Full Moons, Dunes & Macaroons_A Cozy Witch Mystery

by Erin Johnson

  The men spoke a few more words, and then the officer turned to go, dismissed. As he ducked out, Urs called to him, "And close za flaps on za vay out."

  "Da, Varden Volker."

  Sea snakes! I had to get out of here before they sealed me in. I pushed off the tent fabric and flew across the open air of the tent as quickly as I could, but the officer had already stepped out.

  "Veinhardt!" Urs barked.

  The officer stepped back inside immediately and stood at attention.

  "Get zat disgusting insect out off here." He waved a hand in dismissal and I realized he was talking about me. I flew on as quickly as I could and as the officer swiped at me, I dodged and ducked out of the tent and into the cool night air. I breathed a sigh of relief as I zipped away, until I sensed another diving bat headed straight for me. I dodged and swerved, but it moved with me, zipping between the tents, its squeaks and screeches deafening.

  The bat closed in on me and my heart raced in panic until I reached the oasis. Just as I sensed the bat a millimeter behind me, I squeezed my eyes shut and visualized becoming myself, my real human self, with all my might. Midair, the tornado of magic caught me up, spun me around, and dumped me out as my human self. I dropped through the air until my feet hit the ground. I stumbled forward, slammed into something, then fell to a crumpled heap in the soft sand. I lay there, panting. The lap of the water against the shore met my ears, and I spotted the killer bat spiraling up and away into the night sky. I squinted. Francis? That you?

  "You made it out alive."

  I rolled to my side and found Horace beside me, sprawled on his back. I sat up quickly and shook his shoulder. "Are you all right? What happened?"

  His eyes flashed. "You knocked me over."

  "I did?" I pressed a hand to my chest and breathed a sigh of relief to have human hands again. Then I realized what had happened. "The thing I slammed into, was you?"

  He stared at me, expressionless. My first instinct was to apologize, but then my adrenaline crashed and I realized how close I'd come to being eaten alive. I chuckled and his eyes widened. I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but—" I chuckled again, then laughed, then burst into giggles. "I was flying away from a bat," I gasped out between fits of laughter. I buried my face in my hands. When I peeked between my fingers I found Horace staring up at the stars, his hands behind his head. I cleared my throat and vowed to calm down. I rolled to my back and looked up, listening to the soft lapping of the water.

  Horace broke the easy silence between us. "It's strange, not being alone after so long."

  I swallowed.

  "I like it."

  Warmth spread through my chest, but I sniffed. "Oh come on. You've got a whole army, you're not alone… are you?" I looked sideways at him.

  He lay quiet for a moment, then smirked. "They're all a bunch of yes-men, it feels like talking to myself." His eyes shifted to me. "This is better."

  12

  Slow Hands

  I hustled through the halls of the palace, skirting by busy servants. The whole place was in a tizzy as the household prepared for the wedding tomorrow. The garlands of lilies, roses, and jasmine hung over the railing into the courtyard and the servants scurrying about with piles of wrapped presents made it hard not to think about Hank's impending marriage. And I was trying really hard. I attempted to catch someone's eye to ask directions to the bakery, but no one paid me any attention.

  I'd gotten in late last night and Maple, K'ree, and Annie were already sleeping. Iggy had opted to sleep in the oven with the other baking fires apparently, so I slid into bed and pulled the mosquito netting shut around me without a chance to speak to any of my friends. I lay there for a while before I fell asleep, thinking over Bernhardt's death. If Urs was guilty, it was going to be difficult to prove, and I'd have to make sure I had hard evidence. Urs himself had admitted that the protective spells had allowances for both him and Bernhardt, making Urs one of the only people with the ability to use magic against him. But Bernhardt hadn't been killed with magic. Had Urs killed him in that way because using magic would have turned suspicion on him?

  On the camel ride back to the city last night, Horace had explained what the warden had meant by "emergency spell." The Air Kingdom was full of innovators and inventors, they loved to mix technology and magic. And apparently they manufactured little boxes that stored spells for deployment in an emergency setting. Bernhardt's had ensured that the murderer's magical powers were disabled in the tent, which should have given Bernhardt an advantage, except that this person was both strong and had military training in hand-to-hand combat.

