Phantom Blend (A Paramour Bay Cozy Paranormal Mystery Book 12)

by Kennedy Layne

  “Was anyone else with Mabel?” I asked quickly, not wanting Leo to sidetrack this discussion. “Was anyone else in the room who might have seen you inside the mirror?”

  “No, I do believe that my dear Mabel was alone.” Bernard shook his head until the wisps began to spiral around him. “I tried to call out to her, but she was too frightened by my appearance, I guess. It must have been—”

  “Mr. Bernard does not know who killed him,” Ted explained, having walked over to the mantel.

  Ted always spoke in very concise sentences.

  Now was no different, though he did seem to be a bit perturbed by this latest development.

  “Ms. Rosemary searched and searched,” Ted said in what almost sounded like remorse.

  “But Nan didn’t find out anything useful?” That fact in and of itself proved worthy. “Ted, do you know that a druid lives nearby?”

  “A druid?”

  Am I getting déjà vu or is it the catnip? Is déjà vu a symptom of agoraphobia? I’m asking for a friend.

  “For the last time, Leo,” I muttered in frustration, understanding now how I’d gotten confused in one of my first conversations with Ted. “You don’t have agoraphobia, you aren’t going to see Dr. Jameson, and you are definitely coming with us to see Agnus this evening.”

  “There are no known druids around Paramour Bay, Miss Raven.”

  “Ted, there really is a high-level druid, and her name is Agnus Ritchie,” I explained, wondering how Nan hadn’t known about her existence. I mean, Nan must have definitely known about the Ritchie family. “Are you sure that Nan never mentioned her name?”

  “Never, Miss Raven.” Ted’s frown deepened even more. “Druids can be very dangerous. They seek a balance in the weave.”

  “I know that,” I replied softly, not understanding how a powerful witch such as my grandmother hadn’t known about Agnus, yet Rye Dolgiram had been in the know and even warned me off reaching out to her. “Something isn’t adding up.”

  This calls for splitting up the group, Raven. Ted and I will go visit the cheating wizard while you, my beloved soulmate, and the Mistress of the Dark speak to the druid. See? I’ve accepted my fate. We can’t outrun a murder mystery, can we? I understand that now, and I am willing to do my part.

  “Yeah,” I muttered, casting a sideways glance Leo’s way. “The easiest part possible.”

  The cheating wizard and I have a connection through our weekly poker games. It’s best to conduct these types of interrogations when one has an established link with the suspect. Ted, my second-hand waxman, can play the silent side character to my wise-to-the-world mystery hero. The cheating wizard knows I loathe him to my core, anyway. This will be easy as eating one of my edibles after a stressful day of trying to stop the squirrelpocalypse.

  “Bernard, did you ever hear Nan talk about a druid in your time with her?” I asked, still in disbelief that it hadn’t crossed her mind that a more powerful being than a witch could cast a dark spell such as the one that confined a soul to a mirror. “Did she ever link your murder with the Ritchies? Did she know that the Mabel was friends with Agnus’ mother?”

  “Dear heavens, no,” Bernard replied with a frown. He weaved side to side as he continued to talk about his past. “This is a first for even me to hear about such a thing as druids. Ms. Rosemary always assumed that the coven or a witch dabbling in black magic was the cause. She searched high and low for a spell that could get around the need to locate the supernatural being’s descendent as one of the components to release me from this prison.”

  “That makes sense,” I replied before Bernard could continue like usual. I focused on Ted, who also seemed to be honestly baffled at the thought of a druid being nearby. “Was Nan close to finding a spell such as that, Ted?”

  “Not that I can recall.”

  “Okay, then,” I said after having come to a decision. First, I needed to see if my hunch was correct. “You mentioned that Mabel seemed agitated back then upon seeing you in the mirror, but was she surprised?”

  I know how I would have reacted if I’d look into a mirror and saw that floating head. No offense, Bernard, but your oblong face is rather disturbing.

