Page 11

Chapter Eleven

Yanni groaned, though a smile twitched the corner of her lips. ‘I feel like this is the type of question I can’t say no to,’ she said.

‘Well, I’m not saying I wouldn’t try to sneak her in if you did, but… ’

She chuckled and her smile widened. ‘Fine – as long as she behaves herself.’

‘She will,’ I promised with a rush of relief. Probably. Hopefully. There was a chance Eva might eat a document or two, but that was a small price to pay for workplace morale.

I was so used to having Eva with me now that I’d hate to be without her, plus I wasn’t sure how she’d cope with being left at home alone all day. What if she tore the place to shreds? Maddie would probably be there protecting the secret of the extinguished Flame and the furniture but even so… Eva and I had been joined at the hip for the last three years and I knew that I’d struggle without her .

Relieved that wasn’t going to happen, I was about to say goodbye when Yanni spoke again. ‘You’re staying at your house with Maddie?’ she asked.

‘Yes, of course. Why?’

A hint of a frown crossed her features before she wiped it away. ‘Could you keep an eye on her for me? She’s been a bit short with me these last couple of weeks, though I’m sure it’s only the stress of opening the tattoo shop.’

‘She’s opening a shop?’ I tried to hide my surprise. It didn’t work.

Yanni shook her head. ‘You two have a lot to catch up on.’

I nodded sombrely. ‘We do.’

For a moment, I thought she’d hug me again so I instinctively drew in a deep breath and steeled my muscles. Instead she leaned forward and kissed my cheek. ‘Tell Amara to take it easy, okay?’ Then she walked away with her characteristic swagger.

There had been a time in my life when I’d wanted to be like Yanni, full of self-belief, authority and rules, but as I grew up I came to appreciate that life was not always black and white. I was pretty sure authority was there to be defied, though I still wanted her self-belief, the confidence to say, ‘No, officer, I did not see that traffic sign,’ with absolute conviction .

As I walked down the corridor, I glanced through the windows into the rooms. In the first one there was a couple with a newborn that was constantly flicking from human to tabby kitten. Adorable. And slightly terrifying. But mostly adorable.

In the next room a teenager was scowling impressively as casts were being set around both their arms. Ouch. I guessed someone was allergic to the bone-healing potion. If that had been me, I’d have been a heck of a lot more careful than this kid evidently had been.

When I reached the third window, I slowed because I could see Warren Storcrest through the slats of the blinds. He was a brute of a man, only a couple of inches shorter than Yanni. If memory served me right, he was either a whale or a shark shifter, though he could have easily been some other great sea creature. He was definitely a water shifter, I knew that much.

I never remembered him looking so frail. His skin was pallid and his cheeks hollow, though he was forcing himself to smile at the young woman beside him. From the way he was sitting up and stroking her head like she was still a child, I assumed she was his daughter Jennifer. He was obviously alright; she was the one that needed soothing. I left them to it .

Fraser Banks was waiting patiently in the corridor; he was here to see Warren, but he’d clearly accepted that family should go first. He leant against the wall whilst he waited for Jennifer to leave.

He nodded as I walked past him. I nodded in return – fractionally – because mum didn’t raise me to be rude.

The blinds were closed in the next room so I knocked on the door. ‘Knock, knock,’ I said, in that way people do when they want to make it clear who’s there. ‘Can I come in?’

‘The door’s open,’ a voice called from inside.

I inched the door open. As soon as I saw the figure on the bed, I smiled. Despite her pallor, Mrs D looked identical to how she’d been all those years ago. Her hair was still the same soft, silvery blonde pinned at the base of her neck, and she was wearing a tweed suit that I’d bet good money was the same one she’d worn back when she was teaching me. I’d always suspected it was indestructible.

As I moved into the room, I felt a twinge of anxiety. What if she didn’t remember me? After all, witches are one of the few magical creatures burdened with ageing, although a lot of them seem to linger unnaturally long at middle age and get very cagey if you ask how old they are.

I watched her frown before her jaw dropped in amazement. ‘Oh my goodness, as I live and breathe! Beatrix Stonehaven. How wonderful to see you!’ She shuffled upright in her bed.

I found the glow that warmed her cheeks surprisingly humbling. ‘Hey, Mrs D. I popped back to Witchlight for a visit and I heard you’d got yourself into some sort of trouble. How are you feeling?’

She shook her head, waving away my concern. ‘I’m okay, honestly. Just came over a bit funny. But I must look terrible. Warren – he’s alright, isn’t he?’

‘I saw him with his daughter.’ I gave her a big smile. ‘He looks okay.’

She bit down on her bottom lip and her brow furrowed. ‘I don’t know what happened. I don’t— I don’t—’

I stepped forward and placed my hand on her shoulder. ‘Don’t worry. Yanni is going to look into it.’

‘Yanni is?’

‘Yeah. Potential poisoning and all that.’

Her eyes widened so far they practically bulged from her skull. ‘Poisoned? She doesn’t think…? Oh my goodness, no. I’m sure it was just a funny reaction or something.’

