Broomsticks and Burials

by Lily Webb

  “So you never bought or harvested blood from any of your friends here in this bar?” I asked.

  “What? Are you out of your mind? The cops patrol this place like clockwork, and so did I when I was on the Force. Besides, if I even thought about trying to take blood from one of the vampires, they’d make sure I never got another chance,” Deryn said.

  I didn’t find that hard to believe either.

  “Listen to me: other than digging up dirt on Cromwell, I’m not up to anything shady. I only come here because it’s the only place in town where I don’t get judged on sight,” Deryn said.

  I didn’t know all the details of his situation, but somehow, I felt sorry for him. Despite his gruff exterior, he seemed like a big teddy bear on the inside. Maybe I had him all wrong.

  “Besides, it couldn’t have been vampire blood alone that killed Cromwell. The stuff isn’t lethal on its own,” he said, and my eyes shot wide open.

  “That’s not what I’ve been told.”

  “Well, you’ve been told wrong. After all the times I’ve busted people zonked out on the stuff, I ought to know what it looks like,” Deryn said.

  “What does it do?”

  “Magic users like yourself like it because it boosts their abilities, but the effect doesn’t last long, and it leaves the user all out of sorts when it wears off,” Deryn said. “It has the same effect when mixed with other ingredients in a potion. It boosts their properties.”

  If that was true, was it possible that Grace had been drinking vampire blood herself all this time? It would explain why she’d been “ill” so often, even if it was hypocritical on her part. But where would she have gotten it?

  “So it’s not deadly at all?”

  “I didn’t say that. If a living being drinks too much of the stuff, it wouldn’t exactly kill them — but it could turn them into a vampire,” Deryn said and I shivered.

  “Beyond that, sure, if a talented witch or warlock brewed it up with the right ingredients, it could kill someone, no doubt about it. And the blood would probably cover up anything noticeably lethal in the concoction. But getting it isn’t easy.”

  Grace was definitely talented enough to make something like that, and she’d obviously lied to me about vampire’s blood being deadly on its own — so what else had she lied about?

  “Who told you that stuff was bad news anyway?” Deryn asked.

  “Grace Magnus,” I said. Deryn’s expression turned dark. “She said she knew you frequented this bar and that you weren’t necessarily above making a sketchy deal to get vampire blood.”

  “She’s lying,” Deryn said, but I didn’t need him to tell me that.

  It all fit perfectly.

  Grace had access to Opal’s office. She must’ve stolen Opal’s broom and used it to kill Harper, hoping the broom being found at the scene would frame Opal. When even that didn’t guarantee Grace’s victory, she took it a step further and poisoned her opponent to make sure she’d win.

  But the Council decided to postpone the election, so Grace lied to me and threw Deryn under the bus because she knew I’d suspect someone dodgy like him over a Council member. It didn’t explain why she’d want to kill Harper, but I didn’t have time to think it through because

  Grace was probably already on her way out of town after talking to me.

  “I have to go,” I said. “I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  “Where are you going?” Deryn asked.

  “To find Grace Magnus before she kills again,” I said, and pulled Beau out of the bar by the arm without stopping to explain why.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Slow down, Zoe! Where are we going? What’s going on?” Beau asked, breathless as we came to a halt on Crescent Street.

  “What did Deryn tell you?”

  “Enough for me to know Grace Magnus is the killer,” I said, and Beau’s eyes went wide.

  “What? Are you sure?”

  “Positive. She led me to think it was Deryn who’d killed Harper and Opal to cover her tracks long enough for her to skip town. Assuming she hasn’t already, we need to stop her before we lose her forever,” I said.

  “But what can we do? She’s a powerful witch, do you really think either of us will be any match for her?” Beau asked.

  “No. That’s why we need Mueller. Listen to me. I want you to shift into your dog form and run as fast as your four little legs will carry you to the police station. Tell them to get to Grace’s ranch ASAP,” I said.

  “Okay, but what are you going to do?”

  “Stall her for as long as I can,” I said.

