Rye and Bree had slowly revealed to the townsfolk that they were dating, but the coven was located around an hour north in Windsor. The odds of Aunt Rowena being told about Rye’s dating calendar was practically nonexistent.
“Wait a second.” I arched a brow Rye’s way when I caught onto what he’d just declared. “You never told anyone in the coven about Bree. Are you saying that you told someone not in the coven that could have spilled the beans to Aunt Rowena?”
I also sensed that statement was a little too specific. Spill it, cheater! Who did you tell about the cupcake lady?
Leo and I waited with bated breath, because this moment could solve all of our problems.
Exactly. One name, one label for the box that we’ll shove Gargoyle Gary into for transit, and then voilà! Problem solved, and I can get back to my plans for world domination! I mean, my tactics to prevent the squirrelpocalypse.
“Kyle McGrath.” Rye spoke the name as if it might be someone I know, but I’d never met a Kyle. He didn’t live in Paramour Bay that I knew of, and it wasn’t exactly like Rye and I hung out together in our spare time. “He used to be with the coven, but he was banished for using black magic.”
Rye held up his hand to prevent me from speaking when I parted my lips to give the lecture on sharing personal details with a stranger.
Unless, of course, he wasn’t a stranger.
I’d like to point out that I’m not liking where this conversation is heading. As a matter of fact, I’m going to need quite a few morsels from my blueberry-filled edible stash.
“Rye, are you friends with this Kyle?” I asked cautiously, attempting to figure out how Kyle McGrath would benefit from sending Bree a gargoyle entrenched in some type of black magic.
“Not exactly,” Rye said with a grimace as he flipped a page in my family grimoire. He’d been looking for an incantation that involved ashes instead of a solid object since Ted had left for the bakery. “Bree and I had taken a small road trip south of here right before Christmas. She’d wanted to purchase a specific set of cookie cutters for those gingerbread cookies that turned out to be a hit at the bakery. Anyway, we ran into Kyle. You know Bree. She held out her hand and introduced herself after he’d stopped us on the sidewalk outside of the small shop. I could see the moment that Kyle recognized her absence of magic.”
“And?”
“And nothing.” Rye tapped one of the pages three times in victory. He must have finally discovered the incantation needed to conduct the spell. “We went our separate ways, and I never heard from him again. I assumed that he didn’t want any trouble, either. Remember, the coven banished him. There’s no love lost between the two. When you think about it, I haven’t seen him since we were in our late teens. He had no reason to oust my relationship with Bree to anyone. For all he knew, I was just hanging out with her for the first time. Besides, I highly doubt that he kept in contact with anyone from the coven.”
“What about his family?”
I wasn’t sure how any parent could allow their child to be evicted from the only home that he or she had ever known. What about their siblings and friends? The security that they had experienced their entire lives had basically been yanked out from underneath them.
I’m just starting to enjoy the benefits of my blueberry-filled edibles, but I have enough mental antioxidants left in my brain to recall that it was your mother who lied to you for close to thirty years about the Marigold lineage. Speaking of the Mistress of the Dark, it always worries me when she goes incognito. Are you sure that she was looking at houses today?
“Raven, the coven has been around for centuries.” Rye began to push up the sleeves to his sweater, telling me that he’d definitely discovered the incantation amongst the other spells inside the family grimoire. “They have standing traditions that they all follow, and we all know the consequences that dark magic can bring upon the user.”
Listen here, you—
“Leo,” I warned, knowing full well that Rye hadn’t meant anything by his statement regarding the necromancy spell that Nan had utilized to keep her familiar here with me during my time of need. “He meant in general. It had nothing to do with your looks.”
“I truly didn’t mean anything by that, Leo,” Rye assured him. “I’m just worried about Bree. I really thought that the two of you were making a big deal out of this statue thing, but now that the sender made the card go up in flames…well, I’m afraid that this creature was sent to hurt her.”
