Marcus’s gaze was locked on the blood. “Werewolves have a distinctive smell. Just like each person here does.”
I was impressed, but I kept my face blank. He had to be a werewolf or a shifter to have that kind of keen sense of smell. The guy was good. I pegged him for a werewolf, which meant his buddies were probably werewolves too.
“You sure?” I asked. The chief didn’t answer, and I took that as a yes. It also saved me the time and effort of going around door to door to see who was missing in town. Too bad he was being such a dick. He could’ve been useful for other information as well.
A name was better than I’d hoped. I stood up. “Thanks.”
Marcus issued a sound like a growl. “You should leave.”
My temper went into overdrive. “What is your problem?” My voice rose, aware that everyone had gone quiet around us. Ronin took a step back from me. Smart vampire.
Marcus smiled coldly. “You. You’re my problem.”
“Really?” I cocked my hips, my face all smiles, but my guts were having a wrestling competition. “Why’s that, hot-stuff?”
Just like my ex, he knew all the right buttons to push. But he didn’t even know me, so that made it worse. So much worse.
Marcus crossed his arms over his sizable chest, no doubt to show off all those hard, bulging muscles. “You have no investigative skills. Clearly, you don’t understand what you’re doing. You’re not even a real witch,” he snarled, his brows furrowed.
“Dude. You’re way out of line,” said Ronin, and I was surprised by the anger in his voice.
Marcus ignored him, his attention never wavering from me. “You’re just going to get in the way. There’s nothing you can do to help this town. Just like your mother.”
My lips parted, and I frowned, my heart thrashing. “You know my mother?” When he didn’t answer, I continued, “I don’t work for you, Chief. I work for the Merlin Group.”
Marcus laughed. “Just like your mother did until she left—in the middle of a case. More trouble than she was worth.” He gave me a hard stare. “Your mother is a waste of space.”
Something inside me snapped.
A rush of energy overflowed my aura. My breath caught, a force hammering inside me as I homed in on Marcus.
I didn’t speak a word of magic. I didn’t even conjure a spell.
I just… let go.
My instincts hit, and I raised my hands. A gust of wind flung through my palms. It hit Marcus in the chest and the big guy went rocketing back like he was hit by a missile. He let out a windy grunt as he hit the hard pavement fifty feet away.
I wavered a little as a slip of dizziness hit. I knew this was payment for using magic. All magic required it. No witch could do spells indefinitely. That would most certainly be deadly. Magic always took what was owed—a piece of the witch, a bit of aura—and made it its own, aiding in the spell.
But I barely felt it over the pumping energy of my anger.
“Screw you, Marcus.”
I turned on my heel, grabbed the still-hovering orb, and left.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is an exit.
5
I’d waited until six in the morning for my aunts to show up. I wasn’t even tired. I was so damn mad at Marcus, I thought I might spontaneously combust into a ball of witch fire.
And let’s not talk about what I’d done. In front of all those people, no less. I was sure assaulting the chief was something that would definitely land me a trip to the town’s jail.
I waited. But he never came. Neither did his buddies.
Damn. I was deep in the crapper. Neck-deep. Hell, make that fully submerged in the crapper. I was swimming in it.
But… wait for it… I’d done magic! Yay, me.
Take that, Chief Marcus.
I remembered casting spells as a kid and experimenting with enchantments, my aunts’ pendants, lighting candles with just a word, stuff like that. Usually in secret, since my mother was against my using magic. She said I was better off not practicing it because magic only led to bigger problems.
But tonight had been different.
I’d never just thought about pushing someone away with my mind—and had it actually work. I was betting it had something to do with me being in this town.
Hollow Cove had some serious magic mojo.
“The whole town is talking about it,” said Ruth as she put the kettle on. Sunlight filtered through the kitchen windows. The lines around her eyes and mouth had deepened since the last time I’d seen her, and strands of her white hair fell around her face. She looked tired, worn out. They all did. “You’re even more popular than the summer solstice parade.” She beamed.
