“But it’s never easy,” I protested. I still had to keep the vomit at bay most of the time. Anxiety was the gift that kept on giving. I hoped our baby would be much more relaxed.
“Nothing worth doing is ever easy.” Demetrius gave his girlfriend a quick kiss before disentangling himself. “The usual?” Heads bobbed in unison. “No problem. Be right back.”
I waited until he was out of earshot, which basically meant all the way at the bar thanks to his vampire hearing. “How’s everything going with you two?”
“Great.” Begonia gazed lovingly at him across the room. “He’s been spending more time with my family. It’s been nice.”
“Wow,” Millie said. “That’s next level serious.”
“Have you talked about getting engaged?” Sophie asked.
Begonia offered a coy smile. “Not directly, but he has mentioned things that would be important to him in a marriage. To me, that’s more important than whether he’d want red or yellow flowers at the wedding.”
“I wouldn’t want red or yellow,” Millie said, wrinkling her nose.
“Kind of missing the point, Millie,” Begonia said.
“Vampires take marriage way more seriously than a lot of species, because of the whole immortality thing,” Sophie said. “’Til death do you part takes on a whole new meaning.”
“You don’t need to tell me,” Begonia replied. “But the thought of being apart from him keeps me awake at night.”
I understood how she felt. It was exactly the way I felt about Daniel. I hated being away from him for too many hours. His face was the one I wanted to see when I awoke in the mornings, not Gareth’s hovering over me with parental concern.
A vague smile touched Begonia’s lips. “I can picture us growing old together. Sort of. I guess he’ll always be young and handsome, though.” She sighed.
“Which one of you pretty things wants to dance with me?” An ogre appeared in the middle of our group. He towered over us, his skin slightly tinted with green and his nose wide and flat.
Millie placed a hand on her hip. “First, we are not things. We are witches. Second, why would you assume that any of us wants to dance with you when we’re clearly in the midst of an important conversation?”
“You’re in the Spotted Owl,” the ogre replied. “Important conversations don’t take place here.”
“Sure they do,” Millie argued. “Look over there.” She gestured to the High Priestess and then to another booth teeming with a group of paranormals, their heads bent over papers on the table. I didn’t recognize them. Then again, there were a lot of newcomers to Spellbound. It was getting difficult to keep up.
The ogre’s thick brow furrowed, digesting the scene. “Stop making sense, tall witch.” He finally gave up, throwing up his hands and stomping away.
“Who needs Demetrius and his fangs when we have Millie and her mouth?” I said with a laugh. Across the room, I caught sight of Alex Ricci slide into the booth beside Lorenzo. “Oh, just the werewolf I want to see. I’ll be right back.”
I dreaded approaching the devil’s triangle, but this was the perfect opportunity to ask Alex to do a sweep of the woods with his best trackers.
“Emma.” Alex lit up at the sight of me. Beside him, Lorenzo offered a low growl.
“Good evening, Emma,” Lord Gilder said. “You’re looking well.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Good evening, High Priestess.” Marjory gave me a tight nod. “Would you mind if I steal Alex for a second? I promise to be quick.”
Lorenzo grunted his approval. The alpha genuinely despised me.
Alex left the booth and we moved out of earshot. “What’s up?” he asked.
I told him about Darcy’s claims and my client’s arrest. “Do you think you and your pack could do a couple of sweeps the next few nights? See if you notice anything unusual?”
“Absolutely,” Alex said. “It’s in everyone’s best interest to keep criminal elements out of Spellbound.”
“I agree.” I lowered my voice. “You won’t tell Lorenzo that it was my request, will you? He’ll probably reject it on principle.”
He gave my arm a quick squeeze. “I’ll handle it.”
“Thanks, Alex. You’re the best.” I paused. “You know Darcy Minor, right?”
“I know who she is,” he replied. “Pretty blonde, right?”
“Yes!” I said, a little too emphatically. I was pleased to know he thought she was pretty. “You should speak to her about the location.” And maybe they’d end up speaking about other topics and discover they had something in common. Like a love connection. I wondered whether Alex was still dating his last girlfriend. I decided not to ask. No reason to muddy the waters when the priority was the suspicious activity.
