“Maybe it’s a knockoff?” I asked weakly, but considering the magic contained, did it really matter? Something special was inside that bottle. It was calling to me, and already my resolve was weakening. I mean, it was only six thousand dollars.
A door slammed, and I shook my head to clear it. The magic inside was obviously even stronger than I had guessed to affect me while still inert.
No wonder Vanessa was willing to spend so much on the bottles. The price still made me gasp, but Vanessa never seemed to be bothered by price. Mages in general were rich, a benefit of being able to use magic to manipulate the world and humans. I had inherited quite a bit from my dad, and I received a nice stipend from the Golden Pyramid Casino or Bear when I worked from them. A fact that buoyed my steps as I thought of the check Bear would have for me after working this case.
The man unlocked the cabinet and gingerly handed the bottle to Vanessa. She flipped it over, and on the underside was a wave stamp pressed deeply with an ornate design. She ran a finger over it, and I sensed a quick flash of magic, a match to what I had sensed inside.
She gave me an affirmative nod. This was dragon-heart wine. “I’ve not seen this before.”
“I’m the only importer in America, actually North and South America. The previous store owner had it set up, and when I opened, a guy showed up and insisted that I take over the contract. I think he might have been a Russian mobster, very scary. I wasn’t too sure about it, but they always sold. At least until these three.” He grabbed the two bottles still in the case and hauled them out then shuffled behind the counter.
“When the first two didn’t sell, I tried to refuse the third. I told him that I couldn’t afford more. That night my truck got four flat tires on the drive home. Not all at once but first the front left, which I put the spare on. Then a mile later the front right. I have a buddy with a tire store, and he brought me a whole new set. Then a few miles down the way, the brand-new rear left tire blew. I decided just to have my wife pick me up and get the truck towed in. When they arrived, the back right tire had gone. At first, I figured the guy had messed with my tires, but how could he have done that to the new tires?”
He put down the two bottles and reached under the counter to take a swig from a flask. Sweat bloomed on his forehead, and he wiped it away with his sleeves. Whether he was always a talkative guy or whether the liquid was causing him to ramble was anyone’s guess. My opinion was that it was a bit of column A and a lot of column B.
“I’m getting a bit nervous at this point. That night, our fire alarm went off a few minutes after I fell asleep. I got up and reset it. About half an hour later, it happened again. I took it down and stuck it in the car in the garage. Then thirty minutes later, another one went off. That kept up all night. Around four, I got up and unplugged every single one. You know what happened next?”
Without waiting for an answer, he plunged on, gesturing wildly and sloshing some of the tequila on his arm. “The garbage disposal started up. My wife about hit the roof. She was screaming that we were haunted and needed a priest. We got up right away and packed up the car along with her little dog and went to a hotel. I got to this here shop in the morning, and that creepy Russian mobster was waiting for me. He mentioned that I didn’t look like I slept too well and suggested that perhaps going back on our deal was bothering me and I should reconsider turning down the wine.”
The effort of telling the story seemed to wear him out. His hand shook as he took a long drag off the flask, and his face was now a waxy yellow color. The sweat that had been a slight sheen on his skin was now running down his face and turning the collar on his shirt dark.
A chill went down my spine though I wasn’t sure what it all meant.
The man’s eyes were turning red, like he had been swimming in a pool for too long, and he mopped at his forehead again. He still attempted to muster up a smile for Vanessa. “I’m not feeling so great. I might need to head home. But how about this, sweetheart? You give me a kiss right here, and I’ll give you all three bottles for four thousand flat.” He turned his head and tapped at his cheek.
“Uh…” Vanessa hesitated. “Okay, but you have to close your eyes. I’m very shy.”
He complied, leaning heavily on the counter and closing his eyes.
Vanessa bent over and grabbed Patagonia off the ground and lifted her up to his cheek, where Patagonia stuck out her tongue and licked up the side of his face.
She dropped Patagonia down onto the ground as the man opened his eyes. His color had improved, and his eyes practically glowed as he turned a love-stricken smile on her. “I think I’m in love.”
She pulled out a wad of cash and started counting it out. “Oh, I’m not sure your wife will be so thrilled.”
He stood up straighter. “That’s right. I forgot about her for a second. Your kiss is just so magical. I mean, it was a bit unusual, and your breath smells a lot like tuna, but… I really think we could have something special.”
Patagonia meowed loudly and sashayed toward the door. She gave a little wiggle with her butt, and I wondered what she had done to bewitch the poor man.
Vanessa handed over the cash and wrapped each arm around a bottle. “I think you’re delusional. Probably have a fever. Why don’t you close up and have your wife come pick you up?”
He nodded. “Sure. Right. Whatever you say.”
I grabbed the third bottle and followed Vanessa to the door. “And if you have any information for us about the property or Ned or any concerns, please call.”
He trailed behind us, a bit like a lost puppy. “Please hurry back.”
We barely made it outside before the door locked behind us and the open sign flipped to closed.
Vanessa chuckled. “I need to have Patagonia kiss more men. He was willing to run off with me.”
“How in the world could he have confused that with a kiss?”
Patagonia meowed and gave out a hissing chuckle.
