Pumpkins and Potions

by Tegan Maher

  “Wait,” I asked. “Can he get in your head? I mean, like whisper things to you?”

  Kira nodded. “Yeah, that’s sorta his thing. He pits people against each other just so he can watch the train wreck.”

  “Then yes, that would explain most of the evening. How do we get rid of it?”

  “That’s the tricky part,” Kira said, motioning toward the bartender. “I’ve almost caught him four times now, but he keeps getting away because he can assume different forms. Since he’s newly escaped, he can’t hold it for long, but so far he’s managed to maintain it long enough to get away.”

  “So, he can assume a form to cause trouble or to escape,” I said, trying to understand.

  She nodded. “He’ll mimic somebody’s form to start an argument. My guess, though, is that he’s mostly using the whole mind-whispering thing. It takes less juice and is almost as effective.”

  Is there any way to know whether or not he’s cloning somebody else?” Colin asked.

  She nodded. “Well, at least there is for me. I have a special talent for sensing them, but I’m still honing it. I haven’t been doing this job very long. The only way a witch or any other supernatural could pick up on it would be to read its mind or see it change.”

  “We can read minds,” I said, “or at least sort of.”

  “I can’t,” Colin replied, “but I’ve learned to read people, and I can keep an eye our for duplicates.”

  “Then let’s do this,” Kira said.

  “And how do you capture him if we do find him?” I asked.

  She picked up a small box that dangled from her belt. It was about the size of a keyring Rubik’s cube. “This expands and I just have to utter the spell. Most of the time, they’re easy because they don’t see it coming and they’re not at full power. Let’s hope that’s the case with this guy.”

  “Can I get a rumrunner?” she asked Dimitri, and he nodded.

  “Of course, sugar. And that outfit is to die for. I’ve tried to tell Destiny she should pimp up her wardrobe a little, but she sticks to those cutoffs and tank tops.”

  Kira laughed. “Oh, I don’t wear this all the time. Only when I’m working. Leather is a must when you’re working with demons who have claws and can breath fire. On my off days, I’m in shorts and tank tops, too.”

  “She’s telling the truth,” Mila said, laughing. “She has an impressive collection of offensive tank tops, all of them original. I haven’t seen a single one with an overused snarky expression.”

  Dimitri handed her a drink and shook his head. “Then you two are gonna get along famously.”

  “I just have to ask,” I said, unable to keep from staring at her wings. They were a little stubby but were ink-black and looked so velvety that I could barely resist touching them. “Are those your real wings?”

  She blushed, then shrugged, and the wings disappeared. “Yes. Well, sort of. My real wings are glorious. These pale in comparison. My mom did something bad, and I kept my mouth shut rather than rat her out. The powers that be sorta clipped them and gave me one more shot at redemption.”

  I felt like I’d stepped over a line, so I just nodded even though I was dying to know the whole story. “Good luck, then. I sure do understand family issues.”

  That was true. Our family could do drama with the Kardashians, only they did it country-style. I loved them all dearly, but our family reunions were usually more action than I could take. More baked-bean slinging than eating.

  I snapped myself back to the present. We had a demon to catch, and I wanted to do it before it caused trouble I wouldn’t be able to smooth over with a few free drinks.

  4

  The rest of the pumpkin carving went off without a hitch, thankfully. I was glad that the next event was the costume contest. How much trouble could a demon cause there?

  I should have known better than to tempt fate by asking such a thing.

  Dimitri, Bob, Jolene, and Blake, the resort’s general manager, were judging. They took their seats at a table I’d set up earlier and settled in with their score pads in preparation for the parade. Darkness had fallen, and tiki torches and the orange string lights set the mood. Everybody would stroll past them, take a few seconds to show off their costume and answer any questions, then move on.

  Everything went swimmingly until about two-thirds of the contestants had paraded through.

  “You did that on purpose!” A high-pitched voice called.

