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I stood in the middle of Lex’s study and looked around. A bad feeling ate away at my stomach as I took in the knocked over furniture, burn marks on the walls from where spells had been fired, and a few dots of blood on the wooden floorboards.
“I’m doomed.” Aurora was slumped on a chair in the corner. “I should have canceled this wedding as soon as things started going wrong. They were signs that it was never supposed to happen.”
“No. They were signs that someone has been messing with you.”
“You really think someone is behind the problems with the wedding?” Aurora raised her head.
“I didn’t believe it at first, but looking at this, Lex didn’t do this himself.” I inspected the blood on the floor. There were only a few dots scattered around, the kind that would be left behind if you had an unexpected nose bleed.
Wiggles was sniffing around the room with Sox and Charlie. They all mooched out into the hallway.
“Hey! There’s more blood out here,” Wiggles called.
I grabbed Aurora, and we followed along behind him. I put an arm around her shoulders. She was shaking and kept dabbing at her nose with a hanky.
“We’ll find Lex,” I said.
She nodded. “We will. And whoever has done this to him will pay.”
I opened the back door out into the yard for Wiggles and the cats.
Wiggles stood outside, sniffing the air.
“Is there more blood out here?” I said.
“There could be. But there’s something else. I’m smelling Gideon.”
“Gideon took Lex!” Aurora’s head shot up. “Find him, Wiggles. No one takes my man and gets away with it.”
“It’s definitely him,” Wiggles said. “I’d recognize that alpha male pong anywhere. This way.”
“Could you smell Gideon inside the castle?” I asked as we raced along behind Wiggles, Sox, and Charlie.
“No. I only got his scent when we came outside. It’s like he’s been lurking around the building.”
“He must have been inside to grab Lex,” Aurora said. “Could Gideon have kidnapped Lex? He may be holding him to ransom because he knows how wealthy he is. Or he wants to get his hands on some wishes. Lex will never give in if that’s the case.”
“It doesn’t make any sense for Gideon to take Lex,” I said. “All he wants to do is get out of Willow Tree Falls. By kidnapping someone, he’s only making things worse for himself, and things are already dire for him.”
“Which means he’s got nothing to lose. He decided, since he was stuck here, to make the most of it and get some money.” Aurora scowled, and flashes of pink magic flowed from her hands. “When I catch him, I’ll make him sorry.”
We headed into part of the enormous estate Lex owned. There were three wildflower meadows, an orchard, and a huge lake. It would take hours to explore it all.
“The smell is strongest over by those barns,” Wiggles said.
We headed toward three wooden barns that stood behind the castle.
“What does Lex use these for?” I asked.
“Storing equipment. Nothing exciting.” Aurora dashed ahead of me.
I caught hold of her arm. “Stay calm. I know you want to find Lex, but Gideon’s a bad guy. If he’s got Lex trapped somewhere, he won’t go down without a fight.”
“Which is what I’ll give him,” Aurora said. “I’m not scared of Gideon Blazeheart.”
We all slowed as we neared the barns. Wiggles went ahead, sniffing furiously for any signs of Gideon, alongside Sox and Charlie. He stopped outside the third barn and looked back at me. He nodded.
I pressed a finger to my lips and gave Aurora a warning look.
She frowned but then nodded.
I crept toward the barn and put my ear against the door. There were shuffling sounds on the other side. Someone was in there.
I flicked my wrist and conjured a fireball. With my free hand, I caught hold of the handle of the barn door. I looked over at Aurora one more time and nodded.
Her own pale pink magic swirled around her, angry looking jagged sparks flickering through it. I’d never seen my sister so mad.
Wiggles, Sox, and Charlie crouched, ready to spring into action.
I sucked in a breath and yanked open the door.
Gideon’s head whipped up as the door opened. He was sitting on an overturned box, his leather jacket slung to one side, and his bike parked beside him.
He jumped up and stumbled back. “How did you find me?”
