Stanley nodded. “Good idea. I like Gilda. She always knows what I want.”
We entered Mooncrest Café. It didn’t feel as if we were stepping into a building, it was almost like walking into a garden on a beautiful summer’s day. The walls were painted yellow and there were images of flowers and trees everywhere. The ceiling was a light blue colour.
Gilda came over to us with a kind smile on her face. She moved so smoothly she looked as if she was gliding across the floor. She wore a long dress so I couldn’t see what was on her feet. I suspected she wore roller skates. Or perhaps she levitated inches off the floor. Who knew with the residents of Brimstone? I could hardly ask her to lift her dress so I could peep underneath.
Gilda was tall, thin and almost translucent. I had no idea what sort of creature she was. I’d asked Gran recently, but she didn’t know either. She said Gilda was a hybrid of some sort, but no one was entirely sure who or what her parents were. Maybe I’d find out one day.
I felt another familiar bump against my leg. Had I gone into a daze again?
Gilda smiled at us. “Cassia, Stanley, it’s lovely to see you again. Esther told me you’d be staying in her apartment. I’ve already stocked the fridge and cupboards with everything you want.” She gave Stanley a wider smile. “Pilchards and sardines for you, little cat. There are many tubs of double cream too.”
Stanley let out that funny, hoarse chuckle again and said, “My favourites. Thank you.”
Gilda reached out a hand and put it on my shoulder. She had this magical ability to know what her customers needed.
She frowned and said, “Cassia, you might think you want enormous bars of chocolate and pizzas the size of the moon, but that’s not what your body needs. Don’t be disappointed, but I’ve put lots of salads and fruit in your fridge.” She took her hand away. “Sorry, I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.”
I sighed with disappointment. “It’s okay. You’re right. I’ve been stuffing myself with the wrong kind of food lately.”
“Comfort eating,” Gilda said. “It’s not surprising in the circumstances. You’ve found yourself with a whole new life, and that must be confusing for you. I have put plenty of herbs and spices in the salads and I’m sure you’ll love them.” She moved a bit closer. “There’s a small emergency bar of chocolate in the bedside drawer.”
“Thank you. Gilda, did Gran tell you why we’re here?”
Gilda nodded. “She did. It’s the right thing to do. There are strange things going on in this town. Beings of all species used to live and work happily side-by-side, but that’s changed these last months. It feels like everyone is trying to find their pack, so to speak, as if they’ll be safer that way. I know you and Esther are doing your best to keep a lid on the sudden increase in crimes, but I worry that things are becoming worse.” She tilted her head to one side and continued, “Be careful Cassia. Brimstone witches are respected in this town and you should be safe. However, things are changing and not for the good. Be vigilant. There’s danger in the air. I’d better get back to work. Let me know if you need anything.” She moved silently away.
Stanley and I left the café and stood in front of the blue door.
Stanley said, “Well, I don’t know about you, but Gilda’s speech scared the life out of me. What should we do, Cassia? Shall we go back to Esther’s house? You can say I was ill or something.”
I gave him a firm shake of my head. “No, we have to stay here. We’ll face whatever dangers come our way.”
I put the key in the lock and twisted it. The hairs on the back of my neck lifted. Was someone watching us? I pushed the door open and quickly stepped through. As soon as Stanley was through, I closed the door quickly without looking out onto the town.
Stanley and I ran up the carpeted steps in front of us. My hands shook as I used a different key on the door at the top. As soon as we entered the apartment, I threw my suitcase to one side and slammed the door shut behind us.
I leant against the door and Stanley did the same.
I gave Stanley a nervous laugh. “We’re being silly. No one is going to hurt us. Not in Brimstone.”
We both yelped as someone pounded on the door.
Chapter 3
We moved away from the door and stared at it.
“What do we do?” I whispered to Stanley.
“Play dead. Watch me.”
Stanley rolled onto his back and stuck his paws in the air. For added effect, he moved his head to one side and his tongue lolled out.
