by Amy Boyles
Axel narrowed his gaze. He got a look on his face he only made when he was thinking wizardish sorts of thoughts. Like he was about to work a bucketload of magic or about to release a can of whoop-butt on the world. It was an expression that could make grown men cower.
Me, I liked it.
Axel folded his arms. “I think that’s a question that only Gale can answer.”
Garrick moved to the door. “Looks like I’ll be talking to Miss East.”
Axel and I left, as interrogating folks was pretty much police business and had absolutely nothing to do with us. Garrick promised to call Axel if he needed any more help with the poppets.
“That one sure did look like Shelly,” I murmured. We were back in the truck and heading toward Familiar Place.
“A lot of women wear red lipstick,” he countered.
“I agree. But there are lots of pieces clicking together. Maybe Gale will just admit she used the poppet to kill Shelly and tell Garrick where she hid the potion.” I raked my fingers through my hair. “It has to be her, right?”
“It doesn’t have to be.” His head tipped toward mine. “But it could be, and you’re right, all the pieces do fit together.”
I sank back into the seat. “But you can’t force them. They have to lock on their own.”
“Like that puzzle box.”
“Yep. Just like it.”
He stopped in front of the store, and I hopped out along with Hugo and Betty. Well, Betty didn’t hop. I carried the box under my arm.
We said goodbye, and I went inside Familiar Place. As soon as I opened the doors—a bit late, I admit—it seemed there was a rush of folks buying all sorts of things—supplies, food, pets, anything and everything.
The day zoomed by quickly. I was close to locking up when the door opened again.
Gale East stood in the frame.
I almost vomited.
“Gale, how’re you? So glad to see you.” I had to bite my tongue to stop from saying things like—why weren’t you arrested? Why do you have a poppet of Shelly Seay? Where’s the potion, damn it? I need to fix my grandmother before she forgets she’s my grandmother and remains a toad for the rest of her life.
You know, just a few things. That was all I had on my mind.
“I’m not good.” Her gaze flashed to the box. “The police. They came to my house today. They think I’ve done something horrible. But I haven’t, Pepper.”
“Um.”
She peered at Betty the Toad. “Is that her? Is this your grandmother?”
“Yes, it is.” I whisked the box away. “Sorry. But she’s sort of stuck like this and vulnerable.”
Gale wrung her hands. I have to admit the look of angst on her face was believable.
“They think I have Shelly’s potion and that I killed her.”
I licked my lips. Hmm. “Who? The police?”
“Yes!”
“Have they said as much?”
Gale raked her fingers through her thick Brillo hair. “No! Yes! No. Sort of. They found an old box of poppets I had.”
I gasped because it seemed the right response. “Poppets! Why would you have those?”
She crumpled into a chair. Yes, by all means, kill a woman, keep a potion that could save my grandmother away from her and then sit in my chair as if you own the place.
Help yourself.
“Long ago I used poppets, but it was overseen.”
“Oh?” I sank into a chair across from her. “By who?”
“By someone.”
“Wasn’t it Shelly?”
“Yes. No. Partly. Look, she got a bad rap as a sorceress when she summoned some dark stuff for the students to fight against, but no one was ever going to be hurt. Shelly wouldn’t have allowed it.”
“I see.” I didn’t see at all. Who had taught her how to make poppets? Was it Saltz? “Can I get you some water?”
“Yes.” She slumped farther onto the chair.
I grabbed a small bottle from a fridge in the office and handed it to her. “Just take your time and explain it to me. Back at the contest you made it seem that you didn’t like Shelly.”
“I lied.” She unscrewed the cap and nearly finished the pint in one swallow. Gale swiped an arm over her moist lips. “I’ve never had much luck in school. When Shelly Seay took me on as her mentee, I thought I was saved.”
“Were you?”
Gale blinked as if startled. She reacted like it was the strangest question in the world. I considered it perfectly normal.
“No,” she finally answered. “I wasn’t saved. But I thought I was.” She rubbed her palms over her hair. “I know I seemed like I didn’t like Shelly, but that’s only because things didn’t end well between us.”
The image of the poppet with bright red lipstick popped into my head. “Is this about the poppets?”
“The poppets are something else. I was so young when I made them. I kept them. I don’t know why. It was stupid. Foolish of me. I wanted to see how far I could push my craft. See what all I could do.”
She shook her head. “Then I made some for fun. I was never going to use them.”
She crumpled over, and I squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay. We all make mistakes, but if you’ve done something that hurt another person, you should say so.”
Gale slowly glanced up, and I nodded toward Betty. “There are other people’s lives at stake. Shelly Seay can’t be saved. It’s too late for her, but it isn’t too late for my grandmother.”
Gale palmed tears from her eyes. “I wish I could help, but I don’t know how. I’m innocent, Pepper. I know I’ve done some things in the past.”
I fisted my hands. I wasn’t buying into this whiny crap. There was more than enough reason to believe that Gale East was guilty of murder.
“You almost knocked out my dragon. I know for a fact that to control a poppet, one of the things you need is dragon’s breath.”
