Wiggles sported a jaunty-looking red bowtie and matching collar.
He snorted. “It’s your sister’s idea. She thinks everyone needs to dress up for the celebrations.”
“You chose a bowtie?”
“She chose the bowtie. Aurora said it made me look dapper.”
“It makes you look something.” I hugged Wiggles, glad to be back in Willow Tree Falls and surrounded by everything I loved.
He endured the hug for a few seconds before wriggling out of my grip. He was less cuddly now he was a hellhound. I tried not to take it personally.
“What do you say we go sample the goodies?” he asked. “Some stalls have already set up, but the main event isn’t kicking off for a couple of hours.”
I looked around as people wandered past us. I got a few curious looks, but it wasn’t so unusual to see me covered in demon residue and dirt. “I should clean up and offload this demon on Angel Force before we party.”
“Five minutes of eating cake and partying isn’t going to do you any harm. Every demon loves cake, so Raksh isn’t going to mind you stalling his imprisonment for a bit.” Wiggles bounded around my feet.
I sniffed the air and smiled. “Has Patti got her stall out?”
“Sprinkles’ stall is all ready to go. And she’s giving away free samples. I spent the last half an hour being chased off by her after I stole a plate full of chocolate tiffin.”
“Mmmmmm, chocolate tiffin.” I looked along the main street. “Five minutes of fun won’t hurt.”
Wiggles nodded. “Decision made. It’s party time.”
An hour and a half later, I had a giant food baby in my stomach from too much cake and was feeling queasy. I sipped on my lemon water as I watched Wiggles run along beside a pretty little tan bitch. It looked like he was flirting with her.
Tilly Machello, owner of Bite Me, sat in the seat next to me. “It’s nice to have you back. I’m guessing from your state that you had a successful trip?”
I patted my round stomach. “The demon is happily on board.” I stifled a belch. “Well, maybe he’s not all that happy, but he’s not getting out.”
“I thought you had an interesting smell about you,” Tilly said.
I sniffed my sleeve and grimaced. “I blame the demon goo.”
“Me too. That’s always my story.” She grinned at me. “It’s going to be a busy one tonight. I’ve got two dinner sittings booked, and there’s the stall to run. Any chance you can give me a hand?”
“Not a chance. I have to offload my demon cargo and get cleaned up. Then I need to sort out what’s going on at Cloven Hoof. Merrie’s in charge, so I know it will run smoothly, but I said I’d lend her a hand tonight. If I get time, I’ll drop by and see how you’re getting on.”
Tilly nodded. “You might like to keep out of the way of that lot.” She gestured to a guy in a cream linen suit with a microphone in his hand. A petite brunette ran along beside him, a harassed look on her face.
“Who are they?” They didn’t look like the usual non-magicals who came to Willow Tree Falls.
“They’re journalists,” Tilly said. “They’ve been hassling everyone all day. They said they’re here to get a feel for the place and do a piece to camera on the magic of Willow Tree Falls.”
I grimaced. “That will only encourage more tourists.” We had our limit when it came to non-magicals coming into Willow Tree Falls. We made exceptions on days like this, when the energy unwittingly drew them here, but I wanted nobody reporting on how fantastic this place was and turning it into the next hotspot destination.
“Look out. They’re coming our way. I’ve already had to endure one round of questioning.” Tilly hopped up from her seat and hurried away.
I wasn’t so speedy and made the mistake of catching the eye of the guy in the linen suit.
He grinned at me, all perfect white teeth and dimples. He wasn’t unattractive if you were into blond-haired, clean-cut guys.
He walked over, the hassled looking woman sticking to his side. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” He looked at me and raised his eyebrows.
“You can ask. I might not answer.”
His smile faded a touch. “It looks like you’ve had a hard day. Are you local to Willow Tree Falls?”
“Sometimes. How about you?”
“Sadly not, although it’s a beautiful village. It’s my first visit. Is there anywhere you can recommend for getting a true flavor of the place?”
