by Bella Falls
“I’d like to go home now,” she insisted to my brother.
“I think that's a good idea, Mrs. Kettlefields.” Matt escorted her away.
“You've got your dog back. Y’all have a good night,” I offered in a clipped tone. Standing aside, I waited for Mason to say something to me.
He addressed the three vampires instead. “I need to get back to the station. Goodnight, gentlemen.” The detective walked off without one glance my way, leaving me behind.
“Goodnight, Detective,” I called out.
“Goodnight, Miss Goodwin,” he replied without turning around.
I returned to my friends in utter dejection. Not only had my talents not worked at all but also my charms no longer worked with the detective. Not even an extra slice of homemade red velvet cake with thick cream cheese frosting could sweeten the sour of failure.
Chapter Four
Something tickled my nose, and I waved my hand to brush it away. The sensation returned, and I tried to smack whatever it was that dared to bother me. When the tickling happened a third time, I captured the culprit with my hand.
“Whoever this is, you're dead to me,” I declared to the offender.
“If you kill me, then you don't get any ham and jelly biscuits.”
I opened up one eye and glared at my brother. “Who made them? You?”
He scoffed. “Of course not. I just came from Nana's. I'll make some coffee if you'll shake a tail feather, Birdy.”
It'd taken me a long time to fall asleep last night. I replayed over and over again my interaction with Raif, focusing on my inability to make any connection with his dog. Finding a lost animal like that had been child's play. Literally, I could have done that when I was seven or eight. Why didn't it work last night?
By the time I tamed my hair into something presentable, the scent of coffee caught my attention. I stomped my way down the old creaky staircase and plopped down into the wooden chair at the small table in the kitchen, folding forward and leaning my head on the table. My brother slid a mug in front of me. “Here, Birdy.”
“Don't call me that,” I mumbled into the surface of the table. Lifting up my head enough to take a sip of coffee, I savored the warmth of it for two seconds, and then slammed my head back down on the table.
“What has you all out of sorts?” my brother asked.
My absolute abject failure, I thought. “Nothing,” I replied.
Without looking up, I snatched a biscuit from the plate in the center of the table with my hand. Once again, I lifted my head enough to take a bite and another swallow of coffee before slamming it down again on the cool surface.
“Gee. I completely believe you,” Matt teased.
“It's nothing,” I managed with a mouthful of biscuit, ham, and jelly. Even one of my favorite breakfast items couldn't lift my spirits this morning.
“Say it, don't spray it.” He wiped off his face. “At least don't waste Nana's buttermilk biscuits.”
“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked, sitting up and accepting the plate he pushed at me.
“TJ is out with the horses,” Matt said. He and my sister-in-law had fixed up an old barn on part of Tipper’s land, which now belonged to my brother. The house and some of the property around it belong to me, but he owned the rest thanks to our generous great-uncle and his will.
However, Matt had still asked for my blessing before fixing up the old barn to TJ’s standards in order to house a few rescue horses. My sister-in-law had a soft spot for the large animals, and it frustrated her that her pregnancy would affect her ability to ride.
“I can't believe you’re in here while she’s out there scooping the poop all by herself,” I accused.
“I’m making her?” my brother exclaimed in frustration. “I tried to tell her that we could hire someone to help, and she nearly bit my head off. Asked me if I was saying that she was weak or something. Which is nothing like what I said.”
I failed at stifling a giggle. “So what you're saying is that you're hiding out in here.”
“No. I brought my little sister some breakfast.”
“Coward.”
“Husband of a crazy pregnant woman,” Matt replied, pointing at himself.
“It's going to be a lot of fun watching you try to handle things,” I chuckled.
He groaned. “You could at least have some sympathy.”
“I’m a girl. Any sympathy I have lies with the pregnant woman. Solidarity and sisterhood.” I raised my fist in the air.
“You're all crazy,” my brother breathed out.
“Say that to her. I dare you. She'll hex your hiney so fast.” I continued to give my brother grief until he couldn't take it anymore. Changing the subject to save his sanity, I took another bite of biscuit. “So where did you find Mrs. K last night?”
“The caretakers from the retirement home swear that they had left her sitting at a table with a plate of desserts and a cup of iced tea. But she was walking on the edge of the crowd, muttering to herself and holding the dog that turned out to be Raif’s. I heard all the commotion where you were and put everything together. When I tried to take the dog away from her, she fought me, so I escorted her to you guys.”
Remembering the haunted gaze in her eyes, I shuddered. “Last night was weird, right? I mean, she was always a little cuckoo in her passion about the town's history. But this was another level.”
“You should've heard her, muttering that it wasn't right and that she couldn't remember. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what she was saying, but she was clearly in distress. After we got her to return the dog, I took her back to the retirement home. I hope she settled down after that.”
“What did Nana say this morning?” I asked.
“She wants things to settle down a bit, and then maybe visit Mrs. Kettlefields herself. Nana’s got her hands full with the election, so I don't want her distracted any more than she has to be.” Matt’s covered his worry with a sip of his drink.
“I think last night went beyond the distraction,” I said.