“What would Kyle have to gain, though?” I asked, unable to come up with a good reason for someone to hurt Bree. “I still think that there is a good possibility that—”
I didn’t get to finish my thought due to the chime going off on my phone. It was the tone that I’d designated for incoming calls.
I can already feel the mental antioxidants multiplying. Hey, cheater, did you know that…
I’d left my phone near the coffee pot, so I made my way back toward the kitchen. I normally silenced my phone before casting any spells, and I should have done the same for Rye. Quickening my steps, I went to reach for my cell phone only to find it gone.
Another chime rang out.
Being so close to my phone made me realize that the sound was coming from the floor.
“Leo,” I chastised, already knowing that he was one the responsible for my phone being dumped on the ground. “Stop batting my phone around. You’re going to crack the screen.”
In my defense, your phone was in my way.
“I don’t want to wait any longer,” Rye said, his concern for Bree more than evident. “I’m going to start the spell.”
By this time, the ringing had gone silent.
Rye had begun to say aloud the words for the incantation.
Leo was somewhere over near the hearth enjoying his blueberry-filled edibles.
As for me, I’d had to set my coffee down on the counter so that I could get down on my hands and knees to search for my phone. It had slid underneath the lip of the lower cabinet, but I finally managed to retrieve it. The display indicated a missed call, and it just so happened to be a number from the public library.
It wasn’t like I could call Harry back now that Rye had begun the spell on the ashes that he’d collected from Bree’s house.
I managed to quietly stand and collect my coffee.
Unfortunately, the palm of my right hand began to tingle in what I could only describe as an intense heat.
Did you say intense heat? Odd, because I also sense the static electricity becoming rather robust.
Turning around, I saw that Leo was beginning to make his way from the coffee table to the bay window. He had crumbs stuck to his whiskers, but that wasn’t what had him looking down at his paws as he crossed the posh area rug.
Nope. Not me. You don’t think that—
The explosion was sudden, loud, and bright.
Coffee sloshed over my hand, but my beverage by this time had cooled. I reacted on instinct and ran over to the dining room table to find Rye blinking rapidly through the smoke. He then began to cough as he waved away the whitish-grey smolder from his face.
Sweet angel of mercy! Are you purposefully trying to kill us?
A quick glance revealed that Leo had been so scared that he’d done his blipping routine. Instead of the area rug, he was now on the back of the couch resembling one of those frightened black cats at Halloween. Truthfully, I didn’t even know that Leo could still arch his back that high.
Another cough from Rye had me rushing around the table to his rescue.
“Rye, are you okay?” I asked hastily, setting down my cup and phone before attempting to dry my hands on my turtleneck. “Did you get burned? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”
You’re asking the one responsible for this catastrophe if he’s okay? I’m the one who can’t retract my claws from this fabric. What were we thinking, teaming up with this cheater? I mean, it’s bad enough that we’re on the verge of being invaded by a gaggle of gargoyle
s, but to be taken out by one of our own? Disgraceful!
“I’m fine,” Rye said with another cough to clear his airway. He once again waved his hand to dispel the remaining smoke. “I’m fine. The ashes…well, the remnants of the card must have an explosive rune on them to dissuade divination magic from being used on it. They’re of no use to us.”
“Well,” I began, attempting to calm the situation. I shot Leo a warning glance over my shoulder, and he wisely went about extracting his sharp claws one by one from the material of the couch. “We already knew that whoever sent Bree the stone statue also made it so that the card would combust if touched by a spellcaster. It stands to reason that the ashes kept the rune magic intact, preventing us from moving forward with our investigation. We’ll work around it, that’s all.”
We all fell quiet and into our own thoughts.
Rye and I began to silently clean up the mess from the dining room table, while Leo was still working on getting the last two claws out of the couch. There was no doubt that someone had gone to great lengths to cover their tracks, but we still had no idea the reason behind why Bree had been sent the gift of a gargoyle.
