Corinne beamed. “I’ll bring a few items with me for spells, just in case.”
“Bring the herbs for the trapping spell,” Adele advised. “The snake can travel through places you can’t. You need to be ready.”
“Yes, Gran.” Corinne gathered a few clusters of herbs from the organizer and tucked them into sachets.
“I’ll drive,” I said, as we left the house.
“Are you sure?” Corinne asked. “I think we’ve established who’s the better driver.”
“Except I would never let a hot dog cut me off.” I smiled to let her know it was a joke.
“How’s the chief?” Corinne asked, once we were settled in the car.
“As good as can be expected,” I said. “At least he can talk now. It’s reassuring.”
“I have a feeling it’s going to take him time to recover,” Corinne said. “This whole thing must be a shock to his system.”
I pulled out of the driveway. “I’m glad that he already learned about the supernatural world before this happened.” I couldn’t imagine the extent of the shock if he’d been wholly ignorant.
“I figured you came clean,” she said. “I would’ve done the same.”
“I appreciate that.” It was nice to feel supported for a change.
“How did he react?” Corinne asked. “He must’ve been hard to convince. Someone with an analytical mind like his.”
“I didn’t want to tell him,” I said. “He saw me dead and then he saw me alive.” I shrugged. “There was nothing I could do.”
“Did you have to report it to your superiors?” Corinne asked. “I imagine the FBM keeps track of civilians in law enforcement that know the truth.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t file an official report.” I did, however, tell someone in the FBM informally—Agent Quinn Redmond. I’d asked him how to handle the situation and he advised me to keep it under my hat so that the FBM didn’t start throwing bureaucratic red tape around. As long as I trusted Chief Fox, there was no need to sound the alarm.
“You’re protective of him.” She nodded firmly. “Good. I thought you would be, but it’s nice to know for sure.”
When we reached the ravine, I pulled the car on the side of the road and parked with my emergency lights blinking. It was a thin stretch of road and it would be all too easy for another car to clip mine. I reached over and popped open the glove compartment to grab a flashlight in case I ventured into the woods. There were places where the trees were so close together that it seemed like the middle of the night.
“How do we convince a snake to come to us?” Corinne asked. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Here, snakey snakey.”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Chief Fox said he can understand everything, so I think we should call her by name.”
“I’m glad your family was able to get a speech spell to work,” Corinne said.
“They use other methods,” I replied, not mentioning the blood magic. “Ones I don’t always approve of.” Unfortunately, when I was desperate, I seemed to throw my integrity out the window. My mother liked to call me a hypocrite. I preferred not to think about that, although I secretly worried that she was right. If I was willing to resort to black magic when it suited me, how was I any better than they were?
I retrieved the cage from the trunk and carried it to the top of the ravine where I set it on the ground. I scrambled down the side of the ravine, shouting for Mrs. Langley as I went. Corinne ran to the opposite end of the ravine and copied me. A flash of movement caught my eye and I recognized the snakeskin pattern that I’d discovered in Eloise’s yard.
“I see her!” Corinne’s voice rang out.
“So do I.” I motioned to the snake. “Mrs. Langley, if you’d please come to me, we can help you. I know you must be scared, but this is all a big mistake and we can turn you back into a human.”
The snake stopped moving and I hoped that meant she was listening rather than preparing to strike.
“Mrs. Langley, this is Corinne LeRoux. I own Magic Beans. You’re welcome to come in for a free drink whenever you like, if you’ll just go to Eden. If you’re not a coffee drinker, I have tea or hot cocoa with the small, pink marshmallows.”
“You don’t need to list the menu.”
Corinne shrugged. “I don’t want her to feel like I have nothing to offer her. Besides, it took me ages to track down the exact marshmallows I wanted. The whole town needs to know about them.”
“I have a cage,” I said loudly. “But I’m not going to keep you there. It’s only to transport you safely to where we can turn you back.”
“She works for the FBI,” Corinne added. “She specializes in cases like yours.”
Suddenly I remembered something that might help. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the locket. “I have something that belongs to you.” I dangled the chain and the metal locket glinted in the light. “I bet you’ve been missing this. I saw the picture of your late husband in here. You must really miss him.”
The snake inched toward me.
“That’s right, Mrs. Langley,” I said. “Come to me. I’m sure you miss your cozy bed too. I can help you get back there.”
As the snake slithered along the side of the ravine, I heard the sound of crunching leaves to my left. I turned in the direction of the noise and saw the face of a Siamese cat.
“Mischief?” The cat meowed. “Mischief, why are you anywhere near this snake? It’s too dangerous.” Unless the cat had been trying to escape and the snake had been hunting her. The thought sickened me.
“What’s going on?” Corinne called.
“Eloise’s cat is here,” I said.
“If we capture the snake, the cat will probably feel safe going back to her neighborhood,” Corinne said. “You can always look for her there later and make sure she’s okay.”
She was right. As much as I wanted to help Mischief, right now the snake was the priority. I began to walk toward the cage. The door was already open and I was pleased when she slid inside without further prompting. Before she could change her mind, I shut the door and locked it. I had to imagine it was a relief to have someone recognize her and come to her aid.
