I glanced back at the book. “This looks like you’re trying to conjure a spell.”
Ava forced a laugh. “A spell? Like magic? That’s stupid. The book is a joke.”
“Is the altar a joke too? How about the candle?”
Her expression crumpled. “You have no right to be down here. My mom should’ve told you no. It’s my private space.”
“Your mom is worried about you.” I rose to my feet. “And rightfully so.”
“I can’t help it if bad things happen when I’m around. It’s a coincidence.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Do you know what bad things have happened here in Chipping Cheddar?”
She swallowed hard. “Something happened?”
I dropped the book and it landed on the altar with a loud thump. “Let’s cut to the chase, Ava. You’ve been dabbling in things you don’t understand and there’ve been consequences.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why did you target Chief Fox?” I demanded. “What happened? Did he catch you shoplifting or something?”
Ava’s face grew beet red. “No, no. Something happened to the chief of police?”
“This is his pocket watch.” I tapped the item on the altar.
She bowed her head. “Sometimes I take things without thinking.”
“You’re a kleptomaniac?”
Ava shrugged. “I guess.”
“When did you take this from Chief Fox?” I asked.
“In the coffee shop,” she said.
“You stole it out of his pocket?”
“No, he set it on the counter when he pulled money from his pocket. I took it when he was distracted. He didn’t seem to notice that he’d done it.”
“What were you trying to do with this book?”
Ava kneeled on the floor beside me. “Find my biological parents.”
“Wouldn’t the internet have been easier?”
Ava couldn’t seem to meet my gaze. “I didn’t want anyone to see my browser history. My parents monitor it to make sure I’m okay and not Googling how to dissolve boys’ hair without leaving evidence.” A small smile touched her lips.
“You used magic,” I said.
“I didn’t set out to make them bald,” she said. “It was an accident. I only wanted to embarrass them so they’d leave me alone.”
“When did you realize you could make things happen?”
“Probably when I was about six,” Ava said. “At least that’s when I realized that what I could do wasn’t normal.”
“Did you tell your parents?”
“Not exactly.” Ava rubbed her hands anxiously on her thighs. “I started asking about my biological parents. I thought maybe that would help me understand myself better.”
I shifted off my knees to sit on my bottom. “But your parents didn’t like that, did they?”
She shook her head. “They freaked out. They said they didn’t want me to track them down. That the adoption office sealed the records for a reason and I should be content with my life.”
“So you kept quiet.”
She fiddled with the pocket watch on the altar. “I felt like a bad seed from a rotten apple. I worried that if I told my parents about some of the strange things I could do, they’d want to give me up too.”
I felt a pang of sympathy. It had to be difficult for her, trying to navigate a magical path all alone. She had no support. No knowledge.
“And you thought if you could locate your biological parents now, they might be able to answer questions about your abilities?”
She bit her lip and nodded. “There was no one else to ask without sounding crazy.”
I squeezed her arm. “Ava, you’re not crazy. You’re a witch.”
She tipped up her chin to look at me. “You believe in witches?”
“Kind of hard not to. My mother is one, so is my grandmother and her sister.”
Fear and confusion marred Ava’s smooth features. “Actual witches?”
“Yes. Listen, I’m going to tell you this because clearly you can keep a secret. Chipping Cheddar is full of supernaturals, but only humans with the Sight can detect us. To everyone else, we look like regular humans.”
Her eyes widened. “All kinds of supernaturals? Not just witches?”
“Wizards, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, vengeance demons…”
Ava’s mouth dropped open. “Demons?”
“There are different kinds of demons. Some are more primitive. Those you have to watch out for. That’s my job. I work for an organization called the Federal Bureau of Magic.”
“Are you a witch too?”
“No.” I hesitated. As much as I hated acknowledging my true nature, I knew it was important to share it with Ava. “I’m something called a fury.”
Ava stopped fiddling with the pocket watch. “I’ve read about those in mythology books. Aren’t you supposed to have a hideous bird face?”
“Accounts vary.” I leaned closer. “Do you see those weird-looking flames in my eyes?”
She peered into my eyes. “Wow. Those are cool.”
“They’re called the eternal flame. They’re a sign of my immortality.”
Ava choked on her response. “You’re…immortal?”
“So is my stepmom, Sally. She’s a vampire. She’s perfectly harmless though. Organic blood smoothies made in a blender. That kind of thing.”
Ava appeared to digest the information. “Why does this town have so many supernaturals?”
“There’s an old portal here that doesn’t function anymore,” I said. “It’s part of my job to check on it and make sure it doesn’t open.”
Ava hugged herself. “Where does the portal go?”
“Otherworld,” I said. “The supernatural realm.”
Ava laughed. “This is so crazy. I feel like someone is punking me. Where’s the portal?”
“Do you know where the mound is?” I asked.
Ava nodded. “Some kids at school have mentioned it. Near the park, right?”
“That’s the one.” I paused. “There are other kids at school like you too. Meg’s a werewolf. She takes after her mom.”
Ava’s face registered shock. “I sensed something about them, but I didn’t know what it was. When I first met Meg at school, I felt connected to her, if that makes sense.”
