I went over to the table to pour myself a drink. Begonia sidled up next to me. “Why did you invite Jemima?”
“I didn’t,” I said softly. “She just showed up.”
“And Demetrius?” she said. “Did he just show up too?”
“I needed him to move the table,” I said.
Begonia fixed me with her hard stare. “I thought he was out of the picture.”
“It was a favor. That’s all.” I took a sip of my drink and the bubbles tickled my nose. “You’re not jealous, are you? You promised me you weren’t.”
“I’m not jealous,” Begonia insisted. “Not exactly. But if you made it clear you’re not interested, he may set his sights on another girl. That’s all.”
“Meaning you?”
She tasted a glass of fairy wine. “Only if I’m lucky.”
I felt torn. On the one hand, I hadn’t ruled out Demetrius completely. I just wasn’t ready to dive into a relationship right now, not when I was still adjusting to this new life. Part of the problem was, of course, Daniel. It was silly, really. He didn’t have a romantic interest in me, whereas Demetrius did. And I was attracted to Demetrius. You’d have to be dead—truly dead—not to be attracted to the charismatic vampire.
“Begonia, other than with me, have you ever spoken with Demetrius?” I asked.
“Sure. Lots of times.”
“I’m talking about more than ‘thank you for holding the door’?”
She frowned. “Okay, no.”
“You don’t even know him. What makes you think he’s the right guy for you?” I asked. “You know he has a certain reputation.” Yet one more reason I was hesitant to get involved. I didn’t want to be a conquest to him. Once he got his fangs in me, he’d be on to the next bare neck. Or so I’d been told.
“His reputation didn’t stop you,” Begonia said.
“It actually has,” I said. “It’s one of the reasons I’m hesitant to give him a chance.”
“All right, ladies,” Astrid said, placing an arm around each of us. “No more guy talk. It’s poker time.”
It occurred to me at some point during the evening that I should have learned how to play poker beforehand. My lack of skills didn’t matter, though. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. The more I lost, the more everyone laughed. Like I said, good times.
The wind chimes alerted me to another guest. I hurried to the door to find Sheriff Hugo on my doorstep, his expression grim. Did someone complain about the noise? Maybe I should have invited the harpies after all.
“How can I help you, Sheriff Hugo?” I asked.
“Just wondering if Alex has been by your place tonight,” he said.
“Alex?” I echoed. “No, why?”
“He’s missing,” the sheriff said. “And he knew I wanted to speak with him about Jolene’s autopsy.” He peered over my shoulder, picking up on the noise from the living room. “You sure he isn’t here?”
“I’m afraid it’s ladies only in here,” I said, omitting Gareth. Somehow I doubted the sheriff would want to know about my invisible roommate. “I don’t think Alex could pass as female no matter how hard he tried.” The werewolf oozed masculinity.
“I went by his house, but nobody’s there.”
“Not even Kayla?” The younger werewolf always seemed to be around.
“Nope. No sign of activity.” His subtle way of saying he peeked in the windows.
“Did you check his parents’ house?” I asked.
“They haven’t seen him since yesterday,” the sheriff said.
“When I saw him last night, he didn’t mention…” I stopped mid-sentence. Uh oh.
The sheriff squinted at me. “Where did you see him?”
“Um. Last night.” I stalled for a split second, but it was no use. “At his house. I stopped by to see how he was coping.”
Sheriff Hugo folded his arms and glared at me. “Did you now?”
“He seemed okay to me,” I said. “Kayla made lemonade. It was delicious.” No way was I elaborating on our conversation. The whole truth would get both Astrid and me in hot water.
He decided not to push the issue. “Send me a message by owl if you see him.”
“Sure.” I forced a smile, but my head was screaming.
Astrid appeared in the foyer. “Sheriff?”
The sheriff squinted. “Deputy? What are you doing here?”
Astrid ripped the visor with horns from her head. “Poker night.”
