by Amy Boyles
Betty and I exchanged a glance. “Well,” I said, “on that thought, I’m out of here. Amelia, good luck today.”
“Thanks,” she said.
I grabbed my purse and headed outside. The humidity was already at a thousand percent, making the air feel like a hot, nasty blanket. It was going to be a blazing day, but summer would soon be at an end and fall would arrive.
Thank goodness. ’Cause every time I even glanced at a sweater in my closet, I cringed. The idea of putting heavy fabric on made me want to jump in a pool—any pool.
Axel had promised to pick me up early. It was too early for Charming Conical Hats to be open, but there was something else I wanted to do and that was talk to Rufus.
I figured I had at least an hour before Axel picked me up, so I decided to head on over to the station.
Not that talking to Rufus would help, but maybe begging would do some good.
When I opened the door, one of the officers greeted me. “I want to speak to Rufus.”
The man dressed in a brown fedora, blue shirt and brown vest stared at me for a moment. “He’s not allowed visitors.”
I bit down on my lip. “Please. It’s important. I’m not going to break him out. I only need to talk to him.”
“I want to see her,” I heard Rufus call out. “After all, she’s the reason I’m here.”
The officer glanced around nervously. Other than him, the station was empty, but it was still early. “Five minutes.”
“Thank you.”
When I reached the row of cells, I saw Rufus reclined in a wingback chair.
“I see you’ve got some creature comforts. Must be nice. I have a horrible headache that I can only get rid of by using my magic.”
Rufus locked his hands behind his head and smiled. “Sounds like quite the predicament.”
“It is. I need to be free of the spell.”
He laughed. “That’s not going to happen, but I tell you what—” He rose and slinked over to the bars. For the first time since I’d met him, I saw what Amelia was talking about—the almost animallike sexuality that sizzled from him.
I swallowed and retreated a step. “Tell me what?”
“You can get rid of the headache; all you have to do is use your power.”
“No.”
He shrugged. “You don’t even know what it’ll do.”
“I have a bad feeling.”
He grabbed the bars tightly. “A bad feeling doesn’t always mean a bad reality. Go on,” he said, his voice teasing me.
And then I thought about it. We were practically safe. We stood inside a police station with an officer. What was the worst that could happen? Rufus would escape from the cell? But then the officer would attack, tackle him to the floor and throw him back in jail.
Right?
It could happen like that.
But what if it went terribly wrong? Then I would be to blame for whatever happened next.
I closed my eyes and decided to test it. I let some of the fear I’d been holding back trickle into me. It wasn’t hard because there was a lot I was afraid of.
“That’s it,” I heard Rufus say.
The connection between us flared to life. I felt my magic being sucked from me, distorted into something else.
I opened my eyes to see Rufus standing directly in front of me, the cell behind him.
“No,” I screamed.
A flash of light appeared, and Rufus jerked and convulsed, falling to the ground, unconscious.
I turned to see the officer with his hand raised, smoke wafting from his open palm. He glanced at Rufus and then to me. He scowled and I grimaced.
“I think it’s time for you to leave,” he said.
I sighed. “Sorry.”
“Get out,” he growled.
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I scampered from the building and back into the heat.
A pickup truck I recognized slid into one of the parking spots. Axel got out.
“What’re you doing here?” he said.
“Causing trouble.”
“I hope that’s not true.”
I cringed.
Axel rubbed his face. “Oh boy. Rufus is still locked up, I hope.”
“Barely.”
He rolled his eyes. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here before you end up arrested.”
“Good idea.”
I hopped in the pickup, and we headed over to Sylvia’s shop. “It’s still early. She won’t be open, will she?”
Axel grabbed a Styrofoam cup from the holder and handed it to me. “Coffee for you. I’ve already put the jelly beans in.”
I smiled. “Thank you. That was thoughtful.”
“I’m a thoughtful kind of guy.”
“So I happily see.”
