Curse of the Witch

by K E O'Connor

  I crawled out from under the bed, along with Wiggles. “Thanks for hiding me.”

  “Anytime. You’re helping us, so I’m not going to stand in your way.” She hugged me. “Oh! Is that where my favorite camisole went?”

  I turned to see Wiggles had picked up his new chew toy. “Sorry! He’s got a thing for women’s underwear.”

  “You bad doggie.” Samantha shook a finger at Wiggles before patting his head. “You’d better keep that. Every time you chew on that, you think of me.”

  Wiggles wagged his tail, his mouth too full to speak.

  “Give my love to Queenie,” Samantha said. “I hope to see her later.”

  “Sure, will do.” I hurried to the door and cracked it open. I could hear voices, but I couldn’t see anybody.

  I said a quiet goodbye to Samantha before we left her room.

  I reached the bottom of the stairs without seeing anyone else and had my hand on the door knob when I felt I was being watched.

  “Tempest Crypt. Why am I not surprised to find you here?”

  Chapter 8

  I turned slowly. Dazielle stood behind the reception desk, her arms folded across her chest and a furious gleam in her blue eyes.

  I gritted my teeth and tried to smile. “You can’t blame me for taking an interest in this case. I knew Bastille. I want to find out what happened.”

  “Maybe you happened to her.” Dazielle glowered at me. “Have you returned to the scene of the crime to conceal evidence?”

  By the goddess, she was daft sometimes. “You’ve caught me. Come and watch me as I wrap my flaming hands around another innocent person’s neck.”

  Her nostrils flared. “You know how Bastille died?”

  “Of course! Wiggles told me. Remember, you tossed him out of the crime scene.”

  She scowled at Wiggles. “How could I forget? I still have the faint, unpleasant tang of hellhound on my feathers.”

  “People would pay good money to smell like me,” Wiggles said.

  As much as I loved Wiggles, I doubted that. Hellhounds came with a whiff of brimstone and sulfur.

  “Tempest, you can’t be here.” Dazielle rested her hands on the reception desk. “You’re getting in the way and only making things harder.”

  “Until now, no one knew I was here. I’ve not stopped the angels from questioning people. Have you seen Sablo? I couldn’t have been more helpful showing her and Jophiel around the cemetery.”

  Dazielle nodded. “She did mention that. Who have you been talking to?”

  I tried to look as innocent as possible. “What makes you think I’ve been talking to anybody?”

  Dazielle arched an eyebrow. “I’ll arrest you for obstructing this investigation if you don’t watch your step.”

  “I’ve done nothing wrong. I simply had a chat with a couple of Auntie Queenie’s friends.”

  “Which ones?”

  I was worried steam might blast out of Dazielle’s ears, she looked so angry. “Caprice and Samantha. I wanted to make sure they were okay.”

  “Sure you did. And while you were doing that, you didn’t ask them where they were last night and what their alibis were? And you didn’t ask them if they had any problems with Bastille or why they think she was killed?”

  I shrugged. “I might have asked some of those questions. They could also have volunteered that information so we can find out who killed their friend.”

  “Tempest! This is serious. You know everyone involved in this murder. Queenie is a suspect in this murder. So are you.”

  “No, she’s not and neither am I. And the others are as shocked as Auntie Queenie. None of them killed Bastille.”

  “We won’t know that for certain until we’ve questioned them all.”

  “Dazielle, you know these witches. They come to Willow Tree Falls every year.”

  She sighed. “I’ll admit it doesn’t sit well thinking one of them did this. And we’re still pursuing the demon theory in the hope of finding an intruder.”

  “Yes! Pursue that. That’s a great idea.” If the angels focused on the demon theory, it would give me more time to question everyone and see if any of the alibis didn’t tally.

  “No! You pursue it.”

  My eyes widened. “Me! I thought you wanted me to leave this investigation alone.”

  “I insist you leave the suspects in this hotel alone. But you’re the demon hunting expert. Focus on that. See if we have an intruder in the village.”

