by Kelly Ethan
Aunt Amelia normally had a good grip on her mothers’ leash, but lately her tall, no nonsense aunt with the same amber colored eyes as every Harrow female, seemed tense and anxious. Her late mother’s middle sister was always full of energy and since her Harrow gift was communicating with animals, her work as a vet was the perfect job. But the last few days everyone was tiptoeing around her. Even Elspeth, who normally loved antagonizing her relatives, was avoiding her middle daughter. Xandie shifted back a few paces in case there was an exchange of friendly fire between her grandmother and aunt.
“I wasn’t intending to burn the house down. I was creating a masterpiece. Giving life.” Elspeth cackled and the wind picked up around the Harrow women.
“Dial the hag back, Mother. Or you’ll get us run out of town with torches.” Amelia rolled her eyes at her mother’s antics.
“Creating what exactly?” Xandie frowned and searched their yard. You never could tell with Elspeth if her antics were for good or for evil and since the fire fighters had been at Harrow House for a good hour before she arrived, who knows what the eccentric witch had actually done.
Elspeth tucked her number away in her jogger pantsuit pocket and waved a hand airily. “Oh, this and that. You know how it goes.”
“Yeah, we have the fire station on speed dial, so we know how it goes.” Lila blew a raspberry at her grandmother.
“Not surprised doll-face here has a thing for the hot firemen. She’s a whole lotta witch.”
Lila’s forehead wrinkled as a husky male voice rumbled from behind Elspeth’s legs. “Do you have a short fire fighter hidden behind you we don’t know about?”
Elspeth shuffled her feet for a moment. Then reached behind her and picked up something furry. “Surprise. Meet Colin. Our newest addition to Harrow House.”
Xandie reared back and hid her face behind Lila. Oh, God. It was so ugly.
“Mother, what have you done?” Amelia, animal healer and vet extraordinaire, pointed a shaking finger at the hairy pug her mother held aloft.
Lowering the dog, Elspeth cradled him to her bony chest. “I gave Colin an upgrade. He’ll be perfect for SPAFS now.”
Amelia growled. “He’s not your pet or familiar and no sane, healthy animal should be within peeing distance of that horrible, archaic, abusive institution.”
Xandie sidled away from the cover of her taller cousin and raised a hand. “For those relatively new to the supernatural world and Point Muse, what is SPAFS?”
“Supernatural Pet and Familiar Show. The most popular pet event on the supernatural calendar around the world. I follow the blog on the witch boards and this year, it’s Point Muse’s turn to host the show. I can’t wait.” Winifred, Xandie’s youngest aunt, wriggled her plump booty up to her mother and tickled the pug under his chin. “Aren’t you the cutest boy? Yes, you are.”
“Thanks, toots. You aren’t bad either. I like a woman with a bit of meat on her bones.” Colin whipped a tongue out and slathered Winifred on the chin, who squealed and giggled like a teenage girl.
Xandie’s aunt Winifred was the youngest of her supposedly late mother’s sisters. Plump and of a similar short stature as Elspeth, her flighty aunt had the same amber Harrow eyes, but was the complete opposite to her older sister, Amelia. Winfred was generous, cheerful and took mothering to extreme competition levels. Her witch powers focused on spells and potions and her aunt made a mean candle. She had a candle, scent and pamper store in town and was forever filling Harrow House with amazing smells. Winifred and her daughter Holly, Xandie’s other cousin, both resided in Harrow House with Elspeth. Amelia and Lila chose sanity and lived in town separately.
Xandie’s missing mother was Miranda, the eldest of the three sisters, but twenty years ago she’d disappeared near the bluffs above Point Muse and was never seen again. Recently there’d been some doubt about the ‘missing, presumed dead’ part. Enough that Xandie’s late great aunt Sera had hired a troll private investigator to dig around. And he’d found enough to know she hadn’t died after being chased off a cliff by a killer knight.
After being rescued by a Merrow named Coral, the trail disappeared, as did her mother. Helped along by a fanatical splinter group in the government nicknamed ASP. Anti-Species-Project. The same group that lost her mom and wasn’t above blackmail to get her back. Elspeth would barely talk about her eldest daughter. Xandie was torn between wanting to find her mother and bury her head and the sand and avoid the emotional minefield her family would surely become.
