by Sonia Parin
“Me? You’re the one holding my hand.”
“Let go.”
“You let go.”
Lexie sighed. “On the count of three.” It took several goes for them to release their hold. She turned to the detective. “So, what is your name?”
“You were spot on. Indiana O’Rourke.”
Minus the whip. Lexie slid her hand inside her pocket. It still felt warm… and tingly.
Luna flicked her tail against Lexie’s cheek. “I think you’ve been charmed.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The way you’ve been acting with Jonathan is beyond strange. It’s just not you so there can only be one explanation.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“What’s ridiculous?” Indiana O’Rourke asked.
“Nothing… I was having a conversation with my feline companion and she tends to… overdramatize.” Lexie slanted her gaze toward Jonathan. Reluctantly, she agreed Luna might have a point. Her behavior had been odd. “What do you think happened to those women? More to the point, what happened to their partners? This sounds like one case of infidelity too many.”
The detective brushed his hand across his chin. “The men seemed to snap out of it and they couldn’t figure out what they’d been doing. Nor could the women with them. One even went so far as to say he wasn’t even her type.”
“You said all these incidents are contained within the Village,” Lexie said. “Did they also all take place inside a café?”
The detective nodded. “And a couple of bars, including this one. Maybe someone spiked the drinks.”
Lexie stole another glance Jonathan’s way and caught him doing the same.
“Have you noticed any unusual types in your establishment?” Indiana asked.
Jonathan shifted and nudged his head toward Dawn who continued to serve customers. “Dawn is… new here.”
“And she’s unusually cheerful,” Luna remarked. “Tell him I said so.”
“My feline companion says—”
“Yes, I heard her this time.”
An O’Rourke trait, although they could usually only hear Lexie’s thoughts.
The detective studied Dawn for a few minutes. “Yes, I can see she’s unusually cheerful. She must be from out of town.”
Or maybe, from the other side of a certain door, Lexie thought.
“Which door is that?” Indiana asked, clearly having no difficulty picking up on Lexie’s thoughts.
Jonathan grumbled under his breath and explained about the door.
When Indiana said he needed to have a chat with Dawn, Lexie and Jonathan followed him at a discreet distance.
“I’d be happy to have a chat with you,” they heard Dawn say before she offered the detective a coffee.
“No coffee,” both Lexie and Jonathan said.
“If he won’t have any, I’ll have some,” Luna piped in.
Lexie wagged a warning finger at Luna before turning to Jonathan. “Why did you warn him off the coffee?”
“Why did you?”
A hunch, Lexie thought. “Do you think Dawn put something in the coffee?”
“It would explain your odd behavior,” Luna said.
As well as Luna’s, although she was no longer clinging to Jonathan.
“Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” the detective asked.
Jonathan led them through to his office where Indiana questioned Dawn about her whereabouts during the last twenty-four hours. She listed all the places she’d worked at which happened to coincide with the assaults reported. This prompted Indiana to use his O’Rourke compelling voice on Dawn. That yielded nothing but a look of confusion from Dawn. She knew nothing about magical spells and potions. A dead-end.
“Am I free to go?” Dawn asked.
Indiana nodded. Turning to Jonathan, he asked about the door again.
“Come on. I’ll show you.” Jonathan led the way and they all trekked down to the cellar with Luna bringing up the rear. “I might have nine lives, but I don’t see why I should waste any of them.”
Indiana placed the palm of his hand against the door. “I haven’t seen one of these in years. How long’s it been here?”
“Early 1700s,” Jonathan said. “It was put here by Garland O’Connor.” In answer to Lexie’s puzzled expression, Jonathan said, “Garland used to wear a garland of garlic around his neck.” He shrugged. “The name stuck.”
“Hang on… Other doors?” Lexie asked.
Indiana stepped back and crossed his arms. “It was a type of house arrest. The door is charmed to keep certain individuals locked within their realm.” He looked over his shoulder at Jonathan. “Have you reinforced the charm?”
