Chapter 12
My sisters returned to the pool and got everybody out of the water. Andrew and Carson had taken Livvy up to Georgia’s room. Margo went up to my room to grab the file that Watson had given me. Not that I trusted the information anymore. Whoever had done this had to be a master manipulator with their magic. I had no clue that I wasn’t talking to the real Watson.
I was pacing the lobby when Regina walked in carrying bags through the sliding glass door. A look of concern registered on her face as she put one of the bags behind her back. “You aren’t supposed to see your wedding present until the wedding. What’s wrong?”
Had she really been shopping? How did I know that this was even Regina? That was the problem; I didn’t know. King explained what was going on. Regina’s face turned white as she dropped the bags onto the couch and hurried out the door.
“If this person used magic to get close to Ryder and Watson, what’s to say they aren’t hiding among us right now?”
King pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight. He kissed my forehead. “The first time we met I was wearing a tutu and a tiara.”
“And I found the body in the well,” I said, reassuring him.
He kissed my lips before taking my hand in his. “If we stay joined at the hips, you’ll know I’m the original.”
“We need a word in the event we get separated,” I whispered.
“Guinevere.” He grinned.
His choice made me smile. Guinevere fit, considering I was marrying King Arthur. “Guinevere it is.”
We both grinned, even though the situation wasn’t funny and somebody was trying to kill us.
“Well, you and I may be accounted for, but what about the others?” I asked, unsure whom to trust. If somebody had the ability to look like me, they could get close to everyone and anyone that I loved.
Chapter 13
“We’ll figure something out,” King said just as the doors opened and the resort workers filed in carrying Watson.
Noah had removed his shirt and was holding it to Watson’s wound to stop the bleeding. My father had his phone pressed to his ear. The wail of sirens got louder as they approached the hotel.
I dropped to my knees next to Watson. I rested my hand on his face until his eyes slowly opened. Fear stared back at me. “It wasn’t me, Watson. I would never do this to you. Someone strong is manipulating magic.”
I couldn’t tell if Watson believed me or not. His eyes slipped back close. Whatever energy he had evaporated from his body. Emergency personnel came in, pushing a gurney. They moved everyone out of the way. King kept his arms wrapped around my body while standing behind me. He kissed the side of my head. “He’ll be fine, Tess.”
I wish I could be so sure. Noah and my dad exchanged a few words as they were wheeling Watson out and then both followed the gurney. Dad paused, turning to face Regina and me. “You two are in charge. Put the hotel on lockdown until we figure out who’s doing this.”
Lockdown. That one word had never been used before, even though they were protocols established. Protocols I barely remembered.
“Lockdown?” Regina asked, her voice rose an octave.
“It’s buried in the procedures books. Let me show you.” We walked back to her office with King following us. I met his gaze as we entered her office. “You don’t have to stay with us while we look for it.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve already established you’re my Tess. I won’t make the same mistake as Watson.”
I winked before pulling three big black books containing all of our policies off of the bookshelf. I scanned each index until I found what I was looking for. I flipped the pages until I found the right one.
I turned it to show Regina. It took her a minute to read what we needed to do. She lifted her gaze and met mine. “You can’t be serious.”
“I can assure you my dad was very serious.”
Regina exhaled a long breath. “Lockdown it is. We need to perform the spell.”
“If we perform the spell without Watson, Noah, and my dad in the building, the spell will keep them out unless it’s lifted.”
“You heard your father; we’re going into lockdown.”
Fear and trepidation rattled my soul, knowing Noah, my dad, and Watson wouldn’t be in the building.
Regina rounded her desk and rested her hands on my arms. “Masterson won’t let anything happen to Noah or Watson, and I won’t let anything happen to his children. You, your sisters, and Pippy, Penny, and Peter will all be safe, even if I have to keep you all corralled in the same room to watch out for you guys.”
I nodded even though I didn’t believe her.
“If that wasn’t Ryder dead in the bathroom, maybe he’s the killer,” King said.
I refused to believe that Ryder was responsible for any of this.
“People think he died, and he hasn’t reappeared to prove himself still alive. You have all of his things in the room, Tess. You might not want to admit it, but what if he really is the person behind all of this?” King continued.
I shook my head, unwilling to believe.
Penny and Pippy entered the office. “Daddy wasn’t kidding when he called us in about Tess being in danger.”
I ignored them. It was nice that they’d come to help out, but right now they were just…in the way.
“We’re going into lockdown mode. I suggest if you girls have anyone to call that you do it now. The hotel is about to lose all communication with anyone and anything outside the building.”
“Wait, what?” Penny held up her hand. “I can’t be stuck here.”
Regina made a copy of the spell from the book and handed it to me. “We’ll perform it together.”
I nodded, and we stepped out into the lobby. I stood in front of the sliding doors and was about to whisper my spell when the doors slid open and a woman stepped inside, carrying something large and square in her hands.
She approached. “You must be Tess.”
King and I exchanged a look. “And you are?”
