by K E O'Connor
“Cool your heels. There won’t be any destroying just yet. Not until I’ve run through a few spells to see if I can get any information out of them.”
“That sounds dangerous. Let me do that.”
I was tempted by the offer. Olympus was powerful, but he was also currently in the running for the title of King of the Weirdos. “No, you’re good. And no offense, but while you’re behaving so strangely, I don’t trust your magic.”
His bottom lip jutted out. “I’d never do anything to harm you. You can trust me.”
“I hope that’s true, but I don’t want you accidentally blasting the bones apart and we lose an opportunity to see what they’re hiding.”
“Whatever you think best,” he said. “You’re always right.”
I didn’t like this docile, agreeable version of Olympus. I preferred it when he warned me I was overstepping the mark and being smart-mouthed. I needed someone to keep me in line at times. I’d quickly grow irritated with a guy who said yes to my every demand. There was no challenge in that.
“The skeleton isn’t all I found. I also discovered some more of the black feathers that appeared after Luna’s energy got taken, and the remains of my stolen ghost jar.”
“A gothic wedding in autumn would be perfect for us,” Olympus said.
I closed my eyes and massaged my forehead for a few seconds. “We’re not talking about weddings. We’re talking about cursed bones, toxic feathers, and a dangerous, escaped ghost.”
“We could feature all of those in the wedding if you want them. You’d look beautiful in a black dress with a feather skirt.”
“No, I’d look ridiculous.” I flexed my hands, tempted to thump Olympus, but it wasn’t his fault he was wedding obsessed. “I think these things are connected. Maybe the witches in the coven plan to use the corpses as their undead army. They’re the frontline force to clear resistance, so it will be easy for them to make their final takeover bid on Witch Haven.”
“And you should carry lilies. I’ve always thought lilies were beautiful.”
“Lilies are for funerals. And you’ll be going to your own funeral if you don’t focus on what’s important.”
He ducked his head. “Our marriage is the most important thing to me. And it will be to you. I’ll convince you an autumn wedding is what we need. Then you can stop worrying about strange bones, ghosts, and all that nastiness. You won’t even need to work once you’re my wife. You can be a stay at home witch.”
“And go slowly insane while I bake arsenic muffins for you to enjoy and stick pins into your poppet?”
“No! You’ll have no time for that. You’ll be busy raising our children. I want at least six.”
I rested my chin on my hands as I leaned forward and tried to shut out Olympus as he babbled about weddings, children, and the amazing life we’d have together. Maybe we would have a good life if we decided on trying out a real relationship, but there was no way I was going near this weird version of Olympus. All romance was off until my sharp, suspicious Olympus was back. Even then, I was undecided if I wanted anything from him. Relationships always got messy.
I looked at Nugget, who hadn’t stirred the whole time I’d been in the house. Hilda was the same and only seemed focused on her web. Sadness shivered through me when I considered how much had changed so quickly. My familiars were now just your average house pets.
With their powers gone, my once useful asset and sort of friend in the Magic Council only interested in weddings and having babies with me, and my friends forgetting what powerful witches they were, I was in trouble.
“We need to fix the date so we can send out the invitations,” Olympus said. “How about—”
I grabbed his head and planted a drugging kiss on his lips. Not in the hot and steamy drugging sense, but literally a drugging spell to send him into a deep sleep so he would stop talking.
Olympus groaned and slumped back.
I stood and lifted his legs so he was lying on the couch, then placed a cushion under his head.
“Sorry, but you’re no good to me right now. Why don’t you sleep off this strange magic? You’ll be safe here. My—” I stopped and looked at my familiars. They wouldn’t be able to protect him. “You’ll be safe. The house is warded.”
I gave his cheek a soft pat. I expected a lot of women would give their right arm to be with an influential, powerful guy like Olympus. But I wasn’t most women. I was a messed up witch, riding solo on a mission that was out of control. But I was done with feeling like that. It was time to grab back the reins and take command.
Chapter 15
The flickering light of the bonfire cast a welcome glow around my dark front yard.
I’d spent a couple of hours recharging my energy and not thinking about all the things I needed to tackle.
While I’d been recharging, Olympus hadn’t stirred from the couch, and none of my familiars had paid me attention.
Now my magic was topped up, I was ready to deal with those bones and see what secrets they held.
I retrieved them from the storage shed and unwrapped them. Before I touched the bones, I dashed inside and grabbed some gloves, so I wouldn’t get another painful sting. I also brought out the black feathers and the pieces of ghost jar.
I laid everything out in front of me, settled on an upturned log in front of the fire, and studied each item carefully. I started with what seemed to be the least dangerous item and inspected each piece of the broken ghost jar. Whoever had stolen the jar from my house must have been familiar with the ghost stuck inside it. But why would they want to free that ghost? It must be someone in alliance with the dark witches. Or was it one of the witches themselves? Had my house been invaded by the same dark energy that ripped my family apart all those years ago?
I glanced back at the house and shuddered. I hated the thought of my sanctuary being invaded. But it was possible that when I’d been racing around trying to find Luna, someone or something had snuck through my magic barrier. That seemed to be a reoccurring theme.
