Cloaks and Daggers
Page 18
I adopted a gentler tone. “I’m not talking about him.”
Bethany still seemed oblivious. “We all work so closely together. We’re like a big, dysfunctional family with paychecks.”
“Are you saying you don’t have feelings for Adam?”
Her head snapped to attention. “Feelings, as in romantic ones? No, absolutely not.” She fell silent for a moment. “I can see how it might look that way, but the truth is that I felt sorry for him. My impression was that he was trying to fill an emotional hole…” She trailed off. “I guess a lot of us are guilty of that to some degree.”
“Except not all of us kill as a result.”
She averted her gaze. “No.” She exhaled. “I would’ve turned him in, if I’d known. I owed that to Andrea. She and I were friends. Whenever I wanted to vent about Adam, I knew I could talk to her.”
“I believe you.”
“I wish she’d confided in me,” Bethany said. “I can understand why she didn’t though. She knew that I took my job seriously.”
I opened the door, preparing to leave. “What will you do now?”
Her grateful look told me that she understood I was letting her off the hook. “We have enough footage to work with. I’m sure Jackie, Natalya, and I can give the network what they need. Like Adam always says, the show must go on.”
“You sound pretty confident,” I said. “Maybe it’s time to step out from behind someone else’s shadow and help yourself. I bet you’ve learned a lot in your role as the everything assistant.”
The pixie rose from the bed. “I think you might be right. Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Best of luck with whatever you decide.” I left the pub, feeling unsettled. So much had happened today and the only thing I wanted to do now was wrap Diana in my arms, kiss her soft skin, and breathe in that fresh baby scent.
I hurried back to my car at the sheriff’s office and drove home. As I pulled into the driveway, I was surprised to see a tall silhouette lurking by the front porch.
“Hello?” I called, stepping out of the car.
The figure emerged from the shadows and I gasped when Lady Weatherby’s aquiline nose came into view. “Ms. Hart.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What are you doing here?” She was standing next to the porch. Why hadn’t her presence triggered the protective ward?
“There’s no need to panic, Ms. Hart,” she said. “I’m only here as a courtesy. Your husband said you weren’t home and invited me to wait inside, but I thought it best to stay here and wait.”
She made the right choice. If I’d have come home and found her under the same roof as my baby, I would’ve flipped my pointy hat.
“Why did you want to see me?” I wiped my sweaty palms on the sides of my pants. After the day I’d had, this meeting felt like jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.
“Please don’t worry. I have no quarrel with you.”
My eyes widened. “You don’t?”
The witch looked down her long nose at me. “No. As I said, I’ve only come to see you as a courtesy because of your kindness to my mother. I know you’ve been an invaluable companion to her and I appreciate that.”
“I adore Agnes,” I said. Bethany spoke of her big, dysfunctional unrelated family. Well, Agnes was a key member of mine.
“You should know that I’ve completed the paperwork for her release, and once I’ve jumped through the bureaucratic hoops, then I’ll be out of your life forever. Spellbound will be but a distant memory for me.”
Well, that was a relief…Wait. A wave of nausea swept over me. “What paperwork? Release from where?”
“From the Spellbound Care Home, of course. I’m transferring my mother to a facility close to my intended home,” she said.
Lady Weatherby was taking Agnes away from Spellbound? “You can’t do that,” I said vehemently. “Agnes belongs here. She’s been in this town her whole life.”
“Yes, because of the curse, but now that she’s no longer required to be here…” She shrugged. “I daresay it’s for the best. I cannot stay here and I’d like to reconnect with my mother before it’s too late.”
On the one hand, I supported her—I wanted she and Agnes to have the relationship they deserved. Selfishly, though, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing the elderly witch.
“Does Agnes know?” I asked.
“She doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter,” the elegant witch said. “I’m leaving town, so if she hopes to have any time getting reacquainted, then she needs to accompany me.”
“You have to at least give her the option,” I said. “It isn’t fair.”
“My lawyer was able to secure Power of Attorney for me,” Lady Weatherby said. “It’s for her own good. She’s only getting older and her senility will only worsen in time.”
“Agnes isn’t senile!” She was crazy and mischievous—yes—but not senile.
“I’m sure she would agree with you.” Lady Weatherby managed a smile. “I assure you it isn’t personal, despite our history.”
How could it not be personal? Agnes was an important part of my life and I was pretty sure I was an important part of hers.
Another figure stepped into view. “Is this witch bothering you, snookums? Shall I…?”
My whole body stiffened. “No, Calix. No smiting, please.” The last thing I needed was a magical showdown on my front lawn. “This is Lady Weatherby and she was just leaving.”
The witch gave a silent nod and strode away.
“I sense a problem,” Calix said. “Are you certain there isn’t anything I can do? You only need to say the word.”
I watched with sadness as the elegant witch disappeared from view. “I’m not sure there’s anything anyone can do.” Even a demigod. Lady Weatherby was going to take Agnes away from Spellbound forever and no amount of magic in the world could change that.
“You seem tired, little one. Shall I come back another time?”
I shot him a grateful look. “Would you mind?”
Calix bowed. “The gods have not always been mindful of boundaries, but I am open to learning.” He straightened and smiled. “Why don’t I bring you breakfast when the day breaks?”
“Or maybe even a smidge later than that,” I said.
“The restaurant at Odyssey makes the most wonderful croissants. I shall bring a selection and you, fair daughter, shall be given first choice.”
I trudged up the front porch steps. “Thank you, Calix. That’s very thoughtful.”
This time, he didn’t clear his throat at the mention of his name. Didn’t correct me. Didn’t seem offended. He was—dare I say it—making a genuine effort. And even though he wasn’t my dad, he was much more than a random demigod. He said if he’d known about me that he would’ve found me sooner and I believed him.
“Thank you, Father,” I said, and slipped into the house.
You can preorder the next book in the series, Ghoul’s Paradise, coming in 2020!
Also by Annabel Chase
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While you’re waiting for the next book in the Spellbound Ever After series, you can check out my other series:
Federal Bureau of Magic cozy mystery:
Great Balls of Fury, Book 1
Fury Godmother, Book 2
No Guts, No Fury, Book 3
Grace Under Fury, Book 4
Bedtime Fury, Book 5
Three Alarm Fury, Book 6
Hell Hath No Fury, Book 7
Starry Hollow Witches:
Magic & Murder, Book 1
Magic & Mystery, Book 2
Magic & Mischief, Book 3
Magic & Mayhem, Book 4
Magic & Mercy, Book 5
Magi
c & Madness, Book 6
Magic & Malice, Book 7
Magic & Mythos, Book 8
Magic & Mishaps, Book 9
Magic & Maladies, Book 10
Magic & Misdeeds, Book 11
Spellslingers Academy of Magic
Outcast, Warden of the West, Book 1
Outclassed, Warden of the West, Book 2
Outlast, Warden of the West, Book 3