“There is.” Luster was solemn. “It’s here.” She tapped the spot above her heart. “It’s here in all of us ... if we choose to embrace it.”
“Oh, shut up,” Thalia growled. “As for Alastair, we don’t know where he is. Why would you assume we did?”
“Before the festival, you were in regular contact with him,” Galen replied without hesitation. “I know because he printed the conversations.”
Neither Luster nor Thalia responded right away. Instead, they were the picture of stoic disinterest. Luster, of course, couldn’t keep up the facade very long.
“We didn’t hurt him. If you think we did, you’re crazy. That’s not who we are.”
“Yes, the magical chalice won’t let them hurt anyone,” I drawled.
Luster ignored me. “We were only in touch with him about the festival because ... well ... we’re big names in the witch world and he wanted us to attend. He made it worth our while to come all the way out here … at least that’s what we thought when we first struck our deals.”
“Oh, shut your mouth, you idiot,” Thalia groused. She hadn’t as much as smiled since we sat down. I had the feeling she wasn’t exactly a people person. “I’m sure they already know that. Why else would they be here?”
“The documents indicate you were paid for your presence,” Galen agreed. “What I want to know is why. Why would Alastair care enough to pay you to come?”
“Because, as annoying as I find this idiot, she was right when she said we have reputations,” Thalia replied, jerking her thumb in Luster’s direction. “We have followings on the internet, and those are the types of people Alastair went after.”
That made sense. “He went for Salma first, because she was an influencer. She had friends and they helped spread the word. Still, he would’ve needed an online presence in the supernatural world. That’s why he went after specific witches ... and I’m betting part of the payment you received stipulated you had to mention the festival so many times a day.”
Thalia nodded stiffly. “Yeah, and I’m not proud of what I did. But the money was good and the festival sounded out of this world.”
“And yet you have a hotel room,” Galen noted. “You’re safely ensconced here while the people who drained their accounts to attend are crammed together on a beach that doesn’t have proper amenities.”
Thalia shrugged. “That’s just one of life’s little mysteries.”
She was good, but I could tell she was lying. Luster, on the other hand, had turned into a nervous wreck.
“We heard through the grapevine that things might not be like he was promoting and didn’t want to take any chances,” the blonde blurted out. “I mean ... who wants to camp on the beach anyway? That’s weird. You can drink on the beach, sure, but camp? Blech.”
“Shut up!” Thalia snapped.
Luster simply kept blathering. “We asked Alastair about it, but he denied everything. He said things were right on schedule and it was going to be amazing. Other people, those who were more familiar with the island, said that what he promised was impossible. We didn’t want to take any chances.”
“I see.” Galen pursed his lips. “I’m guessing that you kept promoting the festival even after you found out it was going to be a disaster. Even though you knew you were spouting lies, you kept it up, right?”
“We didn’t have a choice,” Luster whined. “We don’t get paid until after the event. It’s a good chunk of money, but it’s contingent on saying what a wonderful time we had after the fact.”
“Which is why you actually had to come to the island at all,” I surmised. “He set it up so you would have no choice in the matter.”
“Pretty much,” Thalia agreed. “I did think it was going to be a good festival, though. Even though I knew it wouldn’t be what he pitched, I thought it would be a good time. I didn’t know it would turn out like this, that the people down there would be so miserable.”
“I don’t think you cared,” Galen countered. “What are you going to do about payment now that Alastair is missing? I mean ... he’s taken off and all that money is gone. You did all this for nothing.”
Thalia narrowed her eyes. “Wait ... you didn’t mention that.”
“I told you Alastair was missing.”
“Yeah, but I just assumed that meant he was hiding from you because he knew you would try to arrest him for being a big phony fraud. I didn’t realize that meant we wouldn’t get paid.”
“Well, I can guarantee you’re not getting paid. He’s gone.”
“He’s probably just at that cabin he mentioned,” Luster countered. “He said it was remote and he went there to think. That’s probably where he is now. Have you looked there?”
Galen worked his jaw. “Alastair owns a mansion,” he said finally. “Why would he be hanging out at a cabin when he’s got a mansion?”
Luster shrugged. “I don’t know. He said it was a therapeutic place. He mentioned it in passing only once. He called it Copper Hollow or something.”
I watched for Galen’s reaction. “Does that name mean anything to you?”
“Not Copper Hollow, but Cooper’s Hollow.” Galen was grim as he stood. “Are you sure he said he had a cabin there?”
Luster solemnly nodded. “He said that’s where he went to unwind and invited me to go there with him. He was kind of gross, and I knew what he wanted, so I said no.”
“You were probably smart to do that,” I said to her. “He’s definitely gross ... and a loser.” I focused on Galen. “I’ve never heard of Cooper’s Hollow. I thought there was only one city on the island.”
“It’s not a city. It’s a little village. Originally it was a fishing village. Now it’s just a ramshackle place where people hang out ... and live … and farm … and drink.”
“So let’s go there.” I moved to his side. “If there’s a chance he’s out there we have to go.”
“We definitely have to go,” he agreed. “The thing is, we can’t go at night.”
“Why not?”