Jonathan nodded. “I whispered it right before I acknowledged the Crone. She said the footprints led her to the door. There’s no point in opening it now to examine them. The Crone would have stepped all over them.”
Luna lowered her head and approached the door. Looking over her shoulder at Lexie, she said, “I’m going through.”
“Wait.” Lexie made a grab for Luna but the little scamp moved too quickly for her. “Luna, get back here, right now.”
Jonathan crouched down. “Hypothetically, whatever she can do, you can do. Also, the door is made from earthly elements which you control.”
“Would you care to expand on that and give me a detailed how to instruction.” Even as Lexie spoke, she closed her eyes and focused on the door. The solid form shimmered. A good sign, Lexie thought. Keeping her eyes closed, she pressed the tip of her finger against it and felt it sink into the door.
Jonathan grabbed her elbow. “In case you didn’t see that, your finger went right through it. I’d advice against following it.”
So the charm didn’t work on her… “Well, make up your mind. A moment ago, you appeared to be encouraging me to follow Luna.”
“She hasn’t come back yet.”
Squaring her shoulders, Lexie took a step forward. This time, she kept her eyes open and saw the solid surface shimmering. Before she could take that final step, Luna reappeared. Lexie scooped her up into her arms. “Don’t ever do that again, you hear me?”
Luna gave her a wide-eyed kitty grin. “Are you scolding me?”
“Mackenzie Coven rule number one. Do not lose your cat. I swear if I lose you, I’m going to find you, skin you alive and use you as a muff. What did you see?”
“Jonathan’s right. The Crone stepped over most of the footprints but I picked up something. We’re looking for someone small. Very small. Tiny. Can you set me down, please? I need to scratch my ear. I hope I didn’t pick up a bug there.”
Something had come through the door, possibly when Jonathan had been oiling it. Lexie lifted her hand to push back her hair only to find her fingers had intertwined with Jonathan’s. Again? She shook her hand free and took a couple of steps away from him for good measure.
“Apart from the Crone, what other beings dwell inside there?” Lexie asked.
Jonathan shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.” He brushed his hand across his chin. “If the tales inscribed in the Chronicles are to be believed, all manner of magical creatures dwell within there.”
Luna stopped scratching and looked up. “Fairies are small.” She rolled around the floor and let out a loud screech. They all looked at her as she performed acrobatics as she tried to get to that hard to reach spot behind her head.
“It could be a pixie,” Indiana suggested. “They’re full of mischief.”
Luna meowed. “I hope one didn’t hitch a ride with me.”
Jonathan groaned. “More swift than lighting can I fly.”
“What’s that?” Lexie asked. “It sounds familiar.”
“The mad merry pranks of Robin Good-fellow.” Jonathan looked heavenwards. “Oh, please don’t let it be Puck.”
Indiana studied the door. “It would make sense.”
Lexie huffed out a breath. “To you both, but not to me.”
&n
bsp; “Whatever came through that door stole magic from the Crone. That’s a serious crime and few if any cross that line, especially with someone like the Crone,” Jonathan said, “I’m thinking it would be impossible to break into the Crone’s cottage so the theft of magic had to be an inside job. The Crone most likely employs the services of pixies to do the housework. If it’s a pixie, the Crone might have annoyed him. Sprites like Puck are great around the house. They’ll do anything you ask of them, but if you cross them, watch out…”
Indiana nodded. “This time of year, the Crone would be busy with love potions. She must have really annoyed Puck for him to steal some.”
“And use it,” Jonathan groaned again. “He’s probably been going around the Village sprinkling the stolen love potion into people’s drinks.”
Luna and Lexie looked at each other and shrugged. “You’ve sort of lost us both.”
“When provoked, Puck can be a mischievous little monkey.” Jonathan swung away from the door. “And I let him lose out there. If word gets out, I’m going to be the one standing on the other side of that door.”
Before she knew what she was doing, Lexie put her arms around Jonathan and reassured him. “Luna and I will hunt him down for you.”
