Chapter 9

I sat up in bed, my hand reaching out, as if it was still clasped in Flora's. All I found was the darkness in my room. For a moment I thought it must have been a dream, but then I realized that I could still feel the cold damp of the dungeon on my skin. I threw on some clothes and headed outside the house. Only then did the stench from the dungeon that seemed to be clinging to me start to dissipate. The sun was just beginning to rise, and I knew I couldn't go back inside. Even the thought of stepping back over that threshold made my throat close over in fear. I needed space around me. I blindly started walking away from the house, heading towards where the sun was rising over the horizon.

Despite my reservations about the residents of Walker Bay, I had to admit, in the early dawn, the area was beautiful. Light and shadows seemed to dance over the town, and you could truly believe that this was a magical place. I felt like I was drawn to a park which looked out over the bay. I found a bench and made myself comfortable, allowing the serenity of the sunrise to calm me. There was a part of me that wanted desperately to believe that my time with Flora had been a nightmare. Nothing more than the ramblings of a mind that had been pushed beyond its normal limits. Nobody would blame me for having a bad dream after everything I had gone through the day before. I wanted to believe that because the alternative was too horrific to imagine. Somebody had managed to create a curse that trapped Flora in a dungeon in her own mind. I had no idea how long she could survive like that, and what was worse, I had no idea how to get her out of it. I was so caught up in thinking about Flora that I didn't even notice that I was no longer alone until a voice broke through my thoughts.

"Excuse me, miss, are you okay?"

I jumped at the interruption and turned around. Terror clasped me around the throat, and I couldn't breathe. I thought that I had been getting a grasp on the different creatures in Walker Bay. What stood before me proved I had a long way to go before I could calmly meet new people in this town. Despite what I would consider a well-rounded education I had no idea what kind of creature he was. He towered over me, his large muscular body blotting out a good portion of my view. He had a bald head, pointed ears, and his skin was a dappled grayish color, broken by black tribal tattoos that wound down his arms. The only reason I didn't start screaming was the deputy's uniform that he was wearing. Surely I was safe if he was a deputy. Man, I hoped so, because I was frozen with fear. I was not going anywhere under my own steam.

"Are you okay, miss?" He pitched his deep voice low, but it still seemed to carry through the quiet stillness of the morning. I really looked at him then. Despite the completely foreign way that he looked to me, the one thing that struck me was his eyes. He had kind eyes. Of course, I'm sure there are plenty of women who originally thought some guy had kind eyes, only to find themselves painfully disillusioned. I really hoped I wasn't going to be one of them.

"I'm okay, just taking in the sunrise," I said, hoping that he would take me at my word and leave before I embarrassed myself by dropping to the ground and begging him not to hurt me.

He obviously didn't because he sat down next to me on the bench, keeping some distance, but still watching me with a worried expression on his face.

"Are you sure, Ma'am?" he asked. "It's just...you seem to be crying."

I wiped under my eyes and found tears on my fingers. No wonder the deputy was worried about me.

"I'm fine. I just had a bad dream and it seems to have affected me a bit more than I thought."

"A prophecy dream?" he asked, a concerned look in his eyes.

"I really hope not," I replied fervently. "I thought a walk would help, then I saw the sun coming up over the bay. I just wanted to watch the sunrise."

He waited as if expecting me to tell him more. "I'm Deputy Iversen. And you are?"

So, this was the famous Deputy Iversen who dared to pull Maude over for speeding. For some reason that made me feel safer and I started to breathe normally again.

"I've heard about you."

The deputy raised an eyebrow. "That was quick. You can't have been in town for that long or we would have already met."

"I arrived yesterday. I'm staying with Tilda Atwill."

"Aah, has Maude been complaining again? I'm not really evidence of the worst that law enforcement in Walker Bay has to offer."

I giggled. I would be forever grateful to Deputy Iversen for giving me something to laugh about. "I figured there was another side to the story."

"There always is." He paused for a moment. "You still haven't told me your name. Is there a reason for that, or was it just an oversight?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Sadie Goodwin."

"Very nice to meet you Miss Goodwin."

"Please call me Sadie."

"And you can call me Karl." He paused as if thinking about what he had just said. "Unless I pull you over for speeding, then it's Deputy Iversen."

"I'll keep that in mind," I murmured as I turned my attention back to the sunrise that was spilling over the horizon.

"It sure is a beautiful way to start the day, isn't it, Sadie?"

"The best way."

We sat there quietly for a few minutes, and I had to marvel at the situation I found myself in. Forty-eight hours ago, I was living a normal life. This morning I was taking in a sunrise, sitting next to a creature that I had no idea what he was. This wasn't my normal anymore.

Karl broke the silence. "Do you need a ride back to Tilda's place."

"No, thank you. I'll just enjoy the view for a bit longer, and then I'll walk back."

"Very well then. I'll leave you to it." He stood up and we both looked over as we heard a car engine.

I was surprised to see the sheriff's truck pulling in beside Karl's car. Why was it that despite being a kidnapping victim, the last thing I wanted was to have a cop around? I shouldn't have been surprised that I was surrounded by them.

Sheriff Tolan came out of the truck and walked over to us. "Is there a problem here?"

"No problem, Sheriff," Deputy Iversen said. "Just saw Sadie here taking in the view, so I thought I'd introduce myself and offer her a ride home."

"That's good to hear, Iversen, but I think I'll take Miss Goodwin home. My shift doesn't start for another half hour and I've got the time."

"Yes, Sheriff."

Deputy Iversen nodded his head at me and proceeded to walk away. Strange that I had begun to feel so comfortable with him, yet so uncomfortable with his boss.

