“I was with him when he turned,” I said. “I feel responsible somehow.”
“You were with him where?” my aunt asked.
Ugh. Let the interrogation begin.
“In his office,” I said. “It wasn’t long after Alec went full vampire. I texted the sheriff and he came and tranquilized Alec. I went back to the sheriff’s office with him to answer questions about the incident.”
Florian gaped at me. “Ember, do you realize you’ve been present for every single person’s nightmare so far?”
A lump formed in my throat. “Yes, Florian. I’m very much aware.”
My aunt examined me. “The first one took place during the board meeting, where we were all present.”
“That’s right,” I said. “And then Bentley, Trupti, Alec, and the sheriff.”
Aster frowned. “Can that be a coincidence, Mother?”
“I’m not sure what to make of it,” my aunt replied, swirling the liquid in her glass. “What does Deputy Bolan think?”
“We’ve spoken to a couple of suspects, but no solid leads have turned up,” I said. “And Wren doesn’t think it can be me. He said I’d know. That I’d feel something.” But I felt nothing except guilty.
“I agree,” Aunt Hyacinth said. “If it can overtake the sheriff and Alec Hale, the curse is too powerful for you to have a hand in it.”
“Maybe someone should make Florian’s worst fear come true,” Aster said. “At least he’d end up with a job or married to a reputable witch.”
Florian pretended to laugh. “Such a quirky sense of humor, dear sister.”
“Isn’t Florian working at the tourism office?” I asked.
“He comes and goes,” Aster said airily. “I haven’t seen you there recently.”
I straightened in my chair. “I’ve been preoccupied with hexing and cursing the townsfolk, apparently. I’ll come this week. I swear.”
“Ember’s been given an extra coven session with Wren,” Aunt Hyacinth said. “Ember is a Rose and magic comes first for this family. Everything else is secondary.”
At the mention of family, my gaze shifted to the banner with the family crest above the mantel, with its dark blue background, full moon, and stars with a red rose in front of the moon. The family motto—carpe noctem—was embroidered along the bottom. Seize the night. What if everyone was wrong about me? What if the magic inside me was taking the motto too literally and dragging people’s nightmares into the light of day? And, if that was the case, how would I stop it?
Chapter 13
I stood in the kitchen with my wand pointed at the crockpot. I figured I’d try to practice magic and cooking at the same time. If Linnea could touch the oven and create a pot roast, I could work wonders with a crockpot. Marley would be so impressed. I thumbed through the magical recipe book with my free hand, trying to find the page I’d just lost. I was fascinated to learn how meatloaf could be made via magic.
PP3 sat by my feet, as though expecting pieces of food to drop on the floor. He didn’t seem to realize I hadn’t started yet.
A sudden yelp made me jump. For a second, I thought I’d accidentally stepped on his paw. It happened on occasion, usually when he was shadowing me in a narrow space like the kitchen.
“What is it, buddy?” I asked. He cowered beside me, so I bent to examine him.
A knock on the door interrupted my inspection. PP3 didn’t bark at the intrusion. Instead, he remained rooted to the kitchen floor.
“I’ll be right back,” I told him, and went to answer the door.
I was shocked to see my aunt on the doorstep. She usually sent Simon to deliver messages or to escort me back to the main house.
“Good day, niece,” she said. “May I come in?” Today’s kaftan was covered in a design of pink and red roses. At least there were no cat faces to upset PP3, although now I understood his odd behavior a moment ago. My aunt intimidated him even through walls and doors.
I stepped aside. “My cottage is your cottage.”
Once inside, she stopped and surveyed the homey interior. “I suppose you’ve done what you can with the place under the circumstances.”
I followed her gaze. Done what I can? The cottage was ready for the pages of Adorable Homes Interior or whatever magazine existed for the purpose of showing off warm, inviting spaces.
“Aren’t you going to offer me a drink or a bite to eat?” Aunt Hyacinth asked.
