The Hoodoo Apprentice: Allure Part 21

Exasperated, I look up into the sky and yell, "I don't know what you want from me. If I climb through here, I'm liable to trip and break my neck."

"Emma Guthrie. You are closer than you know." Maggie's voice, faint, but oh so very clear, carries on the breeze.

Okay. It's official. I'm hearing the voice of a dead girl.

My legs tremble. "If this is some sort of a sick joke, I'm not laughing."

Stargazer scent circles my body. "Emma Guthrie. Have faith. You are closer than you know."

Tears flow and a cool, calm sensation rushes over my body. It is Maggie. And she wants me to trust her. I draw a deep breath. Why not?

Following the scent, I carefully step forward, lifting my flip-flops and placing them on the lush emerald vines as I pa.s.s a number of cloaked headstones. Another zap strikes my sole. "What? I'm walking like you wanted me to." I take another step, but this time, the shock is stronger and shoots straight up my leg. I pull up, halting in place. The buzzing stops completely. I'm guessing I'm exactly where I should be. Right in front of a vine-covered headstone so completely cloaked in kudzu it looks like a topiary bush.

The breeze blows, rustling the bright green leaves clinging to the stone.

I'm closer than I know, huh? Stepping nearer, I reach over and claw at the dense vines, yanking them away. The thick strands are stubborn, seeming to cling harder as I pull. There's no way I've come this far to be beaten by a plant. Wedging my foot against the marker for leverage, I lean back, gripping hard on the vine until it finally snaps. Repeating the motion several times, I break enough to make out the name on the marker.

CLARISSA BEAUMONT. BORN: 1973, DIED: 2002.

I do the math. The woman in this grave died when Cooper was just five years old. It's his mother.

I clear the rest of the stone. It's polished and looks practically brand new, as if it hasn't been sitting here, exposed to the elements, for the last eleven years.

And there's something else. Below her name and dates of birth and death, a silver heart-shaped pendant on a chain is embedded in the stone, encased in gla.s.s. It's about two inches long and features a mother and child etched on the cover, with tiny ruby hearts embedded in each of their chests. The mother is gazing at the babe in her arms, a smile on her face. Below the gla.s.s case, the stone is inscribed, BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER.

For Cooper's sake, I'm glad I found Clarissa's grave, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with this discovery. Why did Maggie lead me here? Is it too much to hope she'll give up her cryptic messages and just tell me what she means?

"So now what?" I run my hand over the smooth, marble surface.

The stargazer smell hovers above the stone. I bet Maggie's perched right here, laughing at me. "You know, you could give me a hint."

The sun beams on the gla.s.s cover, making the tiny ruby shards sparkle.

My upper thigh heats. The Beaumont ruby shard is acting up again. I shove my hand into my pocket to adjust the stone digging into my flesh. An icy charge shoots up my fingers. Yanking my hand away, I peer at my bright red flesh. The gem is so cold it burned me.

Even I can't ignore the fact that something strange is going on here. It can't be a coincidence that the locket's adorned with rubies and the Beaumont ruby is doing its weird temperature thing again. Maggie and my spirit guide must want me to do something. But exactly what, I'm not sure.

I squint at the locket behind the gla.s.s. The only way to see it up close is to break the gla.s.s and liberate it.

But I've done that sort of thing a couple times already this summer. And though stealing the ancestor's mortar and pirate's dagger gave us the clues we needed to break The Creep, it also led to trouble with Claude and could possibly end up with Miss Delia or us in jail. Breaking into Beau's study helped us get the dagger back, but it also revealed that someone-though I'm still not sure who-was at the very least present when Missy died. Each larceny has had its consequences, so I'm hoping these bossy spirits will understand that I'm not exactly anxious to rush into another one.

Still, there must be a reason Maggie has brought me here. She is, after all, the one who led us to the treasure in the first place, igniting this whole summer's events.

