Playing With Fury

by Annabel Chase

  “I have a coffee date later this afternoon, but I should have enough time now.” He slipped his hands in his pockets in a casual gesture.

  “With Wilfrieda?” Clara asked.

  “Wait. What?” Then I remembered how cozy they seemed at the party.

  “That’s right,” Otto said. “Can’t get anything past a reporter.”

  Oh boy. Did the chief really want his beloved aunt going out with a wizard? That seemed like an unnecessary risk. “You know she’s only in town to visit Chief Fox.”

  “Oh, I know, but it’s so difficult to meet a genuinely nice woman. Why talk myself out of spending time with one, however limited?”

  “You make a compelling case,” I said. Neville could learn a thing or two from Cloud Beard.

  “I don’t suppose you can join us for the tour,” Otto said.

  The thought of listening to business chatter was enough to bring back my hangover headache.

  “Sadly, I need to finish this training exercise,” I lied. “But I’ll read all about it in the newspaper.”

  I left the construction site, feeling oddly protective of Wilfrieda. Even though she was a grown woman, I felt a sense of responsibility toward her. Did the chief even know about the date? Otto was a respectable businessman, but he was still a wizard. It was best for someone like Wilfrieda to steer clear of supernaturals.

  I knew the chief was on patrol this morning because he’d made sure to take off the afternoon for my housewarming party. I flew over town, high enough to avoid telephone poles but low enough to spot his crisp uniform. I located him in an empty parking lot on the waterfront. He appeared to be having an intense conversation with a man in sunglasses and a tailored suit. The man was gesticulating wildly in the direction of the water and the chief was making calming gestures with his hands. Whatever the conversation involved, it wasn’t a friendly one.

  I landed on the edge of the parking lot and strained to listen. Achilles seemed to smell me. The pug raced over and licked the empty air. I crouched down to pet him and lead him safely back to the chief.

  “I’m telling you for the hundredth time,” the man said, shaking with anger. “You need to launch an investigation pronto. Someone stole my Beemer. I left it right here.” He stomped his foot like a petulant child.

  “And I told you that the sign clearly states not to park here during certain hours because of the tide. It’s possible your car was towed.”

  I was impressed by the chief’s calm demeanor. Anyone who used the word ‘pronto’ in my presence was asking for a swift kick to the groin.

  “This is an outrage,” Mr. Beemer said. “You need to find my car. Do your frickin’ job. I pay your salary with my taxes, you know, which basically makes me your boss.”

  I held my breath and waited for the chief’s response.

  He adjusted his stance and grinned. “My boss, huh? In that case, I’d like to make a request for a water cooler in the office. Somewhere for staff to congregate and talk about the latest episode of whatever show is hot at the moment. Do you think you could handle that?”

  Mr. Beemer seemed taken aback. “I don’t…I’m not responsible for your office supplies.”

  In the distance, a glint of metal caught my eye and I squinted at an object bobbing up and down in the water. An object that didn’t belong there.

  An antenna.

  Uh oh. I had a sinking feeling the man’s car hadn’t been towed.

  I took to the air and skimmed the water until I reached the antenna. Sure enough, a black car was visible below the surface. Mystery solved. Although I wasn’t in the mood to get wet, I wanted to help the chief resolve the matter quickly before it escalated. I had to avoid getting my wings waterlogged or I wouldn’t be able to fly.

  I waited for a wave to push a portion of the car to the surface and then I gave it a hard shove toward shore. The car caught the crest of a wave and rode it straight toward the parking lot. I flew behind it and made sure it cleared the concrete hurdle.

  “What the hell?” Mr. Beemer yelled.

  The BMW rolled across the parking lot, covered in seaweed and other debris, and slowed to a stop about a foot from its owner.

  Mr. Beemer and the chief gaped at the car as though a kraken had risen from the deep. Achilles barked at the metal monster.

  The chief scratched the back of his head. “That your car?” he finally asked.