We would need to drop off the wine before continuing, so I started toward the car. That’s when I noticed something odd.
The interior of my car was black. No, something black was in my car. I let out a primal screech when I realized that my car was full of flapping and fighting crows.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The birds inside the car were flapping around and jockeying for position. Patagonia raced across the parking lot, her single-minded hatred of all feathered creatures spurring her on to speeds I previously hadn’t ever witnessed.
I followed as fast as I could.
“Don’t drop the wine!” Vanessa screamed behind me.
Patagonia reached the car first by a large margin and smoothly sailed through the open window into the interior of the car. I had thought the birds were acting wild already, but after Patagonia flew into the car, claws and fangs extended and howling a war cry, there was feathered pandemonium.
Squawks and tiny explosions of feathers flew out of the open windows. As much as I didn’t want crows in my car, I really didn’t want dead crows either. I threw open the door and was smacked in the face by an angry crow.
I screamed as one of the birds pecked at my face while beating me with its wings. I fell backward, landing hard. I cried out in pain as a flash shot through my body. A second hard fall in twenty-four hours was more than I could bear. I lay there on the asphalt as tears streamed down my face. Finally, everything was quiet.
Vanessa leaned over me. “Is the wine okay?”
I chuckled then groaned as another round of shooting pain bounced from one injury to another. After I caught my breath, I said, “Don’t worry. The wine is fine.”
She crouched down next to me, her eyebrows knit together. “God! I mean—wait! Are you okay?”
I lifted the wine a little, and she took it from my hands to place it on the asphalt next to her two bottles. Then I flopped back down. “Did you forget about last night?”
She winced. “I did. No wonder you’re making those pathetic noises. Lay there for a bi
t ’cause I have some good news and some bad news.”
I grunted.
“The good news is that you don’t have to worry about the breakfast burrito in your car anymore. The birds took care of that.”
“How bad is the bad news?”
“Pretty bad. Crows sure know how to poop. It’s everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. You’re going to need windshield wipers on the inside in order to see.”
Patagonia crawled onto my chest with a satisfied grin. She gave a hacking cough, and a feather flew out of her mouth and danced down onto my face.
“Is it just the poop, or did Patagonia…? Is there a murder of murdered crows in my car?” I braced myself for the worst.
“Just poop and feathers. Good for you, finding the bright side. I’ll put these in the trunk.” She dug into my purse and spent some time placing the bottles in the trunk and wrapping them in a spare blanket I kept back there. I would have offered to help her, but I thought that lying flat on my back and not moving was a better use of my energy.
“Are you going to be okay, or are you just going to do a slug impression for the rest of the day?” Vanessa poked my calf with the toe of her shoe.
That didn’t sound like a half-bad idea. She could bring out the tenants, and I could interview them from the ground. With a groan, I pushed Patagonia off my chest and sat up. The world spun a little, and I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes until it stopped. I must have hit my head. “Just give me a second. I think I’m feeling better.”
“I didn’t want to do this until we had a chance to talk, but I guess I have no choice. Don’t move.”
“Don’t worry.” I could hear her rustling around in her purse, then she flopped down on the ground next to me.
“After your dramatic exit from the party last night, Granner talked to me. She’s been thinking about all our adventures and how accident prone you are.”
“You make it sound like I trip over my own feet. I usually get hurt fighting murderers.”
“Or getting attacked by a crow or having an ice sculpture fall on you randomly. Admit it, you have bad luck. That is why I was so tired this morning. We were up really late talking about it, and Granner taught me how to use it.”
Granner was Vanessa and Vin’s great-great-grandmother, who was somewhere in her hundred and eighties and looked every single day of it.
“Talking about and using what?” She wasn’t making a lot of sense, and I wondered if maybe I hit my head harder than I thought.
She showed me a flat stone with a silver shape carved into the surface. It was about palm sized and smooth like a river rock. It had the hum of magic around it. It reminded me of the moonstone egg I had wedged in my cleavage that I carried with me all the time.
“Is it a channeling stone?” I reached out to touch it but drew back before making contact. It was unwise to touch it until I knew more.
“Close. It’s a rune. Channeling stones are runes, but they serve different purposes. Have you read up on runes yet?” She handed me the stone.
“Not really. I know that it’s another way to store a spell. You said they are old fashioned. That’s about all I know.” It was smooth, and the silver design was perfectly incorporated, probably sterling silver poured into a groove in the stone then buffed flat. I delicately felt for the magic that was humming and dropped the stone in surprise. I recognized the cucumber and melon aura of my own magic set into the stone.
“Hey!” She picked it up and used the corner of her shirt to wipe it. “I don’t have time for a whole lesson, but they are a bit old fashioned but still really useful. They aren’t very flexible. They do one thing, often for one person. Like the necklace your dad gave you or your channeling stone. This has only one purpose and will only work between you and me.”
I figured the necklace I had received from my dad was magic. It had once saved my life in addition to being a wonderful memory of the time before he died. “And what does it do?”
