Wild and Witchy

by J. D. Winters

  He considered that for a moment, then smiled. “Yes. That will do it.”

  “Good.”

  “Just tell me this. Does the advice you need have anything to do with the murder of Sam Wellington?”

  I grimaced. “Oh no, I hope not.”

  “But you’re not sure?”

  My brow wrinkled. I was hoping we weren’t going to have to get into this. “Well…”

  He sighed and shook his head. “Do you have a five dollar bill?”

  I patted my pocket. “Yeah, I think so.”

  He held out his hand. “Give it to me.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  I reached in and got it. “Here you go.”

  He waved it at me. “You’ve just hired me for legal advice.”

  I laughed. “Oh. So much for ordinary and homespun, huh?”

  “There are benefits to doing it this way. Now we have lawyer client confidentiality. I can’t tell things you’ve told me to the police and other official entities.”

  “Ah.” I got it and I smiled. “Aren’t you the smarty pants.” I laughed. “You’re funny.”

  “Yeah, maybe I’m funny. But I’m careful too.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder. “Now go. Tell me all.”

  “Okay.” I told him cryptically about strange forces doing strange things and creating opportunities I couldn’t let slip through my fingers, going round and round the subject in deep and mysterious ways until he said, “Stop!”

  “What?” I looked up at him, startled.

  “If you think you’re giving me hints, you’re not. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh.” His frustration was plain on his face and I hated disappointing people

  He shrugged and dug his hands into his pockets. “Sorry Haley. You’re going to have to do better than that. Try again why don’t you?”

  It was no use trying to keep this murky. I could see that. I was going to have to be more obvious about it and actually try to explain what my dilemma was.

  I took a deep breath and started again, cautiously at first, then I began to pour it out as though I was cleansing my soul, all about these people who-shall-not-be-named who had come to our little haven town with a plan to use a spell Gran Ana was going to cast at the festival celebration to empower another spell that would help me and a few others regain the powers we’d lost in the crash into the lake a few years ago and they needed my help but it had to be secret and what should I do? Throw in with them or decide it was all too risky.

  He stared at me for a moment, looked around nervously. “Here’s my advice. Take back your fiver and go find another lawyer.”

  “Bentley!”

  He shook his head, looking pained. “Ah, I don’t mean it, but this whole thing smells fishy to me. Did you ever know this guy at all?”

  “He says I did.”

  “But you don’t remember him?”

  “No.”

  “Got a third party you trust who will vouch for him?”

  I thought for a moment, thinking of Shrimp but not sure that counted. “Probably not.”

  He closed his eyes and muttered something in a foreign tongue—Italian, I’m thinking—then glared at me. “I understand how much you want this to be true. I can see it means the world to you to get your memories back. And I can’t order you not to take the chance. But Haley, please, please be careful. And at the first hint of real trouble, get out of there.”

  He was right. Of course he was right. But…

  “And if you catch any hint of connection to the murder, also get out of there. The cops are jumpy and when they get jumpy they’re liable to arrest anyone who looks at them cross-eyed. I mean if they’re going to take Oliver in for questioning, they could end up with almost anyone, you know what I mean?”

  “Oliver?” I said, blanching.

  “Oh, you hadn’t heard?”

  “Oliver is being questioned? Our Oliver?”

  He nodded. “It seems there were raven feathers found at the murder scene. Their condition gave evidence that a fight had taken place.”

  “On the cabin cruiser?”

  “Right.”

  “But that’s absurd. How could Oliver…?”

  “He’s a shifter, Haley. He could do anything any man could do.”

  I groaned. “What on earth is Gran Ana saying?”

  “As far as I know, she hasn’t come in yet.”

  I grabbed Toto. “I’ve got to get in there as fast as I can.” I started to trot off toward the back exit, the one that didn’t have a bridge, nor a maze. I just wanted to get home as fast as I could.

