The Returned (24 page)

“We're not the Legion!” Wraith shouted. “We're not going in and screwing with her head while we try to ‘fix' her!”

“This is a little different,” Edward said.

“Really? How?” Wraith asked.

“First off,” Caitlin said, “he's a psychiatrist.”

“You want to put her on a couch and ask her about her dreams?” Wraith asked.

“A psychiatrist diagnoses and treats neurological disorders,” Edward said. “It's why you have to also be an MD. I have to discern if the problem is emotional or physical. Short of a neurologist or neurosurgeon, you won't find someone who understands the brain or nervous system better.”

Caitlin could see Wraith wanted to protest but was struggling for the words.

“Secondly,” she said before Wraith could find them, “sometimes your only choice is between a bad one and a worse one.”

“No,” Wraith said, shaking her head, but the vehemence from her tone was gone.

Caitlin went over and put her hand on the girl's cheek and felt tears. She lifted Wraith's chin and looked her in the eye. “I'm not saying the Legion was right in what they did. I'm just saying sometimes the choice isn't black-and-white. Sometimes it's dark gray and slightly less dark gray and you're not sure which is which.”

“We're short on choices, yeah,” Siobhan said in a tone gentler than Caitlin would've thought possible. “The only other option is . . . ”

“I get it,” Wraith said.

“You don't have to like it,” Caitlin said. “But we have to do it.”

Wraith wiped her eyes. “There's got to be another way.”

“I'm open to suggestions,” Edward said and glanced back at the circle. A couple of the symbols were almost entirely black now. “But time is an issue.”

“What about the voodoo queen?” Caitlin said. “Mama Toups.”

“An exorcism?” Edward asked and shrugged. “I have no idea if those are real things or not. I suppose it's possible, maybe.”

Caitlin saw Wraith's face go a little pale. “What is it?”

Wraith shook her head. “Nothing.” She looked at Edward. “Do you think she's got enough power to do it?”

Edward shrugged again. “I didn't get the feeling she was packing a lot of power. But that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I've learned sometimes how you use the magic matters more than how much you have to start with. It's like using a lever to lift a heavy weight.”

Caitlin saw the uncertainty in Edward's eyes. “That's if she's willing—”

“We have to try,” Wraith said. “It's a less bad option than getting into her head. Right?”

“We can't just leave her here,” Edward said, motioning to Anna and the circle. “And it'll take us twenty minutes at least to get to the Quarter and hope we find parking close by—”

Wraith moved back from them, closed her eyes, and vanished in a small whirlwind.

“Or you could just teleport into the middle of a huge tourist area,” Edward said and looked at Caitlin.

Caitlin sighed and threw up her arms.

“Just think of all this as training, yeah?” Siobhan said through a chuckle. “Won't be long before Fiona is—”

“You're not helping,” Caitlin said.

“I'm going to get that airlock circle drawn,” Edward said. “Just in case.”

Caitlin started pacing and praying Fiona wouldn't be like this as a teenager.

Five minutes later, Wraith reappeared in a far corner of the factory with Mama Toups standing close. The old woman spotted Anna right away, and she approached slowly.

“Please be careful—”

“Hush now,” Mama Toups said to Edward. “I see where the circle is at. This isn't my first time.”

Wraith walked over to stand next to Caitlin and Edward.

“Please tell me you didn't just appear in the middle of the Quarter,” Edward said.

Wraith gave him a flat look. “Yeah, I just stepped into the middle of Bourbon Street, then I started blowing holes in buildings while shouting ‘woo!' ”

Edward looked at Caitlin, but she just shrugged.

“It was kind of a stupid question,” Caitlin said, then she turned to Wraith. “But you don't need to be such a wiseass right now.”

“No, I don't
have
to be,” Wraith said and smiled.

Neither Caitlin nor Edward joined her.

“Sorry,” she said. “It's how I cope.”

Edward opened his mouth but didn't get a chance to say anything.

“You weren't lying, were you?” Mama Toups asked Wraith.

“No, ma'am,” Wraith said.

“It's a powerful and dark force in this girl,” Mama said.

