by Amy Boyles
I hid the smile threatening to break on my face of stone.
Vordrid bobbed up and down. “Andie’s already able to harness the power of The Witch’s Handbook without it sucking away her life force.”
This time Dex didn’t look at me. “That’s amazing.”
For some reason I had the feeling that Dex already knew that. But how?
I mean, it was a huge deal to break the curse of the book. Since Gabby had been born, I hadn’t wanted to use the book because every time I wielded its power, the thing sucked a portion of my life away. Gabby was already down a father; I didn’t need to leave her motherless, too.
I glanced at my watch. “Okay, y’all can catch up anytime. Dex, I assume you called me here for a reason.”
Dex motioned for me to sit. I pushed my spine from the wall and stalked to a chair. I sat straight-backed. I did not want to look comfortable in this rented office, because I was not. Nothing about what had happened in the past day and a half had made me comfortable—at all.
Vordrid landed softly on the desk between us. Exactly between us. Traitor. I thought he’d want to be more on my side than the vampire. Silly me.
Dex cleared his throat. “Bruce has done a cursory review of the body. It was determined that a mysterious substance was used, which will make folks think a witch conjured up a potion. I know you didn’t do it. I don’t question your innocence. However, it still doesn’t look good for you. We haven’t released that statement yet, but I’ll have to tell the community. They want to know.”
I squirmed, raising one leg and then the other. Was my undead husband going to let me fry for this?
“Vordrid can help with the investigation,” I said quickly. “That’s why he’s here.”
Dex smiled at him. “Still running your experiments?”
“I have a wonderful little laboratory in Andie’s guest bathroom. I try not to let any of the decorative seashells fall into my test tubes.”
I rolled my eyes. “The shells are in a big bowl. They’ll only fall if you knock them in there. Anyway,” I said, “he can help you.”
Dex nodded. “We’d love to have you, V.”
I threaded my fingers together and hooked them over one knee. “So are you going to arrest me? Is that what’s going on?”
“No. I called you hear to make a deal.”
My eyebrow quirked at that. “What sort of deal? I don’t trust vampires.”
“Andie,” Vordrid hissed. “This is Dex.”
I shot the 8 Ball a sharp look. “Dex the vamp, not Dex the human.”
Dex drummed his fingers on the table as if he were playing the big solo at a rock concert. “She’s right. I’m not human anymore, and I haven’t been a true husband in years.”
“Or father.”
A flare sparked in his eyes. “What’s she like? Gabby?”
A bubble of pride swelled inside me. “She’s wonderful. Amazing. Her laughter is sunshine. Her smile makes my world.”
Dex’s lips twitched. “I’d love to get to know her.”
I flinched. Emotions collided in me. He was her father, but at this point the thought of putting them together contradicted so much. I didn’t know Dex’s place in my life, much less his place in Gabby’s.
“I don’t know,” I murmured.
He nodded toward my hand. “You’re still wearing the ring I gave you.”
I quickly covered my left hand. “Force of habit. Besides, I want Gabby to see it. Ask about it so that I can tell her who you were.”
Dex’s lips pursed to a line. “Who I am. I’m still the same person.”
“You’re not a person. You’re a vampire, therefore a creature.”
Dex hit an imaginary cymbal with his forefinger. “Angels aren’t people, either. You might call them creatures, too.”
“At least he can become mortal if he chooses.”
Dex cocked his chin. “Ah, being a guardian angel’s not enough for him, huh?”
I fisted my hands on the table. “How do you know all this? Been spying on me? The Dex I knew would never have done that, unless voyeurism is the new thing vampires do.”
He flinched. The arrow I’d shot struck him hard. Good. He needed to remember his place in all this. He was now on a different team—the supernatural one. He wasn’t on the good-guy side anymore.
Yes, I realize being a witch and all makes me officially a supernatural, but I’m also a hunter by trade. That means I’m a good guy, vampires are bad (for the most part) and that’s the line I was sticking with.