  “Thanks Bentley,” I called back. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Don’t forget,” he called after us. “I’m under contract. Call me any time.”

  “Will do.”

  I almost ran, my breath coming painfully in my chest. I had to get hold of somebody and do something. But who? Gran Ana probably wouldn’t take my call. If I went to the station, they were likely to hold me for questioning as well and I couldn’t risk that. I had to be free to search for…

  For what? Answers? Marcus? What?

  Oliver in custody! Oh no.

  I looked at the bracelet still on my arm. It seemed to glow in a way, but that was probably just the way the early afternoon sun was hitting it. I ran on.

  Chapter 14

  Krissy was busy with customers. I tried to use my cell phone to call a few people. No one picked up. I tried Gran Ana’s stone. She didn’t answer, just as I knew she wouldn’t. Then, following some inner instinct, I went to my room and held my bracelet up to the light. The next thing I knew, the bracelet was vibrating and Marcus was staring back at me from the mirror mounted on my chest of drawers.

  “Weird,” was the first thing I said, staring wide-eyed.

  “You really don’t remember, huh? We used to talk to each other all the time with the aid of your bracelet.”

  “Into a mirror?”

  “Sure. That was one thing you had, even in your dorm room.”

  I shook my head. I could hardly believe it. “Ridiculous.”

  I don’t know who I was trying to kid. I was impressed on one level, shaken on another, and creeped out by the whole thing at the same time.

  “Well, it’s true. You and I used to fight demons together, Haley. This is the way I got out the alerts to you. You were a good warrior. I’m hoping you haven’t completely lost the knack, because we might be tested again very soon. I just got word there’s a very ugly demon traveling our way. Just like always. But I don’t have time to reminisce about the old days. Just be ready. And in the meantime, I hope you’re gathering the supplies I told you I need. I’m on the move right now, but I’ll contact you tonight. Have them with you, okay? See you later, babe.”

  And he was gone, leaving me still staring at the mirror, wondering what had been so visually disturbing to me. Something in the way he looked, something in the way he talked, and his face had been in the shadows but he’d looked almost….damaged. There were dark smudges on his face. Burns? What was going on?

  I had a very bad feeling about this. I had to find out what had happened and the only way I knew to do that was to jump back in my car and race out to werewolf country and see for myself.

  But first I wanted to get this bracelet off. I tried. The thing was, I didn’t want to break it. But for some reason, I couldn’t seem to pull it off. It just…stayed. I didn’t have time to get a saw or anything serious like that, so I just pulled on an over blouse with long sleeves to cover it and hoped it wouldn’t transmit everything I said and did to Marcus. I didn’t have time to do more. I went out and got into the car and took off.

  My heart was in my throat all the way. Something was very wrong and I wasn’t sure if it was anything I could do anything about, but I had to go and at least witness what I could.

  As I swung in off the highway ten minutes later, I could see a few plumes of smoke rising from structures in the interior.
As I drew near to the area where Marcus and I had talked, the burned out hulk of the roadhouse where they were staying was smoldering in the background. And off in the distance, the blackened shell of a VW bus.

  I nearly gagged at the putrid smell as I stopped my car. Grabbing a rag from the back seat, I plastered it over my face and jumped out of the car, running to the building. My hands were shaking, but I was keeping myself under control. I had to.

  Everything was burned and still hot. It looked like something from the set of a dystopian film. I looked for bodies, but thank God, I didn’t see any. I didn’t see anyone. Where could they have gone?

  I heard a groan and I spun, staring into the charred trees. There was a body after all. I ran over and knelt by him, almost afraid to touch him. I knew it was Randy right away. That red hair was hard to hide and thankfully that hadn’t burned, though some of his clothing was edged in black cinders and the rest looked singed. He groaned again and moved, looking at me, but his eyes didn’t focus. I could see that he wasn’t really conscious.

