Page 20 of Seven Secret Spellcasters (Kitchen Witch Mysteries #7)

“She interfered with my vacation time, so I get to choose when I respond. This is my time, not hers. Besides, I’m pretty sure the woman doesn’t sleep.

If I didn’t know she was a witch, I’d think she was a vampire.

Blake, Mistress of the Night. Has a good ring, right?

” Mia stood and went to find her phone, which was probably in the kitchen on the charger.

“You’re a nut.” Trent glanced around. “Do you have a notebook so I can write some of this down?”

“Of course, in the drawer in the rolltop desk.” Mia had found the desk in one of the second-floor rooms. One of the teachers must have used the smaller room as an office. She located her phone and called Blake. When she answered, Mia said, “What can I help you with?”

“I didn’t expect a call until morning, but thanks. I’m wondering if anyone has said anything about seeing a demon around town.”

Mia tried to breathe. Surely she’d misheard. “I’m sorry, what?”

“A demon, Mia. Specifically, an incubus. I’m wondering if anyone in the coven has seen one in town.” Blake sounded like she was talking to a child.

“Not that I’ve heard. I take it they’re real, like werewolves?” Mia’s eyes went to the book she’d been reading, now sitting on the coffee table. She had so much to learn.

Blake sighed at her question. “Duh. Okay, so if you hear of any being spotted, please call me immediately. I don’t care what time of day it is. Maybe your connection to the coven won’t be a problem for me after all.”

Mia started to ask what she meant, but then realized her boss had ended the call. She went back to Trent and set her phone on the table. “That was weird.”

“What, is she being nice for once?” Trent didn’t like Blake. She’d ignored him once when Mia had tried to introduce them. “Or do you have an emergency catering event she’s known about for weeks?”

This made Mia laugh. “That was Frank’s MO. She wanted to know if I’d seen or heard of an incubus being in town.”

“That’s pretty specific,” Trent said, concern filling his face as he watched her scan the table of contents of the book.

“I don’t think I’ve heard of one being in town for years.

We had one when I was in high school that used to show up around prom as a transfer student and see how many girls he could get to fight over him. Prom turned into a madhouse.”

“I guess it’s magical creatures week. Buddy. A half leprechaun came to examine Cerby. An elf did my testing. And now an incubus. What’s next, Santa Claus?” She set the book down. “I need coffee.”

“Me too.” He followed her into the kitchen. “Besides, it’s only Halloween. Everyone knows that Santa Claus doesn’t come out from the North Pole until Christmas.”

“I hope you’re kidding, but if you’re not, don’t tell me.” Mia used the one-cup machine and made coffee for both of them. She opened a bag of cookies that Abigail had brought up from the main kitchen. “Did you find anything in the report?”

“Some things. Not quite done reading, but I think you may be on to something with the magical creatures. It’s the week before Halloween, a full moon, and Samhain.

The veil is thin during this time of the year.

” He took a cookie and demolished it. “I’m glad we brought Cerby home last weekend.

The woods can get a little dicey this week. ”

“So everyone’s acting on instinct?” Mia asked, replaying Blake’s conversation. “Blake sounded freaked out. Maybe this isn’t the time to have the coven here in the academy on Friday night.”

“Don’t worry. They haven’t performed sacrifices for years.” Trent took another cookie. “But there seems to be a connection I can’t see right now. Why was Howard here early? What was he planning on doing over the weekend? Spying on me? Or was he meeting someone here?”

“Didn’t he say that he was on vacation, but we’d see him on Tuesday, when he would schedule an interview?” Mia tried to remember their conversation the first and only time she’d met him.

Trent nodded. “I’d forgotten about that. I wonder who he was meeting or if he was here alone. If he was here on vacation, he might have booked a fishing trip with my dad. Let me text him.”

As Trent did that, Mia looked at his list in the notebook.

Age: 147. Well-developed male with obvious leprechaun features.

Cause of death: heart gave out. She went back to the book to see if it had any notes about cross-breeding with humans.

She found it almost immediately. “Trent, according to this, being a half breed shouldn’t have affected his heart or any other body part.

I’m thinking that maybe the coven is trying to sweep his death under the rug. ”

Trent read the page in the book. Then he put her bookmark back inside and closed it. He checked his phone. “Dad might have already crashed for the night.”

Mia knew he was thinking about Howard’s death, so she changed the subject. “I wonder what Grans has found out about Christina and Finn’s heritage. Do you think there’s any chance they have some witch blood in their original family histories?”

“I’ve always wondered about Christina. She and Levi bonded so quickly. Typically, there’s a disconnect when you date someone outside your, well, bloodline. I’m surprised you lasted with Isaac so long. Didn’t you ever feel like he wasn’t your soul mate?”

“Before or after I caught him cheating?” Mia smiled and waved away whatever response Trent was going to make.

“I guess I didn’t believe in soul mates.

Mom was practical. She told me she loved my father because of who he was, not what he was.

I always thought that was a weird way to put it, but no, I didn’t have stars in my eyes with any of my prior boyfriends before you, up to and including Isaac. ”

“Does that mean you do have stars in your eyes with me?” Trent had moved over to the couch, where Cerby had been sleeping. He’d put the sleeping pup on the floor. He ran his finger up Mia’s arm.

“Dude, we’re working.” Mia giggled as he scooted closer.

“Not until you answer my question. Am I your soul mate?” He turned her head and stared into her eyes as he waited for an answer.

Mia ran her fingers over his craggy face. “Trent Majors, you are the most exasperating man I’ve ever met.”

He nodded and glanced at his phone when a text message alert sounded. “I’m going to take that as a yes. And stop being all mushy. I’m trying to focus on figuring out who killed Alfred Howard. I guess I’m going to have to move to the other side of the room to make you stop tempting me.”

“Oh my Goddess.” Mia laughed as she threw a pillow at him. It bounced and hit Cerby instead, waking the dog and sending him into a frenzied barking cycle.

“Now, see what you’ve done.” Trent tossed the pillow on the couch. “You woke up the baby. Dad says he had a no-show Friday afternoon. He was supposed to be on a weekend fishing trip down the River of No Return.”

“Maybe Howard showed up at the wrong Majors house and someone followed him.” Mia wrote down what they’d found out from Thomas.

Trent leaned over and picked up Cerby, who still looked like he was asleep. “Or maybe someone sent him to the wrong address on purpose.”