by Zoe Arden
“Damon and Margaret?” I laughed. “Not for any reason I can think of.”
“How are things between the two of you?” the sheriff asked.
“Me and Damon?” I felt all eyes fall on me. Especially Colt’s. “Fine. I guess.” My cheeks colored. “Why?”
“I was only theorizing,” Sheriff Knoxx said.
“Theorizing what? That he ran off without saying a word because he was mad at me?”
Then again, Damon had gotten pretty mad at me upstairs. Maybe it wasn’t as silly as I was making it out to be.
“Margaret’s car isn’t in the driveway. She came here from Mistmoor, didn’t she?”
I hadn’t thought of that. “Yes.”
“Then she must’ve driven. Where’s her car?”
“Are you saying Damon took it?” I asked.
“I’m saying two people are missing, and Margaret’s car is gone as well. Most likely, one of them took it. Or they both did.”
“Even if Damon did leave because we had a fight or something... not that we did... I just... I mean...”
Why was it so hard to talk about Damon? I knew the answer though. It was because I felt Colt’s eyes burning into the back of my head.
“Even if he left,” I tried again, “what about Margaret? She wouldn’t just up and leave without saying something.”
I had started the day bright and early. It was still afternoon, but the longer we stood here talking, the more light we were losing. Soon it would be night and the full moon would rise in the sky. The Wolf Moon.
“Oh, my roses,” I said, a new possibility forming in my head. I turned to Colt. “Is it possible it wasn’t vampire hunters who got Melbourne?”
“What about Melbourne?” Trixie asked.
Oh, no. We hadn’t told them about finding the ashes yet.
“Um, we found some ashes... in Melbourne’s coffin,” I said.
Trixie’s eyes grew wide. “You found... ashes?” She looked paler than I’d ever seen her.
“Yes.” I bit my lip and looked at Eleanor, who was patting her shoulder.
“If Melbourne was staked,” Eleanor said, “he wouldn’t have felt a thing. It would have been very fast.”
I had no idea whether that was true or not but thought it sounded good. I wasn’t sure how much it was helping Trixie though. Her eyes were beginning to water.
“Excuse me,” she said and ran outside.
“Otis, will you and Tadpole go with her?” Sheriff Knoxx asked. “I don’t think anyone should be left alone right now, seeing as how people are vanishing before our eyes.”
“Sure thing, Sheriff,” Otis said. “Come on, Tadpole.” They hurried after Trixie, Tadpole squeaking all the way. I wondered how it was that Otis seemed to understand every nuance of every squeak Tadpole uttered, while to the rest of us it just sounded like, well, squeaks. I supposed that was the magic of familiars. Even if no one else could understand them, the one they were attached to always did.
“Listen,” I said, “I’ve been worried that Damon was the next one Polly was going after, but what if I was wrong?”
“You think Polly killed Melbourne?” Eleanor asked doubtfully. “She doesn’t even have her powers. It would be very difficult to take out a vampire without them.”
“True,” Sheriff Knoxx said, “but she does seem to have some tools on hand. That knife she stabbed me with, for instance. It wasn’t even a stab, just a small cut. But it was potent.”
“Someone gave her that knife, right? I mean, she didn’t have it when she left Wormwood.”
“I think I see where you’re going with this,” Colt said. “You think that she snuck in here while Melbourne was sleeping and used a stake that her accomplice gave her. That Melbourne was the intended target all along, not Damon.”
“Yes. Maybe the next archetype Polly meant to kill wasn’t the Lover.” I blushed at the word “lover,” especially when both Colt and my father were looking at me. “Maybe she meant to kill the Rebel. Melbourne could be considered kind of a rebel, right? A vampire who doesn’t drink human blood?”
“But why?” my dad asked, interrupting me. “The bloodstones require blood, Ava. Vampires don’t have blood running through them. Not anymore.”
“Oh. They don’t? I thought that maybe...”
“Why don’t we just look around, outside and in?” Sheriff Knoxx asked. “Only this time everyone stays together.”
An hour later, we had combed the house from top to bottom. There was no sign of Margaret or Damon anywhere.
“Maybe they did run off together,” I mumbled to myself as I sat down on the front stoop. The sheriff and Colt were deep in conversation on the front lawn. Eleanor was trying to console Trixie about Melbourne. My phone rang. Everyone stopped talking and looked at me. The number was blocked.
“Hello?” I said into the receiver.
“Hello.” Polly Peacock’s voice came loud and clear through the phone line. I would have recognized it anywhere. “Smile and nod,” she said. “If you ever want to see Damon or Margaret alive again, then smile and nod.”
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
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M y heart hammered in my chest as my brain attempted to compute what was happening. Polly had Margaret and Damon. On that, I was clear. But how had she gotten them? I hadn’t seen her anywhere near the house. Had she been hiding inside the whole time, right under our noses?
When I looked up, everyone was watching me.
Warthogs!
They were probably waiting to see if it was Damon or Margaret who had called me.
“Are you smiling and nodding?” Polly asked.
“Yes,” I said as I plastered a gigantic smile on my face.
