by Esme Addison
“You’re kidding me.” Alex reached for the phone. Sure enough, all posts since Lidia’s arrest had vanished. “How does this happen?”
“It’s definitely magic,” Minka said. “And not a good kind.”
Alex handed the cell back to Minka. “I don’t know whether to be disgusted or relieved that the family is safe—at least for now.”
Minka’s face was drawn, her eyes troubled. “Make no mistake, this was a brutal attack on Pepper. The women in our family don’t erase memories.” She shook her head angrily. “It’s not right.”
Alex had to agree. She’d witnessed the confusion and fear in Pepper’s eyes. “You should’ve seen her place. Someone tore it apart. Pepper won’t feel safe in her own home. You know,” she said, thinking back to the moment she’d entered the cottage, “there was an energy in the air. Like electricity or something.”
Minka nodded. “That’s what it feels like when someone’s been practicing the craft. The air is charged with magic, only Mundanes don’t know that. I’ll bet you interrupted them.”
“It was the Wesleys, wasn’t it?” The thought that Alex had almost come upon whoever had attacked Pepper sent shivers up her spine. “There was something on her computer, too. She’d been in the middle of disclosing an altercation between your mom and Tegan on the night Randy was murdered. I wonder if the person who hurt Pepper had intended to erase that blog post, too. Until I walked in.”
“An altercation?” Minka clutched Alex’s wrist. “What kind? What happened?”
Alex explained that Pepper had followed Lidia to the Peninsula on the night Randy Bennett was murdered. “She saw your mom and Tegan exchanging words, and Tegan was shooting sparks. I take it that means she was angry.”
“Oh, that’s nothing unusual.” Minka waved a hand, seeming relieved. “Tegan always does that when Mom’s around. But it’s bad that Pepper saw it.”
“It’s worse than that,” Alex said. “She took a video.”
Minka swore. “That could’ve been very serious. No wonder someone erased her memories.” She threaded her fingers through her hair. “That was too close.”
“Do you know what your mom and Tegan were doing out there?”
Minka reflected for a moment but then shook her head. “I don’t, sorry. You’d have to ask Mom.”
That sounded like a dead end to Alex, considering how tight-lipped Lidia was. But she set that aside for now. Something was nagging her about the attack on Pepper. Something wasn’t adding up. “What bothers me is, Pepper didn’t just forget about the argument between your mom and Tegan. She also seems to have forgotten about Captain Bellamy’s journal.”
“What exactly did she forget?”
“Everything,” Alex replied. “Its contents, even its existence—” Suddenly, it made sense. “What if there’s something in that journal that someone wants to hide?”
“But why?” Minka creased her forehead. “What could Captain Bellamy have written that would be relevant to anyone today? From what I can tell, he was simply a gossip. Like great-great-grandfather, like great-great-granddaughter,” she said with a wry grin.
Alex couldn’t answer that question either, but she knew one thing for certain. “We have to find that journal, Minka. We have to know who attacked Pepper, and why.”
And she knew exactly who to ask.
Chapter Twelve
When Dylan Wesley had invited Alex to stop by again, she hadn’t known whether he was being serious or merely polite. But now that Pepper Bellamy had been attacked, Alex didn’t care. She needed answers, and he was going to give them. She walked right into Wesley, Inc., headquarters on Tuesday afternoon and informed the unflappable Harrison that she would like to see Mr. Wesley.
Harrison lifted a phone. “Is he expecting you?”
Alex paused for a beat before proceeding with the lie. “Yes.”
He raised an eyebrow in suspicion but didn’t say more. She stood off to one side while Harrison called what sounded like Dylan’s assistant. While she waited, Alex considered plan B. If Dylan refused to see her, she could dash to the elevator and go up herself. She knew where his office was. Or she could find a stairwell and sneak up that way. Or she could wait in the parking lot—
“Mr. Wesley will be right down,” Harrison said as he set down the phone.
Huh. He’d actually meant what he’d said. Alex was stunned. “Th-thank you,” she stammered.
