Raven (A Very British Witch Book 4)

by Isobella Crowley

  “No. I am coming to the main point, I promise.”

  Raven glanced up at the ceiling. “Thank Heavens for small mercies. Now, you were saying, about my coffee table?”

  “There was something on it.”

  The fur along Raven’s back was starting to stand on end. “Something on it? Like what? Is this some kind of game? Do you mean the light coming in from the window?”

  Scarlett shook her head. “No, I wish it was a game.”

  “Well, what was on it then?”

  Scarlett took a deep breath. “A knife.” She raised her chin to stare at the ceiling while she waited for Raven’s response.

  “Oh. You found it then.”

  Scarlett exhaled. “Yes, I found it. The question is, what was it doing there?”

  “Oh, so now we’ve got to the crux of it. This is why you were being so evasive. All that stuff about are we going to remain friends. You think I did it, don’t you? You saw the knife in my flat, put two and two together and came to a pretty ridiculous conclusion.”

  “Ridiculous? Try obvious.”

  “Oh, so that’s how it is.”

  “Raven, look at the facts, will you? Just stop and look at them for a minute. McMillan was your boyfriend, who was stabbed to death. Then the knife shows up at your flat. What am I—what is anyone—supposed to think?”

  Raven narrowed her eyes. “So, just what is it you’re trying to say?”

  “I’m saying, Raven that all the evidence gathered so far points to the fact that you’re guilty.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay? What do you mean, okay?”

  “I believe you. I agree that the evidence you’ve gathered so far—what you managed to learn from your snooping into my private affairs, does point to the fact that I’m guilty. But I didn’t do it.”

  Scarlett nodded.

  “So now what I need to know is, do you believe me?”

  Thank you, Cliff, Scarlett thought, suddenly feeling closer to him than she had for a long time. If she’d followed Tim out of the pub like some kind of lost puppy, then at this moment she’d be panicking to say the least. She’d be torn between her loyalty to her friend and the feeling that coming clean is the right thing to do. But now, thanks to her little chat with Cliff, she knew just what to say.

  “Of course, I believe you, Raven. If you say you didn’t do it, then that’s good enough for me. I trust you, okay?”

  Raven placed her paw a top Scarlett’s hand. “Okay and thank you, that means a lot, friend. And… ”

  “And what?”

  “I can prove it.”

  Scarlett raised her eyebrows at Raven. “You can? How?”

  “I can prove it if you perform a spell for me.”

  “A spell? What kind of a spell?”

  Raven’s expression turned contemplative for a moment. “Don’t know exactly. I need to give it some thought. But if you want to know what happened, I can show you once and for all. If you think you have the power to cast it, that is.”

  A hot stroke of hurt flashed through Scarlett, so powerful that she didn’t think at all before snapping, “Of course I do!”

  Raven lashed her tail. “Excellent. There’s just one thing you should know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Spells like these drain you of all your energy. Leave you feeling exhausted both physically and mentally for days. Of course, you get hardened to it when you’re experienced like your aunt. The effects are the same though. There’s just a shorter recovery time. I know you trust her, but I’d rather as few people know about this as possible. Do you think you can hack it?”

  “Of course I can.”

  “Perfect. No problem on that score then.”

  Talk of her presumed magical ability reminded her of the conversation she’d just had with Cliff, and Scarlett’s expression turned sour as she thought about what had proceeded it, the way Tim had stormed out and left her at the pub.

  Raven appeared to be furrowing her brow. “Was there something else on your mind?”

  Once again Scarlett was impressed. Raven was either a mind reader or she was highly intuitive, an expert at reading body language. “Just something Tim said.”

  “Tim? Oh well, to be honest, I never really liked him anyway. Forget about him, he’s a bit of an—”

  “No, it’s not that. You don’t understand.”

  Raven’s eyes darted around the room as if she didn’t know where to look. “Well, what is it then?”

  “It’s something he told me to do earlier. Practically ordered me to do it, before he stormed out of the pub and left me on my own.”

  “What’s that?”

  “He insisted I either hand the knife in to the police or put it back in your flat for the police to find.”

  Raven sighed. “He’s got your interests at heart, and that’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”

  “But I don’t think Cliff would want me to do that.”

  Raven looked puzzled and amused in equal measures. “Cliff? What has he got to do with anything?”

  “Well after Tim stormed out, he materialized from the other end of the bar. Apparently, he’d been eavesdropping—”

  “Now, I was brought up to believe that that is rude.”

  Scarlett continued. “He came and sat with me, asked me if I needed any help. He gave me some good advice. I felt much better afterwards. He surprised me.”

  Raven raised a paw to her chin in a rather human gesture. “He’s surprised me, too. What did he say?”

  “Nothing much really, he just listened to what I had to say and helped me see things in a clear light.”

  “Well, that’s always useful.”

  “One thing I know for certain though, he’d prefer your method of proving your innocence to Tim’s.”

  A veil of mischief descended on Raven’s expression. “So it’s Tim versus Cliff. Sounds like it could be pistols at dawn.”

  Scarlett grinned. “I wouldn’t go quite that far. But Tim, who is supposed to be my boyfriend, did put me on the spot. As you say, he clearly has my interests at heart, but it was a bit mean of him, nonetheless.”