My brother scooted back from the table and stood up. He grabbed one more biscuit. “Well, I'm off.”
“Going to the station?” I asked.
“No. I'm going to go bravely to my wife and see if she'll accept my help with the horses.” He picked up Peaches, who must have been rubbing around his ankles under the table, and placed her orange furry body in my lap.
“Good luck,” I wished my brother, holding my kitty in my arms and walking him to the door.
“I’m going to need it,” he admitted. He waved at me and walked through the field toward the barn.
“He definitely is,” I muttered to Peaches, who squirmed to be let down before bounding outside to chase a dragonfly.
Fortified with another cup of coffee, I charged upstairs and opened the door to another room full of chaos. When my great-uncle left me his house, I know he meant for it to be a beneficial gift. But his years of hoarding made it a treasure trove of trash that took time to sift through. A normal person might take a shovel to it all without going through every scrap of paper, but beyond the need to straighten up the house, I was looking for something specific.
Somewhere inside, there might be paperwork or clues to my origins. Beau had accidentally revealed to me that Tipper had something to do with my adoption. I wanted proof of the truth of that statement, not because I doubted my pudgy vampire roommate but because a part of me desired to know more than just my life in Honeysuckle.
Sure, my family was my family. My brother was my brother. That would never change. But if I had a clue to follow in finding the biological family that I came from, then maybe I could understand my powers. Or at least have someone to ask what to do when they completely failed.
After a couple of hours spent up to my elbows in useless trash, I sat on my behind in full on depressed mode. I'd barely made a dent with my efforts in one room. When Beau was home, he helped bolster my spirits, promising that maybe the next piece of
paper I picked up might be the one. But without him here, the reality that my life was drowning in a sea of stockpiled trash overwhelmed me.
A sharp knock on the front door startled me out of my dark thoughts. Springing up, I ran downstairs to answer it. When I opened the door, Dash stood on the other side of the screened door, his thumbs hooked into his pockets. “Morning, ma'am.”
I grinned from ear to ear, unable to hide my joy and relief at his presence. “Mornin’ yourself. You want to come in? I think there's at least one last ham and jelly biscuit left.”
The wolf shifter shook his head. “No, I'm good in the food department. But I would like to request your presence out here for a moment.”
I opened the screen door and joined him on the porch. “What have you got up your sleeves?” I asked.
“Not wearing any sleeves,” he replied, showing off his muscular arms and bulging biceps. “What you see is what you get.”
“I wish,” I muttered under my breath as I walked down the porch steps.
Two bikes sat in front of the house. Dash walked around and presented the first one to me with a flourish of his hands. “Ta-da,” he sang out.
“That's my bike,” I admitted.
“Yes, it is.”
“But you already gifted that to me before,” I said in confusion.
Dash held up a finger. “But now it's the new and improved bike. I got Lee to work his magic on it. He said he spellcrafted it so that it will move on its own.”
His childish glee tickled me. “A motorized bicycle?”
“I wouldn’t call it a motorcycle.”
“Like mine, you know, the one you're supposed to have fixed for me?” I needled him.
“I’m still waiting on parts for Old Joe. But in the meantime, would you like to take a trip into town with me and try her out?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me and beckoned me forward with a finger.
“Give me just a second.” Disappearing into the house, I ran upstairs to get myself into better shape. I’d never been a girly-girl type to worry about or fuss over her looks, but something made me want to appear more than just presentable.
I brushed my teeth and pulled back my hair into a ponytail. With a final glance into the mirror, I approved my appearance and ran back downstairs. Voices coming from the porch welcome me.
Joining them, I found Dash speaking with my roommate.
“Beau, you didn't come home last night,” I commented.
“After what happened with Raif, I needed a little TLC time. And since you have a strict rule about me bringing my lady friends back to the house, I decided to spend my time at the retirement home.”
I managed not to grimace at the implications of my roommate’s night dalliances, but Dash failed at hiding his surprise. “You wooing the ladies there?” he asked.
“From time to time,” admitted my vampire roommate. “Last night, I spent some time with Cordelia Jenkins. A perfectly lovely woman, although we were interrupted by a commotion last night. The same poor soul who found Raif’s dog had a bit of a breakdown.”
“She did?” I asked.
Beau nodded. “She became very agitated, crying out odd accusations about somebody making her say the things that she did on stage. They had to bring Dr. Andrews in to calm her down.” The pudgy vampire leaned closer to us and lowered his voice. “The rumor going around the home this morning was that they’re talking about enacting a binding.”
“No,” I uttered in absolute disbelief. “It's been an age since they've done that. But if she's so out of control, then she can be a danger to herself and those around her,” I admitted. Still, the thought of having anyone's magic stripped from them made me go cold all over.
“Sounds like a lot of trouble,” Dash said.
I frowned at him. “It's how we take care of our own,” I responded, trying to keep the thoughts of the power of his pack life at bay.
“I left before any other drama happened this morning. I think I will take a much-deserved nap.” Beau yawned and opened the screen door. “You two kids have fun.”
“Shall we?” Desk gestured at the bikes.
