by Lily Webb
“I’m sure that makes her a worthy opponent,” I said.
“Absolutely.”
“What’s been the most difficult part of running for Head Witch so far?” I asked. “I imagine it isn’t easy being in the spotlight.”
“Oh, heavens, no. I can’t go anywhere unaccompanied anymore, though it’s impossible to say if that has more to do with my campaign or the recent murder,” Opal said.
Good, she was already heading in the right direction.
“I’d say the most difficult part of running has been the rumors and hearsay following me.”
“I bet. What kind of rumors?”
“Can you believe there are people in this town who have the gall to suggest I’m not who I say I am?” Opal asked. “The Cromwell family goes back hundreds of years in Moon Grove. Since Miss Woods died, everyone’s turned paranoid. Why else would they fabricate stories to tear me down — stories that benefit someone whose campaign is based on biased positions?”
“That’s terrible,” I said, scribbling it down on my paper. “Anything else?”
“The worst is a salacious, purely false story that I’m somehow on the take from the vampires,” Opal said.
Finally, we were getting to the good stuff, and I wasn’t the one who’d opened the can of worms.
“Why would anyone think that?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea. Perhaps they think my plan to expand the Council is a zero-sum game, so they’re using my positions against me,” Opal said.
Somehow, I doubted that was the reason.
“Or maybe they think you’ll do anything to win, up to and including accepting assistance that isn’t above board,” I suggested. The color drained from Opal’s face.
“Miss Clarke, that is a highly inappropriate thing to say,” Opal scolded me. Her reaction spoke volumes.
“I’m only repeating what I’ve heard from others, Councilwoman,” I said. She glared at me but didn’t correct my use of her title this time.
“I confess that vampires have a fascinating knack for persuasion, but there’s no such arrangement in my campaign,” Opal said. She sighed and leaned against her desk.
“You know, Zoe, it’s rumors like these that sometimes make me wish I’d never entered the race. People can be vicious.”
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know. I’m a journalist, everyone hates us,” I said. Opal smiled at me.
“There’s one last rumor I’d like to ask you about, Councilwoman.”
“Only one?”
“Just one. I’ve heard it was your broomstick found broken in the bushes near the grave where Harper was found,” I said. Opal’s jaw dropped.
“My broomstick? What? That’s not possible, it’s been here in my office since—” Opal trailed as she leaned to look around me at the door. Beside it sat an empty cylinder that looked like it was meant to hold umbrellas.
“Since when?”
“Well, since I announced my candidacy. As I said, Grace and I aren’t allowed to travel unaccompanied anymore. A gargoyle guard escorts us any and everywhere we need to go, so my broom hasn’t been used for months. I could’ve sworn I left it here, but…”
No way. Could Opal really be innocent?
While she was distracted, I locked on to her eyes and focused on trying to get inside her head, but nothing happened. She looked back at me, confused, and let out a long breath.
“This is disturbing,” she said.
She had that right. If I could just get into her thoughts, I’d be able to tell right away whether she was telling me the truth or if she was putting on an act. Since she was a politician, I wasn’t willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
But if she really didn’t have anything to do with Harper’s murder, how did her broomstick end up at the scene?
“Councilwoman, have you been contacted by the police about Harper?” I asked. “This is off the record.”
Opal swallowed and shook her head.
“No.”
“I bet you will soon,” I said.
“Zoe, this is not what it looks like. I was nowhere near the cemetery that night. The other Council members and I were in a scheduled meeting here in the main chamber. I have the meeting agenda and my notes from it somewhere,” Opal said as she shuffled through the papers on her desk.
After a few moments, she let out an “A-ha!” and handed me two pieces of paper.
One bore the official seal of the Moon Grove Council and featured a bulleted list of items to cover: the quarterly budget, a tuition program for Veilside, and a proposal for a new park, among other things. Nothing particularly interesting.
The other was a piece of lined notebook paper covered in Opal’s loopy handwriting, even in the margins. She wasn’t lying. Opal was at the meeting.
So had someone stolen her broomstick? And if so, who and why?
“Do you think someone stole your broom?”
“They must have. How else could it have gotten tangled up in this? Brooms can’t fly on their own,” Opal said.
“Who has access to your office?”
“No one but the security guards and me. Not even Lena,” Opal said.
“When was the last time you remember seeing your broom here?”
“Oh, Lilith, I don’t recall. Maybe the night of the meeting?”
“And it was just you and the other Council members here that night?” I asked. Opal’s eyes went wide.
“All of us except Grace,” she whispered. “She was supposed to be there but never arrived.”
“You don’t think…?”
“I have no idea,” Opal said.
A knock on the door startled us both. It cracked open, and Lena’s head appeared.
“Sorry to disturb you, Councilwoman, but your next appointment is here, and you’re over your time,” Lena said.
“I’ll be in touch, Councilwoman,” I said as I stood.
“My door’s always open for you, Zoe,” Opal said firmly. “Always. Understand?”
I nodded. I heard her message loud and clear.
“Thanks again,” I said and hurried for the door, desperate to tell Flora.