“It does. You aren’t alone here, Ava, so I don’t want you to feel that way. There are supernaturals here that can help you, even if they can’t teach you magic.”
Ava nodded. “Not alone. That would be a nice change.”
“Now, I need to know which spell you did and what you used so I can help Chief Fox,” I said.
Ava cringed. “What did I do to him?”
“You turned him into an actual fox,” I said. “He’s safe, but he needs to be restored to his human form.”
“Is he…supernatural?”
“No, he’s human, but he knows about us.”
That fact seemed to relieve her. “He can have his pocket watch. I’m sorry I stole it.”
My gaze flicked to the altar. “What else did you steal?” I picked up a locket on a fine chain and dangled it in the air.
“That belongs to a lady I met at the library. She was checking out a book and dropped her purse. Everything fell out, so I helped her pick it up.”
“Except this.” I popped open the locket and gasped when I saw the tiny pictures inside.
“What’s wrong? Do you know her?”
Nausea threatened the contents of my stomach. “Oh, no. This is worse than I thought.”
“I wasn’t going to sell them,” Ava said. “It’s psychological. That’s what one of my therapists told me. I don’t handle stress well.”
I stared at the picture. “This woman’s name is Mrs. Langley and she’s currently slithering around town as a venomous snake.” I hesitated, not wanting to tell her the rest.
Ava covered her face with her hands. “I did that? Is she okay?”
“I honest
ly don’t know.” Now I really had to find that snake.
Ava blinked at me. “How do you know she’s venomous?”
Great balls of fury. I couldn’t lie to her, not now. “Because Mrs. Langley…the snake is responsible for the death of a woman.”
Ava shrank back in horror. “No.”
“I’m afraid so. A woman named Eloise Worthington. Her neighbor.”
Ava began to cry. “I never meant to hurt anybody. It was an accident. I thought if I followed the spell in the book, I could find my parents and they’d explain why I’m so different.”
“Show me the spell.”
Ava turned the book toward her and flipped through the pages. “This one.” She handed the book to me.
“It’s in Latin,” I said.
“I know. I used Google to translate it.”
I squeezed my eyes closed. No wonder the spell went horribly wrong.
“I don’t understand how I turned them into animals. I didn’t even use their belongings as part of the spell,” Ava said.
“Not intentionally,” I said. “They were on the altar when you cast the spell. That’s what happens when you’re untrained.” And using Google to translate. I thought about my own negative attitude toward FBM training and vowed to do better, or at least give Neville less attitude. It wasn’t just bureaucratic nonsense. As a powerful fury, I was more dangerous than ten Avas combined. I owed it to everyone in town to have complete control over my abilities.
“What happens now?” Ava asked.
“Do you have a tote bag? I’m going to take this stuff to some witches I know and see if we can reverse the spell.”
Ava jumped to her feet. “Do you need me?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know.”
She went to a nearby closet and retrieved a burlap tote bag. I shoved everything from the altar into the bag, including the book.
“Are they going to be okay?” she asked, her voice cracking.
I slung the bag over my shoulder. “I sure hope so.” Because the alternative was too horrible to contemplate.
Chapter Fifteen
On my way to the LeRoux house, I stopped by the Havarti Rescue Center to borrow a cage.
“I’m not even going to ask what you need it for,” Eileen said. She placed the cage on the counter and I was relieved to see it would be big enough for the snake.
“Thank you so much,” I said. “I promise I’ll bring it back in perfect condition.”
“I know you will, Eden.” Eileen slid the cage toward me. “I hear the chief isn’t well. Do you know anything about that?”
“He should be better soon,” I said. “He just needed bedrest.”
“Don’t we all?” Eileen said good-naturedly.
I carried the cage to the car and put it in the trunk before continuing to the LeRoux house. I’d already sent a text to let them know I’d made a breakthrough. Thankfully Corinne was able to leave her barista in charge of Magic Beans and meet us too.
Adele stood at the front door when I arrived. Her elegant fingers were slotted together as she watched me approach. Despite her calm demeanor, I sensed the tension emanating from her body.
“Well?” she prompted.
I walked up the steps, carrying the tote bag. “Inside.”
She turned and entered the house, closing the door behind me. Rosalie and Corinne sat the round kitchen table wearing matching curious expressions.
“That’s a big bag you’ve got there,” Rosalie said. “I hope it’s full of answers.”
“You can say that.” I produced the spell book and set it in the middle of the table. “It turns out that there’s a new witch in town. Her name is Ava Milliken and she’s in high school.”
Adele blinked. “A new magical family moved to town? Didn’t they register with the council?”
“No family. Only Ava is magical,” I said. “Ava was adopted into a human family with no clue about the supernatural world. Her powers have been slowly growing over time and she’s accidentally done this spell.”
“How do you accidentally do a spell?” Rosalie asked.
“Oh, it’s possible,” Adele said. “I seem to recall you accidentally turning your fingers into sticks.”
Rosalie bristled. “I was eight.” She stretched out her hands to examine her fingers. “I was mortified. I had to wear long sleeves over my hands until I could figure out how to reverse the spell.”
