The council members began to murmur to each other. It was always disconcerting when not even the oldest and wisest among us had an answer. Memories of Alec’s tortured face and the sheriff’s painful transformation sprang to mind and my stomach twisted.
“Perhaps because they are the strongest of the afflicted group,” Amaryllis Elderflower said.
“Then the curse should be shorter, not longer,” Oliver pointed out.
My aunt placed her palms flat on the table. “We can come up with theories all night. Before we do so, I hereby move to end the speculation regarding my niece and allow her to leave. Are we clear?”
“I second the motion,” Amaryllis said.
Heads bobbed up and down.
My aunt nodded to me. “You’re free to go, my dear. Candle will get you home safely.”
“Thank you,” I said, to no one in particular. “I’m sorry it wasn’t me. In some ways, that would make all this easier. Then we could reverse it.”
“My word, Ember.” My aunt’s expression softened. “Be careful, darling. I do believe your heart is showing.”
Chapter 14
I was so blinded by clumps of hair in my face that I failed to notice I was being followed. Candle noticed first—her nostrils flared and she began to pick up speed along the coastal path.
“Slow down, girl,” I said. “What’s wrong?”
She whinnied in response.
“Is there a spell that lets me speak horse?” I asked.
A low growl reverberated behind me and I knew what was spooking the majestic horse. I craned my neck and saw several sets of yellow eyes glowing in the inky black of night.
“Crap on a stick. Werewolves,” I whispered. Were they like the sheriff, trapped in wolf form and slowly going nuts? Or just garden-variety werewolves out for a midnight run?
I gripped Candle tightly, uncertain what to do. Were they growling at the horse or me? Maybe we were in their way. I guided the horse to the side, my heart thumping wildly, hoping the pack would simply pass by.
They didn’t.
My hand slipped into the pocket of the cloak and my fingers curled around the base of the wand. Werewolves weren’t doors, so the locking spell was useless, but I figured I’d come up with something in a pinch.
The wolves circled around the horse. They clearly had no intention of passing by.
“What do you want?” I asked, in the voice I used to reserve for unsolicited sales calls at my apartment.
The wolf in the front bared its fangs and my skin tingled with fear.
“Sheriff Nash is my friend,” I yelled. “He wouldn’t like whatever it is you’re trying to do to me.” I brandished my wand like a sword. “I have magic and I’m not afraid to use it.”
The growls deepened and the wolves crept closer. The nearest one looked ready to lunge forward. I ran through different spells in my head to see if there was anything to save me from a wolf attack.
I pointed my wand and said the first spell that came to mind. “Mutatio purpureus.”
Even in the darkness, I could see that all the wolves’ fur coats turned purple. Uh oh. Not the defensive spell I was hoping for.
The wolf in the front began to shift. Bones popped and muscles stretched until a fully naked man stood in front of me. His hair—all his hair—was bright purple.
“What in hell’s bells?” he asked, raking a hand through his colorful mop.
“Who are you and why are you following me?” I demanded, pointing my wand in the most menacing fashion I could manage.
“The name’s Lucas Black. We want to know what you did to the sheriff,” he said. “We know he’s sick and that you’re responsible.”
“I’m not responsible,” I insisted. “In fact, I was just cleared by the Council of Elders. Your leader was there. Ask Arthur.”
Lucas seemed surprised by this news. “Wyatt said you’re the one thing that connects all the victims.”
“Wyatt said that?” Anger boiled within me. “It’s true I was with each of the victims, but I didn’t curse them. I wouldn’t even know how. Besides, I like everyone involved. I have no reason to harm them.” I kept Bentley’s annoying habits to myself. Now didn’t seem like the time to mention his penchant for coughing without covering his mouth.
“I’ve been to visit the sheriff as often as I can because I’m worried about him,” I said. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. He’s been one of the bright spots…” I stopped when I realized I was saying too much. Members of the pack didn’t need to know my personal feelings about Sheriff Nash. I hadn’t even admitted them to myself.
