Witch Bane and the Croaking Game

by Cat Larson

  “No, thank you. I’m just a bit out of it, but I’ll be fine. Is your uncle in his office? I’d like to personally deliver—”

  “Enough! It’s gone too far already.”

  Niall and I both swiveled our heads toward the shouting that’d broken out at the foursome’s table. In the blink of an eye, Gavin had Tommy by the collar and up against the wall.

  “No roughhousing at the Inn, eh?” Niall yelled.

  Tommy said something to Gavin which earned him an uppercut to the jaw. I recoiled while Niall tromped over.

  “Enough, ya two. Ye hear me? Take yer shenanigans outside.”

  It appeared the shenanigans were one-sided, seeing as Tommy wasn’t fighting back and Gavin was gearing up for another round. Their friends just sat back and watched. Nice.

  I set the pie on the bar top and rushed over. Tommy caught my eye and grinned. “Hey, Samm.”

  One of the useless guys swung his head around. “Dude, that’s Griffin’s girl.”

  Really? Like this was the time. It wasn’t even true, besides. Niall pulled Gavin off Tommy, but not before he got in another jab, this one to the mouth. His lip swelled instantly. Oh man.

  I dashed to the bar and asked for a cold cloth and some ice. Meanwhile, Gavin stormed out voluntarily without another word.

  I heard, “I’ll go after him,” and then a little guy ran out to follow Gavin. That must be Jonny. I brought the makeshift icepack over to Tommy, and he rested it on his busted lip.

  “Thanks. Very thoughtful of you.”

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah, just a scratch. But even if it weren’t, it would’ve been worth it to get your attention.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I don’t suppose you’re free for that coffee now?”

  “What?”

  “Dude, that’s—”

  I whipped around and knifed a dagger to the fidgeter. “Give it a rest. I am not Griffin’s girl, and this is hardly the time.”

  Tommy grinned harder. “See?” Blood seeped through the thin rag.

  “Stop that,” I hissed. I didn’t want him turning the place into a slaughterhouse just to make a point. Or to gloat. Or whatever the heck he was doing. “I’ll get you another towel. He pulled the cloth away, his bottom lip taking up half his face. Yikes. “Just how hard did he hit you?”

  He shrugged like it was no biggie, and I went back to the bar. With the disturbance taken care of, Niall had gone off to tend to his other patrons. My pie still sat on the counter, so I put it behind the bar. I kept waiting for Mr. McGuinness to come out, but either he hadn’t heard the commotion or it was just such a common occurrence it wasn’t worth the trip.

  “So, why did he attack you?” I asked when I returned with more towel-covered ice.

  “That’s Gavin for you. Isn’t that right, Colin?”

  The skittish guy nodded once but didn’t say anything. What was his problem? He was going to drill through the table if he didn’t stop drumming his fingers so hard. He kept looking around like someone was going to jump out of the shadows.

  “He does this often, then?”

  Tommy shrugged again. “We’re used to it.”

  “Can I get you anything else? Maybe some water before I go?” I cast an annoyed look at his “friend” who was doing nothing but watching the door while performing a drum solo.

  “Nah. In a bit, I’ll take a wee nip o’ whiskey and be good as new.” He winked, drawing out a chuckle from me. “Why don’t you join me?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll pass.”

  Since there was no need for me to stick around any longer, I took my leave. As I walked away, I heard, “Dude, that’s Griffin’s girl.”

  My eyes rolled skyward. Wasn’t the guy capable of saying anything else?

  Chapter Eight

  After bringing the apple pie to Mr. McGuinness’s office, declining the offer to stay and have a slice (with a side of whiskey), I headed directly back to the shop, slipping out the back way to avoid Tommy and One-Sentence Colin.

  It’d been a long day, and my only thoughts consisted of instant soup—at least Violet wasn’t against hot water dispensers—and curling up with Fernando.

