Dangerous Magic

by Evie Hart

  “It worked,” Nicole confirmed. “Let’s go before I lose my nerve. Also, did you have to say ‘slap my butt’?”

  I shrugged and walked out from behind the tree and toward Amelie’s house. “It was all I could think of in the moment. You know I’m better at structured spells.”

  “Hmm.” She followed me to the back door that was locked. “I guess it’s my turn. Darling door, don’t be a block, help me out, undo this lock.”

  The lock clicked, and Nicole pushed it open triumphantly.

  “Yeah, I can’t ask a spell to slap my ass, but we can compliment a door and that’s normal.” I closed the door behind me with an eye roll. We’d walked into Amelie’s kitchen, and I conjured a little ball of light in my hand.

  Nicole did the same. “How do we investigate without being caught? She’s not isolated here.”

  “The spell should conceal our light. Don’t make it any brighter. We’re only here to see if there’s anything important.” I moved to her drawers and pulled them out, one by one. “Damn, she doesn’t even have a junk drawer.”

  “Aunt Shelly would be horrified. She thrives on hers.” Nic looked around. “We should split up. Why don’t you go upstairs while I take downstairs?”

  “You think it’ll make a difference?”

  “Yeah. We get the house searched twice as quick, plus we get out of here twice as quick. And I don’t have to search her underwear drawer.”

  I rolled my eyes and headed for the stairs. The hall was at the back of her house, decorated in cream and white. It was weirdly cold—it had no personal touches whatsoever. There were no photos, no pictures, no trinkets, no nothing.

  She hadn’t lived here long. Maybe she just hadn’t had a chance to make it her home yet.

  I made my way up the stairs, wincing every time a stair creaked. We were alone, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t feel uncomfortable about what we were doing. After all, the Council had told me to continue the binding of my grandmother, not to continue investigating Betty Lou’s poisoning.

  Not that I could stop now.

  I was in far too deep. I needed to know who was responsible for both the witch and the shifter’s death.

  I walked down the hall to what I assumed was Amelie’s bedroom. The house was bigger than it looked from the outside, but then again, it was oddly set-up. The rooms were weirdly shaped, almost as if the bathroom and closet took out huge chunks of her room.

  Her double bed was pressed with one side against the wall and barely enough room for a nightstand. The small one that was there held a lamp and a well-read book with a receipt for the coffee shop sticking out of it to hold her place.

  I smiled and moved to check the drawers. The sensation that I was violating her privacy crawled over my skin uncomfortably, but I pushed it aside as I opened the first one.

  It only held her passport, some face cream, and a coupon for ten percent off at Fairy Threads, the clothing store owned by the Fairy Leader’s niece. The second drawer held a couple of letters from the bank and a tub of cheap moisturizer, and the third was filled with nail polish bottles.

  Nothing interesting at all.

  Hmm.

  I straightened, shutting the drawer, and walked to her closet. I knew I’d kept personal things in a shoebox in my closet—under a spell—to keep them hidden from my cousins growing up.

  Unfortunately for me, it was the barest closet I’d ever seen. She had a grand total of one pair of boots and one pair of muddy, stained sneakers, and some old slippers that looked like they needed to be thrown in the trash. Her clothes were simple—a few office-type outfits, a few pairs of jeans, plus some shirts.

  Nothing else.

  Her bedroom was a bust.

  I searched her bathroom with the same results. It was bare except for the things you’d expect. I couldn’t decide if Amelie was just low on cash or if she didn’t expect to stay for a long time.

  It was a weird thing to think of a shifter being a wanderer. Their packs were their lives, but considering she’d lost hers… Maybe she was afraid she’d lose this one, too.

  I sighed and made my way to the small second bedroom. The door was partially opened, and it creaked as I pushed it in.

  “Spells bells!” I shouted.

  The room was wrecked. Drawers had been pulled out of the cheap-looking wooden desk and left haphazardly on the floor. Papers spilled out of the drawers, mixing with pens and a lamp with a smashed bulb.

  The sound of Nicole’s feet thundering up the stairs announced her arrival. “What did—good Goddess!”

