Witches of the West - (An Urban Fantasy Whiskey Witches Novel)

by S. M. Blooding

  “You do realize he’s a highly impressionable young man.”

  Quinn stared at the desk for a moment before raising her gaze. “I don’t think you understand what you go through when you realize that every time you open your mouth you could hurt someone.”

  “He’s a bard.” Paige was pretty sure Quinn was exaggerating a smidge. “Not a siren.”

  “And, as such, he’s more powerful than I am. Do you know the history of bards?”

  Paige couldn’t say that she did.

  “They were storytellers, but they were the kind of storyteller that when they spoke, when they sang, their audience lived through the story as if they were the hero.”

  Paige still wasn’t getting the big deal.

  “I can make people chase parked cars.”

  Yeah. Paige had gotten that story. As cute as it was, it was like hearing the same knock-knock joke for the eightieth time.

  “He can make people believe they’d lived something they hadn’t.”

  Paige narrowed her eyes, trying to grasp the full scope of ramifications that could entail.

  Possibly really bad.

  Got it. “We don’t have a great starting salary.”

  “Right now, I’m not making jack anyway. So…” Quinn dropped that thought and shrugged again.

  The way Quinn had refused to meet her gaze when she’d said that, led Paige to dig deeper. “How do you survive now?”

  “I hustle men. Not really against the law. I’m not selling sex or anything. I just get them to give me money.”

  “Oh.” Rather unethical.

  “Yeah. And I can continue to do that to supplement my income.”

  “We’re probably going to have to make a rule about that.”

  Quinn raised an eyebrow. “Or you can wait until after we succeed at something and give me a pay raise.”

  Well, Paige didn’t have anyone to answer to yet and so far, Quinn was the first one with real potential. “Okay. Well, we’ll give you a call.”

  The next person was a tall, dark man of middle eastern descent. Tarik Riyad. Djinn.

  Paige had called Michelle Gomez in for this one. Gomez—Michelle. Paige was going to have to get used to calling people by their first names. Michelle was an ash dryad who’d just finished moving her grove back to the Oregon area. Before the adverts had even gone out, Paige had called her to see if she’d wanted a position.

  Michelle’d said yes.

  But djinn and dryads didn’t mix. Tarik’s resume was quite impressive, and why wouldn’t it be? Djinn were powerful, probably more so than Paige. But she wouldn’t hire him if he and Michelle couldn’t get along.

  Tarik paused before taking his chair. His dark glaze drifted over Ethel, and Dexx. It paused on Paige. When it lit on Michelle, however, it flashed black.

  Paige reached for her power. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to stand up to a djinn, but she was going to try if he did anything.

  He held up one hand and bowed. “Great Ash, I bid you greeting.”

  Michelle frowned at him, her full dark hair falling around her face and cascading around her shoulders. Her full lips drew in slightly. “Djinni.”

  He gestured to the chair on the other side of the table. “May I sit?”

  Michelle glanced at Paige, but nodded.

  Paige released her power, but didn’t relax entirely. “You have a very impressive resume.”

  He’d assisted the Portland PD as a consultant on several cases, helping them to close with a high success rate. But his cases—after Ethel hacked the Portland PD’s database to review said cases—seemed to have been handled fairly.

  “Yes.” His tone was gentle and smooth, his expression open.

  She’d kind of hoped he’d embellish.

  “Hey.” Dexx tossed his notepad on the table and leaned in. “Are you going to offer my partner here,” he gestured to Michelle around Paige, “any harm?”

  Tarik studied Dexx, narrowed his eyes, then turned his attention to Michelle. “No. Not all djinn are the same, Great Ash.”

  “Michelle.” She glanced at Paige again.

  “Of course. Michelle.” He lowered his gaze to the table. “There are many of us who do not believe in the destruction of life. We do our best to maintain balance.”

  “Through the use,” Michelle said through her clenched teeth, “of ash wood.”

  He opened his mouth, but paused before speaking. “It is true that the ash tree is quite wise, and wisdom can be gleaned through the use of ash wood, but, no, Michelle. I would prefer to work with you, to glean your wisdom as you deign to give it. I look forward to learning from you. With you in full control of your own wood.”

