I smiled, imagining the look on her delicate face when her giant hawk familiar would bestow her with his specially-caught gifts.
Moving into the light, I glanced down at the notes. “Wait a second,” I said with a start. I held the notes out to Nick. “Look at these.”
Nick’s brow furrowed. “These look like the ones the leprechaun had on him. But they’re not the right shape.”
“The ones he had—and the one Mrs. Miller showed us—were shaped like four-leaf clovers. These are just the kind you’d find at any office store.”
“Different handwriting too,” Nick added as he inspected the note.
“Maybe that’s what he was so upset about,” I added. “Someone is interrupting his game.”
“What do they say?” Evangeline asked.
I plucked up the top note. “This one shows a series of numbers.”
“It looks like latitude and longitude,” Nick said, taking the note.
“This one says You’ll find the treasure when the sun sets,” I continued, moving to the next note in the stack.
“Well that’s just ridiculous,” Evangeline interjected, taking that note. “Everyone knows that leprechauns don’t actually have treasure.”
I laughed. “And if they did, isn’t it supposed to be at the end of a rainbow?”
Nick nodded. “That’s what I always heard, but you know, the last time I believed in leprechauns, I was probably five.”
“Which went first? Leprechauns or the Easter Bunny?”
“Tooth fairy,” he said. “I lost one and my mom forgot to put some money under my pillow. She tried to tell me that even the tooth fairy is allowed to take a vacation, but I never believed again.”
I pressed my lips together to conceal a giggle. “Poor wittle Nicky.”
A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Nicky?”
I shrugged my shoulder. “I’ll bet you were adorable. I can imagine you storming out of your bedroom, dressed in a matching pajama set, holding up the tooth. Exhibit A!”
He broke into a laugh and a surge of relief shot through me. “You’ve got me all figured out, huh?”
I wiggled an eyebrow. “I’ll bet you were ironing your own clothes by age ten.”
He snorted. “Twelve, actually.”
Evangeline laughed and took Nick’s other arm.
We filed into the kitchen. I started a kettle for tea and Evangeline went to the fridge to rummage around for something to eat. In the back of my head, I gave her a three-second countdown before she’d abandon the search and go for the stack of glossy menus of local restaurants tucked into a folder on the far counter. We hadn’t dubbed her the Takeout Queen for nothing.
Nick took a seat and slung one arm over the back as he twisted to watch us. “Hey, we never got around to looking at that last note. What does it say? Maybe it will help us corner him again so we can ask him to leave the gnomes alone.”
“Oh. Right.” I turned up the flame under the kettle and dug into my pocket. I unfolded the last note and held it up. “Let’s see. A cabin in the woods has the goods.” I frowned. “Seems like the notes Mrs. Miller had were a little more whimsical.”
Nick nodded. “Agreed.”
Evangeline shut the fridge door right on cue and I stifled a laugh as she casually glided across the kitchen and reached for the folder of menus. “Does anyone feel like getting some—”
“Take out?” I said right as she did.
She wrinkled her nose at me. “Har har. Guess I won’t have to worry about you stealing my spring rolls this time.”
I placed my palms together. “I’m sorry, oh great Takeout Queen! Please take pity on this poor, hungry peasant!”
Evangeline scoffed but couldn’t hide her smile when she dug out the well-loved sheet of paper for the Chinese place across town. “Just this once. But in the future, Holly dear, do try to contain yourself.”
Adam padded into the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed in a pair of fleece athletic pants and a plain t-shirt. “Oh, are we ordering food?” he asked, his eyes zeroing in on Evangeline’s hands like a pair of heat-seeking missiles.
I rolled my eyes and went back to making a mug of tea. “We didn’t even know you two were back!”
“Maybe ten minutes ago,” he replied, hovering over Evangeline’s shoulder so he could consider his choices from the menu in her hands. Lacey shoved into the kitchen half a second later, though she was still in her Xena Warrior Princess ensemble. Apparently, she wanted to ride that high a little while longer.
Without looking up from the menu, Adam continued, “The trail went cold near this old fleabag motel.”
“Your kind of place,” Lacey coo’ed.
He bore his teeth at her.
“Boots found these,” I told him, digging the notes from my pocket. “We think the leprechaun Nick and I tracked the other day dropped them, but the handwriting is wrong and the notes aren’t the right shape.” I handed him the note with the numbers scrawled across it. “These look like coordinates. Can you figure out where they’re pointing?”
“It’s called a computer, gorgeous. You really should let me teach you how to use one.”
I flapped a hand. “I’ve got magic. I don’t need a computer.”
Adam raised a thick brow.
“Usually,” I hurried to add.
“Give me the coordinates,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket.
I rattled off the numbers and Adam plugged them into his phone.
He swore under his breath when the results popped up. “This isn’t good.”
My stomach sank even lower.
Adam pinched his fingers on the screen and flipped the phone to its side. “Those coordinates lead right to the cabin where the shooting happened.”
“What?” I set my tea down before my shaking hands gave out.
“Yeah.” He stepped toward me and flipped the phone so I could see.
