Even with my hair pulled back in a loose bun, I could tell that a significant amount of it was gone, especially on the side where angry red scalp was exposed. I undid the bun, and the resulting hair was uneven and fell either to my shoulders or bra line but nowhere near the butt length it used to be. The smell of burned hair was overwhelming when it was down. I was probably still in shock because it didn’t bother me as much as I expected. I was alive and so was Vanessa. That was probably enough to ask for right then.
Vanessa grabbed my ribs, and the pain sent my blood pressure soaring, which was what I needed at that moment. “Thanks.”
She started the slow process of helping me back to the bed. “I heard. I knew that you were alone in the car, and I was pretty sure you had lost your mind. Badger kept me, Mom, and Olivia informed. Mom and Olivia visited you several times, but you were always asleep.”
“Did he tell you the whole story?” I wasn’t sure that he was even in the room at the time, but maybe Bear had caught him up. Everything since the bomb was a mush, and I was struggling to keep details clear.
“Yes. Can I admit that I didn’t even know ghosts were, like, real? I knew that theoretically it was possible, but I thought… I guess I just didn’t think it actually happened.” Vanessa helped me back to the bed and used the rail on the side of the bed to maneuver back to the couch, relying on it more than I expected. “Vin wanted me to tell you to quit being so dramatic and get back to work.”
I snorted in surprise. That was so Vin, and surprisingly, it warmed me. I settled back into bed, pushing Patagonia over, as she had taken over the center of the bed.
Vanessa collapsed onto the couch with a giant harrumph of air then a groan as she clutched her side. “I feel like a punching bag that got a big workout. How are you doing?”
I closed my eyes and took a slow breath before answering. “I’m exhausted, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt this terrible, but still better than last night.”
She chuckled. “I know what you mean.” She lifted her legs onto the couch and reclined, carefully arranging herself. “I’m acting pretty casual about it, but I was, like, legit freaked out yesterday. Everyone was. You should have been dead instantly, and you weren’t, but… none of us really thought you would make it.” Her voice choked up, and tears were rolling down her face.
I stretched my arm over the side of the bed. “Awww, I’m sorry. Don’t be upset.”
She reached out and squeezed my hand before wiping the tears away with her sleeve. “I just wanted you to know.”
Dr. Trout popped her head in, and when she saw I was up, she stepped inside and closed the door.
Which was surprising since she had just been in a few hours ago and declared me almost ready for release.
She pulled a chair around between my bed and the couch and arranged it to face both Vanessa and me. “How are you guys feeling?” Her tone indicated that she wasn’t asking so much physically as emotionally.
I looked to Vanessa, and she answered first. “Shook up. I was just telling Ella that I really thought she was dead and—” She cut herself off and blinked furiously, leaving the rest unsaid.
Dr. Trout turned her attention to me.
“I’m still processing, I guess. Knowing that Sally didn’t die was a relief, but I feel… conflicted about the idea that she actually died years ago. She seemed happy.” She didn’t seem like what I thought a ghost would be. She wasn’t in endless torment, unable to communicate with the outside world. She loved her mom, and her mom loved her. They had a life together, and maybe Sally was in the right place by her mom’s side. I blew out a long sigh and pulled Patagonia up closer to snuggle her.
She fought a little, twisting in my arms, but eventually settled in, rhythmically digging her claws into my hip as she purred, radiating contentment and happiness.
Dr. Trout startled me a bit when she spoke. “Are you going to continue your investigation into the murder?”
“Why? Do you know something?”
She shifted in her seat and briefly looked uncomfortable. “Maybe.”
She reached into a pocket on her lab coat and pulled out a small notebook. “After you two were stable and no longer scaring me half to death, I went down to the lab to work with Beth. She sends her best, by the way. She insisted we have the bird-nest dessert you guys gave us.
