Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1)

by Amanda Booloodian

  "It's not a rumor," Gabriel said. "Like it or not, it's a fact. One of those things—"

  "I'm afraid I don't know what things you are referring to," Mr. Singer said. "This has nothing to do with our community."

  "Someone has taken witches over there," Gabriel said. "You've seen that with your own eyes. Tyler, Andrea, Kevin, and Mira are all witches that have been there."

  "I saw four witches brought back to us," Mr. Singer said. "And for that, I'm grateful. Beyond that, I know nothing. No one in our community know anything."

  "John Parnell—"

  "Is human," Mr. Singer said. "As is Barney. I don't know what the humans have been doing."

  Mira winced. It sounded like Mr. Singer was reducing things to ‘us versus them.’ That was never a good sign in a supernatural community.

  "I have another engagement this evening," Mr. Singer said. Mira heard him stand up. "If you'd like to come back another time, I'll be happy to see you again."

  The couch squeaked as the detectives rose.

  "Like it or not, Mr. Singer, someone is trying to collect witches," Gabriel said. "We will be asking more questions."

  "Thank you for the warning Detective. We will be vigilant and on guard," Mr. Singer said, leading them to the hallway, where Mira still stood. He passed her without a glance and opened the door for them.

  Ian gave Mr. Singer a card before leaving. Mira bowed her head, not wanting to look at anyone. But when she turned to leave, she was brought up short.

  "Miss Owens. Since you are here, may I have a word?" Mr. Singer made the question sound more like a demand.

  Mira felt like she was being hollowed out.

  "We'll meet you in the car," Ian said.

  Gabriel looked like he wanted to say something else, but changed his mind.

  Mira starred at the door as it snapped shut. She was unsure of what to say.

  Mr. Singer strode into the other room. The thought of leaving passed through Mira’s mind. It was a tempting option, but with a sigh, Mira followed the witch.

  "As you know, there will be a gathering at the next full moon," Mr. Singer said. "Until then, if you have any dealings with witches, I'd like today to be a model of what is expected."

  "I haven't done anything," Mira said.

  She hadn't meant to say it—she had meant to agree—but that wasn't what popped out.

  Mr. Singer was bent over his kitchen counter writing something down.

  "I'm afraid that isn't for me or you to decide," he said, scribbling furiously.

  "But you have a say," Mira said. "I haven't done anything to deserve this."

  "What we think we deserve and what we perceive the world is giving us are often different things." He ripped a piece of paper out of his notebook and gave it to her.

  What we perceive the world is giving us? Mira was trying to follow his logic. She knew her karma had been falling, but she didn't think it had fallen far enough for the whole world to turn against her.

  She stared blankly at the address on the paper.

  "There are proceedings and protocols that are important for you to know. Go to that address, let them know you are picking up a package."

  "Why?" Mira asked, dully.

  "Miranda," Mr. Singer said, stressing her name.

  She looked up at him for the first time since she'd been sent to the hall.

  "There are important protocols that you must know in this type of situation. Please go pick up this package before allowing the detectives to start stirring up trouble with the other witches."

  He seemed to be pleading with her without saying it. Was he asking her to help him while they were discussing banishing her?

  "I'm afraid the detectives will do what they feel is necessary," Mira said, a tinge of coolness in her voice.

  "Yes, well, you'll help them better by going to that address first," Mr. Singer said. "Do not let anyone else know we discussed anything beyond protocols for your situation."

  "That's all we did discuss," Mira said.

  "True. Let me see you out."

  Mira stared at the paper wishing he had said something more. He held the door open for her.

  "You understand not to contact the other witches, correct?" Mr. Singer asked.

  Mira glared at him. "I'm going to visit Tyler."

  "I understand. Under the circumstances, that's fine, as long as no other witches are there with you, aside from Tyler."

  "This isn't fair," Mira said, bouncing from angry to bitter and back again.

  She knew it was a stupid thing to say.

