by Tegan Maher
“I was just in the Gate today. She wasn’t there. Her shop was locked up tight.”
He sighed. “I know. She was ... busy. Meet me at Potions & Lotions at nine. I promise, she’ll be there.”
“She better be,” I snapped. “She lied to me, and Mrs. Crookshamble said she’s been actin’ weird and looks bad. I want to know what’s got her so distracted that she’d leaving her shop closed and not taking care of herself. And make it eight,” I said. “I don’t want to waste any more time. I’m working on a short timeline, remember?”
“Eight it is, then. And put up as many wards around your place as you can. Lock it down tight. You’re messing with something bad, and if you’ve drawn unwanted attention, I’d rather have you safe than sorry.”
I furrowed my brow. My brother was never an alarmist, so if he thought I’d need them, I’d danged sure set them. “Will do.”
“As soon as you get off the phone,” he said.
“Okay,” I replied, a little impatient at the big-brother bossiness even though I understood it came from a good place. “I’ll do it right now. I already have the place almost as secure as Ft. Knox.”
He snorted. “That does not make me feel better. Lock it down as tight as the Witches Council.”
“Jeez,” I said, “you’re serious.”
“I am. Now, I’m going to bed and you should, too. We may have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“I assume he just told you to boost the wards around this place?” Charles said when I hung up.
I cast him a quizzical look. “He did. You disagree?”
“Absolutely not. He’s right. I’ll help if you want.”
Blake glared at him. “I’ll help. Even though I trust Michael, I don’t trust you. And even a phone call isn’t a hundred percent reliable. She’s been tricked like that before. You just sit tight.”
His face creased in resignation and he waved us on. “Then go on. Get it done. We’re sitting ducks. The Valkyries strolled right in, so I assume we have no wards up at all right now, and we need them.”
I glanced at Blake, who nodded, and we went outside. He stood on one end of the porch and I stood on the other, each of us with our hands raised, muttering the words that would protect my place from everything from wood sprites to fire demons. Tempest stood with her little body pressed against my leg, feeding me her own special brand of magic to fuse with mine.
“That’s everyone I can think of,” I said as I finished the last incantation and tied the magic to the power of the ocean so that it wouldn’t drain me dry.
“Me, too,” he said. “This place is invisible for all intents and purposes, and even if somebody does manage to find it, we’ll know right away if they attempt to breach.”
“Nobody’s gonna breach my wards,” I said, confident.
“Cockiness will get you dead, Destiny,” he said, raking his hand through his hair. “You see all the nice creatures here, but let me tell you, there are many more out there that would keep you up at night if you knew just how close they are.”
A shiver ran down my spine and I rubbed my arms trying to dispel the goosebumps that had risen on them at his words.
His face softened, and I caught a glimpse of the man I’d fallen in love with back when I’d first started working there. That seemed like a lifetime ago and I had Colin now, but I’d always have a soft spot for Blake.
He gave me a soft, tired smile. “But you’re probably right in this case. Between the security nets the resort has in place and the ones we just put up, I’m comfortable saying we’re safe here.”
We went back inside, where Colin and Charles had taken a seat at my kitchen table. Tempest hopped into Colin’s lap and curled up. Blake took a seat with them.
“Are y’all hungry?” I asked. That level of magic took a tremendous amount of energy, and my stomach was growling.
“Starved,” Colin and Blake said at the same time.
“I could eat if you’re offering,” Charles said.
I racked my brain, trying to think if I had anything other than cake and cold cereal and cringed when I realized I didn’t. Tempest sat up straighter on Colin’s lap with a cat that ate the cream look.
“Check the fridge. I might have stopped by to see Angus rather than coming straight home,” she said.
I opened the door and was shocked to see one of the large serving pans that had held the meat. Pulling it out, I peeled back the aluminum foil and was shocked yet elated to see a huge pile of meat that took up a quarter of the pan, then smaller containers stuffed full of sides and sauce. There was even a pack of hamburger buns tucked in there.