She couldn’t really see me, could she? I had no idea, but I didn’t want to take chances. I focused on one person because it was easier to lie that way. Colt’s face was the first I saw, so it was his I focused on. I smiled and nodded only for him.
“Now tell your friends that it’s just a telemarketer or something,” she said. “Just make it sound believable.”
“It’s just Witchmobile,” I said to Colt and the others.
“They’re always calling at the worst times,” Trixie lamented.
Eleanor agreed and they returned to their conversations, disinterested in listening in on a sales pitch. Only Colt kept his eyes trained on me. Maybe focusing on him wasn’t such a good idea. I got up and started moving. It was too hard to sit still when my heart was pounding like this. I thought I was doing a good job of acting normal until I caught sight of Colt staring at me and realized I was walking in circles.
Why did he have to be so observant?
“Why, yes, thank you,” I said loudly. “I am happy with my service.
“Don’t try to get cute,” Polly warned.
“No, I wouldn’t be interested in that.”
“I want you to gather your things and say goodbye. Don’t say anything you shouldn’t or I’ll kill them both. And I’ll make sure it hurts.”
“Yes, I understand,” I said, keeping the smile plastered on my face.
Sheriff Knoxx was still talking to Colt, but Colt wasn’t listening. Not anymore. He wouldn’t take his eyes off me. I finally turned away from him and faced the house. Keeping my back to them was the only way I could focus, even if it did look a little weird.
“I want you to meet me at The Mystic Cupcake,” Polly said.
“Sure, no problem. When would you like me to do that?”
I was still smiling even though I knew Colt couldn’t see my face. I knew he was still watching me, though, because I could feel his eyes on my back. I turned to look over my shoulder and saw him start walking toward me.
Crud.
I held out a hand, indicating that he should stop, but that only made him walk faster. I was messing this up. I took a deep breath and widened my smile, hoping that woul
d help. My face felt frozen and unnatural. I started to wave then put my hand down, afraid that was overkill.
“I need you here before the moon rises,” Polly said. “You’ve got one hour.”
I was pretty sure the moon wouldn’t be out for at least three more hours, but I didn’t argue the point with her.
“How am I supposed to do that?” I asked. “I mean, I’m with people right now. So now isn’t a good time for me to talk.”
“I don’t know, just figure it out. Those friends of yours aren’t exactly geniuses. I’m sure you can come up with some way to get away from them. Tell them you’re sick or something.”
“Okay, thank you so much,” I said as Colt approached me. If he couldn’t hear me before, he was definitely close enough to hear me now.
“Do anything stupid, and I’ll kill them both.”
“Okay, got it. Really, I do. I’ve got it. It’s crystal clear. Thank you.”
“One hour,” Polly said and hung up. I just stood there, trying to keep my face calm even though inside I was flipping out.
“Okay, thanks for your time as well,” I said into the receiver and put the phone in my pocket.
“Everything okay?” Colt asked.
“Yeah. Sure. Fine. Great. Why?”
Sheriff Knoxx was within earshot now, too. Why were they swarming on me like this?
“Actually, no. Not so great. I have a headache. Talking to Witchmobile does that to me. I think I’ll go home and lie down.”
This time, Sheriff Knoxx and Colt both looked at me oddly.
“You don’t want to keep searching?” Sheriff Knoxx asked.
“Of course, I do, but I’m sure you’re both more than capable of finding Damon and Margaret on your own.
“Sure, we are,” Sheriff Knoxx said. He shot a look to Colt. “But we thought you’d want to help.”
Oh, my roses. They know something’s wrong.
“What did Witchmobile want?” Sheriff Knoxx asked.
“Oh, nothing. Just... you know... wanted me to upgrade or whatever.”
“Upgrade what?” Colt asked.
“Huh?”
“You said ‘upgrade or whatever.’ What did they want you to upgrade? Internet speed? Unlimited texting? What?”
“I don’t know,” I snapped. “How should I know something like that? Like I can listen to them prattle on about Internet connections while I’m worrying myself sick about Margaret and Damon.”
“If you’re so worried about them, then why are you going home?” Sheriff Knoxx asked.
“I told you! I have a headache.” I put my hand to my temple and started to rub it just to emphasize the point.
“Let me drive you home, then,” Colt said.
“That’s okay. The walk will do me good.”
“Well, then I’ll walk with you.”
“NO!” I yelled loud enough to garner looks from Trixie and Eleanor now, too.
I paused and caught my breath. I was messing this up big time. Keep calm. I plastered the smile back on my face.
“What I meant to say was okay, sure. You can drive me, thanks. Just let me use the bathroom first.” I turned to go inside and Colt followed me.
“I’m perfectly capable of using the bathroom alone,” I told him.
“I wasn’t going to follow you inside. I’ll just wait here.”
He took up a spot outside the bathroom door and stood like a sentry with his hands folded. I sighed and went into the bathroom.
It was small. A shower, toilet, sink, and window. The window was already open.
Good. At least he won’t hear me opening it.
The window was just above the toilet, which was actually pretty convenient. I made sure the door was locked and turned on the faucet to cover any sounds I might make. I pushed the window screen out as quietly as possible. It popped out easily and fell to the grass below.
