Lucky Charm (Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 4) Read online

  "I have no connection to Raisa," I said. "She told me herself that we weren’t part of the same coven. She knew about my birthmark, though."

  Lady Weatherby's brow lifted. "Birthmark? What birthmark?"

  Oops. Probably should have reported that discovery. “I have a small birthmark on the nape of my neck in the shape of a little blue star. Raisa seemed to know about it even though I was unaware of it."

  Professor Holmes stood and walked to the back of my chair. "May we see it?"

  I lifted my hair off my neck and displayed the birthmark. He studied it for a moment before beckoning Lady Weatherby over. Wordlessly, she rose from her chair and stood behind me.

  "Fascinating," she said. "It is very much like a star."

  "And blue at that," Professor Holmes added.

  "What do you think it means?" I asked. "Raisa seemed to know I was coming, too. And she knew Sedgwick's name."

  Lady Weatherby returned to her seat behind the desk. "She is beyond the veil now. She has access to more information than you and I could dream of."

  "Then why couldn’t she tell me about my coven? She didn't seem to have all of the answers."

  "No, death does not make us omniscient,” Lady Weatherby replied. “However, she is infinitely wiser now than she was when she was living."

  “Like Gandalf when he levels up from a grey wizard to a white one,” I said.

  Lady Weatherby stared down her aquiline nose at me. “Your human references have no relevance here.”

  I begged to differ. "Do you think it's worth going to see her again?" Although I didn't love the idea of revisiting the creepy cottage with the boneyard, I'd suck it up if it meant answers.

  "No," Lady Weatherby and Professor Holmes said in unison.

  "Raisa is dangerous," Professor Holmes said. "Living or dead."

  "I shall have members of the coven research the birthmark," Lady Weatherby said. "Thank you for your candor. I expect you will alert us to any further discoveries."

  I nodded. “I’m as eager to know more about myself as you are." I meant it. I wanted to learn more about my mother and her side of the family. Did she know she was a witch? What happened to her parents? Was her death an accident?

  “I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Lady Weatherby said, as I rose to my feet. “I tried your Magically Delicious Muffins. Your baking is not as terrible as I expected.”

  It was the closest she would come to a compliment.

  "Um, thank you?”

  To my surprise, Chairman Meow escorted me to the door. He had a regal air about him and I could only assume that came from his position as Lady Weatherby's familiar. From his purposeful strides, I couldn't decide whether he was politely seeing me out or throwing me out. When it came to cats, it was hard to tell.

  Millie stood on my doorstep, arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

  "Hey Millie," I said. "What's going on?"

  She blew straight past me and into the house. "They revoked my broomstick license for a whole month," she complained.

  I couldn't hide my surprise. Millie was the star pupil in our broomstick flying class. "How did that happen?"

  "Do you have anything to drink?" she asked. "I had to walk all the way here and now I'm parched."

  "Sure," I said, gesturing for her to follow me into the kitchen.

  "Do you have any zazzle punch?" she asked. "That's my favorite."

  "I'm afraid I don't. How about lime fizz?"

  She groaned. "I suppose that will have to do."

  I poured her a glass of lime fizz and we settled down at the counter.

  "So what happened? You fly a broomstick as well as any witch in the coven."

  Millie couldn't resist a proud smile. "I was late coming home from the hideout last night," she said. "I was in danger of missing my curfew, so I decided to fly home." Millie's broomstick license, like mine, was provisional. We were only permitted to fly during daylight hours until we passed the next phase.

  "You flew in the dark?"

  "The sun had only just set," she said bitterly. "It was my stupid luck that Sheriff Hugo was out on the golf course at the country club and saw me fly overhead."

  "And he recognized you?"

  "Of course." She guzzled down her lime fizz. "I never should've stayed for the end of the movie. I ended up missing curfew and losing my license. So not worth it."

  I resisted the urge to tell her that rules existed for a reason. That didn't seem like the kind of response he was looking for. Then again, I was surprised she would come to me at all. Although we were friends, we weren't as close as she and Sophie.

