“Baby’s healthy,” she said.
I leaned back and released the breath I’d been holding. “That’s it?”
“That’s what you wanted to know, isn’t it?”
I looked at the first two cards—a goddess surrounded by swords and a maiden holding a basket of wheat. “Those look okay. What else can you tell me?”
“Oh, now you’re interested.”
“I’ve always been interested,” a voice said. I turned to see Silas float into the room. The genie beamed at me. “Wonderful news, Emma.”
“Thank you. Daniel and I are thrilled.”
“I bet he is,” the genie said. “He got to lay claim to the second prettiest woman in Spellbound.”
My eyebrows rose at the mention of ‘second prettiest.’ “And who do I need to unseat to be crowned prettiest?” I teased.
He kissed Agnes’s wrinkled cheek. “You’re looking at her.”
Agnes cackled softly. “Good luck attempting to unseat me, Hart. You’ll have to wrest that crown from my bashed skull.”
“Thanks for that mental image,” I replied. “Agnes was in the middle of doing a reading about the baby. He or she is healthy, it seems.”
“I can tell you the gender,” Agnes said.
I waved my hands. “No, no. I’d rather not know until the birth.”
“You’re really ruining this for me,” Agnes muttered.
Silas drifted closer to the cards to study them. “Huh. How about that?”
I followed his gaze. “How about what?”
“That’s one special baby you’re carrying,” he said.
“Well, I know that already.”
He tapped the card with a woman floating in an enormous goblet of wine. “No, this card tells me so.”
“This card tells me the woman is a drunk,” I said. “Since when do you know how to interpret cards?”
“Since I’ve spending my free time with Agnes,” he replied. “Hard not to pick up bits of her wisdom.”
“Stop trying to woo me, Silas. I’ve already ripped my bodice for you.” Agnes swept up the five cards and shuffled again. “Now, tell me about this Limpet character, Emma. How is she going to mess up the coven?”
I inclined my head toward the cards in her hand. “You tell me.”
“Nice try.” Agnes sorted the cards into three piles. “I hear she’s a tyrant in ridiculous outfits.”
“She definitely has her own way of doing things,” I said. “She seems to think we’re in the Stone Age here.”
“Did you set her straight?” Agnes asked.
“I’m working on it,” I said. “She’s summoned me to a meeting about the academy curriculum for tomorrow after my healer’s appointment.”
“Sounds like a snoozefest,” Agnes said. “Can’t you find better uses for your time? Trust me, it’s over before you know it.”
“I’m not overhauling the curriculum on my own,” I said. “There’s a task force. We want to make sure we give Marjory—excuse me, the High Priestess—feedback so that she doesn’t make a hash of the academy.”
Agnes blinked. “She wants to be referred to as High Priestess?”
“Yes, she made that very clear to the coven.”
“Ugh. The ego on that one.” Agnes swallowed the rest of her drink. “I can’t imagine being so full of myself.”
I stifled a laugh. “Is that so?”
“I’d like to be full of you,” Silas said. He paused. “Actually, I’d like you to be full of me. That makes more sense.”
My hands flew to cover my ears. “I’ve already vomited enough today, thanks.”
“Don’t worry,” Silas said. “It’s not as though she can get pregnant.”
Agnes smiled. “You never know. Stranger things have happened.”
I pushed back the chair and shot to my feet. “Okay, that’s enough of this conversation.”
“We’ve driven you to drink, haven’t we?” Agnes held up a palm to high-five Silas.
“No, I’m not going to be drinking during the pregnancy,” I said.
“That’s too bad,” Agnes said. “Drinking got me through some of the worst of it with Jacinda Ruth.”
“I don’t think you should be admitting that,” I said.
“When have you known me to mince words?” Agnes asked.
“What can you tell us about the body in the woods?” Silas asked. “I heard it was a troll with an axe through its chest.”
“I heard it was a fairy with her wings pinned to a tree,” Agnes added.
