Chapter 23 #2
They followed Wally through the halls, half awake, half braced for impact. The mansion’s lanterns flickered faster the closer they got to the greenhouse.
When they reached the door, it unlocked itself hesitantly. Then relocked. Then unlocked again with the resigned sigh of a building that wished it had eyes to roll.
“That’s not comforting,” Joell whispered.
Rayna pushed the door open. Wally hopped ahead and led them to the other end of the conservatory, pawing at the outside door to the garden.
All the witches followed, opened the door, and froze.
A body lay crumpled on the grass, only partially visible behind the hydrangeas. Young. Male.
Crystal swallowed. “Oh… Oh no.”
Magda stepped forward, dread tightening her chest. When she leaned in, the first thing she saw was the bright white lanyard glinting in the early light. She lifted it to read the name tag.
“Derek Hollis… Oh gods! Sebastian told me about his assistant, Derek.” She stood quickly, hands trembling. “We need to text Sebastian. And Chad. Now.”
Rayna didn’t hesitate. “On it.”
Joell peeked closer, trying to keep her voice steady. “Well… it doesn’t look like he tripped over a rake or anything. No blood.”
Crystal frowned. “He looks peaceful. Too peaceful. Like he fell asleep, was having a lovely dream, and never woke up.”
Magda’s gaze caught the beaker still loosely held in Derek’s hand. She didn’t touch it, just lowered her voice. “Was he experimenting? Testing something? Sebastian said he could be… impulsive.”
Joell lowered her face to his and sniffed. “If impulsive is code for ‘drinks mystery liquids in the middle of the night,’ then—yeah.”
Rayna exhaled sharply. “So, what exactly do we tell the police? ‘He broke in using a gate code that the house stupidly honored and then drank something he shouldn’t have’?”
Joell raised a hand. “We should absolutely not say ‘stupidly honored.’”
Crystal nodded. “Or anything about the house. Let’s go with: ‘He accessed the property, entered the conservatory, drank something he shouldn’t have, and collapsed outside.’”
Rayna tilted her head. “Should we mention the beaker?”
“I wouldn’t, unless they ask,” Joell said. “And we make it clear it wasn’t offered and wasn’t ingested with our knowledge.”
Wally crept toward Derek, sniffed, then hopped backward and latched onto Magda’s leg. Magda knelt and scooped him up.
“I didn’t know him,” she murmured, “but this… this is awful.”
Rayna softened. “Yeah. It is.”
Chad’s car rumbled up the drive a minute later. He and Brianna stepped out. Brianna rushed to the group on the grass. Chad was already frowning. “I got your text. What hap—”
He saw the body. Paused. Exhaled. “Okay. All right. Morning chaos. Sure. Of course.”
Rayna crossed her arms. “We need help figuring out what to say without sounding guilty or insane.”
Chad crouched near the scene, staying several inches back. “Well… first rule of talking to police: don’t volunteer information they didn’t ask for. Especially supernatural information.”
Joell nodded. “That’s what I said!”
Magda pointed to the lanyard. “It’s Derek Hollis. Sebastian’s assistant.”
“That tracks,” Chad said grimly. “He always struck me as the type who thought safety labels and manuals were ‘optional reading.’”
Brianna shot him a look.
Chad lifted both hands. “Not saying he deserved it. Just saying he was the kind of guy who would try to impress the coeds with a love potion.”
“More like love poison,” Brianna said.
Rayna blinked. “He tested it on himself?”
“Not the best or brightest,” Chad said. “But I’d bet he ingested something he shouldn’t have.”
Magda winced. “That won’t make this easier on Sebastian.”
“No,” Chad agreed quietly. “It won’t.”
Before any of them could say more, tires crunched on gravel again.
Magda stiffened. “That’s Sebastian.”
“How did he get here so quickly?” Joell asked.
“He was staying at a local Bed and Breakfast,” Chad said. I think he had plans… for Magda.”
Magda groaned. “Well, that’s out the window.”
When Sebastian stepped out of the car, the witches all straightened instinctively, humor evaporating into solemnity.
Rayna murmured, “Okay. Respectful hats on. No jokes. No speculation. No Darwinian insults.’”
Chad nodded. “Let him take the lead.”
The moment Sebastian stepped onto the lawn and saw the body, everything changed.
“I’ll have to tell his parents,” he groaned.
“But what will you tell them?” Chad asked. “It’s very important to protect the covert nature of this place and its residents.”
“We’re all right here,” Joell said, deadpan.
“I—I don’t know. What are you telling the police?”
“As little as possible,” Rayna said.
Joell crossed her arms. “I have a solution.”
“Please share,” Chad said.
“Magda, Sebastian, and Wally should make themselves scarce. You’re the only ones who could possibly give away too much. The rest of us don’t know what you were doing. At least not the details.”
“Just that we were trying to brew a love potion,” Magda said. She faced Sebastian. “Did you tell your assistant about it?”
His face fell, and he looked miserably guilty. “Yes. Sometimes I dictate my notes in the car to save time, and he transcribes them. Additionally, he has access to my computer and even my easy-to-remember password… I mean, he had all of that.”
Chad placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known he’d be this reckless.”
“No. I can’t imagine what he was thinking. The leftover stuff in the bottom of the cauldron was full strength. We diluted and microdosed the witches, knowing they could always counteract the result if they felt ill.”
“And he didn’t have that option,” Magda said.
Chad clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “The University still thinks you have the flu, right?”
“Right,” Sebastian said.
“You and Magda should head to Australia. The remaining witches can claim not to know Derek at all without lying. Not that they wouldn’t lie to protect the league…”
Rayna shrugged. “Yes, and…?”
Brianna snapped her fingers. “Chad is a word-warrior. He can manipulate words to make the police believe what we want them to believe.”
Chad’s brows raised. “I can, and if it’s to protect the league, I would. So, I think we have our answer. I will speak to the police. Sebastian and Magda will pack a bag, including all your notes, and go to the airport. The rest of you were asleep and don’t know anything about it.”
“Brilliant!” Crystal exclaimed.
Chad clapped Sebastian on the back. “Enjoy Sydney.”