So far, the only common thing Olivia and her mother had done was eat something and drink tea, but if her mum had caught it at the doctor’s, she could have passed it onto Olivia. But her dad hadn’t gotten it, and he’d done everything Olivia had. I sighed. If only I could talk to Olivia’s mother’s friend. Maybe something would make sense.
I finished my coffee and frowned. I hadn’t had a double-chocolate muffin in days. I missed my visits to Costa. Maybe I could sneak up there later without telling anyone. I hadn’t seen any new goons since I’d killed the last one, and I knew more magic now. No one would miss me anyway since everyone was caught up in the disaster. I’d pop into the local public toilet, hurry into Costa, then pop home again. Easy peasy.
Decision made, I stood. I left my notebook on the table and magicked my phone into my back shorts pocket. It was time to go and face Agent Laaam. I snorted. I probably should take her threats more seriously, but cowering in fear was not my way, plus I was stubborn, and I hated the thought that she took pleasure from intimidating me. If it was going to make her happy, I was not going to do it.
I stepped through my doorway into the PIB reception room. Gus was there to open the door for me again. “Hey, Gus. Long time no see.” I smiled.
“Good morning, Miss Bianchi. You’re here almost as much as I am these days. When are you going to make it official?”
We walked side by side to the conference room. “Probably never. I don’t want to be an agent. Ma’am just wanted me to sit in, although I’m not sure why, exactly.”
“Ma’am has a reason for everything she does. I would bet that you’re more help than you realise.” He smiled.
I wasn’t comfortable with this conversation, so I changed the subject, and we chatted about nothing much until we reached our destination. As Gus knocked on the door, then opened it, my mouth went dry. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was going to see stupid Agent Laaam, or if it was because I hated making a grand entrance with everyone staring at me. Walking into this room was my least favourite thing to do—I hated it even more than picking up poo, not that I’d ever had to, but still, I could imagine how gross picking up poo after your dog was, and I’d do that a hundred times if it meant I didn’t have to walk in here and be eyeballed by judgemental witches.
I stepped around Gus and into the room. Everyone turned to look at me, of course, and my heart rate kicked up. Drake sat at the head of the table, Ma’am to his left, Dana to his right, and Will next to her. James and Millicent sat on the other side of Ma’am; then there was a spare seat and Beren. Two more agents I didn’t know—a middle-aged man and woman—sat next to Will. It was pretty much a full house.
Drake gave me a nod. “Thank you for joining us, Miss Bianchi. Please take a seat.”
I hurried to sit next to Millicent, as they were obviously waiting for me before they started the meeting, or maybe they weren’t. Maybe they’d had some of the meeting—the part I wasn’t supposed to hear. Whatever. I shouldn’t be offended—I didn’t want to be an agent after all, but I hated that Dana thought that made her superior. I risked a glance her way, but she was already ignoring me, her gaze on Drake. Someone else did meet my eyes, however.
Will.
My cheeks heated. He’d caught my gaze, and I couldn’t look away. The shock of him actually noticing me had me like a deer in headlights. What were those blue-grey eyes trying to tell me? He didn’t smile, didn’t frown, just stared. I swatted away the butterflies in my stomach. I don't like you. I don’t like you.
Drake stood, and I turned my attention to him. If Will wanted to say something to me, he could have come to Angelica’s place at any time. Whatever this staring thing was, I was not buying in.
Drake straightened his lemon-yellow tie. “As you all know, the situation in Kent, and more specifically, Westerham, is volatile. With the number of crimes escalating sharply, the police were understaffed. That situation has become even more critical with the sidelining of a number of officers who have also been affected by whatever this is. We’re doing all we can, but it’s clear at this stage, it’s not enough.” He stepped away from his chair. He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled along behind Dana, Will, and the two other agents I didn’t know. “Whilst the frequency of violence has diminished since yesterday, we can surmise that it’s because so many people were already locked up. But those who were arrested up to this time yesterday have calmed down. We and the police have released many of them, as they were first-time offenders, and we need to clear space for new arrests. My worry is that whatever set them off will reoccur.”