Running my fingers over the gla.s.s, I try to gauge its thickness. It doesn't feel too substantial, though there's really no way to tell from looking at just one side. My palm tingles, then itches. An irresistible urge takes over, willing me to find a rock and smash it against the pane until I free the locket encased within. But I've been through this before. That's Maggie's desire. Not mine. Resisting the compulsion, I try to think for myself. It's one thing to decide to do it on my own; it's another for her to force me.

The ruby chips twinkle in the sunlight, drawing my eye. The expression on the mother's face is tender and filled with so much love, it softens my resolve. And then it hits me. This mother's face is why I'm supposed to get this locket. It must have belonged to Clarissa and very likely dangled close to her heart.

I want the locket. I need the locket.

I search for a rock or stick big enough to shatter the gla.s.s. But all I see is the endless green carpet of kudzu and the occasional corner of gravestone poking out from under the brush. Shoving my hands down into the leaves, I root around, fumbling for something that will break the compartment. Finally, my hand lands on something cold and hard. It's a round, smooth stone, like one of the rocks that line some of the older graves. It'll do.

Racing back to Clarissa's grave, I hold the stone over my head, ready to strike. Realizing I'm about to desecrate her grave to some extent, I bite my bottom lip and offer a word of apology. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Beaumont, but I'm pretty sure I need to do this."

The rock crashes against the case and cracks the gla.s.s. I slam it twice more before it shatters. Carefully, I sift through the shards and lift out my quarry. The silver locket is in perfect condition. I pry it open. Inside are two small photos. One of Clarissa, the other of Cooper. Snapping it closed, I flip it over. The back is inscribed.

Your heart and mine Forever entwined Love everlasting Till the end of time My chest swells. The locket is filled with Clarissa's love for her son. A mother's pure love. It couldn't be more specific to Cooper. And just like the Beaumont Curse, which was first cast when Lady Rose gave birth to her only child, this too features a mother and son. I'd say that's pretty curse-specific.

This is the key to combating the Black Cat Bone and breaking the Beaumont Curse.

But now that I've got it, what am I supposed to do with it? My heart pounds as I gaze at the top of Clarissa's headstone to where I imagine Maggie sitting. "I don't know what to do with this. Cooper's not wearing his mojo anymore, so I'm pretty sure I've got to break the curse as soon as possible. But the ancestors' mortar still needs to rest, and my energy's not back."

"You have everything you need." Maggie's voice carries on the breeze.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The refrain repeats, this time more faint. "You have everything you need."

Chapter Twenty-three.

I set aside Miss Delia's spell book and rub my tired eyes at the table in the caretaker's cottage. I've read it cover to cover three times this afternoon. I think I'm ready. At least I hope I am. Picking up my phone, I dial Jack. He answers on the third ring.

"Hey, can you pick me up at Dad's in about an hour? I've got one more thing to do but then I think we'll be ready to try to break this." Not really. I'm actually only half betting we'll be ready but I'm not going to let him in on that.

"Yeah. Just so you know, you owe me big time. It hasn't been easy to keep him here." His voice is clipped.

"It'll be worth it. I promise. We've got to do this thing tonight. I can feel it." At least that's what I think the green and white psychic power beads on my collier have told me.

"You're lucky you've still got feeling. I don't."

Um, I'm not exactly sure what that's supposed to mean, but I'm too busy and overwhelmed to decipher it now. "All right then, see you in an hour. Oh, wait. Before I forget, make sure both you and Cooper have your ruby pieces."

"Sure." He cuts the line.

I glance down at the list I've started on the pad in the middle of the kitchen table. Between the stuff in Dad's workshop, the supplies I brought back from Miss Delia's, and a few plants I can clip from the forest around the cemetery, I should have everything covered.

In the meantime, I've got to take the strongest purifying bath I can whip up and hope the Planetary Sun bath crystals I snagged from Miss Delia's will help restore a little bit of my physical vitality. Otherwise, I'm not sure how I'll get through the night.

An hour later, exactly to the minute, Jack pulls up to the caretaker's cottage in the golf cart. Cooper's in the front pa.s.senger seat, his arms crossed, and a scowl on his face. Though he's ditched the leather jacket, he's still sporting the rest of his new getup, plus one new accessory: his bottom lip is red and swollen. Jack slides out of the cart and walks around to the screened porch. Though he tries to hide it, there's a hitch in his gait. His left eye is purple and swollen.

