Spiritbound Page 10

  ‘He was younger than me, a half-brother, actually. And he was strange since birth. No one really understood why. Gifted and warped, he was.’ Her gaze passed over Grace and centred on Declan.

  ‘He liked to take life. Any life. It started with animals at first. Birds. Dogs. Cats. Then it was other children.’

  Grace sucked in a breath. Her uncle had been a monster. ‘Children?’

  Elvira nodded. ‘Yes. We didn’t know about it at first. The bodies turned up and we were stumped. Mace Denton, Mallory’s cousin, was only young when he went missing. The whole coven went looking for him. Pris and I found them under the Harbour Bridge, late at night. We didn’t like going there. All that iron and concrete interfered with the natural rhythms of the goddess. But that’s where Mace’s cries had drawn us. Elroy had tortured him, like he had the pets and the wildlife that were unfortunate enough to come into his path. He stood there in the shadows, just waiting, as if nothing terrible had happened.

  ‘We called the coven. Elroy didn’t even blink, didn’t raise an eyebrow. It was as if the taking of life meant nothing to him. He was ten years old.’

  ‘What happened to him, Aunt?’ Elena asked in a hushed voice, tears glistening in her eyes.

  ‘They sentenced him to death. It was unanimous.’

  ‘But he was only a child himself,’ Declan said.

  Elvira squared up to him, shifting in her chair. ‘You think that, do you? There was a lot of debate before and after. Was he an old, evil soul inhabiting a child’s body? Was he just a warped soul never to be shaped into a useful member of the coven? We’ll never know.’

  ‘He’s dead, then?’ Grace asked. Her gut churned. It was all too much to process. Declan had known and hadn’t said. His parents had known and had told him. His own uncle had been murdered as a child by her blood kin. How shocking.

  ‘Yes, he’s dead. But not executed. He killed himself.’ Elvira closed her eyes. ‘We were gathered in the great hall in Parramatta for the formal judgement. Elroy came along as if it were any other outing. He was called forth to receive judgement. When he took his place, he ripped his own…oh goddess…I can’t.’

  Elena rubbed Elvira’s shoulder. ‘You don’t have to if it distresses you.’

  Elvira patted her hand and straightened her shoulders. ‘I have to tell it now. Once a tale begins it must unravel to the end.’ She cradled her head in her hand and took a deep, calming breath. Then she took a sip of coffee before lifting her head to continue the story. ‘He used magic like a blade, split himself from nose to navel. There was so much blood. I vomited. So did many others. They performed the rituals to punish him in death as in life and then burned the remains. There, it is done. It is said. The monster killed himself.’

  Grace sobbed into napkin. ‘That’s so horrible.’

  ‘My mother said her brother was also killed.’

  Elvira nodded. ‘Yes, Saul. A lovely boy, so bright. Your mother never recovered from the shock. She found him, but there was nothing she could do. He died in her arms.’

  Elvira’s eyes clouded over with memories. None appeared to be good. How could Grace not have known this? They must have hidden it from her on purpose.

  Grace trembled. Her mind spun down dark paths. It was as if her life was crumbling around her. Her uncle had killed two of Declan’s family. How could he even sit in this room? It made so much sense now, why his parents had always been distant, that distance turning into hatred after she’d resurrected Fel. They feared the monster.

  That monster was she. If Declan’s parents thought that, then he must also think she was a monster. The recollection of his face when she’d raised Fel loomed large in her mind. The fear; the horror. Now that he knew what her uncle had done he’d be like them, hating her, thinking her a monster. Already he probably did.

  Declan drew her head down to his shoulder, offering comfort. Grace couldn’t rest there. She pulled back. Panic seized her. Her heart raced, her mind span. ‘You knew about this?’ Her voice was an accusatory hiss. ‘You came here and slept with me, knowing this?’ How could he? There must have been a good reason. He needed to get laid, wanted comfort and didn’t want details getting in the way of that. How could he have done that, been intimate with her, then to tell her about her monstrous uncle?

  ‘Now, Grace, wait a minute. Not the whole story. Just the part my parents told me. Their version.’