I resisted an eye-roll. Yeah, you and everyone else in this room. It would be great if he could tell us something we didn’t know.
He turned and sauntered his way back towards his chair. “So, what are we to do, you may ask? I’ll let Agent DuPree Senior explain what I managed to arrange with my mates from the army and Kent Police.” He gave Ma’am a nod and sat in his chair. Wow, way to take all the credit, duck man. I couldn’t deal with his crap on a daily basis. I’d do something to get arrested pretty quickly if he were my boss. It was a good thing I didn’t have my heart set on joining the PIB.
“Thank you, Agent Pembleton.” Angelica gave him a cool smile, then stood. “As the affected people come to their senses, we’re interviewing them about their movements in the twenty-four hours prior to becoming violent. The blood tests are clear of viruses. Also, because of the consistent duration of the violence in each person as well as the fact that family members or friends aren’t always affected, we’re ruling out a virus. Our summation is that we’re dealing with contaminated food or drink, but we haven’t found any traces of magic on the sufferers. If we find that this is indeed a malicious attack on the citizens of Kent, we will drop all charges against those affected. They become victims rather than perpetrators.”
I thought about the old guy who had attacked me and my bananas. He’d had to pay for them. I put up my hand. “Excuse me, Ma’am.”
“Yes, Lily.”
“If the perpetrators are caught, does that mean they’re liable for any damages payable or murders, etcetera?” It was unfair that the old guy was out of pocket, and it hadn’t even been his fault.
Agent Laaam turned to me and rolled her eyes, as if I’d asked an obvious question that any idiot would know the answer to. I gave her a bland look. I was not going to bite.
Ma’am answered, “Yes. That is correct.”
“Thanks.” Wow, what a mess it was going to be when this was all over. Whoever had done this stood to be accused of hundreds, if not thousands, of crimes. They could probably make it into the Guinness Book of World Records for most charges against a criminal. Not the record you wanted to be breaking, although, I bet serial killers always hoped they would be the winner for most murders. Sickos.
Ma’am continued. “The army has deployed soldiers into Westerham and other villages. They’ll patrol the high street and surrounding blocks. We’re also enforcing a 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew. It will probably take a few more days until we’ve narrowed down the specific food or beverage responsible—we have a mountain of information to get through.”
I put my hand up again.
“Yes, Lily?”
Dana sighed loudly. I pretended she wasn’t there.
“Couldn’t it be more than one thing? What if it’s a bakery, for instance, and they’ve contaminated all their products?”
Ma’am nodded. “If that’s the case, we’ll close in on them quicker. Everyone affected will have eaten from the same place.”
Dana rolled her eyes again. “Honestly, Lily. Can you ask something that the rest of us don’t know the answer to?”
My cheeks heated as everyone turned to stare at me. Were they all thinking the same thing? I risked making a bigger idiot of myself, but I wasn’t going to let her insult go unchallenged. “But what if that bakery wasn’t a small local bakery, but a large bakery that delivered to all the stores and cafés?”
Dana huf
fed. “We’d still get to the bottom of it. Honestly, I don’t even know what you’re doing here. You’re as useless as a non-witch. In fact, isn’t it true that we waste precious PIB resources covering your arse?”
I tried to ignore the burst of adrenaline flooding my body and took a slow breath. How did she know? And did she know why? Probably not, or she would have just come right out with it. And why was everyone staying silent?
Willing my voice to come out strong and even, I said, “I didn’t ask for anyone to protect me. What’s it to you, anyway? Why do you hate me so much? You’ve been nothing but awful to me since the day I met you.”
She laughed and pointed to herself. “Who, me? I’m nothing but nice to everyone. I think you’re just jealous because I have everything you want. If I point out your shortcomings, it’s only because I’m passionate about protecting the PIB and my fellow agents from incompetence.”
The more everyone else stayed quiet, the more unsettled I became. Ma’am’s face was sympathetic, as if to say, “I’m sorry, but she’s right. I just didn’t have the heart to break it to you.” James wore an expression of mild surprise, Beren and William were shaking their heads, and the two agents I didn’t know were giving each other looks as if they were extremely uncomfortable and didn’t know where else to look. I turned to Millicent, and she shrugged. Shrugged! Had everyone abandoned me?
