Nina shot her another steely glare.
Kat nodded. "Yes. Right. It is probably best I just stop talking." The pocket watch around her neck began to whirl. "It does that sometimes," Kat explained.
"Yes, I'm sure it does," Nina replied, walking back and forth for a moment, then said, "Give me your hand."
"What?" Kat asked, screwing up her face.
"Your hand. Give it to me."
"Why?" Kat whined.
Nina held out her hand. "You'll give me your hand if you want to see Alexandria again."
"What are you going to do with it? My hand, I mean," Kat asked, imagining Nina lifting her palm to her lips, her fangs growing long and sharp, then biting into her flesh.
"What about D'Artagnan? You want to see him again, don't you?"
Kat shook the images of Nina drinking her blood from her thoughts, and grasped Nina's hand. "Of course I want to see him again. Both of them. What do I need to do?"
"You can shut up, for a start."
"Can do," Kat said, then snapped her mouth shut, squirming at the coldness of Nina's hand. D'Artagnan's hand would be warm and caressing, she mused, sighing inwardly.
"For goodness’ sake, will you stop squirming, or would you like me to make you?" Nina hissed.
Kat froze.
The gazebo began to spin, slowly at first, then faster, until it began to shimmer brightly.
The fair-haired man stood up silently behind Nina and Kat, then turned on his heel and ran back toward the forest.
Kat spotted the running man out of the corner of her eye and spun around. "He's getting away."
"Forget him," Nina spat, pulling Kat back around to face the whirling orb. "I'll worry about him later. Right now, Alexandria needs us to help get her back. Now concentrate."
"And D'Artagnan," Kat added firmly.
Chapter 14 – Lavender, Speedwell & Rose.
Kat pushed open the back door of Witchwood just as Mindy and Andrew were walking through the front door.
"I'll just take these groceries," Andrew said, walking toward the kitchen.
"Aunt Mindy?" Kat called. "Is that you? We need you. We have kind of an emergency in here."
"There is always an emergency of some kind, dear Kat, when you are involved. What is it now? Have you broken the heel on your shoe?"
"I'll go upstairs and find a clean sheet," Alexandria said, rushing past Andrew as he walked into the kitchen.
He sidestepped her. "Hey, where's the fire?" he asked, turning to look at her, then did a quick double take as he saw a young man in a long-sleeved laced shirt with trousers tucked into knee-high boots, and carrying a dirty, unconscious girl in his arms. His eyes opened wider when he saw a sword swinging from the man's waist. "Jesus," Andrew said. "And I thought I had an interesting night."
Mindy rushed into the kitchen, and Andrew sidestepped again. "I feel like a revolving door," he said, putting the groceries down on the counter, just as the old phone on the wall rang. He looked at it for a few seconds, wondering when the telephone line had been connected. "When it rains, it pours," he said, picking up the receiver out of the cradle and putting it against his ear. He turned and leaned against the bench, his eyes still on the stranger with the girl in his arms. Not a smart idea, he thought, turning your back on a man wielding a sword. The phone buzzed in his ear. "Hello?"
"Good evening, dear. You must be Andrew. Alexandria has told us so much about you," a woman's singsong voice crackled down the line.
"Um, yes, this is he. Andrew," he replied.
"Well, dear, this is Mrs. Barnaby returning Alexandria's call from earlier today. I was wondering if I might be able to talk to her, if it isn't any bother."
Andrew raised his arm, trying to attract Alexandria's attention as she rushed back into the room with a sheet in one hand and a pillow in the other, and failed.
Mindy grabbed the sheet out of her hand and quickly spread it out on the kitchen table. "Here, put her down," she said to D'Artagnan.
Alexandria lifted the girl's head and slid the pillow carefully under her head.
Mindy examined the girl's wounds through her slashed garments. "Hot water, clean towel and a facecloth," she said, looking up at Kat. "Go," she said. "I also need you to light as many candles as you can find to keep away any negative spirits and bad energy. I'm sure you'll find a box of candles in the pantry."
"Going," Kat said, bounding up the stairs two at a time.
"I'll get the hot water," Alexandria said, fishing around in a cupboard for a large bowl, then filling it up with warm water from the kitchen sink.
"Alexandria," Andrew said, hugging the receiver against his chest.