Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

N ana raised an eyebrow and looked over at us. “Decorating a nursery isn't rocket science, Phoebe. Keep it simple,” she remarked as she reached for a plate of cookies with a mischievous glint in her eye.

The soft glow of late afternoon bathed the kitchen in a warm embrace, casting a golden hue on the island where we gathered. Nana was a force of nature with her no-nonsense attitude. And she was usually right. She’d been quiet until now as we excitedly discussed crib designs and nursery themes for the impending arrival of the triplets.

Stella and I chuckled, appreciating Nana's timeless wisdom. “The pressure to create the perfect room for the babies of a god is real, Nana. I just want it to be right. Otherwise, I’m sure Aidon’s mom will try to redo it when she visits. What do you think, Mom?” Mom and Mythia turned away from the stove where they were baking me scones. I’d gone from craving the cookies Nana was eating to wanting some of Mom’s cinnamon chip scones.

Leaning on the island, Mom looked over the catalog we’d been perusing on the tablet. “Nana is right. That’s incredibly fussy for a baby. Is it really necessary for it to look like an actual carriage? That one reminds me of those round tufted settees with a crown on top. And I don’t even understand that one. It’s modern, I’ll give you that, and it costs as much as a nice used car. And that pod? Just no. Whatever happened to the classic wood ones?”

I sighed as I clicked on the other page we had open. “I love simple and classic.”

“What does Aidon think?” Mythia asked as she hovered over my shoulder.

I lifted a shoulder at the tiny pixie and was startled when Nana wagged a finger at me and said, “He said he was fine with whatever you wanted. Stop doubting yourself, Phoebe. You aren’t with that jackass ex of yours anymore. You don’t have to allow Persephone to do anything to your nursery. She’s welcome to create whatever she’d like in her own home. This is yours. If you want that pod, get it. Even if I think it’s ridiculous.”

“I never imagined being a mom again in my mid-forties,” I confessed. “Let alone to three.”

Nana snorted and waved her hand vaguely in my direction. “But the god part was?”

We all started laughing at that. She was right. The god part would never have been on my radar before. And, I needed to stop trying to please other people. I needed to find what I liked and show Aidon. He didn’t care about stuff like that. I clicked on the link to one of the major stores when Stella's phone buzzed, interrupting the joyful discussion. Her expression shifted from amusement to sudden concern as she answered the call. “This is Stella.”

Stella's eyes widened as she listened, her fingers gripping the edge of the island. The news she received wasn't anything mundane like what was for dinner. It was something serious, something that turned the air chilly with worry .

Hanging up the phone, Stella took a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine with a gravity that sent a shiver down my spine. “Phoebe, it's my mom. She's disappeared from her apartment in the assisted living complex.”

An uneasy hush settled over the kitchen, the mirth replaced by a palpable sense of urgency. The lively discussions about nursery decorations were eclipsed by Stella's mother, Rosemary's mysterious disappearance. My mind raced, trying to comprehend the sudden shift from joyful anticipation to the harsh reality of a loved one gone missing.

“Disappeared?” I echoed, the word hanging in the air like an ominous cloud. “Did she wander off? Is she starting to forget things? Maybe she’s confused and headed to her old house.” She was still relatively young, but it was early onset Alzheimer’s.

Nana's snarky demeanor faded into a concerned frown. Mom exchanged a worried glance with me. Mythia had no idea what we were talking about but could read the mood and had settled her tiny pixie body on Stella’s shoulder to offer her support.

Stella clasped her hands together, likely to hide the tremor. She was always bubbly and cheerful, so seeing her so worried made my stomach knot. “That was the head nurse. They can't find her anywhere. I’m going to call her.” Stella put her phone on speaker, and it rang and rang.

I didn’t have the heart to say the nurse had probably already tried to reach out to Rosemary. We all remained silent as Stella tried calling again several more times. Next, she called her mother’s friends, asking if they’d seen or heard from her. My stomach twisted into a bigger knot as she called a fifth person with no result.

Stella lifted tear-filled eyes to us. “Something is wrong. I need to go and look for her. Maybe someone in the complex saw something. ”

Nana climbed off of her stool and scanned Stella with a piercing intensity. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to the bottom of this. Rosemary's a tough cookie. She didn't just vanish into thin air.” That was a little too close to home for us, given our last case. Things had been quiet for the past week since we’d dealt with Aidon’s crazy ex.

Mythia flew off of Stella’s shoulder and said, “Let me know if I can help. I’ll make your favorite for lunch. I’ll even have whoopie pie for you.”

Mom nodded in agreement. “I’ll stay and help. We will have extra lobster mac and cheese to take to your mom, as well.” Ever since Mom was changed by that vile witch, Lyra, she had mostly stuck to the house. She’d gone down to North Carolina to see the kids but preferred being at home. She was mostly in control of her vampire urges, but she still struggled at times with her shifter half, especially when she was stressed.

Stella embraced Mom. “Thank you, Mollie.”

We went out the side door where I’d left my small SUV. After helping Nana in the passenger side, I drove as fast as possible across town. Stella leaned her head between the seats. “Tainted witches aren’t involved in this, right?” she asked. I swallowed hard when I heard the hitch in her voice.

