One Bad Witch

by Danielle Garrett

  “Are you going to tell him?” I asked. “I didn’t bring it up, because I wasn’t sure if it was my place.”

  “You did the right thing. I think, for the time being, we should sit on it and wait to see where the investigation leads. If her name pops up, I’ll bring him in for a full briefing.”

  “Honestly, I’d think this would clear her name,” I said.

  “How’s that?”

  “Well, unless she’s some kind of assassin, how could she have orchestrated the killing in such a short amount of time? She just got into town yesterday.”

  “That doesn’t necessarily clear her. She left the Bay Area last week, ahead of her planned move, and we don’t know where she was between then and her arrival in Beechwood Harbor yesterday. Have you been keeping her in your sights?”

  “As much as I can,” I answered. “When I got back to the manor after our meeting, she was already gone. She was out, um, getting a drink at the local pub.”

  “Alone?”

  How did she do that? She was a shifter, not a mind reader.

  “As a matter of fact, no. She was with … Nick.”

  “Nick Rivers? Your werewolf friend?”

  I cringed. “Yes. They were on a date. I used a tracking spell to find him because I was afraid of— Well, I’m not sure what I was afraid of, but the whole thing felt off, so I found them. She was asking him all sorts of questions about the pack.”

  “What did he tell her?” Agent Bramble demanded, alarm sounding in her voice.

  “Nothing! At least, I don’t think anything important. I sort of … interfered, before he could talk about Ben and that whole mess.”

  Agent Bramble muttered something under her breath.

  “This is why I think we should bring Nick into the investigation,” I hurried to interject. “He’d be a perfect asset. I trust him with my life, and I know he’d keep the whole thing under wraps. He’s already closer to Narissa than I am, so he could—”

  Agent Bramble cut me off, “We’re not bringing Nick into this, Holly.”

  “May I ask why not?”

  “He’s clearly compromised,” she replied, her matter-of-fact tone setting my nerves on edge. As if I was an idiot for not seeing the problem for myself. “You just stated that he and Narissa have a relationship of a close nature. I would never bring in someone romantically linked to the person of interest. What would be his motivation to help us? And even if he agreed, I would have lingering questions over ever shred of information he gave us, wondering just whose side he was on.”

  “They do it in the movies all the time,” I said, realizing how painfully simple it sounded after the fact.

  “Yes, well, we’re not working with a silver screen, Ms. Boldt.”

  “Gee, could have fooled me,” I mumbled to myself. “It feels like a real fairy tale.”

  “You can work Nick as a source without his knowledge of the investigation. You’ll both be involved in solving this murder, and if the road leads to Narissa, I trust you’ll be able to leverage your friendship with Nick to dig out the information.”

  “I’ll do what I have to do,” I replied, not holding back the bitterness. “Listen, I need to go. I’ll call tomorrow or sooner, if I find anything.”

  “Likewise,” she replied before clicking off the call.

  “Well, that went swimmingly,” I said aloud, shoving the phone back in my purse.

  “What did?” Nick asked, sidling up to me.

  I jumped, one hand flying to my heart. “Bat wings, Nick! You scared me.”

  “Sorry. You get anything from Agent Blair?”

  “Not really,” I replied. “He was more interested in asking questions, not answering them. Besides, I really wasn’t sure where to start. This all feels a little out of my depth.”

  Nick coughed out a laugh. “This feels out of your depth? Is this the part where I remind you about the crazed gargoyle, the hellbent sorceress, or the devious leprechaun? Or how about the power-hungry vamp lords?”

  “All right, all right. Point taken.” I looked at the sheet-draped body and cringed. “I was just really hoping to not have a repeat performance.”

  Chapter 8

  I waited while Nick finished his interview with Tyson, and then we headed back to Beechwood Harbor. Nick had a new client appointment, and I wanted to see if I could track down Narissa before going to lunch with Adam. The pile of potion orders was going to have to wait until the afternoon. It really was time I hired an apprentice. Someone more qualified than Evangeline.