Dolores sighed across from me at the kitchen table. “It poses a serious problem for us.”
“To me,” I said. “Not to you.”
“You’re part of this family,” said Dolores. “What happens to you affects us.”
“It shouldn’t. You didn’t do anything. I did.” Now I felt like an idiot. I didn’t want my aunts to suffer because I’d lost my temper. “I just… lost it, after what he said.”
My little incident with Marcus was the first thing that came out of my mouth the moment they’d arrived back at the house. They’d all listened attentively, barely blinking as I recalled my superpower experience. I’d expected them to react, but they didn’t.
Beverly carefully tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “Marcus got what he deserved. The Durands have always been way too opinionated for their own good. Proud, pompous know-it-alls.” She gave me a wink. “I’m just sorry I missed it.”
I shrugged. “With my luck, it’ll probably pop up on social media later today.”
“Well,” said Beverly, “don’t blame yourself, darling. He shouldn’t have said what he did about your mom. That was wrong.”
“Very wrong.” Ruth’s eyebrows knitted together. “I know a few impotence spells that can last up to three months.” She smiled wickedly. “I can curse him with some embarrassing STDs too, if you want. Say the word, Tessa, and it’ll be done.”
I laughed at the mischievous gleam in her eye. It was a good look for her. “It’s fine, really. But thanks. I’ll keep those in mind if ever I need them.”
I swallowed hard. What Marcus had said about my mother hurt, not because it was false, but because most of what he said rang true.
Dolores hit the table with her palm, making me jerk. “What’s done is done. No use in discussing it anymore. It’s in the past. We all need to move on from this.”
“You’re absolutely right, Dolores,” agreed Beverly. “Stress gives you premature wrinkles. You don’t want those. They’re a real pain to glamour off your face.”
Dolores gave her sister a hard stare and then turned her gaze on me. “You did good, Tessa.”
“How’s that?”
“You got us a name,” answered my aunt. “Now we don’t have to fuss around town to get answers. You saved us a lot of work.”
I didn’t mention that they could have just asked Marcus too. Or maybe they preferred not to get him involved. There was some history there. “Did you know him? Avi?”
“We know his parents.” Beverly grabbed a chair and let herself fall. “A delightful werewolf couple. Accountants. They’re going to be devastated by the news. He was their only son.”
“He was about your age,” said Ruth as she sprinkled herbs in a steaming mug. “So sad what happened to him.”
Sad? The dude was a slop of chunky tomato soup. “But why did it happen? Why him? Who would do this?”
Dolores rubbed her eyes, looking worn out. “Demons. We felt a lot of their residual demonic magic all over town.”
I sat straighter in my chair. “Demons? I thought they couldn’t enter the town? Because of the wards?”
“Usually, they can’t,” said Beverly as she picked at her perfectly manicured red nails. “But someone tampered with the wards that protect the town.”
Dolores drummed
her fingers on the table. “We think Avi was just… in the wrong place at the wrong time. A victim of circumstance.”
Poor bastard. A pounding headache started behind my eyes, no doubt from the lack of sleep. “So, the wards are back up?” I now understood where my aunts had gone last night.
“Everything’s fine,” answered Dolores, and I couldn’t help but notice how she didn’t really answer. She gave me a brief smile. I could see the strain in her eyes and hear the tiredness in her voice. They tried not to show it, but they were exhausted. Putting the protection wards back up had cost them a lot.
They needed help. They needed me.
I cast my gaze around them. “Does this have to do with that ‘evil’ you said was here?” I asked the question though I knew the answer already.
The three sisters looked at each other, a silent communication passing between them that only decades of spending a life together could create. Dolores spoke next. “Yes.”
“And it’s happened before?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to tell me, or do I have to beat it out of you like I did Chief Marcus?”
The sisters laughed.
Then silence stewed again for a few moments. “Did your mother ever tell you the history of Hollow Cove?”
