A Witch's Halloween Read online

  “You see the smoke?” A lot of it had dispersed, but there was still enough to make my point.

  Rodriguez nodded.

  I pointed at the car. “Thump, then smoke.”

  “So it’s dead.” Rodriguez rocked back on his heels. “I have room in the car. My driver is still with the centaurs and will be for a while. I could take the two of you and your things back to the Lodge.”

  Elron got out of the car and held the phone out. “Dorthea and several voices came through the phone, and she hung up.”

  I sighed. “We’ll take you up on that ride.”

  Twenty minutes later, we bumped down the driveway to the Lodge. Elron’s car was on its way to the shop. Mom still wasn’t answering, and Elron had tried calling five different places, none of which had any availability. As far as I could tell, our vacation was dead.

  The back seat wasn’t my favorite place in a police car. It was especially not fun with suitcases stacked nearly to the roof behind Rodriguez. I scooted forward as the parking lot came into view. “I should be free to take that shift on the full moon.”

  “I’ll be glad to have you.” He pulled into the last open spot.

  “If I’m not sitting in a hot tub counting stars, I might as well be working. Let me out so I can unload the car.” I slid over to the door.

  Rodriguez got out, came around and opened the door.

  “Thanks.” I yanked a suitcase out after me.

  Elron got out of the car, his attention on something on the other side of the cruiser.

  I shaded my eyes. Three elves were talking with Mom, Dorthea, and Landa. If there was a problem, they were more than capable of dealing with it. While Landa was short by many race’s standards, her four-and-a-half-foot frame was perfectly normal for a brownie. She’s been running this lodge for many years and there wasn’t much she couldn’t handle.

  With a shrug, I went back to unloading the car. It didn’t take long to make a pile of our stuff. I thanked Rodriguez and told him I’d be in touch to firm up the details for the full moon. He drove off.

  I picked up two of the suitcases. “Can you give me a hand?”

  Elron didn’t answer.

  “Elron? Did you hear me?”

  I looked up, and he was halfway across the parking lot, headed for the elves. They pivoted to face him, ignoring Mom and the others.

  “What now?” I muttered as I trotted after him. I had to stop thinking my bad luck had run out. There was always more. Always.

  Elron stopped, his shoulders tight. “Mother? Father? I thought you were… What are you doing here?”

  Elron’s mother stepped forward. Her boots were soft with wear, as were the homespun pants tucked into them. A leather tunic covered her shirt, and a sword sat low on her hips. Her white blond hair was pulled away from her face in three layers of braids. “We heard you were marrying a witch.”

  His father moved abreast of his wife. His clothing matched hers, but his hair was the same silver as his son’s. “We came to stop the wedding.”

  Chapter Three

  I skidded to a stop. “What?”

  There was no way I’d heard that right. They couldn’t have shown up just to stop the wedding. Life wouldn’t be so cruel.

  Elron’s mother nodded. “We both agree. This would be a terrible mistake. Your life spans are not the same, and a witch can never be the partner you need. You cannot marry her.”

  Life was that cruel.

  Mom caught my eye. “I called your father.”

  How the hell was he going to help?

  I stood there, well apart from everyone, and couldn’t come up with a single coherent thing to say. Like Elron, I’d thought his parents were either lost in some far-away forest or dead. Frankly, it had always been a little unclear, and since Elron hadn’t seemed upset by that, I hadn’t asked unnecessary questions.

  When I could think again, I’d have questions. Necessary questions.

  Landa said something to Dorthea and Mom before herding them back to the lodge.

  Elron’s parents continued to blather on about how unsuitable I was for him. Elves should be with elves. I could never understand his connection to nature and more nonsense.

  Elron strode over to me, his face unreadable. He faced his parents, one arm tight around my waist. “Mother, Father, I would like you to meet Michelle. She will be my wife.”

  His father’s eyes went wide and his mother’s mouth hung open a good inch.