  Nick was silent as he drove, staring straight out the windshield, his hands never wavering from ten and two on the steering wheel. He was always a cautious driver, but there was an added tenseness to his jaw, and the backs of his knuckles were strained, as if he were holding on for dear life even though we cruised down a hill at thirty-five miles per hour.

  “You want to talk about it?” I asked.

  “Not sure what there is to say,” he replied.

  “Well, what did Tyson ask you?”

  “The usual,” he said. “If I knew anyone who would have wanted to hurt Breanne. He asked about Bruno and whether he seems like the hothead type. I imagine he’s looking at him as a suspect.”

  “Do you think he should?”

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t even aware Breanne and Bruno were a couple. They did a very good job of hiding it. But maybe that’s how it works in pack life. I’m still learning the rules, you know.”

  “You’ve got a good gut instinct. Does anyone come to mind? Like, top-of-your-head kind of feeling?”

  Nick considered the question and then shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know Breanne well enough. She seemed well liked in the pack, but maybe there’s underlying drama that I’m not privy to. If Bruno was about to openly declare her as his mate, she would have leap-frogged over several other females in the pack, as far as the power structure goes. She would have instantly been given a position of power. Maybe there was someone in the pack who didn’t want that to happen. They might have caught wind of Bruno’s plan and decided to act before he could go public.”

  I nodded thoughtfully. The theory made sense to me, but as an outsider, I didn’t know names or faces.

  “I imagine Tyson will go and question Bruno. Hopefully Bruno plays nice. It will be in his best interest not to tick off the leading investigator.” I twisted in my seat to face Nick. “Speaking of, what’s his problem with me? You got any insight there? I don’t think I’ve ever met him before, but he looked at me like I was some kind of parasite.”

  Nick drew in a deep breath. “Bruno is a little old school, I guess. He doesn’t like that I’m friends with you or Evangeline, and he really doesn’t like Adam. When he found out I spent my first few changes with him, he nearly went ballistic.”

  “Why?”

  “He thinks wolves should only be with other wolves. He only associates with the pack. After he was cursed, he ex-communicated his human family from his life and doesn’t have any friends who aren’t in our pack, or at least a werewolf.”

  “Sounds like a fun guy,” I grumbled.

  “Obviously, I don’t agree with his philosophy, but it seems a lot of wolves feel the same way. They feel misunderstood and don’t easily trust anyone outside. And with witches and wizards it’s even worse because of the politics of it.” Nick paused and drew in a breath. “You remember a few weeks after my first turn, when Agent Bramble was talking about the haven coming up with some cure for werewolfism?”

  I nodded slowly. “Of course. I can’t say too much, but I’m aware of the research.”

  “Well, some of Sasha’s wolves, the ones Agent Bramble convinced to come in and give blood samples, started running their mouths, and word got around that the SPA was trying to come up with a cure for all wolves. Naturally, that sent the wrong message. Wolves like Bruno see it as the beginning of an effort to exterminate wolves.”

  My jaw dropped open. “That’s ridiculous! It’s not like they’d force it do
wn their throats. All we want to do is offer a cure as an option. I don’t see how that could be a bad thing.”

  “Not all wolves see the condition as a curse,” Nick said.

  “Do you?”

  “Of course I do! I’ll be first in line to gargle whatever syrup or pill you come up with.”

  I nodded, unable to bring myself to tell him that the prospects weren’t looking good on it being anytime this decade.

  “I’m not saying I agree with them,” Nick emphasized. “Just that from a PR standpoint, the SPA isn’t making it easy for wolves to trust them right now. That’s why everyone is a little cagier than usual.”

  “I’ll see what I can do. The last thing the agency needs is a bunch of wolves forming some kind of rebellion.” I sighed. “Is that why Bruno said the pack would dish out the justice when Breanne’s killer is found? They don’t trust the SPA to do it?”

