Spellbooks and Stakings

by Lily Webb

  It was time to ask Nolan what he knew about it.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The shack that served as Nolan’s home was no less depressing the second time around. It still boggled me anyone could live the way he did. I hung back on the street, debating what to do. It wasn’t like I could beat on Nolan’s door and demand he talk to me…

  … Or could I? Desperate times, desperate measures.

  If Nolan really had nothing to hide, he’d answer in a heartbeat and tell me anything he could to convince me he was innocent — and if he avoided me, I’d still have my answer.

  So I marched through the wild tangles of weeds that made up Nolan’s yard to the front door and smashed my fist against it four times. My heart pounding in my chest, I waited for any sort of response, but the inside of the house was as quiet as the street.

  What if Nolan wasn’t home? Raina mentioned he needed frequent treatments at the hospital, so it was possible he was there again — assuming he wasn’t out on the prowl for his next victim anyway.

  I wasn’t ready to give up just yet, so I pushed that dreadful thought out of my head and knocked again, this time so hard it hurt. A few more seconds passed without any noise from inside. I’d just raised my fist to hit one last time when the door flung open, and I found myself face-to-face with a bleary-eyed and agitated Nolan Grimm.

  “What on earth do you think you’re doing?!” he shouted, spittle flying from his mouth and sticking to my face. Charming.

  “So you are home,” I said, wiping myself off with the back of one hand.

  “Miss Clarke, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that this is highly inappropriate behavior,” Nolan said.

  “Well, I didn’t knock last time so I thought I’d give it a try,” I said with a smile.

  Nolan’s face was as red as I’d ever seen it and the one hand that held his cane shook like a leaf on a tree. His frailty alone made me question how realistic it was to think Nolan might’ve had anything to do with either of the murders — the poor man couldn’t even walk on his own, so how could he have killed anyone?

  But if there was anything I’d learned in my time in journalism, it was that looks could be deceiving. Each time I gave a suspect the benefit of the doubt, it took me one step further away from the truth. Until Nolan could prove he was innocent of committing both murders, I couldn’t rule him out.

  “Anyway, I’m sorry, but I didn’t know how else to get a hold of you considering you don’t answer your phone,” I said.

  “As I told you before, there’s a reason I don’t. More than my fair share of unsavory people have been calling lately. People just like you,” Nolan said.

  “Well, if you started taking people’s calls, that might help,” I said. Nolan huffed and tried to close the door in my face, but I stuck my foot inside to stop him.

  “Miss Clarke, I strongly suggest you remove yourself from my property before things escalate any further,” Nolan said, darkness flashing in his eyes.

  There it was, the glint of guilt I’d been looking for all this time. As much as Nolan tried to pretend he was a tired, sick, and helpless old man, it never convinced me. The fact I’d been unable to read his thoughts only made it worse.

  If half of what I’d heard about blood magic was right, it wasn’t inconceivable that Nolan could cast a spell over himself to boost his powers — and maybe even change his appearance.

  “I’m not going anywhere until you answer my questions, Professor Grimm,” I said. He glared at me, his entire body vibrating, but I didn’t back down. I’d come too far for that now.

  “What right do you have to demand I answer anything?” Nolan asked.

  “I don’t have any right, but I think it’s in your best interest to cooperate,” I said. It wasn’t a total lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.

  I couldn’t force him to answer any of my questions — and truthfully I didn’t have any damning evidence anyway — but he didn’t need to know that. Maybe if I pushed him hard enough, he’d give me exactly what I needed.

  “What makes you think that?” he asked. “As far as I’m aware, you don’t work for the law.”

  “You’re right, I don’t, but I’m sure you know I have quite a friendly relationship with the police,” I said. Nolan blanched. For a second, I worried he might whip his wand out and curse me into oblivion right there, but after a few uncomfortable moments passed, he stepped back to open the door.

  Bingo.