  “I could do with a walk,” Wiggle said. “We can have a poke around for a demon while we’re out.”

  Dazielle hissed air through her teeth. “You need your complete attention on this demon hunt. No picnics and gentle strolls. Turn over rocks, look in caves, go to the swamp.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “You don’t know your demons very well. They don’t like any of those places. If we had a pole dancing club in the village, that would be my first stop. Then the takeout places.”

  “We should go to Mystic Mushroom.” Wiggles nudged me with his nose. “Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!”

  “Not pizza, demon! Focus on the demon.” Dazielle shook her head. “I don’t know why you keep him around.”

  “Because his presence makes you so happy.” I looked at Wiggles and winked.

  Wiggles scratched his belly with a back paw. “Always happy to make an angel’s day.”

  “You won’t think I’m interfering if I hunt for the elusive demon?” I had planned on scouting about for a demon but had hoped to speak to all of Bastille’s friends before that.

  “You being here and ensuring our killer has her story straight is interfering. Demon hunting isn’t.”

  “I didn’t do that. I want to find out who killed Bastille as much as you do. I’m not here to cause problems. I’m helping.”

  “Help by staying out of this hotel.” Dazielle walked around the reception desk and towered over me. “You’re tampering with witnesses.”

  “I’m not tampering.”

  Dazielle shook her head, and the hardness left her eyes. “I know this is personal. It must be difficult for you because you knew Bastille. We will find out who killed her. This case is my top priority.”

  I blinked back tears at Dazielle’s unexpected kindness. “Make sure you do.”

  “I ask just one thing of you. Leave this investigation alone. We don’t need your help. I’ll drop by the house to see Queenie later and take her statement.”

  “You don’t want to see her at your headquarters?”

  “I don’t want to make anything official. Not until we have more evidence.”

  “So, you do have some evidence? Who have you talked to? What leads do you have?”

  Her gaze hardened. “Don’t push your luck, Tempest. If you hadn’t helped us on previous cases, I’d be sending you to the cells. You wouldn’t get released until we figured this out. If I find out that anyone you’ve talked to this morning has changed her story, I might still do that.”

  “They won’t change anything. They all want to find out what happened. I’m trying to speed things up.”

  “We’re going fast enough. Now, get out of here and don’t come back.” Dazielle took a menacing step toward me. “This is your only warning. If I catch you snooping around again, you’ll find yourself in a cell for interfering in official Angel Force business.”

  I grumbled under my breath, but Dazielle was right. I was too close to this investigation and struggling to see anyone as the killer. Maybe letting an impartial mind take the lead was the best thing to do. It was just a shame it would be the mind of an angel.

  I sent out a silent wish that they wouldn’t mess up this investigation.

  “Is there something you want to say?” Dazielle tilted her head. “There’s nothing you want to confess while you’re here?”

  I smiled sweetly at her. “Not this time.”

  “Then go find me a demon, and we can put this case to bed.”

  I saluted her. “Come on, Wiggles. Let’s see what w
e can find lurking in Willow Tree Falls.”

  Chapter 9

  I dashed to Cloven Hoof, collected my demon catching bag, a pouch of salt, and changed into a pair of boots I didn’t mind getting muddy.

  “Where are we hunting first?” Wiggles asked. “Please say Mystic Mushroom.”

  “If there’s a demon around, it won’t be in plain sight.”

  “So, behind Mystic Mushroom?”

  “You really want pizza at this time of day?”

  “Any time of day is pizza time.” Wiggles bounced around me. “A quick check of the trash and we can move on.”

  “You mean, a thorough investigation of the alley behind the store to make sure there’s no evidence of a demon trying to get its greedy claws on leftovers.”

  “That too.” Wiggles’ eyes glowed. “But if there is a demon, it had better not have eaten all the leftovers.”

  “I’m sure there will be plenty of garbage for you to sort through.”

