Cloaks and Daggers

by Annabel Chase

  “I thought it best to keep it casual given the time and location.”

  “It’s not like Natalya doesn’t know who you are. You’ve already questioned her.”

  Sheriff Astrid tugged on a strand of blond hair. “Britta thinks I should make more of an effort socially.”

  “She’s not wrong. You’re worse than I am.” And that was saying something.

  I opened the door to the club and a bouncer immediately blocked our path. “Can I see ID, please?” the troll asked. He was surprisingly polite, despite his gruff appearance.

  “I’m the sheriff.”

  The troll studied her. “I don’t see a badge. Shouldn’t you have one of those gold stars?”

  I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Trust me, this is the sheriff.”

  The troll faced me. “And who are you?”

  “Emma Hart. Town defense lawyer.”

  He pressed his lips together. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

  I squinted at him. “How long have you lived here?”

  He scratched his stubbled chin. “My whole life.”

  Sheriff Astrid and I exchanged amused glances. “Well, I don’t have ID on me,” I said, “but there’s a statue of me in the town square that might jog your memory.”

  The troll seemed unconvinced. “There’s a statue in the square? I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Who’s the mayor?” Sheriff Astrid asked.

  “That cute little fairy,” he said, grinning. “I voted for her.”

  “Lucy Langtree is her name,” I said. “She’s one of my best friends.”

  The troll snapped his fingers. “That’s the one.”

  “So can we come in?” I asked.

  “Nope. No ID means no admittance. No wristband.” The troll pointed to a sign on the nearby wall.

  “It’s not like we’re not old enough to be here,” I said. “I just had a baby.”

  The troll’s brow lifted. “You just had a baby and you’re already hitting the nightclubs? Lady, you might want to consider that a problem worth addressing.”

  “Emma?” A familiar vampire appeared beside the troll.

  “Edgar!”

  “You know her, boss?” the troll asked. “She claims to be a statue.”

  I looked at Edgar. “You own this place?”

  The vampire nodded. “I do.”

  “I seriously need to get reacquainted with this town.”

  He turned to the troll. “These ladies are always welcome here. No ID necessary.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “No hard feelings. I know you were just doing your job.”

  The troll bowed his head. “My mom always said I was too inflexible. She expected me to work for the town council. Thought I’d thrive in a bureaucratic role like that.”

  Edgar clapped him on the back. “It’s perfectly fine, Ezra. I appreciate you following the rules.” He crooked a finger at us. “You chose an excellent night to be here. There are some familiar faces here this evening.”

  He wasn’t wrong. I’d barely made it to the bar when I spotted Demetrius and Begonia on the dance floor. She looked straight out of a Shakespearean play in a gauzy white dress and her hair in a partial updo. Her smile widened when she saw me.

  “Emma!” She skipped over to greet me. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  “I didn’t know myself until a little while ago,” I said.

  Demetrius followed behind her and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. “Good to see you, Mom. How’s it going?”

  Begonia wrinkled her nose. “Did you just call her Mom? Please don’t. It’s creepy.”

  Demetrius seemed taken aback. “I didn’t mean it creepily. I thought it was sweet.”

  “I didn’t think it was creepy,” I said. “Though the notion of being a vampire’s mother is kind of amusing.”

  “No more amusing than being the mother of an angel-sorceress-demigod hybrid or whatever the child is you’ve given birth to.” Edgar handed me a flute of sparkling liquid. “On the house.”

  “Thank you so much, Edgar. You’re too kind.”

  Sheriff Astrid cleared her throat. “Only one for the new mother? What about the Valkyrie that keeps this town safe every day?”

  Edgar smiled, revealing his fangs. “Too right.” He gestured to the bartender. “Another one for the sheriff, please.” He gave a flute to Astrid. “I assume you’re not on duty.”

  “Well, Emma and I are here to talk to a suspect, but informally.”

  Begonia’s mouth puckered in surprise. “Someone dangerous?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “She’s one of the crew members from the show that filmed at my house.”

