Candy Bones Read online

  Sobs threaten to overwhelm me. I turn to the shop door, my keys shake in my hand as they find the lock.

  “You know,” Rickets says appearing next to me. “I almost believed that performance.”

  “For once can’t you go haunt someone else?!” I scream at him. Shoving open the shop door causes the bell to get ripped down. It falls on the floor with a clang. I kick it across the room. Still not satisfied I move to the front window display and shove over the cauldron. Candy scatters around me.

  “I could help with that.” Rickets laughs from the front door.

  I ignore him and go to the back to sob in my apartment. Alone.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I can’t believe I get to go to the gala!” Xavina squeals.

  She dances around in her purple gown sipping her mocha milkshake, which I’ve learned is about two shots of coffee and ten pounds of sugar. The last thing Xavina needs is more sugar in her system. She’s got enough energy to implode a star. I love her. I invited her to the gala because I need her help. She’s been helping Eris in my candy shop all day concoct some potions that should help us tonight if things go sideways. We need Xavina there to do some chanting, safely from a balcony, with Eris when the time comes. I’ve also invited her three aunts who raise her without letting them in on why. I figure they’ll jump in on the chanting once they realize their niece is doing it. Reapers are high society, they aren’t too picky about knowing why I’ve taken an interest in their niece, they’re just hoping I can introduce her to more high society members.

  “If you keep ping ponging all over the shop, you’re going to mess up your hair before you even get to the gala. Not to mention the dress,” Eris chides her.

  “Oh, let her enjoy it,” I say. I only wish I was ever that excited for anything in my life. Eris always says I’m more alive than anyone she’s ever known. Compared to Xavina I’m a cremated corpse. This girl is life. I was completely surprised to learn she’s not a cheerleader. “Help me with my makeup. I don’t know what eyeshadow to choose with this dress.” I say tugging on the fabric that’s cinched around my waste.

  “Oh, stop fussing you look-“ Eris stops flapping her hands at me, “ARE YOU WEARING REAPER BOOTS UNDER YOUR GOWN?”

  I give her a stupid look. “Yes, because we are going into battle not to dance.”

  “Wraith!” Eris pushes her fingers to her temple. “I swear.”

  I shake my entire body at her holding out an eyeshadow palette that I hope matches the sapphire blue gown I have on. “Just help meeeee.” I whine, “I just got dumped don’t you have to be nice to me or something?”

  Eris rolls her eyes. “Fine.”

  She doesn’t say out loud what we all, and Rickets, already know. That breakup was all for Mina’s sake. I could have re-killed that ghost for trying to ruin the ruse, instead I stayed inside for the last three days in fake mourning. Absolutely no direct contact between me and the others. I’ve sent messages through Bran only. Literally, he would swallow the message then regurgitate it when he got to them just so he wasn’t spotted with a slip of paper in his beak or something. Everything is ready for tonight.

  When Oz left me in werewolf form, we all expected Mina to contact him immediately. I’ll give her some credit she waited one entire day to pounce. We had Eris, Tre, Dante, and Eugene all tailing him just in case. In the end it was Eris and Tre who got the full show.

  She showed up in his apartment and without giving me details they told me she propositioned him, along with offering him some wine. He knew better than to drink it, lest he be under her spell for real, but he played his part beautifully. He let her think she had a chance if she let his friends go. I doubt it will work but he added that in because he had to try. When we met up with the nostrae nocte I talked to Oz about freezing. He really was struck with a massive amount of guilt when he saw his friends as monkeys, and when he thought that Mina was conjuring demons just because of him and now more deaths might be his fault. It was him working through all of the trauma he had been through and the guilt that comes with it. For Mina he feels only disgust. I’m liable to believe him since after we decided he and I would have to break up for three days he spend much more time than needed saying goodbye and covering me with compliments about everything from my hair and skin to even my ears and my soul. Anyone who could compliment my ears really must be smitten with me.

