Avery leaned back in her chair and sipped her tea, listening to the chatter in Reuben’s snug.
They had all arrived about an hour ago, and had finally dried out. El was looking proudly at Reuben, who was sitting in front of the fire on the rug, and she said to him and Caspian, “You two are so clever! What an ingenious way to break the spell!”
“It was all Reuben, not me,” Caspian said softly. He was sitting in an armchair, and he raised his glass in a silent salute.
“Yeah,” Reuben said, shaking his head. “He had some crazy whirlpool idea that would have seen you all sucked into oblivion. And let’s not forget the steam!”
Caspian just smiled at him. “Yes, so don’t give me your bullshit stories again.”
Avery frowned, and then realised what Caspian must be referring to. Reuben’s self doubt. It seemed they weren’t the only ones to share interesting experiences that night.
“Hold on a minute,” Alex said, leaning forward from his spot on the sofa. “Are you telling me that I didn’t need to banish hordes of angry spirits, and we could have sat by the fire all night while you two worked upstairs?”
Reuben laughed and looked slightly sheepish. “Ah, my friend! That might be the case, but wouldn’t you have regretted missing all that fun?”
“No. Coppinger tried to kill me, on multiple occasions!”
“I would have missed it!” Ben cut in. “That was amazing. I just wish we could have recorded some of it.”
Dylan gave an abrupt laugh. “Ha! I was too busy fending off spirits to film it! At least we have the other footage. I’ll start editing it tomorrow.”
“You guys showed some impressive fighting skills today,” El told them.
Cassie smiled at her. “Thanks. We’ve been practising, although with our exams and everything we’ve been neglecting it lately. No excuses anymore.”
“Have you got a team name yet?” Reuben asked.
“Yes, we have!” Dylan said, excited. “After much argument,” he shot Ben an annoyed look, “we are called Ghost OPS, which stands for Objective Paranormal Studies.”
“I like it,” Reuben said, nodding his approval. He gave a sly grin. “I can call you GOPS, as in ‘help, help, call the GOPS, I’m being attacked!’”
“If you have to,” Ben said, groaning, as they all laughed. He turned to El, probably just to shut Reuben up. “Hey El, your sword fighting looked pretty good tonight.”
“Well, that’s thanks to Shadow. She’s been giving me private lessons.”
“Has she?” Ash said, surprised. He was sitting on the floor too, leaning back against the sofa and sipping a beer. “She kept that quiet, and that’s unusual, because she loves to brag!”
“Interesting housemate?” Alex asked, laughing.
“You could say that.”
“Why have they gone to London?” Avery asked him, remembering what he’d said earlier.
He shrugged. “No idea, yet. I’ll call Gabe later.”
Avery wondered how true that was, and what they were now involved with, but she didn’t say anything else. With luck, Shadow would update them eventually.
“I have a question,” Ben said, looking at Reuben and Caspian. “Did your ancestors seal that cave? Because Alex had to use magic to open it, and when he did, energy exploded out of it.”
“I believe so,” Caspian said, but he looked uncertain. “The details of what they did remain murky, and even though we deciphered the whole spell, we can only conjecture how it really happened. I suspect it didn’t play out quite as they planned, but once they had Coppinger cornered with most of his men, they used the curse. From what you’ve said, there were multiple entrances into the cave, and I guess they must have sealed them all.”
“They sheered the cliff face off too, crushing the ship and splitting it in half,” Avery said. “The bay looked to be a natural deep water harbour that allowed the ship to enter the cave. Amazing, really. It was a proper pirate hangout!”
Briar had been sipping her tea as she listened, but now she roused. “I think that’s why Mariah left that place until last. They knew it was cursed, and knew it would be the trickiest to access, despite their magic and her compromise with the spirits. I wonder what she’ll do now?”
“She and Zane will have to hide, surely?” Reuben said. “They attacked me and Caspian, stole treasure, and although they’re not responsible for the deaths, they were very much involved.”
Caspian’s eyes hardened as he looked at Reuben. “I agree, but it will be hard for the police. I wonder what Genevieve will say.”
“And what about their other coven members?” Alex asked. “Are they involved?”
“I guess we’ll soon find out,” he answered ominously.
Caspian stood on Reuben’s porch the next morning, looking across the gravelled drive to Briar’s Mini. She had turned it around, and was now waiting for him with the engine running.
He shook Reuben’s hand. “Thanks for your hospitality. It’s been…interesting.”
Reuben laughed. “That’s one word for it. You could stay another day or two, until your wound is healed.”
“I’m fine now—well, apart from the odd twinge. And I don’t have to fear attack by ghosts again.”
“What about Mariah or Zane?”
