The Talisman War Box Set

Chapter 20

“I’ve never done anything like that before,” Terrell’s voice carried from inside Dakota’s room, where he was lounging in a chair. They had lethargically moved upstairs after about an hour of intense physical enjoyment.

Kneeling by one of the boxes, Dakota halted his rifling through the dead woman’s things. “Really?”

“You couldn’t tell?”

“No.” He laughed. “Not in the slightest.”

The noises Terrell made revealed nothing but complete ecstasy. He didn’t seem uncomfortable at all throughout the session. Though it took a bit longer to get Terrell off this time, he did climax, quite epically. After, Terrell helped Dakota finish, through the proper use of his hands. And no one had to wear a condom. It was wonderful, all around.

“Honestly, I don’t know anything about, umm, you know.” He wiped at his lips self-consciously. “I mean, not that way.”

Well, he did now. Dakota draped one arm over the nearest cardboard box. Turning to look at him, he exclaimed, “So, what you’re saying is, I took your virginity!”

“I didn’t really think about it like that.” He seemed disheartened by the prospect.

Sensing his anxiety, Dakota shook his head to reject the idea. “Well, you don’t f**k like a virgin, that’s for sure. I mean, damn. I really couldn’t tell.”

“Maybe you’re just easy to please!” Terrell countered with relief in his voice.

“By you, maybe.” He turned back to the box. There, a previously ignored antique lamp caught his attention. Dakota picked it up, turned it over, and inspected a small paper tag. In neat handwriting, somewhat like Terrell’s, only more feminine and stylized, said the words Price’s Emporium of Spiritual Arts, New Orleans, Louisiana. $45.

A magic shop? “Hey, this might be something,” he proclaimed. Rising to his feet, Dakota brought the lamp over to Terrell.

He looked at it with disinterest. “Maybe.”

“Maybe we should ask your aunt?”

Terrell nodded, but didn’t seem hopeful. Dakota pulled him close. “Even if that lamp is a dead end, we’re gonna get through this. Together.”

* * * *

They caught Lorna settling into a chair after dinner. Terrell sat the hunk of glass and metal in front of her. “Do you know anyone named ‘Price’? We found this in Nana’s things.”

“Price?” It took her a moment. Then, “Oh, Adelaide, yeah. Adelaide Price. Mom knew that lady for a really long time.” She sighed. “I met her twice. Once when I was just a kid. Ten or maybe eleven years old. And then at the funeral. But there’s somethin’ seriously wrong with her.”

Dakota blinked. “Wrong how?”

Gulping, Lorna explained, “Fifty-some years, and I swear she didn’t age a day. Whatever she is, it’s not natural.”

“We’re dealing with things that aren’t natural,” Dakota pointed out. “Ever see her wearing a talisman? Or maybe a big necklace?” A person who ran a magic shop and could somehow stay young for decades? It seemed more unlikely that she wouldn’t know how to use the stones.

“Oh, yeah. At least five, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more. But I doubt she’ll speak to you. She ignored everyone at the service, and I have no idea how Mom even knew her.”

Terrell persisted. “We need help. It’s too dangerous on our own.”

Lorna looked exhausted by both the exchange and their situation. She pushed the lamp toward her nephew. “Good luck.”

The two returned to the third floor, where Dakota looked up the shop on his phone. It didn’t have a website, but an otherwise empty review page listed a phone number. They called it immediately.

Someone answered, but it wasn’t Adelaide Price. Dakota listened as Terrell spoke to the mystery person on the other end of the line. “Look, I’m sure she’s very busy, but this is urgent. I need to talk to her. It’s about her friend Maria Redline. R-e-d-l—No, she’s not here. She’s dead. But I’m her—No. What? What do you mean she doesn’t ‘deal in urgency’?! It’s really important that I speak with—please, I just—dammit!” He ended the call and slammed the phone down on the desk in his room. “That asshole hung up on me.”

Dakota planted a kiss next to his ear. “We’ll find something else. Don’t lose hope, okay?”

Terrell forced a smile. “I’ll try.”

* * * *

A week passed in silence. No sign of their nameless enemy. No blips on the radar. Terrell and Dakota spent several hours each day engaged in lazy cuddling or s*x. What else could the couple do, when they finished all the chores and locked down the ranch? The others left them alone.

Thanksgiving wasn’t celebrated—with a silent blessing from Dakota. He hated that holiday, hated how Native Peoples were depicted. While it would allow Terrell some much-needed bonding with his family, the group couldn’t bear an observance with so many empty seats at the table. They ate a somewhat normal dinner that night, with duck instead of turkey.

Dakota enjoyed the peace and quiet. No news had to be good news, he thought, and he spent enough time patrolling to avoid feeling stifled. But by the tenth day, Terrell had cabin fever. Dakota convinced him that the two should grab a drink at the local dive bar, since it never carded—according to Eddie—and they deserved a real date. The family wouldn’t miss them for a few hours, he said.

He wanted to make Terrell happy, and it would be nice to spend time together outside of the ranch.