Wands Upon A Time (Spellbound Ever After Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 3)

by Annabel Chase

  An elf appeared by my side. “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so. I’m looking for Sammy Munez,” I said.

  The elf pointed to the back of the shop. “She’s in the dispensary.”

  “Thanks.” I continued to an area at the back where a pixie in a white smock was fluttering madly from bottle to bottle that were lined up on a table behind the counter. Sammy seemed to be trying to break a speed record as she filled each bottle with bright orange liquid. She didn’t stop until I rang the bell on the counter. She zipped over to me, her green wings seeming to move a mile a minute.

  “Hi. You’re Sammy?” I asked, flashing a friendly smile.

  “I am. Do you have an order for pickup?” Sammy had dark ringlets and bright green eyes that matched her wings. She was a pretty pixie, possessing the type of universal attractiveness that probably made others bend over backwards to please her. I had to imagine that only added to her frustration over her secondary role at Cure-iosity Shop. A pixie like Sammy was probably accustomed to getting her way.

  “No pickup. My name’s Emma Hart,” I said. “I’d like to talk to you about your co-worker, Percy Atkins.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  “I’m his defense attorney,” I replied.

  She looked me up and down. “I see. I can’t believe the boss is allowing him to continue to work here while such serious charges are pending against him. It’s a disgrace.”

  “Innocent until proven guilty,” I said. “That’s why.”

  “He was caught with angel dust,” she said. “That’s intense. I mean, where’d he even get it?”

  I ignored her remarks. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? I understand that you spend a lot of time with Percy here. It would be helpful to hear about your specific experience working with him.”

  Sammy pulled a face. “Are you sure? I mean, you said you’re his lawyer. I assume you want all positive stuff. Not sure I can give you that.”

  “What’s the problem?” I asked. “Is he not good at his job?”

  She snorted. “Hardly. He’s always making stupid mistakes. I have to follow him around and clean up his mess. It doesn’t help that I’m as qualified as he is for the job, but I’m relegated to second in command.”

  “Did you both interview for the position?” I asked.

  She paused. “No, he was already working here. I was hired later.”

  “So he has seniority,” I said.

  She blew a ringlet from her eye. “I guess. Whatever. He still screws up. I should have that job. I’m much better at it than he is.”

  “Can you give me an example of how he’s screwed up?” I asked.

  Sammy folded her arms. “He’s late all the time and I have to cover for him.” She glanced at the clock. “He’s due back from his break soon. I bet he’s five minutes late.”

  “Does he say why he’s late?” I asked.

  “He always has an excuse,” Sammy replied. “Does it matter, though? Once in a while is fair enough, but regularly? It’s unprofessional.”

  “And do you complain to anyone about his chronic lateness problem?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Sammy said. “I keep a log of his behavior.”

  Wow. She and Gareth would be a perfect match if the vampire ghost were into the opposite sex. “Anything else aside from lateness?”

  “He doesn’t keep track of inventory the way he should,” Sammy said. “We always seem short on supplies, so the reconciliation is off.”

  “Which supplies?” I asked.

  “Some of our more valuable stock,” Sammy said. “We were low on devil’s whip recently and no one could account for it. That’s his job to keep track.”

  “Any chance someone is stealing?” I asked.

  “If someone is, then my money’s on Percy,” Sammy said. “Especially in light of his arrest.”

  Percy was right—Sammy certainly seemed to have it in for him. “Have you ever seen angel dust?” I asked.

  “No, why?” Sammy asked. “Is he saying that I gave it to him?” She snorted. “He would try to pin it on me. He hates me.”

  “Percy doesn’t seem like the type to hate anyone,” I replied.

  “I do wonder how he managed to get it.” Sammy seemed impressed. “He must have higher level contacts in the smuggling world. That’s worth good coin.”

  “He found it in the woods,” I said. “We don’t know how it got there, though.”

  Sammy shrugged. “So he claims. Anything’s possible now that the borders are open. Spellbound used to be this crime-free town and suddenly it’s teeming with the lowest common denominator.”

