Spellbinding Starters

by Annabel Chase

  His empathy amazed me. Weren’t vampires supposed to be cold, callous creatures? Yet here sat Demetrius, able to pinpoint a basic fact that most others had overlooked.

  “Thank you, Demetrius,” I said. “I would love suggestions.”

  “Don’t let him suggest the rosenberry cocktail,” Daniel said, hanging over the back of my seat. “It’s potent. He’ll be carrying you home after one drink, which is probably his intention.”

  “Mind your own business, errand boy,” Demetrius said. “If you must know, I was going to recommend the house wine with a plate of futzel.”

  “Errand boy?” I queried.

  Demetrius gave a dismissive flick of his fingers. “You know. Messenger of God.” He rolled his dark eyes. Damn, he even made eye rolling sexy.

  “I’m keeping an eye on you, Hunt,” Daniel said. “Emma’s sweet. She doesn’t know you like I do.”

  I was sweet? I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be sweet. Did that mean I wasn’t sexy?

  “Teena looks bored,” Demetrius said. “You should probably feed her before she goes in search of someone else.”

  “She’s not feeding on me,” Daniel ground out. “We’re friends.”

  “I’ll be fine, Daniel,” I said. “Thank you for your concern.”

  Daniel seemed disappointed that I’d brushed him aside. “Shouldn’t you be preparing for Mumford’s trial?”

  I bristled. “I’ve had a crappy day, and Demetrius was kind enough to bring me here to recharge my very frazzled batteries.”

  “Anything you want to tell me about?” Daniel asked. Seeing his concerned expression, I softened.

  “Lady Weatherby has expelled me from school temporarily. It seems I’m so horrible at witchcraft, I can’t even handle the remedial class.”

  “Oh,” Demetrius and Daniel said in unison.

  “That is pretty crappy,” Daniel agreed. “What happened?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said. I was sure the whole town would hear about it before the end of the night anyway. That seemed to be how Spellbound worked.

  “If you decide you want to talk about it, you know where to find me,” Daniel said.

  Actually, I had no clue where to find him, but that wasn’t important right now.

  Although I heard them get up to leave, I didn’t turn around to confirm it. I didn’t want to watch Daniel leave with the succubus.

  “What did you mean about him feeding her?” I asked. “She’s not a vampire.”

  “No,” he said. “More’s the pity. She’s a demon who relies on sex with men to replenish her strength. The longer she goes without sex, the more haggard she looks and feels. Incubi are the same, just the male form. In fact, Teena’s brother owns this place.”

  I’d need to steer clear of him. I didn’t want to ‘feed’ anyone that way.

  “She didn’t look haggard to me,” I said. “I guess she’s been busy stocking up on…food.”

  Demetrius smiled and I saw that flash of fang again. “Speaking of food, why don’t I order for us?”

  “Thanks.”

  I observed him as he walked over to the bar to exchange a few words with the bartender. Was it wrong to stare at a vampire’s butt? Demetrius didn’t strike me as the type of man who would mind being objectified.

  He was back in the booth in a flash, much to my disappointment. I was looking forward to watching the return journey.

  “So you have some kind of speed superpower?” I asked.

  “We can travel at high speeds,” he said.

  “What about flying?”

  “Only in bat form,” he said. “And we rarely do that. Too many owls here to risk taking the form of a rodent.”

  I thought of Sedgwick, who probably wouldn’t hesitate to make a snack of bat-shaped Demetrius.

  “Can you jump high?” I asked.

  “Yes, and we’re strong. Our golf clubs are magically enhanced so we don’t break them when we play.” He tapped his elegant fingers on the table. “We also have impressive stamina, in case you were wondering. Any more questions for me?”

  I cleared my throat, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. “Not at this time, Your Honor,” I joked.

  “Now it’s my turn,” he said, just as a server arrived. She set down two wine glasses and a plate of something that looked like a pretzel and cracker combo. I guess that was futzel. “Thank you, Sasha.”

