Alchemy and Arson

by Lily Webb

  “So, this time around, I’ve come to ask you for a favor, and hopefully I’m doing so while standing on much better ground,” I said.

  “Of course you are. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have either of these two in custody, nor would we have any idea when or if the arson would stop,” Heath said, nodding at Sage and Tony. Sage rolled her eyes.

  “Now, what is it you’d like to ask us?”

  “Can my grandmother move here?” I asked. No sense in sugar coating it. “I think she needs the magic study as much as I do.”

  “I see no problem with it, but far be it from me to speak for the entire Council,” Heath said and my chest tightened. “We’ll have to put it to a vote. All those in favor of permitting Eleanor Clarke to become our newest neighbor, raise your hands and say ‘aye.’”

  I held my breath while the Council reached for their wands. Heath raised his first, followed by Grace Magnus, and every other member, including Dawn Bloodworth.

  “So it is done. Congratulations and welcome, Mrs. Clarke,” Heath said and pounded his gavel against the sound block. Grandma ran and threw her arms around me, sobbing tears of joy.

  “I can’t believe this!” I shouted into her ear over the cheering from the attendees as Grandma squeezed me so hard I thought I might burst.

  “Neither can I!” Grandma said.

  “Congratulations, both of you,” Raina said and wrapped her arms around both of us.

  Heath banged his gavel several more times to quiet everyone.

  “That brings us to our next point of discussion,” Heath said when Grandma, Raina, and I had all retaken our seats. “It seems you’re not the only one with some wrongs to right today, Zoe.”

  I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but whatever it was, it sounded like a good thing.

  “When we learned of what you’d done and how you’d put our community at risk — well-intentioned though you may have been — we snapped to make a judgment,” Heath said. “In retrospect, the punishment didn’t fit the crime.”

  Heath pushed his chair back from the raised dais and stood to rummage in his robes. A few seconds later, he pulled out a long, knotted stick — my wand. I swallowed hard. What was he going to do with it?

  “To correct that, I’d like to return this to its rightful owner,” Heath said. Using his own wand, he carried mine through the air into my hands. I wrapped all ten of my fingers around it and felt its power surging through my fingertips. Sparks showered from the tip.

  “It seems it’s happy to see you again too,” Heath said, smiling.

  “Does this mean…?” I asked.

  “Yes. You’re welcome to resume your classes at Veilside on Monday evening,” Heath said and I was so happy I thought I might burst. Raina rubbed my shoulders from behind and I turned to see her beaming at me.

  “I look forward to seeing what you learn to do with your magic, Zoe. I wasn’t born with the gift of a specialty in Divination, but even I see amazing things in your future. Who knows, perhaps one day it’ll be you who fills this seat,” Heath said with a smile as he gestured at the empty Head Witch’s chair beside him.

  “Thank you,” I said, barely able to speak. I couldn’t imagine ever becoming Head Witch — it’d never occurred to me once — but then again, I’d never imagined I’d be living in a magical town with Grandma Elle beside me, either.

  “Keep up the excellent work,” Heath said. “Moon Grove is much richer with your presence.”

  “Thank you again, all of you,” I said. Councilwoman Magnus applauded as she beamed at me and Councilwoman Bloodworth joined her though she didn’t look nearly as enthusiastic about it. Maybe that was just her personality.

  “You’ve earned it and more,” Heath said. “Now, if you have no further questions or requests…?”

  “No, that’s all, thank you, thank you!” I said.

  “Very well, then if there are no other issues to be addressed, this hearing is adjourned,” Heath said. He waited a few moments for any last-minute concerns from the audience. When none came he banged his gavel one last time, its echo bouncing in my mind along with my buzzing thoughts and general disbelief.

  I threw my arms around Grandma and let myself be dog-piled by all my friends as the Council left their seats and the town hall emptied around us.

  Despite everything we’d been through, Grandma Elle was staying with me in Moon Grove for good — and that was all that mattered.

