The Rhinestone Witches Omnibus: Books 1-3

by Addison Creek

  “Yes, there were three of them. They were walking through that fog of theirs,” I said. I could feel my hands trembling and I clinched them tighter.

  Quinn was nodding, but he didn’t really look as if he was paying attention. I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. He had gone so deeply into investigative mode that I wasn’t even sure if he cared that the young man we had just been talking to was now dead.

  “Which way did they go?” he asked. Still holding his mug carefully, he had slowly started to turn around the room and examine every inch. Neither Lark nor I moved. We both knew better than to disturb a crime scene.

  “We didn’t see. We did the smart thing and ran away,” said Lowe. My cousin’s lower lip was trembling. “We didn’t think . . . we thought they were after us so we ran . . . We should have stayed . . .”

  I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around Lowe. She snuffled and said, “I just can’t . . .”

  “We didn’t know,” I told her quietly. “We didn’t know.”

  “This isn’t your fault,” said Quinn. “You aren’t a secret protection force or the like. You had to save yourself from the Vixens and you did that. None of us had any idea that Henry was in such danger.” Quinn’s jaw was tight, and I could see that he was trying to control himself tightly. “The best thing you can do for Henry now is to tell me what happened.”

  Lowe nodded. She was upset, but still desperate to help, more so than ever. Once I knew she was ready for me to say something I told Quinn what he had to hear.

  I told him what we had done and how we ended up at the top of the hospital. I further told him about my attempt to perform a spell. Instead of mocking, he looked impressed. It was the first time he had looked up from his examination of the room.

  “Do you know how he died?” Lowe asked. Her voice trembled a little.

  “It looks like the magical steam killed him. I’m not surprised. The Vixens are venomous,” he said.

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” I asked.

  “No. Go home. Grieve. I have to get in touch with Joy. She needs to come here and watch the room while we search for the Vixens. Of course, that will be a wasted exercise. They’re no longer anywhere near here, mark my words. I’m sure we’ll see both of you again soon. I may come up with more questions, if nothing else,” he said.

  He had given us permission to leave, and we both made for the door. Lowe was holding it together at the moment, but she certainly going to collapse in tears when we reached the cottage, so I was glad we were about to leave. I thought we were home free when Quinn’s voice stopped me, “Jade? What were you doing here, anyway?”

  Now was the moment truth. Should I tell him about Kelly’s fears for her brother?

  “I was just keeping Lowe company,” I said casually.

  Quinn’s face twitched only the slightest bit. “Were you? Why didn’t you come into the room to talk to Henry?”

  Because I didn’t want to see you, Mudface, I told him silently.

  “I somehow managed to come up with the idea that you wouldn’t like it. I have no idea why that entered my head,” I said out loud.

  With that we turned around and walked away.

  I went home. Now I was determined.

  When Lowe and I got home, there was still no sign of Bethel. I went up to my room to take a long shower and think over the morning’s evidence, while Lowe went to her room for some peace and quiet. Spunk followed her in, and I knew the cat would comfort her. He would offer himself up to be scratched and have his back rubbed and Lowe would feel a little bit better.

  Kelly would need to be contacted. Her family would now be desperately upset. Maybe I could head there after lunch, but at the moment I had to get cleaned up and collect myself.

  I had just finished getting dressed when there was a knock at my door. I yelled “Come in,” and Lowe poked her head inside.

  “How are you doing?” she asked. She had also showered, and her hair was now a blue ocean on top of her head. Her eyes suggested that she had been crying.

  “I’m all right. I guess I didn’t know him like you did,” I said.

  “It’s awful,” said Lowe, snuffling.

  “His family?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “He didn’t have any close family. I suppose at this point that’s kind of a small blessing. His mother won’t need to be notified.”

  “Should go see Kelly?” I said.

  “Yes, I think we should,” said Lowe.

