Ten minutes later, we arrive at our destination. Where it is I still have no idea, but it is beautiful. Trees, with cherry blossoms surround us, and give off a wonderful scent. We drive through an orchard and pass some ash trees, and then all hell breaks loose in the boot. Screaming and banging, you’d swear my grandmother’s impersonator was being tortured.
“What the hell is going on?” I demand in shock. “Ash trees.” At my question mark of an expression he elaborates further. “She’s a demon, and their weakness is ash trees. Not sure why, but they can’t travel through them, so this is the most secure place to keep her,” Victor finishes with a shrug.
I glance wearily at my boot, wondering if the demon woman is going to break out of it.
During the start of the commotion, Jasmine had crawled off the back seat and onto the floor of the car, keeping as far as possible from the boot. If I had been driving, we would have landed in a hedge the moment the ruckus had started.
With a wary eye on the boot, both Jasmine and I sit stiffly for the rest of the short journey down the lane and toward a garage. Victor reverses into it, so the boot of my car is at the back. Finally, Victor turns off the engine. I fling open my door and scramble out of the car as if it has turned into some bizarre terrifying creature that is about to attack me. Jasmine, I notice squeezes through the gap between the front seats and follows me out of the car.
“We won’t be staying long,” Victor gently reassures us as we move further away.
“Thank God,” I mutter in relief, as I give the boot another wary look as the ruckus increases.
****
I have just taken a look around and am surprised at how large it actually is. It’s a double garage with a huge workbench at the back, with a bright red toolbox sitting neatly on the right hand side of the bench, and an old red toolbox on the left hand side. What surprises me the most is the height of the ceiling. It’s at least 14 feet high, and so are the doors. Why hadn’t I spotted that earlier?
Suddenly, a very large man appears beside Victor between one breath and the next, making me jump. Seriously, he is huge, at least seven feet tall and built like a brick shit house, with hands like sledgehammers. I would not want to mess with him!
A voice like gravel erupts from him in a language I don’t understand, until my brain realizes he’s speaking English, but with his words together. What he said was, “What did you bring them here for?” but what I heard was “Whatdidyoubringthemherefor?” And with a low gravel rumble, I thank my lucky stars I managed to decipher his words at all.
“They’re friends, Little Michael. They’re okay; it’s the demon in the boot that’s the problem. Is your father here to give us a hand?” Victor smiles as if to sooth a frightened child and let him know all is all right in the world, as the demon in the trunk screams bloody murder and hammers on my boot.
I give him a weary look at hearing his name. Is this some kind of joke?
“He’scomingnow,” rumbles Little Michael.
I’d just managed to break up the words, “He’s coming now,” when it feels like a mini earthquake is shaking gently under our feet.
“It’s okay, ladies. It’s just Big Michael, Little Michael’s dad coming,” soothes Victor with a reassuring smile.
Jasmine and I take a superstitious step backwards toward the back of the garage, and at the same time a step closer to each other, just as Big Michael enters.
At thirteen feet, Big Michael is humongous. His body is half his height, but packed with bulging muscles, and his arms look like tree trunks. He swings his round bald head around to take in the situation. As his eyes land on Jasmine, he acknowledges her with a polite “Shifter.” When his round silver eyes land on me, he pauses, his big eyes grow larger, and the silver of them grows much brighter, until they look like quicksilver swirling in his eye sockets.
“We’ve waited a long time for you, Double Magick Woman,” Big Michael rumbles at me with a slight smile. “Have you read the prophecy yet?” Big Michael enquires curiously.
“Um, no, we don’t know where it is,” I reply, wondering how he knows I have two different kinds of magick in me.
“The old ones took it somewhere safe. I’m not sure where though, but you do need to read it.” Big Michael nods before turning toward Victor who is gaping at me in surprise.
“Close your mouth, Victor. You’re not trying to catch flies,” Big Michael rumbles with a gentle laugh, before turning toward my car boot and the demon inside who at last has gone silent.
