Hex on the Beach (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 1) (15 page)

“Listen, you go talk to her. I don’t want to cause any wedges between you guys.” Poppy didn’t look convinced, so I pressed on. “Honestly. I really do want to speak to Harpin alone and see if he has anything else to say after the recent developments with Leonard.”

“I can apologize later. I should stay…” Poppy watched as Zin hung her head, her figure getting smaller and smaller in the distance by the second.

“Go.” I gave my cousin a push. “I’m not going anywhere, else I’d get lost. If I get done talking to Harpin before you’re back, I’ll wait out front. Right here.”

“Right here? Sitting on the ground?” Poppy forced a small smile.

“If that’s what it takes. Now
go
.” I gave her another push, this time a bit harder. “Bring Zin back. Tell her I don’t feel safe without her.”

“That’s a big fat lie,” Poppy said. “But thank you. I’ll let her know.”

I stood still for a moment, watching with an easy smile as Poppy shifted into a jog, struggling to catch up to Zin’s lithe frame. Zin would make an excellent Ranger, no doubt. Maybe the next time Ranger X came snooping around my private property, I’d have a few more words for him. It wouldn’t hurt to see if he could use his influence to give Zin a leg up during the interview process.

When Poppy finally caught up to Zin, I waited a second longer to watch. I laughed as Poppy took a flying leap and tackled her cousin to the ground. As they righted themselves and brushed one another off, Zin’s look of anger faded. The two looked as if they were fast on their way to making up, so I turned and entered the dank, musty tea shop. The smile wiped straight off my face.

“Ah… Lily.” Harpin sat on the desk in the front of the room, his black robe long and swishing in the dim light as he shifted slightly. “Do come in. I’ve been expecting you.”

My body stiffened, first in shock then disdain as Harpin’s oily gaze slid over my body from head to toe, not missing a single part in between.

I struggled to hide my shiver. “How could you know I’d be coming here?”

“How do we know anything?”

“Do you have Seer tendencies?” I realized a beat too late what Harpin’s question was—a dodge from my question.

“Ah, I see they’ve finally begun teaching you
infant
levels of magical knowledge.” He stood, balancing his weight against the desk. “About time.”

“Why do you hate me so much?” I hadn’t meant to cut right to the chase, but something about the look on his face ruffled my feathers the wrong way. “I’ve only just arrived.”

“Exactly.” He shook his head. “Yet here you are, the new Mixologist.”

“This is all about my job, isn’t it?”

“Whatever you’d like to tell yourself, Miss Locke. It’s not personal—if that’s what you’d like to believe.”

“That’s what I’ll believe until you tell me otherwise.” Despite every atom in my body telling me to turn around, run back to the sunlight, and hide with Gran in The Twist, I forced my legs to move me farther inside. “Do you want my job enough to kill for it?”

Harpin didn’t look the least bit shocked. His mouth twisted into an ugly smile. “Would I be so obvious about it if I did?”

My skin grew cool, and goose bumps prickled my flesh. The more Harpin spoke, the more I believed him capable of murder. He didn’t show a trace of compassion, an ounce of sadness over a fellow islander’s death. I’d been on The Isle for mere days, and even I’d felt the deep sense of loss at Leonard’s death.

“I don’t know, would you?” I stopped my forward progress.

The two of us stood facing one another, six feet apart, surrounded by heavy barrels stacked on heavy barrels. The scent of tea leaves was more overwhelming than before, and I pressed my hands to my temples to stem an oncoming headache.

“Is that smell getting to you?” he asked. “Maybe you shouldn’t come in here accusing me of things you know nothing about.”

“What does my accusing you have anything to do with the smell?” I asked, the headache worsening by the second.

“That’s the problem. You forget you now live in a world of magic. You can’t fight magic as a human.”

“That sounds dangerously close to Faction talk.” I glanced around the room, looking for a chair, any place to sit down. I spotted a barrel with a closed lid a few feet away, and I leaned against it, my body feeling weaker by the second. “You’re not associated with The Faction, are you?”

“Stop accusing me of things you know nothing about!” Harpin’s voice came out in a roar, so loud it bounced off the many surfaces of the shop. He raised his hands by his sides slowly, as if gesturing for someone to stand.

I buckled in half, the smell increasing by the second. “Stop it.” I coughed. “I can’t breathe.”

“Then don’t forget we have magical defenses,
human
.” Harpin continued to raise his arms as if raising a zombie. The smell worsened. “I have the right to protect myself from your lies.”

“I’m not…” My head grew light, and I couldn’t remember the words to the sentence I had begun. “Please.”

