Dead Witch Walking

by Nova Nelson

  Grim padded up next to me. “I’m a hound. I always smell something.”

  “No, I mean something else.”

  “Like what?”

  I knew it would seem crazy, but I went with it anyway. “A hellhound.”

  “Okay, now you’re just messing with me. Of course I smell a hellhound.” He grunted. “You could just tell me I stink rather than dancing around it. I take it as a compliment. You know that.”

  “No, not you. Another hellhound.”

  His ears perked up. “There’s another hellhound in Eastwind?” I knew he wouldn’t like the idea. After two recent near misses with hellhounds, the only thing that allowed us to sleep at night was the knowledge that virtually nothing could get them to leave the Deadwoods.

  “That’s what I’m asking you. Is there another hellhound around?”

  He scented the air. “Not that I can smell. What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I thought I saw something in the shadows the other day, but it might have been nothing.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, woman. But in this town, it’s never nothing.”

  I hated how much truth there was to that. “Just keep on alert, okay?”

  There were only two establishments for out-of-town visitors to stay in Eastwind, if they weren’t crashing with a friend or relative. One was the Ram’s Head, and the other was Cair Crestfall in the high-end shopping district. The latter was pricey from what I’d heard, and it was mostly used for those arriving on business or dignitaries from other realms. It was also the preferred place to stay for Avalonians who wanted to experience the quaint charm of Eastwind without depriving themselves of the luxuries they were accustomed to—spa treatments, room service, and so on.

  So why had Leonardo and Serena chosen the Ram’s Head? Perhaps he couldn’t afford Cair Crestfall.

  Or maybe he’d wanted to keep a low profile while in town.

  Well, Donovan had blasted any hope of that to bits in the pub last night.

  Donovan. I’d considered inviting him with me, as he had the night off work, but something had stopped me. What was it?

  Oh right. Common sense.

  There was no way I would be able to have the conversation I needed to have with Leonardo if Stringfellow family dynamics were present.

  Donovan wouldn’t be happy with me when he found out about this. But he and I had a long history of being unhappy with each other, and it’d worked out all right in the long run. He’d get over this just like he got over all the other things.

  A wooden sign hung above the door, swinging in the breeze and creaking with every move of the hinges. It wasn’t exactly welcoming, and I thought about how things might have been different if Tanner had taken me to this place on my first night rather than to Ruby’s. Had he known on some deep level that I was a Fifth Wind and Ruby’s was the best place for me?

  I’d never know now.

  Behind an old wooden counter stood a man with two horns on his head poking out from a nest of tight black curls. Though the large desk obscured everything on him below the sternum, I was sure there were furry legs and hooves just out of sight. There were plenty of fauns like him in Eastwind, and from what I’d observed, they straddled the various world of witches and weres and elves and leprechauns better than any other kind of creature. It made sense that one would run the inn where so many kinds of people came and went.

  “Hi,” I said, greeting him.

  He smiled warmly but generically at me. “Are you by any chance Nora Ashcroft?”

  Oh gosh, it was always awkward when people knew who I was and I had no clue who they were. Part of being a Fifth Wind, though. People found me “interesting” and because of that, my reputation often preceded me. “Yes,” I said, “I’m Nora.”

  “Great. Mr. Stringfellow and Ms. Bronwyn said to expect someone with about your look.”

  Ah. He only knew my name because Leonardo had left word. Not as well known around town as I thought. Noted.

  His eyes fell to Grim. “They didn’t mention a dog.”

  “They didn’t know about him. He’s my familiar.”

  And now the faun was looking at me with much more interest. “They’re in room four. Just up the stairs and on the left.”

  Flickering torchlight danced along the walls of the stone staircase that curved in a tight spiral to the second floor. A low-ceilinged hallway stretched out ahead of me. I couldn’t decide if the place was cozy or creepy. There can be a thin line between the two. Ruby’s home was a good example of that with its soft armchairs by the fire… and hundreds of totems of wood and bone dancing from the ceiling.

