Chapter 5
The sun spills its golden rays across the world, a divine whisper of warmth and life that stirs the earth to bloom and the heart to beat.
Death magic, in its twisted hunger, seeks to unravel this sacred gift, drawing its strength from the shadowed silence of the grave, where existence withers and fades.
It is a dark defilement of nature’s cycle, an unholy force that robs the soul of light and leaves only the cold void in its wake.
How could words be so beautiful, so inspiring, and yet so damning at the same time?
I mulled the passage over in my mind as Mom, all my sisters, and I walked along the sidewalk.
The townsfolk, wrapped in soft scarves and the gentle glow of golden autumn light, proceeded with us toward the little chapel.
Each person’s footsteps carried with them a quiet, comforting sense of togetherness as they crunched with ours on the crisp fallen leaves.
My ghost cat also sauntered down the street with our group like she was a part of the family.
She’d followed me home from the cemetery and since then had gone wherever I had, as if she was my special companion.
Despite that, I wasn’t sure she cared for me.
She always kept her distance and ran away when I got too close.
Her ears flicked back and forth as she walked, her head held high.
Could she really be Frank’s old cat? Why had she attached herself to me?
I tugged on the skirt I’d borrowed from Kitty.
It was much shorter than I was used to, hitting mid-thigh.
My own black skirt had torn when I tripped in the cemetery.
My charcoal sweater hit the top of my waist, giving a slight show of skin between my stomach and my hips.
Under normal circumstances, I would have rejected wearing such attire to a vigil.
Except today, I wouldn’t attend a vigil.
Lydia walked at the head of our procession with Mom.
I’d been trying to find an opportunity all day to speak with my youngest sister, but I hadn’t even seen her after the party—she must have arrived home late and then this morning been careful to be with Kitty or another family member every waking moment.
That didn’t matter. I’d uncover my own clues.
I clutched my wool coat close, letting the chatter of my mom and sisters swallow me. Moving down the street, I slowed my pace until I was at the rear of the group. It was easiest to fade from sight with my family. I didn’t know if that said more about them or me.
I hurried down the side streets to the Ravenswood’s store, only releasing my fade when I turned down the alley that ran behind the shop. My phantom cat padded along at my heels. I guess my fade didn’t fool her. I paused at The Enchanted Teapot’s rear entrance. A keypad sat above the lock.
Isabella had given me the code to deactivate the security system. I reached out to input the numbers.
An unexpected magical force hit me and threw me backward, knocking me off my feet.
I slammed into something strong and hard, yet with a slight give. Warmth spread through my back and hands gripped my arms, keeping me from falling on my butt.
“Mary, Mary, quite contrary.” The familiar baritone voice in my ear sent my heart skittering.
I spun around and looked up.
Frank Churchill stared at me with a bemused expression on his face. “What are you doing here with the Ravenswoods conveniently gone?”
My mouth fell open. “What are you doing here?”
A frustrated frown pulled at his lips. “Isabella made the wolfsbane potion. I’m unaware of any other suppliers.”
“You need more.”
Desperation flashed through his gaze. “Unfortunately, the full moon will come in a couple weeks, whether I like it or not.”
“Then it looks as if we’re in the same boat.” I fought to stand straight instead of leaning into the warmth of his body as it rolled over me. “I need to get inside, too.”
“They’ve added a fae protective charm to the store. The Ravenswoods must have implemented it as extra security after Isabella’s death. I’m glad I was here to catch you.” The look in his dark eyes melted my insides.
“Me too,” I whispered, my heart starting a steady pulse in my ears.
His head shot up, and he peered in the direction I’d come from. “Somebody is coming.”
I searched the alley, only filled with dried leaves skittering across the concrete. There was no place to hide. What would happen if someone found me and Frank standing outside the Ravenswood’s store when they were at their daughter’s vigil? My head spun. What could we do?
Frank’s arms came around me. “Kiss me.”
My eyes grew wide, my cheeks burning. “Excuse me?”
He tugged me closer, his face bending toward mine. His fingers rose up my spine and under my hair, their warmth searing the skin of my neck. “Trust me,” he murmured.
Hex me. My gaze dropped to his mouth, his perfect lips descending to my own.
How often had I fantasized about this moment, knowing it would never come true? And now it was only for pretend, but I didn’t care. Whatever the reason Frank wanted to kiss me, I’d take it. I gripped his shirt in my fists and rose on my toes, pressing my lips to his.
