“Good morning,” Stanley greeted me from his perch against his car door, looking stylish and ready for battle in a pair of camouflage pants and a mesh, khaki green long sleeved shirt that displayed his slim though toned body.
“What are you doing here?” I asked casually.
“I’m your assistant,” he replied, as if I was an idiot.
I knew he was my assistant, but it was Saturday. We didn’t usually work on the weekends. Or, well, he didn’t.
“A certain buxom blonde might have told me you intend to investigate two missing Castor’s Corner kids,” he said, closing the door after I got into his car and jogging around the front.
He was out of breath from that little trip, which made me think perhaps he was not the best person to come with me. Still, I was touched he wanted to. Being a witch could be kind of solitary, and the show of support from my newly married admin assistant made me tear up.
Aside from Donny and Maribella, I was used to working alone. The three of us maintained balance and the protection of our town together, but other than that, our magic was our own.
Donny’s golden powers allowed her to commune with a person’s innermost desires. It made her a brilliant hairdresser. Maribella’s pink glowy powers made her incredibly intuitive and able to divine the perfect treat for each of her customers. And me, well, my powers pulsed with aquas and blues. I had the sight, but just lately I seemed to be a bit blind if this kind of thing was happening right under my nose!
“Where to, boss?” Stanley asked.
“The cemetery.”
I nodded my head, eyes forward as I thought about what I’d seen last time I was there. Of course, I had the big sexy werewolf with me then and was a little bit distracted. What could I say? Jaxson had that effect on me.
Once Stanley pulled up, I jumped out of the car. I was still wearing the dress I’d put on when Miss Spritely had come knocking on my door earlier that morning. Pretty in peach was how I’d felt after a night of smexy times with a ravishingly handsome werewolf, but maybe I should have changed before coming here.
“Drat,” I murmured, wondering if spelling some fatigues for myself would be considered a magical no-no.
The most vexing thing about being a witch was the whole you couldn’t use your powers for selfish purposes. The great Shifter Wanker had learned that lesson firsthand. All witches knew her story, and I not so secretly admired her above all others. Zelda fangirling aside, I had stuff to do.
“Goddess on high,
Grant my ask,
Change my outfit,
To prepare for this task,
A witchy mayor
Is all that I am,
Your grace be with me,
And the children of Castor,
Be with us again.”
Lightning filled the sky, purple and blue flashes of light, but when I looked down, my dress remained. I wondered where I’d fucked up my little spell, but the Goddess knew best. My trust in her was one hundred percent. It was myself I had issues with.
“You ready?”
“Yes, Stanley, but I need you to stay here.”
“But Evie---”
“No buts. Whatever is going on in this place, it’s for me to find out.”
“Evelyn!”
I turned my head at the familiar voice and frowned as Jaxson came running toward me. He looked good enough to eat in tight-fitting denim and a plain black t-shirt that clung to his muscles. Behind him were his Shifter friends, Ryan, and Conrad. Ryan’s beard had somehow grown dramatically over the course of a couple of days, and he had his hair held back in a rubber band.
“Maribella told us what was going on, and we want to help.”
“Evie!”
I turned at the sound of my name and saw Maribella, in full chef regalia, pedaling the bicycle that was her usual mode of transportation in town and Donny perched up on the handlebars. Was everyone in this town nuts? I shook my head.
“Don’t you dare try this without us,” Donny scowled as she spoke.
“Look, I appreciate you all coming here, but I am the mayor. I don’t know what is behind this gate, but it is my job to find out.”
“Where is your sheriff?” Jaxson asked.
At the sound of his name, Sheriff Davis, a one hundred and seventy-year-old goat Shifter, walked slowly up Main Street to where we were gathered. He was slightly stooped and withered, though he wore a polite smile. Still, a good stiff wind could probably knock him down.
“Someone say my name?” he asked, wheezing slightly when he finally made it up the street.
“No disrespect, Sheriff, but Evelyn is about to enter the cemetery alone to find the children who went missing this morning on their way to lessons. Don’t you think this is your job?” Jaxson asked, doing his best to be respectful.
“Son, I’ve had a good long run, but I am afraid I would not last five minutes in a tussle with whatever is behind that gate,” the old goat replied.
I turned my head and gasped aloud. During the few minutes my attention was on the gathering crowd, the sky over the cemetery had darkened incredibly. Even the gates seemed to grow ominous, with black vines dripping greenish ooze winding around each picket.
“Deputize me,” Jaxson said to the Sheriff, and I pivoted.
“You can’t---”
“I respect you, Evelyn, and am aware you have more power in your pinky than I do in my whole body, but you are not going in there alone. Deputize me,” he said again, and Sheriff Davis nodded.
“I will do you one better son,” the sheriff said, and with a few words that were in fact magically binding, he handed over his badge.
“What have you done?”
“Whatever I can to protect you,” the wolf Shifter replied.
“I know it is fast for you, but we Shifters know when we’ve found our mates, Evie. I will do almost anything to give you the time you need to accept it. But I can’t do that if you go off and get yourself killed. So, now that I am the interim Sheriff of Castor’s Corner, at least until a proper election can be held, I am going in there with you, Madam Mayor.”
I stood, refusing to let the tears welling in my eyes to fall down my cheeks. Jaxson’s words caused a flood of emotion to wash through me. Everything from horror to pride and pure joy at his words. No one had ever done anything like that for me. It was always sink or swim on my own. I had the trifecta, of course, but this was different.
This was his way of telling me he loved me, and that was something I never had. His belief in me humbled me and his decision to risk his life when we did not know what we were going to find was too much to take in.
“Thank you,” I whispered, and went to him.
I tugged on his neck, pulling him closer and pressed my lips to his in a kiss that I hoped told him what I felt for him. It was too soon to say it, but my heart squeezed with emotion. I’d never felt so strongly about a man as I did for this wolf.
“Forgive me,” I whispered when I pulled away, and saw his confusion turn to panic when he realized he couldn’t move.
“Hold him up,” I yelled at his two friends.
Thank fuck for Shifter reflexes. They caught him before he could crash to the concrete. I wiped my tears and shook my head at everyone.
“No one is to come after me. Not even him,” I stated. “The paralysis will wear off in an hour or so. I should be back by then.”
I turned to Donny and Maribella. My besties looked on horrified, but they understood. If something happened to me, they would have to keep the town safe. Every witch had a point in her life when she had to prove her worth. A duty to see to, or a labor to perform.
This task was mine, and mine alone. I pushed my fear to the back of my mind and walked through the gates of the cemetery that had opened the second I stepped up to them.
“Well, that was spooky as fuck,” Maribella whispered unhelpfully.
“Shh,” I ground out.
“Sorry,” she hissed, and I rolled my eyes.
This was my moment.