Aurora rushed toward him, a blaze of sparkling magic and pink-haired fury. “Where’s Lex? What have you done with him?”
Gideon’s gaze slid to me. “What are you talking about?”
“You guys guard the door,” I said to Wiggles, Sox, and Charlie. “We’ll deal with Gideon.”
Wiggles nodded and positioned himself in front of the door, his teeth bared and his hackles raised. The cats puffed out their fur and narrowed their eyes.
I stalked toward Gideon, who was looking at my sister with alarm in his eyes as her magic shimmered around her. “We know what you did. You left behind way too much evidence. We need Lex back.”
“And if you’ve hurt him, I’ll kill you,” Aurora said.
Gideon licked his lips. “You witches are crazy.”
Aurora’s hand shot out. She blasted a stream of jagged pink magic straight into Gideon’s chest. He yelped and lifted off his feet, slamming back against the side of the barn.
“If you’ve hurt my husband to be, I’ll spend the rest of my life making you pay. That’s if I don’t kill you, first. Give me back my fiancé.”
Gideon struggled against Aurora’s magic. “What the heck? I don’t know anything about your fiancé. I don’t even know who he is.”
“Lex Fontaine! The man you took from the castle.” Aurora thrust both hands forward, and more magic slammed into Gideon.
I was impressed. Aurora had seriously witchy skills when she was angry.
I touched her shoulder. “We need to keep him alive until we find out where Lex is and get a confession for Ian’s murder and the attack on Dominic.”
Gideon glowered at me. “You’re still going on about that. Haven’t you found out who really killed Ian?”
“We know who did it. It was you,” I said. “You wouldn’t be hiding if you were innocent.”
“You’ve got it wrong.” He twisted in Aurora’s magic, a spell sparking on his fingers.
I held up the fireball in my palm. “Think very carefully before you fire magic at my little sister. Between us, we’ll take you down.”
“And it’ll be self-defense if you die,” Aurora said. “We’d get away with killing you. No one likes you, and everyone trusts us. We’d probably get medals for getting rid of such a meanie.”
I leaned closer to her. “Ease up on the killing threats. You’re even scaring me.”
“I’ll do it,” she said. “Gideon’s a bad man. He won’t stop my wedding from going ahead.”
He held up his hands, the magic he was conjuring dying. “I know nothing about your dumb wedding. Let me go.”
“Why are you hiding in here?” I said.
He scowled and struggled some more before sighing. “Alright, I’ll tell you. I was staying here until the heat died down. You and the angels were looking at me for Ian’s murder. If I stuck around, you wouldn’t look anywhere else. So, I decided to help you.”
I gestured at Aurora to draw back the strength of her spell.
Her mouth twisted to the side, but she lowered her hands. She kept magic on the tips of her fingers as she glared at Gideon.
Gideon rolled his shoulders and adjusted his crumpled T-shirt.
“You know I’ve been looking at other suspects,” I said. “But there’s a good reason you’re the prime suspect. And we’ve found your murder weapon.”
“Yeah! Where did I hide it?”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“Witch, you’re pushing your luck.”
Aurora shot a knock back spell at Gideon, making him yelp and duck. “You’re the one pushing your luck! Where’s my fiancé, you creep?”
“Calm her down.” Gideon wheezed as he got to his feet. “I know nothing about this guy, or the murder weapon, or the murder.”
“We found the bike. You set it on fire, but you didn’t do a good enough job. It’s only a matter of time before we get evidence off it,” I said.
He frowned, and his forehead wrinkled. “I’d never burn a bike. You respect your ride. You don’t damage it. Besides, my bike’s right here. I don’t ride anything else.”
“We only have your word for that,” Aurora said, “which is meaningless. And I don’t care about what happened to Ian. Sorry, Tempest, but this is about my wedding. Where’s Lex?”
“If you mean the guy in the castle, I stayed away from him.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “Wiggles picked up your scent outside the castle door.”
