Chapter 29

TWENTY-NINE

I hurried back to the Tea Cauldron , calling Ian on the way. Luckily , most of the group was still in his kitchen, trying to organize the details for the trap, so I told him to put me on speaker. The explanation of my super amazing, brilliant plan was met with a few moments of stunned—and I dare say, awed?—silence.

Then Alex said, “ That’s kind of smart, boss.”

I took a bow in the middle of the street. “ Thank you.”

“ You’re welcome, sweetie,” called out an old lady walking a poodle.

I waved at her and continued on my way.

“ Are you sure they’ll play the game?” Hutton asked. I was glad he was still there and still acting in a civil way. Although it must’ve occurred to Ian , just like it was now occurring to me, that he must’ve jumped over the fence to get to the house without ringing the doorbell. Not very brotherly of him.

“ Reasonably sure.” It was the perfect plan, really. Two birds with one call. “ What do you think, Key ?”

There was a short conversation too low for me to hear, then Key spoke into the phone. “ Let’s do it.”

“ Roger that.”

A few minutes later, I arrived at the shop, checked Brimstone had everything in hand, then sequestered myself in the first-floor kitchen. Tiny Kraken greeted me with its usual pipe gurgling, and I patted the wall. “ Good day to you too, Tiny Kraken .”

A tiny tentacle appeared out of the faucet, and I allowed it to play with my finger for a bit while I got my mental ducks in a row.

If my plan worked, not only would it avoid having to explain our lack of reporting to Officer Brooks , but my pesky problem with the immunity potion.

I thought of Grandma’s spellbook upstairs, remembered the feel of its cloth-bound cover against my fingertips and the lovely stitching of flowers. An instant calm fell over me, like a warm hug on a rainy day. I could do this.

“ You can do anything you want, Hope .”

The pipes clunked in agreement.

I picked up my phone and dialed Emily Doyle , my supervisor at the Montel Witch Council headquarters.

“ Hello , Hope ,” Doyle said. “ What a coincidence. I was just thinking about you.”

“ You were?” I asked innocently. “ Good thoughts, I hope.”

She chuckled. “ Actually , yes. I was taking a look at your reports, and I’ve noticed your shop’s star rating has steadily increased the last few weeks.”

“ Fall had been very good to the shop,” I agreed. “ Many satisfied customers.”

“ Excellent . This will go a long way toward the final decision on your ownership of the shop.”

As usual, the reminder that the shop wasn’t fully mine yet, and I still had three months of probation to go, caused a heavy stone to form in the pit of my stomach. “ I’m doing my best. I’m sure the Council will see that.”

“ I’m sure everyone will. Now , is there anything I can help you with?”

Time to put my game face on. “ As a matter of fact, there is something I need advice on.”

“ Oh ?” She sounded interested now. “ What is it?”

“ I’m afraid there might be a dark witch operating in town.”

There was a sharp inhale. “ A dark witch? What makes you think that?”

“ One of my regulars told me of some strange happenings at a movie they’re filming in Olmeda .”

“ Lily Hale’s series?” Doyle asked eagerly. “ Oh , my, I heard about that! I love those books. Shades in the Night , with the evil cake maker who was poisoning her husband’s best friend while making it look like the work of a vampire? I spent the whole night reading it, let me tell you.”

My estimation of Doyle happily increased tenfold. “ I agree! It was one of the best in the series. That scene when their car got pushed into the lake and they couldn’t open the doors? It almost gave me a heart attack.”

“ I thought they were going to declare their love for each other for sure. I can’t believe she made us wait until book five for them to get together!”

“ I know!”

“ And you say something suspicious has been happening on set?”

“ Yes . It’s all very hush-hush, but apparently there have been some incidents and a local shifter was injured. Of course I went to help, and I was able to determine magic had been used.”

“ Dark ?”

“ Yes . I confirmed it with a blood test.” I crossed the fingers of my right hand. “ I have a good idea of who it is, but I’m not sure I’m the correct person to handle this.”

“ No , of course not. You’re not used to apprehending criminals. That’s not your job.”

“ Should I call the bounty hunters?” I drew a small pentagram on the counter. “ Or maybe the local police contact?”

“ Absolutely not. We will investigate this first.”

“ I’m so glad to hear that.”

“ Who do you suspect?”

“ A local with an axe to grind with the city. I haven’t gotten his name, but I think I know where he’ll be tonight trying to make another dark magic spell.”

“ Give me all the details.”

I did. The ones that made the story sound plausible, of course.

If all went to plan, the Council would contact the witch they already had in town rather than send a new one. And if the trap worked and the Council witch apprehended our UNSUB , not only would the pesky issue of my undelivered potion be forgotten, but hopefully my role in the apprehension of a paranormal criminal would earn me extra Council muffin points.

Greatness , indeed.

Now it was a matter of waiting for tonight.