  Without waiting, I forced my way inside, and Nolan slammed the door behind me. I couldn’t help feeling like I’d walked into a trap, but what choice did I have? As far as I knew, Nolan was the only one with the information I needed, and the only way to get it out of him was to ask directly and fearlessly. I just hoped it didn’t backfire.

  As I suspected from the unkempt exterior, the inside of Nolan’s house was disgusting. Garbage, dirty clothes, and half-eaten food littered the tiny house, and several pieces of furniture had been knocked over — though I couldn’t tell if it was by accident. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d pushed them over in a fit of rage.

  “I’d offer you a seat, but, well…” Nolan said, gesturing with his free hand at the disaster area that was his living room. Random clutter covered the few pieces of furniture such that even if I’d wanted to sit down — and I most definitely didn’t — I couldn’t.

  “Besides, I don’t imagine you’ll be staying long,” Nolan said as I turned to face him. I hoped not, but it depended entirely on how open he decided to be with me.

  “We’ll see,” I said.

  “What exactly is it you want from me, Miss Clarke?” he asked, leaning on his cane.

  “I want you to tell me what you know about the deaths of Delia Frost and Seth Highmore,” I said. Nolan scoffed and shook his head.

  “I can assure you that you know more about their murders than I do. After all, I’m retired, and it’s your job to know what’s going on in this town, not mine,” Nolan said.

  “I don’t know about that. I’ve heard you were awfully involved in the community during your time at Veilside, especially with the warlocks,” I said.

  “Of course I was involved. I was the Deputy Headmaster, how couldn’t I have been? As I’ve told you before, I enjoy giving back to the community,” he said.

  I hadn’t tried to hit him where it hurt yet, but he was already on the defensive. That didn’t spell good things for his case as far as I was concerned. It was time to take off the gloves.

  “I know your warlocks’ group wasn’t just a friendly get-together, so we can stop pretending it was,” I said.

  Nolan’s upper lip curled.

  “Then what was it, Miss Clarke? Please, educate me,” Nolan said as he stormed past me into the kitchen, which was just as dirty — if not more — than the rest of his home.

  Would he really have gone to such lengths to make himself look ill if he wasn’t? For a flash, I wondered if I’d read him all wrong and made myself look like a complete fool by barging into his house.

  “Well, I was hoping you’d be the one to educate me, actually,” I said, stepping over the clutter to follow him into the kitchen. “I’ve been told your group wasn’t totally above board.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Nolan asked.

  “That you were teaching your warlocks blood magic,” I said. Nolan stared at me blank-faced for a few moments until he burst out laughing.

  “Blood magic? That’s been banned in Moon Grove longer than most of us have been alive,” Nolan said through his laughter. “Oh, I needed a good laugh. Thank you, Miss Clarke.”

  “Somehow I don’t think Delia and Seth find it funny,” I said.

  The smile on Nolan’s face evaporated, and he stared at me so intently I worried he might be trying to read my mind — which was my territory, not his. But if he really was practicing blood magic, there was no telling what he was capable of doing, so I diverted my eyes just to be safe.

  “How dare you?” Nolan ask
ed, his voice barely more than a whisper. “As if it wasn’t bad enough you forced your way into my home, now you stand to accuse me of murdering my favorite student and one of my most respected colleagues? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  Though my face burned, I forced myself not to let it show. I still couldn’t tell whether or not he was being honest with me, and given how angry he was, I was willing to bet he was trying to deflect.

  “Why should I be ashamed of myself for pursuing the truth? You’re the only connection I can find between the two of them,” I said.

  “Then look harder. I don’t know what they’re teaching you kids in journalism school these days, but clearly, it’s not doing the trick. Maybe you should go back for an advanced degree before you decide to accuse people of outrageous things,” Nolan said.

  “Then why did you give Seth a book powered by blood magic?” I asked.

  “Nonsense,” Nolan snapped. “The book I gave Seth was a journal, a status symbol, nothing more.”

  “Wrong. I saw what that book can do with my own eyes. I fed it my own blood, and it came to life,” I said.