  “Michelle, allow me to introduce my mother, Enor, and my father Erwin.” He leaned in close to me. “I am sorry.”

  I did the only socially acceptable thing and bared my teeth in what was supposed to be a smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  The third elf, who’d hung back, darted into the space between us, grinning. “Hi, I’m Eve. I’ve always wanted a sister.” She tossed a silver braid over her shoulder. “Hi, brother!”

  Elron froze.

  I blinked, afraid I was losing my hold on the moment.

  She was still there, all but bouncing in place. Her face was the same shape as Elron’s but softer, like she hadn’t grown into herself yet. Her smile faded, and she glanced back at her parents. “I know they aren’t happy, but I am. I’ve wanted to meet you for years.”

  “Greetings.” Elron managed to force the word out between clenched teeth as he glared at his parents.

  “Hi, Eve. Umm.” I didn’t dare look behind her. “Elron never told me he had a sister. How old are you?”

  “Oh.” She scuffed a foot through the gravel. “I’ll be seventeen soon. My birthday is on Halloween. How cool is that?”

  This time I didn’t have to force the smile. “Very. It’s the best day because there’s always a party and you dress up.”

  “Right?” She grinned. “I want to be Freyja. She rode in a chariot pulled by cats. She wasn’t just a goddess of fertility, but war! I was thinking of riding a cat. It would be easier than representing a chariot.”

  “Where are you going to get a cat that size?”

  Eve huffed. “I was going to make one out of cardboard, but it wouldn’t fit in my pack.”

  “If you’re staying here, there’s plenty of room for a cardboard cat.” And if I had a day that didn’t end up in Narzel’s hands, I might come up with a better solution.

  “Eve, Michelle has more important things to do than help you with a costume.” Enor looked over her daughter’s head. “Elron, you must reconsider.”

  I caught Eve’s eye and winked.

  She grinned.

  Erwin frowned.

  “I will not reconsider,” Elron said.

  Erwin stomped in front of his daughter, who peered around him with her lips quirked. He glared at both of us. “I will not approve of a witch joining our family.”

  “Magic isn’t contagious.” I’d had about enough of this. Elron was far removed from childhood. He could marry whoever he wanted.

  Even if we didn’t marry, our lives were linked. An old crazy fey-witch had taken care of that when she transferred the remnants of a curse to us. His last breath would be mine. That spell was a lot more binding than any wedding.

  “We are elves,” Erwin said.

  Enor set a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Sylvia’s death should not deter you from taking an elven bride.”

  “I fail to see how my words have given you the impression that you have a say in my choice of mate.” Elron glared at his parents.

  Erwin jabbed a finger in my direction. “She’s a witch.”

  Eve mouthed, “Sorry.”

  “She will be my wife,” Elron repeated. “I will say it as often as needed. She is my choice, and I will have no other.”

  Eve’s eyes went wide. “Aww.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Or do. I’d never envisioned meeting Elron’s parents. I’d never ever thought I’d meet Elron’s sixteen-year-old sister. I’d never ever ever thought they’d try to stop the wedding.

  “Eve, Michelle will not be joining the
family,” Enor said. “Do not grow attached.”

  Eve turned to her mom, with fingers crossed behind her back. “Yes, mother.”

  “Michelle will be my wife.” Elron kept repeating himself. It wasn’t working.

  Enor raked her eyes across me. “She is not able to give me grandchildren.”

  My vision hazed over. As if that had anything to do with the two of us being compatible life partners. As if there was only way to have kids. As if my worth was tied to reproduction.

  Elron’s fingers dug into my side.

  I wrenched myself out of his grip and walked away.

  Elron’s voice followed me. “Michelle—”

  “No!” My hand shook as I picked up my purse.

  “If you will—”

  “I won’t.”

  “You see?” Erwin’s voice carried across the parking lot. “She is not a suitable wife.”

  “I find her more than suitable,” Elron said. “If you do not like my choice, you are welcome to leave.”