The production trailers stood surrounded by other production trucks in a wide parking lot on the outskirts of Olmeda . The trailers themselves formed a small cul-de-sac, with Lee’s shared one—and scene of her death—forming the end. It couldn’t have been a better setup if we’d tried.

Night had fully fallen about an hour and a half ago, and Team Hope , of which Key had graciously made me leader, was in position between two of the other trailers. The movie company had hired some overnight security, but it had been as easy to avoid them as sneaking into the filming sets.

I had planned to make myself inconspicuous for most of the day, but to my relief, the Council witch hadn’t made a reappearance to ask for her potion. As I’d hoped, Doyle must’ve called her right away.

Life truly was great when plans went as expected.

I felt around the asphalt until I found a sharp pebble. Our position was drenched in shadows, but light poles spread through the lot gave enough light to see around us.

“ What are you doing?” Dru whispered.

“ Going to make a ward, just in case he tries to run.”

I darted to the other side of the open space and nicked one of my fingers with the pebble. Luckily , small traces of blood were enough for a simple ward like this.

Lowering my hand to the ground, I awoke my magic.

Wards were different from spells for potions. The intention and power needed to be maintained through the whole process of drawing the ward, and the best witches could change the intention as they went, creating much more complicated wards. However , on this occasion, one didn't need a Ducati when a two-gear bicycle would work.

Breathing in, I focused my intention and held it.

Halt .

I ran in a crouch back to where we were hiding, pouring my magic into a straight line over the uneven, sometimes wet, asphalt.

Once I arrived to the rest of my team, I dusted my hands off and sat on the ground, the familiar wobbliness of my legs letting itself be known.

“ Did you just grab a stone from the ground to draw blood for the ward?” Dru asked.

“ Yep .”

“ Congratulations on your incoming death by brain-eating bacteria.”

“ You don’t get those from dirt.” Did you? Frowning , I studied my hands, then sucked on my scratched fingertip with the tiniest of healing intentions. “ And I don’t have a knife with me.”

“ I do.”

I gaped. “ You do?”

“ No . I have these, remember?” She waved her fingers, now tipped with small, sharp claws.

Brimstone appeared next to Dru . He had joined Team Hope because he could add two and two together and all my strange absences and calls from the back of the shop hadn’t gone unnoticed. “ I can cauterize the wound, if you’d like.”

I held my hand close to my chest. “ No , thank you.”

He made a sound of displeasure, then reached into his long coat and produced a packet. “ Use this, then.”

I took it from him. “ A disinfectant wipe?” Aww .

“ I will itemize you for it later.”

Tearing the small package open, I sent Dru a pointed glance. “ You were never this nice when you worked for me.”

“ Except all those times I worked overtime when it wasn’t even my shift.”

The memory of those happy times warmed my heart in the cold night. “ You’re right. You’re still my best employee ever.”

Hutton snorted behind them.

Yes , Hutton was also part of Team Hope .

Ethan had let his mystery dark magic benefactor know to meet him right here, right now, or he’d tell the bounty hunter about some incriminating details he’d found on Lydia Lee’s side of the trailer.

Team Key , which consisted of Ian , Key , Shane , and Alex , had been watching over Ethan’s hotel room since he’d sent the blackmail messages, in case McKee tried to plant evidence in his room then call the bounty hunters on him.

It could still be one of the other suspects, but I felt it in my soul that McKee was it. Best motive, a witch himself, and seen around the sabotaging areas? It didn’t get better than that.

Key had wanted to be here with us, but she’d eventually agreed that it’d be better if she weren’t around for the takedown. This was the most likely spot for McKee and the Council witch to confront each other, and if things got messy, I didn’t want Key to be around and later be questioned by the Council or any bounty hunter beyond Ian .

I’d hated hearing the disappointment in her voice, but it was for the best.

Bringing out my phone, I sent Ian a fast text: I miss you.

While it’d have been awesome to have him by my side here, there was no one else I trusted to keep Key safe better than him.

My phone vibrated with his response: I miss you too.

“ Stop texting your boyfriend,” Dru hissed. “ This is important.”

I wiped the silly grin off my face. “ Of course.”

“ Love is important,” Brimstone intoned like he had a secret lake under an opera house. Thunder reverberated in the distance.

I reached over and smacked his leg. “ Stop that.”

He narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

Hutton snickered.

Dru turned to him. “ And you. You better back my new shop on Thursday .”

Hutton muttered a curse. “ Yes , yes.”

“ Don’t send Keith ,” I insisted. “ We want to see you .”

“ I told you I would,” he said with a bit of a growl.

If it was meant to impress us, it failed.

“ Just making sure.”

“ Are you doubting my word?”

“ Shifters are known for being shifty.”

Dru choked on a laugh.

“ You —”

“ Silence ,” Brimstone snapped. “ Someone’s coming.”