A Mackenzie Witch Collection 2: Jingle Purrs, Potion Heist and The Power of Two and a Half (A Mackenzie Coven Mystery Book Book 8)

by Sonia Parin

  They all held their breaths and waited for calamity to fall on them. Luckily, the wards held and whatever had wanted to snatch them had stayed on the other side.

  “I guess that went well for you,” Jonathan said and pulled Lexie to her feet.

  “Are we all here?” Lexie asked.

  Rebel emerged and, hovering in front of them, she shook off the last of the water from the Well.

  Lexie held up the flask. “Come on. There’s no time to waste.” She turned and ran straight into Random O’Rourke. “What are you doing here?”

  “I called him,” Jonathan shrugged. “Just in case. As the keeper of the ward, I can’t go through the door, but he can.”

  Lexie’s eyebrows curved up in disbelief. “What? You didn’t believe I’d be able to procure a simple little spell all on my own?”

  Luna cleared her throat.

  Before she grumbled about being left out of the equation, Lexie said, “We… Luna, Rebel and myself managed just fine.”

  “Did you know what you’d find on the other side?” Jonathan asked.

  Did she ever know? “Not really.”

  “So, you had no idea what you’d be up against.”

  “Do I ever?” She dangled the flask. “We’re wasting daylight… If there’s someone being held captive, this will lead us to them.”

  As they strode out of the cellar, Random asked, “Did you run into any trouble?”

  “No. It was nothing but a stroll in the park.” There was simply no point in complaining about never having clear direction and always having to grapple with the unknown. The sooner she learned to accept her new reality, the better.

  Random frowned at Luna. “Why is your cat limping?”

  Lexie glanced down. “Luna? Are you all right?”

  “You nearly dislocated my leg. I spent all that time dangling, I might have torn something. I wouldn’t be surprised if one leg is now longer than the other. I’ll be lopsided and become a target for pitying looks from everyone but my sisters who will no doubt accuse me of bringing shame upon the family. I’m not one to complain, but a little coddling would go a long way. Not right now, of course. But perhaps when you have a spare moment…”

  “Okay. We’ll have to swing by a vet’s.”

  “Oh… It’s a miracle. I’m all better.” Luna sprinted off.

  “What was that all about?” Random asked.

  “I guess that means you can’t hear Luna.”

  “Actually, I can.”

  “But you choose not to?”

  He held the pub door open for her. “I have a hundred voices in my head. One more might just send me over the edge.”

  ***

  “Are we there yet? I’m itching to cue the riding off into the sunset music,” Luna muttered. “We’ve been trudging through every vacant building in the city for hours now.”

  Lexie turned to Random. “Have the other detectives had any luck?”

  “None.”

  “Are we assuming the warehouse we went into today is the killer’s next lair?” Lexie asked.

  “Considering it’s the only lead we have, it is a safe assumption.”

  “What about the shoe tread?”

  The edge of his lip kicked up. “The regular detectives have been chasing that up. It’s a handmade shoe stocked in only a couple of stores.”

  Lexie knew if Octavia got hold of that information, she would have connected the shoe to the killer in no time.

  Random curved an eyebrow up suggesting he’d actually heard Lexie’s thought.

  “Mock all you like,” she said. “My personal assistant has an impeccable reputation.”

  “As well as taste. I hear she’s dating an O’Rourke detective.” He fell silent for a moment.

  When he cleared his throat, she asked, “What was that about?”

  “I might have had a brief chat with Dodge O’Rourke.”

  Octavia’s boyfriend. “Why?”

  “Maybe I suggested he pass on the information to Octavia.” He strode off down an alleyway. When he reached a door, he turned to her, “Are you coming in?”

  Lexie shook her head. “I think I’ll wait out here.” She stood with her back to the wall and closed her eyes. Since diving back inside her mop of hair, Rebel hadn’t stirred. So, Lexie left her alone.

  Somewhere in this city, Lexie thought, there might be a young woman fearing for her life.