  Raven nodded. “It was.”

  She didn’t know whether to be amused or outraged. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “What’s what supposed to mean?”

  “That grin.”

  “I grin a lot, I’m a happy kitty.”

  “Come on, you know exactly what I mean.”

  “Oh, you mean this grin?” Raven did her best to replicate the grin she’d given moments earlier.

  Scarlett smirked. “Well, not quite, but its close enough.”

  “It was meant to mean, my dear friend, that it looks like you still have a thing for Cliff.”

  She crossed her arms, her smile turning into a frown. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “You were quick to deny that. Sounds to me like there’s something there that you don’t want to admit.”

  Scarlett didn’t appreciate the way Raven assumed she knew everything about her. There was nothing for her to be in denial about. “There is nothing to admit. Cliff is ancient history, believe me.”

  Raven was having none of it. “Well, I can see through the charade. You clearly like Cliff more, you’re just pretending to yourself that you prefer Tim.”

  “I am not!”

  Raven smirked again. “Whatever you say. If you ask me, it’s just a matter of choosing. It’s clear and simple.”

  “It is?”

  “Yes. It’s Tim versus Cliff, the regular world versus the magical.”

  It was a fitting metaphor. Scarlett had never thought of it in those terms before, but Raven did have a point.

  Raven continued. “You have to embrace your own abilities, despite all the risks that are involved.”

  “Do I?” she asked.

  Raven grinned and nodded.

  Scarlett had had just about enough of this conversation. It had been an exhausting day and she was starting
to feel a bit drained. “So, what should I do?”

  “You’ve heard my solution.”

  “Yes, but it’s not as simple as that, is it? It’s like choosing between Tim and Cliff. And I don’t want to resort to pistols at dawn.”

  Raven laughed. “No, all things considered, I think it’s far safer and less risky all ‘round if you go with the magical plan. Besides… ”

  “Besides what?”

  Raven’s expression suggested that she might be scheming. “Any witch worth their salt would go down the magical route. It just depends on how you see yourself. Are you a witch or aren’t you?”

  Scarlett scowled at the insinuation. “I’m a witch.”

  “Well, there’s your answer then isn’t it?”

  Scarlett thought back to the self-doubts she’d had earlier and decided she needed a way of restoring some confidence. “Okay, you’re on. Magic it is.”

  Raven looked decidedly smug.

  Remembering the way they’d all pulled together to rescue Ronnie, she felt suddenly reassured and exhilarated at the same time. “So, how will it all work?”

  “Well, we’d just break into the flat and do the spell.”

  “Simple as that?”

  “Yes, as simple as that.”

  Scarlett felt a weight drop from her shoulders. “Oh Raven, do you think it’ll work?”

  “Yes. I can’t think of a single reason why it wouldn’t.”

  She leaned forward and gave Raven a hug. “Thank you so much. I’m so lucky to have such good friends.”

  “Good. Glad you can see it. So go on, then. No time like the present, is there?”

  Scarlett furrowed her brow. “Get on with what?”

  Raven’s expression reminded her of a strict schoolteacher. “Cliff, let him know.”

  Scarlett nodded and pulled out her phone. Hi Cliff. Thanks for the advice. I need your help. S.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Scarlett continued to chat with Raven until her phone vibrated and beeped. It was Cliff. Sure. I’ll be there in ten.

  For the next couple of minutes they continued to converse as best they could, given that both their minds lay elsewhere. In the end, they gave up and sat in awkward silence as they listened for Cliff’s car.

  At the ten minute mark, Raven huffed and shook her head. “Well, he’s a bit of a disappointment, isn’t he? Honestly, you can’t trust—”

  “Shh.”

  They both listened as the roar of a distant engine grew louder by the second, until it screeched and came to a halt.

  Scarlett got up to peek through the window. “It’s him.” She banged on the window and shouted through the glass that the door was unlocked.

  “Hello?” Cliff called from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Hi, Cliff, we’re up here. My bedroom, first door on your right.”

  “Hello again, Scarlett,” Cliff said, stepping through the doorway.

  She moved up to make a space for him on her bed. “Hi, Cliff. It’s nice to see you again. Come on, take a seat.”

  Cliff took one step forward, looked around the room and grinned. “Never been in here before. I’ve often wondered what delights I’d find in here.” He winked.

  Scarlett stared right at him, totally expressionless.

  Cliff grinned again, this time showing a flicker of remorse. “So, you said you needed my help. What can I do for you?”

  From the look on Raven’s face, she was determined that none of them would leave the room without a plan being put in place. She glanced at Cliff. “We’ve decided to do a spell.”

  “What kind of spell?”

  Scarlett smiled at the way he’d echoed her words. “That is what we need to decide.”

  Cliff leaned back against the wall and folded his arms. “Go on then, what are you proposing?”

  Raven appeared to make the decision right then that they were going to pretend he wasn’t there. “So, Scarlett, just run the details by me one more time, will you. About what you found in Robert’s flat.”

