The Rake and the Banshee

By W H Huggins Jr

Rakes and banshees are bound to one another through their blood and torn apart by an ancient curse, but a small boy has the power to change all of that.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781947353299

W H Huggins Jr

W H Huggins Jr has been writing short films and comic book ideas for some time. This is his first novel and he hopes the readers enjoy it. He feels that there is more to come--the book begs for a sequel and he has other ideas he has been working on as well.

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About the Author

W H Huggins Jr has been writing short films and comic book ideas for some time. This is his first novel and he hopes the readers enjoy it. He feels that there is more to come—the book begs for a sequel and he has other ideas he has been working on as well.

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to my friend, Lance Eslava, who started me down this path. You are gone much too soon but you will always be my brother.

Copyright Information ©

W H Huggins Jr (2020)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales: special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloguing-in-Publication data

Huggins Jr, W H

The Rake and the Banshee

ISBN 9781947353275 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781947353282 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781947353299 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020903319

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published (2020)

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 28th Floor

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

Banshees are witches who were cursed long ago by a jealous, older witch who wanted what her rival had: a happy family. Banshees are best known for their scream. Legend has it if heard by you it means you are going to die and some say that they even kill people with that scream. The truth is they are forecasters of death, but not the reason people die. The scream is the vocal expression of their pain from being separated from their families due to the ancient curse which makes a Banshee return to Ireland after the birth of her two children and she cannot be with the man she loves, and her son. Banshees are born even now. They are born to a Banshee and a special man called a Rake; he is a low-level magic user and he is linked to his wife from birth. Each Banshee and Rake are destined to be together and they will be together and in love until they have had a boy and a girl, a Rake and a Banshee. Rakes are very good at sleight of hand and they can read anyone which makes them excellent confident men and cardsharps. Many magicians over the years were born Rakes and most professional poker players were as well.

There is a legend about a special child that will be born to a natural born witch and a Rake. This child will change the world. Born with all the magic the world has ever known and the knowledge of all the genies and with the abilities of a Jinn which means he can create things out of thin air, grant his own wishes, and not have a master, which in turn means he is not beholden to anyone. This child will be at odds with a vampire who knows a legend of his own, one about a Jinn who will destroy the entire vampire race.

John knew he was different for as long as he could remember. He could smell fear, lust, hate, excitement, love and he had used these things to make his living as a poker player and he had sex with more women than he could remember. Aside from the ability to smell chemical changes in the air, he also was very intuitive; he could guess what you were thinking. The fact that he is a professional gambler is not amazing because he is drawn to places where people are highly engaged in activities that excite them. Another thing is his father, the man who raised him, was also a professional gambler and he dragged John and his younger brother Mark everywhere with him. Their mother left them when Mark was two and John has not seen her in 20 years. His father and John have a strange connection; anytime his father is around John can feel it. One time when John was playing poker in a really big game, he had things going just the way he wanted, when he got that funny feeling and in walked his father to blow up John’s game for his own profit.

Another thing that John has always known is that he has dreams that come true and he dreams about a Banshee one in particular. John has done research about Banshees his whole life and he has a very limited amount of information.

Setting: Casino floor poker room

John is playing poker. It is his 25th birthday and he is having the night of his life. He is up over $100,000 and he cashes out to go to the dance club where there is a party waiting for him.

Sally is a cocktail waitress in the poker room and she caught John’s eye about a week ago so he invited her to his birthday party. After a ton of booze and several hours of dancing together, John and Sally retire to a room upstairs where they spend the night together. Though John has had sex with many women, he has never stayed the night with any of them, but because of all the alcohol and the sex John passes out and stays the night. All night long, John is tormented by dreams of Banshees screaming at him. In the folklore when a man hears a Banshee he is going to die but when John awakens the next morning he wakes to find Sally dead with a look of extreme fear on her face.

Just as John is trying to collect himself, he realizes that he is about to receive a visit from his father. There is a knock at the door.

John: Dad, Is that you?

Adam (John and Mark’s father): Yes, son, it is me, you must let me in.

John: Now is not a good time.

Adam: She isn’t going anywhere.

John: How did you? Oh, never mind. I’m coming.

John opens the door and in walks his father, a distinguished looking middle-aged gentleman with graying hair and blue eyes. At about 6’5", the man is a striking figure.

Adam: John, you must call the casino security and tell them you both were very drunk and you came to your room and had sex and when you woke up, she was dead.

John: That is exactly what happened, but how did you know?

Adam: I know a lot and I can help if you let me.

