Chapter 3

  Despite not being able to see outside, it felt like the dead of night. No one would be stopping by Toby’s house for a social call. Whoever was knocking on the front door was a problem, especially with a dead body at my feet.

  I blew out a breath when the knocking stopped. I ran my hands through my hair, and they came away sticky.

  My stomach flipped. Nothing good would come out of this situation. I was standing in the middle of a murder scene and had no memory of how I got here.

  The thudding on the door started again. I shook myself into action. I checked Toby one last time to convince myself this was happening. There was still no pulse.

  I hurried back to Wiggles. He was snoring gently, but I couldn’t wake him. I placed a hand on his head and stared at my knuckles in horror. The skin was split, and I could see bruising. It looked like I’d gone ten rounds with a demon prize fighter.

  I tensed and spun toward the door. Maybe we weren’t alone. Whoever had done this could still be in the house, ready to pounce.

  My heart clenched. What about Aurora? She must be here. Had she been injured, too?

  I gently shook Wiggles, but he still didn’t stir. I left him for a moment and hurried to the study door.

  As I pulled it open, a wave of dark, fetid feeling magic pulsed over me. I staggered back, my lungs protesting as I breathed in the rank smelling air.

  Something twisted had gone down here, and it still lingered. Whatever had done this could be lurking in one of the dense pockets of darkness in the hallway.

  I peered into the corridor. Nothing stirred, but it felt like I’d just missed whoever was involved in this messy incident.

  I tested my magic again. It felt like I had beginner grade magic. Although I felt a tingle of power cross my skin, no spell formed. I tried a light spell and a reveal spell to see if anyone was lurking in the dark, but neither worked.

  Whoever was waiting outside the house pounded against the door again. “Toby! It’s Dazielle. What’s going on in there?”

  Every muscle in my body tensed. Angel Force was outside! How could I talk my way out of being here covered in Toby’s blood and his body in the study?

  I ducked back into the room and shut off the overhead light. I needed time to think. I had to figure out what had happened before the angels burst in and came to the conclusion everyone else would when they saw the scene.

  Shaking my head, I inched back into the hallway and hurried toward the staircase. “Aurora?” I whispered into the darkness. “Are you up there?”

  No one replied.

  As I took the first few steps, I realized my headache had gone. The flu I’d been suffering from had vanished. There was no ache behind my eyes, and no sickness in my stomach. Other than the bruises and the rank smell of Toby’s blood on my pajamas, I felt fine. Confused as anything, but physically, I was well. Flu didn’t come and go that quickly.

  I continued up the stairs. I had to check on Aurora. She might be hiding somewhere, panicked and terrified after she’d discovered an attacker in the house.

  My fingers tightened around the banister. I still didn’t know how I’d gotten here. How had I left my apartment, walked here in my pajamas, and woken on the floor of Toby’s study with his rapidly cooling body beside me?

  I didn’t have time to figure these questions out. “Aurora! Where are you?”

  The sound of splintering wood had me spinning on the staircase. The angels were breaking down the front door.

  I raced back down the stairs and hurried into the dark study. I concealed myself behind a bookcase in the corner of the room. I was just in time. A few seconds later, Dazielle strode into the study, a ball of light hovering above her hand.

  “Someone find the main lights,” she ordered.

  There was the sound of fumbling before the overhead lights came on.

  I risked a glance from behind the bookcase. Dazielle was there, along with Dominic and Jophiel. The three of them stood in the doorway, surveying the scene.

  “That’s Tempest’s dog, Wiggles,” Dominic said. “Is he okay?”

  “Don’t worry about the hellhound,” Dazielle said. “Worry about the trail of blood and that person’s foot sticking out from behind the couch.”

  Dominic inhaled sharply. I ducked my head back behind the bookcase. If I stayed still, they might not see me. That was my grand plan. All I could think about was hiding.

  There was evidence of me everywhere in this room. I’d walked bloody footprints across the floor, and I was certain there’d be bloody fingerprints all over the wall as I’d fumbled to find the light. And, of course, there was Wiggles.

  “It’s Toby Matlock.” Dazielle stood behind the couch staring down at Toby.

  “Is he okay?” Dominic was peering at Wiggles.

