Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1)

by Amanda Booloodian

  "If Ms. Messic hates supernaturals," Gabriel broke in, "she could be someone to keep an eye on."

  "Oh, she hates humans, too," Mira said. "She lives near the werewolves since the area isn't highly populated and shifters mostly keep to themselves."

  "My information says that she knows several of our victims," Ian said.

  "She terrorizes indiscriminately," Mira said.

  "Well," Ian said, "at least we can get her interview out of the way. Anything else you can tell us about her?"

  "Not really," Mira said. "I've only met her a few times and wasn't in a hurry to meet her again. Why is she on the list?"

  "Uh, it was just a connection. Anyway," Ian rushed to change the subject, "I thought we could stop by and check on Noah while we're there."

  "Did you call him first?" Mira asked, turning her attention to her book.

  "I figured we'd just drop by," Ian said.

  Mira paged through the text. "Never a good idea with a werewolf."

  "Why's that?" Ian asked.

  "Noah will want to let you all in, in case you're there about Helen," Mira said. "If he has to shift to see you, you'd just make him cranky since you have no new information. Do you know what a cranky werewolf is like?"

  "I guess I have an idea," Ian said, sounding somber. "At least after what happened at the conclave. But if there was a full moon at the last conclave, there can't be one now—unless some serious magical shit has screwed something up."

  Mira rolled her eyes. "The phase of the moon has nothing to do with it. We've just passed a full moon."

  "Where did the myth of the full moon come from?" Gabriel asked.

  "I'm not sure, but it's good for them. In their wolf form, they only have to worry about being mistaken as a werewolf a few nights a month. Any other time and, like you, no one would consider them werewolves since they’d see the wolf when it wasn’t a full moon."

  "So either the werewolves made it up to keep themselves safe, or humans made it up to make themselves feel safe," Gabriel mused. "Interesting. Nothing is what I expect."

  "Much like a cursing angel." Mira grinned and caught Gabriel's eye in the rear-view mirror.

  It looked like he struggled not to smile himself.

  Gabriel and Ian discussed their interviews for the day while Mira slumped down in the seat to read the rest of the protocols. She silently berated herself for not finishing the book last night. Had she realized she'd be facing Mary today, she'd have finished her homework.

  Maybe visiting her family would have been better.

  Imagining her sister or mother’s frustrations about not being able to speak openly to Mira, made her second guess that idea. It was possible they'd break all protocols, but if her mother did that, it would only mean that she'd harp on Mira about getting into trouble again.

  For some reason, the idea made Mira smile sadly to herself. She'd like to think her mother would still talk with her.

  Her father would say a few words of encouragement and then go on following the rules, saying they'd talk further when it was over. Robin might try to do something similar, but it would all depend on who else might be around.

  Mira conceded that it would hurt too much to visit her family. She'd been given permission to visit Tyler, but since he wasn't conscious, it wasn't very helpful.

  At least she still had Della. Thinking of her friend, Mira tugged out her cell phone and texted her.

  How was your date?

  She set her phone aside and continued to read, knowing Della would be too busy to respond right away.

  Nothing about the book got any better, but luckily she had almost made it through by the time they arrived at Mary's house.

  The red brick house had a few steps up to a stark and small porch. Not wanting to be the one to knock, Mira hung back. Gabriel took her meaning and rang the bell.

  There was a screech as though a cat had been stepped on.

  Gabriel gave his partner a surreptitious look that was returned. They waited a minute before Gabriel tried again. This time a chime came from the house as expected.

  "Was that really a cat?" Ian asked under his breath.

  The door snapped open and an older woman, maybe still in her sixties, stood there expectantly, dressed in a severe suit.

  Gabriel and Ian introduced themselves. As they spoke, Mary gave them an up and down look that might even have mirrored Mira's own when first meeting the detectives.

  The detectives had that effect on many women, and despite all of Mary's cantankerous ways, she was still a woman.

  When Mary spotted Mira, the situation went to hell.

