Shadow Magic (Tabby Kitten Mystery Book 6)

by Constance Barker

  Shadow Magic

  by

  Constance Barker

  &

  Corrine Winters

  Copyright © 2021 Constance Barker

  All rights reserved.

  Similarities to real people, places or events are purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Thanks for Reading

  Catalog of Books

  Chapter 1

  Pippa gasped loud enough to make Thea flinch. Completely ignoring the confused expression on Thea’s face, Pippa shoved the papers she was holding into her face.

  “Look at these! Aren’t they beautiful?” she asked, pointing out the complex floral arrangements pictured on the images. “I like this color combination more. White with the softer colors? It’s a yes from me.”

  “Really? Blaine said he wanted darker colors. He was aiming for a more mature feel.”

  Pippa pretended to gag. “What? Darker colors?” Tapping her finger on the tabletop repeatedly, she motioned towards the arrangements she wanted. “This is a wedding, not a funeral. We can leave the dark hues for another day. Trust me on this, I’ve already made a lot of Pinterest boards imagining how the decorations are going to be.”

  “I guess you have a point,” Thea conceded, glancing at Jesse who seemed to be working well manning the front of the store by himself. “I just hope everything turns out alright.”

  “Don’t worry, Thea. We have this in the bag,” Pippa reassured, patting her shoulder. “But why did you put off flowers until the very end. Isn’t your wedding in a week?”

  “Yep.”

  “And no flowers?!”

  “Pippa, I had more important things to worry about,” Thea said, laughing at the way she rolled her eyes. “We had to take care of the ring, the dress, the venue, the food choices–”

  “Ooh, I love what you guys picked out. I can’t wait to see the chocolate fountain. I can guarantee that I’ll be spending most of my time right beside it during the reception.”

  “You’re just going to ditch Jesse for the chocolate fountain?”

  Pippa raised a mischievous brow. “I mean, he could always join me if he wanted to. But if he doesn’t,” she gave a half-hearted shrug. “Then I guess he’s going to have to be left behind.”

  “You’re ruthless, Pippa. Cold-blooded, even,” Thea remarked playfully, leaning over the counter to take some closer looks at the pictures again. “Let’s hope Jesse didn’t overhear what you said.”

  She waved that off. “If this relationship is going to work out, he needs to know how loyal I am to chocolate. It’s only right that he knows the truth.”

  “Whatever you say, Pippa.”

  “But anyway... Speaking about important things...” Pippa sent her a knowing look. “Has Blaine heard anything else from his friend in Chicago? About The Sorcerer?”

  Pressing her lips into a line, Thea shook her head. “Nothing so far. His friend can’t devote more time on the case since it’s been cold for so long. We’re just going to have to wait and see what else he finds whenever he gets the chance to review the files again.”

  “Hey, Thea,” Jesse called out once the customer he was assisting exited the store. “Have you ever... you know... heard about that guy before? The Sorcerer?”

  “No, I don’t know anything about him. I’m still pretty new to the magic scene. I only became serious about improving my skills a few months ago. I still have a lot to learn.”

  She picked at the small scab along the side of her hand, a quiet reminder of the confrontation she had with Annie at the haunted house. In hindsight, she was surprised by what she managed to do that night.

  “Anybody with a title as important as ‘The Sorcerer’ should be a pretty big deal,” Pippa pointed out, placing air quotes around the name. “I think it’s only a matter of time before we figure out more about him. There must be some documentation about him somewhere.”

  “I know. I’m a bit nervous to find out more if I’m being honest, but the curiosity is killing me,” Thea admitted, taking a glimpse at her phone. Her shoulders slumped to see no notifications from Blaine. “Sometimes, I have to fight the urge to text him and ask about the investigation. I know that he’s busy with his work, but now that we’ve found out about The Sorcerer, it’s been the only thing on my mind.”

  “I don’t blame you, Thea,” Pippa replied, sending her a sympathetic smile.

  Sybil pounced up onto the counter top, running her head along Pippa’s arm as she went. She took a seat beside Thea’s arm, licking at her paw and cleaning the top of her head with it.

  “It should be easy to find out more about him... as long as it’s safe to talk about in the first place,” the familiar commented.

  “Oh, c’mon,” Pippa whined, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s been, what? 23 years since Thea’s parents disappeared? That’s an entire generation ago!”

  Although her parent’s disappearance was a fact of life at that point, she still felt her stomach turn whenever someone mentioned it. She was unable to live a normal life because of The Sorcerer. Her parents were taken away from her and one person was responsible.

  The more she thought about it, the more hatred in her heart manifested for the warlock. All she knew about him was his name, but that was enough to plant the seed of contempt in her mind.

  “If we’re thinking about this realistically,” Pippa continued, gazing at the familiar who looked unconvinced by her reasoning. “The Sorcerer should be long gone by now. I mean, what would he be waiting for? He accomplished what he wanted. He shouldn’t be lingering around anymore.”

