Hex on the Beach (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 1) (24 page)

When he pulled away, ending the kiss all too soon, our gazes met in a fiery stare. His shoulders rose in defense, and mine huddled in vulnerability.

“That
has
to be the end of this.” He gestured between us. “Understood?”

My body screamed for more, begged for his touch, his fingers clasped in mine. I wanted him to hug me and tell me everything would be okay, even if it was a lie. I wanted his hands to run through my hair, his eyes to lock on mine alone, his body to lie next to mine as night became morning. But he’d made it clear that none of that could happen. Never, so if I was smart, I’d move on sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t very smart when it came to matters of the heart. I looked up, ready to argue and tell him I wouldn’t give up just because he already had.

But something in his eyes—a sorrowful expression—stopped me. I couldn’t bring myself to make the situation more difficult on him.

I coughed. “Why’d you kiss me, then?”

His eyes turned dark, a soft grayish color. “Because I wanted to, and you wanted to, and we’re adults. Better to get it out of our systems.”

“It’s probably the lilacs’ fault.”

“Most likely.” He crossed his arms and smiled. “So can we be civil? And friends?”

“Are you gonna keep going around kissing girls left and right?”

“I don’t kiss girls…
left and right
.”

The expression sounded funny coming from his lips, and as I looked at his face, I couldn’t stifle my laugh.

“So we can call a truce?” He grinned.

I nodded. “Fine. But no more kissing each other, got it?”

He looked relieved. “Got it.”

“Don’t look so relieved.”

Ranger X’s eyes filled with confusion. “How should I look?”

“Sad. Very, very sad.”

He laughed. “I’m utterly miserable. Is that better?”

“Much.” I crossed my arms, and as the room regained its easy, comfortable feel, I remembered something else. “How’s Kenny?”

“Kenny’s perfectly fine. He’s back to work already, as a matter of fact.” Ranger X gave an approving nod. “He’s tough. The whole thing didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest.”

“And Aarik?”

“He’s in jail. Not going anywhere,” he said. “I made sure of it.”

I pondered that development. “Have you spoken with him?”

“Yes, a bit.”

“And? Did he say why he did any of this?”

“It’s been an interesting few days at the jailhouse…” Ranger X shook his head. “We gave Aarik an accidental detox. See, we don’t let inmates smoke anything at all, let alone that junk Aarik’s always huffing and puffing. It turns out Aarik’s brain cleared up a bit without the constant smoke in his lungs.”

I tapped my lip in thought. “You know, he said some interesting things on the boat.” I quickly filled Ranger X in on the conversation that’d taken place during my kidnapping. “But there’s one thing I can’t put my finger on.”

Ranger X raised an eyebrow.

“He apologized.” I cleared my throat. “He said I’m sorry right before he tried to hurt me. Why would he apologize?”

A light clicked on behind Ranger X’s dark eyes, illuminating them in a fascinating way I’d never seen before. “Those who hurt others are usually the most insecure of all of us, Lily. Often, the attacker is motivated by something other than the desire to just cause harm. I think that’s what happened with Aarik.”

I tapped his chest. “So what was Aarik motivated by?”

“I think it was more than motivation.” Ranger X looked at me. “The smoke was enchanted. He wasn’t
working
for somebody else. He was being controlled.”

I began to connect the dots. “So whoever wanted to control Aarik realized he smoked like a chimney. Then they put a potion into his special leaves stash, and he unwillingly fell under their spell.”

“Exactly. Now that he’s detoxed, he’s experiencing disorientation, lapses in memory, et cetera. Aarik claims he has no recollection of walking with you back through the maze or bringing you onto the boat. I didn’t believe him at first.” Ranger X pursed his lips. “But if his leaves were magically enhanced, it’d be enough for someone to control him. Mind magic, of sorts.”

“He told me that he poisoned Neil. That it was an accident,” I said. “I believe he didn’t kill him on purpose.”

Ranger X sighed. “That doesn’t absolve him, but maybe we can work with Aarik to reach the people who are responsible for controlling him.”

“The Faction?”

“Most likely.” Ranger X breathed hard. “This fight has hardly begun, Lily.”

“One more thing—when Aarik apologized on the boat, do you think he might have meant it?”

