Cut to the Crone (A Spell's Angels Cozy Mystery Book 4) Read online

  “I get to hang at the bar?” Raisin looked positively thrilled. “You guys never let me hang at the bar.”

  “This is a special occasion,” Rooster replied. “Someone needs to keep Sami entertained and you’re our best option.”

  “Yay!” Raisin clapped her hands and hopped from one foot to the other. “We can get Whistler to make us Shirley Temples. They’re awesome.”

  Sami nodded and forced a smile, but it was clear her mind was elsewhere. While she enjoyed her new friend, she desperately wanted her vampire back more than anything else. She wouldn’t calm herself until he’d been plucked from the clutches of the enemy.

  I risked a glance at Zoe and found her studying Sami with a critical eye. When she realized I was watching her, she cocked her head. “Come on. There’s still twenty minutes until dinner and I need your help with the ghost.”

  I was still uncertain what she had planned for Tim but I nodded obligingly. “Okay, but I don’t know what help he is going to be.”

  “You might be surprised.”

  “I’M SORRY, BUT YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?”

  Tim was close to melting down when Zoe laid out her plan for him. He was so high strung in death I couldn’t help but wonder how he’d been in life. It wasn’t a pretty thing to envision.

  “They’re bad people,” Zoe argued. “It’s okay to do horrible things to bad people.”

  “But ....” Tim looked to me, confused. I wasn’t sure how to respond so I merely shrugged. Really, what was I supposed to say?

  “So basically you’re saying you want me to find these people wherever they’re hiding in the woods, come back and tell you, and then go back and talk to them like I’m from New Jersey?” Tim looked positively apoplectic at the thought.

  “I just threw the New Jersey thing in as an example,” said Zoe. “You don’t need to adopt an accent or anything. I just want them off their game.”

  “You want me to say sexually suggestive things to the women.” Tim wrung his hands together. “I don’t know if I can do that. It’s rude.”

  “You stare at women through windows while they’re changing clothes,” Zoe argued. “It doesn’t get any weirder than that.”

  “Only the women who change in front of open windows,” he insisted, frustration edging his tone. “That’s not against the law ... or rude ... or crude ... or perverted. If they don’t close the curtains, then they want someone to look.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure you’re making that up in your head. I don’t care, though. This mission is sanctioned. You’re allowed to be a jerk.”

  “But ...” he glanced at me, “I don’t think I’ll be any good at being a jerk. I’m a gentleman. My mother always told me it was important to be a gentleman.”

  Since the statement was directed at me, and he was technically my perverted ghost, I felt the need to respond. “Haven’t you ever wanted to be a bad boy, Tim? I mean, deep down, part of you probably has always wondered what it would be like to be that guy.”

  Tim tilted his head. “I don’t know. What if I upset them and they try to hurt me?”

  “You’re dead,” Zoe pointed out. “They can’t hurt you. The worst has already happened.”

  “They can yell, call me names.”

  “So call them names right back.”

  “I’ve never been good at thinking of comebacks on the spot.”

  “I’ll give you a list.” Zoe smiled encouragingly. “I’m really good at it. I’ve been saving up some for years. You’ll look like a genius, and it might be good for you to express yourself in a way that doesn’t included whacking off in the woods.”

  I fought to swallow my laughter. She was blunt and hilarious. However, Tim’s expression told me he didn’t exactly appreciate her humor.

  “I don’t do that!” Tim gasped, officially scandalized. “That’s what perverts do.”

  “You’re a pervert,” Zoe insisted. “I mean, come on. You watch women through windows. You can’t tell me you don’t get sexual gratification from that.”

  “I’m a ghost. I can’t touch myself.”

  “I ... huh.” Zoe’s forehead wrinkled. “I hadn’t really thought about that. If you can’t enjoy yourself while watching, what’s the point of doing it?”

  “I happen to admire the female form.”

  Zoe folded her arms over her chest and stared him down.

