing in the west. Ellia took her place opposite Ivy, on the left side. Aidan stood beside Bryan, in the south position. And Starlight surprised me with her agility when she climbed up to stand on a nearby dais.

“We're ready. Ellia, please do the honors.”

Ellia began to sing, and her voice flowed into a field of energy that circled over to Aidan, who picked up the melody and joined her. The energy snaked around to Ivy, who added her voice to the circle, and then to Oriel, who began to sing an underlying harmony. Once again the energy moved back to Ellia to complete the circle.

The flowing current was so strong that I could see it, a
whirling ring of power, blending the green of earth and the pale gold of sunshine in early morning sky. It merged into the brilliant reds and oranges of flame, and then entered the churning currents of deep blue water. The ring of energy moved on to merge back into the green. The Elements surrounded us, circling us with a ring of protection, a ring of power and strength.

As I watched, entranced, Starlight added her voice and it felt like a rain of sparkling stars began to descend over us. Bryan began to sing, contra tone, a foundation of protection, and then—without realizing I was doing so—I added my voice, the mournful call of the spirits. We kept singing, kept the energy flowing as Corbin held out his hands, and then slowly lowered them to the edge of the massage table beside Peggin. He began to shift form, to transform into a snake, his skin taking on the scales of a diamondback rattler, as his body elongated and narrowed.

Everything took on hazy quality as I found myself drifting into the energy, and all I could hear was the calling of crows. I wasn't sure if their cry was coming from my own throat or from a long distance; I wasn't even sure what was happening except that Corbin was now a five-foot-long rattlesnake coiling on Peggin's chest. He reared up, fangs exposed, and a part of me wanted to scream and knock him away, but I knew this was all part of the ritual and it was the only thing that we could do to save Peggin from the Lady.

She lay there, silent and mesmerized, unmoving, and I wondered if she had fainted, but her eyes were wide open as she stared at the snake on her chest. The crows were screaming in my ears now as Corbin lunged, sinking his fangs into Peggin's throat. She started to scream, then suddenly fell silent as convulsions took her. Corbin slithered back, and then—in another blur—he transformed back into himself.

Peggin was foaming at the mouth, convulsing in a seizure so hard that I was worried she'd break her neck. Then, she arched, her body stiff, and collapsed.

Corbin felt for her pulse. “She's dead.”

I
began to scream, but Oriel grabbed me by the shoulder. “Hush, this needed to happen. Watch and learn.”

I tried to catch my breath, tried to remain calm, but it was difficult. I had disrupted the flow of energy and Ellia had to start it again. When it came my turn to join in, I forced myself to breathe, forced myself to focus on the task at hand. Within less than a minute the circle was running again at full speed, and I shoved my emotions down deep, watching Corbin carefully. The realization that he was a snakeshifter was a shock, but there was no time to think about that now, no time to analyze what was happening.

He waited for a moment, brushing Peggin's hair back from her face. Then he took hold of her wrist again and held it out and as we watched, the mark faded from sight. And then it hit me—the mark wouldn't leave until Peggin was dead. Therefore, we had had to kill her in order to save her.

“How long?” he asked.

Oriel paused from her singing. “Ninety seconds. Give
it another minute. When three minutes are up, I will tell you.”

Corbin pulled out a syringe. It was filled with a pale yellow liquid. Somehow I didn't think it was quite the same thing as snake anti-venom. He waited, poised over Peggin's arm. Time seemed to flow by so slowly that I could hear every single breath taken, every single note that was being sung. I could hear the swish as the ring of energy raced around us. I could hear my heart beating even as I joined in the song. As much as I wanted to scream
bring her back now
, I knew that it was vital that we keep up the protection around us.

“Now,” Oriel finally said after what seemed like an eternity.

Corbin inserted the needle in Peggin's arm and plunged the liquid into her vein. Then, tossing the syringe to the side, he began to pat her face.

“Wake up, Peggin. Can you hear me? Peggin, I need you to wake up. Come on, girl, don't fail me now.” He looked over at me. “Kerris, start talking to her. Take her other arm and began rubbing vigorously. We need to get her circulation going. Bryan, massage her feet.”

As I grabbed her hand and began rubbing vigorously, calling to her as I leaned near her ear, Bryan began to rub her feet. Corbin dropped her arm and began CPR, motioning to me when it was time to breathe into her mouth.