  "I'm sure things will turn out best in the end," Mr. Singer said. "Good day, Miss Owens."

  Mira stared at the paper as the door swung shut behind her. She started blindly toward the car.

  "What's going on?" Gabriel asked.

  Mira jumped, becoming unsteady, and a foot slid out from under her. Gabriel steadied her before she even realized she was going to fall. When she was on firmer footing, she shrugged away his arm. She didn't want to, but maybe keeping Gabriel at a distance would be a good idea.

  Maybe it would hurt less.

  "It's witch business," Mira said, not quite striding to the car in case she slid again.

  "Are you in some sort of trouble?" Gabriel asked.

  "Do you care?" Mira clenched her fists, wanting to take back the words.

  "We should talk," Gabriel said, sounding as though he were trying not to get aggravated.

  "I need to go pick something up," Mira said. Once she reached the car, she didn't wait for a response before sliding into the back seat.

  Gabriel took his time getting into the car, but Mira was determined to avoid his gaze.

  "Who's next on the list?" Ian asked.

  "Mr. Singer asked me to pick something up before we go see any of the other witches," Mira said.

  "That's really not his call," Gabriel said, turning the car around.

  "I think I need to get," Mira said. "It's important."

  "Important to the case?" Gabriel asked.

  "Maybe," Mira said. "It's information I need before I go to any other witch’s house."

  "Where do you need to go?" Ian asked, trying to sound upbeat. "I'm sure we can swing by."

  Mira passed him the piece of paper.

  Ian didn't say anything, but looked at the paper for a while before handing it to Gabriel.

  "This could take a while," Gabriel said.

  "If you drop me off back downtown I can get a ride," Mira said.

  "Want me to drop you off first?" Gabriel asked.

  It took Mira a moment to realize he wasn't talking to her.

  "Yeah," Ian said. "I'll grab some lunch and get some other work done."

  Ian and Gabriel started talking about another case they were working on and, although she was vaguely interested at first, Mira tuned them out after a while.

  Mr. Singer's words still ran through her head, along with what it meant to be shunned.

  The note mentioned that others could talk with her if she was there with Gabriel and Ian, but would they? If she stood outside the room like a chastised child, wouldn’t that make her appear guilty of something?

  She hadn’t done anything wrong, she was sure of that. It was possible that karma was playing against her. Ian had fought the spell like hell until Gabriel was brought into the secret. When Gabriel had come back from the Ether unconscious, Mira had been exhausted and apparently losing more blood than she’d realized. Had Ian fought against the spell again?

  After thinking about what she would have done in his place, especially with chaos reigning and no one willing to call an ambulance, she figured it was a certainty.

  The car door opened then shut, and Mira looked around, seeing the darkness of a parking garage.

  "You certainly seem lost in thought," Gabriel said.

  She realized they were alone, Ian was already getting into his car.

  "Yeah, I guess so," Mira said.

  "Jump up front and we can go."

>   When Mira stepped into the cold chill of the garage, she shivered—and not just from the cold. The memories of the last time she had been in the garage, in the Ether, were still with her.

  "How do you park in here every day?" Mira asked.

  "I didn't for a while," Gabriel said. "With all the earthquakes, there were a few people who started parking on the streets. It's hard to grab a spot."

  When the car left the dim space, Mira felt relieved. They had faced their first real fight in the Ether in the reflection of that parking garage.

  "Your first day back to work," Mira mused. "It's good to know that you're feeling better."

  She saw him grip the steering wheel, then relax again.

  "I’m glad to find you okay as well," Gabriel said. "I thought I'd see you sooner."

  "Same here," Mira said. "Especially after a falling beam nearly killed me. I expected to see you then."

  "What happened?" Gabriel asked.

  "Doesn't matter. I appreciate you alerting the guard, though."

  "Was that yesterday?" Gabriel asked.

