Anastasia embraced me. “I’m sure it will all work out. Like he said, it should be open and shut.”
“Thanks, Stacy.”
Beaming, she pulled away and squeezed my shoulders. “Call me before you head out of town, all right?”
“I will. Thanks for lunch.”
“Anytime!”
Anastasia waved her hand and a sleek black car pulled up at the curb. She’d given up having her own car when she moved from Seattle proper into the haven. She was within walking distance to her work and said there was no need to pay the absurd parking fees when there was a plethora of cabs within the haven.
As soon as her cab was out of sight, I released a heavy sigh and headed to the front entrance of the hotel. The afternoon with Anastasia had served as a wonderful distraction from the real purpose behind my visit to the haven, but in her absence, all of my underlying anxiety rushed back like a tidal wave.
CHAPTER TWO
The hotel lobby was warm and smelled faintly like cookies. On my way to the elevator I noticed a group of business men and women standing in a cozy gathering spot around a slate-tiled fireplace. Upstairs, I bypassed my own room and went straight to Teddy’s to see if he had news that would help ease my building sense of panic. He’d booked two separate rooms for our stay and the hotel had put them together near the end of the second-floor hallway. I walked to his door and raised a hand to knock, but paused, smiling as the sound of his voice filtered through. He was singing an upbeat song that I recognized but couldn’t quite place. It hit me half a second later; the song was one by the popular witch pop singer, Petra. I stifled a laugh as I rapped on his door. Petra’s fan base usually leaned toward a younger crowd and the image of Teddy in his signature three-piece suit singing along with a crowd of teenagers cracked me up. The singing stopped abruptly and I laughed a little harder when I imagined Teddy’s panicked expression on the other side, wondering if I’d heard him.
The door flew open a moment later and a blushing Teddy smiled sheepishly as he granted me entrance. “Hello Holly. I hope I didn’t cut your meeting short.”
Still smiling, I stepped inside and glanced around his room. It was a mirrored layout of my own room. A living space, kitchenette, and round table with four chairs took up the majority of the suite. A short hallway led to the single bedroom and small powder room. The bedroom had its own en suite bathroom. Which, I’d already decided, I could get used to, not that Posy would ever allow construction within the Beechwood Manor. If anyone ever tried, she’d probably round up a ghost posse and haunt the general contractor into an early retirement.
“Is your room satisfactory?” Teddy asked, moving to the wet bar where he’d clearly been mixing up a drink.
“It’s perfect. Overkill, actually.” I smiled at him and wound my tangled mess of hair into a ponytail. The wind had done a number on my long tresses. For some reason, just being around Teddy drove me to fidget with my hair or clothing. In his manicured and polished shadow, it was hard not to feel grubby. “You really didn’t have to book suites. I would have been fine on the fold-out couch at Stacy’s house.”
Teddy frowned at me over his shoulder. “A fold-out couch?”
I shrugged.
Evangeline, my witch roommate and good friend, had insisted on paying Teddy’s fee on my behalf, so while I didn’t personally know how much he made per hour, it was obvious that Teddy was an extremely wealthy wizard. Judging by the way he dressed and carried himself, he’d never known what it was like to want for anything.
Evangeline had met Teddy while she was living in the Los Angeles haven, working as the high-profile star of a paranormal soap opera. Since relocating to Beechwood Harbor, she had toned down her own lifestyle—although I still had yet to see her wear the same outfit twice—but Teddy was still full-blown LA and looked ready to simultaneously walk a runway and commandeer a boardroom.
“Can I pour you a drink?” Teddy asked me.
“Sparkling water with lime, please. I indulged in a few glasses of spiked cherry cider at lunch and should probably quit while I’m ahead.”
“Coming right up,” Teddy chuckled. “Please sit.”
I took the chair he indicated and tucked my legs underneath me. He carried the drinks over, handed one to me, and then skirted the marble-topped coffee table to take a seat on the opposite couch. “Thank you.”
