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Kinsley patted the floor as she frantically looked for something and then held her hand up as she cried, “Found it!”

“What are you doing here in my office?” Indigo asked as she strode into the room, fuming. This girl just disappeared and then suddenly showed up in her private office? There was something very wrong.

“Oh, Indigo, I’m so sorry,” she gushed, looking contrite and a little bit scared. “I came by to talk to you, and when you weren’t in the shop, I came up here to see if you were in the office. When I realized you weren’t, I was going to leave a note.” She tapped a blank sheet of paper that was sitting in the middle of Indigo’s desk. “I was just about to start writing when I dropped my pen. And then it rolled under the lip of the safe, and well, you know the rest.”

Indigo eyed the pen she had in her hand and then the paper before glancing back at the door. “Why didn’t you just leave a note with Luke?”

She shrugged. “I was already up here.”

“But the door was locked.” Indigo wasn’t buying the story.

Kinsley frowned. “No, it wasn’t. I knocked, and when I did, the door just popped open. Are you upset that I’m in here? I mean, I know you must be angry that I didn’t come back to work yesterday, and that’s why I’m here. To explain why I just left and why I can’t come back.”

“Why?” Indigo placed her hands on her hips and glared at the woman.

“I got an emergency call from my sister yesterday and had to get home,” she said, already inching toward the door.

“That’s a lie. I saw you at the university riding a broom with that woman I saved from that compulsion spell. If you’re going to explain anything to me, just be truthful,” Indigo said, feeling her jaw ache with tension. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew her?”

“You saw me yesterday?” Kinsley asked, her voice going up a few octaves. “Where? At school?”

“Yes, at the school. I already?—”

“I have to go!” She ran out of the office before Indigo could even think about stopping her. When her brain kicked in, Indigo went to the door and watched as the woman jumped into her car and sped away.

“Looks like I’m going to need a new employee,” Indigo muttered to herself and then closed the door and locked it before she went to her safe. It appeared to be just as she’d left it. No one had tampered with it. And when she used her biometrics to unlock it, all her journals were right where they were supposed to be.

The door suddenly burst open, and Indigo jerked her head up. But instead of finding Niko coming to her aid like she expected, she found Officer Paul Pitts standing in her doorway with his weapon drawn. “On the floor. Now!”

Indigo dropped her journal and raised her hands as she stared at Paul, her mouth open.

“I said get on the floor,” he yelled, coming closer as he waved his gun.

“Paul, I?—”

“Don’t make me shoot you, Indigo,” he said through clenched teeth.

She flopped to the floor, face down, hoping she’d be able to talk some sense into him. With her arms outstretched, she turned her head to look at him. “What’s going on, Paul?”

“It’s Officer Pitts, and you’re under arrest for theft in the first degree and breaking and entering.” He started to recite her Miranda rights while Indigo stared at him in confusion.

“What?” she asked, thoroughly baffled. “I didn’t break into anywhere or steal anything. What in the world are you talking about?”

“You’ll be questioned at the station,” he said as he sat on her legs and proceeded to handcuff her.

Indigo could tell the restraints were not magically binding, and if she wanted to, she could call on her sisters’ magic to get herself out of them, but that would only make things worse. Then they’d likely slap her with resisting arrest. Until he was willing to tell her the evidence they thought they had on her, there wasn’t much she could do but cooperate. “Can I at least call my lawyer to have him meet me at the station?”

“You’ll get your phone call after you’re processed,” he said and then stood and yanked her to her feet.

“Indigo!” Niko called as he burst into the office.

“I’m here,” she muttered with relief as she stumbled over her leatherbound notebook that was on the floor near her feet. The one that held all her secrets.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Niko bellowed. His eyes narrowed on Paul. “I thought I told you to stay away from Indigo. She’s helping me with my case. If you keep interfering?—”

“I have a warrant, Agent Morales.” Paul flashed a piece of paper at him. “This doesn’t concern you, and I suggest you get out of the way before I arrest you, too.”

Niko snorted, but he clearly wasn’t amused. “I’d like to see you try it, Pauly.”

Paul let out a growl as he pulled his gun from his holster where he’d stored it after pointing it at Indigo.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Niko said calmly. “If you point that thing at an MTF agent, it will trigger an internal investigation, and I’m sure you don’t want that pesky secret you’re keeping out in the open.”

“Secret?” Indigo asked, staring at Paul. “What secret?”

“Shut up,” Paul spat and yanked on Indigo’s wrists as he tugged her toward the office door. “Ms. Easton is under arrest. If you stand in the way, I’ll have you arrested, too.”

“Perfect. I’m sure your chief will be interested to hear all about the blackmail you’ve been engaged in for the past decade. I know cops usually protect their own, but since this involves the Olympic Witches University, I’m pretty sure the MTF will be getting involved.”

Paul froze, and his tone was like ice when he asked, “Where did you hear that?”

“Why are you arresting Indigo?” Niko countered.

“Who are you blackmailing, Paul?” Indigo insisted, her heart racing. “Do you know who compelled Tricia?”

“No!” he shouted at Indigo. “You’re to blame for her death. No one else.”

“Then who are you blackmailing, Paul?” She felt like she was going to come right out of her skin. All this time he’d been making her feel like she was the scum of the earth, and it turned out that he was the lowlife.

“Professor Mitchell,” Niko said. “He was dating Tricia. Paul found out after her death and started blackmailing him in exchange for not outing him to the administration.”

