Luck of the Witch (Crypt Witch Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

by K. E. O'Connor

  I could relate to that. Cloven Hoof closed at midnight, and we were never done clearing up much before one in the morning. “You’re sure you weren’t still interested in Deacon?”

  “He was a dumb half-angel. I never loved him. He was fun to hang out with. The fun came to an end, and I moved on.”

  Petra sounded worryingly plausible. “If you didn’t do it, and my sister isn’t involved, who do you think wanted rid of Deacon? Did he talk to you about any enemies he had?”

  Petra looked around the bar and leaned closer to me. “I reckon it was Mannie Winter.”

  “Why Mannie?”

  “Deacon and Axel were working together. They wanted Mannie out of the running for mayor, so it was the two of them standing against each other.”

  “Why do that? Mannie doesn’t stand a chance of winning this election.”

  “So you’d think, but he’s invested a whole heap of money into new campaign material. He’s getting a real buzz going around Willow Tree Falls. Haven’t you noticed all the posters and promises he’s making to turn the village into a worldwide tourist destination?”

  I’d paid no attention to the upcoming mayoral election and had missed all the posters. “That only makes me not want to vote for Mannie. We have enough tourists. We need no more.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. I’ve watched Deacon and Axel in the Ancient Imp on several occasions. They were as thick as thieves, talking about something secretive and stopping whenever I went over to grab their empty glasses. They were working on something together. My guess is, it had to do with getting Mannie out of the campaign.”

  “But one of them would still lose. Get rid of Mannie and they’d compete with each other.”

  Petra shrugged. “Maybe they’d come to some arrangement. They’d keep out of each other’s way whoever won. Or they’d do under the table deals between the two of them, so there were no hard feelings. I don’t know the details.”

  “A half-angel and a half-demon working together. I guess I’ve seen stranger partnerships.”

  “One thing I do know is that politics is a shady business, and Deacon and Axel both wanted a shot at being mayor. They were worried Mannie’s money and experience would go against them. You need to speak to Mannie and see what he knows about Deacon’s death. I bet he did it.” She pushed back her stool. “I have to get out of here. I’ll have the early dinner crowd in soon at the Ancient Imp. I need to make sure the barrels are changed so customers don’t go thirsty.”

  “Hold up. You haven’t told me who you’re dating.” I wasn’t letting Petra off that easily. I also wasn’t convinced by her not so solid alibi about eating pizza alone on the night Deacon died. What was to say she didn’t stuff her face and then kill Deacon?

  “That’s my business.” Petra turned and hurried out of Cloven Hoof.

  I dashed after her, Wiggles jumping up and running after me. He loved a good chase. “Tell me who you’re dating. All I want to do is double check you’re really over Deacon and didn’t hold a grudge that he’d moved on.”

  She ignored me and ran to her sleek black sports car. She was one of the few people in Willow Tree Falls who owned a car. The place was so small it was easy enough to walk to wherever you liked. Wearing the kind of heels she did, Petra needed all the help she could get when it came to walking.

  “Give me one name,” I said. “It can’t be that hard. You can’t have that many boyfriends.”

  “I told you what I was doing that night. That’s all you’re getting out of me.”

  “If you’re dating that many hot guys, you’d brag about it, not keep it a secret.”

  Wiggles bounced around my feet as he sensed my growing agitation.

  “Keep your nose out of my business.” Petra hopped into her car and gunned the engine.

  This was my business. Aurora’s reputation was at stake, along with a potentially lengthy spell in prison if she was found guilty. I ran toward Petra’s car. “Wait! I’m not finished with you.”

  Petra spun the car around, the tires squealing.

  I leaped out of the way, falling backward to avoid being hit by the back of her car as it swerved. I heard Petra crunch the gears and punch the gas.

  Wiggles growled, sensing my panic, and leaped in front of the car, his hackles raised as he tried to defend me from a metal beast.

  “Get back,” I screamed at Wiggles.

  It was too late. Petra accelerated and hit him.

  Chapter 6

  My breath caught in my throat, and my eyes were blinded with tears. For a second, the world froze as I couldn’t believe what had happened.

