“Well, I often worked on new ideas for spells and such, and Paul would patrol the town, follow up on any reported incidents. He’d also keep track of new residents and drop in on any supernatural ones. And he performed regular checks on the portal.”
“Why would he check on a dormant portal?” I asked.
“To make sure it’s still dormant, of course.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Is there actually a chance that could change?” I’d never heard of a portal reopening. It would mean chaos for the entire region until proper security could be put into place. The fallout would be catastrophic.
“It’s not a huge concern, but it remains a possibility. The portal is still there, after all. Under the right circumstances, I suppose it could be reopened.”
“Hmm. I haven’t been to the portal,” I said. “Maybe I should do that.” On a regular basis. If there were any change in the portal’s status, I’d want to be the first to know about it. As the lone FBM agent in town, I was the first line of defense.
“Before you go,” Neville began. He quickly hesitated and bit his lip.
“What is it?” Whatever it was, he didn’t look happy about it.
“Um, this came for you.” He retrieved a letter from his desk and handed it to me.
“Do you always read the mail addressed to your boss?”
“Yes,” he said. “As your assistant, it’s considered part of my duties.”
“I thought you were more inventions, less admin.”
Neville straightened. “I’m both.”
“What is it?” I scanned the contents. “They want me to what?” I leaned back in my chair. “Are they serious? How am I supposed to do this now?”
“Not now,” Neville said. “Next month. Apparently, because you never trained with the Federal Bureau of Magic, only the FBI, the Bureau has decided to help you brush up on supernatural basics.”
“I’m a fury for Hecate’s sake,” I said heatedly. “I don’t need tips on how to be…myself.”
“But you’ve never been a fury for the FBM,” Neville said. “You told me yourself that you didn’t use your powers as an FBI agent. You just told me, in fact, that you resist using them at all.”
“That’s because I don’t want to.” It wasn’t just my family I wanted distance from—it was my true nature. The more I used my powers, the more likely I’d inherit more fury traits and eventually succumb to the dark side. Black wings were my latest gift from the gods and I desperately wanted the receipt so I could return them.
“It won’t be forever,” Neville said, attempting to comfort me. “The letter says it’s a two-week intensive course with one of their best instructors.”
“Terrific.” I shoved the letter in the top drawer. I’d worry about it next month.
“One more thing, Agent Fury.”
“Eden.”
“One more thing, Eden.” His cheeks turned crimson. “Apologies, that will take some getting used to.” He searched his desk for another sheet of paper. “Ah, here it is.”
I glanced down at the handwritten letter. “Who writes with a pen anymore?” And in such a loopy script?
“It’s from Aggie Grace,” he said. “She’s the secretary of the supernatural council.”
Aggie is also one of my neighbors. She lives with her two sisters on Munster Close. The Graces were inherently good and I enjoyed spending time with them as a child, much to my family’s dismay.
I squinted at the letter, trying to decipher the flowery writing. “I have to attend a meeting?”
“Paul was a member,” Neville said. “The FBM agent in town has a permanent seat on the council. They expect you to take his place.”
“Oh.” I guess it made sense. “Can you read when it is? I can’t understand Aggie’s handwriting.”
“Tonight at seven,” Neville said. “In the private room at Chophouse.”
“That’s convenient. I’ll see my cousin. Rafael’s the chef and owner there.”
Neville puckered his lips. “Ooh, that’s an excellent establishment. I’ve taken my more serious dates there.”
It hadn’t occurred to me to ask Neville anything about his personal life. “You’re not married?”
“No,” he said. “I’ve tried a few of the dating sites, both human and supernatural, but no luck yet.” He offered a rueful smile.
“Dating is overrated anyway,” I said and vaulted from my chair. “If anyone calls, I’m checking the portal and making sure it’s safe for humanity.”
Neville saluted me. “Would you like me to bring you anything from Holes while you’re gone? BOGO before they go go?”
“No donuts today, thanks. I already scarfed down a scone.” And now I could go outside and walk off the calories. I was never one to be sedentary and I initially worried that this position would chain me to a desk for the rest of my career. A daily check of the portal would be good exercise.
The portal is located near the vortex, which is a place of powerful energy where multiple ley lines converge. Humans don’t know about the portal or the vortex, of course. Supernaturals are drawn to it, though. For that reason alone, it was worth patrolling the area on a regular basis.
As I left the seedy side of town, the buildings became brighter and better maintained. Chipping Cheddar’s picturesque downtown was a magnet for tourists. Between the waterfront overlooking the Chesapeake Bay and the river that cut straight through town, there were also plenty of parks and other outdoor spots to enjoy. And if your name was Beatrice Fury, you included the cemetery on that list.
I stopped in the middle of Pimento Plaza and let the warmth of the sun wash over me.
“I was wondering when I’d run into you again.”
My skin crawled at the sound of my ex-boyfriend’s voice. Tanner Hughes was the poster boy for ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ The attractive cover lured you in, but the story inside was a disappointing mess.
“Hello, Tanner.” I glanced at the statue of Arthur Davenport in the center of the plaza. “Isn’t this where I ran into you last time?”
He grinned. “We’ll consider it our special place.”