Ranger X nodded. “The spell might have been wearing thin by that time. It’s difficult to maintain harmful magic for a long period of time, or over a very long distance, and this situation had both obstacles when you were in the middle of the lake.”

My shoulders slumped. Aarik had been as much of a victim as me.

Ranger X looked away, as if sensing my disappointment, my embarrassment at being fooled. “It’s not your fault, you know. To control someone’s mind is a powerful and illegal form of magic.”

“Still, how could I ever have thought he
liked
me?”

“It’s
not
your fault.” He rested his hands on my shoulder. “Far greater witches and wizards than you have fallen from less. You’re new, but you’re strong. And you’ll get stronger every day. What sort of spell did you hit him with, by the way? Aarik was gulping for air, trying to recover, when he came to jail.”

I grinned. “I call it
Hex on the Beach
.
It repels unwanted men.”

Ranger X scooched a few feet down the bed. “Should I be worried?”

“Only if you plan on ticking me off.” I winked. “Or kissing me. If you try that again, then yes… you should be very, very afraid.”

We fell into an easy silence.

“Did you ever find Harpin?” To be honest, I didn’t really care, but it was polite to ask.

“Yeah, I found him, all right.” Ranger X grinned.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Turned out Aarik locked him in his own tea barrel.” Ranger X leaned back with a pleased expression. “I left him in there for an extra few hours and told him to think about what he’d done to you.”

“You shouldn’t have done that!” I tried to sound upset but couldn’t hide my grin. “Shame on you.”

Ranger X’s grin melted into a more serious, thoughtful expression. “I don’t have sympathy for any man who thinks it’s acceptable to hurt a woman. Especially a woman I care about.”

“You care about me?”

Ranger X blinked. “Don’t push me.”

I raised my hands. “Hey, your words, not mine.”

He sighed. “You confuse me.”

“So do you,” I said, playing with a stray thread on the comforter. “So now that we’ve got everything straightened out, can we agree to be confused friends? No kissing. No… no flirting.”

“No peeking under your dress?” He raised an eyebrow, an amused quirk to his lips.

“Absolutely not.”

“Shame.”

“Though in my defense, that never happened on purpose.”

“Shame again.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you flirting? Because if so, you’re already breaking the rules.”

“Fine, fine. You caught me.” He held out a hand. “Truce?”

“Truce.” I held out mine, and we shook on it.

Except he didn’t pull his hand away, and neither did I. His thumb rubbed a soothing circle over the back of my hand. My eyes fell toward our clasped fingers in a daze.

I snapped out of it first. “Stop that.”

“This might be the most difficult agreement I’ve ever made.”

I pulled back my arm. “It’s for the best. For both our sakes. You… you have your job to consider, and I need to study. I can’t focus on becoming the Mixologist if I’m too busy showing you my lingerie.”

Ranger X groaned. “You’re sure this is for the best?”

“Yes!” I nodded. “I think so.”

A knock sounded on the door. A second later, a squeal and some shouting filtered through, leading me to wonder about one-way soundproofing.

“I should probably get going.” Ranger X stood. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to look your grandmother in the eye after your descriptive images.”

I gave him a wave. “Thank you for everything.”

“You should be safe now. Stay near the bungalow. Don’t provoke Harpin. Let Gus know what you’re up to at all times. And for God’s sake, don’t create any more dangerous potions geared against men. You did a number on Aarik.”

“I can’t make any promises,” I said with a cheeky grin. “I’m told I have to come up with a Menu. There’s no saying what’ll appear on that menu.”

“I’d stop by to try it sometime, but like I said—I don’t want to end up dead. Or worse.”

“Worse than dead?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you.” Ranger X gave a good-natured shake of his head. “Good-bye, Lily. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need anything.”

I followed his gaze down to my wrist, where someone—probably Ranger X himself—had reattached the Comm band.

“Good-bye.” He left the room, the door closing on his way out, and took a piece of my smile with him.

For some reason, his good-bye felt more final than it should have. But in his words—maybe it was for the best.

My cheerfulness bounced back as soon as Poppy poked her head into the room. “You
dog
, you.”

“What?” I asked.

“You’ve got suitors coming here left and right. First Aarik, then Ranger X. Wowzers, is all I have to say.” Poppy shook her head. “Share the wealth. I mean, come on. We live on an island. There’re only so many available men to go around.”