Unless Bree wasn’t the target.
You’re going to make me feel bad for the cheater again, aren’t you? I’d like to go on record by saying I don’t like the twists and turns these mysteries take, Raven. I like to hold onto my grudges, but now you’re going to tell me that his life is in danger.
“Why on earth would you think—” Rye had no idea the thoughts that had been circling my mind, but he could definitely hear Leo’s ramblings. “Ohhh. Wow. This changes everything, doesn’t it?”
Not really. You’re still a cheater, the stone statue is still planted outside of the bakery, and I’m still in need of my afternoon nap. There’s only one thing for you to do—go into witness protection. Goodluck and farewell, cheater! Oh, and don’t forget to take Gargoyle Gary with you! He’s your problem now.
Chapter Ten
“Sorry I’m late,” I replied, slipping into the booth across from Liam. He’d already ordered me a coffee, and it was steaming in the white porcelain cup next to the napkin holder. “There was a bit of a problem…with that activity I told you about. It went sideways.”
Liam had given me a warning mid-sentence that someone was close enough to hear what I was saying, so I’d quickly altered my description of the last couple of hours.
Sure enough, Cora and Desmond were weaving through a couple of tables near us as they made their way to the front counter.
I went about adding a bit of sugar and cream to my coffee, buying us some time. The diner wasn’t that crowded this evening for some reason. Liam had chosen the last booth alongside the front windows, and there was no one behind me. He preferred to sit in the seat that faced the entrance of the diner so that he could see who was coming or going.
“Get me caught up on everything,” Liam said after the couple was far enough away that they wouldn’t pick up on our conversation. “Did you find out who sent Bree that statue?”
“Yes and no,” I replied reluctantly, still flummoxed at what we were going to do about the situation. I inhaled the delicious scent of what had to be apple pie. After the day that I’ve had, I doubt anyone would think twice about me having a warm slice for dinner. “There is a possibility that a man by the name of Kyle McGrath was the one to send the gargoyle as a gift to Bree.”
Liam had laid his arm across the table so that he could hold my hand. It was a small gesture that he’d been doing for quite some time, and I found his touch to be very reassuring…even now.
“I’ll do a search in the database to see if I can find out anything that could be useful.” Liam brushed his thumb across the back of my hand, and I found that some of the tension that had been gathered in my shoulders began to dissipate. “Does Kyle have something against Bree?”
“That’s just the thing,” I said, completely bewildered by the facts that had been discovered thus far. “Kyle was born into the coven, but he was banished years ago for dabbling in dark magic. Rye hasn’t seen the man since then, and—”
Coast is clear! Carry on.
Leo had made a sudden verbal appearance, though he remained invisible.
“Stop that,” I muttered, causing Liam to chuckle. He couldn’t see or hear my familiar, but he’d known exactly what had happened. “Leo?”
I sighed in acceptance that Leo had made it his duty to guard the stone statue while I was having dinner. He’d blipped in and out to only deliver his message. Darkness had basically fallen, and he was sure that the gargoyle would make another roaming run around town. Guard duty was apparently on his schedule this evening.
As for Rye, he’d made the decision to convince Bree to get rid of the gargoyle, though I highly doubted that he would succeed in such an endeavor. She really did like the unique décor that wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Without a valid reason, I couldn’t see her changing her mind about displaying the stone statue in front of her business.
“Leo was letting us know that Gary is still on his throne.” I lifted the cup of coffee with my left hand and took a tentative sip. The cream that I’d poured in had cooled off the temperature. It was just right, and more than blissful, especially since I hadn’t been able to enjoy the one cup that I’d brewed at the cottage. “Anyway, I was saying that Rye and Bree ran into Kyle back in December, when she was looking for specific cookie cutters. He’s the only one with outside ties who can cast magic. I’m not sure where he discovered the gargoyle or why he would have sent it to Bree, but it’s becoming clear that he’s most likely involved. Rye swears that no one from the coven knows about his relationship with Bree.”