  I’d decided that questioning Jonny could wait until I had a good night’s rest. Maybe I’d have a new outlook in the morning, a different perspective on the whole mess. If Sage was free, I’d also get her take on everything and see if she had any suggestions. Griffin was a different story. I’d leave him be for a while. It was not my goal to come between him and his brother.

  Speaking of… should I go to Damon about this? He’d have a better chance of believing me if I told him that I was a ghost. No, I’d keep mum for the time being. One wrong thing out of my mouth could be detrimental to me. But so could not saying anything at all.

  I sighed. Well, at least the streets and sidewalks were no longer a slip hazard thanks to the salt. A broken limb was not on my to-do list.

  I paused, staring straight ahead. Perhaps, I should rethink the advantages of an icy walkway. If it were still slick out, then Gavin would not have been able to pace outside Violet’s shop.

  Ugh. I considered turning back since he hadn’t seen me yet, but where would I go? He’d been pleasant when I’d spoken to him at the café, obviously distressed over his friend’s disappearance, but I wasn’t gung-ho about dealing with him after the fight he’d had with Tommy.

  I shook my head; I was being absurd. Tommy wasn’t a saint, and I couldn’t imagine the frame of mind Gavin was in after hearing the horrible news. Whatever had happened at the pub, I needed to give Gavin the benefit of the doubt.

  “Gavin?” He turned toward me. “What are you doing here?”

  “Samm. Hello.”

  I smiled. “Hi.” I unlocked the door. “I’m afraid the store’s closed if that’s why you’re here.” Since he still hadn’t told me.

  “Oh no. I’m here to see you.”

  “Whatever for?” I held open the door, puffing out a breath. “It’s freezing out. Would you like to come in?”

  I immediately second-guessed myself. I barely knew the guy, and I hadn’t had the best track record when it came to letting people inside the shop. I needn’t have worried, though. He took one step over the threshold then stepped back out.

  “No, that’s okay. It won’t take too long. Could we just talk out here?”

  “Um, sure.”

  “I’d like to apologize for my behavior at the Inn. I’m not in the habit of brawling in public places or brawling at all for that matter. But to exhibit that type of conduct in front of a lady? Inexcusable.”

  His formal apology threw me off; I wasn’t sure how to respond. Hadn’t Tommy said Gavin’s actions were a regular occurrence?

  “Okay, well… you’re forgiven. I’m sure you’re under a lot of stress. But it’s not me you should be apologizing to. I wasn’t the one getting pummeled against the wall.”

  “He deserved it. I’m not sorry about that, only sorry you had to witness it. I’m sure it was offensive to your eyes.”

  Now, this was getting weird. He was talking to me as if I were a sixteenth-century princess who needed sheltering from such vulgar atrocities. Believe me, my eyes had been exposed to far worse than a little bar fight, but I suppose if he wanted to be chivalrous, who was I to insult him for it?

  “And how are you holding up?” I asked, directing the focus back to him.

  He glanced down at his fist. “It’s a bit sore but nothing—”

  “Not that. I meant with the recent turn of events… Penelope… I’m terribly sorry.”

  “I really need to go.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Shoot. It was too recent. I shouldn’t have brought it up.

  “Thank you for understanding,” he said then quickly walked away.

  I watched him disappear down the street then went into the shop. Or attempted to. I barely got the door open when I was thwarted.

  “Miss Hain?” A slight, wiry figure came toward me. Jon
ny? “Miss Hain, I’m glad I caught you.”

  “Call me Samm. And you just missed Gavin.” I pointed in the other direction. “If you hurry, you’ll make it.”

  “No, I’m not looking for Gavin. Are you okay?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  He stuck out his hand. “Jonny Bellman.” I shook it, not letting on that I already knew his identity. Shaking his hand was akin to grasping delicate bird bones, and I worried if I squeezed too hard it would snap.

  “Nice to meet you. But why are you asking if I’m okay?”

  He looked down, shuffling his feet. “I saw you speaking with Gavin. For your sake, it’s best to steer clear of him. He’s not in his best mind, and that’s putting it nicely.”

  I felt a little irked on Gavin’s behalf. “I’m not sure how good my mind would be either if I’d just lost a good friend.”

