A Handful of Skulls (Here Witchy Witchy Book 9)

by A. L. Kessler

  “Alibis?” Liz suggested. “Maybe he needed to be seen in one place or another?”

  “Yeah, but this one was poorly timed. He walked in on a dead body.”

  “Assuming that he didn’t actually commit the murder.” Liz sighed. “Looking at these articles, he has nothing suspicious to hide. They’re all about charity events.”

  I looked over her shoulder at them. “Cross-reference the times. Let’s see if we can catch him in a web.”

  “Good plan.” Her fingers moved over the keyboard as she copied and pasted the dates.

  Nothing came back. At all.

  Sighing, I tried to think of a reason that he would need to be seen when he was obviously skilled in hiding.

  Nick’s words came back to me. ‘If the right people are looking for him, he’ll find them.’

  “Vlemeinheil is looking for us. This was his way of letting us know that he’s around.”

  Liz glanced at me. “You think so?”

  I nodded. “I’m pretty damn sure.”

  “Well, now what?”

  “We wait?”

  “I guess so. Go enjoy your dinner with your uncle. I’ll let you know if anything new comes through.”

  I stood and grabbed my bag. “Thanks. I’ll keep you updated if anything crosses my line too.”

  She packed her laptop up. “I guess I can work in my own office.” She gave me a smile. “Your doll creeps me out.”

  I shrugged. “I’m getting used to her. Now…the flamingo.”

  She shook her head. “Goodnight Abby.”

  “Night.”

  The Hummer wasn’t hard to spot. It was a bright yellow vehicle in the middle of a sea of black PIB issued SUVs. It made me smile. To be honest, I loved it, but it really wasn’t a practical city car. As I got closer, I saw Oliver leaning against the back of it.

  “Couldn’t just leave me here?”

  He snorted. “I’m on Abby duty until after dinner. I promised Levi I wouldn’t leave the grounds. Besides, I thought we could talk on our way.” He motioned to the car, and I unlocked it with two clicks of the button.

  “Get in.” I shook my head and climbed into the driver’s seat. I started the car as Oliver got in and buckled up.

  “Vlemeinheil was caught on camera on purpose.” Oliver reached to turn the radio down. “But you know that.”

  I nodded. “I had figured as much, but don’t worry, Liz and I are handling it.”

  “Liz is a very smart witch. It’s comforting to have her at your side.” Oliver chuckled. “A bit on the malicious side.”

  That caught me off guard. “How so?”

  “She didn’t tell you that she caught me in my lies?”

  “She did, but she didn’t explain how.”

  He settled back in the seat and crossed his arms. “She trapped me in a truth spell at a gathering.”

  Well shit. “How many people heard your confession?”

  “Not many. Seth, Merrick. But they both already knew.” Oliver shrugged. “Liz wasn’t thrilled with your report because she knew it left a lot out. She was sharp enough to find some of the other clues when she went through the crime scene.”

  I hadn’t been there. I was in shock and in need of some serious rest after I fought Ira. I could imagine what was found though.

  Blood everywhere. One really dead vampire. The body of a young case victim. Who knows what else was in that mansion. I’d only seen parts of it.

  I tightened my hands around the steering wheel, thinking about it.

  “Abigail?”

  I stopped at a stoplight. “I’m fine. I was just thinking back to Ira is all.”

  “I’m starting to think he’s done more damage to your mind than we thought.”

  “No, I’m fine. I promise.” I sighed. “A vampire holding you captive and threatening to change you isn’t something you get over right away.”

  Oliver was silent for a moment. “I worry about you, niece.”

  “I have plenty of people to worry about me. So don’t. I’m fine.”

  “Fine,” he repeated. “I noticed the bandages on your arm and your shoulder.”

  I looked down, trying to see where it was peeking through. “I got in a fight with a wolf. Nothing big.”

  “A fight with a wolf?”

  “Or two,” I offered with an innocent voice. “You know, you used to not really care what happened to me.”

