Witch Cake Murders (Sweetland Witch Women Sleuths) (A Cozy Mystery Book)

by Zoe Arden

  Impossible, I told myself. Trixie and Eleanor had never been anything but kind to me. Their magic was only used for good. Wasn't it?

  And what about Brendan? He seemed far from being a powerful wizard. I could see him having a bit of a dark side, but murder? Did I really think he was capable of that?

  The beaded curtains separating the store front from the back room suddenly pulled back and Polly's mother appeared. She was wearing a bright yellow dress that moved with her when she walked. Around her head was a turban. The kind that fortune tellers wore.

  "There you are," she said, looking at her daughter. Her eyes widened when she noticed me. "Ava," she said. "Welcome to The Alchemic Stone. What can we do for you this afternoon?"

  "Ava's doing some research about boxie quills," Polly said, smirking. There was something about her tone that bothered me. Maybe it was only that I got the feeling she didn't quite buy my story about researching boxie quills.

  "Boxie quills are quite powerful," Anastasia said, "but even more dangerous."

  "That's what Polly was just explaining," I said.

  Suddenly, Polly's mom stopped moving. Her eyes turned all white and her head fell back.

  "Oh crumb bums," Polly muttered. "Here we go again."

  "What?" I whispered. Anastasia moved toward me with one arm outstretched, her forefinger pointing at me. Her nails were long and had been painted blood red. She moved so lightly it was as if she were floating.

  "Ava Rose..." Anastasia said in a deep, sing-song voice.

  Polly rolled her eyes. "She likes to be dramatic when she's making predictions."

  "Predictions?" I muttered, fascinated by what was happening in front of me. Anastasia seemed completely oblivious to the store around her as her arm began to move in giant circles. She knocked over a display case of crystal and Polly ran to catch it before everything could break.

  "You are in danger," Anastasia said.

  "Danger?" I asked, the hairs on my arms standing on end. "What do you mean? What kind of danger?"

  "Trust no one. Leave Heavenly Haven at once."

  "Leave the island?" I sputtered. I'd only been here a couple of weeks.

  "Danger! Danger! Danger!" Anastasia repeated like a parrot. Then her arm fell to her side again and her eyes returned to normal. She shook her head, clearing it.

  "Oh, roses, that was a tough one."

  "What do you mean?" I asked, panicking. "How am I in danger?"

  Anastasia could only shrug. "I'm sorry, my dear. I can't tell you. The predictions only make themselves known to me when they care to. But feel free to look around. We have many charms here that can protect you from hexes and curses, if that's where your danger lies."

  With that, she sashayed back into whatever store room she'd come from, leaving me alone with Polly.

  "She's right, you know," Polly said. "My mom may be a bit theatrical, but her predictions are never wrong."

  She walked to a glass case that held row after row of necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Each item had a large stone affixed to it in some way, all of varying shades and colors. It was like looking at a magical rainbow. Beneath the case, hidden behind a locked door, was a small wooden box.

  "Here," Polly said, setting the box on the counter. "Come take a look." She inserted a tiny key and the box popped open. Inside lay several necklaces, each with their own unique pendant. I could feel the energy pouring out of them.

  Polly removed a blood-red stone set on a silver chain. It shined like light in a mirror.

  "It's beautiful," I told her. "What is it?"

  "Heriotza. It's a type of stone that used to be quite popular in Europe, along the Atlantic coast. It's very powerful. Very precious. Very... protective."

  I reached out one hand and touched it lightly with my fingertips. Something inside it seemed to jump. Like it belonged with me. Like it knew I needed its help.

  "Put it on," Polly said.

  "I probably shouldn't. I mean, it looks expensive. I don't have—"

  "Just put it on," Polly insisted. She stepped behind me, holding the necklace in place. It really was beautiful. I lifted my hair for her and she clasped the ends together.

  "There," she said, stepping back. "Beautiful and safe. That's exactly what you need."

  "How much is it?" I asked, thinking of the ten dollars I had in my pocket.

  "On the house," she said, smiling. "A gift from me to you."

  "Oh! I couldn't."

