"Mine had a witch, a werewolf, a vampire, an owl, an angel, and a sun. Does that sound at all significant to you?"
Gareth shook his head. "Vampires don't tend to dabble in readings. When you’re immortal, you’re more willing to take each day as it comes."
Somehow, that made sense to me. "I looked in the index and skimmed the pages, but I didn't see anything about cards.”
"You should go and talk to Juliet again," he suggested. "She's a gold mine of information, not just about town history."
"Do you think the cards are a witch thing?" I asked. If that was the case, then I could ask Ginger or possibly even Professor Holmes.
"There are several groups that indulge in card reading," he said. "Or you could go back and see Agnes."
I squeezed my eyes closed. “Against my better instincts, I am planning to go again.” I covered my face with my hands. “She stole my wand, Gareth. That old crone got me drunk and stole my wand."
Gareth fell backward in a fit of laughter.
"It's not funny," I insisted. "She turned the entire cafeteria into reptiles and amphibians. I was mortified."
"Oh, I do wish I had been there. Did she at least provide you with information about your coven?"
"Unfortunately not. She'd never heard of a coven that could see ghosts, although she’d heard of owl familiars. That was as much information as she offered." I hesitated. "She told me about Raisa, said I might want to pay her a visit."
Gareth shot to his feet. "Raisa? Is she mad?"
Now my curiosity was piqued. "Why? What's wrong with Raisa?"
"If you thought Agnes was scary and conniving, then do yourself a favor and stay far away from Raisa. At least she has the decency to stay far away from us."
Too late.
"Agnes did mention that Raisa wanted to be forgotten. What do you know about her?"
"Nothing, other than the fact that she's a frightening old hag. I don't think there's anything she could tell you about your coven. You're better off with your nose in the books."
He certainly changed his tune quickly. “You’ll be relieved to know Raisa is dead.”
“Really?” Gareth seemed surprised.
“I already went to see her and met her ghost…or something. She seemed solid and she could touch everything in her cottage. If you really want to learn about being a ghost, she might be a good resource.”
“I’d rather stick a needle in my eye.”
I folded my arms. “But that wouldn’t hurt because it would go right through you.”
“Hmm. Fair point. So did you learn anything else interesting in that book so far?" Gareth asked.
"I learned that Lord Gilder must be very old. He's been the head of your vampire coven since the town’s inception."
"That he is," Gareth agreed.
"Has there ever been any opposition to his leadership?”
“Vampires aren’t as territorial as, say, werewolves," Gareth said. "Unless there’s a serious issue, we’re happy to carry on as we are. Lord Gilder has been a strong and fair leader."
"Why does it seem like there are so few female vampires compared with males?" I asked.
"I don't know that there are," Gareth said. "I think it's just that you attract the males. Fresh blood, you see."
Ick. I hated to think of myself as a walking blood bag. "Do you really think that's the only reason Demetrius was interested in me? My newness.”
"I couldn't say for certain," he said. "But a unicorn doesn't change its horn overnight. Dem has always been a player and I don't see any reason to think he's ready to settle down now." He eyed me carefully. "Why? Are you reconsidering your decision?"
“No,” I said reluctantly. “Just curious.” I’d decided to break things off with Demetrius before it became a full-blown dating situation. Not because I didn't like him. I did. As the new girl in town, though, my plate was overloaded.
"It seems Daniel is trying very hard to turn over a new leaf," Gareth said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "How's that going for him?"
“At the moment, he’s trouncing Darcy as the ultimate volunteer in Spellbound. He’s got a finger in every philanthropic pot.”
“Good for him,” Gareth said. “And high time, too.”
“I’d like to stay out of his way as much as possible,” I admitted. As much as I longed to spend time with Daniel, I knew some time apart was a necessity. The more I was with him, the more I wanted the relationship to progress. I thought of Freddie and his secret love for Heidi and tears welled in my eyes.