  I paused before knocking on number four and considered for the first time that I might be paying a visit to the room of a murderer. Odd that it hadn’t occurred to me sooner. Yes, he was a suspect, but he was also Donovan’s brother and someone I’d just had dinner with the night before. Nothing about Leonardo said “killer” to me, but then again, anyone could become a killer in a perfect storm of timing, location, and emotions.

  Was that cynical of me to believe? Perhaps. But you also know there’s truth to it.

  Instinctively, I felt for my wand in my pocket. It was there, though it would do me little good, magically speaking, if I was walking into a trap.

  But it was always good to have something to poke someone with in a sensitive area if it came to it. Also, there was Grim, and his presence was no small comfort even if I would never tell him that.

  I knocked.

  Serena answered the door, her long silky hair draped in front of her shoulder. It was impossible to tell how old elves were. They aged so slowly, over hundreds of years, that she might look in her mid-twenties, but she could just as easily be in her mid-nineties.

  “Nora, come in,” she said sweetly, stepping to the side. “Oh, and you brought your familiar, too.” She didn’t sound as pleased about that, but she gave it a valiant attempt.

  “Yeah. Is that okay?”

  “Um, well…” She called over her shoulder, “Leo, Nora’s brought her familiar. Will Pookie be okay with it?”

  Pookie?

  “And suddenly I’m feeling less humiliated about my stupid name,” Grim said.

  “You know she doesn’t like other cats,” Leopold replied.

  Serena shot Grim another glance. “But does she like dogs?”

  “Hellhounds,” Grim corrected. “Or more specifically, grims.”

  “Dogs?” came Leonardo’s reply.

  He appeared around the corner and blinked a handful of times as soon as his eyes lit on Grim. But his question was addressed to me. “That’s your familiar?”

  Serena moved closer to him, staring up urgently at him and saying in low tones, “Now, love, take it easy. It’s different for Fifth Winds. They have dogs, not cats.”

  He snapped his head around to stare at her like she’d just spoken Enochian. “How do you know that?”

  Was that jealousy I sensed?

  “You know I once… knew a Fifth Wind.” Then she quickly added, “Back before we’d ever met.”

  I watched the strange interaction less offended than intrigued. It was good to see a little of Leonardo’s biases shining through. I preferred to know where I stood with a person rather than suffer their vain attempts at convincing me they weren’t biased.

  Serena, apparently confident she’d adequately soothed her soon-to-be husband, stepped back, but still held the door. Only, to go inside the room, I would have to bowl over Leonardo. Or maybe Grim could… Tempting.

  “Is he good with cats?” he asked.

  I refrained from saying, “Of course. His best friend is a cat,” and instead went with the full truth: “When they’re friendly to him.”

  Pookie appeared at Leonardo’s feet in that moment and arched her back defensively. He picked her up and stroked her, and I had a feeling he was also telling her to relax.

  “Okay,” he said finally, “he can come in. But no looking at Pookie. She doesn’t like it.”

>   “If she doesn’t want me to look at her, there’s a perfectly good bed for her to hide under.”

  “Agreed, but play nice.”

  Pookie hissed.

  “Too late. I already told her to her face.”

  “For fang’s sake,” I mumbled. “Okay, never mind. You just wait out here and, um, guard the hallway, I guess.”

  “You mean lie on the cool stone floor in peace and quiet, and sleep? Thought you’d never ask.”

  A lot of good he did. But that was fine. I’d entered into danger on my own before. I could do it again.

  And no, it didn’t escape me that one of these days, it would get me killed.

  Chapter Eleven

  The room was much brighter than the hallway. Pinpricks of light floated and bobbed gently like little strings of Christmas lights—Leonardo’s doing, was my guess—and the soft light made the place feel like a studio for glamour shots. Vainly, I wished there was a mirror so I could see how flattering the lighting looked on my face. It was stupid, I know, but who isn’t secretly hoping there’s some perfect conditions under which they suddenly look like a movie star?

