Cadenbury Town Does Halloween (Cadenbury Town #7)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

W e get the brothers settled into some rooms, with Sly carrying Enoch upstairs and then carry on to ours, Adhan closing the door behind us.

I turn and walk into his arms, wrapping mine around him, my head resting on the perfectness of his shoulder. “So that was an interesting evening.”

Adhan drops a kiss on my head. “Wasn’t it? At least the townsfolk are loving everything.”

I laugh as I pull slightly back. “I think the town would be disappointed if nothing unusual happened.”

Adhan grins. “You might be right. To be honest I’m surprised how well the town is coping with all the craziness that’s happened since you arrived.”

“Are you accusing me of attracting the crazies?” I ask, trying not to laugh.

“Maybe,” he says, dropping a kiss on my head. “Seriously though with the arrival of the true witches and everything that has happened, it reminds me of how amazing this town is.”

I nod. “Plus, you know the fact that more paranormals than humans live here probably helps.”

Adhan laughs. “Probably. But now it’s late or early, I’m not sure which, so we need sleep.”

“Do we though?” I ask him, leaning in and kissing his neck, my hands going to the back of his shirt and pulling it out of his jeans so I can run my hands over his skin.

I move my lips to a sensitive spot he has just behind his ear, and I smile to myself when I hear my lover groan. Somehow my hands have made their way forward and are now undoing his shirt buttons. I move my lips and start kissing his chest. Who needs sleep when I can love on my mate?

I’m now lying in bed, on top of Adhan as our breathing returns to normal. I revved Adhan up so much so, that he ended up picking me up and laying me out on the bed and we made love numerous times.

“I love you,” Adhan says. “Have I ever thanked you for answering that mysterious job advert?”

I laugh and kiss his chest. “You never have to thank me. Thank whatever magic placed the advert.”

After I got fired from my office job, I was searching through the local paper looking for a job, when an advert for a bookshop assistant stood out. I applied for the job and closed the paper and then thought I would get the address and have a look around the place. But when I opened the paper again, the advert had vanished. Only the email in my sent items proved I had actually seen the advert and applied for the job. I found out later from Cam that Alfred hadn’t placed the advert.

Molly thinks that light magic put a call out for us all, so now I’m working on the theory that magic placed the advert.

“I’ve thanked magic, fate, everyone,” he tells me.

“Just as I have,” I say, letting out a yawn.

“Let’s get some sleep, you have magic to perform tomorrow and games to cheat at.”

“Pot meet kettle,” I say with a tired grin. “Night babe, sleep well.”

“And you sweetheart,” and with a gentle kiss on the top of my head we both fall asleep.

The next evening sees us back at the haunted house. We decided that we would walk it just us witches.

“This will be fun,” Temp says grinning madly.

Yeah, he’s so going to do something.

“It will be,” Nix agrees, opening the front door to the haunted house.

We laugh as he jumps and curses as he’s hit by the bungee jumping spiders and the smoke.

“At least you didn’t scream like a teenage girl, Temp did,” Titus says with a laugh.

“I did not, I’ll have you know I let out a manly yelp,” he replies, in a snooty tone, nose in the air.

“No, you didn’t,” I say laughing and the others rib him and Nix.

As we’re laughing, we walk into the first room. I’m the last one in but for some reason, the others aren’t there.

Callum designed this room. It’s a lavish dining room with people sitting down at the table. It all looks normal until you realise those people are headless, their heads are on spinning plates in front of them. That, however, isn’t the weirdest part, those heads are singing children’s nursery rhymes, and standing by the table conducting them is a mannequin wearing one of those scary plague masks and a long cloak. This room is seriously creepy. Callum has such a weird imagination.

“Hey guys,” I call out. Did they all ignore this room and go straight to the next one? I should have still seen them leave though. “Guys,” I call again.

I thought I heard a faint call of my name. I try again. “Guys.”

“Ernest, help me.”

I hear the faint call again. “Keep talking so I can find you,” I say.

I start looking around and send my magic out to help. It stops by the mannequin. I rush over and gently pull the plague mask up and gasp when I see Nix. “Nix, I’m here,” I tell him. “Guys help,” I shout.

“Ernest,” Nix whispers.

I watch in horror as his eyes start sinking into his eye sockets and his skin turns grey and starts shrivelling.

He starts to fall and I catch him, gently lowering him to the floor, keeping an arm around him.

“Hold on Nix,” I say, putting my hand on his chest and pushing my magic into him.

Nothing happens, so I send more. “Stay with me Nix,” I urge.

“Ernest,” Nix whispers. “Look after Nora and Cam.”

His head falls to the side.

“Nix,” I shout. But it’s too late. Nix is dead, his body looks like all the moisture was sucked out of him.

I feel a tear slip down my cheek. I lay Nix down, but keep my hand on his chest, hoping my magic will work.

Babe, can you come to the Haunted House and bring Cam? Something bad has happened.

I don’t get a reply, so I go to pull my phone out of my pocket, but it’s not there. I look around to see if I dropped it, but it’s not anywhere on the floor.

I don’t want to leave Nix, but I need to find the others and get help. Maybe if we all work together we can bring Nix back from the dead. That’s what I’m hoping anyway.

“I’ll be back Nix,” I tell him standing up. I wipe my face and hurry out of the room into the hall. “Guys, I need you,” I call. Again, I hear nothing. I shake my head and send my magic out looking for them.

I walk to the front door and try to open it, but it’s stuck. I push some magic into it, but nothing happens. I rest my head on the wooden door, overcome with emotions. This was supposed to be a fun evening, not this.

I take a breath and straighten. I need to find the others. I turn around and walk further into the house and the next room. The dancing clothes room and stare in horror. Temp is hanging from the ceiling, clothes wrapped around his neck.

I run over to Temp’s body and manage to undo the cloth and lower him. I drop to the floor, Temp resting in my arms as I hold him close.

“This isn’t real,” I say out loud. “It’s just another dark witch illusion or whatever, but it’s not real. Maybe I’m still asleep. Yes, that’s what it is. I’m asleep and this is a bad dream that I’ll wake up from and when I do, I’ll see both you and Nix, both still alive and happy.” I’m rambling, but I don’t care. “I need to get you next to Nix,” I tell him. I want them both in the same room together.

I move around and lay Temp on the ground. I try and pick Temp up, but he’s heavy and my magic isn’t helping.

“Sorry Temp,” I say as I lift him up under the arms and drag him into the dining room and lay him next to Nix.

I flop down next to them. “I know I should look for the others, but I’m not sure I have it in me to see how they killed everyone else.” I sit there for a moment, sadness filling me. “This isn’t real, this isn’t real,” I mutter to myself over and over again. I take a breath. “I’m a true witch dammit. I know this isn’t real,” I say out loud and stand up. “I will get out of this. I don’t know how at the moment, but I will get out.”

I pull on all my magic and blast it out. For the first time, nothing happens. It is as if I didn’t do anything. I look down at Temp and Nix, wondering what to do when I hear running footsteps and Sly dashes into the room.

“Ernest, thank goodness. Take my hand and I’ll get you out of here.”

“It is a dream, right?” I ask him. Please, please, tell me it’s a dream . I think to myself.

He nods. “It is. Take my hand and I’ll wake you up.”

I take his hand, hoping this is our Sly and he can actually pull me out of this nightmare.