Deputy Bolan scuttled back to the car with a piece of paper. “I think we should take this list to the library and see if we can cross-check names with Tatiana.”
I looked at him askance. “The library? But you’re at the sheriff’s office. Aren’t you in a better position to get this information?”
The leprechaun tapped his nose. “Between you, me, and the fey lantern, she’s my secret weapon. You’d be surprised what Delphine Winter can do.”
I wouldn’t, actually. I knew the pretty witch was far more capable than her quiet demeanor let on. “I haven’t seen her in a while.” Ever since she and my cousin Florian had broken up, I’d seen less and less of her, which was a shame because Marley and I were very fond of the librarian. We were fond of anyone who loved books.
“No time like the present,” he said. “I’ll drive this time, though. You tailgate too much.”
“I do not,” I replied in a huff.
“You ride so close you can see their speedometer from your driver’s seat.” He paused. “Plus you play too much Billy Joel.”
I reeled back. “What?” His words did not compute. “There is no such thing as too much Billy Joel.”
“The songs are depressing,” the deputy continued. “That Piano Man sounds like a musical mid-life crisis. We Didn’t Start the Fire? Seriously? And don’t get me started on Bruce Springsteen.”
I sputtered a string of obscenities before pointing an angry finger at him. “Don’t you dare disrespect the Boss.”
Deputy Bolan laughed. “That’s his nickname. More like the Bomb. And I mean the kind that’s not good, not the ironic kind.”
“At least I don’t need a booster seat to see over the steering wheel,” I said.
The leprechaun glared at me. “That’s a low blow, Rose.”
“How else could I reach you down there?”
He gasped.
“You’re wasting time out there,” I said. “Just get in my car. I promise to play Danny Boy, or whatever Irish music you lay claim to.”
Begrudgingly, he climbed into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt. I drove us over to the library, blasting Come On Eileen. The band was Irish. That had to count for something.
We entered the library arguing about whether Lucky Charms was a racist cereal. It wasn’t hard to guess the deputy’s feelings on the subject.
“Look at the two of you, working together. I love it!” Delphine’s cheerful voice drifted over to us from behind the counter. The leprechaun and I exchanged guilty looks.
“It’s sort of a necessity,” Deputy Bolan said.
Delphine scrunched her nose. “Did something happen to the sheriff? Is he ill?”
The deputy and I approached the counter. “No,” I said. “He’s been sidelined for the moment, at least for this investigation.”
Delphine lowered her voice. “Why? What happened?”
“Did you hear about the fairy that drowned in a pool?” Deputy Bolan asked.
Delphine’s expression crumpled. “Good Goddess, no. How awful.”
“She was murdered,” I said.
“And because Sheriff Nash has a prior relationship with the deceased,” the deputy continued, “we thought it best to take over the investigation to avoid the appearance of impropriety.”
“Yes, that makes sense,” Delphine said. “Not that the sheriff is capable of anything like that. Can you imagine?”
“So it’s our understanding that Tatiana came back to Starry Hollow to collect an inheritance,” Deputy Bolan explained, “but no one seems to know the name of the deceased or what the inheritance was.”
“Deputy Bolan has a list of recently deceased residents and we’re trying to find out if any of them might be connected to Tatiana in any way.”
The deputy unfolded the paper he’d printed at the office. “If you could work your magic on any of these names, it would be a big help.”
For some reason, I assumed he meant metaphorical magic, which was pretty dumb considering she was a witch. Delphine scanned the list. “Let’s do this somewhere more private.”
“Whatever you need,” the deputy said.
We trailed Delphine to a room at the back of the library. I expected to enter an office, but it was a Spartan room with hardwood floors and shelves lined with candles and jars. Delphine plucked a piece of white chalk from a shelf and drew a circle on the floor. She sat cross-legged in the middle and motioned to me.
“You’ll be helpful, Ember,” she said. “Sit with me.”
