A rasping sound came from the person in the bed, followed by, “Cassia, come closer.”
I didn’t want to. I stayed where I was; my heart filling with dread as every second passed.
The shrunken woman opened her eyes. They were purple. She croaked, “Cassia, it’s me; Blythe.”
I shook my head vehemently. “No. You’re not Blythe. You don’t look anything like her. Who are you?”
The woman began to cough violently.
Brin said, “I’ll get you some water.” She turned to the table at her side.
The coughing abruptly stopped and the woman’s eyes closed. Her chest rose and then fell. There was silence.
In a shocked whisper, I said to Brin, “Is she dead?”
Chapter 3
Brin placed a glass of lilac coloured liquid next to Blythe’s cracked lips and carefully tipped the glass. Most of the liquid ran down Blythe’s chin, but some of it made its way into her mouth. Blythe’s eyelids fluttered and Brin trickled more liquid over her lips. Brin put the glass down, and then gently wiped Blythe’s chin with a cloth.
I stood helplessly at the side of the bed, not knowing what to do.
Brin said to me, “That drink will help her. There’s a lot of magic in it.”
I finally found my voice. “What can I do to help? I’m still new to using magic, but I could try something if you tell me what to do.”
Brin gave me a small smile. “Blythe needs time and a lot of rest. That can’t be rushed.”
“Cassia.” Blythe’s voice was stronger now. “I’m sorry you have to see me like this.”
I looked closer at my friend. Her face looked a little less pale, and there was a tiny spot of colour in her cheeks. Her eyes opened more fully as she gazed at me.
“Blythe, what happened to you? Did your cousins do this to you?”
She nodded her head slowly. “They were the cause of it. I don’t want to go into the full details here and now. Perhaps another time. When I last saw you, I was on my way to confront them. I knew they were behind the black magic that has been coming into Brimstone for months. I had to put a stop to it.” She winced and raised her thin hand in Brin’s direction. “More water, please.”
Brin put the glass next to Blythe’s lips and I was pleased to see that more water went into her mouth this time. I was even more pleased to see Blythe’s cheeks becoming rosier and the light in her eyes becoming brighter.
Blythe continued, “They knew I was on my way to see them, and they were ready for me. They used spell after spell on me. I took a beating, but I soon recovered. I’ve been around for a long time, and I know a lot of defensive magic. I managed to subdue my cousins long enough to question them. As I thought, they’d sent through the black magic because they were jealous of how well I was running Brimstone. They said it wasn’t natural for supernatural creatures to get along so well, and that the residents should be fighting instead. That’s what it’s like in their towns. Their aim was to cause so much destruction in Brimstone that the citizens would turn against me and force me to leave. Then my cousins would be in a position to take over.”
“Never,” I said firmly. “That would never happen.”
“You don’t know what my cousins are like. They’re beyond evil and will stop at nothing to get what they want.”
I said, “Where are they now? Are they being punished for what they did? I hope they are.”
Blythe grimaced and started to cough again. Once she’d received a reviving drink from Brin, she explained, “They escaped. I had them locked up in readiness to take them to the central witch council, but they got loose. I suspect they had help from someone.”
“Where are they now?” I looked around the bedroom as if expecting to see malicious witches hiding in the shadows.
“I don’t know where they are, but I’ll catch up with them when I’m stronger. Where’s Stanley? Did you bring him with you?”
I looked towards the door. Stanley was sitting there silently. I beckoned him over. He shook his head and looked away.
I said to Blythe, “He’s here, but he won’t come closer.”
Blythe gave me a tired smile. “I don’t blame him. I look hideous. It’s going to be a while before I can bear to look in a mirror again.”
I hesitated before asking my next question. “Will you stay like this forever now?”
A flash of anger came into Blythe’s eyes. “Absolutely not! I won’t let my cousins reduce me to this feeble body! As soon as my magic has returned, I’ll be back to my former self. And I’ll be stronger too. Strong enough to put an end to my cousins’ evil plans.”
