"We should go in, see if we can find anything useful," Kate suggested, squeezing her magic wand tightly in her hand.
"Shit, I really thought we finally got somewhere," Kelsie said. "No offence to your father, Julia, but where the hell are the police? If that lady was your grandma’s friend, then shouldn't she have been questioned by Dannika?"
Magic was whipping through the air, heating up my skin and burning my eyes. I was having difficulties taking enough oxygen into my lungs. Kelsie was right. Dolores was a very important witness, and the police should have known about her. It didn't make sense that no one noticed the toxic power that filled the house.
"We need to get inside," I said. "We can call the police later."
This wasn't rocket science. Dolores was dead, even a non-magical creature couldn't have mistaken it. We got out of the car and hesitantly approached the house. Goose bumps appeared down my arms and the muscles in my stomach tightened.
"There’s a dead paranormal behind those doors, Julia. I don't think we should wait on letting the authorities know," Kate said, waving her magic wand, probably to ease the gritty magic that circulated around the house. I didn't know what I was looking for. Deep down I was hoping we were all wrong and Dolores was still alive.
"I'm going inside to search the house," I said. "Dolores was most likely a target. She was Grandma’s friend and now she’s dead."
"All right, I'll look around the back. Kate?" Kelsie asked.
"Fine, but I don't like this. This whole thing stinks."
I couldn't help agreeing with Kate, especially when I went inside. The scene was completely opposite to what happened in my grandmother’s property. Everything looked immaculate in the hallway, the furniture was in order, and paintings were still on the walls. The space was clean and tidy, but my heart skipped a beat when I walked into the large living room.
Dolores was sitting in the chair, dressed in her pink robe, and clearly dead. She had her nails done and the faint scent of vanilla filled the space. The killer must have caught her by surprise, because her knitting sat right in front of her. So sad. My stomach twisted, and I felt a sharp pain in my skull.
"Are you okay?" Kate whispered.
The discomfort lasted only for a moment. Energy crackled across the room, filling me fast. Dolores had been cursed. I didn't recognise the type of spell. Her eyes were still open and that bothered me, because it looked like she was staring straight at me. For a good few minutes I stood there in silence, trying to understand what had happened in here.
"Julia, let's look around the house. I'll find her office before the police seal everything off," Kate suggested, nudging me with her elbow.
I was seriously freaked out, because everything seemed so calm. Dolores looked like she was waiting for her tea to be served.
"All right, I'll go upstairs," I offered, flinching back and moving quickly upstairs.
The house was huge, with at least four bedrooms. I found a black cat in Dolores’s bedroom. My heart pounded when I was checking the drawers and wardrobe. Maybe this case was bigger than anything that I’d ever dealt with. It took me five minutes to pull myself together, to function like I was supposed to, before I continued with the search.
Kelsie came in and we all went to Dolores’s office. I found some correspondence addressed to my grandma, but they were only discussing general matters of the Association. The flasks and bottles were empty, and the kitchen drawers were filled with paperwork.
Kate made the call to Dannika. We were undoubtedly already in trouble for scouring through Dolores's possessions, but at this stage I was past caring.
My own energy was draining me. I was sweating, trying to suppress the excess magic. When I touched the couch, I nearly burned it. My fingertips were setting things on fire, and a couple of bulbs in the living room had already exploded.
Within a few hours, the house was filled with officers from the paranormal unit. A few neighbours came to watch from a distance.
The three of us were sitting in the pristine kitchen in silence when Dannika finally came back.
"I'm not happy with the fact that the three of you are here," she said, folding her arms over her chest.
She knew me well, since she’d been reporting to my father before he’d been suspended from his regular duties. I never thought she was beautiful, but she had striking purple eyes and long black hair. She was a pure-born witch like Kate. She didn't mess around and never took crap from anyone. She was the kindest, mouthiest police officer I’d ever met.
I didn't know what I was supposed to tell her. "I needed to do something. Dolores didn't come to the funeral," I explained. "She and my grandmother were close, so I found it strange. I know they were both killed with the same curse."
