Witch rose, p.17
Witch Rose, page 17
“If Samara reversed the poison magic herself they would be cured instantly,” said Aunt Lilith.
“She won’t do it,” said Bryony. “According to Gabriel, she keeps saying she’s not involved.”
“What evidence did they have to arrest her?” asked Aunt Lilith.
“They found evidence Samara had crossed the border,” said Ivy.
“And when they went to question her,” said Bryony, “they found ingredients needed to create the magical poisons. I’d told Gabriel’s boss, Angelica, that there was a connection between the pageants and the poisonings. I didn’t think she’d taken me seriously, but she must have. Samara was arrested following a search of her house.”
“And she is the only one to have access to that house?” asked Aunt Lilith.
“Probably not,” said Ivy. “I bet she has staff.”
“She does,” said Bryony. “We met Jane when we were there.”
“Jane’s a shrew,” said Ivy. “There’s no way she’d have the courage to poison anybody.”
Aunt Lilith stroked a hand along Spike’s back as she passed him, causing his eyes to glow red and his growling to intensify. “It may be wise to visit this Jane and see what she knows.”
“I didn’t sense power from her,” said Ivy. “She could barely make eye contact.”
“It’s the quiet ones you always need to be most careful of,” said Aunt Lilith. “Would you like me to pay her a visit?”
“No, and perhaps we should drop by,” said Bryony, knowing the hard line Aunt Lilith would take. “Jane could be distressed after what happened to Samara.”
“You girls take care,” said Aunt Lilith. “Your mother will be unhappy if she discovers what you are doing.”
“She’d want us to keep Old Sarum safe,” said Bryony.
“Yes, but she is rather partial to her daughters, and would like to keep them safe as well,” said Aunt Lilith. “As for your mother, she is expecting you at the solstice celebrations in two days’ time. She told me to let you know they are beginning at five o’clock and not to forget the food.”
“We’ll be too busy to come,” said Ivy. “We left Aunt Isadore in charge of the store for an afternoon, and she messed up the inventory.”
“No we won’t, and no she didn’t,” said Bryony. “And we can take half an hour now to drop by and see Jane. If nothing else, we can check she’s doing okay. It must be a shock to have your employer accused of murder.”
“I will see you at the celebrations.” Aunt Lilith vanished with a click of her fingers.
Bryony gathered her purse and keys. “Let’s go and see Jane. Then we can get back here and make the food we are supposed to take to the solstice celebrations.”
Ivy muttered under her breath as Bryony locked the store.
“Stop complaining, we could do with the fresh air. And it’s a lovely evening,” said Bryony as she linked her arm through her sister’s elbow.
“We don’t need fresh air,” said Ivy. “We need pizza and beer.”
“No, we need to make sure everyone is okay and then we can stop worrying about the poisonings. It will be nice to know Old Sarum is safe again.”
As they passed the Demon’s Den, Ivy’s pace increased.
“Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me about what happened between you and Kristoff?” asked Bryony.
“Nope, nothing to tell,” said Ivy. “Hurry up. Let’s get this pointless mercy mission over with and then we can go get some pizza.”
Chapter 26
“There’s magic here.” Bryony pressed her hand against the air and her fingers bent back. “I can sense it.”
“Most likely set up by the Charm Police,” said Ivy. “Since they’ve arrested Samara for the poisonings, they’ll want to keep people out of her house in case there’s evidence to collect.”
“We shouldn’t go any further,” said Bryony. “We don’t want to tamper with a crime scene.”
“We won’t do any harm,” said Ivy.
“What if there is evidence and we trample over it?”
“This magic barrier is just a deterrent,” said Ivy. “You know how nosy people are when there's been some trouble.”
“We're as bad as everyone else, snooping around like this.”
“It doesn’t apply to us. We’re not being nosy, we’re helping stop the Charm Police from looking incompetent.”
Bryony peered at Samara’s mansion. “There’s someone out the front of the building.”
“Probably someone from the Charm Police stopping people getting in,” said Ivy.
