Dae's Christmas Past Read online

  There were no more scratching noises in the bush. No doubt the cat had run away, laughing at the stupid human who was getting caught in the branches. I turned to go back on the verandah and a dark shape rose up before me.

  “I’m sorry, Dae.”

  It was Jake. I couldn’t see his face but I knew his voice. I started to accept his apology for what had happened at my house earlier. Maybe we’d even have time to talk before Kevin came out.

  But before I could speak, he thrust one of the stone horse statues into my hand. There was an instant when I was cognizant of the statue’s weight and the coldness of the stone. I didn’t have time to think how he’d betrayed my trust. Images of the statue’s terrible past overwhelmed me, and I sank to the damp ground, unconscious.

  Chapter Four

  The hot night was made hotter and brighter by a hundred torches. The smell of the tar they had been dipped in hung over the area like the heavy smoke from the large bonfire. Dozens of men were dressed in animal skins. They chanted loudly, monotonously. The large figure of a horse, at least twenty feet tall, presided over the event. Dozens of living horses raised a protest with snorting and stamping feet.

  Something was coming out of the fire. The men held the stone horse statues in the air, cheering when they saw the beasts rising from the flames. Their enemies would soon be vanquished.

  One man stood to the side, alone. He was covered in blood, and held a large animal bone in one hand. He stared through the flames and the smoke, his eyes narrowing. He reached out, trying to grab what he saw—

  I woke up, back inside the Blue Whale. The windows were dark and a fire burned in the hearth. In the quiet, I could hear the logs crackling and shifting as they burned.

  Something is coming out of the fire.

  I jumped from the chaise in the lobby area. My hands were shaking and cold. Even though I hadn’t seen what was coming from the fire, my insides were knotted in fear. I knew what it was. It had no name. But I could feel its wrath and devouring hunger.

  “Dae!” Kevin put down a tray of tea he’d brought into the room. “Sit down. You look terrible. How do you feel?”

  “Thanks.” My voice trembled, and I fell back against the chaise. “That’s what a girl always wants to hear from her new fiancé.”

  “Are you hurt? Did you hit your head?” He stared deeply into my eyes. “The cowboy said you’d passed out after he handed you one of his stupid horses. I wanted to hit him in the head with it.”

  “No more than I deserved.” Jake walked out of the shadows, his hands in the pockets of his dirty, wrinkled jeans. “I’m so sorry, Dae. I didn’t understand. Are you all right?”

  I didn’t know how to answer. I couldn’t find the words to express how hurtful his actions had been. Handing me a piece of ancient history with no preparation, no safeguards, was as though he’d thrust me into that fire. I couldn’t believe he’d do something like that. He was my friend.

  “I think you should leave.” Kevin’s voice had a dangerous edge to it. “You’ve seen that she’s alive. That’s all you’re going to get.”

  “Wait.” Jake took another step toward me. “I need to know. What did you see? What was the statue’s history?”

  “That’s it.” Kevin grabbed him and twisted one of his arms behind his back as he shoved him toward the door. “Get out of here before I kick your—”

  “I just want to know the truth.” Jake was pleading with him. “Please, Kevin. I didn’t mean to hurt her. Dae!”

  I didn’t raise a finger to help him as Kevin threw him out of the inn and closed the door behind him.

  “Sorry. I told him he could stay until you woke up. He’s your friend, after all.”

  “That’s okay.” I smiled at him despite the pain in my head and the terrible sense of what had happened at the excavation site in nearby Corolla so many centuries ago. “I don’t know what he was thinking. He’s obsessed with finding out about the horse cult so he can shut down the dig. I understand. I really do. Just that—”

  He handed me a cup of hot tea. “I know. If it’s any consolation, he at least brought you inside. I don’t think he realized what he was doing, but I’m not making excuses for him either.”

  I sipped the strong Earl Grey, not in a forgiving mood. “It’s no consolation at all. He’s supposed to be my friend. Why would he force me to do something I’d told him I couldn’t do?”

