If the Curse Fits

by Kennedy Layne

  I’d parked in front of a typical two-story brick home that was very much like the others on the street. The front yard was immaculate, complete with a perfect pile of leaves that looked as if they’d just been raked. There was barely a leaf left on the large oak tree, and some of the bushes had already been covered against the bite of the coming frost with the upcoming winter.

  The reason I hadn’t gotten out of the Jeep was due to the fact that Jack was coming out of the house, closing the screened door behind him as he called out goodbye to his wife. I had to wonder if he hadn’t received a call from Detective Jones, but I quickly dismissed that idea. Marna would have no doubt accompanied her husband to the police station had they received such a request.

  Jack even waved to the neighbor who’d walked outside in his robe to retrieve the morning’s paper. The older gentleman signaled with his hand in recognition, but he didn’t bother to look up from reading the latest headline—which no doubt covered the story of Cassie Grier’s murder.

  The next-door neighbor clearly wasn’t a morning person like Jack, who was currently getting into his car. He’d been wearing one of those newsboy hats, but he’d taken it off before buckling up like a good upstanding citizen. It was clear that he was trying to fit in with the non-magical mundane neighbors.

  They seem like genuinely nice people, do they not?

  After everything I’d been through these last three months, I wasn’t the type of woman to scream at a spider or squeal at the sight of blood. Dealing with vampires, werewolves, and such had me pretty used to the unexpected.

  With that said, I’d never imagined having a familiar suddenly appear in the passenger seat of my vehicle without any prior notice. It was a wonder the top of my head hadn’t hit the soft top of my Jeep when I literally startled enough to come out of my seat.

  “Pearl!” I yelled, gripping the steering wheel as a means to calm my racing heart. Trust me, it didn’t help in the least. “You can’t do that kind of stuff! What were you thinking? You’re lucky I didn’t fling you through the side window.”

  That begs to question, my dear hexed one.

  I leaned my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes, willing the adrenaline to leave my body before causing my twenty-eight-year-old self to have a heart attack. Evening out my breathing didn’t seem to be helping, because my next inhalation caught in my throat when I realized the implications of her unexpected visit.

  “Shoot,” I muttered, quickly leaning forward and fumbling with the keys I’d already put in my jacket. “Where is Jamie? Is she driving to the mall? What time does the mall open, anyway? Why would she be—”

  Aren’t you all just doom and gloom, Miss Lilura? Ammeline really has done a number on you. You’ll be happy to know that Ms. Lehman is just fine, thank you. She’s currently in the police station waiting to meet with Detective Jones to go over yesterday’s events.

  “Then why are you here?” I whispered, casting a quick glance around the homes in our vicinity to make sure that no one was watching us. Having a dog inside a vehicle was one thing, but a cat? These townsfolk might think that having a cat inside my Jeep might be just a wee bit out of place. “I told you that you needed to stay with Jamie Lehman.”

  Are you questioning my work ethic? I will have you know that I take my assignments very seriously. Ms. Lehman is perfectly safe in a police station surrounded by law enforcement. She’s currently waiting her turn while a Mr. Knox Emeric goes back over his statement.

  I’m not sure why it was a relief to know that Knox hadn’t lied to me about where he was going today. It shouldn’t have mattered either way.

  Oh, no, no, no. Tsk, tsk. Trust me when I tell you that Mr. Knox Emeric is not your type.

  “Not my type?” I reiterated in surprise, not sure where Pearl got that I’d be interested in the man at all based on my desire to want the truth. Just because he was handsome and I might have glanced at the way those jeans had practically molded themselves to his body did not mean I was interested in the man. “One, you don’t know what my preferred type of man is, Pearl. Two, you need to learn that certain thoughts are private and not to be shared out of turn.”

