Blythe answered my knock at the door immediately, and I found myself lost for words at her beauty. I’d seen her many times, but she had the kind of looks that constantly took your breath away.
Despite being three hundred years old, Blythe was completely wrinkle-free. Her skin glowed with good health and her thick, black hair toppled over her shoulders in perfect waves. She always wore flowing purple clothes which looked amazing on her. The purple of the dress she was now wearing matched the purple of her eyes. Her eyes were her most striking aspect.
Blythe moved forward and took my hands in hers. “Cassia, I’m so glad you’re spending time in Brimstone. How is it going so far? Have you settled into Esther’s apartment okay? Isn’t the view marvellous? Esther and I have spent many an hour staring out at the residents of the town.”
“We’ve settled in nicely, thank you.”
Blythe released my hands, bent her knees and stroked Stanley’s head. He immediately purred. Blythe said, “You’re looking well, little friend. I see you’ve fattened up a bit. It suits you. I’ve spoken to Rascal and he’s told me about your evening with him and his friends. You’ve made quite an impression on them. I believe they’re going to be in touch with you soon about another night out.”
“Really? They want to see me again? Really?”
“Of course they do. Why wouldn’t they?” Blythe gave him a fond look before straightening up. Her smile disappeared as she looked at me. “I’ve heard about your night too. I know what that evil vampire said to you. I’ve been to call on him this morning, but the coward wouldn’t open the door. I’m going back there later.”
“What do you know about him?” I asked. “Is he always like that or has he been affected by the black magic?”
“Unfortunately, he’s always been like that. I’ve had many chats with him, but it’s hard to make him see reason. He’s taken it upon himself to chastise every single citizen in this town. He stands on street corners and reads from that book of his. He’s driven many residents to tears or worse.”
“Worse?”
“Some have left following vicious hate campaigns from Uriah. He targets the weak and goes after them with his evil words.” Blythe shook her head. “He’s gone too far this time. I know what happened to the books in the bookshop, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Uriah was behind it. Basil told me you were dealing with the incident. Can you continue to investigate that crime on your own? Or would you like help from me?”
“I can deal with it on my own, thank you.”
Stanley moved closer to me. “I’m going to help Cassia.”
Blythe smiled. “Then I’m sure you’ll have the case settled in no time. Would you like to come inside for refreshments or would you prefer to get on with your broomstick lesson?”
“Broomstick lesson,” Stanley and I said in unison.
Blythe laughed and closed the door behind her. “Good. You need to have your own broomstick as soon as possible, Cassia. It’s a lovely way to travel and it’ll save you from traipsing up and down the streets.”
Stanley nudged into my leg and hissed, “Ask Blythe about me.”
I shook my head at his cheekiness. I said to Blythe, “Will I be flying on a broomstick today?”
“Yes.”
“Will Stanley be able to fly with me?”
“Yes. He’ll need to get used to it from the start.”
I glanced down at Stanley and saw his little paw pumping the air.
Blythe said, “Follow me. We’re going into the forest to find your broomstick.”
“Is that where the shop is? The one that sells the broomsticks?” I asked.
Blythe frowned. “We don’t have a shop that sells them. We have someone that makes them once you’ve chosen the right tree to give you a branch.” She headed down the path and turned right at the end.
I ran after her. “I’ve got to choose a tree? How do I do that?”
She winked at me. “You’ll see. It’s great fun. A word of warning: don’t pick the first tree that talks to you. Listen to them all before making a decision.”
“They’re going to talk to me? Wow.”
“Don’t look so surprised. You’re a witch in a magical town. Magical things happen all the time here.”
Blythe led us through the forest behind her house. She told me about when she’d gone looking for her broomstick. And then she told me about when Gran had gone searching for hers. Stanley and I listened intently as she talked.
Blythe concluded, “So you see, you just have to listen to the trees. You’ll know when you meet the right one.”
