Mayor’s Mansion
Belladonna was relieved to find the mansion almost entirely empty. The mayor was home, but he was in his den reading. As far as Bella knew, the mayor had no dangerous powers. He would pose no threat to her as long as the spell held.
She had been to the mansion a few times. The mayor of Winterfield frequently held holiday parties and invited the town. Belladonna had also toured it as a child during a field trip for school. Of course, they weren’t allowed into every part of the house, but Bella had a good idea of where the most secret areas of the building were located.
Finding them was easy when you paid attention. Those who did not want the home’s secrets revealed would behave in a peculiar manner around those doors they wanted to remain locked from prying eyes. Belladonna noticed it, though.
In the past, it did nothing more than make her curious, but now she could use it to her advantage. She stood inside the marble foyer, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Belladonna searched her memories for the right door. There were many secrets in this house, but after a few moments, her mind rested on a wood panel in the attic.
“Cliché,” Bella whispered to herself, but she was sure the stone was hidden in the attic’s secret room.
Belladonna tiptoed up the oak staircase that led from the foyer to the second floor and then up to the third. At the top of the stairs, a long hallway stretched out before her. She was thankful that the dark, hardwood floor was covered with a thick wine-red rug. The thick floor covering would help ensure that her footsteps were silent as she padded towards the smaller staircase at the end of the hall.
While she was invisible, Belladonna didn’t want creaky floorboards to alert the mayor to her presence. As far as she knew, he was completely innocent of his wife’s dark dealings. Belladonna wanted to keep him out of the mess Lexi was creating.
She reached the tiny, dark staircase that headed to the attic without making a sound. Those stairs proved harder to negotiate without making noise, but Belladonna soon found herself in the attic and the mayor was none the wiser.
Belladonna walked across the attic quickly. She didn’t need to be as careful because there was an entire floor between her and the mayor’s study. The panel that opened to the attic’s secret room was exactly where she’d remembered.
When Bella pushed it aside and stepped into the room, the cold air chilled her skin, and a soft, red glow pulled her eyes to a shelf next to a small, hexagonal window. Bella moved to the shelf and plucked a large, hefty ruby from the wood ledge. The weight of it in her hand told Belladonna that it belonged to her. She felt a warming relief wash over her.
The Dragon’s Eye gem was the key to stopping the dark witches from releasing black magic back into the world, and she had it in her hand. Emboldened by the new power she possessed, Belladonna hurried out of the attic and out of the mayor’s mansion.
She practically ran across town to join her sisters at the cemetery gates. Belladonna could feel the dark coven beginning their ritual, and she was ready to put an end to their endeavors.
It was showtime.
Sixteen
Winterfield Cemetery
Belladonna reached the witches congregated at the gates watching the Ladies Brigade begin their dark ritual in the center of the graveyard. They had a fire burning on Elsbeth Tory’s grave, and they danced and chanted words that sounded like blackness and despair.
Everyone but Granny Pepper, Aunt Sumac, and Petunia looked terrified. Even Murielle looked scared half out of her mind. The calm on her family’s faces kept Belladonna feeling strong. They were touched by the elders, and if they knew everything was going to be alright, she was confident there was nothing to fear.
“We need to join hands. Our mission now is to unlock the Dragon’s Eye and let Sterling out,” she whispered.
What she hadn’t noticed was that Murielle had disappeared. It was only when they were standing in a circle ready to begin their spell that Belladonna’s heart sank. Their enemy had taken her friend and kept her from seeing it until it was too late.
“Granny Pepper, they’ve taken Murielle,” Belladonna whispered to her grandmother.
“Go, we can perform the ritual here, but remember that this is a trap. They want to lure you away from us. Never let that slip your mind,” Granny Pepper replied quietly.
“How will I find them?”
“Think, Belladonna. They want you to find them. I’m sure they left a trail,” Granny said and turned back to the other witches.
Belladonna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She pulled her wand out of her pocket and held the Dragon’s Eye in her other hand. Bella moved her lips and soundlessly breathed out an illuminating chant. The footsteps of Murielle and the witch who took her lit up.
Belladonna followed them into the night. What she didn’t see was Sterling sneaking out the back door of her house and trailing behind her when she passed by.
Winterfield Police Station
The glowing footsteps led Belladonna right up to the steps of the police station. She expected to find the door locked, but it opened on its own as she stepped up the last riser.
Fear started to grip her heart. She could feel the darkness emanating out of the building. Belladonna looked down and saw Sterling standing beside her. The cat looked up and meowed.
“Let’s do this,” Belladonna said to her silver cat.
She squared her shoulders and walked through the door. The police station was small, and Belladonna could see that there was no one in the office area.
“Bella!” She heard Murielle’s frightened voice call out to her from the cells in the back of the station. “Bella, go. Get out of here. It’s a trap.”
“I know it’s a trap. That was evident. Well, it was obvious to Granny Pepper. Now, Lexi come out. Show yourself. Your little scheme is over,” Belladonna called out into the dim room.
“Little scheme? That’s amusing,” Lexi said from the corner.