“I hate to say this because I know it’ll go to your head, but you’re a genius.”
She huffed a breath out through her nose and ran her tail through her front paws. “If somebody hadn’t died, you’d have called me a bum.”
“Well,” Colin said, smiling. “You’re definitely a bum, but I’m grateful for you. And I would have said that even if it were an ordinary night. You know how I like my midnight snacks.”
I rolled my eyes, grateful for once that my little fox was as food-driven as the rest of us were. Colin wasn’t lying. He hadn’t shifted, but even on a good day, he could consume his weight in food and he was a meat-and-potatoes guy. I always joked that it was a good thing he’d decided to be a lawyer because otherwise, there was no way he could have afforded to feed himself.
I made up sandwiches and doled out sides, and when we all dug in, conversation stopped as we ate. By the time we were done, I felt much better. There was something about a full stomach that just made the world a little rosier.
“Let’s go to bed and get a fresh start in the morning,” I said, smashing the final crumbs of cheesecake between my plate and the back of my fork. Never let it be said that I ever wasted even a dusting of cake.
Blake pushed back from the table. “I’m gonna head back to my place, then tomorrow, I want to take a look at the crime scene in the daylight.” He turned to Colin. “I haven’t asked you yet, but did you happen to see or smell anything that didn’t seem right when you were there?”
Colin thought for a minute. “I didn’t see anything, but I do remember thinking at the time that the normal creatures that would normally be making noise even with us present—crickets and the like—were quiet. I’ve never heard that before, but I thought maybe it was because it’s a manmade environment instead of the real thing. I also smelled horse but seeing as how she hung out with Valkyries all day, that’s not surprising. Other than that, no. Nothing.”
Blake nodded. “It didn’t hurt to ask.” He paused, then turned to Charles. “And what about you? Is there anything you can add that might help us—and therefore you—out?”
He hesitated before he spoke. “I feel bad even mentioning this, but the other Valkyrie that was at the luau? Her half-sister Veronica? They loved each other, I think, but that relationship was intense. They were uber-competitive, and they’d had a falling out several months ago and hadn’t spoken since. I was surprised to see her here tonight. I’ve never met her, but Liz told me about her. She’d applied for the same position Liz did, but she was knocked out of the training program because she’s a hot-head. They’re strict about discipline, and she flunked out even after they’d given her a second chance.”
“Angus said they were hanging out together, but he didn’t say whether the two of them, specifically, were talking much. I’ve never met her, but that doesn’t surprise me. Steph typically comes alone. It’s rare for her to bring anybody with her.”
“Sibling rivalry can be tough, especially when you’re, as Stephanie pointed out, literally created for war. Do you have any idea who or what Veronica’s father is?” Colin asked.
Valkyries were goddesses, created, not born. Halflings, just like in every species, weren’t uncommon, at least today when there weren’t huge hand-to-hand-combat situations going on every other day to keep them occupied. That meant, though, that if Veronica was her half-s
ister, they didn’t share a father.
Charles shook his head. “I don’t know. She never mentioned it and I never thought to ask. Sorry.”
It was a shame Stephanie hadn’t been feeling more cooperative because this was a question she could have easily answered. I had her cell number, but I wasn’t too interested in calling and stoking the flames at that point. If she’d applied to whatever program they’d been in, Michael would likely be able to get the info on her.
We’d hit yet another wall that would have to be scaled tomorrow. I just hoped we could get the answers we needed because otherwise, I was afraid Charles was gonna need more than a spell to protect him.
Chapter 13
SOMETHING FUZZY TICKLING my nose woke me up the next morning. I opened my eyes to find Tempest sitting on my chest, peering down at me while she rubbed the tip of her tail across my nose.
“Stop that,” I snapped, scowling and batting at her. To say I wasn’t a morning person was sorta like saying the moon was a twinkle light.
“I will when you get up,” she said. “I’m trying to be nice. I could have just dumped water on you.”
