Every Picture Tells A Fury (Federal Bureau of Magic Cozy Mystery Book 8)

by Annabel Chase

  I returned the scissors to the drawer just as the doorbell rang. Princess Buttercup jumped up from her sleeping position to bark. I wiped my hands on the kitchen towel and headed for the door.

  “It’s Rafael,” Alice said.

  “I know it’s Rafael. I invited him.” I slid aside the door. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

  The warlock crossed the threshold and set down a plain black case before hurrying to his favorite space—the kitchen. I didn’t even bother to offer a tour of the rest of the house. I knew he had no interest.

  “How are Julie and Meg?” His werewolf wife and daughter were probably the only universally adored members of our family.

  “They’re well, thank you. Meg is practicing her driving today, so Julie is in the backseat biting her tongue.”

  “Wow. I’m amazed she’s willing to sit in the back. How can she grab the wheel from there?” Julie’s mothering techniques bordered on smothering.

  Rafael smirked. “I’ll be impressed if they both come home without claw marks.” His critical gaze swept across the kitchen. “So this is your workspace, eh?”

  “You don’t like it?”

  “It’s form over function, my dear Eden.” He sighed. “I suppose it will have to do. You really should consider cleaning it more often.”

  “I haven’t even used it yet.”

  His brow creased. “I see.” He walked over to the sink and washed his hands like he was about to perform brain surgery on an onion. “Where are your knives?”

  I pointed to the wooden block on the counter next to the oven. “Those are the good ones.”

  He regarded the options with trepidation. “Yes, I’m glad I thought to bring my own.” The warlock walked to the entryway to retrieve his black case and carried it to the island. He unlocked it to reveal a gleaming set of kitchen tools, including an array of knives. Each one looked sharper than the last.

  “I could have used a set like this last night,” I said, thinking of the Puritan Club demon.

  “You were cooking?”

  “De-demoning.”

  “Ah.” He located the chopping board and placed it beside the knives.

  “Just out of curiosity, what’s wrong with my knives?”

  “Nothing. They’re fine for an amateur like yourself.”

  “Are we making something that requires Master Chef utensils? Because that already sounds too hard.”

  Rafael gave me a hard look. “You can do this, Eden. My blood is in your veins. If you wish to rise to the challenge, I believe you are more than capable of creating the perfect Indian-style lamb and eggplant pizza.” He paused. “Who is this for again?”

  “No one,” I said quickly, unwilling to reveal that lunch was intended for the chief. “I just want to learn how to use my new kitchen. Now that I’m out of the attic, I’d like to entertain more often.”

  He nodded. “An excellent idea. Your new home is a wonderful space for entertaining. Did you buy the ingredients I gave you?”

  “Yes. They’re in the fridge. I was relieved to see no eye of newt on the list.” I opened the door and collected the requested ingredients, placing them on the island.

  He shot me a withering look. “I do not actually cook with ingredients for a witch’s brew.”

  I held up my hands. “Hey, I don’t know what you’re serving over at those coven luncheons.”

  Rafael returned his gaze to the chopping board. “I do not cater to random coven meetings. I am far too busy with my own establishment for such banal work.”

  I leaned my elbows on the island. “Do you practice magic regularly?”

  He placed a yellow onion on the board. “I wouldn’t say regularly. What prompted that question?”

  “I don’t know. There was an incident last night with some humans trying to harness forces they don’t understand.”

  “You realize that I’m a warlock; therefore, I actually do understand.” He held up the knife. “This is the weapon of choice for defeating an onion.”

  “I’ll still cry, even if I win.” I didn’t so much as cry as endure burning eyes to the point of blindness, which isn’t the ideal result when you’re wielding a sharp blade.

  “I suspect you haven’t learned how to use the knife properly. The cooks in your house are more interested in stabbing each other than slicing.”

  “No argument here.” I watched as Rafael demonstrated the ‘right’ way to chop an onion. “Speaking of stabbing each other, did you hear Helena’s in town?”

