Batter and Spells

by Zoe Arden

  I looked at Eleanor. "What is she talking about?"

  The worry lines on Eleanor's face had doubled in size. "A new bakery just opened."

  "A bakery? When? I haven't heard anything about a new bakery."

  "Apparently it was kept very hush hush," my father said.

  "The owner wanted it to be a surprise," Lottie said, forcing her way back into the conversation. "She swore the previous owners to secrecy and didn't even change the sign until early this morning. No one had a clue."

  Lottie seemed both irritated that she hadn't gotten ahold of this news sooner, and gleeful that she was the first to tell us about it.

  "So, who is this mysterious baker?" Colt asked.

  "Wilma Trueheart," Lottie said, repeating the name like it belonged to someone highly important, a king or queen. "She bought The Alchemic Stone."

  "Anastasia's old shop? Are you talking about the mainlander?!" I shouted without thinking. It didn't matter whether the woman was from Florida or France, she had bought a magical gem shop and turned it into a bakery.

  I'd heard rumors that someone had been looking at the place, but somehow I hadn't thought anything would come of it. The Alchemic Stone had a dark, sordid history, involving draugar and black magic. Who would want to buy it, unless they were into that sort of stuff themselves?

  "When I heard The Alchemic Stone had been sold," said Eleanor, "I assumed the woman who bought it would keep it as is. It never occurred to me..."

  "Never occurred to any of us," my dad said, patting Eleanor's hand. I thought she seemed extra shaky. This was big news but nothing to be frightened of.

  "You mean you knew the shop had sold?" I asked Eleanor, who nodded.

  I had the feeling she was still worried about Sheriff Knoxx. There'd been no further news on the body that had washed ashore. As far as Doctors Wallace and Landon could tell, the man had been killed with a very powerful death curse, but no one had been able to figure out who he was.

  "Ssh ssh!" Trixie suddenly said, even though no one was talking just then. "Did you all hear that?" She turned toward the radio. The announcer's voice boomed across our empty shop.

  "And we have a winner in the Mistmoor Point election... Thaddeus Black just manages to edge out Tazzie Singer and win by a nose."

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  CHAPTER

  FIVE

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  Thaddeus Black could not escape the rumors, so he decided to embrace them.

  He was standing at the buffet table in the hotel room he'd rented out for the evening's event, a giant banner hung across the full length of the room, which must have been a hundred feet.

  CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR BLACK!

  He laughed loudly, his black eyes shining every time a light hit them just right. I had no idea how he'd thrown together something this big so fast and reasoned that he must have been anticipating victory all along. Nothing wrong with that, precisely, it just rubbed me the wrong way. Arrogance was the word that sprang to mind.

  "Hahahaha!" He belly laughed, his massive hands cutting through the air as he looked for something he could hold.

  He was a man who liked to gesticulate, I could tell that right away. The way his arms moved, flapped, swam through the air like it was water. He finally grabbed a mini baguette, brandishing it like a wand as he pointed it here and there, taking the occasional chomp out of it before pointing it again. In his other hand, he held a glass of ale. It sloshed over the sides every time he laughed. He was standing in a small puddle, his shoes glossy with the liquid. He didn't even notice.

  His victory party was in full swing, and he meant to enjoy every moment of it. Why shouldn't he? He had won, after all. Despite the obstacles facing him. Despite the rumors that Tazzie Singer was the rightful winner and the election had been rigged. As he liked to point out, those rumors were completely unsubstantiated. Just that—rumors.

  Everyone in both Mistmoor Point and Sweetland Cove had been invited; almost everyone had come. People were curious about the elusive Mr. Black. He had a reputation as the all-time greatest curse remover in the wizarding world. There were entire chapters in history books devoted solely to him.

  "Yes, yes," he said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear even though he was talking only to a group of four. There were other groups in line, waiting their turn.

  "It's true, I can't deny it. I ran into Carbuncle Tanner many years ago. He was vicious. Almost bit my head clean off, but in the end, I got him. Imagine my surprise when it turned out he was NOT a real werewolf, merely suffering from a very severe curse, unlike anything I'd ever seen before."

