Spellbinding Starters

by Annabel Chase

  “There are summoning spells that allow for books to be imported.” He wagged a finger at me. “Before you get any ideas, every spell like that has to go through the proper procedure.”

  I turned my eyes skyward. Dear Daniel’s brothers in heaven. “You seriously love your red tape around here.”

  “We can’t allow magic users to run roughshod over this town,” he said, and I suddenly pictured him wearing a gold star pin and a holster.

  “I hardly think summoning a copy of Pride and Prejudice will wreak havoc on supernatural civilization.”

  “Rules are rules, Miss Hart. You’ll learn.”

  I kept hearing that I’d learn. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. Not when learning seemed to imply finding out about things that annoyed me.

  I stood out of the way as the sheriff’s team removed the debris from the hearth. Sedgwick flew in during the bustling activity.

  What happened?

  I filled him in telepathically, so that Sheriff Hugo didn’t hear me refer to him as a jackass.

  I leave for half an hour and all hell breaks loose.

  What can I say, Sedgwick? Where I go, trouble follows.

  Then perhaps you should stop courting it. He dropped a note into my hand. From your fanged paramour.

  As I unfolded the note, I felt like I was back in school, passing notes in class with my ninth grade crush. I probably hadn’t held a guy’s interest since then.

  I sighed as I read the saucy note and blushed. Demetrius wasn’t Daniel, but he was one handsome distraction.

  “Anything you care to share, Miss Hart?” Sheriff Hugo asked.

  I crumpled the note and stuffed it into my pocket. “It’s personal. Nothing to do with the investigation.”

  “From your new friend, Mr. Hunt?”

  My expression hardened. “That’s none of your business.”

  “Stay out of my business, and I’ll stay out of yours.”

  “Gladly.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief when the sheriff gathered his team and left. I needed to get back to the office and go through my notes one more time. I’d prepared a few questions for Mumford, and I wanted to make sure I’d covered every possible angle. Criminal law was still new to me, and I didn’t want my inexperience to show. Mumford deserved better than that.

  Now that we were one step closer to finding Gareth’s killer, I felt a surge of optimism. I didn’t need to find the real thief in order to get Mumford acquitted. I just needed to prove that it wasn’t Mumford. For the first time since my arrival, I couldn’t wait to get to the office.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “So how’s Demetrius Hunt?” Daniel asked. He was sitting on the front step of my porch when I arrived home from the office. I was going to need to look into a mode of transport soon because my feet were killing me. I wasn’t lucky enough—or unlucky enough—to have goblin feet.

  “With everything going on in my life, that’s the question you want to ask me?” I brushed past him and pulled out my key to unlock the door.

  He hopped up and joined me at the door. “Aren’t you going to ask me about Teena?”

  “No need. Demetrius told me all about her.” I left it at that.

  “She and I have been friends for a long time,” he said.

  “Friends with benefits?”

  He wore a blank expression. “All friends have benefits,” he said. “Otherwise, what would be the point of them?”

  So that wasn’t an expression here. Another mental note to add to the ever-growing list.

  “You came all the way over here to tell me that you and Teena have a historical friendship?” I pushed open the door and stepped into the foyer.

  “And to find out whether Demetrius tried anything with you. You can’t trust him.”

  I whirled around and faced him. “Because he’s a vampire?”

  “No, because he’s a player.”

  “So what? I heard you were a player.”

  My remark went unnoticed. He was too busy noticing the tidy state of the main floor. “What happened here?”

  Usually you ask what happened when a room is a mess, not when it looks pristine.

  I counted on my fingers. “Fairy cleaners, the sheriff’s forensics team, Magpie and Sedgwick had a knock-down-drag-out fight…”

  “The owl and the pussycat don’t get along?”

  “They’re working on their relationship.” Working on destroying it.

  “So when are you going to paint in here?” he asked.

  I glared at him. “In all my spare time?”

  He shrugged. “You wouldn’t need to do it. Fairy painters could finish a job like this in less than an hour. You just need to choose the colors. That black banister is an eyesore. What was Gareth thinking?”

  “Maybe after Mumford’s trial,” I said. “Then I’ll have time to focus on frivolous things like paint colors.”

  “It isn’t frivolous,” he countered. “This is your home now. It should reflect who you are.”

  I looked around the room. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. The largest space I ever had to decorate was a fraction of the size of this.”

  “I’ll help you.”

  My head jerked toward him. “You will?”

  “Unless you don’t want me to.”

  I squinted at him. “Why are you being so nice to me?” In truth, it was an unfair question. Daniel had been nothing but nice to me since my arrival.

  “I need a reason?” he queried. “I think that says more about you than it does about me.”

  He was probably right.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m just stressed out.”

  He squeezed my shoulders and I tried to pretend I didn’t feel anything when his fingers pressed into me. A crush on a fallen angel was a bad idea…wasn’t it?

  “You’re under a fair amount of pressure,” he said. “I’m actually quite impressed with how well you’ve handled yourself. A weaker human—I mean, witch—might have crumbled.”

  “There’s still time,” I said. And plenty of it, apparently.

  Daniel turned in a circle, taking in the entire foyer. “How do you feel about beige? Too boring?”