  “What does she look like?” Begonia asked. “I can tell you if I’ve seen her.”

  I described the dancing brownie.

  “I saw her,” Demetrius said. “She was with an incubus toward the back.”

  Begonia arched an eyebrow. “Noticed her, did you?”

  “She was twirling around so much that I thought she might fall down,” Demetrius said. “She bumped into at least two satyrs who weren’t pleased. I’m surprised you didn’t see her.”

  “Not when I only have eyes for you,” Begonia said. She jumped up and kissed the vampire on the lips.

  “Is she drunk?” I asked. I wasn’t sure about the sheriff questioning her if she’d had too much alcohol, although I could get away with it in an unofficial capacity.

  “I can’t say,” Demetrius said. “She seemed to enjoy dancing more than anything. I don’t think I saw her with a glass.”

  That seemed to fit with what I knew about Natalya. “Thanks.” I sipped my drink and nearly sneezed from the tickling bubbles. “Ready to hit the dance floor, Sheriff Astrid?”

  “Is that a euphemism or are we really going to dance?” the sheriff asked.

  Begonia grabbed her hand. “You need to dance. I don’t ever see you taking a break.”

  I watched as the sheriff was pulled reluctantly onto the dance floor. She deserved to have a bit of fun. Although the club was crowded, I figured I’d spot Natalya if she tried to leave. The only public exit was the main door.

  “What about you?” Demetrius asked. “Any plans to shake it?”

  “That dress demands to be in the spotlight,” Edgar said.

  Demetrius gave the dress an admiring glance. “Yes, red is our signature color, isn’t it? Do you think you’d let Begonia borrow that dress sometime?”

  I laughed. “My closet is her closet.”

  “I like her in red,” he said. “There’s something about wrapping innocence in crimson fabric that’s very appealing.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the brownie threading her way through the crowd. The music changed as she walked, and she stopped in the middle of the dance floor to get her groove on.

  “Target acquired,” I said.

  Demetrius took my hand. “Shall we?”

  I let him lead me to the dance floor so that we were positioned next to Natalya. Her incubus friend had caught up to her and the two of them were swaying in each other’s arms. Unfortunately I’d lost sight of Begonia and Sheriff Astrid—they’d been swallowed by the crowd.

  Demetrius whirled me around so that I bumped into Natalya.

  “Excuse me,” I said.

  The brownie’s face radiated warmth. “Emma, what a nice surprise. I didn’t realize you liked to dance.”

  “I do,” I said. “I just don’t get to do it very often.” I took another long drink from the flute. I wanted to finish it so that I didn’t spill any on my dress.

  Natalya’s gaze lingered on Demetrius. “I guess your husband is home with the baby.”

  “Yes, this is my friend, Demetrius. His girlfriend Begonia is here. She’s a good friend of mine.”

  “She must be, to loan you her handsome boyfriend for a dance.” Natalya gave him a flirtatious wink.

  “Ahem,” the incubus said.

  Natalya laid a hand flat on his chest. “Don’t be silly, Ro
d. You know you’re the one I’m here for tonight.”

  “Natalya has great energy,” the incubus said.

  “I can tell,” Demetrius replied, as we watched Natalya swing her long hair around in time to the music.

  “I suppose this is how you’ve been processing your grief over Andrea,” I said. “Dance marathons and new companions.”

  Natalya scowled. “I do this wherever we go on location. Andrea has nothing to do with it.”

  “You’re not upset?” I asked.

  “I’m sure I’m supposed to say yes, but good riddance, I say.”

  Now I was getting somewhere. “You didn’t care for her?”

  Natalya spat on the floor, causing the incubus to jump backward and avoid the fallout. “She was a tyrant. Everyone says it’s Adam, but Andrea was the real dictator.”

  “I see.”

  Natalya pointed a finger at me. “It doesn’t mean I killed her.”

  Paranormals jostled around us as the music changed again. Suddenly a dance floor didn’t seem like the ideal place to question someone.