I glanced at the deputy with uncertainty. He held up his hands. “Hey, Rose. You do what you’ve got to do. I’m only a leprechaun.”
I joined Delphine in the circle. She had the list between us. “Hold my hands and then ask your question,” she said.
I did as instructed and she began to chant. Candles lit without warning and I bit back a smile when Deputy Bolan jumped in response. I watched in awe as names began to get crossed off the list by an invisible hand. She stopped chanting and released my hands.
“Are we done?” I asked.
Delphine frowned. “Yes.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“Only one of these names have a connection to Tatiana,” the witch replied. “I’ve drawn on a blank on every other name.” Sure enough, every name save one was crossed off the list.
“We only need one name,” the deputy said. “Who is it?”
I peered at the list. “Kiev Petrov.” I looked at Deputy Bolan. “Did you know him?”
“I did,” Delphine said. “He was a regular here. Vampire. He particularly liked the medieval history section.”
“A vampire?” I said. “Do you know how he died?”
“He’d been ill for quite some time,” Delphine said. “I heard from one of the healers that Kiev had opted to end his life rather than continue to suffer. You should talk to his son, Oleg. They were very close. They owned an antiquities shop together.”
“I guess we need to go see Oleg,” I said. “Maybe he can explain the connection to Tatiana.”
“I’ll be right back,” the leprechaun said. “Leave that chalk circle just in case. I’m going to call the office and make sure we didn’t miss any names.” He slipped out of the room.
This was a good time to broach the subject of Ivy with Delphine. Before I could open my mouth, she gave me a shy look. “I hate to ask, but how’s Florian?” she asked.
“His usual man-child self,” I replied.
“Not dating anyone special?” she asked.
“Not since you,” I said. “You know Florian. He doesn’t want what he considers the trappings of marriage and kids. Not yet anyway. How about you? Any suitors?”
A blush crept into her cheeks. “Maybe.”
“Really?” I would be one hundred percent delighted if Delphine met someone. I knew how badly she’d wanted things to work out with Florian. Even Aunt Hyacinth had been on board with the librarian due to her association with the coven.
Delphine glanced around nervously before whispering in my ear, “Wren Stanton-Summer.”
My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Are you kidding?”
“No, why?” She became anxious. “Am I making another poor choice?”
“Not at all,” I said. “I think he’s fantastic.” I paused. “Don’t tell him I said that, though. I have a reputation to maintain. How did this happen?”
“We got to talking at the last coven meeting,” she said. “He asked me to go broomstick flying and we had the most amazing time.” She clasped her hands together. “We’ve been out a couple more times since then, but we’ve tried to keep it quiet.”
“Why?” I asked. “I would think everyone would be pleased with two members of the coven finding each other.” Unlike me and my unsavory taste in werewolves and vampires.
“We want to be sure this is going somewhere,” Delphine said. “I felt so foolish after Florian.” She stared at the floor and sighed. “I thought I could change him.”
�
�His mother is still convinced she can change him,” I said, “so you’re not alone.”
“I’m a little worried that Wren is more like Florian than I think,” Delphine admitted.
I balked. “No way. Wren is nothing like Florian. For starters, he acts like a grownup.” Most of the time.
“He hasn’t settled down, though,” Delphine said. “I’m not sure he’s ready. What if he only thinks he is?”
I considered the question. “I don’t know, Delphine. It’s always a risk, isn’t it? That things won’t work out.”
She nodded. “I just don’t know if I can go through that again.”
I knew exactly what ‘that’ was—the heartbreak. “But if you think Wren is worth it…”
She perked up. “I do. He’s so sweet, Ember.” She smiled. “Very considerate. He’s never late and he’s always interested in my opinion.”
“Plus he’s hot,” I said. “Can’t forget that part.”
“He is hot,” Deputy Bolan interjected. I hadn’t heard him come back into the room. “In fact, I have a free pass for him.”
