by Zoe Arden
"Are you coming, Eleanor? Trixie?"
My aunts threw me an apologetic look and followed the women outside. I had to remember to find out more about this Witch's Council. If they could make Trixie and Eleanor drop everything, they must wield a lot of power.
I stood leaning against the counter, inhaling the scents of vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate. Tootsie and Rocky had stayed home today, so I was alone in the store. It was only a few minutes before my mind began wondering.
What was it that Eleanor and Trixie were still hiding from me? They'd managed to evade my questions about the boxie quills and their whereabouts at the party—for now—but that didn't mean the answers weren't here, waiting for me to discover them.
I began opening drawers and cupboards, not entirely sure what I was looking for, only knowing there had to be something to explain their secretiveness. Hiding my mother's death had been one thing. I didn't like it, but I could at least understand it. They were just trying to protect me. But leaving the party? And the boxie quills?
My head snapped up.
Boxie quills.
Was it possible I'd been mistaken? Had I seen something that only resembled a boxie quill? Or perhaps they'd gotten a special order from a witch who was trying to harness the plant's power. Maybe if I could find their catering book, it would give me some answers.
I went into the back room, grabbed the bakery's catering register from its place on Eleanor's desk, and took it back out front. I opened it to the first page.
"One wedding cake," I read. "White with peonies and happy extract."
The second line recorded an order for two dozen trays of Heaven on Earth cookies for a charity event. The third a blueberry cake with waist-slimming extract and vanilla buttercream frosting.
There was one line I had to read five times to make sure I was understanding correctly.
"Tomato cupcakes with black pepper frosting?" I muttered. "Ew."
I scanned each line, looking for the magic words that would help me fit everything into place, but there was nothing.
The bell above the door chimed. I looked up, expecting to see Trixie and Eleanor, and instead found myself looking into sapphire eyes that stood against a backdrop of soft, golden skin.
"Damon!" I said, then blushed at my outburst. I'd just been surprised to see him. I put on my best smile and went around the counter to greet him.
"How are you?"
He was looking at the floor.
"I... I'm sorry about Campbell. I know he was your friend."
Now he was staring at me. His eyes looked sort of glassy and he wasn't saying a word. I knew he didn't like me, but there was something off. "Um... is everything okay?"
"Ooohlabaga."
I stood looking at him, thinking I'd misunderstood whatever he'd said.
"I'm sorry?" I asked.
"Ooohlabaga," he repeated.
"Er... is that a type of herb?"
Suddenly his hands flew into the air. He started running around the store in circles like he was doing laps around a gym.
"Damon?" I asked, worried now. "What's happening?"
I reached out an arm to try and stop him, but he ran past me so quickly he almost pulled my arm out of its socket. I had no idea where his energy was coming from.
"Kaddywalkmeout," he yelled, jumping onto the counter. I'd never seen anyone jump so high so easily.
"Damon, get down from there!" There was definitely something wrong with him. I only wished I knew what it was.
His face was turning a dark orange. He finally jumped off the counter, then picked me up and swung me over his shoulder caveman style.
"Damon!" I screeched, beating on his back with my hands. "You put me down now!"
Something inside him must have clicked because he set me on my feet. I was just inches from his face. His eyes were wild but alive. I'd never seen anyone look so untamed.
"Damon, let me help—"
My words were cut off as his lips covered mine. I was so surprised by the kiss that all I could do was stand there, mouth open. Then his heat melded with mine. My toes began to tingle. I could taste chocolate and cinnamon on his breath. Damon's lips were soft. They brushed against me like a wave just touching the ocean shore.
Then it was over. My breath caught in my throat as Damon pulled away from me.
"Oh, my roses," I murmured. "Damon, I..."
"Doreyme lalala," Damon said, flailing his arms in the air. His mouth opened in a wide "O" and breath hissed out of him. He stomped his feet three times then dropped to the ground, not moving.
"Damon...?"
I knelt down beside him and shook him hard, my heart pounding. "Damon? Are you all right?"
