“I’ll show you unattractive,” she said, her voice threatening.
“Put the wand away,” he warned. “We don’t use magic against each other. We swore that in our wedding vows.”
“We swore a lot of things in our wedding vows,” she seethed. “Are you upholding them all?”
“Enough,” Sterling demanded. “This conversation is beneath you.”
The door opened and I pulled a decorative pillow over my head, as though that would somehow indicate my ears weren’t working.
The moment they stepped across the threshold, the argument stopped.
“How did it go?” Aster asked me, blinding me with a flash of her perfect teeth.
I yawned in an effort to appear sleepily incoherent. “Hmm? Oh, you’re back. Everything was good. The boys are snoozing away and Marley is in the guest bed.”
“I’ll wake her, if you like.” Sterling bounded up the stairs before I could object. He seemed eager to put distance between him and his wife.
I swung my legs over the side of the sofa. “Nice dinner?”
Aster’s expression clouded over. “It was, until his phone started acted up. It began talking to him during the first course, chastising him for the flirtatious tone of his texts to his female co-workers. He tried to turn it off, but it wouldn’t stop.” Aster covered her face with her hands. “The phone began reading some of the texts out loud. It was awful. I had to do a spell to make it stop. Half the restaurant was listening. To top it off, Sterling is angry with me for destroying his phone, like I did it on purpose.”
Once again, I’d managed to cause more problems than I solved. When would I learn to only use magic when I was confident of the outcome?
“Maybe you should be angry with him for sexting with other women,” I said. “That seems more egregious than accidentally breaking his phone.”
The sound of footsteps alerted us to Marley’s presence. She rubbed her eyes and gave Aster a sleepy smile.
“The boys are sweet, but a lot of work,” Marley said. “You’re a good mom.”
Tears welled in Aster’s eyes. “Thank you, Marley. That means a lot.”
I observed my cousin for a moment, uncertain how to respond to the tears. Aster wasn’t much of a hugger and neither was I. What was the appropriate next step in this conversation?
“Sterling said to tell you goodnight and that he’s going to bed,” Marley reported.
The tears dissipated as Aster’s jaw tightened. “Thank you.”
“I’ll meet you in the car, Marley,” I said. “I need to grab a few things.”
Marley was too tired to see through my ruse. “Okay,” she mumbled. “‘Night, Aster.”
“Goodnight, sweetness,” Aster replied. Once Marley departed, she looked at me. “Can I help you find something?”
I retrieved my handbag from behind the sofa. “Got it.” I paused. “Aster, I have something to confess. I did a spell on Sterling’s phone. I was trying to disable it temporarily, but I think I ended up creating a totem.”
Aster barked a short laugh. “You put a spirit in his phone?”
I shrugged. “I was in a rush and I did the next spell that came to mind. I’m sorry it backfired.”
Aster dropped onto the sofa, looking defeated. “Why did you try to disable it?”
I sat beside her. “Because I noticed how distracted he’s been and I wanted the two of you to have a chance to focus solely on each other.”
Aster patted my hand. “You don’t need to worry about us, Ember. All marriages have their ups and downs. Sterling and I are the only ones responsible for the state of our marriage.”
“He doesn’t seem to be taking your concerns seriously,” I said.
“It’s his way,” Aster said. “He’s a stubborn wizard and his immediate impulse is to push back. Once he calms down, he’ll realize that his response was misguided.”
“You sound confident,” I said.
Aster squared her shoulders. “I have to. I have two little lives hanging in the balance.” She inclined her head. “Is this because of Karl? Do you feel like Sterling and I are squandering our time together?”
I considered the question. “Maybe that’s part of it, but Karl and I were so young when we got married. Too young. I suspect we would’ve become different people in the long run.” The couple that fails to change together inevitably grows apart.
“Indeed. You became an entirely different person,” Aster pointed out. “A witch, in fact.”