  Michelle leaned forward. “There was a djinni in Dallas.”

  “Ah.” Tarik sat back, holding up a smooth finger. “There were several, actually. You seek the ones who attacked your grove?”

  Michelle nodded, sucking in her cheeks. “Yes.”

  “They were dealt with.” He smiled at her with a confident smile.

  “That seems awfully convenient,” Paige said softly.

  “Not at all, actually. You see, it is my job to keep the djinn of this region in line. I am the peacemaker of the western region.”

  “The peacemaker?” That sounded very Wild Wild West.

  “Yes.” He spread his hands. “It is my duty to deal with these types of situations when they arise. You noticed they went quiet, didn’t you? How your grove was no longer under attack? Yes?”

  Michelle frowned, then nodded.

  “It is because I handled the situation.”

  “And how,” Dexx growled, “did you do that?”

  Tarik met Dexx’s gaze squarely. “They were tried in a djinn court of law and apprehended. Trust me.” He turned his attention to Michelle. “They will not bother you.”

  “Where are they?” Paige asked. And why was he here?

  “In an alternate dimension. Something, I think,” he said, sliding his gaze to Paige, “that you understand well.”

  Well, that was certainly…handy.

  “And the one who murdered your son’s mother.”

  Paige jerked.

  Tarik nodded gravely. “He was not so lucky as to maintain a stay in apprehension. His life force has been returned to the circle.”

  A long-winded way to say he was dead?

  Tarik’s lips tightened as if in response to her question.

  Paige blinked and looked at Michelle. Heather’s murder had remained open and that had been like a thorn in Paige’s side. To know that he had been caught. And killed? She felt a little better. “Will you be okay if we take him on?”

  Michelle didn’t answer immediately. Eventually, she nodded once.

  Tarik smiled, his shoulders dropping minutely. “I would be honored to work with you, Great Ash.”

  Michelle narrowed her gaze. “Call me that one more time…”

  “I will always show you respect, Michelle.” His smile widened. “It will always be your choice to accept or deny it.”

  Paige rose. “I will call you with our decision.”

  “Most excellent.”

  The next two through the door almost—almost—made the team.

  Scout Drake and Greta Van Sant. A harpy and a valkyrie. Both had pretty exceptional resumes. Scout had even been in a police unit. Greta was hired security.

  But, in the end, she had enough money in the budget for five, along with her and Dexx.

  And Rainbow Blu kinda swept Paige off her feet.

  Paige reached for the door to lock it behind Greta.

  The door blew open, a strong wind pushing it in.

  Paige stumbled backward, tripped on her own feet, and fell.

  Her ears rang. Her head throbbed where she’d cracked it on the floor. It took her a moment for her gaze to focus.

  A petite woman with a full afro looked down at her, an apologetic smile on her soft face. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Valkyrie caught me by surprise.” She giggle
d, embarrassed.

  Oh, for the love of wild monkeys. Paige sat up, rubbing her head. “Do you have an appointment?”

  “Nope.” The woman extended her hand, flicking her fingers at Paige.

  Paige groaned internally, but gripped the other woman’s offered hand. “I’m going to need real help.” The woman was so slender, Paige doubted she could lift more than a fly. Okay. That was an obvious exaggeration. “Like real help up at this position.” Her hips just didn’t work the way they used to.

  “Like this?”

  Before Paige had a chance to answer, she’d be pulled to her feet. “Um, yeah. Thanks.” She felt like a total ass for thinking the other woman was weak.

  “Sure. Rainbow Blu.” She smiled up at Paige. “Rusalka.”

  Paige twisted around to look at Dexx, Ethel, and Michelle. They’d just mentioned a rusalka earlier.

  Michelle shrugged.

  Ethel frowned at her tablet, flipping her blue and blonde hair out of the way. “I just got your resume, like, two minutes ago.”

  “Oh, I know,” Rainbow said. Everything about this woman was perky. Like, super perky and bubbly and full of wild energy. “I just sent it.”