I gave him a shy smile, and he grinned in response. My heart swelled with joy, but then the nasty headache of all headaches dinged behind my eyes.
I exhaled deeply and leaned back in the chair. I pressed my fingers to my eyes and waited until the wave of pain subsided. It did, but the darn thing didn’t go away completely. No surprise there. It wouldn’t. Not until I was able to really use my power. Even that little bit I had thrown at Rufus hadn’t done much to put a dent in the headache from heck.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. Let’s just see if Sylvia can help.”
We reached Charming Conical Caps. Axel helped me from the truck, and we went inside.
We found Sylvia and Barnaby standing over a cauldron. A map of mist floated over the rim of the bubbling iron monstrosity. Blue light flared from the open mouth of the cauldron, casting Sylvia and Barnaby in sickly light.
Both of them stared at the image, and I had a feeling they were making a discovery that needed total concentration.
We paused in the doorway, waiting for them to finish. After a few moments the light faded. The regular lights flared to life, and Sylvia and Barnaby blinked as whatever trance they had been in broke.
Sylvia threaded her hands through her silky hair. She exhaled and gazed around the room. Her attention settled on us, and she offered a wan smile.
“Everything okay?” Axel said.
Barnaby rocked back from the cauldron. He and Sylvia exchanged worried looks.
I gnawed my bottom lip. “What is it? What could be so bad?”
Barnaby sighed. “You’ll find out sooner or later anyway. We cast a spell to watch the last three days of the magic that keeps Rufus at bay.”
“I’m afraid to ask what you discovered,” Axel said.
Sylvia crossed her arms. “It’s not good.”
“No,” Barnaby said. “It looks like the spell wasn’t tampered with at all.”
I glanced at Sylvia. “That’s what you’d said before.”
“Barnaby helped me make sure. Just in case I’d missed something when you and your grandmother had been here. But my initial thoughts were right. The spell wasn’t tampered with.”
Barnaby rubbed a hand over a face dusted with stubble. “Which means that Rufus Mayes discovered a way to slip through. He’s grown more powerful than we ever knew, which means—”
Axel nearly growled when he said, “Which means we need a powerful object to keep him out. We need Argus Amulet’s labradorite. Without it, we’ll be subject to Rufus.”
Barnaby’s expression darkened. “And Lord help Magnolia Cove if Rufus Mayes can’t be kept out.”
SEVENTEEN
We sat at a table drinking coffee. Sylvia brought out a tray of rolls and set them in the center.
“Orange rolls,” she said.
I quirked a brow. “Orange?”
She smiled. “The bakery in town makes them. I’m surprised Betty hasn’t introduced these to you.”
I picked up one of the pastries. Sugary frosting coated my fingers. I took a small bite and moaned. Sugar and orange melted on my tongue as the roll itself dissolved.
“Wow. That’s amazing.”
Sylvia smiled. �
�I always keep some on hand for special visitors.”
“How’s tracking down the labradorite coming?” Barnaby said.
Axel ignored the orange rolls. His loss, my gain. “It’s not. We have a key, but no clue what it fits.”
He slapped the silver key on the table.
Sylvia glanced at it. “I’m sorry that I can’t be of any help here, either. I’ve never seen a key like it.”
Barnaby swiped a napkin over his mouth. “Hmmm. I knew Argus but not his secrets well enough to help. All I suggest is that you keep looking… Speaking of Argus, there was another death at the First Witch Center.”
Sylvia’s mouth dropped. “There was?”
“Delilah told me about it. Seems she was on duty—working late because another nurse called in. Looks like a suicide.”
“I say it was murder,” Axel said. “Probably the same person who killed Argus. At least now we can cross Rufus off the list as a suspect. He was clearly in jail at the time of this murder.”
Sylvia sipped her coffee. “You don’t think Rufus is related to it at all?”
Axel shook his head. “I don’t see how. Unless that Ingrid Gale knew where the labradorite is located, why would anyone want her dead?”