I suck in a gasp. "What the heck happened?"

"I kept him at the Big House."

I squint at the s.h.i.+ner. "You okay? Did you ice it?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine. It's nothing compared to losing chunks of my skin. Plus I got in a few good swipes of my own. That felt better than any cold pack." He smiles.

I glance at Cooper who's slumped in the seat, looking about as happy to be there as a kid in the princ.i.p.al's office. "Awesome. I guess. You think he'll help load these in the cart?" I point to the pile of tools I've pulled from Dad's workshop.

Jack smirks. "Doubtful. You're lucky he's here at all. All he wants to do is be with Taneea."

"Great. I'm going to need a little more cooperation when we do this."

"Good luck with that."

Together Jack and I load a few shovels, a pruner, and some other supplies. Luckily Dad's been busy running errands for Beau. Otherwise he'd freak if he saw us taking this stuff.

Twenty minutes later, we're at the cemetery. The sun's just starting to set and the sky's the same orange hue as a ripe cantaloupe. Jack jumps out and gets to work on my instruction to bring back a bunch of tall wildflowers I saw growing along one section of the graveyard. Cooper stays slumped in his seat.

I pause on my way past the cart. "Hey, if you don't want to do this, we can just forget it. The curse can take over and steal your soul."

"I'm here, aren't I? Jack didn't have to hold me prisoner in my own house. I could have spent the day with Taneea and met you guys here."

"Look, I know you think we're working against you, but it's for your own good. Whether you like it or not, taking off the Protective s.h.i.+eld mojo made you vulnerable to the curse. And since you keep disappearing and won't take our phone calls, we had to make sure you'd be around when we were ready to try a Break Jinx."

"How do I know you're not just using the curse as an excuse to try and get back with me?"

I roll my eyes. "We've been best friends for eight years. If you can't tell when I'm being honest with you or believe that I'm looking out for your best interests, then maybe we're too late. Maybe your soul is already gone."

He steps out of the cart. "No, it's not. I can't know for sure, but I'm guessing if it was, I wouldn't care about the curse. But I want to break it once and for all. What do you need from me?"

My heart skips a beat. Maybe the old Cooper is still in there.

"Your help. With a bunch of things. I ran into a little...trouble with a spell I tried to work for myself so I don't have the strength I normally do. I need to rely on both you and Jack."

"No problem. That kid's a lot stronger than I gave him credit for. Though it was a lucky shot." He rubs his swollen lip.

I smirk. "From the looks of his black eye, I'm betting you had it coming."

"Yeah, I guess so." His mouth pulls up into a half grin.

It's nice to joke with him again, even if it is over Jack and him brawling. The important thing is that he's on board, at least for now. If all goes well, I'll only need his cooperation for a couple more hours. By then, hopefully, he'll be back to the Cooper Beaumont I know. And maybe if I'm lucky, he'll remember how much he used to care for me.

Cooper and I trudge to meet Jack among the wildflowers. He's already cut long spires of mullein, the long, spindly weed that has soft, furry leaves and little yellow flowers. I gather a bunch of stalks and bind them together into six-foot-long bundles with the ball of twine I snagged from Dad's workshop. Cooper and Jack cut as many plants as they can find, then help me create a stack of twelve knotted bunches that we can use as Magic Candles when we try to break the curse. When we're finished, Jack and Cooper carry the mullein bundles to the deepest part of the cemetery, not far from the banks of the salt marsh.

While Jack runs to get the rest of our supplies, Cooper and I walk through the section that's blanketed with kudzu. I point to the bright white headstone I uncovered earlier in the afternoon. It's the only object sticking out from the bright green carpet of vegetation.

"See that?"

He nods. "Yeah."

"It's your mom's headstone."