  The story of Carbuncle Tanner was one of the most famous of Thaddeus’ escapades. According to the legend, Carbuncle was a werewolf who was terrorizing a village somewhere in what used to be Yugoslavia. Thaddeus had tracked him, trapped him, and was about to kill him when he'd realized poor Carbuncle had simply been cursed. Hexed. Turned into a werewolf even though he'd never been bitten by one. Thaddeus was able to resolve the issue and undo the curse, giving Carbuncle his life back.

  Lucy Lockwood grabbed my arm and pointed me away from Thaddeus. "It's Felicity!" she said, smiling and waving.

  The redheaded baker was walking right toward us. Her long legs skipped across the floor in a short, spunky dress. She'd just been talking to Lincoln and she still had that "isn't my boyfriend the greatest?" glow about her.

  "Hi," she said.

  We hugged and she started talking about the election. "I still can't believe Tazzie lost. I'd been so sure it would end up in her favor. I mean, I know what the polls said, but everyone I talked to said they were voting for her. Even Grayson thought she'd win, and he was running against her."

  Felicity's brother was in the center of the room with Kayla, celebrating as if he'd actually won himself. It was one of the things I admired about Grayson Redfern; nothing kept him down. He did what he wanted to do and if it didn't work out, he did something else.

  I still wasn't sure why he hadn't done better in the election. Grayson's numbers had never risen above five percent. People liked him personally, loved his restaurant, The Golden Goose, but just didn't think he was mayor material. At least, not at this point in his life. Try again in a few years, they'd say, patting his hand, and we'll see.

  Grayson was in his late twenties, compared to Thaddeus and Tazzie who were both over fifty. Maybe people thought age brought experience and wisdom. I wasn't sure how true that was anymore. Vlaski Ambrose had been hundreds, even thousands of years old, and he'd been an evil, pompous fool.

  "It's actually refreshing," Lucy said to Felicity. "To see a candidate lose and not be all bitter about it. Grayson will do better next time. Do you know how Tazzie's holding up?"

  "Kayla says she's fine, but who knows? I'd be a mess if I were her. That's why I could never run for mayor. Too much stress."

  "I'd be surprised to see Tazzie here tonight," Lucy said.

  "Yeah, I think Amanda Hollyberry is around here somewhere, though," Felicity offered. "But Tazzie... to come so close and not make it? She was just one point off. Less than a hundred votes. It's gotta break your heart." Felicity paused as a waiter walked past with a tray of mini cupcakes that sparkled with edible glitter. Her lips pursed slightly.

  "The pastries look great," she said.

  "Yeah, they do," I said, looking around the room. A ten-tiered vanilla and chocolate cake sat just off the floor, almost reaching the ceiling. Each layer was at least six inches thick, and the frosting wrapped around it in elegant swirls that made it seem like the cake was dancing toward the ceiling.

  "You really outdid yourself," I told Felicity.

  She looked at me strangely.

  "I did?"

  "Yeah... why? I just mean everything looks great. You and your mom must've worked really hard."

  Felicity's eyes clouded with confusion. "Cakes and Creations didn't cater this. I assum
ed your store did."

  I shook my head. "No, Mystic never even got a call about it."

  "So if neither of us did this, " Felicity said, "then who did?"

  "What about Creams, Cakes, and Creations? Edith Woodruff's bakery?"

  "No, I already asked her about it earlier. It wasn't them."

  An elegantly dressed woman in a navy-blue floor-length gown, mid-forties but could've passed for younger, strolled past us and placed a fresh tray of chocolate potato chip cookies on the table. Her blonde hair was in an updo that showed off the perfect silhouette of her neck. She looked at the spread with the discerning eye of someone who loves a good show. I watched as she straightened the tablecloth, wiped the smudge off a cupcake stand, and turned around.

  None of us recognized her. When she saw us, though, her eyes lit up.