“I can’t do that! I’d look stupid,” I hissed.
The pounding on the door came again. A voice called out, “Cassia, I know you’re in there. I saw you going in with Stanley.”
“Luca! It’s Luca!” Stanley declared. He was on his feet in a second. “Cassia, let him in.”
I opened the door to my childhood friend, Luca. From what I could remember, we used to play together all the time - until I stopped coming to Brimstone.
How can I describe Luca? He’s handsome, very handsome. His friendly face is made even more handsome when he smiles as he’s got adorable dimples in his cheeks. His eyes are a wonderful shade of deep blue, and it’s very easy to get lost in them. I stared into his eyes now as he smiled at me.
Stanley bumped into my leg and whispered, “Cassia, you’re doing it again. And your mouth is hanging open.”
I snapped my mouth shut and blinked. “Hi, Luca.”
He held a big bunch of flowers towards me. “Hello there. I thought you might like these. I believe there’s a vase in the cupboard next to the sink.”
I took the flowers and inhaled the scent. They smelled amazing.
“Thanks. Hang on, how did you know I’d be here? And how did you get through the downstairs door?”
Luca shoved his hands in his pockets and looked uncomfortable. “You didn’t shut the door properly. And your gran told me you were going to be here.”
“Oh? Why would she tell you that?”
He shifted to his other foot. “Esther said I should keep an eye on you, and make sure you didn’t get yourself into any dangerous situations.”
“Oh, did she now?” My lips tightened into a thin line. So much for Gran saying I could handle anything.
Luca took his hands out of his pockets and held them out. “I told her you didn’t need looking after, and that you can take care of yourself. But you know what Esther’s like.”
I nodded and stood to one side. “You might as well come in. We haven’t even had a look around the place yet.”
Luca took a couple of steps forward and then hunkered down next to Stanley. He tickled Stanley behind his ears and said, “It’s good to see you again, my friend. You’re putting on weight. It suits you. How are you?”
Stanley unashamedly rubbed his head against Luca’s hand and said, “I’m great, thank you for asking. Are you staying for a while? Would you like a coffee or something?”
Luca looked up at me. “If it’s alright with you, I’d love to stay for a little while.”
I looked at the flowers. I could hardly say no to him after Stanley had invited him to stay. Who was I kidding? I’d love to have his company for a while.
I quickly took in our surroundings. We were in a large room which had a kitchen at one side and a living area at the other. I said, “Of course you can stay for a coffee. I could do with one myself. If I can find the coffee making facilities.”
Luca straightened up and said, “I know where everything is. Let me make it. Shall I put those flowers in a vase for you?”
“Yes, please. Thank you. Can you show me where everything is?” I took another sniff of the flowers before handing them over.
“Yep. Follow me.” He turned around and headed towards the kitchen area. Stanley and I followed dutifully.
Stanley whispered rather too loudly, “Isn’t Luca wonderful? He’s so friendly and thoughtful. Now you haven’t got a boyfriend anymore, you can ask Luca out. He might say yes.”
Heat r
ushed into my cheeks and I prayed Luca wouldn’t turn around and look at me. It was obvious he’d heard what Stanley had said, but he was either too polite or mortified to say anything and he kept walking forwards.
My cheeks still felt warm as Luca showed us where everything was in the kitchen. Stanley was impressed with the amount of sardines and pilchards that Luca located. I was less impressed with the tubs of salad in the fridge. I used to eat salads all the time when I lived in my apartment. My boyfriend at the time insisted on us having a healthy diet. But since embracing my witch side, I’d thoroughly enjoyed eating whatever I wanted. It was like I was making up for lost time.
Luca located the coffee making things. He told Stanley and me to investigate the rest of the apartment while he sorted our refreshments out. Stanley had already put in his order for a dish full of cream.
Stanley and I walked over to the living area. There was a four-seater sofa with an armchair at each side of it. In front of the sofa was a low table which had a variety of magazines piled on it along with a couple of Agatha Christie books. Gran loved her mystery stories.