I smiled. “Sometimes I wonder what Karl would think of all this. I bet he would think it’s pretty cool. He’d definitely want Marley to inherit the magic genes.”
“Sterling used to be more focused on his family,” Aster said in a hushed tone. “I don’t know why he’s checked out.”
“You’re not going to address it?” I queried. “It’s been going on for a while.”
Aster plucked an imaginary thread from the cushion. “I don’t want to rock the broomstick. We live a comfortable life. The boys are happy and thriving. I’m not willing to jeopardize any of that.”
“And you think by remaining quiet that you’re not already jeopardizing that?”
Aster tensed. “It’s the way Mother would handle it.”
“Is it?” I wasn’t convinced. Aunt Hyacinth was more of a ‘scorched earth’ kind of witch, from what I could tell.
“Mother dislikes mess,” Aster said. “She’ll be appalled when she hears about the restaurant incident.”
“I think she’ll be more appalled to hear about Sterling’s behavior,” I said. “If I were him, I’d be very worried.”
A smile played upon her lips. “He is deathly afraid of Mother, although he’ll never admit it.”
“Maybe you should remind him exactly how vengeful she can be,” I suggested. “I mean, Wyatt should be example enough.”
Aster balled her fists. “That werewolf was bad news from the start. Sterling is nothing like Wyatt.”
I sighed. “Then I think it’s high time he proves it.”
Chapter 14
“I’m not riding a damn horse, Rose,” the sheriff said. “I’m a wolf. I’d be an embarrassment to the pack.”
We stood outside Rose Cottage, preparing to attend a meeting of the Council of Elders. If anyone could provide information on forgotten treasure maps, it would be the older members of Starry Hollow society. My aunt was kind enough to arrange it for us, mainly because she wanted Simon’s full attention back.
“Then you’ll need to shift to keep up,” I said. “It’s too tricky on foot and impossible by car.”
“I’m happy to shift,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t bother you.”
Did it? No, I didn’t think so. I’d seen him in full wolf mode back when he was infected with a parasite, and I’d been more scared of losing him than of him.
“Will you frighten the horse, though?” I wasn’t a competent enough rider to gain control of a spooked mount.
The sheriff stroked his chin. “Hmm. There’s a good bet I would.”
I remembered the new addition to the stables. “What about a unicorn?”
The sheriff’s brow lifted. “You got yourself a unicorn, Rose? To the manor born, eh?”
I folded my arms in a huff. “I did not get myself anything. Aunt Hyacinth bought her for Marley, but she responds to me.”
“You do have a way with animals,” the sheriff said. “And I include myself in that group.”
“Apparently, I inherited that ‘way’ from my mother,” I said. “Kelsey from Kelsey’s Stables knew my mother. When Marley goes riding there with Firefly, I get to talk to Kelsey about my mom. A win-win.”
“Well, let’s go meet this Firefly,” the sheriff said. “Wouldn’t want to be late for the old folks.”
“The elders,” I corrected him.
“That makes them sound wiser than they are. Just because they manage to dodge death longer than most doesn’t make them smart. Makes them lucky.”
My laugh cam
e out more like a grunt. “I never knew you had an irreverent side to you, Sheriff.”
“Seems to me you still have a lot to learn, Rose.” He cocked an eyebrow. “You gonna wear that silver cloak?”
I fidgeted with my long sleeves. “It’s sort of a requirement when I go to see them. A sign of respect.”
“Hides your figure.”
“I’m not there to get a date,” I shot back.
He winked. “You never know with you, Rose.”
We crossed the grounds together and the sheriff waited outside of the stables while I prepared Firefly, including a change of clothes for the sheriff once he’d shifted back to human form.
“Am I missing anything important?” I asked the unicorn.
She nudged her snout toward a heavy blanket folded on a nearby stool.
“Good thinking.” There was no saddle, so I tossed the blanket over her back. I used a step stool to mount her, so I didn’t make a fool of myself in front of the sheriff. I did that often enough.