  I nodded. It was all I could do. Someone had beaten us to Amelie’s house, but why?

  “I guess there was something here nobody wanted anyone to find,” Nic mused. “But what?”

  I shrugged and shuffled into the room, careful not to dislodge anything. There was a light dusting of fine, black powder, so the police had already been here. I sighed. If there was anything left to find, they’d have surely found it and taken it.

  “Did you find anything downstairs?”

  My cousin shook her head, using her wand to poke through the wire trashcan that was laying on its side. “Nothing. It’s like she barely lived here. I don’t think she was a very social person though, so maybe she spent a lot of time in the forest.”

  I nodded along like I knew her. An unsocial shifter was rare, but judging by the number of books on the shelf, Amelie was one. She had all kinds of books from fairy tales to true crime to historical romances.

  It was the only part of the house that had any personal touches to it.

  I sat in the gray armchair next to the bookshelf and sighed again. This trip had been a waste of time. There was every chance that the police had done this to the office. Haven Lake PD weren’t exactly known for their finesse during investigations. They tended to blow in like a tornado first and think after… And leave someone else to tidy up their mess.

  A bit like Snow.

  “Come on,” I said, standing back up. “Let’s—”

  Something crinkled under my fingers when I gripped the cushion to push myself up. I stopped, shifting slightly so I could slide my hand between the arm and the cushion.

  “What’s that?” Nicole slid over to me. “A note?”

  Shrugging, I opened the note. The handwriting was scrawling and barely legible, so it took me a minute, but when I did, I froze.

  You’re a disgrace to your kind.

  Watch yourself, cougar.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “AVERY!”

  I jolted awake, sitting up and holding my hands out to throw a fireball at anyone who came close. “What?!”

  “It’s me.”

  I blinked, seeing Nicole come into focus in the dim light. “What are you doing in here at—what is the time?”

  “Three-thirty.”

  I leaned over and turned on the light on my nightstand.

  Then jerked back into my headboard.

  “Is that—” I paused, looking from the little black creature on Nicole’s shoulder to her. “Is that a bat?”

  “A bat? Where? A new toy!” Snow stood, her tail going upright as she hissed in Nicole’s direction.

  “Oh no! A hairy beast!” the bat shrieked in an accent not much different to Angus’ as Snow launched herself in a blur of white.

  Nicole threw up a shield. Snow bounced off it and fell to the ground with the agility of a cat, but she hissed her displeasure.

  “He’s not a toy!”

  “He just spoke!” I moved farther back into my headboard and clutched my sheets. “Why did he speak?”

  My cousin frowned at me. “You can hear him?”

  “Of course she can,” the bat said. “She can hear that violent beast down there.” It didn’t take its eyes off my cat.

  I pointed at the bat and squeaked. “What—how—when—”

  “Violent beast?” Snow’s tail once again went up in protest. “I’m a docile, loving creature!”

  “Who wants to ki
ll me!” the bat argued. “You’d eat me without a second thought!” He waved his tiny hand…paw…claw…wing…in her direction accusingly.

  Snow blinked her big, blue eyes. “I do like the taste of bats in the morning.”

  “Why can I hear it speak?” I pointed at the bat. “Nicole!”

  “I don’t…” She trailed off. “You shouldn’t be able to. Our familiars are cats. Honey lets you hear her, but this guy…”

  “Precisely.” The bat eyed Snow before flying down and perching on the edge of my bed. “And I’m not an ‘it,’ thank you. My name is Aristotle, and I’m your familiar.”

  “Oh no you don’t!” Snow pounced onto the bed and made a swipe for the bat. “She’s my witch!”

  “Actually, she’s ours.” Aristotle circled around until he found my curtain rail. Apparently, that was a good place to hang upside down. “I’m her familiar, too.”

  “Witches only have one familiar,” I said, looking at Nicole. “Right? You’re the expert here.”

  Her blank look made me panic. “History dictates that, yeah. But you’re not a normal witch, Aves. You have this whole extra power. Maybe that means you need another. Did Ava have two?”