  “He doesn’t know any better.” He put his arm around me and held me close. “Can you talk about it?”

  Kevin knew how to handle these events. He’d worked with a psychic partner in the FBI for ten years. No doubt he’d seen and heard much worse than anything I could ever tell him. He didn’t like to discuss it, but his knowledge and experience was a great comfort as I discovered more about my gift.

  “The horses—I saw everything.” I shuddered, my hands still freezing despite being wrapped around a hot cup of tea. “There were horses, real ones, and the big statue I saw out at Jake’s place. The whole thing was at least twenty feet tall. The men were dressed in animal skins. They were chanting and calling something from the fire.”

  He frowned. “From the fire?”

  “They were like horses, but not horses. I think they were demons. They were red and black with yellow eyes. The men were calling on them to murder people in another village. I could feel how much the demons loved it. They couldn’t wait to get to the kill. The men thought they were using the demons. It was the other way around.”

  “This sounds like a long time before the Spanish or English got here. Did they come in boats?”

  “No.” The image was clear in my mind. “There was still a narrow strip of land connecting the Outer Banks to the mainland.”

  Kevin whistled softly. “So we’re talking a thousand years ago?”

  “Yes. There was blood everywhere. I couldn’t tell if it was real or part of the vision. And there was a man. I-I think he saw me. He reached out and then I was gone.” I shuddered, thinking about it again. It would be a while before I forgot that vision.

  Someone knocked at the front door. My real life came rushing back to me. How long had I been out? We needed to go on to the next party.

  Gramps and Mary Catherine were at the door.

  “Are you okay, honey?” Gramps hurried into the room to sit beside me.

  “I’m fine.” I tried to smile and hoped he’d believe it. He knew almost as much as Kevin in how to deal with the problem after living with two women who had similar gifts for so many years.

  He hugged me. “What was Jake thinking doing something like that? I knew something was wrong with him when I saw him earlier. He’s losing it. You can’t see him anymore, Dae.”

  It was so reminiscent of my childhood that I laughed. “You know I’m too old for you to decide who I can and can’t see, right?”

  “You’re not that old. You’ll never be that old.” He kissed my forehead. “What a night. What does a man have to do to get a drink around here?”

  “Come into my bar,” Kevin joked. “I think I can help with that. I could use one too. Mary Catherine?”

  “No thanks,” she said.

  “What about the next party?” I asked. “We’re going to be late.”

  Gramps patted my hand as he got up to follow Kevin. “I’m sorry, honey. You missed it all. I told everyone you had too much to drink and passed out. They understood.”

  “What?”

  He laughed. “I just told them you weren’t feeling well. Everyone knows you’ve been through a lot the last few weeks. They understood. You just get some rest and then we’ll go home.”

  When they were in the old bar, Mary Catherine sat close to me. “What happened, Dae?”

  I told her everything I’d seen and understood from the vision.

  “No wonder the animals are so upset.” She shook her head. “Excavating this site is going to bring out these demon horses. Now I understand.”

  “I don’t know.” I searched my memory. “I think so.
It seems impossible. At some point, everything was destroyed or buried to prevent it from happening again. I can only guess that the energy surrounding the site is still enough to bring them back.”

  “That doesn’t sound good. What can we do to stop it?”

  I thought about the man who’d reached out to me. He was involved in what had happened all those centuries ago, but I wasn’t sure how. “I think there’s a ritual of some kind that has to be performed. It’s not enough just to dig them up again. We might be safe as long as no one performs the ritual. If they do—”

  “Put it behind you,” Mary Catherine said. “It won’t help to dwell on it. You know the truth now. We just have to figure out what to do.”

  “We have to stop the excavation.” That part was very clear to me. “I don’t know how we’ll do it. If it was happening in Duck, we could just change the zoning or rescind their permit. With it being in Corolla, I’m not sure.”

  “I don’t think you should worry about it tonight,” she said. “You need to clear your mind.”

  I took a deep breath. “I guess the animals didn’t understand what was wrong, but they knew it was something bad.”