“Then we shouldn’t go inside,” said Bryony.
“Let’s go around the back,” said Ivy. “We’ll be in and out in five minutes. You don’t want to leave Jane in there all on her own do you?”
“Of course not,” said Bryony. “But maybe the Charm Police are already looking after her.”
“And what if they aren’t?” asked Ivy. “Wouldn’t you feel guilty leaving her abandoned knowing what she’s been through?”
Bryony stared at her sister. “Why do you care so much?”
Ivy grinned evilly. “I didn’t say I cared. But now we’re here, I am interested in having a snoop around Samara’s mansion and see what terrible curses she left lying around. If she is the poisoner, there could be something I can add to my own repertoire of spells.”
“Don’t be so mean,” said Bryony. “I know you care about what happens to Jane.”
“Sure, there’s that too.” Ivy waved her hands in the air and a shimmer of dark looking glitter shot from her palms. “It’s just a tiny hole. They won’t even notice.”
Bryony hesitated before following Ivy through the gap she’d made in the magical barrier. “We won’t stay for long. And if anyone catches us we’ll say we got lost.”
“Sure, that’s a convincing argument,” said Ivy. “Keep your head down and follow me.”
Bryony and Ivy hurried around the side of the mansion. They reached the back of the building without being noticed and looked through some of the windows. The inside was gloomy with no lights on.
“Maybe she’s left.” Bryony stood on her tiptoes as she looked through one of the large windows.
“If I was her, I wouldn’t have turned up at all,” said Ivy. “With my employer in prison for murder, there’d be no reason to.”
“I can’t imagine Jane doing that,” said Bryony. “She seemed like a conscientious worker. I bet she’s here.”
“The door’s open.” Ivy twisted the handle of the back door. “Why don’t we go inside and check for ourselves?”
“Isn’t that breaking and entering?”
“The door’s unlocked,” said Ivy. “If anyone asks, it was wide open when we arrived and we heard cries of distress. We had no choice but to enter and investigate.”
“I doubt the Charm Police will believe that if they catch us,” said Bryony.
“I don’t know why you’re worrying,” said Ivy. “And this is your stupid mercy, mission not mine. I voted for an evening of pizza and beer. We can always leave.”
“No, let’s have a quick look,” said Bryony.
Ivy cracked the door open and peered inside. “No-one’s in here.” She opened the door wider and they walked into a large, ostentatious dining room, with a wide rectangular table that seated twenty.
Bryony looked around and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “It feels creepy in here.”
“It feels fine,” muttered Ivy. “She must have entertained a lot. That table is ridiculous.”
“She probably had dinner with her pageant winners,” whispered Bryony.
“Pageant winners don’t eat,” said Ivy. “Unless it’s salad.”
Bryony and Ivy tip-toed around several more rooms, all were quiet and unoccupied. They crept along a long corridor and arrived at a locked door.
“What’s behind here?” Ivy rattled the door knob but it stuck fast.
“Could lead down to the cellar,” said Bryony.
“It’s always the best place to do nefarious deeds,” said Ivy. “Shall we investigate?”
“It had better not be a dank cellar full of spider webs and rats,” said Bryony.
“You like spiders and rats,” said Ivy.
“Not when it’s pitch black I don’t,” said Bryony.
“Let there be light.” Ivy waved her hand in front of her sister’s face and a pale glowing orb emerged in her palm.
“Be careful,” said Bryony. “We don’t want that Charm Police officer outside spotting us.”
Ivy applied pressure to the door, causing the wood to crack. “They won’t notice us. They’re probably asleep on their feet anyway.” She opened the door to reveal a set of stairs. “You’re right, it’s the cellar.” Ivy descended a few steps and looked back at Bryony. “Come on, there’s no point in chickening out.”
“I’m not a chicken.” Bryony stepped across the threshold and shuddered. “But when you opened that door, something didn’t feel right.”
“Dark magic?” asked Ivy.
“The atmosphere feels strange,” said Bryony. “Do you sense it?”