Amelia closed her eyes for a second before targeting her mother with a laser stare. “You had to meddle with Mother Nature, didn’t you?”
Elspeth sniffed dramatically. “I upgraded her design for optimum performance. Now he’s perfect and will stand out at the pet show.”
“Anyone got a smoke? I got a craving for a fat cigar.” The pug waggled his bushy eyebrows and snuggled against Elspeth’s non-existent chest.
Xandie shuddered. The pug was a cigar-smoking, horn-dog. The perfect match for her chaotic, eccentric and borderline evil grandmother.
Carefully placing Colin on the ground, Elspeth shooed him with her hand. “Do your business, Colin. No deposits on the carpet inside. We still have to discuss your costume and song choice for the talent portion of the show.”
Winifred clapped in excitement. “I love the show and now we get to enter Colin. We need to plan and talk tactics. Some of the contestants can be brutal with a new competitor.” Winifred huddled with Elspeth as they whispered together.
“Is no one concerned about the cost to Colin?”
“Mom? I think the dog will survive.” Lila pointed at her mother’s feet to the aforementioned sensitive pug staring up her mother’s skirt.
Amelia shrieked and backed away. “That animal is a menace. Let me guess, you added horny goat weed and that caused the eruption in your spell room?”
Elspeth poked her tongue out at her eldest daughter. “I swear you take after your father with your prissy, do-no-wrong attitude and it’s my creation cave. I create life.”
“That’s what Dr Frankenstein said before he was attacked by a mob.” Xandie whispered to her cousin.
“Xandie dear, your position as my favorite granddaughter could be in jeopardy if you side with the pious naysayers.”
“Never, Elspeth.” Xandie distracted her grandmother with another question. “The goat weed sparked a fire?”
“That or the noir detective novel and cigar I threw in. Who knows?” Elspeth shrugged.
Lila threw her hands up. “And the reason you made him a smoke-chugging flirt would be?”
“His manly charms and cute pug eyes will slaughter the competition.” Elspeth villain chortled and then shuffled off to the house, with a still excited Winifred in tow.
“Never you mind, sweet cheeks. I’ll keep the dames on the straight and narrow.”
“Somehow the assurance of a talking, horny pug doesn’t make me feel any better.” Lila grabbed Xandie and tugged her toward her bakery van. “Mom can deal with Colin and Elspeth, we need to open my shop. Trade should be good with SPAFS in town.”
Xandie allowed herself to be towed into the van. Lila owned and operated Heart’s Delight Bakery in Point Muse. Her cousin was a Harrow witch, but all her talents lay in creating delicious baked goods that made the eater feel like they could take on the world. Except during that period a few months ago when a spate of bad luck hovering over the town turned all her food into rotten piles of yuck. But the dastardly dragon killer had been caught and Lila’s bakery goods were back to their normal delicious state.
Lila gunned the engine and swerved erratically back onto the road. Xandie buckled up tight. Unfortunately, most of the Harrow witches had a side effect of being atrocious drivers and most, including herself, didn’t bother to own a vehicle. Lila and her absent cousin, Holly, had jobs that needed vehicles. Although in Holly’s case it was a fierce blue moped. Lila took a corner and the van wobbled. Xandie grabbed hold of the Jesus bar. Now if
she could get to the bakery in one piece, she’d be happy.
Xandie sipped her hot chocolate and sighed as its smooth, velvet goodness hit her taste buds. The kilos had crept on since she’d given up her job at Andrews College library and moved to Point Muse and her own extra special library. But walking and riding a bike everywhere was helping her to keep the inches off. That and giving up her yummy butter puffs. She’d weaned herself off Lila’s specialty and Xandie was sampling different delicacies off the bakery menu every time she came in. Today’s choice was a slice of salted caramel cake.
“Worshipping at the altar of sugar again, Ms. Meyers?” Police chief Zach Braun cocked a shaky blond eyebrow at Xandie and the large chunk of cake paused mid shovel.
Xandie swallowed and waved her fork at the irritating handsome shifter, who was a pain in her…
“Annoying my paying customers again, Zachy?”
“Since when does your cousin pay for her ill-gotten goodies?”