  The Nocturnus Gala is even more extravagant than I believed it could be. Lights and tapestries align the stairs to the capital room in silver and white. Twinkling lights illuminate the way into the main room. Inside, lights are shaped as stars and with silver and white over everything. It’s a winter wonderland with a marble floor. There’s a live band playing quietly in the corner. More food than anyone ever needs. Xavina squeals in delight over all of it. I start by mingling. I introduce her to as many high society members as I can, it’s the least I can do for her aunts. Eris separates off and finds Tre, they mingle together. Her goal tonight is to help Tre begin to fit into high society.

  Along with the extravagant décor I believe every police officer and counsel guard are here tonight. Some undercover, but most are patrolling the grounds. Counsel Darkblood informed the counsel of what happened the other night, only he claimed he received an anonymous message from the hellfire cabal taking credit for the demon attacks along with everything else Mina wanted us to know. The counsel alone decided to keep the gala on and see what the cabal wanted after Counsel Hawthorn just happened to find a weapon that kills the demons. She decided that was the best way to have everything cleared in the counsel’s eyes, so that if something happens tonight and we win, it will look like the citizens of Apres LaMort just happen to be better prepared for demons than we realized.

  Oz is here, but hidden, he had to pretend he wasn’t interested in being in the same room as me. He’s still hoping to fool Mina into letting his friends go. I didn’t mention that at least one of them is a known undead, if she does “let them go” it’s entirely possible they will die. Then again, even death is better than what she’s done to those poor non-nuit.

  The gala goes on for hours. Keeping track of Xavina in all the glitz and glamor, along with keeping her away from the champagne flutes served left and right, and finally keeping track of her when she decided to make eyes at one of the ‘super-hot’ bus boys that was clearing tables was interesting. I laugh.

  “You might want to be on your toes tonight reaper.” Rickets pops up against the wall next to me.

  “Son of a buck-tooth vampyr! Rickets! You just scared the life out of me.”

  “And yet here you stand,” he says. “Anyways, I thought I’d warn you that woman is coming any minute now with her small army of demons.”

  “Yeah that was the plan,” I remind him.

  “Would you like to know hers?” He asks with a fiendish look in his eye.

  “Are you serious?!”

  “I’ve had my ghosts keeping an ear out, I know everything,” he grins.

  I have to ask first. “But why? I thought you hated me.”

  “It’s hard seeing someone live in your home. I once saw you and your Grand-Reaper as invaders. You stole my home from me, so I stole souls from you. I’ve been watching you with new eyes since all this demon business has come to pass. I think I could let my animosity go for a reaper who isn’t just the usual soul stealer, but also goes out of her way to save so lives.” He shrugs.

  Chapter Nineteen

  By the time Mina breeches the front door I have a plan in place that I’ve relayed to everyone through the earwigs.

  The counsel and their guard are in the middle of the floor. All of us seen as guests have all been moved to the balconies so they’re directly out of the line of fire. Mina stops short at the sight of the empty room but regains her composure quickly. She’s wearing the same style of dress as the night before but this one is black. She has necromancer markings on her arms, but Eris already has those covered.

  “Ms. Hellfire,” Counsel Dark
blood calls “we would like to invite you to leave.”

  “And miss this party? I don’t think so counsel. It’s so nice of you to welcome me to my new throne with such fanfare,” Mina boasts.

  “That’s not going to happen,” Counsel Gravenstone says.

  “Who are any of you to tell me what to do?” Mina snaps and suddenly she’s surrounded not only by demons and her cloaked cabal all hidden under thick necromancer cloaks, but also a few undead. Their eyes are glazed over. More than a few of them are people I know my grandmother reaped. This is what Rickets warned me about. It’s why she stole the book. When a reaper dies their ledger can stay imbued with a small bit of magic for the first year after they're gone. Mina used that magic to raise the bodies of those my grandmother reaped, but they don’t have souls. Instead of the souls, she stuffed demons in there, demons under her command. Magic like this hasn’t been seen since some of the Incan tribes were wiped from the map. So, if not for Rickets, we would have believed these undead were our townspeople. It would have caused us to hesitate to kill them while the demons inside devoured us.

