Framing of the Witch Read online

  Wiggles’ head appeared over the edge of the bed. “We’re out of dog biscuits.”

  I groaned. “I can’t go to the store. You’ll have to order in.”

  “Pizza?”

  I made a horrible gurgling sound. “Whatever you like. I can’t face eating.” I’d figured that yesterday’s headache had been because of too much work, but it must have been the start of this flu or whatever it was I had. I didn’t have the time to be unwell, but I could barely move.

  Wiggles trotted out of the room and returned a couple of minutes later. “Pizza’s on its way. I also ordered garlic bread. That’s supposed to be good for illness, isn’t it?”

  I flopped onto my back and stared at the ceiling. “I hope so.”

  “And I called in reinforcements.” Wiggles trotted away again. “Granny Dottie’s on her way.”

  I wanted to protest, but I was glad someone was coming to see me. I felt miserable, sorry for myself, and lonely.

  Fifteen minutes later, a knock sounded on the apartment door, rousing me from my doze.

  I didn’t move. Or rather, I couldn’t move. My limbs were leaden, and my head pounded.

  The knock came again.

  “Wiggles! Get the door.”

  “I have paws,” Wiggles said. “They don’t do doorknobs.”

  With a Herculean effort, I rolled out of bed, wrapped myself in the duvet, and shuffled to open the door.

  Tate Rathmore stood outside, a grin spreading across his face as he saw me. “Blimey, Tempest. You don’t look so hot.”

  I scowled at him and growled. He did. Tate was his usual gorgeous, muscled self and smelt faintly of pizza dough and herbs.

  “Pizza for two,” Tate said.

  I glared at Wiggles. “You ordered two pizzas for yourself?”

  “And garlic bread,” Wiggles said. “I thought that, once you smelt the pizza, you might want some. I didn’t want you to miss out.”

  “Sure, you didn’t.” I shuffled backward and let Tate into the apartment.

  He set the pizza boxes on the kitchen counter and looked around. “How long have you been sick?”

  “Since last night,” I said. “It started with a headache and got worse. There must be a bug going around the village.”

  Tate shook his head. “Nothing that I’ve heard of. Maybe you’re the start of it.” He pinched his nose and covered his mouth with a hand. “I don’t want to catch anything.”

  Wiggles hopped onto a stool by the counter and nudged open the pizza box. “Tempest is too sick to be useful. Dish up this food for me, Tate.”

  Tate arched an eyebrow. “What’s in it for me?”

  “A free slice of pizza?”

  “A free slice of pizza that I made for you, brought over here, and you’ve paid me for?”

  “Sure. Whatever works for you.”

  Tate shook his head as he pulled out two slices of pepperoni pizza and gave them to Wiggles.

  He glanced at me, and his nose wrinkled. “Go back to bed, Tempest. If you go downstairs looking like that, you’ll scare off your customers.”

  “I don’t look that bad,” I grumbled.

  Tate walked back to the door. “Get better soon.” As he headed down the stairs, I heard him stop. “Hey, Dottie. Looking lovely as always. How’s everything going?”

  “I can’t complain. I’m here to see my sick granddaughter. Wiggles messaged me to say she’s dying.”

  “Erm, jeez! I hope it’s not terminal. She does look a bit green.”

  “It’s not terminal. Get out of here, Tate.” The delicious smell of homemade soup drifted up the stairs. It was soon followed by Granny Dottie.

  She blinked at me as she reached the top step. “My goodness! What have you been up to?”

  “Getting sick.” I hunched under the duvet, feeling sweaty and gross. “I feel lousy.”

  “Get back to bed right away. I brought you my magic soup. That cures everything.”

  I didn’t protest as I shuffled to the bedroom and dropped onto the bed. It wasn’t just my head that ached. My vision was blurry, and my tongue felt like it was covered in a film of toxic fur.

  My eyes snapped open as Granny Dottie walked into the bedroom. I must have dozed off again.

  “This will do the trick.” She set a tray by the side of the bed. There was a bowl of soup for me, two slices of pizza for her, two mugs of tea, and a cream horn.