  Book 4: When the Bank of Moon Grove is robbed and its owner killed, it's up to Zoe Clarke to use her telepathic abilities to find the killer.

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  Turn the page to read chapter one, or buy Heists and Homicides now!

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  Heists and Homicides Excerpt

  Chapter 1

  Attn Zoe Clarke: The Bank of Moon Grove is in big trouble. Percy Thornheart knows why.

  I’d pushed back from my desk to leave the Moon Grove Messenger and my work behind for the day when both my computer and my cell phone dinged at the same time. I sat staring at the cursor flashing on my screen, unable to process what I’d read. How could a magical bank be in trouble? And who was Percy Thornheart?

  Had it not been for the anonymous tip line the Messenger had set up over the weekend thanks to a recent string of arsons, I wouldn’t have bothered checking my p-mail — but thank Lilith I had. At first I was skeptical anyone would send us something worth pursuing, but boy, was I wrong.

  I must have read the message six times before I wrapped my head around it. I closed the p-mail and locked my computer to shut out any prying eyes until I figured out what to do with the information. If anyone would know, it was Mitch Harris, the werewolf editor-in-chief of the Messenger, so I pocketed my phone to show him the message.

  It was well after five o’clock and most of the rest of the staff had already gone home while I finished up my last story for the following day’s issue — which was all the same because it meant I didn’t have to dodge magically flying objects in the newsroom for once on the way to Mitch’s office.

  I knocked lightly on Mitch’s cracked door.

  “Come in,” he growled, and I stepped through to find him stroking his tangled forest of a beard while he stared at his computer screen. Thick, wiry hair curled out from under the edges of the plaid sleeves he’d rolled up his forearms.

  “Hey, Zoe, I’m reading over your story about the arsons before I approve it for publication. You did a great job,” Mitch said.

  “Do you mean on the story itself or catching the arsonists in the first place?” I asked.

  “Both, actually. Are you outta here for the night?”

  “Well, I thought I was, but I guess the universe has other plans,” I said. Mitch raised an eyebrow at me and gestured for me to sit down in the chair across from him.

  “Something on your mind?”

  “Yeah. What do you know about the Bank of Moon Grove?” I asked as I sank down into the lumpy chair and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I hadn’t realized how tired I was until then. Chasing stories and murderers had a way of draining people, evidently.

  “Not much. No one really does, why?” Mitch asked.

  “I was about to shut down my computer when I got this message from the tip line,” I said and tapped to open the message on my phone. I held it out for Mitch to read and the second of his eyebrows crept up to meet the first in the center of his forehead.

  “How weird,” Mitch said as he leaned back in his chair, which groaned underneath his shifting weight. “But it’s not unbelievable. This isn’t the first I’ve heard of problems at the bank.”

  “And you had no one look into it?”

  “It’s not that easy, believe me,” Mitch said. “The Bank of Moon Grove is famous for its secrecy and all the protective spells cast on it. Even
if we wanted to get insider information about the place, we couldn’t. They don’t grant interviews, ever, but even if they did, it wouldn’t matter because they force their employees to take a magically binding vow of secrecy.”

  “Then I guess it’s a good thing you’ve got a mind reader on staff now, isn’t it?” I asked.

  “I hadn’t thought about that until now,” Mitch said, his expression clouded. Maybe my telepathic abilities were more of a blessing than a curse.

  “You think the story has legs?” I asked.

  “No idea, frankly,” Mitch said. “That’s the downside to anonymous tip lines, they always lead to some amount of tomfoolery. It could easily be someone trying to lead us down a rabbit hole.”

  “Yeah, maybe. But I dunno, whoever sent this message sounded sure,” I said. “And they specifically addressed it to me. That makes me think it’s someone who knows what they’re talking about.”

  “Really? It only makes me more skeptical,” Mitch said. “Everyone in this town knows you can read minds and how much you love a juicy story. It sounds like bait.”

