Charmed Offensive

by Annabel Chase

  “Emma, I’m home!” Daniel’s voice carried into the kitchen.

  “In here,” I called. I left the pantry and went to greet my husband in the doorway to the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around me and tried to pull me close, but my stomach got in the way.

  “That’s quite the buffer you’ve got there,” he teased.

  “Gareth wants to commandeer my boobs,” I said.

  “Snitch,” Gareth hissed.

  Daniel wore a bemused expression. “Let me guess. He wants to prepare you for breastfeeding.”

  “Among other things. He just mentioned a parenting class…”

  “I saw a notice for it,” Daniel said. “It’s geared toward new parents. I think it’s a great idea.”

  “I’ll sign us up.” I turned and stuck out my tongue at Gareth.

  Daniel smoothed back my hair. “I’ll take care of it. I know you’re busy.”

  I flinched. “I’m about to get busier.”

  “Uh oh,” Daniel said. “I know that look. What happened?”

  “Althea’s been arrested.”

  Gareth began to sputter and shake and I immediately regretted not telling him sooner. I just didn’t want him to freak out—like now.

  “For what?” both men asked in unison.

  I told them about Albert Geary.

  “This is an outrage,” Gareth said. “That’s not a confession and she’s no threat to anyone, except maybe the barista who messes up her morning coffee order. I’m going to march down there and…”

  I held up a hand. “Gareth, park your ghostly butt in this house and don’t interfere. Althea is fine. She’s going to use the time to study.”

  A small sigh escaped Daniel. “And what are you going to do, Emma?”

  “Find out who really turned Mr. Geary to stone, of course. I can’t let her waste away in a prison cell.”

  “There’ll be a trial,” Daniel said.

  I shook my head. “No, this is getting resolved before it gets to that point. The trial won’t happen until I’m on maternity leave and I’m not going to risk letting Josie defend her. She has no experience in criminal defense.”

  “Neither did you when you got here,” Daniel reminded me.

  I fixed him with a determined stare. “Daniel, we’re talking about Althea.”

  He placed a hand on each of my shoulders. “I’ll make a deal with you. I won’t lecture you about taking on too much if you commit to the babymoon idea.”

  I gazed into my husband’s turquoise eyes. “Fine, but not until Althea is free and clear.”

  “Deal.” Daniel kissed me and brushed past me into the kitchen. “Now go put your feet up while I make dinner.”

  “I’ll supervise,” Gareth said.

  I offered a grateful smile. As much as I appreciated that Daniel wanted to cook, he wasn’t as proficient as Gareth in the kitchen.

  I waddled into the dining room and stretched out my legs to put my feet up on the chair across from me. Magpie wandered into the room and jumped onto the chair beside me. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

  “Let’s be honest. If I try to pet you, you’re going to bite me. You would literally bite the hand that feeds you and not be the least bit sorry.” And not just bite—those beastly jaws would take my hand clean off.

  Magpie swished his tail in response.

  “Thought so.”

  He curled up on the chair and closed his eyes. It was an unusual place for him to settle, but I didn’t question it.

  I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until Daniel nudged me awake with a plate of hot food. He set the plate in front of me and handed me a napkin.

  “I already have one,” I said.

  “You need another one.” He dabbed the side of his mouth and I felt the drool on my face.

  “Oh. You must love how sexy I am right now.” I wiped away the drool.

  “I love you in all your forms,” Daniel said. He sat adjacent to me and began to eat. “What about Paris for the babymoon?”

  I speared an asparagus. “I don’t know that an overseas trip is wise at this stage.”

  “Depending on how quickly you solve Althea’s case, we could still be within the safe range,” Daniel said.

  “I’d rather stick closer to home,” I said.

  “So we can stop every ten minutes for a restroom?” he asked.

  Gareth chuckled from the other end of the dining room. I hadn’t even noticed him slip in.

  “Beach or mountains?” Daniel asked.

  “Well, we live in the mountains,” I said, “so I guess beach?” Thanks to my overprotective family, I hadn’t enjoyed beach vacations like other kids.