She shivered. “I know but I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me. There are other people who know more about poppets than I do. The person who taught me.”
“Right. Who taught you?”
Her gaze darted to the floor. “I don’t know if I should say.”
I gripped her shoulders and was about to shake an entire world of sense into her. “What’s wrong with you? A woman is dead.”
“I can tell you, but I know he’s innocent.”
We’ll be the judge of that. “Who is it, Gale?”
Her lips trembled. “The person who taught me how to make poppets is Bo.”
My stomach fell. “Bo? As in Shelly’s boyfriend?”
Gale swallowed loudly. “Yes. He taught me everything I know.”
SEVENTEEN
“Gale said Bo taught her about poppets.”
I thought Axel was going to drop the pan of stir-fried veggies on the floor.
“Can I help you with that?”
He straightened and righted the pan, sliding it back onto the stovetop. Axel yanked a towel from the counter, wiped his hands and flipped it over one shoulder.
“Bo?” he repeated. “Bo taught her? Bo, the man who let himself be turned into a toad?”
I nodded. “The one and same. That’s what Gale said.”
He pulled two glasses from the cabinet and filled them with water. “Bo. Huh. He doesn’t strike me as quite that smart.”
“Or quite that evil?”
He pushed a glass toward me. “You don’t have to be evil to work poppets. Not necessarily.”
That struck me as an odd thing to say. “Are you sure? I thought working with poppets is dark magic.”
“It is. The darkest. Transmutation is close simply because of what you have to sacrifice in order to work the spell correctly.” He divided the stir-fry between two plates.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He hopped on a seat beside me and handed me a fork and knife.
I bit into a crunchy carrot. “What a healthy treat.”
“Glad you apprec
iate it.”
“I do.” My gaze snagged on him. Heat rose in my cheeks. What this man did to me. All he had to do was look at me and my heart pounded, my skin flushed and I couldn’t remember how to speak.
Okay, the speaking part was an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.
He quirked a brow. “We should probably just keep this talk to food and not get carried away with ourselves.”
“Who said I was going to do that?”
“You didn’t. It was the look in your eyes. They held a certain something that insinuated a lot.”
I stared at my plate. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He laughed. “It’s okay. It happens to me, too.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay. Anyway.” Time to deflect and not talk about kissing and stuff. No time to even think about it. “What did you mean when you said a person doesn’t have to be evil to use poppets?”
“Ah.” He swiped a napkin over his mouth. “Poppets can be used for good.”
“By some sort of poppet fairy? You’re kidding, right?”
He smiled. The corners of Axel’s eyes crinkled as amusement sparked in his eyes. “Oh, if only the world wasn’t so complicated. It would be better if all poppets were bad and then there wouldn’t be the gray, would there?”
“Are you being cryptic on purpose?”
“No. Here’s the deal—poppets can be used to heal people.”
Food nearly fell from my mouth. “To heal?”
“Yes.” Axel took a bite of food and relaxed back onto his chair. He folded his arms and studied me. “That’s why it took so long for some towns to make their use illegal—because they’re traditionally used to heal.”
“But then one bad apple screws everything for everyone else.”
“Exactly.”
I twirled my fork. “So they give poppets a bad name. It doesn’t help that in order to really work the power of the poppet, the spell calls for some unsavory elements.”
He draped his arm over the back of my chair. “I love rotten eggs. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Ha-ha. Very funny.” I dropped my fork onto my plate. “That was delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Our gazes snagged again. The air pressure in the room changed. It thickened. I didn’t know if it was imaginary or literally the magic inside us ratcheting up and causing the heaviness. The pressure compounded, making my head swim. The power needed to release.
It did when Axel kissed me. It was deep and passionate and tasted of stir-fry. I sighed into him, and in return his hand glided to my cheek.
When we parted, he whispered into my mouth, “I’m sorry I ever left.”
“I’m just glad you returned after your freak-out.”
He chuckled and pulled me to him. “What would I do without you?”
“Live a miserable life.”
“You’re right about that.” He leaned back and brushed a few strands of fake red hair from my face. “The color’s holding up great.”
I frowned.
“What is it?”
“I don’t want to have to use a glamour to keep my hair luscious and beautiful forever. I hope Amelia can fix it.”
He clipped my chin with his fist. “You don’t need a glamour for your hair. You are luscious and beautiful no matter the color.” He leaned back and studied me. “Wait. Are you blushing?”
Pretty sure every inch of me burned bright red. “Um. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. “What you do to me. I can’t even think straight.”
I curled my fingers into his shirt. “Who says you have to think?”
He unhooked me. “I have to think. A lot’s happening in the next few days. The moon will be full soon.”
“Oh dear Lord! I almost forgot.” Axel turning into the wolf was almost the worst timing ever. We needed to fix Betty, find the potion—well not in that order. We had to get the potion and then fix Betty. If we happened to catch a murderer in the meantime, then so be it.
But I couldn’t hide the panic from my voice. “When are you turning? Tomorrow? What do you need me to do?”
