Alchemy and Arson

by Lily Webb

  “Zoe, look!” Grandma shouted, pointing up. A group of eight warlocks in bright red robes and matching caps darted overhead on broomsticks in a V-formation with their wands drawn. Apparently, Moon Grove had a magical fire department I didn’t know about.

  The firefighters cast spell after spell, water jetting from their wand tips in torrents, but no matter how much water they threw at the flames, they didn’t extinguish — and every time water made contact with the blaze, it spattered and spread like grease, igniting the nearest trees.

  “Guys! There’s someone inside!” I shouted up at them.

  The lead firefighter in the V-shape who seemed to be heading the effort thudded to the ground next to me. He was broad-shouldered, muscular, and towered over me like a human skyscraper.

  “I’m Fire Chief Blaine Hart. Who’s inside?” he asked.

  “Councilwoman Woods,” I answered.

  Blaine’s piercing blue eyes widened, but he nodded and cast some sort of protective spell over himself.

  “Stay put, both of you,” he said and ran undeterred through the front door into the heart of the fire. Amazingly, though the flames licked at him and his robes, they did no damage. I watched until the green inferno inside the house swallowed him.

  “Is he out of his cotton-pickin’ mind?!” Grandma shouted.

  “He’s a professional, he knows what he’s doing,” I said — at least I hoped.

  The other firefighters seemed to have realized their approach was only making things worse. They transitioned to launching sand from their wands to try to suffocate the fire, but not even that worked.

  Minutes that felt like hours passed as I waited for any sign of Blaine. Grandma took my hand in hers and squeezed it so hard I thought it might lose all circulation.

  “I hope like heck she’s okay,” Grandma muttered.

  “Me too, Gram,” I said.

  The blame for this fell squarely on my shoulders. Had someone seen or heard about Grandma Elle staying at Circe’s? Had they firebombed her house to hurt me or Circe or both?

  If I hadn’t tried to sneak Grandma into town, none of this would’ve happened.

  “Zoe!” Grandma said, yanking my hand to jolt me back into reality. She pointed straight ahead and I squinted to make out Blaine’s silhouette as he powered through the flames that consumed the house. Circe’s body bounced lifelessly in his arms as he walked, her robes blackened.

  The crackling of the roof collapsing and the whoosh of the air shooting out was all I heard as my whole world spun away from me in a haze of green embers and the acrid smell of smoke.

  Circe was dead.

  Chapter Five

  For the second time in as many days, the Council of Moon Grove stared down at me from their high-backed chairs — one more of which was now empty.

  My heart sank at the sight. I kept my eyes locked on my hands clasped tightly in front of me so no one could see them shaking. I wouldn’t have any defenders here today.

  The Town Hall was packed with people eager to see me get knocked down a peg or two. After all the people I’d brought to justice, maybe it was right of them to think that way.

  Still, before I’d even gotten the summons to appear before the Council that morning I knew it was going to be a media spectacle. I could already see the sensationalized headlines splashed across the front page of Grave Times: Moon Grove’s Golden Girl Tarnished; Star Reporter Falls From Heavens; Councilwoman Dies in Fire, Torching Reporter’s Reputation.

  No matter how I sliced it, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

  At least the Council allowed me company this time. My friends and family lined the table: Beau immediately to my left, Grandma on my right, and Flora beside her. Beau reached under the table to pat my leg and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

  “It’s going to be okay, one way or the other,” Beau whispered in my ear. It wasn’t nearly as comforting as I’m sure he wanted it to be. I didn’t know what to say so I nodded and rested my head against his.

  “We’re here for you, Sugar,” Grandma said. “I won’t let ‘em give you the runaround.”

  Of all people, I didn’t deserve Elle’s support. I’d lied to her and brought her to Moon Grove under false pretenses and almost gotten her killed in a house fire. Some granddaughter, right?

  Heath cleared his throat and slammed his gavel against its stand three times to bring everyone to attention.