Sure enough, right there on the screen was a fuzzy satellite shot of the cabin peeking out through the thick trees.
“Why would someone be luring people to a crime scene?” I looked down at the last note in my hand and my stomach tightened into a knot. “We have to find that leprechaun. He’s the only one who knows where these notes came from.”
Adam put his phone away and I sagged back against the counter. “Please tell us you found something helpful.”
“Not at the crime scene,” he replied. “The victim was a wolf though. The smell was all over. We tracked the way he must have come and it led to this run-down motel. Dolphin something or other.”
Evangeline stilled, the paper menu in her hands all but forgotten. “The Dancing Dolphin?”
Adam frowned at her. “Yeah, actually. How did you—”
Her caramel skin drained of its usual glow. “That was Ben’s pack’s meeting place.”
Chapter 11
Traditionally speaking, tracking down a leprechaun was nearly impossible, but with a little magic and an established pattern of behavior, I had a pretty good place to start. Nick accompanied me to a garden supply store a few towns over and we bought a quirky little garden gnome for ourselves. I spent the rest of the day cooking up a serious enchantment. It was a simple enough process, but I took my time with it, preferring to keep my hands busy rather than sit around obsessing over what might be lurking just yards away from the manor’s back door. I’d tossed and turned all through the night, seeing Sasha’s cruel smile every time I closed my eyes. Something told me she had a hand in this, even if it was from her magically fortified cell.
When dusk fell, our trap was set. It would be impossible for the little fellow to resist. It was bright and shiny, with little glittering lights at the center of the polka dots on its little painted-on shirt.
“You’re sure this is going to work?” Nick asked as we placed the gnome in front of the manor. “He touches the gnome and he’s trapped?”
“Pretty much. He won’t get hurt, but as soon as he touches the gnome, an or
b of light will come up and capture him. Leprechauns have their own magic, but it’s not very strong. He won’t be able to do his smoke and poof routine until we let him go. Which we will, of course, but not until he gives us some answers.”
Nick rocked back on his heels, staring at the lawn ornament. “It’s too bad real gnomes don’t look like this,” he said absently. “The pictures in those textbooks you gave me made them look like mud-covered trolls. I would feel better if they wore patchwork jeans and pointy hats.”
“Tell me about it.” I stepped back to examine my work, mentally running through the spell again to make sure everything was set. “Don’t forget about the sharp teeth.”
Nick shook his head. “I still can’t quite believe all of this is real. I read the books, see the pictures, heck, I’ve even been to the haven to see all of this stuff first-hand. But it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.”
“It’s going to feel kind of like Alice in Wonderland for a while, I imagine. Stars, I grew up in the haven and still run across things that stop me in my tracks. Well, like—” I stopped short and flashed a guilty look.
“Like me,” Nick finished.
“Well, if I’m honest, yes. I’ve never heard of anything like this happening before.”
He was still back to his normal self, but there was an energy buzzing around him. He was restless and anxious. I understood why, but I wished there was a way to get him to relax, even just a little.
“My magic is reliant on my mood. If I go too far on the spectrum in any direction—happy, sad, especially angry—magic will surge to the surface.”
“Great,” he scoffed. “I’m one bad day away from being wolfman again. Somehow I don’t think eating a Snickers is going to solve the problem.”
I smiled and then reached over to rest a hand on his shoulder. “We don’t know that, Nick. All I’m trying to say is that you need to get back to your regular life. You can’t avoid your condo and work and your usual routine out of fear of the unknown.”
He didn’t respond.
“It’s going to be dark soon. We should go in.”
He sidestepped and my hand fell from his shoulder. “I think I’m going to take a quick walk, if you don’t mind.”
I blinked. “No, of course not.”
Without another word, he turned away and started for the sidewalk.
My heart sank as he walked away, his shoulders slumped forward. When he was first attacked by Ben, I’d mourned for him. I knew the loss of his normal life would hit him hard, but there had also been a part of me that knew he was going to be all right. In the weeks before the change, he’d slowly come out of his own grieving period and started asking questions about his new life. I’d spent days with him, answering all his questions and showing him the entire new world that had been veiled from him before. There had even been glimmers of excitement as he uncovered new and fantastic stories and creatures. Especially when we’d gone into the haven itself and he’d been able to see it all first-hand. But then, in the final week before the change, he’d retreated again.
Now, it appeared he was crawling back into that dark space. Maybe even deeper than before. I watched him round the corner and wondered if things would be different if the change had gone according to plan. If he’d been able to run the forest, mark his territory, howl at the moon—whatever werewolves did for fun—would things be better?
Sighing, I turned back and went inside the house to wait for the gnome to show up.
Adam was in the kitchen, rummaging through the cupboards. “Did you have fun setting your trap?”
“I guess.”
He turned away and raised an eyebrow at me. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m worried about Nick.”
“Ah.”
“Have you heard back from anyone yet? Someone has to have an idea of what we’re dealing with.”
Adam pulled out a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of marshmallow fluff. The old standby. He grabbed a knife on his way to the table and plopped down in the chair beside me. “I’ve made some calls, Holly, but no one seems to have any experience with something like this. I’m beginning to think that we might need to go to the source.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You don’t mean—”
He nodded.