  We made our way out of the house again. As usual the garden was teeming with life. Across the street there was still no sign of Lisa or Lucky, but that wasn’t surprising. For two women who had been kicked out of the coven, they were exceptionally busy.

  We caught the trolley and made our way to Kelly’s borough. I had never been to her family’s farm, and I loved taking it all in. Kelly came from a very big family, and she was often ignored. That left her more time to read, which I never saw her complain about.

  They had a small shop at the farm, and it was there that we looked first. Lucky for us we didn’t have to look very far. She was standing behind the cash register selling some pickled dandelions and cookies. When she saw me she looked up and smiled. I saw the hope in her face, and I saw the hope die when she read our expressions. She quickly said something to one of her coworkers, took off her apron, and hurried around to counter to meet us.

  “Is there somewhere we can talk?” I asked. She nodded and headed toward the back of the building, where a door led out into a garden and a fenced-in area with goats. It was there among the goats that we stopped and stood under a tree, so that at least we were in the shade on that hot August day.

  “Please don’t tell me he told you something bad. Please tell me that Kyle is all right,” said Kelly.

  “He didn’t tell us much, just that they went to make a trade. I guess they had some pearls to sell,” I said.

  Kelly covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “He’s so stupid. Why is he always so stupid?” she demanded.

  “Do you have any idea what they might have been trading for?” I said.

  “No, I mean I don’t think so,” she said. Then her expression changed. She had clearly thought of something relevant.

  “They might have been trading in owl feathers,” she said. “Kyle did it once before. Years ago. My dad keeps owls. They are very important to a lot of potions. Of course you can buy them. We have some for sale, but we aren’t an official seller. They’re extremely expensive.”

  “If they can be bought, why would somebody want to get them secretly?” I asked.

  Kelly shook her head. “That part I can’t tell you. We do keep a record of whoever purchased them. Maybe they didn’t want to go on the record, and if Kyle took some openly we would know.”

  It was a beautiful August day. The sun was shining with a golden light. Around the farm the leaves, grass, and flowers all rustled in the breeze. The buildings looked old but well-kept. It would be a beautiful place to spend an afternoon or a lifetime. For a lot of people, maybe not for me. I wasn’t into farming. But I hated to bring bad news into such a beautiful, peaceful setting.

  “Wait a minute. Henry said the boys had some pearls to sell,” I said.

  “I believe that,” said Kelly. “Still, we can never have too many owl feathers. I wonder if that’s what they were getting paid in. Maybe special owls themselves.”

  My head was spinning a bit from all of this new information.

  “Is that what you came all this way to tell me? You wanted to talk about potion ingredients? How is Henry doing?” Kelly asked.

  Lowe and I were forced to exchange looks once again, then I cleared my throat. I had never had to tell a friend about a murder before. Before I came to Twinkleford, such a task would never have seemed like the remotest of possibilities. Now it was right at my doorstep.

  With our silence, Kelly seem to understand that there was something terribly wrong. “He’s okay, isn’t he?” sh
e whispered.

  I sighed and shook my head. “He was. We talked to him and he seemed to be doing well. He was in good spirits. For what it’s worth, I really liked him.”

  “What does that mean?” Kelly demanded, starting to look more frantic. Her brown eyes were snapping between us and her breathing was coming harder.

  “It means that while we were there, the Vixens came. There were at least three of them. Quinn had gone downstairs. There was nothing that Lowe or I could do,” I whispered.

  Kelly covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. “No, it can’t possibly be true. They killed him?”

  Lowe and I both nodded. There wasn’t much else for us to do. We knew how hard this was for Kelly, because it was hard for us, too. Lowe had been Henry’s friend, after all. Now she stepped forward and put her arm around Kelly. “He was very brave,” she said. “He wanted to help us. He was sure that Kyle was fine. We’re going to find him. I promise.”

  Kelly rested her head against Lowe’s forehead and the two of them stood like that, silently sobbing. I waited awkwardly, unsure what to say. Eventually I sat down on a nearby stump and looked at the goats. They looked back at me as they wandered around slowly, not terribly impressed with my presence.

