Maxie Duncan Box Set

by Webb, Melissa L.

  Putting the loaded sheet of raw cookies in the oven, Van turned to face me. “What are you talking about? I’ve always liked to bake.”

  I stared at her blankly, finishing my cookie. That was news to me.

  “I’m a pixie. We’re all about the hearth and home.”

  “Sure, that must be why I haven’t seen you bake a thing since I moved in.”

  “What can I say? I finally found myself a spare moment. If you haven’t noticed, things have been pretty hectic around here since you moved in.”

  She wasn’t wrong.

  Folding her arms over her chest, she continued, “I thought I’d put my free time to good use, making things that remind me of Fall. After all, Halloween’s only a few days away.”

  I swallowed the giggle wanting to burst out. I had to play it cool. “I thought you didn’t like Halloween?”

  She sighed, leaning back against the counter. “Yeah, about that. I’ve been a little too harsh lately. You were raised as a human and I need to respect that.” She offered me a small smile. “I know how much this holiday means to most humans. I know how much it means to you.”

  Excitement grew inside of me. I had done it. I made them see there could be joy in this holiday. “Really?” I asked her.

  Van nodded. “I shouldn’t be so set in my ways. Maybe we can show everyone Halloween isn’t such a dirty word. I was thinking…,” she said, her smile growing. “We should throw a party for Enchantment Cove. Hold it in the ballroom. Show everyone it’s okay to have a little fun.”

  Wait. Hold the phone. “There’s a ballroom here?” Score!

  She grabbed a cookie off the plate between us. Taking a big bite, she savored the flavor. “Sure is,” she said, swallowing. “It hasn’t been used in a long time. But I say it’s time to change that, don’t you?”

  A squeal escaped my lips as I bit into another cookie. It looked like the fabulous Maxie Duncan Halloween Extravaganza was a go.

  

  I stood behind the check-in counter at the Hotel DenMark, my fingers clicking away at the computer’s keys. This was the first job I happened to be good at since coming to L.A.. It was also the first job I really liked.

  I had spent the morning making to-do lists for the party in between checking in guests. See, I could multitask with the best of them. I was almost finished with my shift. I couldn’t wait to go check things off my lists. If there was one thing I was better at than shopping, it was party planning. Looking back, I think that was the only reason my ex-fiancé, Stephen, had kept me around so long.

  Oh, well. His loss.

  I was closing the notebook I had been scribbling in when a woman walked up to the counter. “Good morning. Welcome to the Hotel DenMark,” I said, smiling brightly. “How may I help you?”

  “Good morning. I need to check in. My reservation’s under Nancy Bain. I’m staying until after Halloween.”

  We made small talk as I punched in her information and got her paperwork going. Turns out I might have found someone who loved Halloween more than me.

  “I just love the holiday. It brings back so many good memories.”

  “I know what you mean,” I agreed, setting a paper in front of her. “I just need you to sign here and you’ll be all set.”

  She scrawled her name on the line as I slid the old fashion metal key we still used next to her. “Yes, I can’t wait. This year’s going to be great. After all, He is coming,” she said before laying the pen down.

  “Who’s coming?” I asked, wondering if she was waiting on a guest.

  She picked up the key and gave me a funny look. “What?”

  “You said he’s coming. Who is?”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t say that. Thanks again.” She smiled, carting her things towards one of the back hallways.

  That was strange. I must have been hearing things. At least that’s what I told myself to combat the chills running down my spine. Though I’m sure that’s what she said.

  “Hey, Maxie,” a voice startled me.

  I jumped about five feet before turning around. Katelyn, one of the maids, stood there, smiling sheepishly.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said apologetically.

  “It’s okay,” I told her, trying to brush off the nerves that coiled through me like a snake. “Is there something I can do for you?”

  She nodded eagerly. “I need a new belt for the vacuum cleaner. Where can I find one?”