  There was a flash of Petra’s brake lights as she realized what she’d just done.

  “No, you don’t.” She was not escaping from this. I rolled onto my feet, stretched out a hand, and cast a net spell, trapping the car.

  I felt it thump against my magic as Petra put her foot down again.

  “No, no, no, no.” I ran toward the car. Where was Wiggles? I silently begged all the benevolent witches and warlocks to make sure he was okay. He wasn’t a big dog, but he might have survived.

  I rounded the car. Wiggles was in front of it. He must have been lifted off the ground from the impact.

  My heart stuttered, and I wiped my cheeks with my hands to remove the tears. Anger burned through my grief. I was going to kill Petra.

  I dropped to the ground next to Wiggles. He lay on his side, looking like he was simply asleep.

  I gently pressed a hand to his furry tan chest. He didn’t move.

  My tears felt like hot acid as I stood and stalked over to Petra. “What have you done?” I opened the door, grabbed the collar of her dress, and yanked her out of the car.

  Petra gasped and looked at Wiggles. “I didn’t mean to. It was an accident. He just jumped out in front of me.”

  “You weren’t going to stop.” I shook her hard, wanting to hear her teeth rattle. Wanting her to feel the same pain I did. Anger raced through my veins, and I didn’t try to stop it. This was one of the few occasions when I was glad I carried a demon inside of me.

  I didn’t fight as Frank took over. He fed on my rage, and it made him strong. My blood felt like fire as his power raced through my body, making me shake and my vision blur.

  Petra gasped and staggered back as she sensed the demon energy sparking through me. She hit her car and scrambled for the door handle.

  My hand shot out and wrapped around her neck. “You killed him.”

  “Please, it was an accident.” Petra clawed at my hand.

  “Let me take over completely,” Frank whispered in my head. “She deserves this. She is a killer.”

  I nodded. Petra might not have killed Deacon, but she’d definitely killed Wiggles. She deserved to be punished.

  I dropped my final barrier and allowed Frank to take control of my body.

  He purred in satisfaction. Whenever Frank took control, I felt like I was watching myself have an out-of-body experience. It was my body and my voice, but my actions were controlled by a ruthless demon, who thrived on destruction and death.

  At least, this death was deserved. My disembodied self looked back at Wiggles. Through the rage and satisfaction Frank felt at getting a taste of power, my heart clenched with sadness.

  I’d had Wiggles for ten years. He’d been with me since he was a pup. I was a surly, uptight teenager when I’d passed by Fur Baby Emporium, run by Abigail Furby. I’d stood and stared at the puppies for at least ten minutes, my attention repeatedly drawn to the little guy in the corner no one else wanted to play with. Abigail had seen me looking and encouraged me into the store.

  It had been love at first sight. Wiggles had stumbled over to me on his big paws, hope in his tiny blue eyes that he’d finally found someone who understood him. My heart had melted, especially when I found out how his siblings ignored him because he was the litter runt. We’d been best friends ever since. He was my rock and never judged me, no matter what I did or how badly I behaved. />
  Now he was gone. Run over by this cold-hearted witch, who couldn’t drive because of the ridiculous heels she drove in. She deserved everything Frank gave her. I would sit back and enjoy the show.

  I watched as Frank used my hand on Petra’s head, my fingers digging into her hair.

  “Destroy her,” I whispered.

  “It will be my pleasure,” Frank replied. “A gift to you.”

  “No, don’t do it,” Petra said. “I’ll do anything. I’ll get you a new dog. Whatever you want is yours.”

  “Tempest, stop!”

  I glanced around, not certain where the muffled voice had come from.

  Aurora stood at the end of the lane, horror etched across her heart-shaped features.

  I shook my head, panic flooding through me. She couldn’t be here. If Frank turned his attention on Aurora, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop him.

  I waved her away. “Get lost.” She had no idea Frank was in control of me.

  Frank laughed. “Two delights in the same day. I feel honored.”

