Chapter 8
“Mark Baldwin does not think I killed Suzanne Parker. He’s just getting confirmation that I was here, with most of you, that night, waiting for my test scores.
And if I hadn’t been here, the announcement would have found me and announced in the car or wherever I was.
Sarah had to have told him that much.” Mia sank into a chair.
She felt beat, but being back in the academy, under the protection wards, was giving her more strength.
“I need to tell you what happened when we were at dinner.”
As she started talking about the glamour she’d seen at the restaurant, the room got quiet. Levi stood and went to the fridge and grabbed a beer for both Mia and Christina. After she’d finished with the fact that Trent had sent Buddy to follow them home, Thomas stood and paced.
“We haven’t seen magic like this against another witch for ages.” He’d paused as he’d formulated his statement, meeting Damien’s gaze. “Can you remember the last time, at least locally?”
Damien shook his head. “My books are being delivered next week. As soon as they are, I’ll dig into that question, and find out who cast the spell back then. But if I were to guess? It has to be almost a hundred years since we’ve had proof of this type of tampering.”
“I’ll spend some time in the archives tomorrow,” Grans offered. “I’m concerned that this isn’t just about your magical level.”
“I have that feeling too. Abigail, can you find out when Sonja was assigned to train Cerby and Tempest? I feel like I was set up to be alone here more than I have been this week. One, to ruin any alibi, but there may be another reason. The vision I had was based on something Christina and I were talking about at the mall. I’m either being followed or a listening spell has been cast on me. ”
Christina raised her hand. “Or on me. I was supposed to be back in Portland this week. Levi, I think I’m moving back into my old room for a bit. How do you feel about not leaving Magic Springs just yet?”
“I don’t think we should leave. Whoever is doing this is skilled at breaking up the group. But I feel weird staying in your family’s cabin alone.” Levi leaned into Christina. “And I can’t go to Trent’s.”
“You can come home,” Abigail said. “You know your old room is always available for you and Christina.”
“Okay, maybe the Adams’s cabin won’t be that weird. Just don’t tell your mom I’m there alone. She’ll come by to count the silver,” Levi said.
“You’re awful but not wrong.” Christina laughed as she leaned into him. “I just can’t leave Mia here alone.”
“I have Finn and Grans most nights and Damien during the day.” She looked around the room. “I’m rarely alone here.”
“But when you are alone, you’re in danger,” Abigail pointed out. “If you’re going back to work, we should have someone with you at all times.”
“Really? How is that going to work? I have an event tomorrow and Saturday night. Then I go back full time on Monday. Does one of you want to give up your life to be my shadow?”
Christina held up her hand. “I can. My company has an exchange program with other hotels where we can visit and observe other locations for two months. I’ll put in the paperwork tomorrow and should be up and running by Monday.”
“I’ll call the captain and tell them that my mother is sick and needs her baby boy.” Levi grinned at Abigail. “She’s on her deathbed, but I hope to bring her back.”
“What happens if I visit Portland when this all settles?” Abigail asked.
Levi shrugged. “I pulled you from the jaws of death and nursed you back to health. Too bad I’m in a committed relationship or this story would get me dates for years.” He kissed Christina on the cheek.
“Don’t push it; you may not be in a committed relationship if you keep this up.” Christina swatted at him. Then she yawned, stretching her arms. “I’m glad I still have stuff here. I don’t think I could drive back from the condo tonight.”
Mia had been quiet while people were chatting. She looked at her grandmother. “Who else was here when you talked to Mark?”
“Just me. He knocked on the door, then waited for me to get downstairs. He’s such a nice young man.”
“I don’t want to offend you, but …” Mia didn’t get to finish her statement. Or had it been a question?
“You’re wondering if it really was Mark here.
” Thomas sprinted to the front door, holding out his hands to check to see if any additional wards were in his way.
He brought in a box that had been sitting out there for hours.
“Whoever is doing this glamoured the FedEx guy. I bet his mind’s been wiped too. ”
He set down the box on the table and scanned it with his mind. When he was done, he turned to Abigail. “Your spices have arrived.”
“I was wondering when they would show up.” Abigail pointed toward the box. “Leave them there, I’ll retrieve them on my way into the kitchen in the morning. I think we should break for the night. Levi? I’d make breakfast if you came home.”