  I had the only key to the supply closet. Van didn’t like to loan it out to the staff. It had disappeared too many times before. It looked like I was going to have to get her one myself. “If you watch the counter, I’ll get you one. If anyone needs anything, tell them I’ll be right back.”

  Heading through the busy lobby, I smiled at people as I went. They smiled back at me, their teeth exposed like hungry predators. Whoa. I didn’t know why my nerves were getting the better of me. I didn’t need to get all freaked out just because a woman was having a secret rendezvous with some guy.

  Stepping into a small hallway off to the side, I unlocked the first door I came to. It was a small room, little more than a walk-in closet. Flipping on the light quickly, I walked to the stack of vacuum belts. I snatched one from the pile and turned around, when laughter filled my ears.

  It rang out, deep and gravelly, as if it might come from the pits of hell. It echoed around me, layers and layers of laughter folding in on itself. It sounded as if everyone in the hotel was laughing at the same time.

  Raising my hands to my ears, I tried blocking out the horrible noise. What was going on out there? Had everyone in the building gone crazy?

  Not really sure I wanted to; I walked back out of the room, locking it behind me. I crept down the hall, the evil laughter thick in my ears as I went. Exiting the hallway, I froze, as the laughter suddenly stopped.

  Everybody was going about their business as usual. No one paid me the slightest bit of attention as I walked by. Was I the only one who had heard that laughter?

  “Here you go, Katelyn,” I muttered absently, handing her the belt.

  She took it from me hesitantly. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

  I looked up at her, wondering if I was losing my mind. “Did anything weird happen while I was gone?”

  She shook her head after a moment, still looking at me strangely. “No. Was it supposed to?”

  “Never mind,” I said, walking past her, trying to pull myself back together. “Thank you for watching the counter.”

  She stood there a moment longer, as if she were contemplating something. “Thank you for the belt,” she said finally, walking away.

  I turned around to fuss with some papers on the wall, my back to the counter. I needed a moment to myself. What was going on with me? Why was I suddenly hearing things? Was this a side effect of everything I’d been through since moving here?

  “I hear we’re throwing a party,” a low voice said from behind me. I couldn’t help but smile as some of the tension faded at the sound of his voice.

  I turned around. Jensen leaned against the counter. He smiled as our eyes met.

  “Shouldn’t you be at the bookstore?”

  He shrugged casually. “Yeah, probably. But I thought I’d rather come hang out here with you.”

  “What happened to Mister Responsibility? I didn’t think it was in your nature to play hooky,” I said teasingly.

  “I guess I realized there are more important things in life than hanging out in some musty bookstore.”

  The smile on my face slipped a little as I stared in shock. That bookstore was his life. He loved it there. “But…,” I said, expressing my concern.

  “Believe it or not, Maxie,” he said, stopping me. “I didn’t use to be so responsible. I did my fair share of trouble making. Maybe a little bit of the old me is making a return.”

  Okay. That was a little odd. And a little worrisome. I happened to like who he was. A lot. I wasn’t really sure I’d welcome a cha
nge in him. I needed him to be my rock through my transition. What would I do if he crumbled?

  “So…about the party.”

  Okay, maybe he hadn’t changed too much. “Yeah, I know you wanted me to drop this Halloween obsession, but Van changed her mind, and I thought…maybe….”

  “It sounds like a great idea.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. What better way to change the new ways than with a party.”

  I stood there, my jaw practically on the floor. He was okay with it. My spell had worked…on everybody. This was going to be the best Halloween ever!

  “I’m looking forward to it,” he told me, leaning closer. “I even have my costume all picked out.”

  I leaned closer, too, intrigued. “Really? What is it?”

  Jensen shook his head. “It’s a surprise,” he said, his words little more than a whisper.

  I couldn’t help the shiver that went through me as I stared at the mischievous glint in his eyes. Why was I doing this to myself? Why didn’t I just give in and put an end to our suffering.

