“No,” Hudson answered, “but we’d met at his Rite of Passage ceremony last year.”
“Last year,” I said, latching on to a nugget of Compendium-gleaned knowledge. “He was new, then. Young.”
“Yes, eighteen. Here for university.” Hudson held my gaze steadily, every flirtatious vibe wiped from his demeanor. Greater Vancouver boasted two large universities known for different areas of academia. However, Hudson had inclined his head westward when he’d spoken, consciously or subconsciously identifying the University of British Columbia as the school in question.
“Do you … who do you think … The vampire indicated that he was conducting some sort of investigation.”
Hudson snorted in derision. “The only jurisdiction the vampire had was when it looked, momentarily, like a vampire kill. Even then they wouldn’t have sent a rep if it hadn’t been the third body. He needs to back off now.”
“There’ve been three murders?”
“Yeah. Same MO. Werewolf, drained of blood, evidence of some sort of magic on the body —”
“My trinkets?” I asked, even though I really didn’t want the answer.
“Yeah, but this is the first body in Vancouver. The two previous were in Washington, so we didn’t make the connection with the trinkets until Kandy found you yesterday. She and the vampire have been pretending to ignore each other —” Hudson’s phone buzzed. He checked it and replied to a text. “I have to go. The boss summons.” This was said with more respect than sarcasm. “Kandy will watch over you while I’m gone. I’d like to take you to dinner.”
“You’re guarding me?”
“Kandy is guarding you. I’m attempting to date you. Seeing as how you’re the common denominator, with the trinkets and all, it’s kind of a conflict of interest. But I find I don’t even remotely care. The vampire must think so, too. About you being the thing to watch, not the dating thing, I hope.” Hudson curled his lip at the mention of the vampire. The Compendium had obviously been correct with regards to werewolves not liking vamps. Then he settled his gaze back on me with a sweeter, softer look. “Let me walk you back to the bakery,” he murmured, and I very obligingly got up. I wondered if it was some part of his magic that made me want to obey him, but I found I didn’t care. I just liked the sound of his voice close to my ear and his breath on my neck.
We walked to stand outside the bakery windows. I could see from here that the cookies I’d baked on impulse had sold out already. I didn’t like the blank space in the display case.
“Don’t worry, Jade,” Hudson said. He was close enough that his breath stirred the curls on the top of my head. “I know the smell of your magic now. I don’t think you killed the werewolves.”
“But before we danced?”
“Well,” he said, his grin predatory around the edges. “It was a good way to test, wasn’t it?”
“Without resorting to violence.”
“It’ll come to violence. I’ll just try to keep you as shielded as possible.”
“And why would you do that?”
“Like I said, I’ve smelled your magic. No one in their right mind would snuff that out.”
Yesterday, I was a mediocre half-witch. Now, I’d been informed by a vampire and a werewolf that there was something special about my magic. Seeing how I was a dowser — not that there was much use for such a talent in Vancouver — you’d think I’d know if my magic was remotely interesting. So, yeah, I didn’t believe either of them, no matter how convincing Hudson was or how terrifying the vampire was. Something was going on, but I had no idea why it involved me.
“Save me a cupcake?” Hudson asked.
I flashed him a flirty grin. “I make no promises. Plus I didn’t say yes to dinner.”
“You didn’t say no. See you at seven.” He backpedaled with his hand in the air, forestalling my sure-to-be flippant answer, and then took off east in a light jog. As with Kandy before, the crowd offered no obstruction as he weaved between couples, strollers, and groups of hipster twenty-somethings.
I watched him go, aware I was suddenly weary without him — perhaps his boundless energy had buoyed me somehow — and not ready to return to the confusion that was currently my life.
CHAPTER FIVE
I pulled my cell phone from my hoodie pocket and dialed my Gran’s number. Yeah, I was only a big girl to a certain point. Three werewolf murders, a near vampire attack, and my trinkets at the heart of it all? I needed my Gran. I got her voicemail, and left a “call me ASAP” message. I wasn’t sure how to articulate everything else before the beep.