“I think they’ll leave well enough alone. And my protection spells will be strong. Make sure yours are, too.”He stepped onto the drive, and Reuben followed him as Caspian looked up at the attic’s shattered windows. “Are you sure you don’t want help with those?”
“I’m going to do it the old-fashioned way and get glaziers in, and hire a builder for the wall.” Reuben hesitated, and then said, “Thanks for all your help, with everything.” He shuffled, looking suddenly uncomfortable. “I know I struggled a bit.”
“You did just fine. Better than fine.” Caspian was feeling unexpectedly sad to be leaving. He’d found that he was very comfortable around Reuben and the rest of the White Haven Coven, and it was a strange feeling, one that had been growing for a while. It was a feeling he’d buried, but couldn’t anymore, and didn’t actually want to. He debated just turning away and getting in Briar’s car, but there was one more thing he needed to say. He looked Reuben directly in the eye. “I really am sorry about Gil. I’m responsible. I caused it, even though it wasn’t my intention. You have been incredibly forgiving, and I don’t know if I could have done the same in your shoes.”
Reuben’s gaze dropped to the ground, and Caspian hoped he hadn’t said the wrong thing, but then he looked up again, as if he’d mastered his emotions. “It’s been hard, I won’t lie, but thank you. I appreciate it. And now you need to move on, and so do I…from all sorts of things.” Caspian heard Avery and Alex’s voices coming down the hall, and Reuben spoke quickly. “And you need to move on from her, too.”
“Easier said than done,” he confessed, and having said it, he already felt lighter.
Reuben just nodded, and then Avery and Alex were with them, Avery saying, “There you are! I thought I’d missed you.” She stepped forward, enveloping him in a hug. “Thanks so much for your help, again. It’s becoming a habit. You’re on team White Haven now!” She stepped back and smiled at him, leaving him feeling bereft, but once again grateful for her kindness.
Caspian laughed. “Don’t let Estelle hear you say that.” Something else he needed to deal with. He quickly reached forward and shook Alex’s hand, aware of his cool glance that said everything. “Alex. I’ll see you soon.”
And not wanting to linger, he headed quickly to Briar’s car.
Reuben stood next to Newton and Alex, watching Moore and another couple of officers examine the cave.
They had set up huge lights and a generator, after accessing the cave via the tunnel from Reuben’s glasshouse, and Reuben tried to imagine how it would have looked the previous evening in the watery green light.
“Wow,” he said, spotting the splintered remnants of the ship. “That’s incredible. It’s all incredible!”
Alex grunted. “It looks a damn sight better today than when it was full of bloody ghosts and animated skeletons. Although the pressure of the ice has crushed all the wood.”
“Yes!” Newton exclaimed, hurrying across to the ruined chests and piles of gold. “The treasure is still here!”
“Slow down.” Alex said, rushing to follow him. “The spriggan might still be here, too!”
“Oh come on,” Newton scoffed. “This place turned into solid ice. It would have surely killed it! We’re probably surrounded by tiny little pieces of it.”
Reuben listened to their banter as he followed them with his easy stride, taking in the abandoned weapons, the skeletal remains, and the piles of shattered wood. It was cold and damp, with water dripping down the walls and forming pools across the tiers. It was hard to believe his magic had filled this place with ice. There was certainly no curse remaining, or any palpable psychic energy. It just felt very empty. He could hear the surf pounding outside, but the only evidence of it inside were the gentle waves that splashed on the now inland beach.
Ethan’s body was still lying twisted on the spar, and once Newton was happy that the place was safe, the coroner would be called in, as would SOCO. Reuben wondered what the ice had done to his body, and shuddered. Turned his innards to mush, probably.
Newton’s shout broke through his thoughts. “Hey Reuben, do you mind if the police set up on your grounds by the glasshouse? It could take days to process in here.”
He walked over to join them. “It’s fine, as long as they don’t mind me being incredibly nosey!”
“It will be out of bounds until they’ve finished, you pillock.”
“Thanks, Newton. You’re always so nice.” In the harsh white lights that illuminated the cave, Newton looked very tired, and he thought he’d trade an insult. “Are you sure you slept last night? You look like shit.”
“Barely.” He watched Moore and the other two officers exploring the tiers of rock. “I called Maggie Milne this morning. I thought I should let her know about Mariah and Zane. We had officers watching their houses, but there’s been no movement, and their cars are gone.” He turned to Alex and Reuben. “I’ve never had to chase witches before, so I’m not exactly sure what I should do next in regard to safety and magic.”
“What did she say?” Alex asked.
“To tread carefully, and involve other witches.” He gave them a long, questioning look.
Reuben tried to laugh and failed. “Are you saying you need us to find them?”
“You’re the only ones I trust.”