“I wasn’t sure you planned to stay that long,” I replied.
“Doesn’t matter what my intentions are, darling. You should always ask.”
Ugh. My aunt and her acute sense of propriety.
“Would you like a drink, Aunt Hyacinth?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“That’s better.” She paused. “No, thank you. It’s early and I suspect you’ve been lured into buying the cheap stuff. I should send Simon shopping for you one day. He has exceptional taste.”
I held my breath so as not to give her a severe tongue lashing. After all, she was the person I had to thank for my life now. It was Aunt Hyacinth’s concern that brought Marley and me to Starry Hollow. I could forgive a lot when my daughter was as happy as Marley was now.
“What brings you all the way across the grass?” I asked. “Is Simon injured?”
I could tell by the pinched look on my aunt’s face that she didn’t want to say whatever words were about to leave her coral-colored lips.
“Ember, your presence has been requested before the Council of Elders,” she said.
“Again? Why?” I’d attended a meeting once before when I first arrived in town and the council wanted to interrogate me. I didn’t care to repeat the process.
“They wish to speak with you about the nightmare curse. I told you they’d launched their own investigation. They’re very concerned.”
Inwardly, I groaned. “And they think I’m to blame?”
“Not necessarily, but, as you mentioned at dinner, you do seem to be the common thread.”
Me and my big mouth. When would I learn? “You said yourself that you don’t believe I had anything to do with it.” And I desperately wanted to believe her.
“I still don’t, darling. You’re not that capable.”
“Um, thanks.” I blew out a breath. “So, when do I need to make an appearance?”
“This evening,” my aunt replied. “I’ll already be at the meeting, but I’ll send transport.”
“You mean a horse.”
“Yes, of course. The horse will know the way.”
“What about…?”
“I’ll send Mrs. Babcock to look after Marley as well,” she said, anticipating my question. She paused for a beat. “I don’t know where you learned it, Ember, but you’re a good mother.”
“Is it possible for you to say anything nice without it sounding like a backhanded compliment?” I asked.
She considered the question. “You should simply say thank you.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
I caught sight of PP3 in the kitchen doorway, wary of taking a closer step.
“Why is my dog so afraid of you?” I asked.
“Because he’s intelligent,” she said, and then added, “for a dog.” She moved toward the door. “The horse will be out front at nine o’clock. Don’t be late.”
“No pumpkin carriage?” I queried.
My aunt ignored me and sailed out the door.
I wasn’t late. Mrs. Babcock made sure of that. She arrived early with a knitting bag because Marley was already tucked in bed. Council meeting or not, it was a school night and I wasn’t going to disrupt my daughter’s sleep pattern.
“They can be a fierce lot, but don’t let them intimidate you,” Mrs. Babcock warned, as I prepared to leave the cottage.
“It’s hard not to be, with all their cloaks and candles,” I said.
“They’ve been around a long time and they think they own this town, but they don’t,” she said firmly.
“No, they can’t own this town
because Aunt Hyacinth already does.”
Mrs. Babcock smiled. “She is rather powerful, your aunt. You stay on her good side and you’ll be right as rain.”
“I try,” I said, “but she doesn’t make it easy sometimes.”
“She can be difficult, but she loves her family. Make no mistake about it. That’s her saving grace.”
“She spoils Florian,” I said. “That’s not good for either one of them.”
“And you spoil Marley in your own way,” Mrs. Babcock said. “Yet no one is telling you how to be a better parent.”
“Marley’s ten,” I said. “Florian is a grown man.”
“But he’ll always be your aunt’s baby boy. Doesn’t matter how old he is.” Her eyes twinkled. “You’ll see when Marley gets older. It’ll be exactly the same for you.”
PP3 began to bark—a signal that my horse had arrived.
“Hopefully, I won’t be late getting back,” I said.
Mrs. Babcock settled into a chair with her knitting bag. “Don’t hurry on my account. I’m something of a night owl.”