  Tim stared back for as long as he could manage and then quickly averted his gaze. “Fine. I might’ve touched myself when I was alive,” he conceded. “I’ve evolved now. I don’t do things like that anymore, I just like to look.”

  “Well, today I want you to give in to every obnoxious instinct you’ve ever had,” Zoe instructed. “I want you to sexually ogle the females, tell the dudes they have tiny units, and pretty much drive them insane. If you have trouble thinking up insults, I’ll totally make you a list.”

  “What if they get angry?”

  “Then you’ll be doing your job well,” I answered. “That’s what we want. They’re the bad guys. If we can knock them off their game before we even arrive, it will be better for us.”

  “Fine.” Tim appeared resigned. “I’ll do it, but I won’t like it.”

  “You’re a true team player.” I grinned. “Welcome to the team.”

  DINNER CONSISTED OF HOT DOGS AND HAMBURGERS. Tim had given us a firm location to go on and then returned to carry out the rest of his mission. As the sun started its inevitable descent, Sami’s mood took an equally dark turn.

  “I’ve been thinking.” She sidled closer to her father and watched him roast a marshmallow. We were twenty minutes from leaving and she was still trying to negotiate a deal that had her going with us rather than being left behind.

  “Oh yeah?” Aric pulled the marshmallow back and stared at it. He was careful not to allow it to catch fire, basically bronzing the outside. Once finished studying it, he handed it to Zoe, who happily wedged a slab of chocolate on top before squashing it between two graham crackers. “What have you been thinking? Wait, before you answer, do you want one or two s’mores?”

  Sami rolled her eyes. “I don’t want any. I’m too old for s’mores.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’re never too old for s’mores. Look at your mother.” He inclined his head toward Zoe, who had her mouth full of sugary goodness and a chocolate smear on her cheek. “She’s not a child and yet she absolutely loves her s’mores.” The smile he shot his wife was lusty. “How can you not want a s’more?”

  “Because I don’t feel good,” Sami snapped. “My stomach is upset.”

  Aric flicked his eyes back to her. “Does it hurt or is it nerves?”

  “It’s fear,” Sami announced. “I’m afraid that if you leave me behind then you won’t get Rafael back.”

  Aric shook his head. “You’re not coming.”

  “You might need me.” Sami had clearly been putting her argument together for an extended amount of time. She recognized this was her last chance to sway her parents’ decision. More importantly, she’d pegged Aric as the parent who might give in, which I found interesting. I would’ve assumed her luck would’ve been better with Zoe, who knew a little something about wanting to save the people she loved most on the back of impressive mage magic.

  “Sami, we’re going to be okay,” Aric insisted. “The four of us are going together now. Your mother won’t be alone.”

  I wanted to point out that she wasn’t going to be alone before he pulled off his maneuver, but it wasn’t necessary. The team was now set, and for better or worse, we were stuck with one another.

  “I just need you to listen to me,” Sami implored. “Just for a minute.”

  Aric feigned patience. “Make your case.”

  I was surprised he was encouraging her ... until I realized it was simply a way to placate his daughter. She had no chance of swaying him but if he allowed her to feel she’d done her best to change his mind, she was more likely to calm down, at least in theory.


  “It’s just like Covenant College.” Her voice was low but strong. “You guys wanted to cut me out of the action, send me away, but if I hadn’t been there ...” One look at Aric’s stony expression told me why she didn’t finish the statement. He clearly didn’t enjoy being reminded of his wife’s near-death experience.

  “You saved your mother that night,” Aric said, “and I will be forever grateful for that. You have no idea.”

  “I don’t want you to be grateful. I just want you to need me.”

  “Ah, Sami.” He moved his hand to the back of her dark head and smoothed her hair. “We do need you, and even though you don’t believe it, we’re proud of you. But you’re still a child. It’s our job to keep you safe. It’s also our job to get Rafael. This is our best chance of keeping you safe and saving him at the same time. I really wish you would back off and let us do what we have to do.”

  “I’m afraid that something bad will happen if I don’t go with you.”

