If I was going to be anything like Grandma as a mother, I had no business reproducing.
Adele and Corinne approached us, maintaining a reasonable distance from my family. “Well done, Eden,” Adele said. “How wonderful to see you in action. I have to admit, I wasn’t certain what to expect when you arrived to replace Paul Pidcock, but I’m convinced that we couldn’t have done better.”
“Well, you couldn’t have done worse,” Grandma said.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said.
My mother played with her statement necklace. “What do you think? Should someone say a few final words or has that ship sailed?”
“I think Myrtle would be satisfied with a closing song,” Grandma said. She tapped her phone screen.
“No Led Zeppelin, Grandma,” I said. “This is Myrtle’s funeral, not yours.”
“Relax,” Grandma said. “I’ve got it covered.” She tapped the screen again and Frank Sinatra began to croon.
“Oh, I love this song,” my mother said, and started to sing along. “Fly me to the moon…”
The next thing I knew the mourners had joined hands around the casket and were singing about flying to the moon and playing among the stars. Most of them were horribly off key, but it didn’t matter.
Grandma’s gaze flicked to the casket for a final look. “Myrtle would approve,” she said.
Chapter Nineteen
It had been a couple of days since the chakra demon was returned safely to Otherworld and I was updating the list of those affected to make sure that everyone was back to normal before I sent my report to headquarters. Ted O’Neill had described Father Kevin’s return as nothing short of a miracle.
“Is there any way to get my mom’s chakras back into alignment?” Meg had asked, when I’d called the house to check on Julie. “I liked the new version better.”
“Are you sure about that? You seemed uncomfortable with her Zen attitude.”
“I guess it is nice to have someone worry about me.”
Corinne had texted to say that Rosalie had regained her sight and was behaving normally—well, normally for Rosalie.
I was in the barn inspecting John’s progress after a full day of work when a hesitant Clara poked her head in the entrance.
“Would it be okay if I came in?” she asked. “I understand if you’d rather not speak to me.”
“Get in here, goofball. Am I happy to see you!” I said.
Relief rippled across her pretty features. “You are?”
I crossed the barn to hug her. “Of course I am. I was so worried you’d have a heart attack.”
“But I was so awful to you,” she said. She squeezed once and released me. “Oh. There are a lot of positive emotions there.” She sounded surprised.
“It wasn’t you. It was the chakra demon,” I said. “I know you didn’t mean it. You weren’t yourself.”
She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. “I might have meant some of it.”
I balked. “You did?”
“The chakra imbalance made me heartless, not a liar,” she said. “Obviously I didn’t mean the horrible stuff, but the things I said about you and your family…I do think you’re too hard on them sometimes.”
“Clara, you don’t know everything I know.”
“I realize that, but the reality seems to be that they’ve mellowed,” Clara said. “It doesn’t absolve them of past crimes, of course, but they don’t seem to be scorching the earth the way they used to.”
No, that much was true. “There’s something I need to tell you about Tanner.”
“Sassy forgave me for what I said about him, thankfully.”
“It’s not about that. It’s about what happened in high school.”
Clara frowned. “I thought you were over that.”
“It’s not that simple.” I sank onto a wooden stool that John left behind. “Tanner didn’t act of his own free will.”
Clara rolled her eyes. “Eden, you’re not going to paint Sassy as the femme fatale he couldn’t resist, are you? That’s not your style.”
I covered my face with my hands. “That’s not what I mean.” I slid my hands back to my sides and looked at her. “It was a hex. My mother hexed him so that he would sleep with Sassy.”
Clara blinked rapidly, as though her eyelashes were responsible for processing information. “Why would she do that to you?”
“Because she didn’t want me involved with a human,” I said. “Apparently she was willing to play dirty to make that happen.” Not that I should be surprised. She was evil, after all.
Clara put a hand on the wall to steady herself. “I can’t believe it. How did you find out?”
“Aunt Thora’s imbalanced chakra told me.”
“Oh, Eden. I’m so sorry. That changes everything.”
“Well, not everything,” I said. “Tanner is still a jerk and Sassy is too good for him.”