Zin joined us shortly, and the three of us formed a cozy bundle on the bed as they wrapped themselves in bits of my comforter.

“Aarik was trying to kidnap me, so you can have him.” I laughed. “As for the Ranger… there’s nothing romantic between us.”

“You’re telling me he didn’t kiss you, not even once?” Zin asked, looking skeptical.

I fell silent.

“He
did
kiss you!” Poppy’s voice squeaked with excitement.

“It was an accident,” I said. “And it was the last time.”

“But not the first?” Poppy’s jaw dropped, incredulity scribbled across her face.

I waved. “I’m focused on my studies from now on. Just me, Gus, and my books. Don’t tell Mimsey.”

Poppy pouted. “And us. Don’t forget us.”

“And your aunts will force themselves into your life, don’t you forget.” Zin shrugged. “Hettie, too. Oh, the joys of family.”

We shared a knowing silence.

“We’re all really glad you’re safe, Lily.” Poppy looked at me. “And we’re all so glad you’re here. Honest. It already feels as if we’ve known you forever. Please stay with us. I’m not sure if you’ve been thinking about leaving after this… this ordeal, but—”

“But please don’t,” Zin finished. “It’s simple. Just say you’ll stay.”

My eyes smarted, the sting coming from nowhere. Luckily, I managed to swallow and not let the tears fall. “You’re in luck. I’m here to stay.”

Poppy did a huge fist pump, unabashed excitement on her face. “Awesome. You know what that means!”

“What does that mean?” I asked, playing with the heart around my neck, wondering about my mother and if she might still be alive.

“Well…” It was Zin’s turn to chuckle. “We heard you really pummeled Aarik with your
Hex on the Beach
concoction.”

“People are whispering that you’re the strongest Mixologist in a long time… maybe
ever
,” Poppy said in low tones. “Most people take ages for their spells to have any sort of effect. I heard yours did a number on him.”

“It worked okay.” I cocked my head to the side. “Enough to do the trick, I’d say.”

“Come on, spill the beans. We’ve been dying to know.” Zin looked at me. “What’s next on the Menu?”

“I’ve been thinking about this a little bit, ever since you gave me that theme idea.” I sat back, fluffed my pillows, and made eye contact with both my cousins. “How does a
Jinx and Tonic
sound to you? I’m also contemplating
Witchy Sour.
”

Poppy clapped. “Why not both?”

My cousins stayed with me at the bungalow that first night, chatting until they couldn’t keep their eyes open any longer. They dozed off mid-conversation, their heads resting on the extra pillows in the bed. Gus stopped by in the late hours of the night, slinking into the room under the cover of darkness.

“Hi, Gus,” I whispered, careful not to wake my sleeping cousins. “Thanks for coming.”

“You’re alive?” He gave me a grizzled nod. “I suppose that’s a stupid question, seeing as how you’re talking to me.”

“Alive and well!”

He grunted. “I’m supposed to give you three days off. Orders from the kitchen.”

“Is that right?” I bit my lip in amusement.

He grunted again. “You ain’t gonna stop studying, are you?”

“Of course not.” I nodded toward
The Magic of Mixology
manuscript on my nightstand. “I’ll resume tomorrow morning. Did you hear I created my first cocktail? All by myself. I call it
Hex on the Beach
.”

Gus grunted once more.

“Use your words, Gus. I can’t understand all your noises.”

“Then learn.” He walked forward and gave me a single pat on the head. “Good job, kid.”

“Thank you,” I said, my voice hushed in disbelief. His compliments came few and far between, and I intended to savor every moment of it.

“Get your rear end back in the store three days from now. You’ve got to learn how to control your power.” Gus shook his head. “You almost killed Aarik, I heard, with that repellent stuff. Vicious stuff.”

“Sorry.” I looked down. “I didn’t mean to make it so strong.”

“Don’t apologize.”

When I met Gus’s gaze, his eyes sparkled with a brightness, an intensity I hadn’t yet seen.

“I almost killed someone,” I said. “Or at least seriously injured them. That’s not a cause for celebration.”