Dannika exhaled sharply, chewing her bottom lip. Yeah, she was pissed off. "We’ve managed to identify the wizard who was last seen with your grandmother. He had been on our radar a few times, mainly for supply and disruption of illegal potions. The fraud allegations from the head of the Elves Association are legitimate. We went through the paperwork. I'm sorry, Julia, but it looks like your grandmother did take the money. None of this is looking good."
She could tell me whatever she wanted, but I knew my grandmother wasn't a thief.
"Grandma loved working with the Association and she would never do anything like that. I'm sorry, Dannika, but I won't just give up on clearing her name. If I don't solve this, Dad will keep at it and lose his job. You know how stubborn he can be."
She twisted her lips and sighed, shaking her head. “You're an idiot then, Julia. I thought you had some sense in you. Some secrets ain’t worth being dug up. I have work to do, so the three of you should leave before I change my mind and arrest you for interfering in my investigation."
"You can't do that! We’re trying to help," Kelsie shouted, getting up. Dannika took a step towards her, her purples eyes gleaming with anger.
"Watch your mouth, shifter. This isn't your place to get involved," she hissed.
"All right, all right," I said, dragging Kelsie away. "Kelsie, we’re leaving. Dannika, I'm sorry about that." We didn't need this right now. Dannika wasn't going to put up with Kelsie’s bad manners.
A few wizards from the paranormal unit were already gathering around the house when we drove off. Dannika was only doing what she was paid to do. I couldn't blame her, but she was wrong about Grandma. She wouldn't commit fraud. She already had a fortune. Meanwhile, Grandpa Fred had been missing for a week now, and the police were on the case, trying to track him down. The longer he remained missing, the more worried my family became.
"I should go back to the house and punch her. Shifter. Did you hear that bitch?"
"Kelsie, calm down. She’s only doing what she has to," I said, knowing it was time to get back to the basics. "Maybe we should back off for a bit."
"What? Are you serious?"
"Julia, you aren’t going to give up? Your grandmother’s friends are being targeted. We have a lead, and we should be speaking to others."
Kate was staring at me. I’d never seen her so pumped up. She was partly right. We needed to speak to members of the Association, my grandma's other friends, but I needed to be careful.
"Dannika doesn’t care that I'm her boss’s daughter. We need to be careful and get back to the basics of the case. The wizard. We need to find him before she does. This case, these murders, have something to do with her past and me," I said. "Head to the M2. I want to get home before it gets dark."
Kelsie nodded. We were still in Canterbury. Dannika had said more than she realised. The wizard was an illegal potion trader. Maybe I just had to ask the right people, as I’d done in the past.
"So, what are we going to do?" Kate asked.
"Kelsie, can you speak to Michael? He still has his contacts around the city. There’s a good possibility that he knows the right people."
“That's true. He has good connections," Kelsie admitted.
"What about the letter? Maybe
you should show it to your father?" Kate suggested.
"I will, but not yet. At this point, it’ll only motivate him to do more harm than good."
I had a bad migraine when the girls dropped me home several hours later. My excess magic was zooming. Later on, I got a text from Kelsie. She gave Michael an overview of what I needed to know. The wizard was still a mystery, but we knew he was famous on the streets, and like Jasper, his reputation preceded him. It was just a matter of time before Michael would find someone we needed to talk to.
My apartment was cold, and I cast a few spells, trying to release the energy, just the way Tron had taught me, hoping to get some relief. I was angry, suddenly frustrated that everything was going wrong. For about eight months Nathaniel and I were perfectly happy. Now, he acted and behaved like a complete stranger. Why?
I went to bed early, but I didn't sleep well. My skin was boiling hot, and the annoying buzzing of my powers kept me up for most of the night. I went to work feeling tired and cranky, not quite ready to conquer yet another stressful day.
Later on that day I started doing some research about vampires and their temperament. I didn't find anything useful. Nathaniel’s sudden outburst of anger was unexplainable, but I wasn't ready to give up. There were other ways to find out why my fiancé had gone crazy.
