Starstruck Witch

by January Daphne

  “I’m with Lola on this one,” I said, as I helped myself to a cube of gouda off one of the cheese plates. “I promise we’re going to have some really fancy events planned for the lodge this summer, and you can have full creative freedom.”

  He eyed me suspiciously. “No tiki torches or vinyl tablecloths?”

  “Whatever you want,” I said. “Tonight isn’t really about the party. It’s really a means to an end.”

  “Right.” Fredrick gave a stiff nod. “The Shapeshifter murders.”

  “Please don’t repeat that,” I said. “That’s a dangerously catchy name. Just have a drink, enjoy the evening, and maybe be prepared to compel a few dozen guests to forget what they saw here tonight.”

  He frowned, lifting the beer and examining the amber liquid. “You actually expect me to drink this swill?”

  “We also have White Claw, if that’s more your style,” I offered.

  “I beg your pardon?” the ancient vampire said, looking truly baffled. “White… claw? Is that a type of creature?”

  I left Frederick to ponder the mysteries of spiked seltzer as I held open the door to allow Liam and Ace to carry in a few more speakers. With all that bass pounding, no one would notice the takedown of a vicious shapeshifting killer.

  I made sure to verbally invite both Liam and Ace in each time they crossed the threshold into my cabin.

  If I stood with one foot in the cabin, on one foot on the porch, that was enough to keep Martha’s wards from activating after Liam and Ace got their verbal invites.

  I’d have to make sure I’d never leave the cabin for the rest of the night. Ace and Liam would probably be fine as long as they were far enough away from the entrance, but I didn’t want to risk it.

  Angie sat on the hanging swing on the front porch with Benjamin resting his head on her lap. She was wearing a slim-fitting blue dress that contrasted pleasant with her strawberry blonde hair that was swept back in a french twist. She had on a little makeup as well—mascara, eyeliner and a pink lipstick that brightened her whole face. Still, I could tell by her tense shoulders and tight lips that Angie was here for business, not pleasure.

  “Where’s Chris tonight?” I asked, leaning up against the wooden porch rail.

  Angie glanced up and gave me a weary smile. “Home,” she said. “With Ida Honeycutt. I want him to be as far away from this place as possible until we get this mess cleaned up.” She shook her head. “Two people dead—one murder caught on tape and one strangled in the middle of a movie set. I’ve got a bad feeling about this one.”

  Soon, people started arriving. Dean showed up with Savannah, both of them appearing to have put some effort into their appearance despite this whole party being a trap.

  Savannah wore black high-waisted pants and a gold crop top that draped nicely over her curves. Dean had swapped his leather jacket and jeans for olive pants and a rather preppy-looking button-down.

  Dean flashed me a smile as he stepped into the cabin. “It’s nice to have a standing invite, isn’t it?”

  Benjamin, still irritated from Dean’s little stunt yesterday, bared his teeth at the surly vampire.

  “Now, now, Benny,” Dean said. “You don’t want to make any enemy out of me. I saw you with pompoms on your feet.”

  Benjamin’s growl intensified, but Dean just laughed.

  Savannah took hold of my hand and leaned in to air-kiss me on both cheeks. “Lovely party, Natalie. Thanks for hosting. I hope tonight goes perfectly.”

  “Yes, excellent party, Natalie.” Dean cleared his throat. “It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the life of the talented producer, Tom Nelson.”

  Blake arrived a few minutes after Dean, strolling up the porch steps and planting a kiss on my cheek. “Wow, that dress.” He gave a low whistle.

  “Thanks,” I said. “But I’m here to do my job, not enjoy the party.” I slid my hand behind my back and felt to make sure the mirror I’d found in Aunt Martha’s stuff was still tucked under my dress. I knew from my research and the vision Dean had showed me that any mirror would be able to imprison a shapeshifter, as long as it was a witch who wielded it.

  Still, that mirror in particular had felt especially powerful. It had called me. I liked to think that maybe Martha or one of my ancestors was watching out for me by dropping that mirror right in front of me.

  Blake touched my cheek and smiled. “Your job is to be your beautiful, charming self.”

