by Amy Boyles
“Does Reid know this? That you have magic?” I said, my tongue getting the best of me.
“Sure,” Jeremy said. “She knows I’m a wizard. Just like I know she’s a witch.”
“What about Lucinda?” Roman said.
“What about her?”
Roman growled. “Your relationship. Tell me about what she was to you.”
“Oh,” Jeremy said, sounding distracted. “She was one of my teachers.”
My jaw dropped. “She was a known criminal.”
“But she knew things about healing.”
Roman crossed his rock-hard arms over his marble chest. “What sort of things?”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“Try me.”
“It’s pretty wacky stuff.”
Roman cocked his head. “I’ve heard a lot of things in my time. Little surprises me, so just say it.”
Jeremy fidgeted. “Okay, well, Lucinda was teaching me how to use the spirits to help heal. She was really big into that. How to use specters. She was trying to work on a portal to, like, make it easier to get in touch with that world, but you know, now she’s dead.”
Roman kicked out a chair for Jeremy to sit. Jeremy sat. “How was she working on the portal?”
Jeremy shrugged. “I don’t know. She had some wild idea that if she created enough power, it would be easier to communicate with the dead.”
“Created enough power?” I said, eyebrow cocked.
“Yeah, like a portal. You know, some sort of weird science fiction stuff, but she was relating it to witchcraft. So yeah, power.”
“How was she doing that?” I asked.
“Had a thing for batteries.”
“What sort of thing?” Roman said.
Jeremy’s eyes darted around. “I don’t know, like she was buying them up and stuff. Her and that boyfriend of hers. He was way into the whole battery thing. And the portal idea. They were working on it together.”
I hesitated, but I had to ask. “What about Reid?”
“What about her?” he said.
“What does she know regarding all this?”
“I don’t know. I mean, Lucinda was a cool teacher and all, but I thought the portal was far out. Kind of dangerous.”
“You think?” Roman snipped.
“Yeah. It’s one thing to accidentally see your grandfather’s ghost after he passes, and another to call on him to heal your friend’s spider bite.”
“Did that happen?” I said.
Jeremy shook out his hair. “No. But it could. I mean, theoretically, according to Lucinda, at least.”
“So what exactly did Reid know about Lucinda and her plans?”
Jeremy shrugged. “Nothing, I think.”
“Are you aware that Reid purchased a witch battery?” Roman said.
Jeremy’s head twitched. “No. I didn’t know that. If that’s the case, maybe you should be asking Reid about it.”
“I have,” I said. “She doesn’t remember.”
Jeremy raised his hands. “Whoa. I don’t know anything about that. I don’t understand why a person would do something and not remember, but you better ask someone else.”
“What do you think about ants, Jeremy?”
Roman’s gaze darted to me. I shot him a look that said, roll with it.
“Ants?” Jeremy said like I was suggesting he make and bring the banana pudding to the family reunion when I knew good and well he couldn’t make banana pudding to save his life. He couldn’t even place the Nilla wafers correctly.
“Yeah, ants,” I repeated.
“They’re an insect… Look, I don’t know what else y’all need from me, but if you have any more questions, I’ll give you my number.” I handed him a sheet of paper, and he scribbled it down. “There you go.”
He started to walk off. Roman rose. “One more thing.”
“What’s that?” Jeremy said.
“You have an address for Flynn?”
Jeremy’s gaze bobbed from Roman to me. “Sure. Let me get it.”
We pulled up outside a house on the wrong side of town. For Silver Springs all that meant was that the bushes had grown up around the porch, the grayish paint was peeling from the sides and a BEWARE OF DOG sign hung from a window.
I mean, that house could’ve been in every town and probably was.
“You sure this is the right address?” I said.
Roman handed me his phone. “Check the GPS.”
“I believe you. It’s just… Vera has money. Flynn has money. Why’s he staying out here?”
“Maybe because he’s trying to use a crapload of batteries to create a portal that connects our world with the spirit world.”
“I feel like we’ve done this before,” I said.
Roman shook his head. “No. That was a ghost who wanted to bring his dead wife back to life.”
“What about those people in Normal, Alabama? Remember Andie Taylor and her friends? Didn’t they have some sort of portal that was created?”
Roman nodded slightly. “From what I understand, that was a tear in the veil—what separates our world from what lies beyond.”
“So how is this different?”
“This is a direct path to the spirit world. In Normal they let all kinds of things in with the tear. This isn’t a tear. It’s a portal. Theoretically a person has to know where the portal is in order to get through. There can also be spells placed on the portal. Protection spells that will stop certain things from passing through. Whoever controls the portal controls who enters and who exits. A tear is different.”
“Okay, now I understand.” I glanced at the run-down home. I shuddered. “Want to see if Flynn is up for company?”
Roman nodded. “Why not?”
I unbuckled my seat belt, and as much as I wanted to cower in the back and leave all the messy work to Roman, I was 50 percent owner and that meant I had to do the work, too.
I shut the door quietly and hid behind Roman. I mean, he was the guy with the sidearm. I was just the woman with the magical powers. Sometimes I could make awesome stuff happen, and sometimes things backfired.