John picks up the phone and dials the front desk to ask for security, just then he remembers the look on her face. When he turns to look at her, his father waves his hand across her face and it changes to a peaceful look like she is just asleep. John is in shock when security picks up and asks why he is calling. He tells the story exactly as he was told to by his father and they tell him to stay right there and they will be right up.

Adam: I know you will have a 1000 questions, but save them for later. I need to go and come back after security arrives so it won’t look like we are covering things up.

John: But why is she dead?

Adam: Later, but for now get ready for a lot of questions.

Adam leaves by the stairs to prepare for his arrival a few minutes later.

A rapid, loud knock at the door…

John opens the door for security and the paramedics. After the paramedics pronounce her dead and John answers a few more questions, Adam knocks on the door and security meets him and asks him several questions and about this time the police arrive. John is given his rights and he invokes his right to counsel and to remain silent.

Later in the police station met by his father and lawyer, John tells them the story and his lawyer gets him released. John and Adam ride off toward the casino.

John: What happened to that girl and how did you know to come to my room?

Adam: Son, there are things I need to tell you and I really don’t have a good place to start.

John: Start anywhere that would make this start to make sense.

Adam: Let me start by asking you a question. Did you have any dreams last night?

John: Well, I had a nightmare about a ghostly woman screaming and yelling my name. I have had these dreams since I was a kid and I did some research. The woman is a Banshee.

Adam: Good.

John: Good?

Adam: If you know she is a Banshee then what I am about to tell you will make more sense.

John: How is this supposed to make sense?

Just as his father is about to start the story, John’s cell phone rings. Adam tells him to answer and tell his brother nothing.

John looks at his father quizzically and he answers the phone.

John: Mark, what’s up, bud?

Mark: Just calling to wish you a happy birthday.

John: My birthday was yesterday.

Mark: I had an early meeting and meetings late into the afternoon and by the time I got free I figured you were already in a game or at a club so I figured I would just give you time for the hangover to go away and call you then.

John: Thanks man for calling and the birthday wishes, but I am about to get in a game now so I will call you this week. We need to hang out so I will get back with you later.

Mark: OK, later then. I look forward to it.

John: Bye.

Mark: Bye.

Adam: Your brother and his timing…

John: How did you know it was him?

Adam: Let’s just say I have a sixth sense when it comes to my boys and your brother is predictable.

John: You said you could make this all make sense.

Adam: You are a Rouge like me and like my father and his father before him as far back as you can trace our line. Some texts call us Rakes, some call us Rogues but the upshot is we are fathers to Rogues, Rakes and Banshees.

John: What?

Adam: I hope this will start to make sense to you. You said that you have been dreaming about a Banshee your whole life.

John: That is right.

Adam: Well, your mother left when you were small.

John: Mark was two and I was almost five, and I can still remember her, well, a little anyway.

Adam: Your mother is a Banshee and she had to return to Ireland.

John: OK, I guess I must be dreaming about Mom then.

Adam: No, the Banshee you are dreaming about is the one born for you.

John: Born for me?

Adam: There is a Banshee born for every Rake. A Rake and a Banshee get together and they have two kids; the first boy will be a Rake and the first girl a Banshee. If the second child is the same sex as the first then that child will be human. All second sons will be empaths and all second daughters will be witches.

John: OK so I am dreaming about a woman I will have children with, but that doesn’t explain Sally.

Adam: Well, it does. You had sex with her and your Banshee is a jealous bitch.

John: She is not the first woman I had sex with.

Adam: Did you ever spend the night with a woman before?

John: Well, no, I guess not.

Adam: The Banshee was threatened and she lashed out.

John: Who is she?

Adam: You have met her and I will bet you blew her off and ignored her.

John: That is a lot of help.

Adam: Does any woman stand out to you as overly clingy?

John: In fact, yes.

Adam: Do you think you offended her?

John: Maybe, I don’t know.

Adam: Anyway, she killed your friend and she is stalking your dreams and you have no choice but to have two children with her.

John: I have no choice?

Adam: Things will get worse unless you give in and marry her.

John: Marry her?

Adam: You, as a Rake, are bound to her. If you get together and have a son and a daughter, you will be free of her; she will take her daughter and go to Ireland and leave you with the boy to raise and you are done.

John: You said a son and a daughter. Was Mom pregnant when she left to go back to Ireland?

Adam: No, your sister was already born.

John: I have a sister?

Adam: She is a Banshee and she is not family.

John: You said two kids.

Adam: A Rake and a Banshee have one Rake and one Banshee before they are both free.

John: OK, two kids, but what if you have a Banshee first then another girl before you have a boy?

