“Uh, excuse me?” a voice said from my right, startling me slightly. I turned to look at who it was, and found a kindly-looking old woman standing near me in a nightgown, holding a watering pail, presumably for the hydrangea bush behind her.
“Yes?” I asked, trying to look like I hadn’t just been scared out of my skin.
“I’m one of Jordan’s neighbors,” she said with a worried glance at the smashed door. “Is he in some kind of trouble?”
“Quite possibly. Have you seen him recently?” I asked.
“Oh dear,” she murmured. “I saw him this morning around dawn when I got up to do some gardening. He’s usually a late sleeper, but I saw him leaving his house with a suitcase well before he usually gets up. I assumed he had some travel plans. What’s going on over there?”
“Um, police business,” I said, starting to step toward the house. “Thank you for your help, ma’am!” I knocked on the frame of the door just as Xander came walking back into the living room, frowning.
“House is empty,” he said.
“I know,” I said. “One of the neighbors just told me he ran back to the house this morning at dawn to grab a suitcase and run.”
“Great,” Xander muttered, leaving the house with me. “Okay, that means Morgan and I have to ramp things up. I wish I could take you with me, Arti, but this is even more serious, and I don’t think any amount of convincing Morgan is going to help. You get yourself home and keep Lara there overnight, and I’ll know if any of those wards go off. I’ll take the search routes close to the Manor and make sure you’re not any more than a few minutes away, tops.”
Even in the middle of a manhunt, Xander was trying to look out for me. I couldn’t help but smile, and it distracted me so much I didn’t even have time to protest before he jumped on his broom and took off.
“Wait!” I called, but it was too late. He was off, leaving me behind. I sighed. Well, at least a day off wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
Chapter 18
The remainder of the day passed by in a blur as my mind was torn in a thousand directions. I felt like I was on the verge of figuring something out, like I was holding all the tiny pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in my hands but couldn’t make a coherent picture out of them.
It was frustrating, and I was starting to think maybe this mystery would go unsolved.
After an evening of cleaning and reading to distract myself, it was now late at night and I was in the kitchen, frying some crispy chicken and sweet potato fries. Lara walked in carrying Lucy in her arms.
“Hey Arti! This smells fantastic,” she said, eyeing the fried chicken. “Good old comfort food. Can’t go wrong with that crispy fried goodness.”
I smiled at her as I scooped the fries out and set them on a rack to drain and dry. “Yeah, I’m in need of some comfort right about now,” I admitted as I took down a couple plates for us, handing her one.
“That poisoning case still got you stumped?” she asked sympathetically.
I nodded as we loaded up our plates and started eating, not even bothering to go sit at the table. We were both already wearing our PJs, so decorum was pretty low on our list of priorities.
“Yeah. I just can’t make it make sense,” I sighed. “And then this whole thing with my magic not working and then the break in last night is just weird.”
“I know. It’s a lot to deal with,” Lara agreed. “I wish I knew how to help you out. But I’m no detective. Maybe once things settle down a little bit you could go to a magic doctor and get some tests done.”
“Yikes. You think it’s that serious?” I asked nervously.
She shrugged. “Who knows? Couldn’t hurt to look into it, though.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I sighed, leaning back against the counter as I bit into a drumstick.
“At least we don’t have to worry about anyone breaking in tonight,” she said cheerily. “The ward will keep us safe.”
I glanced over at the stove clock. It was nearly eleven-thirty at night. I rarely stayed up this late, but admittedly, neither Lara or I wanted to go to bed just yet. So we stayed up chatting and munching for another hour or so while a true crime series from the nineties played on the TV. It was comfortable and almost relaxing, which was exactly what I needed at the moment. It was nearing one AM when suddenly, our quiet conversation was interrupted by a sharp, ear-splitting screech. We both ducked down and covered our ears while the cats darted under the sofa to hide.
“What on earth was that?” Lara gasped, looking petrified.
“I have no idea!” I hissed back, daring to sit up and look around the darkened house. The noise seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, with no singular source. Then, underneath the piercing sound, there was another noise— a different one.
