Isn’t that a breakfast dish? Raoul asked.
“Are you criticizing my food offering?” I asked. “Because you don’t need to eat it.”
“Yay, pancakes!” Marley jumped and down, clapping. “One of my favorites. Can we add chocolate chips and whipped cream?”
“Why don’t we save ourselves the trouble and just stuff them full of straight sugar?” I suggested with a touch of sarcasm.
Raoul rubbed his stomach. Perfect.
We assembled in the kitchen so that I could make the pancakes. Marley begged to help, so we finished much more quickly. I filled them in on Tatiana while we ate.
“I feel horrible for Tanya and Sheriff Nash,” Marley said.
“What about Alec?” I asked. He’d been involved with Tatiana, too, once upon a time.
“Alec not only loves you, but you left the sheriff to be with him,” Marley said. “This won’t hit Alec nearly as hard. Not to mention the sheriff will have to investigate his ex-girlfriend’s murder. That’ll be rough.”
“He has to be cleared first,” I said.
Marley choked on her chocolate milk. “He’s a suspect?”
I nodded. “So is Alec for now. Anyone in town with an axe to grind.”
Marley swallowed another forkful of pancake. “I’d rule them out first so you don’t have that hanging over your heads and then Sheriff Nash can take back control of the investigation.”
“What’s the rush?” I asked. “You don’t think your mother can handle it? As it happens, I’m meeting him at the sheriff’s office tomorrow afternoon, after your orientation at the academy. We’re going to work our way through the suspect list together. Vox Populi will want to cover the murder, too, so it’s a win-win.”
It’s nice when murder can be considered a win-win, Raoul said.
I pointed my fork at him and glared. “The sooner we crack this case, the better for everyone in town.”
She suppressed a laugh. “You and Deputy Bolan working together? Without causing each other bodily harm?”
I polished off the last of my pancake. “The little green man and I are willing to set aside our differences for the sake of the sheriff. He deserves our complete cooperation.” I felt very grown up making such a mature statement.
Whether I could stick to it or not was a different story.
Chapter Five
The Black Cloak Academy reminded me of those movies where wealthy, privileged kids in crested blazers congregated to haze each other and inflict other horrible tortures on those less fortunate.
And now Marley would be one of them.
Granted, in lieu of blazers they wore black cloaks, but the cloaks were stitched with a house crest and pointy hats were part of the uniform albeit for outdoor use only. Marley was relieved because she disliked the way she looked in hats. Something about the shape of her head.
“Mom, can you get over this place?” Marley asked, nearly breathless.
It was hard to believe the academy was smack in the middle of Starry Hollow. The academy grounds were idyllic. A small lake, majestic trees, sweeping acreage, stables—there was even a picturesque bridge over a babbling brook. Marley marveled at her new surroundings.
“This is as wonderful as Thornhold,” she said.
“With the bonus of no Aunt Hyacinth,” I added.
She smiled. “I’m sure there will be teachers even worse than she is.”
I slung an arm along her shoulders and squeezed. “For your sake, you’d better hope not.”
Marley tipped her head back and laughed and my heart swelled. Holy Happy Child. I felt so grateful right now. I hoped the inside was every bit as awesome as the outside.
“So many witches and wizards in our family went to school here and now I get to be one of them.” She sighed and I felt her vibrations of contentment.
We strode through the open gates and arrived at an impressive set of oak doors. Marley didn’t hesitate. She tugged on the golden rope that dangled alongside the door. Although we didn’t hear the sound of a chime or bell, the door creaked open and a single eye peeked out at us. Not because that was the only one we could see, but because it was the only one he had.
“Cyclops,” Marley whispered, enthralled.
The door opened fully and a man the size of Frankenstein with a single eye blinked down at us. “You must be here for orientation. I’m Bud. Good to meet you.”
Bud? That seemed an unlikely name for a cyclops, but what did I know about them? “And what do you do here, Bud?” I asked.
