Starfire (Grim Gate 2)

I put the basket on the dining room table, and Donna is only one step behind me, craning her neck to see past me. Turning back around, I catch Ethan’s eye. He looks from Donna to the door and back again. I give him a small nod.

“It was nice meeting one of our neighbors,” he starts. “We were actually getting ready to head out.”

“Oh, well, we’ll have to get together sometime so we can get to know each other. It’s always nice to know who you’re living by.”

“Yeah.” Ethan starts moving toward the door. “Thanks for the treats. They look good.”

“You’re welcome.” Donna smiles and looks up the stairs. “You’ll have to join my book club,” she tells me. “And you could host. The ladies would just love to see this house. Rumor has it you’ve got ghosts.” She laughs and shakes her head.

“The house isn’t haunted,” I say back, totally serious. Ethan and I assume Aunt Estelle put protection spells on the house when she lived her, keeping it from getting haunted. Though, I have no idea how long those spells would last. The one she cast on me to bind my powers came undone when she died.

“Is the woodwork original?” Donna runs her finger over the molding around the front door.

“Yeah,” I reply. Though, honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t remember. I blink and get hit with another memory.

I’m sitting at the top of the stairs next to Harrison. It’s the middle of the night, and someone is banging on the door, calling for Aunt Estelle. Daisy, her German shepherd, is barking, and a large white rat scurries by before shifting into shadow form, silencing Daisy.

“To your room,” Aunt Estelle tells us, breezing past as she comes down the stairs with her black silk bathrobe flowing behind her in haste. “Now.”

The memory gives me a head-rush and I stagger, throwing out a hand to try and catch my balance. Ethan sidesteps over just in time to take me by the waist.

“Oh, dear.” Donna’s hand flies to her chest. “Are you alright?”

“Low blood sugar,” I say, blinking away the dizziness. “I need to eat.”

“I’ll leave you to it.” She smiles and takes one last lingering look around the foyer before finally leaving.

“You okay?” Ethan asks, hands still clasped around my middle.

“Yeah. I got a third flashback today. Harrison and I were up there” —I point to the landing at the top of the stairs— “it was the middle of the night and someone was pounding at the door, calling for Estelle. Daisy, the German shepherd Hunter looks like was there, and I saw Aunt Estelle’s familiar. It was a pretty white rat.”

“A pretty rat?” Ethan’s eyebrows go up. “Doesn’t matter. Is that it?”

I nod. “Aunt Estelle looked startled.” I close my eyes and remember the strain on her face. “And I don’t think it was solely the surprise of being woken by frantic knocking. It was as if she knew whoever was out there, and why they had come over.” I let out a sigh. “I wish I could just remember.”

“Memories are coming back to you. That’s a good thing.”

“Why isn’t Harrison remembering anything? He was there too.”

“She cast different spells on you. Harrison remembers her but wasn’t involved with anything that had to do with magic. My best guess is in order to make you forget about magic, you had to forget about her.”

“It’s so fucking frustrating.”

“I know, babe.” He kisses my forehead.

“When do you have to leave?” I go into the dining room and pick up a chocolate muffin. There are cookies and brownies in here too. I just might be willing to put up with Donna if she brings me more baked goods like this.

“This afternoon. I’m meeting the hunters at the Order’s Chicago headquarters for dinner to strategize. If the demon follows the same pattern it has been, we should be able to track it and kill it tonight.”

“With Hunter’s help, you will.”

“You sure you’re okay with him coming with me?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. I need to get my hair trimmed and pick up some groceries, but that’s it. I plan to spend the rest of the day in the barn.” I look around the foyer. “The house will keep me safe. I know that sounds weird, but really, Ethan, I’ll be fine.”

“All right.” He pulls me to him and looks at the muffin, smiling.

“You wanna get a room with it or something?”

“Hah. No. It reminded me of the first night we met. You made me eat the muffin to prove I wasn’t a vampire.”

And now I’m smiling.

“It’s going to be cold tonight,” I tell Mystery, my white Arabian, as I buckle his blanket in place. “I know it was nice today.” I take a treat from my pocket and give it to him, and then move into Sundance’s stall, pulling his blanket from the bar on the door. I feel a tug on my heart when I look at the big thoroughbred. The only reason I have him is because Leslie was killed by demons. I’ve spoiled the crap out of him, making sure he’s happy after losing his owner and moving to a new barn. He’s doing well, and once the weather gets better, I need to get him into training again. It’s what Leslie would have wanted.