I groaned. “You know what sounds like more fun? Drenching myself with honey and running into a den of hibernating bears!”
“It’s just a suggestion,” he replied with a shrug. “It’s not like the SPA is going to release her, but maybe there’s something else she wants. You help her, she helps us.”
“Yeah. Sasha Pringle seems like a completely reasonable woman. She’d probably just love to play Let’s Make a Deal. I guess while I’m there, I can ask if any more of her science projects are running around in our backyard. Cut to the chase instead of shaking down leprechauns for answers.”
He slathered peanut butter on his first slice of bread and then looked up at me. “I know you, Holly. If you don’t do anything, you’re going to sit around here stewing and eventually you’ll drive yourself—or the rest of us—completely crazy.”
“Even if I was desperate enough to go along with this plan, how would I get access to her? Wherever they’re keeping her probably isn’t the kind of place with visiting hours.”
“Agent Bramble likes you; she’ll help you out.”
I tilted my head. He was probably right, but I still didn’t like the idea of facing the woman who’d nearly killed me months before. And if I didn’t even want to sit down with her, I definitely didn’t want to ask for her help.
“What do you think it is that Lacey wants from me?” I asked him after a beat of silence.
He’d moved onto layering the bread with thick ribbons of marshmallow fluff. I tried not to gag. “Who knows. Probably some kind of lotion to tighten her skin.”
I frowned. “I don’t know. There are about a million places she could get something like that.”
He shrugged. “Maybe she doesn’t want anyone to know she uses the stuff.”
“Maybe.” It still seemed far-fetched. Lacey was after something specific. Something she knew I could give to her.
I shoved the thought aside, supposing that I would know soon enough. It wasn’t like Lacey was shy.
Adam mashed his bread together, creating a triple-decker sandwich, and took a large bite. He held it out, offering me some but knowing full well that I wasn’t interested. I smiled and shook my head. “Are we okay?” I asked after a moment.
He set the sandwich aside. “We will be.”
For some reason, his answer felt empty and didn’t go very far towards closing the chasm between us. “I know that I drive you crazy sometimes, but you have to remember that I’m used to doing things on my own. I’ve basically been alone since my parents died. In the beginning, I had my Aunt Bethany, but after the mess with Gabriel, she was gone too. Since then it’s just been me.”
He nodded. “I get that, Holly. I do. But you also have to understand that I’m protective. I’m never going to be okay with you racing into danger.”
“But, Adam, to you everything is dangerous. You can’t keep me smothered in bubble wrap, up on a pedestal. I’m not some helpless damsel in distress. I’ve proven that I can handle myself. You’ve seen me do it.”
His jaw clenched but he didn’t argue the point.
“We’re supposed to have each other’s backs here. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”
He inclined his head, his eyes shifting back and forth like he couldn’t land on answer.
I sat back in my chair and folded my arms. “What is the point, if not that? Don’t tell me this has all been some charade and now you’re going to tell me you just want someone to stay home, give you little shifter babies, and wash the dishes when you’re done with your dinner.”
“Holly!”
“Well? That’s what you’re making it sound like. The little woman needs to know her place. At home, safe and sound.”
“So
because I want you to be careful, that means that I’m automatically a chauvinist? Nice!”
“I didn’t say that,” I retorted through clenched teeth.
“Then what are you saying?” he asked, his voice a barely constrained growl.
I raked my fingers through my ponytail and tried to get a grip on my anger before it spiraled out of control. We’d already said things we’d likely regret later.
Finally, I sighed and dropped my hands to the table. “I’m saying that it doesn’t feel like either of us has a map. We don’t know what we’re doing or where we’re going.”
Adam’s expression softened as his brows drew together. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. It just seems like we’re falling behind. Or wandering.” My eyes flew around the kitchen, trying to pin down my argument. “Cassie and Chief are set to get engaged any day now. We started dating before them but apparently we’re still at the starting line, trying to figure out which direction we’re supposed to run.”
“Is that what you want? A ring? A big, fancy wedding?”
“I—well, no. I mean, maybe. Someday?”
“Then what is it that you do want, Holly? Right now. Today. Cause I’m tired of trying to guess. You want to be independent and only think about yourself, but simultaneously, you want to be in a relationship and move forward into something else, something more serious.” He shook his head. “You can’t have it both ways.”
“Why not?” I fired back, my temper flaring. “Why is it too much to ask that you respect me as a fighter and let me stand beside you instead of pushing me back?”
Adam drew in a slow breath and when he spoke, his voice was even and calm. “I can’t think about the future when every few months we land ourselves in the middle of a dangerous situation. A month ago, you were carted off by that crazed sorceress. Now, we’ve got strange wolves in our woods who may or may not belong to her. One of them is already dead and we don’t know who killed him!” He swore under his breath. “I mean, stars, Holly. I don’t want this life. There is a reason I moved out of the havens. I want to live a normal life.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I do too.”
Lucky Witch: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 5) Page 9