  “No, my job is to catch a murderer,” I said, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

  Blake hesitated. “I know that look,” he said. “You’re you’re worried about something ”

  “Am I really that easy to read?” I asked.

  Blake’s tousled James-Dean hair shone in the warm glow of the porch lights. “Relax. You’ve got this.” His hand found mine as he leaned against the door frame.

  The springtime air smelled like flowers and rain.

  I sighed, looking down at the welcome mat. “I know it’s dumb, but sometimes I feel so utterly second-rate, you know? I’m not as skilled as Martha. I’m not as dedicated to my calling as Angie. I’m as kind as you. I’m not as glamorous as Savannah.”

  Blake touched my cheek with the back of his hand. “You’ve got to stop comparing yourself to people. You’re a Wilder witch—the descendent of the one of most powerful covens in the world. Think about how it must feel to be a shapeshifter. They’re basically the outcasts of the supernatural community with no family, no real purpose other than trying to survive, and trying to stay one step ahead of danger. How do you think that would feel?”

  I felt my cheeks redden. “I guess I’ve never thought about it.”

  “You know, in some ways, this shapeshifter is doing a public service. Everyone on Wolf Mountain has gotten much too comfortable flaunting their abilities. Maybe these murders had to happen as a wakeup call.”

  Before I had time to process Blake’s comment, I saw a couple more people heading up the walkway to my front door.

  Several people I recognized as the camera crew for the movie, but the person I was most interested in was Vicki Burgess. It was so fascinating to see her resemblance to Savannah—same long, toned legs, same hourglass shape, same silky black hair.

  “Hi Vicki!” I waved as she made her way up the wooden porch stairs. I snuck a peek over my shoulder to see Benjamin and Angie waiting by the door.

  Everything was in place.

  Vicki Burgess flashed me a smile and strolled into the cabin.

  I flattened myself against the door frame, allowing Vicki to get through.

  A wave of disappointment hit as I watched her walk through the foyer and disappeared into the kitchen. Even in her three-inch spike heels, she walked with the grace and poise of a ballerina.

  “Wow,” I breathed. “So it’s not Vicki.”

  Blake didn’t say anything. He simply stared at the doorway with a puzzled look on his handsome face.

  “Now we just have to wait for Tina and Lenny,” I said.

  A moment later, Liam appeared in the foyer. “Have you two seen Lola?” he called over to Blake and me.

  “She went home to change after helping me set up,” I said.

  He nodded. “Good. She takes ages to get ready. Hopefully, by the time she makes it back up here we’ll have taken care of this nasty business.”

  “Hopefully,” I echoed.

  Then I straightened up as another wave of people trudged up the walkway. Tina Price was in this group. She had truly outdone herself with the way she did her makeup. She had on technicolored eyeshadow that sparkled in the moonlight and a dark shade of plum on her lips.

  I greeted everyone like a good host, but was careful not to actually invite anyone in.

  And then I happened.

  One minute Tina was stepping into the cabin, all smiles. The next minute she’s doubled over, groaning in pain like she’d been punched in the gut.

  So our shapeshifter had been Tina Price all along.

  Angie
was out in the foyer in a blink with a pair of shiny handcuffs.

  Tina’s friends stood around her, shocked, but we had planned for this.

  Dean appeared in the foyer, right on time, and one by one, he looked into each of the party goer’s eyes, compelling them to go in and enjoy the party as if nothing happened.

  But something wasn’t quite right. Even as Angie was snapping the handcuffs on Tina, she was already improving.

  That wasn’t what was supposed to happen. She was still close enough to the door to be affected. She should have been screaming in agony from those wards.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Tina shrieked, tugging against her handcuffs.

  I saw Dean and Ange exchange a look.

  “The bigger question is why are you already recovering?” Dean asked, looking up at the ceiling of the cabin as if hoping to see evidence that the wards were still in place.

  Tina was still a bit wobbly on her heels, but she was upright and conscious.

  Tina’s eyes drooped. “I think I need to sit down,” she said, dazed.