  I groaned and looked for the source, straining my eyes to see through the darkness. A brownie who worked in the casino up at the main resort was glowering at a vampire couple dressed as Gomez and Morticia Adams.

  The brownie’s boyfriend, a wolf shifter, growled at the couple, though the spectacles perched on the end of his nose and the frilly nightcap he was wearing took a little of the edge off his scary factor. A red cape lay in a puddle on the ground, its tie string broken.

  “What’s going on here?” I asked.

  The brownie scooped up her cape and shoved it toward me. “One of them stepped on the hem of my cape and the string broke. How am I supposed to be Little Red Riding Hood without a hood?”

  “We didn’t do it,” Morticia said, bearing her fangs.

  “Well, I don’t know who else would have,” the brownie snapped. “You’ve been behind us this entire time. You’re afraid our couple’s costumes are better than yours.” She slammed her arms across her chest as her boyfriend growled again.

  “Please,” Gomez said, curling his pale lip. “We’ve got you beat, hands down. Anyone can strap on a cape. We made these costumes ourselves.”

  “Hold up, guys,” I said, debating the advantages of telling them there was a demon on the loose. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but if it would prevent all-out war, then I would. “Maybe it was an accident.”

  I turned toward Morticia and Gomez, hoping they’d take the easy way out.

  “It wasn’t an accident because we didn’t do it,” Gomez barked, drawing himself up to his full height.

  All right, then. Confession time it was, then.

  “Here’s what’s really going on—” I started, but an apologetic voice cut me off.

  I furrowed my brow as Elena stepped forward. She stared at the two vampires, her gaze half pleading and half commanding. “I stepped between you guys and had a tray of drinks in my hand. I think I might have stepped on it.”

  She dipped her head in the best meek imitation I’d ever seen. “Didn’t I?” she asked the vampire couple.

  They cleared their throats and glanced at each other, then glared at the brownie and the wolf, mutiny in their eyes. They wanted the fight.

  “Didn’t I?” Elena asked again, and this time, her voice rang with power. She came from an insanely powerful, ancient family, and crossing her was not a good idea if you were a vampire.

  “Uh, yeah. Maybe you did squeeze between us right before it happened,” Morticia said.

  Elena turned to the brownie. “I’m so sorry for being clumsy.”

  I stifled an inappropriate giggle because she was the least klutzy person I’d ever met.

  “But I bet Destiny can fix that for you, can’t you Des?” Elena said, raising a pointed brow and looking toward the string.

  “Oh, of course,” I replied and muttered a few words. The string reattached itself to the hood, making it as good as new.

  The brownie looked unsure but muttered her thanks and a half-hearted apology to the vampire couple.

  I huffed out a relieved breath as Elena tugged on my sleeve, pulling me away from the couples and out of hearing range. Her gaze never left the pool area.

  “I overheard what’s going on,” she said, “and he went that way. I didn’t understand what I was seeing when Red’s cape jerked her head backwards then fell to the ground all by itself, but it only took me a second to get it. Thank goodness for vampire vision, because the light hit it just right and I caught a shimmer. Right now, he’s posing as the witch in the purple suit sitting on th
e edge of the pool. I know because I just talked to her a minute ago, and she said she was going to duck out and go to the restroom. I watched her get out, and there’s no way she’s back yet.”

  “Then I’ll get Kira,” I replied. “Don’t let it out of your sight.”

  With a sharp not, she moved toward the pool.

  Kira was strolling through the patio area trying to look nonchalant. She pulled it off, too, if you didn’t pay attention to the stiff set of her spine or the way her intense gaze scanned the crowd. I wondered as I jogged toward her what sort of creature she was. The wings were more angelic than demonic. Definitely not gargoylish. They were black, though. So black that the orange light from the strands above her gleamed off them. The only angel I’d ever seen whose wings weren’t white were my former—and deceased—boss, Cass. He’d been a disgraced angel, but his wings had been more a dirty gray.

  “We have him,” I said in as low a tone as I could when I reached her. “He’s over by the pool area. The witch in the lavender swimsuit.”