  "Nonsense," Polly said. "Consider it a gift between friends."

  I fingered the necklace. I could feel it working. I already felt safer.

  "Thank you," I said.

  Note to self: bake Polly the best cake ever.

  "Just make sure you always wear it against your bare skin," she said. "Tuck it under your shirt, where no one can see it."

  "Why?" I asked, doing as she instructed. It seemed a shame not to show off something so beautiful.

  "Part of its power comes from its direct contact with you. Another part of its power lies in keeping itself hidden."

  "Like a secret weapon?" I asked, intrigued.

  "Exactly," Polly said. "Like a secret weapon."

  I thanked her again and left the store. My head was dizzy.

  Dark magic? Danger? Trust no one?

  It was all too much to take in. I headed back toward The Mystic Cupcake. It was getting dark and I knew Eleanor and Trixie were probably beginning to wonder where I'd wandered off to.

  The streets seemed strangely absent. Footfalls sounded in the distance. I looked behind me, but there was no one there. Something about the hollow sound of the footsteps on the pavement made me nervous. I walked quicker toward the bakery.

  The footsteps were getting louder. Closer. Their pace quickened. I looked behind me again and thought I caught a shadow duck behind a building.

  "Hello?" I called out.

  Nothing but silence.

  I clutched tightly to my heriotza necklace. It pulsed with a strange energy that made me feel safe. I was grateful to Polly for giving it to me. I hurried to the bakery, not looking back again. Even as the footsteps closed the distance between us.

  * * *

  1 6

  * * *

  I spent a restless night in bed, dreaming of dark beings with hidden faces. They were pulling at me. Trying to lift me out of bed and take me away. Suddenly Damon was there. He held me close, protecting me from the evil. His body was warm. His lips were hot as they pressed against mine. Then the beings ripped us apart. I woke up screaming.

  I lay panting in the darkness, certain that someone was there. That it hadn't been just a dream. Tootsie and Rocky came running into my room.

  "Tootsie heard Ava scream." The orange fur ball jumped onto my bed and began rubbing his head against my chin.

  "I'm okay," I told him.

  Rocky barked and followed Tootsie onto the bed. The wolfhound licked my face. "Rocky will protect you," he said. It was good to know that when things got scary, Rocky didn't just go back to sleep.

  I fell asleep nuzzled between my aunts' familiars. When I woke up, Trixie and Eleanor had already left. There was a note on the counter.

  Rocky said you had a nightmare. Sleep in. Will meet you at Mystic later.

  —Aunt E.

  I scratched Rocky's head before grabbing a bagel and heading toward Coffee Cove. The same nagging feeling I'd had last night—that I was being watched—followed me all the way to the café.

  Once inside, the feeling faded. I searched the coffeehouse, looking for Lucy. She wasn't anywhere to be found.

  "Crumb bums," I muttered.

  Megan was standing behind the counter, looking bored. Brendan stood next to her, pretending to look equally bored. He kept sneaking glances at her. I suspected that he wasn't bored so much as he was enchanted by his co-worker.

  Megan said something to him then spun around and went into the back, leaving Brendan alone. I decided this could be a good opportunity to find out what he was up to.

/>   "Hey, Brendan," I said, trying to sound casual.

  He blinked once. "Oh, Ava. How are you?"

  I shrugged. Same as usual, I guess."

  "Can I get you something?"

  "A chai latte, please." He got to work adding whatever went into a chai latte while I stood and watched, drumming my fingers against the counter.

  "I don't think I've seen you since the party," I said.

  Brendan nodded. He didn't seem to feel much like talking. It reminded me a bit of Damon when he was around me.

  "That was one crazy night, wasn't it?" I was hoping to get him talking, but so far he appeared to be thinking of nothing but the latte he was making. "I think I remember seeing you outside right before Campbell collapsed.”

  "Yeah. I needed some air," he said, continuing with his work. He still wasn't looking at me.

  "Right. You seemed kind of upset. I thought maybe that's why you were wandering around with that boxie quill."

  That had the desired effect. Brendan's head snapped up. "What did you say?"