“Plans? Are they going to do something else to Brimstone?” I asked.
“I suspect so. They won’t give up until they get what they want.” She gave me a wry smile. “If I had the strength, I’d roll my sleeves up for dramatic effect and say that I won’t let them get away with it.”
In an effort to lighten the mood, I pushed my sleeves up. “I’ll help you deal with them. You’re not alone. I’m here to help. And so is Gran.” I paused a second. “Why didn’t you want Gran to see you?”
“Because I knew she’d be furious about what’s happened to me. She’d go after my cousins in a fit of rage and end up putting herself in danger. I couldn’t take that chance with Esther. She’s no match for their magic. They would hurt her, perhaps even kill her. I had you to think about too. If anything happened to Esther, you’d be devastated.”
I nodded. “I would. She’s worried about you. What can I tell her?”
“Please, don’t tell her anything for now. I’ll explain everything to her another time. You can say you came here to talk about those murder cases you dealt with recently. Tell her we had some paperwork to catch up on.” She nodded as if trying to convince herself. “She’ll know we’re lying, but it’s worth a try.” Her eyelids began to close again. She muttered, “Cassia, stay here and look after Brimstone. For me. Until I’m better.”
Brin said quietly, “She’s falling asleep. Let’s leave her to rest. That’s all we can do for her. Come with me. There’s something we need to talk about.”
I took one last glance at Blythe before leaving the room. I looked at Stanley on the way out and asked if he was okay.
His voice was barely audible as he said, “I’m worried about Blythe. Really worried.”
I picked him up and cuddled him. “She’ll be alright. I know she will.”
I knew nothing of the sort, but I wasn’t going to tell Stanley that.
We followed Brin down the steps and into the living room. She stopped at the door and said, “Blythe didn’t return home from her cousins looking as she is now. She looked normal when she came back two days ago. A bit tired, and livid about what her cousins had done, but she looked like her usual self.”
I frowned. “Then how did she turn into a – ” I stopped. I couldn’t think of a kind way to describe how she looked now.
Stanley said, “A shadow of her former self?”
I nodded. That was the best way to put it.
Brin explained, “When Blythe came back to Brimstone, she had to get rid of the black magic in the air. It was polluting the town, and she ordered everyone to stay indoors while she took care of it. Blythe insisted that I stay inside too. I’m not entirely sure what happened next.” She took a step further into the room and pointed to a figure on the sofa. “But he does.”
Chapter 4
I looked over at the sofa and saw a pile of grubby clothes on it. They were moving slightly.
“Is that a person?” I asked Brin.
She looked softly at the clothes. “Yes. He’s getting some sleep. Finally.”
“Who is it? And what have they got to do with Blythe?”
Stanley’s whiskers twitched. “I know who it is. It’s Luca!” He waved his paw in the air. “Hey! Luca! It’s us. Stanley and Cassia!”
Brin tried to shush Stanley, but it was too late. The pile of clothes moved and Luca’s dishevelled head appe
ared. His face was all creased and his eyes half closed. He tried to focus on us as he pulled himself into a sitting position.
Stanley scampered over to him and threw himself into Luca’s arms. Luca had no option but to hold him.
Stanley said brightly, “Hi! It’s us. What happened to you? You’re all scruffy.” His nose twitched. “And a little bit whiffy, if you don’t mind me saying so. You look as if you haven’t slept for days.”
Brin strode over to them and declared, “He hasn’t. I’ve been telling him to have a proper sleep, but he won’t listen to me.” She wagged a finger at Luca. “You’re just as bad as her upstairs. You need to have a rest after all you’ve done.”
Luca ran his tongue around his mouth before saying, “How is Blythe? Is she any better?”
Brin lowered her finger. “A bit. She’s a long way from full health yet. Why don’t you go home and have a long sleep?”
Luca said, “I’m fine.” He nodded a hello in my direction. “Has Brin told you what happened to Blythe in the gazebo?”