“Tempting, but I like my privacy. Even from my parents.” He stood and pulled Christina to her feet. “I’m going to take Sleeping Beauty up to her room. Then I’ll head out.”
“Call me when you’re back in the condo,” Abigail said. “I’ll worry.”
“Darling, we’ve been empty nesters for years.
Someday you’re going to have to trust that our sons can make it in the world without interference from their mother.
Besides, that’s Christina’s job now.” Thomas pulled Abigail out of the chair and into his arms. “Society, we’ll see you in the morning.
I’ll drop this one off on my way to work. ”
“I’m not going to a day care, Thomas,” Abigail replied, kissing Grans on the cheek as she moved toward the door.
“Maybe with all that’s going on it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Who knew that you taking on a job cooking could be deadly?” Thomas shook hands with Damien, then slapped his son on the back. “Listen to your mother. Call.”
“I’m not just a cook, I’m a manager.” Abigail slipped on her coat as Thomas left the academy to warm up the car. “Men. Sometimes they’re infuriating.”
“You would know, you have three boys,” Mia said as she watched people leave. Damien followed Thomas out after walking Grans to the elevator. Levi and Christina were already on their way upstairs, which left her and Muffy watching Abigail waiting for Thomas to pull the car closer.
Muffy whined, and Mia put on her jacket and snapped a leash on Muffy’s collar. “I don’t think you’re going to like it out there, but let’s get this over with.”
Abigail followed them out. “You know if you need Trent, he’d stop the training and come here.”
Mia watched Muffy scout the grass for the perfect spot.
“I know. I miss him, but I believe we need Cerby trained more than I need him here. Besides, I have things to do, including figuring out why someone wants me to react to all their games. Was tonight meant to make me leave town? Break up the Society? Or was it just a game to hurt me? And they had to know I’d talk to Mark. ”
“Unless they aren’t local. I don’t think Sarah’s magical genealogy is known outside of town.
And no one from the outside would know that your grandmother used to babysit Mark.
Maybe they thought a visit from the local police chief would scare you.
” Abigail waved as Thomas pulled up the car and reached over to open the door.
She gave Mia a hug. “You’re one of us now, no matter how you got here.
Same with Christina and Finn, and your grandmother and Damien.
We’re a family, no matter what anyone else calls us. ”
Mia watched them drive away, then heard Muffy barking from the door. Time to go inside before they froze. She waved at Buddy, who was perched in the tree with one eye open.
It was time to make a list of who might want Suzanne Parker dead, besides herself.
The next morning, she was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee when Grans and Christina came out of their respective bedrooms. She stepped away from the coffeepot when Christina stared at her with her eyes half open.
“Get some go-go juice, sunshine. If you’re my shadow, we’re leaving in thirty minutes. ”
“I went into catering because most events are held at decent hours, like in the evenings.” Christina poured herself coffee and sat next to Mia. “What are you working on?”
“A time line since my last testing. Abigail and I have a theory that the culprit may be from out of town. Whoever sent me the vision of Trent and Sonja last night didn’t know that Sarah was in the house with them.
They missed blocking her phone. And they didn’t realize that Mark and Sarah were friends of mine.
Fake Mark didn’t have the information real Mark did.
” Mia tapped her pen on the paper. “It sounds more convoluted than it really is. Basically, the spell caster didn’t know the details.
We need to be wary of anything we see because it might not be true. ”
“I’m working on a truth elixir. It’s a complicated potion, but it should give the drinker the ability to see through the glamours.
You’ll know when it’s happening, and hopefully you’ll be able to see the person casting it.
You have to be close to cast that level of illusion.
Dorian and I chatted on the phone for a while last night.
He’s going to help me make the potions after he gets the workmen started on the remodel.
I’ll do the library archive lookup later, once the potion is brewing, so he can watch for me while I’m in the library. ”
“One, you need to call him Damien. What if someone from the coven sees him? And hears you call him by his real name?” That was the problem with lies; they could never be sustained. Especially when you were dealing with honest people.
“And two?” Grans didn’t look up from the book of potions she was reading.
“What?” Mia needed one more cup of coffee. Work would keep her busy so she couldn’t think about the murder and the things she didn’t know.