  “I think you’re overstating it,” I said. “I was here before the curse was broken and there was definitely plenty of crime to go around.”

  “I don’t know,” Sammy said. “I was in the Spotted Owl recently and I actually left because I felt so uncomfortable. There was a group of guys in there.” She shook her ringlets. “Let’s just say I had their unwanted attention.”

  “But the Spotted Owl has always catered to a rougher crowd,” I said. That was the main reason we tended to frequent the Horned Owl.

  “Not this kind of rough,” Sammy said.

  It just so happened that I had plans to go to the Spotted Owl tonight. I’d have the chance to judge the clientele for myself. “I know you don’t think much of Percy as a co-worker, but do you really think he’s capable of smuggling illegal items like angel dust? Does that seem in line with what you know about him?”

  Sammy’s wings slowed. “I don’t know. He’s a faun. He loves nature and wildlife. I know he volunteers at Paws and Claws in his free time, but that could all be a front.”

  She wasn’t necessarily wrong, though I desperately wanted her to be. “Just out of curiosity, how do you think you’d perform his job better?”

  “I’m faster,” she replied, whipping her wings into a frenzy for good measure. “I pay closer attention to detail. I’m never late.”

  At that moment, a customer joined me at the counter. She was an elderly troll with silver hair and slightly hunched posture. “Is Percy here, dear?”

  “He’s on a break,” Sammy said, “but I can help you. Are you collecting an order?”

  “No, I need to ask about one of my new potions,” the troll said. “Make sure it doesn’t interact negatively with my other potions.”

  “I can help you,” Sammy said. “What’s the new potion called?”

  The elderly troll shook her head. “That’s all right, dear. When do you expect Percy back?”

  “Soon,” Sammy said. “He’s on a break.”

  “Well, I’ll shop in the aisles until he comes back then,” the troll replied.

  “You’ve been coming here for a long time?” I asked.

  “Oh, yes,” the troll said. “And Percy always takes care of me. He has a way of making me feel better even before I’ve tried my new potion. And he knows everything there is to know. I trust what he tells me.”

  “That’s a great quality in a dispenser,” I said. “No wonder you come here.”

  “If Percy left, I’d follow him to the new dispensary,” the troll said. “That’s how much I rely on him.”

  Sammy’s expression hardened. “I’m more than capable of performing his job.”

  The troll turned to look at her. “It isn’t simply the job. It’s the manner in which he performs it. He knows my name, my family, the type of pets I own. He listens and remembers. I came in with a rash one time and Percy was able to recommend the right ointment immediately because he knew I had a salamander. It was a negative reaction to taking a potion and then petting my salamander.”

  “Wow, that is impressive,” I said.

  Sammy sniffed. “A lucky guess.”

  “I’ll be in aisle five until he gets back,” the troll said. “My grandkids like the trinkets there. Very sparkly.”

  “It seems to me that Cure-iosity Shop will suffer without Percy,” I said, observing the elderl
y troll as she shuffled away.

  “If he goes to prison, I’ll get his job,” Sammy said. “So there is a silver lining.”

  “For you,” I replied, somewhat appalled. Percy wasn’t kidding. Sammy’s competitive nature was over the top.

  “Right. For me,” Sammy replied. “Which is all I care about.”

  “Good to know,” I said. “Thanks for your input.”

  “You’re not going to stay and talk to Percy?” she queried.

  “I’ve already spoken to my client,” I said. “I’d rather focus on building his defense now. The more evidence I can gather on his behalf, the better.”

  Sammy gave me a funny look. “Well, I’d say good luck, but I guess I don’t really mean it. And insincerity is a pet peeve of mine.”

  “You seem to have a lot of those,” I said. “Must make life challenging for you when everyone else is below your exacting standards.”

  Sammy rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.”

  Chapter Six

  Daniel was just sitting down with his first candidate when I breezed into the office. I set a cup from Brew-Ha-Ha on his desk with a pleasant smile. I’d considered making him suffer without caffeine in solidarity, but couldn’t bring myself to torture my husband that way. Why should both of us be latte-deprived?