  “Florida is on the east coast,” Daniel said. “What about one of the paranormal towns on the beach?”

  “Florida will be muggy and full of wrinkles,” Gareth said.

  “Hey, we can’t all be vampires trapped forever in the glory of our youth,” I said.

  Gareth looked down at himself. “You call this the glory of my youth?”

  “Good point.” I turned back to Daniel. “I sweat for no reason right now. A hot sun would melt me.” I wolfed down my dinner. “This is delicious. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Daniel scraped the last of the food off his plate just as Magpie jumped onto the table.

  “Magpie!” I scolded.

  The hellbeast began to dance around the table, making an unfamiliar sound—a noise that landed somewhere between an exotic bird and a lion’s roar.

  “What’s he doing?” Daniel asked.

  “There’s a fly,” I said, pointing. The insect zipped in a loop above the table just out of the cat’s reach.

  Daniel and I pulled our plates closer to prevent Magpie from stepping on them.

  “Use your wand,” Daniel said, nodding toward the fly.

  “It’s in the kitchen,” I said.

  Before I could say another word, a ribbon of fire shot from Magpie’s mouth and incinerated the fly in midair. My mouth dropped open—good thing the fly was already dead or it would’ve sought refuge in there. Daniel appeared equally shocked.

  “Magpie, get down,” Gareth commanded. “You’re ruining their romantic dinner.”

  Magpie landed on the floor as though nothing had happened and trotted out of the room.

  I turned to Gareth, stunned. “Has he always been able to do that?”

  “Aye. It must be the nesting instinct coming out. He feels protective.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of you,” Gareth said. “And the baby, of course.”

  I gaped at the empty spot in the air. “It was a fly, not an assassin.”

  “Magpie perceived it as a threat and acted accordingly,” Gareth said.

  One hand moved to rub my stomach reassuringly. “You know, most nesting instincts involve organizing closets. I’m not sure that I want Magpie’s to kick in if they’re going to be deadly.”

  “You’re family, Emma. Magpie is loyal to family.”

  Daniel struggled to form words. “Magpie can do that and he lays on my chest at night? I think we need a protective ward around us.”

  I was still stuck on Gareth’s statement. You’re family, Emma.

  Daniel noticed my vacant expression. “Are you okay?”

  “I’ve been thinking about my father lately,” I admitted. I hadn’t intended to broach the subject right now, but it slipped out anyway.

  “It’s only natural,” Daniel said. “Your parents aren’t here to welcome their first grandchild. It must be hard for you.”

  “I don’t mean my dad,” I said. “I mean him.” My biological father. The one I knew nothing about, except that he betrayed my mother, had a dark soul, and she wanted to keep me hidden from him. Hmm, not the best bio.

  The angel’s expression clouded over. “Oh, I see.”

  “That’s only natural, too, right?” I asked. “I’m having a child of my own. It makes sense that I would think more about where I came from.”

  “Of cour
se it makes sense,” Daniel agreed.

  “Do you think I should try to find out more about him?” I asked. “Maybe my mother’s judgment was clouded by emotions. Maybe he searched for me because he wanted to be a part of my life.”

  Daniel pushed his plate away. “I think that’s a question only you can answer, Emma.”

  “And me,” Gareth added. “Leave the past in the past, I say.”

  I glanced over at him. “That is what you would say, isn’t it?”

  “Gareth wants you to leave it alone, doesn’t he?” Daniel asked.

  I smiled. “How’d you guess?”

  “For a gay vampire ghost, he’s very much in favor of the status quo.”

  Gareth folded his arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you like things your way and you’re uncomfortable with change,” I told him.

  Gareth harrumphed before dissipating.

  Daniel reached for my hand. “Whatever you want to do, I support you.”

  “I hate to introduce an unknown element into our baby’s life. It seems so risky.” I paused. “And yet I can’t stop thinking about him. What if his absence has been some huge misunderstanding? Maybe a dark soul just meant that he was depressed. Maybe my mother was wrong about him…”

  “There are a lot of maybes,” Daniel said. “Decide what you need—not anybody else—and go from there.”

