A Breath of Witchy Air

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Bay will still love me anyway.” Landon sounded certain of himself. “Somehow I think we’ll survive.”

  “I will love you,” I agreed, tapping another button. “I won’t be able to share a bed with you if you smell like rotten eggs, though. You know how bad my gag reflex is. If I smell something bad I almost immediately throw up. I can’t help it.”

  Aunt Tillie arched a triumphant eyebrow. “What do you think about that?”

  Landon stood his ground. “I think you’re not going to ruin Bay’s big night. So if you do curse me, it won’t be until tomorrow.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Landon leaned over my shoulder and frowned at the screen. “What am I looking at here?”

  “I’m not sure,” I admitted. Computer games weren’t my forte. “Doesn’t that avatar look like me?”

  Landon squinted. “It does kind of look like you.”

  “That’s because it is you.” Aunt Tillie was matter of fact. “This game doubles as a dating app. I don’t want to date any of these morons – and, trust me, I think they’re all sharing the same few brain cells – but people only show up to help with raids and stuff if they believe you’re young and dateable.”

  Thistle chortled as she swilled her wine, clearly enjoying herself. “College boys don’t want to date a woman old enough to be their great-grandmother? I’m shocked, shocked, I tell you.”

  Aunt Tillie barely managed to control what I was sure was a righteous rage. “Listen, mouth, they’re too young and dumb to know what they’re missing. It doesn’t really matter, because I don’t want to date them.”

  “I don’t know.” Thistle’s expression was mischievous. “I think the only reason you’re playing that game is to pick up a date. Why else would you want to play it?”

  “To win.”

  “Win what?” I challenged. “Those guys we met at the coffee shop said that you can’t win unless you knock everybody out and even then it’s nearly impossible to take the title. That means you’re not really winning as much as you are treading water … and treading water isn’t fun.”

  “It is if you’re not wearing a swimsuit,” Landon whispered, grinning.

  “I heard that, pervert.” Aunt Tillie cuffed the back of his head. “Just because it’s Bay’s big day doesn’t mean I won’t punish you. Don’t forget who you’re dealing with.”

  “I would never.” Landon rubbed the spot she smacked. “If you’re not playing to win, why are you playing?”

  “So others will lose.”

  “That doesn’t sound like much fun.”

  “Then I’m telling it wrong.” Aunt Tillie lurched forward and grabbed the phone before I could look at her friends list. “I like playing the game because I can sacrifice others to win prizes. That’s the best sort of game.”

  “You’re kind of a sociopath,” Landon noted. “Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “No one still living.”

  I ignored the building animosity between my boyfriend and great-aunt, and focused on the obvious question. “That still doesn’t explain why you used a photo of me.”

  “Oh, right.” Aunt Tillie didn’t appear bothered to be called on the carpet regarding her gaming proclivities. Of course, she wasn’t afraid of anyone, so it’s not as if she’d face punishment for whatever it was she was doing. “I knew if I wanted people to join me in battles they would have to think I was young. That meant using a photo of someone young.”

  “Wait a second.” Clove wrinkled her forehead. “That basically means you had the choice of picking Thistle, Bay or me. Why did you choose Bay?”

  Aunt Tillie let loose a long-suffering sigh, as if Clove had asked the dumbest question in the world and it was costing her a great deal to answer it. “I could’ve chosen any of you as my avatar.”

  “So Bay was just the luck of the draw?” Clove pressed.

  “No. I put a lot of thought into the choice.”

  “You did?” Clove hovered on whiny. “You put a lot of thought into it and you still chose Bay. Why?”

  “Oh, who cares?” Thistle snarked. “It’s not as if we get a prize for being her avatar.”

  “I just want to know why she chose Bay.”

  “She chose Bay because she looks easy,” Thistle supplied.

  “Hey!” I pointed in her direction. “I don’t care if it is my special day, I will totally take you outside and make you eat yellow snow. That’s worse than dirt.”

  “She’s not wrong,” Marcus added.