  “Anything for you, Dem.” She gave him a sultry wink before retreating.

  “Is she a succubus too?” I asked.

  “No, she’s simply an incorrigible flirt. Sasha is a dryad.”

  “A tree nymph?”

  He seemed impressed. “That’s right. Now about you…”

  I took a sip of wine. “Delicious,” I said. I wasn’t exactly an expert since my wine generally came out of a box, but I always had an opinion. “Before you grill me, can I just talk to you a little more about Gareth?”

  He leaned back against the booth. “I thought you told the sheriff you were done investigating?”

  “I meant it when I said it.” Twenty minutes ago. “A woman is entitled to change her mind.”

  He grinned. “That she is. So what would you like to know?”

  I told him about my conversations with Alison, Myra, and the harpies. “The sheriff still has no leads, and neither do I.”

  “And this bothers you?”

  “How can it not?” Although I spoke more heatedly than I intended, Demetrius didn’t seem bothered. “I took his house, his job, even his cat.”

  “Calling that thing a cat is an insult to cats.”

  “Even so, I’m having a hard time stepping into his shoes while his murderer runs free. It feels horribly unjust.”

  “So what do you need from me? I want Gareth’s murder solved as much as anyone. He was a dear friend.”

  “Is there anything else you can tell me about the days leading up to his death?” I asked.

  Demetrius leaned forward. “I really wish I had the magic answer, but I don’t. And you shouldn’t beat yourself up over it either, although I must admit, I find your intrepid nature quite attractive.”

  A thin man stumbled over to our table and slapped his hands down. “You look fabulous in that outfit,” he slurred.

  “Nice to see you, Ricardo,” Demetrius said. He cast a sidelong glance at me. “I take it you shopped at Ready-to-Were.”

  “Impeccable taste,” Ricardo shouted.

  Sasha approached the table with a tray of shot glasses. “Ricardo asked me to bring these.” She set a shot glass in front of each of us.

  Ricardo picked up his drink and toasted me. “To a fantastic addition to the community.” He threw back the amber liquid and slammed the glass onto the table. “It tastes like Christmas is coming in my mouth.”

  I cringed. “What is it?”

  Demetrius lifted his glass and sniffed. “An Evergreen Blast.” He tipped his back slowly and exhaled. “Nice.”

  “You will love this. I promise you.” Ricardo gesticulated wildly. I wondered how long he’d been drinking. I hadn’t even noticed him when we came in.

  I raised the drink to my lips and glugged it down. He was right; it did taste like Christmas. Less than a minute later, my head went fuzzy.

  “I should have warned you that it’s strong,” Demetrius said.

  Ricardo shoved in beside me. “Do you like music? You must come out for karaoke one night.”

  “Ricardo loves to sing,” Demetrius said. “Just don’t get up there on a night when Alison shows up. She blows everybody out of the water.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “How are you liking my clothes?” Ricardo asked. His breath smelled like a pine forest. Considering his inebriated state, I could think of worse things it could smell like.

  “I love them.” It was true. I did. “When I start making money, I will definitely be back.”

  He clapped his hands giddily. “Wonderful. Demetrius, you must come in again soon. I have a new collection that
will fit your body like a second skin.”

  “I’d be happy to come by this week.”

  “Excellent.” He leaned his head on my shoulder. “You come by again, too. I love my customers.”

  Demetrius gently pushed his head off my shoulder. “Sometimes too much. Go home, Ricardo. It’s time for bed.”

  Bed sounded pretty good to me right now. When my body decided it was time for sleep, I didn’t argue.

  “I think I’m ready to call it a night,” I said groggily.

  “Just one more round of shots,” Ricardo begged. “You will sleep like a ferret, I promise you.”

  I wasn’t sure whether sleeping like a ferret was what I wanted, but I soldiered on for another hour before Demetrius drove us both home. Since it was Ricardo’s car, he dropped me off first.

  “Seems that your unlucky day was a lucky one for me,” he said, helping me up the steps to the front door. “I’d like to do this again another time. When you’re not so busy cursing the sheriff.”