“Which you didn’t,” Adele gently reminded her. “I discovered the issue and did it for you. It was far too complicated for a girl your age.”
“Ava was trying to find her biological parents, but she ended up turning Chief Fox and Mrs. Langley into animals.” It seemed unnecessary to reveal the part about Ava’s kleptomania. The girl had enough trouble on her plate right now and petty theft was the least of it.
“Wait,” Corinne said. “Who’s Mrs. Langley?”
I inhaled deeply. “The neighbor of Eloise Worthington.”
“Eloise Worthington?” Rosalie repeated in a dismissive tone. “That woman’s a complete nut job and, coming from me, that’s saying something.”
“Do I know her?” Corinne asked.
Rosalie snorted. “She’s the one that protested in front of the Chinese restaurant wearing a hot dog costume because they gave her a crappy fortune in her cookie.”
Corinne’s face lit up. “Right. I’ve seen her around town. She cut me off at a light once. I only remember because she was wearing the hot dog suit at the time. It was so bizarre.”
“The restaurant didn’t want her out there protesting, so they offered her a month’s supply of fortune cookies to make her go away.” Rosalie hit the table with enthusiasm. “There was another time.” She threw her head back and laughed. “Good Goddess, I’d almost forgotten. I watched her steal someone’s parking spot that the other guy had been waiting for. Had his blinker on and everything. She drove right around him and took the spot. He laid on the horn and she just popped out of her car and gave him the finger before walking away. It was amazing.”
Corinne clapped her hands. “She came into Magic Beans a few weeks ago. I had to ask her to leave.”
Rosalie nudged her. “You told me about this. I didn’t realize it had been Eloise.”
“She bought a coffee and sat at a table, then proceeded to take off her shoes and clip her toenails.”
“Was something wrong with her?” I asked.
“No, that’s the best part.” Rosalie smiled at her daughter. “Go on. You finish the story.”
“When I asked her to leave, she said she was only doing it because she wanted the table by the window but it was already taken.”
Rosalie laughed. “She sat as close to them as possible and then tried to make sure the clipping came within range so that they’d get up and move and she could claim the table.” Rosalie took a moment to enjoy the memory of the story. “I take it back. She’s not a nut. She’s my hero.”
“Well, your hero is dead,” I said. “The snake bit her.”
Rosalie’s smile faded. “That’s unfortunate.”
“Her cat is also missing,” I said.
“Is there a chance that the snake…you know.” Rosalie pretended to swallow something large.
“It’s possible,” I said, but I refused to give up hope. I was going to find Mischief and make sure she was brought somewhere safe. First I had to find the snake so that we could transform it back into Mrs. Langley.
“We’re going to need Mrs. Langley and the chief before we can attempt to reverse the spell,” Adele said.
“I know where the chief is,” I said. “It’s Mrs. Langley we have to find.” I pulled Mrs. Langley’s locket out of the tote bag. “I have something special of hers. I thought you could use it to locate her.”
“Yes, we can certainly help with that, my dear,” Adele said. She took the locket from my grasp.
“Is your family too busy?” Rosalie asked. Her sticky sweet voice didn’t fool me. I recognized a witchy rema
rk when I heard one.
“Rosalie, you know perfectly well that it’s best not to involve them if it’s not absolutely necessary.” Adele looked down her straight nose at her daughter.
Rosalie gave me an appraising look. “What about you? You have powers.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep me from saying what I really wanted to. “I prefer not to use my abilities unless I have to. There are consequences that I’d rather not face.”
Rosalie clucked her tongue. “I’ll never understand someone like you.”
I folded my arms. “Someone like me?”
“Why don’t we get started?” Corinne asked. I knew she was attempting to diffuse the situation, but I wasn’t in the mood to tolerate Rosalie’s attitude.
The middle LeRoux scowled at me. “You don’t appreciate your gifts. You don’t deserve to have them. Someone ought to do a spell and take them away. See how you like that.”
“To be honest, Rosalie, I dream about a spell like that fairly often, but it would never work,” I said. “The gods are pretty intent on their furies staying powerful. The more powers, the better, in fact. We’re too rare to mess around with.”
Rosalie got the message. She leaned against the back of her chair and regarded me coolly. “If you’re so powerful, I guess we’ll let you secure the snake.”
“I’ll help you,” Corinne said. “We can’t have a killer snake roaming around town.”
“I doubt Mrs. Langley meant to kill Eloise,” I said. We’d find out soon enough—hopefully.
Adele set a mortar and pestle on the altar and began to organize the necessary items. She lit a white candle and handed the locket to me. “Would you mind holding this over the flame, dear? Ready, witches.”
As I held the locket, they joined hands and started to chant— “Winds of winter, hear our call. Sun of summer, hear our call. Bring us a vision to end it all.”
An image materialized above the flame for all to see. “I see the snake,” I said, my excitement rising. “She’s near the ravine.”
Adele blew out the candle. “Go now. Don’t miss your chance.”
Corinne twisted to look at me. “I’m happy to help unless you’d rather ask Neville.”
“A witch is every bit as valuable as a wizard,” I said. And Corinne was already with me.
Hell Hath No Fury Page 14