  Grace sneered, her fists balled up hard. ‘In what context?’ Her voice was ranging high, but she was too angry and hurt to care. ‘Don’t worry, I can guess. They want to you to stay away from the taint, the dark magic-wielding evil witch.’

  ‘Come on, Grace. Don’t be like that.’

  ‘You knew Elroy murdered children, didn’t you? Before your raised the subject?’

  Declan lowered his gaze to the table-top. His uneaten bacon was congealed.

  ‘Tell the truth. You knew he was a monster?’

  He nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything.’ He sought support from Elena and Elvira.

  ‘So you were discussing me with your family. I’m a monster to them, too, aren’t I?

  His face paled and he kept his face neutral, but that expression spoke loudly. ‘Grace—’

  ‘It’s true!’ Hysteria had possession of her. How could he have mentioned it to her after their magical love-making? Couldn’t he have waited for another time? What kind of bastard did that? He’d meant to hurt her.

  Her gaze shifted to her mother. ‘It’s true, isn’t it?’ Her voice sliced into her mother. ‘The coven think I’m another monster, don’t they? When I raised Fel, it sent up warning flags. Beware, the Denholm clan has produced another monster. Beware.’ Grace waggled her fingers.

  Her mother kept her features very calm. Grace took that for a yes. ‘Goddess, why didn’t you tell me? All this time I thought I was atoning for my own misdeeds. Now, I find that there is a whole raft of other deeds, other evil deeds that I have to atone for. That I didn’t even know about.’

  ‘Grace, stop that. Stop that right now.’ Her mother stood up, thumping the table.

  ‘No, I won’t stop. You should have told me.’

  Elvira’s gazed flicked to Declan. ‘Don’t do this now, Grace.’

  Elena started crying, holding her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with fright.

  ‘You should have warned me.’ Grace’s voice now was a low hiss. ‘How could I prepare? Battle something I didn’t know existed?’

  Grace was on her feet, her tears streaming down her face. Declan got out of her mother’s way as she came around the table to Grace. The slap sent Grace’s head to one side. ‘Control yourself,’ her mother said in a steady voice. ‘You are not a monster. But you are being ridiculous.’

  Grace ground her teeth and glared at her mother. ‘How can you say that?’

  ‘I know you, Grace.’

  Her eyes passed over Declan’s concerned face. It was so unfair.

  ‘They think I’m a monster.’ She threw her hand out, gesturing in the direction of Balmain.

  ‘You have no control over other people’s opinions. Elroy’s legacy affects us all. There are so few warlocks now. Don’t you understand?’

  ‘No, I don’t. How can I understand when I’m ignorant of the facts, facts other people know? Declan knows.’ She caught a sob in her hand, shaking her head.

  Declan put his hand on her back, stroked her. She shook him off. ‘Don’t touch me. Aren’t you worried that you’ll be tainted by a monster?’

  Declan was quick to respond in anger. ‘That’s not fair. I only just heard about it last night. Don’t judge me for what other people think. I’m not like that.’

  She faced him, looked him up and down. ‘You’re just like them.’ Anger she’d never experienced before overwhelmed her. It frightened her. She was a monster. The story of Elroy had let it out, had torn off the bandages holding the bad Grace in. ‘Get out. Just get out and leave me alone.’


  Her jaw clenched, and she fisted both hands by her side.

  Declan paled and fell back a step. ‘You don’t mean that.’ His gaze travelled all over her face. ‘Don’t do this. Please.’

  ‘I do mean it. Just go. I never want to see you again. Take your superior battle mage demeanour and your upright family heritage and get out.’ She spoke imperiously to Elvira. ‘Mother, make him go.’

  Elvira straightened her shoulders and looked down her nose, putting on her most displeased expression. Grace usually feared it but she was beyond that now. ‘I’ll do no such thing. You’re being ridiculous.’

  ‘Am I?’ She glared at them all. ‘Am I?’

  Turning on her heel, she shoved a kitchen chair out of her way and then ran down the hall to her room.

  Heavy footsteps followed her.

  ‘Wait, Declan,’ Elvira said. ‘You best give her time to work it out. It’s been a shock. Don’t take what she said to heart. I’ve never seen her so upset.’