Dex sighed. He raked his fingers through his hair. Fingers that used to caress my arm. Fingers that used to thread through mine when he held my hand. Fingers that used to weave through my hair while he murmured that it looked like liquid sunshine.
Stop. Right. There.
I crossed my arms and leaned back. “Is this deal going to keep werewolf paws off me?”
Dex flattened his palm on the desk. “More than that. Help me catch whoever killed Cal and I’ll get you off the hook for his murder.”
“Well, that’s a given,” I scoffed.
“Ah, but there’s more. You help me catch the killer, and I’ll convince them to leave.”
I rolled my eyes. “Who? The werewolves?”
Dex shook his head. “All of them.”
My heart pounded. “All of them? Every single supernatural that’s moved into town?”
Dex nodded. “Every. Single. One. And you can go back to being a single-parent warrior princess.”
I paused. “And you?”
Dex flexed his jaw. “I’ll go without a fight. I’ll disappear from your life, and you’ll never see me again.”
The bitterness in his tone surprised me. I ignored the pain that attempted to cocoon itself around my heart at the thought of Dex leaving. Let’s face it; the emotion was preposterous. I hadn’t seen him in years. I didn’t know who he was anymore, and he didn’t know me. Instead I focused on the positive outcome of the entire community of supernaturals leaving.
“You’ve got a deal. So what’ve you got on Cal?”
Dex rocked back in the chair. “Lots of enemies, starting with an ex-girlfriend who might be more apt to talk to you than she was to us.”
I twisted a strand of hair around my index finger. “Oh? Why’s that? She doesn’t like vamps, either?”
Dex shook his head. “No. She’s a witch. Just moved into town. Name’s Chloe.”
My stomach filled with fluttering butterflies. Great. It was the witch whose cauldron I’d spelled to sprout flowers. She might hold a teensy grudge. I hoped it wasn’t enough to cap her mouth when it came to spilling information about Cal.
I scratched a spot behind my ear. “Okay. I’ve got a starting point.”
“Something wrong?” Dex said.
“No. Why?”
He brushed a bit of lint from his shirt. “You scratched your ear. You only do that when you’re uncomfortable.”
“No, I don’t,” I lied. “It’s fine.”
He quirked a brow.
I rolled my eyes because he clearly still knew me way too well. “Okay, I may have done something to make Chloe mad. We’ll just have to see. Anyway, you’ve given me a place to start. That’s all I need.”
Dex steepled his fingers and placed them on his chin. “I know.”
I decided to ask him what the handbook couldn’t tell me. “Do you still have magic?”
When he was alive, Dex was one of the most powerful wizards I’d ever known. He could make ice dance on his finger and turn it to fire in half a heartbeat.
Trust me, very few female witches or male wizards could do that.
Dex shook his head. “I don’t need magic anymore.”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
Dex rose. “It’s not important.”
“So you do.”
He motioned toward the door. Guess my time was up. Bruce met me on the other side. Vordrid sailed into my purse.
“I’ll be in touc
h,” he said.
“Awesome,” I said.
Dex’s blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “Even warrior princesses sometimes need a vampire.”
I scoffed but kept my mouth shut as I followed Bruce to the exit.
“Just because you’re helping us doesn’t mean I trust you,” the werewolf said in a low voice.
“Just because I’m helping you doesn’t mean I want to,” I shot back.
Bruce eyed me for a minute before bursting into a laugh. “You’ve got some big ones on you.”
“My breasts are average size, thank you.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
I shouldered my purse and pushed the door to leave. “I don’t think it’s polite to give a woman male body parts.”
With that I strode from the building and down the street. Anger pumped through me. Dex had known too much about my life. Someone was feeding him information, and I had a good feeling as to whom.
When I got my hands on them, there’d be heck to pay.
SIX
Vordrid flew from my purse as soon as we were home. “Dot!” I yelled, throwing my bag on the couch.
She walked in wearing a pair of glasses with thick Coke-bottle lenses. “What are those?” I said, sliding my sweaty palms down my thighs.