My gag reflex kicked in. “We have to stop running into each other like this.” Really.
Tanner inched forward. “We haven’t properly caught up since you’ve been back.”
“You’re dating Sassy, the girl you cheated on me with in high school. You haven’t proposed and she worries you never will. You both work in sales. Miraculously, your mother still thinks you walk on water.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Anything I’ve missed?”
Tanner wagged a finger. “I see someone’s been asking around about me.”
“See? We’re all caught up now.” I started forward to move past him, but he caught my arm.
“How about a drink tonight? We can reminisce.”
“I’d rather tie myself to train tracks and wait for imminent death.”
Tanner’s grin turned wolfish. “Holy smokes, I’ve missed that feisty attitude.”
I loosened his grip on my arm. “I’ve got somewhere to be, Tanner. You’ll have to annoy me some other time.”
He winked, as though we’d just shared a secret joke. “You got it, babe.”
Blargh. I wanted a quick shower to wash away all traces of our contact. Too bad the bay wasn’t warm enough for swimming yet.
I continued to the promenade and walked along the waterfront, admiring the view of the boats as I went. The sound of movement in the bushes reached my ears and I stopped short. I glanced around but saw nothing. As I took another step, I heard a muffled voice. My mind went straight to the recent murders in town. Although I’d caught the demon responsible, I was wary of another incident, so I dove straight through the bushes to confront my would-be attacker.
“What are your intentions here?” I demanded, as I burst into a small clearing. My jaw unhinged when I realized the scene I’d stumbled upon. A man and a woman were half-dressed and in the midst of an intense make out session
. Based on the unopened containers of food on the blanket, their private picnic had quickly turned frisky. They jumped apart and gaped at me. Thankfully, I didn’t recognize either one of them.
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I thought someone was stalking me.”
The woman grabbed her shirt from the blanket and held it in front of her chest. “You nearly frightened me to death.”
The man stared longingly at the woman. “And if that had happened, I would take this knife and stab myself in the heart so that I could join you. I never want us to be apart.”
The woman sighed dreamily. “Oh, Maxwell. You wouldn’t.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” I said, “because that’s a butter knife.” I inclined my head toward the dull blade on the blanket.
Maxwell pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I’ve waited years to be with you. I won’t let death come between us.”
“Sorry for interrupting,” I said, but they weren’t listening.
I returned to the promenade and jogged along the path, past the lighthouse, until I reached the triangular stretch of land between the bay and the river. I felt a rush of energy as I passed the vortex.
The entrance to the portal wasn’t visible to humans without the Sight. Residents referred to the hillside as ‘the mound’ and often used it as a geographical reference point.
I ducked my head and entered the mouth of the hill. This wasn’t my first visit to the portal. As kids, my brother and I would dare each other to come here and tempt fate. He’d cajole me into standing in front of the portal and calling to inhabitants in Otherworld to come and get me. Then I’d run screaming from the hillside when my brother would make a sudden noise or jump out and grab me. Sometimes, I’d invite Clara to join us, but she never wanted to come here. As an empath, she wasn’t comfortable with the powerful energy that emanated from Otherworld. It was probably for the best since my brother would’ve scared the daylights out of her anyway.
I scoured the hollow of the hill. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No unusual pulses of energy or evidence of tampering. Satisfied, I turned to leave. I wondered whether Paul kept a log of his visits. I’d have to check with Neville.
As I emerged from the shadow of the hill, I walked smack into the broad chest of Sawyer Fox, the new chief of police.
“Agent Fury?” Chief Fox gripped me by the shoulders to prevent me from stumbling backward. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.” He glanced around. “Where on earth did you come from?”
I struggled to form words, which seemed to be a common occurrence in the handsome chief’s presence. “Out walking,” I croaked. “Nice day.”
“Yeah, we’ve been pretty lucky with the weather.”
Sweet mother of lust, did he have to look so amazing? I wasn’t generally a sucker for a guy in uniform, but sheesh. He wore it too well.
“What are you doing out here?” I asked, pulling myself together.
“Got a call for help down by the river,” Chief Fox said. “Two brothers were fighting. You know how that goes. One of them tells the other one he hopes he breaks a leg or something to that effect.” The chief chuckled. “Lo and behold, that’s what happens.”
“I bet the brother feels sorry about it now.” I could only imagine what would’ve happened if the things Anton and I used to say to each other actually occurred. We’d both be dead by now.
“Oh, you bet he does. Rode in the back of the ambulance with him and everything.”
“Guilt is a powerful motivator,” I said.
“Love is an even stronger one,” he replied.
We fell silent for a moment.
“I should get back to the office,” I finally said.
“How’s that lamp working out for you?”
I’d told the chief that my office lacked natural sunlight, so he’d bought me a sun lamp as a gift for capturing Chief O’Neill’s killer. The new chief didn’t know that a fear demon was responsible. He didn’t know anything about supernaturals and I intended to keep it that way.
“It’s wonderful, thank you.” It really was.
“Want a ride back?” he asked. “My car’s parked over there.” He motioned toward the road.