  "Oh, goodness, you're all together," she said, walking toward us with her hand outstretched like a professional politician. "I've been meaning to introduce myself. Ava, right? And you must be Lucy? And Felicity Redfern."

  The three of us looked at each other. None of us a clue who this person was.

  "And you are?" Lucy finally asked.

  "Wilma. Wilma Trueheart." She grabbed some champagne off a passing tray and offered us each a glass. "I'm so happy to be here," she began to ramble. "Heavenly Haven is beautiful. So warm. So bright. The people here are all so friendly, at least the ones I've met so far."

  I tried not to show my shock. My heart hit the wall of my chest in an artless beat. This was our competition.

  I stepped back, studying her. Wilma Trueheart. The name fit her. She seemed... authentic. Nice. Like someone my aunts would like. Her smile looked sincere. Her eyes shone brightly, a light blue-green that reminded me of sea foam. When she shook my hand, hers was warm and soft, like powdered sugar.

  I really didn't want to like her as much as I did. I looked at Felicity and Lucy, trying to gauge their feelings. They were both smiling.

  "So... you catered this event?" I asked.

  She beamed at me. "Yes. I hope you and your aunts aren't upset. Or you, Felicity. I met your mom an hour or so ago. She's a lovely person. Very... quirky."

  I suppressed a laugh. "Quirky" was a nice way of saying ditzy. Amelia Redfern was one of the sweetest women you'd ever meet, but she had a tendency to forget things, like what day of the week it was or what month we were in.

  Felicity nodded. "Quirky. That's my mom all right."

  "When Thaddeus asked me about tonight, I was so surprised. It never occurred to me that I might be stepping on anyone's toes until I'd already said yes. I was just so excited. You know, the new bakery in town... I wanted to get off on a good foot with everyone."

  "Don't worry," I finally said, putting her at ease. "My family isn't mad. Your pastries look amazing. And that cake... I've never seen anything like it. Do you make your own mood extracts?"

  "Of course, I'm no expert, though, not like you are, Ava. Your reputation as a mood extractor is near perfect. I just try my best."

  I blushed and thanked her. She was laying it on a little thick but I thought she was just nervous. After all, she was meeting her competition for the first time, too. I wondered where my father and aunts had scurried off to. I wanted them to meet her.

  I saw my dad on the floor, dancing with Sadie. Trixie was hovering near Eleanor and Sheriff Knoxx, a third wheel. I could tell Eleanor wanted to dance but she would never tell Trixie to back off. Trixie was still a little raw about the whole thing with Melbourne. He was back in Sweetland Cove. He was alive. But he refused to leave his house, which meant Trixie had no one to dance with.

  Lucy's eyes suddenly turned toward the front doors. "Oh, my roses," she said. We all looked where she was looking. Tazzie Singer had just stepped into the room. She was wearing a flowing light gold gown that highlighted the gold witch's flecks in her eyes. Her gray-brown hair, mostly gray, was pulled into a French twist. She smiled nervously as all eyes turned to her, surprised to see her at a victory party for her rival.

  Thaddeus Black's voice continued to boom through the air. He finally caught on that something had happened and turned with everyone else. His eyes widened a second before shrinking back down.

  "Tazzie!" he cried. "I hoped you would come." He made his way over to her, graciously offered her his arm, and walked her into the party as the music resumed.

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  CHAPTER

  SIX

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  Things started out well enough. Tazzie and Thaddeus stood in the center of the room, offering each other their congratulations on a job well done. He supplied her with a large glass of wine, which she swallowed in two large gulps. He offered to dance with her, and she accepted. They spun around the room to one moderately paced song, Tazzie looking uncomfortable the whole time.

  "I can't believe she's here," I whispered to Lucy.

  Wilma had disappeared into the back again, in search of some more her sea salt caramel celebration brownies. Every time someone took a bite of them, they let out a loud "woohoo!" and pumped their fist in the air. I couldn't remember anyone ever reacting that way to my celebration brownies and made a mental note to strengthen my mood extract.

