Spellbooks and Stakings

by Lily Webb

  Chapter Five

  Back at the Messenger’s offices, I flopped down at my desk, exasperated. As if he’d been waiting for my return, Mitch walked over as soon as I sat.

  “So? How’d it go?” he asked, again perching on the corner of my desk, his arms crossed.

  “The Healers let me see her,” I said.

  “See who? And why?” he asked, and I hesitated, unsure whether or not I should reveal Phoebe’s identity — but he was sure to find out about everything eventually anyway.

  “Phoebe Thornton,” I said. “And they let me in because they recognized me, knew about my powers, and thought I could help.”

  “Don’t know her,” Mitch said, shrugging. “What’s important about her?”

  “She was Professor Delia Frost’s understudy,” I said. Mitch’s eyes went wide.

  “So was it Professor Frost who was killed?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Whoa, this is bad. Like, really bad,” Mitch said.

  “Yeah, tell me about it. The witches and vampires are already at each other’s throats, I can’t imagine what they’re going to do when news of this gets out,” I groaned.

  “Nothing we can do about that,” Mitch said.

  “I know, but I can’t help worrying about it. What if they blame me?” I asked.

  “Why would they think you had anything to do with it?”

  “Because I was the first one on the scene after the murder,” I admitted.

  “What?!” Mitch shouted, jumping off my desk. “Come with me,” he said and didn’t wait for me to follow. He charged into his office, and I shuffled after him, my stomach a knot of dread.

  “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” Mitch asked after he’d slammed the door shut.

  “Because I didn’t know what was gonna happen,” I said.

  “What did you see? What do you know? How exposed are we here?” Mitch peppered me.

  “There was a fight between Delia and one of the students. I was in the class when it happened. This warlock named Seth Highmore called Delia a bloodsucker, and she kicked him out for it,” I said.

  “Wait, Seth Highmore? You mean the grandson of the Head Warlock?” Mitch asked.

  “Yes, him,” I said.

  “Wow. Okay, then what?”

  “Class carried on like normal. I’d just sat down in the room for my next period when a scream echoed throughout the entire school, and because I knew Seth was waiting to speak with Delia in her office after class, I had a suspicion, so I ran right there,” I said.

  “And?”

  “I found Phoebe a rambling mess, her memory fried, and Delia was a pile of ash,” I said.

  “I’ve heard nothing but good things about Delia. Why would anyone want to hurt her? Do you think Seth did it?”

  “I’m not sure, but it seems like it,” I said.

  “Why aren’t you sure?”

  “Well, as I said, the Healers at Willowvale let me visit with Phoebe, and I got into her thoughts. I couldn’t make out much of anything, but one name did come across loud and clear: Aurelia,” I said.

  “Who’s that?”

  “Aurelia Riddle, Claudette Riddle’s—”

  “Granddaughter, yeah, of course, now I know. Wow, this is crazy,” Mitch said and let out a long exhale as he fiddled with his beard.

  “The craziest part is that no one’s seen Seth since it happened,” I said.

  “Sounds like we need to track both him and Aurelia down,” Mitch said.

  “That was my plan.”

  A knock on Mitch’s office door surprised both of us. He furrowed his brow but walked to see who it was anyway. Flora stood on the other side, frowning.

  “What’s up?” Mitch asked. Flora hemmed and hawed, her wings fluttering.

  “Sorry to interrupt. We just got a press release from Veilside that I thought you might want to know about,” Flora said, and my heart jumped into my throat.

  “What is it?” Mitch asked.

  “Professor Nolan Grimm has resigned as Deputy Headmaster at Veilside due to ‘chronic health issues.’ Professor Jade Hallewell was promoted to replace him,” Flora said. I recognized both names — they were on my class schedule.

  Professor Grimm was the one Mallory told me was always out sick, so that fit, but it seemed like a strange time for him to resign. Maybe he hoped the news would get ignored in the wake of Delia’s murder?

  “Interesting,” Mitch said. “What do you think, Zoe? I can see the cogs turning in your head.”