“I’ll track her down tomorrow,” Alex said.
“Great, thanks.” As I maneuvered my way back to the witches, the karaoke deejay put out another call for singers. “I’m going to write her name down for a song,” I said quietly.
“Who?” Begonia asked.
I inclined my head toward the High Priestess. “I think it might help her loosen up. She seems so uptight.”
“I doubt she’ll go up there,” Sophie said. “She’ll probably ignore it when they call her name.”
“That’s what I’d do,” Millie said, “although at this point, I’d go up on stage just to give myself more breathing space. It’s too crowded here.”
“Don’t complain all night,” Sophie said. “It was your idea to come here for karaoke night. If you can’t handle the situation, then change it.”
A slow smile spread across Millie’s face. “That’s an excellent suggestion.” She pulled her wand from her waistband.
Uh oh. “Millie, what are you doing?” I asked. “This is the Spotted Owl. I don’t think magic is such a hot idea.”
She ignored me. “We are witches rather than things/give some of these patrons a set of wings.”
“Millie!” Begonia breathed.
My heart stuttered as paranormals around us sprouted wings. At least half the pub now had wings where there were none before. They took the opportunity to test their new appendages, flapping them and rising into the air. For better or worse, Millie’s plan worked. There was now plenty of elbow room.
“How could you?” Sophie hissed. “Limpet is here. We could get in serious trouble.”
“She won’t know who’s responsible,” Millie countered. “There are loads of magic users here.”
The music screeched to a halt as flying ogres and shifters fought to get their new body parts under control. Fights broke out as wings slapped a few of the more hot-tempered paranormals. I glanced over to see the High Priestess studying us. I tried not to be paranoid. Millie was right—there were dozens of other magic users in the pub. There was no reason to suspect us.
Demetrius returned with a tray of drinks, narrowly avoiding getting kicked in the head on the way back from the bar.
“What in the devil happened?” he asked. He handed out the drinks, in awe of the scene around us. I gratefully accepted my glass of lemon fizz. “Please don’t tell me this chaos is thanks to one of you.”
Millie whistled and turned her gaze upward.
“Let’s focus on the bright side,” Begonia said. “It’s very spacious down here now.”
Bouncers tugged at patrons’ ankles, trying to anchor them to the floor so that they stopped fighting in the air. A pint of ale spilled on Millie’s head in the process.
“I think that might be called karma,” Sophie said, suppressing a giggle.
I smiled. “Yep. I hear it’s a real witch.”
I was exhausted by the time I reached home. As much as I hated to admit it, Daniel was right. I was going to need to slow my pace as the pregnancy progressed—for my sake as well as the baby’s.
“Good afternoon, Emma.” Darcy Minor came gliding past on her magical bicycle, complete with tidy wicker basket.
“How’s it going, Darcy?”
; She came to a stop and hovered at the end of my driveway. She wore typical Darcy attire—a pearl necklace, pink cardigan, and black trousers. Her hair was swept up in an elegant French twist. No one would guess she was actually a vicious harpy, unless you’d witnessed her in charge of the school bake sale.
“Tolerable,” Darcy said. “How about you?”
I decided now was a good time as any to tell her about the baby. The Minors would find out soon enough anyway. With six harpies in the house, the rumor mill was always working overtime there.
“Pretty good. Daniel and I are expecting our first child,” I said.
I noticed the flicker of envy in Darcy’s eyes and immediately regretted my decision to share the news in person. “How lovely for you,” the harpy said. “Five minutes in town and you’ve already created a beautiful family for yourself. Well done.”
“Five minutes might be a slight exaggeration.” I tried to keep my tone light. I wasn’t sure what to say. I knew that the harpies had trouble attracting male attention thanks to their reputation and Darcy was known for making an effort. She was an active member of the Spellbound community. She joined committees. She wanted to date. Ugh. The guilt settled in the pit of my stomach and refused to budge. Dumb move, Emma.
