Halo Effect

by Annabel Chase

  A dwarf in the group raised his hand. “Is it true that Emma murdered half the coven before they realized she was a sorceress and not a witch?”

  I gasped.

  “Dude, that’s totally untrue,” Britta said. She shook her head, chuckling. “I don’t know where you pick up this stuff. Anyway, Lady Weatherby was head of the coven at the time and she never liked Emma. Some believe it’s because a psychic warned her that a new arrival would bring about her doom.”

  “What? Nobody believes that,” I said.

  “So Emma was like Snow White and this Lady Weatherby was like the evil queen,” a fairy said.

  “Sure, let’s go with that,” Britta said.

  From the academy, we walked to the library. Karen Duckworth, the librarian, even came out to wave to the group like the vampire knew what time they’d be there.

  We then lingered in front of the Mayor’s Mansion where Britta talked about Mayor Knightsbridge. I was grateful she left out any mention of Elsa and her relationship with Daniel. It all felt too close for comfort even without the reference to romantic entanglements.

  Why are you walking in a group?

  I looked skyward to see Sedgwick circling above us. You need to go before someone sees you.

  Why can’t anyone see me?

  “Hey, is that Candlewick?” the elf next to me asked, pointing to the owl.

  Everyone waved at Sedgwick.

  They look hostile, Sedgwick said. What did you do to anger them?

  Nothing.

  Then why are they baring their teeth and shaking their hands at me?

  “Now for the fun part,” Britta’s voice broke through our mental dialogue.

  Ember nudged me with her elbow. “Cool. Golf carts.”

  I glanced to the side of the library where a row of golf carts awaited us. I had no doubt she struck a deal with the country club because there was no way she’d imported these from the human world, not on her salary.

  “We can fit four in a cart,” Britta said. “These will save our feet for the rest of the tour.”

  Raoul darted behind the wheel of the first cart and Ember bumped him aside.

  “I don’t think so,” Ember said.

  I climbed into the back of the cart without a word. How could I have been oblivious to the existence of this tour? She couldn’t have been offering it for very long or someone I know would’ve alerted me.

  Did Astrid know? No. There was no way.

  The golf carts formed a line behind Britta’s and we rode across town to my neighborhood. Britta rolled to a stop a safe distance from my house. She turned to address the group with a megaphone.

  “That’s where Emma and Daniel live with their daughter, which is why we’re keeping our distance. Never wake a sleeping baby, am I right?”

  “Is it true that she killed the vampire who lived there and stole his house and his job?” the same dwarf asked.

  Ember snickered. “They seem hellbent on seeing you as a murderer.”

  “Apparently,” I grumbled.

  “No,” Britta said, “but she caught the dude responsible for killing Gareth—that’s the name of the vampire whose ghost still haunts this very house.”

  A collective oooh followed her announcement.

  I peered at the house to see whether there was any sign of Diana. My nerves were already frayed at the idea of strangers idling near my house on a regular basis. I would have to talk to Britta about that later.

  The tour continued and we passed the harpies’ house as we veered toward the woods. The path became narrower and bumpier as we left the road.

  Ember twisted to look at me. “Any idea where we’re headed now?”

  “I have a theory.” But I kept it to myself.

  A silhouette emerged from the woods and onto the path, waving his arms wildly. “Stop! Don’t come through this way!” It was Professor Wallis.

  Britta swerved her cart to avoid hitting him and came to a stop. “Dude, what’s your damage?”

  Ember slowed to a stop and I listened to the exchange, unwilling to out myself.

  “It’s not my damage,” Professor Wallis said. “It’s the damage done by your carts. An endangered species lives in these woods and you’re trampling the area with your machines.” He motioned with irritation to the golf carts. “It needs to stay pristine.”

  “What’s the endangered species?” Britta asked.

  “A tangi,” Professor Wallis said. “I’ve been tracking the creature to identify the exact boundaries of the habitat.”

  “What’s so special about it?” the dwarf asked.