  I squeezed his hand. “Not even the baby? He’ll need a grandfather.”

  “This baby is going to have more de facto relatives than you can shake a wand at,” Daniel said. “The part of the grumpy old man will be played by Gareth. No actual grandfather required.”

  “I heard that!” Gareth shouted from somewhere else in the house.

  “There won’t be any biological family except us,” I said. I couldn’t help but feel sad about it. I felt like I was depriving my baby of something important, even though it wasn’t my fault.

  “Emma, it’s not necessarily within your control. You might not be able to find him. He might be…”

  I rubbed my temples. “Dead, I know.” I gulped air. “But at least I can say I tried.”

  Daniel leaned back in his chair. “You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t try.”

  “I could always just do the research and not act on it. Knowing something might be better than knowing nothing at all.”

  Daniel nodded. “You’re right. Where should we start?”

  I cut him a quick glance. “We?”

  “You don’t think I’d leave you to do it by yourself, do you?”

  My heart melted. “I think we should start with that man who came to Spellbound.”

  He grinned. “Well, that narrows it down.”

  “The man from the Agency of Magical Forces who teaches at the magical academy.” I snapped my fingers. “Spellcasters.”

  “Spellslingers!” Gareth yelled from the other room.

  “Yes! Thank you, Gareth,” I called. “Spellslingers Academy of Magic. He was a jerk, but a jerk with access to confidential intel.”

  “Just tell me when you want to go visit this jerk and I’ll drive us.”

  I bit my lip. “Let’s see what kind of progress I make on Althea’s case first. Her situation has to be the priority.”

  “You’re not ditching Althea and heading to Paris,” he said with a wink. “Isn’t Spellslingers a day trip?”

  I sat in contemplative silence for a moment. “Yes,” I finally said. “It’s right here in Pennsylvania.”

  “Whenever you decide to go, just make the arrangements and I’ll take the day off from work,” Daniel said.

  I offered a grateful smile. “Thank you.” A sharp pain in my abdomen took me by surprise and I winced.

  Daniel lurched forward to grip my arm. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I said. “The baby kicked me. Hard.”

  Daniel grinned. “Maybe the baby doesn’t want to go to Paris either.”

  My stomach plummeted. “Or maybe the baby doesn’t want me to learn about our origins.”

  “Come on, Emma. An unborn baby can’t be psychic,” he said.

  I rubbed my stomach. “This baby is an unprecedented hybrid. Who knows what he is?”

  Daniel inched his chair closer to mine and placed a warm hand on my abdomen. “Loved—that’s what this baby is. And that’s the only thing we really need to know.”

  Chapter Five

  As promised, I headed straight over to Amanda’s workshop the next morning. Amanda’s lawn ornaments were popular among residents and I found myself surrounded by bird baths, small-scale lighthouses, garden gnomes, yard globes, and other sculptures.

  Amanda stood in front of the kiln with her back to me. She was easily recognizable in her bright orange and pink headscarf, T-shirts, and jeans. She sported a bandage on her arm.

  “Hi, Amanda.”

  The snakes twisted and hissed beneath her headscarf as she whirled around. “Emma, what a surprise.” Her current T-shirt was emblazoned with the words—I’m Not Shy, I Just Don’t Like You. That told you everything you needed to know about the Gorgon.

  I stopped to admire the array of garden decorations on the table between us. There were a variety of creatures, including snails, butterflies, and frogs. “These look great.”

  “Still to be painted,” Amanda said.

  “You should offer a service where you let children paint them and bring them home,” I said. “That was a fun activity for kids in Lemon Grove.”

  “An interesting idea.” Amanda frowned. “Except I don’t like kids.”

  “You don’t have to raise them,” I said. “You just have to tolerate them for a couple of hours a few days a week. It could bring in extra revenue for you.”