“If you ever need a babysitter, you can bring that little bundle of joy to the Harpy’s Nest,” Darcy said. “We’d love to look after a baby.” Her expression grew dreamy. “We haven’t had an infant in the house since my youngest sister was born.”
I shuddered at the thought of Phoebe and Octavia being left in charge of my child. “That’s very kind of you to offer. We have some time before a babysitter will be necessary, but I’ll keep it in mind.”
“I suppose Gareth will want dibs,” Darcy said. “Just remember that we’re all corporeal in our house. A distinct advantage over your dead undead houseguest.”
“You lot also have talons and beaks when you’re looking your best,” Gareth called from the front porch. “No baby needs to be subjected to that nightmare.”
I ignored him so that Darcy remained unaware of his presence. “Gareth has a bit of a social life now, so I’m sure he’ll want to have adult time away from the baby on occasion.” He spent many evening keeping Igor Underkoffler company at the cemetery during his shift. It was a fulfilling albeit unconventional relationship.
“Not if it means leaving the lad with the Minors,” Gareth interjected. “I’ll make the necessary sacrifices. I’m not a monster.”
“Even an uptight ghost has more of a social life than I do,” Darcy grumbled.
“You never know, Darcy,” I said. “With all of the new paranormals moving to town, you’re bound to meet someone sooner rather than later.”
“As long as they don’t get wind of the crime rate and turn right around,” Darcy said. “I’ve suggested a new protective ward around the property, but there’s disagreement because of the inn.” Once the borders opened, the Minors decided to turn their large house into an inn for guests. I still wasn’t sure it was the best idea for the man-chasing harpies, but it wasn’t my business venture.
“I think your place is fairly secure as it is,” I said. No one in his right mind would venture too close to the harpies’ house without permission.
“Did you hear about the dead elf in the woods?” Darcy asked.
“Oh, yes,” I said. “Sedgwick discovered the body. He was on his morning hunt and saw the poor guy. I had to send for the sheriff.”
Darcy clucked her tongue. “There’ve been strange goings-on in the forest lately. Tell your owl to mind himself.”
I peered at her. “Amos’s death wasn’t strange. He died of natural causes.”
“Okay, maybe the elf’s death wasn’t suspicious, but I’ve been squeezing in a nightly flight over town for extra cardio and I’ve definitely noticed unusual activity.”
“I haven’t noticed anything and I’m out at night,” Gareth said. “Imagine that. A harpy is finding something to complain about. What a shock.”
“What kind of unusual activity?” I asked, ignoring my roommate.
“Movement where there normally isn’t any,” she replied. “I know when the shifters are due out and this isn’t them.”
“What makes you so sure?”
Darcy fingered her pearl necklace. “I’ve been living here for a long time, Emma. I’m familiar with the nocturnal schedules. The Sacred Spruce Trail has never been a main thoroughfare for anyone here.”
“What do you think it is then?” I asked. Maybe Darcy had seen evidence of the real smuggler. “How much activity are we talking about?”
Darcy drummed her fingers on the handlebars. “I see lights where there shouldn’t be any, so it isn’t anyone with night vision.”
“Miners have been working overnight lately,” I said.
“Not where I’m flying,” Darcy replied. “They’re further north, past Curse Cliff.”
“You should mention it to Sheriff Astrid,” I said. “Maybe she and Britta will do a sweep one evening, just to make sure it’s nothing out of the ordinary.”
“This is Spellbound,” Darcy said. “Of course it’s out of the ordinary.”
“Don’t bother with the sheriff for a nighttime sweep,” Gareth said. “Werewolves would be more effective. Speak to Lorenzo Mancini, or the younger one you’re friendly with.”
“Alex Ricci,” I said. I’d rescued Alex from a scheming werewolf when I’d first arrived in Spellbound and we’d been friends ever since then.
Darcy squinted. “What about Alex?”
“I was just thinking that Alex might be worth speaking to,” I said. “A werewolf could sniff out trouble more quickly than the sheriff in this situation.”
“Good point,” Darcy said. “I’ll see what I can do. I need to get home right now, though. It’s my night to cook and I don’t want Aunt Phoebe to replace my mud mask in retaliation.”