Reuben looked at Alex’s bleak expression, and knew he was thinking the same as him. He didn’t want to fight other witches, or hunt them down, but if they were a danger—and they probably were—they’d have no choice.
Avery ended her call with Genevieve and walked back to the counter to join Dan and Sally.
It was late morning in Happenstance Books, and because it was a Saturday, the place was busy. All three were capitalising on a lull and taking a quick coffee break. Sally had opened a packet of chocolate digestives, and she dunked one in her coffee as Avery leaned on the counter.
“What’s the verdict?” Dan asked. He’d decided to celebrate the museum’s smuggling exhibition that—despite Ethan’s death—was still opening that day, by wearing a t-shirt that said, All the best pirates smuggle books.
Avery had already updated them on the events of the night before, and there had been a mixture of emotions from them both—excitement, horror, wonder, amazement, and now worry at the thought of Zane and Mariah’s disappearance.
“Genevieve is furious, but she doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions or make rash decisions. And I agree. We have time.”
“But won’t that give them time?” Sally asked. “They could be planning anything!”
“They’re not bloody Voldemort activating his dark mark,” Dan said. “And I’m pretty sure Genevieve won’t need to unleash any Dementors, either.”
Avery giggled, but Sally glared at him. “I know that! But they’ve been very underhanded, and were behind Reuben’s attack. He could have been killed! Caspian, too. All of you, really,” she added, turning her attention to Avery. “And Zane has never liked you, Avery. He could blame you for needing to flee!”
Avery sobered. “I know, and we’re not taking this lightly, but we need a plan. It’s Litha next week, and we’ll all be gathering to celebrate at Rasmus’s place, so that’s when we’ll decide on a plan, too.” She sipped her drink, thinking about her conversation. “Genevieve is going to visit the Looe and Bodmin Coven members if they’re around, and also let the other covens know today, just in case Zane or Mariah contact someone for help. Personally, I think they’re a long way from here by now.”
“Good.” Sally took another biscuit. “Well, I’m just glad you’re safe, and despite everything, I will still be going to that exhibition. Do you think they’ll add the treasure, too?”
“Maybe. Surely at least some of it, once they’ve assessed it.”
“And what about the chests you found and took to Reuben’s?” Dan asked.
“I took those back to the big cave first thing this morning, once I knew it was safe.” She had risen early and flown there with Alex. “It’ll be easier to pretend it was part of that treasure than tell anyone about the room beneath St Catherine’s Castle. It also means we can leave those spriggans well alone.”
Dan looked confused. “Why was Miles killed if he didn’t even get in there? You said there was no way he could have entered the place.”
“I’ve been thinking on that, and I can only presume he got too close and triggered them somehow. It’s odd, though. It’s close to a popular walking spot, and I imagine lots of people are around there all the time. They haven’t attacked any of them.”
“Unless, of course,” Dan suggested, slightly tentatively, “Mariah orchestrated it to get him out of the way. And then let them attack Jasmine. You mentioned that you and Alex had managed to control them, and El also did, and I know you said they were strong, but why couldn’t Zane and Mariah stop them?”
A chill rushed through Avery as she considered Dan’s words, and realised that actually made a lot of sense. Her legs went weak, and she sagged against the counter. “Shit. You might be right.”
He stared back at her, Sally watching them wide-eyed. “Maybe,” he said, “they intended for Ethan to never leave there, either.”
“And the man walking his dog!” Sally added. “Maybe he saw something, because he was nowhere near the cave in Looe, either!”
Avery staggered to the stool behind the counter. All the odd things that had happened made a lot of sense if Dan was right, which meant Mariah and Zane were far more dangerous than they thought. She took a deep breath, deciding to think on it and discuss it with the others later.
“Thanks, guys. I have a horrible feeling you might be right, Dan. Now, let’s do something positive, because this is depressing me.”
“Of course,” Sally said, visibly gathering herself and giving Avery a beaming smile. “We have new stock in, shelves to fill, and I need to decorate the shop for the solstice! It’s time for another witchy celebration in White Haven!”
“And I think it’s also time for some pirate music,” Dan said, quickly changing the track that had been playing.
Avery groaned as she heard the booming, jaunty words, “I am the very model of a modern major general.”
“The Pirates of Penzance!” She looked at him, aghast. “In my shop!”
She tried to wrestle the controls from Dan, but he just laughed maniacally and scooted after Sally, tugging her hair and making her squeal as he did a silly jig. Despite her mood, Avery giggled, and once again thanked her lucky stars for her shop and her friends, because she was pretty sure the coming weeks were going to be hard.
Thanks for reading Vengeful Magic. Please make an author happy and leave a review.
I have also written a spinoff series called White Haven Hunters. The first book is called Spirit of the Fallen, and you can buy it here.
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