  “I do like money,” Amanda said, seeming to mull over the idea. “Are you here for a custom lawn ornament? I can make one special for the baby. I just made a pair of turtles for Nora Jacobs. She had twins.”

  At the mention of my baby, I forgot all about the reason for my visit. “Ooh, I do like that idea. What would you recommend?” I scoured the options in front of me. “I feel like I’ll make a better decision after the baby’s born.”

  “What does it matter?” Amanda asked. “This baby is part of you. Go with your gut and you’ll be fine.”

  “Words of wisdom,” I agreed.

  I quickly dismissed the ladybug. Gareth called them ‘ladybirds’ and considered them to be an embarrassment to the insect world. I wasn’t sure why, but it seemed best not to argue.

  “How about this frog?” Amanda asked. She stroked the head of a bright green statue with bulbous eyes. “Not too masculine or feminine.”

  No, but undeniably ugly. “I’m not sure.”

  “I can even get him charmed,” Amanda continued. “Make his tongue shoot out whenever someone passes by.”

  I smiled. “That might frighten the neighbors.” Not that anything could frighten the harpies next door. Their feathery wings were tough to ruffle.

  “I can make him useful and have him catch any flies within range,” Amanda said.

  “I have a cat for that,” I said, unwilling to say more about Magpie’s superpower. The fact she could charm her statues piqued my interest, though. “What kind of magic would you use for that?”

  Amanda gave me a mysterious wink. “I have my sources.”

  “Someone from the coven?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say,” she replied. “Suffice it to say, we have a business arrangement.”

  “Why is it a secret?” I asked. Maybe because Amanda was hiding something?

  “My business associate doesn’t want to be associated with this kind of work,” the Gorgon said. “They consider it beneath them.”

  My gaze traveled over the ornaments. “Do you have any bigger options? Maybe life-sized?”

  Amanda adjusted the hem of her T-shirt. “What do you have in mind?”

  The idea came to me out of the blue. “A statue of an angel cradling an infant.”


  “Your husband and child?”

  “Their likeness, yes,” I said. “And maybe the angel’s wings can flap when it’s windy.”

  Amanda brightened. “I love that idea.”

  “Is that something you can do?”

  “Absolutely.” She appeared thoughtful. “How soon would you want this? A statue that big will take some time.”

  “I thought it would be a nice gift for Daniel once the baby’s born,” I said. I glanced down at my stomach. “So you’ve got a couple of months.” Fingers crossed.

  She reached for her order pad and a pen. “Let me run a figure by you before you commit.”

  “You’ve traded in your quill for pens, I see.”

  She laughed. “Hasn’t everyone? Pens are so much easier to write with. No more ink stains on the table. It’s an amazing invention.”

  “I kind of liked the quill,” I said, “though I guess the novelty hadn’t worn off for me yet.”

  “Some residents are still using them in an effort to preserve our town charm,” Amanda said.

  “Tourism is good for everyone.” And kept Daniel busy, which was good for us.

  “A statue like this won’t be cheap, although I’m willing to give you a friends and family discount given your relationship with Althea.”

  I stiffened. I was going to have to come clean about the reason I was here. “Thanks, I appreciate that.”

  Amanda leaned across the table. “Between you and me, I would’ve given it to you anyway because you broke the curse, but I wouldn’t want anyone to know. They’d think I was getting soft.”

  “Still hard as a rock, huh?” I asked.

  Amanda thumped the frog statue. “We Gorgons are tough.”

  “But not indestructible,” I said, gesturing to the bandage on her forearm.

  Amanda glanced at the bandage. “It was the dumbest thing. I’d created a custom hedgehog and when the customer came to collect it, I ended up scraping my arm on the quills and bled all over it.” She shook her head. “I was so embarrassed.”

  I winced. “I guess the customer didn’t want it after that.”

  “To his credit, he did.” She shrugged. “What can I say? When you’re the best in the business, nobody wants to say no.” She paused. “Not that I’m going to force you to buy something if the price is too steep. Althea would skin me alive.”