“You said Britta was here. Didn’t she tell you it was an elderly elf by the name of Amos Parker? He died of natural causes.”
Silas floated over to the kitchenette to pour himself a drink. “I knew Amos. We used to toss bean bags together.”
“Why does that sound sexual?” I asked.
“Because Silas has a way of making everything sound sexual,” Agnes said. “It’s part of his charm.”
I wasn’t sure I’d call it charm. “Sheriff Astrid is trying to get in touch with next of kin.”
Agnes held the glass to her lips. “I suppose Jacinda Ruth will still be rotting in prison when I go belly up. That’s a sobering thought.”
Silas came over to place a hand on her bony shoulder. “She can mourn you from anywhere, my love.”
Agnes blew a raspberry. “She won’t mourn me. She’d dance on my grave if they gave her a day pass.”
“She wouldn’t,” I insisted. “I know your relationship is complicated, but she’s still your daughter and she loves you. I know she does.”
Agnes dragged her sleeve across her damp mouth. “Wait until you have a child of your own, Emma. Then talk to me about love.”
“I don’t need to wait,” I said. “I’m already a daughter.”
Agnes was unconvinced. “And?”
“And I still love the woman who gave me up. The woman who chose not to raise me as her own. The one I never knew.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “That’s how I know.”
Chapter Four
“Wakey, wakey.” Gareth’s ghostly face hovered over mine.
I bolted upright, my corporeal body slicing right through him. “Gareth, are you trying to give a pregnant woman a heart attack?”
He tapped the imaginary watch on his wrist. “You have an appointment at the healer’s clinic in half an hour. I’ve taken the liberty of preparing tea and toast.”
I groaned and shoved a pillow over my face.
“You must eat, Emma. Think of the baby.”
I cast the pillow aside. “Think of the vomit.” I glanced at the empty space beside me. “Where’s Daniel?”
“He left you a note downstairs that he’ll meet you at the appointment. Preparing for his interviews today. He has two candidates, apparently. Seems to me he’s more nervous than they’ll be.”
“He’s going to be amazing,” I said. I flipped back the covers only to find Gareth still hovering. “Personal space, Gareth. I don’t need a bodyguard.”
The vampire ghost drifted backward. “Fine. I’ll be downstairs guarding your toast. Magpie has an insatiable taste for jam.”
“You’ll need more than a butter knife to defend against that demon spawn.” I stood and stretched. I didn’t look or feel much different at this point. Same relatively flat stomach that seemed to be the envy of all the older women in town. Well, not for much longer. Soon I’d be heaving around an exercise ball attached to my abdomen and pretending that the sheen of perspiration was a hormonal glow. Things to look forward to.
“I don’t need to defend myself against Magpie,” Gareth sniffed. “He’s perfectly harmless.”
“Sure he is,” I said. “To a vampire ghost.” Gareth rolled his eyes before disappearing and I hurried to the bathroom before my insides exploded. I kneeled in front of the porcelain god, praying that this stage of the pregnancy would be over soon. Just because I had years of puking experience didn’t mean I wanted to show off.
After a few minutes, Gareth’
s head popped up from the floorboards. “Tick tock, Emma. Tea’s getting cold.”
“Can’t a girl throw up in peace?” I tossed the roll of toilet paper at his head and it sailed right through him.
“You’re more ornery than usual,” Gareth said, stroking his chin. “Ask Boyd which herbs you can take for that.”
I growled at him and he disappeared again. I cleaned myself up and got dressed at a frantic pace, not wanting to be late for my appointment.
When I finally arrived, Daniel was pacing the floor of the waiting area. The only other patient was a man seated in the far corner, reading a nature magazine.
Relief flickered in Daniel’s turquoise eyes when he saw me. “You’re two minutes late,” he said. “You’re never late.”
“The baby is already throwing me off my schedule,” I said. “Good thing I have months to adjust.”