  “We didn’t call you.”

  “The winds told me you were done. Though,” she frowned at the door, “they didn’t warn me about her.”

  “Greta?” Paige asked.

  “That thing has a name?”

  “That thing could have a job.”

  “Oh.” Rainbow tugged on the neon green ruffles of her black and yellow t-shirt. “Oh. Well, then.” She released a breathy chuckle. “In that case, what a sweet and amazing girl she was. Whew.” She pumped the air across her chest. “I wish I’d stopped to chat a bit.”

  Paige shook her head and turned to Ethel. “Is she worth the interview?”

  Ethel’s blue eyes were wide and growing wider. “Is she ever.” She got out of her chair and gestured to the one in front of the table. “Sit. Please. Just. No, really. Sit down.”

  Rainbow grinned and hop-skip-walked to the chair. “I’m very excited to be here. This is an incredible opportunity. Thank you so much. How many people are you gathering for this?”

  Paige watched the bubbly woman, pulling up the sketchy information she had on rusalkas. It wasn’t much. Just the horror stories told around Halloween to scare kids. “Don’t you drown kids?”

  “Me? No.” Rainbow’s chuckle evaporated, as did her smile. “Really. One old woman drowns a few kids, and we all get a bad name. Okay. Three old women. All right. Two old women and a young-ish woman, and a girl. Okay. All right. So, maybe there are a few more of us that like to drown people than don’t. But that doesn’t mean I do.”

  Paige needed coffee to keep up with this woman’s mouth. “Okay. So, have you drowned anyone?”

  “Nope. Well.” She slumped in her seat, then straightened. “Nope. Because that spider didn’t count. Even though it was practically the size of the sink. Well, it was the size of my shoe. Okay. It fit under the sole of my shoe. But I drowned it. I drowned it good. After I squished it.”

  Ethel perched on the edge of her chair.

  What in the world could make Ethel that interested in a woman like this? Could she even keep her attention focused on one thing long enough to solve a case.”

  “You solve missing persons cases.”

  Huh? Paige gave the woman her full attention.

  “Yes.” Rainbow’s eyes lit up neon blue. Literally lit up. With blue light. “Yes. I do. Well, it probably has something to do with racial guilt. You know, us rusalkas drowning people and everything.”

  “I thought,” Dexx said, “you said that not all of you guys do that.”

  “And we don’t. I don’t. Anyway, yes. I close missing persons cases.”

  Michelle rested the side of her face on the palm of her hand, a pained expression on her face. “You think you could work on a police department?”

  “Well, you’re not really police, are you? I mean, really. Right? No. So, yeah. I’d be great.”

  “You’d have a badge,” Paige said. Though, she really needed to look into that. She didn’t know if they really could get badges. No. She’d delegated that to Ethel. Or she’d volunteered herself, whichever. But, maybe Director Lovejoy could help or point her in the right direction.

  “Sweet. Would I get a gun?”

  That was a scary thought. “Do you have one now?”

  “No.”

  “Then…”A police officer without a gun? Bad idea.

  “Yes.” Rainbow clapped her hands. “This is going to be awesome.”

  “You’d have to dress the part.” Because that get-up wasn’t going to get her across a police barricade even with a badge.

  “I have all kinds of outfits. Trust me.” Rainbow grinned. “I got this and you’ll want my skills in tracking people. Even the harpy would have a hard time out-scouting me.”

  Ethel’s eyes were wide, her smile excited. Kindred spirits. She’d finally found a kindred spirit.

  That wasn’t enough to beat out Greta and Scout, though. To have someone on their team who’d actually served on a police department. As far as Paige was concerned, Scout was in. She didn’t know much about harpies, but that experience alone was priceless.

  She gave Ethel a look that told the other woman to cool it.

  Ethel pinched her lips together, her shoulders set at she scoured Rainbow’s resume again. “Tell me about your missing persons cases. What’s your process?”

  “Process?” Rainbow smiled and the overly bubbly woman disappeared and someone who could pass as an adult took her place. “Sometimes, people come to me when their loved ones disappear, but I also watch the police reports.”