It was the sound of the front doorknob rattling ever so slightly. My blood ran cold as I stood up and looked over to the foyer. My eyes landed on the front door just as it clicked and slowly pushed open.
I screamed and went running into the kitchen to grab a knife, knowing my magic would be useless in a fight. Lara, meanwhile, jumped over the back of the couch and bolted toward the intruder.
“Lara!” I shouted, terrified that my brave and reckless roommate was about to be attacked. I ran out of the kitchen with a meat cleaver in my hand, just in time to watch the dramatic scene unfold.
Lucy and Luna barreled into the dark foyer, carrying a couple feet of black yarn taut between them. They rushed toward the masked intruder and managed to make them trip over the yarn just as Lara pointed her finger in that direction and shouted, “Relligoa!”
Instantly, a glowing, electric blue magical rope snaked out from the tip of her finger to lasso around the intruder, who was now bound tightly on the floor where they’d fallen. I raced to flip on the entrance chandelier, casting all of us in bright white light. Nervously, still gripping the meat cleaver in one hand, I knelt down to look the intruder in the face.
“Be careful,” hissed Lara.
“I need to know who this bastard is,” I replied fiercely, reaching out to lift the intruder’s black hood. When I saw the pretty face exposed in the light, I did a double take.
“June?!” I gasped. “What in the name of the moon?”
“June? Who is June?” Lara asked, confused.
“This is Xander’s ex-girlfriend,” I muttered, shaking my head in shock. June looked up at me with a withering glare.
“Yeah, you caught me. Congratulations, bitch. Now, could you please ask your bodyguard to unbind me?” June snapped, somehow still so haughty despite her compromised position.
Luna and Lucy stood back in the corner, hissing and staring at June hatefully. Although I was pretty distracted by the shock of catching our intruder in the act, I did happen to notice the cats out of the corner of my eye, giving each other a nod of cooperation. A truce, finally.
“Huh. We make a good team, don’t we?” Luna pointed out. Lucy meowed affirmatively.
But that was something to celebrate later, once we figured out how to deal with June.
“So, I have to ask,” I began, looking into the woman’s annoyingly pretty face. “Why me? What’s the deal?”
“Oh, like you don’t already know,” she spat. “You and Xander? It’s all wrong. I don’t know what he sees in you or what kind of illegal love spell you’ve cast on him, but you need to back off. He belongs to me. And if he’s too stupid to realize that, then I’ll have to take matters into my own hands!”
“Really, lady? You’re breaking the law just for some guy?” Lara sneered, rolling her eyes. “Sorry, but that’s just pitiful.”
“Shut your mouth,” June barked.
“Don’t talk to her that way,” I scolded, taking out my cell phone. “You want to be with Xander so bad, how about I call him over right now, hmm?”
June’s eyes went wide with panic and she shook her head, trying in vain to wiggle out of her magical binding. “No! Please, no!” she shrieked. “I beg you. Please do
n’t let him see me like this. He — he’ll never see me the same way again!”
“Sounds like a personal problem to me,” said Lara icily. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you pulled the mother of all crazy ex-girlfriend moves, huh?”
I gave her an amused and impressed look, genuinely surprised by how acidic she sounded. Lara had always struck me as the impossibly patient and forgiving type, so seeing her totally unleash on June was truly a sight to behold. I had to admit, though, it was pretty cool, and it felt great to know she was on my side.
I slid my phone screen open and pressed the button for Xander’s speed dial, my heart pounding like crazy. Within a half second of the first ring, he picked up and began talking before I could even get a word out.
“I’m on my way!” he shouted into the phone, and I could hear the telltale whoosh of the night wind blowing past him while he rode his broom. “The ward charm went off and alerted me about the intruder. I’m coming, Arti, just hold tight. Are you okay? Are you safe? Are you hiding somewhere out of sight? What about Lara? And the cats? Is anyone hurt? Is the intruder still in the house?” he rambled.