Teddy inclined his head and then proceeded to watch me over the rim of his crystal tumbler. “How are you feeling?”
My fingers twisted together in my lap, warring with one another just as much as the thoughts in my head. “All right, I guess. It’s good to be back in the haven.”
Teddy nodded. “I haven’t been to this haven in some time, but I could see myself getting used to it.”
I arched an eyebrow, but then a slow smile spread across my face. “Are you planning more frequent visits?”
Teddy’s ruddy cheeks darkened as he dipped his chin.
“Are you and Evangeline—?”
Teddy glanced up and then shook his head. “Evangeline is like a butterfly. She flits from place to place.”
Or from man to man. Actually, more accurately, from wizard to shifter and then back again. Evangeline liked to flirt and be admired. I wasn’t entirely sure that she had any intention to ever settle down. But, in my opinion, a man like Teddy would be a good fit for her personality. He was stable, dependable, and had the style and polish that matched well with Evangeline’s exotic beauty.
“In any case, that’s a topic for another day. For now, let’s talk about tomorrow,” Teddy said, effortlessly brushing aside the uncomfortable conversation. He set his tumbler on the coffee table and then went to the table near the kitchen. He opened the case I’d seen him carrying outside and retrieved the enchanted notepad he’d used during all our previous meetings. His pen transcribed notes during all of his business conversations. Thanks to some enchantment, the words were written as they were spoken, only to immediately disappear from the page. I wasn’t sure how he retrieved the notes, as the pages were blank slates as soon as the conversation ended. It was certainly a secure way of handling his sensitive business, even if it was more than a little mysterious.
“During the flight from LA, I went back through our previous conversations and have a few last minute questions,” he said, taking his seat again. He placed the notepad on the table and the pen went to work, moving as if an invisible hand were scribbling furiously as Teddy continued. “I know you worked in a potion shop at one time, but when I was building the case notes, I looked it up and couldn’t find a record of you ever having applied for a license before.”
“That’s right. My previous boss wouldn’t sign off on any of the apprentice tasks. He barely let me touch potion supplies.”
Teddy’s brows furrowed together. “What were you doing then?”
“Sweeping, mostly.”
Teddy nodded slowly, as though trying to fit jigsaw puzzle pieces together. “What was his reasoning? As an apprentice, you should have been working under his supervision, not doing page work.”
“I know.” I sighed as I sagged back against the chair like a deflated balloon. “Because of my association with Gabriel and the ring of dark wizards, most shops wouldn’t even let me fill out an application. Mr. Keel was the only one who gave me a job and that was mostly because one of my friends from my academy days is his niece and begged him to hire me. I figured it would take some time to gain his trust, but if I ever gained any ground, I’ll never know. I wasn’t there all that long before the whole banishment thing happened.”
I nearly laughed at how flippantly the words sounded. That whole banishment thing had dictated my life for the past year. At first I’d railed against it and cursed Harvey for giving the order, but after a year in Beechwood Harbor, I found it harder and harder to remain angry about it.
The council hearing wasn’t even about the banishment order; Harvey had made it clear that his order was unofficial, and would only be put in my record if I
broke the terms of his deal. The council hearing was to gain permission to apply for my potions license after a series of unfortunate events made it look as though I’d tried to smuggle a dangerous potion to my ex-boyfriend and haven anarchist, Gabriel Willows. Which, of course, was completely ridiculous. I was more than content to let Gabriel rot in an SPA prison for what he’d tried to do and even more so for the way he’d tangled me up in his scheming.
That was a web I was still trying to get out of. All I could do was hope that this would be my final obstacle to living free and clear of the SPA.
Teddy reached for his drink. “I’ve spoken to Mr. Colepepper and he’s assured me that he will, in fact, be present tomorrow at the hearing and will give testimony on your behalf if called forth by the council.”
“I can’t believe this is all really happening,” I said, the words nearly a whisper. I’d never been before the council before. The entire idea was surreal. My life had reached a tipping point and everything could change all over again within the course of the next few days.