“Dare I ask what she replaced it with last time?”
Darcy bristled. “You don’t want to know.” She gripped the handlebars. “Congratulations to you and Daniel. I’m sure you’ll make wonderful parents.”
Her wistful tone tugged at my heartstrings. “Thank you.” I turned back toward the house where Gareth still lingered on the front porch.
“Well,” the nosy vampire ghost said. “That was awkward.”
Chapter Eight
“Wakey, wakey.” Gareth’s ghostly face hovered over mine.
I was so tired from the previous day that it took enormous effort to sit upright. My body moved right through his apparitional form. “Gareth, I appreciate your enthusiasm for life, but I don’t need you to act as my alarm clock every day.”
“Apparently, you do.” He tapped the imaginary watch on his wrist. “You have an appointment at the healer’s clinic in half an hour. I’ve taken the liberty of preparing tea and toast.”
I dropped back down to the pillow. “You’re off your game. Did you stay out too late with Igor last night?”
“No time for arguments,” Gareth said. “Your appointment is the priority. We want to be sure the little lad is healthy, don’t we?”
I sat up and stared at him. “The little lad or lass is healthy. Everything looks promising.”
Gareth winked. “I like the power of positive thinking. Now let’s go. Tea awaits.”
My legs felt like dead weights as I swung them over the side of the bed. “I was definitely out too late last night.” The Spotted Owl was a lot of fun, though. In the end, I lacked the energy to get on stage and sing, but it was still enjoyable to watch everyone else. Luckily for Marjory, she left before her name was called.
Gareth squinted. “Out late? You and Daniel were in bed by ten.”
“Um, no. That was….” Nausea rolled over me and I clutched my stomach.
“You feel poorly, don’t you? Gareth asked. “You must eat. Think of the baby.”
“Think of the vomit,” I said. Again. My hand flew to cover my mouth.
“Don’t do
it here on the good hardwood floor,” Gareth scolded me. “You can make it to the toilet.”
I raced for the bathroom without another word. Gareth’s apparent memory loss would have to take a backseat—puking was the priority.
I kneeled in front of the toilet, my brain a whirling mess. Once I finished heaving, I turned my head to look at Gareth. “Something’s wrong.”
“Not at all,” Gareth said. “It’s a normal part of pregnancy. The healer will explain everything.”
I leaned my head against the toilet seat. I didn’t care how gross it was. “I’m not talking about puking.” I fanned myself, feeling warm after the exertion. “Where’s Daniel?”
“He left you a note downstairs that he’ll meet you at the appointment. Preparing for his interviews today. He has two candidates, apparently. Seems to me he’ll be more nervous than they are.”
I squeezed my eyes closed. “Is this a joke? Are you and Daniel teaming up to pretend I have baby brain or something?” That seemed too mean for Daniel.
Gareth frowned. “I don’t know what you’re banging on about Emma. Good thing you’re already going to the healer’s because I think you should insist on a thorough examination, including your head.”
I used the toilet as a crutch and pulled myself to my feet. “Daniel had his interviews yesterday. I met one of them. Her name is Jordyn.”
Gareth scrutinized me. “Perhaps you dreamed it. Stranger things have happened and, remember, you are prone to semi-psychic dreams.”
I washed my face in the basin and brushed my teeth. Had I dreamed about the healer’s appointment and Daniel’s interview? I guess it was possible. Both events had been occupying mental space, especially the appointment. If Gareth was right, then it was no wonder I felt exhausted. My dreams had been jam-packed with constant activity.
“I’ll be down for tea and toast as soon as I get dressed,” I said.
“Best hurry or you’ll be late,” Gareth said. He dissipated, leaving me alone in the bathroom. I hurried to my closet and chose a loose-fitting cotton dress. It was only after putting it on and glancing in the mirror that I realized I’d worn the same dress in my dream. Well, that didn’t necessarily mean anything. The dream could’ve influenced my choice this morning. I ran a brush through my hair and hurried downstairs to wolf down the tea and toast.
Wands Upon A Time (Spellbound Ever After Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 3) Page 8