  Silence filled the parking lot.

  My phone rang.

  I answered without checking who was calling. It didn’t matter. Literally any conversation would be better than this one. “Oaks Consulting, Michelle speaking.” My voice sounded tight to my ears, but it was the best I could do.

  “It’s Jerry. I know you said your vacation started today, but I need some help.”

  “Where?” I’d worked with Officer Jerry McKade for years. He was the hedge-practitioner for the neighboring Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. He did a great job with basic magical problems, but no human had the power of a witch. And right now, being anywhere but here sounded fantastic.

  “Private school, off Barrett Parkway. We have a student in distress, and the firefighters haven’t been able to get him down.” He hesitated. “He’s clinging to a tree.”

  “It’ll take me thirty minutes to get there.”

  “Thanks. I’ll text you the address. Hope this doesn’t mess up your vacation.”

  I held back a bitter laugh. “It’s not a problem. I’m on my way.” I hung up.

  Footsteps crunched on the gravel. “What are you doing?” Elron asked.

  Keys in hand, I headed for my car. “Work.”

  “You’re leaving?”

  My temper flared. I spun around to face him. “What can I do here? They hate me. They’re your family. Sort it out.”

  “But… but… you’re leaving me?” Elron reach toward me but stopped. “They change nothing.”

  I sighed. “I know that. But you have to convince them.”

  “Let her go!” Enor yelled. “Bidelia has two lovely daughters.”

  Elron closed his eyes and nodded. “I will fix this.”

  Going up on my toes, I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I know you will. But I can’t stay without wanting to turn them into toads.”

  “Witches are unable to understand our nature!” Erwin bellowed.

  Elron pulled me close and pressed a hard kiss to my lips. “Go.”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. I bolted for my car. “Good luck.”

  As I bumped down the gravel road for a third time today, I couldn’t help but look in the rear-view mirror. Elron faced off against his parents, and Eve watched me drive away, heartbreak on her face.

  Chapter Four

  By the grace of the earth and moon, I had enough of my brain present to drive to the school without causing an accident.

  The entire scene with Elron’s family kept replaying through my head. His parents and their views that should’ve died out a few thousand years ago. Poor Eve, who wanted to get to know her brother. Poor Elron, who hadn’t known his parents were alive, never mind his sister.

  It wasn’t until the last mile that I managed to shove Elron’s family out of my head and focus on my job. I hadn’t heard from Jerry again, so I assumed the situation was more or less stable, whatever that meant for a kid clinging to a tree.

  The school came up on my right and I turned on to a side street and then into their parking lot. It was one of those schools that catered to families with money. All the buildings were brick, and they had everything from a football field to a man-made pond for the rowing team.

  I parked behind a police car and shouldered a bag of supplies. A sizeable crowd had gathered behind a school building, looking toward the pond. From here, it was easy to spot the firefighters and police. They’d backed one ladder truck down an access road. The firefighter strapped to the top of the ladder tossed a rope. My eyes followed it to a tree a fair distance from the firefighter.

  Well, that was a sight I didn’t see every day.

  A young minotaur, hooves kicking in the wind, clung to the tip-top of a pine tree. He was a good twenty feet into the tree line, well away from the ladder truck.

  The breeze kicked up.

  He lost his grip, arms flailing as the wind shoved him further from help. He grabbed the swaying top of another tree and wrapped his arm around a branch.

  I dumped the supplies back in my trunk and jogged down the hill. All I needed was my wand, and thanks to a nifty bit of elven craftsmanship in both my bracelet and wand, it was always with me. I curled my fingers and twisted my wrist, activating the bracelet, and my wand dropped into my hand.

  A woman moved to block my path. From the slacks and cardigan, she was with the school. “Authorized personnel only.”

  “I’m with the police.” I stopped, keeping one eye on the student clinging to the tree.

  One brow arched. “Where’s your badge?”

  “Jerry!” I bellowed.