  Mr. Beemer seemed to have lost the power of speech. He ran to the driver’s side door and peered in the window.

  “My beautiful car,” he croaked. “Who would have done this?”

  Chief Fox’s brow lifted. “You think someone pushed your car into the bay?”

  “I’ve seen enough hooligans in this town to know it’s a possibility,” Mr. Beemer snapped.

  The chief shook his head. “I highly doubt hooligans are responsible for what happened to your car.”

  The man rounded on the chief, his face now red like an entitled tomato. “Then how would you explain what happened?”

  “Mother Nature happened.” The chief pointed to a large sign on display in the parking lot. “Why do you think the town puts these signs out with parking restrictions? It states very plainly not to park here during high tide and if you choose to ignore the warning, you do so at your own risk.”

  “I didn’t realize the risk was the complete destruction of my car! I thought it was only a ticket.”

  “And you weighed the risks and decided you could afford the cost of a parking ticket,” the chief said.

  “Well, sure.” The man yanked a wad of seaweed off the roof of the car and flung it to the ground. “Those seats are custom leather.”

  The chief wore a mask of pure disappointment. “The bay has a lot of salt, too. That’ll take the paint clean off.”

  The man raked a hand through his hair. “I thought the bay was freshwater.”

  “It’s brackish water,” the chief said. “More salinity than freshwater, but not as much as the ocean.”

  I didn’t bother to hide my surprise since neither one could see me. Chief Fox had certainly educated himself on the finer points of the Chesapeake Bay.

  Mr. Beemer tried to unlock his door with the electronic key, but nothing happened. I would’ve felt sorry for him if he hadn’t been such a jerk.

  He stared forlornly at his car. “This is a nightmare. Sheba is ruined.”

  “Sheba?” the chief asked.

  “As in the queen,” he said. “I like to tell people I ride the Queen of Sheba.”

  I should’ve known he was classy.

  “Now that we know your car hasn’t been stolen, I’ll leave you to call yourself a tow truck.” The chief tried to maintain a solemn expression, but I could tell he was resisting the urge to smile. “Unless your phone isn’t working either.”

  The man’s sense of entitlement resurfaced. “This is ridiculous. Why should I have to handle this myself? I didn’t put a parking lot so close to the bay.”

  I wanted to grab him by the collar and toss him into the water so that he matched the state of his car. Instead, I removed a piece of seaweed from the hood of the car and slapped the back of his knees with it.

  As Mr. Beemer jumped forward, whining in protest, the ground trembled beneath our feet.

  “Did you feel that?” he asked, his eyes wide.

  “Some kind of tremor,” the chief said.

  Mr. Beemer cast a wary glance at the water. “Do you think there’ll be a tidal wave? Isn’t that a risk after an earthquake?”

  “It was a tremor,” the chief said. “I don’t know that it qualifies as an earthquake.”

  They waited in mutual silence to see whether another tremor followed, but nothing happened.

  “What am I supposed to do now?” Mr. Beemer asked, returning to his own misfortune.

  “You have insurance, don’t you?” the chief asked. “I’d suggest starting there.”

  The man’s only response was the delicate flare of his nostrils.

  “Go
od luck to you.” The chief whistled for Achilles and swaggered to his patrol car with a huge smile on his face. The pug barked once at me before trailing after his companion.

  I hurried to the patrol car and waited for the chief to open the passenger door for Achilles. As the door opened, I slid past him and dropped into the seat. Achilles landed on my lap and immediately began licking my arm.

  The chief didn’t notice. He’d already closed the door and moved around to the driver’s side. The moment he closed his door, I cleared my throat.

  “Don’t freak out,” I said.

  The chief jumped so high, he nearly hit his head on the ceiling. “What the hell, Eden? That’s not funny.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t want to talk to you outside in case Mr. Beemer was watching.”

  Chief Fox offered a lazy grin. “Mr. Beemer only has one concern right now and it isn’t me.” He cocked his head. “Did you push the car out of the water?”

  “Guilty as charged.”