  "I was wondering if you might have any way of helping me get my license back," Millie said.

  Now I understood. She wasn't here for sympathy. She was here for action.

  "I'm a public defender, Millie," I said. "I don't have any involvement in the bureaucratic end of things."

  Millie ran her index finger along the rim of the glass. "But people seem to listen to you. Maybe you could just lay out my case."

  "It's only a month, Millie. If I were you, I would just wait it out."

  Millie's face reddened. "That's because you don't like to fly. It's going to be torture for me to not have my broomstick for an entire month. Why do we even have all these stupid rules?"

  "I'm really sorry. I wish I could help."

  Millie's shoulders slumped. "I suppose I can just ride tandem for the rest of the month. At least that would allow me time in the air, although it won't count toward my full license."

  Magpie wandered in, took one look at Millie, and hissed before scampering into an adjacent room.

  "I've been thinking," Millie said, eyeing the empty doorway. “This cat of yours might improve his behavior if he spent more time around other cats."

  "What exactly are you proposing? A party?" I bit back a laugh at the thought of cats sitting around the table in party hats.

  "Something like that," she said, completely serious. "Our familiars tend to spend a lot of time together. It wouldn't be out of the question to include Magpie, even though he isn't your familiar."

  I was touched. Millie wasn't the warmest witch in Spellbound, but her idea was a thoughtful one.

  "I can't say for certain that Magpie will go along with it, but I'm certainly willing to try." I'd say the hairless cat was grumpy ever since his owner died, except I had the sense that Magpie’s personality was unchanged by Gareth’s death.

  Millie clapped her hands. "Well, this cheers me up, despite the pesky license situation. I'll speak to the other girls and we’ll arrange something."

  "It's probably best if I host," I said. "I don't know how amenable Magpie would be to leaving the house." I glanced down at the savage beast, as he studied Millie with his usual murderous eyes.

  Millie took a nervous step backward. “Yes, here is probably best. Where his owner can keep him in line.”

  “Magpie doesn’t really have an owner now,” I said. If he ever truly did.

  “Well, hopefully we can work on smoothing his rough edges.”

  Rough edges was putting it mildly. “If he doesn’t draw blood, I’ll consider the party a success.”

  Millie scrunched up her nose. “You and I have vastly different definitions of success.”

  Given that my measure of success was not puking during flight on a broomstick and Millie’s was executing a perfect ninety-degree angle, she wasn’t wrong.

  “I’m sure we do, Millie. I’m sure we do.”

  Chapter 3

  Today was the day I’d designated to see the town council about organizing a commission to review Spellbound’s sentencing guidelines. Traditionally, crimes were firmly punished here, but it had recently come to light that many residents felt the length of sentences was too harsh. Certain people, including prosecuting attorney Rochester, felt that it was time to take a closer look at Spellbound’s laws and see whether changes could and should be made. Thanks to my fairy friend Lucy, who served as the assistant to Mayor Knig
htsbridge, I knew that the council was meeting at ten. I wore my most professional-looking outfit and took extra time with my hair, much to Gareth’s relief. I wanted my proposal to be taken seriously, so I needed to look the part.

  I ran into Lucy in front of the Great Hall. She was busy shooing pigeons away from the overhang above the entrance.

  "There you are," she said, fluttering toward me. Her pink wings glistened in the sunlight.

  “Have they started yet?" I asked, as we entered the building.

  "No, you've arrived just in time."

  Lucy looped her arm through mine and steered me toward the double doors that led into the Great Hall.

  The Great Hall was an impressive structure. From its high ceilings and stunning architecture to its grand lobby, it was the right place to make big decisions. My trials were also held here, so I was starting to know the building well. Although my office was close by, I wasn't fortunate enough to be in the same building. That honor was reserved for the registrar's office, the very first place I'd ever visited in Spellbound.

  "They won't mind, will they?” I asked. “You said residents show up unannounced all the time at these meetings, right?"

  Lucy chewed her lip. "I wouldn't say all the time. Just because they’re allowed to come during open meetings doesn't mean they feel encouraged to do so."

