Ghoul's Paradise (Spellbound Ever After Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 7)

by Annabel Chase

  If the demigod felt unwanted, he didn’t show it.

  “Very well then. I suppose I shall see you when I see you.”

  Josie pulled a chair closer to the desk to consult the file. “Guess it’s just us girls now.”

  On cue, Sedgwick reappeared and tried to perch on the windowsill but had to bow his head to fit. Any chance we can raise the window? It’s too low.

  I huffed and marched to the window to open it. Welcome to the next chapter of my life, indeed.

  Chapter Two

  “That cutlery is slightly crooked,” Gareth said.

  I craned my neck to look at him. “Well, you can manipulate objects. You fix it.” The Grey sisters would be here any moment for dinner and Gareth’s inner host was kicking in, which only served to fray my nerves. We hadn’t seen the sisters in a long time and I was anxious to hear all about their adventures.

  “Are you sure about these plates? Maybe we should have opted for a different pattern.” Gareth scrutinized the table settings as though contemplating the sterility of surgical tools.

  “These are the only plates we have,” I said. “If you think we need a different design, then you’re going to have to find a way to magically change them.”

  The vampire ghost hovered at the foot of the table. “You’re the one with magical powers.”

  “Yes, but I don’t have time to figure out a spell that would make this table setting more appealing to the Grey sisters.” I tried to exercise patience because I knew Gareth was keen to see Lyra. The two had developed a close bond ever since she helped him develop what I referred to as his poltergeist skills. The middle sister had helped him learn to manipulate solid objects, a skill from which Daniel and I benefitted now.

  “I don’t think we should have trusted the Cloud Kisser to cook the main meal,” Gareth said. He seemed hellbent on criticizing every aspect of the evening from the cutlery to the food preparation to the length of the flames emanating from the fireplace. He’d always been a perfectionist, even in his former undead life, but he seemed to have taken extra OCD tablets today.

  “Stop fretting,” I said. “It’s a dinner with friends that we haven’t seen in a long time. They’re not here to rate the position of our cutlery.”

  He gave me a skeptical look. “You and I clearly attend different types of dinner parties.”

  I adjusted the folds of one of the cloth napkins. “I didn’t really attend any dinner parties back in my old life. That would have required having more friends.” When I worked in Lemon Grove, Pennsylvania, I was too busy trying to make ends meet to worry about my social calendar. Although I’d been a lawyer, it wasn’t the fancy corporate kind with a fat paycheck. I’d rented an apartment and generally kept to myself. Only through my therapy sessions with Dr. Hall did I come to realize that I’d worked hard to keep people at arm’s length because I was afraid of losing them. Some people put up walls through aggressive or undesirable behavior. I had put up walls by hiding and not making any effort. Of course, all that changed when I got lost on a drive in the Poconos and found myself in Spellbound.

  The wind chimes announced our guests’ arrival. Gareth’s form dissipated and I knew he was hoping to beat me to the door. It was a little unfair, really. It was almost impossible to compete with someone who could move through walls. By the time I arrived in the foyer, two of the sisters were standing in the house.

  “Welcome back, ladies. I’m so happy to see you.” I kissed them each on a cheek and was startled to see how fully human they looked now. Not only were they fully stocked with the right number of eyes and teeth, but their white hair was beautifully styled in identical French twists and they wore matching dresses that flattered their figures. Effie’s print was a mix of blues and greens and Petra’s was a blend of reds and oranges.

  “Where’s Lyra?” I asked.

  The sisters exchanged coquettish looks. “Heard the news you have not,” Petra said. “Stayed in Milan she did.”

  If Gareth had a working heart, I would’ve feared a stroke. He clutched his chest and stumbled backward like a cowboy wounded in a gunfight.

  “Wow. That’s quite a surprise,” I said. “She fell in love with the city, I guess?”

  “Not only the city,” Effie said. “Met someone she did. Our trip lasted longer than intended. We did not want to leave her until she was sure.”

  “That’s wonderful,” I said. “You’ll have to tell me more about it in the dining room. Daniel should be out with the appetizers any second now.”