  I worried I might pass out. Public speaking — much less public humiliation — was never really my thing. For Lilith’s sake, I’d run screaming from my elementary school’s talent show when Elle volunteered me for it, so the thought of standing in front of all of Moon Grove and confessing my sins was breathtaking.

  “My fellow citizens of Moon Grove, it’s with a heavy heart that I’ve gathered us all here today,” Heath said, his voice low and somber. Bags hung under his eyes and I wondered if he’d gotten as little sleep — or less — as the rest of us.

  “As I’m sure you are all well aware by now, last night we lost a dear friend and fellow Councilmember, Circe Woods.”

  The hall was so quiet I heard my heart hammering in my chest. What could anyone say?

  “Life in Moon Grove has been tumultuous in the last few weeks, and Councilwoman Woods’ passing is only the most recent in a wave of unfortunate events.”

  Unfortunate events? That was one heck of a way of dressing it up.

  “I wanted to be transparent with you all. However, because the case is still under investigation and the facts are murky, we won’t be sharing any further details today,” Heath continued.

  “As such, at this time we’d like to request everyone but Zoe and her grandmother leave the room,” Heath said, and I sat bolt upright in my chair. Why would they bother letting me bring all my family and friends only to send them out again when I needed them most?

  Evidently, everyone else agreed because grumblings carried throughout the room. Heath slammed his gavel down again until it was silent.

  “Rest assured, you will be kept abreast of any developments. I have no doubt our upstanding publications will make sure you know everything you need to know in due time,” he said. “Now please, show yourselves out in an orderly fashion so we can proceed.”

  “Don’t panic. At least you’ll still have your grandmother,” Beau said as he let go of my hand and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be right outside waiting for you when it’s over.”

  “Thank you,” I said, hearing my voice as if I were outside myself. With a nod and a somber smile, Beau stood and left the room along with Flora. They each waved at me one last time as if to wish me luck, but it didn’t help. Grandma scooted her chair closer to mine.

  “Don’t you worry your purty little head, Granny’s right here,” Grandma whispered.

  Minutes later, the hall was completely empty save for me, Grandma, and the eleven remaining Council members. None of them looked me in the eye. Maybe they were afraid they’d burst into flame too if they did.

  “Zoe, it goes without saying how troubled we are about all this,” Heath said. I didn’t have a response so I stared straight ahead.

  “Would you like to start by telling us your account?”

  I nodded and swallowed hard, hoping I didn’t break down in the middle of my description. Grandma squeezed my hand to encourage me.

  “It’s a long story, but I guess I’ll start from the beginning,” I said, my voice cracking.

  I told them about everything: how I’d gone behind their backs and lied to Grandma to get her to come to Moon Grove because I felt like the Council owed me a return favor; how I’d snuck out during the curfew to meet Grandma at the town gates; and how Circe caught us and warped us back to her house.

  “Let me be clear: your grandmother was staying with Councilwoman Woods by the Councilwoman’s own suggestion?” Heath asked.

  “Yessir. Zoe’s got the right of it. Circe cast a spell to send us back to her house and told me I could stay there until she figured out how to
get me back to my farm,” Grandma said.

  Heath seemed surprised to hear from Grandma at all, especially since she’d answered a question for me. “I ain’t tryin’ to be rude,” she continued, “but Zoe’s havin’ a hard time with all this.”

  “Understandably so,” Heath said. “But Zoe, none of us thinks you’re responsible for the death of Councilwoman Woods. We all know you better than that.”

  “Thank you,” I said, my throat tightening as tears threatened to overtake me again, though the look on Lorelei Riddle’s face said otherwise.

  I hadn’t felt this shaken or discouraged since I got fired from my job before coming to Moon Grove. Being in the magical town and learning everything it had to offer, about my family’s history and my place in the world of magic, gave me a new sense of confidence — but at that moment under the Council’s microscope, I felt smaller than a werewolf’s hair.

