Frosting Disaster

by Zoe Arden

"Thanks," she sniffed. Her nose had started the day pink and gone to red. Her eyes were watery and her skin was glowing a steady shade of light green.

  "Not feeling any better?" my dad asked.

  "I'm fine," Trixie said and tried to smile.

  "Maybe you should go home," I said and she shot me a look.

  "I'm fine," she repeated. "I'm not really sick. Just getting sick." She sneezed again, her sneeze blowing right into the bowl of frosting that she was stirring. She stared down at it, made a face, then promptly flipped the bowl over and sent the frosting into a trashcan.

  "You're right," she said. "I'm sick."

  "Go home," Eleanor told her, taking the bowl. "Get some rest."

  "How can I with everything we have to do?"

  "You sound like me now," Eleanor said.

  Trixie chuckled but it turned into a cough. "Okay," she finally said when the cough had subsided.

  We spent the rest of the day making do without Trixie but weren't doing too badly. We still had a few days before the ball so we were in good shape. At least I thought so. According to Eleanor, we were slowly sinking into an abyss of cupcakes and pastries, and the showstopper cake was to be the center of our demise.

  "If we don't get that cake done..." she muttered to herself as she gathered her things. It was an hour before closing and Sheriff Knoxx had texted her to make sure she was coming home. "Should never have agreed to leave early..." she was still muttering. "Early tomorrow... we'll be fine."

  "Go and relax," I told her, realizing that was probably impossible. She nodded and left the bakery, still muttering. Soon she'd be biting her fingernails. My dad hovered behind the counter.

  "Why don't you go, too?" I told him. "Get to Sadie's a bit early. Surprise her."

  My dad opened his mouth but I cut him off.

  "I'll be fine. Look, it's dead right now."

  He bit his bottom lip. "Randall's killer is still out there. I shouldn't leave you alone."

  My heart skipped a beat. With so much going on, I hadn't had time to think about Randall or his killer today.

  "Then again, if I leave now I'd have time to get her flowers. Flowers are as good as dinner from Golden Goose, right?"

  "Right," I said, hoping I didn't sound as uncertain as I suddenly felt. What had I been thinking sending everyone away? I looked out the front window. It was dark. By nine, it would be even darker. I almost told my dad not to go but he had suddenly gotten a bounce in his step. When he left, he made me promise to text Colt to meet me at closing and walk me home.

  I agreed, happy and relieved at the idea of seeing Colt. He'd been pretty busy lately, too, and we hadn't had much time to see each other this week. He was going to take me to the mayor's ball over the weekend and I was looking forward to getting him alone in a dark corner somewhere. Maybe tonight we could do a sneak preview.

  A wave of disappointment washed over me when he texted back and told me he was at COMHA headquarters and couldn't meet me. I texted him that was okay and thought about messaging Lucy but she was probably busy closing up Coffee Cove.

  When I'd rung up the last customers and given a final wipe to the counters, I shut off the lights and locked the door. I didn't know why the hairs on my neck were standing on end, I only knew that every dark corner I crossed made me jump. My heart was beating erratically and my eyes couldn't seem to adjust to the dim night sky. It was almost eleven. I'd taken longer than I should have inside the bakery, making sure everything was prepped for tomorrow so that we might be able to catch up more easily. Otis was anticipating the entire town's turnout for his ball, and I didn't think that was an exaggeration.

  Our home wasn't far, though. Less than a mile and an easy walk beneath the street lights and around tourists. The tourists weren't out tonight, though. And several of the street lights were black. I spotted broken glass on the ground and gazed up at one of the lights, thinking that it looked as if someone had been throwing rocks at it in an effort to break it. But why would someone do that? I shuddered as a million disconcerting thoughts ran through my head.

  I quickened my pace and was half a mile from the bakery when I heard the clacking sounds of footsteps behind me. I stopped to listen and the footsteps stopped with me. I looked slowly around but saw no one.