Xandie chewed slowly and then swallowed another mouthful of cake. “I resemble that remark, Police Chief Braun.” She smirked and took a sip of the liquid gold hot chocolate in her cup.
“And on that sarcastic note, I’ll leave you to your sugar overdose. Stay out of trouble, ladies. The law enforcement at Point Muse would like a murder-free week for once.” Braun nodded politely or inclined his head and ambled out.
Xandie sighed. “It’s like he blames me solely for the body count in the last few months. It’s the villains in town, nothing to do with me. I’m an innocent bystander.”
Lila snickered. “Doesn’t hurt that you’re nosy. Besides, you know Elspeth thinks your Harrow witchy gift is that of a catalyst, like your mother. You make things happen. Basically, murder likes you.”
Xandie wrinkled her nose. “Not something I want to advertise. Being a supernatural librarian and owner of a bad-mouthed, imp-owning black cat is enough for me.”
“Theo would be enough for any sane woman.” Lila bustled around wiping tables.
The SPAFS rush had eased and the locals were poking their heads up and resuming their normal morning routines. Speaking of the pet show. Xandie questioned Lila. “Why did your mom go nuclear about Elspeth entering the pet show?”
Lila sighed and dumped her rag onto a table before collapsing into a chair next to Xandie. “Well, she’s a vet and hates the idea of her mother tampering with the original nature of the animal.” Lila shuddered. “Besides, that pug is slimy. That’s one good reason right there.”
“But she was really worked up. I wondered if there was some kind of past issue causing her reaction.”
Lila looked over her shoulder and then lowered her voice. “It wasn’t always like that. Mum had a short period in her life when she couldn’t get enough of the show. She trained a mini-corn and the pair dominated the show circuit.”
“What happened?” Hot chocolate forgotten, Xandie leaned forward and urged Lila on.
“She became obsessed, worked Francis the mini-corn hard. He had a mental break and pooped on a judge. She was horrified and swore she’d never go near the pet show again. And she hasn’t.”
“And Francis?”
“He had delusions of grandeur and had Elspeth giantize him. He joined a racing corn stable and broke a horn so he had to retire. Mom never forgave herself. We never speak about it, but since SPAFS hit town, she’s on edge.”
“Wow, the things you learn about your family.”
Xandie marveled at the history of the Harrows. Coming from a human academic librarian background and moving into the freaky, supernatural life of the Harrows and Point Muse was certainly an education. “How does SPAFS work?”
Lila resumed wiping tables; this time next to the big picture window looking out onto Main Street. “The competitors are hard-core and take the show very seriously, most of them are already in town training. Elspeth will have to hurry up if she wants to enter. The welcoming ceremony is tomorrow night at Point Muse Springs Resort. It’s the big opening of the resort at the same time. The pet show was supposed to be the drawcard to bring the punters.”
“That’s the same group from out of town who wanted to buy the land next to my Great Aunt Sera’s library?”
Lila nodded. “Yeah, they ended up buying land out of town, next to the Point Muse Academy. You know you can call it your library. Sera named you in her will. It’s your library now, not hers.”
Xandie winced. Her great aunt Sera’s murder was the first she’d had to solve in Point Muse, but definitely hadn’t been the last. “I know, but feels like I’m hunting trouble if I call it mine.”
Snickering, Lila peered out the window. “Trust me, you don’t have to hunt trouble. It stalks you.” Lila stiffened as she peered out.
“Don’t tell me Elspeth’s out there committing another dog atrocity against nature?” Xandie wandered over to stand next to her cousin Lila. Elspeth was nowhere to be seen. A group of strangers on the opposite side of the road staring down Main Street.
“Someone far worse than Elspeth,” Lila hissed and quickly flipped her open sign to closed. “I’m heading in the back to do some baking. I’ll reopen in an hour.” Lila disappeared into the kitchen.
What zombie had gnawed on Lila’s funny bone? As Xandie watched, a slim figure with short black hair detached from the group and faced the bakery, hands on hips. With a sneer and a flip of her short hair, the woman stomped off in the opposite direction.
It seemed like her mom, Elspeth and Amelia weren’t the only Harrow witches to have a mysterious past.