When the dark witch stepped out of the black corner, she was dressed in a floor-length purple robe. Her skin had a sickly green glow as if she was alien, and Belladonna could feel the malevolence radiating off her adversary.
“It’s over, Lexi. You should turn yourself in. Whether or not you meant to kill Elsbeth, you did. You definitely intended to kill Jeremy, so you belong in jail. Spare this town any more bloodshed and accept your punishment quietly,” Belladonna said and took a confident step forward.
In the time it took for her to blink, Lexi was on her. The dark witch had a ceremonial knife held to her throat. Belladonna’s heart started to pound, and she could feel the pulse in her neck pushing against the cold metal of the blade.
“You have no idea how much bloodshed this town has in store for it, little witch,” Lexi hissed.
For the briefest of moments, Belladonna thought she’d been wrong all along. She saw her life flash before her eyes, and had a sinking feeling that it was all over. Thinking that she’d failed and black magic would be unleashed on the world again almost brought her to tears.
Almost.
Just as Lexi increased the pressure of the knife against her flesh and started to draw it back to end her life, A loud roar pierced her eardrums. The deafening rumble startled Lexi and she dropped the knife as she spun around to face Sterling.
Granny Pepper had been true to her word, and she’d freed Sterling. What Lexi and Belladonna saw when they turned to see what had issued the thundering growl was a massive silver dragon.
Sterling lifted her head and roared again. Lexi was shaking, but she still managed to drop to her knees and scramble for the knife. Belladonna had a choice. She could work her magic to stop Lexi, or she could use it to free Murielle.
Belladonna chose to rush to the cell holding her best friend and sister witch and set her free. They clasped hands and turned in time to see Lexi rushing towards them with a knife poised above her head. Her eyes were wild and murderous. She was willing to risk death to complete her mission.
Sterling’s tail came around her massive silver body and caught Lexi by the ankle just in time to drag her to the ground. The knife clattered away from her hands, and this time, Murielle snatched it up.
Lexi stood and faced Sterling. Belladonna knew that Lexi needed a dragon slave to bring the darkness back, but she wasn’t sure if Lexi needed this dragon. Bella feared she was about to try and kill Sterling, and she was right.
Belladonna and Murielle began chanting a binding incantation at the same time that Lexi raised her hands towards the dragon. Inky black tendrils snaked out of her fingers towards Sterling.
The majestic silver dragon stamped her feet and growled. A spark preceded the blaze that burned off the dark magic aimed at Sterling’s heart but left Lexi unharmed.
It did not leave the police station unscathed, however. The dragon’s fire defeated the magic, but it also ignited paperwork and wooden furniture all around Sterling’s feet. Lexi stood in the center of the blaze in shock and unable to move.
Belladonna and Lexi sprang into action. They crossed the room and grabbed Lexi by the arms. Sterling used her tail to knock the burning furniture out of their way, and the witches made for the front doors.
Outside, Belladonna inhaled the cool, fresh fall air. The binding worked despite the interruption, and they stood with Lexi and watched for a few seconds as the flames spread.
“I wish we could put it out,” Murielle said with a huff.
“Elemental magic is not to be taken lightly. You know if we put out a fire, especially a dragon’s fire, we could cause a typhoon or earthquake somewhere,” Belladonna replied.
“It would probably just be a small earthquake,” Murielle offered.
“Murielle. No. We’ll just have to wait for the fire department.”
Moments later, a big rig pulled up, and Detective Benjamin hopped out of the cab and came running up to Belladonna.
“Are you okay? What’s going on? What’s the mayor’s wife doing here?” He took no time to breathe between questions.
“I’m here because I did it. I killed Jeremy and Elsbeth. Just arrest me. Take me away. Get me away from the dragon,” Lexi begged.
“Dragon?” Detective Ben asked, but he was already getting his cuffs out. “Right. Okay. So, I’m going to take Lexi over to the next town and get her booked. I don’t have much choice seeing as the police station is on fire. Then, you two are going to have to fill me in on what exactly is going on here,” Detective Ben said as he put the handcuffs on Lexi’s wrists.
“I’ll take her to the county jail in New Salem. You stay here and get statements from the girls,” Chief Frost said from behind them.
“Chief Frost. You’re in your…”
“My pajamas. Yes, I know Detective Carmichael. My station is on fire. I rushed down here. I’m glad I did. I want to take Mrs. Whitlow in and make sure we get her confession in writing tonight. We need to make sure we leave her no room to weasel back out of this,” Chief Frost said and cleared his throat.
The town’s two fire engines pulled up to the curb, and all of the available firefighters rushed out to put out the blaze. Murielle, Belladonna, and Ben moved out of their way. The three of them watched Chief Frost take Lexi away in his car.
“Why don’t you take our statements at my house?” Belladonna offered.
Detective Ben picked up on her tone when she said statements and he knew he was in for quite the story. “After you, ladies. After you,” he said with a cautious smile.
Epilogue
“So it was Sterling who started both fires?” Detective Ben asked and took a bite of a fluffy, buttery bread stick.