I shook him harder, and his nostrils flared once before his chest stopped moving.
"Oh, my witching world," I gasped. "He's not breathing."
* * *
1 4
* * *
The Sweetland Hospital was warmer than most others. The walls were painted a soft cream color instead of bright white. The floor tiles were the deep brown of dark chocolate, with hints of blue and purple. Together, they created an interesting mosaic of color that somehow soothed the senses. Even the overhead lights seemed tinted with soft pinks and blues, diffusing the overall harshness of the place. It was almost comfy.
I had used the hospital's courtesy phone to call Aunt Eleanor and Trixie. For the first time, I missed my cell phone and made a mental note to look into getting one of the witch-specific phones my aunts had mentioned.
Eleanor, Trixie, and I all stood huddled around Dr. Dunne, who was reading from his report. Sheriff Knoxx was nearby. He'd arrived about two seconds after the ambulance carrying Damon. He kept glancing from me to Eleanor. He caught me watching him and his cheeks turned pink. He scowled.
"First things first," Dr. Dunne said. His voice was loud but not offensive. Round spectacles sat atop a slightly hooked nose. His thinning hairline added to his fatherly look. Despite knowing he must have been close to fifty, his brown eyes sparkled in such a way I would have believed he was ten years younger.
"Ava," he said, looking at me. "Understand one thing. You saved Damon's life today."
My mouth dropped open. Eleanor and Trixie looked at me with newfound pride. Sheriff Knoxx grunted.
"I didn't do anything, really," I said, blushing.
"You told me you forced the juice from a cacti airium plant into his mouth, is that correct?"
"Yes." I'd remembered the silver flask of juice Tootsie had gotten for Aunt Trixie when she had a fit after eating my first batch of cupcakes.
"It was your quick thinking that is the reason Damon is alive now. If you hadn't have done that..." He shook his head and looked at Eleanor. "You have a very smart niece here."
"If anything, she has two smart aunts," Sheriff Knoxx said, his voice gravelly. "No doubt Eleanor has taught her well."
Eleanor looked at him and smiled then turned back to the doctor.
"Now for the bad news," Dr. Dunne continued.
"This is what I was waiting for," said the sheriff.
Dr. Dunne held his breath. His lips were silently moving. I thought he was counting to ten.
"Damon Tellinger's stomach was filled with love potion cake. The same cake I found in Campbell Price."
"Aha!" Sheriff Knoxx said, delighted. It was like he'd just solved the case.
"Only," Dr. Dunne continued, "that is all that I found. There are no signs of a lunacy spell like there was with Campbell."
"What about David Buyers?" I asked. "Did he show signs of a lunacy spell?"
Dr. Dunne sighed. "After going back and rerunning some tests, it appears that whatever killed David and Campbell were similar, if not identical, spells. However, I did not find any trace of love potion cake in David's system."
"So what does that mean?" Sheriff Knoxx asked, annoyed.
Dr. Dunne opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by a young woman with long brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail. I a
lmost didn't recognize her. Megan Lockwood's face was red and puffy like she'd been crying.
"Excuse me," she said, coming up to us. "I-I heard about Damon. Tellinger. I mean..." She took a deep breath. I felt bad for the poor girl. I'd seen her and Damon dancing at the party. She must have really liked him. I wondered how much he liked her. Jealousy pricked lightly at the nape of my neck. "Is he okaaay?" Megan's last word stretched out in a soft wail.
"He's fine, Megan. Or rather, he will be after a little rest."
Megan let out a visible sigh of relief.
"Dr. Dunne," Sheriff Knoxx snapped. "I'm a busy man. What about the love potion cake?"
"Damon's illness may have been accidental. He had three times the amount of love potion cake in his system that a human should have. A warlock could handle something like that, but humans... our bodies aren't built quite the same way. I believe Damon simply ate too much cake and overdosed."
Our bodies? Dr. Dunne was a human?