  “Even so, we should hurry.” Wiggles dashed down the stairs and barged open the front door.

  It was amazing how motivated he got at the prospect of day old pizza. I wasn’t so different, but I drew the line at eating pizza from the trash, even though it was made by Tate.

  I strode after Wiggles to the alley behind Mystic Mushroom. My gaze swept the area, but there were no clues that screamed demon to me. The large trash container was locked with nothing stacked around it.

  “Nooooooo!” Wiggles pawed at the locked container. “Tate’s put a lock on it. Why do something so cruel?”

  “Because someone was stealing the leftovers.” I grinned at him. “Tate doesn’t want to attract vermin.”

  “Hey! I’m not vermin. I’m offering a free clean-up service.”

  As Wiggles hunted for a way to get the food, I walked along the alley. It was clean, no smell of demon, no goo, no mess. If there was a demon in the village, it hadn’t discovered the delights of Tate’s pizza.

  “We should try the forest. There are plenty of places to hide and wait until after dark before coming out to cause more problems.” That was if we were talking your average, annoying demon. Anything stronger wouldn’t bother hiding. It would rampage and maim and do whatever it liked.

  Wiggles grunted as he kicked the locked trash bin. “How long will we be hunting?”

  “It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to cover the forest,” I said.

  “Two hours! Then we’ll need snacks.”

  “No snacks. We can have lunch when we’re done.”

  “How am I supposed to concentrate if I’m hungry?” Wiggles eyed the trash container. “I was relying on this hidden feast to get me through this search.”

  “You can manage for two hours without food.”

  Wiggles flopped onto his belly. “No! Go without me. I’m too weak to move.”

  I shook my head. I didn’t have time to argue with my greedy hellhound. “Fine. We’ll grab something to eat on the go.”

  He raised his head. “Sweet or savory?”

  “You choose. Just make it snappy.”

  Wiggles hopped to his feet. “Sweet. I’ve gone right off pizza.”

  I stopped at Sprinkles bakery and grabbed two cherry bakewell slices.

  “Hey, Tempest. I heard from my customers about what’s going on at the hotel,” Patti Kayes said as she bagged my treats. “How’s everybody doing?”

  “Not great,” I said. “We’re still trying to figure out what went down.”

  Patti’s gaze went to the demon bag clipped to my belt loop. “There’s truth in the rumor about a demon having done this?”

  “It’s possible. So far, there’s not much evidence to go on.” I leaned closer. “The angels don’t want me to interfere, but the least I can do is make sure we’re safe until they find the killer.”

  “Absolutely. The last thing we want is another demon causing trouble.” Patti winced. “How’s Frank?”

  I grinned. “Being his usual charming self. This has nothing to do with him, and I’m not even convinced this is demon related. If I can squash the demon rumor, I can focus on finding out who did it. Or rather, the angels can, because I’m not getting involved.”

  Patti smiled. “I have a feeling you won’t leave this one alone.”

  “I don’t know. Being threatened with a few days in a cell has made me hesitant, but I can’t sit back while Auntie Queenie is so worried.”

  “Of course not! I’d be the same. I’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

  “Like a marauding demon running past the store?”

  Patti chuckled. “You’ll be the first to know if I spot one of those. Good luck hunting.”

  “Thanks.” I headed out of Sprinkles and walked along with Wiggles as we munched our cherry bakewell slices. The shortcrust pastry was baked to perfection, and the layers of jam and frangipane, topped with flaky almonds, cheered me up.

  If there was a demon in Willow Tree Falls, I could deal with him.

  I licked the last flakes of pastry from my fingers and focused on the task in hand as we reached the edge of the forest.

  The trees absorbed the faint sounds from the street as I walked along a path. This place felt too peaceful to be hiding a demon, but there were all sorts of interesting things lurking in the trees. Fairies, sprites, pixies. There was even the occasional retired werewolf.

  Wiggles sniffed the air and lifted one paw. “There’s something odd in here. I recognize the smell.”

  “What are you picking up?”

