Sweet Murder Hex (Sweetland Witch) (A Cozy Mystery Book)

by Zoe Arden

  I set up my table in back. Vials and chemistry tubes of all sizes lined the wall. I put out both scales—the large and the small—thinking maybe I'd have enough time to make double or even triple batches and really stock up. Bowls and baggies lay in organized piles, as did brushes, dippers, and eye droppers.

  The first hour passed by and I hardly noticed it was gone. Time seemed to be moving at a turtle's crawl. I held my tongue between my teeth, gently biting down in concentration as I very carefully released five droplets of tanzanite into some peppy powder. It smoked for a second, a little too much, then settled down and merely simmered in the tube instead.

  I inhaled the energizing scent of geraniums and honey before moving the mixture into a new tube laced with relaxation powder. When I was through, I wiped my brow. Sweat had started to drizzle into my eyes, making them sting. I blinked and went to the sink, splashing my face with water. It was hard making extracts for three hours. Maybe I could use a break.

  Eleanor poked her head in through the swing door just then.

  "Ava? Do you have a minute?"

  "Sure," I said. "What's up?"

  "There's a customer out here who's inquiring about your peppy extract. He wants to know if it's safe to mix with mammoth coconut oil. Apparently, he had some with his breakfast this morning and is worried about it causing a rash."

  "It should be fine. I'll come out and talk to him." It was just the break I needed.

  I followed Eleanor out front. The place was still packed. I was happy that business was doing so well. It didn't hurt that we were the only bakery in town. Even places that sold pastries, like Coffee Cove, got their cinnamon rolls or cookies from our shop. We were the regular suppliers of pastries to all Sweetland Cove events, as well.

  "Where's the customer?" I asked Eleanor. She pointed to a man standing in the back of the store, away from the swarms of locals and tourists who were busy eyeing the goodies in our display cases. I made my way over to him, passing Lottie Mudget on the way. She was loudly discussing some woman from the mainland that she was positive was going to buy The Alchemic Stone.

  "I can't wait to get some fresh gem powder for my smoothies," Lottie told the woman behind her who nodded agreeably.

  The rest of the place seemed to be talking about the Mayor-for-All Rule. I hadn't had much of a chance to discuss it with my dad and aunts, but the general consensus in town seemed to be that it was going to make the tension between Sweetland and Mystic that much worse.

  I finally got to the customer, who was waiting for me patiently.

  "Hello," I said. "My aunt tells me you have a few questions about some peppy powder?"

  The man turned to face me.

  My heart stopped. "What are you doing here?"

  I looked quickly around the shop to see if anyone was watching us, but Eleanor and Trixie were both busy with customers and my father was busy refilling shelves. I realized that as far as I knew, neither of them had ever met Vlaski Ambrose before. Trixie knew of him, but she had never been introduced. It was just dumb luck that I'd bumped into him that day at Melbourne's.

  I had no idea how Vlaski had turned his normally snow-white skin so tan, but had to assume it was some sort of magic trick. Or a really solid layer of makeup. In which case, it was the best makeup ever and I wanted some.

  "Don't be alarmed, Ava Rose," he said, smiling at me.

  For some reason, his use of my middle name unsettled me more than the black eyes that were staring lifelessly out at me. I said lifeless, but that was really unfair. A slight jab at his vampire status. The truth was Vlaski's eyes were alive with all sorts of emotions, only some of which I could read. For example, right now, it looked like he wanted to kill me.

  "Get out of here right now, before I scream."

  I wondered why I wasn't already screaming my head off and the truth hit me. I was scared. What if Vlaski moved faster than me and was able to bite me, drain my blood, and disappear long before anyone could stop him?

  "I don't think you will," Vlaski said. "At least, not once you hear what brings me in today."

  I waited for him to tell me whatever lie it was he'd come to say. Danger oozed from his pores. I had no idea how so many people could be in the same room as him and not freak out.

  "Well?" I asked.