“I see.” Sheriff Hugo did not look impressed.
“Did I hear you say Alex is missing?” Astrid asked.
“That’s right, but never mind,” the sheriff said. “I take it you’ve been drinking.”
“We’ve all been drinking,” I said. “Except Laurel. She’s been drinking lemon fizz.”
“Then you should stay here,” the sheriff said.
“Of course, Sheriff Hugo,” I said. “We’re having too much fun to leave.”
As soon as he was out of earshot, Astrid bumped my arm. “We’re not really staying here, are we?”
I flung my visor onto the steps. “Absolutely not.”
“Good.”
I strode back into the living room and clapped my hands. “Listen up, ladies. Alex is missing. Sheriff Hugo is searching for him. We’re going to check the forest behind my house because it’s a full moon and we know werewolves like to go there when they turn.”
“But they’re not supposed to turn,” Lucy said.
“I know, but there’s a chance Alex decided to do his own thing,” I said. “Feel free to stay here and keep the party going. I’d like to look for Alex. Anyone who wants to join the hunt, feel free.”
“What if he has turned?” Laurel asked. “Won’t he be hunting us?”
“You stay here,” I told her. “You’re too young.” To be fair, she was too young to be at poker night, but her parents seemed relaxed about her whereabouts. Maybe because she was the youngest of five.
“Everyone says I’m too young,” Laurel complained.
Jemima grabbed her hand. “Stay here and play with me. I’m not going in the woods. I’m winning this hand.”
Lucy fluttered nervously around the room. “Maybe I should send an owl to Mayor Knightsbridge.”
“Why don’t you wait until we have a better sense of the situation?” I suggested. “Otherwise, you’ll upset her for no reason.”
“Good point,” Lucy said. “Then I’ll stay here and keep playing.”
Probably because Jemima was winning. Lucy seemed to be as competitive as I suspected.
“I’ll come with you,” Begonia said.
“Me too,” Sophie added.
Millie glanced helplessly around the room. “Werewolves frighten me.”
“But Alex is really nice,” I said.
“Really nice werewolves don’t kill their fiancées and then hide in the forest,” Millie pointed out.
Although I wasn’t convinced that was the situation, I was willing to reserve judgment.
“Okay, Astrid, Begonia, Sophie and I will head into the forest.” Once I reached the foyer, I said to Gareth, “You keep an eye on the home front.”
“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” he said and saluted me.
I tucked my wand into the back of my waistband and headed into the woods with the other girls. Poker night just got serious.
Chapter 17
Leaves and twigs crunched beneath my feet. Thanks to the light spell, my wand doubled as a flashlight. It was a simple spell and very useful, especially now. The forest was so dark that I could only see about two steps in front of me. I suddenly felt foolish for insisting that we split up to cover more ground. We should have at least gone in pairs.
“Emma, is that you?” a voice whispered.
“Laurel?” I recognized her voice but couldn’t see her. “I told you to stay at the house. You’re too young to be out here.”
“I know more spells than you do,” Laurel said, appearing beside me. “Anyway, I didn�
��t like the way Magpie was looking at me. His eye kept twitching.”
“That’s the way he always looks,” I said. Like he’s ready to suck out your soul and feast on your innards.
“Well, I’d rather take my chances out here,” Laurel said.
“Suit yourself. Just be quiet so we can listen.” The forest was eerily silent. No birdsong. No leaves rustling. Not even the sound of scampering.
“What are we listening for?” Laurel asked.
“Anything to point us in the direction of Alex,” I said.
“Do you think he’s kidnapped Kayla to kill her, too?”
I spun around and faced her. “Where would you get an idea like that?”
Even in the darkness, I could see the embarrassed blush of her cheeks. “From Millie.”
“Alex is not the killer,” I said.
Laurel wasn’t buying it. “How can you be so sure? You barely know him.”