  “Zoe, that’s insane. She’s already killed two witches, what makes you think she won’t try the same thing with you?” Beau asked.

  “She’s not the only one with powers,” I said, though mine weren’t nearly as developed. But Beau didn’t know that.

  “Don’t worry about me. Just get to Mueller as fast as possible and ride with them to Grace’s ranch. I’ll meet you there.”

  “I don’t like this—”

  “I don’t either, but we don’t have another choice. She might already be gone. The more we stand here debating it, the less of a chance we have to stop her. Now go!” I said. Beau frowned.

  “Please be careful. Don’t do anything stupid,” Beau said as he stripped off his shirt.

  “No promises,” I said as I blushed and looked away. Beau threw his arms around me and my face turned so hot it hurt.

  “See you soon,” he said, holding me by the shoulders and staring me in the eyes. He stepped back and his body melted into the adorable golden retriever I’d first seen him as. He barked and dashed down Crescent Street toward the police station, the darkness swallowing him.

  Where was a broomstick when I needed one? Flying would’ve made this so much easier.

  I took a deep breath and ran after Beau, careful not to trip on the cobblestone. By the time I reached Luna Street and swung a hard left, the stitch in my side hurt so badly I was sure I was going to pass out, but I couldn’t afford to slow down. Every second counted.

  I stomped down Luna and turned right on Sage Avenue to take a shortcut to Crystal Street, which dead-ended at the entrance to the Magnus ranch. But as I came up Crystal Street, flashing red and blue lights made it difficult to see. The cops were already there. What the…?

  Ewan saw me coming and ran to meet me.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” he said, staring at me as I clutched my side and struggled to breathe.

  “I sent Beau to… Never mind,” I wheezed. “Seriously, why are you here?”

  “We have evidence that Councilwoman Magnus is responsible for the murders of Harper and Opal both,” Ewan said, and my heart dropped into my stomach. Had Raina already finished analyzing the potion sample?

  “We don’t tell reporters about our investigations, remember, Barrett?” Mueller snapped, adjusting his belt and pants as he caught up to us.

  “Did you at least catch her?” I asked. Ewan looked at Mueller for approval before he said anything. Mueller shrugged, and Ewan shook his head.

  “No. When we got here, we demanded the gargoyle guards let us in because we had a warrant for the Councilwoman’s arrest, but they stonewalled us. When we threatened to arrest them for obstruction, they gave in, but Grace was nowhere to be found. The weird thing is, it doesn’t look like she took a single thing with her,” Ewan said.

  “What about a broomstick?” I asked, and Ewan’s eyes widened.

  “We didn’t check that. Maybe you should be on the Force someday yourself, Zoe,” Ewan said, but the look on Mueller’s face told me he wasn’t close to agreeing.

  “And maybe you should learn how to keep things to yourself, Barrett,” Mueller said. “Zoe, you must’ve talked to the Councilwoman a time or two, right? Do you have any idea where she might’ve gone?”

  So now the grouchy old dog wanted my help?

  “No idea,” I lied, thoug
h I knew exactly where she went — the same place every killer goes twice: the scene of the crime. But if anyone was going to be able to stop Grace from getting away, it wasn’t Ewan or Mueller, and I didn’t need them getting in my way.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s long gone by now,” I said. “She could’ve flown to Europe for all we know.”

  “That’s what we were afraid of,” Mueller said.

  “Are there any other magical communities nearby?” I asked. It occurred to me for the first time that Moon Grove couldn’t possibly be the only safe place for paranormals.

  “There are other places, but none of them are near enough to fly to on a broomstick without a serious case of saddle sores,” Mueller said. Okay, scratch that. Grace was almost certainly still in Moon Grove.

  “Well, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” I said. Mueller stared me down like he knew I was hiding something, but eventually grunted and nodded.

  “Be careful walking home, Miss Clarke,” he said.

  “I could escort you if you wanted,” Ewan offered.

  “That’s okay. I need to stop by and talk to a friend on the way,” I lied. Mueller eyed me again but didn’t say anything.