  Aric shook his head. “I love you, Sami, beyond reason. Your mother also loves you. Loath as I am to admit it, we love Rafael, too. This is our best shot of getting him back. If you keep pushing us on this, not only will you not be going with us, but we’re going to be forced to abandon our plan to save him. Is that what you want?”

  Sami’s mouth dropped open. “You would really not go after him because of me?”

  “We have to keep you safe above all else. Rafael understands that. If you force our hand, you’re not going to like the outcome.”

  Sami chewed on her bottom lip. I could tell the moment reality finally slapped her in the face because her shoulders slumped. “Fine. Do what you want. I don’t like it, though. I don’t like any of it.”

  Aric grabbed another marshmallow and planted it on the end of his stick. “That’s why I’m making you a s’more. Everything is better with a s’more, even rampant disappointment.”

  “Whatever.” Sami rolled her eyes to the sky. “You’d better bring him back. If I have to pick another husband, I’m going to be really mad.”

  “Ugh.” Aric’s disgust was evident. “I thought you switched your affections to Gunner.”

  “I decided I was being hasty.” Sami jutted her chin out. “He has a girlfriend and he’s not going to change his mind about her. Besides, your first love is always special. That’s what Rafael is to me.”

  Aric stared at her for several seconds and then sighed. “If I promise to bring your future husband back, will you give me a break?”

  Sami nodded.

  “Good.” He jammed the marshmallow into the fire and waited for it to catch fire. “I’m burning the heck out of this thing. That’s how you still like it, right?”

  Sami nodded. “Mom’s way is gross.” She rested her head on her father’s shoulder.

  “Totally,” Aric agreed, kissing her forehead. His eyes met mine in the glow of the fire and I could see the resignation there. He didn’t want to walk away from his child, but he’d already decided his wife needed him more tonight. He was a bull of a man and a champion for both the women in his life, but it was clearly a thankless job.

  “It’s time,” Zoe announced as she polished off her s’more and stood, pinning Sami with a pointed look. “You’d better be good for Rooster and the others. If you’re not, I’ll know, and I’ll take your phone away.”

  Sami rolled her eyes. “You won’t take my phone away in the middle of a crisis.”

  “Then I’ll delete all your game apps.”

  Sami’s mouth dropped open. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Try me.” Zoe leaned forward and rested her forehead against Sami’s, lowering her voice. “Be good. We’ll bring him back. Have a little faith.”

  “I’m going to be really mad if you don’t come back with him.”

  “Duly noted.”

  Twenty-Three

  Zoe erected a dome that we could move under, and as soon as the shimmering shell fell over us, I became entranced by the magic she managed to weave.

  “This is ... wow.” I extended my fingers to brush against the surface of the shield but there was nothing there to touch. “How did you figure out you could do this?”

  She shrugged. “A long time ago, when we were on a mission to save my parents, Aric said we were going to have to camp. He also said I was going to have to hike miles upon miles with a heavy pack because of the tents. I suggested creating a magical dome mostly on a lark, but it turned out to be something I could do.”

  “I didn’t know if she’d really be able to pull it off,” Aric said.

  He seemed relaxed, as if we were taking a stroll in the woods rather than heading into battle, but I knew he was ready to rush to the forefront at the snap of his wife’s fingers. This was normal for them, which was a sobering thought.

  “Believe it or not, my Zoe has never been the patient sort. Learning how to use her magic in a structured setting was out of the question. Yet she knew just what to do when it came to the domes.”

  “Do you use them at home?” I was naturally curious. To me, it seemed like the best way to stay safe was to basically live under a dome.

  “Only when absolutely necessary. We’ve used them for protection a time or two.” Zoe turned a rueful smile toward Aric. “Perhaps if we’d been under one the other night we wouldn’t have had to run.”

  “Don’t do that, baby,” Aric chided. “You couldn’t have known. Living under a dome twenty-four-seven isn’t feasible. That’s not really living, and you know it.”