My attention was drawn to the huge window at the front of the apartment. It was the full width of the room and almost the full height. It was like an enormous TV screen. Being the curious type, I moved to the window and looked out. Stanley was just as curious and he came with me.
“Wow!” Stanley exclaimed. “You can see everything from here.”
“And everyone,” I added. I pointed to the binoculars at the side. “Gran said I can use them if needed.”
Stanley moved over to a smaller pair that had been fixed to the bottom of the window. His placed his head behind them and said, “I can see through these! They’re the perfect height for me.”
I laughed. “I can just imagine Gran and Oliver staring out of this window using their binoculars and commentating on everyone outside. The nosy pair.”
Stanley continued to look through the binoculars. “These are amazing. I can see what that elf in the red coat is reading.”
“Can you?” I picked up my binoculars and looked through them. “Oh, yes, you can. What else can we see?” I scanned the town square and studied who was there.
Stanley said, “There’s a lot of furtive talking going on, isn’t there? Lots of groups huddled together. They keep looking over their shoulders as if they’re being watched.”
“I’ve noticed that too,” I said, “They’re acting in a suspicious manner. Is that normal behaviour for them? Have they always acted that way?”
“No, they haven’t,” Luca said.
He was standing directly behind me and I felt his breath on my neck. Heat flooded my cheeks again. I wouldn’t need any heating on in this place if that kept happening.
Luca said, “I’ve put your coffee on the table. Stanley, your cream is in a little dish on the carpet next to the sofa.”
Keeping the binoculars to my face, I said brightly, “Won’t be a minute. I’m just looking at something really important.”
I felt him walking away. I counted to ten and told my cheeks to behave themselves. Once the heat in my cheeks had subsided, I put the binoculars down and walked over to the sofa where Luca was sitting. I took a seat at the end closer to Stanley who was lapping his cream up.
Luca said, “You’re right about everyone acting differently out there. It’s like there’s an air of distrust about. You’ve no doubt picked up on that. I know you and Esther have been busy investigating more crimes. We guardians have been busy too.” He moved his hand towards the cup in front of him, picked it up and handed it to me. “I hope this isn’t too strong for you.”
“Thanks.” I sipped the coffee. It was amazing and I felt its reviving effects immediately.
I asked Luca, “I don’t fully understand what you do as a guardian. I know you spy on the town, and then report any unlawful acts to Gran, but what else do you do?”
Luca took a drink of his own coffee and gave me a smile. “We do a lot more than spy, as you put it. We offer counselling services where needed. Also, we talk to residents about legal matters, relationship worries, health issues, that sort of thing. We guardians are good listeners.”
“And good spies.” I took another sip of coffee and felt my energy rising. “Are all guardians shapeshifters? You told me before that it helps to keep an eye on people when you’re in animal form. Do you just turn into animals? Or can you turn into something else like a vampire or a goblin? How do you turn into something anyway? Do you imagine it and then it happens? Or do you need to say magic words first?”
I was about to take another drink of my coffee but Luca took it from my hands. He said, “I made this too strong for you. You’re not used to Brimstone coffee yet, certainly not this brand.”
I waved my hands at it. “Give that back and answer my questions.”
He held the cup higher. “That was a lot of questions for me to answer all at once. I’ll try and answer them later.”
“Later?” I eyed the coffee cup in his hands. I felt energy coursing through me. I could whip that cup back in a flash.
Luca stood up, strode over to the kitchen and poured both coffees away.
Spoilsport.
He came back to the sofa and said, “We can talk tonight. I’m taking you out.”
I sat up straighter. I liked the way this conversation was going. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the Razzle Dazzle Club.” He smiled. “You’re going to see things there that you’ve never seen before.”
“Will I? Will they be nice things?” I made my hands into claws. “Or, nasty horrible things that will chase after me?”
Luca laughed. “You have a vivid imagination. Let’s just say that you’ll meet some of our residents who only come out at night. It was Esther’s idea to take you.”