"For real?" His voice is breathy as he drops the pruners and runs right for it. He turns to me. "I can hardly remember the day we buried her. Except that it was cold. Rainy. This stone wasn't here then. There was just a bunch of dirt next to her casket." Kneeling in front of the marker, he rubs his hands on the smooth marble surface and then traces his finger on the edge of the now-empty s.p.a.ce that held his mother's locket. His brow creases. "What happened here?"

I bite my bottom lip. "Um, I needed something that was in that compartment for tonight's spell."

He pulls his attention toward me for an explanation but thankfully, Jack walks up with two shovels and distracts him. "What do we do with these?" Jack squints at the gravestone in the dimming light. "Is that...?"

"Yeah. My mom. She's right here." Cooper pats the stone, then rises to his feet. Clearing his throat, he appears to force back the emotions that threaten to overflow and points to the shovels in Jack's hands. "What's next?"

I point to his mother's grave. "You and Cooper need to dig twelve holes in a circle around the headstone and then plant each torch deep enough that it won't fall over, but not so deep that it's shorter than us."

While they dig, I smear the ends of each mullein torch with tallow, rendered beef fat I snagged from Miss Delia's to provide the fuel they'll need to burn, and shake a Break Jinx herb mixture on the sticky surface. When the Magic Candles are in place, Jack and Cooper prune back the kudzu from around Clarissa's grave and the rest of the circle, creating a little clearing.

As they work, I set up a little altar of sorts on top of Clarissa's headstone with fresh fern leaves from the woods outside the caretaker's cottage, a fat white candle, and a small clay bowl that I fill with a vial of holy water from Miss Delia's shelf. After dipping some acacia leaves in the bowl, I sprinkle the altar with the water, then pull out another small bottle filled with althaea root and place it next to the water. These are the secret ingredients that will hopefully make all the difference to making this spell work.

As Jack and Cooper ignite the mullein torches, I light the candle and close my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I utter a silent prayer that Maggie, my intuition, my spirit guide, and research have all pointed me in the right direction. A recurring fear niggles at the back of my mind, reminding me that I don't have the ancestors' mortar, but I tell myself it shouldn't matter. Miss Delia worked almost eighty years' worth of magic without it after it was stolen from her great-gran. Hopefully I can get through tonight without it, too.

"We're ready." Jack's voice fills the muggy night air.

As the lard and Break Jinx sprinkle heat on the torches, the scent of grilled meat peppered with apricots and curry fills the newly cleared s.p.a.ce, making it smell more like an Indian restaurant than a Lowcountry cemetery.

I open my eyes. The tallow is on fire, spewing black smoke toward the midnight-blue sky.

It's nearly time to start. I pull out my hunk of ruby from my pocket. It sparkles in the candlelight. "Do you each have yours?"

They dig out their own stones and show them to me. "You really think these will be useful?" Cooper asks.

"They have to be. When we broke The Creep, I knew the Beaumont Curse was in the ruby."

"Yeah, but you threw it into the fire," Jack says, needlessly reminding me of my biggest mistake ever.

"And it broke into three pieces," Cooper adds.

"But the curse wasn't broken. So logically that means it's still in the ruby."

Cooper looks around the clearing. "But Maggie said we needed ice. I don't see any."

"That's because we don't have any. Yet. It'll be here." I sound a lot more confident than I am. Because truthfully, I'm not sure how we'll fill that important void, but I'm putting my faith in Maggie.

"Okay. So what's different this time?" Jack asks.

"Well, for starters, we don't have the mortar so we don't have to worry about me throwing it into another fire. And then there's this." I step toward my messenger bag and pull out a soft piece of paper towel that's folded into fours. Unwrapping it, I hold Clarissa's locket out for them to see. "It was in that little round compartment in her headstone."

Cooper sucks in a breath. "I remember that!" His pale gray eyes turn misty as he reaches to stroke its face with his finger. "I used to open and close it." With a trembling hand, he pries his thumb between the two halves and clicks it open, then stares at the photos. His face softens. It's the first time in more than two weeks that I've recognized him.

"I think it's the key to breaking the curse. If everything goes like I hope, you can have it back later tonight."

He nods. "I'd like that." His voice has a hint of its old softness, which only makes me more anxious to get this over with.