“Were you angry with Seamus about that?” I asked. It must have been frustrating to invest years in the pixie without getting what she wanted out of the relationship.
She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "In the beginning, I was. I spent years with him, imagining what our family life would be like. I planned our future. I had no idea I would be dragging him into it." She heaved a sigh. "Eventually, I decided that I didn't want to drag anyone through life with me. I wanted him to come skipping and dancing because he was so happy to be with me. That wasn't going to be Seamus, no matter how desperately I wanted it to be.”
"Why do you think he had a problem with commitment?" I asked.
She focused on the sequins, probably in an effort to keep her emotions in check. "He was always slow to make decisions. To commit to an opinion. He worried about making the wrong choice, so he never made any. But that's kind of like making a choice, isn't it?"
An idea occurred to me. "Maxwell said that you and Seamus spoke at the casino not long before he died. Did you tell him then that you were having a baby?"
Her hazel eyes squinted. "As a matter of fact, I did."
"What about Richard?" I asked. "How did he feel about your relationship with Seamus? Did he mind you sharing personal news with him at the casino?"
Leanne paused. “We argued about it later that night," she admitted. "Richard thinks I coddled him. He said that Seamus had his chance with me and blew it, so I should stop caring about his feelings." Leanne patted her belly. “Richard’s going to make a great father. If I’m certain about one thing, it's that."
I studied her closely. "Do you love him? Richard, I mean.”
"Of course I do," she replied hotly. "What kind of question is that?"
"Do you love him the way you loved Seamus?” I could tell the truth just by talking to her. I only wondered whether she recognized it herself.
"I love them for different reasons," she said. "They are two very different men. Or were. Seamus may have been indecisive and incommunicative, but he was easy to love."
"And Richard?" I prompted.
Her jaw tensed. "Richard is stable and certain. He'll take good care of us. That’s the most important thing.”
I had to admit, there were worse reasons to choose a partner. “You said Richard is the night manager at the bank?"
"That's right. He goes in at four o'clock."
"That might be a tough schedule for your family once the baby comes," I said.
Her expression brightened. "He’s already put in to change shifts when the baby comes. He thinks ahead like that. That's what I mean about two different men. Seamus struggled to commit to a career. Richard has a five-year plan."
I opted not to point out that a five-year plan wouldn’t have done poor Seamus much good under the circumstances.
"Best of luck with the baby," I said.
“Best of luck with your wedding," she replied. “Maybe the next time we meet up, you’ll be in here for maternity clothes."
Now it was my turn to blush. “Baby steps, Leanne…I mean, slow and steady.”
Chapter 7
Are you sure you want to accompany me here? I asked. Don't forget she has that cat that doesn't like owls.
Bella, Sedgwick reminded me. I'm not afraid of anyone's familiar. I have one huge advantage over her.
What's that? Your sassy attitude?
No, oh ye of little brains. Wings.
Who are you calling a birdbrain, you birdbrain? I shot back.
Very mature, Sedgwick said.
Stay up high while we’re here and Bella will have no chance of catching you, I instructed him.
That's the plan. Besides, last time I was here I found a nest of voles in the woods behind her house. That's my first stop.
I should've known you didn't come just to support me, I said.
I'll support you from the woods while I indulge my inner predator.
Have fun, I called with a wave. I parked Sigmund in the driveway and went straight out to the backyard. There was no need to go to the front door. I knew from previous experience that Janis Goodfellow spent the majority of her time tending to her garden. As an herbologist in the coven, she was dedicated to all species of plants and herbs, and, therefore, the perfect witch to ask about hemlock.
Bella found me first. The large cat trotted toward me, sniffing the air. I had no doubt she smelled Sedgwick.
"Hello there, Bella," I said. "Is your witch at home?"
"As a matter of fact, she is," a voice said. Janis appeared around the corner of the house. As I expected, she wore gardening gloves and kneepads. Her wide-brimmed hat was clutched in her hand.
"Good to see you, Janis,” I said. "How have you been?"
She smiled. "Not as good as you, sorceress. I understand there are nuptials on the horizon with that angel of yours.”
“There are," I replied. "I know I shouldn't be surprised that word gets around."
She wiped the sweat from her brow. "The only thing anyone can talk about more is the coven working to break the curse. That part is hush-hush, though, so your wedding is the talk of the rest of the town."
"Is anyone taking bets on whether it happens?"
Janis chuckled. "Some folks are always looking for an excuse to gamble. You know that." She paused. “But you should know the odds are in your favor.”
“Phew. I’d be more offended if they were betting against us.” I watched as Bella went and wrapped her furry body around Janis’s legs.
Janis glanced down at the large cat. "I guess you don't have this kind of relationship with your familiar. Kinda difficult to be affectionate with an owl."
“Sedgwick is affectionate in his own way," I said. Okay, so we would never snuggle at night or he’d never tickle my skin with his soft fur, but I appreciated our special connection all the same.
Janis reached down to stroke Bella's back. "So I imagine you're not here to feel sorry for yourself. What do you need? Some plant for the spell that breaks the curse?"
"Oh, I'm not working on that," I said. "That's a select group that doesn’t include me."