It was nothing similar to the fast, desperate kisses I’d read about in books.
No, this was slow, almost tender, as if he too was savoring the moment.
The kiss deepened, still gentle, but with a quiet urgency, like a question neither of us had the words for.
His fingers brushed the side of my face, grazing my skin, sending a ripple of heat through me.
They flowed over my body like cascading water.
My hands found his shoulders, pulling him closer as the kiss became more sure, more consuming. His lips felt soft. Yet as he kissed me, a newfound certainty and a subtle hunger emerged. I reciprocated, savoring his taste, which was both familiar and overpowering.
“Mary?”
I drew back with a gasp at the sound of Kitty’s voice. It was only my sister, not someone who was going to turn us into the police. She probably saw me try to use my fading powers and followed me. If she was looking straight at me when I started, it wouldn’t have worked on her.
Frank’s hands on my body froze, and he pulled away.
Kitty’s jaw was nearly to the alley’s cement floor. Her eyes flicked between him and me. “What’s going on?”
“Frank and I were…” What were we doing? I bit my lip that still tingled from the feel of his on mine. But wait, Kitty knew witchcraft. Unlike me, she had a talent for it. Perhaps she was aware of a way past this fae barrier. I motioned toward the Ravenswood’s shop. “We’re trying to get inside.”
“Is now really the best time for this?” It was hard to tell if she was talking about me kissing Frank or me breaking into someone’s store. If anyone had told me I’d be doing either of these things a week ago, I would’ve laughed in their face.
Kitty’s gaze shifted to Frank, who stood silently at my side, and it was clear she had so much more she wanted to ask.
“I’m trying to figure out who killed Isabella. We have to go inside in order to search for clues, but a fae shield is in place.” I plowed ahead. “Do you know any spells that might undo the magic?”
“And Frank—”
“I’m assisting her”—he cleared his throat—“with getting into the store.”
Kitty raised an eyebrow. “I can see how helpful you were being.”
“Kitty,” I said sharply and gestured toward the building.
She sighed. “Why not leave this to the authorities, Mary?”
I cast a sideways glance at Frank. “I have my reasons. Are you going to help or not?”
She ran a hand over her face. Then reached for a small carving of a cauldron she kept around her neck. “This is a charm that allows me to counteract lesser spells. I can break a fae barrier, but I will need Frank’s fae powers to assist me.”
He glanced at me, but nodded. “Of course.”
Kitty laid her palms flat toward the store. “When I tell you, reach out and use your glamor power to deactivate the shield.” She shut her eyes, clutching the charm, and began muttering a spell. Power flowed from her hands into the barrier.
“Now,” she murmured.
Frank stepped forward and laid his hand on the brick of the Ravenswood’s store. His shoulders tightened. He emitted a low growl and allowed his magic to drift into the air.
But then she stopped chanting and dropped her hands. “That was harder than expected,” Kitty said.
“We did it, didn’t we?” Frank leaned against the building, panting.
My sister faced me. “Are you—”
“I’m fine. You can go,” I said. Though I, the forgotten daughter, might miss most of a vigil service unnoticed, Kitty’s absence would definitely raise questions. “And thank you.”
“Okay.” The look she gave me implied there would be much to discuss later. I shot her a calming smile and waved her on. She turned and exited the alley.
I faced Frank. “Before we go in we have to disable the—”
He dialed in the last numbers on the keypad and hit enter. Then he pulled the door open, offering one of his charming smiles that made my heart stutter. “Ladies first.”
He possessed the security code? The only plausible explanation was because Isabella had provided it to him at some point before her death.
Trying to tamp down my curiosity, I moved into the Ravenswood’s store. Frank followed, snapping the door shut behind us. I couldn’t believe a couple of minutes ago I was kissing Frank Churchill, the man I’d had a crush on since I was in pigtails, and now we were breaking into a shop together.
It seemed like the obvious progression of a relationship. Kiss a boy, then break the law with him.
“We need to find Isabella’s room,” I whispered, though I was pretty sure nobody was here.
Frank nodded. “Go up the stairs before you reach the shop. Second door on the right.”
I glanced at him in surprise, but he didn’t offer any explanation. Frank’s constant scent of citrus and sage reminded me that he was directly behind me as I progressed through the rear of the store. I inhaled fully, enjoying having him so close.