“We started discussing dragon spit and its properties, then she brought up the dragon-heart wine you mentioned. Then we were chatting about the results of the Legacy testing. We were trying to take some guesses as to the mystery components, when suddenly I made the connection between the dessert, the wine, and some of the components in Legacy.”
The same thought hit me as she explained. I faced Vanessa. “Do you still have your notes, specifically the list of unique items that each store carried? The wine, an orchid, you know what I mean.”
Vanessa pulled out a notebook from her purse and passed it to me. “Are they connected to Legacy?”
We both looked at Dr. Trout for an answer.
“I can’t say for sure, but… so far I haven’t found anything to conclusively say it isn’t the wine that is the ingredient in Legacy. The testing won’t be complete for a bit, but so far it is a possibility worth exploring.” She was ever the scientist, unwilling to state with fact anything that was still mostly a gut feeling.
I found the list with the items from each store and copied it onto a blank piece of paper I ripped out. “Monkbird orchid, gold-ink potion, gryphon egg, fire salamander, living-rock dice, and you already know about the dragon spit and the wine. These are the things that we found so far that are ‘special imports’ to the stores. In each case, they insisted they were one of the only places that sold it. Could they be ingredients in Legacy?” I passed her the paper.
She looked it over, her eyebrows knit together in thought. “Obviously I can’t say for sure, but they could be. I’ll need to do more testing. Do they have some in stock?”
I nodded. “Yes, except the wine. We bought that out, but there is still a bottle in the back of my car, wherever that is. All of the stores were complaining because a few months ago the buyers stopped coming in.”
“Ellen might not have any more dragon spit. She was using it up,” Vanessa clarified.
“Oh, that’s right.”
Dr. Trout shook away my mistake. “No problem. I’ll go with Beth later today and pick up some samples to run in the lab. Remember I spoke about how the spell involved in Legacy allows rider spells and how that was related to how DJ Wiz was able to alter it to allow overdoses to occur?”
I nodded along. “Yes.”
“Everything I’ve discussed so far has been in regards to the primary spell, which was responsible for the flood of good emotions that the user experienced. While it is a unique spell, it isn’t that different from other drugs with similar effects. That spell has a distinct user profile from the maker. It’s really, really faded, but it’s there. The secondary spell, the one that siphoned off the magic, is definitely from a second mage. We can tell that much even though the signature is completely gone. It piggybacks onto the spell after the original spell is activated on the pill.”
I frowned at the ceiling. “Can you tell how long it was between the two spells?”
“No, no way to tell. Except… the primary spell is fragile and probably lasts less than six months, so I guess that is the maximum time between the first spell and the second being added.”
“Could the second spell be by the same mage?”
“No, the user profile is definitely different, but I can’t really nail down any details from the second spellmaker. Neither of them are very clear, but there are some really technical details that show me they are two different people. Do you want me to explain?”
I shook my head. If she thought it was too complicated to explain, then I knew it would be over my head.
“Maybe if you get us some more pills?” she asked.
“If I find any, they’re all yours. Could
the second spellmaker add it without the first spellmaker knowing?”
“Yes. We know DJ Wiz added a spell later, and based on what he told you, he did it all on his own. But maybe Spellmaker One and Two worked together. Divided up the work.”
“Could you pick up DJ Wiz’s signature on the spell he added?”
“Yes.”
“But not on the second spell, the one that removed the magic from the user?”
“No. That signature was either not very strong, or… okay, it was most likely hidden by something the spellmaker did. Which is smart. Whoever did the original spell tried to hide their signature, but they didn’t do a particularly great job. It was like someone wrote on paper with a pencil then erased, but someone could still pick up the signature when they viewed it at an oblique angle because of the indents in the paper. The second signature was like a drawing on a whiteboard that got wiped away and the board got cleaned. Nothing was left. DJ Wiz was like a permanent marker. Nothing hidden at all. But that is a less technical way to explain how we can tell the mages between the two spells are different.”