  "Doesn't matter," Mira said, looking back out the window. "We're both back. Andrea and Kevin are safe. Tyler—well, he will get better."

  "They keep me updated about his condition," Gabriel said. "I wish people would stop asking me questions about the whole thing."

  "What do you tell them?" Mira asked.

  "I tell them I don't remember anything. It seemed the safest way."

  "And Ian, what does he tell people?"

  "Just that he found me unconscious."

  "I'm glad you're okay."

  "And you," Gabriel said. "I was worried when I didn't see you. Ian didn't say much, but he mentioned you hurt your arm."

  Mira wondered how much she should tell him. "The doctor was able to stitch me up."

  "You needed stitches? How many?"

  "I never asked. Quite frankly it freaks me out that I have threads holding my skin together."

  "Ian didn't mention it was that bad," Gabriel said.

  "It's no big deal," Mira said. "Besides, he was busy."

  "With what?"

  Mira grinned weakly, trying to lighten the mood. "The last thing I remember was him yelling at Emmit. That's enough to keep anyone busy."

  "I can't believe you moved in with him," Gabriel said.

  "What?" So much for trying to lighten the mood.

  "I woke up in the hospital to find out that you were already shacked up with him." He sounded more hurt than angry.

  "Shacked up?" Mira heard her voice go shrill, but she couldn’t help it.

  He gripped the steering wheel and relaxed again. "Sorry. It's none of my business."

  Mira didn't know if she was going to cry from frustration, confusion, or dejection. Whatever it was, she didn't want it to happen in front of Gabriel.

  She needed another spell. Fortitude again, maybe? Bliss?

  The thought of Bliss brought the idea to a halt. This was something she needed to work through without spells.

  "Sorry," he said again.

  "Did you try to call either of us?"

  "I called you at home a few times, only to find out you weren't there. Emmit reached me after I got out of the hospital."

  Mira groaned inwardly. "What did he say?"

  "He thanked me for helping you, said there were no hard feelings," the bitterness was thick in his voice, "and told me I could come visit."

  "But you didn't visit," Mira said.

  "I didn't want to be there," Gabriel said.

  "Oh." It was all Mira could think of to say.

  "Not at his place." He sounded like he was struggling not to seem upset. "He made sure I had a number to call in case I realized something might go wrong."

  "I guess that's when he set up the whole bodyguard thing."

  "He said he would, since I wasn't about to come over there."

  Mira was quiet, wondering which direction she wanted things to go. She wanted to yell at both of them.

  Gabriel was silent for a short time. "I wish things were different."

  Frustration rose, and Gabriel’s words had pushed her down a path. "They would have been if you would have come over."

  "He said you were going to be okay," Gabriel said. "That's what I needed to know."

  "Well, at least you got what you wanted."

  Chapter 3

  Mira wasn't sure there was a way to salvage this, and at the moment she was so aggravated that she wasn't sure she wanted to salvage anything.

  "I think what I wanted wasn't there." Gabriel said it so softly that Mira wasn't even sure she’d heard it correctly.

  It was enough to raise Mira's blood pressure. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing, because by the time I woke up, you and Emmit had already arranged things, and I was saddled with a bodyguard."

  "I assumed—"

  "You did the same thing Emmit did," Mira snapped.

  Gabriel slowed and turned into what looked like an art district, although one that had lost the shiny new feel.

  "I didn't intend—"

  "Just forget about it," Mira said, staring out the window.

  "But—"

  "This looks like the place," Mira said. "Stop here and I'll jump out."

  "I don't think that's a good idea," Gabriel said. Despite his words, he was pulling to a stop on the crowded street.

  Mira opened the door as soon as the car stopped and stared at the place Mr. Singer had sent her. She had been expecting a postal place. Instead, he had sent her to a used bookstore. Before going in, Mira double checked the address. She stepped inside looking incredulous. Little bells hooked to the door jingled.

  The shop looked small at first, but as Mira slowly walked between the densely lined shelves she saw gaps in the shelving showing other open doorways.