As I hung up, Sienna texted a flippant, Busy, will see you later. Nice. So much for familial warmth and the circling of the wagons.
The cute lawyer from yesterday’s bakery shift was walking down the sidewalk toward me. Was I supposed to know his name? If so, I didn’t remember it. I smiled when he waved and tried to catch my attention, but I was already dialing Sienna’s number as I stepped into the bakery. He didn’t follow.
The comforting smells of vanilla, lemon, and strawberries enveloped me. Todd must have samples of Charm in a Cup out. The wards, which were only supposed to hinder the passage of magic, seemed to have blocked the scents from me until I crossed the threshold. This was odd, and something I’d never noticed before.
Sienna wasn’t answering her phone, even though she’d just texted me. I restrained myself from leaving a nasty message. My sister always gave back worse than she got, and I was feeling too vulnerable to start anything with her. I kept the phone to my ear. Yes, it was a rude buffer between my usually chatty customers and me, but I was unsettled and not up for pleasantries. Whatever peace I’d found in yoga and with Hudson was wearing off with my attempts to contact family. I cut around the display case and moved back toward the kitchen.
I needed a nap.
I retrieved the Magical Compendium from the safe in the back office. I’d locked it in there before Todd had come on shift. Leaving witchy things out for humans to stumble across was against the rules of witchery as dictated by Gran. I also noted I still hadn’t dropped yesterday’s deposit at the bank. The bank wasn’t even one block west of here; I’d had to pass it on my way to yoga. I was seriously out of routine and not the better for it.
I trudged up the back stairs to my apartment, thankful that Todd worked the closing shift on Sundays. I wasn’t even going to make it into the shower. I simply collapsed, book and all, into bed, pleased that my curtains were still pulled from the night before. I wondered, for a brief moment what Hudson and the werewolves were doing — if they were tracking down the murderer with my trinkets — and whether or not the vampire preferred to sleep through the day. I tried to not dwell on the trinket connection; there was nothing I could do about it. Fortunately for me, I was successful as I succumbed to blessed sleep.
∞
I woke to Sienna opening and closing the drawer to the dresser right next to my head. Okay, the dresser was across the room, but it felt that loud.
“What are you doing?” I asked without opening my eyes.
“We’re going to do a spell,” Sienna answered.
“We are not doing a spell, nor are there any spell supplies in my underwear drawer.”
“That’s cool. I was looking for this.”
I cracked one of my eyes, noted that the room was dark but not fully so, and watched Sienna pull a silk tunic on over her head. She then loosed her straight, silky brown hair from the back of the neckline, along with what had to be five trinkets looped into necklaces from the front.
“Why are you stealing my clothes?”
“You never wear this.”
“I wore it last week. And the trinkets?”
“I sell them better this way. I sold all three from yesterday already. Hobo chic is a real thing!”
“Oh, God,” I groaned. “Go away.”
“Nope. We’re doing a spell. Rusty is just picking up the last couple of items.”
“
No spells. I have a date. And you shouldn’t be randomly selling the trinkets.”
“Excuse me? Did you say a date? With whom?”
“Hudson.” Ah, even saying his name came with that comforting feeling … like snuggling under a wool blanket on a chill —
“Why are you grinning like an idiot? You haven’t even opened your eyes yet. Who’s Hudson?”
I attempted to stand up and managed a sitting position on the edge of the bed. I wasn’t feeling bad at all; just enjoying the waking. “You know, the wolf from the club.”
“You have a date with a wolf.”
“I do.”
“You have a date with a wolf.”
“Same answer.”
“That’s … that’s … you don’t … ever even, and a wolf?”
I waited for Sienna to sort out her mind. Normally, she would encourage any and all dating — or better yet, one-night stands. I reached for my phone — no missed calls. I was starting to fret about Gran.
“Does this have something to do with the vampire?” Sienna finally asked, in a completely different direction than I thought she’d go with the conversation.
“Partly, I guess. Have you heard from Gran?”