  He might not be the guy I would have imagined I’d end up with, but he had become the most important guy in my life. And witchcraft had nothing to do with that.

  As I stared at him, movement behind him caught my attention. I glanced over at a couple walking through the lobby. They froze mid-step, still as statues. Everyone else froze, too. Then slowly, everyone turned and looked at me at the same time, their lips pulling up in a grin.

  My own smile faded as fear spread through me. The room was filled with living statues all focused on me.

  Jensen realized he lost my undivided attention. A frown played on his own lips as he straightened back up. “What’s wrong, Max?” he asked, slowly turning around.

  Before he could look, everyone started moving again, oblivious to the fear they had caused me.

  Not noticing anything out of the usual, Jensen turned back around. “What is it?”

  I shook my head. What could I say? I think I’m losing my mind? “I don’t know,” I told him, taking a deep breath. “Have you noticed anything weird going on today?”

  His brows wrinkled behind his frames. “Weird? We’re witches living in a world full of supernatural things. You’re going to have to define weird for me.”

  I let out a sigh. If things like that had been happening to him, he’d know what weird was. Obviously, I was going crazy. Did they give mani-pedis in insane asylums?

  “Nothing,” I told him. “I think I’m just tired today.”

  He didn’t quite buy it. “I’m here for you, Max. If you need to work through something, I’ll walk with you every step of the way.”

  I loved Jensen for saying that, but I just wasn’t ready to admit that either the world was going crazy, or I was.

  

  Leaning back against the metal wall, I rode the elevator up to the seventh floor. I was so glad the day was over. It was one weird thing after another. All I wanted to do was curl up with a book and forget the day ever happened. Maybe everything would be normal in the morning.

  I certainly hoped so. I couldn’t handle another day like this.

  The elevator swayed slightly under foot and the lights flickered around me. Glancing at the elevator buttons, I noticed I was close to the fifth floor. Maybe my red-eyed demon was out and about. I leaned closer, peering out the gates as I slowly passed by. The hallway was empty, except for some Halloween decorations.

  My nerves were getting the better of me again. That’s all it was. I stepped back as the cage shook again. It trembled violently around me. Clinging to the sides of the elevator, I supported myself as the world swayed around me.

  The lights flickered again, this time plunging me into total darkness. The elevator stopped swaying, and I rode up in terrified silence, holding on for dear life as the darkness surrounded me. Now what was going on? Were the attacks on my life starting again?

  The elevator stopped, the gates opening by themselves. Was something out there waiting for me? Well, it didn’t matter. I was prepared now. I pried myself from the wall. I was Maxie Duncan, and I could handle anything they threw at me.

  Stepping out the gates, I peered down the hallway. A few lights were still burning at the end of the hall, backlighting the shadows around me. Okay. If the lights wanted me down there, I might as well get it over with. I took a few steps, my head held high. I wasn’t going to let them scare me out of my own apartment building.

  A growl sounded from behind me, reverberating through the hall so forcibly, it rattled my teeth. I stopped, deciding what my next move should be. Something was there. There was no use denying that. I reached down inside myself and touched the spark that nestled there. If it wanted to dance, we’d dance.

  A howl erupted from right next to me. Before I knew what I was doing I screamed, throwing myself back away from it. So much for dancing!

  The ceiling exploded around me. A huge dark mass of fur dropped down in front of me. Yellow eyes glared at me.

  I shrieked again and scooted back, putting as much distance between me and the creature as I could.

  It snorted as I did, blowing foul breath in my face.

  I gagged from the stench. Geez, if something was going to kill me, it could at least have the decency to have good personal hygiene.

  It made a snickering sound as I gagged again, pulling its lips back in a snarl.

  Great. My first time coming face to face with a werewolf and it laughs at me. Doesn’t anybody have any respect anymore?

