Spell's Bells (Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 3)

by Annabel Chase

  I followed Cecily down a narrow hallway to a private room and she waited outside until I discarded my robe. The massage table was so high that it was connected to a small ladder. Once I was facedown on the table, I realized why. Cecily appeared beside me, her wings fluttering rapidly.

  “What kind of massage would you like today?”

  I had no clue what to say. I’d never had a human massage so I had no frame of reference. “Whatever makes the most sense for a tense person.”

  “Perfect. I’ll do the Miracle.”

  She gently touched the nape of my neck with her wand and the tightness faded. Miracle, indeed.

  “I haven’t seen you here before,” Cecily said. “Where do you normally go for massage?”

  “I’m new in town,” I said. “I haven’t been anywhere for massage in Spellbound.”

  I felt her stop mid-motion. “You’re that new witch?”

  “Emma Hart,” I said. It wasn’t easy to talk when your face was pressed against a cushion.

  She flew around me in a frenzy, pointing her wand at each body part and uttering a magic word. My body responded to each command, the tension dwindling.

  “Wow,” she said. “I can’t believe you’re from the human world. I’m so jealous.”

  “Really? But everything here is so cool. And the variety of residents. Trust me, there are no fairies in Lemon Grove, Pennsylvania.”

  “There are,” she said. “You just didn’t know it.”

  “Your dating pool is so much more interesting than ours,” I continued. “Vampires, werewolves, dwarfs…” I slightly emphasized the last word, hoping for a reaction.

  “Dating a dwarf is no different than dating a vampire, in my opinion,” she said. “Males are all the same.”

  “How so?”

  I heard her huff with annoyance. “They’re rude to you and then can’t understand why you don’t want to date them again. Like it’s no big deal to disrespect me.”

  “I know plenty of guys like that in the human world.”

  “Too bad. I was hoping it would be better out there. Maybe if this curse ever lifts, I’ll get to find out for myself.”

  “Have you had a recent bad experience?” I asked. “I’ve been using Pandora’s matchmaking service and I’m hoping she chooses her candidates wisely.”

  In her excitement, Cecily slapped my butt and I flinched. “You’re kidding! I’m using her, too. Can’t say I’ve been impressed with the results so far.”

  “No? Why not?”

  “The last guy…” She trailed off. “Forget it.”

  I craned my neck to look at her. “You can tell me. I’m a captive audience.”

  She resumed her massage work with the wand and my muscles were grateful. “I don’t want to say anything negative because he’s…he’s the dwarf in the glass coffin.”

  I feigned surprise. “Your most recent date was with Freddie?”

  “Do you know him?” Cecily shook her head. “I guess not, since you’re new in town.” She focused on my feet, which hurt more than I realized, probably because I spent weeks walking in and out of town before Daniel presented me with a magically-enhanced Sigmund.

  “I don’t know him,” I confirmed. “So feel free to talk to me if you want. Was he a jerk?”

  “Kinda,” she replied. “He seemed so eager to go out with me, but once we were on the date, he acted like he had a hundred better things to do.”

  “Not a good listener?”

  “Not a good anything,” Cecily replied. “I’d say something and he’d just look at me, like the words didn’t register. I’d have to repeat it.”

  “Maybe there was something serious going on that he didn’t want to talk about and it was distracting him.” I felt a knee-jerk desire to give Freddie the benefit of the doubt. So far, residents had nothing but positive things to say about him. Cecily was the first one to complain.

  “Then cancel the date,” she huffed. “Don’t waste my valuable time. I could’ve gone out with someone different and met my true love that night instead of sitting across from Freddie.”

  Sheesh. I guess Cecily wasn’t shooting for fairy godmother status anytime soon—I had to imagine empathy was a requirement.

  “Well, Freddie’s not wasting anyone’s time now, sadly.”

  Cecily’s wand dropped to her side. “I sound angry, don’t I?”

  “A little bit.” Angry enough to seek revenge?