“It’s not even daylight yet,” I grumbled, trying to roll over and pull the covers up over my head. Then I realized the bed was empty except for me and Tempest. “Where’s Colin?”
“He’s downstairs. I’m sure he would have made breakfast if we had any groceries,” she said, fuzzy little brow arched and her green eyes glittering with sarcasm.
“How was I supposed to know he was going to stay the weekend? He was just gonna come for the luau then jet back.”
“So maybe you should buy a few packs of bacon or sausage or something just to have on hand,” she said. “You know, like normal adults do.”
I poked a finger at her. “I haven’t had coffee yet. Is this the hill you want to die on? My lack of groceries? Because if it is, I’m sure fox would taste delicious with pancakes.”
She smirked. “Probably, but we don’t have any syrup. Or pancake mix. Get up. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
I grumbled but made my way through my morning routine before stumbling down the stairs. I was up and dressed and met the minimum standards for presentability, but I was still uncaffeinated—a state I was fixing to cure posthaste. I knew for a fact I wasn’t out of that.
Colin swooped in with a quick kiss and shoved a mug into my hand as soon as I stepped into the kitchen. “Good morning, beautiful. I would have woken you up when I got up a half-hour ago, but you were sawing logs. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
I cringed. “Was I snoring that bad?”
“Nah,” he laughed. “No louder than a small chainsaw, tops. Definitely not as loud as one of those big industrial ones.”
“He’s lying to keep from hurting your feelings,” Tempest said as she strolled into the kitchen, her tail twitching. “You were drooling, too.”
Colin’s eyes crinkled up at the corners in that adorable way I loved, and I scrunched my nose at him. “At least you know my deepest, darkest secrets. I can put a lumberjack to shame at a barbecue and I snore like one, too. I’m not even gonna deny the drooling.”
“If those are your deepest, darkest, I think we’re gonna make it,” he said, dropping a kiss on my nose.”
“What time is it?” I asked, yawning. “It’s not even daylight yet.”
“No, but I wanted to get a solid head start. Maybe we can grab some breakfast before we meet up with Michael.”
Tempest’s earlier words floated through my head. “I’m sorry. I should have grabbed some groceries, but I honestly didn’t even think about it.”
“It’s because you’ve been workin’ yourself to the bone,” Tempest said, surprising me. “You need to slow down. Tell Blake to hire a manager.”
She had a point. “I know. As soon as this mess is over, I’ll talk to him. I don’t mind standing in when he has to go somewhere, but this daily grind of running the tiki and working at it is dragging me down.” I yawned again for emphasis.
“So where are you thinking of for breakfast?” Tempest asked.
My stomach growled at the thought of food. “How about that little diner beside the Cracked Cauldron?”
We’d eaten there a few times. The food was good and cheap. My two top requirements.
“That sounds awesome,” Tempest said. “When can we leave?”
“We have to wake up Charles,” I replied, “and give him time to get ready.”
“I’m ready,” came a voice from the living room shortly before the man in question shuffled in. “I need coffee, but if we’re porting, we can be there in just a few minutes.”
I’d teleported more in the last two days than I had in the last two months. Despite how easy it was, I liked to walk. It was a good time to think, and exercise that wasn’t required in order to get drinks to impatient guests was good for me. But it was gonna be necessary if we were gonna eat before we met Michael.
“We are. I’ll be right back. Let me grab my purse.” I slipped by him to grab it off the stand table. “Oh, you have fox hair on the back of your shirt,” I said, brushing it off with my hand. “Sorry about that.”
“No worries,” he said, smiling. “I have a dog, so I’m used to it.”
“We have to go outside to port. I have the house warded so that nobody can come or go.” I hadn’t bothered to exclude myself since I could just drop the wards if I needed a quick escape.
Once outside, Tempest hopped onto my shoulder. I took Blake’s hand and reached for Charles’s, then closed my eyes and pictured the red door that would lead us off the property.