  Oops. I must have confessed at some point during the evening.

  “Thanks for a fun night,” I said.

  His lips brushed lightly against mine. “The pleasure was all mine.”

  I shivered happily before slipping inside.

  Did he bite you? Sedgwick asked as I made my way up the stairs.

  “Close enough,” I replied, and crawled into bed.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The wine at the Horned Owl must have been fortified because I woke up with a killer hangover. Then again, maybe it was the third shot of Evergreen Blast that did me in. My head throbbed and the inside of my mouth was full of cotton. Not what I needed when I had to work on Mumford’s case.

  I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. Sedgwick observed me from his post, staying quiet. Very considerate of him, since every sound in my head was like a drumbeat right now.

  After getting dried and dressed, I had a sip of water. Slow rehydration was the key.

  You have mail, Sedgwick said.

  I went downstairs and opened the front door just in time to see an owl fly away. I glanced down to the porch and saw a small package. I brought it inside and unwrapped it.

  There’s a note, Sedgwick said.

  I unfolded the note. “To help with the hangover,” I read aloud. “It’s from Demetrius.”

  I opened the package to reveal a small vial of green liquid.

  It’s a tonic, Sedgwick told me.

  “How thoughtful,” I said. The color reminded me of a kale smoothie. I popped off the lid and drank it down.

  You’re very trusting, Sedgwick said disapprovingly.

  “You don’t like Demetrius?”

  He’s a vampire. I’m reserving judgment.

  “Your choice.” I stretched my arms overhead. “I feel better already. That stuff is amazing.” I looked at Sedgwick. “So if I want to send a thank you note, I write it out and give it to you?”

  If an owl could roll his eyes, I swear it totally just happened. If you wish. He titled his head at a ridiculous angle. This isn’t going to become a habit, is it?

  “What?”

  Passing notes between the two of you. I don’t want to be the intermediary in a love letter campaign.

  “That’s your job, Sedgwick, remember? To deliver my mail. Never mind the content of the letters.” I scribbled a clever thank you note and placed it in Sedgwick’s beak. “Off you go.” I opened the front door and shooed him away. He nearly flew straight into Alison.

  “Ack,” she cried, and ducked quickly as he skimmed the top of her head.

  “Alison,” I exclaimed.

  “Sorry to come without sending a message first,” she said. “Can I come in?”

  “Of course.” I stepped aside.

  In the foyer, Alison looked me over. “You look pretty good for someone who closed down the Horned Owl with Demetrius Hunt.”

  “You heard about that?”

  “The gossipmongers here consider it their civic duty to pass along such information.” She heaved a sigh. “You’ll learn soon enough.”

  “I wish they’d pass along more important information.” Like who stole the jewels from Deacon’s shop or who killed Gareth. “What brings you here?”

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since you came to see me.”

  Oh? Was there a confession coming? I hoped not, because I’d already ruled her out as a suspect.

  She chewed her lip, her gaze dropping to the hardwood floor. “I told you that we fought all the time, but I didn’t say why.”

  “I thought you just didn’t get along.”

  She hugged herself. “There was more to it than that. I thought maybe he was interested in someone else because he didn’t seem interested in me. I even tried to make him jealous by flirting with a hot werewolf at a wedding, but he didn’t bat an eye. It pissed me off.”

  I hated to ask—“Were you sleeping together?”

  “On occasion,” she admitted. “But it had become less frequent. That’s when I decided there might be another woman. I even followed Teena one night to see if she was feeding on him, draining him of his sexual energy.”

  “And was she?”

  Alison shook her head. “I had lunch with Althea to see if she knew anything. She was as clueless as me, which didn’t surprise me, but I was feeling increasingly desperate.”

  “You don’t think he was involved with Althea, do you?” She was very attractive for a woman with snakes on her head.

  “No, definitely not. Gareth hated snakes. Their relationship was very perfunctory. I don’t think they spoke about their personal lives to each other very often.”

