Garden of Evil, page 5
“Huh,” Piper said with a smile. With a glowing report like that, she might as well go home tonight and give Paige her wedding dress. “Thanks, Tyrell. He does sound like a great guy.”
“Out of curiosity, why did he want to find you guys, anyway?” Tyrell asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Oh . . . well . . .”
He wanted to thank us for vanquishing a demon and saving his life?
“He wanted to ask Paige out, actually,” she said quickly, glad that there was such a perfect excuse readily available.
“Paige and Micah?” Tyrell exclaimed with a grin. “That’s great!”
At that moment, Paige came bounding down the stairs into the club and jumped the last few steps, landing on the floor with a thump. “Oh, it’s great all right!” she exclaimed.
Piper couldn’t help smiling at the sight of her rosy-cheeked sister. The girl looked like a fourteen-year-old who’d just kissed her first middle-school crush. She was even wearing a little plaid miniskirt and a bright sweater, which only served to solidify the image.
“What are you doing here in the middle of the day?” Piper asked as Paige quickly crossed the room. Paige plopped onto the soft bench surrounding Piper’s table, and Piper bounced up from the force of it.
“What, I can’t come see my favorite sister on my lunch break?” Paige asked, wrapping one arm around Piper.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Tyrell said, shaking his head as he turned to go. “Paige, I think it’s great about you and Micah!” he called out before disappearing into the kitchen.
“Me too!” Paige shouted back.
“So . . . tell me all about it,” Piper said, turning toward Paige and resting her elbow on the back of the bench. “I was sorry I missed you this morning.”
“I know. I had to get to work early to review a case,” Paige said. “But Piper, last night was so unbelievably amazing! He took me to this incredible restaurant and we ate the most scrumptious food and then we went and visited one of the orphanages he runs and then we went dancing. . . .”
“Wow. What time did you get home?” Piper asked.
“About an hour before I had to get up for work,” Paige admitted with a laugh. “But it was so worth it. He’s incredible. He’s so caring and funny and polite and, well, I’m not proud to admit it, but he pretty much turns me to mush.”
“That sounds like one heck of a first date,” Piper said, resting her cheek in her hand. “My first dates usually ended with me hovering over a box of tissues wondering where it all went wrong.”
Paige laughed. “Well . . . now you have Leo,” she said, looking wistfully across the room toward the dance floor. “And I have Micah.”
A little red flag suddenly popped up in Piper’s mind. There was something about the far-off look in Paige’s eyes that was just . . . unnatural—almost blank. And the fact that Paige was already comparing her and Micah with Piper and Leo—two people who’d known each other for years and had been married for months—was a bit much.
“Uh . . . you’re not thinking of running off to Vegas or anything, are you?” Piper asked, only half-kidding.
“No!” Paige exclaimed, whacking Piper’s knee as she snapped out of her little trance. “But he is taking me out again tonight. He wants to show me his place.”
Red flag number two. “His place?” Piper asked, sitting up straight. “You guys just met two days ago. Isn’t it a little early for him to be showing you his . . . place?”
“Please, Piper! This is the twenty-first century!” Paige said, laughing again. “And besides, I’m not going to do anything crazy. And Micah’s been a perfect gentleman. He just told me he lives in some amazing mansion up in the hills and I said I’d love to see it and so . . . I’m going to see it.”
“I don’t know, Paige. I mean . . . are you sure you want to put yourself in that position?” Piper asked, squirming a bit at the parental tone of her own voice. “I mean, alone with a guy in his big old mansion, which, by the way, how does he afford? Do you have any idea where his money comes from or—”
“I don’t believe this!” Paige exclaimed suddenly, her face the picture of indignation. “I meet a completely perfect guy and all you and Phoebe can do is try to find the flaws!”
“Paige, I—”
“What’s next? Are you going to accuse him of being evil like Phoebe did?” Paige asked, pushing herself out of the booth.
“No! In fact, from what Tyrell told me, Micah is an amazing person!” Piper said. “I just want you to be careful, that’s all.”
“Great! So now you’re asking questions about Micah behind my back,” Paige said, grabbing her bag off the bench. “I know Phoebe is all wigged out about her vision, but I thought at least you would be happy for me.”
Paige turned and stalked across the room, and Piper slid along the bench and out of the booth. “Paige! Paige, come on! I was only looking out for you!”
“Yeah, well, don’t bother!” Paige said as she tramped up the stairs. She never paused or looked back.
Piper sighed in frustration and raised one hand to her head, which was now pounding even more painfully. She could actually feel a vein throbbing in her forehead. Slowly, she lowered herself down onto the bench again and took a deep breath.
“What is wrong with me?” she asked herself under her breath. “Tyrell loves the guy. Paige loves the guy. So why do I suddenly feel like we can’t trust him?”
It made no sense. Yesterday she’d been perfectly willing to wish Paige and Micah happy dating, and now . . . now she was acting like Phoebe. Going with a gut instinct that had no basis in reality. But there was something about the way Paige had talked about him . . . something about the dazed expression on her face when she’d momentarily spaced out . . . something about it all made the little hairs on the back of Piper’s neck stand on end.