I tipped her head back, holding her nose and making sure her throat was clear, and then fastened my mouth to hers, breathing deeply and then pulling away. We worked for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, as I was beginning to fear the worst, Peggin's chest rose, and she coughed. Corbin reached behind her shoulders to lift her into a sitting position.

“I think I'm going to throw up,” she said, looking queasy. Bryan grabbed a basin that was beneath the table and handed it Corbin, who held it in front of Peggin. She clutched both sides of the tub and the next moment, was puking her guts out. The frothy matter was dark, not with blood but with
what looked like seaweed and brine. It was as though I could smell the Lady again, like I had when we rescued her. I looked across at Corbin, questioning.

“The Lady got into her lungs, into her very bloodstream. This is the residue. Once she gets it out of her system, she'll be okay and no more prone to the Lady's siren song than you or me. We all have to keep our guard, and so will Peggin, but she won't be under the Lady's spell anymore.”

I let out a long breath, realizing how close we'd come to losing my best friend. I also realized just how incredibly strong each person in this room was, including myself. I had so much to learn about Whisper Hollow and the people who lived here, and I had merely scraped the surface. There were so many secrets, and so many layers to this town that I wondered if anyone ever knew the true scope.

*   *   *

C
leanup always seems easier than preparation. As we gathered in the sitting room of Oriel's inner sanctum, everyone seemed both exhausted and exhilarated. Oriel passed out food—crackers and cheese, sliced deli meat and grapes, and cookies. She made everyone take a plate, including Peggin.

“I don't care if you think you're hungry or not. You need food. The amount of energy we expended in there is tremendous, and before long you'll be incredibly light-headed and feel like you're going to faint. This goes for all of you.”

I looked over at Peggin, who—for the first time in days—looked relaxed. In fact, she looked almost euphoric.

“Are you all right?” I asked her.

“Actually, I feel kind of giddy. I can't explain it, but I feel like laughing. It's like this huge weight is gone from my shoulders. I know that I died in there, you told me so, and I suppose I should feel some sense of vulnerability, but I feel almost invincible.” She looked bemused as she bit into one of Oriel's thick oatmeal raisin cookies.

“I can tell you why,” Corbin said. “The antidote I gave you, to bring you back, contains a euphoric. It's a magical strengthener. That's no ordinary anti-venom. Snakeshifter venom is quite different than that of a regular rattlesnake. It's far more potent, and far more deadly. And it can leave you feeling drug down for days, so when we create our anti-venom, we add a little joy juice, if you will. You'll be fine and you won't be exhausted.”

“How come you kept the fact that you're a snakeshifter silent?” I was looking at the doctor with a new respect.

“How many people do you know who are afraid of snakes? Almost every snakeshifter is a healer. It's our nature—we're born to it. But people are terrified of snakes, and so we tend to keep our natures private. It's scary enough to go to the doctor, scarier still if you know your doctor is a snake.” He laughed, and shook his head. “Unfortunately, we can't cure every ill, but we do our best.”

“Is your daughter a snakeshifter, too? And your wife?” I was curious now, especially since I had met Corbin's wife and she was a gorgeous accountant. But I knew his daughter was following in his footsteps; she was working with herbs and learning their healing natures.

“My wife isn't, she's human. But our daughter, yes. Kimberly's a snakeshifter. And she's very interested in going into the medical field, I'm proud to say.”

I nodded, promising him that I would keep their secret. As he motioned for Peggin to jump up on the table again, to check her vitals and make sure that everything was working just fine, I wandered over to Starlight. It was time to put our feud behind us. She had just helped save my best friend and that alone made me want to bury the hatchet. And this time, I didn't want to bury it in her head.

“Thank you, for helping.” I held her gaze, trying to see her for who she really was.

She nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Sometimes it takes danger to bring people together. I wasn't sure about you when you came back to Whisper Hollow. I suppose I felt
like you had defected on us years ago. But now I understand, given what happened with your grandmother and your mother and Duvall. And seeing you now, keeping your head in a ritual that put your best friend's life in danger . . . I'll hand it to you, Kerris. I think you're going to be a wonderful spirit shaman. Whisper Hollow needs you. I'm glad you came home.”

I waited, but she fell silent. After a moment, I said, “You're not going to tell me what you are, are you?”

She laughed. “I don't know you well enough yet. Someday . . . someday I will.”

Corbin pronounced Peggin fit to go home. “She'll be fine. But I recommend
against
buying a new house on the lake. For anybody in this town.”

