Spellbinding Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  “His business is too established to be here only for you,” my mother chimed in with what sounded like defeat, but I knew her better than that. She was busy tapping her red fingernail on the wooden surface of the table when she directed her next statement toward Aunt Rowena. “I think I figured it out. You sent him here some time ago when you recognized what would be coming down the road, to be away from Windsor before the first stone was thrown, didn’t you? You didn’t want him in harm’s way, so you sent him to the one place where you knew he could find help if it was ever needed.”

  Aunt Rowena cleared her throat, visibly uncomfortable and not wanting anything to do with the sentimentality of this conversation. Either that or she didn’t want to admit that she actually had a heart that pumped warm red blood. Had she sent Rye away to protect him? It was more than evident she’d wanted to be long gone before she was forced to give a viable explanation. Something had clearly happened that she’d felt the urgent need to ensure Rye’s safety today of all days. The pieces of the family puzzle were beginning to fall into place, and I attempted to make another guess at her motives.

  “Paramour Bay was good enough for your sister, so it had to be good enough for the young man you considered a son,” I speculated, hitting close to home when I saw Aunt Rowena’s gaze land on Rye with affection. I then switched my attention toward the man in question. “You made the mistake of fixing my gate, and Leo caught you in the act.”

  “In my defense, I didn’t know your grandmother had a ward on the wrought iron fence. Otherwise, I would have left well enough alone. It was just as big of a surprise to me as it was to you. I have stronger natural abilities than sometimes I can control, and one small link in your layered protection spell was dispelled before I could comprehend the damage I’d done to your grandmother’s security system.”

  Great. Just great. As if one Marigold with a penchant for goofing up powerful magical spells wasn’t enough, we now have Schleprock the Warlock on the loose in Paramour Bay. It’s a wonder the town has survived as long as it has.

  “Just so you know, I came back that night and negated the damage I’d done. You’ll certainly know if someone or something crosses into your yard without your permission.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that, because the gate still didn’t make a sound when being opened. Then again, the only one to cross the threshold of the property line had been Liam, Heidi, and my mother—all on my approved guest list.

  “Now that we’ve settled everything, it’s time I bid you farewell and return to Windsor,” Aunt Rowena stated matter-of-factly and with what sounded like a bit of relief before attempting to stand when my mother all but yanked our aunt and her purse back down with a plop. She gave an audible sigh of irritation. “What more would you like to know, dearest niece? I’ve all but admitted that my sister did the right thing by leaving the coven. The council wants to rewind our members back into the Stone Age. The members of the coven had a problem with not knowing exactly who Rye’s birth parents were, and they all but threatened to throw him out if we didn’t give permission to call upon his ancestors. Of course, I said I wouldn’t have such nonsense.”

  That little zing I got when something wasn’t right once again made itself known. Aunt Rowena was still hiding something, but I doubted any of us would get her to spill it anytime soon.

  “I’ve been in Paramour Bay since the age of eighteen years old, but Mom explicitly forbade me to tell Rosemary about our situation unless the worst happened,” Rye explained with a small shrug of concession. “She’s never steered me wrong. So, I did the only thing I could and established a life here in anonymity. We meet at a little mom and pop café in between Windsor and Paramour Bay once a week.”

  “I will also have you know that I attempted to call on your grandmother once, but that stubborn wax henchman of hers refused to let me speak to her,” Aunt Rowena confessed, clearly still upset by the rebuke after all these years. She tightened her grip on her purse as she finished her story. “It was pointless to continue reaching out to Rosemary when I was well aware she wanted nothing to do with me or the coven. I guess I don’t blame her, given how things went down the day she left. I certainly said my fair share of hurtful words, but I don’t regret sending Rye here to live. He was able to make a life for himself, while at the same time keeping an eye on my sister…and now my niece. Whatever you may think of me, my dearest Raven, I’m not the monster that I’ve been portrayed as being.”

  Arguable, but some of that story rings true. Didn’t Ted say that Rowena called, going on and on about something to do with bread? And Mazie, the ghost we helped to find her familiar…she mentioned that Rosemary was fixated on the bread in the afterlife. She must have figured out who Rye was the moment she crossed into the afterlife and tried to warn us that we had a spy in our midst.

  “Dolgiram.” Heidi cocked her head to the side, her blonde curls following. Leo couldn’t control his inherent instincts and took a playful swipe, missing by an inch due to the shortness of his legs. “It doesn’t quite spell Marigold backward, but I’d say it’s darn close. You’re a sly one, Mr. Rye Dolgiram, I’ll give you that.”

  How had I missed something so blatantly evident? Leo and I were known as the amateur sleuths of the supernatural realm, but we had obviously come up lacking when it came to recognizing the obvious clues right there in front of us.

  Heidi is part of our sleuthing package, you know. Technically, she figured it out. A little late, but it still counts.

  “Why tell us all this now?” my mother asked, looking a bit more composed from earlier. Had she found something to spike her coffee? “You realize you brought attention to yourself the moment you marched into Liam’s office and gave Rye an alibi for Kevin Paul’s murder.”