  After a while Kelly and Lowe joined me. They both sat cross-legged in the grass and I got down and joined them, leaning my back against the stump. Kelly sniffled a bit and wiped her nose. “Okay, fine. The Vixens attacked. I don’t see how and I don’t see why. What did Quinn have to say?”

  “He came back just as we discovered Henry. He was upset, but he’s a sheriff. He immediately started examining the crime scene. He thought the Vixens were already gone, so he didn’t try to catch them. Instead he looked around and asked us what happened. That’s how we left him. He was about to call his assistant, Joy, to get help. He did want to canvass the area, even though he didn’t expect to find anything,” I explained.

  Kelly nodded. Tears were still leaking out of her eyes, but she looked determined. “Okay, so where does that leave us?”

  “I think Henry was killed to keep him from talking,” I said. “Whatever he knew about that meeting, the Vixens didn’t want us to find out. Obviously your brother isn’t a danger that way at the moment, because someone must be holding him, maybe the Vixens themselves. I think what we have to do is find out what the trade was. Maybe that way we can track it,” I said.

  “Couldn’t we just assume it was owl feathers and go to an owl trader?” Lowe asked.

  I stared at her in shock. “There is a legal owl trader around?” Because of course there was. I mean, what?

  “There are several,” said Lowe, “but only one is the best. He keeps real owls, and nobody ever goes to visit him because he’s terrifying. We could go there first. Maybe he’d have some suggestions. He’s kind of like your grandmother. I don’t think he’s someone to mess with.”

  Kelly was nodding her head slowly. “I’ll do the research from this end. I’m not one for fieldwork, but I can look into this. Maybe I’ll do some crystal ball reading, although Jade might be the best of us in that respect.”

  I bowed my head and smiled. So far, crystal ball reading was my favorite of the witch practices I’d been learning.

  “You think your grandmother would be of any help?” Kelly asked.

  I shook my head. “At this point I have no idea. I don’t even think she knows it happened yet. She wasn’t at home just now when we stopped there after the hospital visit. I’ll be very curious to see what’s going on with the investigation when we get back.”

  Kelly bit her lip. “One of my brothers manages the farm, but another is a deputy sheriff. So far he’s been really dismissive of what happened with Kyle, but I think this will change his mind. If he says anything tonight at dinner I’ll relay it to you two. I think this is a good plan.”

  I nodded my head to show her I agreed. I also felt really good about doing something real. If I couldn’t get my sister to come home, this might be the next best thing.

  “By the way, have you heard from Ethel?” Kelly asked, as if reading my mind.

  But of course she would know to ask that. My sister had been on my mind lately. “I haven’t heard from her. That’s what we agreed, though. It’s the best way to keep her safe.”

  “I’m sure it drives the Vixens crazy that they can’t get their hands on her. Every other time they’ve gone after someone they’ve managed to kill them,” said Kelly.

  I blinked at her. “Have they really?”

  “I mean, they’ve only existed for about a year as far as we know. In that time there have been three witches who opposed them vocally, and yes, they all died. Hard to say if it was murder. All three deaths looked like accidents. I suppose you could say that your sister wasn’t even opposing them. Then again, we don’t really know what your sister was doing or why she was targeted,” she said.

  “She was targeted for no other reason than that my family is influential, and there are people who want to bring us down,” I said.

  “That’s right,” said Lowe. “If Jade didn’t exist, targeting Ethel would have gone a long way toward booting the Rhinestones out of the coven. The Vixens thought that if they got rid of Ethel, they could take over the unicorn trade as well.”

  If these ingredients trades were so important, maybe it was time I found out more about important ingredients. There were pearls and there was unicorn dung. Apparently there were also owl feathers. What else was there?

  “I think we have a good place to start,” said Kelly, “so let’s get going. We should meet again tomorrow morning, but I don’t think we can keep doing it here. My mother is going to get suspicious. That woman would suspect a book jacket if it suited her.”