  “I’m such an awful fairy.” She perched on the edge of my table and I heard the sound of gentle sobbing. “No wonder he didn’t like me. I only think about myself. ‘Cecily Mae, you’re never going to meet anyone. Not if you insist on being the topic of every conversation.’ That’s what my mother always says.” She blinked away her tears and looked at me. “Freddie’s probably in that coffin because of me. I bored him into an endless sleep.”

  She began to sob in earnest. I sat up and patted her on the back.

  “It’s not your fault, Cecily.” But good job with making Freddie’s endless sleep about you, I thought. It takes real talent.

  “The truth is Freddie was really nice to me,” she sniffed. “Very polite. He just didn’t seem interested and I wondered why he chose to date me in the first place.”

  That part was, indeed, a mystery. By all accounts, Freddie was in the market for a serious relationship. Why would he choose someone he had no interest in? And his mother thought he was excited about his date with Cecily. Why would he pretend?

  “Cecily.” I bit my lip, wanting to choose my words carefully. “Did you ever get the sense that Freddie might be more interested in men?” Maybe he was going through the motions for the benefit of others, but his heart wasn’t in it. Like Gareth’s engagement to Alison.

  Cecily shrugged. “I don’t think so. He said enough to give the impression that he was into women.”

  “Did he compliment your outfit?” Because that wasn’t necessarily a clue. Gareth had stolen Alison’s sparkly pink cardigan and I’d originally thought it was for sentimental reasons rather than because he liked to wear it.

  “He noticed my hairstyle.” She smoothed the top of her head. “He said his best friend Heidi used to wear her hair like that.”

  Heidi again. “Did he talk about Heidi a lot?”

  “Considering he didn’t say much—yeah, I guess so.”

  “Did he mention Paul at all?”

  She frowned. “Who’s Paul?”

  “Heidi’s boyfriend.”

  Cecily took a tissue out of her shirt in order to wipe her nose and I wondered whether the tissues formed the padding of her bra. An old-school fairy.

  “He didn’t mention anyone named Paul.”

  If Heidi talked about Freddie as often as Freddie talked about Heidi…How did Paul feel about their relationship?

  “Thanks for the massage, Cecily,” I said. Despite the tearful interruption, I still felt ten times better than when I arrived.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said. “This was very unprofessional. Please don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to lose my job.”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” I assured her.

  “I’ll tell them to use my friends and family discount,” she said. “I do hope you’ll come back. The next miracle massage will be more…miraculous, I promise.”

  “You know what, Cecily? I will.” And I meant it.

  I almost didn't see him as I zoomed past the corner of Basil and Nutmeg Lanes. He was hard to miss, though, crammed into a tiny seat behind a table with his white wings spread wide behind him. The sign on the table read ‘lemon fizz – 10 coins.’ I pulled the car over and went to investigate.

  “Hey, Daniel? What are you doing?"

  He smiled up at me. It was rare that I found myself looking down on the tall angel.

  "I'm raising money for Shifter Scouts, Pack number 413," he said proudly.

  "Why? Shouldn't the scouts be selling their own lemon fizz?"

  He poured a cup of the golden bubbling liquid and handed it t
o me. "For you, on the house."

  Begrudgingly, I accepted the drink. "Daniel, I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but how is selling lemon fizz making up for past transgressions?"

  His gaze dropped to the pitcher in front of him. "I may have wronged a member of a shifter pack at one time. She was a single mom and both of her daughters were Shifter Scouts.”

  "So why not make amends with the mother? Why raise money for a troop of girls who weren’t impacted by your bad behavior?"

  "It was a long time ago," he explained. “They’re no longer living."

  Spell’s bells. How far back did his bad boy routine extend? Would he be apologizing to all of the animals spawned from those that hitched a ride on Noah's ark?

  "I think it's nice that you're helping," I said. “But don't you think there's a better use of your time?"

  He spread his arms wide. "I have nothing but time. Tomorrow I'm chaperoning the high school dance because one of the teachers is out sick this week."

  I guess Spellbound wasn’t concerned with background checks on chaperones.

  "Daniel, you can't be serious."

  He looked at me with an earnest expression. "Why not? It's a good deed. The more good deeds, the better."