I wasn’t sure about that, but I nodded anyway.
We came to a stop in the middle of a clearing.
Blythe opened her arms wide and announced, “Good morning, beautiful trees. As you know, Cassia is ready to choose her broomstick. I know you all have different talents. We will listen to you all.” She pointed to a thin tree to our left. “We will begin with you. Thank you.”
The thin tree shook its branches at us. Despite Blythe reminding me about Brimstone being a magical town, I was still surprised when the tree spoke.
It said, “Good morning, Cassia Winter. You look particularly beautiful this morning. I see you’ve brought your familiar with you. What a beautiful cat!”
Blythe tapped her foot impatiently on the grass. “Get on with it, please.”
The tree continued, “Of course. Cassia, if you pick me, you can rely on my strength and stability. I might be thin, but I would be able to carry your weight with ease.” It paused. “As long as you don’t put on any more weight, we should be fine. I think.”
I blinked. Had I just been insulted by a tree?
Blythe clicked her fingers. “Next.”
The tree next to the thin one was shorter and bushier. It shook its branches at me and broke into song, “Cassia Winter! The witch from afar! Look at my branches! See how strong they are! Pick me and we’ll sing all day!”
Blythe raised her hand and the tree fell silent.
I whispered to her, “If I picked that one, would my broomstick sing all the time?”
Blythe replied, “Yes. I don’t want to sway your judgement, but that would get very annoying very quickly.”
We listened patiently as tree after tree tried to convince me to take one of their branches. One of them assured me I’d be able to fly upside down with ease, another claimed it could read my mind.
Stanley said, “I feel like we’re watching a tree version of Britain’s Got Talent. How are you going to choose one?”
“I don’t know. None of them seem right to me.” I looked closer at the line of trees. I spotted something. “Blythe, what’s that tree behind the others?”
“That gnarly old tree with no leaves? You can’t be interested in that one. It’s never given a branch to any witch.”
I began to walk closer to the tree. “I’d like to talk to it.”
Stanley and Blythe followed me over to the old tree. It was so bare and twisted that I wasn’t even sure it was alive.
Until it spoke. “What are you gawping at?”
“You,” I replied. “I’m Cassia Winter, and I’m – ”
“I know who you are! And I know why you’re here. Stop looking at me like that. You’re not having one of my branches. Clear off!”
I put my hand on the tree’s trunk. A sudden feeling of warmth and security flowed into my body. I felt like I’d spoken to this tree before.
“Get off,” the tree declared. “I’m not open for business.”
I kept my hand where it was. “I like you. I’d like one of your branches, please.”
“No. Move along.”
A childhood memory came to me and I wrapped my arms around the tree. I said, “I used to come here when I was little. I used to sing to you and tell you stories.”
“I remember. You were a real nuisance. You still are. Move.”
“You were my favourite tree,” I said. “You still are. I can feel how amazing you are. Yo
u’ve been in this forest for a long time.”
In a marginally less grumpy tone, the tree said, “Yes, I have. I’ve seen a lot.” It sighed. “I suppose I can let you have one branch. A small one that doesn’t mean much to me.”
I moved my arms from its trunk. “Thank you. That’s so kind of you.”
“It’s not kind; I just want to get rid of you. Don’t blame me if my branch lands on your head.”
There was a creaking noise. I stepped out of the way as a long branch fell to the grass. It was white and slightly bent in the middle.
I picked it up expecting it to be heavy. It wasn’t. It felt as light as a wooden spoon. I said to the tree. “Thank you. I’ll take good care of this.”
The tree replied, “Do what you like. I don’t care.” Its tone softened. “It’s good to see you again. Come back anytime.”
I said goodbye and walked back into the clearing with Blythe and Stanley.
“Well I never!” Blythe began, “That grumpy old tree has never given anyone a branch before.”
I held the long branch up. “What do I do with it? Does it need bristles or twigs on the end?”
