Cast Away

by Annabel Chase

  A knock on the door suggested otherwise.

  “Who is it?” Althea called.

  The door opened and Alex stepped into my office. He took one look at me and balked.

  “Is this a bad time?” he asked.

  I waved him forward. “Do not fear the woman behind the mess.”

  Hesitantly, Alex took a seat across from me. His jeans were so tight that I was surprised he could sit without being uncomfortable. Not that I minded the view. Even vampires without a pulse wouldn't mind that view.

  “Buck left a few minutes ago. We’re working on his defense.”

  "I know. That’s the reason I’m here.”

  Oh. “Do you have information that would help us?”

  “I wish I did. I need this to get resolved in Buck’s favor. The shifter community is getting worked up over it."

  That was news to me. "Because of an indecent exposure charge? It's not that serious."

  Alex heaved a sigh. "It's just one more blemish on the werewolf record. The pack doesn't like it."

  "What about Lorenzo Mancini? Why is he not here to see me?” As the official leader of the werewolf pack, I wasn't sure why Alex was acting as pack spokeswolf.

  "It's because of his position on the town council," Alex explained. "The pack thought it best if I represented everyone's concerns."

  That made sense. Lorenzo's hands were tied. He didn't have the power to change any laws, not by himself. Nor did he want the appearance of impropriety.

  "How can I help?" I asked. "Outside of defending Buck, I'm not sure what else I can do."

  He tapped his foot anxiously on the floor. "I heard you’re spearheading a committee, something about revising the harsh sentences. Maybe you could throw this ordinance into the mix and see how people react."

  I tapped my quill on the desk. "The committee won't be changing any laws or ordinances. It's about revising the punishment for the ones that are already on the books."

  Alex appeared disappointed. "Oh. Well, is there anything you can do about these ordinances? They target shifters and it isn’t right.”

  I laughed. "You seem to think I have far more power than I do. I'm a public defender. I don't make the laws or the ordinances here. I just defend those accused of violating them."

  Alex rubbed his hands on the arms of the chair. "I don't like seeing the pack bent out of shape. These ordinances make them feel persecuted. There's no rule that prevents witches from flying on broomsticks."

  "To be fair, witches on broomsticks aren’t leaving a trail of urine across someone's yard."

  "No," Alex said, "but once in a while they might leave a trail of vomit." He gave me a pointed look.

  Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Once in a blue moon that might happen.” Or every time I flew. Whichever. “And I am only one person."

  Alex smiled. "I'm not trying to give you a hard time. Honest. You know I like you, Emma. But I don't like the way things are shaking out around here. Makes the pack uncomfortable."

  "Have you spoken to Lorenzo about it? He must have an opinion."

  Alex pressed his lips together, as though unsure whether to continue. Finally he spoke. "I think Lorenzo is worried about losing his seat on the council. He doesn't want to speak up too much for the pack if it ruffles too many wings."

  It never occurred to me that having the heads of the coven, the werewolf pack, and the vampire coven on the town council might be problematic. In a situation like this, it seemed impossible for Lorenzo to best represent his pack if he was concerned with losing his seat on the council.

  "I think you should petition the town council to change the ordinances," I suggested. "You're unhappy about the shifting restrictions too, right? Draft a list of which ones you object to and how you would change them." In my experience, if you were going to complain about something, it was best to offer an alternative or a solution. Those complaints always seemed to be the most effective.

  "And then what?" he asked. "Get on the agenda for the next town council meeting?"

  I nodded. "Speak to Lucy, the mayor's assistant. Tell her I sent you. She's a good friend." Just don’t use my name within earshot of the mayor.

  Alex nodded. "I know who Lucy is. Hard not to notice a pretty fairy like that."

  My romance radar pinged. “Lucy is adorable. She's single, you know."

  Alex looked bashful. “Thanks for the tip, but you know I can't date outside my kind. Not if I expect to take over the pack one day."