  Kira’s gaze shot to where I was motioning. The demon-witch was glancing around, presumably looking for more ways to wreak havoc. Kira strode toward it, reaching for the box on her belt.

  “Wait,” I said, touching her arm. “Are we going to be public about this? We can if we have to, but if we can keep the fact that we’ve had a demon on the loose hush-hush, that would be great.”

  She sighed but paused. “If we don’t, then we risk him leaving the body again. If I don’t get him soon, he’s going to regain full power. You’ve seen what he can do, and he’s only at half juice. At full power, he’ll start wars. He has started wars.”

  Somebody cleared their throat behind us, and I turned to find Stephanie, her muscular arms crossed and the light winking off the gold in her bracelets and headband.

  “Does somebody need a soul bound to a body?”

  Kira turned to her, brows drawn down. “And who are you?”

  I choked a little. “Uh, this is Stephanie. Steph, this is Kira.”

  “Okay, Kira said, “but what do you know about soul-binding?”

  “Plenty,” Stephanie replied. “I’m a Valkyrie. It was my literally my job to either separate souls or bind them to the body if the battle injuries were too bad but it wasn’t their time to cross over yet. I’ve never done it with a demon, but that’s a solid body, right?”

  Kira nodded. “Yeah, I suppose so. Give it a shot. If it gets away in the dark, I’ll lose it for sure.”

  Stephanie pulled in a deep breath and cracked her knuckles then turned her entire focus to the demon. I gasped at the absolute vortex of magic that rolled over her.

  The demon must have felt it, too, because it whipped its head around at us. Its form shimmered, then it twitched and jerked. It was weird but obvious to me—since I knew what was going on—that it had realized it was stuck in that body and was trying desperately to get out.

  When it couldn’t, it jumped up and bolted toward the darkness that shrouded the tiki. Fortunately, by then, most people had a drink or two in them and were absorbed in conversation, bobbing for apples, or watching the costume contest.

  I started to bolt after the demon, dreading running through the sea oats in shorts but knowing that’s where he’d go. Sticking to the path would be stupid. Stephanie laid her hand on my arm and shook her head, a wry half-smile curving her voluptuous lips.

  “Wait for it,” she said, crossing her arms and widening her stance as she stared into the darkness.

  The beating of powerful wings sounded from above followed by a soft thud and loud pleas for mercy. I cringed and started to cast a noise-cancelling bubble over the area, but a wave of magic whooshed over me and the pleas cut off. The only thing audible was sounds from the people around me.

  “Think you can just sneak off and hunt demons without me, huh?” Mila said, with a cat that ate the cream look.

  Kira laughed as we hustled toward where we’d heard the demon. “No, I don’t think that at all. As a matter of fact, I’m a little surprised you didn’t realize right off the bat what you were dealing with.”

  Mila scowled. “It’s not like I was looking for it. I’m at a Halloween party having fun. I let my guard down.”

  I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. She owned a potions and lotions shop. There was no reason why she shouldn’t be able to let her guard down. Or why she should have known we were dealing with a demon. Before I could ask, though, a snort and soft whinny cut through the darkness. Buttercup, Stephanie’s battle Pegasus, stood proudly, bobbing his head with the demon-witch pinned beneath a massive hoof.

  “Good boy,” Steph said, patting him on his glistening black neck.

  She turned to Kira. “How do you want to do this? I assume he needs to be incorporeal to fit in that box, right?”

  Kira tilted her head and thought for a minute. She set the miniature box beside him, then stepped back. “I’ll start the spell as soon as you release him. That should give me plenty of time to trap him before he has a chance to get away.”

  “Okay, then,” Stephanie said. Stepping back so Kira had room to work. “Ready?”

  Kira held her hands out and nodded as little tendrils of pink magic swirled between her palms.

  Steph nodded to Buttercup, who lifted his hoof from the witch. She muttered a few words in a language that sounded similar to German but not, and the witch started to shimmer.