“I’m the academy manager,” Bud replied. “I take care of the grounds and the animals.”
“Animals,” Marley repeated.
“Oh, you like animals, do you?” Bud smiled at her, revealing a set of startlingly straight and white teeth. I’d expected stained and crooked chompers, not a commercial for Crest Whitestrips.
“I do,” Marley replied.
“Well, I’ll be meeting you later for a tour of the outside,” Bud said. He patted her on the head. “Looking forward to it.”
“Me, too,” Marley said.
“Go on in,” Bud said. “There are a few others already in there waiting. Orientation is always a lot of fun.”
The corridor was dim and narrow with high ceilings and a floor made of gray slate. Portraits of past teachers cluttered the wall, esteemed witches and wizards no doubt. I didn’t recognize most of the names.
“Mom, look! She’s holding my wand.” Marley ran to one of the portraits and pointed. Sure enough, a witch posed with a wand in her hand that looked remarkably similar to the one Marley received from Aunt Hyacinth for her eleventh birthday. With its well-worn groove marks and runes along the ancient handle, it was unmistakable.
“The plaque says her name is Ivy,” I said. “We’ll have to ask about her.”
“She looks like you with light hair,” Marley said.
“Do you think?” I studied the witch’s features. The witch in the portrait sported the white-blond hair associated with the Rose family.
“The shape of her eyes and her mouth,” Marley said.
“Then she must look like you, too,” I said, ruffling her hair. Marley was a mini-me. Everybody said so.
Marley stared at the portrait in awe. “I can’t wait to know more. I just know my wand has a history. I can feel it.” I didn’t doubt it. I remembered the emotions that had flooded me when I’d held the wand during a previous psychic skills lesson with Marigold. Strength, power, disappointment, grief, love…I’d felt them all at once and the experience had been overwhelming. And now here she was framed on the academy wall. Even from beyond the grave, Ivy had a story to tell and I was determined to uncover it.
We continued down the corridor and located the assembly room where a small group was already gathered. Five new recruits and their parents. I balked when I realized that I was the only single parent among them. It wasn’t so unusual, was it? A tall witch in a red cloak stepped forward. Her brilliant white hair was pulled back in a tight bun that accentuated her sharp features.
“Welcome to orientation. You must be Marley,” the witch said. “I’m Poppy Lux-Harp, the headmistress of this fine institution.”
Poppy looked vaguely familiar. I’d probably seen her at council meetings and not been introduced. Knowing me, we probably had been introduced and I’d forgotten.
“Nice to meet you,” Marley said. “I’m very excited to be here.”
“I can tell,” Poppy said. “Your energy is filling in the room.” Marley beamed in response. “And you must be her mother. I’ve seen you at the monthly meetings, but we haven’t been properly introduced.”
I extended my hand. “Ember Rose.”
Poppy’s slender hand squeezed mine. “I look forward to having another Rose under this roof. Always a pleasure.”
“Even Florian?”
Poppy suppressed a smile. “Florian Rose-Muldoon was a delightful wizard. Full of mischief.”
“Full of something,” I mumbled.
&nb
sp; Poppy introduced us to the other new pupils and their parents. One was new in town. Two came from a private school for witches and wizards that hadn’t come into their magic yet. Another had been homeschooled. Only one was from the public school like Marley, a wizard called Coriander. They recognized each other, but that was the extent of their familiarity.
Poppy gave us a guided tour of the building, showing each classroom. We were quiet for the lessons in session and I watched Marley’s eyes widen as she absorbed her surroundings. We saw floating candles and glowing magic orbs and a greenhouse that dwarfed the one at the public school.
Coriander’s mother sidled up to me. “I’m a huge fan of your aunt. I attend council meetings just to listen to her speak.”
“Her kaftans alone are worth the price of admission,” I joked.
“She oozes elegance and confidence.” The witch inhaled sharply. “Is she the same way at home or is it just a performance?”
“Oh, it’s her natural state,” I assured the witch. “Makes for interesting Sunday dinners.”