Lucas grinned. “So you like the sheriff?”
Another wolf shifted to a nude woman with cropped purple hair. “You mean you kinda like him, or you like him?”
“Are we in third grade?” I asked, trying not to stare at the woman’s enormous boobs. How did she keep her balance? Okay, maybe we were in third grade.
Another naked man popped up where a wolf had been crouched. “I think she really likes him. I heard they had sex in his office and that’s what turned him into a wolf.”
My eyes bulged. “Sweet baby Elvis. That is not what happened. Who told you that?”
“Someone on the forensics team,” the werewolf replied.
“That’s…that’s crazy,” I sputtered. “I have not had sex with the sheriff. I haven’t even kissed him.”
“But you want to,” the woman said. “Because you like him.”
“Okay, listen up,” I said. “It’s late. I’m tired and I want to go home. I didn’t curse your favorite sheriff with my magical hoo-ha, and the extent to which I like him is my business, not yours. Got it?”
The werewolves looked at each other and shrugged.
“Can you change our hair back to its normal color first?” Lucas asked. “I don’t want to get laughed out of the bar tonight.”
“Not me,” the woman said. “I kinda like the eggplant color.”
“Sorry. I’m not doing individual spells,” I told her. I pointed my wand and used rescindo to restore their natural colors.
“If we find out you’ve lied to us about the sheriff,” Lucas said, “we’ll be back.”
“You can come back,” I said, “but I won’t be here. I don’t make a habit of hanging out in the middle of the forest at night, unlike you guys.”
With those words, I nudged Candle to take me home. She galloped down the path, leaving the wolves far behind. It was only when we arrived back at the cottage that I realized my hands were shaking.
I was exhausted the next morning when I dragged myself down to the Vox Populi office. I located Tanya and Bentley in Alec’s office, lamenting his absence.
“This is worse than when he was a frog,” Tanya moaned.
“Of course it is,” Bentley said. “When he was a frog, he had those adorable little fangs. In crazed vampire mode, his fangs are downright scary.”
“His little frog fangs were cute,” I said. I tried to forget the fact that he’d spent time in my bedroom in his frog form and had seen me naked. “Has he ever gone feral vamp before?” Maybe his condition was unrelated to the sheriff’s. A coincidence.
Tanya vehemently shook her head. “Absolutely not. Alec Hale is a true gentleman.”
“Yes, that’s been my impression,” I said, “but I haven’t known him very long. I was wondering if he’d gone through a bad boy vampire phase before he discovered a love of tailored suits and shiny loafers.”
“He’s much older than I am,” Tanya said. “I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t know much about his history. He doesn’t speak of it often.”
“I think it’s why he writes fantasy books,” Bentley said. “As a way of dealing with his past.”
“A coping mechanism?” I asked. Some people drank; Alec wrote bestselling novels as a way of exorcising his demons, except that, technically, he was a demon.
“You’ve only read The Final Prophecy,” Bentley said. “If you read some of the others,
you’ll understand what I mean.”
Now I was curious. “That reminds me…The dedication in The Final Prophecy is to someone called Tatiana. Who is she?” Marley had noticed the dedication page that I’d skipped over and asked me about it.
“I think I’d rather keep what I know to myself,” Tanya said, and began tidying papers on Alec’s desk.
“Tanya, you’re just moving papers around,” I accused. “Tell me what you know about Tatiana. Is she the one who left town with a centaur a few years ago? The woman he and Sheriff Nash were both in love with?”
Bentley raised a skinny elfin eyebrow. “Who told you that?”
“Linnea,” I said. “Wyatt used to tell her everything going on with his brother when they were married.”
“Too bad Wyatt didn’t tell her everything going on with him,” Bentley said. “Could have saved your cousin a lot of heartache.”
“We’re not talking about Linnea,” I said. “We’re talking about the mysterious Tatiana.”
“Go on, Tanya,” Bentley urged. “Tell her.”
I glanced from Bentley to Tanya. “You’re hiding something. I can feel it.”