“Because not a single resident I’ve spoken to has referred to Alex as anything other than brave and a natural born leader. If he were going to kill someone, it would be swift and violent and he’d make damn sure everyone knew about it.”
“If he’s so brave, then why is he hiding out here?”
I didn’t want to share my theory with Laurel. Not yet. Like Linsey’s case, I was fairly certain Jolene’s death was about a guy. It was always about a guy.
“If Alex is out here, then I think it’s for another reason. Now hush so I can listen.”
We both stopped walking and listened intently for any sign of movement.
“It’s as silent as the grave,” Laurel whispered.
“Don’t say that,” I snapped.
“But it’s true.”
“Only if you don’t commune with ghosts. The only reason Gareth’s grave is silent is because he isn’t in it.”
“How’s that going anyway?” she asked. “My mother says it must be a nightmare for you, having someone as critical as Gareth following you around all the time.”
I glanced at her. “Your mother thinks Gareth is critical?”
Laurel immediately looked guilty. “I don’t think she means to speak ill of the dead. We all adored Gareth.”
“No, no.” I waved my hand. “Do go on. I need ammunition for the next time he annoys the crap out of me.”
“He had a certain way of doing things and he didn’t like to be told otherwise.” She hesitated. “They served on the pet rescue committee together a few years back. My mom says that’s when he adopted the cat.”
“I would love to sit down and have a coffee with your mother one of these days,” I said. I knew she was a witch and a botanist but little else.
Laurel beamed. “I’ll let her know. Maybe I could come, too.”
“Why do I get the impression you’ll be there whether you’re allowed or not?” It was difficult to bend the will of teenagers.
I heard a twig crack in the distance and placed a finger to my lips. Laurel nodded mutely. Of course, if we were dealing with a werewolf, it didn’t matter how quiet we were. The wolf would’ve smelled us already.
“Oh,” I said suddenly. A creepy yet strikingly beautiful white tree stood in front of me. “I recognize where we are.”
I heard a noise from somewhere above. A low growl.
“That doesn’t sound like a bird,” Laurel said, glancing skyward.
“It isn’t.” I grabbed her by the shoulders. “Go back to the house and lock the door.”
“Why? I want to come with you.”
“It’s too dangerous and I don’t want to be responsible if anything happens to you.”
“You need my wand,” Laurel insisted.
Another growl. “I have my own wand. I need to go,” I said. “Don’t follow me.”
I ran around the base of the white tree and pushed through the overgrown bushes. In front of me stood the hollow tree. It was too high for me to see the platform, but I knew that was where I would find Alex.
I climbed up the ladder as quickly as I could, oblivious to the growing distance between the ground and me. The empty bottle of Scorpion’s Tail on the platform made sense to me now. When I reached the top, I took out my wand and prayed Alex was alone.
He was sprawled across the platform, trapped between shapes. Partially covered in fur with a human body and a wolf’s head, it was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Judging from the contorted position of his body, he was in horrible pain. I had no idea what could have caused this, but one thing was perfectly clear—he hadn’t done it to himself.
“Alex,” I exclaimed and hurried to his side. It only occurred to me after I was beside him that he might lash out at me. Who knew what his mental state was in this condition?
He growled in response, but it wasn’t an aggressive sound. More of a pathetic whine. Other than his in-between state, there were no obvious injuries.
“What are you doing here?” a voice asked. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Kayla.
“I heard his cry for help,” I said, keeping my attention on Alex. “How can we fix him?”
I heard Kayla step toward me. We were far too close to the edge for my liking, but I couldn’t make any sudden moves.
“He’ll be fine,” she said and crouched next to me. “I put a little something in his evening moonshine so that he could maintain a half-form. I heard it increases sexual pleasure.”
What did she mean? Some kind of werewolf Viagra? I was almost too astounded to speak.
“Kayla, aren’t you a little young to know about these things?”
“And aren’t you a little naive? Listen new witch, just because you’re destined to live a life as a spinster in some dead vampire’s house doesn’t mean the rest of us intend to go quietly into that good night.”