Later that day, I called more hospitals, places that my grandpa liked to visit, his friends. I even went through a list of people who knew him, but no one had seen him. I kept pretending that I was all right, but deep down I was missing Nathaniel. It was hard to forget. We had five years together and I still loved him.
I was glad when work was finally over on Friday night. The week had gone, and I felt like I hadn't made any progress. We were just about to lock up the office. Kate was going through the last few files and I was counting the invoices.
“What's your plans for the weekend?" Kate asked, when I sighed loudly. She knew I’d been in a bad mood most of the day.
"I don't have any. I was supposed to look at wedding venues with Nathaniel, but that obviously isn't going to happen," I said, smiling weakly.
"Don't think about—"
She didn't finish what she started to say, because we heard someone come in. Two large wolves stood by the entrance. I froze, and Kate grabbed her wand. The larger wolf began to shake, and soon his fur transformed into a human skin, his paws shifting into legs and arms. Within a moment I saw a naked Michael in the same spot where a moment ago a wolf stood. Then Kelsie shifted back into her human form.
"For God’s sake, Kelsie, this isn't funny. I nearly had a heart attack," Kate shouted, waving her magic wand, creating some clothes for both of them.
"Chill. This was necessary. We needed to be sure no one followed us," Kelsie said, putting a T-shirt on and winking at her shifter boyfriend.
“She's right. I have information about the wizard. If we want to speak to him, we need to leave now."
Chapter 12
Dreams.
Michael Longbridge was a handsome shifter. He even asked me once for a date; however, our first meeting still gave me nightmares from time to time. He’d shown up in the agency with a chainsaw when one of our previous consultants had messed up his pay. He was one of the creatures who had key contacts in the city and I trusted him, because he rescued me from a few dangerous situations. He was also Kelsie’s boyfriend. These two had somehow managed to hook up last year, and yes, it was all my doing.
"Festival of Potions?" I repeated, making sure I’d heard him correctly.
"Are you a parrot, Julia?" Kelsie asked, raising her left eyebrow. Michael was putting on combat trousers when I glanced back at him.
"Christ, Kelsie, just tell us. Where are we going and what’s this idea with Festival of Potions?" Kate barked, looking annoyed, probably because she was exhausted and cranky. We’d both been awake since three o’clock this afternoon. It was a long shift.
"Yes, it's a long journey and the Festival of Potions is starting tomorrow evening. We need to get there on time if you want to speak to the wizard," Michael said, completely dressed now.
"The wizard, the one who’d been in touch with my grandmother just before she was murdered?"
"Yes, I managed to track him down. It wasn't easy. I had to get through to quite a few people first, bribe them with gold. I cornered three hags who used to buy potions from him. They were difficult, but eventually I got what I needed. His real name is Anthony and he never stays in the same place for more than a week."
"And you’re absolutely certain that it's him?" I asked, my heart suddenly pounding against my ribs. This whole thing sounded so unbelievable. Michael exhaled and looked at Kelsie. There was some kind of silent exchange going on between them.
"Your grandma was seen in Lotus a couple of weeks ago,” Michael said. “She was trading some of her artefacts for fairies’ blood."
My jaw dropped, and I stared at both of them with disbelief, trying to figure out if they were making fun of me. Grandma would never have sold her artefacts, especially for fairy blood. Someone had probably made this story up. I didn't believe it.
"Sorry, darling, but it looks like your grandma was involved in some serious shit," Kelsie said. "And if you want to get to the bottom of it, then we need to leave now. It's a bit of a drive to Wrexham. We’ve managed to sort everything out."
They didn't have to tell me twice to move my ass. I was up for this, whatever the plan was.
"Kate, you don't have to come with us,” I said. “You haven't slept yet."
"Come on, don't insult me, Julia. You’re my friend and you won't be going anywhere without me."