Everyone was silent for a moment.
Barnaby spoke first. “If someone knew that Ingrid was aware of the labradorite and they didn’t want her to tell us, that’s motive.”
“But who?” I said. “Samuel seems the most likely choice, but why would he get rid of people who could potentially tell him where the stone is located? That’s all he wants, isn’t it?”
“So he says,” Axel said. “As soon as he gets it, though, he’ll vanish and we’ll be back to square one.”
“It seems we’ve all got some searching to do. People to ask more questions of,” Barnaby said. “If and when you find the labradorite, bring it to me so that Sylvia, Betty and I can figure out a way to keep Rufus out once and for all.”
“That’s a plan,” Axel said.
We finished the snack and Barnaby left. Sylvia flexed her fingers. “So. Tell me how I can help you.”
“I don’t know if you can,” Axel said, “but I’ve got my fingers crossed that you’re able.”
“Sounds intriguing,” Sylvia said, “which is right up my alley.”
“I’m trying to break the spell that Rufus placed on Pepper. Problem is, Rufus infused it with a counterspell—if I attempt to break it, I shift into my werewolf form.”
Sylvia tapped her long nails on the table. “Oh, that is a challenge. You need to somehow circumvent that spell. Are you hoping that by amplifying your magic, you can work your spell quickly enough that Rufus’s counter-curse won’t take hold?”
Axel leaned forward. His biceps popped in his T-shirt, nearly making me drool. “That’s the hope. I’m wondering if it’s possible. Have you ever seen anyone do that?”
Sylvia threaded her fingers through her hair. “I have, but not against a foe equal to Rufus. Though even the best sorcerers can be outwitted. At least that’s how I think about things.” She poked the air. “Anyone can succumb to a spell, but it takes brains more than it does talent to outsmart another witch, or sorcerer in this case.”
Axel licked his lips. Intense fire burned in his eyes. “Okay. So my next question to you is—do you have a hat that can do the job?”
Sylvia’s lips curled into a devilish smile. “In fact, I just might.”
Sylvia left the table and Axel followed. I grabbed the key to Argus’s box and tossed it in my purse with a plan to give it back to Axel.
She led us to a large locked cabinet in the main room. Hats topped it and were hooked to the sides, and through the glass doors I saw a wide-brimmed black fedora. It was constructed of leather and weathered, with a tattered brim. A purple plume stuck straight up from the band that ran around it.
“Whenever people ask, I always tell them this is simply a piece that’s been in the family for years. Not for sale. And it’s not.”
Sylvia pulled a gold key from her dress pocket and inserted it. The lock snicked and she opened the doors.
A wave of air rushed outward. It felt like I’d been struck by a strong, lakeside breeze.
“What was that?” I said.
Sylvia tipped her head toward the cabinet. “That was the hat.”
“The hat?”
Her lips quirked into a smile. “This piece is old, an heirloom as I said. My great-great-grandfather wore it when he hunted mythical creatures—vampires, ghouls, that sort of thing. When he died, he infused the hat with some of his spirt, and from the blast of air that just hit us, I’d say my grandfather’s ticked that I haven’t let him out in a while.”
I swallowed a knot in my throat. “He has consciousness?”
Sylvia pulled the hat from a velvet stand. “As much as a fedora can muster, which isn’t saying a lot.”
The hat jerked from her fingers and spun in the air on its own. Sylvia sighed. “Sorry, Grandpapa. I know you’re in there. I don’t know why I said what I did.”
If that was supposed to calm the hat, it sure didn’t. The fedora spun around the room in a blur of black.
Axel chuckled. “Looks like you’ve got some making up to do.”
Sylvia raised her hands. “I’ve got a job for you.”
The hat stopped. It hung suspended in the air. The brim folded upward as if the object was listening.
“Yes,” Sylvia added. “Your services are needed. We need your power to outwit a mischievous sorcerer.”
