Page 58 of Hooked on a Witch
“All right. I’m going to trust you. That doesn’t mean I trust Merck, though. If your father asks, I won’t lie to him about your whereabouts.” Eli picked up his vibrating cell phone. “It’s him. He wants a group meeting to discuss security protocols.” He met her gaze. “Shannon, your father lost his wife. We all know Charlotte wasn’t only his wife. He might’ve fought tooth and nail with her, but he loved her to the depth of his soul. There’ll be no replacing her for him. She ran his house. She ruled all of us and led all the other Pleiades ladies. He almost lost you as well on the day his wife died and he still might. His sons are dead. The man is unreasonable right now. I’m trying to stay neutral, but I think he shouldn’t be involved in you figuring out what’s going on with the Trident.”
“I agree, but he is…well, he’s Dad. If it was my daughter doing crazy stuff, I’d probably be a bit over the top too.”
“The pie you left in the kitchen will only buy you so much time.” He smiled weakly. “I’d say you’ve got a couple of hours, but you need to be visible by dinner.”
“How’d you know I was distracting him with pie?”
“I’m not stupid. Your mom only brought out pie when she wanted something. I went along because, God knows, whenever any of you make pie, it’s not to be turned down. Trust me, your dad isn’t stupid either.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed his hand and made a mental note to bake him a pie. With a hop, she left the shelter of his truck and navigated the brick walkway to the front door. She balanced the pie plate in one hand to ring the bell. Nothing. Eli, who was still waiting, looked indecisive on leaving.
She reached for the knob. Door open. Not a good sign unless Merck had some precognition ability and anticipated her here.
With a last wave, she went inside. Eli’s truck rumbled down the driveway.
Something wasn’t right. A person like Merck didn’t leave the front door unlocked. He seemed like the kind of guy who believed in safety and security. No alarm went off as she entered. A glance to the alarm control box on the wall in the hallway by the door indicated it to be inactive.
She’d told Eli she didn’t detect evil auras. That much was true. But she also didn’t feel Merck’s aura as strong as it usually was. She peeked through the window beside the door to see Eli drive away. Maybe she should’ve asked him to stay.
Her feet caught on a set of keys on the floor.
“Jason…Merck?” she called out as she slid the pie onto the kitchen counter.
No reply.
The back door, which exited the kitchen, hung open. Spots dotted the floor. Dark-red spots similar to dried blood. In a tearing rush she raced outside and burst into the wide-open space of his backyard.
Oh no. He lay sprawled, facedown, on the lawn. One of his arms stretched in front of him as if trying to get to the water, which was too far away.
“Merck,” she moaned. Nothing emanated from his aura, which could mean he was passed out or dead.
She knelt next to him and pressed two fingers into the side of his neck, not feeling anything. Then she saw his chest move.Thank you, thank you.
“I’m here.” With a lot of tugging she rolled him onto his back. A dark stain saturated his stomach. She shook him. “Wake up.”
A few shakes later, he still didn’t stir.
The water slapped against a small dock hundreds of yards away as if angry. She couldn’t drag him that far. Even if she did get him close, his healing power might not work if he was unconscious. Using her ability to move water to him seemed impossible. It was too far.
“You’re not allowed to die, Jason Merck. I need you here.” He looked vulnerable, not the imposing man who’d threatened Lola. Her heart clenched so hard she experienced physical pain. She rubbed her chest.
Lifting the hem of his shirt and peeling it away from areas where it stuck to his skin revealed a blackened area on his stomach. The discoloration emitted a dark energy as if it, itself, was a living evil. Poison? Magic, most definitely.
Even passed out his face didn’t look peaceful. She wished she could reach him and find out what he fought in his mind. Whatever internal battle he waged might not be pain free.
“I don’t know what to do.” She breathed hard as she glanced around. Her gut knotted into lumps. Should she call 911? They wouldn’t know how to deal with this. Maybe Eli? She could beg Eli to use his magical healing skills on Merck. Instinct dictated Eli couldn’t resolve the evil of this particular poison. Something that knocked out a demigod had to be supremely powerful and dangerous.
“You can heal the man destined to be your soul mate.”Another of her mother’s lectures to prepare her for a life as a Pleiades blasted through her mind. Could this man bethe onefor her?
She yanked out her cell phone and called Jen. When Jen answered on the second ring, Shannon rushed to say, “Oh, God, Jen. It’s a crisis again. I’m sorry to only call you when it’s bad.”
“Just lay it on me. It’s why I have a cell phone.”
“I saw you do that healing thing on Nikolai when he was almost dead. You did something to bring him back from the brink. I need to know how you did it.”
“What? Whoa, back up. First, you think you found your soul mate? The Merck guy? Second, he’s dying?”
“Maybe.”
