CHAPTER 3 #2
She texted Trent and Abigail, then wondered which one would call first. Abigail’s number beeped on her cell. “Hey, I take it you saw my text. Can you believe he came here to ask questions?”
“Are you okay?” Trent’s voice boomed over the connection. He must be with Abigail. “What did your boss tell him?”
“According to her, nothing. Although I’m not sure I trust her. How did I not know she was a witch? She’s been here for months.” Mia stared at her closed office door, shaken by the visit from Blake.
“Honestly, I didn’t know either, and I’ve talked to Blake several times.
She’s excellent at masking. Anyway, you need to come home as soon as possible.
He’s trying to divide and conquer. Trent’s here, as well as Christina and Levi.
Your grandmother already knew to come over yesterday.
” Abigail listed off the family members and their current whereabouts.
“Funny how she seems to know things. Anyway, I have a routine catered dinner at six. As soon as I know everything’s running fine, I’ll head home. The bank’s been having this monthly dinner for years. They won’t need much hand-holding.” Mia hoped she hadn’t just jinxed her evening.
“Mia, be careful,” Abigail warned her. “There have been times when investigators have gone to extreme measures to get information. It hasn’t been reported for years, but Howard has a reputation for underhanded methods.”
“I can come over and wait for you,” Trent offered.
“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll lock my office door and ask James to walk me to my car when I leave. No one is getting past Blake’s new security doors and guards in the staff office hallway. I still don’t understand why she set this up as an employee-only zone, but now I’m happy she did.”
No one said anything from the other end of the line.
“Okay, did we get cut off?” Mia glanced at her cell, but the call was still connected.
“No, we’re here,” Abigail said. “Trent and I were wondering the same thing. Maybe there’s a reason we didn’t recognize Blake as a witch. Did she give you any information on her coven?”
Mia told Abigail what Blake had told her, but then her business line rang. “I’ve got to run. James needs to finalize the menu for tonight. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“Be careful,” Trent echoed his mother’s warning and disconnected the call.
Mia switched to the business line and told James she’d be in his office in a jiffy.
Then she pulled the file for that tonight.
Why had Blake fortified the Lodge’s employee section?
Maybe she’d ask after meeting with James.
Her boss seemed to be more open to discussing policies today.
Especially after telling her she and Mia had something in common. It couldn’t hurt to ask.
After working with James—and eating the lunch he’d provided by calling it a “tasting” for tonight’s dinner—Mia asked him to walk her to her car when she left.
“Sure, but what’s going on? Do you have a stalker I don’t know about?” James joked.
“Maybe I do,” Mia threw back as she left the office. “But thanks for humoring me.”
“Anything you need, I’m here.” James rolled his eyes as his phone rang. “Duty calls.”
As she walked to Blake’s office, she paused at the desk of the administrative assistant whom Blake had hired on her first day. “Is the boss free?”
“As free as a bird,” Rena chirped, then laughed as Mia started toward the door.
“Sorry, I meant she just left the hotel. She said she’d be back tomorrow and to route all her calls to the appropriate department head or take a message.
I think she’s dating someone. I haven’t seen her go off-grid like this since she hired me. ”
“Okay, then, thanks.” Mia left the office and headed to her own. She needed to follow Blake’s example. She decided to grab her tote and handle any issues from the house. If she had to come back, she’d bring Levi or maybe Thomas as backup.
When she got back to James’s office, he was heading to the kitchen. He frowned at her tote. “I thought you were staying around for a while?”
“I’m not feeling my best. I can handle any issues from home.” She nodded to the door to the employee parking area. “Do you mind walking me to my car now?”
“Of course not,” he said as he poked his head into the kitchen area to tell them he’d be right there. Then he opened the door to the outside. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive? You look a little pale.”
Mia felt a little shaky, but after glancing around the parking lot, she didn’t see Alfred Howard waiting for her, so she faked a smile. “I’ m fine. Just a lot going on. I’m trying to keep Mia’s Morsels handling the Halloween party off my mind, but it’s going to be huge.”
