by Zoe Arden
She shook her head. "I love bear claws and refuse to give them up just because someone tried to hurt me with one. If I did that, it would be like letting him win."
I thought that was a very mature realization Natalie had come to.
"All right," she said. "I've made my decision. I'll take four trays of bear claws—do you think four's enough? I'd better make it five. Another five trays of chocolate fudge happiness brownies. Five hundred chocolate chip kindness cookies... oh! And one of those chocolate moisturizing cakes you just came out with. I'm dying to try them. My face has been so dry lately."
"And you still want the same centerpiece cake, correct?"
"Yes. Eleanor has all the details on that one."
"All right, then you're all set," I said, ringing her up. "We'll bring it all down on the day of the party."
She squealed with excitement. "You're all staying for the party, right? You're not just dropping things off and then going back to the bakery, are you?"
It seemed like part of her was worried that no one would show up for her grand re-opening. From what she'd told us, she'd taken Mack's Bar and turned it into more of an upscale pub. There was food now in additions to drinks. Real food, that was, not just bar food. She'd left the name alone, though. It would always be Mack's Bar.
"Yes," I assured her, "we'll all be staying for the party."
I wondered if my dad might finally pop the question to Sadie that night. He had yet to mention anything about it to us, so I assumed he hadn't asked her yet, unless he'd asked and she'd said no. I doubted that very much though. Sadie was crazy about him.
The phone rang just then, and Natalie said a quick goodbye, so I could answer it.
"Ava?" a familiar voice said. "It's Damon. How are you?"
I struggled to breathe for a moment. "I'm fine, thanks. Getting married, how are you?"
"Good. In a relationship."
"That's good," I told him.
"Listen, do you think you could meet for lunch sometime next week? I thought we could catch up."
"Catch up? Yeah... okay. I guess."
"Great, thanks. How's Tuesday?"
"Tuesday's fine," I said.
"Okay, I'll check back in with you next week to make sure nothing's changed."
"Sounds good," I said and we hung up. I wondered how terrible it would be if I pulled Mack's necklace out of its hiding place for our lunch. I didn't like the idea of wearing it, but I had the feeling it would be helpful to read Damon's mind that day.
I pushed the thought quickly out of my head and wished again that my last attempt to destroy it had been successful, but that thing wouldn't even dent. Oh, well, at least no one would ever find it where it was.
Trixie, Eleanor, and my dad reappeared, laughing and smiling.
"Have a nice break?" I asked them.
"Yes," Trixie said, "and we brought you back something." She handed me an ice cream cone.
"Chocolate chocolate chip," my dad said.
"Thanks," I told them, licking the ice cream around the edge before it could drip everywhere. "Natalie came in and made her final decisions for the party."
"I can't wait to see what she's done with the place," Eleanor said.
"Me, too," Trixie echoed.
Me three. It was a nice, quiet day today. I hoped it stayed that way.
* * *
THANK YOU
for reading my book and
i hope you have enjoyed the story.
Witches, Recipes and Murder is Book 10 in Sweetland Witch Series.
If you have enjoyed reading Witches, Recipes and Murder , I believe you will be interested in checking out the next book.
The next book targeted release date will be 14th Mar, 2018.
In the meantime . . .
If you have enjoyed reading Witches, Recipes and Murder, I believe you will be interested in checking out the previous book.
I have enclosed a sneak preview of the previous book.
Is FREE on Kindle Unlimited. (around 330 pages)
Check it out below . . .
* * *
PROLOGUE
"They're getting away!"
"Stop them!"
"To the left!" Colt yelled, chasing after the two men he'd called friends for the last several months. As far as they knew, he was still their friend.
Robbie and David were big, but they were fast. They ran through the thicket of trees just up ahead of him, turning right even though he'd told them left, and Colt knew they were closing in on their victims.
"Guys! Stop!" Colt yelled after them.
