Of Murders and Mages

by Nikki Haverstock

  Patagonia purred contentedly in my lap. I hadn’t even attempted to leave her at home. Occasionally, she would delicately chew on my fingers, hard enough for me to wince but not enough to break the skin. It was as if she wanted me to know who was in charge.

  I had to admit that I did feel a bit more in control dressed in my favorite outfit, and the appreciative glance from Vin that I caught in the reflection of the car as we left hadn’t hurt either.

  “Perhaps we should break for lunch. Some of us seem to be losing focus,” Auntie Ann said, looking right at me.

  “Sorry, I’m still tired.” I forced a yawn.

  She didn’t buy it, gauging by her chuckle. “It’s fine. One of the only things we can say for sure is that all the murders happened between midnight and three a.m. I have a great deal of faith that we will solve this before the next one occurs.” She smiled radiantly, but no emotion was coming off of her.

  She had taught me a simple shielding spell that morning. It would help protect me from magic coming in and emotions and spells coming out. It had to be constantly maintained, and it appeared she was doing just that, making me wonder exactly what emotions she was hiding.

  We stood up and exited into the hallway, set to go to lunch, when we ran into Natasha leaving the elevator in her waitress uniform.

  “Ella!” she called out, waving.

  I broke away from the group as they discussed where to eat. “Hey Natasha. You just finish a shift or about to start one?”

  She shrugged her bag higher onto her shoulder. “Just finishing. Are you guys going to eat as a group, or are you free?” Vanessa came up alongside.

  “You can come too, Vanessa. The more the merrier.”

  I turned back to the group and caught Vin’s eye. He must have been listening because he nodded. “You’re free to go, and I think I will join you.”

  I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him, but I didn’t want to tip Natasha off that his joining was anything other than just a casual lunch get-together. “Great. Where do you want to eat? I’m open to anywhere.”

  Vanessa giggled next to me. “Except Isadora’s Ristorante. We’re banned for being lousy waitresses.”

  Natasha’s eyes grew wide. “Wow, you must have been really terrible. Don’t worry about going there. I saw they were closed today. Hopefully that means Beth will take a day off finally. She’s had such a terrible few months.” She shook her head sadly.

  I aimed for a casual tone with a hint of concern. “Oh no, how awful. What happened?”

  “Two of her closest friends died. They were all part of the same crowd that hung around outside of work.”

  An excited buzz started to build in my stomach. “I think I heard something about two employees dying, but I didn’t realize Beth knew both of them.”

  “She actually dated both of them. She and Michael had been childhood sweethearts, but they had a falling out. She and Tony had been on and off again for a while. But they all still hung out in the same group. They were all pretty young. You know how it is.”

  I nodded along, even though that was nothing like anything I had experienced. “How upsetting for Beth. I hope she rests.”

  “Me too. She works seven days a week because she can’t trust anyone else to make those chocolate cakes, but with Isadora’s closed, she can take a break.”

  The mention of chocolate cake reminded me of something. “It’s not normally closed?”

  “Nope.”

  An idea was swirling around in my head, but I needed a few minutes to talk it out. “Why don’t you go change, and we’ll grab lunch once you’re done.”

  As she left for the locker room, I signaled everyone back into the room. The door was barely closed when I burst out. “Isadora’s. Beth. The cake!” I ran over to the table, trying to find the tablet where I had viewed the footage from each of the accident scenes. I didn’t ever want to see them again, but I had to remember.

  “What is it, dear?” Auntie Ann asked, echoing the questioning looks on everyone’s face.

  “Where are the videos? I just made a connection. When I watched the video, right before they died, I felt this wonderful feeling, and I just recognized it when Natasha mentioned Beth. It’s that cake I had, the one that reminds you of people you loved that passed.”

  Olivia grabbed the tablet from under a stack of papers. “Did you get that at every location?”

