by Amy Boyles
Garrick shook his head. “Nope. You’re going to jail all right.”
It felt like a stone was plummeting down my stomach, falling fast to the very bottom of its depths. “What?”
Garrick glanced at me, annoyed. “I’m taking you to jail, Pepper. It’s the only way to keep you safe.”
“I was going to be safe,” I argued. “Bee was meeting me to help me figure out a way out of this.”
“And look what happened to her,” he growled. “She’s dead. Burned to a crisp. Didn’t exactly turn out the way you planned, did it?”
“No, but—”
“No buts,” he interrupted. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed going out after curfew. Or worse, taken by Lacy, and no one would know where to find you. What you did was stupid, inconsiderate. Now I’ve got a dead body on my hands, a town overrun with the Head Witch Order, not to mention a crazy woman running that show, and a murder. I’ve only got a shot-in-the-dark guess at a motive, so locking you up right about now sounds like the best idea yet. You’ll be one less worry off my already heaping-full plate.”
We’d reached the jail. Garrick escorted me in. Betty’s eyes sparkled when she saw me. She sat in her cell, running a tin cup across the bars.
“Did they arrest you for being part of the resistance?” Betty asked.
“No. Murder.”
Garrick opened a cell, and I walked inside, sitting on the cot. Garrick pointed at a corner and a love-seat-sized doggie bed appeared.
“That’s for you, Hugo.”
The dragon obeyed him, curling up on the soft-looking bed.
“Who’d you kill?” Betty asked.
“No one,” I snapped.
“Come on, boys,” Garrick said. “We’ve gotta get back out and investigate the crime scene.” He glanced at us. “I’m locking y’all in for the night. I’ll tell Axel where you are, Pepper.”
“Thank you.”
He didn’t reply, only left with his men. I heard the lock snap shut. It was the only goodbye I got from Garrick, and I found it a fitting exit for him.
“But to answer your question more completely”—I nodded to Hugo—“it looks like Hugo may have killed Bee Sowell.”
“Not Lacy?” Betty said, sounding disappointed.
I bit back a laugh. “Unfortunately not, and if Garrick hadn’t arrived when he did, that witch would’ve carried me off with her.”
Betty clicked her tongue. “Good thing you’re in here with me, then.” She rubbed her hands together. “We can plan the resistance together.”
I rolled my eyes. “How is that going to help anything?”
Betty pulled out her pipe, lit it with a tendril of magic that uncoiled from her nose, and sat back, puffing away. “I reckon the only way to get rid of these witches is to either get them on our side or run them out of town.”
“How are we going to run them out of town when we’re stuck in jail? It’s not as if I can grab a pitchfork and start a witch hunt, for lack of a better idea.”
“I’ve been doing some research,” Betty said.
“On what?”
She winked at me, and a magical screen flared to life, hovering in the air. Lacy Mock’s picture smiled eerily at us.
I shivered.
“This here is some information about Lacy. It talks about her interests—being head of the High Witch Council, destroying werewolves, possibly becoming part vampire—”
“Part vampire?”
“She has a lot of goals. Most of them sound like the ramblings of a crazy woman.”
“Which is just great, seeing how she’s head of the Order.”
“She’s only head for now,” Betty informed me. “Next up is Hermit.”
I clutched the cell bars that separated us. “When is her term up?”
“Lacy’s term lasts five years. She’s on the end of it now. Every few years the leadership shifts, and whenever there’s a new one, everyone follows them. All who belong to the Order now follow Lacy, but put Hermit in charge—”
“And things will be different.” I gritted my teeth. “But that’s not for months. We don’t have that long—days maybe before food starts running out. What are we supposed to do?”
“Our only other option is to flood the town with guinea pigs.”
I rubbed my lips together as I tried to figure out if my grandmother had indeed said what I thought she had said.
“Did you say we have to flood the town with guinea pigs?”
“Lacy Mock is deathly afraid of them. At least according to this source.”
