Stone Cold Witch

by Lori Woods

  Stone Cold Witch

  Lori Woods

  Moonstone Press

  Copyright © 2017 by Lori Woods

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also by Lori Woods

  Chapter 1: Witch You Were Here

  Description

  After a werewolf is found dead in the woods after having been turned to stone, the entire town of Nightshade is on edge.

  At a werewolf wedding that Suzy and Snowball are invited to, a second werewolf is targeted. However, the second murder is vastly different from the first, leaving local authorities confused about a possible motive. Is the killer targeting werewolves? Or, is there more than one killer?

  Trouble seems to follow Suzy, but she promises to help solve this new mystery. Along with her friend Red Sumac, they head to the town of Safe Haven – home of the world’s greatest experts on stone - gargoyles.

  However, while in Safe Haven, Suzy discovers a truth about her past that will change everything. Can Suzy and her friends bring the killer to justice?

  And, can Suzy do it all while juggling the female vampire in town who has her cold, dead heart, set on winning over Val?

  Chapter One

  “What!” l exclaim from where I’m standing, the color draining from my face. I clutch at my chest at the news that Joe has just dropped on us.

  Snowball sits upright. “Dead or dead dead?”

  Ah, yes, dead dead—the term the people of Nightshade use to refer to those who are dead and gone for good. Dead dead is different from being dead, and that’s something I have had to get used to on this side.

  “We don’t know,” Joe says, shaking a bit. “Please, Doc, I thought maybe you could tell us?”

  “Of course!” he says, straightening his shirt. “Show me.”

  “I’m coming with you,” I say. “Alfie, Sprout, man the library. Come on, Snowball.”

  “Yes ma’am!” Alfie says, offering me a salute.

  “Don’t be such a brown nose, Alfie,” Snowball says.

  “Ooh, I swear, Snowball—”

  “Not now, Alfie,” I say, following Doc and Joe out the door.

  Joe is a good guy, and as the leader of the local werewolves I can imagine that he feels a responsibility for all of his people. I am not really sure what to expect as Joe drags us across town and into the woods a short distance from my Nightshade home. Not many people live out this way, but the werewolves like running around in the woods. Even when they’re in human form, the werewolves tend to have the energy of puppies. They love being out in nature more so than most of the citizens in Nightshade. Frankly, I’m surprised more of them don’t live out this way. Between the woods and the nearby meadow, there’s plenty of nature for the werewolves to enjoy. When we come across Ted, I am more than surprised at what I see. “He’s stone!” I cry out in shock.

  There he is, sitting and leaned back against a tree—holding one arm out in front of him in a defensive position with a horrified look on his face—frozen in that moment of terror. A few other werewolves from Joe’s pack are standing around, all with mortified looks about them. “Do we know who did this?” Doc asks, leaning down next to Ted’s… would you say corpse?

  “Is he gone, Doc?” one of the female werewolves ask. The young woman is rocking back and forth, and a young man has his arm draped over her for comfort.

  “I… I don’t think so. Not yet,” Doc says, standing. He wrings his wrists, and I can tell he is trying to think fast since the werewolves came to him for help. It was probably a good call. The authorities around here—namely Sherriff Dudley—are just safety theater, like the TSA back home. They’re just there for show to make you feel safe. The real protection comes from the elders in town like Doc—those who knew how to act in a crisis. “Let’s get him to the library,” Doc says, nodding along to his own suggestion. “I think I know of a book that could help us.”

  “Boys, help me carry him,” Joe says, waving towards some of the men in the group.

  I can tell they’re straining to lift the statue that is their fellow werewolf Ted. “Careful!” Doc cries out. “If you drop him, you could break him!”

  I watch Doc lead the group of werewolves back towards the library, but I remain at the scene of the crime. “Aren’t we going back with them?” Snowball asks.

  “No, not yet,” I say. “I’m going to look around and see if I see any sign of… well… I’m not really sure what I’m looking for. You ever heard of anything turning someone to stone like that?”

  “I don’t know,” Snowball says. “You’re the witch. Is there a spell for that?”

  “There is a spell for everything so long as you know how to do it,” I say confidently, but really, I have no idea. I haven’t been in Nightshade for that long. I’ve not long found out I am a witch.

  I look around. I can see some signs of struggle—broken branches, lines in the dirt, and so on. Ted fended off his attacker for sure before they got the upper hand. Noted. Unfortunately, since arriving in Nightshade, I have had some experience in this sort of thing. Honestly, I should open up my own PI business out this way. Everyone is always getting themselves into trouble.

  Next, I look at the spot where Ted had been seated. I see a line of blood splatter, but it’s subtle. Probably just a small scratch, but the way it’s splattered out in a straight line reminds me of something. “Look at this, Snowball,” I say, pointing to the thin line of blood in the grass. “Reminds me of this one time back home when I donated blood. The nurse pulled the needle out too quick, and my arm spewed a line of blood. Looked kind of like that.”

