I didn't know how long I was on my knees, praying and whispering all the magical spells I could remember. My grandmother didn't wake up. I wanted her to start telling me off like she always did, just so I could hear her voice one last time.
Looking at her body, feeling her lack of warmth made something click in my brain. It was like my emotions froze and I shut down to protect myself from the pain. I made myself numb. Nathaniel was talking to me, but I heard nothing he said. It was just a noise in the background of my grief; even when the Paranormal Unit arrived I didn't care. Nothing anyone said could make this better, so why listen? Until I heard someone with as much pain as I felt in his voice.
"Let me through to her; otherwise I'll fire you!"
It was my father's voice. There were screams, some banging and then he barged inside, sweeping the scene until his eyes stopped on Grandma. I looked at him for a while unable to say anything. He looked like he couldn’t comprehend that she was lying there motionless and cold.
Chapter 2
Total chaos
Nathaniel was trying to deal with my father while I went to look around the rooms before the paranormal unit would tear the whole house apart. I didn't want to snoop around my grandparents’ personal space, but I felt like someone was suffocating me and I needed to get away. When I finally reached Grandma’s office, I sat in the chair, covering my face with my hands. I couldn’t believe this was really happening, that she was actually gone. It took me a moment to start looking through Grandma’s books and paperwork that were laying on the large oak table. I found a lot of invoices, formulas for potions, but nothing that would indicate why she was attacked in her own home. Then when I was just about to leave, something else caught my attention. There was something under the sofa, a notebook or a journal. I knelt down and pulled it out. I was just about to look through it when I heard heated arguments downstairs. I put the notebook in my bag and ran back to the living room.
The Paranormal Unit had arrived, and my father was already trying to get involved. Dannika, one of the other detectives, managed to convince him to calm down after an hour. He was officially not allowed to deal with this case. The commissioner had ordered him to leave, and as I expected, he went crazy, threatening everyone with their jobs. Traces of black magic were everywhere—the furniture, the picture frames, the plants, the light fixtures were all coated with residue of black magic. Even the air inside and outside the house tingled from it. Nathaniel was trying to keep me calm, but I was lost in my own world of pain and grief, not paying attention to what he was saying. Nathaniel asked Roberto to drive us home. Dad didn't want to listen to me. He insisted on staying and waiting for the report from the forensic team. The police had sealed off the entire property, and there was nothing that I could have done. Dad didn't want to move.
Nathaniel didn't take me to my own apartment but to Canary Wharf. We drove in silence. For a while I kept waiting for someone to jump out at me and tell me there was a terrible mistake and my grandmother was still alive and safe, but regardless how much I wished for it, it didn't happen. I had never experienced anyone close to me dying before, but I didn't expect to feel so empty and hollow. We went to bed early. Nathaniel didn't push me to talk; he let me rest and, somehow, I managed to sleep until morning.
The next day I lay in bed, not knowing what to do with myself. Around ten, Nathaniel came back and dragged me into the shower. I needed to keep living, but how could I do that when something inside me had died? There were arrangements that needed to be made and phone calls to make. The rest of family probably had no idea what had happened.
"Baby, talk to me. Please don't keep this inside yourself," Nathaniel said when I sat on the sofa, trying to digest what had happened. It seemed as if time hadn't moved at all since yesterday and I was still stuck in my grandparents’ mansion, waiting for them to come home.
Magic had killed another member of my family. This wasn't right or fair.
"I just don't understand. My grandma was just an elderly lady. She lived a quiet life. Why would anyone want her dead?" I asked, squeezing my hands together tighter. I didn't feel like crying, but every cell, every muscle in my body felt numb.
Nathaniel exhaled sharply and placed his hand over mine.
"I don't know, Julia. I can drive to the station and talk to that witch, Dannika White. She should have new updates today. I called your mother when you were in the shower, so she should be on her way."
I stared at him blankly, parting my lips with a whoosh of air.
"I hope Dad didn't get himself into trouble."
"He didn't take the orders from his boss too well. Some of the other officers had to restrain him."
I couldn’t imagine what my dad was going through right now. His career meant a lot to him, but he couldn’t work on a case where he was emotionally involved with the victim. I grabbed Nathaniel’s hand finally registering what he’d said earlier.
"You called my mother?"
"Yes, she’s on her way," he said, staring at me with a hint of relief. "I won't leave you alone if you don't want me to."
"No, I need you to find Dannika or those other human police officers—they must know what happened up there—before Dad ruins his reputation and good standing forever."
He got up, then looked around, like he wasn't quite sure if he could leave me alone. There was no doubt that all the spells I felt in her house were deadly. Someone extremely powerful must have caught her by surprise. She was the most skilled elf that I knew.
The lines on Nathaniel’s forehead were much more visible today, his high cheek bones sharper, due to his concern for me.
"Julia, I'm here for you," he said, cradling me in his arms. I listened to his steady heartbeat feeling empty, yet at the same time, filled with grief and anger.
Then we heard the intercom.
"I think it’s Mum," I said, smiling weakly.