“I know, but what if that had never happened,” Clara said. “Would he and Sassy be together now? It changed the course of history.”
I nodded. “And I can’t even tell Sassy because she doesn’t know about the supernatural world.”
“I’m not sure I’d tell Sassy anyway,” Clara said. “What’s done is done. What did your mom say when you confronted her?”
“I haven’t.” Yet.
Clara whistled. “This could escalate to a very unpleasant degree.”
“I’ll send up a flare to warn you.” I inhaled deeply. “What about Chief Fox? Do you still think I’m wrong to hide our relationship?”
She lowered her gaze. “No, I don’t. Your family doesn’t approve and there would be consequences. Clearly.”
“I’d like to think they’d stay out of my business at my age, but I know better.”
“Yeah, and I think you and the chief have something real. I’d hate to see them tamper with it.”
I gave her a rueful smile. “Same.”
“Too bad you couldn’t accidentally zap her during Myrtle’s funeral,” Clara said. “You could have gotten your revenge without her realizing it.”
“My revenge is to outshine her at her own funeral,” I said. “She’d hate that.” We both laughed. “While we’re on the subject, what do you think you would say at my funeral?”
“Yours? Making plans for the future?”
I shrugged. “I’ve already died a few times. One of these times could be the last. Might as well be ready.”
“Have you forgotten about the whole immortality thing?” Clara asked.
“Hey, a vampire can be staked,” I said. “I’m sure there’s a way to rid the world of a fury if someone was ambitious enough.”
“Let’s not dwell on unpleasant thoughts,” she said. “Now that my chakras are back in alignment, I’m liable to overcompensate on the compassion.” She threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek. “Ugh, I hate how I treated you. Can we just put a barrier around the town to keep all these demons out?”
“Unfortunately, nobody has that kind of power.” And I’d be out of a job, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Is this a secret meeting or can anyone join?” Chief Fox’s perfect form graced the doorway of the barn and my spirits lifted.
“You’re not just anyone,” I said. “You’re my boyfriend.”
“Your secret boyfriend,” he said with a wink.
I felt a pang of guilt, but I quickly shoved it aside.
“I should be going,” Clara said. “I have an appointment at the…place where I need to be.”
“Good luck with that,” I said.
“Nice to see you again, Clara,” the chief said, as she passed him. He sauntered into the barn, whistling as he walked.
“What put you in such a good mood?” I asked.
He planted a kiss on my lips. “You. What else?”
“I battled a chakra demon at Myrtle’s funeral because it was wreaking havoc on half the town,” I said.
“I knew something had happened. The
mayor gave up her parking spot and issued a formal apology. She seemed mortified.”
I nodded. “It won’t get easier to be chief, now that you know. In some ways, I’ve made your life more difficult.”
“Worth it,” he said.
I gave an involuntary shudder. He had no idea that was what my mother and Grandma liked to say on the occasions when they eviscerated each other.
“You sure you don’t want to go back to Iowa where it’s safer?”
“I didn’t become the chief of police because I like to play it safe,” he said.
“Why did you?” I asked.
“What? Become a cop?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I wanted to help people and I look pretty good in a uniform.”
“No dark past where you’re secretly seeking revenge for the death of your first wife?”
“Why would I be looking in Chipping Cheddar?” He broke into a broad grin. “I’m kidding! There’s no wife, murdered or otherwise.”
I brushed my fingers against his rugged jaw. “Are you sure there aren’t any deep, dark secrets?”
He chuckled. “I’m a Boy Scout. I’m sorry. I could tell you about the time I rode a friend’s motorcycle and got a ticket for not wearing a helmet.”
“Is that true?”
He lowered his head. “No, sorry. Iowa doesn’t require that riders wear a helmet.”
I sighed. “Even your lies are lame.”
“Excuse me, miss. Are you calling the chief of police lame?”
“I liked you better when I thought you were a stripper.”
He started to unbutton his shirt. “Don’t give me any ideas.”
I placed a hand over his to stop him. “You strip naked in this barn and one of us is going to end up in the hospital. I promise you it won’t be me.”
He laughed. “You really are worried about someone finding out about us.”
I remained silent. I couldn’t explain how important it was without telling him more than he needed to know.
