A Touch of Magic
Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Book 7
Annabel Chase
Red Palm Press LLC
A Touch of Magic
A Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Book 7
By Annabel Chase
Sign up for my newsletter here http://eepurl.com/ctYNzf and or like me on Facebook so you can find out about new releases.
Copyright © 2017 Red Palm Press LLC
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design by Alchemy
Created with Vellum
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Afterword
Chapter 1
“Today you will be pleased to learn that I am breaking away from the traditional curriculum,” Lady Weatherby announced.
The collective intake of breath was audible.
“For good?” Millie blurted.
Her outburst was rewarded with a stern look from the head of the coven. “No, Millie. Naturally, not for good. For the next two weeks. In light of recent events, it has occurred to me that you might be capable of more advanced work than you’re currently being given. Perhaps this will keep your extracurricular activities in check.”
I knew she was referring to the remedial witches’ involvement in my plan to turn invisible. It was all for a good cause, though—I wanted to reveal Elsa Knightsbridge’s inappropriate use of magic on Daniel Starr, Spellbound’s resident fallen angel and my one true love.
Laurel raised her hand to speak. “Excuse me, ma’am, but what kind of advanced work are we talking about?” While Millie was the highest achieving of the remedial witches, thirteen-year-old Laurel was definitely the most academic.
“I’ve decided to include a bonus project,” Lady Weatherby replied. “You have two weeks to create a spell of your own design and present it successfully in front of the class.”
“Create our own spell?” Laurel echoed, her brown eyes shining. “That sounds amazing.”
“I assumed you would be pleased,” Lady Weatherby said and her lips twitched. It was the closest she came to a smile. She was the polar opposite of her mother, Agnes, who was ready to cackle at the slightest whiff of amusement and, if there was no amusement to be had, she created it herself.
“You shall have the remainder of class to discuss possible spells,” Lady Weatherby said. “I shall retreat to my office should anyone have questions.”
The moment she left the room, her black cloak sweeping the floor around her, we huddled together to brainstorm ideas.
“I know what I’m going to do,” Sophie said.
“Create a spell that keeps you from being clumsy?” Millie asked.
Sophie glared at her. “There's a baby bird in the tree outside my window and I’m not sure whether the bird has been abandoned.”
“Do you need to know?” I asked. “Can’t you just help it anyway?”
“If she touches it and it hasn't been abandoned,” Laurel said, “then the mother won't come back to it. She’ll be condemning it to death.”
That sounded awful.
“I’ve been watching when I’m home to see whether a mama bird comes with food, but I haven’t noticed one. I even have my brother keeping an eye out, and he never does me any favors.”
“So what do you want your spell to do?” Begonia asked.
“I want to hear the baby bird’s thoughts and decide whether I need to rescue it,” Sophie said. “Like if the baby bird is thinking--‘I’m starving and no one has given me food for days’-- I’ll know to step in.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Laurel said.
“Except, by the time you perfect the spell, the baby bird will probably be dead,” Millie pointed out.
“Way to be supportive, Mills,” Begonia said.
“I’m just being practical,” Millie objected. “If the baby bird hasn’t eaten for two weeks, I doubt Sophie will be able to save it.”
Sophie folded her arms and glared at Millie. “Then I’ll finish my spell as quickly as possible.”
“I want to create a spell that moves my quill for me so I don’t have to hold it to write,” I said. “I feel like I’d work a lot faster that way.”
“And you could have multiple quills writing at once,” Laurel added. “You’d get a lot more done in one sitting.”
My eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea, Laurel. I’m totally going to steal that.”
“What about you, Laurel?” Sophie asked. “Any ideas for a spell?”
“Not yet,” she said, “but I’m thinking about it. There are so many possibilities. It’s hard to choose.”
“All I know is that I’m going to create an amazing spell,” Millie said. “How about you, Begonia?”
Begonia’s cheeks reddened. “I’d like to create a spell that made Claude sexier than Demetrius…”
“There isn’t enough magic in the world to make that happen,” Millie interjected.
“Is something going on between you and Demetrius?” I asked. He and Begonia had danced together a couple of weeks ago at Olympus, but I wasn’t aware that they’d seen each other since. As far as I knew, Begonia was still dating Claude.
“No, no,” Begonia said with a dismissive wave. “Although I’ve seen him in town and he gives me that look.” She turned to me. “You know that look.”
I knew it well. “The sultry come-hither look?”
She nodded and sighed. “How can sweet Claude compete with that?”
“You should break up with Claude now,” Millie said. “It isn’t fair to him, if you’re pining after Demetrius.”
“I’m not pining,” Begonia said. “It isn’t like Emma and Daniel. I’m just very interested.”
“Well, you should probably tell your boyfriend if you are very interested in another guy,” Millie said.
