Grave Alchemy Read online

  Noah tried next. “Look, that cursed bullet almost killed me and I want some answers.”

  Hilda cracked the door open, the security chain still attached. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you. If they find out I talked, they’ll kill her.”

  “Kill who?” Noah asked.

  “They’ve got my daughter,” Hilda wailed. “I didn’t have a choice, they said they’d kill her. I did what they asked, but they didn’t bring her back.”

  “We can help,” Noah offered. “Just let us in and we’ll figure it out, we’ll get your daughter back.”

  She opened the door and led us into the living room, which was neat and tidy unlike her personal appearance. Basil transformed back to a gargoyle and Hilda let out a shocked squeal.

  “Why don’t we just call the cops? We got the killer and now we got the bullet curser,” Basil said as he strode up to Hilda. “This is just another ploy to knock us off the scent.”

  “Be quiet! You’re not helping matters,” Noah demanded as he turned back to Hilda. “Ignore him, he just likes the sound of his own voice…”

  “Fine,” Basil grumbled as he wandered into the kitchen.

  “Tell us what happened,” Noah continued.

  “Do you really think you can save my baby?” Hilda asked tearfully while gazing into Noah’s eyes.

  I glanced at Skye, who rolled her eyes at me. I was beginning to feel like a third wheel. I hadn’t seen that look on Noah’s face since Jane died.

  “I’m sure we can,” Noah replied, softly taking her hand. “We have a lot of powerful friends, we’ll find her and bring her back. What’s her name?”

  He was making a pretty big promise, and it was one I wasn’t sure we would be able to keep. Did Natasha hire thugs to kidnap a child? Why would she go that far? She was conniving, manipulative and a thief, but I wasn’t so sure she was capable of threatening a child.

  “Just tell us what happened,” Skye interrupted; she was getting impatient.

  Hilda took a deep breath. “Chloe, her name’s Chloe. A couple of weeks ago, two men dragged me out of bed. Chloe was crying and they wouldn’t let me hold her. The big one threw bullets at me and demanded that I curse them to kill reapers. I said I didn’t know how but they wouldn’t believe me. The smaller one threatened to kill Chloe if I didn’t do as I was told. I asked them to take me and not my baby, but they wouldn’t listen, they just took her and left. She’s only four.” Hilda broke down in tears again. Noah took her in his arms, trying to comfort her.

  “How many bullets did you curse?”

  “Six, they insisted that they had to have six. It took me ages to make them and they still have Chloe. What am I going to do?”

  “Did you drop them off somewhere or did they come back?” I asked, six bullets meant there were still three left.

  “They kept coming back, every three days. It’s been a week since they took the bullets. Why didn’t they bring her back?”

  “I don’t suppose they said their names, did they? What did they look like?”

  “No, no names. They were both dressed in black and had masks, one was really tall, about six and a half feet, and skinny. The other was a lot shorter and blocky. I couldn’t see their faces.”

  “Have you tried a locator spell for Chloe? That’s how we found you,” Skye asked.

  “That spell is hard to do alone. Even if I could cast it, how would I rescue her?”

  Hilda looked up at Noah. “They shot you with one, didn’t they?”

  “Yes. You can tell?” Noah replied, rubbing his shoulder.

  “You still bear the mark of the curse, I can see it. You weren’t a full reaper, were you?” Hilda said tearfully. “I’m so sorry.”

  Skye and Noah decided to take Hilda home with them. With their mothers’ help, they were sure they could locate the missing child. How they planned to rescue her was another matter. Basil had been uncommonly quiet since being chastised by Noah. He sheepishly offered his help for the rescue and apologized to Hilda for his earlier comments. His excuse was that he wanted to make sure Hilda was telling the truth.

  Back at Skye’s house, I pulled the broach out of my bag to show her, but she recoiled so fast she fell onto the sofa. “Put that thing away.”

  Juniper, Skye’s mother, came running into the room just as I sealed the broach back in its box. “What in the name of the goddess have you brought in here?”