He risked a glance at Thalia and Luster and shook his head. Whatever he had to say couldn’t be relayed in front of them. “We just can’t. It’ll take hours to get out there.” He looked at the clock on the wall and did some calculations. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow. We’ll be cutting it too close if we leave now.”
He was acting strange. “But ... I don’t understand.”
“I’ll explain later.” He grabbed my hand and started dragging me away. “Thank you for the information, ladies. We’ll be in touch.”
“Wait,” Luster called out. “You can buy me dinner if you want. You’re not creepy like Alastair.”
“I already have dinner plans,” he replied. “Thanks for your time. You’ve been unbelievably helpful.”
17
Seventeen
I was still confused when Galen and I arrived at Lilac’s bar for dinner. We swung by the beach long enough to check on things — it was rough out there and I felt bad for the people who’d spent thousands of dollars because they thought they were going to be able to hobnob with the witch and famous — and then stopped at the lighthouse to change clothes. Galen had officially taken over half my closet even though he had his own place. We no longer spent nights apart, which is how I wanted things, but I was starting to realize that we were so entrenched in each other’s lives there was no escaping ... not that I wanted an escape. We did, however, need to define things.
“Hey,” Lilac waved us toward a corner booth.
I smiled and waved back before heading in that direction, Galen on my heels. Once we sat, I focused on the menu rather than him ... something that apparently didn’t sit very well.
“Why are you shutting me out?” he groused, his expression a mask of unhappiness.
“I’m not shutting you out,” I argued. “You’re shutting me out.”
“I am not.”
“You are. You won’t tell me why Cooper’s Hollow is a big deal. You also won’t tell me
why I didn’t know Cooper’s Hollow was a thing. You’re definitely shutting me out.”
The look he shot me was full of annoyance. “I am not. I told you I couldn’t tell you about Cooper’s Hollow in front of an audience. I meant it. I didn’t say I couldn’t tell you about it ever.”
I folded my arms across my chest and waited. “We don’t have an audience now.”
For the first time in hours he cracked a smile. “Now I need to wait for an audience. I called Booker to join us. I want to wait until he’s here.”
Now I was really confused. “Why do we need Booker?”
“I need him to go with me to Cooper’s Hollow tomorrow morning and there are a few things I need to talk to him about.”
I waited for him to explain further. When he didn’t, I decided it was time to push. “Are you going to tell me those things?”
“As soon as Booker gets here.”
“Oh, geez.” I rolled my neck and blew out a sigh. “Things are not going my way right now.”
“Oh, no? From where I’m sitting you had a pretty good day. You invaded a seemingly powerful witch’s mind and not only lived to tell the tale, but smacked her down. You had doughnuts. You got to spend the entire day with me. What’s not to love about that day?”
My lips wanted to curve, but I fought the effort. “You won’t tell me about Cooper’s Hollow. That totally ruined my entire day.”
Galen let loose an exaggerated eye roll. “Booker will be here in a few minutes. Give me room to breathe again until then, okay?”
I wanted to argue, but there didn’t seem to be a point. He was going to do what he was going to do. Instead, I grabbed the specials menu from the center of the table and looked it over. “They have the steamer buckets you love so much.”
“You love them, too,” he pointed out.
“Yeah.” I was noncommittal until his hand landed on top of mine and I lifted my eyes.
“I’m not keeping anything from you,” he promised in a low voice. “I’ll tell you about Cooper’s Hollow. I’m simply tired and only want to go through it once. That’s why I want to wait for Booker. I won’t have the energy to romance you tonight if I expend too much talking.”
That was enough to send me over the edge. I couldn’t help feeling sympathetic to his plight. “I’m tired, too,” I admitted. “I think it’s making me a little cranky. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“I know.” He squeezed my hand. “We’ve both had a long day. I didn’t mean to snap at you either. The thing is, I love you. That means we’re fairly tight ... and what’s that saying? You always hurt the one you love. I didn’t mean to be that guy today.”
I went warm all over at the naked sentiment in his eyes ... and then a shadow moved in at my left and ruined things.
“You guys are officially the schmaltziest,” Booker complained as he glanced between us. “I mean ... it’s ridiculous.”
For some reason, his reaction made me laugh, and that was enough to ease the tension. “You’re just jealous,” I countered, making room for him to sit next to me.
As if sensing trouble, Booker took a moment to study Galen’s face and then took a step back instead. “Why don’t you guys sit on the same side? I’ll sit across from you. That way you can grope under the table and I’ll be none the wiser.”
I was about to argue with the idea when Galen happily shifted from his side of the table to mine.
“Thanks.” Galen’s grin was mischievous as he slipped his arm around my shoulders and regarded Booker. “You look beat, man. How are things on the beach?”
Booker glowered at him. “Things on the beach suck. I mean ... they really suck. Those people were sold a bill of goods and they’re starting to figure it out.”
“Shouldn’t they have figured it out the first day?” I was confused. “I mean ... they were promised villas and there weren’t even enough tents.”
“Most of them thought this was going to be the trip of a lifetime,” Booker explained. “They don’t want to admit they were swindled out of a bunch of money on a crappy vacation, so they’ve been holding onto hope. That won’t last much longer.”