Chapter Thirteen
When I crashed through Flora’s front door, I found her wrapped in a blanket on the couch with a book in hand and Luna snuggled in her lap. Luna’s eyes fluttered open, and I could’ve sworn she smirked at me.
“Nice of you to join us,” Luna said.
“Looks like you two are getting along just great,” I said.
“Well, when you leave me alone all the time, what else am I supposed to do?” Luna asked through a yawn as she stretched and flexed her claws.
“Hey, one of us has to work,” I fired back.
“And I’m glad it’s not me,” Luna said.
“Is everything okay?” Flora asked. She rested the book face down on the arm of the couch, and The Origins of Witchcraft gleamed back at me in gold lettering. Good, maybe she could give me the Cliff Notes version of it.
“Yes and no,” I said.
“I don’t like the sound of that. What happened?” Flora asked, patting the couch beside her. I closed the door and joined them, scratching Luna between the ears.
“Opal didn’t kill Harper,” I said.
“What? Are you sure? Then how did her broomstick—”
“I think it was stolen,” I said.
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Like I told you, a stolen broomstick is useless for anything other than sweeping,” Flora said.
“Not if you’re using it as a murder weapon,” I said.
Flora gasped.
“You don’t think…?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore. Opal could be lying. Who knows? Maybe she gave the broom away or something,” I said.
“She wouldn’t do that if she was trying not to implicate herself,” Flora said.
“True. I was convinced Opal had something to do with it, and I still think she’s hiding something about her campaign, bu
t she had a rock-solid alibi for the night of Harper’s death: she was at a Council meeting,” I said.
“Are you sure? What if she was lying?” Flora asked.
“I don't think she was. She showed me the meeting agenda and her notes from the session and everything, but she did say Grace Magnus never showed up,” I said.
“That’s odd. I’ve never heard of the Council meeting without one of its members. Did you use your little trick, just to make sure?” Flora asked.
“No. I mean, I tried, but it didn’t work. I don’t know what that was all about. The only other time I’ve had trouble using it was with you, but I eventually got through,” I said.
“Weird. Do you think maybe Opal knew and cast some sort of protection spell on herself?” Flora asked.
“Hard to say, but if I were running for political office, I’d probably want to lock my thoughts down too. Is that something you can actually do?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Telepaths are rare, even in Moon Grove, so I’m not sure how much of a need there’d be for that. Besides, I’m not a witch. I’m not particularly familiar with what can and can’t be done by one,” Flora said.
“Is that why you were reading my book?” I asked. Flora blushed and shrugged.
“What can I say? I’m always hungry for knowledge,” she said.
“To each their own, I guess. Anyway, Opal also said Grace has been acting really weird for months,” I said. “Have you noticed?”
“Hm, she’s certainly been a little more bombastic than normal, but I assumed that was because she was turning things up to ten for the campaign,” Flora said.
“Makes sense.”
“Maybe you should try to get an interview with Grace to see for yourself,” Flora said.
“Good idea. I don’t suppose you have a contact number for her office too?” I asked. Flora chuckled.
“Sadly, no, but I’m sure Mitch does. Speaking of, what are you going to tell him about your time with Opal?”
“Nothing. Well, nothing about Harper, anyway. That was all off the record. All Mitch will get is the campaign rhetoric Opal threw at me,” I said.
“Smart. I bet you could ask Raina about all this too. She might have more insight into the inner workings of the witches,” Flora said, and my heart jumped into my throat.
“Wow, thanks for reminding me. I totally forgot I’m supposed to meet her, like, right now. I really need to put these meetings on my calendar,” I said, glancing at the clock hanging above the entrance to the kitchen.
“It’s good timing for a meeting with her though,” Flora said, smiling.
“Definitely.”
“Well, I guess it’s just gonna be you and me again tonight, Flora,” Luna said. Flora stroked Luna’s back, making her purr.
“I’m okay with that,” Flora said.
“Me too,” Luna said with her voice in vibrato from the purring.
“No offense, Zoe,” Flora said.
“None taken. Okay, I guess I’ll see you in a bit,” I said as I raced for the door.
“Have fun,” Flora called after me, but I barely heard it.
I dashed up Swiftsage, hung a right onto Crescent, and jogged the rest of the way to Raina’s house with a stitch in my side. I really needed to learn how to teleport.
The sun had just begun to slip beneath the horizon when I knocked three times on Raina’s door. Rustling came from inside and Raina greeted me with a smile.
“Good evening,” she said. “I was beginning to worry you’d forgotten.”
“Funny story, I almost did,” I said. “Sorry, it’s been a crazy day.”
“You look winded, dear. Did you run?”
“Yeah,” I admitted, staring down at my feet.
“It seems you’ve forgotten your book as well,” Raina said.
“Well, that’s probably not a bad thing since I didn’t read any of it,” I said.
“I suppose everyone deserves a break now and then,” Raina said. “But do try to read before our next meeting.”
“I will, I promise,” I said.
