He frowned. “What's wrong? What's gotten into you?"
"I guess, like the town council is about to do, I'm growing up." I said, and signaled to Astrid that it was time to take me home.
As quickly as possible, we gathered the afflicted members of the council as well as the registrar and secured them in the Great Hall, the place where it all began.
I’d enlisted the aid of Linsey, the young berserker I defended in a vandalism case. She taught children in an after school art program and I knew she could handle a bunch of whiny council members.
Linsey glanced around, surprised to see the room filled with people. “What is it you want me to do?”
“I have several town council members in need of an art director for the next half an hour,” I said. “I think you’re the right person for the job.”
“They’re still under the spell?” she queried, as Lord Gilder bounced a ball off the dais.
“Hopefully not for much longer. I need someone with a firm hand to deal with them while we work on the reversal spell. I need them here, but don’t want them getting in the way.”
Linsey flicked her nose ring. “One tough babysitter coming right up. What should I have them do?”
“They can draw hand turkeys or throw finger paint at each other for all I care,” I said. “Just keep them contained in the Great Hall and out of trouble.”
A slow grin spread across her face. “Leave it to me,” she said.
With the ‘children’ occupied, I was able to focus on the spell with Professor Holmes and the remedial witches. Ginger and Meg were also on hand to assist. Together we reviewed the spell.
“Are we sure it’s time to change them back?” Meg asked. “It’s been kind of enjoyable to watch them.”
Professor Holmes snatched the spell from her hand. “That’s because you’ve spent most of the time in your aerobics studio.”
I stifled a laugh. The professor definitely bore the brunt of Lady Weatherby’s absence.
“I can’t believe Felix was able to do a spell of this magnitude,” Ginger said. “He’s never shown much promise.”
“He mentioned that he felt like some of his father’s power was transferred to him during the funeral,” I said. “Do you think it’s possible?”
“Undoubtedly,” Professor Holmes said. “And his father possessed that treasure trove of grimoires and other spell books. We were fortunate, really. He could have done much worse.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Lorenzo, who was busy picking his nose. “Some of the council members might beg to differ.”
“Let’s get on with it,” Ginger said. “I’m tired of keeping the peace. I want order restored now.”
We held hands, forming a chain, and recited the incantation together. Professor Holmes thought that the more power we injected, the more likely the spell was to work. The incantation was more complex than the simple rhyming spells I’d learned at the academy so far and I stumbled over a few of the Latin words. Nevertheless, a spark of light indicated the completion of the spell and we watched in anticipation as the council members regained adult consciousness.
Lady Weatherby stared at her hand, which was covered in red paint. I could tell by her concerned expression that she thought it was blood. She sniffed her palm and her face relaxed.
Mayor Knightsbridge studied the artwork in front of her. She’d drawn…well, I had no idea what she’d tried to draw, but the paper was splattered with pink paint and glitter.
“What’s going on?” she demanded. “Why am I elbow-deep in the middle of some elementary school art class?”
Cautiously, I approached the group. “You don’t remember?”
Stan blinked. “Remember what? Why am I in here? I should be in my office. I think.” He scratched his head. “What time is it?”
On the one hand, I was relieved they wouldn’t remember their brief return to childhood. On the other hand, it saddened me to think that Lady Weatherby would have no memory of her visit with Agnes. I sighed. At least Agnes would remember. That would have to be enough.
“Professor Holmes,” Lady Weatherby said sharply. “Explain yourself.”
So he did. The council was mortified, despite the fact that he left out the more embarrassing parts of the story.
“I shall head to the town square this instant and reassure the public that I am in charge,” Mayor Knightsbridge said, and fluttered straight out the door.
The rest of the group looked shell shocked, but dragged themselves out the door and to their respective homes. Only Lady Weatherby lingered. She looked down her aquiline nose at me. "I trust you enjoyed yourself immensely at our expense."
"To be honest, I didn't enjoy it at all," I said.
Lady Weatherby inclined her head. "Are you certain?"
“Okay, fine,” I relented. “I enjoyed watching you kick butt in dodgeball. In your defense, you’re very good at it. You might want to consider getting together an adult game. You seemed to relish pummeling your colleagues with whatever you could get your hands on."
The hint of a smile played on her lips.
"I shall take it under advisement," she said. “Anything else I need to know?”
“There are some amazing people in this town, including Professor Holmes.” Despite the slide toward anarchy, there was a real team effort to keep the town functioning during the crisis.
“Thank you, Emma. That’s very kind of you to say.” He fidgeted with his pointy blue hat, slightly taken off guard by the compliment.
“The council thanks each and every one of you for your service,” Lady Weatherby said.
I was fairly certain she’d knock me unconscious with her wand if I tried to hug her. As weird as the whole experience was, I appreciated seeing the softer, more vulnerable side of Lady Weatherby. Although she didn’t often show it, I’d made an important discovery—that behind her iron cloak beat a bleeding heart.
Chapter 19
The next morning I went straight to Rochester’s office. I knew he’d been up to his eyeballs in paperwork ever since the council reverted to childhood, but we needed to resolve the case against Russ.