  Both Sybil and Jesse cast doubtful looks. Even though it was nice to believe that The Sorcerer was no longer going to be a threat, they couldn’t be entirely sure. Jesse trailed his fingers along his arm, watching as the goosebumps began to rise as a result of the conversation.

  23 years. Thea was still trying to wrap her head around it. Her parents were complete strangers to her. For most of her life, she had presumed them to be dead because that was what Granny and Tiegen told her. To protect her, she assumed.

  However, that didn’t stop her heart from splintering when she realized that it was all a lie. During the years they could have been by Thea’s side, watching her grow up, they were lost somewhere. She bit her bottom lip to stop it from quivering.

  The four of them turned
once they heard the door of the shop open abruptly. At the foot of the entrance, Blaine carried a somber expression. The knuckles in his hand turned white from how tightly he gripped onto the door frame he stood beneath.

  Chapter 2

  “Thea,” Blaine said, no inflection to his words.

  She stiffened. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to hear whatever he had to say. His expression worried her to no end.

  “Can we talk for a little bit? Alone, maybe?” he continued.

  Thea’s gaze flickered between Pippa and Jesse, both unwilling to interject. Her eyebrows furrowed as the frown on her face deepened.

  “I mean... sure? Is it really that serious–”

  “You know what, I might as well tell everyone since we’re all here,” Blaine said, erasing the distance between himself and the group.

  Jesse paled. “Is it about The Sorcerer?”

  “No, we’re still trying to find more information about him, but we haven’t hit anything concrete just yet,” Blaine explained. He heaved a deep sigh before beginning to speak again. “Someone’s disappeared. We don’t know the circumstances surrounding the whole thing, but we’re leaning towards a possible kidnapping.”

  “A kidnapping?!” Pippa asked incredulously, covering her mouth with her hand. In frustration, she balled up her hands into fists. “That’s just what this town needs. Another crime.”

  Thea’s heart dropped at the news. A small part of her could understand Pippa’s exasperation with the situation. More illegal activities happening in Ardensville in such a short span of time? Thea could already envision Aunt Tiegen ripping the hairs out of her head.

  Blaine looked directly at Thea. “Do you know Marie Carpenter?” When he received a blank stare in return, he then glanced at Pippa, Jesse, and Sybil. “Anyone?”

  “Oh!” Pippa piped up. “I think I’ve seen her a couple times before. She’s stopped by at A Novel Idea with her son, Danny. They come in every other week to check out a new book to read together. From what I know, they have some minor magical abilities. Nothing too crazy, though.”

  That only made Thea feel worse. To make matters worse, there was a child involved in this mess. She ran a hand along her face.

  “Hold on,” Jesse said. “Marie’s missing? So what about her son? Is he alright?”

  “Marie is the only one we can’t find right now,” Blaine clarified. “Danny is at his house with a case worker. He’s been the one giving us details about what happened to his mom. It’s been a couple days since anyone has seen Marie.”

  “That’s horrible,” Thea whispered, shaking her head. “He’s been left alone.”

  Blaine frowned, seeing how Thea was impacted by the case. “According to Danny, she was at home one night and then the following morning, she was gone without a trace. She left everything behind. Her phone, purse, keys, car... they’re all still there at their home.”

  Jesse hummed in thought. “That sounds suspicious. It definitely fits the description of a kidnapping.”

  “That’s what we’re thinking, but it’s still too early to call. We haven’t found enough evidence to support that,” Blaine replied. “Everything is still up in the air right now, which is unfortunate because now we’ve got a kid to account for. He was the one who called the police station. Sounded scared out of his mind and I don’t blame him.”

  “And how is he?” Thea asked.

  “The little guy’s been coping alright. We’ve been keeping him company, but he’s not going to return to his normal self until we find his mom. That’s for sure,” Blaine said.

  Thea straightened her back to stand a little bit taller. A new found confidence came over her, as well as earnest sympathy for the young boy. She knew what it was like to be left alone in the world. Parentless.

  “I want to go to their home. Can I?” she pleaded, which made Blaine reluctant. “I can see if there’s any traces of magic left behind. This doesn’t sound like any run of the mill kidnapping. She disappeared without warning.”

  “I know, Thea. It all sounds fishy to me, too. The thing is that we don’t know if anything magical happened to her. Heck, we don’t even know if her life is in danger right now. All we know is that she’s missing and that no one’s seen a trace of her in the last few days.”

  Thea’s throat went dry. The entire situation was stressing her out in a way she couldn’t have anticipated. Pippa placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, noticing how tense she was.

  “You should still give me a chance,” she said softly, glancing at him from under her brows. “It’s worth a shot, right? It’ll clear up some confusion, at least.”

  Exhaling deeply from his nostrils, Blaine knew that he couldn’t deny Thea her request. He nodded, motioning towards his patrol car parked outside.