“Yes. She was trying to protect Elsbeth when the Tory mansion burned, and the police station was her trying to protect me. The fires were an accident. She’s a young dragon. Well, young as far as dragons go, and Sterling hasn’t exactly learned how to control her fire yet.” Belladonna laughed. “But, is this seriously how you want to spend our first date? Discussing the case?” Belladonna asked playfully.
“No, of course not. I’m just so curious about all of this. It’s like a brand-new world I never even knew existed.”
“I understand. I actually hope that Sterling never has to use her fire again. It’s a lot to wish for, but maybe the darkness will just stay gone,” Belladonna said and twirled a forkful of her spaghetti.
“But what does that mean for you now? You’re the Dragon Keeper, right?” Ben asked as he speared a tortellini and brought it to his mouth.
“For now, it means I have a very special cat. She’s family now. Only a few witches have a dragon as their familiar. I consider myself very lucky,” she said with a smile.
The rest of their dinner, Belladonna and Ben did not discuss the case. They flirted and finished their meals before deciding to take a walk around the lake.
Ben had wanted their first date to be as special as possible, so he’d taken her to a fancy Italian restaurant in New Salem. Now they would take a starlit walk before heading home.
Once they were halfway around the lake and away from the other people taking a nighttime stroll, Detective Ben pulled Belladonna into his arms and softly cupped the back of Belladonna’s neck with his hand.
Their lips hovered a millimeter away from each other for as long as Ben could stand it. When the butterflies dancing in his stomach threatened to overwhelm him, Ben closed the gap and really kissed Bella for the first time.
The End
Sort of…
Thank you for reading my story!
Devil Hour
Blurb
What was that noise?
Sammy’s new home is everything she dreamed of, but it’s definitely not what she expected. Things go bump in the night, and Sammy has to figure out if there is a ghost haunting her or if it’s something more sinister.
Everything in Samantha’s life seems to be coming together and falling apart at the same time. She’ll have to solve the mystery of Overwatch house before the unknown consumes her.
The final fight is one that will change her, and those she loves, forever. Will Sammy find the conviction she needs to survive her worst nightmare?
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. – Ephesians 6:12
Prologue – The Choice
A hand shot out of the crowd and waved a fresh beer in my face. I wrapped my hand around the cold, glass bottle and contemplated whether I really wanted to drink another one.
The music was pounding, and dozens of people were swaying in time to the rhythm. Everyone around me had a slight sheen of sweat on their skin as they moved hypnotically. I wondered how we’d avoided having the cops called. Then, I remembered it was summer, and the town was abandoned since the college wasn’t in session. The only people who were left were the handful of locals, who didn’t live anywhere near this neighborhood, and the other kids who don’t go home for the break.
“I’m not sure I should have another one,” I said to Riley, but she wouldn’t take the beer back.
“Don’t be a square. You’ve had, like, one beer tonight.”
“Yeah, I’ve had one beer, but I had a shot of tequila too. I don’t want to drink too much.” I said in response.
“Drink the beer, Pollyanna.” Riley teased. “Oh, and Ryder was looking for you.”
“Ryder Collins was looking for me?” I tried not to sound too interested. “Where is he?”
“I saw him in the kitchen, but I think he said he was going to head to his room to watch some movie.” She said and playfully poked me in the arm.
“Do you think I should go?”
“Are you mental?” She said with one eyebrow raised. “He’s the hottest guy we know, and look at this place.”
Ryder’s house was more than impressive. It was one of the nicest houses in town, and he could live in it alone since he technically didn’t have to pay for it. His parents bought h
im the place when he’d started school, so he didn’t have to live in campus housing or rent one of the many apartments available around town. Ryder didn’t live alone, though, he rented two of the five bedrooms out to friends and pocketed the money.
“He asked me to come find him, Riley. He didn’t ask me to marry him.” I said with a laugh.
“Laugh now, Samantha, but we’re getting close to graduation. That puts us at a marriageable age and station in life. You could do a lot worse than Ryder.”
I just rolled my eyes at her and walked off. I’d only ever been in this house once before, and I wasn’t quite sure where his bedroom was located. After a few minutes, I was able to find him upstairs at the end of a long hall that partially overlooked the living area. I couldn’t believe that a college kid lived in this house, but from what I understood, it was a shack compared to Ryder’s family estate.
I knocked on the door and said “Knock knock,” at the same time. I wanted to kick myself for being such a huge dork. If I were him, I’d probably ignore me.
“Come in,” Ryder said through the door.
Pushing the door open, I was immediately aware of the distinct smell of roses. I thought it was strange, and my stomach roiled at the thought of him having just had another girl in there. I pushed it down and figured I’d give him a chance to explain before I stormed off. Just because Ryder could have any girl he wanted didn’t mean I was willing to be part of some sort of jock haram.
“It smells like perfume in here.” I blurted out as I hovered in the doorway.
“Yeah, Tiffany Granger was in here a minute ago, trying to climb me like a jungle gym, but I had to break her heart.”
“You sent her away?” I asked skeptically.
Magic & Mystery Page 18