My whole body warmed at the thought of being alone in a car with Chief Fox, but I knew I had to keep my distance. The chief was human and I…wasn’t. It was too risky.
“No, thanks. It’s a beautiful day and I need the exercise,” I said.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you around.”
“It’s a small town,” I said. “It can hardly be avoided.” I paused. “Not that I’d want to avoid it.”
“I should hope not,” he said. “People who want to avoid the police are often guilty of something.”
The only thing I was guilty of right now was being a stammering moron.
“Nice running into you, Chief—literally,” I said, and then hurried back toward the promenade before I could make an even bigger fool of myself.
Chapter Three
The supernatural council meeting was held in a small room at the back of Rafael’s restaurant that was normally reserved for private parties. I didn’t know very much about the council, other than its existence. I recognized Aggie Grace at the round table, along with Adele LeRoux, my grandmother’s witchy rival. Adele’s ancestors originally hailed from Louisiana and were one of the first black families to settle in Chipping Cheddar. Adele was now the matriarch of her magical family, which included a daughter, Rosalie, and a granddaughter closer to my age, Corinne. Although I liked Corinne, I’d kept my distance over the years due to the rivalry between our families.
“Eden Fury, what a delightful surprise.” Adele scraped back her chair and crossed the room to offer me a kiss on each cheek. She wore a beautiful headscarf with a gold dress and tasteful jewelry. Adele had always outshone my grandmother in the fashion department, not that I’d ever admit it out loud. Disloyalty like that was grounds for a severe hex in my house.
“Good to see you, Mrs. LeRoux,” I said. “You look wonderful.”
Adele returned to her seat. “Now don’t go saying things you don’t mean. I look old and tired because I am old and tired.”
“Hush, Adele,” Aggie interrupted. “You’re as lovely as you’ve ever been. Your spirit shines ever so brightly.” The grace shifted her attention to me. “Hello, neighbor. Why don’t you join us, now that you’re taking Paul’s place?”
I took the seat beside Adele. “Good to see you, Aggie. I’ve been meaning to drop in and say hello.”
Aggie waved a bony hand. “Don’t worry about it, darling. I know you have your hands full. You stop in whenever it suits you. You know you’re always welcome.”
“Thanks,” I said. “How are your sisters?”
“Well, you know Thalia and her gardening,” Aggie said. “I swear she’s outside in the morning when I get up and still there when I come home, no matter how late it is.”
“And Charity?” I asked.
“Busy with nonprofits, as always. Her donations are way up this year. The internet has done wonders for fundraising.”
“That’s great.” Charity worked as a consultant to organizations, helping them with fundraising and other cogs in the nonprofit wheel. “So who else is coming?”
The words barely left my lips when the door opened and Husbourne Crawley sauntered into the room. My other neighbor wore one of his signature pale linen suits complete with a straw hat. I once told Fergus that Husbourne reminded me of Foghorn Leghorn, the rooster from the cartoons. He laughed about that for a week straight.
“Look at this,” Husbourne drawled. “A reunion. We could’ve done this pow-wow on Munster Close and saved ourselves a trip.”
“I would not set foot on Munster Close, Husbourne,” Adele said. “You know this.”
“Grandma hasn’t warded the street in years,” I assured her. That I knew of, anyway.
“So glad you’re a part of this Eden, sweetheart,” Husbourne said. “Pidcock was a nice enough fella,
but talking to him was like talking to a glass of tap water.”
“Aren’t you on the town council?” I asked him.
“Why, yes,” Husbourne said. He took the seat adjacent to me. “We’ve always had one member that sits in on both council meetings. Helps to streamline information and cut down on the rumor mill.”
I smiled at Husbourne. “You’re like a double agent.”
“I could say the same to you.”
Rafael threw open the door and greeted us all with a wide smile. “Welcome, esteemed members of the council.” His gaze alighted on me. “Splendid, Eden. I was hoping you’d be the replacement.” He scrutinized the table. “And where is Mr. Phelps?”
“Monroe Phelps?” I asked. I remembered the Phelps family. Werewolves. One of the Phelps wolves used to babysit my cousin Julie when I wasn’t available.
“Not Monroe,” Rafael said. “His son, Hugh.”
“I’m not late, am I?” Hugh Phelps swaggered into the room.
“Have a seat, son,” Husbourne said. “We’re just getting started.”
“Would anyone like to order before you begin?” Rafael asked.
“The usual round of drinks, please,” Adele said. “And the spinach and artichoke dip.”
Aggie lit up at the mention of the appetizer. “I think we’ll need two of those. That dish is inspired, Rafael.”
He bowed slightly. “I am particularly proud of that one. One must not simply chop the artichoke hearts…”
Adele smiled. “We recognize your culinary genius, Rafael. No need to get into specifics.”
“Do I want the usual round of drinks?” I asked. I had no idea what the drink was.
“It’s tradition,” Adele said.
Rafael clapped his hands. “I will lock the door behind me and return shortly with your order.” He looked at me. “Julie and Meg will be in the dining room shortly. Come and see them when you’re finished.”
“I will.”
“It’s so sweet of your cousin to wait on us personally,” Aggie said, once Rafael left the room. “He takes excellent care of the council.”
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