  “Did you cause the tremor, too?” he asked.

  “That wasn’t me, I’m afraid.”

  He looked thoughtful. “Can you make yourself visible now? This feels weird, talking to empty air.”

  “Achilles is here. Pretend you’re talking to him.”

  The pug barked at the mention of his name.

  The chief turned to face me. “What’s going on, Eden?”

  I heaved a sigh. “I can’t seem to shift out of invisibility mode.”

  “When did you shift into it?”

  “In my sleep, apparently.”

  His brow creased. “Bad dream?”

  I laughed. “I guess so. I woke up invisible and can’t seem to get myself back to normal.”

  “Is that why you cancelled your party?” he asked.

  “Yes. Of course, my mother thinks I did this on purpose to avoid hosting.”

  A car passed by and the driver honked and waved to the chief.

  “Maybe we should talk about this in private,” he said. “I can swing by my place.”

  “Sounds good.”

  He pulled onto the road and I cracked the window for Achilles.

  “What’s Aunt Wili up to now?” I asked.

  “She went exploring.”

  “Do you know she has a date with a wizard this afternoon?” I asked.

  “She mentioned meeting a new friend for coffee. I didn’t realize it was a date.” He smiled. “I’m glad she’s putting herself out there. She’s been lonely, I think.”

  “I don’t think she can ever be lonely. She seems to make friends wherever she goes.” I paused. “You’re not concerned about the fact that he’s a wizard?”

  He glanced in my direction. “Should I be?”

  “I don’t know. What if he does magic?”

  He chuckled. “The world is full of supernaturals. Isn’t that what you told me?”

  “Yes,” I admitted.

  “So maybe she knows a dozen wizards back in Iowa without realizing it. Look at all the supernaturals I know here and I didn’t have a clue.”

  I settled against the chair. The chief seemed more relaxed about it than I expected. “You don’t want me to keep an eye on her? It’ll be easy to spy in my current condition.”

  “I don’t think it’s necessary. Aunt Wili can take care of herself.” He frowned. “I should probably check on her now, though. That tremor might’ve thrown her for a loop.”

  “I can text her,” I said.

  He cast my seat a sidelong glance. “You can do that in your current condition?”

  “I’m invisible, not insubstantial,” I said. “The only thing I can’t do right now is be seen.”

  He tugged his earlobe, appearing to process the information. “So you can eat and drink and manipulate objects?”

  “Opposable thumbs, baby.” I wiggled my thumbs for my benefit. “And I’ve got my phone right here.” I inched forward and eased it out of my pocket. “Your aunt seems really great, by the way. You’re lucky.” I typed a quick message to Wilfrieda and hit send.

  “Your aunt’s not so bad,” he said.

  “Technically, Thora is my mother’s aunt, but I agree. She’s a keeper.”

  “So she’s not…like the others?” He was obviously choosing his words carefully. I’d only recently confessed that my family members weren’t exactly card-carrying members of the Good Witch Society.

  “She was, once upon a time, but I think the years have softened her. Aunt Thora was in love with a human when she was younger. She married a supernatural instead, but she always harbored feelings for him. I think it’s helped keep her in line. He’s a good man and she doesn’t want to disappoint him.”

  “Ted O’Neill, the lighthouse keeper, right?”

  “Yes.” I quickly scanned Wilfrieda’s incoming text. “She didn’t notice anything amiss.”

  The chief arched an eyebrow. “She didn’t feel the tremor?”

  “Apparently not,” I said. “She was busy chatting with a lady pushing a stroller. Twins. Your aunt offered to babysit.”

  He chuckled. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  “I’m glad she wasn’t concerned.”

  The chief pulled into his driveway and parked. “Should I be concerned?”

  “It’s not typical, but it was quick and painless. The water didn’t even react to it.” No big waves or anything unusual.

  I set Achilles on the ground and we entered the chief’s house. The first thing I noticed was the new placement of the furniture.

  “You rearranged the room?” I asked.

