Page 23

C HAPTER 23

M ia and Trent went back to the festival and caught the tail end of the parade. Melody waved at them as the float passed by, but Crissy had her hands crossed in front of her and didn’t crack a smile. She was obviously still mad about not winning.

Mia was quiet as they stood in line for a corn dog.

“Earth to Mia. Should we visit the hospital after all? How are you feeling?” Trent pulled out his wallet and paid for the food. Then they handed him two corn dogs right out of the fryer. The server had slathered a paint brush serving of mustard on both.

“Just wondering if ‘Titi’ is Tatiana.” Mia took her corn dog, and they went to sit on a bench that overlooked the duck pond. Cerby sat between them, staring at the food. “We should have gotten another one without mustard.”

“The name ‘Titi’ is a little generic. Maybe we could find the yearbook for when Sherry was in high school. Anyway, Cerby’s fine. Contrary to the way he’s looking right now, he doesn’t like hot dogs. They make him sick, so no, Cerby doesn’t get a corn dog, with or without mustard.” Trent rubbed the top of Cerby’s head. “Who was a good guard dog?”

“He was stuck outside the entire time.” Mia took a bite of the corn dog. It was heaven. Then she thought about the yearbook. “I wonder if Elly kept Sherry’s yearbooks. I could ask Melody once she’s done playing harvest queen. I’ll run by the house tomorrow.”

“I’ll take you there. I’m not sure if they’re going to let Elly stay at home since she has started a hobby of kidnapping people.” Trent looked at her. “Okay, I guess it’s too soon to make jokes.”

“I was thinking the same thing. I wanted to talk to Melody about the changes that are going to happen and if she has anyone to help her navigate all this.” Mia watched the people walking by them. “I’m glad Cerby didn’t out his other side, and actually, you and your magic.”

“I was surprised that he didn’t turn when I was attacked. For some reason, he didn’t seem that worried about us.” Trent pulled off a bit of the cornmeal coating and gave it to Cerby. “So, maybe I take that ‘good guard dog’ description back.”

“But what if he knew we weren’t in real danger from Elly? He barked to try to get someone’s attention, but he didn’t change.” Mia finished off her corn dog. This was what was bothering her. “Melody said she’d discovered Brad in the basement when she came home to change. Then she ran to get Mark. She was smart and didn’t try to convince her grandmother she was wrong to hold him. Elly thought she was protecting Sherry from Brad. Nothing about the contest.”

“Except when we were there, she’d said it was Sherry’s turn.” Trent took the paper basket, napkins, and sticks and put them in a nearby trash can. “You don’t think she was trying to fix the contest?”

Mia shook her head. “I think it was Tatiana. I think she spelled herself once Zeus turned her down. Think about it. If everyone knows there’s a retribution spell—and they did, because I told them—then Tatiana needed to be affected, too, or she would have been outed as the person who cast the spell.”

“Your logic, although twisted, is sound.” Trent dialed his phone. “Hey, I know you’re busy at the Sellerses’ house, but has Tatiana Evans left the hospital yet?”

Mia watched as Trent listened to Mark’s answer. Finally, he hung up. Mia waited, but Trent didn’t say anything. She poked him in the arm, “Well . . .”

“She went home last night, after the contest. She signed herself out at nine forty, against medical advice. According to the nurse who called Mark to let him know, Tatiana was livid. Melody was crowned at nine thirty.” Trent held out his hand. “I think we need to go back to the school and make sure there’s not a trap that Melody avoided. Tatiana really thought Crissy was going to win.”

“I think Crissy did as well. The look on her face when they announced Melody as the winner was total shock.” Mia took Trent’s hand, and they headed to the road. They’d walked down the hill to the festival grounds since parking was at a premium. Now Trent led her to the greenbelt, and they took off for home. When they got there, Mia unlocked the door. The house was completely empty. She could feel Mr. Darcy upstairs, sleeping in the living room, but besides that, everyone had left.

She went upstairs to the prep room and stood in the doorway, studying it. She scanned the entire room. It was empty except for several large trash cans and a small one at each girl’s area. Mia went over to where Melody’s prep area was located. In the trash can was a wrapped gift box. Mia used a pen she’d found in her tote to open it. The box was filled with unopened, high-end makeup, in exactly Melody’s shade. A note was wadded up and also in the trash.

Mia took it out and tried to rub out the wrinkles. It was addressed to Melody and signed “Tatiana and Crissy.” Mia took a minute to read the letter. It seemed harmless. A friendly gesture. Tatiana had bought the makeup for Melody because she and her mom had been close friends. She missed Sherry so badly and wanted Melody to know that even with her mom gone, she still had friends.

Mia set the note on the ground. Then, with an open palm, she asked to talk to the magic. A storm of dark energy rushed through her like it had been kept locked up for years. The magic was looking for its target—Melody. Or, Mia thought, as the power began to chatter at her, it would settle for its maker. She tried to pull her hand away, but the spell was too strong. She felt Trent pull her upright and away from the trash can, and the spell’s power on her started to dissipate.