“I can’t see,” Corinne yelled. “Do you have her?”
“Got her,” I replied.
The witch hurried along the edge of the ravine, panting as she reached me. “Good work, Eden.”
“Thanks for your help,” I said.
“I meant it when I said we need to stick together. Our families may not want to work together, but that doesn’t mean we can’t.” Corinne helped me lift the cage into the trunk and we returned to our seats in the car.
“To be fair, I don’t want to work with my family either,” I said. “The price is usually too high.”
“I’m sorry. I wish it were easier.” Corinne gazed out the window. “Your life in San Francisco must’ve been so much calmer.”
“I was working in the Organized Crime division of the FBI, so I wasn’t exactly stress free.” My shoulders relaxed slightly as I drove. “But you’re right. It was calmer in its own way.”
“It’s family,” Corinne said. “They have a way of magnifying each and every stress factor by a hundred.”
“Look at Ava,” I said. “Her adoptive family isn’t even supernatural, but their relationship still pushed her to make rash choices that resulted in this mess.”
“She’s going to need a lot of guidance,” Corinne said.
“Yeah. I was going to ask your family about acting as a surrogate coven for her. I certainly don’t want to introduce her to my family.”
“I think that’s a brilliant idea,” Corinne said. “Gran is an excellent teacher.”
“And you’ll be a good support system for her,” I said. “She’s been on her own and so confused. It must be awful for her.”
Corinne cast a glance over her shoulder, toward the cage in the trunk. “Ava’s not the only one. Someone’s going to have to break the news to
Mrs. Langley that she killed someone.”
If her experience was anything like the chief’s, then the chances were good that she already knew. My fingers gripped the wheel. Knowledge might be power, but it could also be a burden that some people weren’t equipped to bear.
Chapter Sixteen
Corinne and I carried the cage into the LeRoux house while Rosalie held open the door.
“That’s one fugly reptile,” Rosalie said.
“Careful,” I warned. “She bites.” I shifted the front of the cage so that it bumped against the witch and she jumped backward.
Corinne suppressed a laugh. “Did you make any progress on the reveal spell?” We set the cage on the floor and wandered over to the table where Adele had the contents of the tote bag spread across it.
“I’m afraid the spell can’t be undone without Ava’s involvement,” Adele said. “She made it personal.”
“What does that mean?” I asked. “Aren’t all spells personal?”
“Gran means that Ava must’ve added a piece of herself,” Corinne said. “Which means that Ava’s the only one capable of undoing the spell.”
“She was trying to find her biological parents, so that makes sense,” I said.
Adele tapped the page in the spell book. “I can’t believe this child tried to translate a complicated spell like this with Google.” She clucked her tongue. “We’re fortunate that she didn’t transform the whole town into animals.”
“I’ll drive over to her house now and get her,” I said. “Should I meet you here?”
“The vortex,” Adele said. “Our chances are better if we tap into the energy there.”
“Got it.” I left the house in a hurry and drove back to Burrata Street. Darkness had blanketed the town and my eyes took a moment to adjust to the change. Where had the time gone? It seemed like only half an hour ago that I was in the barn with Sawyer and Hugh.
I gave the front door of the Milliken house an impatient knock. Now that we were close to a solution, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sawyer. The prospect of feeling his arms around me again was overwhelming.
“Agent Fury? That was fast.” Relief flooded Rhonda’s face.
“Fast?” I blinked in confusion.
“Well, I only reported Ava missing five minutes ago,” Rhonda said.
My throat became dry. “She’s missing?”
“Isn’t that why you’re here? I left a voicemail for the police. I thought maybe they transferred it to the FBI.”
“When did you last see her?” I asked.
“Dinner. She was quiet. I could tell she was upset about something, but she wouldn’t talk to me. I asked her about the drugs, of course.” Emotions welled in her eyes. “She denied it. I wish she felt like she could trust us, you know. My husband is driving around looking for her, but his last text said he hadn’t found her.”
“I’ll find her, Mrs. Milliken,” I said. I had to—there were two innocent lives at risk.
“Thank you, Agent Fury. I appreciate your help. Ava’s a good girl…”
I cut her off. “I know she is. And don’t worry, after this, I’m going to get her the help she needs.”
Rhonda sniffed. “It’s inappropriate to hug a federal agent, isn’t it?”
“I’m not much of a hugger anyway.” An idea occurred to me. “Do you have an unwashed item of Ava’s clothing that I could borrow?”
“Yes, of course. Whatever you need. I’ll be right back.”
I texted the witches to let them know I’d be delayed. I didn’t have time for another locator spell. I was going to find Ava the old-fashioned way.
Rhonda reappeared with a white shirt bearing a cat face and the words ‘Cat Person.’ “Here you go.”
“Does Ava have a cat?” I tucked the shirt under my arm.
“No, but she’s asked for one many times. I’m not such a fan so I’ve put her off.”
“You should get her a cat. Better yet, let her choose one.” Maybe we could help find her familiar. “I’ll be in touch.”
The moment I returned to the car, my phone began to vibrate. “I’m in the middle of something important, Neville. What is it?”
“In that case, why am I not with you?” Neville asked.