  "Just my imagination," I muttered but couldn't shake the creeping sensation growing up along my spine. I started walking again and when I reached the street I need to turn on, my heart stopped. Every light along this street was out. Every. Single. One. My house was just a quarter of a mile away. I picked up my feet and hurried toward it. The footsteps started back up. I spun around, my hair falling across my eyes. I wiped at it frantically, trying to get it out of my face like it was a bat attacking me instead of just my own hair.

  "Who's there?" I shouted, and when no one answered, I was reminded of Otis' grand entrance at Mystic not long ago. "Otis?" I asked tentatively and thought I heard a giggle. I started to run. This time there was no mistaking it. There was not just one set of footsteps but several. They were chasing after me.

  "Help!" I cried out and felt a hand grip my shoulder. In my mind, it wasn't just a hand but a long, bony finger reaching out to me from beyond the grave. A second, much more unsettling image passed through almost as fast—that of an ax murderer. But Randall hadn't been killed with an ax. That knowledge did nothing to settle me, though.

  I lifted my finger as I spun around to face my stalker and did the first spell that came to mind—a light charm. The entire street lit up as a bright blue glow erupted from my fingertip. Renee was standing in front of me. A second light, almost brighter than the one I'd created, flashed in my eyes.

  "Got it!" Renee shouted and there were cheers of triumph.

  "Run!" a woman's voice called.

  I blinked several times and my eyes focused just long enough to see Renee running away from me, Sally, Bebe, and Vivian running with her. In Renee's hand was a camera.

  * * *

  CHAPTER

  ELEVEN

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  I was outside Damon's apartment. Again. My hands were shaking. I had never been so angry in all my life. At least this time Eleanor wasn't expecting me back at the bakery so soon. She'd actually asked me to go to Mistmoor for some medicine for Trixie, who couldn't seem to shake whatever bug she'd picked up. She was home sick today, which meant my dad and Eleanor were gonna have to work twice as fast just to stay caught up.

  Dr. Dunne, who headed up Sweetland Hospital, was a great doctor but Amanda Hollyberry was one of the most well-known and respected magical elixir experts in the world, and she lived in Mistmoor. Eleanor had called her early this morning and asked her for a draught that might help Trixie shake her cold or flu or whatever it was. Elixirs were different from extracts. What I did was strictly baking related; what Amanda did was medicinal.

  I'd already been to see her and now I had to see Damon. I waited for him to leave like last time, only this time when I saw him exit his apartment and start down the stairs, I ran out to greet him.

  "Damon," I called, forcing a smile.

  He looked up and his mouth crinkled down at the corners. He didn't say anything.

  "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked.

  "I'm on my way to work," he said. "Excuse me." He brushed past me, walking toward downtown Mistmoor.

  "Hang on a second," I said, hurrying after him. "There's something I need to ask you about."

  "Does it have to do with Randall?" he snapped. "My mom told me how you inquisitioned her the other day."

  The color rose in my cheeks. I had hoped Renee would keep her mouth closed about that but I guess I'd been wrong. I didn't know what I'd been thinking.

  "I only asked her to tell me the truth about why she was here, which she did."

  Damon had stopped walking. He was facing me. If he'd been breathing any harder, smoke would have come out his nose. "And what truth is
that?"

  "She's not here to see you or Betsey. She's here to get proof of the paranormal so she can use it to turn humans against us." I couldn't help thinking that it was just a little over a year ago that I'd thought I was human. How quickly things could change.

  I waited for Damon's response but he gave none, other than to walk away from me.

  "She took my picture!" I yelled, worried that he might actually leave without hearing me out. I hadn't gotten to why I was here yet.

  He paused and turned around. "What picture?"

  "Last night, your mom and her friends were waiting for me when I left the bakery. They must've knocked out the streetlights along my street, hoping I'd use magic to see."

  "Did you?" he asked.