“Blake would freak if she thought you were even thinking about it on Lodge time. I swear that woman counts the times I go to the restroom in a day.” When they got to her car, he opened her door for her, and Mia glanced around the inside before climbing in.
“Seriously?” he said. “You’re starting to make me paranoid too. ”
“I’m reading a serial killer book. I guess it’s got me jumpy,” Mia lied to him. But she was glad she took the time to check the backseat and saw it was clear. Abigail and Trent had her worried.
“I’ll see you Monday for the staff meeting, then.
Unless you get called in tonight. I’ll try to handle everything, so head to bed.
You need to be at your best for the weekly grilling from our fearless leader.
And maybe I’ll be King of the Paperwork this week since you’ll be too sick to finish yours.
” He shut her door and tapped his hand on the top of her car.
She drove away, avoiding the lot by the front entrance, which meant she had to drive another three blocks home, but she didn’t run into Howard as she left.
When she unlocked the front door, Muffy and Cerby came running, barking at the door opening, then they jumped on her legs until she acknowledged their presence. Trent came out of the kitchen. “You’re home early. Did you lock the door?”
“Yes, I locked the door. You and your mom freaked me out, so I came home. I might need to go back, but so far, so good. Is your dad still here?” Mia set her tote on a table near the stairs.
“He’s in the kitchen with the rest of the gang. Did you eat lunch?” He put his arm around her as they made their way to the industrial kitchen, where they cooked for the catering gigs and the weekly delivery service.
“James fed me.” Mia took a breath. It felt better being home. Whatever was going on, she was feeling the angst outside the school building.
Grans looked up at her from her spot at the table where everyone was sitting. “You’ll feel much better in a few minutes. The spelling is working well.”
“What spelling?” Mia got a bottle of water from the fridge, then sat down with the group next to Trent.
Abigail dropped her gaze as her grandmother met Mia’s glance. “Uh-oh.”
“I’ve told you before, or at least I thought I did, the school is warded.
” Grans looked at Mia like she’d failed math or something.
“The wards boost your immune system from the negative magic you encounter when you’re outside the school.
Your necklace protects you, but the school gives you power and strength.
Either Howard or Blake or someone from the coven is sending out a lot of negative energy around you and the rest of us.
That’s why I decided to stay here. I need to ward Robert’s house, too, but there’s so much upkeep to the process.
I don’t think I can keep three places safe. ”
Mia let that thought roll over her as the rest discussed Cerby and Buddy.
By the time they’d finished an early dinner and left to retire for the night, Mia was glad to have everyone gone.
Trent and Levi had left around five with Cerby and Buddy.
They wanted to get the dragon settled before nightfall.
Abigail and Thomas had left, and Grans had retired to her room.
She was probably talking to Robert. Christina brought Mia a glass of wine, and they sat in the living room.
“Even with you leaving town, my life is fuller than I’d ever expected.” Mia smiled at her young protégé. Her almost-sister-in-law.
“That’s a good thing. You need people. When you lived with Isaac, he kept you working too hard to even think about having friends or a life.
Now you have a whole house full of people most days.
People you like.” Christina sipped her wine.
“I almost feel jealous for leaving. If it wasn’t for the crazy amount of money they offered, I’d stay here. ”
“Rub it in.” Mia laughed as her phone rang. Trent was calling, probably to check in. She took the call. “Hey, so have you got them settled? I bet Buddy loves the backyard.”
Trent’s house was on the river, and he owned the wooded acres behind the house.
It was a perfect place to raise a dragon, although Mia had never thought of it that way before.
“Mia, Levi and I were out sitting on the back deck talking when Cerby came running back from the woods barking. I followed him into the woods and found him. Alfred Howard’s dead. ”
Mia set the wineglass down, glad she hadn’t taken a drink yet. “I’ll be right there. Did you call Mark?”