  “Nothing, really. A new friend at school told me Professor Grimm was often out sick, but I don’t know that it means anything,” I said.

  “Right. It’s a weird time to announce a resignation, but it’s probably a coincidence,” Mitch said. “Thanks for letting us know, Flora.”

  “Sure thing,” Flora said and glided away. Mitch closed the door and rubbed his forehead.

  “You have any idea how to get hold of Aurelia?” Mitch asked.

  “No, but Mallory, my new friend at school, might. She’s been at Veilside much longer than I have and she knows pretty much everyone,” I said, more thankful than ever I’d made a connection with her.

  “That’s as good a start as any, I guess,” Mitch said. “And you’re sure you’re not at any risk here?”

  “As far as I know, no. The Headmistress is the only one who knows I was at the scene, and she believes I didn’t have anything to do with the murder. It was my first day at the Academy, I wasn’t trying to stand out,” I said.

  “Some first day, huh?” Mitch asked.

  “Yeah, tell me about it,” I said.

  “All right, well I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge when and if we get there. For now, find Aurelia and see what she knows,” Mitch said.

  “Got it,” I said.

  “And please, Zoe, stay out of trouble,” Mitch said. “I don’t need Chief Mueller breathing down my neck about you again.”

  “Trust me, I don’t want that any more than you do,” I said as I walked to the door.

  “Good. Now go work your magic,” Mitch said. Back in the newsroom, I let out the breath I’d been holding. Things could’ve gone much worse.

  At my desk, I pulled my phone out of my bag and swiped through my contacts to find Mallory’s number — thank Lilith she’d had the sense to program it in for me. I tapped it to start a conversation and pecked out a message:

  >>Me: Hey, it’s Zoe. Random question, but if I was looking for Aurelia, where do you think I might be able to find her?

  I sent the message and sat staring at the screen, my palms sweating as I waited for Mallory’s response. Thankfully, it came right away.

  >>Mallory: Hey. She works at one of the clothing boutiques on Crescent, I think it’s called Zaria’s or something like that. You could try there. Does this have to do with last night?

  >>Me: Maybe.

  >>Mallory: Maybe always means yes. Want me to come? I could meet you there.

  That was the last thing I needed.

  >>Me: No, thanks. This is for work.

  >>Mallory: Top secret journalist stuff. Got it.

  >>Me: Pretty much, but we could maybe meet after? I don’t imagine I’ll be needing a wand anytime soon, but we could go look at them anyway.

  >>Mallory: Sure, let me know.

  >>Me: Will do. Thanks!

  >>Mallory: No problem.

  I tossed my phone on the desk and logged into my work computer to search for the boutique. Sure enough, it was called Zaria’s, and it was only a few blocks from the office, so I gathered up my things and headed for the door again.

  There wasn’t any guarantee Aurelia would be working, but since all the Veilside students were on an indefinite break from school, there was a good chance I’d find her there. Whether or not she’d talk to me was another matter entirely.

  I found Zaria’s at the corner of Crescent and Étoile Street. It was a tiny rectangle of a building with a gaudy neon sign hanging from its window above the
fancy robes on display. Aurelia wasn’t anywhere inside, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t there, so I stepped in and pretended to look over the robes and other clothes on the racks.

  “Welcome to Zaria’s. Can I help you find something?” a slender young witch called from the counter at the back of the store as she walked around it toward me, her royal purple robes swishing with each step. They cut off above the knee to form a sort of mini-skirt, and the fabric was slashed through with stripes of black.

  “Are you Zaria?” I asked. The witch laughed and shook her head.

  “No, I’m Sophie, Zaria’s daughter,” she said. “Hey, wait a second, I know you… You’re Zoe Clarke, the one who stopped the killer vampire!”

  “That’s me, for better or worse,” I groaned. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to people recognizing me. “Anyway, listen, I’m looking for Aurelia Riddle. Is she working today?”

  “She is, but she’s actually on a break. You want me to tell her you’re here?” Sophie asked.