“Silly me.” The woman grinned for ear to ear and patted the large bag strapped across her chest. “I’m Harley Winters, my cousin Margo invited me and I brought the entire arsenal like she asked.”
“Uh…how did you get onto the island? You weren’t on the ferry.”
“No, I missed the boat, so I had the work helicopter drop me off.”
“Work?”
“Military. If you want, I can call them back.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, if you’ll wait in the lobby, there’s something I need to take care of.” I glanced at King. “Could you call Margo down to verify who she is?”
“Sure.” His jaw ticked as he eyed the woman with suspicion. “Just don’t leave from this spot.”
I winked at him. “You can use the phone on the check-in desk to call. You’ll still be able to see me.”
I’d only every seen my dad perform this spell once. At the time, I wasn’t even aware I was a witch and could do it myself. I just thought it precautionary due to my dad’s unique clientele.
I dropped to my knees and whispered the spell while drawing a symbol on the Italian tile. Just like people wouldn’t be able to enter, no one would be able to leave. The wind around us appeared out of nowhere as Regina and I repeated the spell, louder and louder as we each made a tiny cut on our hand and bound our blood.
Regina followed me to kneel on the floor facing each other, and lifted our hands. “Let no one breech this sacred barrier.”
We slammed our palms down on the floor.
I should have known the minute the wind stopped that something was wrong. I could feel it to my core. The room around us electrified as if our spell had bounced off an unforeseen conduit around the barrier. Everyone ducked until the blue tendrils of energy that looked like dancing lightning grabbed both Regina and I. It lifted us into the air and flung us out through the opened hotel doors before a bubbled barrier surrounded the building.
The air rushed from my lungs
as we landed hard on the concrete just outside the door. I moaned in response to the pain in my back taking a minute to catch my breath as I moved to Regina’s side. Her shirt was tattered like mine, and I held out my hand to help her up.
“Was that supposed to happen?”
I shook my head. “I think we’re locked out too.”
Chapter 14
King stood on the other side, pounding on the invisible barrier. With each pound of his fist, the translucent barrier shimmered, giving us a glimpse of just how far the barrier went up and over the building. There would be no penetrating that force field.
I rested my palm on the invisible structure, and King mimicked me.
“Leave the island. Go somewhere safe,” he yelled. His voice was muffled, but I could still tell what he said.
I shook my head. No way was I leaving.
My sisters appeared, rushing to the barrier. They each grabbed the other’s hand. Their mouths moved, but I couldn’t hear the words. Anger riddled their faces when the barrier remained. They might have stood a chance if I’d been on the other side with them.
“I’m going to the hospital to find my dad.”
King rested his head against the force field.
Even separated, I could feel his apprehension, his worry. “Watch them for me.”
“Be safe.”
I nodded. “I’ll try my best.”
Regina pulled keys out of her pocket. “I’ve still got the golf cart keys, so the good news is we won’t have to walk.”
I slid into the passenger seat of the golf cart and turned in my seat to watch King as Regina drove away.
“He’ll be fine, dear; your sisters won’t let anything happen to him.”
Anger I couldn’t contain bubbled up from the outside in and exploded like a hot air balloon with too much heat. “You keep saying that, and yet, here we are. I’m stuck with you outside the hotel while everyone I care about is inside. Things keep happening to keep us apart.”
“You’re right. That spell backfired for a reason,” Regina said, slowing the buggy down as if she’d just come to understand something.
My heart seized at the potential implications.
She turned to look at me, her expression tight and strained. “The spell backfired. It was booby-trapped, don’t you see? Whoever did this knew that Masterson would put the hotel on lockdown. They knew someone would perform that spell.”
Realization dawned on me. “They knew that I would be a part of performing the spell. It’s in the hotel procedure books. Not everyone has access to that.”
I slid out of the cart. The books were in Regina’s office, my old office. She could have easily found the procedure. I spun to face her.
Regina rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t me, dumpling. If I’d had my way, I wouldn’t be on this damn island to begin with.”
Her words made me pause just as I witchy energy sizzled beneath my skin. A magical bubble started forming in my hand. I used them for protection like a lightning ball to strike someone down, only mine were green and gooey. The tension of the magic strengthened with my concern. “What’s the problem, mom? Don’t like your new digs?”
“I guess it won’t hurt if I drop the charade.” She reached for her pocket.
I held the green goop bubble ready to throw at her.
She pulled out a badge that looked oddly similar to Ryder’s. “I’m Ryder’s boss. Your father called us a month ago, worried about you and the Hexford curse. You’re my case, not my stepdaughter. Our marriage license is a fake.”
“Curse?” I asked.
“Curse.” She nodded, tossing me the badge so I could see her name was scrolled across the silver.
“The Hexfords aren’t the only ones dishing out hexes,” Regina stated. “Your mother found out about the curse prior to her death and told your father. Begged him is more like it. She begged him to watch out for you and keep you safe, always.”
I shook my head, letting the protection bubble dissipate in my hand. “I don’t understand.”