  "You'd sacrifice your personal happiness to run the pack?" I asked.

  "That's the whole point of being part of a pack," he said. "You do what's best for the whole. We’re only as strong as our weakest link."

  "Yes, but if your strongest link is unhappy, doesn't that weaken the whole chain anyway?"

  He wagged a finger at me. "Don't you go using your lawyer mind tricks on me, young lady." He chuckled. "Thanks for the help, Emma. I appreciate it. I know you'll do a good job defending Buck.”

  "I always do my best."

  "That's all we can ask of anyone," Alex said, standing to give me one more decent view of his tight jeans before he left my office.

  By the time I reached Dr. Hall’s office for my afternoon appointment, I was ready to crawl across the floor and curl up in the chaise lounge.

  “If you take a nap, I’m still charging you for the session,” Catherine said. She poured two Arrogant Bitches and handed one to me.

  “It’s disturbing how comfortable I’m getting with this arrangement,” I said, taking a sip.

  “Stick with me, Hart, and see the world from a whole different viewpoint.” She plopped on the chair beside me and kicked off her shoes, making herself comfortable. I noticed her toenails were painted black with white skulls and crossbones.

  “Pretty sure that happened when I arrived in Spellbound,” I said.

  She laughed and I realized how pretty she was when she didn’t look sullen. “Good point.” She swallowed a mouthful and peered at me with interest. “So how are you feeling about the disaster that is your life?”

  I scowled. “That’s a bit harsh.”

  She shrugged. “Is it? Seems pretty accurate to me. You’re even starting to look like a walking disaster. I can’t believe Gareth let you leave the house looking this way. Shame on him.”

  I brushed the stray hairs from the edge of my face in an effort to appear more presentable. “He wasn’t around.”

  Catherine drained her glass and set it aside. “So how are you feeling about next Saturday?”

  “What’s next Saturday?” I asked, avoiding her steely gaze.

  Without warning, her fangs popped out and she lunged for me. I screamed and fell off the chaise lounge, landing hard on my bottom.

  “What was that for?” I asked. Sulking, I rubbed my sore tailbone.

  “Dishonesty” Catherine said, retracting her fangs and settling back in the chair. “Do it again and I will bite.”

  “Your methods are highly questionable,” I said.

  “And yet you keep turning up for appointments,” she said. “I must be doing something right.”

  I returned to the chaise lounge and took another drink. “How do you think I feel? Awful. Sick. Terrified.”

  Catherine pointed at me. “Bingo.”

  “Bingo?”

  “Terrified. Let’s talk about that.”

  I cringed. “Do we have to?”

  “Why are you terrified?”

  “I think it’s obvious,” I said.

  “Not to me. Pretend I don’t have a PhD from one of the best vampire universities in the world.”

  I pinched the fabric of the cushion, forcing out the words. “Because Daniel is going to marry Elsa while he’s under this stupid spell and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. It’s completely out of my control. I thought once I had the vial of Obsession potion, that would be enough to stop the madness.”

  “But you don’t have the potion anymore?”

  I shook my head. “Mayor Knightsbr
idge destroyed it.”

  Catherine narrowed her eyes. “Destroyed it? She’s planning to let her daughter continue this charade?”

  “Apparently.”

  “I never liked that uppity fairy. Too big for her wings.” She stood and stretched her arms over her head. “Tell me more about your fear.”

  “What fear?” I asked. “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.”

  “Who fed you that minotaur shit?” she shot back. “There are loads of things to be afraid of.” She ticked them off on her fingers. “Snakes, being buried alive, a huge, unexpected tax bill, an enchantress with a grudge. The list goes on. What are you, Emma Hart, afraid of?”

  I shuddered. “I used to have nightmares about being buried alive when I was a child.”

  “I was buried alive,” Catherine said. “It’s no picnic, I’ll tell you that much. Luckily, I woke up as a vampire so I simply clawed my way out of the coffin. Easy peasy.”

  The thought was horrifying. “You were buried alive?”