Adam: You are overthinking this, but, if you have a second-born daughter she is born a witch and you will have her to raise as well.

John: Why?

Adam: Because witches are powerful and should grow up free of the influence of a Banshee.

John: This is a lot to take in, and besides I wasn’t kidding when I told Mark I had a game starting in a few minutes.

Adam: Sounds like fun.

John: Dad, please, I need to have something else to think about.

John leaves the room to head down to the poker room and he can’t help but be distracted by the thoughts that are running through his head; about a dead girl and Banshees and the fact that his father knows him so well and his brother has this real knack for calling at just the wrong moment. As he is deep in thought all the way down in the elevator he hardly notices the beautiful redhead enter the elevator and push the down button. When he finally does notice her he has a flashback of Sally with that look on her face.

The red-head introduces herself as Irene and she tells John that she is playing in his poker game by invitation from her uncle, Harold James.

John: Well, welcome to the game and I hope you have a wonderful evening.

Irene: I am sure I will, John, thank you.

John remains distracted and he ends up down about $10,000 but that still puts him up $90,000 over two days. His play is so off he gets questions from the other players. John tells them about the waitress Sally and that she died in her sleep but he didn’t know what she died of so he couldn’t really comment further. John excuses himself and returns to his room but he is followed to the elevator by Irene who wants a word.

Irene: John, I know you might want to be alone, but I wanted you to know I am here if you want to talk.

Irene slips her number into John’s hand and returns to the card game. John thinks that to be a bit forward, but things like that happen all the time to him so he takes it in stride.

Morning. John’s room

Phone rings at the bedside table.

John: Hello?

Lawyer: John, the police would like for you to come down and sign a statement about what happened the other night.

John: I can be there in about an hour.

Lawyer: I will see you there.

After his shower and a quick breakfast John heads to the police station where he is met outside by his lawyer.

Policeman: My name is Detective Matthew Lockheart. Could you please have a seat here at my desk?

John: Certainly.

Det.: John, I understand that you met the young lady about a week before this happened, and that you invited her to your birthday party.

John: Yes, she was a cocktail waitress at a poker game I attended earlier in the week. I thought she was cute and I gave her my number, we caught up one more time last week and I asked her to my party.

Det.: So you didn’t know her well.

John: I am not denying having sex with her if that is what you mean.

Lawyer: Where are we going with this? I was told there would be a transcript of John’s statement for him to sign and he would be free to go.

Det.: There was no sign of trauma on the victim and that could mean a lot of things, like poison.

Lawyer: That is it, we are done here, Detective. You are fishing and you can find your answers in autopsy.

Det.: Make sure your client doesn’t leave town.

Lawyer: He won’t leave town – he is in a huge poker tournament later this month.

Det.: See to it he is available in case we have more questions.

After John leaves the station the detective and another policeman are talking.

Policeman: Do you think it is odd that there was no trauma on the girl?

Det.: Not as odd as him lawyering up before we even asked him any questions. There is something more to this, I would bet my pension on it.

Pol.: There you go betting; aren’t you in Gambler’s Anonymous?

Det.: That is a figure of speech and FYI I haven’t placed a wager of any kind in nearly a year. It is strange though.

Coroner’s autopsy

The female victim died of cardiac arrest brought on by a broken aortic blood vessel. She may never have felt it and it was probably a birth defect. The walls of her heart were enlarged and weakened by stress. The sexual activity was consensual and did not lead to her death. The ruling is ‘natural causes.’

When the police are given the coroner’s report they are let down because they are sure there was more to it than that but it seems not.

Detective Lockheart calls John’s attorney to tell him that his client is free to go and the death was ruled natural causes.

John gets the good news from his lawyer and goes back to the casino to get ready for the poker game. When he returns to his room, he is met by his father.

Adam: John, you need to figure out who the girl is that is doing this to you and take care of it.

John: And by take care of you mean get married and have babies?

Adam: Well, yes, that is exactly what I mean.

John: I don’t know where to start; she could be anyone.

Adam: I have a feeling you will know her when you think long enough, but I have a better idea.

Adam pulls out his cell phone and dials a number that seems like it is 20 numbers long. After several rings there is a very loud voice on the other end of the call that can be heard saying, What the hell are you doing calling me?

Adam: Camille, I wouldn’t call if it weren’t important and it is. John needs you to come here and find someone for him; she seems to be a little elusive and jealous.

Camille: Has she killed someone he cared for?

Adam: Not cared for exactly. It was a one-night-stand he woke up with.

Camille: I will be there in the morning.

Adam: Thanks.

Camille: "You know I don’t owe you anything or the boy. I just don’t want