  A tourist bumped Vlaski's arm and Vlaski hissed at him. The man moved quickly away, muttering an apology. "This isn't a good place to talk," Vlaski said. "Meet me tonight when your shift is over."

  I scoffed at him. "I'm not meeting you anywhere. Do you think I have a death wish?"

  "It is not my intention to hurt you," he said. "Nor anyone."

  I laughed in his face then realized how dangerous that was. I just couldn't help it. He was obviously lying. "You must think I'm an idiot," I whispered.

  Eleanor was eyeing me curiously from behind the cash register now. What if it wasn't me Vlaski suddenly decided to attack? What if it was her? Or Trixie? Or my dad?

  "You need to leave. Now." I hoped my voice sounded stronger than I felt.

  "I'm not going anywhere," he said. "Until you agree to meet with me."

  "What possible reason could you have for wanting to meet with me? I'm not telling you where Melbourne is, if that's what you're after. I don't even know."

  Vlaski's face grimaced at the mention of Melbourne's name.

  "It's not safe here," Vlaski said. His eyes actually looked worried. "Meet me tonight at the town square. By Wanda's Willow."

  Wanda's Willow was a giant tree in the middle of the square that people liked to picnic under.

  "What if I don't?"

  "Ava, I'm not threatening you. I'm warning you. Melbourne isn't what he seems. I don't want any more bloodshed."

  I laughed.

  "It's true," he whispered, stepping closer to me. "Your boyfriend's life depends on what I have to tell you."

  "Colt?" I asked, my nerves suddenly jumping. "What do you mean?"

  "Tonight. Ten o'clock." He turned and left without waiting for my answer.

  I stood there a moment, watching the door he left through as though he might rematerialize out of thin air. When he didn't, I turned and headed for the back.

  "What was that about?" Eleanor asked. "It looked intense."

  "Oh," I said, trying to keep my voice light. I waved it all off. "Nothing. He just ate a little too much fluffernutter root last night. I told him that fluffernutter root and peppy powder don't really mix, since they're opposites, and he should come back tomorrow."

  Eleanor frowned. "Fluffernutter root? Hmmm..." I didn't like the way her brow was crinkling. "Well, if he comes back tomorrow, let me know. He gave me a weird vibe."

  "Yeah, me, too."

  * * *

  CHAPTER

  NINETEEN

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  I tried to make a quick getaway. The second the door to Mystic closed at nine, I began making excuses as to why I had to leave.

  "I told Colt I'd meet him."

  "I thought you two weren't talking," Eleanor said.

  "We're not. That's why we're meeting. To discuss our not talking." I alternated between smiling and trying to look sad and pathetic. Neither seemed to be working very well.

  "Are you sure it's Colt you're meeting?" Eleanor asked.

  My eyes widened. "Yes. Why?"

  "You've been acting a little funny today. I thought maybe you'd heard from Damon." She looked at me questioningly.

  "I have not heard from Damon. Why does everyone keep asking me about him?"

  "Sorry," Eleanor said.

  Trixie was singing a merry little melody, so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even see Eleanor standing in front of her. She bumped right into her, sending a tray of AB positive brownies crashing to the floor.

  "Oh, dear!" Trixie cried, picking them up and dusting them off. "Well, plenty more where that came from."

  I knew Eleanor did
n't want Trixie's blood concoctions anywhere near the store, but the brownies had actually sold well today. Unlike her past creations, these were ooey, gooey, and chocolatey. The poultry blood that Trixie had used to create them made them something of a novelty. A curiosity that the tourists literally ate up. The locals had made icky faces, but tried them anyway and ended up walking out with a half dozen each.

  "Everyone around here is acting strange today," Eleanor said, shaking her head. She looked at me with my purse in hand. "Well, off you go. Have fun. I hope you two work things out. I like Colt."

  I hurried toward the town square. Wanda's Willow loomed heavily in the distance. I paused, watching the shadows. Vlaski's dark form stepped out from them as I approached.

  "Ava," he said, nodding his head politely at me like something out of a Jane Austen novel.

