Casino Witch Mysteries Box Set 2

by Nikki Haverstock

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I heard a man in the vision.”

  “When?”

  I caught her up on Edward’s and Ned’s death visions and what I had seen. “But don’t tell Olivia just yet. She is a bit unhinged about the whole thing.” I understood her feelings about her dad’s murder, but it wasn’t going to solve anything if she started attacking everyone and accusing them.

  But maybe Mixie was working with the killer? “Can you pass me your vial? I just want to double-check. If Mixie made both of them and she’s the killer, then I should react to them.”

  She handed me the vial and held her breath as I uncorked it and inhaled the cloying fragrance of the potion inside. The seconds ticked on, but nary a nose twitch or twinkle occurred. We both let out a sigh.

  “Yours is clean. Which is great for you, but…” I spotted a potted plant in the corner and dumped the contents of mine in then backed away quickly, hoping that I wouldn’t react. As we watched, the leaves on the plant turned darker and darker until they curled up then disintegrated into black dust.

  “Jumping jack-o’-lantern! What if you had drank that?”

  “I think I would be littering the floor in little specks now.”

  “That’s like the second time you’ve almost died within a week. First the car explosion, now this near poisoning.”

  A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. “And the ice sculpture nearly collapsing on top of me. I bet it was all the same person.”

  “I thought the car explosion was meant for that lady.”

  “I thought so too, but I based that on the fact that it was Linda’s car and she thought she was the target. But we don’t know for sure.” I rolled the incident over in my mind.

  I had been assuming it was like the car bombs I knew from human mob movies, where it was set to Linda’s car, and when the key was turned, it was initiated, but that was a big guess with no proof. “Do you know anything about the car bomb? Was it magical?”

  “Of course it was. That’s why your little bracelet worked so well… oh my gosh, I see what you mean. It wouldn’t have gone off for the wrong person if it was magical. I mean, maybe it was meant for Linda, but if it went off with you in the car, that was on purpose. Maybe they decided to take you out when they had the chance?”

  I hadn’t noticed anyone looking shady right before the big boom. Then I remembered the sensation of being watched and the black town car rolling by. I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. Blacked-out town cars were more common than taxis in Rambler. Casinos loaned them out to shuttle around rich guests. But they were also the vehicle of choice for rich, powerful mages who wanted to stay anonymous. And clearly the killer was trying to stay anonymous. My head felt like it was going to explode as thoughts pinged around my skull faster than I could understand them. “So maybe someone was staking out the parking lot, waiting for us, or…” I thought of the timing of all three events: the ice-sculpture collapse, the explosion, and now the poisoning. I groaned and smacked a hand to my forehead. “Or they are someone wrapped up in the wedding who followed me.”

  Vanessa unzipped the bag and stared at the dress inside. “Please tell me that it’s Tiffany so I have an excuse to kill her.”

  I snorted. “I wish it were Tiffany, but it just doesn’t add up. I’m sure it was a man, plus if she wanted to get rid of me, there must have been a hundred more convenient times. But maybe she is working with the person? Maybe the mystery man in the bathroom? Do you have a theory?”

  I noticed that she wasn’t really listening to any of my brilliant hypotheses but still staring at her dress. I unzipped my matching bag and pulled out my dress. It was an unflattering shade of orange, with lots of white lace accents, and fluffy, puffy layers that stuck straight out from the dress like a tutu. The bodice was tight with capped sleeves. It was like the dresses I had seen on little girls, toddlers perhaps. If I put my hair into pigtails and carried a large lollipop, I would be all set to star in an all-adult version of The Little Rascals.

  We were going to look ridiculous, but frankly, I had too much else to worry about at the moment, so I started to change into the childish smock. “Get dressed and help me come up with a plan. You realize that the killer is already here, and when the wedding starts, they’re going to realize that their latest attempt to kill me didn’t work. They’ll probably try again at the reception.”