  “Aunt Wili’s idea. She thought it would make the place look more spacious.”

  I nodded, observing the results. “And she was right.”

  “Let’s talk about you now.” He extended a hand toward me. “Where are you?”

  I moved into his arms and snuggled against his chest. It felt good to be held by him even if he couldn’t see me. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him.

  “Hmm. Kissing my invisible girlfriend is strangely erotic,” he whispered.

  I unfastened a button and slipped an invisible hand underneath his shirt. “How about this?”

  “Even better.”

  Although I had every intention of discussing my situation with him in greater detail, I suddenly found it hard to concentrate on anything other than his washboard abs.

  “And now for my next magic trick,” I said. “I’m going to make this belt disappear.” I unbuckled it and slid it through the loops, tossing it aside.

  “No fair. I can’t see if you’re wearing a belt.”

  I nuzzled his neck. “Feel your way.”

  His hands ran down my arms until his fingers found mine. Gently, he tugged me toward the bedroom.

  “Are you sure there’s time?” I asked. “I don’t want to keep you from any more parking violations.”

  “Guthrie can handle it.” He kicked the door closed behind him to discourage Achilles from following.

  We reached the edge of the bed, a tangled mess of arms and legs.

  Achilles scratched at the door.

  “I’m glad he’s not tall enough to reach the doorknob,” the chief said.

  “What about Wilfrieda?” I breathed.

  “She is definitely tall enough to reach the doorknob.”

  I swatted his arm. “How soon do you think she’ll be back?”

  “Knowing her, not until she’s befriended every pedestrian on the way home.” He kissed me so deeply that my whole body turned to jelly. “Have I convinced you yet?”

  “It might be a little tricky with the whole invisible aspect,” I said.

  He brushed my cheek with his thumb. “I’m up for the challenge.”

  I tugged on his trousers. “Very up, it seems.”

  “I should probably let you take the lead. I don’t want to touch you in the wrong place.”

  I laughed. “Sawyer, we’re about to have carnal relations. There are no wrong places.”

  Both of our senses seemed hei
ghtened thanks to my invisibility, which was an unexpected bonus. Afterward, I rested my head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat.

  “You know what we could do?” I asked.

  “I think we just did it.”

  “Hardy har. We could go out on a date. No one will see us together.”

  “No one will see you period. I like the concept, but the chief of police can’t be seen in public talking to himself and ordering food for his imaginary friend. Not unless I want to find a new career.”

  I groaned. “You and your logic.”

  He stroked my hair. “How long do you think you’ll be stuck like this?”

  “No idea. I’m trying not to worry and hope it works itself out.”

  “What does Neville think?”

  “I haven’t gotten that far. I need to do a little research first.”

  “Isn’t that what Neville is for?” he asked. He dragged his fingers slowly up and down my bare back and I shivered with delight.

  “He’s my second stop.”

  The sound of the front door opening sent me into a tailspin.

  “Sawyer, are you here?”

  “I’ll be out in a second,” he called.

  We rushed to retrieve our clothes and dressed in a hurry.

  “She can’t see you, remember?” he whispered. “Just sneak out the back door.”

  Suddenly I was a teenager all over again. He opened the door, allowing me to sneak past him. I gave him one last kiss on the cheek before I bolted from the bedroom, blowing straight past Wilfrieda.

  “Sawyer, you might want to check the windows. I think you have a draft.”

  I smothered a laugh and tiptoed out the back door.

  Chapter Six

  My cheeks hurt from smiling as I flew to Munster Close. I had to admit, it had been a teensy bit thrilling to sneak in and out of the chief’s house. This invisibility thing had its perks. If it weren’t for the risk of adding more unwanted fury traits, I’d consider using the power more often.

  I landed at the back door of my father’s house and peered inside. There was no sign of Sally or my father.

  I didn’t often request help from Sally, but the vampire was originally from Otherworld and there was a chance she might know something about digger demons, especially if they had a bad reputation in the supernatural realm.