  “Anton told me. Has she caused any trouble yet?”

  “Oh, come on. She’s not a kid anymore.”

  Rafael gave me the death stare that was so well-practiced in my family. “Helena doesn’t know how to breathe without blowing her demonic powers on anyone in the fallout zone.”

  “Come on. We were all young and stupid once upon a time, some of us more so than others.”

  “Except Helena is a grown woman even older than you. Has she told you why she’s here?”

  “Not specifically. Does it matter?”

  He shrugged. “Keep her away from my restaurant. I have no interest in saging the doorways.”

  I laughed. “You can’t be serious. What do you think will happen?”

  He looked at me. “Have you forgotten the time she made me believe I was jumping forward and back in time in a span of ten minutes? I vomited for the rest of the night.”

  “It was an accident. Her powers were tricky for her back then. She’s a pro now. She helped me dispatch a demon just last night, in fact.”

  “The cousins that slay together, stay together.” He grinned at his own joke. “We need to chop two garlic cloves. Would you like to do the honors?”

  I gave the cloves my full attention and started to chop.

  “No, no,” Rafael said, tugging the ends of his hair in exasperation. “Chop them as though you’ve accidentally slaughtered someone and need to dismember the body beyond recognition.”

  “Right. Not master chef. Dexter chef.” I chopped the garlic and awaited the next set of instructions.

  “We need to approach the eggplant similarly. Small slices no greater than one centimeter.”

  I blinked at the eggplant. “How big is a centimeter?”

  He groaned. “What do they teach in school these days?”

  “To be fair, Rafael, I’ve been out of school for many years. My brain only holds the information it needs.”

  He clucked his tongue. “And yet you are all that stands between this town and the portal to Otherworld.”

  “Dormant portal,” I reminded him. The portal had been dormant for centuries, but there was always a chance the door could blow open allowing demons to swarm the idyllic town of Chipping Cheddar. It was my job to keep a close eye on it.

  “I expect I will see Chief Fox at Chophouse soon.”

  “What? Why would you say that?” I silently chastised myself for my overreaction.

  “Because he’ll be attending the next supernatural council meeting. I think it’s an excellent idea to include him.”

  “Even though he’s human?” I was curious to test the waters with Rafael.

  “The chief is an asset. Besides, anyone with such a strong affinity for dogs has to have a little bit of supernatural in him. That’s what Julie and Meg think.”

  I smiled at the thought. “He is like a canine Pied Piper, but I’ve spent enough time with him to say with certainty that he’s all human.”

  Rafael motioned to the chopping board. “Enough chitchat. Focus on each swipe of the knife. Feel the movement of the blade.”

  “I think you might’ve operated a guillotine in a former life.”

  Rafael tapped the island. “Focus. Pretend that your life depends on getting this right.” He snapped his fingers. “Pretend the eggplant is a demon.”

  “I’d rather pretend the eggplant is my mother.”

  He bit back a smile. “Your imagination is your own, Eden. The kitchen is a no-judgment zone.”

&
nbsp; “I’ve seen the way you work in a kitchen, Rafael. It’s pretty much a judgment-only zone.”

  He shoved me aside with his hip and chopped the eggplant with rapid movements. “There. Well done.”

  My hands moved to my hips. “Look at that. One lesson and I’m practically a pro.”

  He shook his head ruefully. “Turn on the oven or do I need to do that for you as well?”

  I hit the start button and bowed with a flourish. “Achievement unlocked.”

  Chapter Six

  I was relieved that I managed to get rid of Rafael in enough time to freshen up before the chief’s arrival. I’d warned Alice to keep out today. I hadn’t been concerned with her pop-ins before, but now I had the chief to consider. Neither one of us wanted an audience for our blossoming relationship.

  “Something smells good,” he said upon arrival. He looked exceptionally handsome in a pastel blue shirt and tight jeans that accentuated the whole package.