  “Alright then,” he said. “We can go to their house right now and talk to Danny. Maybe he’ll open up a bit more if he sees you.”

  Scooping up Sybil in her arms, Thea hurried after Blaine. She sent Pippa and Jesse a wave, knowing that they would take good care of A Stitch in Time while she was gone. As she hopped into the passenger seat with Sybil in her lap, she couldn’t help but wonder about Danny. Her heartstrings were tugged whenever she thought about the boy.

  “What happened to Danny’s father?” she asked Blaine as he started the car. “Is he... not in the picture?”

  “He left Marie and Danny a couple years ago. A deadbeat, y’know?” Blaine replied, shaking his head as he began the drive to the Carpenter’s house. “It’s such a shame. He wasn’t a great guy to begin with, so this kind of behavior isn’t surprising at all. It left Marie and Danny in a pretty tough spot, though. Especially now.”

  Thea’s jaw clenched, seething at the idea that a parent could just abandon their child as if they meant nothing. It didn’t sit right with her. Everything about this situation was making her feel uneasy.

  Her only hope was that Danny would be kept alright while they sorted everything out. She could only imagine how frightened he was feeling, with the police swarming his home and his mother suddenly missing from his life.

  To help ease her nerves, Thea began to pet Sybil’s head. It helped momentarily, but her mind was still restless. The desire for answers and explanations lingered on.

  Chapter 3

  Thea wasted no time in entering the house when they eventually arrived. She brought Sybil along, holding her close to her chest. Blaine followed close behind.

  Danny sat on the couch in the living room, gaze stuck on the floor as the case worker beside him tried her best to get him to speak. When she noticed Blaine, the woman nodded in appreciation and exited the room.

  “How are you, Danny?” Blaine asked as a way to get him to open up. “Have you been feeling okay?”

  The boy shrugged slightly, still unwilling to look at Blaine or Thea directly. After a few moments, he hugged himself.

  Thea took the seat across from him. “Do you think you could tell us a little bit more about what happened to your mom? And the last time you saw her?”

  Unsurprisingly, Danny didn’t reply. His shoulders slumped at the mention of his mother.

  Sitting beside Thea, Blaine knew that they were going to have to be a little strategic with the way they handled the situation. As a result, he decided to take the simple route. It was foolproof.

  Blaine pointed at his shoes. “What brand are these? Are these limited edition?”

  Danny wrinkled his nose in confusion. “...No? I don’t think so. My mom got them while they were on sale.”

  “Really? They look so cool,” he replied, pointing at his own shoes. “I mean, look at mine? Boring, right? I wish I was cool like you.”

  At that, Danny let out a small giggle. “I’m not that cool.”

  “Oh, c’mon,” Blaine scoffed, waving away his comment. “Let’s not lie so obviously. You’re the coolest person in this room.” He nudged at Thea. “Sorry, but it’s true.”

  Thea laughed, weakening her grip on Sybil so that
the familiar could leap out of her hand. “Don’t worry, I agree with you.”

  The kitten made her way over, jumping on Danny’s lap and rubbing her head along his arm to encourage him to pet her. While the young boy was reluctant, he eventually ran his fingers along Sybil’s head. It was enough to make her start purring.

  Although Sybil was enjoying her time with Danny, she let out a small yowl and leaped back into Thea’s arms. Her tail was puffed and her pupils dilated significantly.

  “Sheesh, Sybil, what’s got into you?” Thea asked.

  Danny’s laugh caught Thea’s attention. Peeking out of his shirt pocket, she spotted the head of a small gecko gazing back at her with wide eyes. She let out a small breath, understanding the cause for Sybil’s abrupt fright.

  “This is Charlie,” Danny said, holding out his hand so that his gecko could climb on. “He’s super cool! He can talk.”

  Thea raised a brow, sharing a quick look with Blaine. Remembering what Pippa mentioned to them back at the shop, she smiled.

  “You can do magic, huh?”

  Danny nodded proudly. With a wave of the hand, he created a small flurry of confetti that he was able to spin around in the palm of his hand. When he finished, Thea gave him a round of applause. Then, she mimicked his actions. Instead of confetti, however, she was able to create a whirl of magical energy. The boy’s eyes widened.

  “Woah,” he whispered. “I wish I could do that.”

  “You will one day,” she reassured him. “It’ll take a lot of practice, but you’ll get there eventually.”

  The gecko in his hand spun around, eager to help out with the investigation. Charlie perked up, taking a good look at Blaine, before speaking.

  “The last time we saw Marie... she was a little nervous. Jittery. Her hands were shaking a lot. She even dropped the keys when she was entering the house,” Charlie explained. The look in Danny’s eyes was sad as the gecko continued to explain. “It was weird, but then again, we had just returned from soccer practice. She was probably tired.”

  Blaine nodded, scribbling down those details in his notepad.