Hence there were times when I felt safer with Roman in charge.
We reached the door. Roman directed me to get on the other side of the frame. I did so.
He knocked.
Someone shuffled inside.
Roman knocked again.
More shuffling.
“Flynn, we know you’re in there,” Roman said. “Come on out.”
The door jerked open. Someone dressed in black sprinted across the porch.
I surged forward. Roman leaped toward the figure. Without looking behind him, the man pointed a finger at us.
A stream of magic engulfed me, stopping me in my tracks. It was like I was encased in concrete or some really gooey substance that didn’t give. Luckily I could see Roman without turning my head, because that was a no-go.
He was stuck, too. As the figure disappeared into the night, I tried opening my mouth. It felt like my jaw had been screwed shut, but I forced my lips to part.
“Are you okay?” I croaked.
He grunted, which I took to be a yes. After about a minute I felt the spell relax. I worked my joints, getting lubricating fluid moving through them.
Roman turned to me. “Well, there went our guy.”
“Was it Flynn?”
Roman fisted his palm. “I think so. I didn’t get a good look.” His dark gaze drilled into me, sending a shiver racing down my spine. “Did you see what he was holding?”
I shook my head. “No. What?”
Roman scowled. “Polly Parrot.”
TWENTY-ONE
“Are you sure?” I said.
Roman nodded. “Positive. It was Polly.”
I clenched my fists. “And we lost him. Great. So close. How are we going to find him again?”
Roman wrapped a hand around my shoulder. “Let’s go home. Have some supper and figure it out.”
I nodded numbly. “Okay.”
When we arrived at our house, I expected to find my freshly packaged dinner in the fridge, but my fridge was empty except for leftovers from the previous night—of which there was about a serving for one person. Not enough to feed Roman’s cowboy-sized appetite.
“Oh well,” I said. “It looks like it’ll just be spaghetti for supper. How does that sound?”
“Fine,” he said. “I’m going to shower.”
Roman left, and I got water boiling, dropped a couple handfuls of pasta in and got the jarred sauce heating in a pan. The marinara started bubbling when the doorbell rang.
I wiped my hands and checked the peephole. Sera stood there, a box of food in her hands. I pulled the door open and rushed her inside.
“It’s later than usual,” I said.
She dumped the box in my hands. “I know. Sorry. I was all screwed up today after the fitting. Those two are driving me crazy.”
“I’m already making supper.”
“Oh.” She brushed a strand of glossy hair from her head and shot me a weak smile. “Do you want some of mine instead?”
I kicked the door shut. “Sure. Come on.”
I unpacked the box to find a baked chicken and sides. By the time Roman got out of the shower, I’d plated a king-sized meal for him and nodded at Sera.
“She brought some food. I think she needs to talk,” I whispered.
He nodded. “I’ll take this to the living room.”
I kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”
I sat at the table beside a miserable-looking Sera. I curled a hand around her arm. “What’s going on?”
She collapsed onto the chair. “They keep butting into everything. It’s driving me crazy.”
I shot her an encouraging smile. “Just think—in a few months it’ll all be over and you’ll be married.”
Sera stared at the ring on her finger.
Uh-oh. Maybe the grandmothers had been telling the truth and Sera did have a case of frozen feet.
“For so long I wanted my own bakery,” she said whimsically. “I have that. It’s successful. I never imagined it would be, but it is. It’s the best bakery in town. Don’t get me wrong, I love Brock with all my heart but I’ve spent years building this business.”
“And now you’ll have to give it up?”
She nodded. “I thought it wouldn’t be so hard, but it is.”
“Have you talked to him about it?”
Sera shook her head. “I don’t want him to worry or think I don’t love him. I do love him.” She tapped a fist to her chest. “With all my heart. But I don’t want to lose part of me by marrying him.”
I bit back a laugh. I know it wasn’t funny, but when I agreed to marry Roman, I’d worried about the same thing.
“I’m sure you can come up with a compromise. Something that makes both of you happy.”
Sera nibbled her bottom lip. “Dylan, he’s not going to buy the house next door so we can live there like Roman did. Brock can’t do that. He has responsibility, kingly duties. Once we marry, I’ll live in Monkey Town. In the magical realm. I won’t be here anymore. At least, not on a day-to-day basis.”
My heart plummeted. I knew this; I didn’t know why it was suddenly hitting me so hard. But I tucked the sadness in an invisible shirt pocket and carried on.
“You could open a bakery there, in Monkey Town.”
She shrugged. “I don’t think so. From the instruction I’ve received so far, my duties will be queenly and that’s all. I’m to support Brock and what the kingdom needs. Baking isn’t a need.”
I quirked a brow. “You never know how far a good donkey tail will go in diplomatic relations.”
Sera laughed. “You’ve got a point.”
“I think you should talk to Brock. Let him know your concerns. He loves you. How can he fix what’s broken if he doesn’t know what the problem is?”
Sera raked her fingers through her short bob. “You’re right. He can’t.” She exhaled what sounded like a cleansing breath. “Okay. I’ll talk to him.”
“Tonight?”
