Murder at Midnight (Witches of Keyhole Lake)

by Maher Tegan

  I plucked the last hushpuppy from our shared cardboard boat and popped it in my mouth as I dug my wallet out of my backpack-style purse. After handing Maris enough money to cover the tab and tip, I gave her a quick hug. “Thanks for another awesome lunch. We have to hustle, or we’ll be late meeting Larry.”

  She rolled her merry green eyes and smiled as she tucked the cash into her apron. “Like that old coot ever knows what time it is, anyway. Fair winds, and good luck explorin’.”

  When we pushed out the door, I took a deep breath of fresh air washed clean by the hurricane. The storm had only brushed the coast, so the only thing left in its wake was perfect weather. The humidity was low, which was rare in our little Florida town.

  I glanced over at Eli as we rounded the corner to follow the boardwalk down to the docks. “Are you feeling better?”

  He nodded and tossed his backpack over his shoulder. “I think so. I love storms, but I hate what they do to my magic. Everything is muddy. I think we’ll be fine, though. I’m not scared; I just feel like something’s coming. It might not even have anything to do with the dive.”

  I waggled my eyebrows at him. “Something wicked this way blows?”

  Laughing, he gave me a little push. “Go ahead—make fun of me. You know I’m never wrong.”

  That much was true, but it didn’t mean I’d ever miss a chance to tease him.

  “Speaking of something wicked,” he said, and I followed his gaze.

  “Fabulous,” I mumbled when I saw two high-fashion, low-class brunettes heading our way. Faith and Hope Ward had plagued us since third grade when they’d moved to Marauders Bay with their father who, oddly enough, was an absolute joy. They were identical other than a mole above the right corner of Faith’s mouth. The twin witches were rich, snobby, and condescending, and never missed a chance to take a shot at one or both of us.

  “Oh, look, Eli. It’s Bibbity and Bobbity,” I said when they were within hearing distance. “They must have been trolling the docks for a little Saturday-night spending cash.”

  Eli snickered. “You’re probably right. I have Faith they’ll find it, but I Hope the poor guys didn’t catch anything.” One of his favorite ways to get under their skin was to twist their names around.

  Faith smirked. “Yeah, because we’re short on cash. Daddy has more money than God, and you know it. What brings you two weirdos down here?”

  Hope raked her gaze over us and shuddered. “They’re probably heading out on that ratty boat, seeing as how they’re both dressed like beach bums as usual. Nice shirt,” she said to Eli.

  He glanced down at his Show me your booty tank top, then shook his head and waved his finger. “Oh, no, sweetie,” he said, making a circular gesture around the text with his forefinger. “This doesn’t mean you. Even if I were so inclined, I can guarantee my tastes wouldn’t run toward tall, dumb, and nasty.”

  Faith’s dark eyes snapped to him. A spike of energy washed over me, and my armlet grew warm, giving me a heads up that something was coming. Knowing Eli’s magic was wonky, I stepped in front of him and threw up a shield before whatever curse she was throwing at him could stick.

  “Now, now,” I said after I felt the sting of her magic hit my shield. ““That’s no way to play nice.”

  “No,” Eli added, nudging me aside. “It certainly isn’t. And I recognized that hex. I’m rubber, you’re glue. Back ’atcha, witches.” He flicked a wrist, and an evil smile curled his lips. His magic must not have been too wonky, because a burst of energy raised the hair on the back of my neck two seconds before the scent of rotten garbage assailed my nostrils.

  I laughed because the garbage spell was one of Eli’s specialties. “You were dumb enough to try to hit him with his own hex?” I asked them, only semi-incredulous. Nothing dumb or unoriginal they did ever entirely surprised me.

  Faith’s face went red and she raised her hand again.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I said, wagging a finger at her. “You know you’ll only make matters worse, and if you run to your father, we’ll tell him you started it.”

  Hope glared at me. “So? He’ll believe us over you.”

  I arched a brow at her because she knew that wasn’t true. Their father had been mayor for many years, and though he loved them, he wasn’t blind to them. Me, on the other hand, he loved. They’d been in hot water more than once for practicing magic where they might have been seen by non-magicals. According to my older sister, who was on the town’s Council of Magic, they were on their last chance. “Will he, though? You sure you don’t want to think this through a little? You know, before you end up a dumpster?”