  “Now that’s what I call service,” he said. “Jordyn, I’d like you to meet my wife, Emma. Jordyn is one of my interviewees today.”

  I glanced at the banshee seated in the chair. She had light hair and delicate features with a sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Sort of like mine except hers were somehow adorable and mine looked like someone had taken a Sharpie to my face while I was asleep.

  “Nice to meet you, Jordyn,” I said. “Good luck with the interview. Not to put you off, but I should warn you now that Daniel is a tough boss.”

  “I think we both know who the tough boss is in our house,” he replied.

  “Gareth,” we said in unison, and both cracked up.

  “Is Gareth your son?” Jordyn asked.

  I frowned. It wasn’t often that I had to explain Gareth to others. “Um, not exactly. He’s our…lodger. It’s such a big house. There’s plenty of room.” Not that Gareth took up any space.

  “There’ll be one less available room soon,” Daniel said, eyeing my stomach. “We need to set up a nursery.”

  Jordyn’s eyes rounded. “Oh, you’re having a baby. That’s so sweet. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” Daniel said. “First time parents here, so we’re ecstatic and nauseous at the same time.”

  “I believe I bear the brunt of the nausea,” I said. To that end, even the smell of Daniel’s latte was making me queasy. Spell’s bells. I hoped this phase was a short one like Boyd suggested.

  “I should probably start asking questions since the next candidate will be here soon,” Daniel said. A not-so-subtle hint for me to move along.

  “I’ll just straighten up some of these shelves before I go,” I said. The office looked untidy, not a great first impression for candidates. If I’d realized the state of the place, I would’ve popped in sooner. I’d have to send Gareth over to do an intensive organization session. At least that would keep him from babyproofing the whole house months before the baby’s arrival.

  I deliberated whether to organize the top row of books on the shelf in alphabetical order or height order. Alphabetization eventually won.

  “What do you think qualifies you for this position?” I heard Daniel ask.

  Jordyn gave a sensible answer that involved her love of Spellbound and its quirks. Her strong desire to never live anywhere else because, even though the curse was broken, Spellbound was still the best town in the world—not that she’d ever been anywhere else. I longed to add that I had been somewhere else and Spellbound was still the best, but I zipped my lip. This was Daniel’s interview, not mine.

  “And how old are you?” Daniel asked.

  My antennae shot up. Could employers ask for a candidate’s age in interviews here? Hmm. Maybe they didn’t have the same issues with age discrimination in the paranormal world because everyone lived so long, yet often appeared so youthful.

  Jordyn answered without skipping a beat, not that it meant anything. She was young—it was possible she didn’t know any better.

  “Have you ever been arrested?” Daniel asked. “If it’s been recently, my wife would know.” He winked at me. “She’s the public defender.”

  I bit my tongue. Spellbound’s rules and laws were different. I had to keep reminding myself of that fact. It might be perfectly acceptable to ask about an arrest record here, not that I agreed with it.

  “No arrests,” Jordyn said. “Upstanding citizen here, Mr. Starr.”

  “Any disabilities?” he asked. “I can’t see anything amiss from where I’m sitting, but still good to know how well you’re able to perform what the job entails.”

  My head jerked toward him. Did he seriously just ask that? Maybe I misheard him.

  “No disabilities,” Jordyn confirmed. “Everything is in perfect working order.”

  “Are you dating anyone?” Daniel asked. I whirled around, my mouth hanging open. “Do you plan to settle down and have a family soon?”

  Stars and stones! This was definitely not okay. I waved my arms behind Jordyn in an effort to get his attention. When he looked at me, I made a motion to slice my neck, hoping he’d understand.

  Daniel blinked innocently. “What? I’m not hitting on her. These are legitimate questions. I don’t want to train someone and then have her leave in a year when she decides to stay home with a baby.”

  I smacked my forehead. “Daniel! These are not acceptable questions. Not a single one of them, except the one where you actually discussed her qualifications.”