  Frightened. Alone. Probably tied up, gagged and blindfolded.

  Lexie drew in a sharp breath.

  “Your pocket is glowing,” Luna said.

  The flask!

  Lexie drew it out of her pocket. “Okay. This has to mean we’re close.” Or maybe she’d locked into something when she’d held those thoughts about the victim.

  Random emerged from the building. “Nothing. The building is actually being set up for renovations.”

  They spent another hour inspecting nearby buildings. The flask continued to glow but without any significant changes.

  “Not even my keen sense of smell is helping,” Luna complained. “After being drenched in the Well, you’d think the essence of the tortured souls would have latched onto me.”

  Random went into another building while Lexie remained outside, spending the time focusing.

  At the sound of footsteps approaching, she opened her eyes. “Octavia. How did you find us?”

  “Dodge told me where to look.” She strode up the cobblestoned alley carrying a couple of large shopping bags.

  “You’ve been busy.” Clearly, she’d been visiting Mirabelle in England. Even Lexie, who didn’t care for shopping, recognized the exclusive shopping bags.

  “I whisked myself here as soon as I heard.”

  “Is that what we’re calling it these days?”

  Octavia shrugged. “I never give it much thought. Like breathing. It just happens.” She held her bags up. “I… picked up a few things in my travels.”

  “Socks?” Luna said as she peered inside.

  “Not just any socks. Cashmere socks. Here, feel how soft they are.”

  Lexie ran the tip of her finger across it. “I don’t suppose you have a spare pair.”

  “Keep it. Although… You don’t strike as they type to care if your socks are cashmere or nylon.”

  “They’re not for me.” Lexie lowered her voice. “Rebel needs a little blanket but I haven’t found anything suitable. This would be ideal. Like a sleeping bag.”

  Random burst out of the building.

  “What?” Lexie asked, expecting him to say he’d found something.

  “I just heard from the others. Oh, hello Octavia.” He gave her a nod. “And well done.”

  “What did she do?” Lexie asked.

  “I was just about to tell you,” Octavia said. “Dodge told me about the shoe tread. The regular detectives were checking out a couple of stores in the city. However, those treads belong to bespoke shoes made in an exclusive store in London. They supply a couple of stores right here. Best of all, they are so exclusive, the store not only takes measurements, they also make an individual last, as in, a wooden mold for the shoes.”

  “Are you about to say the killer is wealthy enough to have his shoes handmade?”

  Octavia smiled and rocked back on her heels. “Even if he purchased them here, the store would have taken the measurements and sent the information to London. No two shoes are alike. They should have a name soon.”

  “The flask is glowing brighter,” Luna said.

  Lexie held it up. Turning, she pointed it in another direction. When she turned south, the glow almost burst out of the flask. “Looks like we need to head that way.”

  “How exactly does that work?” Octavia asked. “This is a large city and I’m sure there are thousands of people experiencing anguish.”

  “The Well of Tortured Souls only absorbs a particular type of anguish. The Crone said victims’ fears ooze out into the ether and the Well sucks it all in.”

  The streets had filled up with
commuters heading home, slowing down their progress.

  “You could give us all the power of flight,” Luna suggested.

  “I’m all out of fairy dust and I don’t think Rebel is up to anything just yet.” Lexie made a mental note to schedule an appointment with the shrink so they could discuss Rebel’s changed circumstances. Clearly, she hadn’t dealt with the separation from her own kind or the fact they had given her away.

  They turned a corner and faced a tsunami of office workers headed for the subway. Random grabbed her arm and pulled her in another direction. To Lexie’s surprise, Octavia stuck with them.

  “You should go home,” Lexie suggested. “We’ll be fine.”

  Octavia gave a determined shake of her head. “I can’t. I’m already emotionally invested. If I go home now, I’ll only make myself sick with worry. Besides, I’m always left behind. It’s about time I see some action.”

  Lexie checked the flask. “It’s still glowing brightly.” And it continued to do so, even as Random led them through a labyrinth of back alleys and narrow streets.

