Page 49 of Midlife Witch Unexpected

“Yes, but he can’t get in,” I said. “It’s driving him crazy, so he was trying to use vampire voodoo crap on me.”

“Vampire voodoo crap?” Hilda asked.

“You know, the one where you think they’re all sexy and want to get down with them? They say Dracula used to do it, too. It’s just creepy, but my gosh when they’re doing it, it sure works doesn’t it?”

“I try not to remember things like that,” Hilda said. “At least not when I’m around other people.” She gave me a wink and a slight nod.

My laughter joined hers in lightening up the moment. It made me think maybe everything wasn’t so dire at all. There was just a vampire out to suck my blood. And then when I was dead and gone my daughter was going to have to defend the cemetery in my stead.

All mirth left me. “My daughter,” I said. “Is there any way he’s going to go and find her?”

“I’m sure he already has,” Hilda said. “Vampires are cunning bastards.”

“I need to call my daughter,” I said.

“You can’t tell them this kind of stuff on the phone,” Hilda said. “It’ll make them bat shit crazy.”

“And a vampire swopping down on her, taking her by surprise, isn’t going to create more of a problem?” I asked. “You think?”

“I don’t think much about the idea of you calling your daughter and telling her she might be vamp bait.”

“I’m not trying to be wrong,” I said. “I’m trying to stop them from being casualties, collateral damage. I’m trying to save my daughter’s life.”

Hilda frowned. It made her already fierce face seem like she was going to turn into a monster and gobble you up. It always made me nervous. But now even more so.

“Daughter,” I murmured.

“Yeah,” noted Hilda.

I reached for my cell phone to message her, but just as I was doing so, there was a pounding on the front door. It sounded more like someone was slamming a body against the house. I flew from the bed, grabbed my bathrobe as I went, and pull it tight around my waist.

Whoever was at the door, it wasn’t going to be good news.

Chapter 29

“He has Anita!” Trina exclaimed as she burst into The Estate.

I stared into Trina’s eyes, watching the storm there and imagining how I would feel if it were my child taken by the vampire. I had barely gotten used to the fact vampires actually do exist. My version of the vampire was romanticized. They were so often used as the love interest and even when vampires in modern mythology we’re going crazy and ripping up the countryside destroying human lives, well, it never really felt bad. Did it? Because they were sexy.

Sexy but deadly.

Seeing one up close and personally showed me how dangerous they were. There was no way I would want that creature anywhere near my daughter. My heart went out to Trina. Anxiety surged through my body, cramping my heart.

I had to do whatever I could to help her, to help Anita, and to help our coven.

“I can use the tracking spell and it will find her,” I said.

“It will never work,” Trina said to me. “Do you still think she’s got what it takes to make this coven work?” She threw the words at Hilda.

Hilda looked calmly back at Trina. “Well, this would be the opportunity to see.”

“I’m not putting my daughter in her hands.” Trina’s eyes were red from crying.

“Your daughter is not in my hands,” I said. “She is in the hands of whatever power moves through this universe and clearly I don’t understand all the various things it may be. But I do understand one thing. I understand your love for Anita. She’s a wonderful girl and she’s very intelligent and she’s very strong. She’s bright enough to survive the vampire. And we will do everything in our power to find her and get her home.”

“You can’t use your finder magic,” Trina protested. “When you do the vampire will know you’re using magic to find them, and they will just move locations. They will keep you running all over the countryside, never ever coming close to what you think you’re finding.”

“Each supernatural has a focus of their skill,” Hilda explained. “Vampires move very, very swiftly. Witches are often used to strengthen other powers, create protection spells, and guardian spells. It seems your power is tracking and finding things.”

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