by Lily Webb
“I know you have your reservations, Raina, but I think Zoe is right to do this,” Mallory said. “They might be strange partners, but that’s the way we play politics. As unusual as this marriage of power might be, it benefits us as much as the Crowes.”
“Exactly. We already know there are plenty of people out there who support me, but there are just as many who are skeptical. With the public backing of the Crowe sisters, we’ll automatically change a lot of those people’s minds,” I said. “There’s a method to my madness, as always.”
“Famous last words,” Raina sighed. “But ultimately, it’s your decision to make. I’m here to guide your campaign, not control it. If this is what you want to do, I’ll support you however I can, but I had to voice my concern.”
“I understand, and I appreciate you looking out for me. That’s why I hired you. I trust no one in this town as much as you, and it’s precisely because you aren’t afraid to pull me back down to earth,” I said.
“Well, now you’ve all kissed and made up, let’s get this dog and pony show on the road, shall we? We’ve got an election to win,” Grandma said, and I nodded as I laughed. Raina, Mallory, and I gathered our things and headed for the door.
“Good luck, but I’m sure you ain’t gonna need it,” Grandma said and pecked a kiss on my forehead before I left. She didn’t know how wrong she was but I couldn’t tell her that. No one knew I intended to ask Eden and Ivy about Brendan, and I wanted to keep it that way.
The three of us walked across town to the Crowe’s Keep in silence, which was all the same to me. Raina and Mallory were talented at everything they did, and I knew they’d come through for me when it mattered. Besides, I needed to focus on my plan of attack for asking about Brendan.
Outside the gates to the Crowe’s Keep, Raina stopped me.
“Whatever happens in there, promise me you’ll let me do the heavy lifting,” Raina said.
“There’s nothing left to do. I’ve already told Eden and Ivy that I’ll support their bill and they’ve agreed to endorse me. If they make the announcement tomorrow, and I’m sure they will, then this election is practically a slam dunk,” I said.
“Like I said before, nothing is final until the ink is dry,” Raina said. “At this stage in the game, there’s nothing to stop them from demanding something else from you, and I fully expect them to do just that. So, I repeat, let me do the heavy lifting.”
“Sure, whatever you say.” Raina fixed me with a look that said she didn’t believe me, but she didn’t push it any further because the gates slid open and the gargoyle guards stomped toward us, their clawed, hubcap-sized hands outstretched for our wands.
“You know the drill,” the gargoyle growled.
“We’ll never become friends with hospitality like that,” I quipped, but the gargoyle didn’t look amused. He twiddled his fingers to redirect my attention to the surrender of my wand, so I dug it out and plopped it into his palm. Mallory and Raina followed, and we once again began the arduous climb to the uppermost floor of the Crowe’s Keep.
Inside, most of the windows were open, giving the room a drafty feel, but it was welcome compared to the insular, stuffy vibe I experienced the first two times I’d visited.
“There they are, punctual as always,” Eden said as I led Raina and Mallory inside. Eden wore a shimmering sequined tunic that spilled over her shoulders like liquid silver, shimmering and swishing as she moved toward us with her hand outstretched. We each took turns greeting her, and when she stepped aside, Ivy was waiting.
She wore a more conservative look that comprised a plain black cocktail dress and matching strapped heels that twisted up her ankles like serpents.
“Welcome. Sorry about all the air in here. We’ve had to keep the windows open because we’ve been working so much upstairs,” Ivy said. “It gets boiling up there.”
I could only assume that meant they were removing Lydia’s things, which was a subject I didn’t want to get into for their sake.
“We understand, no worries,” I said.
“Good, thank you for that. Would you like a glass of water?” Ivy asked.
“I have a feeling we’ll be doing a lot of talking, so that’s probably a good idea,” I said for all three of us. Ivy nodded and click-clacked into the adjoining kitchen suite.
“Please, have a seat,” Eden said. “Our house is your house now we’re partners.”