  I hadn’t read enough to even come close to knowing that. “I don’t know, but Grandma never did. Only Angus. At least, I don’t think she did.”

  She shrugged, tugging on the bottom of her pajama shirt. “I have a bunch of books on it at the store. I’ll do some research tomorrow. He just showed up at my window asking for you, so I brought him in here.”

  “Of course I asked for her. She’s my witch.” Aristotle nodded his little head.

  Snow bounded over to the curtains in a fit of rage. “That’s my witch, you pea-headed, blind scoundrel!”

  Nicole caught her in mid-air before she was able to try climbing the curtains. “No, you don’t. If it’s true and Avery has two familiars, Aristotle is part of this family. Not your dinner.”

  Snow scowled. “I don’t like bats.”

  “Well, I don’t like cats. Look how undignified you are.” Aristotle sniffed and turned to me. “Avery, dear, would you mind if I went and searched for food?”

  “Um, sure.” I swung my legs out of bed and walked over to the window. “Do you want me to leave it open for you?”

  “You’re quite all right. There’s a nice little entrance in the roof. The attic will be far more suitable for me to sleep in during the day.”

  “Okay.” I was dazed. Was this really happening? “Um, a ghost lives up there. Lady Barnacles. She’s a little temperamental.”

  “More so than your cat?”

  “Let me at the little rodent!” Snow fought to escape Nicole’s hold, but my cousin wasn’t having any of it.

  “I’m not a rodent,” Aristotle said with great offense. “I’m a Chiroptera, thank you very much.”

  With that, he left his perch on the curtain rail and glided out of the window. I closed it as he disappeared into the darkness and pulled my curtains back together.

  Nicole dropped Snow onto my bed. “I’m going back to sleep. Hopefully no other critters come asking for you.”

  Damn straight.

  • • •

  “I’m not happy about this,” Snow grumbled as she followed me down the stairs. “I’m not happy at all. I don’t like to share. I don’t share the fireplace. I don’t share my food, and I definitely do not share my witch.”

  I rolled my eyes. That was the fifth time I’d heard that speech this morning, and it was getting old. “Snow, I told you. We don’t know that he’s my familiar for sure, but if he is, you’re going to have to deal with it.”

  “I don’t want to!”

  “And I didn’t want you to wake me up with your claws in my shoulder this morning, but here we are.” I walked into the kitchen where my three aunts were cooking. Grandma was hovering over Aunt Bella, barking orders as they all made breakfast.

  “Your bacon needs to be crispier, and Shelly, your oranges are fighting,” Grandma said firmly.

  She wasn’t wrong. The oranges that Aunt Shelly had set to juice themselves were fighting over the jug. She redirected them with a quick clap of her hands, and they lined up to continue juicing.

  “I had to wake you up with my claws. Otherwise, you might forget about me in favor of the rodent.” Snow sniffed.

  “What rodent?” Aunt Rose asked. “Do we have a rat problem again?”

  “Yes!” Snow jumped onto the table. “But this rat has wings.”

  I picked her up and put her on the floor. “Aristotle is a bat, not a rat. Stop being so moody.”

  “Who’s Aristotle?” Aunt Bella asked, batting at Grandma and sending her arm right through her.

  “A bat,” I replied. “He appeared at Nicole’s window last night asking for me. He thinks he’s my familiar.”

  All three of my aunts froze and turned to look at me. Even the oranges stopped juicing and turned in my direction.

  That was weird.

  “You have a familiar,” Aunt Shelly said.

  “That’s what I said!” Snow shouted, pawing at her leg. “I said that, too!”

  I shrugged and folded my arms. “I don’t know. Apparently, I have two. Like one wasn’t enough of a curse.”

  Snow bristled. “Hey!”

  “Any ideas?” Aunt Rose, ever the sensible one, turned to Grandma.

  Grandma was floating there, wearing a gypsy skirt and a shirt with bell-sleeves and a wistful smile on her face. “Yes, he’s her familiar.”

  “I protest!” Snow swiped at her ghost.