  “Could be, but I think I might head there soon anyway, so I guess I could poke around if you wanted me to,” I said. Even if Mitch said no, I had no intention of leaving the story alone — if for no other reason than I wanted to know more about the bank and whoever had sent the tip.

  “What are you going there for? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking,” Mitch said.

  “Buying a house isn’t cheap,” I sighed.

  “So you’re serious about that?” Mitch asked.

  “Why not? I can’t live with Flora forever, as much as I love her,” I said. Flora Gemwood was another of my coworkers who worked in the editing department at the Messenger. I’d been sharing a house with the fairy since I’d moved to Moon Grove two months ago.

  “More than that, I can’t leave my grandmother with Raina much longer,” I said. “I think they’ve really hit it off with each other, but I don’t know how I feel about that.” Somehow, my deeply southern and traditional grandmother buddying up to the Headmistress of the magical school I attended didn’t seem like a good thing.

  Grandma Elle had recently moved to Moon Grove, and though I loved having her around, I wasn’t as thrilled about finding a place for the two of us to share.

  “I understand. I can’t blame you there,” Mitch said. “In any case, I guess it can’t hurt to ask a few questions to see what thoughts you can scare up. Though honestly, it’d be a surprise if you overheard anything useful. Even if the bank’s really in financial trouble, the staff’s sure to have their guard up, especially around you.”

  He had a point. No bank could stay in business for long if its clients knew the money they’d deposited for safekeeping was in jeopardy.

  “What do you make of the part about Percy Thornheart?” I asked.

  “He inherited the bank from his father, Ignus, a few years back. Percy has a reputation, that’s for sure,” Mitch said, shaking his head.

  “Do I wanna know?”

  “It’s nothing too scandalous. He likes to live large,” Mitch said. “I’ve heard he’s a regular at the new Stubbe’s Palace Casino and he’s gambled himself into some dicey situations in the past.”

  “That’s not a crime I guess, but don’t you think a compulsive gambler running a bank is a recipe for disaster?” I asked. Maybe whoever sent the p-mail really knew something about Percy.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Mitch said with a shrug. “But as far as I know, he’s done nothing illegal.”

  “As far as you know,” I said, and Mitch smirked.

  “True. All right, you convinced me. I think you should look into this,” Mitch said. “Worst-case scenario, if the tip turns out to be bogus at least we’ll know to ignore any others about the bank.”

  “Cool, I’ll head there first thing in the morning then,” I said as I stood to leave.

  “Keep your head on straight,” Mitch said. “I’m still not sure this isn’t a trap.”

  “Roger, boss,” I said though I didn’t fully agree.

  Since solving the murder of Councilwoman Circe Woods, news in Moon Grove had been slow — so what could anyone want to distract me from?

  “See you tomorrow. Don’t work too hard,” I said and walked out of Mitch’s office. He mumbled something after me but it didn’t register.

  Back at my desk, I shut down my computer and gathered up my things. Surprisingly enough, there weren’t any messages from Grandma Elle or anyone else waiting for me on my phone. Maybe Grandma had entertained herself — though I hoped that didn’t mean she’d gotten into any trouble.

  My mind raced with possibilities as I walked the few blocks home. Despite what Mitch said, I wondered if whoever sent the tip about Percy Thornheart and the Bank of Moon Grove knew something no one else did — but if so, what? More importantly, how?

  Mitch was right to be suspicious, not least of all due to my reputation for rushing into a story head first — but my desire to scratch at the truth was like a fresh mosquito bite, red and inflamed.

  I reached Flora’s house in the Fairy’s Quarter of Moon Grove before I realized it and stepped through the front door to find Grandma Elle sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in hand.

  “Well, look with the black cat done dragged in,” Grandma clucked at me as she pet Luna, my talking coal-black cat, who sat curled and purring in Grandma’s lap.

  “That’s not funny,” Luna said, staring up at Grandma with narrowed eyes.