  I pulled on the dress and groaned. It was worse than I imagined. I was flat chested, and the tutu skirt gave me chicken legs with knobby knees. I pulled out black patent Mary Jane shoes and knee socks. “I look like I’m cosplaying an animated character.”

  Vanessa’s bottom lip was trembling, and her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. “I can’t go out like this. She did this deliberately!”

  “Pull yourself together. Whoever killed Edward and Ned is trying to kill me and almost succeeded. Focus.” I grabbed the antidote and, using safety pins, figured out a way to attach it under my skirt just in case.

  She groaned and slowly got dressed. “Maybe dying would have been preferable,” she muttered.

  Pulling on the shoes and seeing the final look, I was tempted to agree, but I instead grabbed my phone and called Bear. When he picked up, I rushed into an explanation.

  “The killer tried to poison my potion. He’s here, at the wedding.”

  “Colleen changed her flight. I’ll grab her, and we’ll head over as quickly as possible.” He clicked off without saying goodbye.

  He had been invited to the wedding but begged off, saying that family obligations came first and he was sending Badger in his stead. Now he would need to reverse the decision.

  Assuming I was right about everything, the suspects for the killer were narrowed down to a few men, and at the top of the list were the people I was already suspicious of: Marshal Felix Ricci, Victor Bruno, or Ben Ricci. Or maybe all three working together. Some master plan between them to take me out.

  Pounding on the door interrupted my thoughts. Tiffany threw open the door shouted at us. “Get out here. It’s my big moment. Vanessa, drink that potion. Now!”

  Vanessa threw back the potion then gave herself one last look in the mirror as she fought back tears.

  “Don’t worry.” I grabbed her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “This will be over before you know it, then we’ll find the killer and burn these dresses in a bonfire.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The ceremony had only barely begun, but already it felt like it had lasted an eternity, and not just because my life was at stake. The man conducting the service was some local businessman who seemed to draw every word out twice as long as necessary.

  Vanessa stood next to Tiffany, holding both her own and Tiffany’s bouquet. Tiffany’s dress was a monstrosity of cleavage, fluffy white tulle, and satin. Much like her wedding cake, there were layers upon layers, and it was bigger than really necessary.

  Vanessa held the bouquet between herself and the church, hoping to block everyone’s view of her dress. There had been whispers and even a few shocked gasps when we entered, but I had ignored them to scan the rows of chairs for two of the three prime suspects and found them directly behind Tiffany’s parents.

  The marshal had walked Tiffany down the aisle then sat next to Ben and Victor as the ceremony dragged on.

  I tried to keep an eye on them from my peripheral vision, not wanting to give away the fact that I suspected at least one of them, if not all three.

  I fidgeted and tried to look natural as I took a quick glance around at my surroundings just in case. There was a large wrought-iron arch festooned with tons of orange and white flowers that not only soared over the bride and groom but also Vanessa and me. It was black and heavy, the kind of thing that could crush us beneath it, but based on the huge bolts holding it together, it was the least of my worries beyond being in the way should I need to back up quickly.

  My mind raced as I formulated a plan. With Bear and Colleen present, perhaps we could set up a trap of
some kind at the reception. Colleen could use her role as a respected Monza to request something of the marshal, something that required magic. Or something that he might pawn off on Victor. Maybe there was a wedding tradition that needed a spell that could force them to reveal if their signature set off my detection spell.

  Ben would be harder, but if we eliminated the marshal and Victor, then we could focus on him. It had to be one of them unless there was something I missed. I fidgeted at the idea.

  The girl at the microphone finished reading a custom poem she had written for Tiffany. The subject of the poem was how beautiful and special Tiffany was, completely neglecting to even mention Vin, the groom. In fact, so far the ceremony had been one hundred percent focused on Tiffany.

  Vin’s normally serious face was hard and fixed, though my gut told me that he was not happy. But I couldn’t confirm since he shielded his emotions. He looked like he would have preferred a one-way trip to jail rather than be present.