  A figure in a rumpled uniform spun around. “Oaks! Let her through.”

  The woman’s lips flattened.

  I couldn’t resist as I trotted past her. “Don’t worry. You’ll have your student back on the ground in no time.”

  Jerry met me and jogged beside me. “Kid’s name is Wendel. He’s been floating around for an hour. Best we can figure, he stole a teacher’s levitation charm.”

  “Got it.” We entered the trees, and I lost sight of Wendel. “Can you go ahead to the base of his tree? It’ll be easier if I can see him.”

  “Sure. I’ll tell you where he is.”

  “Perfect.” I backtracked until I had an unobstructed view.

  The breeze picked up again, with Wendel’s tree swaying back and forth. His hooves kicked, but they didn’t do him much good up in the air.

  I raised my wand and readied a shield spell, which I could use to get him back to the ground.

  Wendel lost his grip and screamed.

  “Sowil.” Magic welled up in me and flowed through the wand, which focused and amplified its effect. The rune gave it shape and structure.

  A bubble of magic snapped into place around Wendel. He bounced off the top, jerking the shield up an inch before I steadied it.

  “In position!” Jerry yelled.

  “Bringing him down!” Directing the shield with my wand, I lowered it down into the treetops. It thumped into something, and I halted the descent. “What did I hit?”

  “The crown of a sweet gum tree.” Jerry paused. “He’s close to the pond. Want to aim for there?”

  “Sure. Tell me when I’m over the pond.” I lifted the shield, with the poor, freaked-out minotaur plastered to the top, above the trees and sent it toward the pond. From here, I couldn’t see where the trees ended, so I kept a slow and steady pace.

  “A little more to the left.”

  I made the correction and kept the same pace.

  “You’re over the pond.”

  “Keep an eye on him. I’m coming to you.” I added a touch of magic to hold the shield in place before I made my way through the trees. Several people followed me, including a stout minotaur in a button-down shirt. So far, he hadn’t interfered. If I could get the kid down and undo the levitation spell, he could have at his son.

  The trees went right up to the shore, and I had to pick my way around them to Jerry. I scanned the air but didn’t see the
shield. “Where is it?”

  Jerry pointed straight up.

  My head tipped back. The shield and the wide-eyed minotaur were directly overhead. Wendel was older than I initially thought. He was thin, with short horns curving over his head. He’d grow into himself in a few more years.

  It only took a moment to lower the shield over the water and skim it back to shore. When the shield and minotaur were at the edge of the water, I stopped it. “Wendel, can you swim?”

  “Huh? Who are you?” He pushed at the shield so he could turn and face me.

  I put on my best patient police helper face. “My name is Michelle. I’m a witch, and I can remove the spell from you.”

  “Oh.”

  “Can you swim?” I repeated.

  “Yes, but not well.”

  “When I undo the levitation spell, you’re going to fall. Would you rather do that over shallow water or ground?” I waited while he thought about it.

  He groaned. “Water.”

  “I’m going to move you over the water and lower the shield so you have a soft place to fall. Okay?”

  “Sure.” He closed his eyes. “Not like I have a choice.”

  With a flick of my wand, the shield glided back over shallow water, hopefully three to four feet deep. “Now I’m going to lower you.”

  “Fine,” Wendel said.

  I adjusted the shield spell to allow water in and lowered it until the bottom bumped into the ground. About a third of the shield was under water. It looked like enough to cushion his fall. “Are you ready for me to remove the levitation spell?”

  “Please.”

  “I’ll count down when it’s going to come off.” Reaching out with a tendril of magic, I felt for the spell. Rather than finding a concentrated focal point like I’d expected with a charm, the spell went through Wendel’s body. “How did you get the levitation spell in you?”

  “Can’t you just undo it?”

  Yes, but he didn’t know that, and everyone would want the answer to this question. “I need to know what you did.”

  He huffed. “After I borrowed the charm, I activated it and submerged it in a bottle of water. Then I drank the water.”