  “You did what?” I asked, not sure I’d heard Mom correctly.

  “I cleared my son’s name,” Aunt Rowena defended herself, lifting her chin an inch higher to prove her point. “Rye, did I not pay you a visit yesterday around five o’clock? Were we not together for an hour discussing our current predicament?”

  Convenient, if you ask me. About as convenient as it was for Skippy to deflect my earlier attack on him with an offensive attack of his own.

  “Yes, we were together during the time Kevin Paul was murdered,” Rye answered, zeroing in on me. “The minute I heard my brochure was found in the man’s hands, I realized that the police would focus their investigation on me. The last thing I need is the attention of law enforcement, so I did what any normal human being would do under the circumstances—I made sure Liam knew I had an alibi. A simple phone call would have sufficed, but Mom thought it was time to come clean with you and Regina. Too many things were getting out of hand, and we needed to control the situation before it caused unwanted conflicts.”

  I’ve got to admit it, Raven—they’re good. It makes you almost believe them, doesn’t it?

  “So, let me get this straight,” I said, trying to wrap my head around this overload of supplemental information. Liam had not acted like I’d kept a secret from him, nor did he seem as if he was upset that I had a so-called cousin in town that I hadn’t told him about. “You went into the sheriff’s office, told the man I’m dating that you’re my cousin, and somehow made it so that he wasn’t upset I hadn’t been completely honest about our alleged family connection.”

  “Not quite,” my mother fessed up before taking a rather long sip of her coffee. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have assumed that she had in fact spiked it with something. “It all went down like this—Rowena was in need of a handyman, you gave her Rye’s name based on his work at your house, and then she decided to meet with him in person to go over her plans of including a remodel of her basement. That is how everything went down this morning, and now you are in the clear of having to explain our complicated family dynamics to the man you’re currently dating. Aunt Rowena tied that red ribbon perfectly.”

  They’re even better than I realized, and now I feel like we need to
up our game. Raven, what are your thoughts about bringing an enemy spy on board this sleuthing gig we’ve got going on? He can do all the grunt work, Heidi can be the brains, and I can sit back on my cushion—I mean, throne—and direct them while you and Beetle bring me copious amounts of catnip.

  My general thoughts weren’t anywhere close to what Leo was suggesting. At the end of this long day, I would still be lying to the man I was falling in love with each and every day that passed. I was as bad as Aunt Rowena and Rye.

  I don’t know if I’d go that far…

  “I’m not joining any detective team you’ve dreamed up,” Rye replied wryly with a shake of his head while giving Leo a sideways look. “I still want what I’ve wanted all along—to live here in peace without the threat of being exposed or the need for violence. Mom knows that she can call on me if things go south up in Windsor, but other than that, I’m keeping my head down and continue living the life that’s been laid out before me.”

  All of this explained so much in the overall scheme of things, but there were still a few unanswered questions. I figured Heidi and I had about two more hours before we needed to show up at the next listing, which was around three o’clock this afternoon. I also needed to stop in at the tea shop to make sure Beetle was handling everything on that end. The shop had been at the back of my mind this entire time, and now another worry had been added to my plate about lying to Liam.

  I’m pretty sure that’s the least of our worries, but there’s a bright spot in this somewhat tarnished family drama. Look at it like this—we no longer need to get involved with the factions of the coven. Breadman here can do all the legwork in helping Rowena when the time comes, and we can keep things status quo on our end.

  “What about Kevin Paul? Did you know him or his family?” I asked Aunt Rowena specifically, seeing as she was the one who’d mentioned a neighbor knowing the Paul family. “Was he in any way associated with the coven? It’s not like we can let the man’s murder go unsolved if witchcraft was involved.”

  Are you purposefully trying to make our lives more difficult? We’ve cleared Breadman of the evil act, and now the good ol’ sheriff can do his small part by apprehending the law-offending party. Win-win.

  “Kevin Paul has nothing to do with the coven,” Aunt Rowena replied, appearing ready to stand up and leave now that she felt she’d rectified the situation. She hadn’t, but that battle was for another day. “The Paul family lived in another neighborhood a very long time ago, and far away from the coven. He wasn’t a warlock that I know of, and him being from Windsor is nothing more than a coincidence. As for what I told your Liam, I simply made all that stuff up about my neighbor. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, I’ve got to head back. Any further questions you might have can be directed toward Rye. I keep nothing from him, and he’s aware of the truth.”

  True to her word, Aunt Rowena stood from the picnic table in her black pantsuit that didn’t dare have a speck of lint on the fabric and proceeded to lay the straps of her purse over her shoulder. Rye had instinctively followed suit, swinging his legs over the bench seat to stand and give her a kiss on the cheek.

  That was actually slightly nauseating. Rowena, I’d say it’s been a pleasure, but we both know that’s not the case. Feel free to stay up north longer this time, if that’s something you can manage without our help.

  “Call me when you arrive home,” Rye instructed warmly, his feelings for Aunt Rowena evident. I caught the roll of my mother’s eyes, apparently agreeing with Leo, but at least she’d kept her opinion to herself. “Drive safe.”

  “Will do, darling.”