  Alison breathed in the aroma of the house. “It feels good to be back here. I kinda miss this musty old house.” She surveyed the foyer. “I guess you’ve been too busy to make any decorative changes.”

  “It’s a work in progress.”

  She gestured to the staircase. “What happened there? Did your owl take out the banister like he nearly took out my head?”

  I glanced at the broken banister. “No, it was like that when I came.”

  Alison looked thoughtful. “Really? It must have happened very recently. I was here the week he died and it was intact.”

  We both reacted at the same time.

  “The murder weapon,” I said. “We need to find the missing support post.”

  “But Gareth was found in the forest.”

  “I’ll bet you anything he was killed right here.”

  Alison stared at the floor. “So the murderer must be someone strong enough to carry Gareth’s limp body all the way to the forest and smart enough to dispose of the murder weapon.”

  In Spellbound, that didn’t rule out many residents.

  I snapped my fingers. “The fireplace.” I rushed into the adjacent living room and Alison followed me.

  “When I first arrived, the fireplace showed signs of use.” I dropped to my knees in front of the hearth. “I thought it was odd because the weather was so mild, but then I figured maybe a vampire was always chilly.”

  Alison kneeled beside me and grabbed a nearby poker. “It’s the perfect place to destroy a piece of wood.”

  “For once, I really wish I could communicate with cats. Magpie probably knows the whole story.”

  Alison eyed me curiously. “You can’t speak to your cat? I thought that was a witch trait.”

  “Apparently, it’s a witch trait for this coven.” I shrugged. “My coven is different, hence different abilities.” Some abilities I probably wasn’t even aware of yet. It was going to be an interesting year.

  She pushed around the ashes. “Something was definitely burned here.”

  And thank goodness Bernadette’s crew did a substandard job of cleaning this level of the house. I guess Kendra was going to be my chosen fairy cleaner from now on.

  “But there’s no way of knowing if it was just kindling in here,” I said.

  “This is Spellbound, Emma. There’s always a wa
y.” She stood and dusted off her knees. “I’ll have Sheriff Hugo send someone around to collect the ashes. They’ll be able to analyze it for evidence of the support post from the banister.”

  “Even if the remains are here, will we be able to show it was the murder weapon?” Would there be vampire DNA on it?

  “If whatever is in these charred remains was used to kill Gareth, the sheriff’s office will be able to tell. Their forensics team includes a fairy and a witch.”

  Huh. I didn’t know that.

  “This is great, Alison,” I said. “We may have found the scene of the murder as well as the weapon.” Put that in your finger gun and smoke it, Sheriff Hugo.

  It didn’t help me solve Mumford’s case, but at least we were one step closer to finding Gareth’s murderer. At this point, I’d take anything I could get.

  Sheriff Hugo joined his forensics team at the house.

  “I thought you were staying out of this,” the sheriff said, his arms folded across his human chest.

  “I thought I was, too,” I said. “I can’t help that Alison noticed the staircase.” I fixed him with a disapproving stare. “Didn’t you search Gareth’s home after his body was discovered?”

  “Of course we did,” the sheriff huffed. “How could we have known the breakage was recent? It wasn’t as though he had a roommate to ask.”

  No, he didn’t. And Magpie wasn’t anyone’s familiar, so the forensics team witch couldn’t have interrogated him.

  “What about the fireplace?” I asked. “No one thought it was odd that Gareth had used it? Other than the kitchen, it seems like he rarely used this floor at all. Why use the fireplace then?”

  Sheriff Hugo’s expression was the epitome of annoyed.

  “Listen up, Nancy Shrew,” he snapped. “I’m not interested in your critique of this investigation. You’re new here and I’ll give you a free pass. This time.”

  “You’ve heard of Nancy Drew?” I asked.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, we have a library and a bookstore in Spellbound. We’re not savages.”

  “There are books from the human world?” I knew where I’d be heading as soon as Mumford’s case was finished.