“You could try the cemetery.”
“Erm, I’d never have thought about that.” His expression grew puzzled. “Do you work there? Is that why you’re covered in grime? Hey, are you a grave digger?”
I looked down at the congealed demon goo on my shirt. I really should have changed by now. “Nope, I always look this good. Make sure to check out the thermal spas. Everyone says bathing in them brings a spring to your step.”
“Perhaps you can show me?” Despite my grimy appearance, his curious gaze lingered on me for a second too long to be comfortable.
“I’m sure I’ll be busy.”
“I’m Nick Saunders. I’ll be covering everything going on for the rest of the day. What do the mid-summer celebrations mean to you, Miss...?” He lifted the small microphone he held closer to my mouth.
I pushed it away. “It means the same as it always does. Too many people crowding the streets and eating all the cakes.”
The woman beside him glanced up and grinned. “I’ve had far too many cookies. Your bakery is incredible. It’s like the stuff is infused with magic. I just can’t get enough.”
I repressed a grin. She was closer to the truth than she realized. “Patti makes good cakes.”
“I asked her for the recipe, but she said it was a secret. I’ve never tasted a cookie so soft and gooey.”
“They are tasty,” I said.
“If you’re not interested in the solstice celebrations,” Nick said, “what do you know about a mythical ring?”
The woman next to him rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Not that again.”
This question interested me enough to respond. “Are we talking Lord of the Rings mythical?” I raised my eyebrows.
Nick nodded. “It could be.”
“It’s nonsense,” the woman next to him said.
“No, Jenny, most legends stem from a factual basis. I’m sure there’s something to this story. Think what a scoop it will be if we get the information before James.”
Jenny shook her head again and shot me an apologetic look.
“I know nothing about a ring,” I said. “I’ve read the Hobbit and the rest of the series. They’re good if you’re looking for rings of power.”
“I prefer the movies,” Nick said.
That didn’t surprise me. “You can try Heaven’s Door if you’re looking for rings.”
“Is that the store that sells all the pretty trinkets?” Jenny asked.
“That’s right. My sister runs it. I don’t think she’ll know about a mythical ring. She’s got nice silver stuff with stones.” She’d even put a good luck charm on it if she liked a person. Aurora was always doing good wherever she went.
“No, I’m not into trinkets,” Nick said. “I’m looking for—”
“There you are.” A tall, skinny blonde woman wrapped an arm around Nick’s shoulders and kissed him full on the lips. “I’ve been looking for you for ages. You told me you were going to get me a coffee. That was half an hour ago.” She kissed him again and shot a suspicious look at me.
“Rachel, you know I have work to do.” Nick shrugged out of the woman’s arms. “I’m interviewing some locals.”
“Oh, I thought this was going to be a fun adventure for us, not just boring work.”
“It can be both,” Nick said. His eyes tightened as he dodged another kiss. “Let me back up the stories on the hard drive then we can grab a quick bite to eat. Is there anywhere you’d recommend?” he asked me.
“It depends on what you like. Bit
e Me is lovely, but it’s going to be fully booked on a day like today. Mystic Mushroom is good if you like pizza.”
“Pizza would be great,” Nick said.
“No, there are too many carbs in a pizza,” Rachel said.
I rolled my eyes at the same time as Jenny, and she smiled at me.
“There’s the Unicorn’s Trough. Brogan does all sorts, but that’s about it. There aren’t that many options. It’s a small place. Maybe you’d like to go to the next town.” And not come back, I silently thought.
“Pizza will be perfect,” Nick said as he glanced at Rachel. “You can always scrape off the toppings and eat them like you usually do.”
Rachel wrinkled her nose. “If I have to.”
Nick nodded, but his gaze was fixed on me. “You seem... different.”
I straightened in my seat. “Different how?”
“It must be a trick of the light. Every time I look at you, I keep seeing a weird shimmer around you.”