  “I’m not sure I can eat,” I said.

  “This will make you feel better. There are healing spells in here, an elixir of health, and a pinch of dried vampire blood. That always puts a spring in your step.”

  I shuffled up the bed, using the pillows to prop myself up. I took the soup and had a taste. It was good. No hint of vampire blood could be detected.

  Granny Dottie tucked into her first slice of pizza. “What’s brought this on? It’s not like you to get unwell.”

  “I blame stress. No, I blame Toby.” I slurped more soup.

  Granny Dottie’s eyes glittered. “I hope you’re being careful around him.”

  “As careful as I can be. I haven’t seen him for weeks.”

  “And you’ve still not found anything that will change your sister’s mind?” Granny Dottie bit through the pizza crust. “I’m no fan of Toby Matlock. Men with goatee beards always look like villains.”

  I recapped the information I had on Toby so far. “He’s clever. Great at covering his tracks, and even though he’s not supposed to, he’s using his mind manipulation magic on anyone who crosses him. I’m certain that the three women he defrauded were manipulated into keeping their mouths shut.”

  “But what does he want with Aurora?” Granny Dottie asked. “She’s a beautiful young woman, but she’s not wealthy. Perhaps Toby has simply fallen in love.”

  I poked my tongue out.

  “Tempest! Put that away. It looks like you’ve licked the floor of a dragon’s den.” She pressed a hand to my forehead. “You are running hot.”

  I had a few more sips of soup and passed the bowl to her. “That’s enough.” I settled against my pillows. “Toby’s plans are bigger than Aurora.”

  “Bigger how?”

  I stared at her and swallowed. I had no proof to back up my concerns. Was there any point in worrying the family with my theory about the demon prison?

  Granny Dottie’s expression became shrewd. “What aren’t you telling me, girl?”

  I sucked in a breath slowly. I didn’t want to frighten anybody until my theory was proven. “I think that Toby’s interest in Aurora has to do with the demon prison.”

  She snorted. “Toby’s after our prison? What does he want with a bunch of unruly demons?”

  “Maybe he doesn’t want anything,” I said. “Someone else could. Someone could be desperate to bust their friend out. They pay Toby enough, and he uses Aurora to get a foot in the door at the prison. If he’s manipulating her, she might give away our secrets. That will make the prison vulnerable.”

  Granny Dottie shook her head. “The prison’s too well-guarded. We’d know if anyone was trying to get in or break anybody out. And Toby would need Aurora’s blood to get it open. Only Crypt witch blood opens the doors. She’d never give him her blood.”

  “She would if he convinced her using his mind tricks.”

  “Aurora’s a strong witch and has her magic eraser pendant. She’d snap any hold Toby has over her if that’s what he’s up to.”

  “We still need to be careful,” I said.

  “I don’t think Toby’s ever visited the cemetery. He’s never paid any attention to the demons beneath it. Why now?”

  “Because he has an opportunity and received an offer that’s too good to turn down,” I said.

  Granny Dottie finished her pizza and wiped her fingers on a napkin. “Hmm, it’s possible, but unlikely. Have more soup. You need to be well if you’re going to deal with Toby.”

  “You don’t believe me.” I sipped more of the soup, even though my stomach protested. It didn’
t seem to be having any effect.

  She patted the back of my hand. “I have every confidence that the demon prison is secure. There’s always at least one of us there, usually two.”

  “We should get extra patrols,” I said, “and more protective magic.”

  “I’ll speak to your mom and see what she thinks,” Granny Dottie said. “As for patrols, we’re doing everything we can. Aurora keeps missing her duties, and you’re currently too ill to patrol, so we are spread thin.”

  “We need reinforcements,” I said. “How about we get Raine and Azura here early? They must be coming to Aurora and Toby’s wedding.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Granny Dottie said. “They’re busy girls, though. I’ll see if they can come a few days early. It will be lovely to have them here.”

  “Get them here as soon as possible.” My cousins were awesomely powerful witches. They’d whip Toby’s butt if he crossed the line. I managed a few more mouthfuls of the soup before I couldn’t stomach anymore.