“If you were a
witch,
you’d be able to fight back.” Harpin’s arms were at shoulder height now, his hands palm down as if playing with a puppet. His fingers twitched, and I could no longer breathe.

I flipped the sunglasses onto my face, choking from a lack of air, but of course the Uncloaker did nothing now. The smell wasn’t an illusion—it was real.
If only I had a canister of good old-fashioned pepper spray right about now
.

Remembering the sprays I did have, I groped in the pocket on the front of my sundress. I pulled out the TruthTeller, remembering far too late that we’d decided against EvilAway. Stars winked around my eyes.

What am I doing here?
I’d die in a tea shop, suffocated by an oily, jealous man who may have killed my first Mixology patient. I hadn’t even had the chance to learn magic, to spend time with my new family, to discover the truth behind my mother’s tendencies and powers.

A burn deep inside my soul kept me from blacking out. I struggled to stand, but Harpin’s eyes turned to glittering black buttons as he raised his hands above my head.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

I leapt forward, but the lack of oxygen made my body too weak to continue. I stumbled halfway through my leap, my outstretched arms reaching for him. I wanted to rip, claw, drag his arms from his sides, but I fell short. My efforts weren’t enough…

I clawed at my throat, struggling to breathe. My gasps brought in nothing but more toxic, tea-scented non-air. My wheezes became louder, my breathing shallower, and blackness crept around the edges of my mind. My body shuddered, an involuntary convulsion. Just as I decided to let myself sink into the darkness… an unfamiliar voice spoke from the door of the tea shop.

“What the hell are you doing, Harpin?”

I struggled to blink through the fog, but I was too far gone. I closed my eyes, laying my head on the floor.

Harpin responded, though I couldn’t make out his words. He must have dropped his hands to his sides, because my next breath contained traces of oxygen, and the breath after that was nearly a full gulp of air.

Like a fish drowning out of water then suddenly tossed back into an ocean, I sucked in one gulp of air after another, my body still weak from the spell. I coughed, spluttered, continued to heave. It took too much effort to pay attention to the conversation between the men—the two of them shouting loudly over my body—so I focused on breathing
in
and
out
,
in
and
out
.

“Are you okay?” the strange man’s voice asked near my ear. His hands danced over my forehead, his palms resting gently on my back, probably feeling if I could breathe.

I managed a nod. I tried to speak, but my throat was in too much pain.

“We need to get you out of here,” he said. “I’d recommend taking you to the Mixologist for an oxygen-infused cocktail, combined with some sort of throat soother.”

I coughed through a wry laugh. “You’re looking at her.”

“Let’s get you home.” He helped me to my feet. “Don’t get ideas about disappearing, Harpin.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” The tea shop owner walked behind his desk, pulled a piece of parchment from a drawer, and set it nonchalantly on his desk. “I’m going to balance my books now.”

“You nearly killed her,” the man said, lifting me to my feet. “I’d call that wrong.”

“I have the right to defend my shop.” Harpin’s pen scratched along the page, and he looked as unfazed as if he’d just gotten up to change a load of laundry.

“From an infant witch?” The man shook his head in incredulous disbelief. “I do believe you’ve made yourself an enemy, Harpin, and she has more power in her blood than you could ever
dream
of having.”

Despite my burning throat, I warmed inside. I wasn’t sure what to make of my valiant stranger, except that I liked him. I liked him a whole lot more than Harpin, that was for certain.

Harpin’s face grew pale, though he didn’t look up from his bookkeeping. “If she survives to use it, that is.”

“Why wouldn’t she survive?” The man slipped his arm under mine, propping me up against his body. “Hm, Harpin? I know you don’t have Seer powers, so if you know something’s going to happen, it’s because you’ve planned it.”

“Get out of here, Aarik.” Harpin scratched a letter so deep into the parchment I could hear the tear of paper, and I imagined the ink bleeding through onto his desk. “Now.”

“Why do you want to kill me?” I whispered. That was all I could manage. My voice broke when I tried to speak at a normal volume.

“I’m just showing you the dangers of the magical world,” Harpin said. “If you can’t survive a visit to my tea shop, you sure as heck won’t last long on the West Isle. I give you a week.”

“I may not know magic yet.” My voice cracked. “But I’m learning. I have friends. I have family. I’m not alone.”

The words, or the sentiment behind them, must have cut Harpin. He stood, jerking one arm upward in rage. The scent of the smothering tea leaves flared as he shouted, “Get out! Both of you. Get out of here!”

“Watch yourself, Harpin.” My rescuer helped me hobble from the tea shop. “And remember what I said. I’d try to stay on her good side because when she comes into power, not a soul on this island—magic or otherwise—will be able to stop her.”