Ivy paused and inhaled deeply. “There is something unpleasant going on down here. But with Kristoff stealing so much of my power, my senses feel blunted.”
They slowly descended the stairs, stopping every few steps to listen for any noises.
As they reached the bottom of the steps, Ivy increased the glow of the light orb she held. “So far, no spiders, no rats, and no poisoners.”
“But someone’s down here,” said Bryony. “And it doesn’t feel like a nice someone.”
“We should go this way.” Ivy pointed into the gloomiest part of the cellar.
“You would pick that direction,” said Bryony.
“I’m picking up the creepy vibes as well,” said Ivy. “And I think that whatever is down here we’ll find it that way.”
Bryony clutched her sister’s hand. “Let’s go and see what’s waiting for us.”
The walls and floor grew icy as they walked along, and within a few seconds, their breath plumed out in front of them.
“We’re getting close,” muttered Ivy. “Behind that door I reckon.” She pointed in front of them to a solid looking pale oak door.
“We should call the Charm Police for backup,” said Bryony.
“We can handle whatever is behind there,” said Ivy.
“Neither of us are at full power,” said Bryony.
“I’d not forgotten,” grumbled Ivy. “But we’re still powerful enough.” She splayed her fingers against the oak door and a shudder ran through her.
“What do you feel?”
“Nothing good. Time to discover what magical beast is lurking on the other side.” Ivy pushed the door and it slid open.
The room was dominated by a large dark purple cauldron in the center. Underneath was a pile of ashes and a few flickering flames. Next to the cauldron stood a stunning brunette, with waist length hair, a full red painted mouth, and dark brown eyes that blinked at the girls in surprise.
“Who are you?” asked Ivy.
“I could ask you the same question since you’re in my home.” The brunette had a low, sultry voice.
“We’re sorry to intrude, but we’re looking for Samara’s assistant, Jane.” Bryony's gaze was on the smoking cauldron. Whatever was inside, it was making her eyes sting. “I hope we’re not disturbing you.”
“What do you want with Jane?” asked the brunette.
“We came to make sure everything was okay after Samara’s arrest,” said Bryony. “I’m Bryony Thornheart. My sister and I met Jane recently.” She walked forward and extended her hand.
“I know who you are.” The brunette ignored Bryony’s outstretched hand. “There’s no need for either of you to be here.”
“But we don’t know who you are,” said Ivy. “And this isn’t your home.”
“We’ve met before.” The brunette smiled slyly as she stirred the contents of the cauldron.
“Did you work for Samara as well?” asked Bryony.
“You could say that,” said the brunette. “She was a challenging employer. I wasn’t at all surprised to learn she had succumbed to using poison to get what she wanted.”
“And you know for sure she did it?” asked Ivy.
“I know she thought she was capable of doing it,” said the brunette. “But she vastly overrated her own abilities.”
“Why would she want to poison anyone?” asked Bryony.
“Because she was jealous and getting old,” said the brunette. “No matter how much magic she used, her looks were fading. Samara couldn’t accept that. She talked to me at length about how to get rid of her rivals. Poisoning was one option she mentioned.”
“Did you help her with the poisonings?” asked Ivy. “Is that what you’re brewing in your cauldron?”
“I didn’t help her,” said the brunette.
“But you are involved?” asked Bryony.
The brunette looked into the contents of the cauldron. “It would be wise if the two of you left. I have nothing against either of you, but I am busy.”
“Busy doing what?” asked Ivy.
“I have some unfinished business,” said the brunette.
“You’re covered in magic.” Ivy's eyes narrowed as she studied the woman.
“Well spotted,” said the brunette.
“Show us who you really are,” said Ivy.
“You don’t want to see that,” said the brunette. “If you know who I really am, you may try to stop me.”
“From doing what?” asked Bryony.
“Getting away with murder.” The brunette spun around and hurled a ladle full of the cauldron liquid at them.
Ivy jumped in front of her sister and her clothes hissed as the liquid made contact. “I know who you are. You’re Jane.”