  He snorted. “No, I just think that you should be able to make your own choices in life. But you’re starting to get hurt more often than you used to.”

  “Maybe my life has just become more dangerous.” I shrugged.

  He let out a small laugh and then was quiet for the rest of the drive. At one point, he reached forward and turned the music back up. Soft classical music filled the silence as we made our way to the restaurant.

  This had been a work in progress, sitting in silence with him. The first time I did, it was an awkward ride home when he had kidnapped me. Now it just seemed to be normal.

  I pulled up to the Cafe de Soeur and parked. “Let’s go have a nice dinner.”

  Oliver nodded. “It’s long overdue, and then after this, I have been informed that you’ll be heading to the mansion?”

  I nodded. “To talk to Levi and Mario about Hannah.” I got out of the Hummer and shut the door.

  Oliver followed me into the building. The matre’de stood there and smiled at him. “Oliver, I’ve readied yours and Abigail’s table.”

  It was the first time I’d heard someone speak English and not French in the place, so I tried to keep my shock to myself.

  Oliver chuckled, which told me I didn’t keep the surprise off my face well enough. “The owner decided to have the employees speak both English and French to draw in some of the younger crowd who might be a bit too intimidated.”

  “Ah, got it.”

  She led us back to the corner, where we typically had our dinner. I sat down and opened the menu to find it still in French. I’d gotten better with the pronunciations over the last year or so, but I still felt a bit insecure when ordering. Unlike Latin, French hadn’t been drilled into my head from my childhood.

  Oliver ordered us wine, and I added a glass of water. The waitress walked off, and Oliver looked at me.

  “So, you know about Hannah then?”

  “Levi said she had a hit on me.”

  Oliver nodded. “The phone calls, the dolls, Mario confirmed that it’s Hannah messing with you. I was able to trace the phone back to a pay-as-you-go phone, and it’s still active. I’m going to check out the location while you, Levi, and Mario discuss whatever safety arrangements are needed.”

  I nodded. “This isn’t the first time that I’ve had a price on my head.”

  “Last time Samuel was just playing with you. If Hannah wants you, she’ll get you.” Oliver shook his head. “This isn’t the other situations, Abigail, and you know I don’t say that lightly. You need more protection than your current crew can provide.”

  I thanked the waitress when she brought back my water. I ordered a salad and a chicken dish that I butchered the name on. Oliver ordered something in flawless French before handing the waitress our menus.

  Once she walked off, I responded to Oliver. “Are you saying that I should agree to stay at the mansion?”

  “No. Because Samuel can control Levi. I’m saying you need to reach out for help elsewhere. Merick is a good start, but perhaps joining the Coven of Ra in truth would be a good idea.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t do Covens. I especially don’t do covens that have books of research on people they think misuse magic.”

  “Then perhaps the wolves? Since your magic is up there. Simon as well.”

  “I can’t put them in danger.” I sighed. “Look, I’ll talk to Levi tonight. I can’t walk away from this case. PIB already has me on their radar for two cases. If I just disappear or take a vacation, that’s only going to add to the suspicion.”

  He sipped his wine and tho
ught for a moment. “You’re right. This is going to be tricky.”

  I nodded. “Tonight all I want is to talk to Levi and then go to sleep. It’s been a really long day full of dead bodies.”

  “That sounds like a typical day.” He swirled his wine and had a smile. “I think a day without bodies might bore you to death.”

  Laughing, I reached for my own wine. “Maybe, Oliver, maybe.”

  “Has Hannah attacked you in your dreams again?”

  “No, of course, I haven’t slept much. Last night Merick woke me up a few times due to nightmares, but I don’t think they were from Hannah. I think my subconscious is just working overtime.”

  Oliver nodded. “It has a lot to work with. Might I suggest having Levi meet you at the house instead of driving to the mansion? So you can get some rest?”

  That wasn’t a bad idea. “I think I’ll do that. It’s easier for them to come to me.”

  I sent Levi a text to let him know that plans had changed. “Can we kill Hannah?”