  “Are you channeling animals now?” Kevin asked as he and Gramps returned to the lobby.

  “No. That’s my thing.” Mary Catherine smiled. “I talk to animals. That’s why I’m here. All the wild horses are concerned. I’m sure it’s a race memory. They’ve carried the terrible secret of the horse cult, fearful that it could happen again.”

  Kevin sat down. “That’s right. You’re the pet psychic.”

  “Yes. But I find that wild animals are just as chatty. Am I stretching your comfort zone?”

  “No. The government has been working on developing talent in all the various psychic abilities for the last fifty years. They might have agents now who can talk to animals.”

  “That sounds exciting.” Mary Catherine considered the idea. “I’ll bet it pays better too.”

  “Probably,” he agreed. “But you might not like the work as well.”

  Gramps finished his whiskey and thanked Kevin for helping me. “I think we should go home now. Let’s get away from what happened and start fresh tomorrow.”

  Kevin hugged me as I got to my feet. “You don’t have to go,” he whispered in my ear. “You could stay here with me tonight.”

  Part of me wanted to stay with him, but the biggest part wanted to sleep in my own bed with familiar things around me. “Thanks, but I can’t. Not tonight anyway.”

  “That’s okay.” He kissed me. “I’ll see you tomorrow on your first official day as mayor.”

  “Not to mention the future Mrs. Kevin Brickman.” Gramps grinned. “I’ll wait for you outside.” Mary Catherine took his arm, and they went out to the golf cart.

  “I won’t officially be mayor until the swearing in ceremony on Thursday before the council meeting.” I kissed Kevin. “You haven’t seen my special mayor’s coat that was handmade in Duck.”

  “I have,” he corrected. “You were wearing it the first time I saw you at the Fourth of July parade. I’ve been trying to forget it ever since.”

  “Yeah. Me too. You don’t know how tempted I’ve been to accidentally lose it and have to find something else to wear for formal occasions.”

  “It doesn’t matter about the coat. It’s what’s inside that counts. I think I fell in love with you when I saw you that day.” He kissed the ring on my finger. “I’m so glad you said yes tonight.”

  “Because you would’ve felt like an idiot on your knees if I would’ve said no in front of the whole town?”

  “That would’ve been bad,” he said. “I should’ve thought about that before I did it. But I could’ve lived with it. I hope never to live without you in my life again.”

  “Me too.” I kissed him again as Gramps was honking the small, annoying horn on the golf cart. “I better go before someone shoots him.”

  I went outside, looking away from the bushes where Jake had confronted me with the horse statue. I still felt the terror and evil from the vision. Evil wasn’t a word I used often, but it was apt in this situation. I had no idea how to stop the state archeologists from continuing work on the project.

  I knew I could count on Jake for help, but Tom and Dr. Sheffield wouldn’t be as easily moved. I had no legal sway in Corolla and it was doubtful the town council would back me since everyone saw this as a goldmine for the community.

  Jake had been so overwhelmed by the need to know what was buried behind his barn. I understood it was that passion that had led him to force me to hold one of the statues.

  That didn’t mean I could forgive him—at least not for a while. It was going to be hard to talk to him and see him right away. But I was going to have to grit my teeth and work with him before something came out of the ground and we couldn’t put it back.

  Chapter Five

  The drive home in the golf cart was cold, but what I needed to snap myself out of what was left from touching the stone horse.

  I stared out at the Currituck Sound as we passed the boardwalk. Mary Catherine and Gramps were chatting in the front seat. I was glad that the two of them seemed to have such a wonderful rapport. If I was going to leave my family’s old house and move in with Kevin someday as his wife, it would be good to know that Gramps had someone too.

  I realized that it might not be Mary Catherine. She hadn’t said anything about staying in Duck beyond this crisis. She would probably go back to her life in Wilmington. There were no good-sized radio stations that could hire her to do her pet psychic radio show here. I was pretty sure Gramps would never leave his family home.

