“Uh huh. And what do you think about him?”
“Why?” Georgia snapped, her eyes narrowing again.
“Because he told me that Greyson is the one who killed Paul.”
I waited, watching for her reaction, but she kept her stony mask firmly in place as she snorted. “That’s ridiculous. Honestly, this is a waste of my time.”
I gave her a pointed look. “Where’s the necklace Greyson gave you? Trouble in undead paradise?”
Georgia snarled. “I don’t see how that’s any of your concern.”
I sighed heavily. “Listen, Georgia, I don’t want to fight with you. Just answer my questions and I’ll leave. I don’t know what Greyson has told you about the supernatural world, but there are probably a lot of things he left out. That medallion is more than just some pretty necklace he wanted you to have as a gift. It’s a dangerous talisman that was enchanted by a powerful witch.”
Georgia’s hand floated to the place where the necklace should have been hanging. Her fingers grasped the air and she quickly dropped her hand. “It was giving me a rash, so I took it off.”
“A rash?” Something clicked in the back of my mind and I took a pace backwards. “Georgia, did Greyson—”
“Turn me?” she asked, smiling for the first time since she’d answered the door. Two fangs glistened as her smile widened and a chill ran down my spine. “Why, yes. Yes he did.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“See, little witch, I don’t have to be afraid of you anymore. Greyson warned me to stay away from other supernaturals. Said they won’t give me the same level of nutrition as humans, but in this case, I’d wager that he’d let me make an exception.” Georgia’s silky voice was laced with an icy chill as she slowly rounded the kitchen island.
I forced myself to stay rooted in place. The last thing I needed was for her to think I was afraid of her. Even though I would have been a fool not to be. Newly turned vampires were especially powerful, and apparently Georgia had missed the lesson about not eating live …
Georgia reclined back against the island, her fingers sliding over the smooth stone as she surveyed me. “You might not know this, but Greyson is an incredibly private individual. He wouldn’t like you showing up here at night with a bunch of questions.”
“So it doesn’t bother you that your new lover killed your husband? That doesn’t even concern you?”
Georgia frowned. “Greyson didn’t kill Paul. And they didn’t have business dealings together. Dread is lying.”
“Why would he do that? Greyson is his … lord … or whatever you vampires would call it.”
“I don’t know why. All I know is that he is. I’ll see to it that Greyson deals with him. The police chief already came and told me the news. Paul was killed because he was sleeping with the wrong woman. Her husband killed him. I’ve never even met the man before.”
“And you don’t think that maybe he was glamoured into confessing? It doesn’t strike you as odd that someone would give such a full confession out of the blue like that?”
Georgie shrugged. “People crack. He probably had a guilty conscious.”
“But what if Greyson is lying to you, Georgia?”
She slammed her hands on the counter, sending a loud boom through the expansive kitchen. “Stop it! Greyson didn’t do this. He wouldn’t have! We tell each other everything.” She stalked toward me, one finger pointed in my face. “He has no reason to lie to me.”
Oh, of course not. A bloodthirsty vampire was probably a highly reliable boyfriend. Was she for real?
“Did Greyson tell you that the Thraxis medallion causes a disease to vampires that wear it?” I asked, stalling for time. Magic buzzed at my fingertips but I had to wait for the right moment. Stunning Georgia would only give me a few seconds to get away.
She stopped in her tracks. “A disease?”
“Yes. When the necklace was made, the Molder family trapped a witch and forced her to enchant it. See, they wanted something that would allow the wearer to go into daylight without the unfortunate side effects.” I paused and cocked my head. “He did tell you that part, right?”
Georgia’s nostrils flared. “Of course.”
I shrugged casually. “Just checking.”
“Get to the point, witch.”
I sighed. “The witch cursed the necklace and now any vampire that wears it will be stricken with a fatal disease.”
Georgia crossed her arms. “Well Greyson gave it to me when I was still a mortal. Maybe he didn’t know about the disease.”
I snorted. “You really believe that?”
“Enough! The necklace doesn’t matter. Greyson didn’t kill Paul and I’m done with your questions. Get out of my house before I turn you into an appetizer!” She bared her fangs, this time with a menacing growl. “Do your little magic trick and disappear.”
I held up my hands, not bothering to hide the glowing magic pooled in each palm. “I’ll go, but I’m warning you, Georgia. Greyson is not some Prince Charming. He’s a power-hungry murderer that’s conspiring with a ring of other powerful houses to overthrow the Supernatural Protection Agency and the Haven Council. I won’t bore you with the details, but I was caught in a strikingly similar situation once upon a time. Granted I had a better tan and ya know, my soul. I get it. All right? I get the allure of power and charisma. But this is going to be a war, Georgia, and I can guarantee you don’t want to be caught in the middle of it.”
Without waiting, I reached for the Larkspur and within a blink of an eye, found myself in the dimly lit parking lot in front of the old liquor store. I hurried around to the back and knocked on the door, silently pleading with whoever would listen that the password hadn’t changed since my last visit.
The glowing outline of the door appeared and gruff voice said, “Password?”
“Gingersnap?”