  "It won't be seen as a good deed by the boys at the dance," I argued. "Their dates will spend the whole night ogling you instead of getting felt up by them."

  "I hadn't really thought about that angle." He scratched his head, thinking. "I've already volunteered. I can't back out now."

  "Why don't you find someone to fill in for you?" Someone unattractive and unavailable.

  His turquoise eyes brightened. "I have an idea. Why don't you come as my date? Then the girls will leave me alone."

  I stifled a laugh. If he thought having me on his arm would keep girls from lusting after him, he knew far less about women than I realized.

  "I don't think that's a good idea," I said. Hormonal girls aside, the thought of attending a dance with Daniel struck me as a very bad idea. For me. Although I’d attended my senior prom with a friend, it wasn't the memorable evening that film and television had led me to believe it would be. I had no reason to think the Spellbound dance would be any different.

  "Come on," Daniel said, warming to the idea. "It'll give you a chance to wear a gown. I'll even pay for it." He looked at me, his expression softening. "I'd love to see you dressed up."

  My heart fluttered. My head screamed at me to say no, but I heard my mouth say, “Okay. I'll do it." Stupid, disloyal mouth.

  Daniel slapped a hand on the table. "Great. I'll pick you up at six. Drop by Ready-to-Were and tell Ricardo to show you the gown section."

  “Do you need to come with me?"

  He shook his head. "I'm pretty sure I still have an account there from when I used to…" His mouth set in a straight line. "Just tell him to bill me."

  I had a feeling I knew what Daniel was going to say. He used to lavish attention on women, buying them gowns and flowers from Petals. Now he was buying me a gown, not to mention he'd done several generous things for me already. Wildflowers, fixing up Sigmund, the pot on my mantel. Friendly gestures or old habits? I didn't know. Part of me didn't want to know.

  “Mr. Starr,” a little boy said. I hadn’t even heard him approach. He stepped up to the table with a handful of coins. "How many cups can I get for this?"

  Daniel beamed. He was so pleased to help someone. He counted out the coins in the boy's hand. “Five cups. Would you like me to help you carry them?"

  "Yes, please," the little boy said. "My mom said not to come back unless I brought the angel with me."

  Daniel and I exchanged looks.

  "I guess it's a good idea that you're coming with me tomorrow night," he said finally.

  I was glad he thought so, because I wasn’t so sure.

  Chapter 12

  Lucy met me outside Ready-to-Were. She looked as excited as I felt.

  "Gowns," she exclaimed. "Usually the only time I get to shop for gowns is when Mayor Knightsbridge has a fundraiser. I'd much rather choose a gown for you."

  "You were the first person I thought of," I said. Lucy had impeccable taste. Between the fairy and Ricardo, the stylish wereferret, I was sure to find the best dress in Spellbound.

  We entered the shop and Ricardo caught wind of us immediately. The wereferret rushed over and engulfed us in a group hug.

  "My lovelies," he said. "I am ever so happy to see you. What brings you in?"

  "I'm a bystander,” Lucy practically shouted. "She has a date with Daniel."

  I quickly shushed her. "It is not a date. Don't start spreading rumors."

  Lucy rolled her eyes. "Fine. It's a pretend date, but still. And it has to look good. Remind Daniel what he's missing."

  Ricardo rubbed his hands together. "You have come to the right place. Ricardo is very good at sending the signals.”

  "Daniel said to put it on his tab," I said. "Does he have a tab?"

  Ricardo's brow lifted. "I see. Yes, he does. He hasn't used it on anyone else in quite some time, though."

  Lucy disappeared between the racks of gowns. She emerged with a pile of dresses about a foot deep. When I said she had the strength of a dozen men, I wasn't kidding.

  "I'll put these in the dressing room," she said. "I've chosen all of your best colors and several different necklines."

  It felt odd to be trying on gowns. I couldn't remember the last time I'd even worn a dress in the human world. I tended to wear sweatpants and T-shirts in my apartment and trousers and a dress shirt to work. Dresses rarely enter the equation.