  “That said, it would be irresponsible of us not to point out how reckless your actions were,” Heath said. He didn’t need to remind me, nor did he need to beat me up for it — I’d done more than enough of that myself over the last twelve hours.

  “But I don’t want to belabor the point. As it stands now, we’re simply trying to understand what happened. Please, tell us what you saw, anything at all, that might be of use to the investigation,” he said.

  “I didn’t see much, or at least nothing out of the ordinary. I went to visit Councilwoman Woods in her office yesterday afternoon to check in with her and see how my grandmother was doing, but she refused to talk about it in these walls,” I said.

  “Which was probably a smart idea, given the circumstances and the preponderance of new journalists lurking around,” Heath said.

  “Right. So Circe invited me over after dark when it was less likely anyone would see or potentially follow me,” I said.

  “Of course. So, you did make it to Councilwoman Woods’ house?”

  “After the fire had already started, yes,” I said. I closed my eyes and all I could see was the bright green flames as if they were coming right at me all over again, threatening to devour me.

  “I see. So you didn’t see anyone or anything suspicious when you arrived?”

  “Other than the green flames spewing from the roof, no,” I said, though it brought to mind the golden stopper I’d tripped on.

  It was still in the pocket of my robes, but I’d forgotten all about it thanks to the whirl of everything else going on. After Fire Chief Hart handed Circe’s body over to the police, Police Chief Mueller whisked me away to the station to get our official statements since Grandma and I were the only known witnesses.

  “And what about you, Mrs. Clarke?” Heath asked Grandma, and she perked up like she’d been electrocuted. “What did you see? You were inside the building when the fire started, were you not?”

  “Yessir,” Grandma said. I’d never seen her so uncomfortable in her own skin before, but then again, I’d also never seen her on trial — not that this was an official trial yet, but it might as well have been.

  “And can you tell us what you remember of that night?”

  “It was simple, all things bein’ considered,” Grandma started. “I mean, aside from me learning about all y’all magic folks and werewolves and whatnot, it wasn’t nothin’ out of the ordinary. Councilman Woods and I were chattin’ about my arrival and about Zoe and then she offered to make us some tea.”

  “Sounds normal enough,” he said.

  “I reckon it was until the whole darn place blew up,” Grandma said.

  “Spontaneously? No warning whatsoever?” Heath asked.

  “No, none. I was sittin’ in the living room while Circe made tea in the kitchen behind me. All sort of things were runnin’ through my head about what I’d seen and been through, so I wasn’t really payin’ much attention, I reckon, until everything turned all green and smoky,” Grandma said.

  “So you’re saying you had nothing to do with the fire?” Lorelei interrupted and my blood turned cold. How dare she suggest my grandmother had anything to do with this?

  “I beg your pardon?” Grandma asked, clearly as offended as I was.

  “You were the only other person in the house with Councilwoman Woods at the time of the fire. It’s a reasonable question,” Lorelei said. She refused to look at me, which probably wasn’t a bad thing because I wouldn’t have been able to hold my tongue if she had.

  Was she doing this to get back at me for putting her daughter, Aurelia, in jail? It wouldn’t have surprised me.

  “Councilwoman Riddle has a point,” another witch on the Council said, the first time I’d heard her speak. She was a small woman who hunched forward, and glasses that were two times bigger than her face rested on her large, hooked nose.

  “As uncomfortable as the question may be, it must be asked,” the witch said, her voice wavering. She must’ve been one of the eldest members on the Council.

  “Thank you, Councilwoman Bloodworth,” Lorelei said, and I could’ve sworn I saw a smile flash across her face. The suggestion was absurd. Grandma Elle didn’t believe in killing spiders who wandered into her house, much less a witch who’d shown her hospitality.

  “Forgive us, Zoe, but you must understand things from our perspective. You violated Moon Grove’s rules and went against our decision to bring a family member into our town, and on the very night you did so, one of our colleagues died in a house fire. The optics aren’t good,” Heath said.