Blythe nodded. “Yes, the broomstick maker will sort that out.” She pointed to the branch. “It’s ready for you to use now. I can sense it. That is most unusual.”
I looked at the branch. “I can use it now? Does that mean I can fly on it? Don’t I need flying lessons or something? Or at least landing lessons?”
Blythe gave me a searching look. “No, you don’t. You’re going to be fine. I can already tell you’re going to be a natural. Why don’t you take it out for a test flight now? Head back to the town square. I’ll meet you there.”
Stanley meowed.
Blythe added, “Yes, Stanley, you can go too.” She walked away from us. “I’ll meet you in the town square.”
I held the branch in front of me. How was I supposed to make it fly? Did I give it instructions?
I moved it behind me. I lowered my behind carefully onto it. The branch moved upwards of its own accord and I found myself hovering off the ground.
Stanley leapt onto the front of the branch. “Don’t go anywhere without me.”
I expected the branch to feel uncomfortable under me. After all, my behind was considerably wider than the branch. But it didn’t feel that way. It felt extremely comfortable as if I was sitting on a large cushion. I felt secure and safe.
Stanley settled down on the branch and said, “This is very comfy. Do you need to tell it to fly?”
“I’m not sure.” I placed my hands around the branch and said, “Please take us to the town square.”
The branch lifted smoothly away from the ground. Before we knew it, Stanley and I were flying above the trees. The wind raced through my hair and I didn’t feel the slightest amount of terror as we zoomed forward.
Stanley must have felt the same because he whooped in delight. I soon joined in with him.
We were having a wonderful time as we flew over the tops of the trees and towards the town. We circled around it and looked down for Blythe. I couldn’t see her so we continued to fly.
Everything was wonderful and we were having a great time.
Until we saw the dead body.
Chapter 14
I tipped the broomstick down and we headed towards the prone figure behind Basil’s bookshop.
Stanley said, “Do you think they’re having a nap?”
“If they are, it’s a funny place to have a nap.”
We landed smoothly on the ground and I jumped off the branch. I kept my hand on the branch until Stanley had jumped off and then I placed it on the ground. I hoped it wouldn’t take off on its own.
Taking small steps, we moved towards the still figure we had spotted from the air.
I recognised him immediately. It was Uriah Firenze. He had a large, wooden stake sticking out of his chest. I told Stanley who it was.
Stanley said, “How long do you think he’s been lying here?”
I crouched next to the body. “I’ve no idea. The stake that’s been used is very neat. It’s almost like it’s been made specially for killing vampires. Do you think there are any vampire hunters in this town?”
“I can answer that,” said a voice behind us. It was Blythe. “We don’t have vampire hunters or hunters of any kind. I won’t tolerate that. I saw you heading down this way.” She looked down at the body for a few seconds. “I see Uriah has met a fitting end. Killed by a stake. Perfect for a vampire. Let’s see how long he’s been dead.”
She came closer to my side and crouched next to me. She placed her hand against his neck and said, “I don’t know why I’m doing this. His body was stone cold when he was alive. It’s still the same now. He could have been killed ten minutes ago or ten hours. Whoever did it made a neat job of it. You’re right about the stake being well made. I wonder if someone had been planning this for a while? You met Uriah, and you know what a despicable character he was.”
She straightened up and looked around us. “Let’s have a quick look for any clues. A footprint or two would be useful.” She shook her head sorrowfully. “I know Uriah wasn’t popular, but he didn’t deserve to be murdered. I don’t know what’s going on in this town. This is the second murder we’ve had this month. It’s not right. I don’t like it. Not one bit.”
I gestured my hand towards Uriah’s jacket. “Shall I have a look for that book of his? There could be a record of the last person he had an argument with.” I paused. “Although, that was probably me.”
Blythe nodded. “That’s a good idea. If you don’t want to rifle through his clothes, I will.” She grimaced.
“I don’t mind.”