Xandie froze as a large black SUV with tinted windows drove down Main Street, slowing as they passed Lila’s bakery. The same kind of vehicle those idiot agents from ASP liked to intimidate the common people with. She’d hoped after the gold Hesper Dragons had scared the agents in the Hospital’s underground parking, that ASP would steer clear.
But she guessed the lure of bait to flush out their number one enemy, Miranda Harrow, was too much to resist.
Two
“You weren’t wrong when you said the competitors take the show seriously,” Xandie muttered from behind her glass of bubbly.
Lila rolled her eyes. “I told you so. Some of the popular ones come with their own entourage. Have a look.” Lila pointed to a purpled-haired wispy girl and a tall, formidable older female who stood behind her, watching.
“Who’s that?”
“The emaciated purple chit is Lorelei LaRue.” Elspeth sniffed. “She’s won all the prelim shows and is favorite to take all-round champion. Personally, her mini-corn, Fifi, is no match for my Colin.”
“The other is Amity Puffin. She’s the stylist and groomer for the contestants if they don’t have their own. The last few prelims she’s been at LaRue’s beck and call.” Winifred lowered her voice. “She doesn’t compete anymore and mostly runs around after Lorelei. There were rumors of a scandal when she competed years ago, but nothing concrete. The last five years she’s only groomed, not competed. Such a shame.” Winifred tsked.
“Thank god mom’s not here. Seeing all these people and their enhanced animals would induce an aneurysm.” Lila pointed at a flaming pink miniature unicorn prancing around Lorelei LaRue. “That’s Fifi, the top contender. Mom knows the breeder who supplied LaRue with the min-corn. Fifi’s from the same stable as Mom’s old corn, Francis.”
Winifred hushed Lila with a wagging finger and a shake of her head. “You know we don’t mention that period of your mother’s life.”
“She isn’t here. Besides, Xandie’s family.”
Xandie broke in before a fight erupted. “Sorry, Aunt Win. My fault. I wanted to know why Aunt Amelia was so upset at the mention of the show.”
“Amelia has issues with the way some of the animals were treated while competing. Plus, she’s furious at how she behaved with Francis. Her obsession got the better of her and she can’t forgive or forget.”
“My daughter specializes in self-recrimination. I’m more a get-over-it-and-what-other-kind-of-damage-can-
we-do type of person.” Elspeth chugged her champagne down and waved her glass at a waiter for another. “I think it’s the do-gooder genes from her father that are to blame.”
Xandie had heard very little about her grandfather, Lucas Munro. Elspeth refused to talk about him except for the odd jab at his too-good nature. Amelia and Winifred both proclaimed they were too young to remember him and clammed up tight whenever his name was mentioned.
“Our elusive grandfather no one will talk about?”
“Good is like a virus, Xandie darling. Too much contact and you catch it.” Elspeth shuddered dramatically before screeching as Colin raised a leg over the head of a purple longhaired bunny rabbit. “Colin, no. Leave it until she’s about to go on stage,” Elspeth wailed and bolted toward the pee-challenged pug.
A tall, curvy redhead snatched the bunny up and glowered at the wrinkled grandmother. “Control your animal, madam. Princess is a gently reared, sparkling Angora. I shudder to think what that nasty urine would do to her coat.”
Elspeth hoisted Colin onto a hip and sneered back. “Please, that fluffy rat looks like you dipped her in glitter before prancing her out tonight. My Colin is a masterpiece.”
Colin panted with his tongue out then preceded to lick himself. He winked at the bunny that cuddled into her owner in fright.
The woman gasped then gagged. “You tell that oversexed monstrosity to stay away from Princess. Filthy, filthy animal.” Still shuddering, the woman stomped away into the crowd.
Elspeth sniffed. “Everyone’s a critic.” She gently placed Colin on the ground. “We’ll get her in the talent section.”
“Actually, Mother, the sparkle Angora has a very good pedigree and is ranked second behind Fifi.” Winifred pointed to the mini corn next to the purple-haired girl.
“Don’t you listen to them. We got those others beat.” Elspeth patted Colin on the head and handed him a canapé to munch on. “Filthy animal? What does that bunny breeder even know about the mind of my magnificent pug?” Elspeth spat out bunny breeder like it was a swearword.