  “All right. Be safe,” Ewan said. “And keep an eye out.”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice.

  “I will, you guys do the same,” I said and walked back down Crystal Street toward Crescent, my mind buzzing. Confronting Grace one-on-one was almost certainly a recipe for disaster, but what other choice did I have? Maybe I could talk some sense into her, convince her to turn herself into the cops. It was a long shot, but I had to try.

  I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and dialed Raina while I walked. She answered halfway through the first ring.

  “Zoe? Are you all right?” she asked in a frenzy.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. What’s going on? I just ran into Ewan and Mueller outside Councilwoman Magnus’ ranch. Ewan told me they have evidence Grace killed both Harper and Opal,” I said.

  “Oh, thank Lilith you’re okay, I’ve been worried sick. Yes, they do. I finished my testing on the sample of Opal’s tea earlier this evening. It was Grace who made the concoction, without a doubt,” Raina said.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Similar to other advanced craftwork, every potion maker has a unique signature. Certain things, whether the ingredients used or the way those ingredients are prepared, are giveaways. No two people will make the same potion the same way,” Raina said.

  “I see. So what exactly was the potion, anyway?” I asked.

  “A highly advanced brew that’s colloquially known as Vampire’s Kiss,” Raina said. I didn’t like the sound of that at all.

  “Why do they call it that?” I asked though I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know the answer.

  “It stops the heartbeat and thus the flow of blood,” Raina said. “The drinker dies slowly and silently from the inside out as their organs fail.”

  “Gruesome,” I said. The potion definitely lived up to its name. “How’s it made?” I asked as I rounded the corner back onto Crescent Street and headed south toward the cemetery.

  “The primary ingredient is a plant called Bloodflower, which isn’t always fatal on its own, though it can be dangerous. However, when mixed with vampire’s blood, the plant’s heart-stopping natural effects are dramatically amplified,” Raina said, and my own heart almost stopped.

  Deryn wasn’t wrong about the usage of vampire’s blood.

  “But where would Grace have gotten vampire’s blood? When I talked to her during Opal’s funeral, she told me it was illegal to buy, sell, or otherwise harvest the blood of a vampire,” I said. “And I highly doubt she’d want to associate with them anyway.”

  “I was able to magically extract a sample of the blood from the tea as well. I sent it to the police, and their forensic tests confirmed the blood belongs to Valentine Delacroix,” Raina said. I skidded to a stop on the street, unable to believe what I’d heard.

  “Wait, what? That doesn’t make any sense. How would Grace have gotten Valentine’s—” I stopped, my throat tightening as I realized the answer mid-sentence.

  “Wait, Raina, what was it you told me a few days ago about vampires being able to influence witches?” I asked.

  “It’s rare, but some elder, more powerful vampires can put humans and paranormals alike under a sort of hypnosis. It’s a form of mind control we refer to as a glamour,” Raina said.

  That was it! Grace wasn’t working with Valentine so much as she was working for him. She must’ve been glamoured by Valentine; it was the only explanation for why she’d been acting so weird and why it’d hurt like crazy when I tried to get inside her head in her kitchen — she was already under Valentine’s control.

  “Would anyone notice if someone was under a vampire’s spell? Would the victim act strange or anything?” I asked.

  “Not usually. That’s what makes it so dangerous. It’s next to impossible to detect,” Raina said.

  “How do they do it?”

  “No one is sure because it’s such a rare ability, but the books I’ve read all suggest it’s done through direct eye contact. The vampire uses some sort of seduction to get inside their victim’s mind,” Raina said.

  I almost dropped my phone when I realized what that meant.

  Valentine had tried to glamour me in the cemetery the first time I met him, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t get through. Was it because of my powers?

  “It’s also been suggested the effect of glamouring can be amplified if the victim has ingested the vampire’s blood,” Raina said.

  My heart couldn’t take much more.