  Catherine returned to the bar to refresh her glass. “I guess technically I was dead and then I became undead.”

  “You still haven’t told me the story of how you became a vampire.”

  She gave me a dismissive wave. “We’re here to talk about you, honey.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  She ignored the question. “Fear. Go.”

  “I’m afraid of losing Daniel forever.”

  “The way you lost your parents forever?”

  I nodded and sipped my drink. The alcohol warmed my stomach and I felt a little better. “Getting to know him filled a hole in me that I didn’t even realize existed. To have to imagine a future without him…” I blinked back tears. “It’s a dark place. I’d rather time stand still.”

  “You made it this far without your parents,” Catherine said. “How did the future look after your father died?”

  “I was seven,” I replied. “I didn’t have a concept of the future then. It was more about coming to terms with never seeing my father again.”

  “Daniel Starr isn’t like your parents. He’s immortal. An angel, remember? You’ll be able to see him as long as you live. Of course, you’ll see him married to someone else.”

  I buried my face in my hands. “Gee, thanks for the upbeat reminder.”

  Catherine shrugged. “If you love Daniel so much, you should just be grateful that he’s here on earth, even if he’s walking blindly among the living.”

  “But he deserves better than that.”

  “Why does it bother you so much?” she prodded. “If he’s oblivious and seemingly content…”

  “Because he doesn’t belong with Elsa. It isn’t right.”

  “Says who?”

  My jaw tensed. “Do you mean to tell me that if Lord Gilder suddenly became engaged to someone like Lady Weatherby, you wouldn’t be crying foul and screaming to the hilltops that it isn’t right?”

  “J.R. Weatherby?” Catherine scoffed. “Unlikely. She’s not his type.”

  “Because you are?”

  Catherine glared at me. “Stop trying to turn the tables. We’re talking about your fear, not mine. If I were going to talk about fear, I’d talk about the time I was chained to a wall and left to starve. I didn’t know when or if anyone would come to help me.”

  A lump formed in my throat at the thought of Catherine in such a dire situation. “Did that really happen?” It was hard to know with her.

  “I remember every excruciating moment.”

  “You obviously escaped.”

  “Thank the devil. I was a vampire who got involved with the wrong guy.”

  “A human did that to you?” I asked, shocked.

  “No, a self-loathing vampire. He tried to torture the vampirism out of me.” She gave me a sad smile. “He’d been a preacher before he was turned and he had a difficult time with his…situation.”

  “And yours, apparently.” Every time I thought my life was in the toilet, Catherine found a way to make it seem like a Sunday picnic compared with hers.

  “So back to Daniel,” she said. “What’s the worst that can happen if he marries her and believes he loves her? If that’s his reality, then is it so horrible?”

  “Yes!” I struggled to find the right words. “He won’t be living an authentic life if the love isn’t real. The marriage will be a lie. A sham.”

  “But if he believes it to be real, is there actually a difference?”

  I leaped to my feet. “Of course there’s a difference. Daniel wants his halo restored. He wants to make amends and do good deeds to make up for past wrongs. He wants to be the best version of himself. He can’t possibly do that if he’s living a lie.”

  Catherine blew out a breath. “And let me guess, Miss Leaping Llama Drama—without him, you don’t think you can be the best version of yourself either. His failure becomes your failure.”

  Was that what I believed? Maybe it was.

  “I never in my wildest dreams believed I would ever meet anyone like him,” I admitted.

  “Because you lived in the human world?”

  “No, because of our connection. It was immediate. I feel…” How could I describe the intense and yet soothing nature of our relationship? “I feel like we’ve always been a part of each other’s lives. Being with him feels as natural as breathing.”

  Catherine scraped her knuckle along her cheek. “And now Elsa has cut off your oxygen supply?”

  “Dr. Hall, are you…crying?”

  She hissed and bared her fangs. “Of course not. Don’t be absurd. Crying is for people about to be eaten.” She shot me a guilty look. “I mean, sad people. Very sad.”