“Tonight. I promise.” She rose. “I’ll get out of your way. You’ve got dinner to enjoy with that husband of yours.”
I pulled her into a hug. “I might, but when family calls, I answer. Roman understands that. He doesn’t mind.”
She knuckled moisture from her bottom lid. “Thanks, Sis.”
“Anytime.”
I escorted her to the door and locked up. I found Roman in the den, watching college football highlights.
“Everything okay?” he said, eyeing the television.
I crossed my arms and leaned on the doorjamb. “She wants to be the queen who bakes for the people, I think.”
“Nothing wrong with that. She sure can bake.” He lifted his plate of chicken. “And cook. She can cook.”
I watched him eat another mouthful. “That she can. That she can, indeed.”
The next morning was Saturday. It was a short workday at Perfect Fit, which would give me more time that afternoon to help Roman track Flynn down.
“He’s got Polly Parrot,” I said. “We’ve got to get that bird back. Have you called Flynn?”
“No answer.” Roman grunted as he pulled on his dark boots. “I’m going back to the house. See what I can find.”
Alarm bells blared in my head. “You mean the scary house in that really awesome neighborhood? The house where we were nearly attacked? Oh wait, I mean frozen in time and space?”
He kissed my forehead. “That’s the one.”
“I don’t like that idea.”
“That’s what I’m doing. It’s in our job description, Dylan. It’s what we do.”
“I know. I just wish you wouldn’t do it alone.”
Roman patted the .45 in his holster. “I won’t be alone.”
“You know what I mean.”
He wrapped me in a warm hug. I melted into his rock-hard chest as I drank in the leather and musky scent of him. I tipped my head back and met his gaze.
“Darlin’, you know I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
The position of my neck strained my vocal cords, making my words croak out. “I know.”
He kissed me. I dissolved in a puddle at his feet. When we parted, my body was more jelly than bone.
“I’ll call you. Let you know what I find.”
“Thanks.”
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you.”
I got myself together and headed over to Perfect Fit. I’d only been there a few minutes when the door opened.
Jonathan Pearbottom entered, a perfect scowl on his face.
“Pearbottom, to what do I owe this honor? Looking for some men’s underwear? I make it. Got a great selection over there. It’s mostly briefs, though. If you like boxers, I can’t help you.”
He rolled his eyes. His parrot nose looked particularly parrotish today. I wasn’t sure if that was intentional or simply nature. I decided to go with nature.
“I’m not here for underwear,” he said, glancing around the store disdainfully. “I’m here because from what I understand, you and your husband have been doing your own investigation.”
I folded my arms and stared him down. “We were hired by the wife of a potential suspect. She wanted us to find him. So that’s what we’ve been doing.”
“Oh? And did you ever bother to think I might need some of that information?”
“We’re not stepping all over your investigation.”
Pearbottom stared at his fingernails as if willing them to clean themselves. “If you’re not interfering, then why is it I hear you’ve been hitting Batteries ’R’ Us?”
I sighed. “Okay. We found a battery near the crime scene.”
His face crimsoned. “And you didn’t think to tell me about it?”
“Your people had as much access to the scene as we did. You sent them away, remember?”
Pearbottom’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t apprec
iate you questioning my tactics.”
“How’s Eliza?” I said.
Eliza Pearbottom was Jonathan’s new bride as well as Roman’s aunt. The union made us kin, though there were times when I’d rather wring his neck than give him a Christmas present.
This was one of them.
“She’s good,” he said, the anger in his voice melting. “Listen, I need the two of you to stay out of the investigation.”
“We’ve got our own investigation. It may cross over Lucinda’s death, but trust me, we’re not trying to step on anyone’s toes. We’ve got bigger fish to fricassee.”
“How’s that?”
I rubbed the tired from my eyes. “Polly Parrot’s gone missing. We think it might be related to Lucinda’s death. Lots of things point in that direction.”
“Milly’s Polly?”
“That’s the one.”
Pearbottom scratched his nose. “Any leads?”
“A few. So if we muck up into your investigation, it’s not intentional.”
He nodded. “What do you think about working with Roman?” The question took me by surprise. I think he saw the look in my eyes, because he added, “He’s a bit of a celebrity, isn’t he?”
I rubbed my arms. I thought I’d pushed a lot of the uncomfortable feeling about this away, but it rose right back up. “Um. Yeah. I didn’t expect that.”
“He’s legendary.”
“I noticed. Everywhere we go, heads turn, and not because he’s so handsome.”
Pearbottom chuckled. A sparkle shone in his eyes. “Yeah. His reputation started to grow when he worked undercover. He became too well-known. Almost too good at what he did. Then he worked as a bounty hunter, finding and bringing in criminals. Roman’s very talented and very famous. Not only because he was a child when his mother was murdered but because, to put it bluntly, criminals fear him. The ones who don’t are either stupid or too young to remember exactly how fierce Roman can be.”
His words sent a chill down my spine. “That’s not the Roman I know.”
Pearbottom nodded. “Be glad. I think it would take a lot for that ferocity to burst from him, but if it ever did, stand far, far away. Those he loves, he will protect even if it killed him.”