  “You’re referring to Penelope Green, I assume?”

  “Unless there was another good friend he also lost recently.” And if that was the case, I was in awe the guy was still able to have a conversation without drooling. I couldn’t imagine how I would’ve been if something happened to Sage, and then later, say, Griffin.

  “Gavin was messed up long before Penelope’s unfortunate accident.”

  “Messed up?”

  He glanced around then back at me. “I’m only telling you this for your own good, you understand.”

  “Understand? Not really.” I stuck my hands in my coat, bouncing up and down to warm up. I was not about to ask him inside, even if I did probably have a good twenty-thirty pounds on him and could easily take him down. After experiencing Clare’s illogical strength firsthand, I’d learned not to underestimate the tiny around here.

  “We’ve tried to help him, but he’s too far gone. As evidenced by his outburst at the Inn.”

  “Gavin told me Tommy deserved it.”

  Jonny shook his head. “There’s no telling what he’ll say or do at any given moment. He’s always liable to just up and snap,” he said, snapping his fingers for effect. “So, please be careful.” He leaned in closer. “Penelope wasn’t his favorite person, you know.”

  I jerked back. “What?”

  “But her sister, Phoebe, was.”

  “I’m not following.”

  “Gavin’s one and only true love is Phoebe Green. He would’ve moved heaven and earth for her for the rest of his days if only Penelope hadn’t intervened. If only Penelope hadn’t convinced her sister to end the relationship. He was hours away from proposing right before she left town, and it almost destroyed him. In many ways it had, for he’s never been the same since.”

  “But… Gavin was looking for her, for Penelope. He seemed really concerned. Said they were close.”

  “Gavin says a lot of things. As I said, he’s not in his best mind and hasn’t been for some time.”

  “What did Penelope have against him enough to interfere in their relationship?”

  “She didn’t trust him, and with good reason, apparently.”

  “What does that mean?”

  His head darted around. “I have to go. Remember what I said.”

  “No, wait—”

  He took off, reminding me exactly of Penelope the first time she’d spoken to me in the alley. She’d also run away before I could get any more words in. Or vanished, considering she wasn’t supposed to be alive then. What the heck was going on?

  I finally went inside. Deep-freezing my brain wouldn’t make it work any better. Had Jonny been speaking the truth? I couldn’t vouch for or denounce his character, so I had no reason to believe or doubt him, but I could say the same thing about Gavin. But Penelope did ask for Jonny’s help, even if there was no mention of Gavin at the time, favorable or otherwise.

  However, she had mentioned Regina… What part did the evil queen play in this?

  I was headed to the bedroom to free Fernando when a plain black cover caught my eye. I marched over to the counter and picked up the spellbook.

  No. I shook my head vigorously. This cannot be right. The book was sitting right where I’d left it—prior to putting it in my purse, and I knew I’d put it in my purse, or at the very least, picked it up and placed it elsewhere. I felt my forehead. I did not have a fever. I felt fine. I was not delirious, but it would’ve been much more comforting if the book had been lying on the floor or something.

  I skimmed through, blank page after blank page after blank page. What’d I expect—words to have suddenly materialized during my absence? I smacked it back down on the counter. I had to get out of this town before I ended up strapped to a slab in Victor Frankenstein’s laboratory.

  I’d just let Fernando loose with an ample supply of berries when there was a rap on the door. Maybe Jonny was back. Or Gavin. I peeked through the window. Tommy?

  Ignoring the swirl in my stomach, I opened the door. He promptly stepped back, acting like he had that day Sage was over. I chuckled. It was like he was afraid of a wispy ol’ reed. But to be fair, she could be a formidable opponent when provoked, and she did not like Tommy. Something about him kicking a tree once. Mess with a person and Sage might forgive you. Be cruel to her plant friends, and well, good luck with that.

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “Sage isn’t here.”

  “Sage?” He shifted back a bit farther. Fine by me. I wasn’t about to let him inside anyway.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Can you please come out for a few minutes?”