“Everything okay in there?” Colt asked through the door.
“Yeah, I’m just washing my face.”
I hoisted myself up and slipped outside. The bakery was less than a mile away, and I was a fast runner.
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
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I approached The Mystic Cupcake, noting that the blinds were drawn. Had I even realized the front windows had blinds? Normally, our windows were proudly on display for passing patrons to see. We wanted them to look at the stacks of peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies and five-tiered cakes. The cupcakes we displayed were soft as velveteen and covered in layers of sweet frosting that left people speechless.
Now there was nothing to see but the closed sign. It wasn’t even full dark yet. If anyone had been paying attention, they should have known something was wrong. I tried the front door. It was locked. I went around to the back. There was a note taped to it.
Knock loudly.
I did as instructed and, a minute later, the door opened. Polly Peacock’s bright yellow hair and perfect pink lips greeted me. She looked as pretty as she normally did, though I could see the fatigue she was fighting in her eyes.
“Hello, Ava. Good to see you again.”
She greeted me like we were old friends instead of a murderer summoning me to my death.
“Wish I could say the same,” I told her.
She laughed and held the door open for me.
“Step inside, won’t you?”
I hesitated with one foot inside the doorway, one foot out. She gripped my arm tightly and hurled me in. I fell to the ground and, when I looked up again, she was hovering over me.
“There now, that’s better, isn’t it?”
The bakery had only one level. No basement. No attic. There was a large back room and an equally large front room. A swing door with a porthole-style window separated the two. Polly pushed me out the door to the front.
Damon was lying strapped to a metal table in front of a display of lemon loopy poppy bars. My mind rejected seeing him there. I wanted desperately to believe this was all a bad dream. Damon’s head was bleeding. His hands and feet were cuffed to the table. I had no idea where the table had come from. I’d never seen it before in my life. It was like something out of a horror movie.
To the left of Damon’s table stood an identical empty one. It was perpendicular to Damon’s. The cuffs were attached to the table. They were open. Waiting for me.
“Damon!” I yelled, running to him. I kissed him tenderly.
His eyes rolled around in his head, trying to focus.
“Ava?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m here. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“No,” he muttered, coughing as he tried to fill his lungs with air. I touched his head where it was bleeding. A deep gash lay at an angle across his forehead.
“What have you done to him?” I demanded.
“What’s the matter? He’s alive, isn’t he?”
Damon opened his mouth to speak but his words were jumbled. “Noo, Ava, noo. Izza trap.”
“Ssh, I know. It’s okay.” His eyes closed again, and I kissed him once more. I had to fix this. I looked around the room for something that could help me and realized that something important was missing.
“Where’s Margaret?” I asked.
Polly’s shrill laugh echoed through the bakery, making my hairs stand on end.
“What have you done to her? You promised you wouldn’t hurt her if I came down here.”
“I haven’t hurt her,” Polly said. I didn’t like the way she was smiling at me.
“Then where is she? Let me see her,” I demanded.
“Margaret!” Polly yelled. The door to the customer restroom popped open and Margaret stumbled out, looking frazzled. Her white hair was disheveled, and her violet eyes were lackluster.
“Oh, my roses,” I said as she stumbled toward me. I left Damon and went to help her.
�
�What did you do to her?” I snapped at Polly as I helped Margaret to a chair.
“Me? I didn’t do anything.” Polly looked amused about the whole thing.
“Ava,” Margaret said, her voice sounded tired. “Does anyone know you’re here?”
“No, but don’t worry. I’ll get us out of this.”
“Are you sure you weren’t followed?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m sorry. There was no other way for me to get to you. I had to do what Polly wanted. I couldn’t risk her killing you and Damon.”
Margaret smiled and patted my hand.
“Good. That’s good.” She stood up and suddenly her face seemed brighter. Her eyes were more alive. She had a strange look on her face that made my heart skip a beat.
“M-Margaret?” I asked.
Slowly, she walked from the chair to Polly, taking a place at her side.
“I’m so sorry I lied to you, Ava, and I really hope you don’t hold it against me,” Margaret said.
“W-what’s going on? Margaret, what are you doing?”
Margaret clucked her tongue and took a step toward me. Every fiber in my body told me to run.
“What I’m doing,” Margaret said, “is fixing a mess you created. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this, and you’ve given it to me. When the Wolf Moon rises tonight, I’ll have your soul, and no one will be able to stop me.”
“Stop you from what?”
“Stop me from taking over.”
“Taking over what?”
“The Council on Magic and Human Affairs, of course.”
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
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“Y ou can’t be serious,” I said.
“Why can’t I?” Margaret picked a cupcake off its tray and began slowly undoing its wrapper.
Polly was watching me like a hawk, but her eyes strayed to the cupcakes as well. Her stomach rumbled. She grabbed one before Margaret could say anything. When she did, I noticed a vial of nuggerwart extract sitting on the counter. Polly devoured her first cupcake in five seconds flat and made a mad dash for a second one. The nuggerwart fell over and rolled down the counter toward me. It stopped near a stack of muffins.