  It was a quick trip since the roads were empty between the Blue Whale and our house. The air was sharp and crisp. It was nice to get inside where it was warm and cozy. I excused myself to give Mary Catherine and Gramps some privacy. The house wasn’t very big. I knew what it was like to be there with someone you wanted to speak with alone.

  “Goodnight, honey,” Gramps said. “Get a good night’s sleep. I’m sure things will look better in the morning.”

  “Goodnight, Dae,” Mary Catherine called. “Your grandfather has promised me blueberry pancakes in the morning. We’ll see if he can fulfill that vow.”

  I looked at the two of them standing close together, gazing into each other’s eyes.

  I could imagine having her in our lives. Gramps had been alone too long. “I could go for some blueberry pancakes too. Don’t let him wiggle out of that promise!”

  I went up to my room, thinking about what this house had been like when I was a child. My grandmother had died before I was born. My mother and I lived here with Gramps. He was the sheriff when I was young. He had been strict with me—probably with good reason since I liked to goof around a lot.

  I had never known my father—at least not until the last few years. Gramps and my mother had decided it was better to tell me that he was dead instead of telling me that he was a criminal. He’d come back to Duck long enough for me to get to know him before he left again. He’d been in and out of jail most of his life. He hadn’t changed, still looking for that big score that was going to make his life perfect. Instead it had almost killed him, and he’d had to run away.

  I was sorry for him that he’d had to miss spending time with my mother and me. He hadn’t even known she was dead until I told him. He’d claimed to love her, but that didn’t seem like love to me. Gramps was hard on him too, I’d found out later. He thought my father wasn’t good enough for his daughter.

  It was complicated, I guess.

  My mother had died while I was in college. She’d left me feeling guilty about the last time we’d seen each other. We’d argued about something stupid before she’d gone home to Duck that day. She’d lost control of her car and it had gone off the bridge from the mainland. Her body had never been recovered. I still had dreams about her sitting in the car beneath the water.

  No one ever knows if they will have a chance to make it right
with someone they care for.

  I’d seen ghosts, and even helped a family pirate ancestor prove he wasn’t guilty of the crime he’d been hanged for. But not my mother’s ghost. The one spirit I really wanted to summon seemed to be content where she was. Sometimes I blamed that on the family ‘gift’ skipping a generation. Grandma Eleanore had the gift of sight, but not my mother. Instead, it had come to me.

  These weren’t the best thoughts to think as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. I was supposed to focus on good things to get away from what I’d seen in the vision. That wasn’t working. I stroked Treasure’s soft fur. He always slept with me. But knowing he was there didn’t make me feel any better. There was still that pent-up emotion and fear lingering inside me. I couldn’t sleep.

  I put on my robe and slippers and walked up the narrow stairs that led to the roof and the widow’s walk. I’d spent hours here as a child, trying to figure things out and enjoying the view. The ornate wrought-iron rail was frosty as I put my hand on it.

  From here I could see the beams from the working lighthouses across the Outer Banks. Their large, bright lights swept across the water as a reminder to sailors that the shoals around the islands were dangerous. Called the Graveyard of the Atlantic for more than four hundred years, the waters still took their toll. Most of the larger vessels had electronic devices now that kept them safe, but smaller vessels still sometimes ended up beneath the surface of the deadly water.

  Treasure came soundlessly up the stairs after me. He looked up and meowed, and I lifted him in my arms. We stared out at the Currituck Sound, smooth and clear, and the edge of the Atlantic. The rooftops around us covered the sleeping houses in Duck and farther along the coast.

  Women had once watched for their loved one’s return from these high walks. Day after day, a wife, sister, or mother would wait for the tall masts that would signal the safe and successful voyage of a ship.

  Sometimes their husbands, brothers, sons, and fathers would be gone for months, even years, as they traded goods with other states and countries. Many times they never returned, which was how the high rooftop got its name. I’d read countless ghost stories of widow’s walks when I was a child. Some female ghost was still looking for her missing lover.