  Thistle ignored her boyfriend’s attempt to deflect a potential fight. “That’s the only reason Aunt Tillie would pick you over me.”

  “Oh, really?” Aunt Tillie rolled her eyes. “I couldn’t pick you, mouth, because of your hair. It would turn on some guys, but it would freak others out. Most of the people playing this game are dweebs more likely to wet themselves than find something to talk about if they’re afraid of a woman. That ruled you out.”

  Thistle was mollified, although only slightly. “Well, I guess that’s not too bad.”

  “As for that one, she has a cute face, but her real asset is the boobs.” Aunt Tillie grabbed her own rack – which dangled around her knees – and gave them a good squeeze for emphasis as she inclined her chin in Clove’s direction. “I didn’t want to post a full-body photo because I thought that might send the wrong message.”

  “And what message is that?” Sam asked, suspicious.

  “That I’m open for offers. I’m not. I just want to battle and beat people. That’s why I picked Bay.”

  I remained confused. “Because I look like someone who is good in a fight?”

  Aunt Tillie snorted. “No. It’s because you’re blond and most people assume that means you’re stupid. Most guys want a hot stupid girl. You really were my only option.”

  I didn’t want to be offended, but I couldn’t stop myself. I ran my tongue over my teeth as I slid a look to Landon and found his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “It’s not funny!”

  “Oh, sweetie. I know.” Landon swiped at his eyes to wipe away a few errant tears. “You’re so much more than a pretty face.”

  “You are,” Chief Terry agreed. “You’re the boss.”

  He was right. I was the boss. That should’ve made me feel better. Instead I glared at Aunt Tillie. “I hate you sometimes.”

  Aunt Tillie wasn’t offended by my words or tone. “You’ll get over it. Just for reference, I need to fill out my online profile and I prefer being accurate so … exactly how far will you go on a first date?”

  I might’ve been the boss at work, but it was clear Aunt Tillie was still the boss in the Winchester world. “Someone pour me some more wine.”

  Landon acquiesced. “I’m on it.” He leaned close so only I could hear him. “I’ll let you boss me around later if it will make you feel better.”

  It couldn’t hurt.

  Thirteen

  I slept hard … until the dreams.

  I thought I’d dream about my new job, which just happened to be in my new office, which just happened to be something I always wanted. It started out that way. And then it shifted into something so much worse.

  The dead girls from the snow haunted me, talking in unison and whispering annoying questions as they demanded answers. They were relentless, refusing to leave me alone and ultimately forcing me to run through The Whistler’s office in an attempt to escape. I had to barricade myself into my old office, where, because it was a dream, I worked overtime to get my magic to perform correctly so I could protect myself. Of course, I was inept, and ultimately I bolted to a sitting position in bed and clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming as my heart raced and hands shook.

  “What’s wrong?” Landon shifted next to me, his hand moving to my arm and his voice thick with sleep. “Are you sick? I probably shouldn’t have let you eat that fifth slice of cake. I knew it was a mistake.”

  “I’m fine.” My voice was shakier than I would h
ave liked. “I’m sorry to have woken you.” I glanced toward the window, which was pitch black. That meant we had at least an hour of sleep left.

  “You don’t sound fine.” Landon shifted on his side and pushed my hair away from my face as I forced myself to lay flat on the mattress. “In fact … hmm.” He moved his hand to my chest, right above my heart. “You had a nightmare, didn’t you?”

  “I’m fine.” I didn’t want him worrying about me. It seemed a waste of time for an odd dream that he couldn’t eradicate.

  “I’m not. Come here.” Landon slipped his arm under my waist and tugged me until I rested my head on his shoulder. He ran his hand down the back of my head and kissed my forehead. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

  He sounded sleepy, exhausted really. I wasn’t in the mood to drag this out, so I merely shook my head. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

  “That’s why I’m here, Bay.”

  “I thought you were here for the bacon.” It was a lame joke, but I wanted to lighten the mood. He didn’t fall for my weak attempt at distraction.