“Good. Please, come in,” Raina said. I stepped past her and made for my rocking chair by the fire. The room’s warm, cozy feel still hadn’t lost its appeal. Raina sat across from me and gave me a concerned look.
“Is something on your mind?”
“Tons,” I sighed.
“Might I be able to help?” Raina asked.
“I was hoping you’d ask,” I said. She smiled and folded her hands in her lap.
“If it will lead us to a better lesson,” she said.
“It’s about Harper,” I said. Raina’s smile faded. “I interviewed Opal Cromwell today for the Messenger. It was supposed to be a profile piece on her run for Head Witch, but things took a detour.”
“No doubt by your lead,” Raina said, though her eyes twinkled like she approved, even if she didn’t want to say it.
“Guilty as charged. Anyway, I learned yesterday that the police found a broken broomstick they’d identified as Opal’s near the grave where Harper was buried,” I said.
“Interesting,” Raina said. Her tone suggested she thought otherwise.
“Well, it gets more interesting. Maybe it was stupid of me, but I asked Opal about it, and she had no idea her broom was even missing,” I said. “She doesn’t use it anymore because she has an entourage of gargoyles to take her wherever she needs to go.”
“That’s true. Since Harper was killed, security has tightened for everyone of importance, including me,” Raina said.
“Okay, but the more confusing thing was that I wasn’t able to read Opal’s thoughts. I tried, believe me, but I couldn’t get inside her head,” I said. Raina’s eyes widened slightly.
“I see.”
“Can witches cast a protection spell on themselves to block that sort of thing?” I asked.
“They can, but it’s advanced magic,” Raina said.
“Opal had an award for Excellence in Magic from Veilside hanging in her office, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she could pull it off,” I said.
“Ah, yes, she’s more than capable,” Raina said. “This is troubling.”
“I know. I don’t know what do. She seems to think Councilwoman Magnus might have something to do with Harper’s death,” I said.
“Anything is possible in these bizarre times we live in,” Raina sighed.
“If Opal did protect her thoughts somehow, is there a way to break through it?”
“There is, but unfortunately, you aren’t at that level yet,” Raina said.
“That’s what I was afraid you’d say,” I groaned.
“I don’t doubt you’ll be able to perform powerful magic like that in due time, dear. For now, maybe it’s best if we focus on the abilities you already have,” Raina said. “And try to add to that repertoire wherever possible.”
I looked up, and Raina smirked at me.
“I’m game.”
“Good. Last we met, you did a stunning job using telekinesis. I’d like to continue with that,” Raina said. Without being told, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
“I’m ready. Bring it,” I said. Raina chuckled.
“Without the aid of the tea, it might be a challenge,” she said.
“Good. That’s the only way to get better, right? By pushing myself?”
“Within reason, yes,” Raina said.
“Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” I said.
“As you wish. Somewhere in this house, there is another copy of The Origins of Witchcraft. Using your mind, see if you can locate it, and then summon it to you,” Raina said.
That sort of ability could come in handy.
“Got it,” I said, taking a series of deep breaths. With each one, my mind emptied a bit further until not even the crackling of the fire in the hearth registered in my ears.
I imagined the look of the book Raina had given me, the feel of its worn and faded leather cover, the faint glint of its peeling golden title, and m
y mind scanned the rest of Raina’s home looking for its twin.
A few moments later, leather grazed my hands.
“Lilith below,” Raina whispered. I opened my eyes and took the book out of the air it hung in, smiling. “Incredible. How did you…?”
“I don’t know, I just pictured it,” I said, shrugging as I leafed through the book’s yellowed pages.
“Are you certain there aren’t any witches or warlocks in your family, immediate or extended?” Raina asked.
“I don’t think there are, but other than Grandma Elle, I don’t have much contact with my family,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Good question. I guess I never thought about it before,” I said. “It’s always just been Elle and me since my parents died. We both liked it that way.”
“Tell me, what is your grandmother’s maiden name?”
“Dare. Eleanor Dare,” I said. Raina’s face lost all expression and color. She looked like she might faint.
“And your mother’s name?”
“Virginia,” I said. “After the first baby born to the original colonists. Or at least that’s what Grandma always said.”
Raina rose from her chair on shaky legs.
“Zoe, do you have any idea what this means?”
“Uh… That I’m gonna get my own wand soon?”
“Perhaps. But it’s more than that. You are a direct descendant of the Prime,” Raina said.
“What’s that?” I asked, and she glared at me like I’d said the foulest words in the book.
“The Prime, Zoe. Dear Lilith, you don’t know what that is?”
“No, sorry. I came here from a farm, I’m not exactly up-to-date on witch history and lore. I don’t even know who this Lilith person is everyone keeps swearing to,” I said.
“The Prime is the first witch, the original witch, the mother of us all,” Raina said. “The Prime is Lilith.”
“… What?”
“It all fits. Your powers, your arrival, all of it,” Raina said.
“I don’t understand.”
“Nor do I,” Raina said, sinking back into her rocking chair, one hand covering her mouth.
“You’re saying my family descended from the Prime or Lilith or whoever?” I asked.