Ghoul's Paradise (Spellbound Ever After Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 7) Read online

  Ghoul’s Paradise

  Spellbound Ever After Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Book 7

  Annabel Chase

  Red Palm Press LLC

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Also by Annabel Chase

  Chapter One

  I was pleasantly surprised to enter the kitchen and find that my husband had made breakfast. “Daniel, this is so sweet of you. You’re an absolute angel.”

  He crossed the room to kiss my cheek. “Yes, I am.” He flexed his white wings for good measure and nearly knocked over a tea cup on the island in the process. I lunged forward and steadied the cup before any liquid spilled out.

  “Diana is still asleep,” I said. “I’d been hoping for a cuddle before I have to leave for work.”

  “Never wake a sleeping baby,” Daniel said. “You know the rules.”

  My gaze drifted to the ceiling, thinking of Diana asleep in her crib upstairs. “I know, but I’m going to be gone all day. She isn’t used to that. What if she misses me?”

  Daniel set a spoon next to my porridge on the table and smiled. “I think it’s more a case of you missing her, which is completely understandable.”

  I sat down and used my spoon to swirl the cinnamon around in the porridge. “Maybe I shouldn’t go today. Maybe I should wait until tomorrow.”

  Daniel took the seat across from me, carefully tucking his wings against his body. “This is the day you agreed to go back. If you stay here today, it will only make it harder to go back tomorrow. What’s that thing you always say to me? You need to rip off the…?”

  “Band-Aid,” I finished for him. I was a huge proponent of doing the worst tasks first to get them out of the way. Somehow, my current situation seemed different. My baby was upstairs and she wouldn’t be a baby for very long. The days are long but the years are short. I felt this acutely, especially as someone who lost her parents twice over. Well, there was the incredible return of my biological father recently. That recent event was something I was still dealing with, both emotionally and practically.

  “How’s the porridge?” Daniel asked. “Too hot? Maybe it’s too cold? Do I need to heat it up?”

  I smiled at him across the table. “Relax. I’m not Goldilocks. It doesn’t have to be just right, although it’s perfect as it is.”

  He reached for my hand and squeezed. “Today is going to be a great day. You’re going to go to work and reclaim your position from Josie, and I’m going to stay here and take care of our daughter. Everything will be fine. It’s the dawn of a new era.”

  Daniel and I had come up with a schedule that allowed us both to have time at home with Diana. As the director of tourism for Spellbound, Daniel wasn’t always needed in the office and the council agreed to adopt a work-from-home policy on certain days. I’d also made an arrangement that allowed me to work part-time from home and Josie would continue in the office as second chair. I felt very fortunate that our jobs were flexible enough to allow this.

  “You’re still eating? You need time to get dressed and fix your hair for work.” Gareth, my vampire ghost roommate, floated into the kitchen in a tizzy.

  I glanced down at my outfit. “I am dressed for work.”

  Gareth’s impossibly smooth brow lifted. “Oh, that’s what you’re wearing on your first day back? I thought you might go with something a little more…professional.”

  I laughed. “Gareth, I’m wearing an outfit that fits me. I feel like that’s the priority right now.” I wasn’t back to my pre-baby weight yet, but I didn’t want to buy a lot of clothes that I would end up not needing in a few months.

  “It’s up to you,” he said in a voice that clearly indicated it was only partly up to me. “I’m only saying that Josie will be decked out in a suit and you’ll show up looking like you just stepped out of a sewer where you met up with a family of angry alligators.”

  I frowned at my dead undead roommate. “I feel like you’d be interested to see the outcome of that meeting.”

  Daniel eyed me closely. “What’s he saying to you? Is he making you feel bad about your appearance again?”

  Gareth’s hands flew to his hips. “What does he mean again? I am 100% Team Emma.”

  “I know you are,” I said. “No one is questioning that.”

  Gareth pointed at my husband. “I believe he is.”

  I turned to my husband. “It’s fine, Daniel. Gareth is only trying to help.” I didn’t need any extra stress this morning.

  “Constant criticism isn’t helpful,” Daniel said.

  I decided to divert the conversation in an effort to save my sanity. “What if I just go up and kiss her on the forehead?” I suggested, gauging Daniel for a reaction.

  “It’s up to you,” he said. “I’m not going to tell you that you can’t kiss your daughter goodbye. What kind of monster would that make me?”

  “A huge one,” Gareth said. “So enormous that you couldn’t fit through the doorway.” He raised a finger. “Oh, wait. You already can’t fit through the doorway unless you retract those ridiculous feathers of yours. Maybe we should consider plucking them.”

  He’s not a chicken, I wanted to say, but bit my tongue. Tensions had been running a little high with all of us in the house together during my maternity leave. I was hopeful that once we got back into a work routine that conflicts would smooth over.

  “I still need to find time to talk to Lady Weatherby,” I said.

  “And say what?” Daniel asked. “Please don’t take your mother with you when you leave town? Emma, I know that you adore Agnes, but she belongs with her daughter. If Lady Weatherby wants to move away, then she has every right to take Agnes with her and look after her.”