  Finally, the flask glowed bright red.

  Lexie stopped and looked around. There were several warehouses. Some appeared to have undergone makeovers. One looked derelict and a fence had been erected around it.

  Random walked the length until he found a break in the fence. “Someone’s cut this.”

  Probably someone looking for a place to spend the night in.

  With daylight fading fast, they went through the opening and worked their way through to the side of the building where they found a set of steps leading up to a door. Random did his neat trick of pressing his hand against it and opening it.

  They filed in, their steps cautious as the flask glowed even brighter.

  “There’s definitely someone in here,” Luna murmured.

  “Can you hear anything?” Lexie asked.

  Luna nodded. “I can sense her presence. It’s like a humming sound.”

  “That has to be a good sign.” She only hoped they weren’t too late.

  ***

  The young woman they found sat bound and gagged in a corner, her eyes haunted and unblinking.

  Lexie guessed she had gone through several stages, crossing over a threshold, moving from hope someone would find her to despair and, finally, to being resigned to her fate.

  Random spoke words of assurance as he removed her mouth gag and bindings. Once her hands were free, she sat there staring at them, her eyes welling with a flood of tears.

  Lexie couldn’t bear to watch as she opened her mouth and released a mournful wail.

  “This might be outside of my jurisdiction and the Coven Disciplinary Board will surely come down on me like a ton of bricks, but…” Lexie clammed up and withdrew from the small room where they’d found her, moving with purpose and somehow… somehow knowing what she had to do.

  Reaching an open space, she stretched her arms out and kept her eyes open and unblinking.

  The elements yielded effortlessly.

  Air stirred around her.

  Lexie filled her mind with the image of the young girl. Focusing on nothing but her image, her entire being shifted. She felt detached from everything around her and yet aware of everything.

  She remained standing on the spot where she had come to, but her inner being had dislodged itself. Her focus intensified until she could feel her essence, the pure energy dwelling within her, swirling around the image of the young girl.

  As light as air, she thought, and felt herself immersing within the young girl until she could see everything… and everyone.

  With a jolt, she pulled her essence away from the young girl and, holding onto the image of the man she’d seen, she called on the elements to carry it forth.

  “Bring him to me.”

  The warehouse door slammed open and a gust of wind swept out.

  Lexie remained standing. Her eyes unblinking. Her breath coming hard and fast.

  She heard Octavia whisper, “What is she doing?”

  “Well,” Luna purred, “She’s making things right and dishing out some just desserts. She’s also getting us into a whole heap of trouble. We might have to go into exile again.”

  “Can she… I mean… I had no idea she could do that.”

  “And yet, she did. I doubt she’ll want to talk about it,” Luna purred. “She’ll probably withdraw into herself and mull it over for days and then she’ll snap out of it and pretend everything is hunky-dory. That’s what she did after her confrontation with she-whose-name-we-don’t-dare-utter-but-who-is-now-also-Lexie’s-dad… Come to think of it, she hasn’t said much about him either. Perhaps I should bring this up at our next session with the shrink and get her to admit to internalizing her problems.”

  Random emerged from the small room carrying the young girl. “The paramedics are on their way.” He stopped and stared at Lexie. “What is she doing?”

  Octavia grabbed his arm and led him toward the door. “You need to get going. I get the feeling the less you know, the better…”

  As Random strode down the steps, they saw the flashing lights of the ambulance. Moments later, Random strode back in.

  “You know I can’t allow you to do… whatever you’re going to do.”

  Lexie didn’t blink. She heard Random but she had removed herself from everything around her. So much so, she barely recognized herself.

  As he took a step closer to her, the door slammed open and closed several times and then, as if relinquishing to the force of a tornado, it slammed open and stayed open.

  They heard footsteps scrambling up the steps, almost as if forced to move. Then the sound of a man squealing and blabbering.

  Random took a determined step toward Lexie only to stop at her command.

  “You know the consequences,” he warned.