  Chapter 8

  Mary screwed up her face ready for a fight. "How dare you bring her to my house? I won't have it!"

  Mira unconsciously took a step back, but when she noticed what she’d done, she refused to take another.

  "Ms. Owens is helping us on this investigation," Gabriel said.

  "She'll contaminate my house!"

  A flash of agitation passed quickly by Gabriel's face. "We'd be happy to ask our questions out here."

  "Not with her!" Mary's voice was like a screech now. "Go away and don't come back." She slammed the door shut.

  Feeling dejected, Mira went back to the car. Gabriel and Ian were a little more resolute and knocked on the door again.

  Mira could hear Mary yell, "I know my rights!" before Mira shut the car door, blocking out the noise.

  She could see Gabriel and Ian still talking through the door, but she didn't want to watch them, so she opened her book and pretended to read. Her eyes burned with unshed tears her humiliation caused. If that happened every time, Mira didn't think she could continue.

  Would the witches talk to the detectives without her around?

  Mira had her notebook in hand before she realized it. When she first joined the case, she’d used Fortitude to help her through. Would that be enough this time?

  Bliss.

  A sigh of longing came out before Mira got her mind back on track.

  No more Bliss. Not ever.

  Maybe with a boost, Fortitude would be enough. Mira thought the spell through and jotted down a few notes. A few minutes later, Gabriel slid into the front seat and turned to Mira.

  He watched her silently, possibly to take in her mood. Mira didn't look up, keeping her face fixed on her notebook.

  "You okay?" he asked.

  Mira tapped the notebook with the back of her pen, still not looking up. "I'm fine."

  "Why do you bother lying?"

  "Why do you ask questions you know I'm going to lie about?" It was said as a simple statement, lacking any malice.

  "I guess I was hoping you weren't upset." He waved at Ian, who quickly walked back the car.

  "Mary's a mean hag of a woman," Mira said as Ian got into the car. "She would have found something to yell about."

  "I don't doubt that," Ian said. "I hope none of the others are like that."

  Mira wanted to say that they wouldn't be that bad, but now she wasn't confident. Would they treat her that badly now that she'd been ostracized?

  "She was the only person on the list that lives on this side of the city, the person is near Barney’s apartment. His name is Levi Jaeger," Ian said, reading from his list.

  "I don't know any witches by that name," Mira said absently, once again tapping the back of her pen in the notebook.

  "He's not a witch," Ian said. "At least no one has said he is. I couldn't get much information on him, but Lance said that he knew most of the victims—one of the very few I've found that knew Dennis Simmons."

  Mira's hand stopped twitching. "Does he know what's going on or who I am?"

  "I wondered about that," Ian said. "If he didn't know we'd get nothing out of him, even with you there, so I asked Lance to let him know we were coming and make sure he knew what was happening in the community."

  "You really seem to be getting the hang of this," Gabriel asked.

  "I'm not supernatural, so I don't think th
ey'd forgive a misstep easily," Ian said. "You two wouldn't have to deal with that."

  "Gabriel would," Mira said.

  "I figured that after so many people had been involved in the... incident, that your secret would be out," Ian said.

  "Is it?" Gabriel asked, looking back at Mira through the mirror.

  "Mr. Singer and Emmit are the only ones that know," Mira said. "Unless you two have heard something."

  "But there were so many people there," Ian said.

  "It's not like he came out of the Ether with wings," Mira said. "Barney and the witches didn't notice him."

  "We weren't the only ones over there," Gabriel reminded her.

  "Tyler's still not awake," Mira said, "and he wouldn't say anything even if he was. Kevin is old enough to understand that he can't tell anyone, and Andrea calls you her guardian angel. Even when she talks about your wings and sword they'll assume she's exaggerating due to trauma."

  Gabriel glanced at Ian.

  "I didn't say anything," Ian said. "I can't say anything to anyone, remember?"

  It was the first time he hadn’t been agitated about the subject of Mira binding him. Maybe he was coming around.

  "You can talk to other supernaturals," Mira said.

