by Kate Krake
“Are they arresting him?” I said.
“Looks like it,” Lila said.
“Is this what you meant when you said the authorities were looking into it?” I asked Henry.
He nodded.
“And I’m guessing these guys have nothing to do with the sheriff’s department, or even the Loreton police?”
Henry shrugged.
“So, who are they? Some kind of supernatural cops?”
Henry shook his head. I knew I wasn’t getting anything out of the wizard then. There was a mystery in this, and I knew I would find out what was at the bottom of it eventually.
The first man ushered Tom into the back of the car and then got back behind the wheel. Samir came over to where the five of us stood, watching. It seemed we weren’t the only ones staring. The entire street had stopped for a look.
“Thanks for the tip-off, Lila,” Samir said. “I’ll let you know what happens with the tribunal.”
“Tip-off?” Lila said. “I didn’t…”
Samir winked at her.
“What’s the tribunal?” I said.
“Justice, ma’am. The use of the forbidden Mortis curse. Can’t go unpunished.”
“Punished how?” I asked. “By whom?”
Samir looked me up and down, and I didn’t imagine his gaze flicking back to my snake necklace. I also didn’t think I imagined the glint of suspicion in his eyes.
“I should introduce you all,” Lila said. “Samir, this is my boss, Belinda Drake, and her friend, Conri O’Farrell. This is Henry Walton and Adela Kristos.”
“Belinda Drake,” Samir said, ignoring the others. He moved my hand in a slow shake. My senses immediately tingled, and I pulled my hand away, shoving it deep into my pocket.
“How long are you staying for?” Lila asked her brother.
“Straight back to Loreton now. I’m working, Lila. I’ll call you later.” He got back into the car, and we watched the black shark of a vehicle cruise away down the street.
“So, what happens now?” Conri said.
“I guess we get back to work, and life returns to normal,” I said. “Or as normal as possible.”
24
It was a crisp morning, and a breeze moved through the air, bringing with it the promise of warm weeks to come. The sky was blue, the sun shining brightly. The weather was so perfect for the official opening of the Blackthorn Springs hedge maze, it seemed as if it was enchanted. The field was already starting to fill up with tourists and locals.
I was putting the final touches on my games table. Neville Norton stood in front of my booth, his hands on his hips, brimming with the pride of a job well done.
“This looks marvelous, Belinda. Just marvelous,” he said. “I have to admit, I thought you were falling apart on us there, and I was having regrets about involving you at all.”
“Gee, Neville. Tell me what you really think,” I said.
My table was set up with a series of mazes and labyrinth-themed puzzles. A little windup ladybug maze race, and a magnetic game where players had to thread their string through a labyrinth without touching the sides. I’d enchanted the games so only kids could win, but no one else needed to know that. Neville was right to be nervous. I had pulled the whole display together the night before, and without magic, there was no way I could have done it on time.
Lila sat behind the table, knitting a new scarf.
Conri moved through the crowd, Russet on a leash at his side. The vet’s height wasn’t the only thing that made him stand out. He walked with a power, a command I had never noticed before, and people seemed to automatically part before him.
“Not hard to see what you’re thinking,” Lila said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, blushing.
A group of children came to play the ladybug game, giggling hysterically as the little wooden critters crashed into the maze walls.
“How do they turn the corners?” one boy asked. “How do they know which way to go?”
“Magic,” I said, and the children laughed.
Conri reached the booth. “Can anyone play, or is it just for kids?”
“No, you can have a turn too, if you’re game. There’s a mystery prize for the winner.”
Conri smiled. “I’d prefer to have a crack at the big one.” He gestured to the former ghost maze, verdant in the morning sun. Squeals of delight were coming through the hedges. “Want to come in with me? You can be my prize when I beat you to the middle.”
I grinned.
Things were good again for the first time in a long while. Really good, even better than they had been before. On this bright morning, even the fact that Jackfort knew where I was, and that I would probably be seeing him again before too long, was something I could handle. I had friends, people in my corner, powerful people. Sure, my prospective love interest was a werewolf, but was this something I might be able to handle too? All that mattered was that I wasn’t alone. And for the first time ever, I had real power.
Conri passed Russet’s leash to Lila, and we made our way over to the maze.
“You sure this is safe now?” he said. “Because I don’t want to be another witchy death.”
“It’s safe. I’ve been watching people go in and out all morning, and no one has said anything about turning into a ghost.” I had decided I didn’t need to tell him about my previous visit to the maze with Jackfort.
We stood at the opening.
“Ready? Set?” Conri said. I laughed. Even if I hadn’t already had this maze imprinted on my psyche, there was no challenge. The maze was a puzzle, and puzzles were my thing. “You don’t stand a chance, O’Farrell.”
“Just wait a second,” he said. “One more thing before we start.”
“What is it?” I said.
Conri slipped his broad hands around my waist and pulled me close to him. He kissed me. His lips were warm and soft and tasted sweet. I kissed him right back, deep and long, and didn’t care who was looking.
We pulled apart reluctantly, like two magnets being forced to separate.
“Right,” he said, still holding my waist. “Are we going to do this?”
“I guess we are,” I said. We held hands and stepped into the puzzle together.
Get The Next Belinda Drake Book
A Mask of Chaos
Life is finally looking shiny for Belinda Drake.
But when people in town start acting strangely, Belinda begins to suspect a sinister force lurks beneath the peaceful surface of Blackthorn Springs.
Now Belinda and her friends have to get to the bottom of the trouble before someone gets hurt, or worse.
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Buy A Mask of Chaos today and continue the journey through a mesmerizing world of magic and mystery.
About the Author
Kate Krake writes speculative fiction and non-fiction for authors.
Kate blogs about writing craft and the writer’s life at www.katekrake.com/forwriters.
She also writes articles about myths, legends, and other fantasy ideas at www.katekrake.com/curios
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Kate has lived all over Australia and currently resides in Perth.
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Fiction By Kate Krake
The Belinda Drake Mysteries
A Maze of Murder
A Mask of Chaos
A Trial of Ghosts
The Guessing Tales Saga
The Jaguar Sequence
Eyes of the Jaguar
The Witch Sequence
Witch Blade
Singles (Standalone Novels)
Sleep Demon
Dragon Skin
Shorts (Short Stories)
The Death Watch Sequence
Paranormal: Dark Urban Fantasy Stories
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Copyright Information
Copyright 2019 Kate Krake
All rights reserved.
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This book is a work of fiction. The characters, locations, incidents and dialogue are all drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, place or people, living or dead, is fictionalized or coincidental.
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Cover Design by Melody Simmons.
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Any inquiries regarding this book should be directed to Krakenfire Media
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