  “You can let me know if it tastes as good as it smells when we eat.” I clapped my hands excitedly. “Which do you want to do first? Lunch or the grand tour?”

  He gave me a long look that made my insides quiver. “How grand are we talking?”

  “We can do the abbreviated tour, depending on how hungry you are.”

  Desire flickered in his eyes. “I’m always hungry. Why don’t we eat first? That way we don’t need to rush.”

  “Sounds good to me.” I walked to the kitchen. “I know this end of the house isn’t as exciting for you as it was for Rafael.”

  “I like a good kitchen. Where do you think I make puppy chow?”

  I laughed. “Go ahead and sit. Lunch is ready.” The table was already set. All I needed to do was serve the pizza. “You decided not to bring Achilles?” The pug was the chief’s constant companion.

  “I thought I’d wait.” He searched the barn for the hellhound. “I wasn’t sure whether Princess Buttercup had settled in to her new digs.”

  “Oh, yeah. She loves it here.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “With my dad and Sally. He lured her over with the promise of brisket.” I set the pizza on the table. I had to admit, I was pretty impressed with the outcome.

  The chief whistled. “Wow, Eden. I thought we’d be having Hamburger Helper. This looks amazing.”

  “Thanks. Would you like a beer?”

  “I think I have to. It seems like the perfect accompaniment.”

  I went to grab two beers from the fridge. “You can help yourself. I’m not fancy.” By the time I returned to the table with the beer, he was halfway through his first piece.

  “This is delicious. Did you use magic?”

  “The only magic I used was the help of Rafael.”

  “The Chophouse chef, right?”

  “And the proud owner. He’s been obsessed with all things culinary since I was born. Legend has it that he requested a paring knife for his tenth birthday.”

  He chuckled. “I like it when someone’s passionate about their work. It always shows.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “You can taste my passion?”

  “To be fair, it’s probably his, but thinking about yours is better.”

  “That’s how I feel about my new artwork. You can sense Nari’s energy when you look at it. It’s like I can feel all the emotions she experienced while painting it.” That gave me an idea. “I should invite Clara over to see if the sensation is even stronger for her.”

  “Because she’s an empath?”

  “That’s right.” Clara’s abilities kick in when she touches something or someone. The feelings can be overwhelming and she’s shied away from intimate relationships as a result. The closest she came to a boyfriend was Quinn Redmond, an FBM agent who came to Chipping Cheddar as part of my training. Unfortunately, his job required him to leave town and broke Clara’s fragile heart in the process.

  “How’s Clara doing? She was the one with the emergency last night, wasn’t she?”

  I swallowed a mouthful of pizza and took a second to enjoy the burst of flavors. “I was going to get to that. I thought I’d let you enjoy your food before I tell you what happened.”

  He cut a quick glance at me. “That sounds ominous.” He ate another section of the pizza and swigged his beer. “Lay it on me, Agent Fury.”

  I relayed everything that happened in the bookstore basement. “Clara’s fine though. Just shaken up.”

  He set down his beer with a heavy hand. “Why on earth would they mess with forces they don’t understand?”

  “Greed mostly.”

  “They’re supposed to be pillars of the community. What were they thinking?”

  “Probably that they were in danger of losing something that they desperately wanted to cling to. The prestige of a family. A youthful face. They were willing to go the extra mile.”

  “Going the extra mile makes it sound like a good thing.” He bit off another piece. “Summoning demons isn’t like driving to five stores until you find the exact toy on your kid’s birthday list. That’s going the extra mile.”

  I sucked down a mouthful of beer. “That’s so sweet. Would you really do that?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t want to spoil them, but as long as it was within reason, sure.”

  I felt my cheeks grow warm from the beer, as well as the mention of the chief’s imaginary children, especially in light of the whole pregnancy conversation with my family. We’d only recently started dating and our relationship was still a secret from most of the town. I couldn’t even contemplate children—real or imagined.

