A Call to Charms
Page 19
“He would have never got his hands on the full estate. My parents would have fought tooth and nail to prove that the document he had Lexie sign wasn’t valid.” Elissa shook her head, tsking. “And it’s not as if Will’s abilities would be any match to my mother’s since she’d have the Shield’s power if Lexie were dead.”
“Aunt Nora would know I had died even if there was no body?”
“Yes. She’d experience a sort of electrical jolt.” Elissa looked at me and asked, “Do you recall something like that? You should have felt it when Aunt Pandora passed away.”
Shrugging, I said, “I probably just thought it was one of those shivers most people attribute to a goose walking over their grave.”
“Speaking of Aunt Pandora, Will caused her death too.” I scrunched up my face in disgust. “Once he knew that the council wasn’t going to fall for any of his excuses, he bragged that he had stuffed a bunch of debris into her chimney that caused the carbon dioxide to buildup and kill her.”
“That man was truly evil.” Elissa murmured. “How did we not see it?”
“The same way the master of the dark magic hides in plain sight.” Lucas had finished searing the steaks and gotten them in the oven while Elissa and I had talked. Now he took them out and slid them onto racks to rest. “These will be ready in five minutes. Can you two set the table?”
As Elissa and I took the dishes from the cabinet, the microwave beeped, signaling that the baked potatoes were done. Cole used a potholder to transfer them onto everyone’s plate. I’d been worried about my cousin’s food allergies, but after checking the seasoning Lucas put on the steaks and the salad dressing bottle, she’d assured me that the menu was gluten-free.
I was starving by the time we sat down to eat and immediately cut into my rib eye and forked a piece into my mouth.
Lucas watched carefully, and as I chewed, he asked, “Is it done enough for you?”
I nodded enthusiastically, and once I swallowed, I said, “It’s a perfect medium.”
Elissa had requested well done, but both men had chosen rare, and she glanced at their plates and made a face, “I don’t know how you two can eat raw meat.”
Cole winked at her and said, “Yes, you do.”
Although I waited for an explanation, everyone was silent as they ate. When we had taken the edge off of our hunger, the conversation picked up, but by unspoken agreement, we kept to light topics.
By the time we finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen, I couldn’t hide my yawns. Elissa, Cole, and Lucas said their goodbyes and headed out.
Lucas was the last one out the door and he lingered a second. “I’m glad you’re safe now.” He shrugged. “Well, as safe as The Shield can be before attaining his or her full powers.”
“Thank you for your help with Will and the council.” I touched his arm. “I appreciate it.”
“Seeing as you’re now aware of the situation with you, me, and Pendergast, would you be willing to go out with me so we could get to know one another?”
“Give me some time, okay?” I hated seeing the crestfallen look on his face, and I hastily added, “It’s not that I’m not attracted to you, I mean you’re sizzling hot, I’m just a little gun-shy at the moment.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” He grinned, tipped his Stetson, and ambled down the front porch steps.
My face flaming, I closed the door and leaned against the wood.
Shoot! I’d have rather run naked down Main Street with a pineapple on my head than have Lucas hear the words I’d just blurted out.
Once my face stopped burning, I took a deep breath and headed to bed. I was exhausted and was sure I’d fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Wrong!
An hour later, I was still awake, so I got out of bed and made myself a martini. My aunt had a set of gorgeous art deco glasses, and I carefully poured the mixture from the shaker into the ruby red one.
Settling into the couch, I took a sip, then cradled my glass and gazed into the contents. After a few seconds, my eyelids drooped, and when I blinked awake, I saw an image in the liquid.
It was my mother, and she was crying.
Evidently, I had just discovered how Pandora kept an eye on my mother. Now, what would I do about it?
From what I could see around her, it seemed as Mom was in a jail or a prison, but there was no way to identify the location. I somehow doubted that she’d been allowed to keep her cellphone, so I had no way to contact her.
Still, I knew one thing for sure. I had to find my mother and bring her to Echo Springs. It was the only way I could keep her safe.
It looked as if I would need to figure out a locator charm sooner rather than later.
Sighing, I headed up to the trunk to see what I could find in the Ravenscraft spellbook. Evidently, a witch’s work was never done.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times Bestseller author Denise Swanson was a practicing school psychologist for twenty-two years. A Call to Charms is the first in Denise Swanson’s new Forever Charmed paranormal mystery series. She also writes the Scumble River and Chef-to-Go mysteries, and the Change of Heart and Delicious contemporary romance series.
Denise’s books have been finalists for the Agatha, Mary Higgins Clark, RT Magazine's Career Achievement, and Daphne du Maurier Awards. She has won the Reviewers Choice Award and was a BookSense 76 Top Pick.
Denise Swanson lives in Illinois with her husband, classical composer David Stybr.
For more information, please check her website http://www.DeniseSwanson.com or find Denise on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DeniseSwansonAuthor or follow her on Twitter at DeniseSwansonAu