Behind them, Indiana cleared his throat. “You seem to forget I’m the detective in charge of this investigation.”
Lexie leaned her head on Jonathan’s shoulder. “Fine. You lead, we’ll follow. Where do you suggest we start looking?”
Luna cleared her throat. “I think we can assume Puck has been at O’Connor’s. We can also assume he spiked your coffee with some stolen love potion.”
“What are you talking about?” Lexie asked even as she released Jonathan and jumped back.
“Yep. How else would you justify your behavior?” Luna sat back and preened herself. “I only had a few licks of coffee, so I’ve snapped out of it. Also, Jonathan gives lovely scratches behind the ear but, let’s face it, if I’m going to fall for someone he’d need an extra pair of legs.”
“But Dawn has been cleared and she’s the only one who came near the coffee,” Lexie reasoned. “Besides, she’s not tiny enough to have left the small footprints you said you saw.”
“She could be Puck in disguise or maybe she’s an incredible shrinking woman,” Luna said.
“No,” Lexie insisted. “You said you didn’t sense anything magical about her.” They both turned to Indiana O’Rourke. “Well? Do you have any theories?”
“I doubt Dawn is directly responsible, but she is somehow connected.”
“Where is Dawn?” Lexie asked.
They all hurried back out to the bar.
Chapter Five
“I don’t see her anywhere.” In the time they’d been downstairs, the pub had filled up with more customers who’d no doubt heard about the commotion. Lexie searched the crowd for a mop of bright as sunshine blonde hair. “She’s not here.”
Rory, an O’Connor’s waitress, offered Lexie a cup of coffee.
“Thanks, I might need it.” If they didn’t find Dawn soon, who knew what damage she might end up causing… assuming she had something to do with spiking people’s drinks. Lexie sat down and drank her coffee in a couple of gulps. “We might have to spread out. She could be in any one of a dozen cafés in the area,” she told Luna who sat staring at her. “What?”
“You’re drinking coffee again. Shouldn’t you abstain?”
“Rory made it.”
Luna gave the waitress a slanted eye look. “What do we really know about her?”
Indiana joined them. “I’ve put out an APB.” He looked down at her coffee. “Should your cat be drinking coffee?”
“Luna. I’m going to put a muzzle on you.”
Luna sprung up and leaped onto Jonathan’s arms. “See, it’s the coffee,” she said and rubbed her cheek against Jonathan’s. “It’s making me adore Jonathan.”
“It can’t be. Rory made this one.” Lexie looked for the waitress and beckoned her over. “Did you do anything different today?”
“Such as?” Rory asked.
Indiana used his compelling voice. “Did you add something to the coffee?”
“Me? No.”
Lexie jumped to her feet. “I’m going to have to go through the door. We have to question the Crone and find out exactly what happened. No point in blaming Dawn or Rory or even faeries or pixies for no good reason.”
When Indiana closed his eyes Lexie knew he was in communication with the other O’Rourke detectives.
“There haven’t been any new incidents reported,” he eventually said. “And no one’s caught sight of a woman with bright as sunshine hair.”
“That does it. I’m going through the door.”
“You will not,” Jonathan said.
“Someone has to,” Lexie insisted.
“Not you. You haven’t come into all your powers and that leaves you vulnerable to the Crone.”
“Yes, about that… How did she know my name?”
“The Crone’s been around for eons. She knows more about us than we know about her,” Jonathan said. “I’ve no idea how.”
“Do you know anything at all about her? Why is she behind that door and not out here?”
“She probably did something to risk exposure. The 1700s were volatile, dangerous years. The witch-hunts were still fresh in people’s minds. Most witches went into hiding but some persevered insisting they had a right to practice their craft unimpeded.”
Lexie’s mouth gaped open. “Are you saying she’s been around that long?”
Jonathan nodded.
“Well, I can’t just stand around doing nothing.”
“Another coffee?” Rory offered.