“Thanks,” I said, and sat down on one of the two sofas in the living area by the fireplace that thankfully wasn’t lit. Mallory and Raina joined me, and Eden sat across from us with one leg hooked over the other. A moment later, Ivy returned with five glasses of water bouncing in the air behind her. They came to a halt in front of us, and I grabbed the nearest out of the air to take a deep gulp.
“Now we’re all refreshed and ready, let’s get down to business,” Eden said, rubbing her hands together.
“Perfect. As I’m sure Zoe already told you, I’ve typed up a tentative draft we could use as a press release announcing the partnership,” Mallory said, and produced a piece of paper from her robes. She passed it to Eden, and she shared it with Ivy as they read.
“This is excellent. I don’t think our own PR team could’ve done better, and that’s saying something,” Eden said. Mallory blushed and waved away their compliments as if they were persistent bugs flying around her head.
“We’re glad to hear it. That said, it’s typically at this point in the negotiation process that any last-minute requests arise. Do you have any?” Raina asked.
“No, not that I can think of, anyway. Do you?” Eden asked me.
I shrugged and deferred to Raina. After a moment that seemed to stretch on for a beat too long, Raina shook her head.
“Outstanding,” Eden said, beaming.
“Maybe I should’ve poured some champagne instead. I had no idea this would be so quick,” Ivy said. “Though I suppose it isn’t too late. A celebration is in order!”
“Actually, before we celebrate, would you mind if I spoke to the two of you alone?” I asked, and all the air in the room seemed to rush out the open windows. Raina shot me a face that said she’d like to kill me, and the Crowe sisters seemed just as surprised.
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to ruin the mood. It’s nothing serious,” I lied. Not a single person in the room believed me, but I couldn’t blame them. If I were in their shoes, I would’ve been just as skeptical.
“Yes, of course,” Eden said. “Mallory, Raina, we have a lovely balcony with a breathtaking view of Moon Grove if you’d like to look while we speak with Zoe,” she continued, gesturing across the room at the double glass doors that were wide open.
Raina nodded. Ivy escorted her and Mallory out onto the balcony before closing the doors behind them. When she rejoined Eden on the couch, I cleared my throat.
“What is it, Zoe?” Eden asked. There wasn’t any tactful way to start the conversation, so I went for it.
“I wanted to talk to the two of you about a missing warlock. I think he might have a connection to Lydia’s murder,” I said. Eden and Ivy exchanged concerned looks.
“Are you referring to Brendan Norwood?” Eden asked.
“Wait, you know about him already?”
“We do. Chief Mueller stopped by a couple days ago to tell us that his prime suspect in Lydia’s murder had vanished. He wanted to know if we’d seen or heard anything about him,” Eden said.
I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. Never in all my time in Moon Grove had Mueller reached a conclusion before I had. Who tipped him off about Brendan? Maybe I wasn’t the only one Damon had been sharing NWA secrets with on the sly.
“Do you know anything?”
“No. Until Mueller told us about him, we’d never heard his name,” Eden said.
“But Mueller was certain Brendan was a suspect?”
“I wouldn’t say certain, but he seemed confident, yes,” Eden said. “Do you know something more about Brendan than we do?”
&nb
sp; “I’ve talked to several people and all the evidence I have points back to Brendan. Two days ago, I went to his house to talk to him personally, but when I got there, the door was open, someone had ransacked his house, and I couldn’t find him anywhere.”
Eden and Ivy both stared at me, unblinking. That was news to both of them, which meant that Mueller must not have known everything. Or if he did, he hadn’t yet shared the information with the Crowes.
“Did you go inside?” Eden asked.
“I did. Like I said, someone had torn the place apart so there wasn’t much to see, but I found this on his desk,” I said as I reached into my robes to pull out the NWA magazine and the threatening letter tucked inside it.
I passed it to Eden and noticed her hand shaking as she took it from me.