  What could I do? My cell wouldn’t work here. And who would I call anyway? Could I get him to the hospital? But what would happen to him there? Let’s face it, even in Moonhaven, supernaturals didn’t ordinarily go to regular medical services. There was a clinic for supers, but serious issue like this weren’t their specialty. Supers’ unique existence was ignored and when one of the normals actually had to face what they were, all hell seemed to break loose. That was never good. Besides, who knew what the police would do with him? I had to do something, but what?

  My heart was pounding so loud, my hand shaking so hard, that for a moment I thought I might pass out myself. But I got it together, turned and ran for my car, driving it closer, as close as I dared. I was going to get him out of here.

  It wasn’t easy, and I was scared every second that I might do something to make things worse for him, that I would hurt him somehow, but I didn’t feel like I had any choice. I couldn’t just leave him there. And luckily, my strength had developed over the months so wrestling that big heavy body into the back seat of my car was really no problem.

  I had just gotten him settled when I heard the sirens coming our way. My heart sank. This was no time to come face to face with Shane or any of his co-workers either. I dashed back and opened the trunk, knowing I had a blanket back there. I had him covered up in a flash and was back behind the wheel when the patrol cars came careening around the corner but I didn’t make a clean get-a-way.

  One car screeched to a stop in front of me and another made a slide on dirt and gravel in behind me, blocking me in for good. So I just had to sit there and glare at Shane as he got out of his car and came up to my window. And that was okay because he was glaring right back. At least I was pretty sure he was by the set of his mouth. His actual eyes were hidden behind those darn dark glasses.

  “Haley you are just asking for it,” he said in a low voice, and I realized he was trying to talk to me without Sheriff Hayes, who was still sitting in his car, hearing what he was saying. “What is this compulsion to walk the edge of the cavern? You get a thrill out of tempting fate to hand you a disaster every day? Is there something wrong with you?”

  I flushed. He was furious and my instinct was to fight back but I knew that would only prolong things and I had an injured man I wanted to get help for without either of these lawmen knowing what I was doing. Still, I needed some answers too. Just a few would do the trick.

  “So who burned these people out?” I asked him icily. “You guys?”

  “Who are these people to you?” he asked back. “How do you know them? Have you been out here before?”

  I could see that the Sheriff was slowly getting out of his own car and I wanted to avoid having him start asking questions. Also, I wanted to get out of here before Randy started thrashing around and groaning again. I guess I really was balancing on the edge of a cavern like Shane had accused me of. But that didn’t mean I liked it.

  “Shane, please let me go,” I said softly. “I have to get home right away. I have something I have to do. It’s so important. Tell you what, I promise I’ll be over to the station and I’ll tell you everything I can once I get this done. It won’t be longer than half an hour.”

  His jaw tightened.

  “I promise,” I said urgently, making an x sign over my heart with my finger. “Cross my heart.”

  He took a deep breath.

  “Please.”

  He pushed away from my car and walked out to meet the sheriff. I couldn’t hear what he said to him, but a moment later he was pulling his car out from in front of mine and waving me away. I blew him a kiss as I passed, but he didn’t smile.

  What a great guy. I felt a deep pang of regret that I was always making so much trouble for him. But just then Randy began to cry out in the pain he felt and I was thankful Shane was no longer in hearing range.

  I got back to the bakery and pulled around behind it. Krissy was talking to yet another batch of customers—she was so good at that sort of thing. It was my lucky day when she’d popped up in my kitchen. I was going to have to think of some way to let her know how much I valued her. But right now I had to try to save a life.

  I looked for Mandy. I was in luck. She’d put Gavin down for a nap and was reading in her room.

  “Mandy, can you come with me quick?” I said in a low voice that immediately got her attention.

  She jumped up. “Sure. What do you need?”

  “I’ve got someone I found out in werewolf country. He’s been badly hurt and I’m hoping to be able to save him. Got any healing spells up your sleeve?”

  “I do. Not life or death situation, but burns and cuts I can do.”