“Partly how? Partly like having to do with the murder he mentioned or …”
“Murders. Gran?”
“Haven’t heard from her.”
“That’s odd, isn’t it?” I asked. Sienna was twisting her fingers through the trinkets she’d laced around her neck and staring off into space. Or, she was especially enamored with my framed Marilyn Monroe picture … I’d loved that movie last year. “Sienna. It’s odd for Gran to not return phone calls right away.”
“What? Yeah, but she’s on vacation in a fairly remote area. Just let her be, Jade. She can’t be with you every minute of every day.”
Ouch. That little jab was uncalled for. I gained my feet and padded toward the bathroom. “Listen, I’m sorry about the spell, but maybe tomorrow? It’s six thirty already. He’s picking me up at seven.”
Sienna nodded absentmindedly as she flipped through the Compendium she’d rescued from my tangled bed sheets. “Go, go. If he shows up before you’re out of the shower, I’ll let him in.”
“Thanks, sis.” I shut the bathroom door behind me and promptly pushed all thoughts of Sienna’s prickly behavior out of mind. She’d always been that way. I’d be detached too if my family had abandoned me to be raised by Gran at thirteen. Even Scarlett, my carefree mother, had never been Sienna’s biggest fan. Though that probably had something to do with the fact that the two of us got in more scrapes together than apart. Sienna always seemed pretty okay with the arrangement at Gran’s. She had a roof over her head, good food on the table, and me always by her side.
I quickly shucked my yoga clothes and dove into the shower. I’d have to wash and dry my hair, which would take most of the half hour I had to get ready. I was surprised I’d slept so long. I was usually good on a couple of hours in the afternoon.
I was just rinsing out my conditioner when I thought I heard the doorbell. I assumed it was just Rusty when Sienna didn’t come to get me. A glance at my phone on the counter informed me I still had thirteen minutes. I wrung out and towel dried my hair while attempting to cobble together an outfit in my mind. I was having a difficult time figuring out what to wear on a second date with a werewolf. I was pretty sure a skirt and high heels were out. Though I really did hope that running … or being chased … or even jumping on a bus weren’t on tonight’s agenda.
Just as I was diffusing my curls — a regular blow dryer just frizzes my hair — I thought I heard something bang to the floor in the living room. I shut off the dryer but didn’t hear anything further. I opened the bathroom door. Still nothing.
“Sienna?” I called.
“Sorry, Jade,” my sister answered from what sounded like the hall. Her voice was a bit strained. “Just knocked over that damn stool again, and dropped your big ceramic bowl. It’s cracked. I’ve told you multiple times to move those stupid stools.”
Damn it! I liked that bowl. It matched my plates, and wasn’t cheap. I’d been slowly collecting a set from a local potter.
“You okay?” I lamely asked, because it was polite. I wondered if there was a spell to fix the bowl. Gran would have a conniption if I asked though … magic wasn’t meant to be used lightly.
“Yep,” Sienna replied, and I went back to drying my hair. I was now three minutes late.
I wandered out into the living room, fully ready but not rushing since Hudson hadn’t arrived yet. The wards didn’t include the front stairs — technically they were communal property with the empty apartment next door — so the werewolf should have no trouble finding his way to my door. I found Sienna and Rusty poring over some sort of spellbook on the kitchen island. It seemed Sienna liked ‘those stupid stools’ while sitting on them.
“Hey,” I said to Rusty.
“Hey,” he answered without looking up from the book. He looked like death warmed over, but saying so would probably be tacky seeing as how his mom was a necromancer.
“No Hudson?” I asked Sienna, even though it was rather obvious that neither the living room nor the kitchen contained a Hudson. “He might not know I actually live — not just bake — here, now that I think about it. I should check the bakery. I promised him a cupcake.”