“Miss Hart, what a lovely surprise,” he said. “Please sit.”
Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the wizard, but he’d slowly won me over, especially when he expressed his support for legal reform.
“I came to talk about Russ,” I said.
“The spells have been broken.” He frowned. “Are you looking to delay the trial?”
“I’m not here to ask for a delay. I’ve come to offer a plea.”
His eyebrows shot up. “A plea?”
“Russ acknowledges hitting Edgar, although he’d like us to take into account that he was aiming for Henrik.”
“Henrik is mortal. His injuries could’ve been far worse than Edgar’s.”
I nodded. “Russ knows that and he’s sorry. He’s willing to serve time, but if you and I work out a plea arrangement, we can determine the sentencing.” I gave him a knowing look.
“Miss Hart,” he said with an air of approval. “You have proven yourself far more cunning than I would ever have imagined.” He polished the tip of his wand with a crisp, white handkerchief. “You do realize a judge must approve the deal. It isn’t a guarantee.”
“I’m willing to take the gamble,” I said. “I wasn’t able to put my request for reform in front of the council because of the spell. Until I can get things moving, I’d like to find other ways to help my clients.”
“Subversive,” he murmured. “And what does Gareth think about your creative lawyering? He was always so by the book.”
“You’ve heard about his ghost then?”
He set down his wand and smiled. “I think word has gotten around.”
“Gareth is in favor of reform. In fact, I think he’d like to be a part of the commission, if the council approves the idea.”
“His sharp mind would be an asset,” Rochester agreed.
“Russ is a decent guy who lost his t
emper,” I said. “He’s willing to pay a price, but I think you’d agree that life in prison seems over the top. Edgar has also requested leniency. He’s willing to speak with you, if necessary.”
“For someone who grew up not knowing you had magic, you’ve certainly managed to work your magic on the people of Spellbound.”
Pink colored my cheeks. I wasn’t great at accepting compliments. “I care about them, Rochester. Everyone I’ve met is so nice and they mean well…” Okay, maybe Mike the wereweasel was a jerk, but even he didn’t deserve life in prison.
“Was it like this for you back in the human world?” Rochester asked. “Did your joie de vivre permeate your every move there as well?”
I blinked. “My what?”
“Your joy for life,” he said. “It radiates from you. Tell me you don’t feel it. It’s as sure and steady as your beating heart.”
Joie de vivre. It sounded like the opposite of Daniel’s outlook. No wonder we were drawn to each other. Maybe that explained his interest in me. It had never been a romantic interest—I was a lifeline. An anchor to this world, to keep him from slipping into the void.
“Thank you, Rochester,” I said. “What a lovely compliment.”
He shuffled the papers on his desk. “Now then. Back to business. Let’s see what kind of agreement we can reach for your client, shall we?”
After my successful meeting with Rochester, I made the long drive toward Curse Cliff. I was exhausted from the events of the past week, but I needed to make good on my promise to Gareth. The Grey sister didn’t make much small talk on the way back to my house. She seemed content to watch the scenery pass by. A novelty for her, living in the cave away from town.
I parked Sigmund in the driveway and turned to my visitor. “You’ll need to be mindful of Magpie. He’s Gareth’s cat and very protective of him. If he thinks you’re trying to hurt his friend, he will bleed your wrinkled body dry and leave you a husk.”
“Sounds like my kind of cat.”
“And don’t try to eat my owl. He’s not one of your chickens.”
The Grey sister smiled, revealing a new set of false teeth. “You’re so dramatic. Although I suppose that is typical of your kind.”
“My kind being a witch,” I reminded her. “A plain witch, remember? Nothing more.”
“As you desire, Mistress of the Dark.” Her one eye blinked innocently.
“I am not a mistress of anything.” I exhaled slowly, regaining my composure. “Lyra, I need you on board. Word of advice. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you a new set of chompers.”
She clicked her teeth together and giggled. “My sisters are so envious. They keep trying to steal them while I’m sleeping.”
No doubt.
She followed me into the house where Gareth paced the floor, anxiously awaiting our return.
“Gareth, meet your apparitional tutor, Lyra Grey,” I said.
“A pleasure,” he said, and attempted to shake her hand. His expression shifted to surprise when he actually made contact with her. “How did you do that?”
“Witches and fairies aren’t the only ones who can make things happen,” she said.
“You don’t mind if I go, do you? I need to get back to the office,” I said.
Gareth shot me a look of pure panic.
“I’ll be back in two hours to drive you home,” I told Lyra. “Try not to get in any trouble while I’m gone.”
“If the house is still standing, I’ll consider it a success,” Lyra said. She glanced around the foyer. “I must say, it feels good to be standing in a house, although this place is almost as drafty as the cave.”
“Hey,” Gareth began to protest, but quickly thought better of it.
“Come along, Junior,” Lyra said. “Get started we shall. After this, there’s a venison steak with my name on it and I do not intend to share a single bite.” She flashed her pearly whites at Gareth and he tried in vain to disguise his horror.
“Have fun, you two,” I called, wriggling my fingers.
On my way through town, I noticed the line outside the registrar’s office. It seemed there was a backlog for the elf to tackle thanks to Felix’s spell.