  I was too excited to stand still and started pacing. Patagonia trailed behind me, meowing. “No, but I got nothing at all in the parking lot where Michael overdosed. And neither at Tony’s, the blackjack dealer who was killed in the stables. All I got there was that poor horse. But the other three, there was this swell of happiness right before they did whatever it was that took their life. That has to be important, right? Didn’t you say that the cake can kill you if done wrong?” I spun around to find Vin with the last question.

  “Yes. Usually it happens right then, but I suppose…” He nodded thoughtfully.

  Auntie Ann agreed. “Maybe using the cake with a delayed reaction or maybe…”

  Finally, things were making sense. “What happens when people overdose on the cake?”

  Auntie Ann sobered. “It is different per cake, but if you overdose on remembrance cake, or it is made improperly, you can… Oh yes, I see how that could work.”

  “What?”

  “The spell in the cake thins the walls between the living and those that are no longer with us. We always have their love with us—death can’t take that away—but the spell loosens the veil enough so we feel it even more. People have hurt or killed themselves when the spell is too strong They are so caught up that they walk into traffic. That is why the cake is served in supervised locations and you have to be very well trained. If part of the cake’s spell was on a delay and they were lured somewhere dangerous, then—”

  Vanessa bounced on her toes. “They could have stepped in front of a tram, or out a window, or into a horse’s stall even though it was mad. That’s it. Beth did it. We have to catch her.”

  “Calm down, sweetie.” Auntie Ann patted her daughter’s shoulder. “Olivia and I will find out where she lives, and then after lunch we can meet up and put together a plan. Why don’t you three go with Natasha, see if you can get any more details out of her without being too obvious. I want everyone to get a lot of food—you’ll need the energy—and be back in an hour.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  We met up with Natasha once she was done and got into the elevator.

  She reached over and pressed the button for the third floor. “Why don’t we go to the food court since you only have an hour. It’ll be the fastest.”

  Vanessa scooted between Vin and me until she was next to Natasha. “I had no idea about Beth. So sad. Do you know her well?”

  Natasha fidgeted awkwardly. “Kind of. I wasn’t going to mention this ’cause Olivia is her boss and everything, but I think I should. They were all kinda mixed up in Legacy.”

  Vanessa gasped.

  I leaned around her. “What’s Legacy?”

  Natasha blushed a little. “A magic-based drug. Michael had gotten clean last year, but Tony started dealing and got them all hooked again. Michael’s mom was covering for him at work, but he was a real mess until they fired him. I wasn’t really that surprised he overdosed in the parking lot. I was really sad but not surprised. Then Tony died around that horse, but he was great with animals—he grew up on a ranch—so I started thinking that maybe he had been high. I told Beth to get help, and I thought she had because she was really shaken up by their deaths, but if she doesn’t… Maybe someone should know. She doesn’t have any family around here.”

  The doors chimed as they opened, and I followed Vin out. “Have you ever noticed—” I cut off suddenly when I ran into Vin’s back.

  He looked around. “This is the wrong floor.” He spun around.

  The elevator door was gone, only smooth wall in its place. A chill ran down my spine.

  The eleva
tor had opened directly onto an outside balcony suitable for hosting a party. The view of the city showed that we were at least four floors up, if not more. The balcony had a clear glass half wall along the edge, though a large section was missing. Standing at the edge were Beth and Isadora. Neither woman had noticed us yet. We were on the side of the casino that faced away from the Avenue. The outdoor options like lounge chairs, pools, and a swim-up bar were on this side, though no one would be out with the cold wind whipping around.

  Vin scooped us over to the side to hide behind a large column.

  Natasha looked around, alarmed. “What’s going on?”

  Vin took charge of the situation. “There isn’t time to explain, but Michael and Tony’s deaths weren’t accidents. Someone has been killing people, and we think it is Beth, and it looks like Isadora is her next victim. We don’t know a lot about the magic she’s used, but I might be able to block the spell. You guys stay out of sight.”

  Vanessa grabbed his arm. “You can’t go alone. We don’t know what else is set up.”

  He wrestled mentally for a few seconds before relenting. “Fine. We can go, but Natasha and Ella will stay.”