A few minutes of awkward stumbling later, the mystery Good Samaritan led me to a bench just north of the tea shop, out of sight of the front entrance and away from the stench of tea leaves.

“I don’t know how to thank you.” My voice had partially returned, though it was still scratchy. “So I guess thank you will have to do for now.”

“That’s more than enough. I just did what anyone else would’ve done.”

“Not anyone,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Not Harpin.”

Now that the threat of my immediate death had been avoided, I took a moment to study the man before me. All at once, I remembered where I’d seen him. He’d been lounging on the beach when Poppy pointed him out, saying that he smoked a few of the special leaves Hettie grew in The Twist.

“Your name is Aarik?” I asked, remembering Harpin’s words.

He nodded, his blue eyes a bit foggy now that I looked closer. He was handsome in a surfer boy sort of way—sandy hair cut short, tan skin that brought out his sky-blue eyes, the bulkiness of a man who carried heavy things—like a surfboard—regularly.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” I said again.

“Don’t worry about it, really. How are you feeling now?” Aarik asked. “I live right around the block. I think I have some leftover ThroatSoother from the last Mixologist in the medicine cabinet if you want it. We can stop by, and I can give you one on the way home. It’ll hold the pain off until your assistant can help you whip up a new batch.”

I shook my head. “I should really get back to my cousins. They’ll be waiting for me in front of the tea shop.”

But as I looked in the direction of Harpin’s store, I couldn’t make my feet move. Maybe I could meet up with them elsewhere. I looked into Aarik’s semi-unfocused eyes, saw the goofy smile on his face, and another rush of gratitude hit me in the stomach.

His brow crinkled with concern. “If you’re not feeling up to walking, maybe you can wait here while I run back to grab the lozenge. I really think it’ll help get the healing process started on your throat. You have red marks…”

I stiffened as Aarik raised a hand, but when he set his fingers against my neck, the touch was so soft, I immediately relaxed.

“I’ll be right back. Wait here.” Aarik stood, a concerned look on his face. At my worried expression, he smiled. “Harpin will leave you alone. He won’t come outside after you.”

“I should go find my cousins.” Mostly because I didn’t want to be alone.

“All right, I see them over by the bridge. I’ll walk you to them.” Aarik extended a hand, helping me to my feet. “You’re okay to walk?”

I nodded. “Do you live in the houses by the canal?”

“No, I’m more of a free bird, I suppose you could say.” He nodded toward the beach. “I have a cozy little hut a few paces up that way, which is why I’d be able to run home and back in a jiffy.”

Squinting into the distance, I could barely make out Poppy and Zin chatting by the lower bridge. We were in for a decently long walk. My throat burned, and my eyes watered every time I tried to swallow.

“You said the lozenge will help with the pain?” I asked, wrapping my hands loosely around my neck.

He nodded.

“Maybe we can stop by your hut and pick one up on the way to Poppy and Zin?” I asked. “If you don’t mind, of course. My throat is raw.”

“Of course. It’s a two-minute walk from the shop, and your cousins look occupied. Here, lean on me.”

I took Aarik up on his offer, blushing as he slid his arm around my back. “You’re a godsend, I hope you know that. I’ll do whatever I can to make it up to you. Unlimited Mixes, once I learn how to mix anything.”

“You don’t have to do a single thing. Like I said, I didn’t do anything any decent person wouldn’t do. I heard Harpin yelling, smelled something strange, and popped my head inside. I was only headed to the library.” Aarik gave me a wry smile. “Most interesting library trip I’ve ever had.”

“That’s one for the
books
.” My cheeks turned warm as Aarik laughed at my dumb joke.

“It’ll make for a good
story
someday,” he said.

“You make ‘dad jokes’ just like me.” I grinned.

“I hate to say this”—Aarik scrunched up his face—“but I’m really glad we had the opportunity to meet.”

A small smile tugged at my lips. “I am too. And not only because I might still be choking on his floor if we hadn’t ever met.”

Aarik’s easy laugh relaxed me. The tension left my shoulders, and some of the adrenaline surge from the shop evaporated. “You know, I’ve thought of one thing you could do to repay me.”

“What’s that?”

“Have a Caffeine Cup with me when we get back. Just you and me.”

“Like a date?”

“Sort of. But it’s just coffee.” Aarik grinned. “Maybe if your throat feels better by then, we can chat for a bit. No pressure, though.”

“I’d love to get to know you—” My words disappeared as someone else’s arm grabbed my wrist and yanked me from Aarik’s grasp.

By the time I could collect my thoughts and look up, I was fuming. It was none other than my worst nightmare. I stuck a hand on my hip. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Ranger X stood behind us, having once again appeared from thin air—or so it seemed. “What do
you
think you’re doing? You’re supposed to have a security detail with you at all times.”

