Page 81 of Big Witch Energy

“The Wellings sure did love hiding those in fireplaces,” she muttered. She had to get that lock back from Cole. Poor freaking Riley was back on Starfall, looking for locks that weren’t even in the house.

“Well, they had to work within the original footprint of the house,” Cole said. “Honestly, the Wellings are lucky that the Dentons haven’t found more of these over the years. When you think about it, it’s fascinating that the original shape of the house hasn’t changed much, given all of the altera—”

“Is that the only one you found?” Caroline asked.

“You have no appreciation for historical architecture.” Cole sighed.

“I care a little bit more about my throbbing freaking head than listening to you waffle on about old buildings,” Caroline seethed at him. “Can we just skip to the part of the supervillain speech where you tell me your big plans? How do you even know about the locks in the first place?”

“Oh, anybody who can see ghosts knows about the Wellings, how the Dentons crushed them, sent them scurrying underground,” Cole laughed. “And families like mine? We don’t have pedigree, but we see enough to recognize an opportunity. The locks control ghosts? I want as many of them as I can get. I don’t care about catching them all. I just want to catch enough, enough to run my own agenda. The Wellings were dumb enough to stake me while I sent them bullshit progress reports, and that’s on them for not watching me closely enough.”

“There’s a whole underground communication system for families who can see ghosts? Like ‘Spiritualist Facebook’?” Caroline asked, her hand creeping across the ground toward the frying pan. Cole stomped on it, making her cry out in pain.

“Word of mouth has been around a lot longer than social media,” Cole said blithely, as if he hadn’t just broken one of her fingers.

“That’s quite enough,” Rose intoned from her standing position. Cole’s head jerked upward, as if he’d forgotten she was there. “I won’t allow you to injure my descendant’s person any more than necessary.”

“Necessary?” Caroline scoffed, cradling her injured hand against her chest. “Also, can I just ask, what the hell is going on with the portrait? It’s not your attachment object, so…why so obsessed with it?”

“Just because my spirit isn’t permanently joined to the canvas doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy looking upon it, remembering the best days of my life,” Rose said, smiling through the open door at her own face. “Proper deference for my portrait was how young Cole here first gained my attention. But now…” She turned to Cole. “I mentioned before, how I ran my family, making sure they did as they were told. I made sure they were useful. You’re no longer useful.”

Cole’s dark eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”

“I believe the expression is, ‘I’ll take things from here,’” Rose said, her smile thin. She leaned over him, the smoke of her form enveloping him.

Cole held out the lock, balancing it on his palm. “Stay back!”

Caroline arched a brow, “Really? It’s not a ‘cross versus vampire’ situation. I thought your family had experience with this.”

“Well, how does it work?” Cole practically shrieked, shaking the lock like a blinking flashlight. “How do I make the lock control her?”

“You don’t know?” Caroline marveled. “You don’t have magic?”

“It’s not about magic, it’s about the locks!” Cole insisted.

“Oh, buddy, you just peed on an electric fence, and you don’t even realize it,” Caroline sighed, shaking her head. “I would almost feel bad for you, if you hadn’t hit me over the head with a hammer and broke my finger.”

“It was a bottle,” Cole told her.

“Still rude,” Caroline grumbled.

“I’m bored,” Rose sighed, dragging the misty tips of her fingers down Cole’s cheek. “And you’re becoming more of a nuisance than you’re worth.”

“But you can only hurt members of your own family!” Cole yelled.

Rose’s smile was downright feral. “My dear boy, where on Earth did you get that impression?”

The corners of her mouth drew back into an impossible, manic smile as she plunged her hand into his chest. Cole screamed, clutching at his heart. He looked to Caroline as if she could help him, but she wasn’t even sure she could work magic with her hand mangled. She didn’t know what Rose was doing and had no idea how to counteract it. Cole’s face went pasty gray, and he slumped to the ground. His breathing was labored, and he seemed to have to work to draw in the oxygen that fueled the next breath.

Rose patted his cheek. “Now, be quiet while I talk to my, well, let’s just say ‘granddaughter.’”

Caroline scrambled back against the RV, tugging at the tape on her ankles as Rose loomed closer. She searched the ground for something sharp, something to cut at her bindings. Instead, her hand closed over the lock Cole had lost in his death throes.

“Now, what to do with you,” Rose murmured, tilting her head this way and that, staring at Caroline like she was a specimen on a pin. “I must admit, your little branch of the family has vexed me the most. The amount of whining from the lot of you was just intolerable, and your father, staying away from the inn. The audacity.”

“It’s a bar,” Caroline replied.

“It’s an inn. I am not a barkeeper. And your father is the least appreciative of the lot, for the legacy I’ve given him.”

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