“How did you get Small-Cox to do that?”
Liv scrunched her forehead. “Who’s Small-Cox?”
“That was idiot fortune teller’s real name.” I was so angry, I wasn’t going to be nice about him, not even to Liv.” She made a silent O with her lips. Although, after what he’d done to her, she likely wouldn’t be a member of his fan club any longer.
“Anyway,” Beren said, “he didn’t agree. He wouldn’t admit to anything, even though we had proof it was his magic. He was indignant and demanded we take him back to perform his show, even knowing Ma’am had caught him strangling Lily. He’s a right nutter.” He took a deep breath. “This doesn’t leave this room. Understood?” We all nodded as he made a bubble of silence. “Ma’am coerced him. She got into his head and forced him to do it. She read his mind, then compelled him to comply. She’s currently forcing him to undo dozens of spells. Once they’ve finished, he’s going away for life.”
Liv frowned, her eyes sad. “It’s not all his fault. I gave him the idea. He was reading people’s minds, seeing what their deepest wishes and desires were, then making them happen, no matter the cost. I wished I were skinny, that I could eat whatever I wanted and not put on weight. His spell gave me a metabolism that was so fast, it was killing me.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault!” I gave her a stern stare. “Stupid Kate bullied you for years. No wonder you worried about it, but you know what? You’re gorgeous, and you weren’t even chubby. And even if you were chubby, or fat, we would all still love you. You aren’t your weight. You’re a gorgeous girl outside because you are inside. And I never want you to change. I just want you to love you for you, like the rest of us do.” I took her hand and smiled. “Think you can do that?”
She smiled. “I think I can. I’m definitely not dying to be slim.” She chuckled. “Yeah, that was a bad joke, but now I see how crazy it was to put so much energy into worrying about it. I’m just glad it’s all over. Oh, and Ma’am saw that Owen was responsible for Kate’s death—his magic put more oomph into the push than I ever would have. They’re going to have a word with our liaison at the Kent police, and they’re charging him with her manslaughter.” She sunk back into her pillows and sighed. “I’m so tired. I need a nap.”
Beren gazed lovingly down at her. “Healing will do that to you, not to mention we need to get you a few good feeds. You’re skin and bone.”
“Lily.” Will looked at me. “What do you say we go home? I’m exhausted, and you look like you could use a night on the couch too. We could order Indian.” He grinned.
I’d only just had it at Liv’s, but who cared? You could never get too much of a good thing, despite some people arguing to the contrary. “That sounds like heaven.” I gave Liv another hug, then went and embraced Imani. Everyone was going to be fine, but we’d come so close to that not being the case. I looked around at Liv. “Oh, does that mean you’re moving back in?”
She smiled. “Yep. I’ll see you tomorrow, around lunchtime. Maybe you and Imani can pick up some yummy stuff from Costa, and we’ll have a celebratory lunch at home and binge-watch Stranger Things. I doubt I’ll be up to going out.” I dared say she was right. I was surprised she had enough energy for this conversation. She was so thin, it was scary.
“Sounds like a plan.” I grinned.
“I’m in,” said Imani.
I turned to James. “What about the lady with the Christmas tree, and the dance kids? Oh, and that poor man who shot himself?”
“We’re still working on it all, but the guy who shot himself, his daughter had gone to Owen. She needed money to pay back some debts. She inherited when her father died, so we’re charging him with murder for that one. And, I imagine, the others will be linked to him too—maybe a parent wanted their kid to win the competition? And maybe the woman who died had relatives who would benefit? It will all be cleared up soon, but Beren, Will, and I have a gazillion interviews to carry out in the coming weeks.”
Will groaned. “Oh, the joy.” He looked at me. “Since I have so much work coming up, and I’m so very exhausted right now, can we go home?”
“Um, yes, in a sec. I have one more question.” I turned back to my brother. “How’s Mill? What are we going to do about the snake group?” That catch spell still had me spooked.
James scowled. “Yes, well, we’re being extra cautious, but now this drama is over, we’re going to have to have another meeting.” He ran his gaze over everyone. “None of us are safe. I want you all to check for catch spells before you leave the house from now on. I hate to say it, Lily, but you’re going to have to go back to Mum’s diary, retrace her steps, and photograph everything you can. Make sure you take Will or Imani with you whenever you go out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, of course. As if I’m not doing that already. Sheesh.” As awesome as it was to have everyone okay, my chest constricted with sadness. Seeing photos of my parents was both a curse and a blessing. Every time I saw them was emotionally draining, and now I was going to have to do it on a larger scale than before. I supposed the quicker I did it, the sooner we could find the Regula Pythonissam lair and discover what happened to my parents. Only then could James and I truly move on.
Will poked my side a few times. I looked at him. “Right. I guess I’d better get Agent Crankypants home before I get into trouble.” I smirked. He hadn’t been cranky much the last couple of weeks, but I enjoyed stirring him. He gave me a steely stare, but I noticed the twitch at one corner of his lips. “Are you right to make your own doorway?” I had to ask because I wasn’t sure if I had enough energy left to make one large enough for both of us.