Robbie glanced over his shoulder, catching Colt's eyes just as he ran under a nest of scraggly branches that scraped at his cheeks. They left their mark on Colt's face, like the fingers of some otherworldly being who'd reached out from the grave to scratch him up.
"Stop?" Robbie said. "Are you crazy? We've almost got them!"
"Yeah, but they're dangerous."
"We know that," Robbie shouted, his irritation growing. "Why do you think we've been after them all these months?"
Colt was nearly out of breath. He drew as much as he could into his lungs and picked up his pace. He was almost even with them now. Robbie had slowed slightly in his efforts to get through a wall of bushes eight feet high. The goblins had just run into them and were hiding.
David pressed forward, never slowing down, going straight into the bushes without even blinking. He let out several grunts and groans as the bushes enveloped him like some kind of man-eating plant. Colt could hear him calling out for her help from behind the thick forest of green shrubbery, but he couldn't see him anywhere.
"Where are you guys? Get in here!" David's shouts were getting louder, more desperate. "I've lost them! Hurry! I've lost them!"
"What do you mean you lost them?" Robbie cried. "How can you lose them? I thought you had them!" That sent Robbie spiraling over the edge. He dug a path out for himself and ran into the thicket of bushes just as David had.
Colt had just enough time to wonder if they were really still bushes when they were so tall—at what point did they become trees or could they be something else entirely?—before he followed Robbie inside. He could hear rustling all around him but couldn't quite make out what he was seeing. There were too many branches, too many twigs, too many leaves, too much of everything.
"Where are you guys?" Colt called out.
"I'm here," called David.
"Stay there," said Robbie. "I'll go to you."
"Me, too," said Colt.
Robbie and Colt made their way toward David's voice. Walking through these bushes was like walking through a maze. He imagined this was what a rat must feel like when it's trapped in a science experiment. He turned left and all he saw was more branches. This wasn't just a thicket; it was a forest. He turned right, and he saw the same. He couldn't get his bearings. Finally, he bumped into David. Literally.
"Ouch!" David yelled. "Watch it."
"Sorry," Colt said.
"Where's Robbie?" David asked.
"He was just behind me." Cold looked around and scratched his head. "At least I thought he was."
"Over here," Robbie called in a loud whisper. Colt had no idea why he was whispering; it wasn't as if the goblins didn't already know they were here. They made their way over and saw Robbie crawling on his hands and knees.
"What are you doing?" Colt asked.
"Looking for tracks," Robbie said.
"Get up," said David, disgusted with them both. "You'll never find tracks in here."
"Do you see them?" asked Robbie, standing back up.
"Ssh!" David hissed excitedly.
"What is it?" asked Robbie.
His question was followed by silence. Colt and Robbie exchanged a glance. They moved quietly yet swiftly behind David, not wanting to lose him again. He stopped just ahead of them and hunkered down, drawing his gun.
"You see them," Robbie said, relieved.
Colt's heart began to race. His head felt dizzy
. "I don't see them," he said, hoping that somehow saying the words out loud would make them true.
"There," David said and pointed just ahead of them and to the right. No more than ten feet from where they stood was a shaking flurry of brown and green leaves; hidden in the leaves were two shadowed figures. Colt groaned inwardly and wished that the next assignment he had was an easier one.
"Let's get them," said Robbie, drawing his gun as well.
"Stop," Colt said, shaking his head. His voice was hoarse.
Robbie and David looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "What do you mean stop?" snapped David. "That's them. Let's go."
"Stop," Colt repeated, his voice growing wearier. He was tired of this; he had been for months now. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his father or Ava. All he wanted now was a hot shower and a kiss from his fiancée. He hoped that she was getting his letters. Dean assured him she was, but he didn't trust Dean any more than he trusted these two goons with him now.
"I can't let you kill them," Colt said.
Now Robbie and David were laughing.
"You had me there for a second," said David.
"Yeah, I thought you were serious," said Robbie.