“Oh. Right.” I slumped back into the sofa.
Luca reached over and ruffled my hair. “I’ll pick you up at eight. See you later.” He made to move away. In a softer tone, he said, “Cassia, if you decide to explore the town on your own, be careful. Brimstone isn’t as safe as it used to be.”
With those dark words hanging in the air, he gave me a grim smile and left the apartment.
I folded my arms and said to Stanley, “I’m beginning to wish we hadn’t come here. I don’t fancy going outside if it’s a dangerous place. What do you think we should do?”
There was no reply. I looked over at my little friend and saw him fast asleep on the carpet.
There was only one thing I could do at the moment. I went back to the window, picked up the binoculars and spied on the supernatural creatures walking about the town square.
Chapter 4
I’d been surveying the town for a good thirty minutes when I heard Stanley stirring. I looked over my shoulder and saw him stretching out. I had to smile. His once skinny body was now filling out. I was so glad to see he’d got his appetite back. There had been times over the last six months when he’d barely eaten anything. I knew now that he’d been worried sick about me.
Stanley padded over to me and said, “How long have I been asleep? Where did Luca go? Did you ask him out on a date?”
I put the binoculars on the window sill. “You’ve been asleep for about thirty minutes. Luca’s been gone about that time too. And, no, I didn’t ask him out.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. I can tell you like him.” Stanley lowered his head. “Never mind. I’m sure you’ll find true love one day.”
I folded my arms. “He asked me out.”
Stanley’s head popped up. “Did he? I knew he liked you! I can tell by the way he smiles at you. I’m so happy! You’re going to make a great couple.” He moved from side to side as if dancing.
“Whoa there, jiggy-paws. He asked me out under Gran’s orders. It wasn’t his idea.”
“Oh.” Stanley’s head dropped again. “Still, it’s a start. Where are you going on your non-date?”
I replied, “To the Razzle Dazzle Club. Wherever that is. I c
an’t see it anywhere outside.”
“Perhaps it’s invisible. You never know with this town. What are we going to do now? Shall we go outside and explore?”
I pulled a face. “I’m not sure. Both Gilda and Luca told me to be careful out there. It would be safer to stay inside and observe things from here.”
“Cassia Winter!” Stanley declared loudly. “Since when did you take orders from other people? Are you going to stay in here and cower like a mouse? Or go outside and face the world like a courageous cat?” He tried to give me a stern look which only made him look even cuter.
I shook my head and smiled at him. “You sound like your brother.”
Stanley gave me a bashful smile. “Sorry about that. Oliver told me I had to be more forceful with you. Was it too much? Did I come off as aggressive? I’m very sorry. I won’t do it again.”
I knelt next to Stanley and stroked his head. “I want you to do it again. Whenever I’m being a wimp, I want you to talk to me like that. And you are right. We need to go into the town and have a good nosy around. But first, and this isn’t an excuse, let’s unpack our things. I want to know what Gran’s packed in that suitcase. I hope she’s remembered all my toiletries.”
With Stanley at my side, I retrieved my suitcase and took it into the bedroom. It was a lovely, light room with a good sized window which overlooked the town. There was a huge bed which looked incredibly inviting with its small mountain of pillows. There was a bedside table at each side of the bed and I briefly wondered which one was hiding the secret bar of chocolate which Gilda had stashed there. It wouldn’t take me long to solve that particular mystery.
Stanley paced around the room. He announced, “I like this room. It smells of home.” He stopped near a big cushion on the carpet at the side of the room and sniffed it. “This smells of Oliver. He must sleep here. Cassia, sniff the bed and see if it smells of Esther.”
I flung my suitcase onto the bed. “I’ll do no such thing. I wonder what Gran’s packed for me? This suitcase isn’t heavy.” I opened the suitcase and looked inside. “There’s barely anything in here. One pair of pyjamas, one pair of jeans and a T-shirt. How am I supposed to survive with these? There isn’t even any underwear.”
Brimstone Witch Mysteries - Box Set 1 Page 2