“Chief Mueller told us that Brendan was previously a member of the NWA, so it’s not a surprise he would have a magazine like this in his house,” Eden said.
“No, it’s not. But what is surprising is what was inside the magazine,” I said, gesturing at it to have Eden flip through faster. When she got to the middle of the magazine, the folded piece of paper fluttered out into her lap.
Ivy’s eyes turned wide as saucers as Eden unfolded the paper.
“Who would have done something like this?” Eden asked.
“I don’t know. I was hoping the two of you might have some ideas,” I said.
“I don’t have a clue. It’s not handwriting I recognize, and I didn’t send it myself,” Eden said.
“I don’t recognize it either,” Ivy agreed.
“That’s disappointing,” I said, eyeing them. Based on their reaction to the letter, I found it hard to believe that neither of them knew anything about it, but I had no proof otherwise.
“I’m sorry. If we could be of more help, you know we would. No one wants to see Lydia’s killer brought to justice more than we do,” Eden said. But even that I found unconvincing. Her words sounded rehearsed and robotic. Though every voice in my head screamed at me not to, I pressed the issue.
“You know, I’ve heard it suggested from some people I’ve talked to that the two of you might’ve wanted revenge against Lydia’s killer,” I started, and let the words hang in the air for a few moments to gauge the reaction.
“Excuse me?” Eden asked, her face reddening.
“Don’t you think it’s suspicious that the prime suspect in a murder case would disappear without a trace?” I asked.
“It is, but that doesn’t mean that either of us had any involvement,” Eden said. “Frankly, I find it more than a little offensive you would come into our home and suggest, even in passing, that either of us had a hand in the disappearance of a warlock we don’t know.”
“I meant no offense. I’m only trying to figure out what happened to both Lydia and Brendan,” I said.
“Do you really think either of us would have the time to hatch a scheme like that? For Lilith’s sake, we buried our sister less than a week ago, but our day-to-day lives never stopped or slowed down for a second. I resent you even asking,” Eden said.
“Please excuse her, Zoe,” Ivy interrupted as she rested a hand on her sister's leg to calm her down. “We’re under a lot of stress.”
“But even if we had the time to do something like that, do you really think we’re killers?” Eden continued. “Everything we’ve done in our adult lives stems from the murder of our parents and a sincere desire to make Moon Grove safe for everyone. Just because someone killed our sister doesn’t mean all that has gone out the window. Revenge against a murderer won’t bring Lydia back.”
“I know it’s uncomfortable, but I had to ask.”
“Uncomfortable? No, it’s insulting. Who did you hear this from, anyway? It sounds like some salacious story cooked up by Rowley Darkmoore or one of his lackeys to kick us while we’re—”
A thunderous thump from above shook the entire room, and we all jumped. Eden and Ivy stared at each other.
“What was that?” I asked. Ivy laughed and shook her head.
“We piled the boxes in Lydia’s room to the ceiling. One must’ve fallen over,” she said. “Eden and I aren’t the most savvy people with these sorts of things. We typically hire specialists for tasks like this.”
I wanted to ask why they’d decided not to this time around, but I let it slide. Eden looked like she was ready to launch across the coffee table and choke the life out of me for even asking, and though Ivy was playing the role of the peacemaker, I could tell I’d overstayed my welcome.
“What else is up there, anyway?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing special. Our bedrooms are all in the upper tower. Aside from that, there’s another small kitchenette, but we never use it,” Ivy said.
“I see. Well, it sounds like the two of you have a lot on your plates. I don’t want to add any more to that. I expect you’ll make the announcement about our partnership tomorrow?” I asked, changing the subject.
Ivy nodded, stood, and gestured to Raina and Mallory to come back inside, which I took as our sign to leave. The glass doors opened in a gust of air, but neither of my teammates seemed all that eager to talk about what they’d seen. Raina’s eyes moved from me to Eden and back again, and comprehension spread across her face like a sunrise. “Yes, we’ll send it to all the appropriate channels, but you’re welcome to share it with anyone you’d like. It’s not a secret we have to guard anymore,” Ivy said. Eden sat stone still, staring at me as if she could will me out of existence — or at least out of her house.