  “You’re the hostess. Offer them a drink now,” Gareth hissed.

  “How about a drink, ladies?” I asked. “A nice glass of Goddess Bounty? I have a bottle ready.” An extra-large bottle.

  “A tequila sunrise instead?” Effie asked. “Had one in Mexico. Life changing it was.”

  Her shorter sister looked at her askance. “Not the drink that was life changing.”

  “Bartender it was,” Effie agreed dreamily.

  I smiled as we entered the dining room and took our seats at the table. It certainly sounded like the sisters had enjoyed the trip of a lifetime.

  “Meet this precious child, may we?” Petra asked.

  “She’s asleep right now, but she should be waking up within the hour,” I said. I cut a quick glance at Gareth. “Would you mind checking on her?”

  Gareth disappeared without a word. He would check on Diana every five minutes if I let him. I couldn’t decide whether the main attraction in the nursery was the disco ball above the crib or the baby herself. I caught him once dancing around the crib and humming under his breath. It was, quite honestly, the most human I had ever seen the vampire ghost behave. I didn’t think I could love him more until that moment.

  Daniel appeared in the doorway, his arms laden with platters of food. “Welcome back to our little corner of the world,” he said. “It’s great to see you…both?”

  “Lyra stayed in Milan,” I said. “She met someone special, apparently.”

  He set the platters on the table and kissed my head. “Good for her. Everyone should be as lucky as we are.”

  “Incredible you look,” Effie said. “A baby you’ve had and yet no traces I see.”

  Heat warmed my cheeks. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” I said.

  Daniel took the seat at the opposite end of the table. “And a near death experience too. Our Emma is like the Terminator. She just comes back stronger than ever.”

  I smiled at him. “I want to high-five you for the human world reference and then smack you for comparing me to a murdering metal machine.”

  He grinned back at me. “Why not both?”

  “Honestly, I was going to say the same to you,” I told the sisters. “You’ve never looked better.”

  “Happy we are,” Petra said.

  The sisters began nibbling the appetizers. Daniel had prepared zazzle-infused hummus with pita chips and baby burritos stuffed with herbs and spices from the Wish Market. I’d worried that he was attempting to punch above his weight, but I had to admit that the food looked delicious.

  “So what was your favorite place in the whole world?” I asked.

  “A small town in New Zealand for me,” Petra said.

  “Gladly in Africa I would have stayed,” Effie said. “Blessed the rains down in Africa, I did.”

  “Which part?” Daniel asked. “Africa has always seemed so big and diverse.”

  “Please say Wakanda,” I said.

  Daniel offered an indulgent smile. “Emma, you know Wakanda isn’t real.”

  “I would’ve said Spellbound wasn’t real either, yet here I am.” I splayed my hands. “I’m willing to keep the faith.”

  “Tanzania. Kenya. Botswana.” Effie’s expression seemed to suggest that she’d mentally transported herself there.

  “Not much has changed here since we broke the curse,” I said.

  Daniel erupted into laughter. “Nothing has changed here? We’ve had a baby. Lady Weatherby has been released from prison
and wants to move away with Agnes. Your biological father has emerged from a supernatural coma and the new head of the coven is a dictator in a tiny pink package.”

  The sisters focused on me. “Amazing it is,” Petra said.

  It was even more amazing that they hadn’t heard any of the news yet. Spellbound was a hotbed of gossip. “My father is a demigod called Calix.”

  “Calix?” they repeated in unison.

  “Yes. Do you know him?” I asked.

  “Know of him we do,” Effie said. “Demigod. Son of Nyx.”

  “That’s right,” I said. “He’s here in Spellbound. He tracked me down and wants to get to know us.” I inclined my head toward Daniel.

  The sisters were silent for a moment. I wasn’t the only one to notice.

  “Is there a problem?” Daniel asked.

  They seemed hesitant to speak. Finally, Effie said, “A reputation he has.”

  “I’m sure. You don’t live as long as he has without upsetting a few people.” I knew Calix wasn’t exactly a role model thanks to his past exploits as a demigod, but he seemed to be on the right path now—or at least he seemed to want to be and that was half the battle.