  “Surprised, you ask?” Bernard seemed to ponder my inquiry before slowly moving side to side. “I’m not quite sure. I was a bit taken aback myself at what had happened, so I guess you could say that I was a bit overwhelmed by it all to really notice.”

  “You said Ms. Mabel was agitated,” Ted pointed out, still standing next to the mantel.

  “Ted’s right,” I said softly, pushing off the couch now that we were getting somewhere. “I can tell you what my reaction was to finding out that witches were real, along with pretty much every other folklore character out there. I certainly wouldn’t have described my reactions as agitated, Bernard.”

  “You aren’t saying…”

  The look of betrayal on the phantom’s face was heart wrenching.

  Look at what you’ve gone and done, Raven. The rambling spirit is confined to a hand mirror for all eternity unless we can find a way out for him, and you go and break his heart. Do you know why it is that I’m not seeing anyone? Well, besides the fact that you take up all of my time and I have a squirrelpocalypse to stop. It’s because women break men’s hearts.

  “You’re saying that my Mabel…”

  Bernard got all choked up again, only to disappear in a puff of mist.

  “Bernard, wait,” I exclaimed, hoping to stop him from disappearing when there were still so many questions that needed answers. “Please come back. We don’t know for certain that—”

  “You did indicate that Ms. Mabel was the guilty party, Miss Raven,” Ted pointed out succinctly, not helping me feel any better about how I had handled the situation.

  “Guys, you know that there is a really good chance that Mabel didn’t want to share any profits from the inn with Bernard. It’s only logical that Mabel asked Helena for help to get rid of him,” I replied regretfully, wishing I could come up with another reason that Bernard had been cast into one of Mabel’s hand mirrors. “Bernard will be fine once we get him to cross through the veil.”

  Ted and I are still going to speak to the cheating wizard, right? I mean, there’s no need for us to go with you to the old hag’s place, right?

  “Go ahead,” I said, giving Leo the permission that he’d been wanting. I’m not proud of myself, but I followed up with what was likely the only means of getting my way. “I’m proud of you, Leo.”

  Why, thank you. I do try to help where I can, and…wait just a dark magic minute. What does that mean?

  I was refrained from answering when Mom and Heidi came through the front door, already talking about what potions and mixtures they could take with us to see Agnus. We had no idea how friendly of a druid she may be or at what measure she might go to in order to protect her mother’s reputation.

  As a matter of fact, I wasn’t sure that they were the only druid family in the area.

  “Mom, is there any reason that Nan wouldn’t have known that a druid was so close by?” I asked, holding up my right hand. “The palm of my hand warms at the most random times. Could it be that she cloaked her powers?”

  Hey, can we get back to what you were trying to say to me? The Mistress of the Dark can wait her turn.

  “It’s possible,” my mother responded cautiously as she set her purse slowly down on the couch. It hadn’t taken her but a second to see what direction I was taking in our investigation. “Or Agnus had help, because it would take quite a lot of energy to keep up such a blanket immunity to detection.”

  Could we please get back to—

  “Could the coven have really helped a druid back then?” I asked, crossing my arms at the mere thought of two supernatural entities joining forces. “I have a hard time believing the council would have agreed to something like that.”

  Raven, what did you mean by—

  “Does it really matter?” Heidi asked as she’d taken a scr
unchie from around her wrist and secured her blonde curls back into its previous ponytail. “All we need is a strand of hair or something from Agnus, right? If we truly believe that Helena was the one to imprison Bernard into Mabel’s hand mirror, then all we have to do is get a strand of hair from Agnus to undo the curse.”

  Not to get off topic, but my soulmate is so intelligent that it could straighten out my crooked whiskers. Now, back to the reason that you’re so proud of me. Is that some sort of trick or reverse psychology? I know you like to do that sometimes to get your way.

  “I will go speak to Mr. Dolgiram,” Ted stated with a slight bow before walking to the front door. He paused, but Leo was still focused on me. “Will you be joining me, Mr. Leo?”

  You tell that oversized stick of wax that we’ll go when I’m ready, even though he used my proper title. I’m sure it was incentive, but you and I have things to work out, Raven. I am not easily manipulated. Well, as long as there isn’t premium organic catnip involved. Now, what are you up to?