Dana turned to Drake. “I think we should ask her to leave, sir. She’s slowing us down, and quite frankly, she shouldn’t be privy to classified PIB information. And I don’t see why the PIB should be guarding her either. It’s time she fended for herself. If she hasn’t learned enough magic to look after herself by now, bad luck.”
He cleared his throat and considered her request. “Yes, yes, Agent Lam. I think you’re right.” He turned to Angelica. “Please desist on providing Lily with a protection detail.”
Ma’am nodded, her expression blank. “Consider it done.”
What the hell? She hadn’t even hesitated. I knew she was acting weird and wasn’t herself, but a little piece of my heart still broke off and fell into the growing abyss inside me.
The duck turned his stern gaze my way. “Please leave, Lily. You’re no longer permitted on the PIB premises.”
My mouth dropped open. Seriously? I mean, I should be happy, since I didn’t like being here anyway, but I hated being forced into anything. And whilst I knew Dana was probably using her powers of persuasion on everyone—because how else could this make sense—I had to bite my tongue to stop tears from escaping. Everyone I cared about was turning their back on me. Is this what they’d thought about me all along? And how was she hiding the fact that she was using her magic? There were no telltale tingles or warmth on my scalp or skin. Then I remembered that using your talent didn’t necessarily mean anyone else would sense it. If you were only using your inherent power, not drawing from the golden river, no one would know. But if she were using her talent on that many people simultaneously, surely she would need to draw extra power? Or was she the strongest witch ever? Crap.
My original feelings of dislike for her fed on her spiteful words and on the continued silence of those who should have been defending me. Dislike contorted into hate. Now that my heart had been hollowed out, left to collapse without the support and love of those I trusted, I had nothing to lose. Stuff her and her threats—even if she was super strong and could probably kill me with a point of a finger.
I pushed my chair back and stood, careful to appear composed and rational, not lost and vulnerable like I really was. Back straight, I shook my head, willing my jelly-like legs to stay strong and not collapse. “You’ve all been fooled by Dana. She’s using her powers of persuasion on you all. She’s the one who isn’t fit to be here, using her ‘talent’ when it’s forbidden. And you’re all too bewitched to see it.”
Dana narrowed her eyes and gave me a small shake of her head. Then she looked past me to Millicent and smirked. Oh, crap. Was she going to make good on her earlier threat?
Millicent groaned. I spun around. She sat clutching her stomach, her face whiter than usual. James jumped out of his seat and knelt in front of her. “What is it, Mill?” His wide eyes stared into hers.
“Bad… cramp.” She was breathing heavily. “I need to get to the doctor.” Her eyes shut, and she scrunched her face.
Dana tsked. “Now see what you’ve done, Lily. You’re bad news. If Millicent loses her baby, it will be all your fault.” Dana’s dark eyes were damn near black as she stared at me, accusing and victorious.
Ma’am, Beren, and Will shook their heads at me. James and Millicent had no mind for anyone else—whatever was happening with the baby had their full attention.
“We’re going to the hospital. Beren, please come with us,” James said before he swept Millicent into his arms and disappeared. Beren stood and stepped through his doorway. I had no idea how he knew which hospital to go to. Maybe they had an emergency plan in place since he was the best healer the PIB had?
Drake scowled at me. It was clear I wasn’t welcome anymore, not to mention it was my fault Millicent’s baby was in danger. It was time for me to go, but Dana hadn’t won. No one hurt those I loved and got away with it. She could’ve asked Snezana how kidnapping James had gone… if Snezana had still been alive.
I fought the urge to jump across the table and break Dana’s nose. Instead, I gave her my most serene smile and dredged confidence up from somewhere down deep. “If anything happens to Millicent’s baby, I’ll be coming for you.”
She laughed, her bright-red lips revealing her glowing-white teeth.
“Your adolescent magic is no competition for my power and experience. Now run along home, child, and leave the grown-ups to their work.”
