Page 64 of Secrets of the Forgotten Heir
‘Who’s there?’ came a voice from inside.
‘It’s Beatrix! I need your help – my friend needs your help!’
‘Beatrix who?’
‘Beatrix Stonehaven! I’m not my grandmother,’ I added desperately. ‘And I need your goddamned help!’
When the door opened I wasn’t faced by the scowling face I’d seen on previous occasions; instead his expression was one of pinched concern. ‘What’s happened?’
‘It’s my friend, Maddie. She’s been doing some magic, magic that normally uses the Eternal Flame, but she hasn’t been able to use it recently. She’d been getting really tired and then we came home today and there was pink smoke everywhere and she was unconscious and I can’t wake her up. And… And…’ I didn’t want to say this last bit, but I knew I had to. ‘And her fingernails have started turning black.’
He recoiled. ‘She’s been doing black magic?’
‘I don’t think it was on purpose. I know her and she doesn’t have an evil bone in her body. Please, can you help her?’
As I waited for a reply, Fraser appeared beside me clutching Maddie. Jacobson immediately picked up herhand and examined her nails. ‘This isn’t good. It’ll take some time to fix. Come in, I need to look at her properly.’
Relief washed over me. He’d said it would take time, not that it was impossible. Maddie would be okay; I wouldn’t let myself think any other way.
I wasn’t sure what I’d imagined Jacobson’s place would look like – maybe something damp and mouldy with overgrown plants spilling out of pots. But it was nothing like that. His living area was whitewashed, with books meticulously ordered along the walls. Beside them was a shelf with small glass vials and jars of herbs, tinctures and powders.
‘Please tell me there’s something you can do,’ I begged.
‘We’ll see,’ he said crisply. ‘I need time. Space.’
As Fraser placed Maddie gently down on the table, Jacobson placed his hands on either side of my shoulders. ‘She’ll be alright. Just let me do my thing.’
I knew that’s what I had to do, but it was so hard to see her in this state. I felt that same sense of helplessness I’d experienced when I’d seen my mother and father running towards me, when I’d seen my grandmother wielding her power as she’d tried to steal me from my family. But this couldn’t end badly. It just couldn’t.
‘He’ll do what he can,’ Fraser said softly. He stood beside me as the old man’s hands started hovering aboveMaddie’s torso. ‘And if he can’t, we’ll find another solution. This isn’t the only magical place, remember? We’ll go somewhere else, somewhere with another Eternal Flame. I’ll help you.’
‘Fraser, about the Eternal Flame…’
‘It’s okay,’ he said. ‘That’s not a discussion we need to have right now.’ His eyes flickered towards Jacobson.
I nodded again. At some point, and without being conscious of doing it, I’d folded myself into him and my head was resting against his chest. When I realised what I was doing, I couldn’t bring myself to move away from him. Not until my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I saw the name on the screen and fresh panic flooded me. ‘It’s Yanni,’ I said, my voice trembling. ‘What do I say?’
‘Do you need to answer it?’
Yanni was my employer, my friend and my family. She deserved a response no matter why she was calling. I nodded. ‘Yes. Just … keep an eye on Maddie, won’t you?’
‘Of course,’ he promised solemnly. ‘You can trust me.’
And despite everything, I did.
Chapter Forty-Two
I didn’t want to leave Maddie but Old Jacobson had started chanting. If Yanni heard him, she’d ask what was going on and there was no way I’d be able to think of a believable explanation in my current state of mind.
‘I’ll keep an eye on her. We both will.’ Fraser gestured to Eva, who was sitting behind Jacobson and watching his every move.
‘Okay. I won’t be long.’ I moved into the kitchen. Only when I had closed the door did I answer the call. ‘Yanni?’ I tried to keep my voice as neutral as possible. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Not exactly,’ she said. ‘We’ve had the forensics back on Angelica and Toby’s murders.’
‘Okay.’ It was hard to shift gears from black magic to murder most foul. ‘Was it like we thought? A silver bullet and blood loss from a bear-shifter attack?’