  “Darkness in him there is,” Petra said. She crunched on a pita chip. “Be careful you will.”

  “There’s darkness in all of us.” I brushed off their warning. I wanted to accept my father at face value. So far, he’d done nothing to make me suspicious of his presence. I couldn’t hold his past against him. It wasn’t fair.

  “Villages laid to waste,” Effie said. “Destruction in his wake.” She licked the dip from the rim of her chip.

  Gareth drifted into the room, holding a wide-awake Diana. Her turquoise eyes brightened at the sight of our two guests.

  “There’s our girl, suspended in midair like the angel baby she is,” Daniel said.

  “Thanks to me, the resident vampire,” Gareth said, surly as ever.

  “Thanks for bringing her down.” Daniel crossed the room to gather the baby in his arms and returned to the table with her. It was one of the things I loved about Daniel, whenever something new and unexpected happened, he rolled with it. Vampire ghost nanny that he couldn’t see or hear? No problem. For someone with his own complicated past, he never ceased to amaze me with his generous and sensible nature.

  “Where are the drinks?” Gareth raged. Diana’s face crumpled in response to his tone.

  “Not so sharp, please,” I said calmly. I smiled and caught Diana’s eye, causing her to immediately perk up again.

  “Precious child,” Effie said. She shifted her chair closer to Daniel to admire the baby. “Her father’s eyes she has.”

  “And lots of skills,” I said. “She is definitely not going to be an ordinary child.” I noticed Diana’s curious fingers moving toward the cutlery. Before I could react, Gareth swooped in and quickly pushed it out of reach. Her little fingers tapped on the plate, enjoying the sound that she made.

  “Thanks, Gareth,” I said.

  “While you’re all preoccupied making googly eyes at the baby, I suppose a proper host is needed,” Gareth huffed and retreated to the kitchen.

  “One tequila sunrise,” I called after him.

  “Make that two,” Petra said.

  The wind chimes sounded and Diana said, “Uh oh.”

  “Did you drop something?” I asked. That was the sound she normally made when she tossed one of her toys out of the crib. Although the act always seemed deliberate, she had a way of making it sound accidental.

  “I’ll get the door,” Daniel said.

  “That’s okay. I’m closer.”

  The moment I stood, Diana held out her arms. I couldn’t resist the silent plea and scooped her up before hurrying to the door. Three worried faces stared back at me from the front porch—Sheriff Astrid, her sister Deputy Britta, and Paisley, Britta’s girlfriend.

  “Did something happen?” I asked, alarmed. Normally they only showed up on my doorstep unannounced when a crime had been committed.

  “It’s not what you think,” Britta said. “Paisley and I did a thing.”

  “A stupid thing,” Paisley added. “For which we are very, very sorry.”

  “Ooh, baby!” Britta held out her arms. “Can I hold her?”

  I stepped back to make room for them to enter the foyer. “I’m sure the three of you didn’t come all the way out here just to ask to hold the baby.” I placed Diana in Britta’s arms and the Valkyrie immediately began to bounce her.

  “I wish it was a social call,” Paisley said.

  I noticed that Astrid hadn’t said anything yet. “Are you okay?” The Valkyrie opened her mouth to respond and sneezed instead. “Oh, gesundheit.” I patted my pockets for a tissue but didn’t have one to offer.

  Sheriff Astrid waved me off and tugged a tissue from her own pocket. At least she was prepared. Some mom I was. I was pretty sure it was a requirement of mothers everywhere to have a tissue handy at all times. And Band-Aids. And snacks. Hmm. I needed a bigger bag.

  “She looks so happy,” Britta said, her gaze fixed on the baby. “We really need to come here and practice more.”

  “Are you still thinking about adoption?” I asked.

  Paisley gave her girlfriend a stern look. “We are, but that’s not why we’re here. Britta, you need to focus.”

  Britta smiled at Diana. “I am focusing. Look at those eyes. She’s like one of those dinosaurs that mesmerizes you and then spits poison in your face to paralyze you. Adorable.”

