by Emery Belle
“For what?” I said, pulling away from him and wiping my eyes. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Didn’t do anything?” He looked genuinely shocked. “You helped clear an old man’s name. I’ll be eternally grateful.” He didn’t mention Hattie, and neither did I. Even though I hadn’t seen Glenn since the night of the coven dance, word on the street was that he’d reappeared just in time for Hattie’s funeral… and had met Arthur, Hattie’s other suitor, when they both tried to lay a red rose on her casket at the same time.
“I’m sorry,” I said, then hesitated. “About everything.”
Glenn suddenly looked very old. “As am I, my dear Wren. As am I.” He gripped my shoulder, his hand shaking slightly. “But don’t think for a second that you let me down. You made the choice you had to, and you saved a man’s life. You’re a hero, in more ways than one.”
Then he took my arm, and together we walked into the academy, Hunter and Garnet trailing far behind us, sensing that we needed some time alone. “Can I give you a piece of advice?” he asked as we came to a stop outside the mixology lab.
I squeezed his hand. “Anything.”
A single tear trailed down his cheek. “When you find the one you love, Wren, the one who makes your soul sing and your heart dance… don’t ever, ever let them go.”
A thin package was lying on the ground outside my door when I arrived home a few hours later, still walking on air from the success of my mixology exam. I didn’t have the results yet, of course, but I knew that I’d passed with flying colors. Hunter and Garnet had wanted to celebrate the end of our exams with a visit to Sugar & Spells, but I’d declined, much to Pierre’s disappointment. Since my encounter with Fletcher, I hadn’t really been in much of a celebratory mood.
I hesitated before grabbing the package—paranoia was becoming a part of daily life for me now, and I knew I’d have no choice but to pay a visit to Homer Vale, the mind-healing elf, as Lady Winthrop had suggested. In the meantime, I’d mostly been keeping to myself and jumping at small noises, which Monty was taking full advantage of by blowing raspberries into the silence at every available opportunity.
The package was so light I wasn’t sure there was anything inside, until I slit it open and a single sheet of paper fell out. The back of the paper was blank, with the exception of a brief, unsigned note in unfamiliar handwriting.
Wren, I thought this may be of interest to you.
My curiosity piqued, I turned the paper over and scanned my eyes along the top. It was a page torn from a basic contract, the same type of contract I’d seen once before, when I was snooping through Cole’s bookshelf and happened upon a folder full of his secrets, his agreements with those who hired him to protect and to be protected.
Only this time, the agreement was about me, the truth laid bare at my feet.
Protector: Cole Noir
Protectee: Wren Winters
Hired, on this sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Goddess Luna, by Lord Augustus Macon, Chief Justice of the Magic Island High Court.
I let the paper flutter to the floor. It seemed I still had one more mystery to solve.
Afterword
Thank you for reading Fang Ten, the third book in the Magic Island series! If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon to help other readers find out about my books.
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The magic and mayhem continue with book four, available soon!
About the Author
Emery Belle is the author of paranormal cozies featuring plenty of magic, mystery, and a dash of mayhem. When she isn't dreaming up new worlds or wandering around the house with her nose in a book, you can find her digging her toes in the golden sand beaches of Southern California (sadly, she hasn't found the ferry docks for Magic Island yet), fitting in a serious game of bowling, or chasing around an overly excitable, and overly large, rescue pup.