“Can you get it out?” Edward asked.

“Darling, I'm sure going to give it a try,” Mama said.

“I don't know if you saw,” Edward said as Mama began pulling items from her massive handbag, “but the circle is deteriorating. I don't think we have a lot of time.”

Mama pulled out an unlabeled bottle of clear liquid, woven lengths of grass, a plate, and a plastic baggie filled with some kind of cooked meat. She carefully set the plate just outside the circle and dumped the food on it, then she took a lighter and lit the grass on fire.

Edward looked at Caitlin then back to the old woman. “Do you think she heard me?” he asked.

“She heard you just fine,” Mama said. “Ain't nothing wrong with my hearing. I'm just busy.” Once the grass had burned a little, she blew it out, and it smoked like incense. Lastly, she produced a small glass from her bag and filled it with the clear liquid. The glass went next to the plate, and the smoldering grass on the other side. When everything was arranged, she stood, slowly stepped back from the circle, and closed her eyes.

Nothing happened.

“Mama Toups?” Caitlin asked.

“I said I heard you,” Mama said, eyes still closed. “Time is short, but asking me ain't gonna make this happen any faster.”

“I'm sorry—”

“Don't be sorry, just hush now.” Mama stepped into the smaller circle and began singing in something that sounded like French. She raised her arms, palms toward the circle.

Edward gave Caitlin a skeptical look. She felt the same way but knew how strange that was. She was married to a wizard after all, and a faerie gave her away at her wedding. It occurred to her it was probably some deep-seated prejudice, ranking Mama along the likes of psychics and other charlatans. Siobhan positioned herself against the wall and watched intently.

There was a thrum in the air, and Caitlin felt the circle close. But whereas when Edward closed one, it was like shutting a bedroom door, when Mama did it, it was like slamming a bank vault door.

“She's like freaking Yoda,” Wraith said in a whisper.

“Right,” Edward said.

Mama sang louder and motioned to the offerings. The room seemed to grow a little brighter, or was Caitlin imagining that? The smoke off the grass began to swirl and dance. Then, as Caitlin watched, the liquid in the glass began to vanish, as if being drained away from below. Next, the food shriveled and disappeared. When the grass burst into flames, Mama went rigid and then started to shake.

Then Anna went stiff, and for a moment, the purple flames around her shrank back from the barrier. The girl gritted her teeth and let out what could be described only as a low growl. Memories of a similar event flooded into Caitlin's mind. She saw it all again, that night in Edward's basement as he fought against Justin, the oíche he'd summoned to find out what had happened to Fiona. Without realizing it, she reached out and took Edward's hand. He squeezed it, and some of the fear in her faded.

“Can you see this?” Wraith asked with wide eyes.

“What?” Caitlin asked.

“She's trying to pull the thing out of the girl's quantum information,” Wraith said. “It's amazing. I've never seen—shit!”

Mama cried out in pain and crumpled as the innermost circle holding Anna erupted with purple flame.

Wraith leapt over the debris and pushed her hands against the ground just outside the triple circle. Caitlin watched as the girl gritted her teeth and the purple flames snuffed out.

Anna snarled, and her tendrils of flame began beating at the barrier.

“I need some help!” Wraith said.

Edward was at her side in an instant. “
Amddiffynnent!
”

The fire flashed out again, and some of the blackened symbols turned back to white.

“Siobhan,” Edward said. “Get Mama out of there.”

There was a loud pop as the Fian crossed the boundary of the smaller circle and picked up the small old woman as if she weighed nothing at all.

“Clear,” Siobhan said.

Edward and Wraith both fell back, each of them gasping for breath.

“What happened?” Caitlin asked as she went to check on Mama.

“Whatever that was,” Wraith said, “it got the upper hand. Since the smaller circle was connected to the larger three, it decided to break out there.”

Edward shook his head. “I must've done something wrong. It shouldn't have been weaker than the others.”

“Is it sealed off, then?” Siobhan asked.

“We're back to where we started,” Edward said.

“Is she okay?” Wraith asked.