Kelsie snorted but didn't say anything. Within half an hour we locked the office and packed ourselves into Michael’s car. I had no idea what to expect. Potion festivals, like Sabbath, were mainly for witches and wizards. After working all night, I wasn't keen on spending the next couple of hours in the car, but I had no other options. I told Michael that I needed to pick up a change of clothes at home. I grabbed whatever I could for Kate and me, and we were on our way shortly after that.
In a matter of weeks, I learned more about my grandmother than I ever had when she was alive. I had to know what happened to her and who had killed her, regardless of the consequences—before my father destroyed his career forever.
Kate and I took the seats in the back as Michael began heading west, trying to get into the nearest motorway. I managed to drift off when the sun began to rise, and we left London behind. When I opened my eyes again we were pulling in front of a small cottage that looked like a bed and breakfast.
I rubbed my eyes, realising it was daytime. My phone showed 10:06 a.m. My muscles were stiff as hell and my fingertips tingled with electricity. This wasn't good. I didn't want to worry about my excess magic and the fact that I could bring attention to myself.
"Where are we?" I asked, yawning. Kelsie was the one behind the wheel. It looked like she must have swapped seats with Michael. I didn't even realise that they’d stopped. I must have slept for a good few hours.
"Summerhill, not far from Wrexham. We’ll stay here for a night if we have to. It’ll take us at least half an hour to get to the festival," Michael announced, stretching his bulky arms above himself.
Kate’s hair was all over the place. My stomach churned nervously. I was starving, but I guessed food wasn't important at the moment.
"Are we going there straight away?" I asked them.
"No, we need to change our appearance first. You can't get in there without an invitation. Humans run this B&B, so we shouldn't have any problems."
I swallowed hard thinking about my time in Wales with Jasper last year and that night that we spent together. This setup felt similar and we were in Wales again. I had made a mistake once trusting the wrong person, thinking he could help me find the white witch. All along he was only playing me. God, I was so desperate back then. Looking back, I should have asked for Kelsie’s or Nicky's help. Now I was so relieved I wasn't on my own.
/> I took my bag that I’d packed in a rush several hours earlier and got out of the car. Michael told us he was going to be the one doing all the talking. Kate had her magic wand beside her just in case. The humans who ran the place turned out to be a forty-something English couple.
"It's so nice to finally meet some young people who appreciate the beauty of nature," the woman said when I was signing my name in the book. We paid for two rooms; Michael and Kelsie went to one, me and Kate to the other.
"I think we have more time than I anticipated," Michael said, scratching his head. "The festival has been delayed. It's going to start around five." It was in many ways a relief. I needed to take a shower, get some food and try to sleep. That three-hour kip in the car wasn't particularly comfortable and I wanted to be rested when I talked to the wizard.
"Let them sleep; they’ve been working all night. We’ll meet at four downstairs, that gives us enough time to get busy," Kelsie said, winking at Michael. I rolled my eyes, and he nodded. There was that smug smile on his face. I hoped they wouldn't be loud.
When I went back to the room, Kate had a white towel wrapped around her body.
"I hope you don't mind—"
"No, carry on. I'll go after you and unpack while you’re in there," I said, pushing her toward the bathroom.
When she finally locked the door and I heard the shower going, I released some of my magic. My hands were shaking, and I was anxious about what to expect from this meeting. The wizard obviously knew things about my grandma.
I took the clothes I was planning to wear later and laid it on the bed. I couldn't allow myself to become unfocused. My mind wandered, and I thought about the last B&B I was in. Jasper had been plotting to sleep with me since the moment I asked for his help. Yes, I promised I would try again, and I genuinely was planning to stay on friendly terms with him, but then after his betrayal I knew that wasn't going to happen.
When Kate was done, I went into the bathroom and had a quick shower, scrubbing myself all over. Thoughts about Nathaniel collided in my mind and I had no idea whether to cry or laugh. He embarrassed me in front of my family and friends. Love was the strongest force on earth, but I just couldn't forgive him.
Family Feud: The Witching Hour Series Book 5 Page 9
