The Dirty Coven

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Did any of your little witch squadron hang with Kip or Jordan on a regular basis?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?” Cooper searched her features and found doubt reflected in her eyes. “You’re not sure, are you?”

  She licked her lips as she worked to regain her composure. “First, tell me why you think it was one of my girls.”

  “One of the rhinestones was found in one of the wounds on Kip’s neck. I recognized the rhinestones because of you.”

  “Yes, but ... those rhinestones could be used for almost anything.”

  “Except it happened in this area. You can’t be so blind that you don’t recognize that one of those women is working behind your back. You know in your heart which one it is. Tell me.”

  “I ... .” She made up her mind on the spot. “Leanne. She’s been troublesome for weeks. I saw her with a few guys who worked here one night. I think Jordan was one of them. I knew him vaguely because he bought love potions from me. He was so desperate to get a woman it was pathetic. As for Leanne, I thought she was just messing around and asked her about it. She made up a lie, but I didn’t believe her.”

  “So, she was hanging with Kip and Jordan. Why would she want to kill them?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Some of their blood was missing. Not a lot, but some.”

  “I ... really can’t tell you what goes on in that mind of hers. I don’t know what she was doing, or why. The only thing I can think is that she needed the blood for a potion. A few drops binds people better than tears or saliva ever could.”

  “That is so gross.” Cooper made a face. “What kinds of potions has she been talking about?”

  “She always talks about love potions. It makes no sense for her to kill both of those guys if she was trying to bind one of them to her, though.”

  “Unless she has her eye on someone else.”

  Astra snorted. “She’s always had a crush on Tyler. I tried telling her he doesn’t bat for our team, but she won’t listen. In fact ... .” Realization dawned on her face. “Oh, skin a cat. There’s an old spell in a book. We stumbled over it two or three months ago. She brought it to my attention.”

  “Let me guess: It turns a gay guy straight, right?”

  “That’s not possible. It does make the individual in question overlook their sexual preference and fall in love with a specific individual, though. It’s more that it makes the individual forget who he should love and settle for another. I told her it was crazy and would never work. It did require blood, though. It required tears, too.”

  “The sort of tears that might be shed as one is dying?”

  “Those would be the ones.”

  Cooper viciously swore under his breath. “She killed them. She has a plan for Tyler, although I think that’s ludicrous. He’s probably safe for now, though. Where is she right now? What did you send her to do with Hannah?”

  “I just wanted her to scare Hannah.” Astra lowered her voice. “I want the property. I don’t want anyone dead.”

  “Yeah, well, Leanne is deranged. She has no qualms about killing Hannah. Where did they go?”

  “I don’t know. I just told them to lure her away. I doubt they’re very far.”

  “You’d better hope they’re not.” Cooper dug for his phone. He was going to need backup. Thankfully he had several warm bodies taking refuge in the bank across the street. He started talking the instant Boone picked up. “Hannah is in trouble. She’s out in the storm. We need to find her right now.”

  HANNAH KNEW BETTER THAN hanging close to the witches. One seemed crazier than the others – the one the other two referred to as “Leanne” in whispered tones – but she had no doubt they would work as a unit when it came time to go after her.

  “Jinx!” She put her fingers in her mouth, whistled, and then turned on her heel and disappeared into the alley she’d come from. She didn’t wait to see if Jinx would follow. She simply hoped he could read the situation properly.

  She needn’t have worried. Jinx gave the trio of witches a wide berth and yipped excitedly as he chased his mistress. He loved games, even in the rain.

  He was faster than Hannah so he caught up in no time. He was so boisterous, he jumped at her and caught her shoe. She tipped forward, the slippery mud causing her to go down, and landed with a thud before she reached Main Street.

  She glanced over her shoulder to see if the women were following, her stomach somersaulting when she realized they were making up ground ... and fast. Even though she was tired, and more than a little afraid, she was also resolute. She pushed herself to her feet again and grabbed Jinx’s collar.

  “We have to run,” she insisted, pulling as hard as she could.

  Jinx held his ground. His gaze was on the approaching women. For the first time since she’d adopted him, Hannah saw a vicious side of the dog when he started snapping and his hackles raised. He was growling so intently at the threat that he completely ignored Hannah. That had never happened before.

  “That dog is a menace,” Leanne complained as she moved closer. She looked amused by Hannah’s predicament. “I bet you wish I would make it so you don’t have to look after him again. Is that what you want?”

  Hannah’s blood ran cold. “Don’t you even think about touching my dog.”

  “Don’t you touch my dog.” Leanne mocked and looked to the redhead on her left for approval. “She’s funny, huh?”

  The redhead looked uncomfortable. “I can’t be part of hurting a dog.” She was serious. “We’re just supposed to scare her. That’s what Astra said. Hurting the dog was not part of it.”

  “I agree,” the other woman interjected as she wiped her forearm against her face to swipe away some of the excess water. “I like dogs. He’s just trying to protect her. He’s not doing anything.”

  Leanne was incredulous. “You’ve got to be kidding me! He’s a dog. Nobody cares about dogs.”