  “Raven?” my mother asked with her right eyebrow arched. She wanted to know what I was up to as well, but she would figure it out the moment I addressed Leo. “Is there something else I should know?”

  “Leo was adamantly refusing to help with Bernard’s murder mystery because it involved a druid,” I pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from Leo. “I was just commending him on changing his mind. You see, he’s decided to go and question Rye about anything he might have heard about the coven making a deal with a druid.”

  “But we need him with us,” Mom pointed out with a frown of irritation. “You aren’t strong enough without your familiar.”

  Well, technically…

  “I know you were my mother’s familiar, Leo,” my mother responded irritably, even placing her hands on her hips in annoyance. “You were also left behind for Raven, done so by black magic. As much as I hate to admit it, you would be an asset against an ancient druid stroking the weave.”

  Hold up. I need to write that compliment down on the calendar.

  “I know that, Mom. But Leo has a point about the three of us being able to handle Agnus,” I said, attempting to work up that reverse psychology that Leo had mentioned a bit ago. It had been rather hard to keep my thoughts from him, but I’d succeeded in part due to my mother’s ability to sidetrack him. “Besides, I’m just so proud that he didn’t use the situation to his advantage. He could have easily been selfish about this whole thing.”

  Selfish? Advantage? Just what are you referring to, Raven?

  “I told you that Leo had a soft streak for helping those in need,” Heidi praised, catching on quickly without even blinking an eye. I was so envious as to how much better she was at going with the flow, while I always managed to hit every single speed bump along the way. “Leo, you and Ted be careful when questioning Rye. You know how slippery he can be. Oh, you might want to check out the fish fry first. I’m sure that’s where he is right now.”

  Why is it that I feel like I’m the fish dangling from the line?

  “Leo said that he was thinking the same thing,” I repeated, finally reversing that psychology he’d mentioned earlier. “See, Mom? Leo doesn’t need the druid’s help to get one over on Skippy. He can manage just fine on his own.”

  I can? I mean, of course I can.

  “Do you have mosquito repellent?” Heidi asked, changing the subject so that it appeared as if we’d already moved on. “I don’t know if a hundred and two-year-old druid will invite two witches and one hedge witch into her home, and I don’t feel like becoming an all-you-can-eat buffet for those bloodsuckers in the woods.”

  Leo’s left eye was bulging at the missed opportunity, and his whiskers were twitching in irritation as he attempted to think his way out of his earlier declaration.

  “I have some in my purse,” my mother replied, going along with us. Unfortunately, she was smirking. Leo was sure to catch on if he caught that pleased grin of hers, but she had pretended to lean over the back of the couch and search her purse. “We should also—”

  I’ve been thinking, Raven. Maybe I shouldn’t allow you and my soulmate to go wandering off into the woods at night with your mother. One never knows what she might—

  “I beg your pardon?” my mother asked with noticeable offense, swinging around to face him. “I would never put Raven or Heidi in danger, you impertinent cretin.”

  If I recall correctly, which might be a bit faulty, just last month is when you—

  “Both of you just stop,” I reprimanded, noticing that Ted didn’t know whether or not to leave the cottage. “Leo, you made a valid point. Go with Ted. We have the visit with Agnus handled, and then we’ll all meet back here. With any luck, we can steal a strand of hair, undo the dark magic keeping Bernard inside the mirror, and then send him on his way. In the meantime, it’s always a good thing to keep one step ahead of Rye and Aunt Rowena, right?”

  Ted still seemed a little lost in the conversation, but that was because he couldn’t hear Leo’s thoughts. Ted was made of wax and not a witch or warlock.

  I’m sure Ted can handle the cheating wizard. Besides, there are times I think they are working together at the poker table. I shouldn’t shirk my duties of keeping you safe. I’m going with you, Raven.