  Benjamin scrambled over to me, his yellow eyes surveying the commotion. “The wards aren’t affecting her as they should,” the Rottweiler said. “She’s only having a mild reaction.”

  “That makes no sense,” I said.

  “A true shapeshifter would be on the ground, fighting to remain conscious. She’s not who we’re looking for,” Benjamin insisted.

  “The werewolf blood,” I breathed. “Remember? She drinks in her protein shake like a weird dietary supplement. It probably set off the wards, but she’s not feeling the full effects because she doesn't have that much in her system right now.” I said. “Angie’s arresting the wrong person.”

  Benjamin growled. “Nothing’s ever easy, is it?”

  It was then that I noticed Blake leisurely strolling down the steps of the cabin.

  “Now where’s he going?” I wondered aloud.

  Then it hit me.

  “That’s not Blake.” I smacked my palm over my face. How could I have been so dumb? The wily shapeshifter had disguised herself as Blake and prompted me to basically tell her my entire plan for sussing out the murderer.

  And I’d totally fallen for it!

  I knew now that Vicki Burgess and Tina Price were innocent.

  That left only one person.

  Lenny Holmes.

  Blake stood in the gravel road, wearing a mischievous grin. He pivoted, turning his back to me. Then the air around him seemed to shiver as Blake turned into someone else—a skinny teenage girl with bright fire-engine red hair. She threw a teasing look back at me, and at first, I couldn’t remember where I saw her face. It wasn’t Lenny Holmes, or anyone I’d seen recently.

  Still, I was sure I’d seen this girl before.

  But where?

  “Sarah Honeycutt,” Benjamin said in a grim tone. “What game is the shapeshifter playing?”

  “It’s Lenny Holmes—it’s got to be,” I said. Of course a detail-oriented assistant would do her research to make sure she wasn’t walking into a trap. She’d been disguised as Blake, biding her time to see if we were on to her or not.

  I thought about how Lenny stopped me from eating the cashews at the lodge dining room yesterday. That was a stupid mistake I’d made. It wouldn’t take much for a smart woman like Lenny Holmes to put together the clues.

  Sure, she’d made some mistakes, like her first murder getting caught on camera, and her second murder done in haste to get whatever evidence Roger had.

  But this woman was smart.

  “Whatever she’s up to,” I said, “we’ve got to stop her.”

  20

  Benjamin and I sprung into action. I yelled for Liam and Ace to get out of the cabin, while Benjamin took off down the gravel road.

  His powerful paws kicked up mud as he sprinted at full speed after Lenny.

  The moment I mentioned the person Lenny had shifted into, Liam’s face had gotten pale. Then he leapt off the porch without waiting for any further explanation.

  Unfortunately, since Lenny Holmes had strategically choses to shift into Sarah Honeycutt, Lola’s deranged vampire sister who was banished from Wolf Mountain years ago, she could use her vampire speed to disappear in a split second.

  That didn’t stop Liam from trying, though. Tall and athletic, Liam tore down the gravel road as fast as his human legs could carry him. I wondered why he didn’t turn right into his werewolf form to even the playing field, but then I remembered—Lola was unaccounted for.

  Liam didn’t have full control over who or what he attacked when he was in his werewolf form, and he probably didn’t want to risk bumping into a completely oblivious party-ready Lola.

  Once I saw Ace Harris and his vampire girlfriend step out onto the porch, I called to Angie and Dean. “It’s Lenny Holmes, and I think she’s got Blake.”

  Those were all the words I could spare because I wasn't going to let Benjamin and Liam have all the fun.

  I hiked up my dress and raced down the road after them.

  I jogged down the road, hoping I’d catch up to them sooner than later. I tried to energetically feel for Benjamin. The bond we shared was strong, and I’d noticed the two of us tended to know where the other was out of some sixth sense.

  It was that same instinct that led me off the road and down a winding path that led into the mountains. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I realized I was on the same path that led up to the Spring Equinox festival.

  But I knew in my heart that would not be our final destination.

  The pull I felt from my familiar was taking deeper into the forest, past the boulder where Benjamin and I had taken selfies.