  ‘I will wait,’ came Declan’s reply, his deep voice cutting through Grace’s rage.

  ‘It may take a while.’ There was movement. ‘There, there, Elena. It will be all right. Don’t you worry. She’ll be fine tomorrow.’ Elena’s weeping tormented Grace. She needed to shut them out.

  Declan still hovered there. She could feel his presence. She was afraid he would try to talk to her, so she put up wards so he couldn’t come in. Then she threw up additional ones so that she couldn’t hear them any longer. She didn’t want to hear them pity her or make excuses for her behaviour. The wards would keep them out too, and would keep them from mentally communicating with her.

  As she put the final touches on her wards, she locked the window and tugged the curtains so that there was no light. She stood in the darkness, misery enveloping her. Why had Declan told her about Elroy? Or why hadn’t he explained it was that bad, given her some inkling? She’d had no comeback, no time to prepare. She blamed her mother, too, for not saying anything. She blamed Declan’s parents. They’d done it to hurt her, to crush Declan’s feelings for her.

  Facing the door, she let the thoughts flow. It had been such a perfect morning. Now it was all over. Her life was over. Declan was over. No one in their right mind wanted to be with tainted goods. When she thought about it, Declan would give up on her. How could he not? He never had a commitment. She was just for a good time. His parents had a valid reason for despising her. Given time, Declan would get over his rebellion against them; he’d give in to their wishes and settle down with some nice witch and have a family.

  Grace was crazy to think she would get a life like that. She was from bad blood. Mating with her would just risk bringing more evil into the world. Then, giving over to her feelings, she sank to the floor and wept.

  After an hour or so she lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. She needed more fuel, so she flicked on her music and filled the room with lyrics full of heartbreak, betrayal and mental anguish. There she screamed, letting her rage out. It was so unfair. Never had she voiced that thought before. She thought her punishment was deserved. Now she didn’t agree. It was Elroy they were punishing. But she wasn’t Elroy. They hadn’t even lived in the same time period. Declan had hinted that there was something more. Grace furrowed her brow. What other ramifications were there?

  Then it hit her. Her mother had said it, plain as day. There are so few warlocks because of Elroy. It was deliberate. The coven had been afraid that another Elroy would be born. They would have exiled his soul as a matter of course. But still the fear lived on. Wiping her nose with a towel she found on the floor, she realised then how frightened the coven had been when she’d brought back Fel, so casually, with so little effort.

  She cried some more. Her tears would never end. Sometime later she woke to the sound of someone pounding on her door. She ignored them and crawled into bed. She’d set wards but they didn’t prevent someone outside her room knocking. By then she was too exhausted to care and she didn’t even remember hearing the knocking stop.

  ***

  Declan’s anger filled him up. How dare that stuck-up Elvira blast him for mentioning Elroy to Grace? Her words were still ringing in his ears. ‘How could you do that to her? She loves you, always has.’

  ‘I never asked her to love me and I certainly didn’t promise her anything.’

  Elvira had thrown up her hands. ‘I don’t think she knows she loves you, but you’ve hurt her bad, Declan Mallory. You and your family have a lot to answer for.’

  ‘What do you mean? Seems to me that they’re the victims.’

  Elvira had scoffed. ‘Victims. Always first to cast the first stone, and you’re just like them. Your mother always did have a slim grip on reality. She—’

  ‘Don’t bring my mother into this. What has she ever done to you?’

  Elvira had thrown up her hands. ‘No family is perfect. Show me the perfect family. We all have defects and skeletons in the cupboard. Why don’t you explore yours before you come over here and destroy the happiness of such a beautiful person like Grace? Knowing her, knowing her spirit, how could you crush her so?’

  ‘Me? I didn’t. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just asked a question.’

  ‘If you don’t see it then just get out. You are too stupid even to talk to.’

  Fist balled, Declan had spun on the spot. ‘I will.’ He’d ground his teeth and clenched his jaw against the words he’d wanted to yell at that old witch.

