Family Feud: The Witching Hour Series Book 5

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  Getting into trouble seemed to be my specialty and Nathaniel knew I didn't deal well with sitting on the sidelines.

  "I'll help you with whatever you’re planning, but promise to run everything by me first?"

  "Okay, fine. I will. Since my last encounter with the witches and Elvira I don't think I'm ready to risk my life again. I don't want to screw anything up."

  Nathaniel nodded. He knew what I meant. Sometimes I acted on impulse rather than thinking about the consequences of my actions.

  After the meeting, we went back to my apartment discussing our options on the way. Since we’d gotten engaged, I’d been spending much more time at his place than mine. We finally stopped messing around and now had a real relationship. The marriage was just a formality for us.

  I didn't expect to see any press outside my apartment, but a few reporters snapped our pictures as we were driving past. Nathaniel was raging, but I took care of his bad mood soon enough, suggesting having an early night.

  A few hours later when he was snoring next to me I was still wide-awake, thinking about everything that had happened over the last few months up to and including my last failed encounter with Jasper.

  All my life I felt intimidated by Grandma and the fact that I was so useless with magic around her; now it was time to cast all my fears aside. After coming close to losing my life four times, I needed to come up with a plan. Kelsie, Ella and Dannika had all risked their own skin for my Dad and Kate, when those two nearly died from a deadly curse a few months ago.

  Then, there was Jasper. I had turned to him out of complete desperation. He knew the right people within the paranormal world and he didn't turn me away. There was just no way I could love him again, but he never let me explain anything. I hadn't spoken to Jasper or seen him since that day. He would always hold a grudge against me, but I didn't want to believe he was involved in my grandma’s death.

  The next morning Nathaniel insisted on taking my car and driving to work himself. He wanted me to use the limo to distract the reporters. I don't think he succeeded, as there were a handful of guys with cameras outside the agency.

  In my day job I dealt with recruitment for paranormal creatures who lived in and around London. Almost four years ago I was promoted to senior consultant, and I was happy enough. I enjoyed my job.

  "Maybe I should drop you at the back entrance, Miss Taylor." Roberto said as he pulled by the entrance. In an instant, the reporters started flashing their cameras trying to take my picture, shouting their questions. The human world never cared about my grandmother, so I didn't understand why I was receiving all this sudden attention.

  People believed that she had taken money from hardworking individuals while managing a fund for them, and there was a warrant out for Grandpa Fred. Once the stories spread, it was difficult not to care about the news, but I wanted to protect my family, find a spell to fix it all within a day or a night.

  "No, you won't be able to drive through. Don't worry, they’ll go away at some point," I told him and got out of the car.

  "Any comments about the recent facts that have come to light?"

  "Do you believe your grandmother was involved in a fraud?"

  "Is it true that the Inspector was suspended because he got into a fight?"

  I gritted my teeth and rushed to the office, itching to throw some magic towards those nosy fuckers. Amongst the human reporters I noticed one or two paranormals. Nathaniel had forbidden me to even look at the Daily Secret website, stating that it would only drive me more insane.

  "Julia, are you all right? I was wondering if you were going to be in today."

  My best friend, Kate, stood by her desk looking worried. Her purple hair was smoothed nicely to the side, and she had her magic wand in her right hand.

  "I'm all right but could be better, obviously," I replied, looking outside as more reporters started turning up. "I can't be at home; I have to stay busy until the funeral, which will be on Friday.”

  Kate looked anxiously at the door to the interview room and then back at me.

  "You have a visitor. I told him this wasn't a very good time, but he insisted. It's Tron, Julia, and it looks like he’s back."

  Chapter 5

  The nightmare continues.

  "Tron’s here, in the office?" I asked, wondering if I heard her correctly. Tron used to be my mentor, a magic teacher, but then he disappeared without a word, along with Ella’s father and I hadn't heard from him since. I didn't want to get my hopes up. Maybe Kate had confused him with someone else.

  "Oh, Julia, I'm such an idiot. I'm telling you about Tron and I haven't even given you my condolences," she said, hugging me suddenly. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Your grandma was a truly an exceptional woman and I don't believe a thing they print in the papers."

  I patted her lightly on the back, knowing that there was no time to be emotional. I needed to get to the bottom of what happened that night, and I was certain Tron could help me.

  "Thank you, that means a lot," I told her, my eyes becoming moist. "Are you really sure it's Tron? I haven't heard from him for about two years."

  "It's him. You can't forget such powerful energy. He scared the shit out of me when I opened up this morning. He must have snuck inside somehow, because he was sitting at your desk when I came in."

  I smiled, the first real smile since I saw my grandmother dead in her living room, but it was genuine. My magic had been out of control two years ago, and after one very rough night, Tron paid me an unexpected visit. He offered his help. Back then I believed I was hurting innocent people. I kept blacking out in the middle of the night, then waking up in the morning with blood on my hands. I was too scared to tell anyone what was going on, but for some reason I trusted Tron. He was convinced that he could help me control my excess magic. At the same time, I was wary; he vanished once he dropped the bomb that Ella was a royal fairy and her father a prince.

