Frankie folded his papers. “Okay then. Shelley and I will stay here and talk spells and we’ll see you at the farmhouse as soon as we’re able, okay?”
“Thank you so much, Frankie.” Drake said. “I will not forget this kindness. Nor that of anyone who has helped us.”
My phone rang and picking it up off the table I frowned. “It’s Ebony.” Ebony calling me from her honeymoon? That could not be good.
I pressed answer.
“Hey, E-”
“Potential torment like you’ve never known is about to appear. Send Charlie to save everyone from dehydration, starvation, and destruction.”
“What do you mean, Ebs? Is this the war? Is it starting?”
“That’s all I’m getting. I can just feel the pain of innocents. Charlie is the key. She will need to form a male army.”
She hung up.
I could feel my face pale. Danger was coming, and my daughter had to assemble an army?
“What’s the matter, Shelley?” My sister clutched my arm. I told her what Ebony had just said.
“And it’s about to appear? Like very soon?”
“That’s what she said. God, I need to get to my daughter.” I dashed to the coffee shop entrance but found myself knocked to the side by an over-exuberant youth who called out to his friend who had been sat quietly in the shop at an empty table waiting.
“Froggy, come on.” The youth bellowed, making us all startle, and Jax almost drop a coffee she was carrying to the one customer in here beside us and the youths.
“Mate, where’ve ya been? I thought you’d mugged me off.” The youth replied.
“We’re all down at Withernsea Waffles. They’re doing chocolate doughnuts and cos it’s new it’s get-two-free with a drink. Ziggy’s holding us a place in the queue because it’s insane. It’s like every resident of Withernsea is down there.”
“What did you just say?” Jax had moved closer to the mouthy youth at the door and got right into his personal space. “They are doing chocolate doughnuts? At the waffle shop?”
“Yeah and it’s half price if we visit again tomorrow. Sorry, Jax, we love you but we’re teenagers, and well, it’s free and cheap innit?”
With that he and his mate departed the shop.
“That piece of sly pixie shit. Dated me just to get the secrets of my shop, did he? I’ll crucify him.” Unfortunately, that was as feisty as our sensitive little flower went and she promptly burst into tears. “That’s it. I’m shutting the shop.”
Polly put an arm around Jax. “Yeah, you go and have a nice bath or something while it’s quiet and then think of a revenge plan.”
“No. I mean, I’m done. The residents of Withernsea have shown me that they have no loyalty whatsoever to my coffee shop. They’re anybody’s for a free doughnut. Well, that’s it, I quit. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Bartholomew will see you out. I’m closing. For good.”
I recalled Ebony’s words: ‘Potential torment like you’ve never known is about to appear. Send Charlie to save everyone from dehydration, starvation, and destruction’.
A cup and saucer went flying at the wall.
I ran around to Ebony’s shop and burst through the door. “Charlie, we need you, there’s an emergency.”
Chapter Fourteen
Charlie
“What’s the matter, Mum?”
I turned to Alyssa. “Can you take over with this customer and keep an eye on the store?” Then I dashed to my mum’s side.
“Tristan has started selling chocolate doughnuts at his waffle shop. Jax has declared she’s never opening up again. Just before it happened, Ebony called saying that there was about to be a massive crisis that could cause dehydration and destruction and that I had to get you on the job.”
“Me?”
“That’s what she said, and she called from her honeymoon to tell us, so here you go, Charlie. Save us all because a life without Jax’s is not worth living.”
“This is not the prophecy is it?” I checked. “To ensure the people of Withernsea get the best coffee in town. Not that I’d mind if it was; I’d take that over mortal danger any day, but it’s not is it?”
“No. Serious proper war-type stuff ahead, sweetheart.”
“Right.” Only my warped mind could decide that I really wanted to be the baddest badass ever and getting coffee stocks replenished was not how I wanted to be remembered. “Did Ebony say anything else?”
“Erm, oh yes. You had to assemble a male army.”
“What?”