“Hold on there.” He raised a hand for me to stop. Axel threaded his fingers through mine and led me to the couch.
“The plates?”
“We’ll clean up later.”
“Like tomorrow?”
Not that I was hoping things would go far, but I didn’t mind a little kissing time with Axel. If that kissing lasted all night, then well, that’s what happened.
“I’m changing day after tomorrow.”
Whew. “Okay. Well that gives us plenty of time to figure out how to save Betty.” I sank onto a cushion and hiked an arm over the neck of the couch. “So you think the new place you built will hold you?”
“It’s not the house I’m worried about.”
“What then?”
“You.”
I blanched. “Er. Hey. So I was thinking about Betty. Do you think we could maybe work a transmutation spell to save her?”
He tilted his head back and laughed. “Way to change the subject.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Axel shot me a hard look. “Right. But anyway, first of all there’s no way to know if a transmutation spell would actually work since Betty was changed with a potion. We did try a modified one, and since it wasn’t successful, that is my guess as to why. Secondly, Betty wouldn’t approve of such a spell because of the ritual sacrifice.”
I cringed. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
He lifted my feet and started to knead the tender insole. “You wouldn’t approve either. You want to sacrifice a cat?”
I grimaced. “No. That’s disgusting.”
“That’s how it was done. But anyway…”
I batted my eyelashes. “Yes?”
“I was wondering about the potion you made for the contest.”
“Ah, the ever so elusive potion. Oh yes, that spot right there.” I moaned and sank farther into the couch. “Don’t ever stop. Can I take you with me everywhere I go so you can continually massage my feet?”
“No.” His tone might’ve been flat, but the twinkle in Axel’s eyes had mischief written all over it.
I laughed. “Way to be honest.”
“I stayed out of your way when you worked here, but I have a feeling I should know what the potion was.”
I rolled my eyes. “What makes you say that?”
“It has to do with animals. I know that much.”
“You think you’re so smart.” He stared at me until I folded. “Yes. It has to do with animals. I thought that along with the arm cuffs, I could connect with you.”
He nodded. “Ah. I knew it had something to do with me.”
“You’re incorrigible,” I teased.
He winked. “I know I am.” He shook his head. “Were you going to tell me?”
“Actually I was going to drug you when you weren’t paying attention.”
He laughed. “Sounds like a perfect plan.”
“No. I was. Listen, I think we can do this. I think if I can connect with you by using the potion, you’ll have a real shot at a breakthrough.”
He quirked an ebony brow. “You don’t want to use it on Betty?”
“It’s not that kind of potion. It’s supposed to take the connection that’s already there and make it stronger. Besides…” I glanced at the floor. How could I really tell him? It was so embarrassing. But of course I’d created it for him, so I would have to tell him at some point.
Axel dropped my feet to the floor and leaned in. He extended a hand and lifted my chin until our gazes locked. “Yes? Besides what?”
“Besides, it’s geared toward werewolves specifically. It’s not for another creature, so I don’t think it’ll work. There have to be plenty of other folks who want to communicate with werewolves.”
“Tame them, you
mean.”
I shook my head. “No. I’m not trying to tame you. I’m not trying to tame anyone. I want you to be in control. That’s all. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
He slid a hand over my cheek. “Sorry, that came out wrong.”
“It sure did. That’s not what you think, right? That I want to control you?”
He rubbed his face and sighed. “Pepper, we’ve been through this. I’m a beast.”
“But you don’t have to be! Your father isn’t.”
“That’s different. It’s taken him years to establish that connection with my mother. It’s not as if it happened overnight. Besides, I just think…I think there’s more beast in me.”
“That makes no sense. He’s full-blooded werewolf; you’re only half.”
“I learned some things when I left.”
“When you abandoned us.”
He squinted. “I thought you forgave me.”
I cringed. Great thing to say, Pepper. “I do. I just don’t want you to forget.”
“Are you punishing me?”
“No.” I rubbed my face. “No. Sorry. It just still hurts.”
He lifted my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist. I shivered as a pulse of heat bled over my skin. “I’ll never forget. But when I was gone, I learned a few things about the wolf inside me. Most of which was that I’m more feral than most. I’m not saying my father isn’t a fighter or an alpha; all I’m saying is that the blood runs hotter in some people than others.”
“And it runs hotter in you.” Realization sparked in my head. “That’s why we’ve been able to establish a connection before but it’s never lasted.”
He nodded. “I think that’s right. You have to believe me when I say that’s all I want. That more than anything I want us to be connected.” He pressed my hand to his chest. His heart beat steadily under his shirt. “I don’t want to be a slave to the beast. I want control. But Pepper,” he said with a sigh, “I don’t know if I’ll ever have it.”
I grabbed his hands. “You have to believe otherwise.” Tears stung my eyes. It was so stupid. Why was I crying? Because I wasn’t giving up but Axel was?
He slid his thumb over my cheek. “This potion of yours. I’ll try it as long as it won’t kill me.”
I hiccupped as laughter bubbled in my throat. “I don’t think it’ll kill you, but I can’t make any promises.”