I turned my attention to the black feathers. They had a familiar, faint feel of magic to them, but I couldn’t put my finger on where I’d felt it before. It was established magic and came from a magic user with power. Power that felt stable, as if they knew how to control it. Even though what remained on the feathers was weak, I could sense the strength behind the spell, and didn’t like the possibility that I’d have to go up against this individual any time soon.
My gaze slid to the skull, and I frowned. “I don’t know what you’re smiling at? You’re the source of the trouble in the cemetery.” I nudged it with the toe of my boot.
It continued to grin.
I made sure my gloves were on tight and then lifted the skull. I grimaced as the unpleasant magic wriggled against me. It was so tempting to toss the skull into the fire or shatter it with a hammer. Every nerve warned me to step away from this power, and that no good would come from being so close to such darkness.
But I couldn’t get the wobbles now. I sucked in a breath and cast a reveal spell over the skull.
My magic swirled around it, bouncing against it as if meeting an invisible resistance.
“Come on, stop hiding. Or are you scared to show me your true face?”
My spell couldn’t get through, no matter how hard I focused.
“You’re scared of me,” I whispered. “You wouldn’t be going all cloak and dagger if you thought you were invulnerable. Well, you’re not. You’re just a bully, and no one likes bullies.”
I set the skull down with the rest of the bones and cast a spell over them to remove the magic barrier. There was something lurking beneath the surface, but it didn’t want to give up its secrets, and the spell slid off the bones.
“If you were created by the witch coven, why don’t you take me over like the last time? You can use me just like those corpses you’ve been having fun with.”
The skull wobbled from side to side, as if considering this possibility.
“That’s got you thinking. I bet you wouldn’t mind an Ash witch on your side. We’re powerful, in case you didn’t know. And I’m the last in line, so dragging me back to the dark side would be an added bonus.”
The skull stopped moving. I cast a few more spells, but nothing had any effect.
It was getting late, but I couldn’t give up yet. I grabbed a bag, gathered up the bones, feathers, and the ghost jar, and placed them inside. I shrugged on my jacket, doused the bonfire, and made sure I had my hat pulled down over my face so no one would recognize me, then headed into the village.
There was someone I’d been meaning to talk to. It was time to confront Albert and see if his Mr. Nice Guy act was just that. I wasn’t convincing myself that he was a dark overlord come to wreak havoc on sleepy little Witch Haven, but he was always around when trouble stirred. I had to see if there was anything behind that.
The bakery was closed when I got there, but Albert lived in the apartment upstairs. I rang the bell and waited.
A moment later, a light came on in the bakery, and Albert headed to the door. He smiled brightly when he saw me and gave me a cheery wave. What did he have to be so happy about? His plan to take his niece’s energy had failed.
He threw the door open wide. “Indigo! It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever. Have you been avoiding me?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Not really. But it’s been a busy few weeks.”
“I’ll say it has. I’ve just had a huge order for a wedding party. I’m not sure how I’ll find the time to bake everything. You must come in and fill me in on your news.”
I glanced behind me, checking Albert wasn’t trying to dupe me, but there was no group of angry villagers about to pounce. I walked into the bakery and waited for him to close the door.
“Would you like a cake? Everything is packed away in the fridges, but I can get you something. How about a salted caramel muffin? Or a blueberry tart?”
I shook my head. Albert had fooled me once with his delicious cakes, I wasn’t going there again. “I’m not here for your food.”
“Are you sure? I can even make you something fresh.”
“No, I’m here about Luna and what happened in the cemetery.”
“Oh, you mean her send-off? Wasn’t it wonderful? I’m so glad I made the effort to do it. People said I was being foolish, but it’s important to have closure.”
“Is that what you call it? I heard it didn’t exactly go to plan.”
He gestured at a table and settled in a seat. I joined him and perched on the edge of the seat opposite him. I placed the bag with my dark magic goodies beside me.
“I’d have liked more people to be there, but those that mattered got to say goodbye to Luna,” he said.
“Albert, you weren’t saying goodbye to her. You were taking her energy. You don’t even know for certain she’s dead. And you must know what happens if you tear magic from someone who is still alive.”
He shuddered. “You’re mistaken. I’d never do that. This was just a final farewell. And it’s nice that I have somewhere I can go when I want to talk to Luna. I don’t have much family left because...” he waved a hand at me. “Well, I don’t need to explain that to you. Luna was happy to put up with the prattlings of an old man. She was such a kind child. Well, young woman. You’ve all grown up so fast.”
“Luna was amazing. And she still is, but I think she’s in trouble because of the darkness in the village.”
“Darkness? I’m not sure I understand.”
“Neither do I. Not completely.” I rested a hand on the bag. “I’ve got some things to show you, and I need you to be honest with me about them.” This could get bad really quickly if these items triggered Albert’s dark side. That’s even if he had one, but I had to know for sure if he was involved.
His eyebrows raised, but he nodded.
I set out the pieces of ghost jar, the feathers, and then the skull.
He grimaced as he looked at the items. “Where did you get those?”
“The skull came from a grave in the cemetery. The rest of the items I found lying around in the same place.”