"Then the question is... where did Damon get such a cake?" This time the sheriff was looking at my aunts instead of me.
Megan was pale but she seemed more in control. "I'm sorry," she said. "I should go." She took off down the hall. I didn't blame her. Sheriff Knoxx had that sort of effect on people.
"We only sell love potion cakes to witches and wizards," Eleanor said defensively. "Never to humans. Precisely for this reason."
Sheriff Knoxx grumbled to himself. "I'm going to speak with Mr. Tellinger," he said and walked off, casting one last look over his shoulder at me and my aunts.
Dr. Dunne shook his head. "He won't be getting much. Damon is still unconscious, at the moment. I suspect he won't be waking up for several hours yet." He gave me a grandfatherly pat on the back. "You did good today."
Dr. Dunne shook all our hands. My aunts and I left the hospital and stepped into the cool spring air.
"So Dr. Dunne is human?" I couldn't help asking. "I thought humans weren't supposed to know about witches, but it seems like Dr. Dunne knows everything."
"There are exceptions to that rule," Trixie reminded me.
"Yes, many of the top doctors on Heavenly Haven are human. For some reason, they seem drawn here. One time, the Witch's Council looked into the matter, thinking someone had placed a calling spell on the island, but they were never able to prove anything."
"Speaking of the Witch's Council..." Trixie said, looking at her sister. She gave Eleanor a nudge as we walked back toward the Mystic Cupcake.
One thing I'd learned since arriving—there wasn't much use for cars on the island. The cars that were here were usually brought in by tourists. They simply weren't necessary. Eleanor and Trixie had one, but it stayed housed in their garage. Things were simply too close together to drive anywhere.
"What's wrong?" I asked, sensing bad news from the way Trixie began to twirl the long yellow ribbon attached to the collar of her lime-green shirt.
"Margaret told us something..." Eleanor sighed. "I suppose we might as just tell you. You'll find out soon enough anyway."
"What?" I asked, growing more and more alarmed the longer Eleanor stalled her answer.
"COHMA is sending someone to take over the investigation into the human murders."
I blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say coma?"
"The Council on Magic and Human Affairs," Trixie said. "C-O-M-H-A. but no one actually pronounces the H when they say it.
"COMHA," I said to myself. A new thought occurred to me. "Does that mean Sheriff Knoxx is off the case?"
"Most likely he'll be assisting the COMHA investigator," Eleanor replied. She hesitated before continuing. "We just wanted to warn you. The man they're sending is supposed to be a real hard-hitter. He's young and looking to make a name for himself. He's the kind of man you need to watch out for."
"What's his name?" I asked.
"Colt Hudson," Eleanor said. "Detective Colt Hudson. And he doesn't like inexperienced witches."
* * *
1 5
* * *
The Alchemic Stone's sign was so small I missed it walking by. I had to retrace my steps to the address I'd searched up on Eleanor and Trixie's computer. The shop itself was a tiny brick enclave on the west edges of downtown Sweetland. There was no shopfront window. No display to lure you inside. If you didn't know it was there, you probably would never have seen it.
I supposed that might have been the idea. As I understood it, this store catered to witches and wizards only. No humans allowed.
Across the street, a man paced back and forth. He kept looking at the store, then looking away. He saw me and he froze.
Damon?
His forehead creased. Instead of continuing to pace, he turned and walked away. I didn't have time to think about Damon right now. He was a distraction I didn't need at the moment.
The front door was old and wooden with a zig-zagging crack running down the middle. It creaked when I pushed it open. Stepping inside, my head began to spin like I was caught up in a tornado. My stomach lurched as if I'd just taken a fifty-foot drop. The whole thing lasted no more than a second, but it was enough to leave me shaken. I took several deep, calming breaths.
"It's an enchantment," a female voice said.
I looked up to see Polly Peacock standing behind a counter with Slater Winston.
What's Slater doing here? I thought no humans were allowed.
"An enchantment?" I asked.