  My spoon clattered to the table. “She does not have every right. Agnes is not a pet. She’s a witch who belongs in Spellbound. This is her home. This has always been her home. If she leaves now, she might not live much longer. There are studies that show if you change an elderly person’s environment that they can become depressed and lose the will to live.” I shuddered at the thought of losing Agnes that way.

  “I understand how you feel,” Daniel said, “but Lady Weatherby has Power of Attorney over her mother’s affairs. There’s nothing you can do.”

  “That won’t stop me from trying,” I said. My bowl now empty, I scraped back my chair and placed the remains of breakfast in the sink. “Maybe there’s a spell I can use…”

  “That would be a very bad idea,” Daniel said. “You can’t use a spell to keep Agnes here. That would be no better than what Lady Weatherby is doing. Worse, in fact.”

  My shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I just wish there was something I could do. I’m going to try and speak to her one more time and see if I can convince her.”

  Gareth hovered beside me. “Aye, a lovely sentiment, but you have more important matters to attend to right now, starting with brushing your teeth. Unless you’re serious about getting rid of Josie, in which case, go now and breathe heavily.”

  I narrowed my eyes at the vampire ghost. “You can’t even breathe. Don’t tell me you can smell my breath.”


  He waved a hand in front of his wrinkled nose. “That’s how bad it is.”

  I rushed upstairs, not wanting to be late my first day back. I cleaned my teeth and tread carefully past Diana’s bedroom. I lingered momentarily at the top of the stairs, tempted to rush back and look at her one more time before I left. I knew in my heart it would be a mistake though. One look at that sweet heart-shaped face and I would be a goner. I’d end up with an overtired baby and an angry Gorgon who expected me to turn up at the office today. With a heavy heart, I blew her a kiss and left the house to start this next chapter of my life.

  I opened the door to my office, ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work. As much as I dreaded the separation from Diana, I’d missed my job as the town defense attorney. I enjoyed helping clients and working alongside Althea. I wasn’t expecting to see Josie McGill seated in my chair. I thought the new schedule had been made clear to the wererat who’d been filling in for me during my maternity leave.

  I faked a breezy smile. “Hey, Josie. I didn’t expect to see you…” In my chair. “…in the office so early. I figured you’d take the opportunity to sleep in today, knowing that I’d be back in action.”

  The wererat’s narrow face lifted to meet my gaze. “Are you kidding? I have been so looking forward to working together. I made sure I was here bright and early, especially because we have a case.” She patted a folder on the desk but made no move to vacate my seat. I continued to stand in front of the desk, feeling awkward.

  “How about that? A case already. That’s great.” Truth be told, I had mixed feelings about jumping right into a case, but I wouldn’t share that with Josie. The wererat would probably take the opportunity to tell the council that I wasn’t ready to return to work. In fact, I was sure she would be more than happy if I decided to resign permanently.

  “It’s a vandalism case, so nothing too exciting,” Josie said. “I met with the client yesterday.”

  The adjoining door flew open and Althea hustled into the room. The Gorgon wore a floor-length purple kaftan and a head wrap in purple and gold that hid her snakes from the public eye. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed.

  “You know I’m not much of a hugger, but I’m going to make an exception today because that’s how happy I am to see you back.”

  I didn’t miss the pointed look she gave Josie as she released me. I knew that the two of them hadn’t been getting along particularly well, but I’d hoped that things had gotten better between them. Josie maintained a neutral expression, choosing not to react to Althea’s look.

  “Josie says we have a case,” I said, hoping to ease the tension. It seemed that I’d jumped straight from the frying pan at home and into the fire here.

  “Vandalism,” Althea confirmed. “Client swears she mistook the spray paint for whipped cream.”

  Josie offered a wry smile. “Yet still managed to spell ‘tramp’ with it.”

  “Sounds fun.” I continued to wait for Josie to realize that she was in my seat but to no avail. The wererat flipped open the file and peered at me.

  “Should we get started?” Josie asked. “Or would you like a latte first? That’s your ritual isn’t it? Get settled first and then ease your way into the hard stuff?”

  I felt like there was an insult in there somewhere, but I opted to ignore it. Josie was likely feeling unsettled because I was back now. It was understandable. She’d been working solo and suddenly was forced to give up her autonomy. Not that it was a surprise. The arrangement the council made with her always involved my return.

  “No need to go to Brew-Ha-Ha,” Althea said. “You know I’ve got you covered, baby.” She ducked back into her office and returned with the signature cup from the local coffee shop. “I made sure to get your favorite.” She handed the cup to me.

  “The Emma?” I’d been pleased when Brew-Ha-Ha had decided to name a latte after me, as well as one after Daniel, because we were responsible for breaking a curse on the town and freeing the supernatural residents that were prevented from leaving here.

  “Actually, I got you the Mother May I,” the Gorgon said. “It seemed more appropriate. It has a double espresso shot with a shot of agreeableness and a shot of resilience.”