  I stopped before the shadows of the tree could engulf me. There were a few stragglers walking through the square on their way home. We waited until they were gone and we had the place to ourselves. It was the middle of the week and the downtown area of Sweetland shut down early. Everyone was either on their way home or already there.

  "What did you want to tell me?" I asked Vlaski, cutting to the chase.

  "You're in danger. Your boyfriend, Colt, especially."

  "Yeah, from you," I said angrily.

  "Just because I choose to live my life one way does not make me a monster."

  "It does if you're planning to enslave people and use them for your personal food source."

  "That was my plan... once."

  "What are you saying? You changed your mind? Since when?"

  "It's complicated."

  I rolled my eyes. He was telling me things without actually saying anything important.

  "Listen," Vlaski said. "I don't know how much time we've got. You need to know something. Melbourne isn't who you think he is."

  "Oh, please. You expect me to believe anything you say? You're nothing but a liar."

  A low growl erupted from deep within Vlaski's throat. "I would not say such things if I were you," he threatened.

  My heart skipped a beat but I didn't want to back down. He was trying to trick me. To convince me that the one vampire I knew who was good couldn't be trusted.

  "You killed Rachel Sessler," I said. "And Russell Hudson."

  Vlaski laughed. "Is that what you think? You know nothing, you silly girl."

  "I know enough to know that you're the worst of your kind. That you are the one not to be trusted."

  Vlaski bared his teeth at me.

  "What do you want with Melbourne?" I demanded. "Why are you trying to kill him?"

  Vlaski laughed. "I'm not trying to kill anyone. Yet." His fangs elongated as he stood before me, gleaming bright white in the shadows. I'd seen this shadow before.

  "You've been following me," I gasped.

  "Wrong again," Vlaski said. "I have no need to follow you. You hold no personal interest for me other than your relationship to Colt Hudson and Melbourne Hammond."

  "What is it you want with Colt?"

  I'm looking for something. A book. The Last Vampire." I kept silent, afraid I'd say something wrong and reveal something I shouldn't. "Don't worry. I know Melbourne has it. Eventually I'll get it from him. But I believe Colt also has something I'm after."

  "What's that?"

  "If I told you, then your life would be in danger as well."

  Vlaski took a step closer. I freaked out. My nerves went into overdrive. I realized how stupid I'd been coming here without a weapon. Yes, I always had magic, but it didn't work the same on vampires. There was no telling what a locking charm might do. It could bind his wrists together or give him pig ears. I grabbed a rock from off the ground and squeezed it tightly in my hand. There was a sharp point that I'd missed in the darkness. It pricked my skin and a droplet of blood fell out.

  When I looked up, Vlaski's face had changed. Whatever makeup he'd been wearing to disguise himself with melted off, leaving streaks of light brown against his marshmallow skin. Every millimeter of his eye turned to black. There were no whites left. It was one big pupil.

  "Um... I think I'll be leaving now," I said and slowly began backing away. I searched the area around us for anyone who might have been passing through. An elderly couple out for an evening stroll. Some teenagers who were goofing off. Any living person. But the place was deserted.

  I'd never seen a vampire shift into full-on vamp mode before. Something that looked like steam flared out from Vlaski's nostrils like a dragon. His ears grew a point. He was breathing heavily enough that I could hear him from ten feet away. I kept backing up. I was under a streetlamp now but the yellow glow did nothing to ease my fear.

  Vlaski lunged at me.

  "Aaaahhh!" I screamed. I finally understood what Rachel Sessler must have experienced before she died. What she must have seen. And felt. "Heeelppp!" There was no one around to hear me.

  Vlaski hit me full force with his body. I fell to the ground, smacking the back of my head. It made a loud cracking noise, and I hoped that wasn't my skull breaking.

  "HEEEELLPPPPPPP!" I screamed again.

  Vlaski was on top of me. He teeth shined brightly in the streetlight, accentuating the two sharp points that were about to make me tonight's dinner.