“Believe it, Holly. We’ll have you back at the cauldron in no time!” Teddy smiled and snapped his fingers. The pen stilled and then slowly dropped down to rest on the notepad. The last words sunk into the glossy surface and melted like candle wax until the page was blank again, not even a trace of pressure scratched into the thick paper. “Do you have any last questions for me?”
I swallowed hard. There was one question in my mind that I hadn’t voiced to anyone.
I drew in a deep breath, gathering the strength to finally utter it. “What if they turn me down?” I asked with a cringe. “What if they refuse to give me a potions license or even the opportunity to properly apprentice and apply a year from now? What am I supposed to do then?”
It wasn’t a question that Teddy could really answer with any surety. Although, to his credit, he tried. He leaned forward, hands clasped together, and said, “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that, Holly. I’ve tried a lot of cases and I see absolutely no room for this thing to go sideways. However, if things don’t work, we have the right to petition for a second hearing.”
I nodded slowly. I appreciated his confidence, but I couldn’t quite wrap myself up in it, at least not fully. I missed potion work more than I’d ever expected. It was more than a profession or trade. It was part of my being. My identity. To have it taken away was like having a part of my heart go missing. It wasn’t about the lost customers—although that was a concern too—or the whispers within the supernatural community in Beechwood Harbor. It was far bigger than that.
Teddy pushed to his feet and I followed his lead. “I’ll come collect you in the morning. Try to get some sleep.”
“Thank you, Teddy. For everything,” I replied, not bothering to point out the unlikeliness of sleep.
Now, if I could whip up a sleeping potion, it would be a different story.
Teddy knocked on my door bright and early the following morning. As expected, the night had stretched on painstakingly hour by hour without the relief of sleep. Even Boots was restless and moody. Of course, that could easily be remedied with a bowl of tuna fish. My problems weren’t quite as easy to solve.
After saying goodbye to Boots, I followed Teddy out of the hotel and into a waiting sedan. Neither of us said much on the ride to the council hall. He started to ask about my night, but stopped when he saw the expression on my face.
Harvey Colepepper was waiting for us in the hallway outside the appointed court room. I’d seen Harvey in a suit before, but seeing him standing there on the steps all dressed up and knowing it was for my benefit warmed my heart. We’d had our ups and downs—mostly downs—but that was in the past. He wore his usual grim expression as we approached. “Holly. Teddy,” he said, nodding up at each of us.
Harvey was a goblin hybrid and stood no higher than my hip, even shorter when compared to Teddy, who had a few inches on me. But Harvey carried himself in a way that made his stature easy to forget.
“Hello, Harvey,” I said. “Thank you for coming today. It really means a lot.”
“A deal is a deal,” was all he said.
A pall hung in the air, as though we were meeting at a funeral instead of a council hearing.
I watched Harvey out of the corner of my eye as we entered the council hall. Did he know something I didn’t?
A large wooden clock occupied the majority of the wall above the reception desk, where a team of exhausted-looking clerks worked to herd and direct the incoming lines of people. I was surprised by the amount of activity. Had the Seattle haven become such a chaotic place that there was the need for that many people coming and going from the main legal building?
Harvey, as though sensing my question, said, “There is a high profile case being held this week in the grand hall.”
Teddy glanced down at him. “The Praxle case, right?”
“Praxle?” I asked when Harvey nodded. “What is that?”
“Don’t you watch The Witch Wire?” Harvey asked me with a sharp look.
“What can I say, after a year of banishment I’ve fallen out of the habit of watching Witch Wire every night.”
Harvey bristled and tugged at the lapels of his jacket.
Teddy stepped in. “Bill Praxle is a business man who owns a chain of variety shops throughout West Coast havens. He’s being tried on charges related to his questionable business practices.”
“What does that even mean?” I asked, not bothering to look at Harvey.
“There are quite a few charges. The catalyst, and reason why the council hearing is happening here in the Seattle haven, is that a witch who ran a potion shop was bullied into selling her shop. She claims that she was threatened and even assaulted by a hired mercenary before finally agreeing to sell to Mr. Praxle.”