He hurried to the hall and I arched my head back, pressing my fingers to my skull. Since Dad had come out of his coma, everything had slowly been getting back to normal. These days, my mother was coping quite well with the existence of magic. But just as she’d begun to accept elves and magic as part of her life, my grandmother was dead, most likely killed by one of her own kind.
A few seconds later Mum appeared in the living room. It was pointless trying to explain to her what had happened at my grandparents’ mansion. I didn't want her to believe that magic always caused harm.
"Oh, Julia, this is terrible. Your dad was in a hell of a state when he came home last night," Mum said walking up to me. She was very calm, while my own heart was thumping a hundred miles per hour. "There are reporters outside the gate. They want to speak to you. How did they find out about this so fast?"
Nathaniel looked confused. He scratched his chin, staring back at Mum.
"What reporters are you talking about, Mary?"
"The press, reporters with cameras. The porter asked them to leave, but they refused. Someone must have told them you were here with Nathaniel."
"The press shouldn't know about this. It’s too soon. I need to go sort this out," Nathaniel said and vanished into the hallway. As soon as he was out of the door Mum brought her arms around me and hugged me tight.
"Julia, I'm so worried about Jerry’s father. No one has heard from him. What if something happened? And Jerry… he’s not coping well at all. No one wants to talk to him about this case and he’s fuming. He asked me to come here and check on you."
"Mum, Grandma was exceptional in magic. She could have defended herself. I don't understand how this could’ve happened."
"I know, darling. The whole family is in shock and your father…oh, God, he wasn't himself at all. I’ve never seen him so frustrated. Screaming and cursing at his boss. It was terrible."
Dad was in charge of the entire paranormal unit and now he couldn’t even look into evidence, as he was too close to the victim of the horrendous crime. His entire team was probably working on the case. Dad had always been a prof
essional, but this was beyond him. Grandma was against dark magic, and now her house was filled with it.
"Maybe I should call him?"
"There’s no point. I’ve already tried. He left to see the Commissioner himself, you know, the one who’s in charge of all the supernatural stuff?"
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Mum was doing much better than me. It seemed like the last few events had toughened her up. She wasn't scared or whiny, just a human woman who stood behind her husband.
After some time, I showed her around Nathaniel’s apartment. This was the first time she had visited. I felt like having her with me helped. I didn't feel so miserable anymore. Later on, while I was in the bathroom, I tried calling Dad, but his phone went straight to voicemail.
Mum offered to make some food a few hours later. Nathaniel came back at four, looking exhausted and really, really pissed off. This wasn't a good sign.
"So, what’s going on? What have you found out?"
He marched to the cabinet and took out some whiskey, then poured himself a glass. My anxiety kicked right in, because I had never seen him so ruffled; nothing disturbed his usual calm.
"Someone from the human police must have talked to the press. There isn't any other explanation. The story about your grandmother’s murder is all over London, but that’s not all."
"What do you mean, that’s not all?"
He hesitated then, looking from me to Mum. I shifted on the sofa, trying to read his thoughts, but I couldn’t concentrate enough. I was too distracted.
"Julia, before I say anything, you have to promise me that you’ll stay calm."
The reporters are asking about your grandmother’s finances. Apparently, someone came forward stating that she’d committed fraud, that she’d taken a significant amount of money from some sort of trust within The Elves Association."
My mother looked at me, confused. I had no idea what Nathaniel was talking about. Grandma had always been very tight and careful with her money—everyone knew that, but fraud? This had to be some kind of mistake. Nathaniel sat by me on the chair, running his hand through his hair, looking deeply worried.
"The press asked for my comment. There were reporters outside the station and the gate. I don't know how they found out, but this story is already going out to all the paranormal sites. I also went to the station where your father works to find out exactly what’s going on, but I didn't get much info. That witch, Dannika, wasn't too keen on talking to me. She told me to get lost and stay out of police business."
I was keeping up with him. I knew that my grandma met Grandpa Fred when they were very young. They made their money having invented all sorts of potions. She was in charge of The Elves Association, but I didn't want to believe that she was capable of stealing. Human press liked bending the facts and exaggerating the truth. I needed to hear what Dad had to say. This whole thing sounded absurd. Mum looked equally shocked as me.
"Did Dannika tell you anything at all?"
"I was very persistent. I told her that I wouldn't leave until she told me what was going on." He paused taking a deep breath. "She did confirm that your grandmother was murdered. Someone used deadly black spells to break her magic and to end her life. She died trying to save herself, fighting, using her abilities."
Mum gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. I kept reminding myself to stay calm, that there was an explanation to all this.
"What else? Have they arrested anyone?"
Nathaniel clenched his fists and exhaled again.
"No, she refused to say anything else, letting me know she would be happy to arrest me if I didn’t leave," he added, looking pissed off. Dannika was tough, she didn't mess around, and Nathaniel didn't like wasting time.