She laughed. “I can imagine. I’m Juniper, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said. Juniper seemed nice and, dare I say, normal. I hadn’t had the best luck with school mothers, although I still liked the idea of them. As Florian kept insisting, a mom friend would be good for me. I had Linnea and Aster, of course, but they were family. Maybe the academy would be different for me as well as for Marley. One could hope.
“Has Marley been freaking out about her magic as much as my son?” Juniper asked. Her auburn curls were a far cry from her son’s pale blond mop.
“It was a nailbiter,” I admitted. “Her father’s pure human, so it was touch and go there until the very end.”
Juniper gave me a curious look. “All human? Well, I suppose the blood of the One True Witch runs strong enough for both of you.”
I didn’t want to focus on our ancestry. I thought the whole fixation on the One True Witch was unnecessary, but I knew Starry Hollow loved their pecking order as much as a hen house. Between the Rose name and the One True Witch distinction, Marley and I were destined to be put on an undeserved pedestal.
“Are you and your husband both members of the coven?” I queried.
“Oh, yes,” Juniper replied. “Our parents were very keen for us to marry one of our own. Luckily for us, we met each other and decided it was a good idea.”
No wonder she was a fan of Aunt Hyacinth’s. She sang the same tune. As much as my aunt liked Alec, I knew she’d still prefer that I settle down with a nice wizard and produce more magical heirs. She was a mixed bag, my aunt. A feminist on the one hand, but old-fashioned in her thinking on the other.
We poked our heads in a variety of classrooms. Most were in session, so we only received a brief introduction before moving on to the next room. Everyone seemed friendly so far.
“Ah, what luck. Here is one of our new teachers without a room full of pupils,” Poppy said.
We stopped in the doorway of an empty classroom, except for a man on his knees in the middle of the floor. He appeared to be using an academy shirt to wipe up orange liquid. He craned his neck to see us.
“Hello there. Just cleaning up a small spill,” he said. “Nothing to be concerned about. It’s only toxic when it touches bare skin.” It was only then that I noticed his gloves.
“Perry Packard is teaching the Science of Magic,” Poppy said. “He came highly recommended from a witchcraft school in Europe.”
Perry gave us a thumbs up and went back to scrubbing.
“The Science of Magic sounds cool,” Marley said.
“Science is boring,” Coriander said. “Magic is cool.”
“We lost our previous teacher unexpectedly,” Poppy said, “so we feel fortunate to have Mr. Packard arrive on such short notice.”
“Was that Mr. Sewell?” one of the parents asked.
“Yes, it was,” Poppy said. “He performed with fireballs outside of academy hours, a beloved hobby, and there was an unfortunate incident with a strong easterly wind.”
Yikes. “Is he okay?” I asked.
Poppy offered a sympathetic smile. “He will be…in time.”
“He has a large family, doesn’t he?” Juniper asked. “I seem to recall seeing the Sewell brood in town.”
“Five children,” Poppy said. “A very capable wife, though. I have no doubt they’ll manage.”
“Raising a family is hard,” Juniper said.
Perry glanced up from the spill. “Not if they’re buried close enough to each other.”
Juniper blinked, as though she’d misheard the necromancer. “Pardon?
“What?” Realizing his faux pas, Perry blushed furiously and turned back to his task.
I coughed a laugh and quickly covered my mouth.
“Let’s move on, shall we?” Poppy said.
Marley continued to linger in the doorway, so I stayed with her while the rest of the tour group carried on.
“Are you a vampire?” Marley asked.
Perry finished mopping up the spill and rose to his feet. “No, why?”
“Your comment made me think maybe you were,” Marley said shyly.
Perry’s blush returned. “Oh, you heard that, did you?” He chuckled awkwardly. “A slip of the tongue.”
“But you know something about raising the dead,” I said, and the realization hit me. “Are you a necromancer?”