“I’ll follow your lead,” the sheriff said, as we exited the stables.
“That’ll be a new trick.”
Thankfully, I remembered the way to the hidden cave and was able to steer Firefly through the forest and along the coastline. The moon remained behind the clouds, so the only light to guide us was the glow of Firefly’s horn. Although I couldn’t see the sheriff’s wolf form, I felt his presence nearby. He managed to move in complete silence, which was both impressive and a little scary.
My aunt met us in the neck of the cave once the sheriff had made himself presentable.
“Welcome to our humble quarters,” she said. “I see you put your daughter’s gift to good use.”
“Firefly seemed the best option with a wolf on my heels,” I said.
“A reasonable assumption.” Aunt Hyacinth glanced at the sheriff. “Keep your questions on point and straightforward. The council doesn’t want to feel like it’s being interrogated.”
“No one here is a suspect,” the sheriff said. “We’re only trying to gather background information.”
“Excellent.” My aunt gave him a pointed look. “And you would be wise to curb your usual attitude.”
“Attitude? I’m not Wyatt,” he protested.
“No,” my aunt replied. “If you were, you wouldn’t be permitted here in the first place.”
We traveled to the part of the cave large enough to house the council’s round table. Candlelight flickered all around us. There were two empty seats together, so we took the hint.
“Thank you for allowing me entry,” Sheriff Nash said. “I’ve always wondered what these meetings were like.”
“The location and proceedings are to be kept confidential,” Victorine, the head of the vampire coven, said. “We don’t care who you are.” Victorine Del Bianco was nearly as formidable as Aunt Hyacinth. The sharp fangs helped.
“There was disagreement as to whether you should have been brought here unconscious,” Mervin O’Malley said. The leprechaun rubbed his freckled forehead. He looked like he was still nursing a hangover.
“Duly noted,” the sheriff said. Although he had an ego, he was wise enough not to give the esteemed members of the council a witty retort.
“No worries, my boy.” Arthur Rutledge gave him a kind smile. “I vehemently objected to any such measures.” The elderly werewolf tilted his head toward Misty Brookline, the fairy representative. “You’re the sheriff of this town and that is deserving of our respect, elders or not.”
“Hyacinth says you are here to ask about treasure,” Oliver Dagwood interjected. “Such folly.”
The sheriff shifted his focus to the elderly wizard. “We’re not actually hunting for treasure. We’re trying to find out more about a missing map in the hope that it will lead us to a murderer.”
“It’s not good for the town’s reputation to have a killer on the loose,” I said. “The victim was from out of town, attending a conference. If word gets out, it could hurt tourism.”
“Then perhaps the local paper would be wise to suppress the story until we have answers,” Victorine said. Her cool gaze rested on my aunt, the owner and operator of Vox Populi.
Although her expression remained serene, I could sense my aunt seething. She didn’t want to be told what to do by anyone, least of all a vampire.
“No need to suppress a story that is incomplete,” my aunt replied smoothly. Take that, Victorine! “Once the full story is known, the paper has a duty to report it, of course.”
Amaryllis Elderflower coughed delicately. “What kind of information do you need?”
I produced the town map that Laura had marked up. “Someone who’d seen the map identified some places she thought were on it. She remembers two crossed daggers dripping with blood on the original map. Of course, this is a modern map of the town and we’re not sure which spots the X’s are meant to mark.”
Amaryllis studied the map first. “This X is close to Casper’s Revenge. That’s the only place that would’ve been standing at a time when vampire pirates were roaming about.”
“Casper’s Revenge?” I echoed.
“An inn run by ghosts,” Melvin interjected.
The sheriff and I exchanged looks, recognizing the name. Jeeves had mentioned the inn during our interview.
“I can’t think of what this place might be,” Oliver said, tapping another X. “I picture an empty lot there.”
Victorine scraped her freakishly long fingernails along the table. “Have you been to the Whitethorn?”
“Not yet,” the sheriff replied. “Why?”