  “Now.” The signal goes off in my earwig. I pull out my cord from my belt. Xavina stays up here but me, the nostrae nocte, and all of the undercover police repel down from the balconies at once.

  “We are Apres LaMort,” Counsel Hawthorn says. “And we are not for sale.”

  “This could have gone simply, no one hurt. Remember this mistake all of you, this just cost you your lives.” Mina stares down the counsel with her cat eyes.

  “Mina stop!” Oz comes out of one of the hidden side doors.

  “Adam!” Her eyes seem genuinely happy when they land on him. “You’re just in time to see me crowned.”

  “Do you remember what we talked about the other night?” he asks her.

  “Oh silly, there will be plenty of time for pillow talk later, right now we have to finish here. Then we can discuss our reconciliation,” she purrs at him.

  “No Mina, I told you, you had to let them go if you wanted a chance with me.” Oz points to his monkiefied friends.

  “Yeah I asked them, and they like it this way.” She holds one hand up as if she has no power over it. Proving that she never intended to let them go and saying so is just another grift to get what she wants.

  “You’re playing games. You promised no more games ” he tells her.

  “Life’s a game honey, if you’re not playing, you’re losing,” she says cheerfully like her playing with others doesn’t end in war.

  “No Mina, you’re losing. You just don’t know it yet,” I say, walking up to Oz. He takes my hand. “You can’t have my town, or my boyfriend,” I say.

  Anger flashes in her face, “I already have you at the top of the list of those to die, Adam will see things my way once you’re gone.”

  “Maybe, but Oz only has eyes for me.” I turn to him. He nods at me. The words “All set” come through the earwigs.

  “Don’t call him that,” She snaps.

  “Fine, you’ve convinced me. Adam is all yours.” I push Adam towards her.

  This time she is shocked she takes a step back but it’s not far enough. He sprays the aerosol potion Eris and Xavina whipped up. It causes all the markings on her arms to melt off. Her hold on the undead and the demons weakens just enough. The beasts do what is in their nature, they attack.

  A hoard of demons come at all of us. I pull up my scythe. Instead of a dress I’m in my cloak and faster than the others. Eris uses a tornado to push the other cabal members back. They all begin chanting.

  “Xavina!” I yell.

  From the balcony more chants break out. Not just Xavina, but the other necromancers in attendance and her aunts all join in. Working together. We have a bigger coven here than they do a cabal.

  I use my scythe to cut down the undead and the demons. The undead sizzle and burn just like the demons. This confirms Rickets intel.

  As it turns out, the nostrae nocte are making quick work of the demons and the undead. Eris is holding the cabal members all in one area while our witchling and necromancing covens are working together to sap their powers. The cabal was already stretched thin magically, had we not known this and had a defense they would have overtaken us easily. Instead they’re all stuck in a corner.

  I get a glimpse of movement at the front doors. Mina has her three monkeys clearing her path. Oz is following. I try to catch up, but I get caught, surrounded by three undead. Before I can fight them off Mina turns pulling out a dagger. I see it all in slow motion.

  The monkeys turn on Oz, holding him down.

  I slice into an undead behind me and use my left elbow to shove another’s nose into its face, pushing it back.

  Mina raises her dagger.

  I kick off another undead in time to slice into the one with a broken nose.

  Oz is trapped. The dagger slices down.

  My scythe beheads the final undead holding me back.

  Oz explodes. Werewolf Oz turns in time for the dagger to only cut his bicep. Mina falls back onto the marble. Three monkeys are no match for one werewolf; they scream, scattering out the door. Oz stalks after Mina.

  My heart clenches. He has every right to finish this, I tell myself.

  He swipes at her, claws connecting with her thigh. Mina screams.

  I know the difference between a fighter and a killer. Oz is no killer.

  “Oz stop!” both myself and Counsel Hawthorn yell simultaneously.