  “How?” Ethel asked before Paige could.

  Rainbow scrunched up her face in a long-thinking wince. “Did you really want me to tell you?”

  So, hacking then.

  Rainbow nodded once and continued. “I start at the scene where each victim was last seen, and then I circle through from there. I talk to the people around the area. I talk to the people closest to them. I learn each person’s habits, their hobbies, what could have drawn them into that area. Sometimes, it’s easy. Most times, it’s not. People like to keep the things they enjoy most to themselves.”

  Hmm. Now, this person could have some possible value to the team.

  “However.” Rainbow resituated in her chair and the overly bubbly woman peeked out again. “I’ve been tracking some missing person cases that you might be interested in.”

  Paige narrowed her eyes and waited.

  “They involve the Eastwoods.”

  That could definitely interest Paige.

  “Most of the missing persons cases involving her have turned up with a body. I closed the missing persons case, but opened a homicide case instead.”

  “And what kind of experience do you have with that?” Michelle asked, her tone implying that a real homicide detective came with a badge and training.

  Rainbow didn’t seem to hear the tone, or brushed it off. “It’s not unlike solving a missing persons case. When I’m looking for a missing person, I know chances are good that the person is dead, so I’m looking for the person most likely to want to kill that person anyway.”

  Paige leaned back and folded her hands behind her head. “Okay. What do you have?”

  Rainbow smiled, but kept the energy at bay. “Dozens of people; men, women, children. They went missing around the same time one of the Eastwoods came around. Sometimes, they showed up at the person’s job. Other times, they met at a social event, mostly charities. The Eastwoods are a very influential family and attend a lot of charity events.”

  Paige blinked. So, not just Merry Eastwood. The rest of the Eastwoods were murdering people as well? What kind of case did she really need to put together? But then, they practiced blood magick. This sounded less like a witch story and more of a vampire story.

  “Can we look at your files?” Michelle asked, her to
ne softer.

  “Depends.” Rainbow’s brown gaze met Paige’s. “Do I get to join the team?”

  Well, it seemed as though Paige had her team.

  Now, all she had to do was run it.

  Dexx had offered to show Rainbow a thing or two about guns. Ethel was sold—sold—on the idea they needed her.

  Everyone else had their reservations. People in their line of work needed some semblance of maturity, and that was something Rainbow lacked.

  “If you can’t learn how to not kill people unintentionally,” Paige said on her way out the door, “you’re not getting a gun. You got that?”

  “Sure.” Rainbow bounced on her toes. “What could be so hard about that?”

  “Mostly,” Dexx said, his words clear as bullets, “you can’t shoot if you’re running your mouth off.”

  “Oh, trust me.” Rainbow winked. “I’ve got skills.”

  Oh, skills. That, Paige didn’t doubt.

  She could still call Scout.

  No. Of all the people she’d hired on, her biggest worry was Quinn Winters. Paige wasn’t entirely sold on the fact that Quinn brought the right skills to the table.

  But she was Tyler’s teacher and a siren, so Paige wanted to keep that woman close. As in…close.

  Paige needed a break, so she decided she’d check in on Leslie, the woman with a plan.

  They’d taken down the chain link fence two days prior. She didn’t want the public closed off just in case they needed help that only the special division needed. Granted, Paige didn’t know how to get the word out, or when they’d be official, but they were kinda in business.

  Paige had to prove herself. She had no doubts that the town of Troutdale would pull the plug on her little operation if she couldn’t get it off the ground.

  She walked past the coffee shop and headed into Leslie’s shop via the unlocked front door.

  The lights were on. Boxes littered the floor. Several shelving units sat haphazardly in random areas of the floor.

  “Leslie,” Paige called.

  No answer.

  “Les!” Paige headed for the back. She walked through the door that led to a back storage area.

  Leslie sat on the floor against the far wall, her elbows on her knees, her head propped up by one hand. Her brown eyes were rimmed in red and her nose was puffy as if she’d been crying.