The door opened and I was ushered forward by a different guard; this one less intimidating that the last one. The club was decorated in a Moroccan blue with gold accents, and some kind of exotic music was playing. “What in the Otherworld? Some kind of ‘round the world’ theme going on here?” It was like Taco Tuesday, but for decor.
Dread wasn’t hard to find. He was holding down the same table he’d been at when Lacey had made the original introduction. He didn’t even seem that surprised to see me back in the club again as I approached his table. “Well, well, well,” he purred. “I was wondering when you’d be back to see your old friend Dread.”
“We are not friends,” I said, sliding into the opposite booth.
His smile stayed firmly in place. “What can I do for you, witchling?”
I glanced around the club, wondering if I’d made the right decision by coming. I needed to get answers for Harvey. And for myself. But Dread wasn’t exactly a reliable source. Or if he was, it would be nearly impossible to prove. At the moment, it was his word against Georgia’s and both of their stories were radically different than the confession of the self-proclaimed killer.
“Come on. Spit it out. I don’t have all night, darling.” Dread said, interrupting my thoughts. “Well, actually I do. But that’s not the point.” He laughed at his own joke. “What do you want?”
I sighed and splayed my hands over the table top. “I just paid a little visit to Georgia Banks. She insists that her husband and Greyson weren’t in business together. And if they weren’t in the middle of some kind of business dispute, as per your claim, then I’m left wondering if the rest of your story is true.”
“Of course that’s what she said. She didn’t know about their business deal.”
“I don’t understand.”
Dread sighed like I was trying his patience. He leaned forward on the table, all pretense of charm gone. “Listen, witch, this goes beyond some small town murder investigation, all right? There are things at play here that would make your pretty little head spin. I don’t know why you’re even trying to get involved.”
The tips of my fingers tingled as ma
gic percolated to life. He was one snide comment away from getting blasted up to the rafters. “You and your kind might not care about this case, but a man lost his life and now an innocent man is going to take the fall for it. I can’t let that happen.”
Dread laughed and shook his head. “One of those justice junkies, huh?”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“All right, I’ll make you a deal then. You want to take Greyson down, then I’ll help you. But you have to bring me the Thraxis medallion.”
I leveled him with an unflinching stare. “Why would you do that? You’re his second in command. If you turn on him, the rest of the Molders will eat you for breakfast.”
Dread gave a Cheshire grin. “You still don’t get it, do you, little witch?”
“Tell me what I’m missing then.” I demanded as I crossed my arms tightly over my chest. “Please enlighten me to your evil genius.”
Dread laughed at my tart reply and kicked back in his chair as casually as if he were watching a football game with a big bowl of potato chips in his lap. “The Molders won’t know it was me who turned him in. As his second, I’ll automatically assume power.”
“You sure they won’t know?” I glanced around the club. No one was paying much attention to us, but that didn’t mean there weren’t a few ears cocked in our direction. “You’re not exactly trying to keep this under wraps.”
Dread hitched a shoulder. “These are my people. This whole club is full of vamps who’d rather see me in power. Greyson is ignoring the true needs of his people because he’s too busy playing politics.”
“And that’s why you want the medallion.”
“Bingo. Maybe there’s some hope for you yet, little witchling.”
“What makes you think the medallion’s powers will work for you?”
Dread considered me for a long moment, as though debating how much he could say. “Let’s just say that I’ve spent a very long time learning everything about that medallion and the curse that it carries. I’m confident I can break the spell and unlock its powers. After that, I’ll be king of the vampires. So it doesn’t really matter to me whether you get Greyson out of my way or I have to do it myself. I’ll find a way with or without your assistance, so if you’re smart, you’ll accept my offer and get what you want out of the deal.”
I pushed away from the table. “I’ll think about it.”
“Think quickly. Otherwise it will be too late for your little human friend, Gus.”
I didn’t bother correcting him that Gus and I weren’t friends. We’d never even met before. “And why is that?”
“Because once he goes to trial and confesses, it will be a whole lot harder for him to wriggle out of his sentence. I’m not in the jailbreaking business.”
I was borderline impressed with his knowledge of the human court system and slightly annoyed at myself for having had to ask. “Fine. I’ll come back tomorrow night. Will you be here?”
“Waiting on pins and needles,” he replied with a smarmy grin.
Without bothering with niceties, I left the club and used the Larkspur to get me back to the manor. As soon as my feet hit the manor property line, I bolted for the privacy of my greenhouse and whipped out my phone. Each ring spanned on forever but finally, Harvey answered and I launched into my request without pausing for breath. “I don’t have time to explain, but Harvey, do you still have the replica of the Thraxis medallion that your crafter made?”
“Yes. Why?”
I paced to the other side of the greenhouse and peered through the tinted windows to keep watch on the backyard. I had the distinct feeling that I’d somehow been followed or was being watched, even though I’d used the Larkspur to get home and would have been virtually untraceable to a vampire. But what if Dread had sent someone to my house? He knew Lacey and I were roommates. Maybe he knew where she lived. I squeezed my eyes closed and tried to push back the panicked thoughts and theories swelling inside me. “I need it.”