****
I watch as Big Michael and Little Michael move swiftly toward the rear of my car. As Big Michael towers over Little Michael, I realize Little Michael is a teenager. Flipping hell, where was the mother? And how big is she?
Looking at Little Michael, I can’t help wincing a little at the idea of giving birth to such a large child. I soon stop wondering as Little Michael releases my boot, swinging it open, and all hell breaks out as the demon erupts from it.
Big Michael grabs hold of a leg and drags the screaming demon back toward him, with an impatient growl, and one of his sledgehammer fists knocks her on the top of the head.
“Be quiet, demon, you’ll wake the baby, and my misses will be pissed.” At these seemingly innocent words, a shudder rolls through the demon and she slumps to the ground, her ankle grasped firmly in the paw of Big Michael’s fist, as he hoists her up off the ground and wraps his arm around her waist. With a nod to me, he exits the garage, hostage firmly secured in his crushing embrace.
Little Michael pauses in front of me and with a shy smile gives me a similar nod and glides after his father and hostage. Victor turns to look at me, about to say something, but shakes his head, before closing the car boot, and silently indicating we should get in.
I open the back door for Jasmine who hops in and sprawls across the back seat. Closing the door behind her, I open the front passenger door, climb in, and buckle up.
Silently we drive off, back through the wooded drive and head back the way we’d come, until we come to the turning to Innishannon where we bypass it and instead go straight. I gather this is so we won’t run into George again, which is fair enough. I’m exhausted and Jasmine is already fast asleep.
I glance toward Victor and am surprised at how tired he looks. With a guilty start, I remember he had been awake the whole night driving.
“Victor, do you want me to drive for a while?” Turning to look at him, I patiently wait for his answer.
With a startled look, Victor gives me a grateful smile.
“If you would, I would appreciate it. I’m exhausted,” Victor admits.
****
We pull over and swap seats. Once we’re both belted up, I indicate I’m pulling out and drive off. I keep to the back roads the whole way home, and finally we pass through Courtmacsherry. A couple of minutes later I drive into Paradise Falls. I head for my house even though I want to go straight to my grandmother’s. Once home I wake up Jasmine and then Victor.
“Where am I?” Victor enquires groggily.
“You’re at my house. Come in and sleep,” I reply before getting out and opening the door for Jasmine. With an enormous stretch, she leaps from my car, gives me a happy tail wag, and trots off in the direction of my grandmother’s.
“Where’s she going?”
“To my grandmother’s to make sure she’s okay.” Locking up my car, I head up the steps to my house with Victor walking beside me.
Unlocking my door, I brush my hand along the wall as I enter my new home in greeting to the house. A feeling of warmth surrounds me and Victor as well, from his gasp of surprise.
“Welcome to my home, the old Winters’ house.” I wave a hand about to indicate my home, turning to Victor with a smile.
“Do you want anything to eat or drink, before going to sleep?” I mumble suddenly feeling shy.
“No. I’m fine thanks, just exhausted.” Victor smiles at me in a reassuring way, as if to sooth my nerves.
I lead him upstairs to the spare bedroom (my office has a small bed). With a look at Victor, I admit to myself I don’t want for him to sleep down the hall from me. I’d rather he sleep with me.
I want the fantasies I’ve been having about him to come true, but I’m unsure of myself, and we’re both exhausted. But…taking a fortifying breath, I turn to Victor. “This is the spare room. You can sleep here, or you can sleep in my room.” On this bold statement, I walk out of the spare room and into my own bedroom.
As I open my bedroom door, Victor suddenly grasps me by the hips and pulls me hard against his lean body. His manhood pulses through his jeans straining to reach me.
“I want to stay with you, Candi, but if I do, we won’t get much sleeping done, that I promise you.” His rich dark velvet voice lowers to a pulsing growl, making every nerve in my body scream in anticipation.