  “So, you think Ted’s attacker might have jabbed a vein somewhere on him before he turned all statue-ie?” Snowball asks, and I nod.

  I look around a bit more. I notice against the tree some sort of weird sap. “Hmm…” I say under my breath, realizing very quickly the clear liquid is probably not tree sap. I touch it. Yeah, don’t ever do that. “Holy hell, that stings!” I scream and yank my hand back. I quickly run my fingers through the grass to get the warm liquid off my hands.

  “Why did you touch it?” Snowball scorns me.

  “Don’t you judge me,” I say, viciously shaking my hand around to attempt to alleviate the throbbing pain in my fingertips. “You got your head stuck in a jar the other day.”

  “I’m a cat, Suzy,” Snowball says matter-of-factly.

  “Whatever,” I say. I look at my fingers. What is that stuff? The first three fingers on my right hand are blood red around the nails. It’s like I dumped my fingers in boiling water. “I wonder if that’s some sort of potion, maybe.” The liquid seems too thick to be potion. It seems more like tree sap as far as density. Maybe a little thinner than that, but it’s definitely not something I plan on touching again.

  “So, what do you think, Ms. Detective?” Snowball asks.

  “I have no idea,” I say. “There are a lot of wit
ches in Nightshade. I’m sure someone here could have done this, but who would want to hurt Ted? He’s a good guy. I mean, I don’t’ know him that well, but he always seemed nice. Not the type of guy to have a lot of enemies, he didn’t seem. He worked in the garage with Joe, I know. He would always offer me a smile and wave whenever I came by.”

  “Maybe there’s a cat demon after all the hounds,” Snowball suggests, as though she legitimately thinks this is plausible. Then again, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected around here.

  “You never know, I guess,” I say, standing upright. “Let’s head back to the library. Maybe Doc has found something that can help Ted. Joe sure did look upset. I wonder how close he is with all of his pack members.”

  “If Ted works in Joe’s garage, I’m sure they’re real close,” Snowball says, hopping over a fallen tree branch as we make our way out of the woods.

  It’s a good walk to the library. I’ve been cooped up inside all day, so I don’t rush. I need some fresh air, and I’m sure Snowball does too. Being inside the library is great and all, but every once in a while, I need some sunshine. I walk slowly, breathing in the fresh air. I think about Val a little bit, allowing my mind to drift. Val, the town’s preacher and only local vampire… after our recent adventure together in Hemlock, we’ve become even closer. I think of our kisses and my heart starts to flutter at the memories, my cheeks growing warm. I’m glad Snowball isn’t paying me any attention.

  We have only just made it down the first road away from the woods when I see Sprout darting down the road in our direction. “Whoa! Easy!” I shout as he approaches at full speed, stopping so suddenly that he kicks up dirt and dust. “Sprout, you all right?” I ask.

  “Not much… time…” he says, panting.

  “What? What’s going on?” I ask.

  “Need a… Spell Master… to save… Ted… now! Go. Now!” he exclaims, putting his hands on his knees and bending over. He must have sprinted the entire way here from the library, and it’s quite a distance. He looks like he’s going to have a heart attack, and there is a layer of sweat across his forehead. Honestly, I’m surprised they sent Sprout of all people. He’s almost as slow as Alfie. They should have sent one of the werewolves; they would have gotten here in probably half the time.

  Suddenly, I’m wishing I had Broom Hilda. The urgency in Sprout’s voice tells me Ted doesn’t have much time. “Snowball, walk back with Sprout!” I shout and dart down the road back toward the library. I should have gone with them instead of staying behind in the woods! Then again, how was I supposed to know they would need a Spell Master? How was I supposed to know that this thing was time-sensitive? It’s not like I’ve ever seen someone be turned to stone before! Honestly! No one tells me anything. My lungs burn and my legs throb. I don’t think I’ve ever ran so fast in my life. Like I’ve already said, I don’t really know Ted personally—but I’ve seen him around, and a while ago, he helped me rescue Alfie from Night Shadow so I know he’s a good guy. If I can do something to save him, then I’m going to do it. Even if it means sprinting halfway through Nightshade. Ugh, how long is this road? Seriously, it didn’t seem this far when we walked to the woods!

  I’m still a good distance away. “Broom Hilda!” I scream at the top of my lungs as I continue my sprint. Jeez, no wonder Sprout was so out of breath by the time he reached me. We had only walked to the woods, and it had taken is a good bit of time to get there… I need to work out more. I should not be this exhausted already. I wonder if there’s a gym around here. Probably not. Doesn’t really seem like something a town made up of witches, werewolves, and ghouls would have. Do witches stay in shape by just casting magic spells on themselves? Something to think about for another time, I suppose. Right now, I’m on a mission. I need to focus, and I need to keep running. “Broom Hilda!” I scream again, and I hear a zipping noise in the near distance. I think my savior is here. I look up, scanning the skies, hoping to see my trusty Salem broom.