  I nodded. "Just a light charm." The bright blue light that had emanated from my fingertip had comforted me for exactly two seconds—the two seconds before Renee had snapped a picture of me performing the spell. "She snapped a picture of me with light shooting out of my fingertip."

  A slight frown formed on his face. "That doesn't sound like much evidence."

  "It's enough," I told him and licked my lips. "I need it back."

  He looked hard at me. "You mean you want me to steal my mom's camera?"

  "Or delete it. She probably hasn't printed it out yet."

  "Ava, I don't even know where my mom keeps her camera."

  "So, look for it," I snapped.

  "No," he snapped back. "I'm sick of you invading my life. Betsey doesn't want me talking to you, and I think she might be right. Believe it or not, my mom actually likes Betsey. I don't want to mess this up."

  I laughed. "Don't be foolish." I clapped my hand over my mouth almost immediately, knowing I'd put my foot in it again. Maybe I had a bigger mouth than Lucy after all.

  "You shouldn't have been using magic in front of humans," Damon growled. "If she got your picture, it's your own fault."

  "So you won't help me?" I asked.

  "No."

  "Fine, then I'll get it back myself." We turned away from each other and huffed off.

  * * *

  CHAPTER

  TWELVE

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  I held Snowball in my arms. She purred softly as I scratched under her chin. "Snowball gets Tuna?" she asked.

  "Yes," I told her. "Snowball will get tuna but later. When we're done. First, I need you to help me like we talked about."

  Snowball nodded and jumped out of my arms to the sand where she landed with a soft plop. "Why do Tootsie and Rocky not help?" she asked.

  Tootsie was Trixie's cat. He'd been my mother's familiar when she was still living, and after her death had transferred to Trixie. We shared a special bond because of my mother but Snowball was still the only familiar I had. Rocky was Aunt Eleanor's familiar; a giant wolfhound with a sweet streak in him. He loved Eleanor and would do anything for her, which was why I didn't want him to know what I was up to. As for Tootsie, I just didn't want to chance that he might let slip what was happening. Not to Trixie or anyone else. The fewer people who knew what I was doing, the better.

  "Tootsie and Rocky were busy today," I told her. "And anyway, I need this to be just our secret."

  Snowball's eyes widened. "Snowy should not tell Rocky or Tootsie what we are doing?"

  "That's right," I said. "Don't tell anyone."

  Snowball cocked her head to the side and thought about it, then nodded.

  "Snowball likes Mistmoor Beach," she said, skipping across the sand toward the water. "This is where Snowy found Mama."

  I smiled at the memory of Snowball licking my face when I woke up on Mistmoor Beach a year ago, no memory of how I'd gotten here. She'd been so tiny then, just a kitten. She was still small but she had outgrown the kitten phase. She'd always be a kitten to me, though.

  "There is Renee!" Snowball shouted and took off running. "Snowy will tell Mama everything!"

  I ducked behind a large rock as Renee walked along the sand. We'd followed her here from Damon's apartment but had lost sight of her a half hour ago. Snowball went running right up to her, rubbing her head against Renee's ankles. Renee paused a moment then smiled and leaned down to pet Snowball. Snowy let her stroke her fur for a minute before running off again. To most people, it looked as though Snowy was playing but I knew what she was up to. I had asked Snowball to do me a favor and follow Renee. I needed to find out what she'd done with that picture. Her digital camera could be hidden anywhere, and for all I knew she'd printed out a dozen copies of my photo already.

  While Snowball was busy with Renee, I went in search of her friends. She'd been right; there were few hotels in Mistmoor and it had been easy to track down where they were staying. I got to the hotel just as they were walking out and ducked behind a palm tree. Luckily for me, it was one of those short, fat palm trees, not the tall skinny ones. It hid me easily as I watched them walk toward downtown Mistmoor, which was only a short distance away.