Tanya placed her fingertips on the desk and inhaled sharply. “Tatiana is my niece.”
“Your niece?” I echoed. “She’s a fairy?”
Tanya nodded slowly. “I feel somewhat responsible for the whole debacle, to be honest. I’m the one who introduced her to Alec, you see.”
“That’s not the whole story,” Bentley said. “Don’t blame yourself for any of it, Tanya. You know perfectly well that Tatiana had fairy magic at her disposal.”
“Don’t all fairies have fairy magic at their disposal?” I asked. “Except ex-convicts.” Fairies like Robina Mapperton, the new owner of Snips-n-Clips, were stripped of their fairy magic when convicted of serious crimes.
“Bentley means she used fairy magic in an unethical manner,” Tanya said. “She liked Alec, but she liked the idea of watching him compete for her more. She pitted the sheriff and Alec against each other as a game.” Tanya pressed her lips together. “I’m not proud of her behavior. It was the best-case scenario when she left town.”
I wrinkled my brow. “Do they know she used magic on them?”
“They do,” Tanya said. “And I think they were both humiliated by the experience.”
“Then why do they still hate each other?” I asked. “If neither one of them was actually in love with her?”
“But they believed they were,” Bentley said. “The emotions they experienced felt genuine. The love, the jealousy, the ultimate humiliation. Don’t discount the power of magic.”
“That’s awful,” I said. “Do you keep in touch with Tatiana?”
Tanya’s expression darkened. “I do not, although my sister updates me on occasion. I suffer the information in silence. And should she ever flutter a wing back in Starry Hollow, I’ll be the first to see about having her passport revoked.”
“What about the centaur?” I asked. “Is she still with him?”
“No, she tired of him rather quickly,” Tanya said. “The last I heard, she was in Asia with yet another paranormal paramour.”
“It’s hard to imagine Sheriff Nash or Alec being taken advantage of by a fairy,” I said. “They both seem too smart for that.”
“Tatiana is a gifted fairy,” Tanya said, with the hint of a smile. “Runs in the family.”
“But you chose the light and she chose darkness,” Bentley said.
“I don’t think she chose it, so much as it chose her,” Tanya said. “She was a troublemaker from the first, I’m afraid. I never should have introduced her to Alec.”
I patted Tanya’s shoulder. “This happened years ago and both men seem unaffected, except for the fact that they loathe each other. That was bound to happen anyway with the whole werewolf versus vampire thing.”
“You’re very sweet, Ember,” Tanya said. “I appreciate it.” She fixed her concerned gaze on me. “It’s you I’m worried about now.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
She cleared her throat. “Well, it seems both gentlemen have shown a preference for you.”
“A preference for me? Are we in a Jane Austen novel?” Because I’d be totally cool with that, despite the silly bonnets.
“They both like you,” Bentley blurted. “There, I said it. By the gods, it’s like watching a wildlife documentary on mating rituals. Now can we stop pretending we don’t notice?” He shot Tanya an accusatory look.
I hesitated. I didn’t want to admit the things Alec had said to me. They were far too personal. Instead, I said, “The sheriff doesn’t like me in that way. It’s more in the vein of a tagalong little sister.”
“If Sheriff Nash looked at my sister the way he looks at you, I’d be locking her up for the next five years,” Bentley said.
“Okay, first of all, that’s sexist. Why should your sister be locked up because a man finds her attractive? Second of all, you have a sister? How did I not know this?” And here I thought Bentley was the annoying brother I never had. I didn’t realize the position was already taken. I felt a little disappointed.
“His sister’s name is Eloise and she lives in Elf Haven,” Tanya said. “She attends the university there.”
“Is she a journalism major?” I asked.
“Magical engineering,” Bentley said. “She loves to tinker.”
“Good for her,” I said. Inwardly, I sighed with relief that I was able to shift the conversation away from me. I had a big mouth at the best of times, and I didn’t want to blab to Alec’s employees that he had the hots for me, especially now when he was in such a vulnerable state.