  Granny Dottie tutted and shook her head. “You won’t get better if you don’t eat.”

  “I just need more sleep,” I said. “I’ll be fine tomorrow.”

  “Do you want to share my cream horn?” Granny Dottie lifted the huge, cream-filled pastry.

  I grimaced as I slumped back into the bed. “It’s all yours.” I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the sound of Granny Dottie slurping cream from the end of her horn. I had to get better. I had no time to spare, but all I could think about was snuggling under my duvet and getting rid of this pounding headache.

  My breathing slowed, and I slipped into a welcome sleep.

  ***

  The light was so dazzling that I had to blink and shield my eyes. Where was I?

  I turned and took a step back. Rows of chairs were filled with friends and family, all of them dressed in their finery. Mom sat in the front row with Aurora, Granny Dottie, and the rest of my family. She smiled when I caught her eye.

  I turned back, feeling disoriented. I raised my clasped hands to discover I held a huge bouquet of lilies. Their scent was overpowering, and my stomach churned.

  My eyes widened as I saw my outfit. I wore an ivory gown and matching ivory shoes that pinched my toes.

  I must be having this wedding dream because of Aurora and Toby. In my fevered state, I imagined my own wedding, but who was I getting hitched to?

  “Is everybody ready?”

  I jumped at the sound of the deep male voice and turned to see a Druid high priest in front of me, wearing a long gold robe.

  His gaze went to me, and he raised his eyebrows. “Tempest? Are you ready?”

  I glanced back at Mom and saw her nod. “I guess so.”

  “Then we shall begin.” The Druid priest gestured to the side.

  A strangled cry fell from my lips. Toby Matlock appeared, dressed in a white tuxedo. I was wrong. This wasn’t a dream; this was a nightmare.

  Shaking my head, I backed away. Even if this was a dream, I wasn’t marrying Toby.

  He held his hand out, a smug smile on his face. “There’s no need to be nervous, my dear. You’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

  “You’ve got the wrong person,” I stammered. “We aren’t getting married.”

  “If we don’t get married, I can’t give you my gift.”

  I held up a hand. “That’s fine. You keep your gift. You can get a refund if you kept the receipt.”

  Toby lunged at me, knocking the bouquet out of my hands. The flowers writhed on the floor as if they had a life of their own. Two huge black snakes uncoiled from the flowers and slid away on their bellies.

  “Was that your gift?” I struggled in Toby’s strong grip.

  “That was just for starters.” Toby bared his teeth. “I warned you what would happen if you kept interfering in my life.”

  I glowered at him. “And I warned you that I was never letting you marry my sister.”

  “And as you can see, you got your wish. I’m to wed you instead.”

  “Only in my nightmares.”

  “This is more real than you realize.” His nails dug into my palms, breaking the skin. “You brought this on yourself. This is my gift to you.” He dropped one of my hands and gestured at the people watching us.

  My mouth fell open as I turned to look at them. Everyone was dead. They still sat in the chairs wearing their finest clothes, but their eyes were glazed. They saw nothing. Their skin was gray and lifeless.

  I kicked out at Toby. He stepped out of my way, releasing his hold on me. I raced to my mom and grabbed her shoulders. She was ice cold.

  “Mom! What’s going on?” This couldn’t be happening, but I could feel everything. I smelt the white roses, felt the hot sun on the back of my neck, and heard the buzz of insects in the nearby flower meadow. It made my panic worse. Toby wouldn’t do this. He wouldn’t harm my whole family because I didn’t let him have Aurora.

  “This will be a wedding day you’ll never forget,” Toby whispered in my ear.

  I spun and raised my hands. Although sparks of magic flickered on my fingers, nothing happened.

  I tried again. My panic muddled my focus. “Frank, I need you.” I rarely called upon my incumbent demon unless it was a real crisis, but this was serious. Toby Matlock had to die.

  Toby chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is something the matter, my dear? You seem a little out of sorts.”

  “You’re the one who’ll be out of sorts. Frank! Get out here, now!” Nothing happened. I couldn’t feel Frank. It was the first time in almost two decades there was no movement from the demon who lived inside me. What had Toby done to me?