  Aunt Rowena didn’t even bother to address the rest of us as she began walking away toward the exit of the carnival, mindful of any divots in the grass.

  I wonder if Skippy is open to bribes. I’d pay to see a squirrel run up her—

  “Leo,” I said, once more in warning. I was well aware of my relationship with my mother. I was allowed to be irritated by her annoying habits, but I couldn’t stand it when others pointed out her flaws. My sense of loyalty was a bit lopsided, but it was still there all the same. I’m sure the same went for Rye regarding Aunt Rowena. “Have some respect.”

  “I can honestly say that wasn’t how I thought our day would pan out,” my mother said, finishing off what was left of her coffee. She was definitely more relaxed than when we’d first sat down. She cast a curious glance Rye’s way, who still hadn’t rejoined us at the table. “I guess we should welcome you to the family.”

  I’m not so sure that’s good news, Regina. I mean, out of all the families he could have joined…

  “I, for one, am very proud to be Marigold,” I declared with pride. We might have our fair share of family drama, and I might only know of my mother’s lineage, but I wouldn’t change a thing about my life as it was. “Rye, I wish you’d felt safe enough to tell me the truth when you first met me. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you at such a young age to lose your parents, and I’m glad that Aunt Rowena provided you a safe home when you needed one.”

  Sometimes I forget that you’re the nice one in the family.

  “Thank you, Raven.” Rye reached down and grabbed his coffee cup. “I need to get back to the job I was working on at a house over near the bay. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to sit down and talk some more about what Rowena has been through since your grandmother left the coven. I’m not going to make excuses for her behavior, but I think what I’ve found can help you and your mother understand my mom a bit better.”

  What Rowena has been through? Let me tell you—

  I held up my hand to stave off Leo and my mother’s two cents regarding the longstanding family feud. I’d learned a long time ago that there were three sides to every story. Aunt Rowena hadn’t been able to forgive until it had been too late, but was it really ever too late to make amends?

  Do you really want me to answer that?

  “I’d like that, Rye. There’s been too much bad blood thus far, and it’s time we cleared that up.”

  I’ve clearly failed at teaching you how to be resolute when the situation warrants. I’ll have to write that down into our learning lessons. I have a certain squirrel in mind that you can practice our offensive spells on, too.

  Rye had taken maybe two steps when he abruptly stopped and turned back around, a cautious look on his face. I tensed, not knowing what else might be thrown my way.

  “If I’ve learned anything by sitting back and observing how you and Leo do things, then I have no doubt the two of you are going to try to find out who killed Kevin Paul.” Rye shook his head as if he didn’t approve of our little side business. “Be careful. We don’t know the nature of these people, and the last thing we need is to call attention to ourselves. I’m sure we can all agree on that.”

  He’s not so bad, after all.

  For once, my mother and Heidi remained quiet as Rye finally walked away in the same direction that Aunt Rowena had gone with the intention of getting out of Dodge. The thing of it was, I loved this place. I adored being a part of the Paramour Bay community, and soon Heidi would be calling this coastal town home, as well. No murderer should be left to roam the streets of our fair town unpunished.

  Don’t say it.

  I was definitely going to say it, because my mother and Heidi both seemed to be weighing Rye’s advice. The scale clearly wasn’t going in my direction.

  “It looks like we have a murder to solve, ladies and gent.”

  You just had to say it, didn’t you?

  Chapter Eight

  “Aren’t we taking a chance of running into Liam or Jack by doing this?” Heidi whispered, looking back over her shoulder to make sure no one had seen us head back toward the hive of well-used campers.

  The area we were walking through was across the open field of the park. It was a short walk from the carnival at the edge of the street. There was a service road along the backside of the park with trees on either side to provide sh
ade for the campsites the city usually rented out to the public. In this case, all the campsites had been reserved for the carnival’s trucks, trailers, and a long string of campers used by the employees as their quarters while traveling from town to town throughout the carnival season.

  You realize that we’re entering Skippy territory, right? All I’m saying is be on the lookout…you never know when there could be an impending attack.

  “If we do, just let me do the talking,” Heidi insisted, knowing me so well. “The last time you tried to talk us out of a situation, you only made it sound worse.”

  You do have a bad habit of making a minor situation into something best described as critical.

  “Buttons mentioned that Clara was staying inside Kevin’s trailer,” I murmured back, carefully searching the trailers for the one that had a skull and crossbones decal on the door. Mom had somehow managed to get a carnival worker to chitchat about the murder, which technically wasn’t too much of a feat considering that was all anyone was talking about since it happened, and she had somehow obtained the identifying information we needed to access Kevin Paul’s personal belongings. “Maybe she’s still there. It will make it easier to borrow an object of his to cast the remembrance spell.”

  Borrow? He’s dead, Raven. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have any further need of his belongings. Unless, of course, he had an extra coffin laying around in his camper that he would need back.

  Leo had followed us this far, but his job was to keep a lookout for Liam or Jack. It wouldn’t benefit anyone for them to see us snatching something from the victim’s camper, resulting in Heidi needing to come up with a plausible cover story.