I opened the door to my office and was shocked to see Mayor Knightsbridge fluttering around inside. Her starry wand hovered over one of my plants.
“Althea doesn’t like people messing with her plants,” I warned.
Mayor Knightsbridge snatched back her wand, mildly embarrassed. “I wouldn’t want to aggravate a Gorgon now, would I?”
“How can I help you, Madame Mayor?” I seated myself at my desk.
“I understand you were instrumental in reversing the spell,” she said. She continued to flutter around the room, too energetic to sit still.
“It was a team effort,” I said. I was uncomfortable taking too much credit.
“Nevertheless, I’d like to award you with a key to the town,” the mayor said. “The council insists. We’ll hold a ceremony at the mansion. You can choose the flavor of fairy cake you’d like for the reception.”
Yum. Cake. She had my full attention now.
“There is another matter,” she said, and fluttered closer to my desk. “Sheriff Hugo and I are longtime friends. I have no desire to humiliate him.”
I could hear the ‘but’ coming a mile away. “You’re unhappy with his performance?”
“To put it mildly,” she said, kneading her hands. “I’ve heard the whispers, dear. I know residents don’t feel his heart is in his duties anymore, but I expected him to be the one to root out the spell caster in this case.” Her eyes flashed angrily. “I was reduced to a child for heaven’s sake. And where was my trusted sheriff? On the golf course? Getting a massage at Glow?”
“He did care, Madame Mayor,” I said. I wasn’t sure why I rose to his defense. I couldn’t help myself. “He was deeply unhappy about the situation.”
“Then why are you the one who handled it?”
I couldn’t answer that. “Have you spoken with him about it?”
She pursed her lips. “There’s no point. I’ve decided to take other measures.”
My radar pinged. “What kind of measures?”
“I plan to put him in timeout,” she said. “Let’s see how the sheriff enjoys a long vacation.”
“How long?”
“As long as I deem necessary,” she said. “Astrid will be a fine interim sheriff, wouldn’t you agree?”
I cleared my throat, still in shock. “Yes, one hundred percent.”
“Excellent. I was hoping you would approve.”
She continued to hover and I sensed one more question coming.
“I understand you’ve met my daughter, Elsa.”
Oh boy.
“Yes, I did. Daniel and I ran into her recently.” I left out the part where I snuck into her house while invisible since I was fairly certain I broke some kind of law. I braced myself for the next sentence.
“By any chance, did she mention her engagement to Jasper?”
“No.” I omitted seeing the marriage license in the registrar’s office since I wasn’t supposed to be there either. “Is she engaged?”
“Someone said they saw her wearing a ring,” the mayor said, “but I asked Jasper about it and he looked completely blindsided. Said they’d broken up.”
A tight knot formed in the pit of my stomach. “Did you ask Elsa?”
“When I find her, I will. I’m concerned she’s gone and done something stupid.” She gave me a knowing look. “I should think you’d be concerned as well.”
I forced my mouth to work. “I can’t imagine…” A world where Daniel was engaged to marry someone else.
“Let me know if you hear anything, will you? I’ll have Lucy send the details to you about the ceremony for the key.”
At the mention of Daniel and Elsa, I’d forgotten all about the key. “Thank you, Madame Mayor. It’s a great honor.”
She leaned forward and patted my hand. “Don’t fret, dear. I
f there’s a way to stop this train wreck from roaring through town, you and I are perfectly positioned to manage it.”
I didn’t respond. What could I say? If Daniel decided to rekindle his love for Elsa and didn’t want to waste another day, what could I do?
I waited until I heard the click of the door to fall apart. Naturally, Althea chose that moment to enter my office with her watering can. I failed to hear the hiss of her snakes over my loud sobs.
“Emma?”
I jerked my head up. Fluids poured out of my eyes and nose and there was even a bit of drool out of my mouth. Althea pulled a clean tissue from her pocket and handed it to me.
“Is this about Daniel and Elsa?”
“Does everyone know except me?” How could he not tell me something so important?
“I heard about it in Brew-Ha-Ha when I stopped for a coffee break,” she said. “People are excited. They think he’s turned over a new leaf. He’s never proposed to anyone before.”
I couldn’t focus. My head was dizzy and my eyes were blurry. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“You should talk to him,” Althea said.
I wasn’t sure if I could handle a conversation with Daniel. The last thing I wanted to do was break down in front of him and embarrass myself.
“I think I need to head home,” I said.
“You go ahead. I’ll lock up here.” She handed me a fistful of tissues.
My legs wobbled as I stood. At least I’d driven to town. I was pretty sure my legs would give out before I made it home.
As I opened Sigmund’s door, I heard my name. I tried to pretend I didn’t hear him and slipped into the driver’s seat, but he opened the passenger door and sat beside me, his wings squashed against the seat.
“There you are,” Daniel said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“I was in my office,” I said. “You didn’t try there.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I kept my eyes focused in front of me. “What do you need?”
“Need?” he repeated. “Nothing. I wanted to share my news with you.”
“If you’re talking about Elsa Knightsbridge, then I’ve already heard.”
Lucky Charm (Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 4) Page 16