  Suddenly, a new shadow emerged. It blocked out the streetlight, and I was once again immersed in darkness. The weight of Vlaski's body left me as someone pushed him off with a force greater than his own. I sat up, rubbing my head, wanting to run but too terrified to move. All I could do was watch the two shadows and thank the witches that Melbourne had shown up when he did.

  Vlaski leaped forward. I could tell it was him because he was taller than Melbourne. He forced Melbourne's head back, exposing his neck, and I screamed. I was still holding the rock I'd picked up. I threw it at him with all my strength and it bounced off Vlaski's head. It didn't leave a dent, but it did distract him long enough for Melbourne to regain the upper hand.

  Melbourne kicked Vlaski in the stomach, sending him flying through the air. He let out a loud roar that would have made a lion jealous. Vlaski struggled to stand. The kick Melbourne landed had knocked the air out of his lungs—Did vampires breathe air? Note to self: Internet search—and by the time Vlaski got to his feet, Melbourne was on him again. He picked Vlaski up over his head and spun him around like something in a movie, then literally tossed him aside like yesterday's trash. Vlaski landed with a heavy thump against the thick trunk of Wanda's Willow. When he managed to get up, instead of facing off with Melbourne again, he took off running like a coward.

  I breathed relief and walked toward Melbourne. "Oh, my roses!" I said. "Thank the witches you showed up when you did! Are you okay?" He was standing bent over, his hands on his knees. "Melbourne? You all right? Should I get Trixie?"

  "I'm fine," he said, slowly raising himself to his full height. His voice was low and sounded like he'd just come from a rock concert. Very un-Melbourne-like. When he turned to face me, I saw why. It wasn't Melbourne.

  I blinked, thinking I was dreaming.

  "R-Russell Hudson?" I had to force the name from my lips.

  Russell smiled. "At your service."

  * * *

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY

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  The first thing that happened was that my mind went blank. Literally blank. I wouldn't call it blacking out. It was more like my brain just stopped working.

  "Ava? Are you all right?" Russell asked.

  He was standing two feet away from me. He had the same features as Colt, except that his skin was ten shades paler. His eyes were darker, too, but they had those flecks of gray that I had come to associate with Colt's eyes. In Russell's eyes, they were so light they were almost silver.

  "Ava?" he asked again, sounding alarmed.

  "I'm fine." I sucked in a gulp of air like it was water. "How are y
ou alive? How do you know my name?"

  Russell sighed. "I guess that's the obvious place to start."

  I nodded, agreeing with him. I was too shocked to do anything else. All I could think was that I must be dreaming.

  " I know who you are because I've been watching you."

  "You mean following me?"

  "If that's what you prefer to call it. Yes. How much do you know?"

  I laughed nervously. Irritably. "Not as much as I thought, obviously." Russell's eyes were warm and despite the white of his skin, he looked flushed. "Does Colt know you're—"

  "No. And I'd like to keep it that way. At least for the time being."

  "How am I supposed to keep this a secret?" I cried.

  "Just for now," he reiterated. "Believe me, I want to see Colt. I do. But," his voice cracked, "I don't want him to see me like this." He bared his teeth for me. Two long fangs jutted out. I jumped back, startled, and he retracted them.

  "You see what I mean," he said sadly. "I'm not the same father he grew up with. Not anymore. You're scared of me, and I just saved your life."

  I felt bad. "I'm not scared of you. I'm ungrateful is what I am. You did save my life. How can I ever thank you?"

  "By waiting until I'm ready."

  My mouth was dry as sand. I nodded because I wasn't sure I'd be able to get the words out.

  Russell took a deep breath. "Thank you."

  We moved toward a bench and sat down. I tried not to get too close but I didn't want to offend him by refusing the seat.

  "I know who you are because I've been following you. Colt, too."

  "You're the shadow I've been seeing?" He nodded. I looked at him in the darkness. His pale skin. His wrinkle-free face. It was weird.

  "How did this happen?" I asked.

  "I was undercover. Deep cover, they call it. The only way to get in was to let Vlaski turn me."