  A tall blond girl, with more than her share of front teeth, moved to the microphone. She introduced herself as Tiffany’s second cousin and said she was going to sing a song she had written.

  Maybe my ears deceived me, but I was pretty sure that the crowd let out a little groan. She started to sing in a high warbly voice, and as she held a note longer than her skill really allowed for, I let out a sneeze.

  My nose twitched and tickled, and it wasn’t the birds of paradise flowers I had suspected before. In fact, could I have been wrong the previous night? I was becoming all too familiar with the signal for the detection spell as I let out two more sneezes, louder and wetter than the previous one.

  Tiffany slapped a hand on the back of her neck and turned to face me. “Stop it!” she hissed.

  I pinched my nose shut and scanned the row where the marshal, Victor, and Ben sat, each watching me with various degrees of interest.

  In between a bout of a half dozen sneezes, I was able to see that Ben was smirking at me. Marshal Felix seemed perplexed. But Victor’s face was slightly tense. He hid his face behind a handkerchief, but I could see him mouthing words under the thin fabric.

  The singer tried valiantly to continue, but she seemed behind then ahead of the music as I sneezed again. I reached up under my skirt with a hand and grabbed the antidote from where I had pinned it to the underskirt. My bra would have been easier, but I didn’t want it rubbing up against my channel key. I was not as devil-may-care as Vanessa about the repercussions of magical items touching.

  I downed the antidote just as a large boom went off, and two hands pushed me down the stairs. I broke the fall with my face and sat up dazed and confused. Tiffany screamed, and Vin rushed across the stage, but I focused on the spot where Victor had been. It was difficult to spot him as people ran from the ceremony. Utter pandemonium reigned.

  He was no longer hiding his magic, his face distorted in rage with his eyes locked on mine. I had no idea what he was planning other than it was hate filled and most likely fatal.

  I quickly worked up the only spell that came to my mind that would work, one that would be safe in the crowded room and protect me from whatever he was doing. It was like a racquet that could lob the spell back to the sender, but unlike a physical object, it couldn’t accidentally hit someone else. It could only be returned to the sender. I had to work quickly, building a parabolic shield in front of me, then brace for the impact.

  When the spell hit me, it physically moved me back several feet from the force. Tendrils of dark, ugly magic curled over the edges, burning my arms, which kept the shield in front of me. Once the full weight of the spell was pressed against the shield, it shot in the direction it had come.

  I could see the exact instant that Victor realized what had happened. His superior sneer shifted to horror. The screaming voices and running people were barely a distraction, so focused was I on his face. I feared that any break in concentration would weaken the shield and whatever death magic Victor had cast would kill us both.

  The spell hit him in the chest. I could tell because he shot backward as though a cannonball had struck the center of his body. He flew over the chairs and hit the ground with a scream that abruptly cut off.

  I breathed hard, intending to check on him, when a sound broke through to me: the wailing of voices I recognized. I turned around, and there, where I had been standing, the wrought-iron trellis was now a twisted mess. Olivia and even Vin had tears running down their faces as Auntie Ann held the battered and blood-soaked body of Vanessa to her chest.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Auntie Ann was trying her best to work healing magic on Vanessa as I came to her side, but even I could see that nothing we had covered in training would be sufficient. Vanessa’s body was flattened unnaturally across the chest, frothy blood coming from her nose and mouth as she struggled to breathe. Blood was spraying from her inner thigh, spraying in time to her heartbeat. She was crushed and bleeding out.

  “Vanessa, hold on. It will be okay,” I lied, knowing that it wasn’t. She must have been the one to push me. She doomed herself to save me.

  It was impossible to save her. The light was dying in her eyes even as I held her hand and begged her to stay with me. Auntie Ann knew it too, her wailing turning into silent pain as her voice gave out. I had to try.

  I worked my magic, the healing spell that would set a body back to the shape it was made for. I worked fast and hard, throwing everything into it. I could feel the rune multiplying the magic. I pushed harder and harder, a desperate effort that grew and grew, getting away from me. Like running down a hill faster than my feet could control. I felt the spell getting bigger and faster. No longer was I controlling it, but it was controlling me.

