The Crimson Key (20 page)

“What was your job with her?” I asked him.

“I just had to make sure the house was clean and attended to. At times I would have to help her stay inside so that no one would come around the house and bother her. But I never had anything to do with hurting anyone, ever!” I believed him. I don’t know why, but I did.

“She wanted to take another body soon after her husband died. She was ready to take a girl named Kayla
, but she disappeared. They never found her body.” I froze at Kayla’s name. I would never tell him that I knew where she was in spirit. I may have let her secret go between the two of them, but I would never tell him I knew her ghost.

“What do you mean she wanted to take this girl?”

“She wanted to switch bodies, just like before. She was planning on leaving. The thing is her body now is aging fast. She has been in it for years. The preserving spells aren’t lasting anymore.”

So that’s why the old fashioned photo of her resembled her today. She was stopping her aging.

“So she’s getting old and she doesn’t want to?” I guessed.

“Yeah
, she’s very vain, and always has been. She was the prettier of the sisters and she loved that. But now that Lynley is sick … well, it’s her opportunity to take her,” he whispered. “You can’t go in there or you will get killed, Brylee. Just let her do what she needs to do.”

My head spun so fast I fell on to the grass. The dew hit my legs and woke me from my trance. She was planning on taking Lynley’s body like she had taken Carole’s. I felt bile rise in my throat and I struggled to swallow it down.

“Are you going to throw up?” John asked, backing away from me.

“Yes
, I feel sick. Sorry that my feelings about my best friend dying is making me so ill that I’m grossing you out. You’re really something, you know that, John? A real piece of work,” I spat. “I hope I throw up all over you.” He backed away from me as I rose from the ground. What a wimp, afraid of puke.

“I have to stop her. She can’t take Lynley
, I won’t let her.”

“You have no idea how strong she still is. You will end up being the victim if you get in her way. She will stop at nothing to take what she wants
,” he warned. I didn’t give a crap what this psycho wanted. She was not going to take my friend or Ephraim away from me. I would die before I let her take them away.

“I have to go. John
, stay out here, I wouldn’t want you getting hurt,” I teased. He frowned and took off into the woods. I hated him even more for running away.

Halfway up the tree I dropped my lantern. I didn’t need it anyway. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness and I would be able to see inside the house. I reached my window and peered inside. My room was empty and the door was closed. I hoped I could sneak in undetected. Pushing the window up, I thanked myself for always keeping it unlocked. Once inside I listened to my own heartbeat; it thumped so loud I could swear I felt it in my head. I didn’t hear any other noises until I opened my door. I heard talking, coming from the other end of the house. I stepped softly on the floor and prayed it wouldn’t creak under my feet. Reaching the bathroom door, I opened it, knowing it would make a noise like always. So instead of opening it all the way, I only allowed enough space to squeeze through. The bathroom glowed from a lit candle sitting on the sink. As I looked ahead I saw more candles lighting the other end of the house. I waited a moment to let myself think of a plan. Up until now I was just winging it. Now I was screwed because I really was going up against the devil and she didn’t like to play fair, or nice for that matter.

The curtain to the bathtub moved slightly and I put a hand on my mouth to stifle a scream. As it slowly started to open
, I backed up to the door and blew out the candle. It was now pitch black and the curtain was all the way open. My heart started thumping again. Water dripped from the shower head. I held my breath, waiting and hoping it wasn’t Evangeline in here with me. A foot stepped out of the tub, then the other. The candle relit itself and Kayla stood before me. She smiled at me like it was a funny joke to scare the crap out of your friend.

“What the hell
, Kayla!” I whisper yelled. She laughed quietly. I smacked her arm and she giggled even harder.

“Like that hurt. Come on
, Brylee, you can’t hurt someone that’s already dead, you dork.” I folded my arms in defeat. She had a point.

“What are you doing in there anyway?”

“Hiding, dude. That chick is creepy. I didn’t want her to know I was here, so I hid. Now that you’re here, I want to help you,” she announced. “I have been listening in this whole time.”
She had been doing what I asked her to a while ago; to spy on Lynley and Ephraim.

“Where’s Ephraim?” I thought about him telling me that he was coming over to check on things. That was hours ago. Evangeline didn’t want him. She could have easily disposed of him by now. He could be hurt and I was standing here in the bathroom.

“Lover-boy stormed in here trying to help out. His mommy knocked him out and tied him up. He’s been quiet ever since. She had your skinny friend in some sort of trance and she is trying to talk her into doing things I don’t want to say out loud.”

It wasn’t good is what the gist of it was. Ephraim was unconscious and I was on my own with the evil bitch herself.

“Okay, I guess I have to go in there and wing it.” I took a step forward and Kayla grabbed my arm.

“Are you crazy? She will kill you and then you will be stuck here with me
,” she said. She was teasing me, but I knew in her eyes she wasn’t joking. She didn’t want me to have her fate. “You let me go in first. I can see in and she can’t see me, then I’ll report back here to you.”

“No
, you go in and try to wake Ephraim. Then come back to me.” She walked through the door and I waited. I hated this whole thing. I wished I could dump a bucket of water on the bitch and be done with it. But it wasn’t like that.

“Psst.”

I poked my head through the doorway and Kayla stood there with a smile. In times like this a smile could only mean good things are happening.

“Your boyfriend is awake. He heard me
, since he is cursed and all, but he isn’t in the same room as them. He’s in the other room now. I can’t untie him though.” I didn’t ask why she couldn’t untie him. She could try on clothes and go through my things, but she couldn’t untie a rope? I knew where he was and that was good. He was in the fireplace room. I opened the door wider and tiptoed into the room. The door to the corner room was closed so no one saw me go in. Ephraim lay in the middle of the room surrounded by candles. He smiled when he saw me.