“Whoa, whoa,” I said. “I’m fine. Lara’s fine. The cats are fine. The intruder is here but we’ve got a hold on the situation.”
“Yeah, you might even say the intruder is in a bind!” Lara called out pointedly, giving June a devious smirk.
“Ha ha. What a clever joke. You’re a real comedian,” June grumbled.
“Okay, well I’m pulling up to the house now. Is the front door unlocked?” Xander asked through the phone.
“Yeah, you can come right in. The intruder must have picked the lock so it’s open now,” I informed him.
“I’m coming, Arti. Hang in there.”
“He’s coming up the drive,” I whispered to Lara, who nodded. June, meanwhile, looked utterly humiliated.
“Please. I beg you. Don’t let him see me this way,” she hissed at me desperately. I could hear Xander’s heavy footsteps walking up the front steps, and I bit my lip. I had to be the bigger person here. The least I could do was save a little pinch of her dignity. So despite Lara’s protests, I helped June get to her feet. She was still bound with magical rope, but at least she wasn’t lying flat on her face anymore.
Moments later, Xander stepped through the door and rushed to the intruder, recognition slowly dawning on his handsome face. “June? What the-” he spluttered.
“Our thoughts exactly,” Lara said.
“You’re the intruder?” Xander asked, totally shocked. “What is your problem? Have you lost your mind? Why would you do something like this?”
June had tears in her eyes but she continued to glare at me as if the whole thing was my fault. She began groveling, “I just wanted to scare her off. I’m sorry, Xander. I was selfish and stupid but you have to understand, it’s just because I—”
Xander cut her off. “No excuses, June. This is ridiculous. We’re not together anymore and you can’t just go around traumatizing my girlfriend out of jealousy. Come on. You’re too mature for that. I thought maybe we were all grown-ups, but apparently you’re still the same clingy brat you were back when we dated,” he said angrily.
“Ooh. Burn,” Luna murmured.
“What do you even see in her?” June spat, eyeing me up and down. “I’m ten times better without even trying! And her magic doesn’t even work!”
“No, clearly you’re not,” Lara jabbed. “And wait a second, how do you know about Arti’s magic malfunctioning?”
June’s face paled as we all realized the truth.
“Oh my moon. You put a curse on me, didn’t you?” I gasped. June groaned.
“Ugh. Maybe I did. But whatever. You deserve it for touching my man,” she snapped.
“Get over yourself. You and I aren’t a thing anymore. We’re done. And I’m never taking you back. How dare you curse my girlfriend? You know there are laws prohibiting that,” Xander said, stepping back from June to put an arm around my shoulders, to my delight.
“I couldn’t help it! I get back to town and find out you have a little side piece who’s not even as pretty or successful as I am and you expect me not to do something about it?” June shot back.
“You’re insane,” I muttered, wide-eyed.
“And you’re boring!” she insulted me.
“Lara, you can unbind her now,” said Xander.
“Aww. Already? Too bad,” Lara quipped, but she dutifully called off the magical rope and it disappeared with a flash of blue light. To June’s credit, she didn’t try to run, though I could see the impulse there on her face.
“I need her arms free so she can undo the hex she put on Artemis,” Xander explained. Then, glaring at his ex, he added, “Well? Get to it.”
June sighed rather theatrically and pointed a finger at me. She muttered something under her breath and I instantly felt a tingle of warmth pass over my body. To test it out, I tried an illumination charm on the living room lamp— and to my infinite relief, it worked just fine. My magic was back.
“There. All better. So what now? Are you gonna put me in handcuffs, officer?” June said, biting her lip. Lara rolled her eyes.
“Oh, come on. Are you sure I can’t just hex her into the next dimension?” Lara pleaded, turning to Xander with a plaintive expression.
“I agree,” Luna said.
Xander shook his head. “Look, June. You have two options. I can let you go and you immediately gather your stuff and get out of town tonight. Or I can arrest and charge you with breaking and entering with a side helping of illegal hexwork and then kick you out of town. Take your pick,” he snarled.
June swallowed hard. “Fine. I’ll leave.”