  “Tea?” Leonardo asked, from where he sat at a table in the corner.

  I didn’t see a kettle or any cups in front of him, so I said, “I’m fine. No need to put yourself out on my account.”

  He looked at me with something not unlike pity and said, “It’s really not a problem. I… I have magic.”

  “Oh. Right.” I remembered how effortlessly Donovan bartended at Franco’s and the flying dishes at the Stringfellows’ the night before. “Yeah, tea would be great.”

  “Or would you prefer coffee?” Serena asked. “Leo told me more about diners and you serve coffee there, right?”

  It was sweet of her to ask, and if I wasn’t careful, I might start to like her. “Um, actually, yes, I prefer coffee.”

  The confirmation drew a giant grin as if I’d just made her day.

  I decided not to mention that I’d already had five cups of coffee at work and a sixth was more likely to topple me into a caffeine-induced nap than perk me up.

  “Ah, well, I’m afraid I’m not as skilled at making coffee,” Leonardo said.

  “That’s fine. I’m not picky.” Not anymore, at least. I wish pretentious Austinite Nora could have heard me say that. She’d call it blasphemy.

  “I just picked up some croissants at the bakery an hour ago,” Serena asked. “Would you like one?”

  “Definitely.”

  And that was the point where my common sense kicked in. I wouldn’t call myself a mean or stingy person by any means, but it’s always struck me as suspicious when someone is so generous and eager to please. It feels a little like manipulation. And in my line of work, it can be a clear signal that I’m about to be poisoned.

  But, siren’s song, did a croissant and coffee sound good!

  As Serena plated the snacks and the inn-provided coffee brewed on the table, it was finally time to get down to business. Sitting across the small table from Leonardo, I had some hard questions for him regarding the timing of his arrival and his uncle’s death, and it—

  “Are you in love with my brother?”

  “Excuse me?”

  He didn’t even blink. “Are you in love with Donny?”

  “No,” I said truthfully.

  “And how long have you been together?”

  “It’s complicated,” I said, again truthfully. “And I didn’t come here to be vetted. I came here because you showed up in town a day before your uncle died and a neighbor saw you pay him a visit on the day of his murder. I think that’s a little more important than my relationship with Donovan.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe to some. And I already spoke with Deputy Manchester about all this. Do you two not share notes, or do you simply not trust him to get the right information?”

  “Neither.” And that was a lie. Stu almost never filled me in on new developments, and no matter how hard the deputy tried, some people simply wouldn’t say things to a man in uniform that they would to me. “I’m here with a different motive than he is. I want to prove you didn’t do it.”

  Serena set the plate of croissants on the table, and when I noticed a frosted donut among the mix, I nearly lost my train of thought completely. I was turning into Grim.

  “I’m so happy you said that,” Serena said. “Leonardo is really the only person I know in town and suddenly he’s at risk of being locked up. I just… I can’t stand the thought, and I don’t feel like anyone’s on our side.” To her credit, she didn’t cry, though I could tell she felt like it.

  “I don’t want to see Leonardo end up in Ironhelm Penitentiary,” I said, and internally added, unless he did it, then clink clink! “But I need to know the real story.” I turned to him. “Why were you over at Giovanni’s yesterday?”

  He used the act of pouring three cups of coffee as a transparent excuse to collect his thoughts before replying, “It’s been years since I left Eastwind. I haven’t been back since. I always liked Giovanni and knew he was ostracized from the family after my grandparents passed. I wanted to say hello and check in with him when I knew no one else would.”

  Unicorn swirls, obviously. But I let it go for now.

  “And why are you staying in the Ram’s Head instead of Cair Crestfall or with your parents?”

  My Insight already had a pretty good idea of why, but I wanted to hear what he came up with. “Cair Crestfall is so pretentious. I wanted to give Serena the full Eastwind experience.”