  “No, I’m not suggesting you did,” I said. “I understand you were interviewing for another job anyway. I guess you wouldn’t have had to work with her much longer.”

  Natalya’s eyes narrowed. “Who told you that?”

  “We had access to Andrea’s phone messages,” I lied. “She wasn’t happy when she found out about your interview, was she?”

  “She was furious,” Natalya said. She continued to bop to the music as she spoke. “I’d never seen her so worked up.” I noticed that Natalya didn’t seem surprised that I could read Andrea’s messages, which implied that she hadn’t been the one to delete them.

  “Why did you want to leave for a job that paid the same?” I asked.

  “Because I couldn’t take it anymore!” Natalya waved her hands dramatically.

  I grabbed her hands and tugged her aside. It wasn’t easy because of the pressing bodies, but I managed to guide us to a small alcove to avoid getting bumped.

  “What couldn’t you take?” I asked.

  “This is supposed to be a feel-good reality show, but all the production does is make me feel bad.”

  I set my empty flute on a nearby table. “How so?”

  “Do you know how long I’ve been saving to buy a place of my own? Not even a house, just a condo or something quaint and affordable.”

  “Pretty tough on your salary, huh?” I sympathized. Even as a lawyer in the human world, I’d worried about my home-owning future. I’d worked in the public sector and didn’t make much money. I’d been renting an apartment when I ended up in Spellbound because that was all I could afford. There would have been no end in sight to that lifestyle if I hadn’t been trapped here. Come to think of it, I hadn’t experienced so much as a missing sock in the dryer since my arrival in town—Spellbound truly was a magical place.

  “It’s impossible on my salary.” Her nostrils flared.

  “But you wouldn’t make more money at the new job,” I said. “So what’s the point?”

  “The point is that the other show is about renovating your existing home on a budget. There’s no pie in the sky element to it like there is with Home Invaders. I was sick and tired of hearing ‘I polish unicorn horns for a living and my budget is fifty million coins.’” She adopted a fake happy voice. “And we film in these beautiful homes that are completely out of reach for someone like me, unless I marry rich.” She glanced over her shoulder and winked at the incubus. “And I have no desire to marry anyone, not even for money.”

  “You weren’t leaving because of Andrea?”

  Natalya shook her head, seemingly confused. “Andrea? No. Why would I quit because of Andrea?”

  “Because she was a tyrant?” I pointed to the floor. “You even spat for emphasis.”

  “I wouldn’t leave because of a personality conflict,” she said. “Are you crazy? If that was my attitude, I’d never have a job again. There’s always someone to lock horns with.”

  Sheriff Astrid pushed her way through the crowd. “This is much better than the dance floor.”

  Natalya’s gaze flickered to the sheriff. “I beg to differ.”

  “Can you think of any reason why someone would kill Andrea?” I pressed.

  Natalya shrugged. “Not specifically. I have my own theory, of course, but I don’t have any proof.”

  The sheriff crossed her arms. “I’d still be interested in hearing it.”

  “I think she and Bethany were having a relationship,” Natalya said.

  I closed my eyes for a second, trying to process. “Don’t you mean Adam?”

  “No, I mean Bethany,” the brownie said. “I’ve caught them a few times, talking quietly when they thought they were alone.”

  “And what did they say?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but their body language suggested intimacy. They were always huddled close together, like they were desperate to be touching.”

  I looked at Sheriff Astrid. No one else had suggested a relationship between the two women, including Bethany.

  “Maybe they were talking about Adam?” I asked. “There seemed to be an unspoken thing between them…”

  Natalya cut me off with a harsh laugh. “No way. There was nothing but vitriol between Adam and Andrea. He hated that she was the true captain of the ship. Men don’t want to be intimate with women who make them feel emasculated. Trust me on that one.”

  Sheriff Astrid looked at me. “Seems like a reasonable assumption.”

  “So either someone is lying or someone is misunderstanding,” I said.