I shot him a quizzical look. “You have a free pass for Wren?”
The leprechaun nodded his little head.
Delphine blinked. “A free pass for what?”
“If the opportunity presented itself and Wren was game, then it wouldn’t be considered cheating if the good deputy here took a walk on the wild side with a wizard.” I broke into a smile. “You shall pass.”
Delphine’s hand flew to her chest. “Oh.”
Deputy Bolan produced a small laminated list from his pocket. “See. I have three names.”
I grabbed the list before he could put it away. “Only you would have it laminated,” I said. “Wren is number one. How about that?”
He snatched back the list and tucked it into his pocket. “Anyway, the point is that I approve of you dating him, Delphine.”
The witch didn’t seem sure how to respond. She was still processing the fact that the leprechaun had a list.
“I have another question for you,” I said. “It’s about a portrait I saw in the hallway of the Black Cloak Academy.”
Delphine lit up at the mention of the school. “Oh, how is Marley adjusting? I bet she loves it there.”
“She’s doing well, thanks,” I replied. “When we toured the building, we noticed a portrait of one of our ancestors. Ivy. Have you heard of her?”
Delphine appeared thoughtful. “No, I don’t believe I have.”
“You have a whole section here on Starry Hollow and its residents,” I said. “Is there a good resource you can think of that would include her?”
“Let me see if I can narrow down a few books for you,” the witch said.
“Thanks, that would be great.”
“Why don’t you ask your aunt?” the deputy asked. “She probably has a family tree painted on a wall somewhere in that mansion of hers.”
I chewed my lip, not sure how to answer. “I don’t think I’ll get the full story from her. Aunt Hyacinth has a tendency to tell stories that suit her agenda.”
“And what agenda is that?” Deputy Bolan asked.
“Depends,” I replied. “She’s giving Marley this witch’s wand and grimoire. I know there are reasons why these are deemed special by my aunt. I want to know what they are from an unbiased source.”
“I hate to admit it, Rose, but they might just make a reporter out of you yet,” the deputy declared.
“Gee, thanks.”
Delphine gestured for me to follow her. “We need to go upstairs.”
“We’re done here, right?” the deputy said.
“We didn’t miss any other names?” I queried.
He shook his head. “Nope. Just the one lead to follow.”
“Well, we also have Body By Jake to interview,” I said.
He scratched his head. “Yeah, let’s get to Oleg first. If he can tell us about his father’s connection to Tatiana, we might not need to see Jake.”
“I would think you’d be disappointed by that,” I said. “Hot fitness instructor.”
“Sounds more up your alley,” the deputy said. “Unless you meet Oleg and decide a vampire is better.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh, wait. You’ve already done that.”
I simmered. “That’s enough, Deputy.”
We parted ways and Delphine and I headed upstairs to the local history section. She pulled a few books from the shelf and dumped them on a nearby table.
“We can start with these,” she said. “Check the index for her name first.”
I sat at the table and opened the first book.
“I’m just curious,” Delphine said, “is there any reason why she’d give the wand and grimoire to Marley and not to you or one of her daughters?”
“I’ve had the same thought,” I said. “I really don’t know. I figure if I learn this witch’s story, that might explain it.”
“Here’s a reference to her,” Delphine said. She flipped to the page listed in the index. “Oh, wow.”
My brow lifted. “What?”
Delphine snapped the book closed. “Nothing.”
“Nothing? You can’t react like that and then tell me it’s nothing.” I tried to wrench the book from her grip.
“I’m sure some of this is exaggerated,” Delphine said.
“I thought this was the unbiased account,” I argued. I gave her a stern look. “Give me the book, Delphine, or I’ll tell Wren that you’ve already named all five of your future children.”
She shrank back in horror. “You wouldn’t!”
I wriggled my fingers. “The book.”