  I avoided looking at myself in the magic mirror. For some reason, I didn't want to face what I knew Daniel would see tonight. It wasn't that I was ashamed of my body or anything, but he was an angel. A perfectly formed angel. He never had a hair out of place or a muscle that didn't flex. He was physical perfection, pure and simple. How could I possibly measure up to that?

  Lucy pulled the curtain aside and poked her head in. "What's taking so long? Ricardo and I have tried on ten things already."

  I laughed. "Why are you trying on clothes?”

  "Ricardo wanted to show off his new animal print line." She fluttered into the dressing area and I noticed her outfit. Her mini dress was covered in paw prints. "Are those bear claws?"

  "No, silly," she said. "They’re ferret feet."

  "Okay," I said slowly. Somehow, that was one fashion trend I did not see taking off. I changed into the first gown. As usual, I marveled as the magical clothing molded to my body. It never ceased to amaze me.

  "It's pretty," Lucy said, tilting her head. "But I think you can do better. Try the purple one."

  "Really?"

  "Purple is one of your best colors," she said. “With your dark hair and light eyes, purple accentuates all of your positives."

  I wasn't convinced, but I did as I was told. I trusted Lucy's judgment in all things sartorial.

  I studied myself in the magic mirror. I couldn't find fault with a single stitch. Once again, Ricardo's clothing made my body unrecognizable.

  "It's amazing," I breathed.

  Lucy folded her arms and gave me a smug smile. "Told you so. This is perfect for you."

  I craned my neck, trying to locate the price tag. If Daniel was paying, I didn't want to spend too much.

  "What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

  When I told her, she threw her head back and laughed. "Daniel has more money than half of Spellbound put together. Don't you dare look at that price tag."

  "He doesn't even work," I said. "How does he have so much money?"

  "When you've lived here as long as he has, you have plenty of time to amass your fortune. He wasn't always this Daniel, remember?"

  That was true. He was a fallen angel for a reason. It was just still unclear to me what exactly those reasons were. Other than being a well-known womanizer, I didn't know what his alleged crimes were.

  I turned so that I could examine myself from the back in t
he mirror. The view was just as alluring from that perspective. "I never knew my butt was so round."

  Lucy shrugged. "It's probably not. That's just the magic of Ricardo's fabrics."

  A magical butt. Who didn't want that?

  "Are you sure I should try on the rest of these?" I asked. "I have about twenty here."

  Lucy shook her head adamantly. "When you find the one you want, you know it. No need to mess around with the rest."

  I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, the dress wasn't like Daniel. It didn't have a say in the matter.

  Ricardo beamed when he saw me emerge from the dressing room in the purple gown. "I knew you would choose that one. I should have just had it ready for you at the outset."

  Lucy placed an arm around me. "That's why she brings me. Now if only I had a reason to wear a gown."

  "Thank you so much, both of you," I said. "I'm nervous about tonight, but having a beautiful dress means I've already won half the battle."

  "Watch out for those high school girls," Ricardo said. "A few of them have come in here for dresses and they are meaning business."

  "What you mean?"

  Ricardo gave me a knowing look. "You'll see."

  My high school prom in the human world was held in the ballroom of a major hotel chain. At the time, we thought it was the height of sophistication. No school cafeteria dance for us! No siree. We were too fancy for linoleum floors. Now, stepping inside the Spellbound High School dance, I felt like a fool. There was no comparison. The decor was tasteful yet still managed to feel special. The ceiling and walls twinkled like we were in the stars’ embrace.

  Every head seemed to swivel in our direction when we entered the room. Granted, Daniel was hard to ignore with his impressive height and broad shoulders, not to mention those eye-catching wings. Beside him, I looked like a strange growth on his arm that required immediate medical attention.

  Darcy Minor came hustling over the moment she spotted us. "Thank you so much for doing this. You have no idea how difficult it is to find good help. You say the words ‘school event’ and everyone suddenly has unbreakable plans.”

  "Happy to be here," Daniel said. "Happy to be anywhere as long as I have this one by my side." He gave my waist a tight squeeze.