  “Or both,” the sheriff said.

  “Can I go back to dancing now?” Natalya asked. She whirled around for good measure.

  “Do you do this much dancing at home?” I asked.

  “I do, but your places are better,” Natalya said. “I don’t mind how long this investigation takes. I’m loving every minute of it.” She sashayed back to her companion on the dance floor.

  “What do you think?” the sheriff asked.

  I shook my head. “She’s not the killer.”

  “Because she likes to dance?”

  “Because she didn’t seem surprised when I told her I could read the messages on Andrea’s phone and because she’s not eager to leave town. I would think the real killer would be anxious to get out before they get caught.”

  “Good point.” The sheriff stared after her for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. “I’m going to take one more turn on the dance floor so that Britta doesn’t give me a hard time and then head home. You?”

  “I’ll say goodnight to the others and release Sedgwick from his evening of servitude.”

  “Talk to you later.” The Valkyrie disappeared into the crowd of wiggling bodies.

  “Emma, what in the devil’s name are you doing here?” Gareth materialized beneath one of the flashing orange lights. The ray of light shot straight through him with each flash.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” I said.

  “I meandered around town first,” he said. “I started in the cemetery, then to the library, and made my way here. I prefer when the club is at its peak capacity.”

  I elbowed a centaur who nearly fell into me as his ale sloshed over the side of the glass. “I suppose that’s now,” I said. “I can’t swing a ponytail without touching someone I don’t know.”

  “Aye.” He looked fondly at the writhing bodies. “I appreciate it more now than I ever did. It feels good to spend time out of the house. I need my space.”

  I bristled. “You keep making these comments. What’s the problem? If you don’t want to be around the baby, just say so.”

  Gareth groaned in exasperation. “No, Emma. You’ve got it all wrong. I love the wee bairn. Therein lies the problem.”

  I stared at him, baffled. “You love her, so you don’t want to be around her? You want space?”

  “Emotional space.” He drifted back and forth. “I’ll watch her gr
ow up and then, one day, she’ll leave.” He shook his head. “I can’nae get attached.”

  My heart ached for him. “Gareth, you can’t avoid relationships with others just because you’re afraid of losing them someday.”

  “The pain…” He broke off. “It’ll be too much for my sensitive…well, not my soul because I dinnae have one of those.”

  I hugged him and was pleased that I felt a smidge of solidity. “This is when a dose of humanity would benefit you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Humans,” I said. “We know we’re going to die. We know our life spans are roughly eighty to a hundred, if we’re lucky, but we still live our lives. We grow up, fall in love, get jobs, have children—knowing that, one day, it will all come to an abrupt end. We don’t hide from our mortality. We just get on with it.”

  “But you’re not like them,” he said. “Not really.”

  “But I was raised to think like them. And so I choose love and life, and now I have so much to show for those choices.”

  “Aye,” he said. “I suppose you do.” He floated out of reach. “But you forgot one thing, even though you’ve just given it to me.”

  I titled my head. “What’s that?”

  He smiled, showing his pale fangs. “Hope.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  As exhausted as I was, I knew I had to push myself today, if only for the greater good. To my credit, I invited the witches to my house instead of agreeing to meet at the secret lair. Anything that saved me a trip was progress as far as I was concerned. Like Laurel said, I had to get better at setting boundaries and that included more than just Calix. I sought to please and help and earn approval in every area of my life and it simply wasn’t feasible, not without a nervous breakdown. Diana deserved the best version of me that I could give her.

  Gareth used his poltergeist skills to make a pitcher of lime fizz and I had homemade biscuits in a tin from the Minors. I assumed the offering had been Darcy’s idea, not that it mattered. I was always in favor of accepting baked goods.

  Once the witches were assembled in the dining room with full plates and glasses, I decided to break the news. “There’s something you need to know.” I proceeded to tell them about Lady Weatherby’s hearing. I didn’t want them to be in the dark the way I’d been. They were understandably shocked and concerned.