“That’s a stretch,” Liam put forth with a shake of his head. “We have no idea how often the coven checks in on you and your mom. For all we know, this is the work of the council to try and maintain some semblance of control. Think about what’s happened recently—the local village druid created a plastic golem, your mother is teaching Heidi how to become a hedge witch, and the Marigolds basically welcomed a vampire into their lives with open arms. All of that goes against the wishes of the council. They might fear you’ve decided to convene a coven of your own supernatural beings here in Paramour Bay. It’s not like we have a shortage of them here in town.”
“The only one who knows about Beetle is Aunt Rowena, and she—”
Hey! I saw one of his wings move. Gargoyle Gary might be getting ready to make his move, so stay alert!
Some of my coffee had sloshed over the rim of the cup, but Leo hadn’t stayed to see the reaction of his abrupt entrance.
His exit had been more stealth.
“Raven, we have no idea the lengths your Aunt Rowena would go to regarding the coven. If she thought that you and your mother could be used to strengthen her position, well…”
“I’ll have Mom call her and feel things out,” I said as I glanced out the window toward the teashop. Beetle had closed up around an hour ago, but I hadn’t heard from either him or Mom. After using my napkin to clean the table, I quickly retrieved my phone and sent Mom a text. “She went house-hunting today, and she was narrowing it down to three for Beetle to go and look at. He has difficulty going into houses that he’s not first invited into by the current owner.”
“It’s interesting, though.” Liam shifted in his seat so that he could lean forward a bit. “If the stone statue was supposed to hurt Bree in some way, why is it that the thing tried to destroy Monty’s hardware store? Is there a reason that the gargoyle would need tools?”
“That’s a good question,” I replied, not able to give forth an answer for a couple of reasons. One, I had not one clue. Two, the new waitress that Trixie had hired was bringing us our meals. “You know me so well.”
I could see on the tray that there was a small cup of chili, right alongside a warm piece of Trixie’s famous apple pie. Liam’s plate was piled high with a bacon burger, fries, and small side of barbeque sauce.
“I
figured you’d want to eat as quick as possible before taking a walk down to the bakery to—”
The loud crash that came from outside reverberated through the diner, causing a plate to slip and gasps of alarms to ring out. Liam was the first to his feet, maneuvering past the waitress and out the front door before I could even comprehend what had just taken place.
“Is that Candy’s vehicle?”
“Oh, dear! I hope that she’s okay.”
“Someone should give Newt a call. That car isn’t going anywhere without a tow truck.”
I quickly put on my jacket that I’d stuffed into the corner of the booth. It didn’t take me long to collect my cell phone and gloves, along with Liam’s coat. He’d run out of the diner so fast that he’d left it behind.
Raven! Raven!
“I know,” I replied after stepping outside to survey the damage. My eyes watered as the cold coastal breeze had picked up stronger than it had been an hour ago. The stormfront that the meteorologist had warned us about in the coming days seemed to want to make an early appearance. “Candy wrecked at the intersection.”
She’s fine. We have more important things to worry about!
The intersection in question was to my right, down past the bakery. Everyone had heard the crash, and it appeared that Rye’s truck had come out the winner. It was still parked, and it appeared that Candy had slid her vehicle directly into the hitch ball mounted on the rear of the truck. I began to walk that way in earnest, knowing full well that Liam would have called for an ambulance if one was needed.
“Leo, we don’t know that Candy is fine,” I argued as Liam opened her car door to quickly assess the situation. “Do you see the front of her car? She really did a number on it.”
You’re not listening to me! We have an emergency!
I’d been about to pass by the entrance of the bakery when Leo appeared out of nowhere and weaved around my boots until I almost landed face first on the sidewalk.
Stony Blend (A Paramour Bay Cozy Paranormal Mystery Book 16) Page 8