“Ephraim
, oh my God,” I said as I ran to him. “I got here as fast as I could. I found out so much more stuff. I’ll fill you in later. But the short version is your mom wants to kill—”

“Lynley
, I know already. She told me everything. The whole story about how she became who she was today and that she wanted to take Lyn’s body as soon as she knew she was cursed.”

It hit me then that Evangeline knew about the curse. She could end it and save her children
, but instead she used it against them. A curse she herself created.

“Why can’t she just save you guys and leave it all alone?”

His sad eyes met mine. “She isn’t my mother, Brylee. She is an evil creature and I want her dead. I won’t let her take Lynley away from me. I won’t.” I hurried at untying him. Even though the rope burnt me to touch, I pushed through until he was free. “Lyn was getting sicker faster because my mom made it that way. She fed her lie after lie until Lyn fell into the trap just like everyone else.” I hugged him tightly, relishing in the feel of his arms around me.

We had to save Lyn and kill this witch. But the problem was I had no idea how to kill her. The athame that Agnes had mentioned was what Everett used to kill them the first time. I had no such item. All I had was holding onto me right now.

We snuck out of the room holding hands. Kayla followed closely behind us. We stopped before we entered the door, but just as I went to grab the handle, the door flew open on its own. She stood before us,  ragged and hungry for life. Evangeline.

Her face was awful looking. The wrinkles had doubled and the age spots on her hands were darker. Lynley was on the bed
, a crumpled mess of hair. I couldn’t see her face to see if she still was alive, I could only hope I wasn’t too late.

“Oh
, I see Ephraim’s play thing has come to join us.” I had no idea who she was talking to. I looked around the room and saw no one else in here with her. “You will have no chance to save your friend,” she said as she cocked her head to one side. “She will be gone before you enter the room.” I waited at the door, one foot ready to enter.

“Agnes has been looking for you
,” I said, hoping to strike a chord. “She and I have grown close. She likes to brush my hair from time to time.”

“Liar!” she screamed. “Agnes is dead.”

“Oh is she? Well that’s the thing about me. I talk to the dead. It comes in handy when you’re surrounded by them in this old place.” I motioned to the walls of the house. She looked like she had been hit by a ton of bricks. She wanted someone like me; needed to collect me and my gift. Hala had told me as much. If I had to I would sacrifice myself to save the others.

“You lie.”

“Nope. You are doing all the lying for us all lately, Mrs. Mayhew. I am a good, honest girl with good intentions. I plan on marrying your son and having lots of babies.” I knew that would piss her off. Her face shot to Ephraim’s and she looked disgusted.

“You can do whatever you want. He’s worthless to me
, just like his father,” she spat. Ephraim blew a breath of shock out behind me.

“Just let Lynley go and take me instead
,” I offered.

“No!” Ephraim cried. He grabbed me behind the waist and wrapped his arms around me. “Don’t do that. Don’t
,” he said into my hair. I closed my eyes and tried to memorize the feel of him on me. I knew that someone would separate us somehow, someway. It would be here and now. Evangeline came closer and reached for me. I felt her cold hands on my arms, pulling me inside. Ephraim pulled back harder and it was a literal tug of war. She won out and he fell back on his butt. I didn’t look back as the door slammed behind me.

“Ah, Brylee. You’re such a beautiful girl. Think of the things I could accomplish with a body like yours. I could take over the world with your looks,” she whispered into my ear. I let go and let her do what she needed to. “I think I shall take you up on your offer. I will take your body instead. Lynley is such a plain girl, isn’t she?” She forced me to look at Lynley lying still on Pearl’s old bed. The key lay next to her on the floor. She did take it. She took it and gave it to her mom.

“It’s too bad that I made her take all those pain killers. I was waiting for her heart to slow down a bit more before I entered her body. Everyone would think Carole Mayhew came up here and killed herself. And I would live on as Lynley. I could go to Paris.” She sighed. “I love it there. So much life. So many possibilities. I planned on trading her in for a French woman at some point. But with you I don’t have to change.”

I looked at Lynley more carefully now and noticed the foam that spilled out of her mouth. She did take pills. She overdosed on something and she was laying there dying. She would still die and I would not have saved anyone by sacrificing myself.

“How long until she dies?” I asked.

“Only minutes now. I can hear her heart and its going slower and slower.” She was sick and twisted talking like that about her daughter. I wasn’t surprised, though. Evangeline was only out for herself. I had to fight now. I couldn’t let her take me and let Lynley die, too. I had to save her while I could.

“Please
, save her first before you take me?” I begged.

“Why should I do that?”

“She’s your daughter! Why else?”

She laughed so loud it echoed around the small room. “You think that matters to me? I have had other children before. They matter to me for a small while. Now she is nothing. She is weak!”

“She is dying of a curse you put on this house. You can end that curse,” I said. “Can’t you end the curse and save them both?”

“No. I never change the curses I put into effect. Never! This family asked for it and I gave it willingly. If my children were too stupid to
get taken by it then that is there fault.” She shrugged. “Like I said. Weak! Lynley would do anything I told her to do. Look at how easily she scalded herself in that shower. Then you had to play detective and look around the water heater.” So it was her that day that attacked me.

She let me go and I crawled to
Lynley’s side. She was unconscious, but still alive. I ran my hand through her tangled hair. The thoughts of her in the scalding water came back to me. She had been tricked by her own mother. I had to do something to kill Evangeline, and fast. I would not let my friend die here.

“Come now
, Brylee, its time.” I reached down and kissed Lynley.

“Okay
,” I said as I went toward her. “Just one thing. I have to say good-bye to Agnes.”