Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
I was taken aback. She wanted to remain like this? “ Why ?”
“ We need to wait until we know more about the kind of magic that did this. Any potion we make might make the spell worse or interfere with recovery. None of the paranormals affected are in a bad condition other than their magic, yes?”
“ As far as I’m aware it’s just their magic that’s acting up.”
“ Good , then they can stay as they are for a bit longer. Give it some time to see if the effects disappear without the need for magic.”
“ Okay ,” I agreed reluctantly. “ What will you do while we look at the families?”
“ I will consult some of my friends to see if they have any ideas.” She inclined her head toward the bathroom door. “ I’m also running some tests on my blood to see if I can figure out if it’s a potion or a ward spell.”
“ But your magic…”
“ I brought some potions with me.”
Ian stepped away from the wall and brought out a freezer bag from his back pocket with a bloodied gauze inside. “ This is from the affected shifter. Will it help?”
What could only be described as total, utter delight filled Lilian’s face. “ Oh , my, yes, indeed, it will help.” She nudged my side. “ You are a lucky one. Not everyone is considerate enough to bring me blood presents.”
“ Ah , sure.” I stood and stepped away from her. “ Ian’s the best.”
But Lilian wasn’t listening, she was studying the bag with Shane’s bloodied gauze with an intensity that made me shudder.
Vampires . The Bigfoot of the paranormal world. Could they be witches too?
“ Let’s go,” Ian said with a low chuckle, accurately guessing my train of thought.
I joined him at the door. To my surprise, Dorsey wasn’t right outside, trying to listen in, but waiting at the bottom of the stairs ready to ambush me.
“ Avery ,” she snapped.
I lifted a hand in warning. “ I can’t talk about Council business.”
“ Whatever . Why am I not in the Christmas event?”
Oh good Mother Earth . “ In the event?”
She stomped her foot impatiently. “ Yes ! The event! Are you hard of hearing now?”
“ I’ll go get the car,” Ian said before abandoning me like the traitor that he was.
Dorsey put one of her gnarled claws on my arm and dragged me down the hallway to the back door.
“ Well ? What do you have to say for yourself, Avery ?” she asked impatiently. “ Where is my event invitation?”
“ But you’re not a store.”
“ So ? I’m still a business! I’m part of the PBOA just as you are.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. “ But this is not a PBOA event.”
“ Does Sonia know you’re intentionally leaving businesses out?”
“ I’m not doing such a thing!” Although , to be fair, I totally was. But really, when had Dorsey indicated any kind of interest in my affairs? She still hadn’t paid for the tea she had run off with when I first opened the shop!
“ Good . Then I’m in. I think the B ’n’ B will be a great spot for the trading stage.”
Uh … “ What trading stage?”
“ I was thinking, see, that this sticker thing needs to change.”
“ Change how?”
“ You should make some stickers rarer than others.” She licked her lips. “ Make people fight for them. Then they can trade them in here, for a fee, of course.”
“ It’s a Christmas event, Ms . Dorsey , not a card-trading game.”
“ And ? Nothing wrong with a little competition. Keep that in mind.”
I shuffled toward the front door. “ I will.” Absolutely not.
“ Good ,” Dorsey said, satisfied. “ Oh , and Avery ?”
“ Yes ?” I asked warily. I had made it halfway to the door—escape was so close!
“ I also want in the Secret Santa .”
I mumbled my agreement and made my escape. Ian had the SUV ready to go, so I hoisted myself inside and told him to drive before Dorsey ran out of the bed and breakfast to invite herself to our Christmas dinner.
“ That bad?” he asked.
“ Did you know we’re doing a Secret Santa this year?”
His chest rumbled with laughter. “ We are?”
“ Oh , you’re definitely in this with me now,” I said gleefully. “ Since you’re not participating in the other event, you’ll be in charge of dealing with this one.”
“ You could just say there isn’t one.”
“ I can’t! Dorsey might tell others and then I’ll look like the Grinch if I say there isn’t one. Plus …”
“ Plus ?”
“ It’s a good idea,” I admitted begrudgingly. Why hadn’t I thought of that? In my previous life as an Etsy seller and part-time barista, I had never been involved in a Secret Santa , but now that the nugget was firmly planted in my head, I could see how it might be fun. Except I didn’t want Dorsey to ruin anyone’s Christmas by being mean. “ We’ll need a ‘no coal’ rule for sure.”
“ Probably for the best,” Ian agreed, still silently laughing. He pulled into the traffic and grew serious. “ I have an address.”
“ For ?”
“ Ellis’s family.”
“ Seriously ?” I asked in delight, then nudged his side. “ You found him in the bounty hunters’ secret database, didn’t you?”
“ I have my sources.”
“ Makes you wonder why a victim of magical shenanigans ended up in a bounty hunter database, huh? What did he do? Or was it one of his descendants?”
His mouth kicked up at the corner. “ I would tell you if there was a bounty hunter database.”
“ When we’re old and yelling at kids to get off our lawn, will you admit about the database then, or will you take it to the grave?”
He simply smiled and kept driving.
The Ellis descendant Ian had found— Sofia Ellis —worked at a hair salon in downtown Olmeda . Most paranormals liked to stick around the old town, but a few liked the more modern atmosphere around these parts.
“ Oh , look, it’s Tabbies ,” I exclaimed, gluing my face to the car window. The large display windows were decorated for the season, and a few giant Christmas cards provided a nice background. A few people milled inside, and I hummed in approval. Preston had chosen a great location.
Even Dru had reluctantly agreed with that one, so I didn’t feel so guilty thinking it.