  “I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it all.” Lexie spoke in a strong, calm voice. “He will get off on a technicality. He’ll be free to kill again. And again.” Her voice sounded so distant and emotionless, Lexie wondered if she’d been possessed.

  “You’re not judge and jury.” Random shook his head. “That’s not how it works.” He tried to move again but gave up.

  “There might still be some hope for us,” Luna said. “She could plead insanity. My fur doesn’t react well to dampness. I’d hate to end up in an O’Rourke dungeon.”

  The wind fell silent but everyone could see it still drawing the killer inside the building, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets as he saw Lexie.

  Stretching her hand out, she unfurled her fingers. The rage she had kept at bay surged through right to palm of her hand and emerged as a fireball.

  Seeing it, the killer flailed his arms in a desperate attempt to free himself and escape his fate.

  Lexie didn’t bother with words. She swung her arm back, her focus on the man.

  Random tried to stop her but it was already too late.

  “Is that Rebel?” Luna asked.

  Octavia’s mouth gaped open. “What is she doing?”

  Rebel stood erect on top of Lexie’s head. Reaching behind her, she drew out her bow and arrow and as Lexie swung her arm to throw the fireball, Rebel released her arrow.

  It pierced the fireball and thrust it forward and straight into the killer’s chest.

  ***

  “So, technically… Lexie didn’t kill him,” Luna reasoned. She stood between Lexie and the one hundred O’Rourke detectives who’d descended upon them, presumably there to carry Lexie to their dank dungeons as punishment for breaching one of the many strictures imposed on by the Coven Disciplinary Board.

  They took a step forward. Luna cleared her throat. “One more step and… and, at the risk of getting into trouble with my therapist, I will bite you all.” As if to show she meant business, her back arched and, to everyone’s utter astonishment, Luna grew to a massive, threatening height.

  “Um…” Octavia shifted. “I had no idea Luna could do that.”

  Lexie t
ilted her head. “No… Neither did I.” Then she caught sight of Rebel hovering high up above Luna, her little pouch of fairy dust in her hand.

  They all heard the distant sound of sirens. Someone had to make a move or there would be a lot of difficult questions none of them would be able to answer.

  Random turned to Lexie, his lips parted but no words came out. Instead, he shook his head and with a sweep of his hand prompted the one hundred O’Rourke detectives to disperse.

  “I get the feeling you’ll be hearing from them soon,” Octavia murmured.

  “And that’s a cut,” Luna declared. “Cue riding off into the sunset music.”

  Out of the corner of her mouth, Octavia asked, “What on earth is that about?”

  Lexie sighed. “Swing by the apartment tomorrow. I’ll tell you all about it.”

  Epilogue

  “It’s a blanket,” Lexie said as she arranged the cashmere sock on Rebel’s bed…

  “So, the soap dish is my bed and the sock is my blanket.”

  Lexie grinned. “Try it out. It’s super soft.”

  Rebel wafted down and snuggled into the sock.

  When she didn’t look convinced, Lexie said, “Let me get the other sock and roll it up into a pillow.”

  Luna leaped up onto Lexie’s bed and curled up into a tight ball. “I don’t remember you making so much effort for me when I first arrived.”

  “I didn’t have to. You staked your claim on my bed and then you demanded a kitty sized fainting couch.” Turning to Rebel, she asked, “Would you like a warm bath? I could… draw one up in the sink.”

  Rebel gave a small nod. “That would be lovely.”

  Lexie went into the bathroom and hunted around for one of the gift baskets Octavia had given her. Filling the sink with lukewarm water, she selected a little bottle of essential oils. “Forest fresh.” She poured in a few drops. Inhaling, she smiled. She lit a couple of candles and set a small hand towel on the side. “Your bath is ready.” She turned and found Rebel hovering by the door.

  “You made it look nice.”

  Lexie tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I should get a plant or something… Maybe a fern.” Nodding, she went back into the bedroom and collapsed onto her bed. She heard a splash and sigh of relief or maybe appreciation.