“Are you telling me you can see my aura?” I laughed and shook my head. “They aren’t real.”
“I must need my eyes tested,” Nick said. “I could swear there’s this sort of green mist around you.” He sniffed loudly. “And a strange smell.”
Jenny and Rachel sniffed and stared at him like he was talking crazy.
“I can’t smell anything,” Rachel said, her expression hardening as her gaze ran over me. It looked like she was assessing me for signs I might be a potential boyfriend stealer.
“Me neither,” Jenny said.
“It must be your imagination,” Rachel said. “Let’s go get that coffee you promised me a million years ago. My feet hurt in these shoes, so I need to sit down.”
I stared hard at Nick. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he could see the demon I had trapped inside me. It couldn’t be that. There was no way a non-magical would be able to see demons unless they wanted them to. I needed to get rid of Raksh.
“Are you sure you’ve never been here before?” I asked Nick.
“Absolutely. It’s my first time in Willow Tree Falls.”
“And it will be our last,” Rachel said. “There’s nothing to do around here.”
“There’ll be plenty to do later,” Jenny said. “The village is just getting set up. Give it a chance. I hear they have an enormous bonfire over by those weird looking stones, and everyone dances around.”
“It sounds positively primitive,” Rachel said.
“Now, Rachel, you did say you’d behave yourself if you came with me,” Nick said. “You promised me you’d let me work.”
She pouted and blinked her false lashes at him. “I am trying, but I get bored so easily, and you keep ignoring me. What’s a woman to do?”
“Get a life of her own,” I muttered under my breath.
Jenny must have heard my comment because she ducked her head and hid a smile.
I looked back at Nick. “You have absolutely no connection to the village?”
“He’s already told you no,” Rachel snapped. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Hold on a second. I don’t have a connection as such,” Nick said as he pried Rachel’s hand from his arm. “My great grandma lived here, though. In fact, she was something of a black sheep of the family. Everyone thought she was a witch.”
I pressed my lips together. If that was true, it was more than possible that Nick had residual magic abilities he had no clue about. Sometimes, people did leave Willow Tree Falls. It could be that his parents moved away or their parents before them. If he was born outside of the village, he’d have no idea of his history.
“You should look into your family history,” I said. “I’m sure your great grandma was a lovely woman. I hope she was treated kindly.”
Nick shook his head. “She was taken away for some sort of treatment. I doubt it was kind treatment. Back then, it was routine to use electric shock therapy on people when they claimed they were witches.”
“Come on, Nick,” Rachel said. “I’m dying for a coffee, and your new friend looks like she needs to go change into something less grubby.”
I looked down at my clothes and shrugged. I knew the mess I was in, but the cake had been too tempting.
“Everyone is heading to the stones,” Jenny said as she watched the steady stream of people pass us, many of them with their faces painted.
I checked the time and nodded. “We move the celebrations there at five o’clock. People want to get there early to get a good spot.”
“Why?” Rachel asked. “It seems like a hassle for such a small event.”
I shrugged. “Beats me.” I was done wasting my time explaining anything to her.
“We should go too, Nick. Maybe you can find some interesting people to interview there.” Rachel gave me a pointed look.
Nick stared at me for another second before nodding. “That’s a good idea. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand to me. “I didn’t catch your name.”
I shook his hand. For a journalist, he was okay, although his taste in girlfriends was horrendous. “Tempest Crypt.”
“Oh, you must be part of the family who looks after the cemetery. I talked to them earlier today. They seemed really busy.”
Rachel laughed. “They sound as crazy as your great grandma if that’s the case. How can you be busy in a cemetery? There’s nothing to do. Everyone is dead. They’re not going to be asking for snacks and foot rubs from beyond the grave.”
I glowered at her. “You’d be surprised.”