  “It’s okay to be sad,” I told her. “Sadness can be a healthy emotion, as long as it doesn’t take over your life.”

  “Listen to you,” she said, draining her second glass dry. “Only one of us has the degree in psychology, remember? No chaise lounge analysis, please.”

  “I think you should ask Lord Gilder to be your date to the wedding,” I said. “Someone should be happy next Saturday. It might as well be you.”

  Catherine shook her head adamantly. “Going solo. Usually I skip the ceremony and show up for the reception, but I’m making an exception this time.”

  “Oh, why is that?”

  “Because if you make a complete ass of yourself, I don’t want to miss a second of it.”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a weird therapist?”

  “All the time.” Catherine leaned back in her chair and smiled proudly. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 14

  I was surprised to receive a message from Pansy to meet her at Larkspur Bridge where Walter's body was discovered. I wasn't surprised, however, that the message came via Elf Express rather than by owl. Apparently, Quinty was the original brains behind Elf Express, although he sold the company early on.

  "Why do you think she wants to meet me without Astrid?" I asked.

  Gareth hovered beside me, contemplating the message. "I suppose there’s something she wants to tell you that she doesn't want the sheriff to know."

  I swallowed hard. "That she killed him? Because I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to put myself in another dangerous situation." It seemed that I was always unknowingly putting myself in harm's way.

  "I'd offer to go with you, but you know my skills aren’t that advanced yet."

  "Yet is the key word there," I said. "You’re making tremendous strides, Gareth. You'll be haunting the whole town in no time."

  "I don't want to haunt it," he said. "I just want to paint it red again."

  I wrinkled my nose. "I don't think it's cool for a vampire to talk about painting the town red. It gives a violent impression."

  He chuckled. "Fair enough. I only meant that I’d like to have fun again."

  "According to Althea, you never had fun when you were able to go anywhere in town you liked. You were always busy with work."

  "Exactly why it would be won
derful to ditch these chains and roam freely," he said. "I've learned from my mistakes. I want to play more and care less."

  A lesson that came too late for too many people. Although Gareth wasn't quite getting a second chance, it was better than oblivion.

  “Why does she want to meet at the bridge?” I asked aloud.

  "Take Sedgwick with you," Garth advised. "That way if the elf is up to any shenanigans, you have backup."

  "I'll bring my wand, too," I said. I plucked Tiffany from the glass jar on the kitchen counter.

  He shook his head. "Only you would keep your wand in a biscuit jar."

  "It's not a biscuit jar," I argued. "It's an open jar for nonspecific use. I can use it for anything I like. Things don't have to be so rigid, you know."

  He sighed gently. "Yes, I'm beginning to learn."

  I whistled loudly and Sedgwick came careening into the kitchen, nearly crashing into the window.

  "I didn't actually expect you to respond so enthusiastically," I said. "Now that's progress."

  I heard the word biscuit, Sedgwick said. Don't get too excited.

  "I could say the same to you," I said. "There are no biscuits. We were only referencing the jar."

  Sedgwick rolled his owl eyes. False advertising. I demand reparations.

  "How about a nice mouse for lunch?"

  How about twenty of them? Now where is it that I need to accompany you?

  I smiled. "Oh, so you heard that part, too. I hadn't realized."

  You talk. I listen. It's a problem. You’re like a frequency I can't tune out.

  I bit back a smile. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you. Did you have a nail appointment or something?"

  Sedgwick scowled at me, as much as an owl was capable of scowling. I was resting on my perch. Some of us like rest. We don't always need to be minding everyone else's business.

  I clutched my chest in mock indignation. "I didn't ask to meet Pansy. She asked to meet me. I can't help it if people want to talk to me."

  People generally want to kill you, he said. I guess that's where I come in.

  "You'd be very sad if something bad happened to me," I said. "Who would you have to harass then?”

  That's true, he said grimly. It would be a lonely road.