“Ava’s hiding and I need to find her so that we can reverse the spell.”
“I can do a locator spell, my eternal ladyship.”
I rolled my eyes at the moniker. “I know that, Neville, but I’m planning to use Princess Buttercup and track her the old-fashioned way. It’ll be faster.”
“I’m old-fashioned,” Neville insisted. “I always offer to pay for the first date.” He paused. “At least I would if I ever had one.”
Now wasn’t the time for lonely Neville to tug at my heartstrings. “We need to get on that, as soon as we’re finished with Miss Escape to Witch Mountain.”
“Yes, there’s no need to worry about my well-being,” Neville said. “You have much more pressing concerns.”
“I’m worried about everyone’s well-being here,” I said. “It’s sort of my job.” I parked in front of the house and opened the car door. I wanted to whistle for Princess Buttercup and avoid stepping foot in the house, but I also needed the fox. Then I remembered the invisibility locket I’d stashed in the glove compartment. I’d been thinking I’d use it to sneak in and out of the chief’s house for our romantic rendezvous, but this also qualified as a suitable occasion. I slipped the necklace over my head and opened the locket to trigger the charm.
Before I reached the porch, the hellhound came barreling out of the house, saliva flying in all directions. I opened the back door of the car and she climbed inside without hesitation.
“Stay here until I come back,” I ordered.
I slipped into the house and snuck up to the attic to retrieve the fox. When I arrived, I saw Alice floating in front of the small television. She was watching an episode of The Golden Girls and laughing.
“Oh, Chief Fox. Isn’t that Dorothy a hoot?” Alice said.
The fox couldn’t hear her, of course. He only heard the television. At least it offered him some form of entertainment while he was trapped.
I closed the charm and came into view. The fox lifted his head, startled by my sudden appearance. “Eden?”
“Eden, why are you sneaking around?” Alice asked.
“Because I’m in a hurry,” I said. I picked up the fox and huddled him against my chest. “I’m going to take you out of here now. Just stay quiet.”
“Your boobs are really firm,” he said, his tone muffled. “Are they supernatural?”
“This is not a good example of staying quiet.” I crept downstairs. “Anyway, my breasts have dense tissue. Nothing exciting.”
“On the contrary,” he said. “I’m finding them very exciting right now.”
I pushed his nose out from between my boobs and hurried out of the house.
It wasn’t easy to see in the rearview mirror with a hellhound perched on the backseat, so I relied heavily on the side mirrors as I drove to the woods. I figured if I were Ava, that’s where I’d go to hide. I parked on the side of the road and held Ava’s shirt under the hellhound’s nose.
“I need to find this girl, Buttercup,” I said. “She’s a young witch and doesn’t know what she’s doing, so no spewing acid at her.”
The hellhound barked and nudged open the car door. I raced after her, not wanting her to get so far ahead that I lost sight of her. The scent of fresh pine and sea salt filled the air, triggering thoughts of the chief. Olfactory memory was fascinating to me. One sniff and I was back on the sofa in his living room, before his unfortunate transformation.
In the distance, an owl hooted and pulled me from my reverie. At least I hoped it was a real owl and not one of Ava’s teachers. I drew a calming breath and shook my hands. It’s just a regular owl, I reassured myself. In terms of personal items, the altar only had the chief’s pocket watch and Mrs. Langley’s locket.
It seemed that Princess But
tercup had sniffed every leaf and stick in the woods without success. The hellhound trotted back to me, her head hung in shame.
“No need to feel guilty.” I kissed the top of her head. “You did a great job. The next time I need to track an escaped demon from Otherworld, you’re on the team.” I straightened as the realization hit me that there was another place Ava might go. A place she thought she belonged. “Come on, Buttercup. I think I know where to look.”
Princess Buttercup galloped alongside me all the way back to the car. When I got there, I noticed a car with flashing red lights parked behind mine. A familiar figure peered through the windows.
I folded my arms. “Are you licking the glass?”
The deputy whipped around. “What? No.” He grimaced. “Why would anyone lick the windows of your filthy car?”
“You tell me. You’re the one with your face pressed against it.”
Sean tried to maintain a professional demeanor. “Why are you parked illegally?”
My hands moved to rest on my hips. “It’s the side of a deserted road Sean. Who cares?”
“I care,” he said. “I’m in charge while the chief is sick and it’s up to me to keep strict law and order in this town.”
“Or what—it’ll descend into chaos? Yes, my park job on the side of the empty road is destined to plummet us into a zombie apocalypse.”
Sean glowered at me. “You’re not above the law, Eden. I don’t care how shiny that badge of yours is.”
“I’m not trying to act above the law,” I shot back. “I’m also not trying to act like a complete ass.”
“I thought you were a kidnapper,” Sean said. “I got a report about a missing girl.”
“That’s what I’m doing here,” I said. “She isn’t in these woods, but I think I figured out where she is. I’m headed there now.”
He pulled out a pad and began to write me a ticket.
“Hey, what are you doing here? I just told you I’m searching for Ava too.”
“I’m doing my job, Eden. It’s nothing personal.”
“You’re ridiculous.” I couldn’t wait to get the chief back in working order.
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