  “I’ll need to deal with the Puritan Club,” I said, switching back to the original topic before my embarrassment became evident. “They’re obviously aware of the supernatural world to some degree, but I doubt they know more than the bare minimum. It all started with an old book they found.”

  “Sounds like the start of a good book.” He wiped a crumb from his dimpled chin. “Are you going to have their memories wiped?”

  “I don’t think so, although it would stop them from trying to summon a different demon.”

  “And they’d forget what they saw you do.”

  “Honestly, they didn’t see me do anything too crazy. I didn’t bust out my wings or my Medusa hair or anything.” And they wouldn’t understand what Helena did to the demon just from observing it.

  His brow furrowed. “It sounds like they tried to sacrifice Clara.”

  “According to Patrick Smallwood, they only intended to cut her and use her blood for the summoning. No death or dismemberment.”

  “And you believe him?”

  “I do.”

  He swilled his beer. “Well, you don’t strike me as naive, so if you’re willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, then so am I. Still, it’s not like they should get away with what they did to Clara.”

  “If you want to have a private chat with them, I won’t stop you.” I fiddled with the edge of my plate. “I’ve also been wondering whether we should talk to the mayor.”

  “You mean get her on the same page as me?”

  “That might be the smart play.”

  He leaned back against the chair with a contemplative expression. “I trust her, but how far do we go? The council? What about when a new mayor is elected?”

  “Those are good questions and I’m not sure I have answers right now. It occurred to me after last night that she might be an ally.”

  “Well, yeah. The Puritan Club might take a cue from the mayor, whereas they won’t be very interested in what you have to say.”

  “Except Mayor Whitehead isn’t from a Puritan family. I think they’d fall in line if they heard from one of their own, not that I think that’s okay.”

  “I understand. Is there anybody like that? A supernatural from a founding family or someone they respect enough to heed?”

  “I’ll have to think about it.” Maybe have Clara do some digging once she was over her initial shock from the incident.

  The
chief leaned back against his chair. “No, you know what? That’s a load of crap. They’re human. They fall under my domain. I’ll handle them.”

  I smiled. “Has anyone ever told you how sexy you are when you talk tough?”

  “Just my babysitter when I was seven and, thinking about it now, it seems inappropriate.”

  I laughed. “I shall leave the Puritan Club in your capable hands.”

  We polished off the pizza and I was pleased with the satisfied expression on the chief’s face. “That was seriously amazing. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” My head was slightly buzzing from the beer.

  He pushed back his chair. “I’m ready for that tour now.”

  “It’s not the largest home in the world, but it works for me.” I guided him into the main living area.

  “Now don’t do that,” he chastised me. “This place is great. Don’t minimize it.” He pressed me against the wall. “And I’d like to taste your passion now, if that’s okay.”

  “I suppose I can tolerate it for a minute.”

  His lips met mine and I felt the spark between us ignite. The kiss intensified as our bodies melded together.

  “You were going to show me upstairs, weren’t you?” he rasped.

  I took his hand and led him up the steps to the next level. I bypassed the bathroom and the guest bedroom to show him the master bedroom.

  “So this is where I’ll stay for sleepovers?” he teased.

  The thought of the chief staying overnight where we could be caught by my family sent tendrils of fear curling throughout my body. “I don’t think so.”

  He seemed to sense the change in energy because he squeezed my hand. “There’s no rush, Eden. I was only joking.”

  “I know. It’s just…” I couldn’t tell him how bad my family really was, not yet. The relationship was so new and I didn’t want to give him a reason to bolt. “My family has a habit of interfering in my relationships. If they see you here…”

  “I know the drill.” He tugged me closer and snaked his arms around my waist. “Thank you for taking the risk and inviting me over today.”

  I kissed him lightly on the lips. “I was excited for you to see the finished product.” I disentangled myself and pulled him further into the master bedroom. “And here’s where I talk to you at night before I fall asleep.”