An elf appeared by my side. “Can I help you?”
I stared at the elf, my mouth suddenly feeling like it was filled with cotton. I’d definitely experienced this moment before. My stress level began to rise. Semi-psychic or not, how could I possibly have a dream so detailed? This wasn’t like my dreams about Raisa and the curse. I began to wonder whether Gareth had been mistaken this morning, but, if ‘yesterday’ hadn’t been a dream, then what on earth was going on?
“I…I’d like to see Sammy Munez,” I said.
“Are you sick?” the elf asked. “If so, you’re in the right place.”
“I do feel a bit queasy,” I admitted.
The elf grabbed a chair from the end of the aisle and shoved it underneath me. “Stay right here. I’ll bring Sammy to you.”
I only waited for a minute before a pixie came zipping around the corner toward me, her ringlets bouncing around her head.
“I’m Sammy,” she said. “What can I do for you? Judging from your sallow skin, I’m guessing an anti-nausea mixture is in order.”
“I can’t take anything while I’m pregnant,” I said.
“That’s not true,” Sammy said. “We definitely have a few that are safe for pregnant women. Do you have any other symptoms?”
I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. I recognized Sammy, even though I was sure I’d never met her before.
The pixie placed a hand on my back. “Are you hyperventilating? Do you need a paper bag?” She paused. “I won’t charge you for it.”
“I’ll be fine in a second,” I said. I put my head between my legs and struggled to control my breathing. I wasn’t going to be much good to Percy if I couldn’t pull myself together.
The elf reappeared with a cup of water. “On the house,” he said, handing it to me.
I took a sip. “Thank you.” I regained my composure. “I’m not actually here for me. I’m here to ask you about Percy Atkins.”
Sammy scowled. “Are you a newspaper reporter or something?”
“No, I’m his lawyer.”
“You’re going to need a stronger constitution than that if you intend to defend bad guys,” Sammy replied.
I dragged myself to a standing position. “I can manage. It’s just the pregnancy.” A lie, of course, but I had to tell myself something or I’d never make it through this strange day.
Sammy’s hands cemented on her hips. “What do you want to know? That he’s a stellar employee? That everyone adores him and is gutted by his arrest? Because none of that is true.”
“Hit me with it, Sammy,” I said. “I want to hear every bad word you have to say against my client.” Better now than hear it for the first time in a courtroom.
“He’s lazy. He doesn’t keep track of inventory the way he should,” Sammy said, ticking off reasons on her fingers. “We’re constantly short on supplies, which means the reconciliation is off.”
I thought of the supply closet in Paws and Claws. “Which supplies?”
She rubbed the back of her neck in a thoughtful gesture. “Most recently, we were low on devil’s whip and no one could account for it. That’s his job to keep track.”
“Is devil’s whip valuable?” I asked.
“Everything in here is valuable,” she said. “It’s a dispensary.”
Having walked past rubber balls and hula-hoops, I didn’t quite agree with her assessment. “What is devil’s whip used for?”
Sammy turned to the shelf behind me. “It tells you here.” She scanned the notecards until she found the one for devil’s whip. “Croup. Respiratory ailments. Nasal congestion.”
That sounded fairly basic. Not like the rare items missing from the supply closet in Paws and Claws. “Anything aside from devil’s whip that you can remember?”
“Candy,” Sammy said. “And it’s not just the inventory. He’s always late. In fact, he’s supposed to be back from his break in five minutes. I bet he isn’t.”
“Why do you think he’s chronically late?” I asked.
She folded her arms. “Because he’s lazy.”
“Does he ever offer a reason?” I asked. Someone who volunteered his free time to work with animals and catalogued plants and berries he found in the forest didn’t strike me as lazy.
Sammy rolled her eyes. “Oh, you know. He stopped to help an old lady across the street. He rescued a kitten from a tree. He passed someone with a flat tire and stopped to help. Good Samaritan nonsense.”