  Grace wasn’t sick; she never was. She’d been put under Valentine’s spell, and after she fell victim, he must’ve fed her his own blood to keep her that way. That was how she’d gotten it for her potion — and why she was always so “ill.” I couldn’t believe I didn’t make the connection sooner. Grace herself had said that, short of being a vampire oneself, the only way to get their blood is from a volunteer.

  Valentine definitely qualified as a volunteer.

  “Zoe? Are you still there?” Raina asked.

  “Yeah, sorry, this is a lot to take in. So, this glamouring thing… Have you ever heard of anyone being immune to it?” I asked.

  “No, not that I can recall. Why do you ask?”

  “I think I might be,” I said. The line fell silent for a moment.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “I’m pretty sure Valentine attempted to glamour me when I ran into him in the cemetery about a week ago,” I said. “I tried to read his mind, and when I couldn’t get in, I noticed he was staring into my eyes and seemed fascinated by me. Now I know why.”

  “Dear Lilith,” Raina said. “I suppose it’s possible you could be immune. With your telepathic gifts, it would stand to reason.”

  That was all I needed to hear. Grace probably hadn’t run; she’d been summoned, and if she was still alive, I was the only one who had a chance of saving her.

  “Can I call you back? I’ve got some errands I need to run,” I said.

  “Zoe, what are you—” Raina said, but I hung up before she could finish and switched over to my texts. My fingers trembling, I tapped out a message to Beau:

  >> Me: Hey. Grace wasn’t home, but I don’t think she’s skipped town yet. I’m positive she’s in trouble, so I’m going to help her. Don’t follow. It’s too dangerous for anyone but me.

  I sent the message and ran the rest of the way down Crescent Street to the cemetery before Beau had the chance to sniff me down, though I didn’t believe for a second he’d listen to me.

  As suspected, the cemetery’s gates were wide open. The grounds looked the same as they did the last time, but somehow, they felt creepier than before. I had no idea what I might find inside, but if I was dealing with a vampire, I needed to be extraordinarily careful.

  With all my senses on high al
ert, I tiptoed through the gates toward the back of the cemetery, my ears straining for the hint of anything suspicious — but the grounds were so quiet it was almost deafening.

  Halfway through, the sound of muffled speech drifted across the fog into my ears. Squinting, I crouched as low to the ground as I could and crept forward, trying to make out what was in front of me. Opal’s headstone swam into view, and I clapped my hand over my mouth to hold back a gasp when I realized Grace was sitting on top of it, her back turned to me.

  I froze and listened. Her voice was clear, but her words weren’t in any language I recognized. She rocked back and forth on the headstone and let out an anguished moan that tore through the silence, sending the critters lurking nearby scattering into the brush. A fit of sobbing seized her, and she tilted her head back to take a deep swig of something from a glass jar before moaning again and returning to her rocking.

  As I crept closer, trying not to make a sound, I noticed a broomstick lying in the grass beside her. So she had flown, and probably not long before Mueller and Ewan showed up at her ranch.

  Grace obviously needed help, but I wasn’t sure what to do — or if she was dangerous. She could still have been under Valentine’s control, and just because she hadn’t killed Harper and Opal out of her own free will, it didn’t mean she couldn’t be forced to kill again.

  There was only one way to find out, so I slowly rose and cupped my hands around my mouth.

  “Grace,” I hissed. She abruptly stopped rocking, and her back turned as stiff and straight as a board, but she didn’t turn around.

  “Grace, can you hear me?” I whispered, taking a few more steps toward her. “I don’t want to hurt you. I know you’re in trouble, but it’s okay, I’m here to help.”

  She shook her head, and I froze.

  “No one can help me,” she sobbed as she dropped the jar. It shattered against the concrete of the headstone’s base and I winced at the sound as a thick and dark liquid ran into the grass.

  Grace turned slowly on the headstone, her entire body trembling from the effort, and I almost screamed when I realized the streak shining in the moonlight that ran from her chin down the front of her robes could only be vampire’s blood. Her hair was crusted and stuck to her cheeks, and her eyes had taken on a crimson shade.