Witches & Words

by Elle Adams

  Then once more, the shadows swept in around him and Xavier, taking the two Reapers away with them.

  I released a slow breath. Two ashy heaps lay on the grass, all that remained of the ex-vampire hunters. I was alone, except for…

  “Don’t look so alarmed,” said Evangeline. “You’re less than a mile from Ivory Beach, and I’m sure your family will be on their way.”

  I hope so. My pulse began to race again at the sight of the anger in the vampires’ leader’s expression, though her eyes showed none of the hunger and rage of the two newly created vampires. Despite that, she was more dangerous than both of them put together.

  “I’m disappointed,” she said. “You chose to go to the Reaper instead of me.”

  “I didn’t,” I said, my throat dry. “Mr Spencer found me first and brought me here. Xavier tracked me, and the Grim Reaper followed his lead.”

  “Pity. I would have liked to take my time with them.” She gave the two piles of ash a disgruntled look. “I suppose this is a fitting punishment, considering how many of my kind they dealt the same fate to.”

  “They’re still dead,” I said. “Deader than dead, I mean.”

  She looked up at me, an inexplicable smile pulling at her mouth. “You have a habit of making dangerous enemies, Aurora Hawthorn.”

  Does that include you? The thought flickered through my mind before I could stop it. Maybe I hadn’t quite got the hang of controlling my thoughts around her after all, but I was exhausted, my nerves frayed from my narrow brush with death, and all I wanted was to go back to the library with my family.

  “I make alliances, not enemies,” she said. “Though I confess, I did want a look at that book.”

  “The book is a fake,” I told her. “Which you’d have known if you’d read Mr Spencer or Mr Blake’s minds.”

  “Where is the real book?”

  “Haven’t a clue.” It wasn’t a lie. I had no doubt that my family would track it down, eventually, but that was a matter for another day. Until I found proof that she wasn’t willing to throw my family under the bus the same way those two vampire hunters had, I’d be keeping that book as far from her as possible.

  “Pity,” said Evangeline.

  “Why do you want it, exactly?” I asked. “Because the vampire hunters intended to use it as bait, and only failed because they managed to get one another killed in the process. I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want any rogues running around town either.”

  “The book simply interests me, that’s all,” she said. “I wouldn’t dream of putting the town in danger.”

  I wished Blair, with her lie-sensing powers, could allay my doubts. It was impossible to tell if the vampires’ leader was purposefully goading me, or if she did have some sinister motive, but it was abundantly clear Evangeline was out for her own self-interest and nothing else.

  “Though I have to say,” she added, “I’ll be… displeased if you do end up choosing to trust the Grim Reaper over me.”

  My mouth parted. “You think I trust him?”

  “I suppose not,” she said. “You’re an interesting one, Aurora Hawthorn.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I kept silent.

  “Oh, look.” She pointed to several red-haired figures approaching. “I’m right. There’s your family.”

  Sure enough, there they were. Aunt Adelaide, Aunt Candace, Estelle… even Cass. They’d come to find me.

  It was time to go home.

  16

  The following morning, we got rid of the book.

  I entered the library’s lobby to find my family members gathering around a sealed package lying on the front desk. Muffled screaming came from within, but it stilled when Cass gave it a jab with her wand.

  Sylvester extended a foot and prodded the sealed package. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drop it into the sea?”

  “That wouldn’t be fair on the marine life in the ocean,” Cass said. “Post it to the vampires instead.”

  “No thanks,” I said. “We’re lucky no rogues did come to town, considering how those two vampire hunters would sooner have fought one another rather than do any actual vampire hunting.”

  “I have other people I’d like to send it to,” remarked Aunt Candace.

  “No, you don’t,” said Estelle. “Aunt Candace, you can’t post it to a friend of yours. Not this time.”

  “I can think of a few people who deserve it.” She gave a rather evil chuckle. “Don’t look at me like that, Adelaide, I’m not going to. But I see nothing wrong with sending those rogue vampires on a wild phoenix chase. By the time word gets out that the book’s not the genuine article, they should be miles away from town.”

  “She has a point,” I said. “Do you think the vampires are still after it, then?”

  “I don’t doubt they are,” said Aunt Adelaide. “I think we’ll send the book somewhere up north. How does Scotland sound?”

  “Excellent.” Aunt Candace clapped her hands. “We’ll tell everyone we know that the book is being shipped north. Meanwhile, we’ll have it destroyed.”

  “Of course.” Aunt Adelaide walked towards the desk. “I trust you can ensure it reaches its destination, Sylvester?”