  How dare she heap all the blame on him? He had only wanted to unwind with Grace, enjoy her body, and enjoy her smile and her wit. He hadn’t asked for all this shit to be dumped on him.

  Declan had stormed out the front door. He’d tried contacting Grace as he left, but her wards kept him out. He shook his head. The whole family were nutters, except maybe Elena, who had sat there crying and gaping at them all.

  Declan had jogged to his bike, revved it up and sped off. He drove for hours and hours, only turning back when he hit Newcastle. Now, many hours later he stood outside his front door. With his hands in his pockets, he kicked at a stone on the path, not quite ready to face his parents. His stomach rumbled and he realised he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. No point in stalling any longer. He could smell roast meat.

  His parents looked up from the kitchen table as he walked in. ‘Hello, Son. Glad you’re home.’

  ‘You’ve seen her again, haven’t you?’ his mother said, screwing up the tea towel she held in her hands. ‘I can smell her on you.’

  ‘Del.’ His father’s warning was soft, gentle.

  Her head jerked in his direction. ‘I can taste her taint from here. Go wash her off. You won’t be eating at my table until you do.’

  ‘Mum. Don’t. It’s been a bad day.’

  ‘What happened?’ his father asked.

  ‘I asked about Elroy Denholm. Let’s just say I’m not welcome there anymore.’

  ‘You see? He was there. He went to her.’

  His father stood and went to cuddle his mother. ‘Let it go now. He’s back. It’s over. She won’t get him. It’s ended,’ he cooed to Declan’s mother. Declan’s stomach roiled and he slammed the door as he left the room. He needed to shower and he needed time alone. Elvira’s words were still in his ears. He didn’t like looking at his mother and seeing what was obvious. He’d ignored the signs his whole life. He’d been brought up not to upset her. To bring his troubles to his father and not bother his mother.

  Damn Elvira Denholm. Damn her for being right. His bloodline wasn’t perfect either.

  ***

  Grace awoke before dawn, her mouth dry, and she was busting to pee. Was the coast clear? Could she get to the bathroom before she was intercepted?

  Lowering her wards, she hesitated, waiting for a shrill mind scream from her mother, but there was nothing. As she opened the door a crack she saw no one in the hallway and darted out, tripping over Elena who was asleep on the floor.

  ‘Grace,’ she said in hushed tones. ‘Please ta
lk to me.’

  Grace disentangled herself from Elena’s long legs, shaking her head. She turned and scrambled into the bathroom, groaning with relief when she made it inside. After relieving herself, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a scramble and her eyes so puffy she looked as if she’d been punched. Leaning over the sink, she splashed her face and then drank deeply, direct from the tap. Her gaze shot to the window. Should she climb out so she didn’t have to face Elena or her mother? That was a bit of overkill as she’d have to climb back inside, and as she had lowered her wards, they could very well be sitting on her bed waiting for her.

  Closing her eyes, she sighed and then hiccupped. Elena had been quiet; maybe she would be again. Using a hand towel, she scrubbed her face dry. It was time she faced what her family were going to throw at her.

  Elena haunted the hallway but backed away from Grace’s determined step.

  ‘Please, talk to me,’ she whispered.

  Grace kept walking, shut the door in Elena’s face and locked it. The sound of her cousin putting her head against the door brought on another fit of weeping. Grace lay on the bed, three pillows over her head to muffle the sound. She hurt so much; it was as if her life were aching. It was as if all the wrongs that had been done to her were experienced again and mourned over.

  The day came and went. Grace stared at the ceiling. Although she hadn’t eaten, she wasn’t hungry. Someone suddenly pounded on the door. ‘Grace Riordon, you open this door and drop your wards right now.’ It was her mother and she wasn’t pleased. Her mother was a powerful witch, but Grace wasn’t that bad either. She was pretty certain her ward would withstand an assault. ‘Grace, I’m warning you. Do not put your health at risk. You have to come out and eat something.’

  Grace continued to stare at the ceiling. A thrust of magic against her ward had her gasping for breath. Her ward held but she could tell her mother was very upset. On one level Grace was sorry to cause her so much worry, but she was hurting so bad she couldn’t acknowledge it.