Gareth noticed my tears before I could blink them away. "What's the matter? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no. I was just thinking about Freddie in his endless sleep." I told Gareth about the dwarf’s love for Heidi. It wasn't like Gareth could tell anyone, so I knew Freddie's secret would be safe.
"That's rough," he said, rubbing his chin. "I know firsthand what it's like to carry such a heavy secret. Poor lad. Look on the bright side, maybe Heidi and Paul will break up while Freddie's under the curse. Then when he wakes up, Heidi will be free to date him."
“But do we know what Heidi's feelings are for him? Is there a chance that she could view him as more than a friend?"
“There’s always a chance,” Gareth said.
The gears began clicking in my mind. What if Paul felt threatened by their friendship? Is it possible that Paul played a role in the curse? Maybe the elaborate coffin and affectionate touches were done to throw investigators off the trail.
I placed the book on my bedside table and leaped off the bed.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Gareth asked.
“Spellbound Country Club.”
“Aren’t you supposed to meet the fabulous Fabio today?” he asked. “That is today, right?”
I rounded on him. “Will you stop eavesdropping on every conversation? Yes, that’s today, but I have time to drop by the country club on my way into town.”
“Why the country club? Are you finally going to address that extra five pounds…?” He trailed off and began to whistle softly to himself.
I narrowed my eyes. “I need to see a satyr about a dwarf.” A sentence I never expected to utter.
“Maybe try out some of the equipment while you’re there,” Gareth called after me.
Extra five pounds, my ass, I thought.
I don’t think he means on your ass, Sedgwick chimed in.
I let out an exasperated yell. “For the record, Sedgwick can see and hear you, Gareth. Have fun together. Bye!”
I slammed the door behind me before my owl could escape. Served them both right.
I didn’t have too much time, but I couldn’t allow my date with Fabio to trump my investigation. The longer Freddie slept, the more dangerous the situation became. Not to mention there was a malicious spell caster on the loose. Spellbound didn’t need any more surprises.
A valet greeted me at the entrance to the club and I recognized him from the first time I was here. I’d come to speak with Gareth’s friends about him before I’d met him. In fact, the first time I’d met Demetrius was on this very golf course.
“Miss Hart,” the valet said, holding open my car door. “Welcome back. Have you finally decided to join?”
“Not today, thanks,” I said. “I’m looking for Paul, the trainer. Do you know him?”
“He’s usually in the gym until around six. If you take the first hall on your right, you’ll find it.”
“Thank you.” I hustled inside and hoped I didn’t run into Heidi. I didn’t want to explain why I was here.
The gym was much larger than I expected. While it had some of the typical equipment like weights and ellipticals, it also had items I didn’t recognize. Floating ribbons and a string of colorful hoops near the ceiling.
“Hey, you look familiar,” a voice said.
Paul. He was in the process of wiping his bare chest down with a towel and, I had to admit, it was a decent view.
“Emma,” I reminded
him. “We met at Freddie’s vigil.”
At the mention of Freddie, his expression clouded over. “Yes, that’s right.” His friendly tone dissipated. “Are you here for a training session?”
“No, I’d like to have a look at the gym here. I’m thinking about joining.” And based on his unhappy reaction to Freddie’s name, I wanted to probe a little deeper into his feelings about Heidi and Freddie’s relationship.
“Great, I can show you around,” he said. His mood seemed to lift. He tossed the towel into a nearby laundry basket and prepared to begin the grand tour. “I don’t see many witches in here. Which areas of your body are you planning to focus on?”
“Why don’t you get too many witches?”
Paul punched a fist into the palm of his hand. His version of a thoughtful gesture. “I don’t know. I assume it’s because you have spells and stuff to make yourselves look good.”
There had to be another reason. I knew for a fact that Begonia and Sophie worked out regularly and that the coven housed an aerobics room in one of their private buildings. Maybe it was the insular nature of the coven at work again.