Then my phone started ringing. It was my Aunt Dorothy and I knew that I had to talk to her about what happened. She asked me to switch on the TV and watch the news. I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw recent pictures of my grandmother on the screen. The newsreader was reporting that my grandfather was missing. I could only hope that she was right. No one had heard from him and I didn't want to assume the worst. My aunt seemed angry and she was talking quickly. The conversation with her was short and to the point. She was gathering all the family at her house later on to arrange the details for the funeral and to discuss this scandal that was erupting publicly.
"Julia, I’d better go home and wait for your father there. He must have already spoken to the Commissioner," Mum said, getting up.
"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked.
"No, you stay here, hon. Your aunt is doing the right thing. The family needs to meet and discuss what’s happened." Mum kissed me and left. I looked at Nathaniel. Something was wrong. I felt it as soon as he came back.
"Nathaniel, I know you were keeping something to yourself for Mum’s sake. You have to tell me everything now. Please don't hold back."
He exhaled sharply and sat down next to me. I always believed that my grandmother was a good woman, harsh but fair. She had never broken the law. She graduated from one of the most prestigious Universities and made her money from potions. Dad mentioned that she was very successful when she started her business.
"Julia, all these allegations are absurd. We can't be sure—"
"Just tell me, Nathaniel. I don't have the energy to argue right now," I said cutting him off.
"Fine, but I don't want you to freak out. We need to focus on the facts," he said, looking at me intensely. In any other circumstance my magic would have already pushed its way through, but not this time. Grief was blocking everything. "People are saying that your grandmother was killed by her lover. Daily Secret has pictures and information about some wizard who had been seen with her on more than one occasion."
"What? A lover? You can't be serious?" I began questioning him.
Nathaniel dragged his hand through his hair, looking absolutely serious. "I'm not fucking joking, Julia. As I said, these allegations are absurd, but one of the papers is planning to run this story tomorrow. I think your family should know."
"Okay, hold on. Let me get this straight," I said, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. "First the press is claiming that Grandma was a thief, that she robbed her beloved Elves Association, and now they’re saying that she’d been cheating on her husband?"
He nodded, looking at me for a long moment with a mixture of compassion and sadness. It was official, the press had labelled my grandma a thief and a cheat. My family was lost.
Chapter 3
Mystery murder or magical revenge?
"I wouldn't take this seriously. These are just rumours that have no credibility. The press wants to make the story more sensational, so they’re just peppering it with salacious details. We need to wait for the official statement from the police," Nathaniel said after a moment, sounding angry. He was probably regretting that he said anything in the first place.
All of a sudden, I started laughing, and I just couldn't stop. Nathaniel stared at me like I’d gone crazy.
"They’re wrong—she would’ve never done anything like that," I finally said, pulling myself together.
"I know, Julia, don't get worked up about this. Your family will make a statement, and I’ll sue them myself if I have to."
Then the phone rang again. This time it was Mum. Apparently, my dad wasn't doing so well—he came home a few minutes ago completely drunk. He told her that she didn't need to worry, and he was only trying to take care of family business. That got me really concerned, and I promised to speak to him as soon as I could, at least before the family meeting.
For the rest of the afternoon I kept speaking to my friends about what happened. Nicky, Kelsie, Kate and Ella were giving me their condolences, letting me know that they were there for me. They didn't believe the accusations that had been splashed across the papers since this morning. I realised that this was just the beginning. Tomorrow there would be more damaging stories and I needed to be prepared.
At a quarter past three, Natha
niel took the remote control out of my hand and switched the TV off. I had been flicking through the channels the whole day, listening to the absurd news and reading about all the gossip. I wasn't helping myself at all.
“That's enough, Julia. You’re not watching any more of this garbage," he said, standing in front of me. First, a surge of magic rushed through my back, pulling up the hair on the nape of my neck. The magic that held me together was strong and Nathaniel had affected it a great deal.
"I need to read the Daily Secret, find out what else they’re writing about," I said, grabbing my smart phone from the dresser to check the paranormal website. Nathaniel was quicker; he snatched the phone from my hand, shaking his head.
"It's a lot of rubbish; none of the stories are accurate. You’re not reading it while I'm here with you. You’ll only get more upset."
In some ways Nathaniel was right. Daily Secret was a trashy paper that liked to exaggerate their stories, at the same time, some of their facts were spot on. I needed to know exactly what we were dealing with and what my grandmother had been accused of.
"Probably, but I want to read it, just so I can prepare for the worst," I said, giving him my glassy-eyed look. My emotions were all over the place. I couldn't think straight, and I didn't want to fight with Nathaniel, but I needed to find out if there was anything I could do to help my family in any way. It didn't take me long to find the related article. The story about my grandmother’s affair was on the front page.
Mystery murder or magical revenge?
Late last night an anonymous caller informed human police that a woman had been found dead in her home. For some reason, the phone call wasn't picked up by the paranormal unit.
Barbra Taylor, the head of The Elves Association and retired businesswoman, was pronounced dead at the scene, approximately at five fifteen in the afternoon. Mrs. Taylor’s granddaughter had been on the way to visit her with her current fiancé, renowned businessman, Nathaniel La Caz.
Family Feud: The Witching Hour Series Book 5 Page 2