  His lessons were useful. With his mentoring, I managed to unleash and control powerful magic, take control of the weather and learn how to deal with my excess energy. At the time, a pack of shifters had been terrorising the streets of London and one of the gang leaders was Kelsie’s ex-boyfriend, Craig—a nasty piece of work. On top of that, Nathaniel had gotten engaged to a supermodel while I was trying to patch up my own broken heart with the help of a handsome giant named, Quentin.

  When Craig threatened to burn my mother alive, I unleashed a storm of power inside me and murdered him without knowing what I was really doing. Tron had saved my life that night, arriving at my parents’ home just in time. It was the worst day of my life, and I was still picking up the pieces, waking up late at night, remembering the flames and Craig’s empty eyes.

  Tron and Alex, Ella’s father, had vanished after I was discharged from the hospital several days later. They didn't leave me a note or communicate in any way, and I stopped believing that they would ever get in touch again.

  "Kate, I really need to talk to him. You okay to cover for me?" I asked, feeling strange thick waves of energy creeping over the nape of my neck. Kate nodded, but didn't look too pleased with the fact that I wanted to talk to him. After what happened a couple of months ago, I understood why she didn't trust many people.

  "Maybe I should come with you. Don't you think it's strange that he showed up here just after your grandmother’s death?"

  "It is, and yet it isn't; that’s why I should speak to him in private. I'll be fine, don't worry. He isn't the enemy."

  "I know. I'm just worried about what happened with, you know…"

  She didn't finish, swallowing hard.

  “That's in the past, and Tron is cool," I assured her. I took a deep breath as I walked to the interview room. Kate was still adjusting to the real world and what happened only eight months ago. She was still pretty shaken up and I didn't want to worry her.

  Tron was standing by the window staring at the world outside. As soon as I stepped in, I recognised him. I felt the current of his strong magi
c swirling around me and automatically relaxed. Tron was a full-blooded elf and until two years ago, I had no idea about the true extent of his powers. He taught me a hell of a lot. I wondered what had happened to Alex.

  "Hello, Julia, it's nice to see you again," he said as I was just about to open my mouth to greet him. I walked in almost undetected, but I still couldn't use my cover charm effectively. He turned around and I relaxed. His striking blue eyes were staring straight at me. As usual he was dressed in an old-fashioned suit. His white beard had grown a bit longer since I saw him last.

  "Yeah, it's good to see you too, Tron," I replied sarcastically. "It was very nice of you to keep in touch, all those cards at Christmas and on my birthday." I narrowed my eyes at him.

  "I understand that I have disappointed you," he added. "I'm sorry, but I had to leave urgently. I didn't have much time to explain."

  "Right."

  "My condolences to you and your family. Your grandmother was a very skilled elf. Her loss is a blow to the community. I understand that she was murdered?"

  "Thank you," I replied, not really sure what else he knew about this case. "It's what the police are saying. She was killed in her own home. All the family is still in shock. We don't understand why anyone would want to target her. She was simply an elderly paranormal who lived in a quiet community."

  "Of course, of course," Tron mumbled. Then he stared at me intently in silence, like he was thinking about what to say next. Normally he was relaxed and cheerful, but right then, he seemed tense and disturbed.

  Terrible stories had flooded the media and I hated the fact that all my friends and family were unaware of what had been going on and had no real way to refute the media’s claims.

  Now, I also wanted to know why Tron and Alex had vanished without a word. Somehow Elvira knew him—she’d said he was her teacher; he’d mentioned my powers—and I never had a chance to ask what happened. On top of that, he claimed he was friends with my grandmother. I was hoping he could shed some light on her life back when she was young and powerful.

  "So, do you have any idea who might have targeted her like that and why?"

  Tron exhaled sharply and walked up to me. When he was close enough, he pressed his hands on my shoulders, looking directly into my eyes. I felt his strong magic tingling under his fingers. I tried to read his thoughts—sometimes when I was stressed or nervous I was able to do that, but I’d never mastered it.

  "No, I don't think so. Your grandmother was a complicated individual; she liked keeping to herself. What about your grandfather? I heard he has been missing since she was found dead."

  I looked away not wanting to talk about Grandpa Fred. His absence was suspicious and worrying. There was a possibility that he was involved, or he was kidnapped by the killer. No one knew for sure.

  "Yes, he is. I don't know anything else. The whole family is very worried," I explained, feeling slightly on edge as his magic connected with mine.

  "Fred was always in her shadow," Tron said all of a sudden, breaking the connection. It was an odd statement. Yes, my grandma and grandpa were very different, and it seemed that she had always been the one making all the decisions.

  "What are you saying then? That my grandpa killed her? Out of jealousy?"

  I didn't want to believe that myself. I needed answers or theories and Tron was making this very difficult.