  “First, I don’t think a species should need to be identified as special in order to save it from extinction,” the professor said. “That being said, when a tangi is anxious, they have a tendency to emit gas…”

  “If gas is special, then I should be in a museum,” Britta said.

  The bushes rustled as the creature streaked past our entourage.

  “There it is!” the elf said, pointing.

  Ribbons of color rippled behind the creature and the group broke into spontaneous applause.

  “Is this part of the tour?” the dwarf asked. “If not, you need to include it.”

  “Dude, that thing farted a rainbow,” Britta said, agog.

  “The tangi is unique for that very reason,” the professor said.

  “Color me impressed,” Britta said.

  Ember snorted. “Raoul thinks he can do better. He says a trash diet results in miracles, too.”

  “Really?” I leaned my head between the seats. “You can make a rainbow?”

  “Don’t encourage him,” Ember said.

  The raccoon started to exit the golf cart to demonstrate, but Ember grabbed him by his fur and forced him back to the seat.

  “This is part of my tour,” Britta said. “I have to be able to show them Raisa’s cottage. It’s a critical location.”

  The mention of the old witch brought tears to my eyes. Despite her actions, I still had a soft spot for Raisa.

  “Who’s Raisa?” Professor Wallis asked. “She has a cottage here?” He looked over his shoulder as though he’d be able to spot it from where he stood.

  “Raisa was a wicked witch who haunted these woods until Emma destroyed her by breaking the curse,” Britta said. “She had one eye like a cyclops and a wooden leg.”

  “She’s making her sound like a deformed pirate,” I muttered.

  “Is Raisa the one who cursed the town?” the elf asked.

  Britta nodded. “Yep, that’s the one.”

  “So, wait,” the professor said. “She doesn’t live here anymore, right? I’ve combed this area and I haven’t come across a cottage, only the home of those dreadful harpies.”

  “That’s because this isn’t where Raisa lived,” I said, miffed. “We’re nowhere near her cottage.”

  “And what makes you the expert?” the dwarf asked.

  I whipped off my hat and sunglasses. “Because I’m Emma Hart.”

  Everyone gasped, except Ember who tried to contain her laughter.

  Britta reeled back. “Whoa. You think I would’ve noticed.”

  “Somehow I’m not surprised,” I said.

  The professor bowed slightly. “Ms. Hart, nice to see you again.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ll be turning these carts around now because there’s no cottage this way.”

  “That’s good to know,” the professor said, patting his brow with a handkerchief.

  Britta ambled over to speak to me. “This is so cool. You should’ve told me you wanted to take the tour. You didn’t pay, did you? I’ll reimburse you.”

  I felt the heat spread to my face. “Britta, you can’t give a tour with inaccuracies. If you don’t know where Raisa’s cottage is, you shouldn’t pretend.”

  “This path is wide enough for the golf carts,” Britta whispered. “The real path would mean parking and walking the rest of the way and that part of the woods is super creepy. Anyway, the s
tory’s the same, no matter which part of the woods we’re in.”

  “Let’s get out of here so we don’t scare off the tangi,” I said.

  “Totally agree,” Britta said. “That rainbow was amazing.”

  “Emma, will you continue on the tour with us?” the elf asked.

  “Of course. I’m eager to hear the rest of the story,” I said, if only so that I could correct it.

  “Back in the carts,” Britta said. “Let’s leave the professor to his work.”

  Professor Wallis placed his hands together in prayer form and bowed. “The tangi thanks you.”

  We backed along the path until we reached the road and headed northeast.

  “Where to now?” Ember asked over her shoulder.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say Curse Cliff,” I said. I doubted Britta knew the location of the secret lair and the cave of the Grey sisters didn’t play a major role in the event.