  “And this has nothing to do with the fact that a druid could potentially help you put a stop to the squirrelpocalypse?” I asked, pressing the point home. It was imperative that we have the upper hand before even walking onto Agnus’ property. “What am I thinking? Of course, it isn’t. I mean, you know full well that we aren’t allowed to use magic for our own gain. That was silly of me.”

  I glanced at the hand mirror still tucked safely upright on the mantel.

  Bernard had been so hurt at the prospect of Mabel being the guilty party, that I found myself rooting for her innocence.

  Unfortunately, the likelihood wasn’t in her favor.

  Ted was still waiting at the door, waiting for a translation.

  “Leo is going to come with us, Ted.” I motioned that we should all start to head outside, prompting Ted to open the front door. “Would you still go speak with Rye? Try to find out how he knew of Agnus’ existence, but you and Nan had somehow been kept in the dark.”

  “I can do that, Miss Raven.”

  Ted gave Mom a sideways glance, the two of them still rather testy with one another after she’d attempted to blackmail him for his help in exchange for bringing a mannequin to life. He’d fallen in love with one, and he wouldn’t accept that he couldn’t have a companion.

  This entire situation could work in our favor, Raven.

  “How is that, Leo?” I asked, biting my lip to keep from smiling. We were now walking down the narrow pathway toward the wrought iron gate, following the others. “Remember, nothing for our own gain.”

  I take offense at that suggestion. I’m risking my life to confront an ancient druid to fulfill my job responsibilities. I consider myself a noble familiar, but I’d like to point out that when opportunities arise, we must seize on in the moment. I mean, the old hag can help us release Bernard from the mirror, end the squirrelpocalypse, and help Ted gain a lifelong friend. I’m not seeing where any of that is for our own gain. Loopholes. Gotta love loopholes, Raven. It’s all a matter of perspective.

  Chapter Nine

  Loopholes aren’t looking so good right now, Raven. Just saying.

  “This is downright creepy,” Heidi whispered as we stood in front of what appeared to be a rundown shack. Even the pillars appeared to be crooked, though they somehow still kept the porch standing. “Are you sure that this is the house that Liam comes to in order to check on Agnus’ safety? I’m thinking we drove down the wrong two-track.”

  Agreed. Let’s hightail it out of here.

  I could have sworn the unimproved road that Heidi had just spoke of had been longer than what was necessary, which could have been the effects of a cloaking spell. What we were seeing didn’t necessarily mean it was the same visio
n that Liam saw on his weekly wellbeing check.

  This place reminded me of the unique area in the woods behind Heidi’s neighborhood that held Nan’s altar. She would use it to draw energy from the earth, most likely from rituals that she’d learned from the coven before her excommunication.

  To everyone else but me and my mother, the trees were just trees.

  Upon closer inspection, we’d found that not to be the case. Nan had concealed an altar just for her, not to be seen by the human eye.

  Agnus had clearly done the same, and she had probably done so in order to keep her true residence from us. On another note, why would anyone want to live in such disarray?

  No one in their right mind, which is why we should leave while we still have a chance. I’m starting to think that you might have tricked me, Raven.

  Not only were the dingy white pillars crooked, but there were rotted boards on the uneven porch. The trees surrounding the property held no leaves on their branches, even though spring had already sprung. Even one of the front windows was cracked with a jagged hole in the bottom left-hand corner.

  “Do you feel it?” my mother asked warily, having left her purse in the car. She had her arms down to her sides, but I could see her fingers moving in time with a faint pulse that only we could feel. The energy of the earth was being contained, and it wanted so badly to break free. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.”

  And that says it all…no matter what loopholes there may have been here, I do believe that I’d rather chance the squirrelpocalypse all by my lonesome. Well, along with my catnip pipe, but that goes without saying.

  “I can only imagine what Leo is saying at the moment, but I’m inclined to agree with him,” Heidi said, still talking in a hushed tone. She gripped my arm a little tighter when I went to take a step forward. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there isn’t a single sound coming from woods. There are no ribbits from frogs, no chirps from the crickets, and no scurrying noises from the small critters. I’m too young to die, Raven.”