  “It’s just a broach I found in the woods. I wanted Skye to look at it, cause it feels weird.”

  “You haven’t worn it, have you?”

  “No, I left it in my pocket. Why? What’s wrong with it?”

  “It’s cursed—a death curse. It’s still leaking out. I’ll give you another box to put it in.”

  With the broach double boxed, Juniper finally declared it safe. She believed that a powerful ancient witch had cast the curse.. It was beyond her ability to remove it, so she suggested that I find a safe place to put it.

  “Can’t I just bury it again?”

  “And have someone else dig it up?”

  “Guess not. Isn’t there an organization that guards cursed objects? I’m sure I’ve heard of one, but I can’t remember its name.”

  “I’m not sure, but don’t take it out of that box.”

  “You’re not gonna believe this,” Basil said as he flopped onto the sofa the next morning. “Another reaper has been killed.”

  “What?” I cried, spewing crumbs down my t-shirt. I’d just taken a bite of toast when Basil shared the news. “Who and what happened?”

  “Haley Morse is dead, she went missing over a week ago. Her car went over a cliff—at first they thought she’d fallen asleep, but then they discovered she’d been shot—with a cursed bullet. Harvey’s got the case.”

  “How did you find out before me?”

  Basil flicked his eyes to the desk behind him. “I was listening to the scanner while you were snoring.”

  “When did you get that?” I said, eyeing the police scanner. I couldn’t keep up with his purchases. “Oh, never mind.”

  I picked up the phone and called Harvey; this case was getting more and more complicated. He said they believed Natasha had been set up and much to Basil’s annoyance, were releasing her. Apparently, her story about the secondhand store checked out, she did buy the computers there. Sam Wheatly had noticed them in the window and had told Natasha about them. The bullet and the globe had fingerprints on them, but they weren’t Natasha’s. It was enough evidence for her lawyer to get her released, but she was still a suspect. Harvey also added that inviting us to dinner and leaving the evidence in plain sight would have been a really dumb thing to do. They were trying to track down the woman who had sold the computers. So, Natasha might be innocent after all.

  “Did they get a description of the woman?” Basil inquired with a frown.

  “Fortyish, tall, bleached blonde and thin. The shop owner said that she was getting rid of her belongings. She was leaving to go find herself, in India of all places.”

  “I’ve been to an ashram…didn’t find myself.”

  “Were you lost?”

  “Nope. I don’t suppose this woman had a name—not that it matters. She probably gave a fake one.”

  “You know Natasha’s going to be really pissed at us now.” Just the thought of having to apologize to her set my teeth on edge.

  “Who cares, maybe she’ll stay away from us now. Hey, that would be great, no more visits from Nasty. What more could you wish for?” Basil looked positively gleeful at the thought of never seeing Natasha again. I wasn’t so sure she’d just stay away, I wouldn’t put it passed her to plot revenge.

  “It just complicates things if she’s innocent,” I sighed. “If the killer’s still out there, Noah’s not safe. We’d better warn him.”

  Basil opted to stay home and do more research, so I made my rounds alone. The last pick up of the day had been a real pain in the butt, I don’t think I’d ever met a more indecisive soul. Just as I reached for t
he doorknob, Dante appeared and scared the pants off me. My heart was pounding, and I wasn’t sure if it was just because he had startled me.

  “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

  “Sorry. Can we talk?” he asked with a small smile.

  “We have nothing to talk about. I won’t stop looking for Felix’s murderer.”

  “I already figured that out, but you keep turning up and it’s interfering with my job.”

  I glared at Dante—if anything, he was interfering with mine. “I don’t even know what your job is, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t really care.”

  “Can we call a truce? We need to stop treading on each other’s toes.”

  At that moment, a police siren broke our stare down. We both snapped our fingers, walked out the door and down the street. I agreed to the truce and said I’d meet him at the park around the corner.