“Because you can tell that one was a pencil and the other was a whiteboard marker?”
“Basically, yes. Does any of this help you?”
“Yes and no, not yet. I can tell that you gave me a bunch of pieces to this puzzle, but I have no idea where any of the pieces go. I think I need to sleep on it.” I let out a big yawn.
Dr. Trout got up and went to the call button and pressed it. “Good news about that. You are clear to go home and rest. Call me if you find anything or start to feel worse or… just for any reason. The nurse will help you to the door, and you are free to go.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I woke up, and it was nighttime, again, but at least this time I was wrapped in my favorite blanket and sleeping on my own couch. Vanessa had driven me home, and after an extended nap, I decided to get up and shower. She had insisted on sitting in my bedroom with the bathroom door ajar. Then if I fell, she could help out.
After an hour of gently washing my sore body and what was left of my hair, I had felt clean and renewed. Vanessa had fallen asleep on my bed, so rather than wake her, I tucked her in and took the couch for another nap.
My dad had been a smart man with a great eye for furniture. Not only was the couch handsome but comfortable. I woke up feeling better than I had since the explosion. Patagonia was a heavy weight on my knees, and my legs felt like they were threatening to buckle backward, but I sensed that wasn’t what had awoken me.
Then the doorbell rang, and my phone and Vanessa’s phone dinged in succession on the kitchen counter. I slowly stood. Though I felt better, I certainly wasn’t a hundred percent. Aching in places I didn’t know I could ache indicated I had a lot of healing left to do. Slipping into my robe, I debated which alert to deal with first. Quick little raps on the door convinced me to deal with that first.
Three quick knocks then a pause followed by two more was hardly proof, but since that was Bear’s normal knock, I wasn’t too shocked to see him at the door. It was a surprise when he said he would wait in the car while Colleen came in to talk to me alone.
I followed Colleen in. She put a small vial on the kitchen counter, next to my purse, in a pile of lipsticks, tissues, loose change, and other debris. Then she sat in the living room, where she made a big show of adjusting the pillows on the chair. If I hadn’t known her to be so calm, I would have assumed she was nervous by the way she was fidgeting.
“How are you feeling? I assume you are doing well if Tabby Trout released you from the hospital.”
I startled a bit at Colleen using Dr. Trout’s nickname. I only knew her first name was Tabitha because it was on the door of her lab. No one at the hospital had ever called her that, at least not when I had been there, but it wasn’t the right time to focus on that.
I was tempted to ask how well they knew each other, but there was something in her tone that was already unsettling me. My stomach turned, and I had a vague sense of dread, but I wasn’t sure why.
“I feel okay. I’m sore and stiff but ready to get back to work. People need me.” I smiled brightly. Previously she had been all about duty and such, so I assumed she would be pleased with my response.
Instead she looked away, and the answer seemed to disappoint her. “Why did you decide to be a Monza?” She faced me, her eyes suddenly very intense. Her shields were tightly up, and I couldn’t read any emotions to that question.
“To help people. I guess… I mean there were a lot of reasons, and they’ve changed a bit over time.” I could sense that whatever was wrong was getting worse, so I tried to list all the reasons. “People seem to come to me more for help, and I like that. I like helping them. And my skills really match up with helping people. Being able to read a death scene, sensing emotions, sensing the auras of magic. I can help people.”
My throat tightened with emotion. It might not be why I first became a Monza, but now it was true. The truth hit me so hard that I felt off balance as I finished, “It just… felt like my calling.”
Colleen looked down. Physically, her body language was starting to close off.
Words started pouring from my mouth. I knew I could convince her, but I wasn’t saying the right things. My response was to say everything. “But I have so much to learn. I don’t understand anything about being a Monza. That is why working with you is so important. I’ll learn anything.”
She stood up. “I wanted to help but—but I just can’t.” She avoided my eyes and strode toward the door.
“Tell me what I am doing wrong. I’ll change. Really.” I followed behind her, practically begging.