Caitlin nodded. “Seems—”

“I'm fine,” Mama said. “But I'm gonna be sore for a week.”

Edward and Wraith came over.

“Help me up, child,” Mama said.

Everyone did, not letting go of the woman until she practically beat them away.

“Whatever that is,” Mama said and stared at Anna, “it's strong.” She shook her head. “It's like nothing I've ever seen. I don't think there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry.”

No one said anything for a long moment.

“I guess that settles it, then,” Edward said. “I'm up.”

“You got skill and power,” Mama said. “But believe me when I tell you, if you go in there, you ain't coming out.”

“I'll go,” Wraith said. “It should be me anyway.” She nodded at Edward. “You've got Caitlin and Fiona. I don't have anyone counting on me.”

“Jesus, girl,” Siobhan said. “I'm right fond of you, but you need to pull your head out of your arse.”

Wraith blinked at her. “I, uh, what?”

“I get that you're struggling with things,” Siobhan said. “But you can't be so dense that you think no one gives a damn about you.”

“No, I just,” Wraith said and shook her head. “I mean, sure, Brigid, Con, Sprout—”

“Me,” Siobhan said.

“And us too,” Caitlin said.

Edward nodded, then turned to Mama. “What about the three of us together?” he asked, nodding at Wraith. “If we went in together, do we have a chance?”

Mama shook her head. “Child, I got nothing left to give. Been a long time since I used that much hoodoo in one shot.” She narrowed her eyes. “Twenty years ago and I would've put that loa over my knee.”

Caitlin couldn't help but smile a little.

Mama sighed. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” She touched Edward's hand. “You two might be able to give it a whooping, but you need someone with experience in exorcisms to drive it out.”

“Is there anyone else you know who can help?” Caitlin asked. “Anyone?”

Mama shook her head. “It might sound like pride, but there aren't no one I know.”

Caitlin's smile vanished when Edward's eyes met hers.

Siobhan drew in a slow breath. “We got no other options, then.”

Caitlin closed her eyes, her heart breaking, and shook her head. “No, I guess we don't.”

“You tried,” Siobhan said. “No one can fault you for what happens next.” She straightened. “I'll see it's done. You lot get out of here. No need for you to be watching.”

“Wait,” Wraith said. “I want to try.”

“Did you not hear the lady?” Siobhan asked. “It'd be fecking suicide to go in there.”

“Yeah, well I've heard that before,” Wraith said. “No, I'm not going to just let it go down like this.” She looked at Anna, who was grinning manically. “I've been there. I know what it's like to have terrible power and do terrible things with it as it eats you away from the inside.”

“Then I'm going in with you,” Edward said and looked at Caitlin.

Her first instinct was to protest, but it died away when she thought of Nancy and then of Fiona. Then she looked at Anna. This girl was someone's daughter. God willing, Fiona would never need someone to step up like this for her someday, but if she did, hopefully someone would.

“You've both lost your bleeding minds,” Siobhan said, then smiled. “I need to be spending more time with you.”

“I'm going to take her back to her shop,” Wraith said and held out a hand for Mama.

“I suppose I would just be in the way,” Mama said and took the offered hand.

“Actually,” Wraith said, “I was thinking you'd be in the blast radius if we fail.” She looked at Caitlin and Siobhan. “You two should come too. If Edward and I lose, it could go badly.”

Siobhan laughed and crossed her arms. “Not bloody likely.”

“Maybe she's right,” Edward said to Caitlin.

Caitlin pushed back the flash of anger and reminded herself he was thinking about Fiona. But then, so was Caitlin. “I'm good here.”

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” he asked.

Caitlin took his hand and smiled. “Maybe my being here will give you extra incentive to succeed.”

“Don't do anything till I get back, okay?” Wraith asked.

Caitlin nodded, then looked over at the girl as she led Mama to a clear spot. Something wasn't right. Wraith's eyes were darting around, and she was chewing her lower lip.

“Wraith, what's going on?” Caitlin asked.

Everyone looked at Caitlin then Wraith.

“Just don't do anything till I get back,” she said, then once again closed her eyes. She and Mama Toups vanished in a minicyclone.