I held up my hands. “I don’t want any seat at whatever dinner table you’re talking about.”
They exchanged a confused look. Peter was the first to speak. “Is she for real?”
Ryder nodded. “Tess didn’t find out until recently that she’s an ancestor of the witch line. Her abilities were bound until your mother’s magic changed all that. Actually, we have it on authority that your mother was trying to arrange a meeting between you and her.”
“Not that I knew.” I held up my hands. “The last thing I need is my father playing matchmaker, especially with the way he kept my bindings a secret.”
“Perfect.” Pippy tossed up her hands. “I’m not training her how to use magic.”
“I didn’t ask you to,” I answered, staring at all of them. “To be honest, I don’t even want to know, and I have no desire to learn.”
Pippy’s glare bored a hole through my head. “You have no idea what my mother was capable of, or you’d be changing your tune.”
“We’re getting off topic,” Ryder said. “I wanted you to meet Tess so you know she’s the one that picked up your mother’s abilities, but she had nothing to do with her death. Her alibi is solid.”
“How solid?” Pippy asked.
“I’m a hunter for the Council. The killer I was tracking on that boat is the same one who killed your mother, and Tess wasn’t a passenger. I’m a hundred percent certain that she’s innocent.” His words came out stern and sure as he flashed them a badge he’d yet to show me.
He had more faith in his abilities than I had in his to find the real killer.
“Until we find a way to transfer the abilities back to one of you three, Tess is off-limits. Do I make myself clear?”
“She can keep the powers. I don’t want them,” Penny said with a sad smile.
“Speak for yourself,” Pippy answered.
“Enough. Are we done here?” Peter said, rising from his seat. “I need to get back to the mainland and inform the rest of our relatives.”
“The ferry won’t be back until Sunday. I’m afraid you’re all stuck here until then.”
He gave a slow nod. “I’ll make some calls and see if I can charter a plane.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” I said, rising. “We don’t have an airport, and helicopters won’t fly near the island. Their instruments go haywire.”
“I’ll charter a boat or swim if I have to.” Pippy’s gaze narrowed.
“Under the order of the Council, I’m afraid you guys are stuck here until I give the clearance to leave. We have a killer on the island that I personally tracked, and because of that, no one with witchcraft abilities is leaving.”
“You can’t do that,” Pippy growled as Peter took her arm and started pulling her from the room.
“You’ll have to forgive my sister,” Penny offered. “We all grieve in different ways.”
That wasn’t grieving, not that I’d point that out. If the misguided sister wanted to believe that Pippy was upset instead of pissed off, who was I to correct her?
The Chief walked them out of the precinct and returned moments later. “The coroner confirmed our findings. Vinette died from her wounds. She had several broken bones and burns consistent with a magical fight.”
“Someone left her for dead,” Ryder said, chewing on his bottom lip. “That’s the only explanation for the transfer of power symbol she drew in the sand. She must have done it minutes before she took her last breath.”
“Wait, what? That’s what that symbol was by her body?” I asked. “You mean all it took was drawing some symbol in the sand? Remind me what it looked like so I can try to replicate it.”
“Afraid I can’t let you do that,” Ryder said, meeting my gaze. “It’s safer knowing that her abilities are sitting inside you bound by the talisman than in the hands of one of the witches, or we might find a war on our hands.”
“I know where we can start,” I said. “Chief, if you’ll check out the B&B and see if Peter was telling the truth, I’ll get Watson to pull the video feed to check everyone else’s alibi to see if they were coming or going and who was missing from their rooms.”
The Chief glanced at Ryder, and Ryder gave a little nod. “Call us on your cell if you find anything.”
“He can’t,” I said. “Cell service is spotty on the island. We’ll all need to use a landline.”
My stomach rumbled for the first time since that morning as they left the precinct. The sun had started to lower into the horizon. Time had slipped by watching the interrogations.
“We should grab a bite to eat,” Ryder announced as he climbed into the golf cart.
I sat there debating in silence for a minute. “I’m not ready to see my family.”
“Good thing there are more restaurants on the island. Otherwise, you’d starve. How about some pizza? It’s next to where I’m staying, and I had it last night. Did you know that a real Italian chef made it?”
I smiled as I pushed the gas pedal. “Of course I did. I begged Daddy to approve his application.”
Ryder
Chapter 10
She dangled the pizza over her mouth, pulling at the cheese with pure determination that she would win the battle. He grinned and sipped his beer watching her antics. How she was still eating was a mystery in and of itself. Ryder had three pieces, and he was stuffed.
“You really do love pizza.”
Stuffing the extra cheese she’d peeled off into her mouth, she covered her mouth with her hand to chew. She nodded enthusiastically, not speaking until she swallowed.
“I love pizza, but even more, I love the pictures on the wall.”
Ryder hadn’t even noticed the ambiance. He took a minute to glance around the pizza joint. Huge framed colorful pictures of Italian landscapes brightened the room.
“I can see why.”
“When I was a teen, I’d dream of running away and having adventures in places like that and meeting other people besides the ones stuck on the island.”