  "Can I help you?" someone asked.

  After hearing the young, disinterested voice, she was sure she was in the wrong place.

  Mira retraced her steps and found a counter close to the door. It was so covered in books that she hadn't even noticed the register.

  "Um, I was supposed to pick up a package, and I was given this address." Mira has no real hope of finding what she needed here.

  The girl rolled her eyes and pulled open a drawer. "Go back to the next room, make a right, and follow the wall till you reach the door."

  It was a normal key on an old-fashioned, plastic, avocado-green key chain that looked stolen from a hotel back in the seventies.

  As Mira stepped into the next room, the door bells jingled again. The girl up front started chatting away, but Mira ignored it. When Mira was forced to turn a corner, Gabriel caught up with her.

  "What are you picking up here?" Gabriel asked.

  "I have no idea," Mira said, looking at the spines of books, purposefully avoiding eye contact with Gabriel.

  "Can we talk?" Gabriel asked.

  "No," Mira said, still not letting him catch her eye. When she turned another corner she spotted the door, which was a welcome sight. "This is what I'm looking for."

  It was an old door with white peeling back to show other layers of paint.

  The key had to be jiggled in the lock before it caught and turned. The door swung in, and Mira found herself walking into a room filled with the smoke and smell of incense.

  Gauzy, multicolored strips of cloth hid the room’s interior. Mira hesitated before pushing them aside, picturing all sorts of dangers, magical and otherwise, hidden in the room.

  It was when Mira bumped against Gabriel that she realized she had taken a step back.

  "Let me—"

  Mira cut him off. "It's fine." She had to force herself to step forward again. It wasn't fear that made her want to stay where she was. The feeling of Gabriel directly behind her made her warm, and she wanted him to put his arms around her far more than she cared to admit. "I don't think Mr. Singer would send me anywhere dangerous. It would spoil all their fun of putting me on trial."

  "Are you in some sort of
trouble?" Gabriel asked, keeping his voice low.

  "No," Mira said automatically as she pushed the fabric aside to a gloomy room beyond.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gabriel rub his forehead, looking agitated. She ignored it, instead paying closer attention to the books in the room.

  "So you are in trouble," Gabriel said. "What for?"

  "Do you really need to call me out every time I say something that's not true?"

  "I told you, it's like fingernails running down a chalkboard when you lie."

  There were fewer books in this room, and all of them that she saw looked ancient. Some sat alone, on a shelf or little pedestal, while others shared a shelf with a few others, each spaced out so that they never touched. Mira took a closer look at one of the books. The title across the spine was in a runic language that looked familiar.

  "So," Gabriel said quietly.

  "So, what?" Mira asked, reaching out to stroke the spine of the aged book.

  "What kind of trouble are you in?"

  "Oh, he is a pretty one," came the deep voice of a man, hidden in the shadows. "Shut the door behind you. The last time a human wandered in here, they made such a mess of things."

  "I was, uh, sent here to pick up a package?" Mira hadn't intended for it to come out as a question, but it did.

  "So you're the one they've been talking about," the man said.

  "Probably," she said in defeat.

  The haze in the room was thickening as she approached the voice. She found herself in front of a large man, both in height and in width, with skin that appeared as dark as pitch in the dim light.

  There was a book perched on a stand that caught her eye as she approached. Since he obviously knew who she was, she wasn't in a hurry to listen to what others may have been saying about her. The script across the cover was so worn that it was illegible, but something to it called to her. She reached out, but the sensation of pins and needles broke across her hand, forcing her to stop before touching it. Gabriel was a second behind, yanking her arm away.

  Mira felt her heart beat faster at his touch and didn't rush to pull away.

  "Oh, he's good," the man said, eying Gabriel. "Usually I stick to humans, but I think I'd stray back to supernaturals for a chance at you."

  "You know I'm not human?" Gabriel asked, not responding to the rest.