  I didn’t realize there was someone else in the vehicle that I could share such a shocking revelation with. Oh, wait. There isn’t. While I’m pointing out the obvious, I’d also like to call attention to the fact that you might protest a little too much on the current subject matter. Just food for thought. Anyway, enough of this chitchat. I thought it best you have backup for when confronting these druids. In my past experience, they can be a bit tricky to deal with at times.

  “I thought you said they were nice.”

  You’re confusing me with Piper. I distinctly recall saying the older couple had nothing to do with Cassie Grier’s murder, and I stand by my assessment. With that said, druids can be rather unpredictable and dangerous. Isn’t that why you have enchanted powder in your pocket to prevent Jack and Marna from drawing power from the limited amount of nature surrounding their home?

  It was no use in chastising Pearl for once again spilling secrets aloud. Yes, I did have a creative weapon at my disposal when dealing with druids. In all honesty, Orwin and I had spent a lot of time creating enchanted items, such as the dust from the most northern lodestone of the Lough Gur Stone Circle in Ireland. It could prevent a druid from drawing on Mother Nature’s power without them knowing the key phrases to properly align their magics to a powerful sigil.

  The downside was that once the powder was discovered, the druids could use it to gain a fantastic amount of power very quickly. It had very little upside in the long run, but it was most effective in the short-term.

  Weapon? Enchanted items? The Lough Gur Stone Circle? I wasn’t aware we’d gone to war.

  “Fine,” I relented, watching Jack’s car pull out of his driveway and head toward town. “Orwin and I have a magical arsenal at our disposal under the floorboard in the back of the Jeep. We take the occasional day out of a given week to add to our collection or boost our capabilities. Don’t give me that look, Pearl. You’ve got no reason to lift your whiskers in disdain. Don’t judge. There are some creatures that take a little more edge to defeat than our powers may be capable of handling in any given moment.”

  I never said a word in judgement, my dear hexed one.

  “You’re making me nervous by being here when you should be with Jamie.” I didn’t want to waste any time now that Jack had left the house. Dealing with druids was hard enough, but two together? No, thank you. “Go back to the police station, and touch base with me later.”

  Ms. Lehman is just fine at the station while she waits her turn to speak with Detective Jones. You, on the other hand, are entering the unknown. It is not wise to do so alone.

  “Why, Miss Pearl, are you worried about me?” I asked in mock disbelief. I wasn’t able to stop myself from making fun of the familiar just a bit. Orwin and I might take our cases seriously, and the powers that be certainly understood my despair over my current situation, but we weren’t as uptight as the prim and proper Pearl. “Fine. We’ll go inside, ask our questions, and then leave…where you can then go and make sure that no one tries to kill Jamie Lehman while the rest of us continue to investigate.”

  Uptight? I will have you know that I—

  I quickly opened the door to the Jeep and stepped out, having noticed the neighbor holding his paper staring at me just inside his front door. He’d been watching me ever since Jack had pulled out of the driveway, and it was best I not give the older man any suspicious ideas about why I was sitting in my vehicle while watching the houses in the neighborhood.

  That was simply rude.

  Hearing Pearl while not being able to see her was downright eerie, but I couldn’t stop my advance toward Jack and Marna’s house. It was instinctive to verbally speak when in a conversation, but the neighbor would definitely think I was a little off my rocker if I began talking to myself.

  I never gave it any thought, but I do believe
that some of your fluffy ducks that were in line might have waddled off…to a lake…on the other side of the world.

  Well, maybe Pearl was loosening up just a bit.

  Good to know.

  I didn’t bother to reply to her quip, but instead made my way up the three cement steps to a very immaculate porch. Not even a leaf could be found.

  Good housekeeping is very important.

  “I’m not saying it isn’t, but don’t you find it odd that two druids want to be Martha Stewart and play house in a close-knit neighborhood?” I whispered, out of the neighbor’s line of sight. “How certain are you that this Jack and Marna didn’t have anything to do with Cassie Grier’s death?”

  As certain as I am that you have a bona fide conspiracy theorist on your hands twenty-four-seven.

  Touché.