  There was danger in casting a spell bigger than I could control. It could take the very magic that tied my soul to my body, essentially killing me in the process. But Vanessa was my best friend, the closest thing in the world that I had to family, and this was my fault. It was supposed to kill me. If she died, it was only fair that I went with her.

  With arms that I barely knew were my own, I pulled her broken body to my chest. Far away I could feel tears flowing down my face, but everything was removed from the magic I worked. Heat was building in the center of my chest then radiating out all around me. A bright light surrounded us, and with it, heat.

  I was far past the edges of my ability, the magic I pushed into the spell beyond anything I had ever held, and having reached my limit, I was spent. The flames around me slowly died down, and I recognized them from my early training days: the result of uncontrolled magic.

  Someone was pulling me back, but I fought hard as someone tried to remove Vanessa from my arms. “This was my fault, and I shouldn’t live if she died!” I screamed out, the words echoing in my ears.

  “Ella! Stop! You’re hurting Vanessa.” Auntie Ann, a voice of authority that I had grown to trust, was like a lifeguard calling me out of the pool. I stopped fighting even before I understood the words she had spoken.

  My head spun, and my eyes refused to focus, and I crawled backward. My arms and legs couldn’t be controlled, so I collapsed onto the ground, breathing deeply until the world stopped spinning.

  Someone was hacking up a lung, but black dots danced in my eyes, so I couldn’t see who. Eventually, strong arms lifted me into a sitting position and pushed back some stray hair from my face. I could sense it was Vin more than I could see him.

  He squeezed my shoulder, and his voice was husky in my ear, tight with fear. “You did good. Mom was such a mess that she couldn’t do a healing spell, and even if she could… not that any of us could have fixed it, but you did. They’re checking her out, but it looks like she’s going to be okay.”

  He stroked my back and turned me to see that Vanessa was also sitting up, Dr. Trout at her side, along with other personnel. Vanessa was coughing up big wads of blood and tissue into a pan. Her chest looked normal, no longer flattened and crushed.

  The room was mostly empty, with a
few clumps of people. Auntie Ann caught sight of me and rushed over, wrapping me in her arms and pulling me to her chest. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.” Her body shook around me, and she squeezed the air from my lungs in a fierce hug.

  “What happened?” I mumbled into her collarbone that was pressed into my cheek.

  She shook her head and sobbed, holding me as I had held Vanessa. My mind was clearing, and I realized that she probably didn’t understand.

  A bellowing voice practically shook the room. “Monza Ella, you are being held accountable for the murder of Victor Bruno.”

  I slowly disentangled myself from Auntie Ann and struggled to stand. Finally, I was upright with Vin’s help, and I turned to face Marshal Felix.

  A white sheet was covering a lumpy shape where I had seen Victor fall. I tried to look confident, but my voice shook as I responded, “He attacked me, and I merely returned his spell to him. If he died, it was by his own hand.”

  “Attacked you in the middle of a wedding? I doubt it. I saw what I needed with my own eyes. You can plead your defense, but I am ready to give my verdict.”

  I swallowed hard. He was the law in this area, and from what I knew, he could declare me guilty with no additional proof. Could he execute me on the spot?

  Voices rose up in protest, a cacophony of noise and opinions, but my eyes were only on one person. Thomas strode across the room. I hadn’t noticed him until then. He stood in front of his father, though he spoke loudly enough that anyone still in the room could hear him.

  “I bear witness that Ella did not attack Victor first. He cast the spell that destroyed him. She only returned it to him, as she should have. I swear this on my mother’s and my souls, and whatever punishment is hers shall be mine.”

  The entire room paused in midprotest, the significance of his statement clear even to me.

  Marshal Felix fought with the emotions that crossed his face. For a moment, I thought he was going to declare me guilty, but eventually, resignation settled on his face. His face was full of hate when he looked at me.