  "I can only speculate what happened that night. Your grandmother made her bed. A lot of paranormals hated the fact that she became famous and rich so quickly. She wasn't very careful when she was dealing with other paranormals."

  “What's that supposed to mean? What did she do?"

  "She made a lot of money and her potion business was booming. She spooked a few very established dealers, made some real enemies."

  I didn't know if I wanted to believe him. My grandmother sold her business many years ago. Tron must have been exaggerating the facts. The killer had to have known my grandma; she wouldn't have let him in otherwise. All her protection spells were disabled.

  "Listen, I don't have time for this. You vanished without a word, along with Alex. Ella still doesn’t have any answers. My father’s career is hanging by a thread. I need to find the murderer and clear my family’s name. Can you help me or not?"

  His eyes flickered with excitement and I wondered what was going on with him.

  "You seem to be doing pretty well without me, even though you’re back together with the dhampir."

  “We're engaged, Tron, and I don't believe Nathaniel had anything to do with the problems I had with my magic. Besides, I don’t have to explain myself. I love him. Right now, all I want to know is who murdered my grandmother. All these stories in the papers are absurd. She had enough money of her own and she wouldn't commit fraud. You know that yourself, right? You two must have done some business together?"

  "I don't know what to tell you, Julia. The paranormal press speculates that it was a revenge murder. Apparently, your grandmother was seen with an unidentified wizard. You see, that’s suspicious. Where was your grandfather then?"

  "I don't know, but I do know that all these stories are untrue. Grandma was married to Grandpa Fred for over forty years. She was old fashioned and stuck in her ways, like with the fact that elves should be only marrying other elves and fairies. She’d never have an affair with a wizard."

  "Yes, from what I remember she was always quite strict in that respect," he muttered under his breath. So far, he hadn't helped me at all.

  "Listen, Tron, I don't want to be rude, but I'm supposed to be working. The funeral is on Friday, so you’re welcome to come if you want to," I said, glancing at my watch realising that I was supposed to start work half an hour ago. "Is there anything you want to tell me about my grandmother that could help me with solving this case?"

  "I'm afraid I don't know any more than you do. I lost contact with her many years ago. I came back to London because I have business that requires my urgent attention. I'm sorry, but I'm not much help at all."

  "My father has been removed from the case. He can't stand the fact that he isn't involved. So, I have to get involved, to clear my grandmother from any wrongdoing and find out why she died," I said, folding my arms together, laying my cards outright. Tron knew something. I could just sense it.

  "We’ll work together, then. I’ll try to find out if she’d been in touch with any other creatures. In the meantime, try to stay out of trouble. I'll be in touch."

  I opened my mouth to ask him about Alex and Ella, but he was already on his way out the door. I had a lot on my plate, but I remembered my best friend needed to know what happened to her royal father. I had a feeling Tron was back for good now.

  When he shut the door behind him, the temperature in the room dropped. I didn't know what to think. Tron was always so vague, and he seemed distracted. It bothered me that he showed up alone. I had no other choice but to go back to my desk. It was a quarter past nine and Kate was already registering a few fairies. We had two admin vacancies that needed to be filled by Monday.

  I sat back at my desk and started massaging my temples. Tron left me drained and now I had a headache. Kate kept glancing at me from time to time, probably trying to figure out if I was going to lose it or not, as I had during other times when things weren’t going so well.

  Maybe Jasper had been involved, but I doubted that he would target my grandmother. He was too skilled to do something like that. After the two fairies left, I told Kate about my conversation with Tron. She agreed he wasn't telling me everything.

  We didn't have much chance to discuss what I was planning, because more clients arrived. Usually just before the end of the financial year things slowed down, but not today. The agency was full for most of the morning. Just after lunch Alexandra joined us to relieve the pressure with all the registrations that were going on.

  The street outside the agency was busy and the reporters remained, hoping to snap some more photos of me. They tried to talk to me when Kate and I went o
ut for lunch, asking for a comment, but I told them to get lost. I stopped trusting the media after they accused my family of being fraudulent. Nathaniel was working late tonight, but I wanted to see him later. Our wedding plans needed to be put on hold while we were dealing with this mess. I couldn't stop thinking about the money that my grandma had allegedly taken. She’d never had any problems with the law and she was wealthy. This story about fraud didn't make much sense—nothing was adding up and something was missing.

  "Kelsie called earlier asking about you," Kate said.

  "What did you tell her?"

  "Nothing specific, mainly that you were working today, and you were trying to get through the day."

  "I am, but I'll sleep better once I find my grandma’s murderer."

  "What? Julia, you can't be serious. You have to leave it to the police and let them deal with it."

  Kate had always been the voice of reason. Didn't she realise that this time it wasn't only about me but about my dad?

  "Dad won't let this one go. He’ll keep digging until the Commissioner fires his arse. And I don't want that to happen."

  "So, what are you planning to do?"

  "I don't know yet. Nothing before the funeral. I don't want to upset the family. It's all far too complicated and I need as much help as I can get."