  “I’m here for you first.” Landon tightened his arm around my waist. “Can you go back to sleep?”

  “Yeah.” The dream was already fading and my heartbeat was back to normal.

  “Good.” Landon tucked in the covers as tightly as possible before closing his eyes. “We’ll talk about the dream in the morning.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  LANDON WAS CHEERFUL when he woke, giving me a quick kiss before hopping in the shower. I followed suit a few minutes after he’d finished – thankful for the fact that we didn’t have to worry about running out of hot water now that Thistle and Marcus were out of the house – and dragged on warm jeans and a sweater before heading back to the main living area.

  I expected to find Landon with a box of cereal at the ready. Instead, he held my coat and computer bag and offered up a bright smile. “Ready?”

  I accepted the coat, although I remained confused. “Ready for what?”

  “Breakfast.”

  “No cereal today?”

  Landon chuckled. “Cereal is not as yummy as I remember from my youth.”

  I zipped my coat and searched in the pockets for gloves. “Are we going to the inn?”

  “I think we spent enough time at the inn last night for at least the next twelve hours.” Landon patiently waited while I put my knit cap in place. “Are you all set?”

  I wasn’t sure. “Where are we going?”

  “The diner. I thought we could get breakfast and talk about how you’re going to be really careful at The Whistler today.”

  His calm demeanor caught me off guard. “I … you … um … .”

  “Yeah.” Landon’s grin was sly. “I know you won’t be able to stay away because you’re the boss and that’s now your building. I don’t want to force you to stay away because … it’s not fair. But I want you safe, so we’re going to talk about some personal protection issues.”

  That didn’t sound terrible. “Okay.” I grabbed my computer bag from him and smiled. “Breakfast at the diner sounds good.”

  “It does,” Landon agreed. “Once we’re done talking about your safety, we’ll move on to that nightmare you had last night. I’ll wager it was a doozy, because you’re determined to pretend it didn’t happen.”

  I stilled, surprised. “I thought … .”

  Landon cocked an eyebrow. “What? Did you think I wouldn’t remember you waking up terrified? I did, and we’re going to talk about it.”

  My excitement deflated. “I’m fine.”

  “You’ve said that multiple times now. I don’t believe it and want to talk about it.”

  “Okay, but you’re going to figure out what a weirdo I am if I tell you about my dream.” I was going for levity, but it fell flat. “I know you’re as afraid of clowns as I am.”

  “Nice try.” Landon hit the light switch by the door as he held it open and fiddled with the lock on the handle. “We’re still going to talk about it.”

  “Great.” That was the last thing I wanted. “I’m going to eat my weight in hash browns this morning. I’m just warning you.”

  “I can live with that.”

  CHIEF TERRY WAS ALREADY seated at a table when we walked into the diner. I wasn’t sure if he expected us, but he had plenty of empty seats around him so we joined him.

  “You guys don’t look worn down or anything,” he offered after a beat. “I thought maybe you would be hungover, but you look okay.”

  “We’re just dandy.” I shrugged out of my coat and pulled off my hat, leaving my hair a mess. “I’m starving. What’s on special?”

  “Corned beef hash.”

  “Ooh. That sounds good.”

  “It does,” Chief Terry agreed, his eyes busy as they bounced between Landon and me. “Is something going on?”

  “No,” I answered automatically.

  “Yes.” Landon nodded as he accepted a mug of coffee from the waitress, waiting until we placed our orders before continuing. “She had a nightmare last night.”

  I felt like an idiot. Chief Terry didn’t care that I had a nightmare. Cripes. I wasn’t five.

  “You had a nightmare?” Chief Terry furrowed his brow and patted my shoulder. “You poor thing. I would’ve thought you would have good dreams after your first day of being the boss.”

  I made a face as I shifted my attention to Landon. “I wish you wouldn’t make a big deal out of this. It was just a dream.”