  “Then you must’ve gotten your hands on the wrong book,” Nolan said, but it wasn’t convincing in the slightest.

  “Please, I’m not that gullible. There’s no way you couldn’t have known what that book could do,” I said.

  I could practically see the smoke pouring from his ears. He slung clutter from the nearest kitchen chair and groaned as he used his cane to sit.

  “Fine. Did I have suspicions about the book? Yes, but I never had any inkling it was dangerous. If I had, I would never have handed it over to Seth,” he said.

  “Where did you get it? And why didn’t you look it over before you gave it to a troubled student?” I asked.

  “I found it years ago when I was promoted to Deputy Headmaster. It was one of several left in the office by my predecessor, Deputy White after he passed,” Nolan said. “Seth and I had regular meetings in my office. Seth was troubled, as you said, and I thought I could be the role model he needed to help him get back on track,” Nolan said.

  So much for that.

  “He saw the book on the shelf behind my desk in one of our first meetings and was fixated on it. Seeing an opportunity, I promised to give the journal to Seth in exchange for a marked improvement in his grades and overall attitude,” he continued.

  It sounded believable, but I couldn’t accept it.

  “Okay, but you still haven’t told me why you didn’t think to examine it first.”

  “It didn’t seem necessary. The book was blank, a journal never used by Deputy White,” Nolan said.

  We were getting closer to the truth, but I still wasn’t sold. If Nolan Grimm, one of Moon Grove’s best warlocks, didn’t notice anything strange about the black book, how on earth did Seth?

  “And this book has no ties whatsoever to your warlocks’ group?” I asked. Nolan looked like he’d been sucker punched and for the first time, I felt like I had the upper hand.

  “No, nothing,” Nolan said.

  I rummaged in my bag to produce the book and held it up at him.

  “Really? Then why did Seth get a tattoo in the same shape as the symbol on the back of this book?” I asked, pointing at the glyph.

  Nolan stared at me.

  “Seth was always fond of body art. It certainly wasn’t at my direction. I’ve never seen that shape,” Nolan said. I found that hard to believe.

  “Never?”

  “Perhaps during my studies or teachings I’ve come across it, but it’s not anything I remember,” Nolan said. Yeah, right.

  “And your group has no connection to the Black Brotherhood?” I asked. Nolan hesitated and chewed on his lower lip again. “Does it?”

  “Only tangentially,” Nolan said. Though I already knew the answer, I still felt like I needed to sit down before I fell over. Did he know he was cornered? I glanced around the room for potential places to take cover just in case he lashed out at me.

  “What does that mean? Were you trying to re-create the group in your own style?” I asked.

  “Not exactly. The Black Brotherhood existed in another incarnation during my years at Veilside, though it had nothing to do with the original group’s mission,” Nolan said.

  I could only assume he meant the group was no longer interested in terrorizing others for their own gain. Was that why he told me he wished modern warlocks had something similar the last time we talked?

  “Okay. What sort of things did the Brotherhood do in your time?” I asked.

  “We stood together as warlocks for the benefit of our kind,” Nolan said.

  “How?”

  “By advocating for our betterment with the school’s administration, with the Council of Moon Grove, and by supporting each other whenever necessary,” Nolan said. That didn’t sound so bad, but a vampire-witch and warlock were now dead, so apparently, it wasn’t the whole story.

  “I take it you were a member?” I asked.

  “Yes and no,” Nolan said. “Membership was informal, as it is today.”

  “Today? So you’re confirming it exists presently?” I asked. Nolan looked like he wanted to kick himself for letting that piece of info slip. I didn’t blame him.

  “Yes,” Nolan said. It seemed like everyone had secrets in this town.

  “Okay, I’m only going to ask you this one more time: did you start your warlocks’ group with the intention of using it to revive the Black Brotherhood?” I asked.

  Nolan stared down at his hand massaging his cane so hard his knuckles turned white. I tensed, ready to run at the first sign, but Nolan sighed.