“Heals. I’ve never wanted to be a doctor, but I do have a reasonably good knack for it. Granner knows that and made this rune specifically so healing spells between us would work better. Runes like this do best between people with a tight bond—like spouses, family, or best friends. The same bond that makes some spells not work as well will make this rune work even better.”
I smiled at her. We had our ups and downs but were definitely close friends. I knew I couldn’t read her emotions like I could a stranger’s because of that bond, but I’d never known that it could make some spells stronger. “That’s great. Why don’t we make more runes, then?”
She shook the stone at me for emphasis. “Granner has been working on this for a year, and it only does one thing: healing spells between you and me. She finally finished it this week. She was going to give it to us for Christmas but figured after the ice sculpture collapse last night that if she waited much longer, you might die on us.”
I rubbed my temple again. A killer headache was building. “If it’s for healing, why not give it a test drive?”
“If you insist. Close your eyes, and shut up. I need to concentrate.”
I did as I was told. Patagonia crawled into my lap and gently licked my neck once before settling in. She always knew when it was time to work.
I jumped a little when Vanessa grabbed my hands, and I could sense her magic working. Her aura was all cotton candy and sugary sweet. Maybe that was why she had such a sweet tooth. Then a warmth crept up my arms and spread across my body. It wasn’t just a feeling of high heat, but also the emotions around me were warm and cozy. Like a relaxing bath at the end of a long day or snuggling up in a fuzzy blanket and watching the rain through a window or maybe curling up in front of a fire after a day of playing in the snow. I was warm, but it was so much more as well.
My magic wrapped around me even though I wasn’t actively working magic. It wasn’t being stripped from me but felt like my own body recognized Vanessa’s magic and came out to say hi. It sent a little shiver down my spine, reminding me of the sensation I got when the hairdresser played with my hair.
Patagonia’s purring vibrated in my lap, and I let out a happy little noise as Vanessa released my hands. I opened my eyes and rolled my head on my neck one way then the other then lifted and lowered my shoulders. I felt great. Nothing hurt as I stretched and twisted and bent.
“That was awesome. Are you totally wiped out?” A spell of that difficulty should have put her flat on her back exhausted.
She wiped her sleeve across her forehead, where a little bit of sweat had accumulated. “Not too bad. Granner wasn’t sure how effective it would be until I tried it. It depends on the strength of our bond, and there is really no way to measure that.”
“Why don’t we make a ton of these? Magic would be much easier.” I crawled to my feet and bounced on my toes. I hadn’t noticed how great it felt to be healthy, but the sudden removal of all my sore spots and achy muscles really made me notice the difference.
She slid the rock back into her purse. “Oh sure, a year per spell and it only works between the two people it’s made for and only helps with one type of spell. What a time-saver! And I’m still a bit weak. I think you need to buy me whatever I want from the bakery.”
The lights in the store were on and the sign was flipped to indicate it was open.
I looked at the interior of my car and gasped. There was no way I could drive it without ruining my clothing and appetite. I didn’t have any spell that I knew offhand that would clean the entire car to the level it needed. I bit back a little sob.
“Why don’t you call Badger? I bet he knows someone that can fix… that.” Vanessa scrunched up her nose.
I pulled out my phone. “If not, then maybe he can sell it for parts.”
CHAPTER NINE
We walked into the bakery, and the little ding of the bell announced our entrance.
A woman bustled out of the back and gasped when she caught sight of us. “Ella? Vanessa?” Ellen lifted the counter near
the cash register and wrapped us both up in a huge hug. “What in the world are you doing here?”
She smelled of raspberries and lemon curd, and I was tempted to bury my nose in her neck, but that would have been rude. “Us? Why are you here? Your store on the Avenue didn’t close, did it? I was just there last week.”
Ellen and her cousin, Keri, had a bakery business. I had gotten to know them at the cheese festival last year. Keri and Vanessa didn’t get along—some combination of Keri’s abrasive personality and the fact that both of them had the hots for Raymond, one of Vin’s friends. Despite that, we still stopped by their place to pick up sweets every few weeks.
“Keri’s at the other store. This is our second location. We’re still working out the kinks in the system, but we’re going to have a huge official opening in a few weeks. Please say you will come.”
We agreed, but already we were drifting from the conversation toward the glass display cases filled with every kind of sugary confection that could be imagined and one I never could have dreamed up in a thousand years. It looked like a bird’s nest of amber strands, and inside were blue eggs. It looked so real that I expected a robin to swoop back into the nest.
“Is that edible?” I tapped the case.
Ellen hustled back behind the counter. “Of course. Do you want to try it? The nest is spun sugar, and the eggs are a molten chocolate center with a jelly burst and a thin candy shell. It’s a new design.”
Vanessa pulled out a chair at one of the small tables in the store. “Start a tab. We are going to get some stuff to go.”
Ellen carefully transferred it to a plate and grabbed some utensils then brought it to our table and joined us. “Make sure to get a bit of the nest. You are meant to have all the flavors at once.”
I pressed my fork into one of the eggs, which cracked open, the chocolate flowing out around the red jelly center. I scooped and poked until I managed to get each component onto my fork and put it in my mouth.
Nice Day for a Mage Wedding: Casino Witch Mysteries 4 Page 7