  I brought the cup to my nostrils and inhaled the vanilla scent. “You know me so well. Thank you.” Before I could tackle the issue of my chair, a tapping at the window drew my attention. Sedgwick, my owl familiar, hovered outside. I crossed the room to open the window and let him in.

  I’m so glad you’re here, I said. I didn’t see you this morning before I left.

  I was still hunting, he said. I assume that you’d like me to check on the child and report back.

  I patted the owl’s head. That would be great, if you don’t mind. I’m sure she’s still sleeping but just make sure that she’s, you know, breathing. Which I’m sure she is.

  The owl fixed his yellow eyes on me. Gareth is there. If the child has an urgent issue, then I trust he will handle it.

  I know, and Daniel is there as well. It’s just that—I’m not.

  Josie cleared her throat. “Are you two going to do this telepathic thing all day?”

  I swiveled to face her. “Sorry. I’m having Sedgwick check on Diana and give me an update.” I escorted him back to the window. “Off you get. See you soon.”

  “You may as well leave that window open if he’s coming back shortly,” Josie said. “I like the fresh air anyway.”

  I rubbed my arms. “I tend to get a little chilly.” I lowered the window halfway as a compromise.

  Josie bit her lip. “You know what? I don’t think that’s really gonna work for me. Could you raise it a smidge?”

  I resisted the urge to huff. I didn’t want our small quarters to become claustrophobic, so I lifted the window about two inches higher.

  Josie gave me an insincere smile. “Thanks. That’s perfect.” She glanced back at the file. “Should we get started?”

  I took the seat opposite the desk, feeling slightly defeated. I’d held my own against some powerful foes, so why I felt it difficult to challenge Josie, I had no idea. Part of me wanted to keep the peace because that was my nature, but another part of me knew it was because Josie was a woman and I wanted to support her.

  Althea snatched the file from the desk and handed it to me. Just as I’d gathered my courage to reclaim my seat, the door burst open and I turned with a start to see my father standing there.

  “Father. What are you doing here?”

  The demigod strode forward, looking every bit the dapper and debonair demigod that he was in a crisp dark blue suit. His hair was as dark as the night and, even though he didn’t look a day over fifty, he was much older. His pale green eyes fixed on me.

  “This is your first day back at work. You’ve left your child for the first time. It’s a monumental day for my beloved daughter. How could I not stop by to check on you?”

  “As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. There’s no need to check on me.”

  Sedgwick grunted. Oh, the irony, he said, as he flew in through the open window. My familiar gave me a quick update on Diana. Apparently, she’d been fed and Daniel was now walking her in the stroller outside. He has her facing forward, right? Because she can’t see anything if she’s facing him. Well, I guess she could see his face, but…

  Diana is forward-facing and she is enjoying her time outside. Will there be anything else for now, Your Highness?

  I folded my arms and glared at him. I am not being a spoiled princess by asking for an update on my daughter’s well-being.

  Maybe not, but you are being a complete pain in the feathers. With that, the owl zipped out the window.

  My father cleared his throat. “I hate to overstep…”

  “Nice to see you again, Calix.” Althea smothered a laugh as she returned to her office.

  “No, you don’t,” I said to my father. “In fact, I think you quite enjoy it.”

  “Perhaps,” my father admitted. “Be that as it
may, I’m confused as to why you’re not sitting in your rightful throne when you’re the defense attorney. Is this some sort of role-playing game to allow your subordinate to practice?”

  I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. Leave it to my overly confident father to notice the situation and comment on it. “It’s not a throne. It’s just a chair.”

  “With wheels,” my father emphasized. “And it swivels. You don’t know how lucky you are. In my day, thrones didn’t swivel.”

  I closed my eyes. “Again, not a throne.”

  Josie didn’t hesitate. She hopped out of the chair like her butt was on fire. “Silly me. I’ve been sitting there for so long that I didn’t even think to let you have your spot back.”

  “You need to think,” my father said. “It’s a crucial component of your job.”

  She pressed a hand to her chest. “I am so sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  My father gave her a withering glance. “See that it doesn’t.” He shifted his attention to me. “When are we going to flex those demigod genes of yours, peanut?”

  I took my seat, enjoying the fact that it was warm. “You see what my life is like right now. I have a baby, a job, a husband, the academy.”

  My father made a dismissive sound. “You don’t need the academy when you have me. I’m a one-stop magical shop.”

  “And so modest.”

  “Father,” I said. “I appreciate your interest, but Josie and I have work to do because we have a case, so if you wouldn’t mind letting us get to it.”

  He bowed with a flourish. “By all means, poppet. Dinner tonight?”

  “I’m so sorry, but I can’t tonight. The Grey sisters are back from their trip around the world and they’re coming over.” There was no good reason not to include my father except for the fact that I didn’t want to. I hadn’t seen the ancient sisters since right after the curse was broken on Spellbound and we had so much to catch up on. My father had a way of sucking the air out of a room and I wanted it to be a sedate affair.