“Of course. Would you like to have a seat?”
Harrison gestured to some couches surrounding a glass table, but Alex declined. “I’ll stand. Thank you.”
She heard the click of high heels and turned to see Bryn approaching in a perfectly tailored suit. Her milky skin was luminous and her patrician features were arrestingly beautiful. She carried herself as if she knew it.
“What do you want?” she demanded. “You’re the reason Dylan was late to our meeting yesterday.” She paused to give Alex a disapproving once-over. “Who are you, anyway?”
Flustered by the woman’s apparent disdain for her, Alex forced a smile nonetheless. “Alex. Daniels.”
The woman pushed her lips into a pout. “Well, Alex Daniels, I’m Bryn Wesley. Are you looking for a job or something? Why are you here again?”
“I’m Lidia Sobieski’s niece,” Alex replied. “I came here yesterday to introduce myself.”
“Sobieski.” Bryn’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “You have a lot of nerve. Dylan was late to the meeting, and we almost lost an account because of you.”
Alex’s heart thumped in her chest, but she tried to maintain her cool. She’d done nothing wrong. “I never asked Dylan to be late for me.”
“So? Why are you here again? Wait, don’t tell me.” Bryn smiled cruelly. “You want us to help out your little candle shop?” She batted her long, dark eyelashes. “Is business bad? Do you need a cash infusion?”
“Of course not. I just want to talk.”
“Are you sure? I’ve heard business is bad since your aunt was arrested for murder. I’m afraid our multimillion-dollar company isn’t able to invest in your little Etsy shop. So see? I’ve saved us all some time.”
“Bryn, that’s enough,” Dylan’s voice boomed as he approached from the elevators. Alex hadn’t heard him coming, but he must have overheard part of the exchange, because he looked furious. “I’m sure you have something better to do.”
Bryn’s voice sounded syrupy sweet, even as her eyes flashed with anger. “I was just saying hello.”
Alex watched the woman stalk to the elevator. “Your sister seems pleasant.”
“She’s nice for a viper. Sorry about all of that.” Dylan chuckled. “I guess I should speak with her about manners. I love her, but honestly, she and I don’t always get along either.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “Politics, mostly. My mother is going to retire one day, and Bryn wants a larger role in the business. And she deserves one. She’s smart. Driven. She’s been instrumental to the company’s success.”
“Sounds like she’ll get a promotion, then.”
“Yes,” he said slowly. “But the promotion she wants is to lead the company, and my mother is more inclined to choose a certain CFO for that position.” He winked. “Therefore, Bryn doesn’t care for said CFO, older brother or not.”
Alex returned his smile. “Now I understand.”
Dylan was dressed casually in pressed khakis and a slim-fitted blue silk shirt. He had forgone the tie and left the top button of his shirt open. “It’s good to see you again, Alex.”
“You too.” He was disarming, but he might have just come from attacking Pepper that morning. Alex resisted his charm. “I was hoping we could speak somewhere private.”
A flash of surprise crossed his face. “Right down to business, are we? Would you mind if we used a conference room? I have a meeting in my office at the moment.”
“You—you took time out of a meeting? For me?”
“I thought it must be important i
f you were coming by on such short notice. Come, the conference room is this way.”
He led her past the lobby and through a door that required a key card to open. The corridor they entered was eerily silent, but there were no offices here. They stopped at a gray door that Dylan opened into a conference room with one wall made entirely of windows. Alex admired the view of the lighthouse and the green blooming on the surrounding hills.
“Do people actually get work done in a room like this?” She gestured to the stunning vista.
Dylan smiled. “Unfortunately, every office in this building comes with amazing views.” He chuckled. “It was purposely designed that way.” He pulled a leather seat from the sleek black table and offered it to Alex.
“Thank you.”
“Now,” Dylan said as he pulled out another chair beside hers, “what did you want to discuss?”
Alex folded her hands on the table. “First, I should tell you that I’ve learned more about our families since we spoke yesterday. I know that our families have … powers.”