  I slid my left hand inside my jacket pocket, making sure the pouch of powder was easily accessible should I need it to defend myself by deflecting her magic. Technically, it was just enough to allow me to get far enough away from the druid before she could draw any type of focused power should the need arise.

  I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

  You should know that there is a protection spell around the perimeter of this house.

  “We thought of that,” I murmured, barely moving my lips in case Marna was looking through one of the windows to see who was at her front door. “We added a special evocation to the mix. While there would be a delay in drawing power from the earth, the deferment just wouldn’t be as long as usual. It should still afford me time to leave this house and drive away before Marna or Jack had their full power. Thankfully, we only have to worry about one druid.”

  I’m rather impressed with your—

  “Pearl, would you please stop talking? It makes me want to verbally reply every single time.” I wondered why it was taking so long for Marna to come to the door. I hadn’t seen any movement in the windows, and druids couldn’t see through walls or doors. There wasn’t any sign of a camera that would suggest she could see who was standing on her front porch, so what could be taking her so long? “Pearl, maybe you should—”

  The heavy wooden door swung open before I could suggest that Pearl have a quick peek inside to make sure Marna wasn’t getting ready to annihilate me.

  You would have wanted me to enter a house without a proper invitation? That is not appropriate etiquette.

  I instinctively took a step back and clutched the bag of powder in my fist, barely refraining from throwing it at the older woman who finally peered at me from behind the door with a frown of displeasure.

  “We’ve been expecting you, Tempest Lilura.”

  It was the we part that caught me off guard.

  You see, Jack Marna—who I literally just watched leave this house, get into his vehicle, and drive away down the road—was standing behind his wife with green eyes that were practically glowing.

  Oh, dear. It seems that we’ve found ourselves in a bit of a troublesome spot, have we not?

  Chapter Eleven

  “I’m not here to stir up any trouble,” I managed to get out around the distress caught in my throat. I didn’t fear them, necessarily. Facing a Lich who’d basically lost all of her humanity had a tendency to put things into perspective. “I just need a bit of help in solving Cassie Grier’s murder.”

  I do appreciate someone with a backbone of steel.

  “Show yourself,” Jack demanded of Pearl, the greenish hue of his eyes becoming even brighter. He even took a step forward, closing the distance between him and his wife. “I have no patience for games, familiar.”

  And I have no tolerance for those with no manners.

  “Pearl, don’t leave me standing here with my hat in my hand,” I warned, automatically tightening my grip on the bag of powder. I didn’t want to use my only viable short-term solution that would possibly, most likely, bring about a bad ending to this confrontation. “Remember, the faster I solve Cassie’s murder, the quicker Orwin and I can leave town.”

  Well, when you put it like that…

  Sure enough, the sleek white familiar materialized in her haughty manner, appearing as if she’d been walking from behind my right leg. Pearl sat beside my black leather boot with her tail swaying gracefully behind her and her nose lifted in the air to let these druids know she wouldn’t be intimidated.

  It’s a wee bit cold out here. Are you going to invite us in or shall we cause a scene in front of your lovely neighbors?

  To say that Jack and Marna were surprised at the offensive tactic Pearl was using was an understatement. Truthfully, so was I. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that we had the upper hand.

  In case it has escaped your notice, we do have the upper hand.

  “She didn’t mean to cause offense,” I quickly chimed in, trying my best to soothe over the situation. I wasn’t about to resort to blackmailing two druids and have more enemies when I’d already made one with a deranged Lich. “We just have some quick questions that need answering, and then we’ll be on our merry way.”

  “No funny business,” Marna warned, stepping back and forcing her husband to do the same. “We simply want to be left in peace.”

  Their bid sounded heavenly, because I hadn’t known peace for over three months.

  Don’t whine, my dear. It doesn’t become you.