“They’re my night glasses.”
“I’ve never seen you wear those before.”
Dot ran her fingers through her pink hair. “No? I wear them all the time.”
I sucked in my cheeks, trying to calm the rising anger in my gut. “You’re wearing them so that I’ll feel sorry for you and not yell at you, aren’t you?”
“My dear, I don’t know what sort of game of charades you’re playing.”
I shook my head. “You’ve been seeing Dex, haven’t you?”
Dot adjusted her glasses. “What? I’m having a hard time hearing you.”
I strode up to her and plucked those silly glasses right off her face. “These aren’t going to make me feel sorry for you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I leaned on one hip. “That’s why you’re wearing them, isn’t it? You think that if you wear glasses, it makes you look sympathetic and I won’t be mad.”
Dot cringed. “Did it work?”
“No!”
She shrugged. “It was worth a shot. Yes, I’ve known about Dex for some time. Vordrid,” she said, “don’t be mad that I didn’t tell you. Andie, I found out about him several weeks ago, when Dex came to your bedroom window. I saw him when he was leaving and stopped him.”
“Dot,” I said in warning.
She threw up her hands. “He’s your husband, Andie. I wanted to say hello to him, tell him what he’d missed out on in the past couple of years. Let him see Gabby.”
I fisted my hands. “You let him see Gabby!”
Dot wagged a finger at me. “No, he hasn’t yet. I’m waiting for you to introduce them. But that man is her father. He deserves the right to see his child.”
I yanked my hair. “He’s a vampire! Am I the only person who realizes that? Have the two of you lost your minds? Dot, you were a hunter. You know how dangerous they can be. And Vordrid, mentor to him or not, you should have the same opinion.”
“But it’s Dex,” Vordrid whined. “We’ve known him a long time, Andie. I have to admit I might have had some reservations before meeting him, but once I gave him a hug, he seems like the same man I used to know, only undead.”
I slumped into a chair. “This is not how things are supposed to play out. Both of you are supposed to be on my side. You’re supposed to see that he’s evil and intends to harm us.”
Dot shot Vordrid a concerned look. Her mouth split into a wide grin. She pinned my shoulders and said, “Why don’t you go lie down and I’ll bring you some hot cocoa. Would you like that?”
I glanced up at her hopefully. “You’d do that for me?”
She nodded. “Of course. You need to rest. There’s been a bit of strain on you today.”
I walked numbly to my room and got into my comfy pajamas. By the time I slipped under the covers, Dot was beside me, handing over a steaming mug.
She took a seat at the foot of my bed and rubbed my leg over the comforter. “Dear, I know it’s a lot to think about with Dex here, but I believe the reason he stayed away is true—he wasn’t ready to be around humans and he was afraid of harming you.”
Dex had said as much when he showed up outside my bedroom window weeks ago. At the time I had officially informed him that we were enemies.
I blew a blanket of steam off the cocoa. “Dex told you he was afraid of harming me?”
She nodded.
“I don’t believe he wants to harm us. He only wants to be part of Gabby’s life.” Dot pulled her satin robe closed. She cascaded one liver-spotted hand down her thigh. “When I was a young woman and still a hunter, I once met a man I adored. Loved really. He was a beacon of sunshine in an otherwise bleak job. You know how it is. You get a call there’s vampires in a certain town. You go and check it out. The vampires attack and you deal with them. Not a lot of hope there. Mostly pain and suffering for the families who’ve lost loved ones. That’s getting better now, though. With the exception of that Oscar Snare a few weeks ago, the supernatural tribunal is growing. They have strict rules about killing and making new vamps. That’s thanks to you, Andie. You and Dex. All your work getting rid of the bad vampires helped the tribunal to weed them out.”
The chocolate had cooled enough to sip. Warm, velvety goodness washed over my tongue. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. You and Dex were part of that. From what he’s told me, he still is. He’s trying to make sure that the vampires he encounters are on the right side of the law. He says being one of them makes that easier.”