I had to hand it to her—her talent was impressive. Everyone was watching our exchange without a hint of incredulousness at such a petty argument in the middle of a meeting. No one said a word. Funny that her powers hadn’t worked on me. Surely it would have been easier to brainwash me than force the issue this way? Wow, how hadn’t I seen that before? My smile, this time, was genuine. “You should be afraid of me, Agent Laaam. How many other people are immune to your talent? I’m guessing no one. Does it make you wonder what else I’m capable of?”
Her glee disappeared. She gripped both chair arms. Anger pulsed from her, but she didn’t say anything. I thought so. It must be time to go.
I gave her a wave. Before I could tell myself what a stupid idea it was, I made my doorway around myself, the way Angelica did, the way Dana had said I would never master. My heart raced as I waited for the pain of a chopped off foot or scalp—it was impossible to see what you were doing and where to create the edges of the doorway when it wasn’t in front of you.
A moment of familiar warmth travelled from my head to my neck and shoulders, and I was standing in Ma’am’s reception room. I’d done it! Ha, take that, Witchface. My happiness was short-lived, unfortunately, when I remembered Millicent and the baby. God, I hoped evil Dana hadn’t hurt the baby.
Nausea gripped my insides, and my mouth went dry. I needed to find out which hospital James had taken Millicent to and get myself over there. Hopefully they didn’t blame me for what happened, but if they were under Dana’s spell, they likely hated me.
It was a chance I had to take. I pulled out my phone and texted James. Are Millicent and the baby okay? Can I come and see you?
I stared at the screen for a minute, blood pounding past my ears, waiting for an answer. But none came. I hung my head and closed my eyes. Please be okay.
I unlocked the reception-room door and stepped into the hall before locking the door again. Should I ask Olivia for help? My eyes burned with tears. I had no one else to turn to. Guilt constricted my throat, making it hard to breathe. If it wasn’t for my stupid pride, Millicent and the baby would be fine. Why did I have to goad the piranha? But then, what if no one ever stood up to her? She’d be ruling the world with her horrible brand of evil before everyone knew
it.
I unlocked my phone and stared at the screen. Nothing. Maybe I should text Beren? Was he as angry at me as James and Millicent probably were? Would he be in the middle of healing Millicent? My interruption wouldn’t be welcome and might distract him. I took a shaky breath and blew it out. I typed one last message to James. If he didn’t get back to me, there was nothing I could do except give him space.
Hey. I’m so sorry about what happened at the meeting. I didn’t mean to put Millicent or the baby in danger. I hope you can both forgive me. It would break my heart if anything happened to them. Please let Millicent know I send my love, and I understand if you don’t want to talk to me right now. Even if you hate me, please let me know how they are when you know something. Xx.
I wiped moisture from my eyes and sniffed. There was no use doing nothing all day and pining for a message. Even though I wasn’t wanted at the PIB, there were still people out there who needed this mystery to be solved. So many people’s lives would be ruined if the violence continued. And how many people would die for nothing? And why did Piranha want me gone from the investigation? Did she stand to gain from solving it or from the continuation of violence?
Yikes. Was I onto something? Maybe I just had an overactive imagination. But how would she gain if Westerham imploded? No, that was ridiculous. She just wanted the glory, and she hated that Will and I had been friends, and yeah, she could tell I liked him.
I wasn’t sure if Olivia was home or even if she was still asleep after getting back late last night, but I needed a friend, and I was sure she’d want to help figure out what was going on.
I went upstairs and knocked on her door.
“Come in.”
Thank God she was there. Some of the heaviness lifted from my chest, and I opened the door. She was dressed and sitting at her desk. She turned around. “Hey, Lily.” Her smile flatlined. “What’s wrong?” She stood and came over to me.
Gah, I didn’t want to cry, but just the simple act of her asking what was wrong, caring, brought the burn of tears. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from losing it altogether. “Um.” Where to start? “Millicent was having stomach cramps in the PIB meeting, and James rushed her to hospital. Oh, and everyone hates me.” That about covered it.
Witchslapped in Westerham Page 5