  “Actually, I think a light beige would really brighten up the space, especially once these blackout curtains come down.”

  Daniel walked over to the nearest window and, in one swift movement, removed the offending item. “There. How’s that?”

  Sunlight streamed in through the stained glass window. It was magnificent.

  “Do the other ones,” I said eagerly.

  Daniel moved from window to window, stripping away the sun’s obstacles. I regretted leaving the curtains for as long as I had. The room was already transformed and the walls weren’t even painted yet.

  “That’s an improvement, wouldn’t you say?” He folded his bulging arms across his chest, looking satisfied.

  “I would. Thank you.”

  Magpie trotted down the stairs, took one look at the windows, and hissed. He immediately turned around and went back upstairs.

  I shrugged. “Can’t please everybody.”

  Next he eyed the broken banister. “I heard about the murder weapon.”

  “I’m sure the whole town knows by now.” What had it been since the discovery? Five hours?

  “The elves here do amazing woodwork,” he said. “I can help you get this fixed up whenever you’re ready.”

  “Daniel, you don’t have to help…”

  He stopped and looked at me. “You think I’m going to let Demetrius do it? That guy has the taste of a doodlebug.”

  “A doodlebug? Is that a real thing?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Of course. They’re like ants. They drag their bottoms in the dirt and leave drawings behind.”

  Okay then.

  “Have you heard any news from the sheriff’s office?” I asked. “Any results from forensics?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet. The sheriff has really taken a dislike to you.” He
paused and grinned. “Which only makes most residents like you more.”

  “He’s that popular, huh?”

  “Sheriff Hugo has been sheriff for a long time,” Daniel explained. “I think at some point we’ll demand a regime change.”

  “Astrid seems capable.” And scary.

  “She’s extremely capable, probably one of the reasons Sheriff Hugo is such a difficult toddler most of the time. He’s afraid Astrid is going to swoop in and steal all his toys.”

  “Is that why he doesn’t like me?” I asked. “He’s afraid I’m going to steal his toys?”

  “He’s afraid you’re going to make him look incompetent, which he is, and you rightfully have.”

  “If he’s so incompetent, why keep him? The council seems to have their act together. Can’t they appoint a replacement?”

  Daniel fiddled with a loose cornice. “He and Mayor Knightsbridge are thick as thieves. Until she agrees to replace him, I’m afraid he’s the head of law enforcement.”

  Too bad for Spellbound.

  “Listen,” he said. “I have time now. Why don’t we fly over to the hardware store and choose paint for the rooms on the main floor?”

  “Because I promised myself I wouldn’t make this place mine until I’d earned it,” I said.

  “Emma, you’re too tough on yourself, but if it makes you happy, we’ll just choose the colors. We won’t do anything with them until you’re ready.”

  He really was sweet.

  “I was also going to run through Mumford’s case again before I made dinner.”

  He peered at me suspiciously. “What do you have to make for dinner?”

  “I’ve been to the market,” I said defensively.

  He reached for my hand. “Come on. Take a break from all this crime and let me treat you to dinner, then we’ll swing by the hardware store afterward.”

  I wondered how much of this attention was the result of Demetrius’s interest in me. Would Daniel be here now if he hadn’t seen me out with the vampire? The most gorgeous angel in the world just took my hand and asked me to dinner. Did I really care about his motivation?

  “Any chance you brought a car?” I asked.

  He tilted his head. “You’ll be fine.”

  “I really won’t. It isn’t far. We can walk.” If my feet could curse, they’d be reeling off a string of them right now.

  “We can pick up a potion to ease your feet pain, too,” Daniel said.

  I glanced quizzically at him.

  “You keep shifting your weight,” he said. “I’m guessing your feet are bothering you.”

  “They are,” I admitted.

  “Then we’ll buy you a potion before dinner,” he said. “There’s a place right near the town square.”

  “Okay, but I can’t be out too late,” I said. “Tomorrow is an important day.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be respectful of your needs.”

  That sounded promising.

  “I just need to feed Magpie and then we can go.”

  “What about the owl?”

  “Sedgwick hunts his own food.” Thank goodness. I didn’t love the idea of feeding him live mice. I wasn’t a fan of mice, but it didn’t mean I wanted to hand deliver them to death’s door.

  I hustled into the kitchen and refilled Magpie’s water dish before restocking the food. Magpie appeared out of nowhere, rubbing against my leg.

  “You smelled it from upstairs, didn’t you?”

  Magpie meowed.

  “Do me a favor and be nice to Daniel,” I said. “I want him to come here as often as he likes. If you’re mean, he won’t want to do that. Understand?”

  The cat hissed at me.

  “If you play ball, there’s an extra can of tuna in it for you.”

  I waited for a revised response. Sure enough, Magpie gave me a sweet meow and swished his tail.

  “I’m glad we understand each other,” I said, and opened the can of tuna.

  Dinner was at the nicest restaurant in town, a place called Serendipity right at the bottom of the town square. I was a little embarrassed by my casual clothes and lack of makeup, but no one seemed to mind. In fact, I noticed all variety of outfits among the guests. Everyone seemed to know Daniel. He was greeted with kisses from most of the females we met and a firm handshake from the males. If he’d slept with any of their daughters or ruined any of their marriages, no one said so. I guess it was the upscale ambience. It demanded good behavior.