Tabbies faded into the distance, but I stuck to the glass. The vibes in this part of the city were so different from Old Olmeda . Modern but warm and welcoming. Less haunted, more wholesome.
Ian found a parking spot after a short while of circling, and we walked to Seaside Hair . It was a cozy Hawaiian -inspired place with colorful surfboards on the front and garlands of fake flowers hanging across the front windows. Someone had draped Christmas lights around the surfboards, and a Santa in swimming trucks and sunglasses sat on top. I approved.
A bell chirped softly when we stepped inside. There was a small reception area with a couple of chairs and then the usual row of mirrors and styling chairs lining one of the walls, with shelves and two hair-washing stations in the back. Two of the chairs were occupied and a third woman was getting her hair washed. A hairdresser flitted between the customers on the chairs, chatting animatedly. She glanced at us when we entered.
“ Hullo there,” she said. “ I’m sorry, we’re fully booked this morning, but if you want to come later, I have a couple of spots.”
“ Hi ,” I said. “ We’re actually looking for Sofia .”
“ Oh , sure. Sofia ,” she called toward the hair-washing stations. “ Someone’s here to see you.”
“ Be right there,” Sofia answered, still concentrating on rinsing her client’s hair.
The hairdresser turned back to us, said, “ It’ll be a moment,” then refocused on her clients, who were studying us curiously through the mirrors. I smiled politely, then settled in to wait.
Their gazes shifted to Ian in a definitely ogling manner.
I didn’t mind. At the end of the day, I was the one Ian smiled at.
Sofia wrapped a towel around her client’s head, then guided her to the last styling chair before walking up to us.
“ Hello ,” she said in the perfect potential new customer tone: a little distant—we’re not friends, simply possible business partners—but warm and welcoming at the same time. Ten out of ten, she should be very proud. “ How can I help you?”
" We have a few questions about your family. Is there any place we can talk privately?”
“ My family?” Sofia frowned slightly and looked at her client. “ Can this wait?”
“ It won’t take a moment, but it’s very important we talk. The Council appreciates your cooperation.”
Her eyebrows shot up at that. “ Okay , but please make it fast. We can talk outside.” She turned to the other hairdresser and the women on the chairs. “ I’ll be right back.”
The other hairdresser moved to the third woman. “ No problem. I’ll take care of Kayla here while you’re out.”
Sofia thanked her and hurried out of the salon. We followed her until she had put enough distance that the women inside couldn’t see us through the front windows.
“ What does the Council need?” she asked with narrow-eyed suspicion. “ I haven’t done anything.”
“ We’re not here for you,” I assured her. “ But we need some information about a family member of yours.”
“ Oh my God , did Jason steal from that witch again?”
“ Uh …”
Sofia threw up her hands. “ I told him to stop doing those stupid dares. Did you guys throw him in bounty hunter jail again? How much is it going to cost me this time?” She pulled out her wallet. “ Do you guys take cards? I’m short on cash today.”
“ It’s nothing to do with Jason .” Whoever that was. Her brother? Cousin ? Props to her to come to the rescue, but it sounded like she needed to let him face the full consequences next time, though.
She lowered her wallet. “ No ? Who , then? Grandma Flora ? What has she done now? Did that demon down the street say she peed on his flowerbed again, because he can’t prove that.”
Note to self: no flowerbeds in any future house. “ Not Grandma Flora either.” She opened her mouth to speak again, and I was tempted to see who else in her family tended to land in trouble and for what, but we were in a bit of a time crunch, so I talked before she could. “ We’re looking into information about one of your ancestors.”
“ Who ?”
“ George Ellis . Back in the late eighteen hundreds a witch messed with his powers.”
“ George Ellis ,” Sofia repeated, murmuring to herself. “ I think I remember that.”
“ Oh ?” I said encouragingly.
“ Granddad used to tell us the story during Halloween when I was a kid. Something about an evil witch who liked to spell others for his own entertainment and would get us kids if we misbehaved.”
Judging by the current status of the family, I didn’t think the story had worked very well. “ Did he tell you anything else? We’re trying to figure out what exactly happened.”
“ No , sorry.”
“ Is there some kind of family bible or diary that might have more information?” Ian asked.
“ Or a spellbook with details?” I added, remembering Grandma’s .
“ Nah , nothing like that. The Council probably knows more than I do, to be honest.”
If only. “ Unfortunately , we don’t have many details about the case.”
“ Hey .” Sofia suddenly leaned in and studied me closely, curiosity burning in her eyes. If she asked me to join the Christmas event, I’d …
Invite her and then figure out how anyone was supposed to fit so many stickers on a postcard-sized tree, I supposed with a sigh.
“ Is this about those rumors of paranormals getting sick?” she whispered.
“ Nope ,” I lied.
“ Hmph . Are you sure?”
I blanked my expression. “ Absolutely .”
“ If I give you five, will you tell me? I got a bet going with Brady on who’s getting sick next. He says someone in the pack for sure. But I think it’s going to be that mage who does food deliveries. He’s always so rude, someone’s bound to infect him intentionally.”
My phone rang that moment, saving me from having to find a way to answer that. Another unknown caller ID .
I held up a finger. “ One second.” Then I answered the call. “ Hope Avery speaking.”
“ This the witch?” a familiar, rough voice asked. Sounds of jukebox music filled the background.
“ It is.”
“ Get here right now ASAP . It’s urgent.”
I gripped my phone. Urgent ? Was someone else sick? “ Who is this?”
“ Who the hell do you think it is? It’s Wyatt from the bar. Hurry up.”
He hung up, leaving me with a rolling stomach.
The spell was expanding.