  Soon the forest opened up into a sprawling grassy plateau. In the daytime, I knew this place probably had one of the best views on Wolf Mountain.

  Benjamin and I had the selfies to prove it.

  At night, however, the terrain was treacherous and oppressively dark. I had my flashlight app going on my phone and the dim light revealed steep drop offs on three sides.

  In the center of the space stood that old farmhouse—the same one Dean had taken me to last night, and the same one I’d seen in my photo at the Spring Equinox festival.

  I felt that same energetic heaviness.

  Which meant I was definitely in the right place.

  The bright moon shed enough light for me to see Benjamin and Liam standing at the base of the abandoned house.

  The windows were bashed in, part of the roof was missing, and the shutters hung at odd angles. It looked as if the whole house could topple over if the wind blew hard enough.

  On top of the house stood the shapeshifter still in the form of Sarah Honeycutt. She held someone tightly in her arms.

  Even in the dark, I could recognize the bright red hair and petite body of Lola Honeycutt.

  No! I thought. Rage boiled inside of me. Of all the people on the Wolf Mountain, how dare this shapeshifter go after Lola.

  The bakery owner was being held hostage, restrained by the shapeshifter’s impossibly strong vampire arms. Poor Lola had appeared to have lost a shoe and was doing her best to stay balanced with one high heel, and one foot flat on that rickety roof.

  A shingle slipped free and bounced onto the grass. Sarah Honeycutt cackled. “How does it feel, Werewolf, to see the woman you love about to die?” she said. “But don’t worry, this is me helping you because I’m going to give you a choice. Show your girlfriend what you are, or watch me break her neck.”

  “Let her go!” Liam yelled. His face was bright red and every muscle in his body was coiled like a snake about to strike.

  Sarah smiled. “Are you sure you want me to do that? Maybe we should ask Lola. I compelled her not to speak unless I’ve spoken to her. I didn’t realize what a screamer she was.”

  Liam was beyond worked up now. His body began to twitch and budge in an inhuman way. I gathered that this was what it looked like right before Liam turned.

 
Sarah turned to a wide-eyed, trembling Lola. “Do you want to die or do you want to see your boyfriend give into his true nature?”

  Lola’s mouth loosened and she took a deep breath. “I don’t want to die,” she said in a surprisingly steady voice. That baker was made of tougher stuff than anyone gave her credit for. “Liam, I don’t understand any of this, but just do what she wants.”

  Liam covered his face with his hands. “You don’t understand,” he said. “I can’t control myself when I’m that way.”

  Sarah nodded. “Well, maybe you should have thought of that before your entire supernatural community betrayed me and my people.”

  I finally made it to Benjamin and Liam, and I braced my hands on my knees, breathing hard. “What’s going on?”

  “She wants me to turn,” Liam said. “Or she’ll kill Lola.”

  I straightened up. Lenny was smart. Maybe she could be reasoned with. “Please, Lenny, think twice about what you’re about to do. Come down and turn yourself in, and we’ll talk about this. I know you’re just trying to keep yourself safe.”

  Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “Safe? Oh, honey, that ship sailed eight long years ago. There’s no keeping anyone safe anymore. You, your people, and your whole town saw to that the moment you all brought that movie crew to film so close to my home. What I want now is revenge.” The shapeshifter turned Lola’s chin so Lola was so looking right at her.

  Sarah uncoiled her arms, and gave her hostage another command. “Take one step toward the ledge.”

  Lola obeyed her order and took one tiny step forward. She wobbled, holding her arms out to keep from falling.

  Sarah folded her arms, clearly pleased with herself. “Liam,” she sang. “We’re waiting. Just show her who you really are and your pretty girlfriend can go on her merry way.”

  Liam was convulsing, desperately trying to keep his feelings at bay so he won’t turn.

  But I didn’t see any other way. This hateful shapeshifter wasn’t backing down.

  “Just do it, Liam,” I said.

  His aqua eyes appeared wild in the moonlight. “No. I’ll… kill her!” he shouted, falling to his knees.