“They had a choice to stay; you didn’t.”
“I know that now.” Her eyes clouded. “I never could understand why every vacation I tried to plan never got me off the island, and let me tell you, my father must have gone to great lengths to get me to stay. The ferry never showed one time. He claimed it was because of the rough seas. Another time, a hurricane was reportedly heading our way.”
“That should have been easy enough to check out. Just turn on the news.”
“Oh, there was a hurricane, but it never even touched us. It’s like there’s some invisible force field around the island making it untouchable to the outside world.” She shrugged. “I’m surprised you made the cut.”
“I must be special.” He picked a pepperoni off the pie and tossed it into his mouth.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like he chained me in a basement. I live on a beautiful island, surrounded by family. I get to meet new people once a week, and the locals are always nice and helpful. Well, most of them,” she amended.
“True paradise,” he said, taking a sip of his beer.
She sighed. “And yet I’ve always yearned to leave it.” She met his gaze. “Maybe one day I will make it happen.”
“Sounds like you’re close enough. You stood up to your father, and you now know the truth.”
She sipped her water, watching him over the rim before she lowered her cup. “Enough about me, tell me about you.”
“There’s not much to tell. I grew up in Florida, and both of my parents are deceased.”
“Were they witches?” She leaned in and asked as if the subject was taboo.
His lips twitched. Witches were occupying three tables in the pizza joint. Was she really that clueless to what was going on around her?
“My mother was,” he answered. “She hid it from me too. So I’ve experienced the same deception, more times than I care to admit.”
“There’s more to that story, isn’t there?”
“No
ne that I care to share.” He tilted his beer in a salute to drop the subject before he took a sip.
“Okay, so tell me about your job. How many murderers have you caught?”
“Five in total over the last five years. The Council sends me to a case, and I pick up the trail, similar to what brought me here, and I follow it until I’m sure I know who the perp is, and I arrest them. Once I get them locked down, I take them back to the Council, and it’s out of my hands.”
“Kind of like a cop and the courts?” she asked.
“Similar enough, although the punishment they dole is a bit different depending on the crime. They can strip a witch of her magic, they can ban her, they can even incarcerate her. The only thing they don’t do is kill; that goes against their code.”
“How did you happen into your job? I’m sure there wasn’t a listing in the paper.”
His lips twisted into a grin. “I’m unique. They found me.”
“Well, I’m a really good researcher if you ever find the need for me to look into someone’s background.”
“Is that right?”
“The island’s best.” She grinned and nodded.
They stayed longer than they should have. The moon had risen into the night sky before he paid the check and they walked out. “I think we should call it a night and pick up things in the morning. I’ll make sure you get settled and safe at home, and then I’ll walk back into town.”
“Or you could stay,” she said, staring up at him with doe eyes.
“Tess Venture, is that an attempt to hit on me?”
She rolled her eyes. “I have a couch, moron. I just thought you’d be closer so we could get an early start. Besides, you don’t have any transportation.”
He cupped her cheek and stared into her eyes, making sure she could see that the desire was there. “I’d love to stay with you, but I don’t think it’s wise.”
Her cheeks tinted pink, and she dropped her gaze. “Oh, you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
He lifted her gaze with the crook of his finger. “Don’t misunderstand me. I never said I was wise.”
A smile blossomed on her lips.
****
The moon glistened over the ocean, creating waves of light on a darkened night. He followed her through the checkerboard and to her door. With key in hand, she paused, and the color drained from her face.
She pointed. That was all it took. She needn’t tell him why.
The door sat slightly ajar. He moved her out of the way and pulled a gun from beneath his shirt. Holding his finger to his lip.
Inching the door the rest of the way with his boot, he found a man sitting on the couch eating a bowl of popcorn. The sight made him pause. He gestured for her to look, and she peeked around the corner before letting out a sigh.
“It’s just my brother,” she said, bounding into the house. “Noah, what are you doing here?”
He dropped his feet from the coffee table and clicked the remote to turn the TV off. “I heard what happened today with Dad, and I’m checking on you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you know about all of that?”
He shrugged. “I asked him once why it was that I could perform magic and you couldn’t.”
“What did he say?” She raised her brow.
“That it was better that way, but he didn’t elaborate.”
“How long have you been tweaking the food with your magic?”
His gaze shifted from hers to Ryder and back. “No one knows that. Who told you?”
“Does it matter?” Her words were clipped. “Why were you doing it?”
He shrugged. “I was just trying to do something nice for you since Dad is an ass and keeps canceling your trips. I wanted you to have something special.”
Her shoulders relaxed.
“Do you do it to all the food?” Ryder asked.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Noah asked, the fine lines of his face deepening, as he only now sensed that Ryder might be a threat.
“Ryder Shields, officer of the Witch’s Council,” Ryder answered.
“What’s he doing here, Tess?” Noah ignored Ryder and turned his attention back to his sister.
“Working a case.”