I slipped on my silver cloak, tucked my wand in the pocket, and headed out the door. The large white horse stood on the front lawn, practically glowing in the darkness.
“Hey there, Candle,” I said.
The horse whinnied in response.
I stroked the soft mane. “I guess I need to get myself up here this time.” I wasn’t the most adept at getting myself on the back of a horse, not without my cousins to help me.
It wasn’t easy and it took a few embarrassing tries, but I finally managed. Candle was kind enough to lower herself so I could get a solid grip before throwing a leg over the side. Very dignified. Good thing I was wearing pants under my cloak.
The moon was high in the sky and the stars blinked in greeting as we traveled along the coastline toward the hidden cave where council meetings were held. I listened to the sound of the waves as they crashed against the rocks and then flattened into silence.
“You’re a good driver,” I said to the horse.
We stopped outside the mouth of the cave and Candle maneuvered close to a boulder, so that I didn’t have to drop all the way to the ground.
“Clever Candle,” I said, patting her back. “Now wait here in case we need to make a fast getaway. Who knows what crimes the Council of Old Timers will accuse me of?”
I sauntered into the cave, not as intimidated as the last time I was here. At least this time I knew what to expect. My aunt met me in the neck of the cave.
“Good work, my dear,” she said. “Punctuality is a virtue. Never forget it.”
“Hard to forget when there’s a big white horse outside your front door.”
“Try not to answer questions that haven’t been asked,” she whispered. “Let the council do the work.”
In other words, keep your big mouth shut. Got it.
We entered the larger part of the cave where the council members sat around a table.
“Our special guest has arrived,” Aunt Hyacinth announced. “Ember, please take a seat beside me.”
I joined my aunt at the table and managed a smile. “Good evening, everyone. Haven’t seen most of you since the last time I was summoned here to defend myself against criminal charges.”
My aunt shot me a disapproving look.
“I understand you were with Alec Hale when he was overtaken by the curse,” Victorine said. Victorine Del Bianco was the head of the vampire coven.
“I was,” I said. “He came into the office when I was there alone and began to act strangely.”
“I don’t like the way people are talking about him,” Victorine said. “Using phrases like ‘going full vamp.’ It’s disrespectful to our community.”
I didn’t know how to respond. “I’ve been to see him at the sheriff’s office. He asked me to stop visiting until he’s back to…” I nearly said ‘normal’ but wondered whether Victorine would object to that term as well. “Back to his old self.”
“I’ve been to see him for myself,” Victorine said. “He looks unwell in my opinion. I hired a warlock to try and reverse the spell, but it had no effect.”
My aunt slowly turned to stare down Victorine. “You did what?”
The vampire rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes. I know the coven is not a fan of warlocks.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” asked Oliver Dagwood, an elderly wizard.
“Because Alec is one of mine and it’s my duty to take care of him,” Victorine said. “I expect the pack has taken similar steps to reverse the spell on Sheriff Nash.” She eyed the elderly werewolf, Arthur Rutledge.
Arthur hung his head. “We have, indeed, but to no avail. The pack is greatly concerned about the sheriff’s worsening condition. His body isn’t coping well with his lupine form. He needs to shift.”
“So I take it you didn’t call me out here to witness your disagreements,” I interjected.
The head of every council member turned toward me.
“True. We did not,” Misty Brookline said. The fairy gave me a pointed look. “We have been discussing the various nightmares at length and have determined that the only commonality is you, Miss Rose.”
“Yes, I came to that conclusion myself, but as my aunt so wisely stated, I’m not nearly advanced enough with magic to perform a curse like this. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“She only recently selected her starter wand,” Aunt Hyacinth added. “She’s mastered locking and unlocking recently. That’s it. She’s hardly setting the paranormal world on fire.”
I cast a sidelong glance at my aunt. I thought I was a natural and now she was underplaying my skills. She also seemed to be keeping very careful tabs on my progress. Why was it so important to her? Because I was a Rose…or some other reason?