The hat released its brim and tipped downward. Clearly the thing was listening. Remind me not to talk bad about any objects in front of them. It was kinda freaky. The hat’s antics almost made me forget about my headache.
Almost.
“Grandpapa, meet Axel Reign. He needs you to overcome a counterspell that’s been cast on him. Will you do it?”
The hat flew over to Axel and stopped about three inches from him. The fedora tipped back and forth as if sizing Axel up. It then circled him, inspecting Axel from top to bottom. When the hat was finished, it moved back a couple of feet and dipped down as if nodding.
Sylvia smiled at Axel. “Grandpapa will let you use him. The only caveat is that whatever spell you need to cast must be done here. He mustn’t leave this shop.”
Axel nodded. “Understood. I have everything in my truck.”
He left to retrieve his gear, and a wave of pain shot from my head down my spine.
“Ah,” I said, folding over.
Sylvia grabbed a chair and brought it to me. “Here. Sit. Hopefully this will all be over soon. Let me get you a cold compress.”
She rushed off and returned with a washcloth that I draped over my eyes. “The headaches are getting worse. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to take it.”
She squeezed my arm. “Maybe Axel will break the curse with my grandfather’s help.”
“I hope so,” I murmured.
I heard Axel enter the room. I pulled the cloth from my eyes and sat up.
“Everything okay?”
I smiled weakly. “Fine. Just a little pain. No big deal.”
I watched Axel and Sylvia exchange glances and knew my lie hadn’t worked.
“Sylvia, do you have a private room where we can work?”
She motioned for us to follow. “Come to my spell room. Once you close the shades and shut the door, it’s nearly pitch-black, perfect for what you need.”
Sylvia left us alone with the hat, and I couldn’t help but feel like her grandfather was watching me. Part of me didn’t want to disrobe in front of it, but the other part of me was in so much pain I couldn’t give a rat’s behind either way.
“You don’t have to take off your clothes,” Axel said.
My eyebrows shot up. “Why not?”
“I first want to test it, see if this will work. There’s no point in going through all the steps if it won’t.”
I toed the floor. “So then how’re you going to
know if it works?”
He smiled. “I’m going to disrobe since I’m the person the spell affects.”
“Okay. Great idea.”
“But be ready to take everything off if I signal for you to.”
“And I thought I was going to get out of being naked in front of you.”
“You’re not that lucky.”
“Or unlucky.”
He paused. “I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”
“Me neither.”
He crossed over and wrapped his arms around me. I inhaled his scent and exhaled, letting the tension melt from my shoulders.
“Thank you for trying so hard for me,” I said into his chest.
He took me by the shoulders and pressed me away. The look of concern in his eyes made my knees liquefy. “I care for you. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
“I know…I just—”
“Can’t get used to a guy who treats you the way you should be treated?”
I smirked. “I wasn’t going to say that.”
But it was true. My last boyfriend cared more about fantasy football than he did about me.
Loser.
But it had taken me a long time to realize that—to see that I deserved so much more. Of course, he had also broken up with me; it hadn’t been the other way around.
In the short, rocky relationship that I’d had with Axel, I understood that I deserved to be cared for by someone who only wanted the best for me and who would move mountains if he had to.
Like how hard Axel was working now.
“Listen,” Axel said, “when this is over, I’ll take you out of Magnolia Cove. Even if it’s only for a day. We’ll go and breathe a little. You deserve that.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Now. Are you ready?”
I placed a hand over my eyes. “You may strip.”
He laughed and I listened to the shuffling of clothing as he did what I’d commanded.
“All right,” Axel said, “let’s put this hat on and work a little magic. You can open your eyes.”
I slid my hand from my face. Axel had the winked lights out while he’d changed. A single candle glowed, illuminating him with the hat pulled down to his eyes.
I had to say, he looked pretty sexy. He’d certainly give any of the current Magnolia Cove police squad a run for their money.