  “No, at least Mario can’t. Levi will be hesitant because Hannah is working for Samuel, and Ira’s death is still fresh.”

  I put my head in my hands. “So what you’re saying is that I can kill her.”

  “Or someone else, yes.” Oliver paused as the waitress brought us our meals.

  “Don’t dwell on it, niece. If Hannah realizes that you have enough protection, she’ll back down.”

  But I was worried about what happened if she backed down and Samuel stepped up. “It’s hard not to dwell on it when people are constantly trying to kill you.”

  Oliver smiled as he cut into his meet. “Eventually, it becomes your life, and you get used to it.”

  There was something about his tone that made me realize he was speaking from experience. I opened my mouth to ask, and he shook his head. “Not tonight, Abigail. Tonight, you focus on eating, and you go home to discuss your future with Levi and Mario.”

  True to his words, Oliver discussed nothing else while we ate dinner and only made small talk afterward. He insisted that he could take himself home, which left me free to drive to my house alone, and I filled the silence with loud music to keep myself out of my head.

  When I pulled up to the house, I found Mario and Levi sitting on the porch. I got out and gave them a little wave. “Glad to see that the spell to keep vampires out is still working.”

  Levi stood. “It is, and since I know you don’t like it when people are randomly in the house, I decided not to use the key.” He touched my arm. “Abigail?”

  “Werewolf bite. It’s fine.” I put my arm behind my back in hopes that out of sight kept it out of mind. “Let’s go inside.” I stepped up to the door and unlocked it, and disarmed the alarm when I stepped inside.

  Levi and Mario both stepped in behind me. Levi looked around, and I wondered if he was looking for Merick. He didn’t know that it was Merick, but he knew that I had someone because Ira had ratted Merick out.

  “Okay, so let’s talk about this.” I went to the living room and sat on the couch. “Hannah has a hit on me, and she’s playing with my head through phone calls and text messages. She’s attacking me in my dreams. Mario can’t stop her. So, what do we do?” I held my hands out. “I’m all ears here, guys, because honestly, she messing my flow up.”

  Mario looked at Levi and crossed his arms as if he expected a certain answer. I had a feeling they had already discuss this.

  “I want you to come to the mansion, but, I’m willing to bend on that as long as you have someone with you. We know Hannah’s magic is strong, but unpredictable. If someone is with you, there’s a chance they can help you if Hannah attacks again in your dreams.”

  Mario scoffed, but he didn’t say anything. I was certain that Levi’s answer was not the one he was expected.

  “I do have someone with me at all times. Even during the day since Liz and I are working on a case.”

  “And here?” Mario asked.

  I nodded. “Levi and I have already discussed the protection I have here. The person helping me out isn’t ready to tell you who they are, but I trust them enough to have my back.”

  Mario hmmed for a moment. “And do you think they are strong enough to take on Hannah?”

  “I think they are, and if not, they are certainly strong enough to get me out of here.”

  Mario looked at Levi. “After the case?”

  “After the case, I’d like you to take a vacation and lay low for a couple months.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not an option. I’ve taken too many vacations over the last couple of years.”

  “Then I’ll pull you in on a King’s Case and use that to our advantage,” Levi countered.

  I stared at the two of them. “I feel like you’ve rehearsed this whole conversation. Neither of you has raised your voice at me. Mario has yet to mention how stupid any of these ideas are. What on earth?”

  Levi smiled. “We’re getting better at predicting what excuses you’ll use.”

  “They aren’t excuses if they’re true.” I crossed my arms.

  Mario shook his head. “Things are changing, Abigail. There is going to come a time when you will have to choose.”

  “I’ve walked in two different worlds all my life, Mario. I don’t have to choose. I can do both.” And at that moment, I believed I could. Witch and vampire? I didn’t show any other symptoms of being a vampire except for the advantages of fast healing and being able to see their sudden movements. I looked at Levi and studied him for a moment. Could I step up as the vampire leader if he stepped down or was killed? I was his true flesh and blood. No one could dispute that if we came out with who I actually was.

