“Maybe that’s not it,” she said and started running her hands along one of the tunnel’s walls. “You do the other side.”
“Why are we doing this?” I asked, but I began to run my hands over the tunnel wall opposite Blossom.
“My old house had hidden doors in the walls. You needed the right amount of pressure and magic to pop them open. I just get a feeling about this place.”
“Hey, my old house had those, too.” Another sting of homesickness.
“Got it!” Blossom said. When I turned around, I watched her push a big stone door out of the way.
Inside was a huge room with another circle of thirteen stones. The walls in that room glowed with a swirl of pink, turquoise, and sky blue. It took my breath away. In the center of the circle was a small wooden treasure chest.
I rushed forward and tried to open it. The lid resisted. The box felt heavy for its size, and I couldn’t fight the compulsion to get it open.
“Wait!” Blossom said. “What if it’s a trap or like a witchy security system?”
She was right. I didn’t think that the witches who’d left these stone circles and this magnificent cave behind were evil, but how did I know? “What do we do?”
“Try scanning it for dark magic, I guess,” Blossom said.
I closed my eyes and let the power of the cave radiate out of my fingers and over the box. I didn’t pick up anything nefarious, but I did get a surge of hope when the image of a nautilus flashed in my mind. Using the same energy I’d leveraged to scan the box for black magic, I also searched for a way in. In my mind’s eye, I could see the white light sink into the box’s lock and pop it open.
“You did it!” Blossom said.
My hope died on the vine. The vision must have been a clue as to what had been in the box.
It was empty.
Chapter Twelve
The cave had given us some clues, but it was not the answer to our puzzle. We didn’t have anything else to go on, and the best we could do was meditate in the cave and hope we got some insight. Blossom and I agreed that we’d go back soon and hope that the magic cave gave up some answers to Clownfish Cay’s mysteries.
Barring us stumbling across another clue or the cave giving us insight, our only choice was to go on with life. To that end, I decided to check out some of the stores on the island. I figured I’d start on the main tourist drag and work my way down to the cruise ship docks. Blossom was working, so I figured I’d go into her shop and say hello.
It seemed like a good idea to just let myself get lost in the hustle and bustle for a while. Plus, if I was going to start turning Clownfish Cay into a haven for witches and other magicals, I needed to be more familiar with the island and the people who already called it home.
Two hours and five shopping bags into my day, I ran into Holden. He wasn’t with Ashlyn, and I wanted to kick myself for getting excited.
He walked right up to me. “Hello, Starla.”
“Hi,” I said as I tried not to sound overly excited to see him. “Fancy meeting you out and about.”
“Yeah, I was just about to grab a bite to eat. Would you like to join me?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said without thinking. I instantly knew it probably wasn’t a good idea, but I couldn’t help myself.
We grabbed tacos from a nearby taco truck and ate them as we walked along the beach. After that, we waded out into the water to our ankles. It made me nervous. Not the part about leaving my shoes on the beach, but the part about what was out in the water the other day.
In most of the movies I’ve seen, mermaids were fascinating creatures who were just as interested in us as we were in them. But how do we know that’s what they’d really be like if we encountered them?
“You okay?” Holden asked.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just a little tired, I think.” It was the first thing I could think of on the spot.
“Oh, good. I was worried that you were regretting having lunch with me.”
“No, not at all. Although I do have to ask what Ashlyn would think of this.”
“She wouldn’t like it. We both know that. I’m trying to figure out what to do. I want to do the right thing, but this isn’t something I should dump on you.”
“Well, if we’re going to be friends, then I want you to feel like you can talk to me.” I saw the sting in his face when I said we were friends.
“Thanks. I guess that’s really all we can be,” he said with a defeated shrug of his shoulders.
He was right. That was all we could be. Holden was engaged to his pregnant girlfriend. It didn’t matter how much of a spark there was between us because I was not that kind of witch. I would never cause someone else pain for my own gain. I could never be happy in a relationship knowing that I’d destroyed a family to create it.
“I like you, Holden. I like you a lot, and it’s very strange for me because we barely know each other. You’re getting married to your pregnant girlfriend. I mean, fiancée. Friends is what we can be. I’ll be here for you as much as I can be without upsetting Ashlyn. I really don’t want her setting her sights on me.”
“I can understand that,” Holden said. “It seems so ridiculous that I’m marrying someone like her. How am I ever going to have friends if everyone has to worry about walking on eggshells around my wife?” He shuddered when he referred to Ashlyn as his wife. “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through this.”
“By this, do you mean the rest of your life?”
Holden swallowed hard. “I’ve got to work this afternoon. My assistant manager is sick. I need to get to the resort. Would you walk with me?”
“Sure.”
I was definitely getting more used to being outside in the sunshine. It was a beautiful afternoon and the breeze coming off the ocean kept it from feeling too hot. I hated myself, though, because a couple of times Holden’s pinky brushed against mine and I wished that he could hold my hand.
It wasn’t a short walk, and by the time we reached the hotel, my throat was parched. “I need to get a drink before I walk home. Do you think it would cause you any problems if I walked in with you so I can grab a Diet Coke from a vending machine?”