“No, I mean, here at night in your cabana,” Noah said, running his hand through his hair. “I don’t see any criminals here. Are you in danger?”
When she didn’t answer, he finally glanced back to Ryder. “She is, isn’t she?”
“She might be, but that’s not why I’m here with her.”
Noah tilted his head. “Then why?”
Neither Tess nor Ryder answered, but he didn’t have to. Noah took that exact moment to zoom in on Ryder’s hand resting on Tess’s back.
“Tess, that’s a bad idea,” Noah growled.
“I’m not discussing my personal life with you, Noah,” Tess answered back, from the kitchen as she fiddled with the coffee maker.
“He’s bad news. No offense,” Noah said, holding out his hand. “He isn’t a local, and he’ll be leaving after his case, not to mention he probably has a target on his back since he’s hunting a killer.” Noah shook his head. “Nope, this isn’t happening. If you want to date him if he sticks around after finding the murderer, great, but you deserve better than a one-night stand.”
“You’re right,” Ryder agreed. “She does deserve better, but it’s her choice.”
Noah lunged for Ryder, but Tess stepped between them. “I’m not doing this with either of you. I’m tired. I’ve had a long day, and I just want to go to sleep. So you two can figure things out, sleep on the couch, sleep on the porch”—she turned her gaze to Ryder—“sleep wherever you want, but I’m exhausted. Those little magic tricks and those horrible Halliwells wore me out.”
Ryder kissed her forehead. “Go get some sleep. I think I’m going to keep your brother company.”
“Don’t break anything, no fighting, and don’t even think about eating the rest of my chocolate cake.”
Chapter 11
The sounds of their voices had lowered a notch after I got out of the shower. Any fighting they might have done, I hadn’t heard. I climbed beneath my covers and rested my head on the pillow. Breathing my first relaxed sigh of the day.
I closed my eyes and let the hard sleep pull me under.
I knew I was dreaming just from the colors alone. They were always more vivid in my imagination than I saw them in the real world.
I stood by the shoreline watching how a shimmering pink mixed with the ocean-blue waves. A slight breeze ruffled my hair. It would have been a beautiful day if not for the huge dark cloud off the shoreline.
“That’s an omen,” Vinette Halliwell said, appearing beside me.
“Maybe it just means we’ll be getting rain.”
“Don’t be daft, girl. My abilities wouldn’t have transferred into a moron. Your subconscious knows that a storm is brewing. That’s why I’m here.”
“Why me? I don’t want your abilities. How do I get rid of them?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know.
“You’ll need them now more than you ever did before.”
“You think your family will try and get them back?”
She shrugged. “My family aren’t the only ones you need to worry about.”
“Who killed you?”
Vinette pressed her lips together, and the lines around her lips deepened with distaste.
“A threat I never saw coming, and if you don’t get a grip on my abilities, you won’t see it coming either.” She turned to face me. “So I’m going to teach you.”
I held up my hands. “And if I don’t want to learn?”
Vinette crowded me, her gaze penetrating. “You will if you want to survive. The world is a mean place, Tess.”
I rested my hands on my hips. “You can’t make me learn.”
She turned to walk up the beach, stopping about ten yards away. She spun around to face me and held out her hand. A floating fireball
danced above her hand.
“Deflect with a wave of your hand.” She yelled the words between us seconds before she launched the fireball at my chest.
I dove out the way, and the fireball singed my arm. I grabbed the burn, fighting through the pain as I rose again.
“Are you insane? You could have killed me,” I screamed.
“Fine, I’ll show you how. Conjure a ball and throw it at me. Watch my movements.”
I held out my hand, and nothing happened.
Vinette sighed. “Imagine it, the color, the shape, the density.”
Slowly a purple slimy blob started to form. The color made me grin. It was the least scary-looking thing I think I’d ever seen. Still, with a shrug, I threw it at her, hoping to add a little color to her face. When she easily batted that one away, I did it again with the other hand behind my back and tossed that.
It landed smack-dab in her angry, surprised face.
Two fireballs lit in her palms, and she threw them at me, following with more in quick succession.
I screamed.
My eyes flew open as my heart raced. My brother was standing over my bed while Ryder had his hand on my forehead, his eyes clenched closed as he chanted words beneath his breath.
“What the hell, Tess?”
Ryder opened his eyes. His worried gaze met mine. “Why was Vinette throwing fireballs at you?”
“She was mad I didn’t want her magic and didn’t want to learn.”
Noah crossed the room and returned holding up his finger covered in purple goo. “What the heck is this?”
“How?” I asked, leaning up. I winced at the pain in my arm, and all questions of the purple goo vanished from my thoughts.
Ryder eased onto the bed and gently lifted the sleeve of my shirt. “She hit you in the dream?”
When I didn’t answer as he was inspecting the wound, he stopped to look up at me.
“Only once, but I retaliated and smacking her in the face with purple goo.”
Ryder held his hand over my arm and closed his eyes again, whispering gibberish I couldn’t understand. The heat beneath his palm hovered over my arm, easing the pain until it was completely gone.
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