“Wait, was that witch Mrs. Clairmont?” I asked, suddenly realizing that Praxle must be the man behind the chain of shops that Anastasia had told me about the day before.
Harvey nodded. “Yes. At her urging, we launched a full investigation and came up with half a dozen other victims. The hearing started a few days ago and it’s attracted the attention of the media.”
He didn’t sound particularly happy about that part. As one of the key figures in the crimes division of the Seattle branch of the SPA, it had no doubt buried him in a huge pile of red tape.
I glanced at Harvey, noting the tightness in his expression. Guilt surged through me at the realization that he was spending valuable time with me instead of on such an important case. I reached out and brushed his shoulder. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, Harvey. I’m just edgy.”
We’d had our differences—a mountain of them—but somewhere along the way, I’d moved beyond the anger I felt toward him after initially being banished and, most recently, when he’d dragged me from the manor in handcuffs, right as Adam’s parents had arrived for Yule Feast. Not the shining meet-the-parents moment I’d been hoping for.
As infuriating as I found Harvey’s ever-present involvement in my life, I could now see that he truly did have good intentions in his little goblin-hybrid heart. The realization smacked me in the face now that he was minutes away from testifying on my behalf to help me get me my life back.
It’s the little things.
“Will Mrs. Clairmont get her potion shop back when this is over?” I asked them as another stream of chattering reporters made their way through the doors.
“I doubt it,” Harvey said with his signature flatness as he turned his back on the scene. “She took a crippling financial hit when fighting Mr. Praxle before smaller councils for years prior to his escalation in tactics. I don’t think she has the means to get back into business.”
My heart twisted. “That’s awful.”
The door to the courtroom opened and a man in a dark suit stepped out into the hall and gave each of us a seething look. Magic pulsed from him, palpable and strong. A blue-and-white badge was clipped to the pocket on his jacket, identifying him as an off
icer of the council. Basically a glorified bouncer with an extra dose of legal firepower behind his authority. “Case number?” he said, his words clipped and curt.
Teddy pulled out a paper with the Haven Council’s letterhead at the top and the guard flicked his hand. A blue pulse of magic swept down the page and then returned to his palm. “The Council will see you now. Each of you, one at a time, wait for the scan to complete before proceeding.”
I gave a nervous nod and watched as Teddy went first. He held out his arms, as though being frisked at a checkpoint, and that same wave of ice blue enveloped him before returning to the guard. Harvey flashed his official SPA badge and was spared the scanning process.
I case a wide-eyed glance at Teddy as I put my arms out and waited. “You ready?” he asked, concern etched in his brow.
Was it too late to say no?
CHAPTER THREE
The bright light from the hallway was immediately snuffed out as the hulking guard pulled the door closed behind me. I stumbled forward into the dimly lit chamber. I gawked at the room, a stark contrast to the hallway we’d been waiting in. If the designers had been going for Medieval Chic, they’d nailed it on the head. Teddy and Harvey both looked comfortable, barely noticing their surroundings as they led the way to the front of the room. Harvey veered off to the left and gingerly took a seat on one of eight wooden benches that lined each side of the central aisle. Teddy continued, not stopping until he reached the long table at the front of the room. The guard disappeared behind a side door and I scurried to Teddy’s side. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Every sound any of us made seemed to echo through the expansive room.
Iron chandeliers hung from the ceiling, three over the council table alone, but it still didn’t feel like enough light.
“Holly, it’s all right,” Teddy whispered out of the corner of his mouth. “Try to relax. Deep breaths.”
I sucked in a shallow breath. It wasn’t like me to get rattled. In the last year alone I’d gone head to head with a nasty gargoyle, a chilling, remorseless sociopath, and a pack of power-hungry vampires. A board of crusty old witches and wizards that served as council members shouldn’t bring me to the point of a meltdown. All the same, I couldn’t quite manage to get enough air.
Witch Way Home: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 4) Page 2