“It’s none of your business,” Sophie snapped. “Why don’t you find a boyfriend of your own to worry about?”
“I would rather focus on witchcraft,” Millie said. “I don’t want to be a remedial witch forever, and neither should you.”
Same old Millie.
“Millie’s right, though,” Begonia said. “I feel guilty when I’m with Claude now, because I’m constantly thinking about Demetrius.”
“Because of one dance?” Laurel asked, blowing out a breath. “Remind me never to grow up. Adulting sounds too complicated.”
Begonia’s expression grew dreamy. “It was a very good dance.”
“Because he has hundreds of years of dancing experience,” Millie said. “It isn’t a fair comparison. Claude can’t compete with that.”
“No,” Begonia agreed. “He really can’t.”
“So you don’t have plans with Demetrius?” Millie asked.
“No, but I think he might ask me out soon,” Begonia said.
“What’s h
olding him back?” Millie asked. “He’s not exactly shy and I doubt he cares about stepping on Claude’s toes, if he even knows about Claude.”
Begonia nodded. “He does. When he tried to kiss me at Olympus, I told him that I couldn’t do that to Claude.”
Millie seemed surprised. “And he respected that?”
“Demetrius is respectful of boundaries,” I said, feeling the need to defend him. “He’s always respected my feelings for Daniel.”
“Didn’t keep him from having feelings of his own, though,” Sophie said and quickly realized how it sounded. “Not that I’m trying to stir the cauldron.”
“We’re not talking about Demetrius and Emma,” Begonia said and I heard the note of frustration in her voice. “We’re talking about Demetrius and me.”
“And Claude,” Laurel added. “Don’t forget Claude.”
“Maybe that’s the spell I should create,” Begonia said. “A Forget Me spell so that Claude will forget all about me.”
“That’s a cop-out if I ever heard one,” Millie said. “Just break up with him and set him free. Give him a chance to meet someone who cares more about him.”
I hated to admit it, but I agreed with Millie. Begonia seemed far too smitten with Demetrius to be giving her relationship with Claude the attention it deserved.
The door at the back of the classroom swung open and Chairman Meow, Lady Weatherby’s familiar, sauntered into the room. Although his tiny antler headdress seemed in danger of sliding off, he held himself with the same regal poise as his human counterpart.
“Hello,” I greeted the imperious cat. “Are you here with a message?” Not that we could read his mind the way Lady Weatherby could.
He sat at the foot of my chair and meowed.
“I think he’s telling us that class is dismissed,” Laurel said and pointed at the clock. “Look at the time.”
She was right. It was already ten minutes past the end of class. “Crap on a stick. I need to go,” I said hurriedly. “I promised Lucy I’d help her with the campaign effort.”
“Ooh, we’d like to help,” Sophie said. “Anything to keep Sheriff Hugo from becoming the new mayor.”
“He’s not the sheriff anymore,” I said. “You don’t have to call him that.”
“Habit,” Sophie said with a shrug.
“I’ll let Lucy know you’re interested,” I said. “I don’t want to show up at the Mayor’s Mansion with an unexpected entourage. They might worry it’s another coup.”
“I’m supposed to meet Claude for lunch anyway,” Begonia said.
“And I’ll go home and check on the baby bird,” Sophie said.
“I’m going to sneak back into the coven library,” Laurel announced. “There are amazing finds in there.”
Everyone looked expectantly at Millie.
“What?” she asked. “Do I need to act like I have a life outside of the academy?”
“They’re called social skills,” Sophie said. “You should try them sometime.”
“Overrated,” Millie replied. “Come on, Chairman Meow. I’ll walk you back to Lady Weatherby’s office.”
Chapter 2
I sat on the floor of the office in the Mayor's Mansion, painting my third sign of the afternoon. Lucy fluttered into the room, carrying a tray of drinks.
"Refreshments for my minion," she teased.
I glanced up to see a pitcher of lime fizz. "Shouldn't you have an assistant doing that for you?" The way Lucy used to do tasks for Mayor Knightsbridge.
"It's easier if I do it," Lucy said. "I know where everything is. At this point, it would take too long to train someone. If I end up getting elected, then I’ll hire someone, of course."
"You don't want to count your chickens until they hatch," I said. "I can understand that."
“Hatching chickens? You have the oddest expressions in the human world.” Lucy handed me a drink and I accepted it gratefully. Artwork was making me thirsty.
She peered down at my sign and frowned. "What’s that supposed to be a picture of?"
Okay, so I was not the best artist. I wholeheartedly admitted that. "It's a bee," I explained. "It says ‘Lucy Will Be The Best Mayor,’ but instead of ‘Be,’ I've drawn a picture of a buzzing bee. Cute, right?"
Lucy grimaced. “Emma, you know I love you, but I’m trying to win an election, not a third-grade art competition."