David and Robbie turned their backs to him and continued toward the figures, which were still standing, trying to hide as if they thought they could somehow make themselves invisible. Goblins did have powerful magic, but it wasn't that powerful. And their magic didn't always work right when they'd been hurt.
"COMHA agent," Colt said before it was too late and there was nothing left he could do. He drew his badge from his inner coat pocket and held it up, flashing it for them even though he wasn't sure they could see it in this light.
David and Robbie turned back to him, their eyes going wide. "COMHA?" asked David. "You don't work for them. This is a joke, right?"
"No joke," said Colt.
"What the heck are you talking about? You're a COMHA agent?" Robbie asked. "Since when?"
"Since always," Colt said.
The goblins moved quietly forward now. Colt could just make out their large round eyes. They were holding hands and watching the scene before them as if they'd never seen wizards or COMHA agents before.
"You seriously work for the Council on Magic and Human Affairs?" said David doubtfully. He was shaking his head. "That badge isn't real. You're making that up."
Robbie looked at him from the corner of his eye. "David, I don't think he's joking."
"Uh-uh," said David. "No way. We've eaten with this man. We've gotten drunk with him. We've planned this killing with him for the last how many months?" He was still shaking his head. "He's got cold feet now that we’re here, that's all."
"I assure you this isn't cold feet," Colt said, his voice gravelly. It felt like he was getting sick.
The goblins had moved even farther forward now. He could make out not just their eyes but the rest of them as well. Their bodies were a scaly gray-green. They were no more than five feet high, though the male was definitely taller. He smiled tentatively at Colt and gave a quick wave. The female clung to him, petrified.
David's eyes narrowed. It seemed to be the wave from Zulubar that had finally convinced him Colt was telling the truth. He raised his gun again. Instead of aiming it at the goblins, he aimed it at Colt and cocked the trigger.
Colt put his hands up. "David, you want to be careful just now. Shooting a COMHA agent can get you in a whole heap of trouble. You're not stupid, you know that."
"You're the stupid one if you think I'm going to let you get away with this. You can't pretend to be one of us for half a year and then expect me to just let you go when I find out it was all a lie. I'm killing you, and I'm killing them."
Suddenly, Zulubar leaped out and knocked David to the ground. His gun went off but missed Colt entirely, shooting nothing but air. The gun went sailing out of David's reach.
Robbie jumped into the mix, pulling Zulubar off David and attempting to wrestle him to the ground. Goblins were extremely strong though, and Robbie didn't stand a chance. The female goblin, Kyrab, grabbed the gun that David had dropped and held it unsteadily out in front of her.
"Stop moving or I'll shoot!" she screamed. Her voice was terrified, but Colt had no doubt that she meant what she said. As if to prove her point, she fired the gun up into the air. It sounded off loudly and clearly. Colt kept his own gun trained on the two men. Robbie still had his gun in his hand, but now he was outnumbered two to one.
Robbie sighed and dropped his gun. He looked at Colt with disgust. "I thought you were one of us."
"You should be one of us," said David. "It's never too late."
"I'll never be one of you. Hunting goblins is illegal. Even if it wasn't, it would still be wrong."
Robbie began to laugh. Soon, David joined him.
"What's so funny?" Colt asked.
"You think Robbie and I are the only ones?" said David. "Tomorrow there'll be five more people out here looking for these two. And if something happens to those five, there will be five more to take their place. We're not going away."
Colt's chest ached. His heart was still racing.
"One way or another," said Robbie, "we are getting rid of the goblins. All of them."
The two goblins they'd been chasing looked at Colt with worried expressions. Zulubar put his arm lovingly around Kyrab and held her tightly against him as a soft sob escaped her throat.
"Once these two are gone," said David, "the rest of their race won't stand a chance."
Colt looked at the two goblins he'd been ordered to protect at all costs. "King Zulubar, I can't let you return home. Not yet. It isn't safe."