  I leaned against the seat and watched the landscape whizz by as we rode toward the cliff. It wasn’t often that I got to be a passenger with this vantage point. I took the opportunity to admire the scenery. Now that we were far from the heart of town, there was nothing but nature as far as the eye could see. Rocks. Trees. The darkening sky above. The air always seemed fresh and clean in Spellbound, but out here it seemed even better. It was probably my imagination, not that it mattered. I appreciated it either way.

  “And this is the place of resistance, Curse Cliff,” Britta announced with dramatic flair. She was careful not to park her golf cart too close to the edge.

  “I think you mean the piece de resistance,” I said, climbing out of the cart.

  “That’s what I said.” Britta walked closer to the edge of the cliff with its sweeping views of Swan Lake and the world beyond. “And this is where the sorceress came to break the curse.”

  All heads swiveled to face me.

  “Is that true?” the elf asked.

  “That part is true,” I said.

  “I heard she had to murder her husband to do it,” the dwarf said. “She was ruthless in her pursuit of justice.”

  “I don’t think I was ruthless,” I said. That word more accurately described a few other residents in town.

  “Then you didn’t murder your husband with a unicorn horn?” the dwarf asked, frowning.

  “It’s more complicated than that,” I said.

  “Wait. You had a baby with a ghost?” the fairy asked. She tilted her head, appearing to contemplate her own question. “How does that work, practically speaking?”

  I fought the urge to run back to the golf cart and flee the scene. “Daniel is fine. He’s not a ghost. He’s an angel. His halo was restored. The curse was broken. Residents were finally free to leave.”

  “But you stayed,” the elf said. “Why didn’t you go home to Lemon Loaf?”

  “Lemon Grove,” I corrected her. “Because there wasn’t much of a home to go back to. Everyone I love is here.”

  There was a collective awwww from the crowd.

  I didn’t hear my name. Be sure to tell that I was integral to breaking the curse. Sedgwick swooped down and perched on a nearby boulder. The group cheered at the sight of him.

  I think they know.

  The owl spread his wings, welcoming the positive feedback, and the cheers grew louder. They began to chant—Candlewick! Candlewick!

  Sedgwick dropped his wings to his sides. Who’s Candlewick?

  I patted his head. “I think it suits you.”

  “This tour is even better than the flower festival,” Ember said. If her smile was any bigger it wouldn’t fit on her face. “Florian will be sorry he missed it.”

  “Please don’t write an article about it,” I begged. “I don’t want it to become a popular attraction.”

  Ember surveyed the happy group. “I think it’s too late for that. This thing is a hit.”

  I sighed. The statue was bad enough. I didn’t want an entire tour to revolve around me.

  “I think Emma should give the tour next time,” the dwarf said. “She seems to know more of the details.”

  Seems to?

  “I don’t know,” Britta said. “She’s pretty busy.”

  “And I don’t really enjoy being the center of attention,” I said. “To be honest, this whole thing makes me uncomfortable.”

  “Then why did you take the tour?” the elf asked.

  “Yes, Emma,” Ember said, trying to keep a straight face. “Why did you take the tour?”

  “I heard the whole town attended your wedding,” the fairy said, clasping her hands dreamily. “It sounds like a real happily-ever-after moment.”

  “It was pretty special,” I agreed. In fact, the tour reminded me of important events in my life that I’d pushed to the back of my mind. Between my job and my family and the academy, I didn’t have much time for reflection these days.

  Britta looked at me with an anxious expression. “Are you going to send me one of those cease-and-resist letters so I can’t do the tour?”

  I softened. “No, Britta. I won’t send you a cease-and-desist, but I would like to sit down with you and get some of the facts right. Another time, though. I’m about ready for bed.”

  The Valkyrie flashed a relieved smile. “Cool. I mean, I don’t like to let facts get in the way of a good story, but I’m willing to listen.”

  Ember grunted. “Spoken like a true journalist.”

  “Want to meet early for coffee?” I asked. It would be nice to get a little more time with the witch before she left town. “I have to be in court in the morning for trial, so I’ll be up early.”

  “I’m never one to turn down caffeine. I can meet you at your house at eight.”