  Horace also explained what Urs had likely meant when I overheard him at the crime scene saying one of his spells would have made an intruder violently ill. The Air Kingdom had perfected the use of charms for holding spells. Some existed that, if hung over a doorway (or an entrance to a tent), would cause anyone who entered without permission to become ill or suffer some terrible fate. The charm required magical charging daily, but it was effective protection.

  No matter how hard I thought, the pieces wouldn't come together, and I eventually drifted off to sleep. I'd awoken about half an hour ago and found a note on my nightstand from Maple, telling me that she'd talked to Amelia and gotten her to lift my ban from the bakery. I'd been elated, then horrified to find it was nearly midmorning and I was hours late for work. Of course, my boss was Maple so I wasn't too worried about getting in trouble, but I felt anxious to see my friends. So much had happened yesterday, and while I wasn't sure how much I was ready to share, especially about meeting with Horace, I craved the comfort of talking some of it over with Maple and Iggy.

  Only now, again, I was lost. I stopped and turned around. Which was the back of the riad? As I wondered, someone passed by and shoulder clipped me, hard. I lurched forward.

  "Ow!" I rubbed my arm and turned to find Ario Tuk, the chauvinistic idiot from the wedding feast, glaring at me. No wonder he'd hit me, his shoulders were as wide as half the hallway. A thin red cut ran the length of his left cheek, through his beard. I cocked my head to the side—wonder where he got that?

  "Apologize."

  I lifted my brows. "You ran into me."

  "You were standing in my way!"

  It was my turn to glare, but he didn't notice. He was too busy smoothing his white robes down with his enormous, thick hands. "Well, since you've thrown yourself in my path, I've been looking for a servant to bring me some food. Time to stop standing around and do your job." He lifted his thick brows. "Well. What are you waiting for? I want breakfast in my room in five."

  I planted my hands on my hips. "No." For so many reasons, but I decided to give him the most pertinent. "It's not my job." I turned to go, though I still had no idea where the bakery was. Then I paused and spun on my heel. "And I pity the person whose job it is." I jabbed my finger at him.

  His face darkened and he seemed to puff up bigger. "Disobedient and lippy! I have never experienced such rude servants. Were this my family's palace, I guarantee you'd not only be fired, but hanged."

  Oh wow. This guy was unlikely to be voted boss of the year.

  "And my guy is sick." Ario's lip curled in disgust. "I can't wait until he's feeling better and I don't have to deal with subpar servants like you. I'm docking extra from his pay for the inconvenience."

  I shook my head and trembled with anger. What a jerk. Docking his servant's pay for being ill? Like he'd gotten sick on purpose. I sniffed. Just dealing with Ario day in and day out would make me ill.

  Before I could spout something off that I'd likely later regret, Shaday swept up in a flowing red gown, her black hair gathered in a long, wavy ponytail down her back, and huge gold hoops glinting in her ears.

  "Imogen." She dipped her chin in a nod at me. I curtsied back and let out a shaky breath. Her gaze swung to Ario and her tone flattened. "Ario."

  His face slid into an overly cheerful grin, his teeth flashing white against his thick black beard. "Princess Sh
aday, what a pleasure to see you."

  Her eyes narrowed.

  "Don't let me hold you up. You must be busy preparing for the big day tomorrow." He bowed and I lifted a brow in surprise—shocking that with all those muscles on muscles he was actually able to bend over. He stood and backed away. "Best of luck for tomorrow."

  Once he'd turned his back, Shaday gave a slight shake of her head, which for her was as good as an eye roll and a heavy sigh.

  "He wanted my hand, you know. I'm assuming he's trying a new tactic, being polite."

  I raised my brows.

  Shaday stepped closer and lowered her voice. Only a couple of servants moved about at the ends of the hallway, far enough away to be out of earshot. "He hounded my father relentlessly."