  “Next time warn me,” I said, as we sat down at an intimate table at the back of the restaurant.

  “About what?”

  I looked pointedly at my outfit. “I came straight from the office. I didn’t even comb my hair.”

  He grinned at me. “At least your socks match.”

  He had a point. There were plenty of monsters in Spellbound, but no sock monsters.

  “I don’t want to get a reputation as the slob,” I said. And, honestly, I didn’t want to look bad in front of Daniel. Not that I would admit that to him. Ever.

  “I keep forgetting you don’t know a lot of spells yet,” he said. “The witches I dated were always able to switch things up with a snap of their fingers.”

  I peered across the menu at him. “Exactly how many witches have you dated?”

  He appeared thoughtful. “Do you need an exact number? I can spitball it.”

  “You know what? Forget it. I don’t think I want to know.” I focused on the menu options. Every dish sounded divine.

  “Choose anything you like,” Daniel said. “I’ve never had a bad meal here.”

  “I want to be careful about what I pick,” I told him. “I don’t want to risk my stomach not settling. I’m already stressed about tomorrow.”

  He smiled at me over top of the menu. “You’re going to be great. It sounds to me like you’ve been giving this case one hundred percent.”

  Daniel was so upbeat on my behalf. I really liked that quality about him. “Considering I don’t know the first thing about criminal law, especially in Spellbound, I had to go through all the paperwork with a fine-tooth comb.”

  “If I ever get arrested for anything, I’d definitely want you as my public defender.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “Thanks, Daniel. That’s so nice of you to say.”

  Just then, a couple passed by our table. I couldn’t tell what kind of creatures they were because they looked human. The woman leaned down and said to me, “Next time you curse Sheriff Hugo, make sure it’s permanent.”

  “But it was an accident,” I said, but she was already out of earshot. I looked back at Daniel. “What was that about?”

  “Summer Hansen. Her son Dirk was arrested a few months ago for trespassing. She hates Sheriff Hugo.”

  “Werewolves?” I asked.

  “Werebears.”

  “That’s a thing?” I said. I guess it was no stranger than a wereferret.

  “There are a decent number of shifters in Spellbound. Gareth was on pretty good terms with the pack leaders. You should pay them a visit when you get a chance. Get to know them. They’re a powerful group here and it will only make your job easier to make them feel important.”

  “Thanks for the tip. Are there are any groups that absolutely don’t get along?”

  “Usually it’s more to do with a history between specific members of the groups.”

  “Like you and Mayor Knightsbridge’s daughter? Or you and Meg?”

  His brow lifted. “I’m not that guy anymore, Emma.”

  “Says you.”

  A floating notepad came over and we placed our orders. I guess it saved on hiring costs.

  “Do you ever think that one day you’ll wake up and the curse will be broken?”

  “No,” he said flatly.

  “What would you do if that happened?” I asked. “Where would you go?”

  “I don’t allow myself to indulge in such fantasies,” he said. “They only lead to heartbreak.”

  A life without dreams. What a d
epressing thought.

  “What about you?” he asked. “What did you fantasize about back in…Where are you from?”

  “Lemon Grove, Pennsylvania,” I said, and took a sudden interest in the shiny cutlery. I had no problem asking questions, but it was hard for me to talk about personal issues. “I guess I dreamed about what all orphans dream about—being reunited with my parents. I carry them with me every day.”

  “Their loss?”

  My brow furrowed. “No, Daniel. Their love.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The next morning I felt refreshed and ready to tackle Mumford’s case. As frustrating as he could be at times, Daniel had a way of making me feel like I could take on the world. Must be the angel in him.

  I left my house with a spring in my step, and ran into Darcy and Calliope Minor as they pedaled their bicycles past the front of the house. Each set of handlebars came equipped with a wicker basket. I realized upon closer inspection that the wheels weren’t actually turning. The bicycles were gliding through the air.

  Calliope pressed her handbrakes when she saw me. “Hey, neighbor. Congratulations. I heard you found the murder weapon.”

  Darcy’s eyes gleamed. “Serves that old centaur right for being such a condescending…”

  “Darcy.” Calliope’s warning tone was abundantly clear.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “He and I aren’t exactly pals.”

  “We heard you were out with Daniel last night,” Calliope said.

  “And Demetrius Hunt before that,” Darcy added. “You need to watch out for yourself. Those two will eat a sweet little witch like you alive.”

  “Not to mention you’ll have half the females in Spellbound hating your guts,” Calliope said. “Trust me, you do not want that. Some of them are lethal.”

  “They’ve both shown me nothing but kindness so far,” I said. Mixed in with the occasional insult.

  “Can I give you a lift into town?” Calliope asked. “I’m heading to the bookstore to help Juliet with new stock.”

  “I would love that,” I said, “but there’s only one seat.”

  Calliope pressed a button the side of the seat and it extended another foot. “Not anymore.”

  I climbed onto the back of the bike. “So these are part magic and part invention?”