She slid the book over to me and I turned to the page. “Ivy, a descendant of the One True Witch, was stripped of her magic after…” I stopped reading aloud. It was too terrible. That must’ve been the reason she was forced to step down as High Priestess.
Delphine hung her head. “I’m sorry, Ember.”
“Why would Aunt Hyacinth want Marley to have such powerful tools?” I said, to no one in particular. “If this witch couldn’t handle them, what makes her think Marley can?”
“Maybe that’s the reason she bypassed her daughters,” Delphine said. “She was worried about the impact on them.”
“Then what does that mean? Marley is expendable?” The idea was overwhelming. Aunt Hyacinth couldn’t possibly feel that way. She adored Marley. Everyone did.
And yet.
“Can I check out this book?” I asked.
Delphine nodded. “Take it. I’ll sign it out for you.”
I hugged the book to my chest. I didn’t care how busy I was with the investigation. I’d make time to get to the bottom of this. My daughter was my top priority. If Ivy’s sordid past was linked to her wand or her grimoire, I was bound and determined to make sure that Marley didn’t suffer the same fate.
Chapter Eleven
The antiquities shop reminded me of a carefully curated museum. The exterior was a Gothic-style house made of gray stone with arched windows on the top floor and a steeply gabled roof. The interior rooms were organized according to its antiquities and works of art. The first room off the entryway included only paintings—portraits of European vampires wearing somber expressions, Roman stone mosaics, and modern oil on canvas of a coven meeting. The second room we entered was full of masks and skulls. A painted demon mask carved from wood. A green stone skull of an elf. Each item was wholly unique.
A sleek vampire strode into the room. His custom suit was reminiscent of Alec, but the similarities ended there. Oleg’s hair was dark and curly and he stood no taller than me.
“I see the Mask of a Young Werewolf has caught your attention,” Oleg said. “You have a keen eye.” He glanced down at the deputy. “Should I get you a step stool to afford you a better view?”
Deputy Bolan scowled and I bit back a smile. “We’re not here to acquire any items, although I did admire that Portrait of a Leprechaun’s Luck in the other room,” he said.
Oleg�
�s smile broadened. “Apologies for the impertinent remark.”
“We’re here on official business,” I said.
“And what business is that?” Oleg asked. “A beautiful woman like you…Let me guess.” He observed me closely. “Your patron has sent you to add to his collection.”
Deputy Bolan snorted. “He thinks you’re a kept woman.”
“Try again,” I replied, keeping my gaze pinned on the vampire. I felt his mind reach out to probe mine. My shield was up, thanks to my experience with Alec. I knew the leprechaun would be able to withstand the invasion as well, especially after Alec’s remark about the deputy’s weak defensive measures.
Oleg locked his hands behind his back. “You are not here to admire my inventory.”
“Afraid not,” I said. “We have questions about your father.”
Oleg lowered his head. “May he rest peacefully in the arms of the devil.”
“Were you privy to the contents of your father’s will?” I asked.
“Of course,” he said. “I am the sole heir.”
“Sole? No one else received anything from the estate?” Deputy Bolan asked.
“Absolutely not,” Oleg said. “The estate reverted to me in its entirety.”
Interesting. “Are you familiar with a fairy named Tatiana?” I asked.
Oleg flashed his fangs. “What has that ruinous viper done now?”
“I guess that’s a yes,” I said.
“What was your father’s connection to her?” the deputy asked. “Is there any reason he would have left her something in his will?”
Oleg laughed uproariously. “I promise you, that is an unequivocal no. My father would never have left so much as a worthless trinket to that fairy.”
“What makes you so certain?” I asked.
“She swindled us out of several items before she fled town,” he said bitterly. “A bronze cross staff and an ivory spear to name two. Highly valuable items.”
Well, that was the connection that Delphine picked up on. Theft of Kiev’s antiquities.
“How long ago was that?” I asked.
“A fair number of years have passed,” Oleg admitted.
“And yet you recall the exact items and their value?” I asked.
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