  Kira took over, and the light between her hands grew brighter as she chanted in Latin. The box expanded and the lid flew open just in time to suck the mist rising from the body in. It only took maybe five seconds, but it felt much longer before the last of the mist disappeared, the lid slammed shut, and silence descended. The body was gone.

  I blinked, trying to adapt to the darkness as Kira muttered a couple more Latin phrases and the box shrank back down to keychain-size.

  “Wow,” I said, “that was … intense.”

  Mila laughed. “That wasn’t nuthin’. You should see that ones that really fight her.”

  “And how,” I asked, pinning her with my gaze, “does a girl who runs a potions shop know that?”

  She shrugged. “Let’s just say I’ve picked up a side job, and sometimes Kira and I have overlapping projects.”

  “I’m not going to settle for that, you know,” I replied. She was like a sister to me, and I wasn’t happy not knowing what was going on in her life, especially if it involved fighting demons. Not exactly the safest profession.

  “You’re going to have to for now,” she replied, reaching down and taking my hand. “But someday soon, I’ll tell you all about it. I promise.”

  That would have to do. At least until I could get her alone and drag it out of her.

  5

  “So now we’re dealing with demons, huh?” Bob asked an hour later after we’d told him the story.

  “No,” Blake said, “we are not. I’m talking with Kira and she’s going to help me set some wards to keep them out. That’s the last sort of liability we need.”

  Kira nodded and took a long pull from her rumrunner. “We can get that all done in just a few minutes. They’re really no big deal to modify once you understand what you’re doing.”

  That stuff was all secondary to me, though. I had a couple fences I needed to mend before I did anything else.

  “Tempest,” I called through our link. I could have called to her aloud, but I wanted to use the more intimate way.

  She didn’t answer me.

  “I was wrong, okay? I’m sorry.”

  She sighed. “You really hurt me. I’ve never lied to you, and you know we’d never do something like that.”

  “I know. It’s not much of an excuse, but a demon was behind it all. A trickster demon.”

  She bolted out of the office, which was a little room in the back of the tiki.

  “What do you mean, a demon?” she asked, giving me the once-over. “Are you okay?”

  I smiled at her. “I am, now. C’mere.”<
br />
  We weren’t the huggy-huggy type, so rather than scoop her up to me and squeeze her, I did what I knew really got to her heart: I gave her half my cheeseburger and fries. “There. “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t have lunch, so enjoy.”

  Dimitri, who’d just arrived with fresh drinks, snorted. “Yeah, she didn’t have lunch. Sure. I ordered her a grilled cheese and sweet potato fries right after you left to walk on the beach.”

  I arched a brow at her and couldn’t help but laugh. Her little cheeks were stuffed full as she said, “That wash shust a snack.” She swallowed and licked her lips before talking more. “Besides, you really did hurt my feelings.”

  “I know,” I replied, “and I should have taken you at your word. I’m sorry.”

  “Fine,” she said, reaching over and stealing my pickle. “Just don’t do it again.”

  “Promise.”

  “Thanks for your help,” Kira said. “I really couldn’t have done it without y’all.” Her blue eyes were almost luminous, and curiosity almost pushed me to the point of asking her for her story.

  “It’s a long one,” she said, smiling at me, and I gave a start when I realized she’d read my mind.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, flapping a hand. “I don’t do that on purpose. It’s just that your thoughts were practically screaming at me. The short version is that I’m an angel. A fallen one, now, apparently. There’s a lot more to it than that, and maybe when we have time and I know you a little better, we’ll get into the sordid details.”

  “Ooh,” Tempest replied, “we love sordid details. Now you have to come back and see us!”

  “I’d love to, little fox,” Kira said, handing her a fry. ‘Sooner rather than later. I could get used to this place.”

  I kicked back in my chair and watched as the people I cared most about in this world laughed and ate. Even though we’d had a demon crash our Halloween party, I still considered it a success. The Enchanted Coast was my home, and come good times or bad, I wouldn’t trade it for anywhere else in the world.