  “What?” said the owl. “Oh, all right. Fine. But you’d better make sure no vampires come on my tail.”

  “Of course.” Aunt Adelaide followed the owl out of the library. “Just make sure everyone sees you flying north, and then we’ll take off the sentience spell and destroy it.”

  “The animals knew,” said Cass. “That the book was a fake, I mean. They were spooked from the instant Rory brought it in here.”

  “Hey, it wasn’t Rory’s fault,” said Estelle.

  “Never said it was.”

  “You implied it.” Estelle gave an eye-roll. “Cass, are you even trying to turn over a new leaf?”

  “Whoever said I had to?” she said. “We both know Rory only brought the book back here to begin with because she didn’t want the whole world to hear her wish for the Reaper to come back.”

  How did she know that? For someone who pretended not to care about anyone, Cass could be amazingly perceptive.

  Then she added, “Though he did ditch you last night, so perhaps not.”

  “Cass!” said Estelle. “When the Grim Reaper asks you to go somewhere, you don’t have a choice, even if you’re his apprentice. Right, Rory?”

  “You bet.” Cass wouldn’t be Cass without the occasional snide comment. Anyway, she was only looking out for the library. And for her pets. Mostly the pets. “What did you wish for, anyway?”

  “None of your business,” she said.

  “Please say it wasn’t a unicorn,” said Estelle. “As for me, I wished I could hand in my thesis in one piece.”

  Cass snorted. “Now I know why you two get on so well. You’re the only two people in existence who get excited about going back to school.”

  At that moment, Jet flew over and landed on my shoulder. “Your friend is here!” he squeaked. “The bad book is gone!”

  “Yes, it is.” I made my way over to the front desk, where Blair waved at me from beside the front door.

  “Hey,” she said. “I just came to say bye. And to thank you again for your help.”

  “No problem,” I said. “Thanks for helping me with that book. Sorry it was so much trouble.”

  “I’ve dealt with worse,” she said. “Nice meeting you, Jet,” she added, as my familiar flew over to greet her. “Where is the talking book, anyway?”

  “Gone,” I said. “Well, it’s on the way out. In fact, Jet, I need you to do me a favour.”

  “Of course!” he squeaked.

  “We need to put out the word that the book is heading north,” I said. “That way, if there are any vampires looking for it, they won’t come here. Tell everyone you see it’s going to Scotland. Can you do that?”

  “I’ll tell everyone!” he promised, taking flight.

  Blair grinned. “Good job t
here. We can spread the word, too, on our way back.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “Have a safe trip home.”

  “I will. And thank you for showing me around the library.” Blair waved goodbye, pushing open the door.

  “Miaow,” said a voice at her feet.

  I looked down to see Sky sitting beside the desk. Once again, he’d entered without my noticing. Underneath his extended front paw lay the trapdoor leading into the vampire’s basement.

  Wait…

  “You left the trapdoor open?” I frowned at the little black cat. “You mean you knew… you knew I needed to see the vampire?”

  “Miaow,” he said.

  Then he sauntered towards the door and vanished after his owner.

  Was that normal for magical cats? I hadn’t a clue.

  I was about to return to work when the door opened again, and Xavier walked in. “Hey, Rory.”

  “Hey.” I smiled at him. “I just said goodbye to Blair.”

  “I saw her on the way out,” he said. “She got whatever she needed from the library, then?”

  “She did,” I said. “She and Nathan are heading back home today. The book’s on its way north, too. Well, that’s what we’re telling everyone.”

  “Oh, so that’s what your familiar’s flying around telling people in the town square,” he said.

  “I did tell him to spread the word. Figured it was the best way.”

  “You aren’t wrong.” He drew in a breath. “Come out with me tonight.”

  I startled. “What? You mean on a date?”

  “Sure.”

  I blinked a couple of times, nonplussed. The note on which the Grim Reaper had left us yesterday hadn’t exactly prepared me for him to ask me out in such a direct manner. “Are you certain?”

  “I am.” He stepped towards the door. “I’ll and pick you up at seven.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  That evening, Xavier and I walked out into the cold night air. A companionable silence drifted over us, but I couldn’t quell the flow of questions rising in my mind. Finally, I turned to him.

  “Are you interested in me?” I asked. “Or not?”

  “I am,” he said. “I’m sorry for leaving town. I’m also sorry for how my boss treated you. I didn’t know he’d go so far as to leave you threatening notes. I talked to him about it.”

  “But…?” I could read between the lines. He was interested, but as long as he was the Reaper, dating a human wasn’t an option. It never had been. This was just his way of letting me down gently.