  The counsel is next to me, her features only slightly lycan. Oz must have heard us, he turns.

  Mina takes advantage. “Looks like I have underestimated you both. I will not make that mistake again,” she says, her voice is thick with an accent I she didn’t have before. With a shaking hand she snaps. She turns into mist leaving her cabal behind.

  Chapter Twenty

  I hang the candy skeleton in the window. Rickets is outside pointing left or right depending on where he thinks I should hang it. He took an interest when I was outside with a paint marker writing on the window “Come inside, meet Rickets, the life-size candy skeleton!” Ever since he’s been not, not helping me. I owe him big for all his help at the gala. An hour after the fight the cabal members were all arrested, though many needed medical attention due to overuse of magic. Aside from Mina of course. Nocturnus medical and police hauled out all the pieces of the undead and with help from Eris and the other necromancers they were going to be returned to their resting places. I didn’t get my Grandmother’s ledger back, but it won’t be of much use to Mina now wherever she is. A manhunt has begun for her. Her face and name will be submitted to the non-nuit and nocturnus authorities as wanted for her crimes. After we gave our statements, they finally release us to dodge the news vans. I looked for Rickets but he had been nowhere in sight. I eventually found him right back here, leaning against Grim Sweets like he does every night. He very well may have saved all of our lives. I think I know just the way to repay him.

  I let go of candy Rickets and dust my hands off.

  “Alright, that’s all I’m doing,” I tell ghost Rickets.

  “But it’s not right! I’m not going to have my name associated with this half-done job!”

  “Well then why don’t you get in here and do it yourself!” I tell him.

  “Sure, rub that in again.” He crosses his arms.

  “No, I mean it. A life-sized haunted candy skeleton will bring in more customers. I think it’s worth a try.” I smile at him.

  “You’re serious.” His eyes light up.

  “Only if you promise to only haunt with explicit permission first. I need your word.”

  “You have it, I promise!” He holds up a hand.

  “Okay then, come in.” I shrug.

  “I can’t,” he says, taking a step towards the closed front door. He leans in waving his arms, they cross the threshold. “How did you do that?” he asks amazed, testing how far he can go.

  “It was the bell over the door silly. As soon as it fell down
you could have come inside, you just didn’t know it.”

  “Of all the dirty reaper tricks.” He looks around amazed.

  “If only you could man the store for me while I’m out. I’m kind of short-handed these days,” I tell him.

  “Talking to yourself?” Oz asks, coming inside.

  “Nah, I was talking to Rickets. He’s earned his keep. I was serious about needing help though, maybe we could throw a sheet on him and call it good?”

  Rickets cackles in the library.

  “I could do it!” Xavina pops in. “I would looove to work around all this candy!”

  I narrow my eyes at her. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes! I would be good too; I could help make candy. New flavors and recipes. Maybe a few upgrades around here.” She looks around the room.

  I raise a brow at her. She does remind me of myself when I first started here with Grandma Anya.

  Xavina holds up her hands, “I could come right after school! No changes needed.”

  “Ask your aunts and if they agree, then you’re hired,” I tell her.

  “Oh yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won’t regret it! I’m going home right now to ask before you change your mind.” Xavina jumps up and down, flying out the door.

  “And as quick as she came, she was gone,” Oz says.

  “Leaving us alone.” I raise my brows at him.

  “I heard that!” Rickets yells. “You’ll have to warn me whenever you two start canoodling around here. I live here too!”

  “Caw!” Bran hollers in agreement.

  “Well, mostly alone,” I say.

  “I’ll take what I can get.” Oz leans down planting a kiss on me.

  “I could get used to this,” I say against his lips.

  “I hope you do. You stuck around after my crazed ex-girlfriend started a demonic cabal and tried to kill you out of jealousy. I know a good thing when I have it.” He brushes my hair behind my ears.

  “Okay but if we are doing this long-term thing, you should know, I really hate my hair being tucked behind my ears.”