Janis frowned. "That's foolish. You’re the lone sorceress here. You should be part of those meetings."
"I'm not really sure what good I would be. I don't really understand my powers very well. Laurel is better at figuring things out. I just sort of bumble along."
Janis removed her gardening gloves and tossed them onto the ground. "If anybody thinks that you don't have a role to play in breaking the curse, they are bigger idiots than I thought."
"Maybe you should share your feelings with Lady Weatherby," I said. I knew perfectly well that she wouldn't. Nobody challenged Lady Weatherby.
"You know what? I just might. She's been a good leader, but I haven’t agreed with many of her decisions in recent times. And I’ve never been much of a shrinking violet. I should speak up."
She began to walk around the back of the house toward her garden and I followed. "Do you think you would leave Spellbound if we break the curse?" It seemed to me that Janis had everything she could ever want right here. I couldn’t envision her leaving her wonderful garden. Not after she’d spent her whole life tending to it.
"I certainly wouldn't move," she said. "But I would love to travel. There are places I long to see. The gardens of Versailles are on my cauldron list.”
“I hear it’s beautiful there,” I said. I’d never been to France. My grandparents hadn’t been keen on travel. “I need to talk to you about hemlock.”
Her brow lifted. "Hemlock?"
I nodded. "The autopsy report came back on Seamus, the pixie who died recently. It showed hemlock in his system."
Janis whistled. “Not a fun way to go.”
“Not at all,” I replied. “I’d like to know more about it and I figure you’re the best one to ask."
“Nobody ever called you stupid.” Janis studied me. "Listen, Emma. I'm going to trust you with something. Are you ready for it?"
Her tone made m
e uneasy. "Do I want to know?" Some secrets were best left alone. Whatever she had up her sleeve, I wasn't sure I wanted the burden of this information.
Janis walked along the stone pathway to an empty patch of grass at the back of the garden. Sedgwick circled overhead, observing us.
Why are you staring at an empty part of the garden? he queried.
I don't know yet. Be quiet and I'll find out.
Janis produced her wand from her waistband and said, “Smaller than an elephant, bigger than a mouse/remove the barrier and reveal my greenhouse."
The air in front of us shimmered and I recognized the outline of a greenhouse. At first it reminded me of a hologram, until finally it stood before us, completely solid and real.
I shot her a quizzical look. "Why a secret greenhouse?"
"Step inside and you'll see," she said.
Janis opened the door to the greenhouse and I followed her inside. The room was about the size of my dining room and it was filled with plants I didn’t recognize.
Janis stopped in front of a row of plants that stretched all the way to the ceiling. "Do you remember how I petitioned the council to keep poisonous plants?"
"Yes, and they denied your request."
"Let's just say Janis Goodfellow doesn't take no for an answer."
I surveyed the interior of the greenhouse. "These are all poisonous plants?"
"That's right." She gestured behind her. "These are mandrakes. I've got hemlock, nightshade, henbane, wolfsbane. Name one and I probably have it here.”
"So you've created a secret greenhouse to circumvent the council’s order?"
"The study of these plants is essential," Janis said. "I have a concealment spell on the greenhouse, so no one even knows it exists. I can't create a health and safety issue or attract criminals if no one knows about it. But I get to study my plants without interference from the council."
"Does Lady Weatherby know?" I asked.
Janis arched an eyebrow. ”What do you think? She's the head of the coven. First and foremost, she’s a rule follower. You and I both know that rules need to be flexible."
“What makes you think I agree with you?" I asked.
She barked a short laugh. "Emma Hart, do you think I haven’t been paying attention? You want to revise the sentencing guidelines. You defend criminals with the compassion of their mothers. If anyone wants rules to be fluid here, it's you."
"In the human world, we call that a bleeding heart liberal," I said. "Although it's often used as an insult."
"Well, I won't insult you with it. And I'm trusting you with my secret."
"Why?" In my mind, every additional paranormal who knew was a liability.
"You want to learn about hemlock," Janis said. "I can do better than tell you. I can show you." She went over to another table and pointed. "I bet you don't even realize there are two types of hemlock. Well, here they are. Look and learn.”
“As a matter of fact, I didn't know." I scrutinized the tall plants on the table. "One looks like a fern and one looks like Queen Ann’s lace. What's the difference?"
“The one that looks like Queen Ann’s lace is actually water hemlock. It can reach about eight feet high in the wild. See there, it has compound leaves with small white flowers. The roots are hollow but contain the highest concentration of toxins.”
“Wow,” I said. “And I guess it’s mostly found near bodies of water.”
“Not necessarily, although it does like moist habitats,” Janis replied. “The fern-like one is called poison or deadly hemlock. It can grow higher than eight feet and has purple spots on the flowers. Like water hemlock, the roots are most dangerous and are often mistaken for wild parsnip.”
“The leaves remind me of parsley,” I said. I reached out to touch them, but Janis slapped my hand away.
“Touching is a bad idea unless you’re wearing gloves,” Janis said.
“This has all been fascinating," I said. "I do worry about your greenhouse, though. What if your concealment spell breaks? Then you have an entire poisonous garden that becomes vulnerable to less-than-scrupulous paranormals.”