“That’s what she said. Anyway, I’m off home with Frankie, Polly, and Drake. Only we’ve to come up with a spell to hypnotise Drake so we can try to communicate with his Siren mother.”
I pouted. “Your mission is more badass than mine.”
My mum grabbed my arm. “Seriously? Imagine all the people who you know, all your family and friends, without their daily caffeine and doughnuts.” She pointed at Alyssa. “Imagine your best friend’s face if Bartholomew loses his job and she can no longer perve after him every day. Your. Job. Is. The. Most. Badass.”
“Leave it with me, Mum.” I stood up straighter. “I got this.”
Once the customer had gone Alyssa, and I closed up the shop. I stood staring at the CLOSED sign hanging in the glass window of Jax’s coffee shop door.
“That will be back open tomorrow, do not doubt it.” I vowed.
“I can change to a wolf and rip him to pieces if that would help?” Alyssa offered.
“Bestie, you’re adorable, but somehow Jax and Tristan still end up together, so maybe it’s best we don’t deliver him to her in shreds.”
“How is she ever going to forgive him?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but if Ebony saw it, that’s how it’s going down.”
My dad was up when I got home and was hanging around like a spare part seeing as mum was busy. “I need you, Dad.” I said. “We have a mission.”
His face lit up like the sun he rarely got to see. “Let me gather a few things together. I popped to the shops when I got up and bought some spy kit style stuff. I didn’t think I’d need it this soon though.”
“What like cameras and stuff? Well, I guess you are the technological whizz.”
My father looked sheepish.
I placed my hands on my hips. “What did you buy?”
“Well, I may have got a little overexcited and bought a Secret Mission case because it was a steal at twenty pounds.
“It’s a children’s spy kit, isn’t it?” I covered my mouth to hide my smile.
“Yes. But, it has a secret code de-coder. That could come in very handy, and a fake passport. I figured it will do until I get my real kit together.”
“Dad. You are a badass vampire, you do not need to dress up as a spy. A spy would give their right arm to be able to be a vampire.”
“Not true. I met one in 1923, and he begged for his life and to not be turned. He wanted his body to remain whole I assure you.”
“Anyway, the mission.” I went along with the charade for my dad’s sake, “should you choose to accept it.” Yep, he grinned when I uttered the words. “We have to get a small group together because Jax has closed down the coffee shop. We have to go visit Tristan.” I filled him in on what had gone down.
My dad almost froze in place. “This is very, very, bad. Let me make a couple of calls.” I stood while he took his cell phone from his pocket.
“Darius. Can you imagine a world where your lovely wife could not visit Jax’s coffee shop because it was closed? Indeed. I’ll meet you outside the waffle place in ten.”
We whizzed there, and Darius had run with his wolf speed. We met outside as agreed. It wasn’t much of an army I’d assembled, but with a vampire and a werewolf, I figured they could cover most bases. What we weren’t expecting was that a riot was taking place outside the waffle shop.
“What’s going on?” I said moving closer to read a sign at the front.
NO DOUGHNUTS LEFT.
; Waffles still available at £2.50 each.
“They should be free, pal. It’s not our fault you’ve run out. If you can’t supply the doughnuts, then we want two free waffles.”
“Free waffles. Free waffles.” The crowd chanted, like waffles were in captivity. They were certainly in a protest.
“I’ll handle this.” My dad said, and he stood at the front. “Gather around, townsfolk, I can get you free doughnuts.”
The crowd immediately quietened and gathered around my father, who did compulsion on mass and told them that they all fancied a night in front of the television and that the waffle shop didn’t and never had sold doughnuts. The crowds filtered away, leaving us free to go inside.
Tristan ran up to us. “Oh, Theo. Thank goodness. I thought they were going to tear the place apart with their bare hands.”
“Actually, I’m tempted to tear you apart with my bare hands.” Darius growled. “What’s with the doughnut thing?”