Bryan and I bundled up Peggin and headed to our car after making our good-byes. As we drove home, Peggin kept giggling from the backseat. Corbin had told her she would act like she was drunk for the rest of the evening, but by tomorrow should be back to normal. I looked over at Bryan. “I'm tired and yet I feel so energized. I don't know how I can be both at once, but I am.”

“I know, my love. I know,” was all he said.

*   *   *

T
hree days later, I woke up to a winter wonderland. We had yet another snowfall, and there was a good eight inches in the yard. Everything was sparkling white and felt new again, and as I watched out the kitchen window, the sparrows converged on the birdfeeders. Bryan was already outside, putting up the lights on the outside of the house and trimming the trees in the front yard. He had suggested that when we got married we live here, in my house, and keep his estate for business purposes. I had agreed, content with that arrangement.

Deev and Peggin joined me as I was making peppermint mocha for breakfast.

“What can I do?” Peggin asked.

“What do you want for breakfast?”

“How about eggs and pancakes and sausage? I can start the pancakes.” She moved to the cupboard and pulled out the mix, as Deev rolled over to the refrigerator and handed her eggs and milk and a package of sausage. Corbin had told him that if he was good, by the next day he'd be up on crutches and within a week he'd be walking normally again, even though he would probably need some physical therapy.

“The Winter Fun Fest begins today. I suggest we head down there this afternoon and show some community spirit. I also need to finish my shopping. Peggin, do you want to join me?”

She frowned. “Afraid my shopping this year for the holidays isn't going to be very extensive. I have to save every penny I have for a security deposit and rent.”

“About that,” Deev said. “I've got some news.”

We both turned to look at him. For once, he was sans top hat and wearing his normal glasses rather than his goggles. His eyes still struck me as startling—they were crystal clear and as blue as the morning sky.

“I talked to your former landlady. Turns out, she's more than willing to sell the house for a good price. So I bought it. If you want to move back in, you're welcome to. I'll charge you one hundred dollars a month rent—that way you can get back on your feet and you won't have to worry about ever being kicked out. I'll give you a ninety-nine-year lease, cancelable on your end whenever you want.” He grinned at Peggin, who let out a little squeal.

“You've got to be kidding! You can afford to do that? I love that house.”

“It's yours for as long as you want it.” He paused, then added, “I think I could come to like it, too. For now, do you want it? We can talk over the details later.”

“Are you kidding? Of course I want to live there. I hated having to leave. I spent years getting that garden into the shape it's in.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning over to give him a long kiss. He reached around her, gently stroking her back.

I wondered what she would think when he told her the reality about who he was, but that could come when it came. She was recovering from the ritual rapidly, but I could still see the fear in her eyes whenever we passed the lake. Peggin wasn't going to be forgetting her experience anytime soon. But Whisper Hollow wouldn't let her go, that much I knew. It needed her as much as it needed me, although I wasn't sure just what her place was yet.

“How about some pancakes, then, now that that's settled?” I finished making our mochas and handed around the mugs, garnished with dollops of whipped cream. I set another to the side, for Bryan when he came in. In another few minutes he came stomping to the door.

“Lights are all up around the house. And the trees are covered with lights, so unless you are planning on anything else, I'm pretty much finished.”

“Oh, I plan on getting some of those lighted polar bears and elk, so we're not done yet. But we'll do that this afternoon, after we check out the Winter Fun Fest.”

We all pitched in to finish making breakfast, then carried our food into the living room where we settled in front of the TV. The cats sprawled on the floor at our feet as we turned on the old Alastair Sim version of
A Christmas Carol
. As the black-and-white images filled the screen, I looked outside. It was beautiful, and sparkling, and I realized that I was truly at home. I was engaged to the man I loved, with more friends than I had ever imagined having, and if that meant I walked with the dead at my shoulders and a goddess at my back, so be it. Life was a magical ride, and I never wanted it to be different.

*   *   *

I
was standing in the middle of a forest, and the ground was covered with snow. The old crone was out there and the bloodthirsty Hounds with her. I could feel them, watching the town, waiting and biding their time. Beside me the Crow
Man stood, silent as the flock of crows gathered around our feet.

“You have the blade now,” he said. “It's time you learned to use her.”

I lifted up the dagger. The bone hilt and crystal blade gleamed in my hands, resonating deep within my heart and core. “This belonged to my ancestors, didn't it?”

“Yes, it was a gift from the Morrígan to the very first mother of your family line. To the very first spirit shaman, whose blood you come from. Nine great families . . . and generations past counting. You are the fiftieth generation.”