  "What determines whether a meeting is open or closed?"

  "It depends on what’s on the agenda. If they’re making important decisions, they’ll sometimes ask for feedback in advance and consider the issue behind closed doors. Today is listed as an open meeting."

  "And you'll tell me when it's the right time for me to speak?" I asked.

  "You can count on me."

  Lucy pushed open the double doors and froze beside me. I didn't realize what the problem was until I saw the council members. Wayne Stone, part-time accountant and full-time troll, was in the process of jumping down from the dais to the floor below.

  "What’s he doing?" I asked in a hushed tone. "He's going to hurt himself." Trolls did not get much stockier than Wayne. He was liable to give himself a hernia or blow out a knee.

  "It isn't just Wayne," Lucy said, her eyes round. “Check out Lord Gilder."

  Oh my. Lord Gilder, head of the vampire coven and an incredibly formal member of the council, was balancing his gavel on the tip of his nose like a circus seal. The elegant yet fearsome Lady Weatherby sat beside him, clapping merrily at his performance.

  "Something is terribly wrong," Lucy said.

  To the untrained eye, it simply appeared that the town council was letting loose for change. We knew better. The council never loosened up.

  Lucy gasped. "Did you see that? Lady Weatherby just did a cartwheel and her cloak blew up in the process." She covered her mouth. “Her underpants are black lace. I can’t unsee that!”

  “Stop right there,” I insisted. I didn’t want any more details. "They’re acting like children.”

  “Stars and stones, it must be a spell,” Lucy said.

  A spell on the entire town council. Egads. “What do we do?"

  "Well, one of my former jobs was running a preschool. Let's see if I still have the skills." Lucy fluttered forward, snapping her fingers. "One, two, three. All eyes on me." The members of the council stopped what they were doing and stared at the dark-haired fairy. Lucy glanced at me over her shoulder and winked.

  "You’re not the boss of me," Maeve McCullen said. Maeve was a banshee and the owner of the town theatre. She was as theatrical as she was pretty. For a brief moment, I wondered whether this was all an act. Then Lorenzo Mancini jumped on top of one of the tables and howled like the moon was shining directly in his face. Not typical behavior for the reserved alpha of the werewolf pack.

  "Now what?" Lucy whispered.

  "Please have a seat," I said. "We need everyone to be calm and quiet." I tried desperately to remember all of the phrases my grandparents had used to quiet me when I was small. I had no experience in dealing with children other than the fact that I’d once been one.

  From out of nowhere, a snowball hit me in the face. My cheek burned from the cold. I heard giggling from the dais.

  "Okay," I yelled. "Who did that?"

  Everyone remained silent. Since it was an indoor snowball in sixty-degree weather, it had to be someone with access to magic, which narrowed down the pool of suspects.

  "Lady Weatherby did it," Juliet piped up. The statuesque Amazon sat quietly in her chair, sucking her thumb.

  Lady Weatherby jerked her head toward Juliet. "You always were a crybaby," she accused.

  "And you've always been a bully," Juliet shot back.

  Oh dear. This could get ugly fast if we didn't get it under control. Some of these council members packed a serious magical punch. If they weren't in a mature frame of mind, who knew what the repercussions would be?

  "I think I'd better go get Sheriff Hugo," Lucy said.

  "Really?" I asked. The sheriff wasn’t exactly known for his diligent efforts in the area of law enforcement.

  "Do you have any better suggestions?"

  I didn't. “Do you know a spell that can contain them while I wait?” I didn't want all hell to break loose while I was alone with the council members.

  Before she could answer, the double doors burst open and an elf came riding in on a unicycle. It was Stan, the registrar.

  “What on earth?” Lucy exclaimed.

  The room erupted at the sight of the unicycle.

  "I want a turn," Maeve called.

  "Me first," Wayne said. He advanced toward the elf until I whipped out my wand, Tiffany.

  "Nobody move a muscle," I said. "I have a wand and I'm not afraid to use it."

  Big mistake. Lady Weatherby pulled out her more impressive wand. "I have one too. Let's see whose is better."