“Get a grip. This is not reality,” Piper told herself, shaking her head. She lifted her glasses and slipped them back onto the bridge of her nose. Then she picked up one of the bills from the table and started to review it. “This is reality . . . unfortunately.”
Phoebe cranked up the volume on the portable stereo in the corner of the basement and tilted her head back and forth a few times, cracking her neck as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. Paige had left a little while ago for her second date with Micah, Piper was working at the club, and Cole was still MIA. What with her distrust of Paige’s new man and the fact that Cole was out there somewhere, possibly in mortal peril, Phoebe had more than enough negative energy to expend. All she could think about was kicking a little butt.
Phoebe was already sweating from the workout she’d given herself and her arm muscles were starting to quiver like jelly, but she hadn’t quite worked out all the confused aggression she had pumping through her veins. The punching bag was in for another good beating.
Micah . . . Cole . . . Paige . . . random demons chasing Cole . . .
Suddenly, the Aplacum and its evil claws flashed through Phoebe’s mind, and she released a low growl of anger as she let a punch fly, landing it in the center of the heavy bag. Once she got started, she just kept punching faster and faster and faster, throwing in a roundhouse kick or two for good measure. She kept seeing the Aplacum lunging at her, advancing on Regina. Kept hearing its deafening growl.
It’s gone. It can’t hurt anyone. It’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone. . . .
Faster and faster and faster Phoebe’s arms flew until she was gasping for breath. Until her legs were going to give out beneath her. Until she collapsed forward into the punching bag, hugging it for dear life.
She knew it wasn’t the Aplacum that was bothering her. It wasn’t even Cole. She knew he could take care of himself. It was that nagging feeling. That feeling that there was some other evil lurking in her vision. That feeling that somehow Micah had something to do with that evil, and the knowledge that her sister was out with the guy right now.
This isn’t over, a little voice in Phoebe’s mind warned. The Aplacum was just the beginning.
“Okay, that’s it,” Phoebe said, wiping the back of her hand across her brow as she steadied herself.
She flicked the stereo off and climbed the basement stairs to the second floor, and then the stairs to the attic, her legs screaming in protest the whole way. By the time she got to The Book of Shadows, she had to pull it down off its podium and sit down on the window seat.
Cracking the book open on the bench next to her, Phoebe leaned her shoulder against the cool glass surface of the window and started to flip through the pages. She had to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. When she finally found the Aplacum, she quickly looked over the page again. No new information had magically appeared. It was still just a scary-looking demon with no motive and a vanquishing spell. Easy as one-two-poof.
Frustrated, Phoebe turned the page to the next demon and almost winced. This drawing was no prettier than the last. It pictured a great hulking creature with a face that looked as if it had been mummified for a thousand years. Deep, fleshy wrinkles, hundreds of sharp vampirelike teeth, and blank black eyes stared back at her. Its hands were stretched out at its sides, and beams of some kind were emanating from its wrists.
“‘Vandalus,’” Phoebe read, running her finger across the word at the top of the page. “Hope we never encounter you.”
She was about to flip the page once again when something caught her eye. The word “Aplacum” right in the center of the description of Vandalus. Phoebe’s heart instantly started to pound. She pulled the book onto her lap and began to read. This could be it. This could be the answer she was looking for.
“Vandalus, one of the most violent, destructive demons of the underworld, fought for centuries against its arch nemesis Aplacum for domination of the dimensions. If one ever killed the other, the vanquishing demon would reign supreme, bringing untold horrors to all humanity.”
Phoebe paused and took a deep breath. “They sound like a lovely couple,” she said.
“Fortunately, the Elders managed to lure Vandulus away from his loyal minions long enough to cast a powerful spell on him, banishing him to Earth in the early nineteenth century.”
“Banishing him to Earth?” Phoebe said, her brow knitting. “Wouldn’t we notice if we had that thing walking around somewhere?”
Confused and intrigued, Phoebe read on, learning more about the war between Aplacum and Vandalus. She was so engrossed that when she turned the page again, what she saw shocked her like a bucket of cold water being dumped over her head.
“Oh, no,” Phoebe said, her heart pounding. “No. This can’t be.”
Chapter
6
Paige sat back in the cushy limousine seat, concentrating hard to keep her face from betraying her excitement. She smoothed down the silky skirt of her red gown and took a deep, soothing breath, looking out the window with an expression of complete serenity. It lasted for about three seconds.
Before she even realized it, Paige was on the edge of her seat again, giving her heart free reign to pound around as much as it wanted. When she’d left the house that night, she’d been concerned that she might not be able to get Phoebe and Piper’s words of caution out of her mind, but she hadn’t thought about her sisters in hours. She was too busy being excited.
The car stopped at a red light, and Paige’s toe began to tap against the carpeted floor. Micah chuckled, and she glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting casually in the corner, his arm draped along the top of the seat, his temple resting on the fingertips of his other hand. He smiled when he saw Paige glance his way.
“How can you be so calm?!” Paige asked, throwing her hands up. “We’re going to a premiere! A real movie premiere . . . in L.A. . . . with stars.”