  "Boxie quill. I saw you holding some that night at the party." I was trying to keep things light but was failing miserably. "I heard it was a powerful, er, tranquility plant," I lied. I was hoping my reputation as a newbie witch might help Brendan open up to me, but it didn't seem to be working.

  "I never had any boxie quill," he said.

  "Really?" I asked. "I could have sworn I remember seeing it. I'm going through Magical Herbs and Plants: Volume 1 right now, and I was just reading about boxie."

  "If you were just reading about it, then you know that it's not a tranquility plant." Brendan's voice rose as he spoke.

  "Oh, I must have misunderstood," I said, trying to play dumb. "Sorry. If it's not for tranquility, then what were you using it for?"

  "I wasn't," Brendan snapped. "I already told you I didn't have any."

  Megan came out from the back just then, followed by Lucy.

  "Lucy!" I cried, happy to see her. She looked surprised that I was there.

  "What's going on out here?" Megan asked, looking from me to Brendan.

  "Nothing," I lied. "I was just asking Brendan about some stuff I've been reading in Magical Herbs and Plants."

  Brendan looked at Megan. "She was asking me about boxie quills."

  "Boxie quills?" Megan and Lucy said together.

  "I thought it was a tranquility plant. I only wondered... um..." But I stuttered under Megan's gaze.

  The door chimed and a soft breeze blew in as a customer walked inside. Everyone turned their eyes to them and I sighed, grateful for the distraction.

  "Ava!" a deep male voice cried. I turned and saw Damon Tellinger standing there. His blue eyes sparkled at me. He was dressed in dark indigo jeans and a white shirt. He looked good.

  "Damon. Hi."

  I was shocked that he'd spoken to me. When I'd seen him outside The Alchemic Stone the other day he'd turned tail and ran.

  He walked right up to me, wrapping his arms around me. I was so taken aback that I jumped and bumped his chin with my head. He laughed, but my heart was hammering. It was only a hug. But, boy, it was a good hug.

  "I've been hoping I would see you." A strange cloud seemed to hover around him. Not evil, just... angry? Sad? I couldn't figure it out. I wasn't sure that I'd noticed it the first time I met him, but then, I'd been too enamored with his eyes to notice much else.

  "You were hoping you'd run into me?" I asked, confused.

  His cheeks colored lightly. "I know I haven't exactly been... nice to you. I'm sorry about the other day. Outside Polly's shop. I just... wasn't ready to talk to you yet. I haven't been back on the island too long. I guess I need a refresher course in small town hospitality."

  "Back on the island?" I asked.

  "Yeah. My mom moved me away when I was a kid. A little after Slater's family moved away."

  I was dying to know where he'd been. And why? I caught Megan's face out of the corner of my eye. It was red. Her mouth had curled into a snarl.

  "Ava was just leaving," Megan shouted, louder than she probably meant to.

  "She was?" Lucy asked. She looked at me. "I want to talk to you before you go."

  I couldn't tell if she was angry or happy to see me. I hoped she'd accept my apology. It was hard to focus on her, though, when Damon was right in front of me.

  "I wanted to thank you for what you did," Damon said. "For saving my life."

  "Oh." I blushed. "I wasn't sure if you knew."

  "Of course I know. Well, sort of. The last thing I remember is sitting in my apartment eating some cake. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital. Dr. Dunne told me I collapsed in your store. That you saved my life."

  His eyes drilled into me.

  "Well, I mean, I just did whatever anyone would have done," I said, trying to sound calm and cool.

  "I doubt that," he said seriously.

  "Your chai latte is ready," Megan said, scowling. She came from around the counter and thrust it into my hand. "Here. You can go now."

  I could tell she had to physically restrain herself from pushing me out the door.

  "Megan, what's wrong with you?" Lucy asked.

  "Nothing," Megan snapped.

  Brendan was still behind the counter. His face looked grim. He was as jealous of Damon as Megan was of me. It suddenly occurred to me that Brendan had good reason to get Damon out of the way if he wanted Megan.

  "You said the last thing you remember is eating some cake in your apartment?" I asked Damon.