The more I learned about my client, the more I liked him. “Did it ever occur to you that Percy was telling the truth?” I asked.
Sammy shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. He has an obligation to perform this job. If he can’t manage it, then I’m certainly more than qualified to fill his hooves.”
Ah. The heart of the matter. “It sounds like you’d like to see Percy go to prison so that you can take over his role.”
“That makes me sound unsympathetic,” Sammy said. Her tone suggested that she didn’t actually care what the perception was. “I want him to go to prison because he’s guilty of smuggling angel dust. If the end result is that I get to become the dispenser, then I’d be happy with that outcome.”
Maybe she would, but I certainly wouldn’t. “You seem to be intimately familiar with Percy’s schedule.”
“Hard not to be when we work together and I’m constantly covering for him.”
“So you know when he volunteers?”
“Sure. He talks about Paws and Claws all the time.” She groaned. “You would think he’s the patron saint of unwanted animals.”
“And what about his nature walks? Do you know when he tends to do those?”
“Not only when but where,” Sammy said. “I have to listen to the same stories over and over again whenever a customer comes in. He seems to think customers care about his nature garbage.” Her expression reflected sheer boredom. “I can’t imagine anything less interesting than hanging out alone in Whispering Woods and taking notes on plants.”
No wonder he and Sammy didn’t get along. Their personalities were polar opposite.
“Thank you for your help, Sammy. I appreciate it.” I cringed slightly at my use of the word ‘help.’ The pixie had no intention of helping Percy. He was right, though. Sammy certainly had the knowledge and motive to frame him. This visit made me determined to keep him employed as the dispenser in Cure-iosity Shop—and, more importantly, out of prison.
Chapter Ten
By the time I reached Daniel’s office, anxiety had taken root in the pit of my stomach. If I walked in there and met a banshee named Jordyn, someone would have to fetch the smelling salts.
No, no, I scolded myself. You’re being silly, Emma. Even if her name is Jordyn, that proves nothing. Daniel’s been reviewing resumes for the past week. You probably saw her name on one of them and don’t even remember.
I pressed my hand against the exterior wall and concentrated on my breathing. Apparently, breathing was a critical component of childbirth anyway, so I should probably get a jump on it now. Breathing wasn’t exactly my strong suit. It was often an afterthought; something I remembered to do when I was on the verge of passing out.
You look worse than Magpie after a fight with a hornet’s nest. Sedgwick flew down and perched on a fey lantern post outside the building.
“Gee, thanks. I’m having a weird day,” I said. “It’s almost as bizarre as stumbling into Spellbound for the first time.”
That sounds serious, my familiar said. What’s the issue?
“I’m having a major case of deja vu. Every part of my day feels like I’ve already been through it, even though I only remember bits and pieces.”
That’s called a mid-life crisis, Your Highness, he said. Every day is like the one before. Same job, same spouse. Nothing to look forward to except death and taxes.
“Sedgwick! Bite your tongue.” Wait. Did owls even have tongues? “I’m not having a mid-life crisis. Spell’s bells, I’m not even middle aged.”
; The owl peered at me with his round yellow eyes. You’re not? Are you sure?
“Yes, I’m quite sure,” I ground out.
Perhaps it’s the pregnancy, Sedgwick said. I’ve heard the influx of hormones can cause strange behavior. I can only imagine what it does when the weirdness level is already high.
“Hey! That was uncalled for.” I glared at my familiar. “Boyd said I can ask questions at any time, so maybe I’ll stop by the clinic tomorrow if I still feel off.” Right now, I wanted to see my husband. As always, I knew the sight of Daniel would make everything better.
I hope this doesn’t last another eight months, Sedgwick complained. I don’t know if I can handle it.
My eyes widened. “You don’t know if you can handle it?” I shook my head. “Typical male.”
Do we know for certain your baby’s gestation period is the same as a human’s?