Gideon lifted one shoulder. “I may have had a look around but only when he wasn’t at home. The guy was in and out all the time, so it was easy enough to poke about.”
“Someone will have seen you,” Aurora said. “Lex has staff. They’d have stopped you.”
“I saw a few people inside, but I kept a low profile. I didn’t want anyone to know I was here. I figured I’d spend a few days in this barn until Tempest figured out who killed Ian. Then I’d be able to leave Willow Tree Falls without any hassle.”
“You’re not going anywhere. Not after what you did to Dominic,” I said.
Gideon bared his teeth at me. “That was your fault. He should never have tried to take me in. I don’t do well in confined spaces.”
“You’ll have to get used to small spaces. Trying to kill an angel will mean a long stretch inside.”
“I’d never have killed him. I was sending a message. A warning so you’d back off.”
“That warning backfired. You badly injured Dominic,” I said. “The angels have you on the top of their hit list. As does everyone in Willow Tree Falls. Dominic is a popular guy.”
“It’s not my fault. He shouldn’t have fought back. Dumb angel.”
“You’re the one who’s missing the smarts. I know you lied about your alibi on the night of Ian’s murder. You were seen by our Forest Guardian around the time of Ian’s death. You were in the forest. You could easily have killed Ian and burned the bike. Your gang covered for you, which means they’re in trouble too,” I said.
“You leave my gang out of this. They only do what I tell them.” Gideon sighed and ran a hand through his long, dark hair. “I had good reason to find myself an alibi. I knew you’d automatically think I was guilty. But I had nothing to gain by killing Ian. The guy was a massive jerk, and he disrespected me, but it wasn’t the first time that had happened. People are always trying their luck with me, making out they’re something special.”
“So you decided to show Ian who’s in charge,” I said.
“No! When you lead a gang, people are always coming for you. You get used to it. You learn to deal with it, without killing everyone who gets up in your face. If I blew my lid every time someone came for me, I’d have dozens of murders under my belt. I didn’t kill Ian.”
“The evidence suggests otherwise. And you don’t need to convince me. You need to convince the angels. You’re under arrest, Gideon.”
“You can’t take him away,” Aurora said. “We still have no idea what he’s done with Lex.”
Gideon’s hands flexed as I approached him.
“Keep calm,” I said. “You can’t get away.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you accusing me of two murders? You think I bumped off the rich guy in the castle?”
Aurora gasped. She flung herself at Gideon and grabbed the front of his T-shirt. “If you’ve murdered Lex, I’ll hunt you down for the rest of your life. Even when you’re dead, I’ll hassle your ghost. I’ll make sure you’re never at peace. I know spells that would turn your hair gray with terror.”
I glanced at Aurora. For a white witch with shocking pink hair, she was being particularly terrifying.
Gideon tensed as I got close. “Don’t make this any harder on yourself. You heard my sister. She’s in the mood for performing nasty magic. Come quietly, confess to your crimes, and tell us what you’ve done with Lex.”
Gideon’s shoulders hunched. “You’ll charge me with this crime whatever I say.” He held out his hands and let me put him in magical restraints. They glowed around his wrists, trapping his hands in front of him and preventing him from doing magic.
“Let’s move.” I kept a tight hold on Gideon’s arm as we left the barn.
Aurora stuck to Gideon like glue as we headed away from the castle. “Where’s Lex?”
“I have no idea.”
“Why did you take him?”
“I didn’t take him.”
Aurora grabbed Gideon again and shook him. “Tell me where my fiancé is, you dark-hearted biker thug.”
Gideon glanced at me. “And I thought you were the crazy one.”
“Aurora doesn’t like people messing with her fiancé. It makes her twitchy and mean.”
“Just keep her away from me,” he said.
I snorted a laugh and shook my head. “Nope. Family first. She needs answers.”
“That’s right. I’ll hassle you until you give me the information I need,” Aurora said.