  Diana giggled, seemingly finding the comparison funny.

  Paisley heaved a sigh. “We’re not here to see the baby, although she is beautiful. We did something to Astrid.” She cast a guilty look in the sheriff’s direction. “We want to see if you can help us undo it.”

  “What’s the problem?” I asked. The sheriff opened her mouth again and sneezed. “Did you give her a cold? Because you can’t control those things. Germs spread whether you want them to or not.”

  “It’s not a cold,” Paisley said. “It’s magic. I did it and I messed it up. I don’t want the coven to know because you know how Limpet is. She’ll totally penalize me.”

  I nodded. The High Priestess had exacting standards and didn’t suffer fools gladly. “What’s the spell that you intended to do?”

  Paisley pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to me. “We were trying to help Astrid loosen up, so that she would focus more on developing a social life and less on work.” She gave Britta an adoring look. “We’re so happy together and we hate seeing Astrid alone all the time.”

  I wasn’t aware that Astrid was unhappy with her current status. As far as I could tell, she was perfectly content. It seemed that Britta and Paisley were projecting their own insecurities onto the unsuspecting Valkyrie.

  “And the spell went awry and now she sneezes whenever she tries to talk?” I asked.

  Sheriff Astrid responded with a nod.

  “I know you have lots of experience with screwing up spells,” Paisley said. “I’m hoping you can help us and keep it quiet.” She put a finger to her lips.

  “Even with Astrid unable to talk, she’s not going to be able to keep this quiet,” I said. “The residents will expect the sheriff to be able to speak. How is she going to do her job?”

  “Thankfully, that’s not too much of an issue right now,” Paisley said. “And it was kind of the point. To get her to focus on something other than work, especially when it’s not busy.”

  I laughed. “But now she’s going to be fixated on the fact that she can’t talk. That’s hardly conducive to developing a social life.”

  Paisley frowned. “Did you miss the part where I said we messed it up?”

  Britta snuggled Diana against her chest. “I’m sorry, did you say we messed it up? Because there’s only one witch in this foyer and it isn’t me.”

  Paisley glowered at her. “I was only trying to help because you wouldn’t stop complaining about it.”

&nbs
p; Daniel emerged from the dining room with a concerned look on his face. “I didn’t realize we’d invited more guests. Should I set three more places?”

  “No, it’s totally cool,” Britta said. “We were stopping by to take a bite of this little nugget.” She pinched Diana’s cheek and then pretended to gnaw on it, making Diana laugh with delight.

  “Are you sure?” Daniel asked. “I bet I made too much food. I always do.”

  I knew that was a complete lie, but I kept quiet. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be back in just a sec.”

  “Is everything okay?” he asked. “Nobody’s found a dead body or anything, have they?” He laughed awkwardly.

  As I opened my mouth to respond, another face appeared in the doorway. “There you are, Sheriff. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You need to come quick. I found a dead body in Whispering Woods.”

  I shot Daniel an accusatory look. “You jinxed it.”

  Sheriff Astrid gave me a pleading look and inclined her head toward her sister. Ugh. I knew what she wanted and I didn’t have the heart to say no. If the sheriff needed my help, then I was going to give it to her, no matter how delicious the baby burritos looked.

  Britta passed Diana to Daniel. “Go ahead back to your champagne and caviar. The dinner party isn’t over,” she said.

  With a reluctant sigh, I turned toward the door. “For me it is.”

  Chapter Three

  “How did you find us at Emma’s house?” Britta asked. Britta, Astrid and I trudged behind Jeremiah, the young werewolf that had tracked down the sheriff. Paisley had wisely opted to take my place at dinner, which made me feel slightly better about accompanying the sheriff. I hated to miss out on the delicious food that Daniel had made and the Grey sisters’ company, but duty called in the form of a dead body in the woods.

  Jeremiah pointed to his nose. “Werewolf, remember? I think the dead body might be one of us, but it was hard to tell. I thought coming to find you would be better than figuring it out myself.”