Nana turned in the seat and scowled at Stella. “Now, why would you think such a thing? Trust me when I say it’s far more likely that she got confused and is heading to her old house. It’s hell getting old, and she lived there for over fifty years.” Nana reached over and squeezed her hand.

A few minutes later, I pulled into the lot. The assisted living's sterile halls echoed our footsteps as we entered. I shivered at the feeling of desolation and hopelessness that permeated the atmosphere. I had to remind myself that we were there to delve into the mystery surrounding Rosemary's disappearance, not move Mom or Nana in. I wasn’t around when Stella’s mom moved here, and I hadn’t given it much thought before. I was just glad that Mom and Nana had one another and had never ended up in a place like this.

Stella approached the desk where a young woman sat. “Hello. I’m Rosemary Stone’s daughter, Stella. Emily called and informed me my mother was missing. Has she been found? What even happened?”

The young woman gave Stella platitudes and assured her they would locate Rosemary. I tuned them out and wandered over to a large room on the left. People were gathered there and engaged in various activities.

Nana grimaced as she watched the room. “Thank God that isn’t my life. I have spent ninety years avoiding an STD. I’d like to keep it that way.”

I choked on my laugh and gaped at her. “Nana!”

She scowled at me. “What? Sex in a place like this is like passing around a tray of cookies at bingo night, except instead of sweet treats, it's a buffet of surprises nobody asked for. It spreads like dandelion seeds on the wind.”

My hand flew to my throat, where I tried to hold down the bile. “I did not need to know that.”

Stella sighed as she joined us. “They don’t know shit, and none of the staff saw anything. I asked Todd to see if she went to her old house. I guess we could check here.”

In the foyer, under the unforgiving glare of fluorescent lights, Nana took charge with an authoritative air. “We start in here. Spread out. Gather any piece of information you can about Rosemary’s activities over the past few days.”

Stella's normally bright eyes darted around, absorbing every detail like a hawk surveying its territory. “Thank you both for helping.” She shot us a grateful smile before delving into the fray.

Nana adjusted her green purse on her shoulder and entered after her. I took the far-right side and approached a group of women sitting on some couches and knitting. They paused when I stopped beside them. A woman wearing a neon pink blouse looked from me to Stella and then back. “Are you here about Rosemary?”

Nodding, I smiled at her. “Yeah. We just got the call about her being missing. I’m Phoebe, by the way.”

The woman in neon tapped her chest with one of her knitting needles. “I’m Margaret and the one making a gawd awful green scarf is Krista. Holly is making a blanket for her new granddaughter. What did they tell you happened to Rosemary?”

I sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of them, needing to get off my feet. “It’s good to meet you all. They didn’t say much, just that she was missing. Did anyone notice Rosemary leaving?”

Margaret laughed, a bitter sound. “Typical. Covering their asses. She didn’t walk away. Rosemary was here in the common area, as usual. And then, poof, she was gone. No one saw her leave. It's like she vanished into thin air.”

Her comment made my blood freeze. That sounded like magic. Before I let myself get too far down that path of thought, I needed more information. “Did anyone mention seeing someone or anything out of the ordinary? Or did Rosemary mention wanting to go see a friend?”

The three of them thought for a moment, and Krista said, “There was a delivery earlier.

Holly nodded. “It was those flowers.” Holly pointed to a large bouquet sitting on a side table.

“It caught our attention because it's not a regular occurrence here,” Margaret said. “Maybe she went to see whoever sent them to her.”

It was a distraction for the rest of the residents. I could easily see someone using the ploy to divert attention, allowing someone to spirit Rosemary away unnoticed. Stella walked over and joined the conversation. Her brow furrowed as she listened to Margaret explain about the delivery.

“Flowers? That seems odd,” Stella said.

Nana overheard our discussion and gestured us to the side out of the range of noisy people. “It doesn’t sound like Rosemary wandered off. We need to find out who sent those flowers.”

Our makeshift investigation led us to the reception desk, where Sarah, the nurse on duty, nervously recounted the events. “It was a tall man. He was wearing a weird hat. He handed me the flowers, said they were for Rosemary, and then left.”

The vague description provided little to work with. Still, it was a starting point. The smile Stella gave Sarah was strained. “Thank you. I will return my mother as soon as we find her.”

We followed as Stella turned to leave. I hurried to keep up with Stella’s furious stride. “We’re going to the flower shop, right?” I asked her.

As we emerged from the assisted living complex, the three of us were engulfed in a cloud of uncertainty. Nana's furrowed brow mirrored our collective concern, while Stella's grip on her purse tightened with each step.

“That was my thought. I bet Lyra is behind this and she enchanted that arrangement to whisk my mom away like she did us when we got our tattoos. That means Petals & Posies is our best lead right now,” Stella said with a sigh.

“I had similar thoughts, but we shouldn’t assume anything. Your mom could have walked out. Magic might not be involved,” I told Stella as we reached my car. Unlocking it, I opened the door for Nana. “We will find her, Stells.”

Determined to unearth the truth behind Rosemary's disappearance, I started the car. We made our way towards the flower shop that had provided the bouquet found in her room.