Lexie was about to say yes when it occurred to wonder why she was being offered so much coffee. Lexie frowned at Rory. “There’s something different about you today. Did you do something to your hair?”
Rory smiled. “As a matter of fact, yes. I…” Rory’s smile wavered. “Oh, I forgot what I was about to say.”
Luna sniffed her again. “I still can’t sense any magic in her.”
“The clock’s ticking, Jonathan. We need to find Dawn.” Lexie looked at Rory again and tried to figure out what was different about her.
“She cut her hair,” Luna said. “She used to wear it in a bob. Now it’s a pixie cut. And look, she’s wearing a pretty hairpin.”
“I think we should take preemptive action. No more coffee for anyone,” Lexie suggested and leaned in to admire the hairpin just as a ruckus broke out behind her. Turning, she saw a woman rush toward a man, her fingers clenched into claws, her mouth distorted into a vengeful snarl.
Indiana and Jonathan stepped forward to intercept her, while everyone in the pub ducked for cover. The woman’s target didn’t see her coming, and while Jonathan and Indiana moved fast, they didn’t get to the woman in time to stop her. She managed to jump the man from behind. They both twirled and pirouetted in a macabre dance accompanied by screeches and snarls.
“What are they waiting for? Why aren’t they breaking them up?” Luna asked.
Lexie shook her head. “Boys will be boys. I think they’re enjoying it.”
Finally, Indiana used his compelling voice. The woman reared her head, her eyes wide with shock.
“Come on,” Lexie said and used the opportunity to sneak away.
Luna lowered her head and followed without making a fuss. When they reached the door to Jonathan’s inner sanctum Lexie scooped in big breath.
“You can do it,” Luna said and went through the door. Moments later, she reappeared. “Come on. Grab hold of my tail and follow me.”
Light as air, Lexie thought and imagined going through the door. “Ouch.”
“What? You haven’t moved.”
“I just got a mental splinter.” Lexie inspected her finger but, of course, there was nothing there. “Okay, here goes.” Closing her eyes, she saw herself walking through the door and coming through the other side unha
rmed.
“Well?”
“Hang on. I’m doing another practice run in my head.” She brought to mind an image of Jonathan’s inner sanctum. “Hey, he has a lectern with a massive leather bound tome on it. Remind me to sneak a peek. I want to see what he writes about me.” Her chatter distracted her long enough for her to slip through the door without any hassles. Grinning, she looked around the room.
“He has this medieval look happening. I rather like it,” Luna remarked. “Are you ready for the next door? I’m assuming that’s why you brought us here.”
Yes, she had. But she hadn’t thought it through. Jonathan had been against her talking with the Crone. Trying to come up with a solid objection, Lexie drew a blank.
“Well?”
“This door feels different.” She remembered hearing Jonathan whispering something before he’d acknowledged the Crone. The door had been charmed but it hadn’t stopped Luna from going through it and Lexie had been able to sink her finger into it.
“I suspect it’s only warded against the Crone.”
“Okay. Let’s do this.” Lexie rolled her shoulders, huffed out a breath and focused on the tiny particles that made up the door.
“You over think it,” Luna said.
Lexie knew it would all eventually become second nature but, for the time being, she had to go through the steps, one at a time. When she finally pictured the door shimmering, she stepped through it. “What is this place?”
“A dark forest,” Luna said, her voice lowered to a hushed tone. “I suggest we proceed with caution. The Crone could be lurking anywhere.”
Lexie scooped in a breath and leaned back. “Um… why is the door solid again?”
“No looking back. Live in the moment. Onwards and upwards.” Luna trotted off along a mossy green path.
It took all her willpower to move forward. If Luna could do it, so could she. “It’s daylight on the other side, but in here it feels and looks like the middle of the night.”
“I’m guessing there is perpetual darkness here,” Luna mused. “We should tread with care and follow the path. And don’t touch anything. I’m assuming this realm belongs entirely to the Crone. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of her.”