And I didn’t mind. It didn’t bother me one bit that I was going through the pockets of a murdered vampire. I didn’t know what that said about me as a person, but I wasn’t going to analyse myself at this moment.
I had a good search of his pockets, but I couldn’t find anything. Not even the red marker pen he’d been using last night.
I stood up straight and said, “There’s nothing there. Perhaps Uriah had an argument with someone, wrote it down in his book and was then attacked by the same being he’d argued with. Perhaps they took his book so they could destroy the evidence.”
Blythe folded her arms and nodded. “Maybe.”
“Speaking of books,” I continued, “is it a coincidence that Uriah was killed behind Basil’s bookshop? Basil was in a furious mood yesterday. He might have found out it was Uriah who caused the damage. Basil could have confronted him about it.”
“With a ready-made weapon to hand?” Blythe raised her eyebrows. “I hope not. I’ve known Basil for years. I hope it wasn’t him who killed Uriah. But we’ll have to speak to him about it.” She sighed heavily. “Cassia, you’re a justice witch. Will you be able to deal with this murder investigation on your own? You could ask Esther to help you.”
“I dealt with the other murder investigation on my own. I can deal with this one.” I put as much confidence as I could into my voice. I was hoping to convince myself as much as Blythe.
“Okay. I know you’re more than capable. You’re a natural at this. Just like your gran. The only thing that worries me is that you haven’t had much formal training yet. I know you’ve performed magic using your instincts, but sometimes when you’re under pressure or in danger, your instincts are overwhelmed by fear. That’s why you need to have an arsenal of spells ready in your mind. Not just defensive ones, but ones that can immobilise your enemies too.”
“I’ll try not to get myself into dangerous situations,” I said.
Stanley came to my side and spoke up, “Cassia’s got me to help her. I can sniff out any danger and warn her.”
“I know you can, Stanley,” Blythe said. “That would be very helpful. However, considering the planning that’s gone into this murder, I have my concerns. I don’t have time to go through any lessons now, but there is something I can use on you to keep you safe. Hold still a
moment.”
Blythe raised her hands in our direction and stared right at me with those lovely purple eyes. The colour in her eyes darkened for a few seconds as she continued to look at me.
She lowered her hands, gave me a small smile and said, “That will have to do for now. It’s only a temporary spell.”
“What did you do?” I asked. “I don’t feel any different.”
“No, you won’t feel any different.” Her attention was drawn to voices which were getting louder. “Someone’s coming this way. I don’t want them to see the body.” She waved her hands over Uriah’s body and he promptly disappeared.
A couple of elves came walking around the corner. They nodded a greeting at Blythe. Then they suddenly stopped, retched loudly and ran away.
“What’s wrong with them?” I pointed at the fleeing elves.
Blythe wasn’t listening. She said, “Go to Uriah’s house. His book might be there. I think you’re right about it being important. I’ll make some enquiries around town. I’ll try to track down Uriah’s last movements. His house is at the end of that road over there. You can’t miss it. Let me know how you get on.” She picked my branch up and added, “I’ll take this to the broomstick maker. You’ll need it as soon as possible.” She quickly walked away.
Stanley grumbled, “I was hoping we could do some more flying.”
“Me too.”
We looked down at the ground where Uriah had been.
Stanley asked, “Is he still there? Or has Blythe transported him somewhere?”
“I don’t know.”
We took a wide circle around the area in case Uriah’s body was still there. We headed towards the road where Blyth had pointed.
I stopped at the road name. “Cemetery Road. Trust Uriah Firenze to live somewhere like this.”
“I hope it’s not too creepy,” Stanley said. “I don’t like creepy things.”
We walked along Cemetery Road. It wasn’t the slightest bit creepy. It was lovely. The road was wide and well maintained. No potholes anywhere. The pavements were clean with not one single weed poking through.
The houses were beautiful and well maintained too. They became more impressive as we walked on.
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