  I gritted my teeth and forced his energy away. I had to get control of him, or Aurora would be dead. I squashed the anger and rage I felt. That was what had fired Frank up and given him power over me.

  “It’s time for you to take a rest.” Sweat trickled down my back as my internal battle to regain control raged.

  “We are not finished.” Frank’s voice was deep and gravelly inside my mind. “You do not want revenge on the one who killed your best friend?”

  My gaze went from Wiggles to Aurora. Revenge for my lost dog or protecting my sister? I loved them both. I wanted them both to be safe.

  “Decide what you want,” Frank said. “I know what I desire. We both desire it.”

  Petra sank to the ground, her head bowed as a rush of Frank’s energy shot through me and he took control again.

  “Tempest, you need to stop.” Aurora took a step closer.

  I felt Frank’s attention drift to her. A lustful hunger burned inside him for my sister. It had always been that way, ever since the night he’d tried to take her. Ever since the night I’d stopped him from devouring her.

  My head pounded with the effort of stopping Frank, but I was gaining control and forcing him back.

  “Get out of here,” I shouted at Aurora. “It’s not safe.”

  She ignored me and drew nearer. “What’s going on? What happened to Wiggles?”

  Panic engulfed me. Frank was still far from being under my control, and Aurora was ignoring me as she took another step.

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, forcing Frank down, down, and down, trapping him inside me. I always imagined a big, roomy cage he lived in. I furnished it nicely, so he had nothing to complain about, but if I were him, I’d not want to spend the rest of my days trapped inside a witch’s mind prison. I understood why he fought me.

  Slowly, his grip loosened, and his hot, jagged power slid down my spine. I opened my eyes and blew out a long breath.

  Petra remained on the ground, my fingers tangled in her hair. She knew better than to mess with a demon like Frank and knew not to provoke me while I got control of him.

  “Tempest, what happened?” Aurora repeated.

  “When will you ever listen to me?” I gasped. “Frank was out. He could have killed you.”

  Aurora licked her lips. “I didn’t know. Is everything good with Frank now?”

  “Just about but keep your distance for a bit longer.” I swiped a hand across my sweaty forehead. “Petra hit Wiggles with her car.”

  Aurora’s hand went to her mouth, her gaze on Wiggles. “Is he...”

  “Yes. She ran him over.” I choked on the sentence and had to swallow a few times to get control of my tears.

  “I’m so sorry,” Petra whispered. “I promise you I couldn’t stop in time. I’d never want to hurt him. I liked Wiggles.”

  Frank let out an angry howl as he slid back under my control. I felt the same desire to howl. I wanted to scream and cry and smash Petra’s car into tiny little pieces.

  Aurora’s eyes widened. “Are you sure you’re in control?”

  “For now. Why do you ask?”

  “Your eyes are red.”

  It seemed like Frank wasn’t as far away as I thought. “You should leave while you can. Frank was dealing with Petra. He might come back.”

  Aurora shook her head. “What Petra did was horrible. We all love Wiggles, but you can’t kill her.”

  “I can. She didn’t even stop. She doesn’t care what she’s done.”

  Petra was still on her knees in front of me. She raised her head. “I got scared. You wouldn’t give up on the questioning.”

  Despite all my warnings to keep her distance, Aurora ignored me and walked over. I staggered out of the way as she caught hold of Petra, helped her up, and eased her back into her car. “You’d better go.”

  “She is going to pay for this,” I said.

  “She will. I’m sure of it.” Aurora glanced cautiously at me before turning her attention to Petra. “Are you okay to drive?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Petra whispered.

  “Then I suggest you leave while Tempest feels calmer.”

  Petra nodded. “I’m really so sorry. I never meant for this to happen.” She glanced at me before steering the car around Wiggles and away from Cloven Hoof.

  The anger finally left me, and I dropped beside Wiggles again. He was gone, my best friend had been taken from me. My heart ached, and my lungs burned. I had no one to talk to. No one to watch terrible movies with. And who would I share lie-ins with, now Wiggles wasn’t there to snuggle next to?