  The question was, how many more invitations to kill me would that cause? Abigail Collins, Princess of Vampires, PIB special agent, the number one hit on every assassin’s list.

  Yeah, that didn’t really sound like a title that I wanted.

  “Think of something amusing?” Mario asked, and I realized I must have smiled a little.

  “Yeah, but nothing I want to share. After this case, I’ll reassess my situation. I’m going to go through my big book of everything and see if there’s a spell or charm or something I can use to keep Hannah out of my dreams.” My big book of everything was a book passed down from my mother that had all her spells, diary entries, and a family tree, like a Book of Shadows with extras in it. It had helped me out many times.

  Levi nodded. “Be safe, Abigail. There has been so much going on lately.”

  “I know, and I’m trying to keep communication open, but hovering over me isn’t going to help.” I motioned to the door. “I’m going to kick you guys out as I’m exhausted, and if we can get a lead tomorrow, Liz and I will have a busy day.”

  “Do you want to tell me about the fight with the werewolves?” Levi motioned to my arm. “Or is that not worrisome enough to mention?”

  I shook my head. “The alpha needs to answer your questions on that. Give Simon a day or two to recover from what’s going on, and then I’m sure, as your ally, he’ll contact you.”

  “Pack business then. Lovely.” Mario shook his head. “Maybe Simon finally decided to take over the pack completely.”

  Levi looked at me. “If there was help involved, Simon cheated.”

  “Simon doesn’t need my help to keep the pack.” I didn’t miss a beat. “He’s a big werewolf. He can take care of himself.”

  Mario chuckled. “We have no doubt about that.”

  Levi’s phone rang, and he held up a finger to tell me just a moment. He stepped out of the living room, leaving me with Mario.

  “This is the moment I tell you that all your actions have consequences.” All humor had drained from his voice. “Things are happening in the vampire world that have upset the balance and the system that has been in place for centuries.”

  I sighed. “Can you be more specific on what actions?”

  Mario actually growled at me. “All of them, Abigail. Every. Single. One.�
��

  I stared at him. “Okay, let me back up here for a minute. You’re upset, you’re disagreeing with Levi again, and somehow this is all my fault? Am I understanding this?”

  “There are things going on in the vampire world that are going to come back to bite you in the ass. Levi can’t always hold you up.”

  I raised a brow. “Levi has never ‘held me up.’ Levi has hidden things from me, many of which have tried to come back to fucking kill me. He has demanded I hide many times instead of fight. Remember who took care of Ira? Who took care of Grayson? It wasn’t either of you,” I snapped.

  “Abigail,” Levi’s voice came from the doorway. “Mario has overstepped his boundaries. He was told to leave you alone and leave you out of it. I’m sorry.”

  I turned to face him. It was rare that I got an apology from him. “If you want to let me know what ‘it’ is, then maybe I could better avoid pissing everyone off.”

  “Not until it’s time.” Levi sighed. “I don’t want you involved until I have to. Things aren’t going well. They aren’t going right.”

  Were they ever right now? Because I felt like they were always going wrong lately. “Thanks for sending Oliver with the Hummer. I’ll let you know when I finish my case, and then we’ll talk about the next step after that.”

  “Abigail, you need —”

  I cut Mario off. “No. What I need right now is some sleep and a break in a case. We found our missing person dead today and another person dead in the PIB office. If Levi wants me left out of the vampire business, that’s fine, because my plate is full. But you don’t get to tell me what I need to do.”

  “One day, princess, you’re going to have to listen to my advice,” he growled out and disappeared.

  Levi put a hand on my shoulder.

  I took a deep breath. “Like I said. It’s been a long day.”

  “I shall take my leave then. Please watch your back, Abigail, and do consider what comes after this case.” He disappeared, and I closed my eyes.

  For a moment, I imagined what it would be like to go on vacation with Simon. No PIB cases randomly popping up. No monsters trying to get me. Just me and Simon and maybe the beach. The thought brought a smile to my face.