“What about Calliope?” Galen queried, moving his hand to the back of my neck so he could start rubbing away the tension pooling there. “She stayed the entire day, didn’t she?”
“She did.” Booker grimaced as he nodded. “She wasn’t much help. She spent the entire time wheedling and crying. She went after each of your men in turn to find one who would let her escape. When that didn’t work, she tried going after me.”
“Hey, that might work out for you. As a guy who likes hooking up with women for a grand total of three dates, she might be right up your alley.”
Booker’s glare was withering. “Ha, ha. You’ve got one more day out there before things get really ugly. In fact, not even a full day. If things don’t ease by nightfall tomorrow, they’re going to start getting rowdy ... and not in a good way.”
“Yeah. That’s what I was worried about.” Galen stroked his chin, thoughtful. “I have some things to catch you up on ... and then I have a favor to ask. The good thing for you is that it will get you off the beach. The bad thing is, well, it’s at Cooper’s Hollow.”
Booker’s eyebrows raised wildy. “Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.” Galen was solemn. “I know we swore we would never return there, but it’s come to my attention that Alastair might own a cabin on the land ... although I’m still not sure how that happened. Those women aren’t exactly known for opening their arms to sleazy millionaires.”
“What women?” I asked, my frustration coming out to play.
“Just a second.” Galen held up a finger to still me and kept his focus on Booker. “I need to catch him up first.”
They didn’t always get along. Often, they were mired in competition. When it came to the big things, though, Booker and Galen were almost always in lockstep. I was coming to the conclusion that Booker was Galen’s preferred form of backup for a big fight, and it was obvious they were both worried that’s what we would face the next morning.
To give Booker time to consider the request, Galen told him about our day. He didn’t leave anything out, including what happened between Bronwen and me. Booker seemed most intrigued by that tidbit.
“That’s interesting, huh?” Mirth lurked in his eyes. “Our little Hadley is getting more powerful with every day that passes. Pretty soon she’ll be the baddest entity on the island.”
“Which is going to garner her attention she doesn’t want,” Galen replied coldly. “That’ll attract the attention of the DDA.”
Booker’s smile slipped. “Yeah, well, I don’t think you have much of a choice there. She’s growing in leaps and bounds, and they’re attracted to power. It’s going to happen eventually.”
“Yeah.” Galen didn’t look happy at the possibility, but he forced a smile for my benefit. “Whatever she did with Bronwen — and I’m not sure I fully understand it — but whatever it was, Bronwen was impressed. I think word is going to spread faster than we might like about Hadley’s abilities.”
“I think it’s good that people fear her,” Booker countered. “Her legend is already growing. You wouldn’t believe how many people have come up to me to ask questions regarding what happened with the cupids.”
Galen shifted, his body going tense. “What are they asking?”
“News has spread that she went out there alone,” Booker replied simply. “People know that the rest of us were down for the count and she did everything herself. They’re impressed.”
I stirred. “That’s not entirely true,” I argued. “I went out there alone, but I joined with all of you for the big fight. We did it together.”
“We did,” Booker agreed. “You still went out there by yourself, and the amount of power you unleashed ... well ... it was impressive. A novice witch shouldn’t be able to do what you did.”
I looked to Galen for confirmation. When he didn’t say anything, my sto
mach twisted. “You’re saying I’m an oddity.”
“No, sweetheart.” Galen immediately started shaking his head. “You’re strong. You’re wonderful. Don’t let what he’s saying shake your confidence.”
“I’m not trying to shake her confidence,” Booker argued. “I’m saying that she’s climbing the Moonstone Bay food chain pretty quickly. That’s impressive.”
“Well ... she’s not ready to embrace that right now.” Galen was firm. “Don’t push her. She’s had a big day.”
That was true. A lot happened over the course of a few hours. I was still behind on one thing, though. “You still haven’t told me about Cooper’s Hollow,” I reminded him. “You promised to do it once Booker joined us. He’s here and I’m still in the dark.”
My crabby response was enough to elicit a genuine smile from Galen. “You’re sunshine and joy, Hadley. Truly.”
Booker snorted. “I take it you haven’t told her what to expect at Cooper’s Hollow.”
“No, and you understand why I need you with me, right?” Galen’s gaze was pointed as it locked with Booker’s “meh” stare. “It will be safer if we’re together for this little excursion.”
A sneaking suspicion nagged at the back of my brain. “Wait a second ... you’re going to try to leave me here, aren’t you? You’re going to head out with Booker at the crack of dawn and leave me behind.”
Galen slid his eyes to me. “What makes you say that?”
“You’re obsessed with protecting me and whatever is happening out at this Cooper’s Hollow has you agitated. You won’t risk taking me with you if you’re worked up like this. I know how your mind works.”
“Well, that just goes to show you that you’re not as smart as you think you are.” He tweaked the end of my nose and grinned. “I do want you with me. In fact, you’re going to be a key figure tomorrow morning.”
“I am?” I couldn’t keep up with what was happening. “Why am I a key figure?”
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