‘If it was a “funny reaction”, it was one that only affected shifters and it could have easily taken out two of the village’s most beloved characters. Someone needs to look into it,’ I replied firmly .

‘Oh. Yes, that makes sense.’ She looked up at me and a deep pang of sympathy struck me. She might not have looked any older, but she was. And, if my suspicions were correct, she’d probably spent another decade alone apart from the kids she’d helped.

A wave of sadness and worry flowed through the air from her to me and I concentrated for a moment, trying to shore up my mental defences. After I’d strengthened my wards, I couldn’t help yawning; I’d forgotten how draining it could be dealing with other people’s emotions and keeping up shields strong enough to keep out magical emotions. I’d got into the habit of shielding again since I’d adopted Eva, but it was far easier in the human world where emotions didn’t batter me.

‘Are you alright, dear?’ Mrs D said as I covered my mouth. A moment later, she echoed my yawn.

‘You don’t have to worry about me – you’re the one in hospital!’ I patted her hand. ‘You must be tired too. But a question or two, if I may?’ She nodded. ‘Did you see anyone approach the pasties before the competition?’

She shook her head. ‘No.’

‘Anyone looking at you too intently from the crowd?’

She gave a helpless laugh. ‘My dear, I was focused on the pasties! There were a lot of them – and I really wanted that ￡500 for the school.’ She yawned again. ‘Excuse me,’ she muttered. ‘It seems that poisoning really takes it out of you.’

‘You don’t say! Next you’ll be telling me that jumping off a cliff leads to sore knees.’

Mrs D laughed and I was happy to have put the smile back on her face, if only for a minute or two. Now that I’d seen her for myself, I could relax. She might be ill, but she was miles away from death’s door; that being the case, I could now focus on finding the fucker that thought poisoning Mrs D was okay.

‘Anyway, I should go and let you get your rest,’ I said. ‘Besides, I’ve only been in Witchlight Cove a couple of hours so I should probably unpack. I’d like to meet up properly when you’re out, though. Maybe we could catch up over a coffee?’

I lowered my shields a little. The gratitude and warmth that flowed from her was enough for me to know I’d made the right decision in leaving the house to visit her.

‘Of course. It’s been lovely to see you, Beatrix, really lovely. You go enjoy some of that Witchlight,’ she winked. ‘I bet you’ve missed it terribly. Such wonderful magic.’

Witchlight was a local term for the Eternal Flame. No one knew which one had been named first; it was a real chicken-and-egg situation .

‘Yes, absolutely,’ I forced out, keeping my face blank with effort. I was about to stand up when a thought struck me. ‘Mrs D, you know most of the people in Witchlight Cove, don’t you?’

She chuckled. ‘Well, I should think so – I’ve taught most of them! I taught a lot of their parents and grandparents, too. But don’t use that to try to work out my age.’ She winked.

I smiled the way I knew she expected me to. ‘Is there any chance you know of any witches who aren’t in covens?’ If Maddie and I were to retrieve the missing Eternal Flame, we needed someone who wasn’t affiliated with the covens to help us.

Her smile dropped. ‘Aren’t in covens? You mean like your friend Maddie?’

‘Yes. Just… I’ve got a few questions, but you know what it’s like for me – and for her. The judgement. I wondered if there was anybody outside the general circle of things that I could talk to.’

She looked worried. ‘Is everything alright, Beatrix? Do you need help? From me, I mean?’

I flashed her the easiest smile I could, grateful that I wasn’t dealing with another empath because, without a doubt, she’d have felt my bull. ‘It’s fine, I promise. Just wondering, that’s all.’

Mrs D gave a slight hum and pinched her brow as she thought. ‘There’s Old Jacobson at Shingle’s End,’ she said finally. ‘You could try him, I suppose.’

‘Shingle’s End?’ The only house that had been on Shingle’s End when I’d lived here was an old, run-down shack where we may or may not have occasionally gone to smoke cigarettes. ‘I didn’t think anybody lived there.’

‘He moved in a couple of years after you left. I only know because I was out for a walk one day and saw him. He very much keeps to himself. What type of magic he does – or if he’d be happy to speak to you – I can’t say. I’m sorry I can’t be of more use.’

‘No, that’s good to know. Thank you.’ I patted her hand again. ‘And don’t you worry about the poisoning. I’m sure they’ll work out whoever is behind it soon.’

Her smile was watery and I suspected that our conversation had worn her out, so I offered one last swift wave before I disappeared into the corridor.

The nurse who’d been horrified by my name was in reception when I left, and I felt her eyes follow me all the way out of the door. She wasn’t scared of me, though, because I’d have felt it if she was. She was wary. Probably rightly so.

Back on the street, I turned to walk up the hill that led to the cottage but stopped after only a couple of steps. From where I was standing, it was only a short walk to the cemetery.

A deep throbbing radiated from my chest. The feeling was always there, 24/7, but as the years had passed I’d got better at ignoring it. That was a lot harder to do now that I was back.

I drew in a deep breath and, for the first time in as long as I could remember, I didn’t bother trying to quash the sensation. Maddie wasn’t the only person who deserved an apology for me being away for so long. They did too.

And there was no time like the present.