  "You're always with me when I do," Ian said.

  "What about Della?" Mira asked.

  "I didn't think about Della," Ian said. "Gabe isn't exactly on my mind when I'm with her."

  Gabriel grinned.

  "I wouldn't say anything, anyway," Ian said. "Not unless they already know, which only amounts to Mira and Emmit. Your secret is safe with me."

  "I wasn't too worried about it," Gabriel said. "It does keep us on equal footing with the supernaturals."

  "True," Ian said, sounding relieved that Gabriel would also have a hard time with other supernaturals. Mira had a feeling that Ian was worried about being an outsider.

  "Is it possible Lance knows?" Gabriel asked.

  "No idea," Mira said. "No one knows a lot about what vampires are capable of. He could have a knack for sensing supernaturals."

  Mira turned back to her spell and reviewed the augmentations she’d written. This type of spell was something that she'd usually work through with Tyler; she knew what she had here was the beginning of something, but it was nowhere close to being finished.

  When it was finished, she'd be able to handle anything.

  She blinked at the paper, her mind frozen on the last thought. Then she ripped out the page and tore it to pieces. No one would have been able to read her codes anyway, but she still felt better with the idea obliterated.

  "What's up?" Ian asked, turning in his seat.

  "Notes for a spell," Mira said. "They were a mistake." She stowed the small pieces of paper in her purse and looked out the window. She missed seeing much of the world go by, since they were almost at their destination.

  Mira had always hated the word ‘projects’ or Section 8. It was better than what some people called the area, but she preferred to simply say low-income housing. As a duplex, however, Levi's house was a step up from Barney's apartment building.

  It didn't help that, at the moment, Mira had zero income and wouldn't have even been able to afford an apartment if not for Della and Emmit.

  This time, the detectives let Mira take the lead. The light on the doorbell was exposed to the elements, the button having been badly damaged, so Mira knocked on the door.

  A few moments later, there was a click, and the door opened wide.

  "Hi," Mira said before really taking in the man in front of her. "I'm, uh... Mira and, um." She trailed off, surprised to be facing a gorgeous person, clean cut and well built—not at all what she expected.

  His looks weren't the issue though. Little alarm bells were going off in her head. As much as she wanted to watch Levi—and she could watch a man like that all day—she also wanted to run away. Possibly to hide under the covers.

  "Are you Levi Jaeger?" Ian asked, taking over.

  "I am," Levi said. His voice was as smooth as velvet. If it weren't for the fact that Mira was scared out of her mind, he would have caused her toes to curl even more than Emmit or Gabriel.

  Ian introduced the group quickly before moving on. "Would you mind if we came in and asked you a few questions?"

  Levi seemed to look around the three, making sure they were alone. "Sure." He stepped back from the door and beckoned them into the dark interior of his house.

  Ian started to move forward, but Mira thrust out her arm, blocking his movement. "I, um, I'm not sure we should."

  Even Levi's grin was both gorgeous and sinister. "You would be the witch."

  "Um, yeah," Mira said, arm still out.

  He winked at her. "I have that effect on witches. Come on in. I swear by my name and family I'll do nothing unseemly."

  After a moment, Gabriel nudged her from behind.

  "Okay," Mira said carefully, wishing that she had a few spells ready to use.

  From inside, the room was much brighter than Mira had first thought when she’d looked into the place. She stepped inside, trying to put Gabriel and Ian between herself and Levi, but the living room was too small and she only accomplished jostling the detectives as they took seats in the living room.

  After a few pleasantries, Ian and Gabriel settled into their routine, starting with Dennis. As they spoke, Mira sat rigid, her eyes darting around the room. She chided herself for being this way, but she couldn't seem to settle down. The way Levi leered at her wasn't helping. It made her predicament embarrassing since he seemed to know what she was going through.

  After talking briefly of Dennis, the detectives moved onto the other names on the list.

  "I knew Karen well," Levi said.