  Grandma crouched down and patted her on the head. Kind of. “Fear not, little one. He is linked to her deep power. You are still her primary familiar. Aristotle’s job is to help guide her and understand the deep power. Eventually, you will become the link that he is. You’re destined to be by her side for life—”

  “And afterlife,” Angus grumbled, walking over to the food bowls. “Where’s my breakfast?”

  Aunt Rose rolled her eyes and went for a tin of cat food.

  “As I was saying,” Grandma continued, giving Angus the stink-eye. “You’ll be with her for life, but Aristotle will only be here for a short time. Be patient.”

  Snow sniffed, but instead of arguing, she strolled over to the food bowls and only hit hers once. One by one, all the resident familiar cats made their way to the bowls and waited for Aunt Rose to empty the tins.

  “It’s like a dang production line,” Grandma muttered.

  “So, it’s okay? It’s normal?” I asked her. “The bat.”

  She nodded her ghostly head. “Perfectly so. He’ll help you figure out your new magic, and when you know how to use it, he’ll leave.”

  “That’s sad. What if I want to keep him?”

  “I would imagine you have a choice. Maybe. I don’t know. If that’s an option, my toad never gave me one.”

  “Your second familiar was a toad?”

  “And he was an insufferable imbecile,” Angus yelled across the kitchen.

  “Barnabas was a perfectly lovely toad, you rotten fool,” Grandma sniped right back.

  Well, it was good to know that it was first, normal to have another familiar, and two, not only my cat who was a jealous little madam.

  I made a cup of coffee and sat at the table. “Where’s Nicole?”

  Aunt Bella put a huge bowl of scrambled eggs on the table. “She’s gone to the store early. Said she wanted to look through her books about something. I assume that something is the arrival of your new bat.”

  Snow muttered something under her breath.

  “Yeah. Hey, Samson? When you’re done, can you go and tell her not to worry?”

  He garbled back an answer through a mouthful of food. At least, I think he did. It was hard to tell when six cats all had their faces buried in cat food.

  My aunts laid the table full of food and orange juice, and we all dove in. At one point during the meal, TJ came in, piled a plate full of food, and slunk back off to his
bedroom.

  None of us paid him any attention. If I were him, I wouldn’t want to eat with my mom, my aunts, and my cousin either. Not to mention the crazy ghost lady who kept trying to snatch a piece of bacon up from the plate.

  Just to annoy Grandma, I reached out and took the piece she’d been trying to get. She narrowed her eyes at me, but I just grinned as I bit into it.

  “What are you doing today?” Aunt Rose asked me, nursing her coffee.

  “Read a book. Take a bath.” I shrugged.

  “Okay, what are you really doing today?” Aunt Bella quirked an eyebrow.

  I told them about the note I found in Amelie’s house. “I’m starting to think Amelie was the problem. You said she was new and hadn’t yet settled into the pack. Betty Lou was a big supporter of tightening the restrictions on the shifters to allow the druids more space, and if Amelie was afraid to speak out against her new boss…”

  Aunt Shelly raised her eyebrows. “Disloyalty in the shifter packs means death. Some would view her behavior as disloyal.”

  “Exactly.”

  “But that doesn’t explain Betty Lou’s death.” Aunt Rose pursed her lips.

  “I think I have an idea.” I wiped the orange juice mustache that had settled on my upper lip. “I think that whoever shot Amelie poisoned Betty Lou to cover their tracks. They’re the only two people in that office, and they both get there early. Maybe the killer thought Betty Lou would know who did it so they tried to get rid of her, too.”

  “But got the dosage wrong.” Aunt Bella nodded, thoughtfully bringing a piece of bacon to her mouth. “Of course, she didn’t know, because otherwise she’d have said.”

  “She said she couldn’t remember. Maybe the killer thought she did so they went back to finish the job.”

  “Sound theory,” Grandma Cherry said, floating to sit on the kitchen counter next to the sink. “See, if I weren’t bound, I’d be able to eavesdrop in all kinds of places…”

  I frowned at her. “You know as well as I do the Town Council is keeping you bound. You’re not getting out of this.”

  She huffed, then disappeared. Probably going off to moan at Lady Barnacles again.