The hint of a smile appeared on his face. “I was surprised you’d forgotten. The way you used to make the water in Lidia’s fountain jump—”
Alex rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear more about the apparently magically gifted child she’d been. “Yes, so I’ve heard.”
“Your designs were elaborate,” he said. “Arches, swirls, these loopy things—” He gave her a gentle smile. “Someone must’ve removed those memories for you.”
The breath caught in Alex’s throat. She’d never considered that possibility. Who would’ve done such a thing? Her mother, at her father’s request? She tried to suppress the disturbing thought, but she was rattled. She took a deep breath and focused on the man watching her. “Look, I know you’re busy, so I’ll get to the point. Something happened today, and I need to know if the Wesleys had anything to do with it.”
He listened as Alex explained that someone had attacked Pepper and erased her memories of Captain John Bellamy’s journal. Dylan shook his head slightly. “Why would anyone do that? Pepper’s a nuisance, but she’s harmless.”
“That’s why I’m here,” she replied. “There are only a few people who could—and would—erase Pepper’s memory and steal that journal, and it wasn’t a Sobieski.”
Dylan clenched his jaw. “So we’re back to that again? You think my family had something to do with this?”
“You tell me,” Alex replied. “You’re the one who called your own sister a viper.”
“Only because she has an edge. But that doesn’t mean …” He leaned back in his chair. “I work closely with my mother and sister. Nothing would happen without my knowledge. I don’t know what you’ve heard, but we don’t encourage violence.”
“I’m asking for your help, Dylan. If the Wesleys weren’t involved, then who was?”
He stared out the window. “I don’t know. But I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
* * *
By Thursday, customers were returning to Botanika. Yes, they entered furtively, found what they needed, and left right away, but it was a start.
“What can I say?” Minka said. “The products work, and when they run out, they’ll return for more.” Minka tore a forgotten receipt from the cash register and tossed it into the trash. “We’ll be okay.” This was the most optimistic Alex had seen her cousin in a week.
Now that Lidia was under house arrest, Alex was busy trying to learn the family trade. Fortunately, Minka was already familiar with her mother’s techniques and products and was able to fill in while Lidia was home. If Alex had been left alone in the back room, she feared she’d accidentally have set something on fire.
“If business picks up again, we’re both going to be busy making more products. I understand herbs,” Alex said as she set a textbook on natural remedies down on the counter. “But how do you infuse the products with magic?”
“It’s hard to explain,” Minka said, and scrunched her nose as she tried to find the right words. “It’s the same way you do anything. You intend to do it and it happens.”
This was not helpful, though Alex knew Minka was trying her best. The night before, Alex had gone to the mermaid fountain and attempted to move the water. Instead, Minka had found her scolding the water and threatening to allow it to go dry if it didn’t obey her.
“That’s not going to work,” Minka had said gently, leading Alex to a bench. “There is a certain state of mind you have to find, sort of like tuning to a radio station. Once you find the frequency, you can do anything.”
“Dylan Wesley said I did this all the time as a kid,” Alex replied, sulking. “Why can’t I do it now?”
“It’s easier when you’re a child, before you hear people you trust telling you that magic isn’t real.”
Alex thought immediately of her father and the great pains he had taken to tell her there was no such thing as magic. She’d always assumed he was just being practical.
“But I don’t remember any of it,” she whispered, sinking her head into her hands. “I don’t remember the magic at all. Dylan thought someone had erased my memories …” She looked at her cousin questioningly.
“I don’t know anything about that.” Minka set a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “But you were young; we all forget some things from childhood. And of course, you were told magic doesn’t exist, and that’s what you came to believe. Now.” She lifted Alex’s chin. “Watch.”
Minka put on a remarkable show, making the fountain bubble and the water dance. All of that without lifting a finger or uttering a word. “You try,” she said.
“All right. Tell me how,” Alex countered.