  I sighed. “Just let me grab my coat.” I slipped it on then returned back to the arctic. “How’s your lip?” The swelling hadn’t gone down at all. So, had he deserved it or not?

  “It looks much worse than it is.” I nodded. “Which brings me to the reason I’m here. To thank you again for your assistance.”

  “Don’t mention it. It was just a cold rag. Anyone would’ve done the same.”

  “Not true seeing as you were the only one who helped.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s right… Your friend Colin didn’t seem to be doing anything.” Or Jonny now that I thought about it. Although, he had taken off after Gavin.

  Tommy snickered. “Colin’s as squeamish as they come. Don’t blame him. The sight of blood can take him down faster than a two-by-four to the head.”

  “At any rate, I was already there. You didn’t need to stop by and thank me again. So, um, is there anything else?” I narrowed my eyes. “And don’t even think about asking me out for coffee.” He opened his mouth. “Or anything else.”

  He laughed. “Got me.” He waggled a finger. “I like you, Samm. Maybe too much for my own good. You’ve got a spark in you.”

  Instead of telling him to go down to the lake and take a long walk off a short pier, and not meaning it metaphorically, I shifted gears. “Can I assume you know—knew—Penelope Green well?”

  He tilted his head. “Why are you asking about her?”

  “Is there any reason you’re answering my question with a question instead of an answer? A simple yes or no will suffice.”

  Tommy laughed harder. “Of course not. Just curious, is all. But yeah, I knew her quite well.”

  “Would you say she and Jonny or she and Gavin were better friends?”

  “That’s an odd question.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.”

  “Feisty. Are you sure I can’t convince you—”

  “No.”

  “What if I go and get my eye blackened this time. Or hey, how about a broken bone?”

  “Don’t make me regret helping you. And if you’re not going to answer me there’s no reason for me to stay out here.”

  “All right.” He smirked. “I wouldn’t exactly call Penelope and Gavin friends, not after what happened with her sister.”

  “You mean when Phoebe broke things off with him because Penelope wanted her to?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, how’d you know about that?”

  Huh. So, Jonny had been telling the truth. Either
that or they were both lying. It’d be so much easier if I could just turn them into wooden boys and see if their noses grew.

  “I heard it somewhere,” I said. “And like you, I’m just curious.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Do you happen to know what Penelope had against Gavin?”

  “She didn’t trust him.” It was the same generic answer as Jonny’s. “Why so much interest in Gavin and Jonny? You’re making me jealous. Don’t you want to know anything about me?”

  “Sure. What’d you say to Gavin right before he clocked you?”

  I noted his slight flinch. “I didn’t say anything. Gavin is a loose cannon. He just goes off sometimes. It’s what he does.”

  “Yet you remain friends with him?”

  “Of course. What do you take me for?” Hmm. Something wasn’t clicking here. “Wait, I did bring up Penelope’s poisoning right before, but that shouldn’t have provoked him like that.”

  “What? She was poisoned?”

  “Yeah, you didn’t know?”

  I shook my head. “So, someone did kill her,” I mumbled to myself. “Any idea who—”

  “What’s going on here?”

  My head jerked at the interruption.

  Lovely.

  Chapter Nine

  I held up a finger. No, not that one. Geez. My index finger, telling Griffin to wait a sec.

  “Who would do such a thing?” I asked Tommy, who kept flicking glances behind me.

  Before he could answer, Griffin was between us. “What are you doing here, Tommy?”

  They were both in a staredown; Tommy with his Cheshire cat grin and Griffin with a hard-angled stone face. How juvenile was this?

  “We’re talking,” I said. “Is there a problem with that?”

  “Yeah, there is,” Griffin responded without taking his eyes off his target. Tommy might as well have had a bull’s-eye on his forehead.

  “She’s not your girl,” Tommy said, his lips rising higher. I expected the blood to start flowing again at any moment. Not on my sidewalk. “Said so herself. Isn’t that right, Samm?”

  Argh. “Stop it, you two. This is insane.”