“Walk us through each curse as it happened,” Victorine said. “Starting with the first one.”
“I was present for the first one,” Aunt Hyacinth said. “I told you that.”
“Let the girl tell us from her perspective,” Victorine said. “We’re well acquainted with your perspective on all matters, Hyacinth.”
My aunt’s eyes glinted in the candlelight. Her expression said that she did not take kindly to the vampire’s dismissive tone of voice. I didn’t mind being called ‘girl,’ though. Even though I knew it was disrespectful, it made me feel young.
I relayed each curse as it unfolded, giving every detail I remembered about the victims and their reactions. When I finished, everyone stared at me silently.
“No big ideas?” I asked. “Come on. You’re supposed to be a bunch of wise elders with your fancy staffs and your cave-dwelling meetings.”
My aunt placed a hand on my arm. “Thank you for your contribution, Ember.”
“I have a question for Ember,” Arthur said. “Why were you alone with Sheriff Nash in his office?”
“We were talking about Alec,” I said.
“Is that all you were doing?” Arthur pressed.
I squirmed in my seat. I didn’t want to reveal that he’d been drinking on the job. I knew they would misunderstand and my aunt was always looking for a reason to cast aspersions on the sheriff’s character. She wasn’t a fan of werewolves.
“And what about Alec?” Victorine asked. “Why were you alone with him in the office? Where was Tanya?”
“Tanya was out and Bentley had just left,” I said.
I didn’t like the direction the questions were going. They felt accusatory, as though I maneuvered to be alone with the victims.
“I wasn’t alone with Bentley when his fear took hold,” I said. “It was an art gallery full of people. And, I told you, the board meeting included my family.”
“But you were alone with Trupti,” Victorine said. “She also told me that you and Alec seem to have developed a…special relationship.”
I gulped. I felt my aunt’s eyes burning a whole through my skin. “He’s my boss. I guess you can call that special.”
&
nbsp; “That’s not what she meant, I assure you,” Victorine said. “Perhaps you were unhappy when you discovered his previous relationship with Trupti and decided to punish them both.”
My eyes popped. “Are you nuts? First of all, I told you my magic sucks at this point. Second of all, I’m not stupid enough to mess with two powerful vampires. Bentley, sure, he’s an elf and not very scary, but Alec…” I trailed off. “And Sheriff Nash is a werewolf. He could have killed me if Deputy Bolan hadn’t come along with a tranquilizer gun.”
“Score one for the leprechauns,” Mervin O’Malley blurted. His cheeks burned crimson.
“I’ll be honest,” I said. “Deputy Bolan isn’t my favorite Starry Hollow resident, but he’s good at his job.”
Mervin smiled proudly. “That he is. And people were skeptical when the sheriff announced him as the new deputy.” He looked around the room. “Some of you were skeptical, as I recall.”
“Now can we stop wasting time on my niece and focus on identifying the real culprit?” Aunt Hyacinth asked. “The curses are going to keep happening unless we get to the bottom of it.”
“I think it might make sense to broaden the scope of the investigation,” I said. “Talk to residents who may have a chip on their shoulder. Paranormals mad at the world, not revenge on a specific target.”
“That might explain the absence of a connection between the victims,” Oliver said.
“So you think someone is expressing anger or frustration through random acts of magical violence?” Arthur queried.
“It’s a possibility,” I said. “Everyone else I’ve talked to so far has been ruled out. We need to switch gears.”
Misty raised a hand. “Don’t you find it odd that there hasn’t been a new curse since Alec and Sheriff Nash were afflicted?”
“Why is that odd?” Oliver asked.
“Because they’d been happening one after the other and now there’s a lull,” the older fairy said. “Why? Maybe if we can figure out the reason, we can catch the culprit.”
It was a good question. “And some of the nightmares came and went quickly,” I added, “but Alec and the sheriff are still under the spell. Why?”
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