“Your first potion was more powerful than anything I’ve seen for the last few decades, and you didn’t even know what the heck you were doing. You’ve got something I can work with, kid. Something to work with.” Gus shuffled to the door then turned to look back at me. “Three days, you hear? I don’t teach wimps.”

“Three days,” I murmured. “I’ll see you.”

Gus left the room, and I took a moment to sit back and count my blessings. A compliment from Gus plus a sleepover with my long-lost cousins? An excellent day, if I said so myself.

** **

Three days flew by, and before I knew it, I was back in the bungalow, working my fingers to the bone grinding powders, hurling memorized herb and flower names at Gus, and poring over the golden pages of my trusty Mixology book.

“Again,” Gus barked. “Again.”

“Gus, I’m exhausted,” I said, a few days after returning to the bar. “I’ve been working eighteen-hour days down here. I’ve barely eaten. I haven’t seen anyone except for you in the last few days.”

“Got a problem with me?”

“No.” I sighed. “I need the morning off tomorrow. Just to grab breakfast with my family, okay? Let’s start after lunch. If we continue at this pace, my brain will explode.”

Gus thought for a long, grudging moment. “It’s getting late, I suppose. I’ll tell you what—take the morning off and loop it in with an early lunch. Be back here immediately after. We’ll start at noon.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to lock this up, then, and go home for the night. I’ll be back late morning,” Gus said. “You can go home now.”

I didn’t bother to correct Gus. I
was
home, here in my bungalow. I handed over
The Magic of Mixology
and watched Gus secure it in the magical safe along one wall of the store.

We normally didn’t lock it up, but that was because we’d been working around the clock. In fact, I’d recently installed a foldout bed in the corner Gus had occupied for the last few days.

“Good night, Gus,” I said, leaning in to give him a hug.

He grunted and backed away. “We don’t hug.”

I let my arms collapse to my sides. “Would it kill you to show a little bit of affection?”

“I did. I patted you on the head that one time. That’s all I have in me.” Gus shook his head. “Go to bed, Lily. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon.”

After Gus clicked his cane down the steps, muttering about “emotional types” and “hugging crap,” I smiled and locked the door. Equal parts infuriating and adorable, Gus was, simply put, the best.

I took one last look around the store—
my
store—and soaked in the view. The shelves were full of ingredients, the golden book cover glinted behind a sturdy glass shield, the cozy folding bed sat in the corner of the room—all of it was more of a home than I’d ever known, and I hadn’t even lived here a month.

I flicked off the light and made my way up the creaky old stairs, skipping the seventh one, which had a particularly loud
punch
. After slipping into a nightgown, I crept under my covers with a book explaining the history of The Isle. I read and read until the book collapsed on my face, the pages imprinting on my cheeks in the wee hours of the morning.

When I woke a few hours later, I carefully peeled the book from my skin, slipped from the bed, and stretched, then I threw the curtains open. As the sunlight streamed into my lofty bedroom, I remembered all at once that this morning I had a few hours off. My heart leapt at the thought of spending time eating and chatting with my cousins.

I hurriedly dressed, rushed downstairs, slipped into my shoes, and grabbed a shoulder bag on my way out the door. But as I turned to lock up, I saw something that stopped me dead in my tracks.

An empty safe.

My stomach sank faster than a rock in Lake Superior as I crept back inside, my heart racing as I scanned the store.

Empty.

I left the door open, just in case I needed to scream for help, and approached the safe just above Gus’s fold-out bed. The glass was protected by layers of hexes, charms, spells, and jinxes—if someone had broken in, I should have known. The alarms would have sounded, spells would’ve been triggered, and if nothing else, I should have found the intruder knocked unconscious by the magic. I looked toward the ground, not seeing anyone. Or
anything
. No trace that someone had been wandering around the bungalow as I slept.

The glass on the safe remained perfectly intact, the floor clear of footprints, and my front door had been locked. But inside the enchanted glass barrier, only the velvet cloth that lined the safe remained.

I lifted my wrist to my mouth and whispered against the Comm device, “Ranger X, we have a problem. Someone has stolen
The Magic of Mixology
.”

Not only would Gus be furious, but the information inside that book could cause serious damage in the wrong hands.

My book was gone.

If I didn’t find it, the entire Isle—plus the entire human race—would be in danger.