Perry brought his finger to his lips and shushed me. “The academy does not want me to parade this information in front of the parents. They believe it will cause too much trouble.”
“Why?” Marley asked.
“Necromancy is illegal here,” Perry said. “They worry I will be getting their children into trouble.”
“But you won’t be teaching us necromancy,” Marley said. “You’re teaching the Science of Magic, and I can’t wait for your class.”
He smiled and the effect was endearing. “Thank you. What is your name, young witch?”
“Marley,” she said. “I’m sort of new to Starry Hollow, like you.”
“Wonderful. I hope, like me, you are beyond thrilled to be here,” Perry said. “It is good to be away from my bickering family. The stress…It gets to be too much at times.”
“Where are you from?” Marley asked.
“My family is originally from Eastern Europe, although too many have settled along the coast here.” His sigh was tinged with regret. Suddenly, his smile broadened. “But none in Starry Hollow. I am free to be myself here.” He motioned to the orange stain on the floor. “Which can be both good and bad.”
“You weren’t free to be yourself with your family?” Marley asked. She looked at me and I knew exactly what she was thinking. She and I were completely and totally ourselves with each other, for better or worse.
He wiped his brow and gave a nervous chuckle. “Well, it is complicated, as families often are.” He pulled the cloth away, realizing he’d used the same cloth to wipe his brow that he’d used on the floor. “Do I have orange on my forehead?”
“No,” I said.
“Phew. I was not joking about its toxicity.”
“Are you really a necromancer?” Marley asked.
Perry’s finger shot to his lips again. “It is to be our secret.”
“It isn’t appropriate to have secrets with your students,” Marley said, “especially a young girl. It would give the wrong impression.” She glanced at me for approval. “Right, Mom?”
I took her hand. “Normally, I’d agree with you, but under the circumstances, Mr. Packard is right to be wary. Necromancy is illegal and parents would likely be uneasy about allowing him to teach here.”
“It is a role that has been handed down in my family for centuries,” Perry explained. “I can no more escape it than you can escape the color of your eyes.”
“I can wear colored contact lenses,” Marley said. “Or glamour them to look brown.”
“And I can disguise myself as a Science of Magi
c teacher,” Perry said with a wink.
“We should probably catch up to the others,” I said. “It was great to meet you.”
“I eagerly await your presence in my class, Marley,” the necromancer said with a slight bow.
Marley let out a small squeak. “Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The rest of the tour was rudimentary. Bathrooms. Water fountains. Cafeteria. I could tell Marley was itching to move on to more interesting topics. Finally, we arrived back at the main entrance.
“We eagerly await your arrival tomorrow as new students of the Black Cloak Academy,” Poppy said, as she waved us off.
Marley practically floated across the academy grounds as we headed home. “This is the best day ever. I’m going to love it here.”
“Someone’s not going to sleep tonight,” I said.
Marley’s cheeks turned pink. “Can I have a sleep potion? I don’t want to be groggy my first day. What if I don’t perform as well as the other students?” The anxiety was clear as a bell and my own worry crept in. Marley had been doing so well since our move here. What if the Black Cloak Academy pressed all her anxiety buttons?
She continued to clasp my hand and I enjoyed the slight pressure of it, the reminder that she was still my little girl. Still the child I bore and raised and loved beyond measure. Magic was her dream. This academy was her dream and it was my job to support her. And if the anxiety demons came to claim her, then we’d fight them together.
Chapter Six
“Did you bring the coffee?” Deputy Bolan asked. I’d dropped Marley off at Florian’s man cave after orientation so that I could arrive at the sheriff’s office at the appointed time.
“That’s your concern?” I asked. I handed him the coffee I bought from the Caffeinated Cauldron. Marley was right—I didn’t want the investigation to end in bodily harm. It was my civic duty to co-exist with Deputy Bolan and solve the case without further bloodshed.
“Tanya came up with a solid list of suspects,” the deputy said.
“No surprise there,” I said. “She’s pretty well-versed in Tatiana’s checkered past.”
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