  “If you wouldn’t mind. I need to talk to her for a few minutes,” I said.

  “Yeah, sure, wait here,” Sophie said and disappeared through a door behind the counter. While I waited, I struggled to come up with what to say to Aurelia. She’d have no reason to want to talk to me, and I couldn’t outright accuse her, but maybe I could pop into her thoughts.

  A few moments later, Aurelia walked out in skin-tight ruby red robes that were even shorter than Sophie’s, her upper lip curled at the sight of me.

  “What do you want, stray?” she snapped as she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of the store. I shrugged out of her grip and glared at her.

  “It’s about last night,” I said. Aurelia sighed and rolled her eyes.

  “I didn’t have anything to do with Delia if that’s what you’re going to ask me, Private Eye,” she said.

  “I wasn’t, but good to know,” I said.

  “Then what do you want? I’m not wasting my break on you,” Aurelia said.

  “Have you heard about Phoebe Thornton?” I asked. Aurelia narrowed her eyes at me and looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was within earshot.

  “Yeah, she had her memory wiped or something, right?” Aurelia asked.

  “Exactly. I went to visit her in the hospital, and even though she couldn’t remember much of anything, somehow your name came up — you care to explain that?” I asked.

  “What?” Aurelia asked, her cheeks flushed. “I barely ever talked to her.”

  With my eyes locked on Aurelia’s, I concentrated and felt myself slip into her thoughts with a whooshing sound like a wave passing over my head.

  As if it wasn’t bad enough that the Teacher’s Pet got chosen to be Delia’s understudy over me, now she’s trying to throw me under the broom? I don’t think so, Aurelia thought.

  What did that mean?

  “Why are you staring at me like that, weirdo?” Aurelia asked, backing away from me and breaking our connection.

  “It could only be your beauty because your personality sure isn’t winning any awards,” I said.

  “Says you,” Aurelia fired back.

  “Where did you go after Delia’s class last night?” I asked.

  “I went to the bathroom with Eve and Sabrina before we went to Divination if you must know,” Aurelia said. She seemed too smart not to be able to come up with a better excuse, so maybe she really was telling the truth.

  “Are they the two witches you were sitting with last night?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “Just curious. You know, I’ve heard you and Phoebe had a bit of a rivalry going,” I said, careful not to tip Aurelia off that I’d gotten that information from her own thoughts.

  “Oh, please, Phoebe only wishes she was half as talented as me,” Aurelia said, flipping her golden locks over her shoulder.

  “She’s twice as modest,” I said. Aurelia glared at me.

  “Hilarious,” she said, her mouth a thin line.

  “Rivalries make people do crazy things sometimes,” I prodded. Aurelia sighed and shook her head.

  “Look, I don’t know what you’ve ‘heard,’ but I didn’t have anything to do with Delia or Phoebe. Am I bitter that Delia chose Phoebe instead of me to be her understudy? You bet your wand I am, but I’m not crazy. I wouldn’t hurt either of them,” Aurelia said.

  “The way you threatened Seth and his friends doesn’t exactly line up with that notion,” I said. Aurelia stared at me.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to curse Seth, and for what he’s done, he’d deserve it,” Aurelia said. I didn’t find that hard to believe after what I’d heard him say to Delia.

  “Why?”

  “He dumped me,” Aurelia said, and my head spun. Aurelia and Seth had dated? Talk about a case of opposites attract…

  “I didn’t know you were ever an item,” I said.

  “We weren’t for long, but whatever, his loss. He was way too weird for me anyway,” Aurelia said.

  “Weird how?” I asked.

  “He was obsessed with vampires, for starters. After Councilwoman Cromwell died, all Seth talked about was how much he hated them,” Aurelia said, and I shivered. That wasn’t a good sign.

  “Even before Valentine got caught, Seth was convinced the vampires were involved with the Councilwoman’s death,” she said.

  Well, he wasn’t wrong about that, but it didn’t make him right about the vampires generally. One evil vamp didn’t spoil the bunch.