“Mia, are you all right?” Trent stared into her eyes as she nodded.

She stepped back again, and Cerby started barking at the trash can. “Tatiana was the one doing the spelling. Since nothing else had worked, she decided to attack Melody directly. She wasn’t going to lose, not this time.”

“Wait, what does that mean, ‘not this time’?” Trent picked Cerby up and stepped away from the trash can.

“Sherry won the year Tatiana competed. I think if we look at the history, we’ll find that Sherry was on her way to the next year’s contest to pass on the crown. Tatiana hit her with her car and killed her.” Mia leaned against the wall, staring at the trash can and trying to grasp the emotions and memories that were flowing through her.

“You got that just from opening up your magic?”

“ Emotions and the Modern Witch , the book I read a few months back? It had an opening spell that I’ve been practicing. I didn’t realize it would go so far back.” Mia felt herself starting to black out. “I need to sit . . .”

* * *

Mia woke up on the couch in her living room. Cerby and Mr. Darcy sat next to her, one on each side, watching her. When she opened her eyes, Cerby licked her hand, and Mr. Darcy patted the other one. “You two are pretty amazing nurses, aren’t you?”

“They’ve been there since I carried you up here.” Trent came into view with a cup of what smelled like hot cocoa. “You’ve been out for just about an hour. I called your grandmother, and she said you’d be fine and to feed you soup when you woke up. So, I’ve got some chicken soup warming up on the stove. I found some downstairs in the freezer in your work kitchen.”

“You’ve been busy.” Mia sat up, moving the animals to the side so she could drink the cocoa. “Grans says this is normal?”

“I guess for the first time you try the spell on a murderous, angry woman’s thoughts, it is.” He sat on the other chair. “Mom found the report from the coven on the contests the year Sherry won and the next year. Apparently, Tatiana stepped in as first runner-up and gave away Sherry’s crown that year. She had also appealed to get her booted because she was pregnant when she won. Mark had been given the files when Tatiana attacked Zeus.”

“So, he was already looking at her.” Mia sipped the cocoa, starting to feel better.

“Yes and no. He thought ‘Titi’ could have been Tatiana too. He’s going over to the Lodge to see if they still have video from Wednesday night. Basically, he still isn’t quite sure he can charge her with anything.” Trent sank back into the chair. “I was really worried about you.”

“I’m fine.” Mia sighed. “Can’t Mark link the makeup to Tatiana? There has to be something in the mix that is a human poison.”

“He’s coming over to get it. He said he’ll have it tested. And the letter and makeup are at least enough to pull her in for questioning again.”

She heard a whisper in her ear. Turning, she saw Carla’s ghost.

“ It’s the same poison. Have them test it against my results. She did this. She wanted Crissy to win since she didn’t .” Carla smiled and then slowly faded.

“Mia? Are you okay?” Trent was staring at her.

“Carla just stopped by. I can’t believe you can’t see her.” Mia rubbed her arms, then grasped her hot cocoa. The cup was already cold. Carla had been too close. “I need to warm this up and call Mark.”

“I told you, I already talked to Mark.” Trent followed her into the kitchen. “Are you sure you should be moving around?”

“I’m fine. Carla just told me it was the same potion. When she said the ‘sins of the father,’ I think she meant the parent—not just a father. That Tatiana killed Sherry. And that she was going to do whatever she could to make sure Crissy won this year. It’s all about the past. That’s why Carla died, that’s why Marnie was attacked, and that’s why Brad was kidnapped. Of course, Tatiana didn’t do that, but she did set him up. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she was the one who put the idea in Elly’s head. And we need to check her phone records.”

“I know, for the call to the restaurant.” Trent nodded. “Mark’s already got a warrant in process for her records.”

“And the call this morning. Melody got a call from someone to go home and change. And Bambi said she hadn’t been able to reach her at all. So, who called her to send her away from the parade float? And why did Crissy think she was taking over?”

After Mia got off the phone, Trent had set the table with soup and rolls for dinner for both of them. She also had another cup of hot cocoa in front of her. “Thanks.”

“What did he say? I heard most of it, and it didn’t seem like he was getting it. He made you repeat a lot.”

Mia sipped her cocoa. “The problem is, a lot of the clues I gave him were magic-based. I mean, they happened in real life, but how I got the information involved magic. Even though he accepts that magic exists now since his daughter is a witch, he can’t take it to a human court as evidence. But he did say there’s a lot of circumstantial evidence that should be able to get him a warrant. Especially since the judge is also a coven member. The coven wants this done. And to set Tatiana as an example for next year’s harvest queen contest.”

“And we’re back to that can of worms.” Trent took a spoonful of soup. “This is really good.”

Mia smiled. “Of course, it is. It’s made with magic.”