“Sure. In fact, we’ve got a fridge in the front office where we keep drinks for V.I.P. guests. I’ll grab you one.”
“Are you saying I’m a very important person?” I wanted to kick myself for flirting. What was wrong with me?
“Yes, Starla. You really are,” Holden said and then opened the door to the resort for me.
I blushed furiously as my skin betrayed my attempts at integrity. I couldn’t respond, so I just ducked through the door and sighed as the air-conditioning in the lobby cooled my hot cheeks.
We went to the front desk and I waited while Holden went in the back and grabbed my diet soda. “Thank you so much.” I said with a smile as he handed it to me.
Holden smiled back and looked as though he was about to say something, but his expression fell suddenly. Something behind me had completely knocked the wind out of his sails.
I turned around and saw what had upset him so much. Ashlyn had walked into the same doors we’d just walked through minutes ago, and she looked like she was ready for war.
“I’ll kill you,” Ashlyn said as darkness filled her eyes. “I’ll kill you both in your sleep,” she hissed.
“Oh my gosh,” one of the desk clerks said. “Should I call security?”
“Yes, and then go in the back, please,” Holden said.
Ashlyn strode toward us, and I briefly wondered if her rage was typical crazy or if she was possessed by something evil. “I’m so tired of being disrespected.”
Holden had come out from behind the front desk area. “Ashlyn, please calm down. This isn’t necessary. I’ve called security, but I’ll call the sheriff too.”
“Oh, you’re going to call the cops on me, huh? You would love to see the mother of your child arrested, wouldn’t you? You’re torturing me for fun,” she screamed at him, an
d every guest anywhere near the resort’s lobby turned and gathered.
If security didn’t get Ashlyn under control soon, she was going to cost Holden his job. It would have been a great deal easier if I’d had a calming spell to help her, but I was useless without my magic in that situation. I wanted to leave, but between Ashlyn and the growing crowd, the exit doors were blocked. I felt trapped, watching the scene unfold in front of me.
“Ashlyn, you know that’s not true,” Holden said as his shoulders slumped and he ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t do this anymore. I just can’t. We’re done.”
“You can’t dump me!” she shrieked. “I’m carrying your child.”
“We’ll figure that out when the time comes, Ashlyn. Hopefully we can come to an agreement like adults for the sake of the child, but our relationship is over for good this time.”
She lunged at him and nearly caught his face and eyes with her long fingernails, but security appeared behind her and gently pulled her away.
“I should go,” I said to Holden when the scene was over and the crowd was disbursing.
“Thank you for walking with me. Can we talk later?” Holden asked.
“Yes, we can, but Holden, please give it a bit of time. Give me a day or two to process all of this.”
I left before I could have taken it back. If I’d stayed another second, I would have asked him to come by my house when he’d gotten off work. Something about Holden Grey made me stupid.
Chapter Thirteen
A day later, Holden hadn’t come by yet, and Blossom and I were no closer to discovering the island’s secrets. People had already started to forget Becky’s murder, and that bothered me. Even Holden had been so wrapped up in his drama with Ashlyn that he seemed to have moved on from his sister’s death.
Perhaps, I thought, there was more that I could do. Dirk had been on my mind, and I had to know if he was truly the grieving lover or if he was responsible for Becky’s death.
Blossom was at work, but I was bored and restless. I probably should have waited until she could go with me, but I was coming out of my skin. Presto wanted me to take him to the cave, but he was sleeping. Cat naps were an all-day marathon, even for him some days.
Somehow, I got it into my head that it was a good idea to go to Dirk’s trailer and talk to him. It wasn’t the first time in my life that I’d had a crazy idea, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last.
When I got to Dirk’s trailer, something felt off. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was unsettling, but I knew in my gut what I would find before I walked over his threshold.
He was dead. I immediately pulled out my cell phone and dialed the sheriff’s office. It only took Kane a few minutes to arrive.
“I didn’t do it,” I blurted out as Kane got out of the car.
“Are you sure?” Kane asked and I almost burst into tears. “Whoa, whoa. I’m sorry. This is a bad time for a joke,” Kane said as my bottom lip started to quiver. “I know you didn’t do it. If you had, you wouldn’t have called me while you were still on the scene. Starla, I don’t think you’re stupid.”
“Oh good,” I said. “It looks like someone stabbed him.”
“You didn’t disturb the scene?”
“No, I saw him when I walked in, and I stopped. I stepped right inside the door, saw him, came back out, and I called you.”
“Okay, Starla. Thanks. I’ll take things from here.”
As I walked away, I knew one thing for sure. It hadn’t been Dirk who’d murdered Becky. Whoever had killed her had come back for Dirk.
But why?
“Starla.” Juniper’s voice startled me out of my sleep. I’d been so overwhelmed by what had happened that I needed a nap. “Starla, I want to help you.”
“Juniper?”
“I’m in the bathroom mirror. Hurry, I don’t want to use up too much of the magic thread that’s left.”