  Yet he still didn’t let go of my hand as we walked. Okay. Maybe the Grim Reaper isn’t okay with this, but Xavier is, and that’s what’s important, isn’t it?

  I stilled as we reached the seafront. A shadow shaped like a person stood waiting for us, blocking my view of the night sky. I’d expected it, on some level, but my heart still plummeted at the sight of the Grim Reaper.

  “Don’t worry,” Xavier whispered. “I won’t let him harm you. He just wants a word with you.”

  I did my best to school my expression into blankness and approached his shadowy form.

  “Grim Reaper.” I didn’t know how else to address him.

  “Aurora.”

  We remained silent for a long moment while I waited for him to speak.

  “You are… vexing,” said the Grim Reaper. “You shouldn’t have gone after those vampires alone.”

  “I didn’t,” I said. “They captured me, and I didn’t have any way to call for help. Not from you or Xavier, anyway.”

  “You’ve seen things that humans shouldn’t see,” he went on.

  “It wasn’t exactly a choice.”

  “You seem to have made an enemy of some dangerous people, too,” he added, as though I hadn’t spoken. “The group of vampires you encountered have been causing issues for the Reapers for some time.”

  “Wait… they have?” Xavier hadn’t said so, but it was clear the Grim Reaper didn’t tell him everything, either.

  His gaze went to the library, visible above the town square. “Your family provides a valuable service to the town, but your interest in my apprentice is causing me no end of trouble. He’s even more distracted when he doesn’t have contact with you, and it’s not good for his position as Reaper.”

  Wait, he is? I risked a glance at Xavier, but the Grim Reaper’s shadows blocked him from view.

  “I’m not going to monopolise Xavier’s attention,” I said. “I have a job, too. I have friends and family as well. If he’s happier with me in his life, it’s advantageous for both of you to let us keep in touch, right?”

  “Reapers shouldn’t have friends.”

  “It’s not doing any harm,” I said. “Xavier doesn’t want to quit being the Reaper and he doesn’t want to give me up, either. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Besides, you said yourself… he’s better at his job when he’s allowed contact with me. What’s wrong with a compromise?”

  The shadows lifted a little, revealing the Grim Reaper’s real face. He had been human once, I was sure.

  “Xavier is young for a Reaper apprentice,” he said. “Young enough to let his emotions get the better of him. Perhaps I will allow him this… flirtation.”

  My heart missed a beat. “You mean you’ll let us date one another?”

  “Until he comes to his senses,” he said. “Is that good enough for you?”

  Maybe if I’d been the person I’d been when I first moved to town, I would have said yes.

  As it was… “No.”

  “Excuse me?” said the Grim Reaper. Beneath the chilling resonance of his voice, there was a hint of genuine surprise.

  “I don’t want you to give him permission to date me and then take it back later. Or drag him out of town and leave threatening messages for me without his knowledge. I want a guarantee that you’ll let anything to do with our relationship stay between the two of us only.” I took in a deep breath. “That’s all.”

  For a moment, I expected him to get out his scythe, but he merely turned away. “Then I will respect your wishes, provided you respect mine. Do not distract him from his duties.”

  “I won’t.” Within reason. For instance, I wouldn’t say no to taking him for a proper date tonight, without any vampires or screaming books involved.

  The shadows folded in, and the next second, he was gone. I released a slow breath. I’d gambled and won against the Grim Reaper, and now Xavier and I would be free to pursue a relationship without the shadow of his disapproval hanging over our heads.

  Xavier stepped to my side. “That was risky.”

  “It was worth it.” I grinned. “I thought about asking him to let you have a mobile phone, too, but that can wait for next time.”

  His arms came around me, and he kissed me under the darkening sky. Only when he let go of me did I look up, breathless, at the blanket of stars above.

  Maybe I’d get my wish after all.

  Thank you for reading!

  The story continues in Rory’s next adventure, coming soon.

  Want to see how Blair came to discover the magical world? Try my Blair Wilkes mystery series, starting with Witch in Progress. Find out more at: smarturl.it/BlairWilkesMysteries

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  I hope you enjoyed Witches & Words. If you have a minute to spare, then I’d really appreciate a short review. For independent authors, reviews help more readers discover our books. I’d love to know what you thought!

  About the Author

  Elle Adams lives in the middle of England, where she spends most of her time reading an ever-growing mountain of books, planning her next adventure, or writing. Elle's books are humorous mysteries with a paranormal twist, packed with magical mayhem.

  She also writes urban and contemporary fantasy novels as Emma L. Adams.

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