The brunette paused, one hand on her hip. “Jane no longer exists.”
“You are her.” Ivy ignored her still fizzling clothing. “Your disguise is good, but I keep getting images of the real Jane.”
The brunette let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine, so I’m Jane. But I’ve made some improvements to myself.”
“What are you doing down here?” Bryony moved to stand next to Ivy and checked over her clothing for any burns.
“Making up for lost time,” said Jane. “I worked under Samara for years, accepting her constant complaining that nothing was good enough. She spent hours preening in the mirror, telling me she was the most beautiful witch in Old Sarum, and no one would ever best her.”
“But you had other plans?” Bryony went to brush down Ivy’s sleeve but she swept her hands away.
“I’m fine, but don’t touch the clothing. I think that cauldron is full of magical poison.”
“You’re correct about that as well,” said Jane. “I still have a few scores to settle before I leave the village.”
“You’re the poisoner!” said Bryony. “Why are you doing it?”
“Because of the way I’ve been treated.” Jane tipped her head back and shook out her long hair. “I always wanted to be in the pageants, but every time I entered, I got turned down. That would have been hard enough to take, but it was the snide comments from the actual pageant entrants that pushed me over the edge. They would call me Plain Jane or Mousy Little Jane. They assumed because I wasn’t pretty enough I wasn’t worth talking to. And I heard their whispered catty remarks. It was time to settle some scores against the cruellest contestants.”
“Josie, Belinda, Tania, Lizzie, and Claudia?” asked Bryony.
Jane nodded. “They were the worst. They were a cruel coven of pretty bitches who never let up on teasing me about my looks. And they’d order me around at the pageants like I was their slave. Jane, fetch my curling tongs or Jane, make me a fresh juice. It was never ending. To them, I was invisible unless I did their bidding. Which meant they talked about me even when I was in the room, making fun of my looks and quiet voice. I decided to bide my time, get to know the business, and then get my revenge.”
“And set Samara up in the process,” said Ivy.
“That was a happy accident,” said Jane. “But I’m glad it happened. She was the worst boss I’d ever had, but she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time when the police burst in. She’d discovered this room and was beginning to put things together herself. The police found her standing right here and assumed Samara was to blame for the poisoning incidents. She literally had a ladle of poison in her hand. Samara was so dumb she was probably going to drink it.”
“We can’t let you leave,” said Ivy. “You have to reverse the magical poison still on people.”
“They will be fine.” Jane looked at Bryony. “I hear your Gabriel is recovering well now they have an antidote. I didn’t mean to poison him.”
“But you meant to poison us,” said Ivy. “You left a rose at the store.”
“You were poking your noses into my business, and I know how good the two of you are when it comes to magic,” said Jane. “I didn’t want you to discover what I was planning.”
“So you tried to poison us to get us out of the way?” asked Bryony.
“You got involved in something you shouldn’t and I had to make sure you wouldn't interfere.” Jane smiled smugly. “No hard feelings.”
“No hard feelings that you tried to kill me and my sister?” Ivy glowered at Jane. “You must be insane.”
“I’m perfectly sane.” Jane stirred the contents of the cauldron again. “But now the two of you are here, you may as well have the poison I had intended for you. There’s plenty to go around.”
“You do know the Charm Police are outside?” Bryony shot a worried look at Ivy.
“I’m not concerned about them,” said Jane. “Since they’ve arrested Samara, no one’s been interested in me. Poor mousy Jane in the corner, seeing everything and saying nothing. And all the while, I was creating the most lethal poison ever to enter Old Sarum.”
“You crossed the border and got the human made poison,” said Bryony. “The Charm Police detected somebody had gone into red blood land.”
“That’s right,” said Jane. “That’s the best part of my plan. I had to make sure that whatever I used couldn’t be reversed easily. I had to get something with an extra special bite to keep the Charm Police busy. And they have been. You even beat them to the connection about the pageants and the poisonings. I was impressed when you visited Samara and started asking questions.”