“Have you and Deputy Bolan come up with any new leads?” Bentley asked. “The curse seems to be getting worse with each new victim.”
“I met with the Council of Elders last night,” I said. “It’s likely we want to cast a wider net. Instead of focusing on the specific victims, try to think of residents that have suffered a loss recently. Magic users that might be angry at the world and wreaking havoc out of anger or frustration.”
“That’s an interesting thought,” Tanya said. “I do know a rather horrible story.”
“And we didn’t run a story on it?” Bentley asked, annoyed.
Tanya shook her head. “Not that kind of story. Her name is Daffodil. I know her from the farmer’s market.” The fairy looked at me. “She’s one of yours. You might want to speak with her.” She clucked her tongue. “Tragic story involving her familiar.”
“I’ll head over in a few minutes,” I said.
“I should get a move on, too, if I expect to visit Alec before my hair appointment,” Tanya said. “I’m going to stop by the blood bank on my way to the sheriff’s office and pick him up a nice, thick bloodshake.”
“That sounds…gross,” I said. “But I guess he’ll love it.”
“I do hope he snaps out of it soon,” Tanya said. “The paper needs him.”
“Plus, he has a book deadline,” Bentley said. “I saw it on his calendar.”
Tanya snapped her fingers. “You’re right. I’ll need to keep an eye on that.”
“Which book is he working on?” I asked. “Another one in The Final Prophecy series?”
“Not sure,” Tanya said. “He’s been very secretive with this one.”
“Typical Alec,” I said. “Skulking around writing secret books.”
“I’m going to finish the article I’m writing,” Bentley said. “Someone needs to keep this paper going during our fearless leader’s incarceration.”
“How’s Meadow, by the way?” I asked. “Did everything get resolved between you two lovebirds?”
He lifted his chin a fraction. “It did, actually. I’m taking her to dinner tonight.”
“I’m glad.”
He opened his mouth, as though ready for a snappy comeback. “You are?”
“Of course I am. I don’t like seeing you miserable, Bentley. It brings down the whole vibe in th
e office.”
“So my happiness is really about your comfort level.”
I folded my arms. “Would you rather I mock you mercilessly? Because I can pivot with the best of them.”
Bentley waved me off. “Thank you for your warm tidings.” He slipped back to his desk before I could say more.
I lingered in Alec’s office, wishing there was something I could do to help him. I sat behind his desk and tapped on his keyboard. Maybe if I could find his book information, I could let the publisher know that he’d be late.
The screen lit up and I scanned the file directory for the most recent saves. I clicked on the file labeled A.B. Ellis. Maybe that was his contact at the publisher’s office.
The file opened and I read the first page that included a title and summary of the book. Filthy Witch by A.B. Ellis. My jaw dropped as I continued to read. The book was about a forbidden romance between a centuries-old vampire and a new witch. I fanned myself as I read the remainder of the description. I had no doubt that A.B. Ellis was Alec’s pen name. He could disguise his identity, but he couldn’t disguise his voice. I recognized it easily after reading The Final Prophecy.
“Alec, you naughty vampire,” I said. Resisting the temptation to read more, I closed the file. According to his calendar, the deadline was still two weeks from now. He had to be better before then. He just had to.
Bentley poked his head in the doorway. “Didn’t you say you were driving out to see Daffodil?”
I shut down the computer before Bentley came over to see what I was doing. “Yes, yes. I’m going now. Don’t rush me.”
He gave me a curious look before disappearing back to his desk. I tried to block the book’s description from my mind. Alec was already deadly attractive. The last thing I needed was a steamy romance novel that featured the two of us as its main characters.
I blew out a sexually frustrated breath and left the office.
Daffodil lived on a burstberry farm on the northwestern outskirts of town. The white farmhouse had a gabled roof and a generous front porch complete with two red rocking chairs. The setting was as picturesque as the house itself. Fields stretched away from the house in every direction—an oasis of calm.
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