Paige had been waiting to turn into a pumpkin ever since Micah had ushered her onto his private jet earlier that evening. As soon as he’d sat her down in a leather airplane seat that was bigger and more comfortable than the couch in her childhood living room, he’d told her he’d been given two tickets to the opening of a new action flick in Hollywood . . . and then he’d apologized. Apparently he’d thought that action movies wouldn’t be Paige’s thing.
She’d corrected him as politely as possible. It didn’t matter what the movie was. She was going to be rubbing elbows with real, live celebrities.
“They’re just people,” Micah said with a quick shrug.
“Oh, please,” Paige scoffed, slumping back and crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re only able to be so casual about this because you’ve done it a million times.”
“I suppose,” Micah said, unconvinced.
“Come on. You can’t tell me that you didn’t get a little psyched the first time you were invited to one of these things,” Paige prompted.
Micah cracked a slow grin and leaned in toward her a bit, a lock of his dark brown hair falling over his eye. “Okay. Maybe a little.”
His closeness sent a little shiver of delight down Paige’s spine, and she had to bite her lip to keep from grinning too broadly. How had she gotten so lucky? Not only did she meet the most incredible guy ever, but now he was whisking her away to Hollywood! And all because of a little vision Phoebe had. Paige made a mental note to thank her sister as soon as possible.
The limousine rolled to a stop, and Paige’s heart hit her stomach. She looked out the window and found herself gazing down a long red carpet that was flanked on either side by about a thousand screaming fans. Flashing lightbulbs blinded her, and her pulse was racing so quickly, she was sure she was about to faint.
“You ready?” Micah asked.
“Unnnh,” came the reply.
Micah opened his door and slammed it, knocking Paige out of her stupor. She straightened the straps on her dress and pressed her lips together, then pushed her hair behind her shoulders just before Micah opened her door. Paige stepped one foot out onto the asphalt, shaking like she’d just gotten out of the ocean on a cold night. Micah offered her his hand and she gladly took it. If she didn’t, she would have definitely been kissing red carpet.
“How do you feel?” Micah asked, slipping his arm through hers as she looked around uncertainly.
“Like a poser,” she answered under her breath. “No one here cares about us.”
“These people are going to take one look at you, figure you’re the new starlet in the movie, and beg for your attention,” Micah said, his deep voice close enough to her ear to send yet another thrill down her spine.
She laughed at his delusional claim, but it was enough of an ego boost to get her walking. Paige clung to Micah’s arm as they slowly made their way down the red carpet. At first she had to make herself smile, the effort almost painful. But the closer she got to the open theater doors, the more natural it became. Apparently people did care that they were there. Some of the paparazzi called out Micah’s name, and he paused so they could snap a few pictures of him and Paige. By the time they’d ducked into the opulent theater, Paige was positively glowing. She couldn’t see anything past the flashbulb shadows floating in front of her eyes, but for the first time in her life she knew how it felt to be a movie star.
“See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Micah asked, planting a quick kiss on her forehead.
Paige smiled up at him, her heart fluttering. “It definitely didn’t suck.”
Later that evening, as Micah drove his convertible through the winding streets of San Francisco, Paige was floating on a cloud of happiness. She’d just spent an entire evening chatting with celebrities, eating the most intensely amazing food (aside from Piper’s), and being waited on hand-and-foot by the best-looking guy in the room, male models and A-list actors included.
“I had an incredible time tonight,” Paige breathed, tipping her head back to look up at the full moon that hung low in the night sky.
“It’s not over yet,” Micah said. He reached out his hand to cover hers, and the warmth from his skin seemed to travel over her entire body.
“That’s right,” she said with a smile. “I’m going to get to see your place.”
“Yes, you are,” Micah said, returning his hand to the wheel as he made a particularly sharp turn. “I just hope you like it.”
I’m sure I will, Paige thought. Anyone as completely perfect as Micah had to have one amazing abode. Unless, of course, he turned out to be one of those closet frat boys with empty pizza boxes, beer-can castles, and stacks of dirty magazines all over the place. But somehow, looking at his classic profile and his perfectly gelled hair, she doubted it.
As the car wove its way farther and farther from the center of town and higher and higher into the hills, Paige leaned back and let herself enjoy the moment. It was a perfect warm night, the wind was in her hair, and by the looks of the estates the car was zipping by, Micah lived in one seriously posh neighborhood. She felt more like a movie star now than she had at any other point in the evening.
Micah pulled the car to a stop at the rounded edge of a dead end and put it into park. There wasn’t a single sound except for the idling car engine. Paige looked up at the huge iron gate in front of her and felt her jaw drop just the slightest bit.
“A little paranoid?” she joked.
“I know, it’s kind of gothic,” Micah said with a laugh. “But the gate’s been here as long as the house has. It’s part of its history. I couldn’t tear it down.”
He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a slim key card, and inserted it into a silver box built into the brick wall that ran from either side of the gate. There was a quiet beep and then the iron gates opened with a deafening clang.
“Where, exactly, is the house?” Paige asked, squinting into the darkness as Micah pulled his car through the slowly parting gates.