  “Great.”

  She was scowling. “Those werewolves….” She muttered as she came with me.

  I stopped and turned, realizing she was assuming werewolves had done the damage. The truth was, I didn’t know who had done it. But now I was wondering if she was really the right person to call on.

  “Mandy, this guy is a werewolf. It’s Randy, that red-headed one. He’s badly hurt.”

  She looked terrified. “Can’t you take him to the Supernatural Clinic?”

  I shook my head. “Until I know who hurt him, I don’t trust them. They are liable to just turn him over to the police. I had to sneak him past the cops under a blanket to get him out of the reservation. I had to sneak him past Shane.”

  I bit my lip. That was the part I hated most.

  “Oh.”

  I looked into her eyes. “You see why, don’t you? I know that you have a special fear of werewolves. If that fear is too strong for you to want to help me….?”

  She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a second and shook her head, then looked at me with a clear gaze. “No Haley. I can do it. He’s…he’s unconscious?”

  “Yes. He was when I got here anyway and I’m know we can make sure that lasts for as long as we need it to. Let’s go see.”

  He was. She helped me carry him in through the back way and up to my room. We laid him on my bed.

  “Okay,” I said. “I’m going to do what I can. The rest will have to be up to you. I have to get right over to the sheriff’s station. I just hope they don’t lock me up.”

  I saw Mandy swallow hard. “I…I hope that too,” she said a little shakily.

  She was scared and I didn’t blame her. If anything happened, she would have only Krissy to back her up. Krissy, who didn’t have a supernatural bone in her body. I was going to have to try to conjure up a spell that would keep him out for a good long time. She needed all the support from me I could give her.

  I grinned and gave her a hug. “Oh, you’re a lifesaver, Mandy. Thank you so much. Now let’s see what we can do about his wounds.”

  Fifteen minutes later I was walking into the station, trying to catch my breath. Talk about living life in a whirlwind. I felt like I was moving at super speed. Mandy and I had mixed up some healing potions and applied them with compress
es. Mandy had him in a holding spell that should keep him from coming to for at least another hour. She was going to clean him up as much as she could without getting personal. And if I got back soon, I would take it from there. If I didn’t—well, we’d cross that bridge when we came to it, I guess.

  And then I was in the station and I could hear my grandmother’s voice from the far end of the concrete building. She wasn’t happy. I sighed and headed toward the sound of her words.

  “Oliver is my employee,” she was saying quite forcefully. “If he is anywhere, it is because I’ve ordered him to be there. If he does anything it is because I’ve given it to him as a task. He doesn’t go rogue. He’s not that type of servant. He’s a good man and loyal as the day is long. How dare you imply that he was off on his own trying to benefit himself by taking rogue actions and doing illegal things. Not Oliver. Not ever. I would never stand for such behavior.”

  “Please, madam…” Sheriff Hayes tried to intervene but Gran Ana’s voice didn’t pause for a second.

  “He was looking for my granddaughter. It was rumored that she was swimming about in the ocean and might be in trouble. So of course I immediately sent him out to take a look and see if he could help her. He flew about. Couldn’t find her and came home. End of story.”

  “Not quite Madam,” Sheriff Hayes drawled, finally getting a word out and using it to show how unimpressed he was by her regal bearing and dismissive tone. “There’s another chapter. Raven feathers were found right at the murder scene.”

  I turned the corner into the Sheriff’s office just in time to see her slap the flat of her hand down on his desk.

  “I can’t help that. Find another raven and make a match.”

  “The feathers we’ve already found make a perfect match. They are definitely his. No doubt.”

  She sniffed as though she’d never heard such nonsense. I hesitated, not sure if I should let her know I was present, just as a show of moral support, or if she would prefer that I keep out of it, but the decision was taken from me when the sheriff spotted me there.

  “Ah, here’s your granddaughter now. Maybe she can clear up some of this mystery for us.”