  Bebe, Sally, and Vivian spent most of the morning doing nothing in particular, at least that was what it looked like, but I suspected they were mapping things out. Looking for magic. Bebe and Sally seemed to get along just fine but I could tell just from how they walked next to each other that Vivian and Sally were at odds. Whenever they touched each other, their faces immediately tensed. Just talking to each other seemed to stir the pot. Bebe tried to stay between them but sometimes she forgot and ran to look at a shop window, leaving them to themselves.

  I felt guilty about not being at the bakery. I'd snuck out of the house with Snowball early this morning before anyone was awake and left a note saying that I had some errands to run and would be in later if I could. Eleanor had sent me half a dozen texts, all of which I'd ignored. I couldn't tell them what I was doing or why I was doing it. If my family knew I'd been stupid enough to let Renee get a picture of me performing magic, I'd never hear the end of it.

  After what felt like hours of walking, they stopped outside of Cakes and Creations, the bakery Felicity Redfern owned with her mother. I peered in through the window as they looked at the display cases. Felicity came out, her long red hair swinging behind her back, and I suddenly wished I'd thought to bring a voice bumper. I could have used it to listen to what they were saying. Voice bumpers were small as a fly and virtually undetectable. COMHA used them in all their detective work. Why would MAPP be in a magical bakery? I had to find out.

  They pointed to some cookies and Felicity said something. They all got looks of horror on their face before turning away and running out of the bakery. They almost ran right into me. I watched them cross the street, check their watches, and hurry toward the beach.

  I hurried into the bakery before another customer could interrupt. "Felicity!" I shouted.

  She jumped.

  "Oh, Ava, hi."

  I didn't have time to waste. "What did those women want?" She looked confused for a moment. "The women who were just in here. They pointed to your cookies then practically ran out of here."

  "Oh, them. They were human but they knew a lot about magic. They asked me what was in the cookies and when I told them Fluffernutter root, they freaked." She paused. "I think they were hoping they were just plain cookies."

  I left the shop, disappointed and feeling like I'd wasted my morning. It was almost lunch and Snowy and I were supposed to meet back up at the beach. I scanned the sand and saw the back of Renee's head as she left the area with her friends. Snowball came running up to me, practically flying into my arms.

  "Mama, Mama!" she shouted.

  "Hi, Fluffhead," I said scratching her as she nuzzled me.

  "Snowy does not like Fluffhead," she said. "Snowy likes Snowball or Snowy."

  "I'm sorry," I said and rubbed under her chin. "Snowball gets extra tuna tonight." Her eyes lit up. "Did you have any luck?"

  "Yes. Renee has her camera. She has not printed pictures, Snowy heard her say so to her friend
s before they left the beach." She licked her paw and wiped it on her face, cleaning off a speck of sand that had gotten stuck there. "Renee said prints might get into bad hands."

  "Where's her camera?"

  "In her purse."

  I watched the now distant figures and got an idea. "Do you know where she's going now?"

  "Back to hotel with friends." I set Snowy on the ground and fished out my Witchmobile. I dialed the hotel's number and asked for Sally Edgerly's room, chancing that it was under her name. She seemed to be the boss of their little group when Renee wasn't around. I was right. They weren't back yet, and I was connected to their voicemail.

  I lowered my voice, disguising it as best I could, and left my message.

  "I have information for you regarding Damon Tellinger and Betsey LaGrange." I paused and looked down at Snowball, who was pawing at my feet. She whispered, "Important," and bumped her head against my ankle. "Important information," I added. "His life might depend on knowing this. Meet me," I checked the time; it was just after eleven, "at noon at the Golden Goose. Ask for... Dracula."

  Snowy tugged at my feet again. "Camera," she whispered. I'd almost forgotten the most important part. "Come alone. Bring your camera," I added and hung up.

  Now, I'd just have to wait.

  * * *

  CHAPTER

  THIRTEEN

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  Grayson Redfern was looking at me like I was nuts. It wasn't the first time, either. His sister, Felicity, had told me before that he thought I had some crazy ideas at times. Apparently, this was one of those times.