The king nodded. "I know. I knew when this started the chances of returning home were unlikely. I also knew that you would keep me and Kyrab safe."
"Oh, jeez," David said, rolling his eyes. "You know these goblins? You're friends with them?"
"No more questions," Colt said. Keeping his gun trained on them, Colt nudged David and Robbie along until they were all out of the forest, then he called Dean.
Dean picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"
"It's me," Colt said. "They made the attempt tonight. I got them, but it's not over."
"Stay where you are. Don't let the king out of your sight."
"I won't. Will you tell Ava I'm safe?"
Dean hesitated. "I'll tell her."
"You have been giving her my messages, haven't you?"
"Of course, I have."
Colt felt the hairs on the back of his neck electrify with anger. "We're engaged. You have to tell her I'm okay. It's part of COMHA's rules and regulations."
"Who do you think wrote the rules and regulations? I've told her."
Colt knew he had no choice right now. He had to trust Dean. When he could, he would get word to Ava himself. For now, he had to do his job. He had to protect the Goblin King.
* * *
CHAPTER ONE
"Hurry up, Ava," cried Eleanor. "We're wasting time." She was filling box after box with assorted pastries. We were working in the front room of our bakery, The Mystic Cupcake, doing Eleanor's favorite thing in the world—multitasking. By working out here instead of in the back, we could still help customers when they came in.
"I'm going as fast as I can," I said, spinning the cake around on its stand so that I could finish frosting it. I blew a strand of blond hair out of my eyes. Eleanor did the same with hers.
The buttercream was thick and sweet. I spread it over the vanilla cake layer, putting a little extra in the center just as the special order indicated. I held my breath then picked up the chocolate layer and set it on top. I began the process all over again, spreading frosting, spinning the cake, holding my breath.
"Relax, both of you," said Trixie. "We're right on time. Early even. We still have an hour."
"An hour isn't that long," said Eleanor. "What if they come early?"
"Otis Winken is a sweetheart," said Trixie. "You know that. Even if we were two days
late, he'd be too polite to say anything."
"But I don't want to disappoint him," said Eleanor. "Besides, I'm not late. Ever. For anything."
Trixie rolled her eyes. "I know. I've only been your sister for—"
Eleanor shot her a look. "Don't you dare say it."
"What?" asked Trixie innocently. "You're not that old." A sly smile played on her lips. "Well, I'm not that old anyway." Eleanor was glaring at her. Trixie's deadpan expression only infuriated her more.
"I mean, you are my older sister," Trixie continued. "So, I guess by definition, you have to be at least a little bit old. Comparatively speaking, I mean."
I giggled.
"You think it's funny?" said Eleanor, rounding on me. She lifted her eyebrows. "Wait until you're old, then we'll see if you still think it's funny."
"Ava won't be old for years yet," said Trixie. "No one in their twenties even thinks about things like that. Anyway, she has the benefit of knowing that you will always be the oldest person in the room." She batted her eyelashes rapidly at Eleanor, smiling as if she'd just paid her a compliment.
If people hadn't known us, they'd still have known in an instant we were related. We had the same gold-blond hair, the same fair skin, and the same snarky temperament. We liked to poke fun at each other, but it was all harmless fun.
"You're lucky I don't hex you right now," said Eleanor.
From the corner, Rocky lifted his head and yawned. He let out one low woof then lowered his head back to the floor and resumed his nap. His large gray and white body rose and fell with each heavy, sleepy breath.
"I think Rocky agrees with Eleanor," I said.
"Rocky would agree with anyone who gave him bacon on a weekly basis," said Trixie. "You can't trust a wolfhound."
Eleanor scoffed. "Rocky is the epitome of objectivity. His being a wolfhound has nothing to do with it."
Trixie shot me a look and rolled her eyes. "He's your familiar. Of course, he's going to agree with you."
Eleanor's lips pinched tightly together. "Have you heard from Colt lately?" she asked me, changing the subject.