  I hadn’t considered that. Living under a dome would be incredibly isolating. “When did you figure out you could make one to walk under?” I asked.

  “Not long after I created the first one, the one we camped under. That was harder to get the hang of. We’ve been using them ever since. They’re tremendously useful.” Her eyes landed on me. “They’re also something you might be able to do at some point. I mean, you basically created a dome at that speakeasy. We don’t know what your magic entails. Something tells me you’ve been limiting yourself. We can figure it out together.”

  I nodded. “Sami can obviously do them, right? When did she start figuring it out?”

  “When she was seven.” Zoe grimaced at the memory. “She saw me put up a dome to avoid my mother-in-law one day. She was fascinated. She also ratted on me to Aric.”

  Aric chuckled. “Ah, those were fun years. She ratted on both of us left and right. What a tattletale we raised. I didn’t think it was possible she could be my daughter.”

  “I’m pretty sure anybody who has ever seen the two of you together would argue that point,” I laughed.

  “Yeah, she looks like me.” He slid his arm around Zoe’s shoulders, giving the impression that they were doing nothing but taking a walk in the wilderness. “She’s her mother’s daughter, though.”

  Zoe barked a laugh. “Please. She’s a daddy’s girl. I saw her trying to butter you up at the fire.”

  “She feels helpless,” Aric told his wife. “She’s allowed to feel what she feels. We knew life with her was never going to be smooth and easy. She understands why she can’t go. Her heart is as big as yours, though, and she’s terrified at the thought of us coming back without him.”

  “We’re not coming back without him.” Zoe’s eyes flashed with impatience. “I’ll kill every single one of them to get him back.”

  “She knows that in her heart. She’s just got a lot of feelings.”

  Zoe snorted. “That’s a nice way of putting it.”

  Before Aric could respond, Gunner cleared his throat and sent them a quelling look. “I don’t want to be the downer of the group but maybe we should, you know, zip it.” He mimed closing a zipper over his lips.

  Zoe’s smirk was mischievous. “What if we don’t want to zip it?”

  “Then I can’t force you to be quiet. You’re stronger than me and you’ll kick my ass.”

  Zoe preened. Gunner pointed to Aric with an annoyed look. “I expected more from you, though. You’re a shi
fter. You should know better.”

  Aric didn’t appear bothered. “The domes are soundproof. Nobody outside can hear us.”

  Gunner looked taken aback. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.”

  “Oh.” Gunner’s gaze was accusatory when it landed on me. “You could’ve told me so I didn’t look like such an idiot.”

  “Yes, but I like it when you’re idiotic.” I sidled closer to him and slid my arm around his waist. This moment of levity felt important, and not just because a battle was imminent. We’d had very little alone time since this all started and I found I missed him. More importantly, I missed the long conversations we had when mouthy teenagers and tanned vampires weren’t constantly beating down our door.

  “Of course you do.”

  We made the rest of the trip in silence, both couples basically on top of one another, but when Zoe separated from Aric, I recognized fun time was over. Alert, I turned to study the surrounding area. It didn’t appear familiar to me but it didn’t exactly feel open either.

  “This is the back of the hill,” Gunner intoned, his voice low.

  Zoe’s head snapped in his direction. “What hill?”

  “The one the house is on.” He pointed, although it was too dark to make out what he was gesturing toward. “The house Scout burned down was up there.”

  Zoe’s forehead wrinkled. “How far?”

  “Um, I don’t know. I’d wager it’s about two hundred yards that way.”

  “So not that close but not too far either.” Zoe pursed her lips and scanned the area. There was no movement, not even an errant shadow. It felt somehow false, which was clearly the exact realization she’d come to as well. “They’re setting a trap for us. That’s why we could suddenly find a trail to follow.”

  “They are,” Aric agreed, hunkering down. “Look over here. There’s a trip wire.”

  “Did anyone alert on it?” Gunner asked.

  “The dome would’ve protected us from that,” Aric replied. “Over the years, my wife has made some interesting enhancements on the final project.”