  "He must have a big crush."

  She gave me a flat look. "On the throne. He wants to be future ruler of the Fire Kingdom, I'm pretty sure he despises me. But that doesn't keep him from still trying to get with me every chance he can."

  "Still?" My mouth dropped open when she nodded. "That's terrible."

  "He's been quite… forceful in his approach." Her mouth tightened and she balled her hands into fists. "I had to teach him some manners."

  My eyes opened wide in shock. I eyed the many rings on her fingers—pointy rings. That probably explained the cut on Ario's cheek, but I had a hard time seeing Shaday being violent, even to slap someone who deserved it. Then again, some of those moves she'd done the other day looked more like martial arts than dance.

  Shaday shrugged one slim shoulder and brought me back to the present. "It's part of the reason I finally agreed to an engagement to Hank. He's much preferable to the alternative."

  My stomach twisted and Shaday's dark eyes widened. "My apologies, Imogen, that was unthinking of me. I only meant if I have to be married, it's good that it be to someone kind and with brain cells. I would not have been so lucky if my father had relented to Ario. But many of the Fire Kingdom tribes are unhappy that I'm being married to someone from outside the kingdom." She lifted a slim brow. "Difficult to please everyone, and my own preferences are apparently at the bottom of the list, even at my own wedding."

  I sighed and shook my head. "I'm sorry. That's a lot weighing on you."

  "There you are."

  We turned to find Shaday's mother striding toward us. It was easy to see where Shaday got her elegance and grace.

  Shaday dipped into a curtsy. "Mother."

  I curtsied low and dropped my eyes to the queen's gold-sandaled feet. "Queen Ranita."

  I rose to find her staring at her daughter, her hands folded in front of her long, gold dress. "I've sent several servants to find you, but eventually called them off since we're so short-staffed and came to look myself. Where have you been?"

  Shaday blinked a few times. "Just strolling the palace, as I often do, for exercise."

  I tried to keep a poker face. After the feats I'd seen her perform yesterday, I doubted strolling the palace would be much of a workout for her, no matter how maze-like it was.

  "Muma sneezed this morning."

  Shaday held still but the corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly. "Is this what you sent the servants to tell me?"

  Queen Ranita leveled her daughter a hard look. "Don't jest. Your wedding is tomorrow and I am not risking you falling ill, could you imagine?" She sniffed and pursed her lips. "It'd be an absolute disaster. So I quarantined Muma with the others."

  "Mother!" Shaday's chest heaved. "She's been my nurse since I was a child. I need her."

  Ranita lifted a slim finger. "No back talk, this wedding is too important." Shaday stayed silent, but I could tell it took effort. Ranita continued. "Since she will be unable to do your henna, I've had to call in another and I need you in the—"

  "No." Shaday's dark eyes were wide.

  The queen's lip curled. "No?"

  Shaday licked her lips. "I meant no, that won't be necessary, because Imogen here will do it." She swept her slender arms toward me.

  I froze, but wished more than anything to bolt, especially as Ranita slid her gaze to me. Her brows pulled down in doubt. "Her?"

  "Me?" I echoed.

  Shaday nodded once. "Yes. Won't you, Imogen?"

  "Uh." I had no idea how to do henna but Shaday was silently pleading with me. "Yeah. I will." I gulped.

  Ranita stepped closer to me. "Are you sick? Have you been feeling well? Do you have any experience with wedding henna?"

  Behind the queen, Shaday's eyes were fixed with laser focus on me, her lips pressed tight together.

  "I, uh." I licked my lips, unsure how to answer. "I'm feeling perfectly healthy, Queen Ranita, and I'm sure Shaday has a reason for putting her confidence in my henna skills." Didn't she? Because as far as I knew, I didn't have any.

  The queen gave me another once-over, then turned to her daughter. "You need to be ready by noon. We're having a run through and need you to mark positions after lunch." With that, she spun around, her skirt whirling around her ankles, and strode away the way she'd come.