  I sat stewing, unable to speak. The message was loud and clear: I messed up big time. But that didn’t mean they had to throw my grandmother under the broom.

  “I ain’t trying to say you ain’t right to be worried or to ask the question, but what reason could a little ol’ lady like me possibly have to light the darn house on fire with me still in it?” Grandma asked. At least someone in the room had their senses about them.

  “That’s a good question, and an answer we’re still trying to find,” Heath said. “Unfortunately, answers are exceedingly hard to come by so we must turn over every stone.”

  “Enough!” a voice boomed through the hall, making all of us jump. I whirled in my seat to find a witch who looked the spitting image of Circe striding down the hall toward the Council, her royal purple robes flowing behind her like a cape.

  It was Raina Woods, Circe’s sister and Headmistress of Moon Grove’s Veilside Academy of Magic.

  Her mouth was a thin line and her auburn hair was pulled back in as severe of a bun as I’d ever seen her wear. As she passed my chair, she purposely ignored me. Of all people to make a surprise entrance to defend me, Raina was the last one I would’ve guessed.

  “Headmistress, it’s good of you to join us, though I must say I’m surprised given the grief you must be experiencing,” Heath said.

  Lorelei’s face soured at the sight of Raina like she’d gotten something foul stuck under her nose, a detail I didn’t miss. It wasn’t any secret that there was bad blood between the Woods and Riddle families, but this was something else entirely.

  “There’s plenty of time for grieving, but there’s no time for a mockery like this,” Raina said.

  Heath coughed. “Headmistress, I mean no disrespect, but it isn’t up to you to decide what’s a waste of the Council’s time, no matter your relation to its members.”

  “No, of course it isn’t, but it becomes my business when one of my star students is dragged through the mud and made a fool of in public simply because she made a mistake, which I’m sure I need not remind you is rare for Ms. Clarke,” Raina said.

  Seconds passed as Raina and Heath stared each other down, neither of them budging, and I worried for a moment the intense energy between them might light the Town Hall on fire too.

  “If there’s something you’ve come to say in defense of Ms. Clarke, by all means, the floor is yours,” Heath said at last.

  “It’s clear that Ms. Clarke made a grave mistake, perhaps even a series of them, last evening,” Raina said, addressing the entire
Council as she paced back and forth in front of them — still without meeting my eyes.

  “An understatement if I’ve ever heard one,” Lorelei said just loudly enough for everyone to hear and Raina snapped around to fix her with her intense gaze. “Ms. Clarke is lucky we’re even entertaining hearing what she has to say. As far as I’m concerned, she put the entirety of Moon Grove at risk last night and she should be expelled as a result.”

  My heart dropped into my stomach. Could they really do that? Would they really do that to me, after one less-than-stellar night in my track record?

  I felt like I was going to be sick.

  “And as far as I’m concerned, it sounds to me like the lot of you are inciting a witch hunt,” Raina said. “You have no evidence, nothing at all to stand on, other than your own personal feelings, good or bad, towards Ms. Clarke. That’s hardly fair.”

  If Raina ever needed a second job, she should really consider becoming a lawyer — assuming witches and warlocks had a use for those.

  “Should we just let her walk away with a slap on the wrist to put us in danger again in the future then?” Lorelei challenged, leaning forward in her chair.

  “No, of course not. Look at Ms. Clarke. Is it not abundantly clear that she realizes the gravity of her mistakes? Don’t you think she regrets everything she’s done and would take it back in a heartbeat if she could?” Raina asked.

  “Her regret won’t bring your sister back,” Lorelei said, and Raina looked like she’d been slapped across the face.

  “Nor will your desperate charge to convict her of something for which you have no proof,” Raina said. “I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Zoe better than any of you, and I know in my heart she’s not capable of something as heinous as this. It’s absurd to suggest otherwise.”

  “I think we’ve heard enough!” Heath shouted as Lorelei opened her mouth to retort. “Thank you for your perspective, Headmistress.”