But explaining magic was beyond Minka’s abilities. “I can’t tell you how, exactly. It’s just practice. Our family motto is, ‘Power comes with practice.’” She patted Alex’s knee reassuringly. “So, practice.”
Alex took a deep breath and focused on the water in the fountain. Just jump, she pleaded silently. Please, please, please. “Nothing. See? I told you, I need more help than that.” Alex rose from the bench. “When I really try, nothing happens—”
And in a flash, the water leapt right at them both, soaking their clothes. “Oh.” Minka laughed. “That’s cold.”
That had ended Alex’s lesson on water magic for the evening, and she’d retreated to her room to take a very nonmagical bath. But the fact remained that if Alex was going to be useful at Botanika, she had no choice but to learn how to harness her abilities. “If I don’t figure this stuff out,” she said to Minka, “I might end up hurting someone.”
Now Minka frowned. “How do you think you would hurt someone?”
“I don’t know.” Alex waved her arms as her anxiety grew. “I could make a perfume that turns a person into a skunk. There are any number of ways I could fail.” She paused as her cousin dissolved into laughter. “What’s so funny?”
Minka leaned one arm on the counter for support. “I’m sorry, it’s not—I understand. I do. But none of that is going to happen. Part of your power lies in amplifying the materials we use. They’re going to work well simply because you made them.”
* * *
Alex was studying the finer details of essential oils when the bell on the front door chimed and Dylan Wesley appeared at the entrance. He walked confidently toward her, his expression serious. “Alex. I was wondering if you would like to have a cup of coffee.”
Before she could respond, Minka gestured at the empty store and replied, “Dylan? We’re working here. Alex can’t just run off.”
He nodded at her. “Hello, Minka. I apologize for any inconvenience, but this is important.”
The women exchanged a glance, and Alex felt Minka’s thoughts gently prodding her mind. You don’t have to go, you know.
I’ll be fine, Alex responded telepathically. She turned to look at Dylan, wondering if he could hear their thoughts, if he knew they were having a conversation about him. But he appeared unbothered, with his hands shoved deep into the po
ckets of his pants.
“Would you mind?” Alex said, this time aloud. “I promise we’ll be brief. Right, Dylan?”
“Of course.”
With that, Minka sighed. “All right. As long as it’s quick. I don’t want to be caught alone in the afternoon crush.”
There had not been an afternoon crush since Lidia’s arrest, but Dylan didn’t need to know that. When he turned away, Minka whispered, “Be careful.”
Alex gave her a tiny smile and squeezed her hand. She met Dylan at the front of the shop. “Coffee O’ Clock is a block away,” Alex said as they stepped outside. “Let’s go there.”
“Sounds good.”
She tried to read him as they walked in silence, but Dylan wasn’t giving much away. He was confident and aloof, per usual. Again he was dressed casually in dark jeans and a pullover V-neck shirt, but he still managed to look polished. He must have felt her eyes on him, because he glanced over at her and smiled, but his gaze remained icy.
“Are you having a nice day so far?” he asked.
“Lovely,” she said, copying his bland tone. “And you?”
“Better now.”
Alex laughed out loud. “You are charming, Mr. Wesley.”
He lifted the corner of his mouth in a smile as they came up on the coffee shop. “I’m not the enchantress, Ms. Daniels.”
After the morning rush, the coffee shop was almost empty and there was no line. Celeste was behind the counter, this time wearing her hair in a long, loose braid that she had flung romantically over one shoulder. She greeted Dylan with a flirtatious wink. “Good afternoon, Mr. Wesley. How’s my favorite CFO doing?”
He grinned. “I’m just fine, Celeste. And I’ll have the usual.”
She flashed him another megawatt smile. “Right away, sir.”
Trying not to laugh, Alex noticed that Celeste’s southern drawl was more pronounced when she flirted. Or was that simply the southern belle in her showing?
The barista turned to Alex, her eyes lighting up. “Hey, you.” The usual for you and Minka?” She was already reaching for a to-go coffee cup.