  I blinked at Shaday. "What just happened?"

  Her lips quirked to the side. "I always wonder the same thing after speaking to my mother."

  I chuckled. Then groaned. "Look, I want to help, but I have no idea how to do what you're asking me to."

  Shaday smiled, tight-lipped. "Don't worry. It'll be just like frosting a cake."

  I followed her down the hallway. "Somehow, I doubt that very much."

  "Ha!" She threw her head back and laughed—just laughed, like a normal person. That made twice I'd seen her laugh now, in all the months I'd known her. I shook my head. She was such a mystery.

  "Okay, you were right." I scooted closer on my little round pouf and turned Shaday's slender hand. "This is a lot like frosting a cake." I grinned. "It's kinda fun."

  We sat in the private walled garden off her suite. The trickle of water from the central fountain and the chirping of the birds that flitted from tree to tree made for pleasant background noise. A breeze blew the scent of honeysuckle to me and I sighed happily.

  "Thank you for filling in for Muma." A little crease formed between her brows. "I hope she's feeling all right and that my mother is just irrationally worried."

  I nodded. "Me, too." I used the squeeze bottle of reddish brown ink to form a vine over the back of Shaday's golden brown hand, then added little leaves.

  "You know, it'd be easier to enchant the bottle to do it." Shaday's gentle eyes twinkled.

  "For you, maybe. I'm still getting the swing of this magic stuff." I looked up. "Wait, you could just enchant it to do it for you?"

  She shook her head. "I'd still have to tell it what designs to do." She lifted her eyes to the sky. "I have no artistic talent."

  I opened my mouth to protest that she was a beautiful dancer, then promptly shut it. She didn't know I'd been accidentally spying on her. "Well, then, you'll have to put up with me doing it the manual way."

  I trailed a line of thick ink to the edge of her hand, then gently turned her wrist, bringing her hand palm up.

  She jerked. "Wait, I should—"

  I froze.

  "Warn you," she finished lamely.

  My mouth hung open. Thick calluses covered much of her hand, but blisters at the base of her fingers bled and a streak of raw, pink burn stretched across the whole of her palm. I looked up and my stomach twisted as I imagined the pain of these injuries.

  "This is why you wanted me to do the henna, you didn't want a stranger to see this?"

  Shaday swallowed and her nostrils flared.

  I scooted closer, gently holding her wrist. "Shaday, Maple's a lot better at healing spells. She could fix the blisters and the—"

  "The blisters will turn to calluses." Shaday let out a shaky breath. "And I need my calluses."

  I searched her face, worried for her. How had she done this to her hands? Was it from dancing with fire? That would explain the burns, maybe the calluses, too. Or could it have been from a skirm
ish? Urs mentioned that Bernhardt's killer had likely been cut by his star medal. I shook the thought out of my head.

  "I can't tell you why I need them," she continued. "Imogen, please don't say anything. To anyone."

  I blew out a heavy breath. "Would you like me to cover them up?"

  She nodded. "Yes. Please."

  I worked on for a time more, both of us quiet. Shaday was definitely a lot more hard-core than I'd thought, and more secretive, too. Could she have had something to do with Bernhardt's death? She was skilled and strong. But why? Had she done it for Elke? Did they do it together? I jumped when she eventually broke the silence.

  "How are you doing, Imogen?"

  "Oh, good." I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. It was another sunny day, and warm out in the garden. "I'm almost done with the second hand, actually."

  "No, I meant, how are you, in general?"

  I glanced up at her.

  "This can't be easy, doing wedding henna for the woman your love is going to marry." She shrugged a shoulder. "I almost wish I hadn't asked you to do it, but you're quite good, so I'm glad I did."

  I gave her a little smile. "It's not your fault—actually, you've been lovely about everything." I let out a little sigh. "It's not an easy situation, but it is what it is."

  Shaday made a noise in the back of her throat. "That's an understatement. Elke's having a difficult time of it."

  I finished the last stroke, then looked up from working on the henna design. "Elke? Why wouldn't she be happy for you?"