Maudlin's Mayhem (Bewitching Bedlam #2)(5)
I glanced down at the resume again. He had worked in a number of hotels in housekeeping, as a bellhop, and desk clerk, but his employment history was sketchy, especially for the past five years.
“Why the gap in work the past few years?”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say I’ve been in an abusive relationship and I finally got out after a bad breakup. I had to leave quickly. All I own are in a couple of suitcases, and I have nowhere to go. I happened to see your ad in the Crier yesterday and thought this would be perfect with my background.”
As someone who had spent too many years in a bad marriage, I knew how easy it was to get suckered into a relationship that tangled you in knots.
“Well, I have your number. Let me run your references and see what they have to say. I’ll call you by tomorrow.” I shook his hand and walked him to the door. As we passed through the living room, Franny popped out, took one look at him, and vanished.
He paused, letting out a short laugh. “Let me guess. House ghost?”
“Right. She’s disruptive at times, but overall she’s a good egg. We’ve adopted her.” I shook my head. “Sometimes it’s just easier to play the hand you’ve been dealt. She came with the property and so she’s part of the B&B.”
“The ‘we’ you refer to… You and… Are you married?” He glanced around as though he expected to see someone else magically pop into view.
It was my turn to laugh. “Not anymore, but my new boyfriend helps me run the place. I should tell you, just in case you have issues with the idea. I’m involved with a vampire. His name is Aegis and he’s the lead singer of the Boys of Bedlam, an up-and-coming band. You might have heard them down at the Utopia nightclub.”
Thornton stiffened. “Aegis? The rock star vampire?”
“That would be him. But he has a heart of gold. Loves kittens and cupcakes. He bakes most of the goodies for our guests.” When I had first encountered Aegis, in addition to his gorgeous bad-boy self, I had come face to face with his private passions—kittens, jigsaw puzzles, baking, and reading mysteries. He loved Murder She Wrote. We watched a lot of re-runs.
Thornton thought for a moment. “I guess it could be worse,” he said, reaching for the door. “I’ll wait for your call.”
As I walked him down the porch steps, I found myself hoping his references would check out. Not only did he have experience, but he seemed personable and he could probably charm the pants off my guests. But then, as I turned to go inside, a large crow appeared on the porch railing and began to caw.
I started to ask it what it wanted, but a shiver raced up my spine as clouds began to sock in, covering the pale blue sky. Within less than sixty seconds, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and I was soaked to the skin as the storm opened up. The crow let out a single echoing caw and flew away. Chilled to the bone, I turned and ran inside, wondering why I was suddenly frightened.
Chapter 2
SO, IT’S TIME for introductions. My name is Maudlin Gallowglass. My nicknames range from Maddy—which most people know me by these days—to Mad Maudlin, and the Mad Wonder. Remember that old folksong “Boys of Bedlam”? Also known as “Mad Tom of Bedlam”? Well, I’m the “Mad Maudlin” they sang about. And Tom was my boyfriend. It’s a long, colorful history that I’ll go into later, but let’s just say that I was known as one of the more powerful witches to come out of the UK during the 1700s, and I also happen to be one of the most famous vampire hunters in history.
Yes, yes, I know the irony, I was a vampire hunter and now I’m bedding one. Well, actually in love with one, if I’m honest. It doesn’t make sense, but when you really look at life, not a whole lot does.
Anyway, I’m Maddy, and I’m now the owner of the Bewitching Bedlam B&B. I live in the town of Bedlam, on the island of Bedlam, which is part of the San Juan Islands in Washington state, near Lopez and Orcas in the Haro Strait. My Bedlam is nothing like the Bedlam of the songs—that was a mental institution back in jolly old England, and if you were committed there, it was pretty much a death sentence.
My Bedlam is a magical island filled with magical people. The PretCom community is strong here. While the city was founded by a group of witches a long time ago, plenty of Otherkin live here besides those of us with magical blood. Shifters and Weres are common, along with Summer, Winter, and Woodland Fae.
We even have a nest of vampires, run by Essie Vanderbilt, the Queen of the Pacific Northwest Vampire Nation. Having a vampire queen on the island isn’t all that pleasant, especially since she tried to set me up to be killed. But there’s no way to prove it was her. Since Rachel, one of her lackeys and Aegis’s ex-girlfriend, took the fall for it, all I can do is keep an eye out. Luckily, all that’s left of Rachel is a pile of dust.
Bedlam has a population of about six thousand people, and we also boast one of the greatest magical schools for witches—Neverfall Academy. If I was born during the current day, I’d give just about anything to attend there.
Life’s a lot different for young witches today.
When I was born, the witch hunters were rampant, searching for my kind to burn us at the stake, string us up, drown us. Torture was par for the course and we did our best to hide.
Of course, most of those killed by the Inquisition weren’t really witches, but innocents who were disliked by their neighbors, or who had enough money to matter. Once branded a heretic, the accused land owner lost their land, their money, and most important—their lives. And the Church grew rich. Tom and I ran from them, always keeping a hop and a skip ahead. But the fires and the witch hunters followed us, raging across the continent and into England.