Poetry? Who was this girl? “Are you telling me you and Alex are involved?”
“Not yet.” She poked him in the furry abdomen with a finger. “I must have used too much of the potion. He’s useless right now, but he’ll shift back soon.”
“Don’t you think he’s going to be upset with you for drugging him?” I asked.
“It’ll blow over,” she said, as though she’d borrowed his car without permission. “I’m all he has now and I’m the closest thing to his precious Jolene. He won’t want to lose me.”
I glared at the young werewolf. “So it was you.” If she was about to kill me, I at least wanted to hear the truth from her first.
Her lips parted in an odd mixture of a snarl and a smile. “I would have preferred an old-fashioned fight to the death, but the pack doesn’t follow dominance traditions anymore. A shame, really. I imagined ripping her heart out so many times, it would have been nice to actually do it.”
Poor Jolene. I cast a sympathetic glance at Alex, still writhing on the platform. “Does he know?”
“No, and you’re not going to tell him either. The dead can’t speak, can they?”
Little did she know. “You want another death on your hands? Is that wise?”
“I heard you’re afraid of heights.” She peered over the edge of the platform to the ground below. “Maybe you panicked and fell.”
“The sheriff might find it suspicious that you were present at two recent crime scenes.”
“Maybe, but he’ll be so happy to be rid of you that he won’t care.”
Wow, saucy and insightful. I’d underestimated her.
Although I still clutched my wand, I had no idea how to protect myself. Kayla was strong and had the advantage of not being deathly afraid of heights. Thank goodness for the anti-anxiety potion. It was the only reason I hadn’t had a complete meltdown already.
“Do you even know any spells?” Kayla challenged me. “I heard all you do is follow around the other remedial witches and ask stupid questions.”
Kayla seemed to hear a lot of gossip for a teen werewolf that hung out in her cousin’s house plotting murder and marriage.
“I know a few,” I said, and extended my wand in her direction.
“Care to test me?” Please say no.
She folded her arms and grinned. “Go on then. Try one.”
Ugh. I’d successfully used the Blowback spell on Mumford. If I managed it again, I’d send Kayla sailing over the edge to her death. Even though she seemed determined to kill me, I couldn’t quite muster up the cold-bloodedness required to do the same to her.
She checked her imaginary watch and pretended to yawn. “Any day now.”
Man, I hated teenagers.
I considered the other basic spells. One seemed better than the others under the circumstances. I focused my will and said the spell in my head so that Kayla didn’t grasp my intention.
“You really do suck, don’t you?” Kayla said.
I lowered my wand. “Guilty as charged.”
She snarled and lunged for me. I stood perfectly still, watching as her face smashed against the invisible barrier I’d placed between us.
“You look like a pug,” I said.
She banged her fists against the invisible wall. “What is this?”
I shrugged. “Sucky magic, apparently.”
On the platform, Alex stirred. I noticed that his face now matched his body and the fur had receded. I also noticed that he was naked.
“Oh my,” I said, and turned my head back to Kayla. “Why aren’t you naked?”
“I’d like to be,” she said. “But someone decided to interfere with my evening plans.”
Alex raised his head and blinked. “Kayla?” His brow furrowed. “Emma?” He sat up and rubbed his temples. “What happened to me?”
“Long story,” I said. “But the critical piece of information is that Kayla here is responsible for killing Jolene.”
“Liar,” Kayla said. “What a rotten accusation.” To her credit, she managed to squeeze out a few tears.
Alex shifted his weight in order to stand and bumped against my force field. “What’s going on?”
“I’m hiding behind this magical wall because Kayla wants to kill me.”
“Because she murdered Jolene!”
It was so preposterous, I nearly laughed.
“Why would she kill Jolene?” Alex asked. “We only met her the day she came by the house, after Jolene was already dead.”
Doom and Broom (Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 16