  I see Broom Hilda flying toward me from the distance. Thank goodness; she had heard me from the library. The broom overshoots her landing and winds up ten yards behind me. “Oh for crying out loud!” I turn around and run to her, picking her up and throwing one leg over her. “Go, Broom Hilda!”

  We take flight, the wind whipping around us as we head straight for the library—hopefully with enough time to save Ted!

  Chapter Two

  Broom Hilda is a Salem broom—a rarity—and a valuable one at that. She’s faster than any broom around, and she had chosen me. Right now, I sure am glad. We zip through town in a third of the time it would have taken me to sprint. We land just in front of the library’s steps, and I pet the end of the broom like she was my dog. “Good Hilda,” I tell her, and tuck her under my arm as I run up the steps. Being on my broom had at least given me time to catch my breath after having run half of the way.

  Just as I come bustling through the door of the library, I am met by Alfie. He is just standing there, his arms hanging down at his sides and his head tilted downward. “Alfie, where—”

  “You’re too late,” he says, and those simple words leave a deep sting in my chest.

  “What? What do you mean I’m too late?” I ask, shoving by him.

  I wrap around toward the main lobby of the library, where there is a gathering of distraught-looking werewolves. The statue that had once been Ted is seated in the middle of the room. I do notice a slight difference in color; the stone is a shade darker. What had happened between now and when they had first left the woods? “I’m here,” I say, and the crowd all turns in my direction. I ignore the intense gazes and zero in on Doctor Stork. “Doc, tell me what I need to do.”

  The old elf sighs and slumps down in his seat. “There’s nothing you can do now, Suzy. I found a potion in one of the books that, along with a spell from a Spell Master, could have brought him back, but the effect seems to have become permanent. He’s dead dead now.”

  My shoulders slump. I don’t know what to say. The werewolves are all standing around, just as lost as I am. I hear a slight growl erupt from Joe’s throat. “Where were you?”

  I spin around on my heels. He’s standing by one of the larger bookshelves. His arms are at his side, his hands balled-up into fists. I can tell he is upset and is manifesting his hurt into anger. Apparently, he has decided to direct that anger at me. “I was looking around the woods where he was found,” I say. “Trying to see if I could find anything to—”

  “You should have been here!” he snarls. He takes a step in my direction.

  Alfie is suddenly between us, standing in a chair he had pushed from one of the nearby tables. “Back off, Joe,” Alfie warns, pointing a finger in Joe’s direction. “She didn’t know she would be needed.”

  I wring my wrists. I’ve never seen Joe so angry. I’ve also never seen Alfie go nose-to-nose with someone before like this. Frankly, the fact he felt the need to push a chair over so that he could look Joe in the eye is almost comical. I would probably be laughing if the situation was not so dire. “Listen to Alfie, Joe,” I hear a familiar voice say, and I turn my head to see Sheriff Dudley.

  I didn’t realize Dudley was here. Dudley is a decent guy; he’s just completely useless. The floppy eared man slowly makes his way over and places a hand on Alfie’s shoulder, letting him know he’s got Joe handled. Alfie huffs in Joe’s direction before hopping out of the chair and sliding it a few feet over back to its table with his foot. Alfie comes and stands by me, his arms crossed. “Thanks,” I mouth to Alfie. Alfie just grunts. I appreciate the backup.

  Sheriff Dudley is speaking to Joe in a whisper, but I can hear everything they’re saying. Joe is blaming me for this. I write it off as Joe just being upset—and rightfully so. I know this is in no way my fault. Like Alfie had just said, there is no way I could have known that I would have been needed. “Well if she hadn’t have been just playing around in the woods—” I hear Joe snarl.

  Sheriff Dudley, in his usual pointless way, is not
really succeeding at calming the werewolf down. If anything, I’m pretty sure he’s making things worse. Just as I believe Joe is about to shove past him and dart at me, a young female werewolf breaks away from the young male werewolf who had his arm wrapped around her for comfort. The woman appears a little younger than myself; she has some wicked green eyes, amber brown hair, and I swear every inch of her is coated in these cute little freckles that make her seem younger than she actually is. She places a hand on Joe’s shoulder, and Joe turns and looks at her with a scowl.

  “Uncle Joe, that’s enough,” she says with a firm yet gentle demeanor. “Suzy got here as quickly as she could, and she only stayed behind where we found Ted to see if she could find anything useful. How were any of us to know that the spell Stork found would require a Spell Master? It’s not her fault. If anything, you should thank her for getting here so quickly. You had only just sent Sprout away a few minutes ago. Even if she had been here, they might not have been able to finish the potion quickly enough. You should apologize to her for acting like this.”

  Joe seems rather convinced by the woman, but I know Joe well enough to know he’s too proud to offer up an apology in front of half of his pack right now.

  “Joe’s right,” I say to help him save face. “I should have been here.” Joe uses the opportunity to just storm out of the room; I think he heads to the library’s garden. The other werewolves linger around the statue of Ted with these pitiful looks on their faces.