“A little,” I breathed. “I know it’s a paranormal community. It’s where we can live in peace without having knucklehead humans come at us with flaming torches.”
Dolores was nodding. “Yes. Yes, that’s all true. But you see, Tessa. Hollow Cove is a special place. The town is—”
“Wired,” giggled Ruth.
“Wired?” I asked.
“Powerful,” said Dolores. “Magic everywhere. In the earth. In the air. The trees. Even the buildings.”
Like Davenport House. “I know there’s magic. I felt it tonight. I felt it the moment I stepped on Hollow Cove Bridge.” The same I’d felt since I was a kid.
Dolores’s voice took on a serious tone. “Which makes Hollow Cove magically potent, powerful… and very attractive to… others.”
I tensed, and a chill ran through me. “Others? What others?” I didn’t like the sound of that. “Do you mean demons?” I knew demons couldn’t live on our side of the planes, not indefinitely. Not unless they figured out a way. I seriously hoped they hadn’t.
Dolores shook her head, her frown lines deepening. “We’re not sure.” She took a moment, her bent fingers scratching at something on the table’s surface. “Hollow Cove has always been a center of attraction for those who seek power. But the town always managed to drive those away who would hurt the town or its people, forming alliances with other supernatural communities and hiring witches to maintain the wards that protect us.”
“Like the Merlin Group,” I said, wondering how old this magical police unit was. Perhaps it was as old as the town.
“Exactly,” answered Dolores. “But then for the past three years… strange things have been happening.”
“Like demons killing and regurgitating half-breeds?” I said.
“Like that,” said Dolores. “The wards that protect the town are being tampered with, and demons are slipping through. They’re attracted by the source of power and magic in Hollow Cove like a hunger.”
“Like a vampire is drawn to blood,” said Ruth.
Not Ronin, I thought, but I kept that to myself. “So, what do you want me to do?”
“After you get some rest,” said Dolores, “you will study wards, spells, hexes, and curses until you’re blue in the face. Until you can set up your own wards to protect our town and yourself.”
I blinked. “Me?”
Dolores was nodding. “Demons will sense your magic. You’re a threat to them. They’ll want to kill you.”
“Awesome.” I slumped in my chair, feeling exhausted without having done anything.
Beverly reached over and tapped my hand. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ve had many who wanted to kill me over the years. But I’m still here. See?”
“The wives don’t count, Beverly,” commented Ruth, an eyebrow raised, and her lips curled at the corners.
Beverly beamed. “Of course, they count. A death threat is a death threat, no matter if it has breasts or not. It’s not my fault I’m so irresistible to the opposite sex,” added Beverly, flashing a dazzling smile. “I’m gorgeous. Who wouldn’t want me? I would want me.” She giggled.
I laughed, feeling some of my tension ease. At that moment, I realized how much I missed them and missed being here with the family I knew loved me.
“You need to rest. We have lots to cover.” Dolores stood up, swayed a little, and held on the backrest of the chair for support. “There’s no better way to learn a craft than practice. You need to be ready, Tessa, because the threat is closer than we thought.”
“It’s right at our front door,” said Ruth, her usual happy face wrinkled in concern.
I pushed back my chair and stood up. “I’m so wired. I’m not sure I can sleep.”
“Here.” Ruth gave me the steaming mug she’d been holding this whole time.
I stared at it suspiciously, especially at the orange flakes floating on the top. “What is it?”
“Drink it up,” encouraged Ruth. “It will help you sleep.” When I didn’t, she added. “It’s not poison.” She bent over laughing, which was a tad creepy. “But it will taste like it.”
Excellent. I tipped the mug to my lips and chugged the entire thing in two gulps. Better that way since I tasted it less. I swallowed and grimaced at the bitter taste that lingered on my tongue, but I’d tasted worse.
“Off to bed now.” Ruth took the mug and pushed me out of the kitchen.
I don’t even remember how I made it up the stairs, or why my feet never made contact with the steps. It was like I was floating. Either that, or Ruth had drugged me.