“Not yet. We’ve just been to see her upstairs. What happened to you?”
Brin’s finger resumed its wagging motion. “He took it upon himself to help Blythe. Even though she said she could do everything herself! They’re as stubborn as each other.”
Luca opened his mouth in a huge yawn.
Stanley moved his head back and said, “You nearly swallowed me then. Do you want me to give you a quick wash? My tongue is very clean.”
Luca snapped his mouth shut and stroked Stanley’s head. “No, thank you anyway.” He looked at the brownie who was still glowering at him. “Brin, I’ll tell Cassia what happened. Could you bring me something to drink, please? Something that will wake me up a bit. Thank you.”
Brin grumbled to herself before leaving the room.
Luca shuffled along the sofa and patted the area next to him. “Take a seat. If you don’t mind a bit of body odour, that is.” He grinned at me and dimples appeared in his cheeks.
I hesitated. I used to visit Brimstone when I was young, and Luca was my best friend back there. I’d stopped coming to Brimstone when I was seven for personal reasons that I didn’t want to think about. When I’d returned to Brimstone recently, I’d met up with Luca and found myself annoyingly attracted to him. I was sure he didn’t feel the same way and he considered us friends only. I accepted that. He was a good friend to have and he helped me with my justice work.
However, Luca’s girlfriend, Astrid, didn’t want us to be in the same town, let alone friends. She’d done something particularly nasty to me recently. Stanley knows what she did, but no one else does. And that’s the way it was going to stay. I was going to confront Astrid about what she’d done, no matter how much she scared me.
“Where’s Astrid?” I asked.
“She’s visiting her sick mum,” Luca replied. “She left town a few days ago, but I’m expecting her back any time now. She said she wanted to have a talk with you about something when she comes back.”
“Good. I want to talk to her too.”
Luca patted the seat again. “I don’t smell that bad. Come over here. I don’t want to shout across the room.”
I took a seat near him on the sofa. I didn’t want to sit right next to him in case Astrid suddenly appeared. She had a habit of doing that. I had no intention of getting in the way of her relationship with Luca, and she knew that. But she was a jealous individual who’d taken an instant dislike to me.
Luca said, “When did I last see you two? My mind’s all foggy and I can’t think straight.”
“A few days ago,” I replied. “Do you remember? I’d just confronted the resident who’d murdered Selo Cezerus. You ran over to us and told me Gran wanted to see us urgently. We went back to her house and she pulled us into the cellar.”
Stanley added, “Esther wouldn’t let us back through the cellar door because of the black magic pollution. We’ve been worried sick about everyone in Brimstone, haven’t we, Cassia?”
I nodded. “We didn’t know what was going on. What’s been happening here?”
Brin came in that moment with drinks for us all. The one she gave to Luca was the same lilac coloured one that Blythe had been drinking. Brin stood at the side of Luca until he finished his drink. As soon as he’d done so, the tiredness left his face and he declared that he felt much better.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Brin muttered darkly. “I’ll get you some clean clothes. Cassia’s too polite to say how much you smell.” She gave him a hard look before moving away.
Luca gave me a concerned look. “Do I really smell?”
“Not much. Tell me what happened when we left the other day.”
“Blythe returned to Brimstone just after you left. She asked about you. I told her about the murder you’d solved. She was pleased and said it should be the last murder you’ll deal with. She gave me brief details about the fight with her cousins. I think she wanted to spare me the worst of it. She said Brimstone was polluted and that she wouldn’t rest until all the evil magic had gone.”
I picked up the tea that Brin had brought me and took a quick sip. “Gran said the butterflies were going to get rid of the magic by flapping their wings and acting as air purifiers.”
Luca nodded. “They did that, but it wasn’t enough. Blythe felt responsible for the magic coming into town and said it was up to her to sort it out. She ordered every resident to return to their homes while she cleaned the air.” He gave me a half smile. “She tried to get rid of me, but I refused. I’m a guardian in this town, and it’s my duty to protect it too.”