He clasped my hand and we sat together to wait our turn. He tucked his wings in as far as they could go in order to fit in the small space. “I’m sorry I left early this morning,” he said. “I feel woefully unprepared for these interviews, but I don’t want to be that husband that gets consumed by his own work. I still want to hear about your new case since we never managed to discuss it last night.”
A blush crept into my cheeks at the memory of last night. Daniel and I had intended to have a bedtime catch-up conversation, but our hormones got the better of us. Sleep came quickly afterward. It didn’t take much to exhaust me these days.
“I wouldn’t have had time to tell you about it this morning either, even if you’d been there,” I said. “Gareth was determined that I get here on time.”
Daniel grinned. “Of course he was. I never thought I’d say this, but the vampire’s coming in handy.”
“Let’s see if you feel the same once the baby is born,” I said. “We’re going to have to set clear boundaries.”
Daniel squeezed my hand. “We’re going to have to set clear boundaries for you, too. The further along you get, you’re not going to have the same energy level. It might be time to think about scaling back.”
“Scaling back what?” I asked. “My job? School?” I gave a firm shake of my head. “That’s not happening.”
“Not the big, important things,” he said. “You tend to take on a lot of extra, though. You’ll want to slow your pace.”
“Well, I’ll be giving this new client my full attention,” I said. “His name is Percy and he’s an absolutely lovely faun. I hate that he’s gotten into this predicament.”
Daniel patted my thigh. “You think that about all your clients.”
“No, I mean it this time. There’s no way Percy could be a smuggler.”
“What’s he accused of smuggling?” Daniel asked.
I cast a sidelong glance at him. “He was caught with your dust. Well, not your dust specifically. Angel dust.”
Daniel’s brow lifted. “Wow. Seriously? How’d he get his hands on that?”
“That’s one of the mysteries. He says he found it in Whispering Woods.”
“That’s a strange thing to find.” Daniel shifted uneasily.
“Is it? I mean, don’t you have it?”
Daniel chuckled. “Of course I have it. I’m an angel, aren’t I?”
“Where do you keep it?” I asked.
“I don’t. It collects on my wings and then falls off when too much accumulates.”
“You…shed?” I queried. How had I not noticed this before?
“Not often,” Daniel replied. “And, when I do, it’s not unattractive dust bunnies rolling off my wings. It’s shimmery. Very pleasing to the eye.”
I looked at my husband talking about his shedding issues, and I still thought he was very pleasing to the eye. True love at its finest. “So would it be illegal for me to scrape angel dust off your wings and…do something with it?”
“Angel dust was highly prized for a lot of ancient practices,” Daniel said. “Its use was outlawed when angels started getting attacked for their wings. Angel dust isn’t exactly flowing like ale, so it’s hard to get and very valuable.”
“Could the dust Percy found be yours?”
Daniel appeared doubtful. “What color was it?”
“Color?” I asked. “Green. Why? Does it matter?”
“Then it can’t be mine. My angel dust is white with a turquoise shimmer,” he said.
I smiled lovingly at him. “Matches your eyes.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation,” the man with the magazine said. “I’ve read about angel dust being used to treat blindness in ancient cultures. Is that true?”
“Angel dust has healing properties,” Daniel said. “Blindness would only scratch the surface.”
“I’m a druid,” the man said, “so I have a certain fundamental knowledge of healing properties, but, from what I’ve read over the years, angel dust struck me as a panacea.”
“If that’s true, then why can’t it be used?” I asked. “Think of all the ailments that could be eradicated.”
“And think of all the angels attacked in the process,” Daniel replied. “Trust me. It’s best to keep it outlawed. I don’t need my species hunted to extinction.”
I shivered at the thought. “No, of course not.”
“It’s concerning that angel dust has been found here,” Daniel said. “I don’t like to think about a rise in smuggling, especially now that the borders are open.”
I squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of it. I won’t let Percy take the blame for someone else’s misdeeds.”
Daniel tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “If anyone can get to the bottom of it, you can. My beautiful, big-hearted amateur sleuth.”