The drapes were drawn, giving the room a dark cast—perfect for sleeping. I hadn’t had time to inspect my new room, which had been my mother’s back in the day. There’d be time for that later.
I climbed over the four-poster bed fully clothed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, sleep took me.
6
The next morning, or rather six hours later and midafternoon, I spent a few hours finishing up two book covers for two different clients—one a High Fantasy, the other a Clean Romance. Both were beautiful in their own way, and I was very proud of them.
Completing the final touches took longer than usual. That damned Marcus and his hot self kept interrupting my thoughts. He was crazy beautiful, but that’s not what kept me from focusing on my work. I wouldn’t let myself get sidetracked by another man, not after what my ex did. I was done with that. However, Marcus’s open rage, his outright hostility and hatred for me, kept swirling through my thoughts.
I was pissed that the guy hated me because of who I was. Because of my mother.
What the hell had happened? What did my mother do to this guy to make him hate me when he didn’t even know me?
His hatred for me had radiated from him in nearly palpable waves. I saw it. The whole damn town saw it. I wasn’t embarrassed by it. I was way past that. I was just… angry. Furious at being treated this way. It wasn’t fair. Maybe I was being stupid, but I believed in treating others with respect—until they pissed me off and then they were fair game.
Marcus had done just that and then some.
And then I’d upped and spelled his ass. I doubted I could conjure that kind of badass magic again. It had just happened. Driven by emotions, rage mostly. But it was something. I’d done magic. And it filled me with a new confidence.
“Thank you, Chief,” I muttered. “You’ve been useful after all.”
I sat before an enormous window overlooking the ocean at a dark mahogany makeup vanity. It was equipped with a small mirror and chair and used to belong to my mother. I was now using it as my workstation. I’d dumped all the old perfume bottles, hairbrushes, eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks, and everything else that was on it into t
he top drawer. Makeup wasn’t really my thing. A bit of eyeshadow, liner, and some mascara and I was out the door, sometimes forgetting to brush my hair.
These days, I honestly couldn’t care less what I looked like. I’d draped a pillowcase over the mirror so I wouldn’t have to watch myself work because that would be weird.
Dolores had come in a few hours ago and dumped eight large, leather-bound books on the floor next to me.
“Learn these,” she’d instructed and had left the room like some obnoxious governess. She was more of a sergeant major, that one. I loved it.
With the two book covers finished, I sent my PayPal invoices and grabbed the first book. White Magic and the Four Elements. My pulse leaped with excitement as I began reading. It didn’t take long to make connections, magical ones, as my memories came flooding in. The more I read, the more my mind opened as words and symbols started to make sense. In the next few hours, I’d finished A Guide to Ley Lines; Wards for the Modern Witch; Spells, Hexes & Potions Encyclopedia and Know Your Monsters: Netherworld Demons Volume 12.
But when my fingers found Secrets of the Dark witch and Her Magic, I was seriously intrigued. More so that my aunt had left it for me.
“Look at you, my pretty,” I said, and I felt my mouth stretching into a wide, half-crazy grin. I wasn’t a Dark witch, but the more I knew about magic, the better prepared I’d be to face whatever this new evil was. Perhaps I could borrow a few tricks from my darker cousins.
I moved to my bed, stretched out on my stomach, and began to read.
The sound of the doorbell broke through my concentration. I looked up, noticing how dim the light in the room was and how I couldn’t see the sun through my window anymore. Time flies when you’re reading a good book.
The clock on my phone said it was half-past seven. “That explains why I’m so hungry.” I closed my book and swung my legs off the bed. My stomach let out a growl that sounded like I had a baby tiger living in there. I was ravenous.
The smell of cooking had my mouth watering.
I moved to the double white dresser with a matching wood mirror. A single picture frame sat on it—a picture of my mother holding me in her arms when I was about four. It wasn’t there yesterday. I knew my aunts did that on purpose.
Shadow Witch (The Witches of Hollow Cove Book 1) Page 4