  I chuckled at that. “I don’t really know where else we can meet. I’m new here.”

  “I’ll think about it and come up with something. For now, I’ll come to your house tomorrow morning and get you. I’ll try and figure something out by then,” said Kelly.

  She still looked upset, but I could also see determination in the line of her jaw. She wasn’t going to let Henry die for nothing. She was going to find Kyle. In short, we weren’t going down without a fight.

  “Let’s get to work!” said Lowe, who then wiped her nose on her sleeve and snuffled again.

  After that, Lowe and I left the farm, but not without buying some cheese and scones at the farm store. If my grandmother wondered where we had gotten to, I could show her the food and say we’d just gone over to hang out with Kelly and see how she was doing.

  “So when are we going to go see this feather trader?” I asked Lowe as we walked.

  Lowe bit her lip and looked concerned. “I mean, we can go, but he doesn’t like to see people. I think that if we want to see him and get anything out of it, we have to take something for him. A gift. We have to show him that we mean well.”

  “What if we don’t mean well?” I asked.

  My cousin shook her head. “Then we have to lie.”

  Chapter Eight

  There was still no sign of Grandmother Terror when we got home. This was the first time since I had moved to Twinkleford that she’d been gone all day, and Lowe was as surprised as I was. “I can’t believe that woman. Thinking that she can go wherever she wants whenever she wants,” she said.

  We sat down to eat a quick lunch before we set out again. Tiger came and wrapped his fluffy body around my ankles. Spunk paid his own visit to Lowe, obviously hoping to get some cheese from her sandwich. So far she wasn’t caving, but we both knew that by the end of the meal she’d give in.

  “So how are we going to get this feather trader on our side?” I asked.

  “Dung magic. At least that’s my plan,” Lowe said.

  “Is that going to work?” I asked.

  “I have no idea. I’ve never tried it before. Here’s hoping,” she said with a wry smile.

  We didn’t linger. While I cleaned up the lunch mess, Lowe went
to visit the unicorns. I was still their least favorite Rhinestone. My grandmother insisted that they would come around once they got to know me, but I wasn’t so certain. At least they had stopped charging me when I went into the field. Small blessings.

  Lowe came back carrying a tiny container. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to perform the spell here.”

  I stared at the little box. “Won’t that be a small spell? I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

  “Then we’re lost. I don’t think we can take this to him without stabilizing it first.” Lowe looked down at the small green box in her hands, a sample of the primary way that unicorn dung got transported.

  I went over to the box and put my hand under it. Then I put all five fingers together out straight, twisted my wrist, and opened my hand. All the while I concentrated really hard on making what was inside the box stable. I still couldn’t really abide my family’s main source of income. I mean, just because it was pretty didn’t mean it didn’t stink. The crackle sparked through my motion and into the box.

  “I think you’ve done it,” said Lowe gleefully. She was still holding the box, but now it was shining a bit.

  I smiled at her. “Does that give us enough time?”

  “To get to the Bleak Area? Yeah, I think it does. Either way, let’s get going.”

  She made for the door, but when she realized I wasn’t behind her she turned to look at me with a question in her eyes. I was still standing near the sink with my fingers tingling. I dropped my arm down by my side and asked, “You want to go there?” I hadn’t been there since one night early on when I had wandered in by mistake and gotten lost. The things I had seen, skeletons gathering in a graveyard, were not an experience I wanted to repeat any time soon.

  Lowe shrugged. “That’s where the trader is. He likes having his space. We’re going to have to walk through the cemetery to get there. But it shouldn’t be a problem in broad daylight. It’s at night when you want to avoid that place.”

  “Oh, yes, I’m well aware of that,” I muttered.

  I swallowed hard. There was no part of me that wanted to return to the Bleak Area. “I thought becoming a real witch meant that I wouldn’t have to go back there,” I complained.