I shrugged as Gideon shot me a look of desperation. “Aurora wants the perfect wedding day. You’re stopping that from happening. Never stop a bride from getting what she wants. You’re learning that the hard way.”
Gideon looked over at the castle. “If I tell you what I saw, will you back off?”
“What? What did you see?” Aurora clutched his arm.
“Ease off of the pinching, and I’ll tell you.” Gideon tried to shrug Aurora away, but she was going nowhere. “Fine. There was a woman watching the castle. I had to be careful when sneaking in and out of the barn to make sure she didn’t see me.”
Aurora’s eyebrows shot up. “What woman? Who is she?”
“I can’t tell you that. The only time I’ve ever seen her was when I was here. She spent ages watching the castle. Well, I reckon she was actually watching your guy. She’d conceal herself behind a tree and stare at him. When he went out, she’d follow him. This morning, she went inside the castle. She walked up to it like she owned the place, opened the back door, and went in. I didn’t see her after that.”
The color drained from Aurora’s face. “This woman took Lex?”
Sox and Charlie leapt onto her shoulders and curled around her, as if sensing her distress and wanting to provide a fluffy, protective shield.
“She could have done. I didn’t see them leave together,” Gideon said.
Aurora blinked rapidly. Her bottom lip quivered. “Someone’s really taken him?”
“Hold on. Gideon, why should we believe you?” I said.
“What’s the point in me lying? If I wanted his money, I’d have robbed the castle. I just want out of Willow Tree Falls. And once I’m gone, I’m never coming back.”
“Could it be an old girlfriend?” Aurora said, her expression blank as she looked back at the castle. “A jealous rival?”
“I don’t reckon he dated this woman,” Gideon said. “She’s young. Early twenties, maybe. Lex is an old guy.”
Aurora grabbed him again. “He’s sophisticated and mature.”
Sox and Charlie hissed in Gideon’s face.
“Whatever you say. But he wears those weird cravats and suits all the time. Anyone in a suit looks old to me. Maybe they did date. I don’t know. And I don’t care.”
“Describe her to me,” Aurora said.
“I didn’t pay much attention.”
“You saw enough to know her age,” I said. “Try again.”
Gideon huffed out a breath. “She looked the opposite of you, Aurora. She looks more like Tempest. Pale skin and dark hair. She was dressed in black.”
“Lex has never dated anyone like that. He likes blondes.” Aurora pressed her hands against her chest. “I feel sick. And faint. I may be sick. I need something to puke in.”
Gideon stepped back, disgust on his face.
“Take a few deep breaths,” I said to Aurora. “The first thing we need to do is process Gideon. Let’s get him to Angel Force and out of our hands. Then we can focus on finding Lex and this mystery woman.”
“Yes! We focus on that.” Aurora bent forward and sucked in air.
I turned to Gideon. “If you’re lying to us, we’re both coming for you.”
He lifted his bound hands. “I’m done with this place. I didn’t kill Ian, and I had nothing to do with this guy going missing.”
“Let’s find out if any of that’s true.” I grabbed Gideon’s arm and caught hold of Aurora’s hand. “Wiggles, grab on to me. I’ll transport us to Angel Force.”
Wiggles hopped onto my feet. “Hold on, Sox and Charlie. We’re going for a ride.”
I conjured a transportation spell. It pulsed through my veins in hot, urgent waves, and we all appeared outside Angel Force. We headed inside to find the reception area empty.
Gideon scowled as he looked around. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“That’s for the angels to decide. If we can find any.” I headed through to the main office. As I pushed open the door, a wave of panic hit me.
Dazielle shot out of her office. She froze when she saw us before striding over. “You finally found Gideon. Where was he?”
“Hiding out on Lex’s estate. He’s all yours.” I passed Gideon over to Dazielle.
“Well, that’s one positive. But we’ve got another crisis on our hands,” Dazielle said.
“Don’t tell me you’ve got a second audit?”
She rolled her eyes. “No more audits. It’s Aidan Quinn. He’s been attacked and left for dead.”