  “More than once he told me about how wrong he thought it was for a witch like Delia to become a vampire, even though no one really knows how or why she did,” Aurelia said. “But anyway, the fight Seth had with Delia last night didn’t come out of nowhere.”

  “Did he say or do anything else odd while you were seeing him?” I asked.

  “Well, I think the beginning of the end for us as a couple was when he started ditching me to hang out with that weirdo Professor Grimm,” Aurelia said.

  All the hair on the back of my neck stood. Why would a student ever need to spend time with their professor outside the classroom in a non-academic way — and why would Seth pick that over being with a beautiful, favorite witch like Aurelia?

  “What were they doing?”

  “Good question, I don’t have a clue. Every time I asked about it, he’d get all angry and tell me to mind my own business. It was insulting,” Aurelia said. Right, because she didn’t know a thing about being rude.

  “But after Delia took his little book last week, he was furious.”

  Wait, could that mean the book I’d pocketed from Delia’s office was actually Seth’s?

  “Why? What’s so special about it?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. Seth guarded that book and the writing and drawings he did inside it with his life. He’d never let me or anyone else see it,” Aurelia said.

  That didn’t match what I’d seen in the book I’d scarfed from Delia’s office — it was completely blank. If Seth really were writing and drawing in it all the time, it wouldn’t be empty. Was it someone else’s?

  “When did that start?” I asked.

  “About a month ago, after Harper Woods was killed,” Aurelia said. “I don’t know for sure, but I think Professor Grimm gave Seth that book, and that’s why he was so upset when Delia took it. Seth said it was for some warlocks-only group that Professor Grimm started, but I didn’t buy it.”

  That was a lot to chew on, and I didn’t know what to make of any of it other than I needed to find Seth.

  “No one’s seen Seth since Delia was killed. Do you have any idea where he might be?” I asked.

  “Oh, he’s around, trust me. That loser couldn’t find his way out of Moon Grove with a map. If I had to guess, I’d bet he’s been hanging out at The Magic Touch all along,” Aurelia said.

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a pub not far from the Academy. All the warlocks hang out there,” Aurelia said. “He’s probably there now, and if not, he
’ll be there tonight. He doesn’t have anything better to do now that school’s canceled.”

  Well, I guess I had plans for the evening, after all.

  “Do you think he’d want to hurt Delia and Phoebe?” I asked.

  “I have no idea what goes on in his brain, but after some of the stuff he’s said to me about Delia and their argument last night, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Aurelia said.

  “As far as he’s concerned, anyone who buddies up to vampires is just as bad as the vampires themselves. That’s probably part of why he broke up with me — I was gunning to be Delia’s understudy. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t get the position after all,” Aurelia said.

  I shivered at the sentiment.

  “Thanks for the help, Aurelia,” I said and turned to leave.

  “Hey, where do you think you’re going?! You’re not going to print any of this, are you?” she called as she chased after me up Crescent Street.

  “No promises,” I said, and left her standing in the street. Now she knew how it felt to look foolish in public.

  Chapter Six

  As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t go to The Magic Touch alone. If what Aurelia told me about the pub was right, it was crawling with warlocks — and somehow I didn’t think they’d be keen on having a reporter invade their space.

  Though I considered calling Beau, I’d already played that card with him, and after dragging him to a grungy vampire bar where we were the only living creatures in the place, I doubted he’d want to accompany me to a warlock pub.

  Mallory, however, might be interested, and she’d have more insight into the patrons than anyone else I knew. Besides, she’d offered to hang out with me tonight, so what better way to break the ice than to walk into a warlocks’ pub together? There’s nothing quite as bonding as danger.

  While I walked back to the Messenger’s office, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and tapped to dial Mallory. She answered after a few rings.

  “Hey, Zoe,” she whispered.

  “Hey, is now a bad time?”

  “No, I’m just at the library doing some research so I can’t talk very loud,” Mallory said.

  She would spend time at the library when the school was closed.