  “This will be a day you’ll never forget,” Toby said. “You messed with me. Now, live with the consequences.”

  My eyes jerked open, and I gasped in a ragged breath. The room was pitch black, and it felt like it was spinning.

  “Granny Dottie?” My words scraped out. The last thing I remembered, it had been the middle of the day and Granny Dottie was sitting by my bed sucking on a cream horn.

  My stomach roiled, and I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together to get control.

  As I breathed in, I smelled something salty and metallic. I moved my arms slowly. They slid through something sticky and warm. Whatever I lay on, it didn’t feel like my bed.

  My stomach threatened to do something dramatic as I moved again, so I stopped shifting around.

  I cast a simple light spell. Magic flickered out of my fingers but died. I tried again. There were a few seconds of dim light before it faded.

  I must be sicker than I’d realized. Illness often drained magic, but I’d never been so weak that I couldn’t create a simple light spell. Maybe this flu was something more serious.

  “Wiggles?” There was no sound. It often took him a minute to wake if he was in a deep sleep, but he usually slept on my bed. He could be in the lounge. Wiggles wasn’t a big fan of sick people.

  I tried again. “Wiggles. I don’t feel so good. Get in here.”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Lazy hellhound.” With another groan, I slowly eased myself upright. Maybe in my fevered state I’d sleepwalked. But where had I walked to? I was inside and warm, but that was all I could figure out. No light crept into the room.

  Grumbling under my breath, I rolled onto my hands and knees and landed in more of the sticky stuff. I waited for the room to stop tilting before I staggered to my feet. There must be a light around here somewhere. I raised my hands, the strange metallic smell coming with me as I walked slowly through the darkness.

  I hissed in a breath as my bare foot made contact with the side of a chair. I rubbed my toe until the pain subsided. After walking around for a few seconds, I collided with a wall. I spread my fingers across it and began my search for a light switch.

  “Come on, come on,” I muttered. I bashed into several more pieces of furniture before I found what I was looking for. I let out a sigh of relief as I foun
d the light switch and flicked it on.

  It was so bright that I squeezed my eyes shut for a few seconds as I slowly turned.

  I shuffled forward, blinking as I tried to figure out where I was. My foot bashed something warm and soft. I looked down and sucked in a breath.

  Wiggles lay on his side, his eyes closed. I ducked and touched him. “Hey, wake up.”

  He didn’t stir.

  I kept my hand on his side as I looked around the room. My throat tightened, and I stopped breathing as I saw footprints of red sliding across the carpet. The carpet that was in Toby Matlock’s study!

  How had I gotten here? What shocked me even more was that my footprints led from a bare foot that stuck out from behind the couch.

  I lifted my hand from Wiggles’ side and saw I’d left a bloody handprint on his fur. “Wiggles! Please, I need you.”

  He still didn’t move, but he was breathing and didn’t look injured. I stood slowly. I had to see who the foot belonged to.

  Horror crept up my spine as I inched closer. I looked down to see I was still in my pajamas. They were coated in blood. It wasn’t mine. I wasn’t injured. That meant it belonged to the person behind the couch.

  I struggled to keep my panic in check as I crept toward the couch. “Are you okay back there?”

  What kind of idiot question was that? This person wasn’t okay. The blood had to be theirs, and you don’t lose that amount of blood and be okay.

  I rounded the couch and froze. Toby lay face down, his head twisted to the side. His mouth hung open, and his eyes were glazed.

  I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. This was bad. This was a nightmare. This was also something I’d dreamed about happening. Toby dead. Toby out of Aurora’s life forever. I shook my head.

  “Toby, it’s Tempest. Can you hear me?” I edged around the blood on the carpet and knelt to feel for a pulse. Although he was still warm, there was none. Toby Matlock was dead.

  I withdrew my hand. I still felt stunned and dizzy. What was I doing in Toby’s study? How had I gotten here? Who had killed Toby?

  His body was a mess of jagged slashes. This wasn’t a natural death.

  As I stood and looked over at the still unconscious Wiggles, a knock sounded on the front door.