“There’s always work in places like that,” Jenny said swiftly. “Graves to keep tidy and lawns to mow. And there will always be bereaved relatives bringing flowers and little gifts that need tending. I think what your family does is admirable. It takes a special sort of person to care for the deceased.”
I nodded in appreciation at Jenny’s words. “They like it.”
“Perhaps we’ll catch up with you later,” Nick said as he was dragged away by Rachel, who was glaring at me as if I was her new worst enemy.
“I shouldn’t think so.” I stood and walked toward Cloven Hoof.
Wiggles joined me after his unsuccessful pursuit of the other dog. “What was that all about?”
“Nosy journalists who need to keep out of our business.” I glanced back to see Nick still looking at me. “It’s weird. He could sense I’m carrying a demon.”
Wiggles looked up at me. “He said that?”
“No, he had no clue what he was looking at, but he sensed it. He said he saw a fuzzy glow around me. That’s Raksh trying to get out. Nick would only be able to see that if he had some latent magic ability.”
“Huh, go figure. A non-magical coming to Willow Tree Falls, who actually has magic. Maybe he’ll want to stay if he’s digging the vibe.”
“He’s not welcome if he keeps that awful girlfriend with him,” I said. “Speaking of girlfriends, who were you chasing?”
Wiggles’ tongue lolled out. “She’s not local, but she sure is cute. A pedigree cockerpoo. She’s got the perfect fluffy cute butt. She could win awards.”
“You asked her on a date?”
Wiggles grunted and nudged me with his nose. “She wouldn’t talk. It looks like I’ll have to find a female hellhound if I’m going to get serious action anytime soon.”
“One hellhound around here is enough,” I said. “Don’t you go producing little hellhound puppies for me to deal with. I’ve got enough on my plate with you.”
Wiggles barked out a laugh. “There’s no chance of that. I’m a safety-first hellhound. And I’m far too young to be having puppies.”
“You make sure the female who takes your eye knows that. No puppies allowed.”
“My puppies sure would be cute, though, if an accident did happen.”
I shook my head but had to agree with him. Wiggles’ puppies would be adorable. Unfortunately, they’d also come with hellhound issues and would be unmanageable nightmares. Imagine toilet training a hellhound who farted brimstones.
“Come on. I have a demon to dump and a shower to take. Then we can go into full-on party mode.”
Wiggles barked happily in agreement and trotted along beside me. So long as there was a party to be had and food to scoff, he’d be happy. We were very similar in that respect.
I looked forward to a fun night of amazing food and hanging out with friends.
Chapter 3
I loved the way the sun took forever to fade during summer. It was just dipping before the tree line as I headed down the stairs from my apartment above Cloven Hoof and entered the bar.
The warm amber glow of the recessed lights gave the red walls a friendly vibe. This was a place for magic users only. Non-magicals couldn’t get through the barrier around the place. It was for their own safety. If any non-magical got hold of the produce I sold, bad things could happen to them. Magic was unpredictable when applied to non-magicals and needed to be used with caution.
I walked to the bar and grabbed a lemon drop from over the counter. Izzie and Brock were busy loading bottles onto the shelves at the back of the bar.
“Is everything going okay?” I asked.
Izzie turned and smiled at me, her face painted in sparkly purple glitter. “Everything is in order. We’re ready for the crowds when the party gets going.”
“Good. I’m helping Merrie outside. If there are any problems, just give us a shout.” As tempted as I was to grab another lemon drop, I refrained. It had the same effect on me as a triple shot of espresso, but I needed to be balanced tonight, not frantic.
“Oh, before you go,” Izzie said, “there were a couple of journalists sniffing around outside trying to get in.”
“I hope you ignored them.”
“One of them couldn’t get in. He kept tugging on the door, but it remained shut as it should do.”
“And the other?”
“That’s the weird thing; he got in. It took him a few goes, but he stumbled through the door, and it slammed shut before the other journalist could follow. He walked right in here and started asking questions.”
Hell of a Witch (Crypt Witch Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) Page 2