“I plan to drop by Paws and Claws after I see Marjory Limpet this morning. Percy volunteers there on weekends, so I want to get their sense of him.”
“Sounds like you’ve got another busy day,” Daniel said. He wagged a finger at me. “See? You should be slowing down.”
“Because I’m walking and talking for two? I’m not even carrying any extra weight yet. I can handle it, Daniel.”
He smiled and kissed the top of my head. “I know you can.”
The healer’s assistant poked her head into the waiting area. “Phil Saxby.” She gave him a friendly smile. “Always nice to see druids coming into the clinic. Sometimes they think they’re above that sort of thing.”
Phil laughed. “Not me. I know my limits.”
I tried not to look too disappointed that it wasn’t our turn. As distracted as I was by other areas of my life, the simple truth was that I was anxious to make sure everything was okay with the baby. It was still early days and I feared that anything could go wrong since that was basically the story of my life.
Daniel seemed to sense my distress. “Not to worry, Emma. We’re next. I bet the baby is perfect and we’re going to float out of here on cloud nine.”
I smiled adoringly at him. “You are a cloud hopper.”
He fluttered the tops of his wings. “So I’m told.”
Boyd appeared in the waiting area. “Come on back, you two. Let’s see how you’re progressing.”
Daniel and I exchanged excited glances. Somehow, coming to the appointment together made the whole thing real.
“We’re having a baby,” I whispered to Daniel.
He grinned. “Yes, we are.”
Boyd patted the exam table. “Have a seat here, Emma.”
“I don’t need an ugly hospital gown or anything?” I asked.
“No, no, not for this,” Boyd said. “Druids have their own way of doing things.” He rubbed his hands together. “Flat on your back is best.”
“That’s how she got here in the first place,” Daniel quipped.
I shot him a horrified look. “Daniel Starr!”
Boyd’s deep rumble put me at ease. “I’m a healer, Emma. I’ve seen and heard it all.” His open palms hovered over my midsection and he closed his eyes. I heard his soft
inhalations and exhalations as he worked. “Strong heartbeat.” Finally, his eyelids fluttered open. “Everything’s coming along, nicely, Emma. Do you have any questions for me?”
“When will she stop puking?” Daniel asked, before I had a chance to say anything. To be fair, that was my first question, too.
“Hopefully, only a few more weeks,” Boyd replied. “If it carries on for longer, we’ll take a closer look.”
“It must be amazing to have your abilities,” I said. “My magic is pretty cool, but healing powers are something else entirely.”
Boyd nodded. “Carries a lot of responsibility, though, as I’m sure you can imagine. We can do as much harm as good if we’re not careful.”
“I’ve learned that the hard way,” I replied, thinking of all the times my spells backfired. “I hope this baby inherits Daniel’s skills.”
“Do you happen to know anything about angel-sorceress hybrids?” Daniel asked.
Boyd tugged his ear. “Can’t say I’ve seen one of those before, but there’s a first time for everything. I wouldn’t worry. There are all sorts of hybrids out there. Yours is hardly out of this realm.” He chuckled. “Now, a vampire ghost baby—that would be interesting.”
I cringed at the mere thought of weird, ghostly sex with Gareth. “Not happening for a whole host of reasons, but thanks for planting the image in my head.”
Daniel appeared equally traumatized. He continued to stand there, staring at me with a look of horror. “I need to see a basket of kittens as quickly as possible.”
“I’d try Paws and Claws for that,” Boyd said. “They always seem to have a fresh supply of cuteness over there.”
Daniel shook his head. “I’ll recover, thanks. I need to go back to the office and get ready for my interviews.” He straightened proudly. “I love saying that. My office.”
“Good luck,” I said. “I’ll drop in later and see how you’re getting on.”
Daniel cocked an eyebrow. “So we can get it on?”
I shot him an exasperated look. “Daniel Starr!” I turned to Boyd. “I thought I was supposed to be the one with the bonkers hormones.”
Wands Upon A Time (Spellbound Ever After Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 3) Page 4