  It had been an extremely long and draining day. She’d had to recount the same details so many times that she was now starting to act on autopilot. She knew they were just trying to help, but what she really wanted to do was get something to eat and put her feet up for the rest of the day.

  “Okay,” said Scarlett, inhaling deeply. “I went up to Robert’s flat with the cleaner and found his body in the living room. And on the coffee table, next to the body was a box of chocolates and a card. The card had a lipstick kiss and was signed with the letter V.”

  Raven hung her head to one side. “I think we should cast a spell that takes us back in time.”

  Scarlett’s ears pricked up. “Back in time—to when?”

  “Not far, just far enough—so we can see who this ‘V’ woman is.”

  Cliff looked sceptical. “Why not just travel back and see who the killer is?”

  She pointed at him. “That’s a good point.”

  Raven bristled. “Time travel magic is delicate. Trust me on this one, the last thing we need to do is travel back and interrupt the murder from happening. We could cause a paradox big enough to wipe Bicester off the map.”

  She shook her head. “That’s…a better point.”

  “Thank you.” Raven said primly. “If we do happen to see the killer, we’re in luck, but that moment in time is too complicated to aim for on it’s own.”

  They all stood in contemplative silence for a moment. The more Scarlett thought it all through, the less confident she felt. “Well, hang on a minute.”

  Raven frowned. “I don’t like the sound of this. What is it?”

  She glanced at the floor. “I might need some help.”

  Raven sighed. “You know what your problem is? You need to start believing in yourself.”

  “Don’t you think that maybe we should get my aunt and Tarquin involved? I mean if it’s such a difficult spell, any witch might need a hand, experienced or not.”

  Raven appeared to weigh things up for a minute before replying. “I don’t think it’s a good idea now, come to think of it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because they’ll only try and stop you doing it.”

  Scarlett furrowed her brow. “Why would they do that?”

  “Because—and don’t take this the wrong way—because they might not think you’re up to it. It’s a pretty powerful spell, you see.”

  Scarlett took a deep breath. Raven was right in the respect that Tarquin and her aunt would be worried about her and they’d be eager to help. But they wouldn’t try and put a stop to it. They’d see it was the right way to go and most likely assume the responsibility themselves. Besides, there was just something about Raven’s tone of voice that suggested she might be hiding something.

  Her thoughts returned to Tarquin and her aunt, and some of the more recent conversations she’d had with them. Then, recalling something Raven had once said, she felt a shock of enlightenment. “I know the kind of magic you’re talking about. You’ve done this kind of thing before haven’t you?”

  Raven nodded. “Well, I don’t like to brag… ”

  “My aunt warned me about this. And I promised her I’d stay away.”

  “What you talking about?”

  “Black magic. You’re talking about black magic aren’t you?”

  Raven shook her head, wearing a smug grin. “Your aunt warned you about this, didn’t she?”

  Scarlett felt a needle jab into her gut. “Yes. She did.”

  “What did she say, exactly?”

  “She told me about her friend, the way a black sorcerer played with her head until she couldn’t take it anymore and killed herself.”

  Wearing the same smug grin as before, Raven nodded. “You didn’t fall for that one, did you? Honestly, I’ve heard that so many times.”

  Scarlett’s mind went blank. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, dear friend, that’s what they all say, to keep people from dabbling in it.”<
br />
  A million thoughts sprung up in Scarlett’s mind, shooting around in every conceivable direction. “Why would they do that, if it’s not dangerous?”

  “Because people are afraid of what they don’t know or understand. It’s all superstitious nonsense, believe me. None of it’s really that bad. You just use the power of spirits that some people, including your aunt and Tarquin, deem to be evil. You just use it to access information from people, read their thoughts, that kind of thing.

  “Now, some people say that this information is used to inflict harm on people, but that’s total rubbish. I’m not saying there aren’t a few rogues out there, but in the vast majority of cases, including cases like ours, the spell doesn’t harm anyone in any way.”

  A thought struck Scarlett like a ton of bricks. “What about the phone signal in Robert’s flat?”

  Raven looked decidedly put out by the interruption. “What?”

  She tried not to sound as reluctant as she felt. “Was there always a signal?”

  Raven sighed. “Yes, of course. Why?”

  Scarlett took a moment to think. When she spoke again, it was about a different train of thought entirely. “I like the sound of the magic and it’s probably the best course of action, all things considered.” She turned to look at Cliff, who had sat down on the bed, and was listening intently. “Cliff? Does this sound like a good plan to you?”

  Cliff nodded. “Yes. I agree that it’s the best course of action all ‘round. Certainly better than what Tim would have had you do.” He sniggered.

  At last, Scarlett felt like she’d achieved something. “So, will you help us?”

  “Of course,” Cliff replied eagerly. “Anything, just say the word and I’ll do it.” He wasn’t exactly trying to hide his motives.

  Scarlett grinned. “Thank you. Good to know I can rely on you.”

  Raven coughed to get their attention. “Okay, people, let’s do this. First things first though, we’re going to need some supplies.”

  +++

  Tuesday, Late Afternoon

  They spent the next half hour brainstorming anything they might need. They were just about at the end of their list when Scarlett heard the front door open, and knew Amanda had arrived home for the day.