  Pearl missed my frown when she saw fit to cross the threshold of a druid’s home as if it was an everyday occurrence. I quickly followed her, not having a second to spare. We needed answers, and we needed them quick if we were going to save Jamie Lehman from the same fate as that of Cassie Grier.

  On the bright side, Pearl had actually referred to me as something else besides Miss Lilura or my dear hexed one.

  That was progress, right?

  Progress is only needed to move forward. In case you’ve forgotten, you’ll be gone soon.

  “I appreciate your willingness to speak with us,” I said without even a hitch in my voice as both Marna and Jack made room for me to enter their home. Pearl was right. Orwin and I would have hit the road last night had Cassie Grier not been murdered. Once we caught the killer, we’d be on our way. “As I said, it’s not my intention to cause either of you any problems. I also won’t say a word to any of your neighbors about your true identities. I’m only looking for a bit of assistance on what took place in the café last night.”

  What is that horrid smell?

  “What happened last night has already caused my wife and I a bit of trouble, if I’m being honest,” Jack replied, the threatening radiance of his eyes subsiding as he led the way into a kitchen that reminded me of my grandmother’s when she’d been alive.

  Seriously, it was as if I’d been transported back in time.

  There were wreaths and ancient pottery pieces sprinkled over the somewhat old-fashioned style counters that I’m pretty sure were still laminate. The yellow walls had been freshly painted, but even the cupboards were out-of-date with white round knobs that had a yellowish tint to them from considerable age.

  As for Pearl’s comment about an odor, I didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary.

  How could you miss that…wet stench?

  I didn’t miss the fact that Marna had given Pearl an offensive sideways glance in regard to the insult. We were definitely getting off on a bad foot, so I quickly dove into the reason for our visit as I took a seat at the kitchen table.

  “It’s my understanding that the two of you want to retire and live out your days in anonymity.” Who was I to judge their decision? Truthfully, I was quite envious of their ability to blend in with the human side of society here in Bedford…raking leaves and doing crossword puzzles in their spare time sounded like heaven. “Please don’t think that my presence here today jeopardizes that in any way. I, too, was at the café last night…and we were all just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  You three were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was right where I was supposed to be, which was w
atching over my charge during her shift at the café. I’m sure what we can all agree on is that the murder of Cassie Grier threatens to expose all of us if this situation is not resolved properly.

  I nodded my head in acknowledgement, waiting for Jack and Marna to do the same. They were staring at each other and talking in some secret code that couples seemed to acquire throughout their years of marriage. I’d never known anything close to that kind of intimacy.

  Really? Mr. Cornelia reads your thoughts on a daily basis.

  “That’s different, and you know it,” I replied without thinking, not that it mattered. Jack and Marna could hear every word between me and Pearl. “What I’m trying to say is that while you haven’t lived in Bedford for a long time, you’ve been here long enough to pick up on a few things…such as who would want Cassie Grier dead. I can understand why you would have cloaked the café from anyone taking notice of your presence, but you also gave the killer the ability to escape our detection and possibly get away with murder.”

  Once again, Jack and Marna exchanged a few glances until they both joined me at the table, signifying that they were willing to help. With that said, their partial acquiescence to the situation wasn’t enough for me to take my left hand out of my jacket.

  Do you truly not smell that repulsive scent?

  Pearl was sitting on the floor next to my chair, her exotic head practically on a swivel. I personally couldn’t smell anything but the coffee either Jack or Marna had made this morning.

  I’m not fond of coffee, although a spot of tea every now and then is an absolute delight. Cream is what I prefer, but the coffee aroma is not what I’m referring to.

  “May I offer you some coffee or tea?” Marna asked, though more out of politeness than wanting our company.

  No doubt that Marna had heard Pearl and assumed that I’d wanted some coffee. I did, but I wasn’t going to stay in the company of druids and risk my life, nor was I naïve enough to drink anything brewed up by another spellcaster. I know what you’re thinking. The older couple hadn’t done a thing to warrant such abject fear on my part, but druids could destroy this house in under ten seconds.