I looked back at my sign and sighed. "Sorry. You're right. This is terrible. From now on, I'll stick to letters only."
Lucy patted me on the head. "Thank you."
She looked at the pile of posters beside me. "To be honest, I don't know why you’re bothering to do this by hand at all. We should just use magic."
"Where's the fun in that?" I asked. "We want to show genuine effort. You don't want voters to think you’ll be phoning it in with magic, do you? You want to show a hands-on approach."
"True, but these are your hands drawing the signs, not mine."
Good point.
“So how are things with Daniel?" she asked. "I assume you're both on cloud nine now that all the drama is over.”
My heart soared at the mention of his name. "It's been pretty great, actually. It's such a nice change to just be together like a normal couple. Okay, maybe not a normal couple since we’re an angel and a sorceress, but still…”
Lucy smiled. “That’s normal enough in Spellbound.”
“I appreciate the little things, like taking a walk together or sharing a meal. Being able to express my affection openly and honestly.” I felt like a new person and I was pretty sure he did, too.
"I'm so happy for you," Lucy said. "I suppose if I do get elected, it will be harder for me to meet someone special. I don't think it will be smart for me to date while I'm the mayor."
I frowned. "Really? Do you think residents wouldn't want you to have a personal life?"
"You know the way the gossip mill works around here," she said. "It would be very hard to keep a relationship quiet. I think it would never get off the ground, under the circumstances."
That revelation made me sad for my friend. Lucy was a vibrant young fairy who deserved a partner in life. "Well, I think if you meet that someone special, don't let the job get in the way. Just hire the most discreet assistant in Spellbound and go for it."
Lucy tipped her chin back and laughed. "I like the way you think, Hart. I knew we were friends for a reason."
“I’ve heard a lot of chatter about Milton Braun lately. Do you think he has a chance?"
Lucy nodded. “And a three-candidate race is exciting. It will definitely increase voter turnout.”
"You aren't worried about splitting the vote three ways?" I asked. "The third candidate could take away just enough votes from you to allow Hugo to win."
Lucy waved me off. “Or vice versa.”
“Do you think Milton is a decent candidate? If you weren’t running, would you vote for him?“
“Over Hugo? Definitely. He's been involved in a few grassroots organizations," Lucy said. "He seems to care about the community. I'm not sure that he’s leadership material, though. People seem to lack a healthy respect for him."
"Because of something he did?"
Lucy shrugged. "No, I think he just has one of those personalities. He doesn't command respect naturally. Odd for a vampire. Nice guy, though."
“What does he do?”
“He used to own the company that carved all of the wands in town, but he sold it last year for a small fortune.” Lucy tapped her fairy wand thoughtfully on her head. “Oh, what was the name of it?” She snapped her fingers. “Lumberland.”
A vampire that owned a lumber company? That was a brave venture.
“What’s he been doing since he sold it?” A life of leisure sounded so luxurious.
“Volunteering, as far as I know,” Lucy said. “His bio is full of side projects. You should take a look.” She smiled. “Maybe you’ll decide to vote for him instead.”
I punched her lightly on the a
rm. “And risk your wrath? I think not.” I laughed. “Speaking of your wrath, I saw that Hugo was calling for an end to the reign of fairies. I hadn't really thought about the fact that you and Mayor Knightsbridge are both fairies."
"Yes,” Lucy said. "Our reign of terror will only continue if I get elected. I may just throw some extra glitter on the cobblestones and use my fairy wand to spread my particular brand of evil far and wide."
We laughed.
“Anyway, my campaign aides tell me the tide seems to be turning. Obviously, Milton’s very popular with the vampires, and they’re a big voter bloc. Plus, he has no previous ties to Mayor Knightsbridge. With Hugo banging on that drum, voters are starting to take Milton more seriously.”
I glanced at Lucy. "Do you really think you’re a bit tainted now? That people won't vote for you because they associate you with her?" The Lucy I knew was so far removed from the mayor’s antics.
"I'm doing my best to emphasize the positive involvement I had with the mayor," Lucy said. "I think I have a good shot at overcoming any concerns.”
"I wish Hugo would stop trying to paint you with the same brush as Mayor Knightsbridge," I said. "I know it's a campaign tactic, but it isn't right." Hugo also seemed to conveniently forget his close friendship with the former mayor now that his campaign was in high gear.
"I have to trust that voters will be able to see through that," Lucy said. “I’m doing my best to stand on my own platform. I can't distance myself from her completely, though. She's done a lot of good in this town and I've been a huge part of that."
It was a tough situation for Lucy. On the one hand, she’d worked very closely with the disgraced mayor. On the other hand, she’d had nothing to do with the mayor's egregious behavior. She needed to remind people of the good without seeming like she was defending the former mayor. She definitely had her work cut out for her.
A Touch of Magic Page 1