I scratched my head. “You’re suggesting that if we release enough rodents into Magnolia Cove, that will run her off?”
“If you had guinea pigs running up your skirts, you’d be hollering to get out too, don’t you think?”
She had a point. If it was a true phobia, it could work. “But what about feeding them?”
“You’ve got a pet shop. You can feed them.”
“I’m locked up in jail. A murder suspect.”
She dismissed my concern with a wave. “Ah. We’ll figure something out, but first things first—I think this is our best bet.”
I had heard crazier ideas. Heck, I’m pretty sure I had proposed crazier ideas. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized we had nothing to lose.
I gave Betty a nod. “Go for it. Release the guinea pigs.”
Nothing happened immediately. Since it was late, I decided the best thing to do was get some sleep. When I awoke the next morning, the first person I saw was Axel glowering at me.
I wiped crust from my eyes. “You look mad.”
“I’m livid.”
I clicked my tongue and said jokingly, “Ooo, I’d hate to be the person on the receiving end of your anger.”
“You are that person.”
I winced. “Oh. Right. I guess you’re mad that I left the house.”
His jaw clenched. Fire practically shot from his eyes. “You were supposed to stay at the house. How hard is it to understand that you’re in danger? How difficult is that? Then I discover when you leave, you walk right into Lacy and it’s a miracle that she didn’t snatch you up.”
“There was a dead body,” I offered.
“And it looks like Hugo did it at your bidding. I’m aware of that. I also know that if it wasn’t for Garrick, you wouldn’t be here.”
I smiled brightly. “But I am.”
“I’m still mad.”
I rose and reached through the bars. Axel backed away. “This is serious.”
I threw up my hands. “What did you want me to do? Bee told me she could help, so I met her. I didn’t want to put anyone else in danger.”
“Instead you put yourself in danger,” he shouted. “And you could’ve gotten killed. Or worse, stripped of your powers, leaving an empty shell of who you once were. Do you even know the danger you’re dealing with?”
I stared from Axel to Betty. I was missing something. They were keeping things from me, and I was ticked. “No, I don’t, because no one tells me anything!”
Axel’s eyes narrowed.
Betty said quietly, “She’s got us there.”
Axel shot her a scathing look. He took a few steps back and pointed to Rufus. “Tell her what happens. Then maybe she’ll understand why we’re trying to protect her.”
“Why won’t you tell me?” I said weakly.
His nostrils flared. “Because I’m so angry I can’t talk to you right now. I’m afraid of what I’ll say.”
His words were an arrow to my heart. It felt like a lightning bolt had cracked my ribs apart and sliced my heart in two. Never had I made Axel so angry that he didn’t want to speak to me.
At least, I don’t think I had.
Rufus approached slowly. He gave Axel a searching look before starting.
“Lacy Mock once got ahold of a young woman named Claire who had the potential to become an exceptional head witch but lacked training, same as you. That wasn’t Claire’s fault. She tried to
learn, but there were few masters who could teach her what she wanted to know.
“Under the guise of the Order, Lacy found Claire and promised to help her rein in her power and unleash it in ways Claire could never imagine.”
Rufus smiled bitterly. “Of course Claire accepted this. Why wouldn’t she? The opportunity to excel as a head witch was more than anyone had ever offered her before.”
“So she didn’t know anything about Lacy?”
“No one did. Not at that time. So the two women met, and whatever happened between them—well, I won’t go into the details, partly because I wasn’t there and partly because much of what I think is speculation. But anyway, when all was said and done, Lacy delivered Claire to a home for witches who’d gone insane. But Claire wasn’t insane, she was simply a shell of her former self, someone who couldn’t hold a fork to eat or a pencil to write.”
My jaw dropped. “She became catatonic?”
“To put it mildly,” Axel said.
I grabbed the cell bars and pulled, knowing it would do no good, but I had to do something with all the anger burning inside me. “Why didn’t any of y’all tell me this?”