  Hannah was officially at her limit. She couldn’t take another word from the horrible woman. “You’re the only sicko who would hurt a dog,” she snarled. “I mean ... seriously. Grow up. Only sociopaths hurt animals.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Leanne drawled.

  Hannah narrowed her eyes as she watched the other two women exchange quick looks. She wasn’t at all surprised when they stepped away from their leader. They clearly didn’t understand what they were dealing with until exactly this moment.

  “You killed Jordan and Kip, didn’t you?” Hannah wasn’t certain of much, but she grasped that relatively quickly. Leanne was the sort of person who didn’t care about human or animal life. She only cared about what life had to offer her. She was the most dangerous of enemies because she was essentially soulless.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Leanne’s eyes flashed with impatience. “I have everything under control. Astra thinks she’s in charge, but I’m really in charge. I can do better magic than her and I’m not afraid to try new things. She’s always telling me things can’t be done. Well, I happen to know they can be done.”

  “Uh-huh.” Hannah’s heart sank as the other witches disappeared around the nearest corner. They didn’t want to be a part of what came next. They weren’t willing to risk themselves to help her, though. That meant she was on her own. “Are you going to kill me?”

  “Astra thinks we should frighten you. I think killing is more expedient. There’s something on this land that Astra desperately wants. That means I want it, too.”

  “Are you eventually going to kill Astra to get it?”

  “Of course. I’m fine with that. She’s not a real friend. She treats us like slaves.”

  “Well ... at least you have a plan.” Hannah briefly raised her eyes to the sky. The storm continued to rage. It didn’t look as if it was going to abate anytime soon. She had to act ... and now. “How do you know when you’re about to do magic?” She asked the question for multiple reasons, the biggest being that she could feel power brewing in her c
hest. She hadn’t felt it since Astra attacked and she managed to fight her off. It was back, though … and with a vengeance.

  “Tips will cost you extra. I don’t have time for you. As you can see, this storm is quite the nuisance. I need to get out of the rain. That means I’m going to have to end you fast because I don’t believe in dilly-dallying.”

  “Oh, well, if it has to be fast ... .” Hannah had no idea what she was doing. She understood very little and instead went with her instincts. There was a door in her head and something was pounding and shaking it to get out. So, she opened.

  Bright light, yellow and full of warmth, whooshed out of her and slammed into Leanne as she closed the distance.

  In the instant before the impact, Leanne’s eyes went wide. She realized what was about to happen. It was too late to save herself, though.

  The magic caught her mid-chest and threw her away from Hannah, slamming her into a wall before dropping her body on the ground at the end of the alley.

  Hannah, gasping and fighting off tears, dropped to her knees as a hole opened up inside of her. She realized she’d been keeping the magic there. Now it was ... gone, and only an empty place remained. She had a feeling it would be back.

  “Jinx.” She sobbed as the dog whimpered and licked her face. “You’re in big trouble. You’re not allowed to run out in storms ever again.”

  The dog didn’t understand the words, but he grasped the sentiment. He continued to kiss her as she waited for the shaking to subside.

  20

  Twenty

  Cooper thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest when Hannah and Jinx rounded the corner. He almost cried out in relief but managed to stop himself as he scampered toward her.

  “Are you okay?”

  Hannah felt as if she was floating, her limbs not attached. Still, she didn’t want to look weak. “I’m fine.” She moved to stand up straight and ended up falling against him. “One of those witches is down in the alley over there,” she offered as he caught her. “I think she might be dead.”

  “Dead?” Boone, who had joined them, furrowed his brow. “How did she die?”

  “A big wave of magic. It came out of me.” Hannah knew she was babbling — wasn’t convinced she was actually forming words other than in her head — but kept talking. “She said she was going to kill me, that Astra just wanted her to scare me, but she had her own plans.”

  “I bet she did.” Cooper gently brushed Hannah’s soaking hair away from her face. “Can you stand?”

  “I am standing.”

  He made a face and looked to Boone, but the older man was already moving toward the alley. He was curious what the sheriff would find when he ventured down the aisle, but he couldn’t just leave Hannah in the middle of the street after what had obviously been a traumatic ordeal.

  “You’re okay otherwise, right?”

  “I am right as rain.” She laughed at her own joke. “I’ve never understood that saying. I guess I do now, though ... and in the rain.”

  “Yeah, you’re a little goofy.” He smiled despite himself. “I think we need to get you out of these wet clothes and into bed. You’ll feel better if you sleep.”

  “We’re going to bed? Together? That’s a bit presumptuous. I barely know you.”

  It was cold, the rain was coming down in a sheet, and still Cooper could feel the burn on his cheeks. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “It is so.” She closed her eyes. “I’m just going to nap here, if you don’t mind.”

  Her body went lax in his arms and Cooper swore under his breath as he grappled with her, managing to swing her unconscious body into his arms and cradle her against his chest. She weighed more than she should because of her wet clothes, but she still felt light.

  “Well ... at least there’s a chance you won’t remember what you said,” he muttered as he turned toward the saloon. “I think you’re going to be a lot of work.”

  Hannah obviously didn’t respond, but the look Jinx shot him said “you’re absolutely right.”