  I immediately looked at her after he spoke, hoping to nab some scrap of a hint. Her friendly smile was gone, replaced by a blandness as she stared down at her cup. He was lying and she knew it. But I already knew that. The question was why was he lying?

  Well, only one way to find out.

  I said, “That’s a steaming pile of unicorn swirls if I ever smelled one.”

  He sighed. “Okay, fine.” His shoulders drooped, and he picked at the croissant in front of him, pulling a flaky bit in half, then again and again. “I wanted to keep a low profile while I was here. There are a lot of people who might not appreciate the fact that I left and never looked back. When someone moves onto bigger and better things, he leaves many bitter people in his wake.”

  “You have enemies?”

  “Psh.” He rolled his eyes and dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “Nothing so melodramatic. I just didn’t want to have to do the small-talk of ‘Oh, how have you been? Yes, tell me about your boring life in twenty words or less and I’ll tell you about mine!’ over and over again.”

  “I can appreciate that,” I said. “Really, I can. But here’s my theory. I think you’re staying here because you wanted to come into town and leave totally undetected, not because you hate small-talk but because you had shady business to attend to. Either that or you’re hurting for money. Neither one of those scenarios looks great for your claim that you didn’t kill your rich uncle.”

  Leonardo stared at me unblinkingly, but before he could say anything, Serena spoke up. “Just tell her the truth, Leonardo. It only looks like you have something to hide if you don’t.”

  “She has a point,” I added.

  “Fine,” he said. “You’re right. I had no intention of word getting out that I was in town. Business in Avalon hasn’t exactly gone the way I’d hoped lately. I made a large investment in what seemed like a sure thing but turned out not to be. I lost all the money my parents had sent along with me and then some. It’s not cheap to live in Avalon. Everything is two, three times more expensive there. I thought maybe I could convince Uncle Giovanni to be generous, and I was wrong.”

  I believed about eighty percent of what he said, which was a pretty high figure. More than I usually believed people. While there was still a lot he was leaving out, I didn’t want to push too hard too quickly. “You know this looks bad for you, right?”

  “I know it does,” he said. “But if it’s any help, I know that I didn’t kill him and he was
alive when I left, so once the medical examiner concludes the time of death was later in the day, I should be eliminated from the suspects. I have an alibi for the rest of the afternoon.”

  “Who, Serena?” She wouldn’t suffice. It took all of about two seconds around them to see she would spend her last breath lying for him if it came to that.

  “No,” he said. “I had lunch and drinks with someone else then met up with Serena and we went straight to my parents’ house. The timelines are tight.”

  “Okay,” I said. “And who did you have lunch and drinks with?” Stu might have already spoken with whoever this was, but I would cover the tracks as well.

  “Count Sebastian Malavic.”

  “For fang’s sake,” I muttered.

  “You two are acquainted?” he asked, startled at my expletive.

  “Yeah, you could say that.”

  “What else could I say?”

  “That I end up talking to him almost every time there’s a dead body in town.”

  Leonardo nodded. “He’s always kept some questionable contacts.”

  “Like you?”

  “No.”

  “Then what were you two chatting about? Were you appealing to him for money, too?”

  Leonardo cleared his throat and sipped his coffee. It was clear by the cringe that followed that he wasn’t a regular coffee drinker. “Yes, we talked about money.”

  “And did he give you any?”

  “No. He offered it, but some things come at too high a price.”

  I nodded, remembering Malavic’s horrific offer to Zoe Clementine, who took over the animal sanctuary after Tanner’s grandmother passed away. Money was tight there, too, with all those animals to feed and such low adoption fees. The count had offered to give her a large sum if she’d hand over the animals whose time was almost up so he could suck them dry.

  Anytime I forgot that Malavic was a vampire, I just remembered that little anecdote and all the reasons why I didn’t like or trust him came flooding back.

  “I understand. And if I go talk with Malavic, he’ll corroborate your story?”

  “Who knows? He might claim I met him to confess a murder if he thought it would make his day more interesting.”