  I turned to Britta. “Mind if I take a golf cart back to town ahead of you? I really should head back now.”

  “You’re Emma Hart,” the elf said. “You can do whatever you want.”

  “Yeah, or she might murder you,” Ember added.

  Everyone took a cautious step away from me.

  “Come on, Candlewick,” I called. “Let’s go home.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next morning, I reviewed Ansell’s file at the kitchen table while I ate breakfast. Diana had been up since six, resulting in the early start to the day that I needed.

  “How many times are you planning to read his file?” Gareth asked, hovering behind. “You could’ve translated it into six languages by now.”

  I closed the file. “You know I don’t like it when you read over my shoulder.”

  “And you know I dinnae like it when you snore, yet the maelstrom continues.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You haven’t heard anyone at the door, have you?”

  “No, why?”

  “Ember was supposed to be here at eight, but she’s late.”

  “I’m sure she’s fine. Besides, she’s only next door. Go get her if you want her.”

  It occurred to me that maybe I should check on her. After what happened with Dr. Hall, I needed to be a little more alert when it came to the harpies.

  “Fine. I’ll go now.” I scraped back my chair.

  “Steady,” Gareth said in a warning tone.

  “What? I need to go.”

  “Not until you’ve cleared your dirty bowl from the table. I expect this from Daniel, but not you.”

  I glanced back at the bowl. “I’m sorry. I’ll carry it to the sink.”

  He folded his arms. “See that you do. What kind of example do you expect to set for the bairn if you can’t even tidy up after yourself?”

  “I said I was sorry.” I set the bowl in the sink and hurried from the house. If there wasn’t already a semi-emergency, I would’ve invented one if only to get away from the uptight vampire ghost.

  My feet pounded the earth as I ran to the Minors’ house. With each step, my anxiety ratcheted up another notch. Ember and her family were guests here. What if something horrible happened to them because I didn’t take the spell seriously enough?
<
br />   No, I reassured myself. Ember was a powerful witch who could take care of herself. Besides, Dr. Hall lashed out because she was trying to right a wrong in her own twisted way. There was no guarantee the harpies were headed down the same path. Even if they were, they’d only take action if they believed Emma had done something bad. What were the chances of that?

  As I curled my fingers around the knocker, I heard shouts from inside the house. I shoved open the door and rushed inside.

  “Hello?” I called.

  My greeting was met with a loud crash. I raced to the sunroom where Phoebe was in full harpy mode, complete with a sharp beak and feathers. Her talons were pressed against Florian’s chest in a threatening manner. Ember stood frozen in the doorway to the kitchen, a look of alarm on her face. Pieces of a plate were scattered across the floor at her feet, along with a smooshed banana.

  “Phoebe, what are you doing?” I asked, careful to maintain a neutral tone. I didn’t want to say anything that would provoke her any further.

  “I asked Ember to get me breakfast,” Florian said in a measured tone. “Phoebe said I should learn to do things for myself and stop expecting others to wait on me like a spoiled brat. She called me a blight on the community. Then she transformed.”

  “Florian is a friend, Phoebe,” I assured her. “You can let him go.”

  Phoebe cocked her head and regarded me with dark, beady eyes. “We can’t let bad behavior continue. There must be consequences.”

  “Florian’s my cousin,” Ember said. “I know he can be a bit lazy and selfish…”

  “Hey!” Florian said.

  Phoebe’s talons dug deep enough to draw blood. “See? We have to correct the balance for the greater good.”

  I took a step closer. “You don’t kill someone for being lazy and selfish. Half the population would have to be eradicated.”

  Ember raised her eyebrows in surprise. “That’s a bleak outlook.”

  “Is anyone else home?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Ember said. “They keep weird hours. I figured it was a harpy thing.”

  “Phoebe, listen to me,” I said. “There’s a spell on you and your family. You’re not the only ones afflicted. You have to trust me when I say you do not want to hurt Florian or anyone else.”