  “There’s a hint of demon, but I don’t think it’s the one we’re after. It’s not strong, and the smell has faded. It’s like he passed through a few days ago and left behind a stink.”

  “We need a fresh scent trail,” I said.

  We walked for a few minutes before I slowed. There was a small puddle of dried green goo on the ground. I knelt and touched it gingerly with my finger.

  Wiggles peered at the goo. “That looks like a demon excretion.”

  I studied the goo before wiping my finger on a leaf. “It’s not recent. This is congealed. Let’s go farther into the forest. I’ll use a drawing spell. If there’s something in here, the magic will attract them.”

  We walked for another ten minutes until we found a small clearing among the trees. I pulled out my salt pouch and spread a circle around me. “Are you getting in?”

  Wiggles’ butt was poking out from behind a tree stump. “No, I’m going for a sniff around. There might be a rabbit close by.”

  “We’re not hunting rabbits. We’re after demons.”

  “I’ll look out for any of those as well.”

  “You’re outside the circle of protection,” I said. “You’ll only have yourself to blame if a demon comes after you.”

  “Nah! Demons love me. I’ll have no trouble if any are around.”

  “I might,” I muttered as I watched Wiggles saunter off through the trees.

  I took a few deep breaths and calmed my mind before reciting the drawing spell. It was a basic spell and could be adapted to draw different magic using creatures to you. I was interested in any dark energy in the forest. Where there was dark power, there were often demons.

  While I was inside the salt circle, whoever I attracted couldn’t harm me. I often used this spell outside of Willow Tree Falls to attract demons. There was something about the magic they could never resist. It was like offering candy to a child with a sweet tooth. They always took the bait.

  I finished the drawing spell and waited. If the demon was on the other side of the forest, it would take them a few moments to get to me.

  A stillness descended as the birds stopped singing. It was as if they’d sensed something was coming and didn’t want to draw its attention.

  I turned slowly inside the circle, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever had stopped the birds from making a noise.

  A blur of movement caught my eye, and I ducked as an arrow flew at my temple.

  “What the—”
I dived to the ground as several more arrows shot through the air, aimed straight at my heart. I landed in the dirt and flung a barrier spell over me.

  What was going on? I’d never met a demon who shot arrows. They attacked with flames, fangs, and claws, rarely weapons.

  I rolled onto my side and peered through the trees. There was no one there, but someone had to be in charge of those arrows.

  I moved to a crouch, remaining inside the salt circle. “Show yourself, demon. What business do you have in Willow Tree Falls?”

  There was no response and no more arrows. I stood slowly, being sure to keep the barrier spell covering me. I recited the drawing spell once more. Maybe the demon was shy and needed a little encouragement.

  The spell prompted no response, and my immediate concern was to discover who was trying to finish me off with arrows. Demon or not, they were in trouble.

  As I stepped out of the salt circle, I paused and cocked my head, listening for any sign someone was making their escape. There was nothing other than the faint stirring of dried leaves on the ground.

  I headed cautiously in the direction the arrows had come from and walked past several trees, peering around each one slowly to see if my attacker was hiding. There was no one to be found. The forest was quiet, and my attacker was gone.

  I returned to the clearing and looked around. The arrows were still there, embedded in the trunk of a tree.

  Retracing my steps, I peered among the branches over my head. My eyes widened, and my mouth fell open. Hovering in the air was a bow with an arrow notched in it.

  I glanced around, but no one seemed to have ownership of this hovering bow. “It looks like we have a mystical Robin Hood in our woods,” I muttered to myself.

  This wasn’t the work of a demon but a strong magic user. This could be protection magic. Someone had placed the bow here to ward off people and stop them finding something precious that had been hidden. An arrow in the gut would definitely do that.

  After another quick scout around to convince myself I was alone, I continued my hunt for the demon.

  I paused and sucked in a deep breath. There it was, the smell I’d been looking for. It was the faint, unpleasant stench of sulfur.