  Arriving a little while later, I found him sitting on a bench overlooking a pond. He was watching a child wander around the edge, pulling a string attached to a toy sailboat. Dante wasn’t a classically handsome man; his nose looked like it had been broken and not set properly, and it was a little off center. Tall, dark, scarred and not so handsome, I giggled to myself. He turned his dark eyes toward me; maybe I should add dangerous and oddly intriguing to that description.

  “So, what do you do? All I’ve heard is that you’re some kind of rogue,” I said, sitting down beside him.

  Dante laughed and said, “I didn’t go rogue. I was bored, so I quit. I find lost items for my clients. Right now I’m looking for a stolen cursed amulet, a medallion.”

  “Why would someone want a cursed amulet, and why would anyone want it back? Won’t you get cursed if you find it?” I mean really, wouldn’t they be happy if it was gone? Getting rid of that cursed brooch would certainly make me happy.

  Dante shrugged and pulled a small box from his pocket. “The Repository for Haunted and Cursed Objects is one of my clients. The amulet was stolen from their warehouse and they want it back. This box is made of lead. It’s supposed to shield you from the curse.”

  “That’s the place I was trying to remember. I found a broach with a death curse and need to get rid of it fast.”

  “I can take it. If you want.”

  “That’s a relief, thanks. What’s the curse on your amulet?”

  “Oddly enough, it’s obedience. Whoever holds the amulet can force you to do what they want—at least until it kills them. In 1854, a young maid grew tired of obeying her masters orders—she wanted to be the one giving the orders. She went to a local witch and threatened to expose her, if she didn’t give her what she wanted. The witch did as she was told, but got revenge by adding one small detail to the curse. For every order the maid gave, a week of her life would be taken. Apparently it didn’t take long, she was dead within the year.”

  “Jeez, that witch must have been pissed. It gives ‘be careful what you wish for’ a whole new meaning. What else have you looked for?” My curiosity was getting the better of me; it actually sounded like a fun job.

  “The usual stuff: jewelry, paintings and a few people. I’m not always successful,” Dante replied, trying to look nonchalant. “It’s not all mystery and romance, it’s hard work and sometimes it’s dangerous.”

  “Well, that amulet sounds dangerous. It’s here, isn’t it? What does it look like?” I assumed it was somewhere in Silver Falls, otherwise, Dante wouldn’t be here.

  “Yeah, it’s here.” Dante nodded and showed me a picture of a large gold disk, embossed with two swans with intertwined necks. “Felix had just joined SIB and since he was already undercover, I asked him to let me know if he saw or heard anything about the amulet.”

  “I still can’t believe Felix kept that a secret.” I was surprised at that revelation, and it explained a lot. “We all thought he went rogue.”

  “You jump to conclusions a lot, don’t you?” Dante chuckled and smiled at me, his eyes twinkling.

  “Well, we’re not really cut out for normal jobs. I mean, you either work for the council or you don’t.”

  “Just because you’re born into it doesn’t mean you have to toe the family line. Look at your sister, she doesn’t reap. She found something she loves to do.”

  “Point taken,” I admitted. I wished I could find something I loved to do, and he was right, reaping was boring. At least it was until the murders started. “Wait a minute, does that mean Felix was working for you when he was killed?”

  “Technically, no. His job was to infiltrate the local mob. It had nothing to do with the stolen amulet. I asked him to keep an eye out for it, not to go looking for it.”

  “What were you doing in Phineaus Pratt’s backyard?”

  “I was trailing Bruno Santoro, my phone was turned off when Felix called, so he left a message. He said he was heading to Pratt’s house, that the amulet and Phineaus Pratt were connected. By the time I got there, it was too late.” Dante stared back at the pond; the child with the sailboat was gone.

  “Phineaus had the amulet? You’d think a wizard would know better.”

  Dante took my hand and stared unblinking into my eyes. “You have to understand how dangerous this is. Stay out of it, I don’t want to be responsible for your death too.”

  He let go of my hand and rose to leave. “I’ll see you tonight; bring the broach.”

  “He was my friend too, at one time we…” I said as Dante as strode away.