His head jerked back. “You dug up a grave to take that skull?”
“No, this one was open. And, in case you’ve forgotten all the fun you had in the cemetery, the dead are rising. It would be easy to grab dozens of bones from the wandering corpses.”
“Wandering... corpses?” He scratched the side of his head. “I don’t know anything about that.”
That made no sense. Albert remembered going to the cemetery, but not being attacked by the corpses. Was that because his magic was involved? “Are you also claiming not to know anything about these things?”
“I... no! Why should I?”
“You know nothing about cursed bones that make the dead rise and magic fade?”
Albert’s mouth opened and closed several times. “I’m at a loss to know what to tell you. I have nothing to do with curses. My magic focuses on positivity. Spells and sugar, that’s my speciality. Besides, why would I want to curse anyone?”
“That’s what I’m here to find out. Touch the skull.”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t like the feel of it. And it’s not natural to carry that around. If you believe it’s dangerous, you should destroy it, or hand it to the Magic Council.”
“I need to know if you’re familiar with the spells on it. Touch the skull. If it’s your magic, it’ll recognize you.”
“I won’t! It could be tainted. Put it away.” His body shuddered, and he wrapped his arms around himself, as if seeking comfort.
My gut told me Albert was the least likely person to ever use dark magic, but he’d been involved with this mystery from the beginning. His niece had disappeared, he’d drugged me and my friends and almost burned us at the stake, and he had been in the cemetery, casting magic to get his hands on more power. Had I been duped by this nice, easy to forget guy?
“I was thinking about your relationship with your late wife,” I said.
His expression turned puzzled. “What about it? I’m surprised you even remember her.”
“I remember everyone who died the day me and Magda attacked the village. You didn’t have a good relationship, did you?”
He stared at me. “We were a married couple. We had a few issues, but we got along just fine. Why? What are you suggesting?”
“What did you do after she died? Did you take her magic, just like you planned to do with Luna’s?”
Albert did an impressive goldfish impression for several seconds. “Well, since you mention it, I did take my wife’s power. She also specialized in food magic, and I saw no harm in taking it. Having my wife’s energy enhances what I can do for the bakery. And she wouldn’t have minded. She loved this place.”
“You had an agreement? You both agreed that if one of you died, the other could have their energy?”
Albert gulped. “Not in so many words. It was more of an unwritten understanding. It was logical that I take it.”
It may have been logical, but it was also illegal. A magic user must agree in front of two witnesses to have their energy transferred to someone else upon their death.
“Indigo, I don’t like where you’re going with this questioning,” Albert said. “And I really don’t like the fact you’ve brought these tainted magic objects into my bakery. I shall have to have it cleansed.”
I wasn’t apologizing for questioning a suspect in this mystery. “You do that. But I’m not going to stop asking questions until Luna is safely back with us. Or don’t you want me to keep looking for her?”
Albert pushed back his chair. “I suggest you leave. I have nothing to tell you about curses or corpses, and it’s upsetting that you’re suggesting I don’t care about Luna. I was feeling good about saying goodbye to her, and now you’ve ruined everything.”
I remained in my seat. “I’ve had a doozy of a time recently, and I had a feeling you were behind it.”
His
chin wobbled, but he glared at me. “You’re wrong. I know nothing about these feathers, walking corpses, or any of the other oddities you’ve talked about. Now, if you don’t mind, I was about to go to bed.”
I collected up the items and followed Albert to the bakery door. I walked out and then turned. “Albert. Catch!” I threw the skull at him.
On reflex, he reached out and grabbed it. He was blasted across the bakery and hit the back wall. He slid down it and groaned. The skull slipped from his fingers and rolled away.
I raced over to him and checked for a pulse. I blew out a breath when I discovered he was alive.
“What happened?” He groaned. “Something hit me. It felt like a sledgehammer.”
“Holy broomsticks! Albert, I’m sorry. I had to see if the skull magic was connected to you, and you wouldn’t touch the skull, so I figured I’d make you. I had no idea it would do that to you.” I eased him forward and checked the back of his head. There was a cut, and a large lump was forming.
“Skull magic?” He moaned and leaned forward. “I don’t feel too good. What’s going on?”
“I made a mistake. If that had been your magic, it wouldn’t have reacted to you like that. I’m really sorry.” I stayed beside him as he huffed and puffed and complained about a headache. “Can you stand? You’ll feel better once you’re on your feet.”
It took a few minutes of persuading, but I got Albert into a chair. I rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a bag of ice, and headed back into the bakery. I rested the ice against his lump and glanced at the skull. It was definitely smirking at me.
“I’m having some odd memories,” Albert said. “Do you think I have a concussion?”
“Most likely. You blasted across the room like a jet-propelled bat. We’ll let the swelling go down, and then I’ll do some healing magic on you. You’ll feel better after that.”
He glanced at me. “Thank you. Although why did you do that? Don’t you trust me?”
I was ashamed of my actions, and it had been a desperate move to try to find answers. A move that had badly backfired. “I wasn’t thinking straight. And all the mysteries in Witch Haven are driving me crazy.”