“It’s not you, Ella. These things are hard to explain, but I just can’t help you. I’m sorry.” She left and closed the door behind her.
I was too shocked to move, and when I did, I ran to the door and threw it open, but Bear’s car was already gone.
CHAPTER NINTEEN
Morning light gently woke me. The sky was still the soft pink of sunrise, and my loft was quiet. For a moment, I felt only a vague sense of confusion as to why I was on my couch, then I shifted my stiff body, and my memories all came back. As I remembered that Colleen had decided not to train me, my heart literally hurt in my chest, and I struggled to hold back tears.
I had counted on that for so long. I was sure that Bear’s relative would be willing to train me just as he had, as Auntie Ann had, but I had been wrong, and I felt at loose ends. What was I supposed to do?
Quite literally, it was Friday, and that night was the rehearsal dinner, and Saturday was the wedding, but then what? I mean, why was I even in Rambler? Because my dad left me a loft and the building it was in? I could sell it. Certainly Bear or Badger would want to buy it, and if they didn’t have the money, they could go in together.
There was no reason why I had to stay. I loved Vanessa and her whole family. Well, maybe not Vin, but that didn’t mean I had to stay. I would miss everyone, but maybe I was being a fool to stay. My father hid my entire existence for a reason, and that led to me declaring myself a Monza and following the old ways. But was I being a fool? If I left and settled down anywhere else in the world, wouldn’t I be safer?
I wouldn’t have to be a Monza if I lived in Denver, Colorado, or London, England, or… anywhere but here. I could go by my dad’s name again. I could proudly introduce myself as Gabriella Ramono. I wouldn’t have to tell anyone that I was a Monza. I wouldn’t have to be a Monza.
But was that how it worked? Before I was a mage, I could change my profession. If I stopped wanting to be an accountant, which I did for a while, I just stopped. But was Monza the same? Magic changed everything, and I could have bound myself to my new choice. What would the repercussions be if I stopped living the lifestyle?
Anger flared up in my chest so fast that it took my breath. That was what Colleen was supposed to teach me. She was supposed to explain these things!
Maybe if I left today, I could skip the wedding
as well. Maybe Thomas would have some suggestions. If I wasn’t a Monza, then I wouldn’t need to think twice about dating him.
I poured myself a cup of coffee and spooned in a generous amount of sugar and cream, then pulled out half a strawberry pie. I needed the sugar to help heal my body, replace my magic, and make me happy. Mostly the latter.
I contemplated the idea of all my problems disappearing as I drank my mug down to empty and finished off the rest of the pie. I should have felt great, but I didn’t. I felt empty.
Vanessa came shuffling down the hall, her eyes barely open. I pushed a mug into her hand. I had fixed it just the way she liked it—sugary milk with a hint of coffee—then I found a sleeve of mini chocolate donuts that she loved and tore open the package and poured them out on the counter in front of her.
She drank the whole mug down in one gulp then shoved two donuts in her mouth.
I was going to need to find more, so I refilled her mug and opened the fridge for more food. “If you could just pick up and go anywhere and do anything, what would you do?”
She swallowed hard, the wad of food making a lump in her throat, then she coughed. “Hawaii. I’ve never been. I want to see the volcano then just sit on the beach and do nothing in the sun.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe try surfing? Going snorkeling? What’s up? Do you want to go on a vacation?”
I found some toaster pastries and put a strawberry one and a brown-sugar one on each side of the toaster. “No, I meant like forever. If you could do anything anywhere, what would you do?”
She screwed up her face in thought until the toaster ejected the steaming food that the manufacturers had the gall to describe as part of a healthy breakfast. Of course, since I was a mage, the metric ton of sugar actually was healthy, but I doubted that was what they meant.
“Did you forget the question?” I passed her the pastries. “Don’t forget that they’re hot!”
Casino Witch Mysteries Box Set 2 Page 31