“In the fridge,” Sienna said. “I scored a dozen on my way through the kitchen after closing. I knocked the stool over with the fridge door. Like I’ve mentioned too many times now.” I thought about mentioning that juggling a dozen cupcakes and my ceramic bowl, which was sitting — more than just cracked — on the counter by the fridge, was just asking for trouble. I didn’t, though. Gee, maybe I was maturing, learning to keep my mouth shut and all.
“Sweet,” Rusty crowed. “Why didn’t you say so?” He leaped out of his stool to cross to the fridge. The traitorous stool fell backward to the floor with a bang. Sienna raised a smug eyebrow at me, but I avoided eye contact.
“Rusty, go see if Hudson is waiting downstairs for Jade. It’ll look better if you go. Less desperate.” Ah, that’s my sweet sister, always looking out for me. “Also keep an eye out for the vampire. If we are waiting on a werewolf, we might as well meet a vampire.”
Rusty made an abrupt turn away from the fridge and a beeline for the front door.
“Wow, on command,” I said with just a little snark.
Sienna took it as a compliment. “Yes, it’s been arduous, but he is training up very well.”
I opted to ignore her and plate the cupcakes instead.
∞
Ten minutes later, I had moved the cupcakes to a smaller green jadeite plate after we’d all eaten two each of the dozen. Yes, my name is Jade and I collect jadeite. I was that stereotypical. The six remaining cupcakes looked terribly pretty on the smaller plate. Hudson still hadn’t shown.
I checked my phone, even though I was pretty sure there was no way he had the number.
I sent Rusty to look for Hudson a second time.
∞
Fifteen minutes later.
“You don’t have his number?” Sienna asked tentatively. Yes, my normally outgoing, brash sister squeaked at me like I was going to rip her head off. I had a super slow simmer but a wicked eruption.
“Like I would call,” I snapped, continuing to pace the tile floor of the kitchen. I would have moved to the living room to achieve a longer, huffier stride, but I didn’t want to wear the wooden flooring.
“You don’t know he’s standing you up … yet.”
I glared at her.
“It’s a bitch to be stood up,” Rusty said, earning himself a withering stare.
“I wouldn’t know.” I stuffed a cupcake into my mouth. If Hudson did show, he certainly didn’t deserve a treat.
Ten more minutes, and I had Rusty go down to look for any werewolf. He complained that he didn’t know them on sight like I did, and I told hi
m to look for green hair.
He came back empty-handed.
At eight, Rusty and Sienna went out to pick up Chinese food. They could have ordered in, but I gathered they wanted to get some space from me. I swapped out my silk top for an old T-shirt and ate two more cupcakes. I would have thrown the rest out just to spite him, except I was utterly aware that would just be spiting myself at this point, seeing as he didn’t give a shit about cupcakes or me. I guess I wasn’t quite as special as he’d led me to believe.
∞
By 9:30 p.m., we were in the basement below the bakery, prepping Sienna’s spell.
I would never accept a date from a werewolf ever again. For all I knew, they were gathered together over pizza and beer, and laughing about the gullibility of witches. For all I knew, like their wild brethren, it was just all about the chase. I guess I was too easy a hunt.
Damn him and his sexy, sexy, beautiful body and charming grin.
∞
Sienna was buzzing about some reveal spell she’d found after the vampire had accosted me in the club bathroom and claimed I wasn’t half-witch, half-human. While I was napping, she and Rusty had spent the afternoon researching and gathering supplies, which is how I found myself made up for a date and instead squatting on a dirt floor.
The building that housed the bakery and my apartment had been built in the sixties, renovated in the eighties, and then recently face-lifted when I took over the lease from Gran. However, my grandmother had always insisted, renovation after renovation, that the basement and foundations could be upgraded if seismically necessary, but not rebuilt.
I didn’t even store things down here — it was that creepy, though at least it had full-height ceilings in this fifteen-by-twenty section. The foundations were brick, not concrete, in places as though they’d been built and patched way before the sixties.
I’d protested the change of location, but Sienna had insisted my living room wasn’t the right spot for an earth-based spell. Countering my suggestion of a park, she laughed and murmured something about needing the protection of the wards.
Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic Page 7