“Your father would do anything to protect you,” she said, “including calling in a favor with someone on the council to send a tracker to show up and let it slip that you have gifts.
“I was already tracking a killer to the island when I got the call that I needed to let it slip that you have witchy abilities, you might not have ever figured it out, otherwise.” Ryder said, stepping out of the tree line.
“Masterson knew I was a witch and you kept his involvement from me this entire time?” I yelled ignoring the relief percolating in my stomach. Ryder wasn’t dead, he was alive and if that wasn’t the kicker, he was letting all believe otherwise.
“I had to,” he answered. “You needed to know the truth.” Ryder took a step in my direction.
I shook my head, stepping back, unable to believe either of them. “The killer is one of you, isn’t it?”
The bubble formed in my hand again.
Ryder held up his hands and stopped. He could feel the tension in the air. “I can prove it’s me.”
“You’ve got two seconds before I trap you in one of my goo bubbles and send you adrift on the ocean.”
His lips twitched. “The very first time we met was when I got off the ferry and started walking in the wrong direction, and you almost let me continue.”
The goosebumps on my arms slowly started to dissipate. “The first time you were here, what did we do in your hotel room?”
“I didn’t stay at the hotel. I stayed at the B&B, and we didn’t do anything, Tess. Well, other than you saying you becoming obsessed with my comforter and wanting to steal it.”
I released a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and turned to Regina. “And what about her? Can you vouch for her? I’ve only known her about a minute.”
Ryder asked Regina a series of personal questions, and he seemed satisfied with the answers, as if they were correct.
“Great. Now what?” I asked, tossing my hands up. “My dad is with Noah and Watson at the hospital, and the others are locked in the hotel with God knows who and possibly the killer, who can what? Use magic to alter appearances?”
“The killer is using black magic, Tess.” He gestured back the way he’d come and suggested we follow him. “This magic is ancient. A spell is cast by the witch or wizard, and it can be on himself or anything, really. It’s why the appearance of the dead body changed to look like me and lasted as long as it did.”
“And why Watson believed you were with him taking a walk,” Regina said.
Ryder paused on the path. “Why would Watson believe you wanted to go on a walk with him?”
I shrugged. I had no answer to that. “Your guess is as good as mine. Why would a fake Watson give me a file that’s probably complete crap?”
Ryder’s eyes darkened dangerously before he turned and kept walking, coming out of the forest to my favorite secluded spot on the beach. He’d set up camp and had a little fire going.
“Did my dad know you were here?”
Ryder nodded. “He and Watson showed up the night of your bachelorette party.”
“And your things in my bungalow?” I asked.
“I was staying there while Regina and I devised a plan. When your dad told me about the dead body in your room, I knew I couldn’t go back to th bungalow. The killer would have been waiting.”
It was starting to make sense. Masterson had been so sure that he could keep me safe the entire time. He’d had plans in the works that I couldn’t have dreamed of.
“So, who’s the killer?” I asked as Ryder opened a cooler and handed us each a bottled water.
“As far as who I believe it to be, he’s most definitely someone from the Shields family line. As far as which psychotic relative, I haven’t a clue.”
“There is another Shields relative on the island,” I announced, getting both of them to shift their attention in my direction.
“Theo or, rather, Friday the cat, the man the Hexford witches hexed a long time
ago. He’s a descendant.”
Ryder shook his head. “It’s not Friday; I didn’t sense any magic within him when we met. We’re looking for someone so powerful that you can feel their magic.”
“Unless they're hiding it from others,” Regina added.
“Or blocking it with a pendant,” I added, earning stares from both again. “What? The pendant you gave me blocks powers and spells. It could hide someone’s magic.”
I was right, and they both knew it. Someone was hiding among the people I loved. They were hiding in plain sight, and God forbid whatever was happening to my missing relative. Was this the voodoo killer’s plan? Get up close and personal as he snuffed us out one by one? He could be anyone. He could fool anyone, and I was stuck out on the beach that I’d once upon a time loved.
“How do we get the upper hand and take this son of a bitch out?”
“You cursed.” Ryder chuckled.
“I’m going to do more than that when I find this nut job.”
Regina twisted the lid off her water and chugged some of it. “Okay, Ryder, you know what to do. I’m going to go back to inform Masterson what’s happening and how we’re going to proceed.”
“And how exactly is that?” I asked.
A smile split her lips as she planted a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You let me worry about that while Ryder teaches you the art of magical self-defense.”
“Not that I don’t trust you,” I said rising, “but this is my life you’re talking about.”
“Don’t worry, Tess. Mommy dearest still needs to throw you an engagement party. It’s better if I don’t give you the specifics. That way you can’t slip and tell the killer that’s posing as a relative. But be ready. The truth will be revealed, and we’ll have to act fast. Ryder will teach you a containment spell.”
Act fast? We didn’t even know who we were dealing with, much less how to combat them. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what this killer had to gain. If he happened to kill while around any other witch, of course, they would be the ones to inherit the powers. What would this killer have other than revenge?
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