  "She's got guts, I'll give her that," Lucy said. "I don't think I could show my face if I'd lost."

  "I think she's just trying to take the high road," Felicity said. "You know, show that she's above all that."

  "Sure," I replied, though I had the feeling there was more to it. Like maybe Tazzie wanted to see what was so special about Thaddeus that Mistmoor had elected him mayor and not her. Tazzie had been through a lot just to lose. She was the candidate who'd been attacked. She was the one whose daughter's life had been threatened. What had Thaddeus suffered through to win the election? Anything?

  I kicked myself. That wasn't a fair comparison. Grayson and Amanda Hollyberry hadn't been attacked either. Despite the assassin's list that Lincoln had found, the only assassination that had actually been attempted was on Tazzie. And she was still in denial about it last I'd seen her.

  It wasn't until after they finished their dance and retreated into a corner alone that things got ugly.

  Everything seemed fine for a minute. Felicity went off in search of Lincoln. Lucy went in search of her own dance partner. Colt still wasn't here yet. I'd just checked my messages and saw in a text that he was running late. He'd be here in a few.

  So, I meandered around the edge of the party until I found myself only a few feet from Thaddeus and Tazzie. His normally boisterous voice was suspiciously hushed. They were speaking in soft, angry tones.

  "No," Tazzie said, "I won't listen. I want answers."

  "And I want you to leave me alone. This isn't the time or the place."

  "That's where you're wrong. There's no better time or place than right now, right here."

  Thaddeus made an angry, throat-clenched sound, like a motorboat backfiring.

  I took a closer look and realized that both their faces had a savagery I would never have expected from them, especially Tazzie.

  Her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides. Thaddeus’ right eyeball began to roll around in his head. Spittle flew from his mouth with each word he spoke. The more spittle, the louder he seemed to get. Finally, the hushed tones were gone and they were both yelling at each other.

  "They are just RUMORS!" Thaddeus shouted. His head looked like a dried cherry.

  "Sometimes rumors are TRUE!" Tazzie shouted back.

  "I don't know anything about any threats against you or your family!"

  "I think you’re lying!"

  "Too bad for you!"

  "It wouldn't be the first time you've lied. Would it, Thaddeus?"

  Thaddeus finally had enough. Normally, he was the type who loved it when every eye in the room was on him, but not now. He liked being in control, and right now he was not the one in control. He picked up a bottle
of wine and threw it against the wall. He wasn't afraid to show his temper, that was for sure.

  "This conversation is OVER!" he screamed, wanting to get the last word in. He stormed away from Tazzie, heading toward the sliding doors that led onto a large balcony. The ballroom we were in was on the second floor.

  "That's what you think!" Tazzie cried, going after him. She followed him out onto the balcony, where their argument continued. Behind the closed doors, though, it was impossible to hear what they were saying. The party went back to normal, with people dancing, music playing, food and drinks being consumed.

  A few minutes later, Tazzie stepped back inside, her face flushed. A few people glanced her way but now that the excitement was over, they didn't pay her much attention. Her hair was slightly disheveled. Her dress looked dirty. She headed toward the bathrooms and disappeared.

  A half hour later, I was dancing with Colt. "Took you long enough to get here," I said as he twirled me around.

  "Sorry. I thought I might've had a lead on Sheriff Knoxx's body double, I wanted to follow through with it before coming here."

  "And?"

  "And nothing." He shrugged. "Another dead end."

  "Well, at least the election came off without a hitch. I mean, other than Tazzie, no one else was attacked. Maybe the guy who washed up on Mistmoor Beach was the assassin, after all."

  "Yeah, but if he was the assassin, then who killed him?"

  I frowned just as the music stopped and people started clinking their champagne glasses.

  Hadley Miner took the stage.

  "All right. It's that time of the night... speech time!" She was smiling, even though something told me she would have preferred it if Tazzie had won. I wasn't sure that Thaddeus was quite her cup of tea. Would he even keep her on as his secretary once he was sworn in? The official ceremony was tomorrow morning.