  “I think that’s a separate issue from the whole cure thing. They aren’t going to sit by and wait around for the SPA to deal with the paperwork and red tape. They will hunt the killer down themselves, using any means necessary.”

  “And when they find them?” I asked, fearing I already knew the answer.

  Nick swallowed hard. “They’ll kill them.”

  “You okay with that?”

  “No! Stars, Holly. You’re acting like you don’t even know me.” Nick tossed his head and accelerated the car. “I’m not in some dream world where I think the justice system is flawless and fair. I know there are problems. But, I trust that the SPA has a handle on these things and that whoever killed Breanne will be locked up.”

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  He was silent for a moment. “I don’t know yet.”

  “Nick, you don’t need the pack,” I told him. “I get that there’s comfort in being around others like you, but take it from me, it’s not always worth the tradeoff. When I was with Gabriel, it was the first time in my life that I felt understood and accepted. I was judged by my family line or things that my ancestors did decades ago. I was just me, Holly. I think that feeling can be something of a drug and it made me overlook some of the things Gabriel was doing. By the time I snapped out of it, it was too late. I’d already been swept out with the tide, and honestly, if not for Harvey, I’d probably still be in some SPA jail cell. I don’t want that to happen to you.”

  “I appreciate your concern, Holly, but I’m not you. Okay? I’ve been taking care of myself for close to twenty years now. I know my limits, and I’m not going to let anyone push me past them, pack or not.”

  Something about the tone of his voice felt like a rebuke and I fell silent, wondering what was happening between us. In the last twenty-four hours, our friendship seemed to have rapidly deteriorated.

  The rest of the drive was heavy with tense silence and by the time Nick pulled up alongside the sidewalk in front of the manor, I still hadn’t come up with the right thing to say to get us back on track.

  The small computer screen attached to the dashboard of his car chirped. Nick pressed a button and it displayed a message. He tapped away too fast for me to read the message, but the grimace on his face told me it wasn’t good news.

  “Bruno’s called a pack meeting tonight,” he said, his jaw flexing. “I’ll call you if anything important comes up.”

  “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.” I picked at the cuticle of my right thumb. “Are we okay?”

  “Yeah, sure,” Nick said, answering too quickly. “I should get going though. I have to meet a client before the meeting.”

  “Right. Uh, thanks for driving me.”

  He nodded and reached for the gearshift. I hurried out of the car and up the stone pathway to the manor’s front porch. My boots weren’t even on the first step before Nick jerked the car around and sped off down the hill.

  In an effort to push Nick out of my mind, I went straight to my bedroom and retrieved my potion making kit from its hiding spot under my bed. Posy didn’t allow anyone to take up more than their allotted cupboards in the kitchen, and there was no way I could stuff all my potion equipment and groceries into the one meant for me. And, after Posy’s little cleaning spree, I was going to have to seriously start looking for another option for storing temperature-sensitive potions that require refrigeration.

  My potion kit was a long trunk, warded with half a dozen security charms. The bedroom around me looked like a tornado had recently moved through, scattering laundry, books, magazines, and shoes across every available surface, but the inside of my potion kit was a place of serene order and precisely measured vials. It also held my private journal, a bound volume filled with notes, recipes, and ideas. As with most witches, I didn’t own a computer and preferred to keep all my records by hand.

  I carted it all to the kitchen and spread it out over the L-shaped countertop. It was a little past noon and the manor was quiet. Evangeline would be off at The Emerald, her day spa, socializing with clients and setting appointments. Adam was likely upstairs, working. Posy and Hank liked to cruise around town together. And Narissa—

  Bat wings.

  I’d forgotten about her. I exhaled and glanced up at the ceiling.

  Reluctantly, I put my potion making plans on hold and tiptoed to the second level of the manor, where most of the bedrooms were located. My bedroom was the only one on the main floor, previously designated as the maid’s quarters. Carefully avoiding known squeaky boards, I silently moved down the hall, closing on on Narissa’s room. It was still weird to think of it as anything but Lacey’s room—or cave, as Adam used to call it. Evangeline’s room was the first one, then a bathroom, and then Narissa’s. Adam occupied the master bedroom at the end of the hall. Narissa’s door was closed. I sucked in a breath and leaned in, stopping just short of placing my ear on the door. I couldn’t hear anything, but I wasn’t confident enough that it was empty to risk opening the door.