  Jordyn smiled politely. “It’s okay. I don’t mind answering. I don’t have a boyfriend, so it’s not an issue.”

  I moved to stand beside her. “No, Jordyn, it’s not okay. Where I’m from, these are illegal questions. You’re not allowed to ask them in an interview so that employers can’t discriminate against women.”

  “I would never do that,” Daniel objected.

  I placed my hands on my hips. “What if she’d said she was planning to start a family next year?” I asked. “You’d be less inclined to hire her, wouldn’t you?”

  Daniel fiddled with his quill. “Maybe,” he mumbled.

  “Do you know how hard it would be for women of child-bearing age to find employment—to have a career—if they didn’t get hired based on their likelihood to procreate?” I demanded.

  Daniel opened his mouth to respond, but I kept going.

  “Jordyn, you’ll have to excuse my husband. He’s been around a long time and the world has changed without him realizing it.”

  Jordyn smiled. “It’s totally fine. I swear by the goddess. I want the job, so I’ll answer whatever questions he asks me.”

  “But it shouldn’t be fine,” I said. “You can’t accept this treatment, Jordyn. You’re qualified for the job and you need to make sure that’s where the focus stays.”

  Daniel’s face turned a deep shade of crimson as the reality of his questions set in. “I’m so sorry, Jordyn. Emma’s right, as always. I mean, how would I feel if Emma lost her job because she’s carrying our child? That wouldn’t be right at all. She’s just as capable of defending her clients whether she’s puking every morning or not.”

  “Thank you, Daniel,” I said. As guilty as I felt for interrupting the interview, I knew I couldn’t let the line of questioning continue, for Daniel’s sake as much as Jordyn’s. He was a better angel than that, and his willingness to embrace my comments proved it.

  “And now I’m going to do something else inappropriate,” he said. He rose from his chair and kissed me full on the lips. “Might as well keep the streak alive.”

  Jordyn’s hand flew to her chest and she made a weepy sound. “I hope when I do meet someone special, we have a relatio
nship as amazing as yours. Life goals, right?”

  I wrapped my arms around my husband’s waist. “Definitely.”

  I left Daniel’s office and saw Sheriff Astrid placing a parking ticket on the windshield of a red jalopy that was illegally parked.

  “Since when do you write the tickets?” I asked. “I thought that was Britta’s beat.”

  The Valkyrie didn’t look happy about her task. “Britta has a dental appointment, so I said I’d do a sweep of downtown while the office is slow.”

  “You’re a good sheriff and an even better sister,” I said.

  “One of these days I’ll need a favor from her,” Astrid said. “I’ll have accumulated lots of points by then.”

  A middle-aged elf hurried across the road, trying to catch our attention. He dodged a car as he waved. “Sheriff Astrid!”

  She stopped and turned to face him. “Is this your jalopy?”

  “No, no. I’m Gus. Your office said I could find you here. You sent a message for me?”

  Astrid stiffened. “I did.” She looked at me. “You should probably stay for this, Emma, since you were the one to find him.”

  My stomach sank. Now I realized who Gus was.

  “I’m afraid I have bad news, Gus,” the sheriff said. “Your father was found dead in the Enchanted Woods. In fact, Emma here is the one who found the body.”

  “Technically, it was Sedgwick, my familiar,” I said. “I only sent for the sheriff.”

  “Are you sure it’s my dad?” Gus asked.

  “Yes, he’s been positively identified,” Astrid said. “I can take you to see him if you like.”

  Tears welled in the elf’s eyes. “Yes, definitely. I can’t believe it. Dad’s really gone?”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” I said. “This must be a shock.”

  Gus nodded. “My mom died years ago, so it’s been dad and me for a long time. I assumed he’d be around forever. Stupid, I know.”

  “Were you out of town?” Astrid asked. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you since we found him.”

  “I was on overnight shifts in the mines for a couple of days, but we got back today.” He smeared the tears across his cheeks. “This is so unexpected. What happened? Did he fall?”