  It wouldn’t have been the first time one of us had ended up transfigured, or even the twentieth. It was sorta what we did.

  Neither of them said anything, but Faith was dangerously close to popping a vessel if the crimson hue of her face was anything to go by. I summoned a magical energy coin and rolled it across my knuckles. “Time’s atickin’ ladies. We have places to be, so if you’re gonna throw down, let’s get this show on the road.”

  Faith and Hope both had the bloodline to be talented, capable witches, but they didn’t have the dedication. Most of the time, any spells unrelated to clothes, hair, or makeup were clumsy and poorly executed, so they tended to rely on sneak attacks rather than face-to-face confrontation.

  Hope took Faith by the arm while glaring daggers at us. “C’mon, Faith. We’ve wasted enough time on this trash.”

  “Uh, excuse you,” Eli said, crossing his arms and staring down his nose at them. “I think you have that backwards. Which of us smell like something that fell off a garbage truck?”

  Faith gave a high-pitched “hmph” but let Hope drag her away. We stood there until they turned the corner because we’d learned long ago never to turn our backs on them.

  “I’m rubber you’re glue?” I asked, turning to Eli with a raised brow. “Really? What are you, eight?”

  He lifted a shoulder and gave me a smug smile. “I can adapt my maturity level to match any circumstance.”

  “So I see.”

  “How’d you know she was hexing us?” he asked as we continued our stroll down the boardwalk. “Your armlet, or was it just an educated guess?”

  “My armlet.” Earlier in the summer, I’d helped an ancient witch track down a grimoire that had belonged to her grandmother. As thanks and payment, she’d given me an armlet made of gold and silver. A golden crown was set over a sunburst, and the intricate band was sterling. Several different stones adorned it, placed in strategic places throughout the runes etched into the band.

  Its symbolism was complex, but the long and short of it was that it was meant to help protect me as well as enhance my natural gift of being able to detect cursed objects and dark magic. Because I’ve had more than my fair share of close calls, I was willing to take any help I could get. Plus, it was pretty and unique. I wore it on my upper right arm and never took it off.

  We continued on past the touristy shops, boutique restaurants, and beach bars until we’d reached the north end of the boardwalk that led to a marina where most of the local boats were moored. As always, the sound of the water slapping off the hulls of the boats and the cry of seagulls invigorated me.

  By the time we made it to the Sea Urchin, Eli’s bad feeling had slipped from my mind, replaced by the excitement of seeing what treasures the storm had stirred up.

  Want to keep reading? Click here to read for free with Kindle Unlimited.

  Connect with Me!

  I love to write, and staying in contact with my readers helps me create characters and plots that you will enjoy too. I share a lot of insight and laughs with the folks in my Facebook group, The Cracked Cauldron. You should join us!

  To receive notifications about new releases, deals, and other exciting news, join my exclusive readers’ group here. I’m a reader too, so if I come across a good deal by a great author, I may share in the weekly update, but I won’t spam you with sal
esy BS. I may include obscure trivia, though; you’d be amazed what I learn while researching!

  If you’re not an email-list person, keep track of what’s going by following me on Bookbub or on my Amazon author page.

  Other Series by Tegan Maher

  THE ENCHANTED COAST Magical Mysteries (Destiny Maganti)

  Cori Sloane, Witchy Werewolf

  Haunted Lodge Mysteries (Toni Owens)

  Celestial Academy: The Witch (Shelby Flynn)

  Paranormal Artifacts Cozy Mysteries (Sage Parker)

  Witches of Abaddon’s Gate (Mila Maganti)

  Southern Soul Hunters (Kira)

  Gulf Coast Reaper Chronicles (Wren)

  About Tegan

  I was born and raised in the South and even hung my motorcycle helmet in Colorado for a few months. I've always had a touch of wanderlust and have never feared just packing up and going on new adventures, whether in real life or via the pages of a great book.

  When I was a little girl, I didn't want to grow up to be a writer—I wanted to raise unicorns and be a superhero. When those gigs fell through, I chose the next best thing: creating my own magical lands filled with adventure, magic, humor, and romance.

  I live in Florida with my two dogs. When I'm not writing or reading, I'm racing motorcycles or binge-watching anything magical on Netflix.

  I'm eternally grateful for all the people who help make my life what is today - friends, readers, family. No woman is an island.