Laura hadn’t marked the Whitethorn on the map. It would have been one of the few locations I’d have recognized without help.
“Do you think the treasure’s connected to Captain Blackfang?” I asked.
“I don’t know the details,” Victorine said. “But I’ve heard rumors of a treasure hidden by his first mate. Valuables secured without their fearsome leader. Since I don’t recognize the symbol of crossed daggers, it’s possible your map refers to that particular treasure. It would be one of the lesser known ones.”
“Who would be crazy enough to go behind Captain Blackfang’s back?” I asked. Someone with a death wish.
“Speak to Duncan,” Victorine said. “Although I’ve been around for quite some time, talk of treasure and pirate lore has never held much interest for me. I simply tune it out whenever the subject is broached.”
Talking to Duncan made a lot of sense. So much so, that I was annoyed I hadn’t thought of it myself.
“And how are your studies progressing, Miss Rose?” Misty asked. “We understand you’re in the process of training for your broomstick license.”
“I am,” I said. “Turns out, Florian is a good teacher.”
“Florian seems to be coming into his own, as of late,” Amaryllis said. “You should be proud, Hyacinth.”
“I’ve always been proud of my children,” my aunt responded crisply. She clearly disliked the implication that Florian only recently deserved praise.
“While we’re on the subject, you should be proud of Deputy Bolan,” the sheriff told Mervin. “He’s a fantastic right hand.”
“I’m sure he is, when he’s allowed to do his job,” Mervin blurted.
The sheriff straightened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
My stomach sank. I knew exactly what it was supposed to mean. “He’s talking about me.”
The sheriff clenched his teeth. “Miss Rose in no way interferes with Deputy Bolan’s job.”
“Then why is she here with you tonight instead of him?” Mervin asked. “It seems to me your deputy should be part of the investigation.”
“He is,” the sheriff insisted. “And I’ll thank you not to presume to tell me how to conduct police business.”
“Ember is the one who suggested speaking to us,” my aunt said. “She saw the value of our collective knowledge. Your leprechaun drew no such conclusion.”
Mervin’s
cheeks reddened. “In that case, neither did our sheriff.”
A low growl came from the direction of Arthur Rutledge. “I propose we end this line of discussion before it gets ugly.”
“Agreed,” Misty said. “If you have an issue with the way the sheriff handles investigations, there are proper channels to go through.”
Mervin backed down. “That won’t be necessary. The deputy would be mortified if he knew I’d even mentioned it. He has the utmost respect for Sheriff Nash.”
“As he should,” Arthur grumbled.
The sheriff drew himself to his full height. “Rose, I think we’re done here.”
“Thank you for your help,” I said. It couldn’t hurt to be polite. A little something I learned from Marley.
“Good luck,” Aunt Hyacinth said. “The sooner you catch the murderer, the better for us all.”
The sheriff and I went straight from the council meeting to the Whitethorn. After midnight was the perfect time to speak to Duncan without too many patrons listening in. I hitched Firefly to a post outside and we sauntered into the pub like two Wild West cowboys.
“Two crossed daggers dripping with blood? I know about that map,” Duncan said, once we explained the reason for our visit. “Had a bachelor party come through here about a year back looking for it as part of a scavenger hunt.”
“How did they even know about its existence?” I asked.
“Word gets around when there’s treasure involved,” Duncan said. “The groom and best man were local. They’d probably heard the stories from when they were babes in arms.”
“The pack stories don’t include many vampire pirates,” the sheriff said.
“No surprise there,” I replied. There was no love lost between werewolves and vampires. “Have you had anyone in here recently asking about the map or treasure?”
Duncan glanced over his shoulder at his parrot, Bittersteel. “Anyone lately?”
“Not that I recall,” the parrot squawked. “Maybe a snack would jog my memory.”
The sheriff tapped the star on his shirt. “Maybe this bright star will jog your memory.”
“Nope, no one’s been asking,” Bittersteel replied.
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