"Yes, if a human accidentally comes inside, they'll be hit with a dizzy spell that sends them back out. No humans are allowed in here." She looked at Slater. "Well, almost no humans."
Slater wrapped his arm around Polly's waist, and I suddenly understood why he was one of the few. I'd seen them dancing together at the party, cozy and obviously smitten with each other. I wondered how much he knew about the witching world and what would happen if they broke up. Would Polly have to cast a spell to make him forget everything?
"Is that why Damon was waiting outside?" I asked.
Polly and Slater froze. He shot her a look I couldn't quite read. Like he was mad about something.
"Damon, huh?" Slater asked. "Wonder what he could be doing here?" He looked at Polly again, and her cheeks turned pink. Was Slater jealous? Maybe things between Damon and Polly weren't quite as over as they seemed. My heart sank just a little.
"Well, I better go catch up to my him," Slater said to Polly, kissing the tip of her nose. "Nice seeing you again, Ava."
When he was gone, Polly turned her attention to me. "I'm glad you're here. There's something I've been wanting to tell you." She took a breath. "I'm sorry about the party. I wasn't very... polite. I guess I just wasn't in a good mood or something. Anyway, I just didn't want you thinking I was always like that."
For a moment, I was too stunned to say anything. Then I found my voice.
"Thanks, Polly. Apology accepted." I smiled at her. She smiled back.
"Good. Now then. What can I do for you today?" she asked, getting back to business.
She was a little brusque, but I supposed I would be too if she'd interrupted me and my boyfriend smooching. Or was it because I'd told her new boyfriend that her old one was hanging around outside her shop?
My mouth ran suddenly dry. I needed answers that Eleanor and Trixie weren't willing to give, but what made me think I could get them from Polly?
"I've been studying Magical Herbs and Plants," I began.
"Oh? I love that series." Her eyes lit up. "What volume are you on?"
"Volume one."
"Just wait till you get to three. You won't be able to put it down."
"Er, I'm looking forward to it." I guess mentioning the book had been the right thing to say because Polly's gruffness softened considerably.
"That's why I'm here actually. I'm having a bit of trouble understanding some of the... more toxic elements of certain plants." I'd rehearsed this in my head on the way over, but saying it out loud sounded lame to my own ears.
"Well, we only carry a very small sele
ction of toxic items here. Only the ones that have dual purposes and are allowed by the Witch's Council. Which plant are you interested in?
"Boxie quills."
"Boxie quills?" Polly asked, surprised. Her blond hair was pulled high on top of her head and wrapped in a messy bun. "I would have thought your aunts could answer any questions you might have about that."
"Yes," I said, clearing my throat. I didn't want Polly to know that Eleanor and Trixie had the plant in their shop and were hiding it. I wasn't yet certain what the implications of that were. I only knew that Trixie and Eleanor were keeping things from me, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Well, Aunt Eleanor and Trixie have been so busy lately with... a new recipe they're developing. I didn't want to disturb them."
"A new recipe? Really?" Polly asked. "What kind of recipe?"
"Oh, it's top secret." I smiled. "Even I don't know all the particulars."
"I see." She eyed me a moment longer. I could feel her studying me.
"Boxie quills are poisonous," she finally said. "Especially to humans. The witching world only uses them on rare occasions. The seeds inside are quite powerful, but even the tiniest pinprick of the plant is enough to kill."
I gulped. For such a dangerous plant, I'd sure seen an awful lot of it lately. First at The Mystic Cupcake. Then at the party, when I'd seen Brendan walking around with a stem of it in his hand.
"Well, that's what the book says," I told Polly. "But what I wondered was about was what the book doesn't say. Like, why would someone use boxie quills? I mean, from what I read, the powers you receive from the seeds are unpredictable. So why would a witch risk it?"
Polly's lips turned up at the corners. "That's a very observant question. Boxie quills are considered to be bordering on dark magic. They're just too dangerous for normal witches and wizards to use."
"Dark magic?" I asked.
"Yes. The only witches who would ever use such a thing are bad ones."