The quaint little shop stood nestled between two towering buildings, a burst of color amidst the monochrome cityscape. Its facade was adorned with cascading ivy, tendrils reaching toward the heavens in a silent plea for sunlight. There was something magical about the look and feel of the place. There was no way the plants would survive the winter. How did they manage to make it look like this so early in spring?

A wooden sign, weathered by time and adorned with delicately painted flowers, hung above the entrance, declaring it as “Petals & Posies.”

As we pushed open the door, a symphony of scents enveloped us - a cacophony of floral notes dancing in the air. Sunlight filtered through the windows, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow across the polished wooden floors and adding to the atmosphere. Shelves lined with blooms stretched towards the ceiling, each blossoming a vibrant burst of color against the backdrop of plain white walls.

If I wasn’t mistaken, the air hummed with an otherworldly energy. It was a faint undercurrent of magic that prickled at my senses. ‘ Not everything is related to magic, Phoebe! Stop looking for what you expect to see.’

Keeping that in mind, I looked around without searching for anything specific. The shop was a veritable wonderland of botanical delights, with blooms of every shape and hue adorning the shelves like jewels in a treasure trove. There was definitely something there. Without being obvious and giving my magic away, I opened my senses a little.

Behind the counter stood a woman whose presence seemed to radiate mixed messages, smiled up at us. “ Welcome to Petals & Posies,” she said, her voice soft and melodic. “I’m Evelyn, the owner. How may I assist you today?”

Evelyn was a woman of striking beauty and quiet confidence. Her gaze was steady and unwavering. Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of emerald green, held a depth that seemed to hint at hidden mysteries. Her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of obsidian silk.

As Nana and I approached the counter, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this woman than met the eye. My magical senses tingled with a faint energy, subtle yet unmistakable. It was a strange sensation. Almost like standing on the edge of a precipice, teetering between Darkness and Light.

Nana wasted no time in getting down to business. “We're here to inquire about a bouquet of flowers that was delivered to a resident at the Willow Creek Assisted Living facility," she said in a firm but polite voice.

Evelyn's gaze went distant as if she was remembering something. “I'm afraid I can't help you with that,” she replied evenly, her voice betraying no emotion. “I didn’t deliver anything to that location.”

Stella, who had been browsing the floral arrangements, looked over with a puzzled expression. “We know it wasn’t you personally. Reports indicate it was a man who delivered the flowers,” she interjected, her voice tinged with frustration. Can we speak to your employees?”

Evelyn's facade remained calm. “I'm sorry, but I have no recollection of such an arrangement,” she insisted, her tone now tinged with defensiveness.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. I followed my magical senses. They tingled with faint energy that I discovered lingering near the backroom like a whisper in the wind. It was a strange sensation, both unsettling and alluring. There was nothing about Lyra that was alluring. Then again, I could be biased.

Turning to Nana, I murmured softly, “There's something... off about her and the shop.”

Nana's gaze hardened, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “I agree,” she replied, her voice low and intense. “Something tells me this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

With a sense of determination, Nana turned back to the owner. “You're hiding something,” Nana said. Her tone was sharp with accusation, and her words rang out with unwavering resolve. “And we're going to find out what it is.”

It felt as if Nana had laid down the gauntlet, and the atmosphere cracked with tension. The petals and leaves seemed to hold their breaths, waiting for Evelyn to respond. Her composed facade never faltered as she looked at us.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Evelyn insisted.

Nana scoffed as she prowled closer to the woman. “We know you are responsible for the flowers that led to Rosemary being kidnapped,” Nana said firmly, her words cutting through the silence like a blade. “Let’s cut to the chase. What are Lyra's plans, Evelyn?” Nana's demand for answers rang out like a clarion call, her voice commanding attention.

Evelyn lifted a shoulder and smiled at Nana, although there was a flicker of fear there. She was afraid of Nana. “I... I don't know what you're talking about,” she stammered, her voice trembling.

Stella's frustration simmered beneath the surface and her patience was wearing thin with each passing moment. She grabbed Evelyn’s shoulders. “Please," she pleaded, her voice tinged with urgency. “My mom isn’t part of the magical world. We need answers. You wouldn’t want an innocent woman hurt, would you?”

Evelyn’s eyes met Stella’s, but she remained stubbornly silent. Her gaze flickered between Nana and me like she wished she could help, but there was nothing she could say. It was clear she knew nothing about this delivery. That was some powerful magic. I prayed it wasn’t a new skill Lyra picked up. Otherwise, we would be hard-pressed to find clues.

Nana stepped forward, her presence commanding attention as she fixed Evelyn with a steely gaze. “You think you can outwit us, Evelyn?” she challenged, her voice low and dangerous. “You think you can stand against a Pleiades witch like Phoebe? You're on the losing side, and you know it.”

Evelyn's eyes widened in alarm, a flicker of fear dancing in their depths. “I... I don't know what you're talking about,” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Nana wasn't about to let her off the hook so easily. “You know exactly what I'm talking about,” she insisted, her voice ringing with conviction. “And you will tell us everything, whether you like it or not.”