I flinched. “You mean it might be longer because it’s an angel hybrid?”
Or shorter, Sedgwick said. Might be something to figure out in advance.
“You think? Where were you during my appointment with the healer?” I asked.
Sedgwick flapped this wings. Calm down, Your Excellency. I’m merely posing a question.
“Great. Something else to stress over.” I turned away from the owl and entered Daniel’s office. Sure enough, I glimpsed the back of the banshee’s light hair.
“Emma!” Daniel exclaimed, clearly happy to see me. “Come and meet Jordyn. We’re having an excellent discussion on the finer points of Spellbound.”
The finer points. Okay, that sounded different from my dream. I seemed to recall him asking inappropriate questions. I felt somewhat relieved to know that I’d completely invented that part.
As I inched closer, I heard Daniel say, “And how old are you? You look pretty young, but it’s so hard to tell with banshees.”
I froze. “Excuse me, sweetheart. Could I speak to you privately for a minute?”
Jordyn craned her neck to look at me and I recognized the delicate features and sprinkle of freckles from my dream. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.”
“And you.” I forced a smile. Once Daniel was within reach, I looped my arm through his and pulled him aside. “Daniel, you can’t ask intensely personal questions.”
Daniel frowned. “What do you mean? How else can I get to know her and decide whether she’s a good fit?”
“It’s not a date,” I said. “It’s a job interview. You don’t ask about her boyfriend or her plans for a family.”
He studied me. “This isn’t a hormonal jealousy thing, is it?”
I counted to ten in my head before attempting to speak. “You shouldn’t ask anything that could allow you to discriminate on the basis of her gender.”
Daniel scratched the back of his head. “Can I ask if she likes to bake?”
I smacked my forehead. “Why? Why would you want to know that?
Daniel shrugged. “Maybe she’ll be one of those employees that brings in delicious snacks. I don’t know. I’ve never worked in an office before. It might be nice to have the occasional tin of homemade cookies.”
I felt a rush of empathy. Daniel was right. He was out of his depth to some degree. He’d be wonderful at developing the tourist trade in Spellbound, but he’d need fine-tuning as a boss.
“Whether she bakes is irrelevant to the job,” I whispered. “Stick to her qualifications and you’ll be fine.” I offered an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
He kissed my cheek. “Thanks. How are you feeling?”
I rubbed my stomach. “Not too bad right now.” I decided not to tell him that the weirdness had continued throughout the day. I didn’t want to burden him when he had his own stressful day to get through.
He grinned at me. “You look beautiful, if that helps.”
Did it ever. Nothing fixed a bad day like being called beautiful by the man I adored, especially when I felt like I’d taken a dip in Gross Pond and then climbed ashore on Bizarre Island. “Good luck with the interviews.”
“You’re leaving so soon?” he asked. “You can stay and critique all my interviews. You always have great insight.”
“I would love to, but I still have a pretty full day,” I replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Astrid outside on the pavement and my gut twisted.
“Emma, what’s wrong?” Daniel asked.
I gazed into his turquoise eyes. “I don’t know, but, whatever it is, I hope it passes quickly.” Any more of this deja vu would be torture.
I left Daniel’s office and immediately recognized the illegally parked red jalopy. My palms began to sweat. What was happening to me?
“You and I are crossing paths all over town today,” Astrid said.
Today and yesterday, I wanted to add, but refrained. “Does Britta have a dental appointment?” I asked.
The Valkyrie placed the ticket on the windshield before facing me. “Oh, did you see her earlier? I know she was dragging her heels. She hates the dentist.”
“I don’t think it’s anyone’s favorite hangout,” I said.
A middle-aged elf hustled across the road and the sweat spread from my palms to my forehead. Gus Parker. I braced myself for the onslaught of emotions—his and mine.
“Sheriff Astrid, I’m Gus Parker,” the elf said. “Your office said I could find you here. You sent a message for me?”