  I straightened, pondering my next move, when I noticed that Adam’s bedroom door was wide open and the bank of computer monitors on his desk were black. Where was he? Had he gone into Seattle or … the haven? I still hadn’t asked him about his meeting with Mache and the SPA agents Agent Bramble had told me about.

  With a last glance at Narissa’s door, I abandoned the search and went back down to the kitchen. On the off chance that Narissa was somehow linked to what happened to Breanne, I doubted she was planning a second strike within a twelve-hour window. I’d make a few batches of my bestsellers and relieve some of the pressure building every time I stopped long enough to think about the stack of orders waiting to be completed.

  It was easy to lose myself in work and an hour later, the kitchen was filled with bubbling pots and the competing scents from three very different potions. Fresh herbs and botanicals lay scattered across two large wooden cutting boards, and I was grinding a combination of greens into a thick paste using my stone mortar and pestle when the kitchen door opened and Adam appeared.

  I blew a puff of air at a stray strand of hair that had fallen down into my face. “Oh, hey. I was starting to wonder where you were.”

  “I was at McNally’s,” he said, his tone a combination of angry and hurt. “Waiting for you. We had lunch plans, remember?”

  I winced as a stab of guilt plunged into my chest.

  “Bat wings.” I set aside the pestle and wiped the sheen of sweat from my brow. With all the high-temperature flames running, the kitchen had to be close to eighty degrees. “I’m so sorry, Adam. I got busy here and it completely slipped my mind.”

  Still frowning, he held up a bag with McNally’s logo on the side. “I ordered you that sandwich you like, with the sweet potato wedges.”

  The hot knife dug in a little deeper and I hurried to brush my hands off on my work apron. I wasn’t really at a good stopping point, but I’d already alienated one friend today, I didn’t need to add ticked-off-boyfriend to the list of accomplishments. “Did you already eat?” I asked, coming around the counter to join him at the large farmho
use-style table.

  “Yeah,” replied, “I ordered before I realized you weren’t coming. I called and sent you a text.”

  “I’m really sorry.”

  “Where were you this morning?” he asked, fishing the foil-wrapped sandwich from the bag. He handed it to me and then plucked out a few potato wedges and popped one into his mouth.

  “I went to see Nick,” I said, pulling out one of the chairs. “I kind of put my foot in my mouth with him and took some coffee and pastries as a peace offering.”

  Adam sat beside me and continued to snack on the fries. They were a seasonal item at McNally’s, and I was surprised he hadn’t ordered a gallon-size bucket of them. Shifters have a metabolism that was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they could stuff themselves with as many pastries and pizza slices and not suffer the consequences, but on the other, the grocery bill was killer.

  “You guys good now?” Adam asked.

  I blew out a slow breath and unwrapped the sandwich. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, what did you say that made him angry in the first place?”

  I glanced at him. “Well, you know how I told you Nick hit it off with Narissa at Siren’s Song yesterday?”

  “Sure.”

  “Well, they went out on a date last night. And when I found out about it, I might have … well, I might have suggested that he watch himself since we don’t really know anything about her, and the fact that she’s here means she has a higher than average chance of being a delinquent.”

  Adam snorted and munched another fry. “Nice work.”

  “Yeah. I know.”

  At least he wasn’t accusing me of being jealous of Narissa. Adam and I had just started dating when Nick and I became friends and there’d been a little squabbling over the amount of time we spent together. While not as extreme as alpha wolves, certain types of shifters were prone to possessive behavior, and Adam was one of the afflicted. It took some time, but eventually he realized Nick and I were purely platonic and he backed off, and the two had formed their own friendship.