“Well, I’m new so I don’t know too many spells,” I admitted, then gave him my best version of a coy look, which probably landed somewhere between drunk and constipated. “I bet you know more spells than I do.”
Paul laughed. “Doubtful. I don’t mess around much with magic.”
Much or not at all? “Really? I thought everyone in Spellbound used magic.”
“Unless you’re a natural spell caster like you, it’s not easy to perform magic. Heidi can do cool stuff with water, but a satyr’s skills are generally limited to stuff like winemaking and flute playing.” He flexed his bicep. “And looking awesome.”
“Do you make wine?”
“Not personally, but my family owns one of the local vineyards. Lenae Winery.”
“That’s very cool.” I didn’t even realize Spellbound had vineyards. I learned something new every day.
He circled around me, examining my body. “My suggestion would be a little tightening in certain areas, but nothing insurmountable.”
Gee, thanks. “The tour, Paul.”
He snapped to attention. “Oh, right.” He pointed out various pieces of equipment and gave me the spiel about the benefits of daily exercise. I started to tune out. Hearing about exercise was even worse than doing it.
“Thanks so much, Paul,” I interjected. “I need to get moving. I have to head into town. If I have any questions, I’ll let you know.”
He seemed surprised by my quick exit. “Sure, no problem.”
I waved over my shoulder as I hurried out of the gym. His reaction to Freddie’s name was interesting, but his statement about not messing around with magic seemed believable. I wasn’t sure what to think.
I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I nearly crashed into Patrick, another employee of the country club that I’d met before.
“Emma Hart,” the centaur said, greeting me with a big smile. “I was hoping you’d change your mind about joining.”
“I haven’t yet,” I said apologetically. “I was checking out the gym. Paul was kind enough to give me the full tour.”
“The full tour?” He arched a thick eyebrow. “Paul, huh? A little surprising.”
“Why is that?”
“No offense, but he generally doesn’t go for tall girls. He likes the dainty ones.”
“He wasn’t…” I stopped. “Isn’t he in a serious relationship with Heidi?”
Patrick pretended to zip his lips together. “Oops. You didn’t hear it from me.”
So Paul was a player. Was there any male in this town not chasing multiple women at once?
“I need to run,” I said. “It was good to see you again.”
“Let me know next time you come by,” he said. “I’ll show you around the whole club. The gym is the least interesting part.”
I couldn’t tell if he was hitting on me or just being friendly. I didn’t have time to worry about it right now.
“Thanks, I will.” I left the club and was surprised to see Sigmund already waiting for me. “How did you know I was leaving?”
The valet grinned. “It’s my job, Miss Hart.”
And he was damn good at it.
I slid into the driver’s seat and sped off toward the town square. So if, as Patrick hinted, Paul was regularly cheating on Heidi, then I didn’t see why he’d need Freddie out of the way. True, Paul could still be jealous of their relationship despite his own indiscretions, but it seemed less likely that he’d perform a complicated curse. And it was even less likely he’d take great pains to make sure Freddie was comfortable in his endless sleep. The glass coffin, the pillow, and the flowers—they all suggested that the responsible party cared about Freddie.
I scratched Paul off my mental list and parked the car near the town square.
Fabio and I agreed to meet at the clock tower. I figured he would be easy to spot based on Pandora's description. I told him I'd wear a red flower on my top so that he’d be able to identify me.
He was waiting for me when I arrived. Pandora wasn't kidding. His hair lived up to its reputation. I found myself wanting to run my fingers through it before we'd even been introduced.
“You must be Emma," he said. "You’re every bit as beautiful as Pandora said. I assumed she was exaggerating."
A blush crept into my cheeks. His hair wasn't the only attractive thing about him. I could see evidence of his rippling muscles through the thin fabric of his shirt. It must've been very frustrating for the women of Spellbound to have a specimen like this in their midst with no hope of dating him. Naturally, my thoughts turned to Daniel and my heart squeezed. I pushed aside thoughts of the angel and focused my attention on Fabio.