"As I told Deputy Iversen, I'm perfectly okay here. I don't need a ride. I can walk back to Tilda's myself."

"I'm taking you home."

That sounded final and, as I thought about it, I realized that arguing with a werewolf sheriff might not be one of my brighter ideas.

"Very well," I said, tightly.

"Now would be good."

Most of my lessons about the paranormal were ones that had come from the women who kidnapped me. They had tried to give me as much information as possible to limit the mistakes I would make. Today I was learning my first lesson on my own. Sheriff Tolan was bossy and rude. I wondered whether that was because he was sheriff, or maybe it was a werewolf characteristic, or it could just have been him. Whichever of those options was true, I didn't care for that aspect of his personality.

"Very well," I muttered between gritted teeth as I followed him back to the car. It hardly seemed fair that my wish to watch a sunrise ended up with me being carted back to my kidnapper's house by the sheriff. One day this was going to make one hell of a story to tell my grandkids, right before they had me committed for losing my mind.

I had hoped the trip back to Tilda's house would be played out in silence. Nothing in my two meetings with Sheriff Tolan had led me to believe he might be the chatty type. Obviously, I had misjudged him, or, more likely, I was being interrogated.

"So, how long have you known Tilda?"

"Not long."

"How long are you staying?"

I shrugged and paused for as long as I thought I could get away with.

"I'm not sure. This trip was a surprise. My plans haven't really been set in concrete."

"Where do you come from?"

"Georgia."

"Where in Georgia?"

"Augusta."

The sheriff stayed silent for a moment. I hoped that would be the end of it. I should have known better. "You don't sound like you're from Georgia."

I sighed. This was really not what I was prepared to deal with this early in the morning. "I've only lived in Augusta for a few months. I grew up everywhere. My mom moved us around a lot."

"Does your mom live in Georgia?"

I closed my eyes, the grief I usually kept hidden in a box in the back of my mind, swamped me. "My mom died five months ago."

Blessed silence. I guess that was one way to stop an interrogation.

"I'm sorry," Sheriff Tolan said quietly.

"So am I." I looked out my window as I blinked back some tears. I really could have used my mom's advice right about now.

As we pulled into Tilda's driveway, I had to stop myself from groaning. On the front porch stood Tilda and Maude, about to start searching for their lost kidnapping victim. If my mind hadn't been so focused on my disturbing night with Flora, I would have appreciated the expressions on their faces at the sight of me being returned to them in the sheriff's truck.

They rushed up to the truck as soon as I stepped out of it. Maude quickly put an arm around my shoulders as if comforting me. I wasn't fooled.

"Land sake's, Sadie. When Tilda couldn't find you, she panicked. I rushed straight over." At least that explained her outfit.

I swallowed nervously. "I just needed to take a walk."

I could see Sheriff Tolan watching the exchange with some interest.

"Thank you for the ride, Sheriff." I really wanted the man to leave. There was something about Sheriff Tolan that made me very nervous, and I didn't think it was the whole being a werewolf thing.

"You're welcome, Miss Goodwin." He nodded at Tilda and Maude before sauntering back to his truck.

As we watched him leave, Maude's arm fell from my shoulders. "What did you think you were doing?"

So much for the love. "I needed to get some air."

I turned around and headed inside, the two women trailing behind.

I grabbed a glass of water and sat down at the table, wondering how I was going to explain what had happened.

"I had a rough night and I had to get out of the house."

Guilt flashed across Maude's face. "You had a nightmare?"

"Of course, she had a nightmare. She's been kidnapped, anyone would be traumatized after something like that." Tilda sat down next to me and patted my hand. "We caused this, so we'll pay for any therapy you need."

"You have therapists?" I croaked, not sure if I was pleased or appalled that the paranormal community needed therapy.

"Of course we have therapists. You think it's easy being a witch? I go to a session every month, purely for maintenance purposes."

I sneaked a glance over at Maude. From the expression on her face, it looked like she was in the appalled camp.

"The thing is, I don't think it was a nightmare. It felt real, terrifyingly real." I took in a deep breath. "I was in a dark, cold room with bars on this one tiny window up high. It felt like how you would imagine the worst kind of dungeons would be." I took a sip of water, needing the fresh taste to wash away the feeling in my throat. "Flora was there. She was filthy and confused, and the smell was indescribable. She looked like she had been trapped there for weeks.

"What are you saying?" Maude had paled at the description of her friend.

"I don't think it was a nightmare. I think this curse has trapped her mind or her soul in that dungeon, and I think last night she managed to pull me in with her."

Both Maude and Tilda looked stunned, and, if I was honest with myself, really doubtful.

"It happened," I insisted.

Tilda kept patting my hand. "The last couple of days have been terrible for you, and we acknowledge our part in your trauma."

I could not believe she was trying to start my therapy now.

"Helen Napier," I blurted out.

"What did you just say?" Maude said, sharply.

"Flora said that Helen Napier was the last person in Walker Bay who had tried to curse someone, and it failed. She was outcast and her magic was bound. Flora said there was a rumor that she had a book of curses that had been handed down through the family." I was trying desperately to get them to believe me. My aunt was reaching out to me. I couldn't fail her. "How would I know about Helen Napier if I hadn't been speaking to Flora?"

Tilda was still patting my hand, but she looked confused. "Who's Helen Napier?"

I almost panicked at the question. Had I got it wrong? Did I have a nightmare and my sub-conscious made up all the details that I had completely believed?

One look at a deathly white Maude convinced me that it hadn't been a nightmare. "We need to get Margot and Isobel here." She drew in a shaky breath. "And then you need to tell us everything that happened to you last night."