He swung his legs off the bed and stood. “I’ve got enough in the tank for way more than that.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Ew, man, don’t go there in front of me. That’s my sister.”
Imani and I both snorted at the same time. “Jinx!” I said.
“What are you, twelve?” James looked at me.
“You’re the one who can’t handle the fact that your sister has a se—”
He held up his hand. “No more! You’re right; I can’t handle it. And on that note, I’ve got work to do.” He bent down, gave Liv a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned to Imani. “Nice work today.” She gave him a nod, and he turned and strode out.
Will grabbed my hand. “Come on. We’ve got some lounging to do.” He made his doorway, and we stepped through into Angelica’s reception room.
“Brrr, it’s freezing in here.” I hurried to the sitting room and magicked the fire into existence. Dizziness swirled in my skull. I gripped the mantle to keep from falling. Looked like we got home just in time.
“Are you okay?” Will’s brow furrowed.
“Yep. Just used a bit too much magic today. After about twenty-four hours’ sleep, I’ll be fine.” I grinned. “So, you promised me Indian.”
He chuckled. “Hmm, so I did.” He pulled out his phone and called Witcheroo. The food arrived within five minutes, just appearing on the dining-room table. We loaded up our plates, took them into the TV room, and sat on the couch. The news was on TV. “Oh, look, it’s our favourite fortune teller.” I growled. Stupid, arrogant, murdering idiot. Most of the non-witch world didn’t know about us, but PIB arrests still made the news. The wider public just knew they were a special government agency, just not what, exactly.
Pure satisfaction calmed my nerves at the look of absolute hatred and anger on his face as he stood there in magic-blocking handcuffs. “Westerham’s darling of the fortune-telling world has fallen about as far as one can go. He’s been linked to numerous deaths, as it appears his talents were non-existent. Along with murder charges, he’s been charged with fraud and obtaining money by deceptive practices. All his property and bank accounts have been seized.”
Ha! It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. As bad as the last couple of weeks had been, we’d ended with a good outcome. One horrible person was dead, two others were in jail, and my friends were all aliv
e and well, except for poor Gus, who was going to be scarred for life after what happened to his boss. We’d just have to make sure to convince him it wasn’t his fault. And Liv wasn’t going to jail. I smiled.
“Lily, look!” Will placed his plate on the floor and went to the multi-paned window that faced the front garden.
“What is it?” Oh God, not something else. Hadn’t we had enough drama for one day? Actually, I’d had enough for a lifetime, but since we hadn’t found my parents or put the snake group out of action, I was in for a hell of a lot more.
“Come here. You’ll want to see this.” He had his back to me, staring out the window, but his voice held joy rather than angst.
I jumped up and joined him. He slid his arm around me, and I burrowed into his side.
He dropped his voice, and his words flowed over me like a soft blanket. “Look. It’s snowing.”
Oh my God, so it was! I gasped in wonder at the white flakes floating silently to the ground. My heart swelled with excitement and reverence. A tingle of Will’s power caressed my scalp, and the TV shut off. We stood in the dark, in the quiet, observing the ethereal beauty of Mother Nature at her peaceful best. Each flake was like a tiny, weightless fairy performing an ageless ballet. Had my parents ever stood here and watched it snow? My heart both ached with melancholy and swelled with love. I missed them so much, but I was thankful for the time we’d had together, and now I had more love from so many people. A tear tracked down my cheek, and I slid my arm around Will.
He turned me to face him and slipped his other arm around my back. “So, the universe granted you your wish.” He smiled down at me.
“It sure did. Maybe it’s not quite as mean as I thought.”
“It better be nice to you; it has me to answer to if it’s not.” He leaned down and placed his lips on mine.
Okay, so maybe the universe and I were going to be friends after all. At least until next time….
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author, Dionne Lister is a Sydneysider with a degree in creative writing, two Siamese cats, and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Daydreaming has always been her passion, so writing was a natural progression from staring out the window in primary school, and being an author was a dream she held since childhood.
Unfortunately, writing was only a hobby while Dionne worked as a property valuer in Sydney, until her mid-thirties when she returned to study and completed her creative writing degree. Since then, she has indulged her passion for writing while raising two children with her husband. Her books have attracted praise from Apple iBooks and have reached #1 on Amazon and iBooks charts worldwide, frequently occupying top 100 lists in fantasy. She’s excited to add cozy mystery to the list of genres she writes. Magic and danger are always a heady combination.
Also by Dionne Lister
Paranormal Investigation Bureau
Witchnapped in Westerham #1
Witch Swindled in Westerham #2
Witch Undercover in Westerham #3
Witchslapped in Westerham #4
Witch Silenced in Westerham #5
Killer Witch in Westerham #6
Witch Haunted in Westerham #7
The Circle of Talia
(YA Epic Fantasy)
Shadows of the Realm
A Time of Darkness
Realm of Blood and Fire
* * *
The Rose of Nerine
(Epic Fantasy)
Tempering the Rose
Witch Oracle in Westerham Page 16