  HANNAH HAD NO IDEA HOW long she’d been out. When she woke in the guestroom bed, she was alone. There was no sign of Jinx and every muscle in her body ached. She groaned as she rolled to a sitting position, seriously considered crawling back under the covers and shutting out the day, but ultimately forced herself to stand. To her surprise, she was wearing fuzzy sleep pants and a T-shirt. The clothes she’d been wearing earlier in the day were nowhere to be found.

  She was cautious as she eased out of the bedroom, straining her ears for sounds that would signify she wasn’t alone. It was eerily quiet, though. She believed she’d been abandoned — seriously, where was Jinx? — until she landed in the living room and found Cooper stretched out on the couch. He was reading a book and Jinx was practically laying on top of him as he stroked the canine’s soft head.

  “You’re here.” Hannah’s voice came out in a raspy croak. “I mean ... you’re here.” No matter how many times she tried clearing it, her throat refused to give up the ghost.

  Cooper closed the book and turned his eyes to her. His expression was hard to read, but Hannah was too weary to walk on tiptoes.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened?” she asked.

  “Yeah, as soon as I get you some tea and honey for that sore throat.”

  “It doesn’t hurt. I just ... sound like I’m dying.”

  He didn’t laugh. It was a lame joke that hit too close to home. “I’m getting you some tea anyway.” He gave Jinx a little push so the dog would sit and climbed off the sofa. Since she was achy and there was a blanket there already waiting, Hannah took his spot. Jinx immediately pawed at her and licked her face, causing her to laugh.

  “You have to learn not to take off in a storm,” she admonished, adopting the sternest face in her repertoire. “I’m being serious. You can’t do that again. You almost got us both in trouble.”

  Cooper filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove before returning to the living room. He sat in the chair closest to Hannah and took the opportunity to look over her face with a studied eye. “You’re pale.”

  “I’m fine.” Her voice cracked with wretched precision. “I’m mostly fine,” she corrected. “I’m sure I’m just tired or something.”

  “Probably,” he agreed. “Do you want to know about Leanne?”

  “Yes. I need to hear it.”

  “Well, her name is Leanne Cortez. Her parents moved here when she was three, so she’s essentially a local. Her father works at Mammoth Caves giving tours and her mother is a restaurant manager at a diner in town.”

  Hannah had no idea why he was giving her so much background, but she mutely nodded. That seemed to be expected.

  “She was always kind of a troubled kid. I didn’t know that until Boone told me earlier, but I figured you might want to hear the details.”

  “Did she kill Jordan and Kip?”

  “She did. I managed to figure that out before I went looking for you. Astra was in the saloon when I returned. I thought she had done something to you so I was trying to get the information out of her when everything sort of spilled out. I checked her nails and realized it couldn’t be her. She’s the one who turned on Leanne.”

  Hannah was beyond confused. “Her nails? I don’t understand.”

  Cooper filled her in on everything, making sure to leave nothing out. He told her about Boone’s discovery and his conversation with Astra. He told her about searching for her in the rain-drenched town and mentioned how relieved he was when she finally stumbled onto Main Street. When he was finished, Hannah could do nothing but stare at the wall as he returned to the stove to remove the boiling water.

  She sat there for a full three minutes, until he returned with a mug of tea.

  “Drink it,” he ordered as she wrapped her cold fingers around the mug. “The honey will make your throat feel better.”

  She sipped the tea because she didn’t know what else to do. Finally, she spoke again. “
Is she dead?”

  “Astra? No. She disappeared after she told me about Leanne. I’m not sure where she ran off to, but I’m betting it was as far away from here as possible. She won’t show her face around here again for a bit because she’s afraid of being arrested. That’s good, because I think we clearly have another tunnel to find and ward.”

  “Yeah.” She sipped again. The hot liquid felt magical on her ragged throat. “I wasn’t talking about her, though. I was talking about Leanne.”

  “Oh.” Cooper kept his face placid as he debated how to respond. Finally, he realized that anything other than the truth would set them back. He wasn’t sure he wanted to move forward — especially in the manner everyone else assumed — but he certainly didn’t want to move backward. “Yeah, she’s dead.”

  Hannah screwed her eyes shut and willed the disappointment away. “I kind of figured that the way she landed and yet ... I can’t believe I killed her.”

  “Don’t look at it that way.” Cooper slid his fingers to her chin and prodded her to look at him. His eyes were clear and full of purpose when she finally found the courage to meet his gaze. “You didn’t do this. She was going after you. You had to protect yourself.”

  “She was threatening Jinx.”

  “Then she was clearly a monster.”

  “I just ... can’t believe I killed her.” Hannah bit back a sob, forcing Cooper to transfer himself to the couch so he could wrap an arm around her.

  She burrowed into his chest, burying her face. He smoothed her hair, which looked as if a cyclone had traveled through it while she slept, and rested his cheek against her forehead. “It was self-defense. You did what you had to do.”

  “I’m not even sure I know what I did. Something happened. Something ripped out of me and shredded her.”

  “I don’t know either. We can find out, though. Jackie and the others are good witches, solid witches. They can answer some of these questions. Abigail is hanging around. She’ll get stronger. She’ll be able to answer more.”