  "That's right."

  "What kind of cake?"

  "Chocolate. It was really delicious, too. You know, that's a funny thing, actually. When I got out of the hospital and went back home, the cake was gone. I guess I must've eaten it all and forgotten. There was a lot of it, though. Almost the whole cake, except for a piece or two."

  "Damon!" Megan snapped. "Ava's latte is ready. That means she can go now. You don't have to stand there talking her ear off."

  Damon gave Megan a strange look, and she blushed furiously.

  The door chimed again. I looked toward the customer, thinking I probably should get going. I wasn't going to learn anything new from Brendan and with Megan here, interfering, I didn't think I'd get much from Damon either. Though he certainly seemed willing to talk to me.

  The man standing at the door had a familiar face and lopsided smile I knew well.

  "Dad!"

  * * *

  1 7

  * * *

  "Hi, honey," my father said as he walked toward me.

  I pulled myself away from Damon and ran to my father. The last two weeks had been the only time I could remember ever being away from him. Despite the way I'd left things with him in New York, I'd missed him terribly. Right now, I didn't care about all the things he'd kept from me growing up, I only cared that he was here.

  "I can't believe you're actually here," I said.

  "Neither can I. I never thought I'd set foot on this island again. I vowed to myself I wouldn't. Yet... here I am." He looked around, shaking his head as if he was confused as to how he'd gotten here.

  "Why'd you come then?" I asked.

  "I've missed you," he said. "Also, I got your letter. There were tiny teeth marks in it and it looked like it had gone through the rinse cycle. I was worried you'd either been captured by mermaids or turned into a cat."

  I laughed until I realized my dad wasn't.

  Note to self: beware of mermaids; also, thank Tootsie for delivering my letter.

  "Well, I'm glad you're here. I've missed you, too. I hugged him tightly.

  When I looked back at his face, a single tear was running down his cheek. He wiped it away, finally noticing we had an audience. Damon, Megan, Brendan, and Lucy were all watching us with curiosity.

  "Dad, these are my friends," I said, though I wasn't sure how accurate that was at the moment. "Lucy Lockwood and her sister Megan." I pointed each person out as I said their name.

  "I went to school wit
h your parents," my father told Lucy and Megan. He shook their hands.

  "Brendan Ash is behind the counter," I said.

  "My father moved to shake Brendan's hand."

  "And this is Damon Tellinger."

  My father reached for Damon's outstretched hand... and stopped. He backed away from him so quickly he almost tripped over me.

  "This man is... your friend?" my father spat.

  I looked at Damon uncertainly. After saving his life, I supposed friend was as good a word as any. Whatever grievance Damon had against me before seemed to be gone now.

  "Yeah," I said. "Why?"

  My father's face was turning purple. "Come on," he said. "Let's go."

  I was too surprised by my father's sudden rage to protest when he grabbed hold of my arm. He led me outside into the bright sunshine, and we quickly started down the sidewalk.

  "What's wrong?" I asked him.

  "What's wrong?" he laughed. "For starters, you're here. You should be in New York, where you belong."

  "I belong in Heavenly Haven," I said, getting angry now. I stopped walking. A few people on the streets around us glanced our way. My father looked at each of them with suspicion.

  "How did you know I was at Coffee Cove anyway?" Something dawned on me just then. "Wait a second. Have you been following me?"

  "Of course I have," he said.

  My eyes bugged out of my head. "I'm not a child, Dad."

  "But you don't know what's going on here, Ava. There's something I've never told you. About your mother."

  "You mean how she didn't die in a plane crash and was actually murdered by a human?" I cocked one eyebrow at him.

  His jaw dropped.

  "Your aunts told you."

  "No." I shook my head. "Sheriff Knoxx did. And it was a really cruddy way to find out, too!" I backed away from him. "What else haven't you told me? And why did you get so angry inside the coffee shop just now?"

  His face glowed red. "That man you were talking to... Damon. He's bad news. You don't want anything to do with him."

  "What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. "Do you know him?"

  My father hesitated. "He's human, Ava. And I know humans. They are not to be trusted."