  “No,” Natasha said. “I’m her friend. Maybe I can talk to her.”

  The two women walked closer to the edge of the balcony and looked down, with nothing to hold them back from falling over or being pushed.

  Vin handed me a blue stone egg, much like my channeling stone. “Stay here. Hold this.”

  I grabbed Patagonia and held her to my chest, praying that she wouldn’t call attention to us.

  The three of them stepped out from behind the pillar and carefully approached. Whether it was the way the wind blew or magic, I could hear everything.

  Natasha was the first to speak. “Beth, honey, it’s Natasha. What’s going on?”

  Beth turned around, her eyes wide and unfocused. Tears were streaming down her face, dragging mascara with them. They pooled at her chin and fell off. When she spoke, her voice was hollow and distracted. “Michael and Tony, they’re here. They say I can come with them.”

  Vin snarled. “Son of a—No, Beth, it’s not your time yet.” He turned to Natasha and Vanessa. “We were wrong. Shield Beth.”

  Isadora let out a scream of frustration. “This doesn’t concern you. Beth and I were just discussing my son.”

  Vin edged closer. “Yes, it does. We know everything.”

  “Leave me alone. I have the right to take my vengeance. She killed my son. She and her boyfriend got him hooked back on drugs. Stop, or I’ll push her myself!” Isadora screamed.

  Vin stopped and held up his hands. “Your son really did overdose, didn’t he?”

  “Tony and Beth killed my son, and their guilt over the loss will be their undoing.”

  “What about the two others? What did they do?”

  “No one cares about them. They’re just humans. But the casino deserves the bad press. You fired him. You also need to take responsibility for killing him.”

  Beth raised a hand toward the open space in front of her. “Tony?” She toddled on the edge.

  Vanessa took a small step toward the edge, and her shaky voice rang out, airy and distracted. “Daddy?”

  I could feel the same surge of love and warmth that I felt when eating the remembrance cake and on the video. Beth and Vanessa were deeply under its spell. The veil between the living and the dead was thinning, and they were being lured to their deaths. They had consumed the same spell I had yesterday.

  I swallowed hard and fought off the growing emotions coming over me. I fought back tears as the thoughts of my father came over me.

  Vin whispered under his breath. “I’m sorry, Ella.” He rushed and hit Natasha, Beth, and Vanessa like a linebacker. All four of them disappeared over the edge, their screaming fading away.

  I cried out in shock and fear. The elevator was still gone, the whole wall smooth. Perhaps it was an illusion and if I got close enough, I could feel the elevator and press the button. I was debating doing that when I was hit with a sensation so strong it could have been physical.

  My father was here. I turned around, and his voice floated through the air from beyond the edge of the balcony. “Gabriella?”

  A sob caught in my throat as I stumbled toward it. I dropped Patagonia, but the blue stone in my hand pulsed, and a burning-hot sensation grew in the center of my chest, bringing clarity to my head. I knew exactly what was happening, but I struggled to fight against it. Why would I? I could go to my father and be with him again. He could tell me what had happened, why he had never told me who I was.

  The small part of my brain that was still unaffected screamed that he wouldn’t want that, not yet. That I had a life ahead of me. That I had to find out who killed him. That I had to fight.

  I used whatever strength I had to fight the magic around me. I built up the boundary to protect myself. As I did, the spell loosened its grip on me. My father’s presence, the memories, and everything I loved about him faded away.

  Isadora’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, when her whole body jerked, and she whipped her head around to the open space beyond the balcony. “Michael?” She took an unsteady step to the edge of the balcony then stepped right off the edge, falling straight down without a sound.

  I raced to the edge. Several floors below was a cement deck surrounding a pool. Leading from the pool were four wet trails to where Vin, Natasha, Beth, and Vanessa stood. Directly below lay Isadora, her broken form on the hard surface and a dark-red puddle growing around her head.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  After Isadora died, the spell had broken, and security rushed out through the elevator to drag me from the edge of the balcony. I had been unable to move until they grabbed my arms and hauled me away.