  For the first time since seeing him, Mira felt less threatened. Talking about Karen had changed Levi's demeanor drastically.

  The detectives noted the reaction as well.

  "Tell us about your relationship with Karen," Ian said.

  "Her people and ours always got along," Levi said.

  "Your people?" Ian asked

  Mira nudged Ian hard in the side.

  "Right," Ian mumbled. "Sorry."

  Levi appeared amused. "I wouldn't expect that kind of courtesy from a witch. Not to me, at any rate."

  Mira shrugged. "You're one of us."

  Levi chuckled, and Mira blushed.

  "A supernatural, I mean," she corrected. "I didn't mean witch."

  "Thank you," Levi said, looking sincere, although thoroughly amused.

  The ground shook slightly, and Mira caught sight of Levi's TV wobbling.

  "Another quake," Ian said uneasily.

  "A small one, at least," Levi said. "I gave up trying to keep anything on the walls."

  "So," Gabriel cut in, "you got along with Karen?"

  "Yes," Levi said, still watching Mira. "We were friends."

  Feeling uncomfortable, Mira looked around the room while the interview continued. She wasn't sure what the detectives were getting out of the conversation, but she was finding out very little. He didn't seem to know anyone else and wasn’t saying anything useful, at least to her knowledge.

  She felt relieved as the interview wound down.

  "Your place of employment wasn't on file," Ian said as they stood to leave. "Do you mind telling us what you do for a living?"

  "For the past two years, very little," Levi said. "There are too many witches—or people with a high concentration of witch blood in their ancestry—around here."

  "And they'll stop you from working?" Ian asked.

  "Their reactions tend to put employers off," Levi said.

  "Why live in the area, then?" Ian asked.

  The question wiped any trace of amusement off Levi's face, and at first, Mira didn't think he was going to answer. "A close family member needs specialized treatment."

  Mira took a step back when he spoke as the terror rose in her.

  "There are medical specialists here," Levi said tersely.
"If a witch is around she even gets poor treatment in the hospital. I need to look after her and didn't want to leave her alone."

  "I'm sorry to hear that," Ian said.

  Levi rose, signifying the end of the interview. Once Mira's feet realized going away would be amazing, she hurried to the door.

  On the porch, she hesitated. "Before we go, I'd like a minute to talk to Levi." No one looked more surprised by this than the now aggravated Levi. "Alone," Mira added pointedly when neither of the men moved.

  Ian nodded, but Gabriel didn't look convinced. He took a hard look at Levi, before saying, "Just a minute," reluctantly.

  "You're going to ask me about it, aren't you," Levi snapped.

  Mira's heart beat faster and she had to stop herself from backing away. "What? No." She took a steadying breath, causing the cold air to cloud. "I don't know what this is, but you seem like a decent guy."

  "Yeah, right," he ridiculed.

  Anger started to bubble up in Mira, but fear blocked its path. "It doesn't seem to be anything you're doing. I think it’s what you are."

  "Just go," Levi said.

  "If you're interested, I can do something to block that."

  Levi glared but said nothing.

  "It wouldn't change anything about you—it would just make it so witches don't have that reaction. If nothing else, the person in the hospital might get better treatment if I could make her something."

  His eyes tried to bore holes into her.

  "Anyway," Mira said, "I just wanted to offer." She backed down the steps, not turning her back to Levi until she reached the bottom.

  She was a yard away before he called out.

  "Why?"

  Confused, Mira turned. When she laid eyes on Levi, the need to run was fully renewed. "What do you mean?"

  "Why would a witch help me?"

  "Because no one deserves to be treated this way," she said, motioning toward him. "At least not for a good reason."

  "How do you know there's not one?"

  "You haven't done anything to me that would cause me to feel like this. It's what you are, or maybe what I am, that's doing this. That shouldn't mean you have to hide away."

  "You don't know anything about it. Not really."

  "You're right," Mira said, backing away again, feeling slightly better with each step she took away from Levi. "I don't. It was, um, nice to meet you." She hurried back to the car and practically jumped in.