Two seconds later, we were standing at the north entrance to the resort. Even I didn’t have the ability to teleport on or off the resort. That was reserved for Blake only, and I was glad. We had to manually cross the property line, then we could either teleport ourselves or there was a bank of ports that led to pretty much anywhere in the world for those who either couldn’t or didn’t want to teleport themselves. I rarely used them since I rarely went anywhere new.
Charles passed through, then Colin, and Tempest and I brought up the rear. I held out my hand to Charles, but he shook his head. “No need for you to use extra juice when I can get myself there. I’ll see you at the diner in ten seconds.” He snapped his fingers and was gone.
Colin swore. “What if he just made a run for it? We don’t really know anything about him.”
I grinned. “Sweetie, I wasn’t born yesterday. I put a magical tracker on him when I brushed the hair off his back.”
“I’m impressed,” Tempest said, rubbing her cheek against mine. “I know you’re brilliant, but sometimes you still manage to surprise me. Now, let’s go eat.”
The exit was right on the beach, and I took a few seconds to breathe in the sea air and let the energy from the water recharge me. The farther I got from the water, the more energy it took for me to do magic, though it wasn’t that big of a difference since I had a better-than-average amount of mojo. I could pull energy from the water in the air if I needed to. But still, the closeness of the water soothed me.
Tempest remained uncharacteristically quiet as I absorbed the predawn energy.
After a few seconds, Colin squeezed my hand. “Honey, we need to go.”
I nodded, and two seconds later, we were standing on the sidewalk at the side of the diner. The scents of coffee, bacon, and fresh bread combined to make my stomach growl. I looked around for Charles, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 14
“CRAP,” I SAID, DISAPPOINTMENT washing over me. I’d trusted him, which had been dumb. Michael was an excellent judge of character, but sometimes even good people did bad things. Who’s to say he didn’t kill Liz in the heat of an argument or something? And now he was gone on my watch.
Just when I was pulling forth the magic to activate the tracking spell, somebody pecked on the glass from inside the diner. I swiveled my head to see who it was. Relief washed over me when Charles held up a coffee cup and he
ld his hands up, questioning why we were standing outside. I breathed a sigh of relief and spun on my heel to follow Colin and Tempest, who were already to the door.
“What took you guys so long?” he asked as Colin and I slid into the other side of the booth he’d chosen.
“Nothing. I just paused to appreciate the sun coming up,” I said, unwilling to give away too much about myself to a virtual stranger.
He smiled knowingly. “Water’s my element, too. Or at least one of them. I wanted to pause, but I needed coffee more.”
The waitress, a tall, buxom woman with big blonde hair and enough eye shadow to give Tammi Fae Baker a run for her money, filled our coffee cups and took our orders. I did a double-take when, right as I was dumping the sugar into my cup, Michael strode up the sidewalk outside the diner. Before I could tap on the glass to get his attention, he disappeared from view and the bell over the door behind us tinkled. I pulled my napkin off my lap and stood to wave him down.
He raised his brows in surprise then strode toward me, his green eyes—twins of my own—shining.
“Hey, little sister,” he said, swooping me up into a hug. “How have you been? I’ve missed you.”
We’d always been close, but between his work and mine, we didn’t see each other nearly as often as either of us would have liked.
“I’ve been good. Workin’ my tail off, but good. I’d planned to take the whole weekend off, then this happened.”
The waitress hustled back to our table, giving me a wicked hairy eyeball as she said to him, “You want your usual, sugar?”
“Please, Charlene. Make it two, and add double all the meats to the second one.”
She gave him a wink and a smile that left absolutely nothing open to interpretation, though he didn’t even seem to notice.
He stuck his hand out toward first Colin then Charles. “Gentlemen, good to see you both. This worked out better than I could have hoped. Now we can eat while we talk, then after, we’ll go to Mila’s. I think it may be good if I give you the lowdown before you talk to her. That way, you’ll have a few minutes to digest it and can ask her whatever you want.”