  Auntie Ann had checked me over. There was nothing magically or physically wrong with me, and after my begging, they let me drive home in the car I had left there the night before.

  I had locked the door of the loft behind me then gone straight to my bed to sob until I fell asleep. Where the remembrance cake the day before had been a wonderful experience, what I had experienced on the balcony had felt like having my father back then losing him all over again. My heart had been torn open, my wounds fresh again.

  When I awoke in the evening with Patagonia pressed to my chest, I had washed off the grime of the day. I got out of the shower that night, my hands and feet prune-like. I couldn’t seem to get warm, no matter how long I let the hot water beat against my back as tears ran down my face. I had never seen someone die right in front of me, and after this investigation, I had more than enough images of death burned into my brain.

  Slipping into my pajamas and slippers, I checked my phone right as the doorbell rang. On a hunch, I grabbed Vin’s channeling stone off the bed and ambled over to the door. A quick check confirmed my suspicions, and I opened the door to Vin, who was carrying a paper bag.

  “This is yours. What’s it made of?”

  He slipped the stone into his pocket. “Lapis. I needed to explain some things.”

  I opened the door and invited him in. Patagonia rubbed her nose against his knees as he walked, then sat down on the floor next to his feet to thoroughly sniff every inch of his shoes. He leaned down and scratched behind her head before continuing. “How are you feeling?”

  I pulled my legs underneath me on the couch and grabbed a blanket to cover my lap. “Exhausted. Drained. Upset. Do you know when you jumped off that balcony, my heart stopped? I couldn’t imagine why you did it.”

  “I’m sorry.” He swallowed hard. They were clearly not words he often said. “Beth was seconds from stepping off the ledge, and Vanessa had gone from helping us fight Isadora to falling under her spell. Isadora had a huge advantage, and Natasha and I were losing. Natasha is very talented but not in that way. I knew if we landed in the pool, we would all be safe.”

  “How did you know you would make it and not splat on the cement? The water isn’t that deep.
You could have all broken your necks.”

  “You forget that I had magic to help us. I knew we would be fine.”

  “Why weren’t you affected?”

  “The cake you had the day before.”

  I tipped my head to the side, not expecting that answer. “The one that Vanessa and I ate after I screwed up the order?”

  He shook his head. “You didn’t screw up the order. Isadora purposefully put in the wrong order. When a slice of cake is returned, Beth absorbs back the energy magically, and the effect is similar to eating the cake herself. That was how Isadora had planned to get Beth to be the next target. But then you and Vanessa also ate the cake and were affected by the magic. Natasha and I weren’t affected, but even working together, we were losing, and that’s why I had to do what I did.”

  I avoided his eyes. “But what about me? You just left me there. You could have called me over, but instead you abandoned me.”

  “You were fine.”

  I whipped my ahead around to snap, “But you couldn’t know that!”

  “Yes, I could. I knew that I couldn’t keep both Beth and Vanessa safe, but I was pretty sure you would be. Listen, you know that necklace you were wearing yesterday? The one your dad gave you?”

  “How did you know that?” I reached up and felt the necklace under the robe, pulling it out so I could look at it.

  “A few days ago when you flashed your cleavage at me, I saw it and recognized it. Your father made it to protect you. It won’t protect you from everything, but like the channeling stone, it added some defense. The necklace is especially effective against magic that is intended to use your love for your father against you. Did you feel tempted to walk off that balcony?”

  “I mean, a little, but…”

  “Vanessa and Beth were seconds from flinging themselves off that ledge, and they have years more training than you. Didn’t it seem strange that you could fight off the magic and they couldn’t? You had Patagonia, the necklace, your channeling stone, and mine. If you could protect yourself from the spell, it would go to whoever was left—Isadora. Letting a spell like that loose is dangerous specifically because it can turn back on the spell caster, and it did. It was Isadora’s own spell that compelled her to kill herself to be with her son. It was a risk to leave you up there but a calculated risk. And one I stand behind. You expected me to watch my little sister die right in front of me and not try to save her?”