"They still have to know about its existence," she said. "Not many folks come out here unless they’re coming to see me. Even then, they would only see a normal-looking greenhouse."
"So if I'm looking for a supply of hemlock, who are the usual suspects?"
Janis pressed her lips together. "You didn't hear it from me, but I've heard that Frank has been known to trade in illegal plants on occasion. You might want to start with him."
"The gnome that runs the Enchanted Garden?" I queried.
She touched her finger to her nose. "That's him. Nice fella. I don't think he would knowingly provide it to someone who wanted to commit murder, but still worth a conversation."
“What other reason would there be to acquire hemlock?" I asked. As far as I knew, it wasn’t a remedy for any maladies.
“For academic reasons like mine,” Janis said. She left the greenhouse with Bella trailing behind her. I quickly hurried to catch up, unsure what would happen if the concealment spell went into effect while I was still inside.
“I highly doubt Frank is selling hemlock to an underground team of academics,” I said. I watched as she produced her wand again and reset the spell. The greenhouse disappeared from view.
“Rest assured, mine will never find its way into idle hands,” Janis said. “And I meant what I said about you being part of the team that breaks the curse. I may not be as powerful a witch as Lady Weatherby, but I have a sixth sense about these things. Every time you're near me, all I can think of is freedom."
I didn't know what to say to that. It felt like a lot of pressure on one sorceress's shoulders. "I'll talk to Laurel and see what kind of progress they’re making. If it seems like there’s some way I can be useful, I'll say so."
Janis patted my shoulder. "If there's one thing you do well, Emma, it's advocate. I guess that’s the lawyer in you, getting things done.”
I met her admiring gaze. “You get things done, too, Janis. And I’m pretty sure that's the woman in both of us.”
Darkness enveloped me as I stood in the middle of the forest alone. The full moon shone down on me like a giant spotlight. I glanced down at my clothes. Why was I in a white nightgown? I didn’t even own a white nightgown. More importantly, was it see-through in the moonlight because I also seemed to be wearing oversized granny underpants?
It’s quite the virginal look, Sedgwick said, circling the treetops.
Is this a dream? I asked.
If it was, don’t you think you’d make yourself look better? At least carry a comb in your pocket for hair emergencies.
Wow. Dream Sedgwick was as cantankerous as Reality Sedgwick.
Since when do you criticize my hair? I asked. That’s Gareth’s job.
He’s not here, the owl replied. Someone has to take responsibility.
Here. Where was here? I surveyed the area carefully, uncertain which part of the forest I was in. Was this where I encountered the sacred unicorn? No, there was no body of water nearby. Only trees.
“I don’t see the way out,” I called. The trees were dense and there was no obvious path. Was I in the Pines, the section of town where a lot of the shifters lived?
There is no way out, Sedgwick said from above.
“Of course there is,” I replied. “I just need to find it.” I tripped over a log and nearly fell on my face. If I cracked my skull in a dream, would I wake up with a headache? Ugh, I hoped not. I had too much to do during daylight hours to deal with a headache.
Use your broom, Sedgwick said.
My hands flew testily to my hips. “Do I look like I have my broom?”
Hard to tell with all those branches down there, Sedgwick replied.
“If this is a dream, maybe you can help me wake up,” I said. “Drop something on my head. Nothing too heavy, though.” Still wanted to avoid a headache.
Sedgwick scanned the area. What am I supposed
to drop? It’s not like there are any coconut trees.
Okay, if waking up wasn’t an option, then I needed to find another way. I studied the trees. They were too close together for me to walk between them. I was basically in a woodland cage.
“I need a spell that moves a couple of these trees,” I said. “Or maybe if I turn them into rubber, they’ll bend.”
Flaunt it if you’ve got it, Sedgwick said.
I focused my will and stretched out my arms like I was preparing to give the earth a bear hug. Power surged through me and streamed from my fingertips with such intensity that my skin burned. The air around me thickened until the pressure became too much and the ground shook. I worried that the earth was about to swallow me whole. I was thrown to the ground by something akin to a sonic boom. My tailbone hit the dirt and I cried out in pain.
Your Highness? Sedgwick called, concerned.
When I finally recovered and stood to get my bearings, I realized that every tree around me had been ripped from its roots and tossed on the forest floor like kindling. I could see for miles around me.
“Stars and stones,” I whispered, turning slowly to get a view from every angle. The entire forest was decimated. I’d detonated a magical bomb.
What a mess, Sedgwick said. Remind me never to take you anywhere.
I glanced upward, relieved that my familiar was unharmed. “Sedgwick, what on earth happened?”
You did, he replied.
Chapter 8
The Enchanted Garden was the garden center owned by Frank, the gnome that allegedly dabbled in illegal substances. He was married to Myra, the church administrator. You only needed to look at him to know that he and Myra were made for each other. With their black shoes, chubby faces, and pointy little hats, they looked like bookends. Frank's cheeks were perpetually rosy, giving the impression that he either suffered from rosacea or carried a hip flask.
"Hey, Frank," I said, weaving between the rows of plants, flowers, and trees. The sudden burst of smells and scents threatened to overwhelm me.
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