Tendrils of jealousy curled around my heart. “Wow. You’ve really talked to him a lot.” More than I had by far.
Dot leaned back on one elbow. For an old lady, she sure could bend. “Of course. He’s family. But anyway, my point is, I fell in love with a man who I didn’t know was a vampire. I didn’t find out until my heart sang for him in only the way that a heart does when it’s deeply moved by a person.”
Dot stopped. Her lower lip trembled.
“What happened?”
She took a deep breath and shook out her pink hair. “What do you think? I was a hunter and he was my enemy.”
I clutched the cup. “You killed him?”
Dot pushed herself up to a seated position. “No! Heavens no. He wasn’t one of the bad ones, at least not then. But I did the next thing to that. I broke off our relationship. I killed him in my heart. Might as well have physically done the deed for how much it hurt.”
“Well, he was a vampire,” I murmured.
Dot rose from the bed and stretched her arms. “And one of the good guys. You see, I learned a lesson from that experience. It took me a few years to realize it, but it’s true.”
“What was that?”
Dot leveled a piercing gaze at me. I swallowed a sip of drink. “That I would never be afraid to love anyone again, no matter the cost.”
She held out her hand for the cup. I hugged it to my chest. “I’ll wash it out in the morning.”
“Good night,” she said, moving toward the door.
“Good night,” I murmured.
My great-aunt softly closed the door behind her. I took a deep cleansing breath. For some reason that didn’t make me feel better. My thoughts swam with the story Dot had told me.
Was she suggesting that I was afraid I might still love Dex? Not a chance. He had betrayed me by letting me think he was dead. Worse, he was now my mortal enemy. Still, something nagged at me. Something I couldn’t quite pinch between my fingers.
Did I still love Dex? Impossible. Mostly because of biology than actual fact. Besides, I was crazy about Stone. Crazy about him. Like, super crazy about him. I didn’t need more complications in my life.
My heart squee
zed at the thought. I ignored it. I needed some shut-eye. Tomorrow I had big things to do—huge things.
I had to solve a murder.
SEVEN
Monday morning was a school day. We only had two days of school as it was Thanksgiving week, which reminded me that I needed to buy a turkey and start defrosting it since Lord knew it would take almost a week to get that sucker thawed out. This wouldn’t have to happen if the store stocked thawed turkeys, but all the ones at Piggly Wiggly were solid as ice blocks.
But I digress. I kissed Gabby good-bye, thanked Dot for our conversation the night before and headed out.
Up until a few weeks ago Gabby had attended preschool where I taught. But due to an angel falling from the sky and screwing with the magical currents in the air, my child now had her magical abilities.
And trust me, you didn’t want to set an untrained witch loose upon an unsuspecting teacher. Thus Gabby stayed home with Dot to instruct her.
I managed to keep my preschool class occupied by building construction paper turkey hats and letting them mold Play-Doh until one o’clock, when I was finished.
I jumped in the 4Runner and headed over to Witch’s Cauldron. I parked out front and saw the clapboard sign had been put out, along with the cauldron full of mums.
The bell above the door tinkled when I walked in.
“Welcome,” came Chloe's voice from somewhere. I wasn’t sure where as I didn’t see her. But I did see the store.
Wow.
Dream catchers of different colored feathers hung from the ceiling. Large crystals were displayed on glass shelves. Incense, oils and all sorts of ingredients lined the back wall behind the counter. The place smelled of patchouli, and there was a distinct buzz in the air.
The buzz of magic.
Chloe popped up from behind the counter. “Hey there!” she said. She wore a green pointy hat and a long black dress. As soon as her gaze landed on me, she slumped.
“Oh, hello. Did you come to fix my cauldron?”
A laugh tittered in the back of my throat. My bad. Okay, time to throw the scent off me. “Yeah, I think my aunt Dot goes a little crazy when she sees witchy things in public.” Sorry, Aunt Dot. “You know, like people openly working magic in a small town that doesn’t have any.”