A ride was exactly what I needed to clear my head. I raced him down the steps and straddled the bicycle. “Show me how the new-fangled magic works.”
The wolf shifter gave me an explanation about the switch on the side of the gearshift. I could either ride it like normal or turn the switch on, which would activate the spell.
Dash did his best to explain how the magic worked but got more and more frustrated as I asked questions. “I don't know,” he exclaimed. “You just turn it on, magic happens, and the bike goes.”
I knew my friend Lee had a particular talent in spellworking his magic with technology and objects. No doubt he had given explicit instructions to Dash that were hard for anyone else to understand.
“No worries,” I said. “Let's take them out to the road and see what happens.”
We walked the bikes side-by-side through the field until we reached pavement. “You ready?” Dash mounted his bicycle.
“As I'll ever be,” I exclaimed. Flipping on the switch, I recognized the initial dizzying rush of power over the object and my body. I took off at a faster pace than I could set with my own legs.
“Hey, that's not fair,” called out Dash from behind.
A carefree giggle bubbled out of me. “Last one to town buys lunch.” I left him in the dust as the wind whipped around me. Letting out a loud whoop, I leaned forward, urging the bike on.
“You cheated,” accused Dash as he pulled up beside me on Main Street.
“I’m hearin’ a whole lot of whinin’ and not seein’ a whole lot of payin’ up,” I teased. “Shall we go to the cafe?”
We parked our bikes and wandered down the sidewalk.
“Next time, I want a fair contest. Plus, we never shook on any bet, so I don't see why I have to buy you food.” Lifting his top lip, he fake growled in complaint.
“I suppose that's true,” I admitted.
“But I'm happy to buy you lunch anyway.” He bumped me with his hip. “Loser.”
“Are you looking at your reflection in the window?” I asked, bumping him back. “Because if I recall, I got to town first.”
“Hey, is that your friend waving at you over there?” Dash asked.
“Nice try, but you’re not distracting me,” I insisted.
He stopped walking. “No, over there,” he pointed.
I stopped talking and looked in that direction. Horatio was gesticulating wildly with his arms. “Charli,” he called out, his loud voice echoing off the storefronts. “If you could, I request your presence with immediate haste.”
I rushed over to the troll, Dash following close behind. “What's wrong, Horatio?”
“I…I…” Horatio stammered. “Forgive me, but it is not something I can tell you outright. The situation is more something you have to see.” His eyes glanced around him in fear. “Come inside with me,” he insisted.
The troll took wide strides up the stairs and disappeared into the library. Dash looked at me, his face full of warning, but curiosity got the better of me. I followed close behind, and the wolf shifter stayed close.
The unmistakable smell of old books filled my nostrils. In its heyday, the building had been bustling with people checking out books and children reading inside in hidden corners. It had fallen under neglect over the years and seemed dingier than inviting.
“Something's not right.” Dash’s eyes flashing amber. “I smell death.”
“I think that's the scent of old books,” I countered, speaking in a hushed tone. Even though the building was empty, I still felt the need to whisper.
“No,” said Horatio. “Your friend here is correct. Look.” He ushered us to a row of books, stopping and giving us time to spot the object that didn’t belong. In the middle of the row, sheltered between full bookshelves lay a body.
The sickeningly sweet scent of gardenia hit my nose at the same time the funk of decay did. My
stomach turned, and my hand flew to my mouth to guard against anything coming out.
“Don't tell me that's—” started Dash.
“It is,” I managed. “It's Mrs. Kettlefields.”
Chapter Five
The dead body rested in a contorted fashion, her eyes open and filmed over in that deceased kind of way.
“We need to get a warden here,” I exclaimed.
“Yeah, why did you bring Charli in instead of one of them?” Dash asked.
Horatio blew out a breath. “I do not know. I must confess, when I walked outside, I was in a quandary as to what action to take. You must understand that my first thoughts were that it looks suspicious that her body was found in the library, the one place where I have been allowed to have full reign and control. You cannot deny that this town has had its issues with my presence before.”
“But why me?” I asked, unable to stop staring at the poor woman.
“Because you have a knack for finding things. And, forgive my impertinence, but I thought that your presence on Main Street was fortuitous at that exact moment.” The troll wiped his mighty hands down his protruded brow and face.
I touched his arm in sympathy. “I get it, but we really do need to bring the wardens in on this. If we don't, then the suspicion will lay on you even more.”
Horatio hung his head. “But, of course, you are in the right.”
Dah tugged on my arm. “Let's go, Charli.”
I shook my head. “No. You go. I want to stay and take a closer look.”
“Charli,” insisted the shifter. “You don't need to do that. It’s not your job.”
I looked at him and the troll. “I don't have to, but I want to. See if you can find my brother, although it may be faster to go straight to the warden station.”
Dash blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine. You can stay here until I bring a warden back with me. Then you leave.”
I didn't appreciate his demanding tone. “Then I'll make up my own mind and my own decision at that point.” A small part of me hoped that maybe the wardens would request my help in figuring out what had happened to my old teacher. “Now, go.”