"I've never met a werelion before," I said. I hoped that wasn't a stupid thing to say. Or racist. Yikes, I'd already insulted him and we hadn't even started the date yet.
Fabio grinned, seemingly unoffended. “A werelion virgin. I’m glad I could be the first then."
“So where are we going?" I asked. I prayed that he did not say the casino. I’d had quite enough of gambling for the time being.
"How do you feel about hiking?”
Phew. “That sounds good,” I said. "How far is it? Do we need to take a car?"
"Yes, but I have wheels if you don't mind riding with me."
Why would I mind? He led me to where he'd parked and I quickly realized why. Fabio didn't have a car. He had the magical version of a motorcycle. Why was I not surprised?
He patted the section of the seat behind him. "You'll want to hold onto me. I assume that's okay."
With pecs like his, it was more than okay. I slid the helmet over my head. "What about you? Aren't you going to wear a helmet?"
Fabio flipped his hair over his shoulder. "Not with this mane. That would be a crime against nature."
My stomach sank. My gut told me I was about to see why Fabio was still in the market for a love match. I got on the back of the bike and wrapped my arms around him.
"Feels good, right?" he called over his shoulder. As much as I wanted to assume he meant the bike, I was pretty sure he meant his body.
He revved the magical engine and we took off. We rode the motorcycle as far as the foothills to the north. I'd only been as far as the remedial witch hideout, and I certainly hadn’t been hiking. Although I liked the outdoors, I was not particularly athletic. Then again, I'd been walking back and forth to town so often before Sigmund arrived that I was probably in good enough shape to hike one of the mountains. Not that I'd offer.
We left our helmets with the bike and strode toward the base of the nearest hill.
"Do you have a usual trail that you take?" I asked.
"I like to vary it," he said. "I come here so often that I basically know every trail like the back of my paw.”
I wondered if he intended to shift into a lion for the hike. I wasn't sure how comfortable I was with that. Would
he recognize me in his lion form or would I be a slab of walking meat? I had to ask to alleviate my nerves.
"So when you hike these trails, do you do it in human form or lion form?"
Fabio grinned. "Not to worry, Emma. I'm happy to take whatever form interests you."
His statement was either very considerate or he’d dated a few women who were partial to bestiality. Oddly, the latter did not surprise me in Spellbound. The culture here was so recognizable, and yet so completely different from the human world.
“I don’t mind,” I said. As long as you don’t eat me.
"You have nice legs," he said, his gaze traveling up from my feet to my hips.
"Thank you. It's probably from all the walking I've been doing."
"Well, whatever it is, keep doing it. It's working for you." His long hair whipped in the wind and I fought the urge to tie it back for him. He didn't strike me as the type of man who wore a ponytail. He seemed to want his hair free flowing.
I trudged up the hill beside him, making small talk. He occasionally pointed out a species of plant or a speck in the distance and offered details. I didn't feel the same level of companionship that I felt with Daniel, but Fabio was proving himself to be decent company. In some ways, that was better. I did not want the angst that came with Daniel. It was nice to have a friend without the romantic underpinnings. Technically, I had that with Gareth too, but somehow it didn't seem the same, probably because he was—you know—dead.
After about an hour of hiking, Fabio stretched out his arms. "I need to loosen up,” he said. "Would you mind if I shifted and went for a quick run?"
"Are there no regulations for werelions?" I asked. I was familiar with the shifting ordinances for werewolves. I had no idea if they extended to other shifters.
Fabio gave me an approving nod. "Already up on the rules and regulations, huh? Good for you. I guess that's important for a public defender. To answer your question, we’re far enough outside of town that the rules don't get enforced out here."
"It does seem pretty far away from civilization," I said. In a good way.
"Yes, you won't see too many residents out here. There was an incident, maybe ten or so years ago. Two people died on a camping trip. Things like that tend to keep others away."
Spell's Bells (Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 3) Page 14