Stanley said, “You are a wonderful person, Luca. So kind and thoughtful. Cassia, isn’t Luca wonderful?”
I mumbled into my cup, “He’s alright.”
Luca went on, “Blythe stood in the middle of the gazebo and started to recite the same words over and over again. She wouldn’t allow me to get too close to her, so I had no idea what she was saying. I presumed it was some sort of a spell. Then something happened. Something awful.” He blinked rapidly and looked away.
I felt a wave of sympathy for him. “You can tell us.”
He looked my way and gave me an appreciative smile. “Particles of black stuff started to move towards Blythe. It’s hard to explain. It was like a black cloud appeared out of nowhere and then moved towards her. It must have been the black magic.” He shuddered. “It was awful to see it condensed like that. It looked like a living thing.”
“What did it do to Blythe? Did she make it go away?”
Luca shook his head sadly and pulled Stanley closer to him in comfort. “She absorbed it. She held her arms out and let the black cloud wrap itself around her. She cried out in pain. I tried to move closer, but she warned me to stay back.” His voice cracked and he took a moment to steady himself. “Cassia, she stood there for two days and two nights absorbing that evil cloud. She never once stopped reciting those words. All I could do was stand there helplessly and watch. I did make sure everyone stayed in their homes. I couldn’t have anyone seeing Blythe like that.” He looked down at Stanley. “It was an awful sight.”
I moved closer to Luca and put my hand on his arm. “What happened when all the black magic had gone?”
Luca looked back at me, tears glittering in his eyes. “As the last bit entered her body, she let out a loud scream and collapsed to the floor. I ran up to the gazebo and picked her up. She didn’t look like our Blythe anymore.” He raised his eyes upwards. “Well, you’ve seen her. You know what she looks like now. Brin said Blythe will get better but it will take a long time.” A tear ran down his cheek. “She nearly died. And I stood there watching and not doing anything. I wanted to get you or your gran, but Blythe wouldn’t let me. I feel so guilty about it now. There must have been something I could have done to help her.”
“If you could have helped, Blythe would have asked you for help. You know that. You kept an eye on her and then brought her back here. Blythe’s okay now.” I patted his
arm. “And so are you.”
He shook his head. “I still feel guilty. I should have been able to do something. Anything.”
“You can’t think that way. Blythe is on the mend now. She’ll be back to her normal self eventually.”
Luca nodded. “I know. I’ve been talking to her this morning. It took me a while to convince her to send a message to you. She’s in no fit state to look after Brimstone. I told her you were more than capable of looking after the town until she’s better.”
Stanley said, “Luca, you’re sad. I can feel the sadness on you. You’ve never felt sad before.”
Luca stroked Stanley’s back. “I’ll feel better soon. I know I will. Anyway, the black magic has left Brimstone now and everything will get back to normal.”
“It will,” I assured him.
A polite cough made me jump. I looked to the side and saw Brin standing there. She was holding a butterfly in her palm.
“I’m so very sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” Brin began, “but there’s been another murder.”
Chapter 5
Brin showed us the message. It was from someone called Jeff Collins. Luca told me he was the manager at The Brimstone Hotel. The message informed us that a member of his staff had been found dead at the hotel and that Jeff suspected he’d been poisoned. Jeff wanted me to investigate the death further.
Using the butterfly message service, I sent a reply to Jeff to let him know Stanley and I were on the way.
Luca said, “I’m coming with you.”
“I’m more than capable of dealing with the case on my own,” I informed him. Stanley let out a loud meow, and I added, “I’ve got Stanley to help me too.”
Luca nodded. “I know that. But I want to help.” There was a flicker of despair in his eyes. “I’ve got to help, Cassia. I’ve got to do something to get rid of this guilt I’m carrying, and helping you might help me.” He gave me a lopsided smile. “That didn’t come out right. It sounds like I’m feeling sorry for myself.”
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