I rushed into the bathroom, and sure enough, Juniper had appeared in my mirror. “I’m so glad to see you again.”
“I wish it were under better circumstances, but I want to help you. It’s a full moon tonight, and I think I can cross over and help you use a little magic to figure out who killed that Dirk guy.”
“How do you know about that?”
“I’m helping Esmerelda keep tabs on the island.” Juniper said. I was about to make a snarky comment, but she kept going before I could. “No, I’m not your boss, Starla. I’m just helping the Grand Coven keep watch.”
“Okay,” I said with a smile. “Tell me all about your plan, boss lady.”
“I miss you so much,” she said and I felt tears sting my eyes. “But I think I can come to the island tonight using the power of the full moon. Maybe together we can use a little spell power to figure out who Clownfish Cay’s killer is. Meet me at his trailer when you get off work tonight.”
“He has really nosy neighbors,” I said.
“Do you think they’ll still be up when you close the bar?”
“Good point. I’ll be there, Juniper.”
“See you then,” she said before disappearing from the mirror, and then I was alone in my bathroom again.
My shift at the bar felt like it took forever. Waiting to see Juniper and anticipating possibly solving the crime was like torture. I was in such a hurry when I left that night that I almost forgot to lock the door.
Almost.
I walked to Dirk’s trailer, and I was happy to see that all of the lights along his street were out. It didn’t appear that anyone was still up, and there weren’t even any dogs out in the yards to bark at me. I’d gotten very lucky, and I had to wonder if some of the magic coming through from Stone Church had helped that.
A soft glow emanated from Dirk’s trailer. I recognized it as Juniper’s magic light. It wasn’t always obvious, but if you knew a witch well, you could recognize their particular signature on every spell they cast.
Inside the trailer, Juniper had a pot boiling on the stove. The air smelled of herbs and flowers. “I’ve written our request on this parchment in dragon’s blood ink. Do you want to burn it, or should I?” she asked.
“I think you should do it. I can feel your energy, but I’m pretty sure my magical batteries are mostly drained. I think I’ll only inhibit your spell.”
I watched as Juniper lit another burner. “Are you ready?”
“I’m a little more nervous than I expected. You’d never have known that I used to do magic all of the time. Also, I don’t want to burn this place down. Kane will never forgive me.”
“Kane, huh? That sounds schmexy,” Juniper said with a giggle.
“Hush. We’re investigating a murder here. Sheriff Kane is a good-looking man, but he’s not interested in me.”
“Ah ha! You never said you weren’t interested in him.”
I was about to make a brilliant retort, but I realized she was right. “Not the right time. We can go over the whole oh my god what boys does Starla have a crush on after we solve the murders.”
“You’re right,” Juniper said and held the corner of the paper to the flame. “And don’t worry about me setting the place on fire. As soon as the words are burned off, I’ll drop this into the pot.”
A half second later, Juniper did drop the last piece of the flaming paper into the boiling water. She turned to the living room and looked expectantly at the space where I’d seen Dirk’s body. Nothing happened.
“It didn’t work,” Juniper said.
“We could go for a walk on the beach,” I offered.
“I wish I could stay,” Juniper said. “I can feel the portal growing weaker. I can’t even stay to try another spell.”
“I understand.”
“It’s going to be okay, Starla. I know I’m going to be able to come visit you for real soon. I promise, or maybe we can talk Esmerelda into letting you come back to Stone Church for a while.”
“I would love to come back soon, but I’ve just started my work here. It’s probably going to be a
while before the Grand Coven lets me take a vacation.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Juniper whispered.
And then she was gone.
Chapter Fourteen
By the weekend, I was still no closer to solving Becky, and now Dirk’s, murder. I didn’t know how to free Presto from his cat form, and I hadn’t unlocked the secret of the island. It was beginning to look like the Grand Coven had chosen the wrong witch to colonize Clownfish Cay.
The upside was that Sol had brought in some fresh mint that he’d grown in his window garden, and I’d become a pro at making the best mojitos you’d ever tasted. The Blue Saloon was making more money than ever, and Annabeth said the owner was talking raises.
So maybe I was just better at being a regular human than a witch. Would that have been so bad? In my old life, I’d never have considered going hours, let alone days, without using magic for something, and yet I seemed to be doing fine.
I still wanted to free Presto, solve the murders, and unleash the magic within Clownfish Cay, but I gave myself permission to chill. Slow is steady and steady is fast. Measure twice, cut once, and all of that meaningful stuff about taking your time and doing things right.
One thing I wondered if I would ever get right was Holden. He hadn’t gotten back to me yet, and I pictured him running off and eloping with Ashlyn. I was a little jealous and worried, and I hated feeling that way over a man.
A knock at my door drew me out of my thoughts. When I opened it, Holden stood outside, looking a little green around the edges. I knew right away that he had bad news, and I wondered why he didn’t just stay away.
“Can I come in?” he asked as I stood there silently, contemplating just closing the door. If I just shut it and walked away, I could spare myself the drama that I’d allowed to seep into my life and heart.
“Yeah, sure,” I said as my traitor heart pounded in my chest.
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