  I watched as it lifted one massive paw, the faint light reflecting off its razor sharp claws. My fear magnified in that instant; flowing freely from me into something solid. It wrapped me in a protective bubble similar to Harry’s, only mine was bright pink. Ha! Girl power to the rescue.

  Its paw swiped down, right through my bubble. I lunged backwards, his claws inches from my face.

  What the heck?

  Rolling to the side, I came to rest on my hands and knees, panting in terror. Nothing should have been able to get through my protective shield. That was Magic 101. The bubble was a witch’s lifeline. I was so in deep do-do if I didn’t find a way to bring it down instantly.

  Turning around, I raised my hands, blasting the werewolf with everything I had. One of us was going down. I just hoped it wouldn’t be me when I ran out of energy.

  My burst of power went right through the werewolf, causing his form to ripple like a heat mirage. I frowned, realizing my blast wasn’t doing anything besides grazing the walls.

  I was such a goner.

  The creature stalked forward, leaning down, his face inches from my own. I held my breath, waiting for the blow. Instead, it opened its huge muzzle and spoke in a very familiar voice, “No fair, Maxie. I was only having fun.”

  I slowly pushed away from it, getting to my feet. “Danny?”

  The werewolf and the damage it had caused slowly faded from existence.

  Danny stood farther down the hall, a frown on his face. His hair was ruffled and his clothes smoked in places. Obviously, my magic had grazed him through his projected illusion. Stupid trickster!

  “Who knew you played so rough?” he said, patting at his singed sleeves.

  I closed the distance between us as fast as my wobbly legs would let me. “What the heck do you think you’re doing? You could have killed me,” I screamed.

  He shook his head adamantly. “No, that one was harmless. It was only intended to scare.”

  Van didn’t really need a boyfriend, right? “Why?”

  “To get you in the holiday mood. Isn’t that what this is all about?” he asked, nodding at the decorations around the hall. “People like to be scared on Halloween.”

  “Why would you try to scare me like that?” I fumed. “How many things have already shown up out of the dark and tried to kill me? It’s not funny.”

  He stared at me, his face completely crestfallen. “I never thought of that. I’m sorry.” He stepped closer. “Are you okay? I
didn’t mean…I don’t know why I even did it. I haven’t messed with someone like that since I was young. I thought I had outgrown it.”

  He shook his head and turned away, heading for the elevator. “I’m really sorry, Max,” he called back to me. “I didn’t think this one through. I only wanted to help give you Halloween.” Closing the gates, he disappeared from sight as the elevator descended.

  I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Danny may be a big goofball, but he wasn’t irresponsible. He’d never do anything like that. Something was very wrong.

  

  Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed a fluffy, pink towel and started drying off. I couldn’t believe how stressed I was. Not even the steamy water had loosened the kinks in my back. What was going on with the people around me? Who knew Halloween brought out strange qualities in some people?

  Grabbing my pajamas out of the dresser, I threw them on quickly. I wasn’t going to let this ruin my holiday. Things might be a little weird right then, but when wasn’t it? That was my life now. I needed to get used to it.

  I sat down on the bed, applying some vanilla lotion to my feet. My sleigh bed shook under me, making my stomach turn in a dangerous way. My things clattered as the building swayed around me. Oh, no. Not again!

  Digging my fingers into the bedspread, I closed my eyes, praying this would pass quickly. I didn’t care for the sensation very much. It terrified me that you couldn’t always expect stability under your feet.

  The rattling stopped and my stomach settled slightly. I didn’t know how I was going to get used to this. Standing up slowly, I walked towards the bathroom. Maybe living on the seventh floor wasn’t such a great idea in the heart of earthquake country.

  As I stepped into the bathroom, I froze, my eyes glued to the steamed up mirror. Written there were three words, moisture dripping from them like tears.

  He is coming.

  

  The big day had finally arrived. Halloween was here in all its glory. I had the day off and had spent the morning shopping for last minute things for the party. I exited the elevator, walking towards the ballroom. My friends were already there, making sure everything was ready.