“I should go back to the house before someone comes looking for me.” The last thing I needed was my mother or Grandma darkening this doorway and see me kissing the chief. John was going to have to start working overtime to get this place finished.
The chief inclined his head. “I’d like you to do something for me before I go.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to see it all, the full display, and I’d like you to stay that way until I’ve finished.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Finished?”
“Admiring you,” he said. He ran a hand down my shoulder blade. “Let me see the real you, Eden.”
“This is the real me. Besides, you’ve seen my wings.”
“I want the whole kit and caboodle. The Medusa wig. The good, the bad, and the ugly.”
I folded my arms. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to feel ashamed or embarrassed of who you are. I want to show you that I accept all of you, not just the parts you deem worthy.”
I hesitated. “What if you don’t?”
“Don’t what?”
“Accept all of me,” I said. “What if you take a long look at me in all my gory glory and decide you’re not interested?”
He cupped my chin in his hand. “Do you really think that’s possible?”
“I wouldn’t blame you.”
His expression softened and he gently ran his fingers through a ribbon of my hair. “Show me.”
Against my better judgment, I uncloaked. The black wings sprouted, the snakes uncoiled, and the eyes flamed. He took a startled step backward when one of the snakes stuck its head between us and hissed right in his face.
“Hello to you, too,” he said, greeting the snake. He reclaimed his position directly in front of me. “Look on the bright side, you’re never alone.”
“How is that a bright side? I like my own company.” I preferred it to most other people or supernaturals, in fact.
Chief Fox addressed the snake. “Would you mind giving us a little space? I’m going to kiss her now and I’d rather not get a fang stuck in my cheek for the effort.”
I suppressed a laugh as the snake returned to rest on top of my head. “You want to kiss me like this?”
“I want to do more than kiss you, but slow and steady wins the race.”
I inched closer. “We’re turtles now?”
“I don’t know. Is that in your wheelhouse?”
I laughed before I could stop myself. “Turtle shifting? Not really.”
He tried to wrap his arms around me, but they got stuck in the feathers of the wings. “Is there a YouTube tutorial on this?”
“Probably.”
He stroked the wings. “They’re softer than they look, like you. And the color…That’s the deepest black I’ve ever seen.”
“Like my soul?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t glimpsed it yet, but I’ll keep trying.” He locked eyes with me. “You’re so beautiful, Eden.
“I will be as soon as you let me cloak these monstrosities.” And maybe brush my hair. Ugh, I was starting to sound like my mother even in my head.
“No,” he said softly. “Just like this.” His lips brushed against mine and I felt the snakes on my head stiffen, as though waiting to see if he was friend or foe—or something else entirely.
As his fingers threaded through the feathers, I sank into the kiss and became acutely aware of the rapid beating of my heart. Soon enough, everything faded away. I forgot all about wings and snakes and immortality. There was only the blur of our two bodies combined and I no longer knew where one ended and the other began.
And that was fine with me.
Keep an eye out for book 7 in the Federal Bureau of Magic series!
Also by Annabel Chase
Thank you for reading Three Alarm Fury! Sign up for my newsletter and receive a FREE Starry Hollow Witches short story— http://eepurl.com/ctYNzf. You can also like me on Facebook so you can find out about the next book before it's even available.
Other books by Annabel Chase include:
Starry Hollow Witches
Magic & Murder, Book 1
Magic & Mystery, Book 2
Magic & Mischief, Book 3
Magic & Mayhem, Book 4
Magic & Mercy, Book 5
Magic & Madness, Book 6
Magic & Malice, Book 7
Magic & Mythos, Book 8
Magic & Mishaps, Book 9
Magic & Maladies, Book 10
Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mysteries
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell’s Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6
A Touch of Magic, Book 7
A Drop in the Potion, Book 8
Hemlocked and Loaded, Book 9
All Spell Breaks Loose, Book 10
Spellbound Ever After
Crazy For Brew, Book 1
Lost That Coven Feeling, Book 2
Wands Upon A Time, Book 3
Charmed Offensive, Book 4
Poetry in Potion, Book 5
Three Alarm Fury Page 17