“Isn’t it enough to know she’s dangerous?” Axel snapped.
“No. Keeping me in the dark is like treating me as if I’m a child. I’m not a child. I’m a grown woman with a business. I deserved to know that about Lacy.”
Rufus gave Axel a hard look. “I didn’t know all of it for certain until a couple of days ago. We thought it best not to say anything.” He lifted his palms and hiked his shoulders in a shrug. “After all, what good would it have done you to know this? How does it help anyone?”
“Would you still have gone to meet Bee if you’d known?” Axel said.
My gaze darted to the floor. “Probably.”
He shook his head with disgust. “This isn’t a game.”
“I’m not asking you to take up for me,” I snapped and immediately regretted it.
The hurt in his eyes shredded me, crushed me, destroyed me so completely.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
He took a step forward until his chest brushed the bars. He whispered so that no one could hear but me. “I want you safe. I’m sorry if that’s so hard for you to accept. Men protect women. It’s a part of life.”
“I deserved to know that.”
“And now you do,” he said. “You’re welcome.”
I had no words. When I glanced into his blue eyes, I knew the only reason we fought was because my ego was getting in the way.
I opened my mouth to apologize when a scream split the air.
Betty chuckled. All of us turned toward her.
She winked at us. “That would be the guinea pigs. I do believe they’ve arrived.”
NINE
Outside was pure chaos as I watched through the windows of the jail. Brown guinea pigs, black guinea pigs, even orange guinea pigs scampered through the streets.
There were so many it was like a tidal wave of rodents had burst into Magnolia Cove.
Betty cackled like the witch she was. “Look at that—sheer perfection.”
I watched a black-robed witch kick a guinea pig from her leg. “What about our own citizens?”
Betty nodded to Rufus, who smiled sheepishly. “Someone got a message to them that they should remain inside for a few hours this morning. Not go out.”
I gaped at him. “That was really nice of you. Thank you.”
“Here comes Lacy,” Betty said gleefully. “I knew she’d want to see the prisoner first thing this morning. Ha! She got caught right in the middle of a stampede.”
Lacy Mock stood like stone in front of the wave encroaching on her. Her eyes ballooned to saucers as she realized exactly what she was facing down—a city of rodents.
She grabbed her skirt and ran straight for the jail.
“Great,” I murmured. “Why couldn’t she have run in the opposite direction?”
“Too easy,” Betty said.
Unfortunately for Lacy, a branch of guinea pigs moved to cut her off. Before she reached the door, they swarmed her, covering her body, even her face.
The jail door opened. Dang. I guess Garrick had unlocked it for Axel and Rufus. I should’ve told one of them to lock it back.
Lacy shrieked. Tears streamed down her face as the guinea pigs rampaged over her legs. She kicked and they scrambled away.
“Get off me!” She clawed her arms, and half a dozen rodents scattered to the floor. One cute little guy, caramel and white, ran right through my bars and under my cot.
Lacy managed to get the last of the creatures off. She glared at them as they scattered across the floor, disappearing under furniture and out of sight.
She heaved a deep breath before lifting her gaze and turning it to us.
Her voice trembled. “How did they get here? Who did this?”
We shook our heads. Betty shrugged. “I don’t know. Must’ve been a herd of ’em outside town before you arrived. That happens sometimes—herds of guinea pigs storm through. You just got to weather it.”
“That’s right,” I said. “It’s not my first rodeo with that lot. They’re ornery little critters—like to stay for ages before moving on.”
Lacy’s head trembled with anger. “You called them here. I know you did. Get rid of them or I’ll destroy this entire town. I won’t wait to starve y’all out!”
Betty’s eyes hardened to flints of steel. “You do that and my friend over there will turn into a werewolf and rip you to shreds.”
Lacy’s gaze flickered to Axel. “He can’t become a werewolf whenever he wants. That’s impossible. Werewolves turn at the full moon. No other time.”