“And don’t you dare come back. I don’t want to catch you in my town again,” he added tersely.
She nodded, hanging her head. “Okay, okay. I get it. You’ve made your choice. It’s the wrong one, but whatever. If you want to date some scrappy, small town bore with the fashion sense of a middle school goth from the nineties, that’s your prerogative,” June murmured coldly.
Xander raised an eyebrow and tightened his grip on me. “Don’t make me take back my offer. Get out. Now,” he ordered.
June hesitated for a second, looking around at all of us before sighing and trudging out the front door. The second she was gone, Xander pulled me close and kissed me on the lips. Lara and the cats took their cue to leave.
Xander pulled back and looked into my eyes, cupping my cheek with his hand. “I can’t believe I let this happen to you. I’m so sorry, Arti. I should have known,” he murmured sadly.
I gave him a warm smile and turned slightly to kiss his palm. “I’m fine. Really. No lasting damage. Thank you for showing up and saving me,” I told him.
“I should have figured it out sooner,” he sighed, shaking his head. “If that crazy woman had hurt you, I don’t know what I would do. I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t lose me. I’m right here. Everything is okay,” I assured him softly. “Besides, that’s two mysteries solved; just one big one left to unravel.”
Chapter 19
That night I slept pretty well for someone whose house had just been broken into for the second time. Perhaps it was the knowledge that we had finally caught the perpetrator. Maybe it was the fact that my magical powers had been restored to me in full and I no longer felt like a weird broken witch anymore. Or it could have been the fact that it was endlessly reassuring to know I had both Lara and Xander around to back me up and look out for me. So even though it was nearly two in the morning when I finally got into bed, I drifted right off to sleep and didn’t wake up until half past eight. For me, that was some serious sleeping in. But when I woke up feeling refreshed and bright for the first time in days, it hit me just how desperately I’d needed the rest. Besides, we still didn’t have any new guests staying at the Manor, so there was no real rush for me to get moving.
I lay in bed just enjoying the warmth and coziness when
Luna woke up, stretched, and came crawling up to nuzzle into the crook of my arm.
“Good morning,” I told her, smiling.
She yawned, showing her tiny white fangs. “Morning. Man. That was one wild night last night, huh?” she said.
“You got that right. I still can’t wrap my mind around it. I mean, who could have seen that coming?”
“Yeah. It’s bananas. At least you’ve got your magic back, though. How does it feel?” she asked me, peering up into my face.
I shrugged. “It’s more subtle than you would expect, but I can definitely tell a difference. I feel more capable. It’s like when you have a cast on your arm and everyday tasks are more difficult and uncomfortable, and then you get the cast taken off and suddenly you feel like a superhero or something,” I chuckled. “It feels good. I feel more like myself again.”
“I bet,” Luna agreed. “Speaking of feeling good, I’m still pretty proud of my contribution to last night’s catch. Lucy and I really worked well as a team to trip her up. You saw that, right? I want credit for it.”
I laughed. “Yes, Lu. I saw it. That trick with the yarn? That was brilliant. And you’re right, the two of you make one killer team. See? Things are always better when you overcome your differences and work together,” I remarked.
She rolled her beautiful green eyes and hopped down off the bed, gesturing for me to follow. “Alright, alright, don’t push it. Anyway, it’s time to get up. I’m starving and I bet Lara and Lucy are hungry, too. I mean, we did literally catch a criminal in the act last night. I think we’ve all earned a hearty breakfast, don’t you?”
“Good point,” I agreed, sliding out of bed. “I should make a big breakfast for us all to celebrate.”
“Yes!” Luna exclaimed, rushing into the bathroom after me. I was feeling peppy and festive this morning after my much-needed rest, so I got a little more creative with my look. Of course, I would have been lying if I said June’s cutting words about my appearance hadn’t wounded me a little on some surface level. So I twisted my long black hair into two small buns on either side of my head. “Space buns,” I had heard them called before. It took a few tries to get it right, but then to my surprise, Luna complimented the look.
Beat Around the Broom Page 14