  “Yes,” he said. The air seeped out of my lungs.

  “And you did it because of the recent collusion between the witches and vampires, didn’t you?” I asked, trying my best not to give up the ground I’d gained.

  “Along with all the other vampires in town, you hated Delia for who and what she was — and the witches at large for perceived slights against warlocks — so you tried to create a resistance group right under their noses. But they caught you and shut you down, which only made you angrier, didn’t it?” I asked.

  “That’s not true, far from it,” Nolan said. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for Delia Frost, just like the rest of my colleagues at Veilside. I never intended to hurt anyone or anything, I only wanted to give the young warlocks at Veilside a chance to feel like they belonged, unlike the way I felt as a student.”

  “That sounds noble and all, but I’m not buying it,” I said. “There were any other number of things you could do to make them feel at home. If you didn’t have anything to hide, why go behind Raina’s back to make the group?”

  “To make sure my warlocks knew I was on their side, not the administration’s,” Nolan said. “After Headmistress Woods decided not to approve the creation of the group, I was devastated. I feared it would be a death knell to the warlocks’ morale. We’ve already lost so much ground, I couldn’t let it continue. We had to take a stand.”

  “And so you taught them magic they would never learn at Veilside in case it came to a fight, right?” I asked.

  “Wrong. While it’s true I educated the students about forms of magic not formally taught at the school, I never once exposed them to anything other than Moon Grove’s own history, and I only did so to make sure their education was well-rounded and complete,” Nolan said. I didn’t believe it, but I couldn’t prove or disprove it, so I had to accept Nolan’s word.

  “Do you have any idea why would Seth write about and draw pictures of stakes and how to murder vampires in the book you gave him?” I asked.

  Nolan’s face turned as white as sheets.

  “What? No,” he said, aghast. “Maybe Seth found the original group and felt more in line with their goals.”

  “Which were?”

  “To make sure warlocks ruled Moon Grove over everyone else — witches, vampires, werewolves, it didn’t matter,” Nolan said. That would
explain his vitriol toward Delia and everyone else, and glyph tattooed on his wrist.

  “Is that why I found a sharp, bloody piece of glass in your backyard?” I asked.

  “What? Where?” he demanded.

  “Like I said, in your backyard,” I said.

  “So you weren’t chasing your dog after all,” Nolan said, shaking his head.

  “I was, but that wasn’t all I was doing,” I said. “Now’s your chance to tell me the whole truth. What was that piece of glass, and why was it in your yard? You can either tell me, or you can tell the police, your choice.”

  “Fine. I cut myself accidentally. It’s from an old end table I knocked over on accident a few weeks ago when I fell. That’s why I have the cane now. I put all the pieces outside with the garbage,” Nolan said.

  “So you’re telling me that if the police ran forensic tests on this shard of glass, the results would come back as your blood, not someone else’s?” I asked.

  “There’s no chance it would come back as anyone’s but mine,” Nolan said, and for the first time, I believed him. It wasn’t a stretch to think he could have broken furniture on accident given the overall state of his home and his health.

  “Speaking of blood, did you know Seth was found dead in an alley behind The Magic Touch with all his drained?” I asked. Nolan grimaced and nodded.

  “Yes. I was in the hospital for another treatment that night, but I heard first thing in the morning,” Nolan said and my ears perked. It seemed like more than a coincidence he’d be in the hospital on both nights the two murders occurred.

  “So you weren’t anywhere near The Magic Touch the night Seth died?” I asked.

  “No. I was in a bed staying overnight at Willowvale,” Nolan said. “It may take a while, but I’m sure I could find the discharge paperwork somewhere around here if you’d like. I appreciate your tenacity, Miss Clarke, but look at me: do you really believe I can murder anyone?”

  “No,” I said. I had no choice but to admit it, though I felt like the floor had been pulled out from under me. I was convinced — absolutely convinced — Nolan was responsible for the two deaths, but now I wasn’t sure what to think or who to believe.