  “Hey, Gram, what are you doing here?” I asked as I closed the door behind me and tossed my things on the couch.

  “I invited her over for dinner,” Flora called from the kitchen where she was busy cooking yet again.

  “Nice of you to tell me now,” I called back.

  “That’s how it is, Sugar?” Grandma asked. “I can mosey right on outta here if you don’t want me.”

  “Oh, come on, don’t be like that. You know I’m playing,” I said and went into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of wine too.

  “Atta girl,” Grandma called after me.

  In the kitchen, Flora hunched over something steaming on the stove. She swirled a spatula inside with one hand and waved the other at the spice rack behind her. A container of an herb I didn’t recognize drifted out and across the kitchen into her hand, and she shook it into the pot.

  “Whaddya got going on here?” I asked.

  “Boiled potatoes with dill. I’m serving it with a vegetable pot roast,” Flora said.

  “Smells and sounds delicious,” I said. “Anything I can do to help?”

  “No need, but thanks. Go take a load off and entertain your grandmother for me,” Flora said.

  “That’s easier said than done,” I said.

  “Hey, I heard that,” Grandma called from the living room and Flora chuckled.

  “That’s not her first glass of wine, is it?” I whispered.

  “Yes it is, and I heard that too,” Grandma said. Sighing, I went to the small table by the stove and turned over one of the wine glasses that someone had set next to the bottle. I filled it halfway and joined Grandma in the living room.

  “Did you buy this?” I asked as I swirled the liquid around in the glass to aerate it.

  “Sure did. Well, more accurately I lifted it from Raina’s kitchen, but I don’t reckon she’ll mind too much,” Grandma said and winked.

  “I can’t trust you with anything, can I?” I asked through a smile.

  “Nope, not a darn thing,” Grandma said.

  “Well, at least you two have that in common,” Luna said as she hopped down from Grandma’s lap and stretched. Her electric blue eyes winked at me as she blinked away the last dredges of sleep.

  “Hilarious,” I said and sat down on the couch beside Grandma. “So, what’s the occasion?”

  “What do you mean?” Grandma asked.

  “All this. Flora loves to cook, but she rarely has company,” I said.

  “C
an’t I have a nice dinner with my granddaughter and her friend without it meanin’ something?” Grandma scoffed, but I was onto her.

  “I think you’re up to something,” I said.

  “There you go again, being one of them there skeptics,” Grandma said and sipped her wine.

  “What can I say? It’s in my job description,” I said with a shrug.” So, whatever it is you’re buttering me up for, spill it.”

  “Wow, thanks for the warm welcome, Sugar,” Grandma said. “You know, the universe ain’t out to get you.”

  “Sure feels that way sometimes,” I said, thinking back to the anonymous tip about the bank and all the other shenanigans I’d lived through since moving to Moon Grove. Grandma opened her mouth to say otherwise, but Flora interrupted her from the kitchen to tell us dinner was ready.

  “Saved by the dinner bell,” I said, and Grandma smiled. Together, we walked into the kitchen and found Flora surrounded by floating plates and silverware. The dishes zoomed to the stove where the vegetables lifted themselves onto their smooth surfaces, and with a wave of her hand Flora ordered it all to the table.

  “Have a seat, I’ll take care of everything,” Flora said.

  She had that right — . I had to hand it to her; she had a better grip on her magic than most people I knew, including me — not that that took much. I sat down in front of one of the steaming plates of food and waited for Grandma and Flora to join me.

  “Why do I feel you’re about to tell me something I’m not gonna like?” I asked Grandma, and she laughed.

  “All right, all right, fine, have it your way,” Grandma said. “Look, I been thinkin’ ‘bout it and I dunno if it’s such a smart idea to go sellin’ the farm yet.”

  My heart dropped into my stomach. We’d already agreed to sell our family farm back in Lumberton after Grandma joined me in Moon Grove.

  “Wait, does that mean you’re not moving here after all the—”