“I can’t wait to see the results come in on Friday. I think we have a winning partnership,” I said as I offered Ivy my hand again. She shook it lightly, and when Eden didn’t move to follow, I made my way toward the door, Raina and Mallory behind me.
“We agree. But there’s still an election, so anything could happen,” Ivy said. I knew that all too well.
“Thank you for your time and consideration,” I said.
“Yes, thank you,” Raina said. “Both for your hospitality and for sharing that incredible view with us.”
“It was our pleasure. Have a good evening, and best of luck on Friday,” Ivy said as she opened the door to the endless set of stairs that spiraled down to the ground floor.
With every step I descended, my dread increased. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but something didn’t sit right with me about Eden’s reaction. I could understand being upset and having a short fuse after a family member’s death, but her anger seemed over-the-top.
“I told you to let me do the heavy lifting,” Raina said as we reached the lower door and stepped back into the cool night air. “What did the three of you talk about, anyway?”
“Nothing important,” I lied. Just like that, the trail was cold. Though they would never admit it, Eden’s reaction convinced me that either the Crowe sisters knew something about Brendan’s disappearance, or Rowley had misled me to think they did.
Regardless, someone was lying.
Chapter Thirteen
My small living room was so full of commotion I could barely hear myself think.
All of my friends and family sat less than five feet away from me, each of them doing their best to take my mind off the impending election.
“Are you okay, Zoe? You’re being awfully quiet,” Beau said as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled my head to his chest.
“Yeah, all things considered, I’m fine. The only problem is I can’t stop thinking about the big day,” I said. It was embarrassing to admit, but if I couldn’t tell my closest family and friends, who could I tell?
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Raina said. “We have other things to concern ourselves with now.”
“How does anyone expect me to care about a broom race when the next twenty-four hours will decide my entire political future?” I asked.
“The broom race is a distraction. Why else do you think Heath gave us all free tickets? He wants us to relax, but most of all you
,” Beau said.
“I can’t relax! Why haven’t the Crowes published their announcement yet?” I asked no one in particular. “It’s driving me crazy.”
“They’re perfectionists, you ought to know that by now,” Raina said.
“Just take a deep breath, Sugar,” Grandma said from across the room where she sat with Mallory and Flora on either side. Luna trotted across the living room and hopped up onto the sofa to crawl into my lap.
“For once, I agree with your grandmother,” Luna said as she licked my hand. “I know it isn’t easy, but you have to try not to think about it too much. Otherwise, you’ll make yourself crazy, and Lilith knows you need no help with that.”
“It’s so comforting to know I can always turn to you for words of inspiration when I need them most,” I said and Luna’s lick turned into a love bite.
“Ouch!”
“Be honest. You wouldn’t have it any other way,” Luna said as she walked circles in my lap to find the perfect position before plopping down. I opened my mouth to fire back, but a vibration from somewhere deep inside Beau’s jacket interrupted me.
With his eyes open wide, he rummaged in the interior pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
“There it is!” he shouted. “A news alert from Channel 666 just came through. The Crowe sisters finally published the announcement of the partnership,” he continued, and I sat bolt upright.
Another chorus of cell phone chimes filled the room as the news spread.
“I just got another alert about updated polling information,” Raina said as she turned her phone screen toward me. It was too far away for me to read the details, but her smile that reached from ear to ear told me everything I need to know.
“It’s good news, right?” I asked, just to be sure.
“Well, polling information is notoriously fickle, but yes, it appears to be fantastic news. You’re leading your competitors by significant margins thanks to the announcement of this partnership,” Raina said. “And it looks like, should you win, the wand restriction bill will pass.”