  "No, no, no," Lucy whispered.

  "Lucy, hurry and get Sheriff Hugo. I'm going to need help keeping them still." Literally. They were all bouncing around like they needed the toilet.

  "I'll be back in a jiffy," Lucy promised. I seriously hoped a jiffy meant teleportation. Even five minutes would be too long with this crew.

  Stan hopped off his unicycle and sat down in a nearby chair. "Is this a playgroup? I was bored in my office all by myself."

  “Let’s play Magic and Mayhem,” Mayor Knightsbridge cried.

  The word ‘mayhem’ in the title suggested that was not a good idea. I racked my brain for a spell I could use to keep them from getting out of hand.

  Then I remembered the Sleeping Beauty spell.

  The Sleeping Beauty spell was a basic defensive spell that Lady Weatherby had taught me. It was ironic that I was about to use it on her. I knew the spell wouldn't last long, but it would give me enough time to get help. If they were anything like the kids I knew, they were going to be full of energy when they woke up. I was definitely going to need backup.

  I focused my will, held out my wand, and said, “I’m in too deep/please go to sleep.”

  I hurried out of the Great Hall and secured the double doors behind me. I needed to find someone from the coven. Quickly.

  Professor Holmes and I entered the Great Hall to the sound of gentle snoring. Lorenzo was just stirring. Perfect timing.

  The elderly wizard’s eyebrow quirked. "Children, you say? I see a bunch of old timers taking their morning nap."

  "Just wait," I said.

  "I'm hungry," Lorenzo said, and began to cry.

  Professor Holmes looked at me askance. "I'm beginning to understand."

  He approached the dais and stood across from Lady Weatherby as her eyes opened. She stretched her arms overhead and stifled a yawn.

  “J.R., do you recognize me?" he asked.

  She hunched forward and peered into his eyes. Then, quick as a flash, her hand darted out and snatched his pointy blue hat. "This looks better on me.” She set it on top of her antler headdress.

  “J.R., it's me. Francis. We work together."

  Lad
y Weatherby giggled. “I know, silly. But all work and no play makes J.R. a dull girl."

  I sincerely hoped she was quoting the nursery rhyme and not The Shining. With Lady Weatherby, I couldn't be too sure.

  "And you have no idea what happened here?" he asked me.

  I shook my head. "Lucy and I arrived in time for the meeting. I was going to present a proposal. They were like this when we came in."

  "And Stan?” he asked. "Was he in here too?”

  "No, he came from his office. The spell must have impacted everyone in the building at the time.” He was just collateral damage.

  "Why would someone do this?" He tugged on his ear, thinking. "We need to address this promptly. We simply cannot have every member of the council acting like a child. It puts the entire town at risk."

  "You're preaching to the choir," I said. "Lucy went to get Sheriff Hugo." The fact that she hadn’t returned yet suggested that he was nowhere to be found.

  "Well, we cannot keep putting them to sleep,” the professor said. “We shall have to come up with some other means of keeping them safe."

  "It works both ways," I said. "We need to keep residents safe from them as well.” We needed to start by collecting the wands of Lady Weatherby and Mayor Knightsbridge. The magic of both the head of the coven and the powerful fairy was too potent to leave unattended.

  I fished two lollipops out of my handbag. I tended to keep random snacks in there for when I was at the office and feeling hungry. I knew an apple would be better for me, but Taffy's was the best candy shop I'd ever seen and it was located right in the town square. Too tempting to avoid.

  “Lady Weatherby and Mayor Knightsbridge,” I called. “I’d like to trade you one of these amazing lollipops for your wands." I held out the two lollipops for inspection. The mayor's eyes popped at the sight of the sparkly pink one in my left hand.

  "That one! That one!"

  She snatched it from me and handed over her glittering wand. Next I did the same with Lady Weatherby. Although it didn't render them powerless, it significantly reduced the harm they were capable of.

  Sheriff Hugo galloped into the Great Hall, followed by Lucy and his deputy, Astrid the Valkyrie.