“Oh. It’s a great idea I got from my girlfriend.” He said the word girlfriend so proudly. “She told me last night about how she makes as much from doughnuts as from coffee, so I thought I’ll do that. I’ll do a one day offer to get the word out and then the business would no doubt boom. Unfortunately, as you can see it worked a little too well.”
“Why would you do that to Jax?” I asked. “Are you that selfish?”
A frown line appeared between Tristan’s eyebrows. “What are you talking about, you fool? I’m making this business amazing in order to impress her, so that she can see my worth as the Pixie Leader and what I can provide. If we were to marry, my business is given to her as a gift. That is our way. Therefore, it needs to be the best it can be. Honestly, maybe you should think before you spout your uneducated mouth off. That’s what happens when you grow up too fast.”
My dad and Darius stepped forward ready to throttle him, but I held up my hand, which I was pleased to report showed blue webs hovering at my fingertips.
“Oh shit.” Tristan said.
The webs spun out of my fingertips, but as it was my first time, I had a kind of premature ejaculation. I’d have sympathy for men forever more. The web spat out in an almighty heap covering Tristan from neck to toe. Only his head remained free.
“Oh my god, girl. What have you done? I’m stuck.”
“Good. Now listen. Jax had no business today. The coffee shop was empty. Because of you.” I let that sink in. “When she found out, she closed down the shop and started smashing up cups and saucers. She’s threatening to never open again.”
“But that wasn’t my intention. Oh no.”
“Over to you, boys.” I said to my dad and Darius.
“If you don’t sort this out tonight and get that coffee shop back open for its usual time in the morning, then we will assemble every irate partner and husband of the regulars and we will all come for you because no one wants a caffeine and doughnut free wife in their life—no one. It would be torture, and if I have to suffer torture then so will you.” My father said, letting his eyes turn red.
Darius flashed his eyes and let his claws appear. “We’re here to escort you to the coffee shop to make your apologies and beg Jax’s forgiveness. If you explain the situation and vow never to sell a doughnut again, then hopefully it will be the end of the matter. If not, it will probably be the end of you once I tell my very pregnant, very hormonal wolfy-wife. You’ve met Kim normally, right? Try her approaching the birth of triplet werebabies.”
Tristan visibly gulped.
He nodded his head. “I shall meet you at the coffee shop. Let me get changed and grab something I’ll need. I’ll be but a moment. My car can be at the coffee shop for…” He looked at his watch. “Seven-fifteen.”
Despite knocking over and over and shouting Jax’s name, plus phoning her, we were still outside her closed door ten minutes after we arrived.
“Now what?” I asked my dad.
“Pass me those chocolates.” He snatched the box from Tristan who stood there with just flowers left in his hand. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
Indeed, a minute later he was back minus the chocolates.
“Do not tell your mother I did the chocolates at the window thing for another woman.” He dumped his spy kit in the bin. “You don’t need a decoder for women, just chocolate.” He explained.
The door opened and a pale-faced, puffy-eyed Jax stood there.
“What do you want?” She spat at Tristan. “Do you want my business premises next? Is that why you’re here? Come to take measurements for curtains? Well you can get stuffed, you nasty, weaselly, slimy snake in the grass. Go away!” She went to close the door again, but Darius put a foot in the way.
“You know we wouldn’t be here with him if he wasn’t actually able to explain himself. I believe that he had good intentions at heart, although it was delivered in the usual Tristan ‘act first, think later’ manner.”
Tristan stepped forward and held out the flowers. She took them from him and he smiled. Then she smacked them up and down his head and body. “Think you can win me over with flowers? There’s a florist down the road, I can buy my own. See that?” She pointed back at her shop. “That’s my business. Mine. I’m a female entrepreneur, founding member of Female Entrepreneurs do it with their Colleagues. I’m a sister doing it for myself, an independent woman. Don’t think you can take me on a date and then try to steal my business because I will just close down and let everyone come at you. You’ll be mincemeat when my coffee is unavailable to all in Withernsea, and I will never, ever, tell anyone my blend. Write your will, Tristan bitch, you’re not long for this world.”