  Aurora touched my shoulder. “Oh, Tempest, it’s so sad. Poor Wiggles.”

  “He didn’t deserve this. He was looking out for me. I was chasing Petra, trying to get answers out of her about Deacon’s death. I spooked her, and she wouldn’t stop.”

  “Wiggles was helping you. He was such a loyal dog.” Aurora’s words wobbled as she spoke.

  Frank stirred inside me, restless at how close Aurora was to him. Or maybe he was also sorry Wiggles had gone. He’d known him as long as I had.

  “You need to get out of here,” I said to Aurora. “I still don’t have things under control here. Frank loves to feed on my moods. Right now, I want to punch something hard until my hands bleed. He’s only encouraging those feelings.”

  Her grip tightened on my shoulder. “Before I do, I have an idea.”

  I glanced up and saw a determined look in Aurora’s eyes, mingled with a little fear. “Which is?”

  “We’re powerful crypt witches. Although some of our power comes from siphoning nature, we also feed on undead energy, you in particular.”

  “Sure, I just love to drain all the creepy undead power from our cemetery.” That was certainly a quirk in my abilities. I loved being around dead, creepy things, which was why hunting soul sucking demons never fazed me.

  “I don’t mind it either.” Aurora’s smile was soft. Her magic had always been gentler than mine. She could draw power from the cemetery but thrived when it came to helping others. She grew strong from positivity. I sometimes wondered if we really were sisters. We couldn’t be more different.

  “What’s your point?”

  “We both know a certain spell to reanimate dead things.”

  I sucked in a breath. “Flowers and birds, we can manage those. We can’t bring Wiggles back from the dead. He’s a dog.”

  “The magic works on animals. The birds wake up and fly away. Obviously, Wiggles is much bigger, but between the two of us, we can do it. What do you reckon? Shall we get Wiggles back?”

  I jumped up, my knees feeling shaky and my heart racing with uncertain hope, and I hugged her. “Anything! I’ll try anything to get him back.”

  Her eyes glistened, and she bit her bottom lip. “Let’s do it.”

  We sat either side of Wiggles and both placed a hand on his warm chest.

  “There’s no guarantee this will work,
” Aurora said quietly. “He’ll need lots of energy.”

  “How about some mushrooms?”

  Aurora tilted her head. “I thought they only chill people out.”

  “I have all sorts in Cloven Hoof.” I scrambled to my feet, raced into the bar, and grabbed a bag of dried Regal Bolete mushrooms.

  I was already eating a handful as I thrust the bag at Aurora.

  She pulled one brown, flat mushroom from the bag. “How many?”

  “At least a dozen. We need to feel so buzzed we think we’re flying. That’s the kind of spark Wiggles needs to come back to me.” I swallowed the lump of citrus-infused mushrooms. Sometimes, these little buggers did not taste great if you didn’t give them a helping hand with something sweet or tangy.

  Aurora gobbled down a big handful of mushrooms, and I ate a few more just in case.

  Eating these was like downing a dozen energy drinks but without the caffeine side effects. The colors brightened around me, and I felt like bursting into song and dancing on the spot as the mushrooms worked their magic.

  “We can do it. I’m sure we can.” Hope fluttered in my chest. I was getting Wiggles back. I settled on the ground opposite Aurora.

  With our free hands, we linked fingers. This spell aired on the wrong side of light. It wasn’t a full on black magic spell but definitely had shades of gray. Bringing anything back to life was a big deal.

  Magic pulsed through my body, my energy mingling with Aurora’s and flooding down our fingers as we willed Wiggles back to life.

  We sat like that for half an hour, focused on Wiggles. Nothing else mattered. We didn’t speak; we barely breathed; we just pulsed magic into him.

  I felt my energy ebbing but refused to give up. Wiggles would live. He had to. I sucked in a breath and blocked out everything else.

  “Did he move?” Aurora whispered. Her skin was gray from the toll the spell had on her, but she looked as determined as me that this magic would work.

  I pressed against Wiggle’s chest and gasped as a tiny shiver of movement ran along his spine. “It’s working.”