  “You haven’t told me what the dream was about. I can’t form an opinion until you tell me.”

  He was purposely being difficult. There was no other explanation. “It wasn’t an odd dream considering everything that’s going on.”

  “Tell me anyway.”

  I sighed and looked to Chief Terry for help, but he seemed equally intrigued as he waited for me to spill. “It’s nothing. I was just in my new office at The Whistler. I was decorating and I heard noises in the hallway. When I went to check … it was the dead girls. All four of them were whispering in unison … and pointing … and then they started chasing me.”

  Landon’s hand moved to the back of my neck and he rubbed at the tender spot there. “I’m sorry.”

  “You can’t influence my dreams, so I don’t know what you’re sorry about.”

  Landon pinned me with a hot look that made my cheeks color, offering silent debate about influencing my dreams in a certain way. Uncomfortable, Chief Terry cleared his throat and shifted on his seat.

  “Don’t take things to a weird place,” Chief Terry ordered.

  “Definitely don’t do that,” I agreed. “As for the dream … it was bound to happen. I’ve had those girls in my head since I found them. I didn’t dream that night because I drank too much. Or, at least if I did dream I don’t remember it. It was bound to catch up with me eventually.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m still not happy about it.” Landon leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “I’m especially not happy because I think part of why you dreamed that is the sun catcher showed up in your office. I’m still ticked off about that.”

  “Speaking of that, I ran it for prints.” Chief Terry sipped his coffee before continuing. “There were quite a few. So many that isolating one set and trying to track down a suspect probably isn’t possible.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” I said. “It was in a gift shop. It was probably touched ten times a day.”

  “Call of the Wild, right?” Chief Terry furrowed his brow. “Why were you there again?”

  “Aunt Tillie wanted to go.”

  “I remember taking you guys there once when you were kids.” A small smile played at the corners of Chief Terry’s lips. “Clove was afraid of those projector things. Thistle kept yelling at the animals to stop staring at her. You, though, you were happy and acted as if I’d taken you to the best museum in the world.”

  I smirked at the memory. “I was just happy to spend time with you
.”

  “I know.” Chief Terry patted my hand. “I’m not going to lie. I don’t like that someone followed you through the gift shop, bought the one item you stopped to take a long look at, and then somehow managed to sneak it into the newspaper building. That seems strategic.”

  “I don’t like it either,” Landon admitted. “That’s why we’re going to have rules for when you’re working at the newspaper office today. The big one is that I want you to keep all the doors locked, even when you’re inside.”

  I balked. “What if someone stops by to place an ad?”

  Landon knit his eyebrows. “Is that usually how it works? I’m not being a pain. I really don’t know. I’ve been with you for more than a year and don’t remember seeing many advertisers going into the building. I seem to remember Brian going to the advertisers and doing business at the coffee shop or stores to make things easier for the advertisers.”

  He was right, but I was loath to admit it. “Well … I might change things up.”

  Landon gave me a long look as he studied my profile. “You’re not going to change things up,” he said finally. “You might eventually, but right out of the gate you’ll keep them simple. I know you.”

  “You might not know me that well.”

  Landon smirked. “I know you. You’ll do the exact same thing for the first month. You won’t risk changing things until you feel more certain about yourself and your position at The Whistler. That won’t happen this month.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being cautious, Bay,” Chief Terry noted. “This is a big deal for you. It’s okay to take all the time you need.”

  He said it in a placating manner, and yet it irritated me all the same. “You guys don’t know. I could totally shock you and change things up.”

  Landon held up his hands. “Okay. Change things up.”

  “I will.”

  “Just keep the door locked while you do it.” Landon was firm as he leaned closer. “It’s important until we figure this out. Don’t do anything stupid.”

  I wanted to take the admonishment as an insult but knew he was right. I still remembered the panic from the dream, the way I tried to run through the building only to find danger at every turn. “I’ll keep the door locked. If someone needs a meeting, I’ll be at the front door and make sure it’s a familiar face before I open it.”