  I sat there thinking about what he had said; my life was so boring compared to his. His was full of excitement, danger and intrigue. It was what I had dreamed of when I was a child, but then I grew up and became a responsible adult. I wanted to be passionate about my life, but the truth was, I didn’t think I had the nerve to change things.

  Felix’s viewing turned out to be a logistical nightmare, mainly because he wanted to be part of it. After all, it’s not every day that you get to attend your own funeral. I scrambled to notify the attending reapers that Felix would be present for the viewing, and that no one would be allowed to send him on. Harvey volunteered to man the door and deactivate any scepters that were brought in. Felix was having a great time drifting through the crowd, chatting and laughing with his friends. His body would be taken back to Oregon the following day, where they would hold the funeral services. He had asked me to send him on after the viewing, and I was honored to be chosen. Hundreds of high and low ranking reapers and SIB members had come to pay their respects. I noticed Sam Wheatly hovering at the back of the room, shadowing Noah. Now and then he’d curl his lip and mumble to himself, I lost track of him when Dante appeared.

  My chest tightened as I watched him scan the room, whether it was his presence or the thought of getting rid of the cursed broach that caused it, I couldn’t decide. When his gaze skipped past me and settled on someone to my left, my heart sank. I dropped my eyes, slipped through the crowd and made my way to the back wall. I searched the room for a friendly face, trying to appear interested and hide my disappointment.

  “I hate these things,” Dante said, as he took up a position beside me.

  “Me too.” I looked out over the crowded room as I held up the cursed broach.

  “Thanks. I’ll tell them to send you a check,” Dante said as he took the box.

  “Don’t bother, I don’t need it.” I know I was being childish, but ignoring the snub was the only way I knew to handle it. So much for thinking he liked me, that was the story of my life.

  “I mean just look at him, strutting around like nothing happened.”

  The sadness in his voice prompted me to sneak a peek at him, the hardness in his eyes softened as his gaze settled on me. “Who are you talking about?”

  “Felix, it’s my fault. He died because of me and he’s acting like nothing happened.” His shoulders slumped as he pushed off the wall and headed for the door.

  I felt the blood heat up in my cheeks and fought the urge to run and hide. This wasn’t the first time I embarrassed myself,
but it was one of the few times when only I knew what I’d done.

  I turned my attention back to Sam Wheatly, who was making his way out the door. He blamed Noah for his sister’s death and I found it hard to believe that he had forgiven him. His attitude tonight confirmed my suspicions—the look of hatred that crossed his face was undeniable. If he was responsible for shooting Noah, I’d have to find some solid evidence. But that would have to wait, this was Felix’s party and the time to say goodbye was drawing close.

  Chapter 16

  “They finally released Mr. Pratt’s body,” Annie stated over breakfast the next morning. “How old was he?”

  “From what I remember, he was two hundred and seventy. Why?” I asked.

  “Well, he was a wizard. Right?”

  “Yes, and?”

  “I did some checking and wizards live a really long time and they don’t have heart problems. The autopsy said he had a massive stroke. How is that possible?”

  “Beats me,” I replied. Who knew what wizards got up to. “Why do you care?”

  “I don’t really, it just seems kind of strange,” Annie said as she reached for the jug of milk. “Anyway, he’s due to arrive this afternoon. The viewing will be on Friday; should be interesting to see who shows up.”

  “I’m going to visit Natasha today,” Annie continued as she scooped eggs from the serving platter onto her plate. “She’s being released this morning.”

  I glanced at Annie and held my tongue; there was nothing for me to say. Just because Natasha was being released, it didn’t mean she wasn’t a suspect. And it didn’t mean I had to like her.

  “You could at least say you’re sorry.”

  “Sorry for what? All I did was find my computer in her house, and if I remember correctly, she was being awfully secretive about that office. Why didn’t she want me to go in there? I think she knew those computers were stolen.”

  “You accused her of murdering Felix!”

  “I did not, that was him.” I pointed my fork at Basil. “He did the accusing, not me.”