Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
“There was another murder,” I tell him and take a drink of hot coffee. “Like just now.”
“Where?”
“Downtown. Not along Main Street, but like two or three blocks over where Vanessa lives. This time it was a woman walking her dog in broad daylight. And look.” I hold up my phone. “They’re reporting this as an animal attack. We’re in northwest Indiana. No animal around here kills people and fills their stomachs with rocks.”
“It’s safe to say no animal anywhere does that. Though, it’s better than the truth.”
“True. I need to cover Vanessa’s shift at the store. Kristy’s phone is going right to voicemail so she’s still at the Covenstead. I’ll send a note,” I add knowing he’s going to insist I do. “Tabatha will probably call an emergency gathering tonight to warn our coven about this too.”
“There’s a murderous demon roaming downtown. Take your familiars. And Scarlet.” His jaw tenses, hating that he can’t go with me since it’s daylight. Even if I enchanted the windows at the bookstore like I have to the house, it would raise too many questions. Vampires can’t go out in the sunlight, and we need to keep up that appearance.
“I will.” My phone chimes with a new email alert. I glance down, opening my email and gasp.
“What is it?” Lucas asks, dark blue eyes going wide.
“They’re thinking about canceling tonight’s Christmas Fest downtown.”
“That’s for the best.”
“But there were supposed to be llama’s tonight. Llamas dressed like elves.”
Lucas’s eyes narrow slightly. “Do you even like llamas?”
“Everyone likes llamas.” I let out a sigh. “Okay. I need to send a letter to the Covenstead and then head to the store. Betty and Danielle were closing tonight, and I want them out before the sun sets, though that doesn’t seem to matter.” I take another drink of coffee. “Something about this is so freaking familiar but I don’t know why.”
“You studied demons for years at the Academy. Maybe it was mentioned.”
“That’s the most logical thing.” With a sigh, I go into the library so I can write a quick note, magically send it through my fireplace to the Covenstead, and then take my coffee and go upstairs. I take a shower, use magic to curl my hair, and get dressed in a loose-fitting black dress and black leggings.
I pause at the top of the grand staircase, looking at the garland, lights, and ornaments. A weird feeling is starting to rise inside me, and I don’t like it. Christmas is supposed to be safe. It was the one time of year my horrible family couldn’t torture me. When that first tree went up, I knew I was in the clear.
It’s fucked up, I know, and therapists would fight to get their hands on my case. But I don’t have time for that right now.
“Come on, guys,” I call to my familiars, who are still hiding outside. Scarlet comes bounding over, still in her Christmas sweater, and I give each and every one of my familiars a pointed look. “She humors me at least.”
It’s a ghost town throughout most of Thorne Hill, and the few people venturing out are running from store to store, thinking that’ll keep them safe from whatever animal is snatching people off the street. Kristy calls me not long after I get to the store, and Vanessa is able to get there about an hour later. I stay, making sure she’s okay. Business starts to pick up, and the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping makes things proceed almost as normal.
I text Lucas when I’m leaving, and Freya and Pandora stay at the store to keep an eye on everything.
“We’re going to take a little detour,” I tell Binx and Scarlet when we leave, going a few blocks over so I can drive past the victim’s house. Kate Weber is her name, according to Vanessa. She’s in her late twenties, was a quiet neighbor and Vanessa didn’t know her well.
It’s almost as if a dark shadow has been cast over her house, and not just because she was murdered. The surrounding houses are over-the-top decorated for Christmas, making me think there must be some sort of competition going on between them.
But Kate’s house—right in the middle of the holiday cheer—still has a rotting pumpkin on the porch. Neither Binx nor I sense anything, and Scarlet is too distracted sticking her head out the window, enjoying the cold air to be on the lookout for demons. The snow starts to fall a little harder, and I turn up my Christmas music, singing out loud to Sleigh Ride on the way home.
“I’m very thankful you insisted on heating the garage,” I tell Lucas when I get back into the house. He’s in the kitchen, sitting at the large island counter with a book in front of him.
“And you thought it would be a waste of money.”