Astrid’s expression clouded over. “That’s right. I did.”
“I should probably stay for this,” I said, with a pointed look at Astrid.
“I’m afraid I have bad news, Gus,” the sheriff said. “Your father died.”
Gus blinked. “Died? I don’t understand.”
“He was found in the Enchanted Woods. It appears that he died while birdwatching.” She inclined her head toward me. “Emma is the one who found the body.”
“He’s been positively identified,” I said, before he could ask.
Astrid placed a comforting hand on his arm. “I can take you to see him if you like.”
I choked up as tears streamed down the elf’s cheeks. “Yes, definitely,” Gus said.
“We’ve been waiting to do anything with the body until we heard from you,” the sheriff said.
“I would’ve gotten back to you sooner, but I was on an overnight shift in the mines and didn’t get your message until afterward.” He wiped away the tears. “This is so unexpected.”
“He was elderly, Gus,” I said. “It happens.”
“He suffered multi-organ failure,” Astrid added. “Not unusual for an elf his age.”
Gus balked. “Organ failure? That doesn’t make any sense. My dad was healthy.”
“Are you sure?” Astrid asked. “According to the report, multiple organs gave out on him. It can’t have happened overnight.”
Gus shook his head. “Dad had just been to see Boyd last month for a checkup. He was doing great for an elf his age. He told me so himself.”
“Maybe that’s what he said to you so that you didn’t worry,” I said. “Parents often don’t like to worry their children.” I rested my hand on my stomach, already thinking about the ways I would try to protect my child from heartache. I’d suffered so much of it in my short life; I wanted to shield my baby from any kind of pain—as impossible as it would be.
Gus shoved his hands in his pockets. “That would be like Dad. He never wanted to be a bother.” He sniffed. “I try to birdwatch with him as much as possible, even though I think it’s painfully boring, but I had to work the overnight shifts in the mines at the last minute. Dad said he didn’t mind.” He began to cry again. “I should’ve called out sick so I could be with him one last time.”
“I doubt there was anything you could’ve done,” Astrid said. “According to the report, it was quick and painless. His body shut down and it was over.” She snapped her fingers.
Gus pinched the bridge of his nose. “Poor Dad,” he said. “He had a good life, though. No complaints.”
“That’
s nice to hear,” I said. “If it makes you feel any better, he looked really peaceful when I found him. Like he was tired and had gone down for a nap.” On the forest floor.
“I have his binoculars and journal at the office for you,” Astrid said. “After you see him, you can sign them out.”
“Yes, I’ll definitely do that,” Gus said. “He loved that journal. Kept meticulous notes for years.”
“That’ll be a treasure for you then,” I said.
Gus looked at me, his eyes shining. “Our loved ones are the real treasures. And once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.”
“I know, Gus.” A lump formed in my throat. “Believe me, I know.”
I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience as I drove Sigmund north to the secret lair. If anyone could help me explain this massive case of deja vu, the not-so-remedial witches could.
I groaned when I entered the lair and saw the witches gathered around the coffee table. This day was not getting any better.
“Please don’t tell me that’s a voodoo doll of Marjory Limpet,” I said.
Four heads swiveled toward me in amazement.
“How did you know?” Sophie asked.
I collapsed on the sofa in a heap and closed my eyes. “Make her mouth bigger and her lipstick pinker,” I said.
Millie blinked. “You haven’t even seen the doll yet.”
“Yes, I think I have.” My eyelids fluttered open and, sure enough, the doll looked exactly as I remembered it. Severe yarn haircut? Check. Powder blue suit? Check. Four witches eager to wreak havoc on the new High Priestess? Check and mate.
“We’ve been working on her most of the day,” Millie said.
“I’m glad you’re putting your time to good use,” I replied.
Begonia plopped down beside me. “What’s wrong? You seem out of sorts.”
Wands Upon A Time (Spellbound Ever After Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 3) Page 10