“Holly, that replica was only for identification purposes. It doesn’t have any power and won’t hold up under magical scrutiny.”
“I know that.” I paced back to the other side of the greenhouse and wished that I’d gone inside and retrieved Boots. He would have calmed me. He wasn’t exactly built to be a security guard, but his presence would have made me feel less jumpy. The yard looked still and quiet. The only things moving were the tall grass and tree branches that were swaying in the gentle coastal breeze. “I have a plan, Harvey. But for it to work, I need the medallion.”
Harvey sighed impatiently. “Holly, I didn’t bring you into this case to go off on half-cocked theories with some mysterious plan. If you have information, then you need to come into my office. We will come up with something together. I can unlock the portal for you if you want to come in.”
I nodded. “Okay, fine. But it has to be tomorrow morning and I need to leave your office with that replica.”
“We’ll talk,” Harvey replied coolly.
I bit back a growl of frustration. “Fine!”
“Ten o’clock. Use the portal I showed you. You do remember where it is located, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I bit out through gritted teeth.
“Very good. Until then.”
Harvey clicked off the call and I resisted the urge to smash the phone with a gardening trowel. Why didn’t he trust me? After all, without my information, he’d still be in Beechwood Harbor looking for leads. In a few days I’d managed to find a connection to the Vampire Council. Without me, the SPA would continue hacking at the hydra without making any progress. You’d think he’d at least be a little more encouraging.
I sighed and scanned the tree line one more time before turning back to the door of the greenhouse. Movement caught my eye and I froze in place. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”
A form moved in the shadows and before I could conjure a stunning spell, a thin voice begged, “Please, don’t hurt me.”
I shifted the magic in my hand and threw a ball of blue light into the space between me and the silhouette. The light revealed a thin, cloaked woman. “Who are you?”
The woman reached up with trembling hands and lowered her hood. She had long, tangled brunette hair and a pretty, though slightly gaunt, face. I tilted my head, trying to figure out where I’d seen her before, when it hit me. I gasped.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Naomi? What are you doing here?” I asked when I found my voice.
Naomi glanced around nervously. “Can you dim that light?” she asked softly. “I can’t be seen here.”
I considered her request for a moment. She looked like she hadn’t eaten or slept in days. Probably not since the murder. I could easily take her on myself. But there was a part of me that was hesitant to turn out the light. What if it was some kind of trick? After all, Dread had told me she was one of them. “Are you a vampire?” I asked her.
“No!” Her eyes went wide. “Why would you even say something like that?”
“Okay. Okay.” I held up a hand and lowered the light. It was just faint enough that I could still make out her face but that anyone looking inside wouldn’t be able to see us. “I’m sorry. I was given bad information …”
A flicker of fire lit behind her dark eyes. “Let me guess, Dread told you I was one of them.”
I sighed. “Yes.”
The adrenaline drained from my system and I suddenly wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for three days. Between the murder investigation, SPA drama, and Adam’s parents, I was ready to crash and burn.
“I’m not a vampire,” Naomi said firmly. She looked out the window again and licked her lips.
“He said you work with them. Is that part true?”
She slowly returned her gaze to mine and after a moment, gave a tiny nod. “Regrettably.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s a long story.” She twisted her fingers in her cloak and tugged nervously at the fabric. “I got tangled up with t
he wrong crowd a few years ago and ended up owing a debt I couldn’t possibly pay. Not without my husband finding out. I met a man, Greyson, and he made me a deal. In exchange for the debt to be covered, I would work for the vampires. Obviously with their limitations there are certain things they can’t do. So I do them on their behalf. At first it was simple things, like going to meetings that had to be held during daylight hours. Like real estate showings for their expanding businesses. But then the demands got … darker. They forced me into scouting certain types of people.”
“So you were looking for humans they could turn?” I asked. The idea alone was enough to turn my stomach.
Naomi dropped her chin in a solemn nod. “I’m not proud of it.”
“Wait—were you the one who found Georgia Banks?”
She nodded again. “That’s right. I met her at an open house and after two complimentary mimosas, she was spilling her guts to me. She told me all about her miserable marriage and how she was trying to get out of her pre-nup so she could get her husband’s money. She was the perfect target: rich, naive, and very pretty. Greyson likes blondes.”
“So what was the plan? You introduce her to Greyson and he offers to turn her, and in exchange, he got her husband out of the way?”
“What?” Naomi’s eyes snapped open wide. “No. No! Greyson didn’t kill Paul Banks.”
“He didn’t?”
Naomi shook her head. “No. Greyson wanted Georgia and Paul alive!”
“Okay, back up. I’m confused. I thought Greyson was turning these people so they could join his House. He’s building an army.”
“He wanted Paul and Georgia’s money and connections. Paul Banks was an investment banker and his firm has some of the state’s most successful businesses on their client list. Greyson isn’t looking to build an army of vampires. He’s trying to rise up against the haven system. Once it’s broken, he plans to come out of the coffin. In a very big way.”
My mouth dropped open. “You don’t mean …”
Naomi nodded. “Unfortunately, I do.”
Witch Slapped: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 3) Page 15