Whoa. So Jax knew exactly what she was doing by closing the shop. It looked like everyone underestimated our Jax. She was actually one of the badassiest of us all. In fact, given she was completely human, she was a heroine to all.
Tristan swallowed. I noticed he trembled a little. “The reason I did what I did was so that in the event we got married, which given Ebony’s prediction and our successful date, I thought could be a distinct possibility for the future.” He took a breath. “Well it was so I could give you a successful thriving business as a wedding gift.”
“But I already have one.”
“Yes, but I didn’t gift you that. I have to provide something. It is our way.”
“Well then it’s time your ways changed. Maybe the gift you can give me would be to allow me to join the management team at Pixie central to get these antiquated ways changed?”
Tristan dropped to his knees. “I would do anything for you.”
We waited with baited breath to see what Jax’s response would be. She sighed. “You get one more chance, Tristan. One. Don’t sell anything that rivals my coffee shop ever again. I’ll see you at the weekend.” She looked at me. “And I’ll see you tomorrow. Business as usual.”
Tristan stood up, “Oh thank you, thank you, Jax. You won’t regret it.”
She slammed the door in his face.
A moment later my phone pinged in my pocket.
Jax: Sorry about that but I needed to leave an impression. Thanks for helping! Coffee on the house tomorrow. I’m putting my prices up too to teach the Withernsea residents a lesson. That’ll show them!
“Thanks for your help, Darius.” I told him. “Come on, Dad. Let’s get home and see what Mum’s up to with Frankie, Polly, and Drake.”
“You left your wife having a foursome? Well, I didn’t see that coming. Are you not enough for her? I guess I can’t expect everyone to have my Pixie prowess.”
Dad thumped him straight in the face and then stood over him while he writhed on the floor clutching his jaw. “Tristan, you are a very rude individual and we’ve all had enough of it. If you can be nice to Jax, you can be courteous to everyone else.”
“It’s all right for you. You’re not five feet tall. I’ve had to have an attitude or people don’t see me.”
“We all see you, Tristan. We see an asshole. Jax isn’t tall, but she is migh
ty, and has a heart of gold to boot. I suggest you model yourself on your new girlfriend from now on because there’s a queue of people ready to punch you in the face, and it would be a shame as you aren’t an ugly man.”
We left him on the pavement outside the shop, bade farewell to Darius and whizzed home.
Chapter Fifteen
Polly
The four of us sat in the living room. I was beginning to lose hope.
“Even if we get through to Drake’s mother, and then a miracle occurs, and she gets Brishon to change his mind, it’s Thursday, and on Saturday my mum and dad are outing supernaturals. I can’t help feeling that this is just impossible. We’re running out of time.”
“We’ve got until Saturday evening. You don’t give up until all hope is gone.” My sister told me, looking at me just as she did when I whined about something when we were younger. “Up until then we do everything we can, Polly. You do everything you can.”
“That’s just it though, isn’t it?” I tantrummed. “I can’t actually do anything. I’m hopeless.”
“Well, if that’s what you’re going to tell yourself and tell us; that basically you can’t do anything to help. Sounds just like the Polly I grew up with. You could have rebelled more, you know. You could have spoken up about how they repressed you and treated me. But no, you just did the whole passive ‘poor Polly’ routine. Grow up and get off your backside, lady. I wasn’t a supernatural when I lived at home and I still didn’t put up with Mark and Debbie’s nonsense. If you want a future with Drake, then have a think of how you’re going to fight for it. Or don’t, and we’ll pack in right now and go back to living the lives we were before.”
The room went deathly silent and Frankie looked around the room like he was looking for his nearest escape route. I realised then that my sister was right. Her truth was uncomfortable to hear but yes, what exactly was I doing about the situation? When I’d found out my healing couldn’t do anything, I’d gone back to relying on other people to provide the answers.
The Complete Collection: Supernatural Dating Agency Books 1-6 Page 61