Axel took a threatening step toward her. “Want to try me?”
It was a bluff, a very good one, but Lacy didn’t know that.
Her gaze drifted around the room, landing on each of us before she turned her attention to Betty. “It seems we’re at an impasse.” She circled the jail, her footfalls hitting the floor heavily, in a dramatic fashion. “You won’t let Pepper go, and I want her. And now I have even more reason to want her because she killed my friend and stole her wand.”
Friend? Likely story. From the way Bee spoke, there hadn’t been any friendship there.
“I didn’t kill Bee, and I didn’t steal her wand. This town is in the middle of a murder investigation,” I said. “I can’t leave.”
Betty thumbed toward me. “She’s the prime suspect.”
“But I didn’t do it,” I snapped. “I didn’t kill Bee. I had no reason to.”
“Didn’t you?” Lacy said, eyes glittering. “Maybe you thought she was me. Maybe you figured if you got rid of us one by one, we’d leave you alone.”
There was one thing I knew, that I wasn’t the killer. Yet I couldn’t stay locked up in this cell for weeks while Lacy starved my town.
There was one option that would help me, though—or kill me. Not sure which but it was my best option.
“I challenge you,” I said, “to a duel of magic.”
Lacy’s jaw dropped. She eyed me suspiciously. “You do what?”
“I want to challenge you to a duel. If I win, you leave me and my town alone. If you win, you can take me with you.”
“No, Pepper,” Axel said.
“But I need time to prepare,” I added quickly. “We can’t do it today. While I’m getting ready, I want you to promise that I can walk around freely. I won’t be harmed, and the people here will have access to food. You won’t starve them.”
Lacy threaded her fingers and brought them to her chin. “It’s an intriguing offer you’ve made, especially for an untrained witch such as yourself.”
I shrugged. “What can I say? I believe in my abilities.”
“I believe there’s cotton between your ears,” Betty grumbled.
I ignored her. “What do you say, Lacy?”
“Wait, Pepper,” Axel interrupted. He glanced at Lacy. “Before you answer, let me speak to her.�
��
Lacy cackled. “Going to try to talk some sense into her?” She flicked her hand. “By all means, do so.”
Lacy stepped to a corner, keeping an eye out for guinea pigs along the way.
“What are you doing?” Axel growled.
“So I guess this means you’re even more angry at me?”
His jaw flexed in response.
“Look, you and I both know I didn’t kill Bee. But what if it was—” I nodded to Lacy. “We need time, Axel. If we can prove the corruption of the Order, or even better, show that the conflict we’ve heard so much about isn’t as bad as the hype, then we stand a chance of getting rid of them. But to do that we’ve got to buy some time. I need to get out of this cell. We need to find the real killer.”
He gripped the bars. “But by challenging her? You’re talented, but she’s trained—highly trained.”
“I’ll study hard. Please,” I pleaded, “it’s our only chance.”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure about that.”
“Trust me.” I didn’t know why I said that because I wasn’t sure what there was to trust. Axel was right. He hadn’t said it, but I knew he thought my decision was reckless, that it was stupid to challenge Lacy. But the way I saw it, there was no other option.
Axel bowed his head and backed away from the cell. My gaze darted to the witch. “So, like I was asking, what do you say? Care to join me in a magical duel?”
Lacy’s mouth coiled into a smile that made her lips look like they would stretch all the way to the corners of her eyes.
“I would be honored to join you in a duel. It will occur within one week. That gives you time to study, to see if you have what it takes to defeat me. But I doubt you do.” She smiled wickedly. “You might as well start saying goodbye to your friends now. Oh, and I will still stop supplies from entering. I’ll keep the curfew as well.”
I swallowed a knot in my throat. I wouldn’t let Lacy’s intimidation techniques get the best of me.
I glanced at her feet. “Is that a guinea pig by your toe?”
Lacy shrieked and tossed her hands in the air. When she looked down, there was nothing there.