What Remains by Bailey Bradford (to read list txt) 📕

“I did that, didn’t I?”

It wasn’t a question, but Laine still nodded.

“Hang on, Miriam, will you? Apparently I busted Laine’s lip when I woke up. Or was asleep. Whichever. Be right back.” Sev was already up and almost to Laine by the time he finished babbling.

Laine lowered the washcloth under Sev’s pointed look and felt a stream of blood trickle down his chin. He swiped at it with the cloth then covered his lip again. “You didn’t do it. I mean, you did, but I should have moved,” Laine said around the wet material.

Sev glared up at him. “I did do it. You not moving doesn’t make it your fault. But it was an accident, you know I would never deliberately hurt you. I’m sorry.” Sev stood on his toes and bussed Laine’s jaw. “Forgive me?”

“Always.” Like Sev even needed to ask. Laine wrapped an arm around Sev’s waist and gave him a hug. “So, no feeling guilty for either of us?”

Sev stepped back and tapped his chin, his eyes turned up as he looked at the ceiling. “Well, no, but I will quit giving you shit about what you said.”

“Then it was worth it,” Laine said fervently. He took Sev’s hand in his and headed for the bed. He and Sev sat on the edge. “Okay, Miriam, what can you tell us?”

“Well, besides the fact that the two of you are about as sweet as that tea you like, I can tell you it wasn’t anyone here who did it, but yes, a spell was definitely cast.”

“How do you know? I mean, that it wasn’t anyone there?”

Miriam harrumphed at Laine’s question. “Because Vincent and I both are very adept at scrying. And before you ask, yes, I said scrying. It’s a form of divination that—well, it worked, okay? After we discerned that it wasn’t Wicca magic used, we had to find out what kind it was.”

Laine looked at Sev who shrugged. “How many kinds of magic are there?”

“More than you care to hear about,” Miriam said. “Anyways, Vincent, Chris, Rich and I, along with eight others in the coven, focused our energies. We all felt pulled to four very distinct points—north, south, east and west. A direct line of each, mind you. We split into four groups and each one found the exact spot. Like if I was holding a compass—well, I was, I stopped exactly when the needle was perfectly aligned to the North. My senses were leading me forward, so we kept walking. The other groups did the same in the other directions. What we found, exactly three-point-three miles outside of town, were four very small but ornate altars.”

“Y’all don’t use altars?”

“We do, but these weren’t ours. The offerings on the altars were…well, they weren’t anything we’d have used. Nothing illegal, mind you, but things that make me and Vincent certain there’s a curandero or curandera in or near McKinton.”

Laine looked at Sev. “You know anything about curanderos?”

“Some, yeah. My grandmother took me to one right after she got me out of the institution. The curandera looked me in the eye and I’d have sworn she looked all the way into my soul. She murmured some things I didn’t understand, then told my grandmother that I was ‘precious’”—he smirked—“and had the gift of communing with the dead. Grandma never doubted me from then on.”

“If it’s a gift, why would a curandero interfere like this?”

“Laine, not every curandero is good, although the majority are. There’s good and bad in all religions and professions,” Miriam pointed out. “And the curandero who did this might not think they did anything bad. He or she may see it as aiding lost spirits or some such crap.” Miriam put enough emphasis on the last word that her disgust was patently obvious. “Regardless of the reason, we can undo this. But, I can’t…I can’t guarantee all the spirits will return. Some might choose to stay where they’ve been sent.”

“Conner will come back,” Sev said when Laine’s throat felt too tight to speak. “So will the others who interact with their loved ones. They hung around after death to be here for us, I don’t think they’ll change their minds.”

Sev sounded so sure, but Laine wasn’t. Hadn’t he thought Conner might want more than just drifting along as a spirit? If Conner had the opportunity to be reborn, have another go at life, why wouldn’t he take it? The man…spirit, was vivacious and playful, like someone who just enjoyed existing. Wouldn’t he enjoy it more in the flesh?

Or maybe he was content to move on to whatever spiritual plane others went to when they died. Damn it, Laine didn’t know, but he suddenly had to wonder why Conner would ever choose to come back to Sev and him.

Laine became aware that Miriam wasn’t speaking and Sev was looking worriedly at him. He cleared his throat and gave Sev an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I kind of zoned out there.” He had a feeling, from the way Sev was watching him, that he would have to give a full explanation once Miriam was off the phone.

“It’s okay, I know it’s a lot to take in, but if you’re fine with us moving the blessing to the following night, we’ll cast the spell to bring the spirits back tomorrow night instead.”

Sev was nodding eagerly.

“That will work.” Laine just hoped he and Sev didn’t have to learn to live without Conner in their lives when it was all said and done.

“There is one other thing,” Miriam said with what sounded to Laine like reluctance.

“What?”

Miriam was silent so long Laine thought she wasn’t going to answer. When she finally did, Laine’s entire body went cold. “I know I said the curandero might have had the best of intentions, but he or she might not have, too. We found a few strands of black hair on each alter, set in melted wax. In case…in case the spell was directed to hurt Severo, I think