Witch for Hire (31 page)

"I'm a glutton for punishment. Let me hear the explanation." She sounded patient, but intrigued.

"I'm something of a unicycle, old, out of date, unbalanced, unneeded. I find myself unsure of what actions I should take, how I should behave around you. I want to be your friend." I left the idea of being something more unsaid. It would only complicate things right now. "I'd like you to help me navigate this world." Several minutes passed as we circled the small garden. Between the dusky light and her lack of expression I wasn't sure what she would say.
 

"No more pranks. No more jokes. I need more honesty and less hidden agenda. In turn we can work on being friends, and I'll help you with technology."

"Thank you. I'll escort you to dinner."

"That would be lovely." For the first time since I'd given her the flower, her voice warmed.
 

She moved close enough for our auras to brush, and something abrasive hit my aura, catching my attention. I pulled away, studying her, casting my senses around. "Did you know there's a tracking spell on you?"

"No." I could feel her magic stretch as she searched for the spell. "Narzel's ass. I knew that boy was too good to be true."

"What?"

"Give me a moment, I need to remove this." Her power flared, eating the spell, leaving no trace behind.
 

"Lovely work."

"Thank you." She started back to the lodge, not waiting for me to catch up. Inside the door she continued. "A witch asked me on a date. It seemed a bit serendipitous. I hate being right."

"The one who was here earlier?"

"That's the one."

"I knew I didn't like him."

She laughed all the way to the dining room.
 

Michelle

Waking wasn't nearly as peaceful as sleeping had been. "Jones, I told you not to call me." He couldn't need me again.
 

"I know, but I needed you to hear this from me."

"Hear what?"

"Open your e-mail. Let me know when you've opened the pictures."
 

"Ok, give me a minute." Completely confused by his serious tone, and baffled by any reason I'd need to look at pictures, I followed his directions. "I'm on the cover slide."

"Carrie died last night, in her cell. You've been asked to look at the scene, but I knew you wouldn't. Look at these, tell me what you think."

Oh, she was dead all right. I was glad I hadn't eaten yet. With the way her abdomen was exploded it looked like something had crawled out of her, then eaten her throat. There were more pictures of the body than I wanted to see, but this wasn't for entertainment. Blood was splashed over the entire cell, but in one corner it looked like letters. "She made some very binding deals with some very bad folks. I haven't a clue with whom, but I can look in to what would've done this." I squinted at a picture. "Is that writing on the wall?"

"Yes."
 

I flipped to the next slide. "Seriously, 'It's not over' is written on the wall in blood?"
 

"Yes, and according to the FBI's report of her ravings, you have only eliminated the least of them. The others are waiting for the right moment to strike. This was not the main plan, merely a side venture. She doesn't specify a group or organization, just 'them'."

"Who else did I eliminate?"

"The breeder in Cherokee County. Carrie claimed she was breeding creatures for harvesting energy and body parts."
 

"How on earth would I have known that? Those were completely separate events!"

"Nothing she said has been verified, but Michelle, I called because of what's not written on the wall. 'It's not over' is scary enough, but the other inmates, and video, say she was shouting until her final breath."

"What did she say?" I'd only been trying to capture trolls. This was all a bit much for me.
 

"'The witch is mine. Vengeance is mine. Death is the first step.'"

"She said that?"

"She said it, but it wasn't her voice."

"Whose voice was it?"

"We don't know. On the tape it sounds like a woman."

"This changes nothing, Jones. I'm going to keep doing my job. Evil is often big talk, and not much action. I'll keep an eye out, but it may be years before they act on that promise."

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read Witch for Hire. If you enjoyed Michelle and Elron's story, please post a review. Reviews are a valuable way for authors to connect with readers. If you're interested, the following pages contain information on upcoming books and my contact information.
 

About the Author

I live in a small town in Oregon with my dog, and a mountain of books. It rains from October till June, and everyone rushes outside when it's sunny.

For fun I play with my dog, read, knit, crochet, paint, tie-dye, and do origami. I make a great pizza. I'm debating getting sea monkeys, because they're awesome.

I'm currently working on the sequel to Witch for Hire.

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