“I do have a security detail,” I said, gesturing toward my rescuer. “Meet Aarik.”

“Hey man,” Aarik said raising a hand. “We’re just chatting.”

Ranger X ignored him. “Where are Poppy and Zin?”

“They’re talking! They’re just over by the bridge.”

“Without you?”

“What, they can’t have private time?” I crossed my arms. “I’m perfectly fine, thanks for asking.”

Ranger X’s eyes fell to my neck, and I shivered under his glance. Instead of commenting on the red marks, he very lightly ran his fingertips along my skin. My eyes closed and a tremor ran through my spine, in part due to his touch and in part due to the pain.

My eyes flashed open, and I stepped back. “That hurts.”

“You are
not
perfectly fine.” His voice held a warning. “Who did this to you?”

“Harpin,” I said. “And if Aarik hadn’t wandered into the shop when he did, I would’ve turned out a lot worse for the wear.”

Ranger X’s eyes flicked toward Aarik then back to me in the time it took me to inhale. “Come with me.”

“I don’t want to come with you.” I took a step toward Aarik. “We’re going to grab a lozenge from his house, then he’s going to walk me back to my cousins. I’m
fine
.”

“A quick afternoon
lozenge
.” Ranger X’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t think you were the type to go home with a stranger, darlin’.”

“Don’t call me darlin’.”

“Princess?”

“Stop it!” I crossed my arms. “I can take care of myself.”

Ranger X blinked. “So that’s a
no
to Princess.”

I let out a sigh of annoyance, hoping he’d get the picture and go back to wherever he’d come from.

Instead, he missed the picture completely. He winked, heat erupting in my stomach at his playful expression. “I’m here to keep you safe, since apparently your family-assigned bodyguards are doing a terrible job of it.”

“I can keep myself safe just fine.” I considered the recent events and decided my statement needed a bit of revising. “Well, I have Aarik here, and I’ll stay by Zin and Poppy from now on. It’s not their fault. I told them I wanted to speak to Harpin alone.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I had questions for him,” I said, shifting my weight from one leg to another.

Ranger X shook his head in disbelief. “Someone has been murdered. I tell you to be careful. So the first thing you do is ditch your bodyguards and go talk to a wizard on a power trip?”

“Well, when you say it like that…” I drew a circle on the sandy walkway with my toe. “I didn’t know he was powerful.”

“He’s out for your job,” Ranger X said. “And—”

“Hey, man, she said she didn’t know.” Aarik stepped forward, taking my wrist. “Relax, dude.”

“Last time I ‘
relaxed, dude,’
she almost got herself killed.” Ranger X watched as I stepped closer to Aarik. “So I’d say that didn’t work out so hot.”

“My throat hurts,” I said. “I just want to go home, and you’re making me feel like I’m the one who’s done something wrong. I didn’t do anything.”

Ranger X’s voice dropped low. “What didn’t you do?”

“L-Leonard’s death. You haven’t heard about it?” I asked.

Ranger X raised his eyebrows. “I have. Is it true he stopped by your bungalow and had a Caffeine Cup the morning he died?”

“Yes, but—”

“Is it true you left the store and mixed the drink in your bar—alone?”

“Yes, but I didn’t—”

“So you could have added a little extra something—a pinch of a certain powder or a spritz of a special solution, something that might cause Leonard’s throat to close up?”

“I didn’t use magic!” I tried to shout, but my voice came out as a feeble warble.

Aarik stepped forward, pushing me behind him. “Listen, bro—”

“Call me
bro
one more time.” Ranger X stepped up, nose to nose with Aarik, making the latter look like a Ken doll, while the Ranger looked more like G.I. Joe.

“Aarik,” I whispered, tugging on his shoulder to pull him a step back. “Don’t.”

“I’m not looking for trouble,” Aarik said. “I’m just trying to walk this lady home.”

“I
am
looking for trouble,” Ranger X said. “And I’ve found her. Some folks call her Lily. I prefer Princess, since she nixed darlin’. Here’s what’s going to happen,
bro
: I’m going to walk her home, and you’re going to go back to the beach. That way, I’ll forget about your stash of ‘special leaves’ I can smell a mile away.”

Aarik looked down at the ground. Eventually, he slid his gaze over to me. “What about our coffee date?”

“Raincheck,” I said with a smile. “Now’s not really a good time.”

Ranger X gave me an extra second to thank Aarik again, and sent him on his way. As his shaggy blonde hair disappeared into the distance, I turned around and glared at the Ranger.

“You didn’t have to be so rude.”

“Come on,” he said, taking me by the elbow. “You’ve got some explaining to do.”