“That’s a lie!” Paul snarled at Niko. “You can’t prove anything.”

“You’d be surprised at what records I have access to at the MTF,” Niko said mildly.

Paul let out a growl of frustration. “What exactly am I supposed to do here? I have a warrant for Indigo’s arrest. I can’t come back empty handed.”

“Why don’t you tell us what you think she did?” Niko asked mildly, clearly understanding that he’d just gained the upper hand.

“He said theft in the first degree and breaking and entering,” Indigo told Niko. “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”

Paul held the warrant out and Niko took it. He scanned the paper and then handed it back to Paul. “This is easy. Did anyone even ask Indigo where she was last night?”

“We were going to do that at the station,” Paul said with a sniff.

“Well, now you don’t have to,” Niko said. “I’m her alibi. I was here last night with her during the supposed breaking and entering, which means it’s impossible that Indigo stole those computers. I’ll sign a sworn statement.” He pulled his dagger out of the sheath. “See that? No discoloration. It means I’m not lying.”

Paul eyed it, and then with a look of defiance he said, “I’m not blackmailing anyone.”

The dagger turned blood red.

Niko gave him a sinister smile. “Care to rephrase?”

The two men glared at each other until finally Paul jerked Indigo’s wrists again, only this time he pulled them closer to him so that he could unlock the handcuffs.

Her arms sprung apart and started to tingle as the blood rushed back into her hands. Indigo let out a sigh of relief, rubbing her wrists with her tingling fingers.

Niko reached over and pulled her toward him. He never took his gaze from Paul. “I told you before and I’ll say it again. Leave Indigo alone. She’s not your suspect. If you don’t, then you might find yourself in the middle of a nasty internal affairs investigation. Understood?”

Paul just sniffed and then stalked out of the office.

Niko followed him and watched from the door.

When Indigo finally heard Paul’s footsteps fade from the stairs, Niko closed the door and returned to her. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as he smoothed her hair. “Are you all right?”

“I am now. Thank you,” she said into his chest. Through the entire ordeal with Paul, she’d maintained her cool, ready to deal with whatever garbage he threw at her, but now that it was just her and Niko, she started to tremble.

“Let’s get you next door and get some food in you. That will help with the adrenaline rush,” he said.

Food was the last thing on her mind as she fumbled stuffing her journal back into the safe. But once she was done, she let him lead her outside. She paused and placed her hand over the office’s broken door lock and was grateful when her magic kicked in, repairing it instantly. And thankfully all it took was touching her doorknob for her apartment door to open because she was fairly sure that her fingers were shaking too much for her to manipulate her keys.

Once they were inside, Niko led Indigo to her couch and then went to get her water and a leftover slice of pizza. She watched him, realizing it was the first time in years that she’d had someone to take care of her when she needed it.

“Here,” he said as he sat down next to her.

“Thanks.” She took a sip of water and one small bite of the pizza. She had a hard time getting it down, but she had to admit that the carbs did seem to help stabilize her. She ate a little bit more before she put the plate down and turned to Niko. “So… That was exciting.”

He let out a huff of humorless laughter as he pulled her into him again.

Indigo clung to him. “Thanks for coming when I texted.”

“I will always come when you need me,” he said. Then he frowned. “Was Pitts the one who broke into your office?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I know you told me not to go in before you got there, but I was thinking about the fact that I have my spells in my safe, and I couldn’t afford for anyone to get their hands on them. So I burst in.”

“Indigo,” he said as he squeezed his eyes shut, looking pained. “Do you know how dangerous that was?”

“Yes,” she said soberly. “I do. But just to put your mind at ease, my sisters and I did a connection spell today. If I get into serious trouble over the next few weeks, I’ll be able to draw on their power.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You can do that?”

She smiled. “Yes, we can do that. It takes all four of us. It was my grandmother’s idea. With everything going on, she wanted me to be protected.”

“That’s something at least,” he said. “Still, wait for me next time.”

Indigo didn’t make any promises and instead filled him in on what went down before Paul so rudely tried to arrest her. “It was Kinsley. She said she was trying to find me to tell me why she can’t work here anymore and was going to leave me a note.”

“She was in your office though. Isn’t that unusual?” Niko asked.

“It is. No one uses that office but me,” she said. “I also found her crouching in front of my safe. She said she dropped a pen.”

“Do you believe her?” he asked as he draped an arm along the back of her couch and leaned back, getting more comfortable.

“No, and when I told her I saw her on campus yesterday, she tore out of here faster than a scalded cat.”

“It sounds like she didn’t expect to be spotted,” Niko said.

Indigo nodded, though she wasn’t sure how to interpret what had happened before Paul showed up. Kinsley had been nervous about something. Maybe even anxious. Though Indigo supposed she might be too if she’d just been caught breaking into someone’s office. “We need to find Kinsley and figure out what’s going on with her and that other woman I saved from that compulsion spell. I think she might have been trying to get to my spell books, but I don’t know why. I don’t think she’s the one who has been compelling people, but she might want the spell to fight back.”

“I think anything’s possible at this point,” Niko said. “And you’re right. I need to interview her as soon as possible.”

“You mean we need to interview her,” Indigo said.

“No, Indigo. You need to stay here where you’re safe.”

She stood, her body no longer shaking. “Because I was so safe just a half hour ago? Don’t you think I’ll be safer with you?”

Niko stared up at her, shook his head, and then stood and said, “You’re right. You’re safer with me. Let’s go.”