  “If you looked like this, would you be okay?” Dazielle shook her head. “Get Cassiel. She needs to deal with the body.”

  “I’m on it.” Dominic hurried away while Dazielle remained by Toby. Jophiel remained in the doorway.

  “This is recent,” Dazielle said. “The killer could still be here. Jophiel, search the upstairs rooms. Be careful. Whoever did this is dangerous.”

  Jophiel nodded and left the room.

  I held my breath as Dazielle’s gaze shifted around the study. If she saw me hiding, that was it. She’d arrest me and charge me on the spot. I’d do the same. I looked guilty. But I’d panicked. I couldn’t think of anything else to do but hide.

  Dazielle looked down at Toby one more time before striding out of the room. “Dominic, stand guard of this room. Only angels come in and out.”

  “Yes, boss,” Dominic said. “Cassiel’s on her way.”

  “Good. I’m going to check the ground-floor rooms and make sure whoever did this isn’t still on the premises.”

  My breath came out shaky as I heard the angels hurry around, looking for signs of an intruder. Maybe they’d find evidence of who got in and did this. A broken window or an unlocked door or maybe signs of a fight in another room. Something that would show them that I had nothing to do with this mess.

  A worrying thought slid into my head. What if it had been me? Could my flu, or whatever I’d had, have made me delirious and carry out something I’d longed to do? I’d wanted Toby out of Aurora’s life for a long time and had been feeling increasingly desperate because I couldn’t figure out a way to get rid of him. What if, in my sickened state, I’d transported myself here and killed Toby? The problem would be solved. With Toby dead, Aurora couldn’t marry him.

  Whatever had happened and however deeply I was involved in this, I couldn’t be discovered. I had to get out. I needed time and space to think about this. I had neither of those while wedged against a book case at the scene of the crime. The crime it looked like I’d committed.

  I ducked my head around the bookcase. Other than the unconscious Wiggles and the dead Toby, the room was empty. I stepped out and inched closer to the door.

  Dominic had his back to me, his wings spread, and his legs splayed.

  My bare feet made no sound as I tiptoed across the carpet. I couldn’t get out through the front door, not without Dominic seeing me. And with my magic malfunctioning, there was no way I could stand up to an angel. But there was someone who could. I didn’t dare say anything, but I thought about Frank. I needed backup, and he was the only one I could turn to in this moment.

  I waited for him to stir, make some smart comment about saving me from the angels, and try to bargain with me over what he’d get out of it. All I got was silence.

  I tried again, my gaze not leaving Dominic’s back. He could turn at any second.

  My stomach clenched. There was nothing. It felt like Frank wasn’t even there. He was always there, lurking in the background, waiting for a chance to grab Aurora.

  Typical demon. They could never be relied upon. All I had left was my luck. I had to hope it would hold out.

  I tiptoed to the nearest window and eased it open. Once it was wide enough, I crept back and hoisted Wiggles into my arms. I couldn’t leave him. It was bad enough that the angels had spotted him; we went everywhere together. It wouldn’t take them long to come looking for me to find out what Wiggles had been doing at a crime scene.

  With Wiggles clasped in my arms, getting out of the window wasn’t easy. I had one leg out and the other still inside the room when Dominic turned.

  He stared at me, shock clear on his face. He blinked, and his wings fluttered. “Tempest? What are you doing?”

  I grimaced as I threw my other leg out the window.

  “Wait! Stop! You can’t leave.” Dominic hurried toward the window.

  I waited until he was close enough, aimed my hand at his chest, and conjured a blast spell.

  The magic misfired, the spell sparking out in a jagged mess. It missed Dominic’s chest, and red sparks flew into his face. It was a second-rate spell, but it got the result I needed. Dominic staggered back, his hands flying to his face.

  I felt lousy for hitting him in the face. But the magic wouldn’t leave any permanent damage. I had to use what little advantage I had.

  Glancing around the garden to make sure we were alone, I hurried along the path. I peeked into the windows as I passed them, expecting Dazielle to look out. I was in so much trouble now I’d been spotted. As soon as Dominic recovered, he’d report seeing me.

  I needed a cover story. I could say that I’d arrived to collect Wiggles, but then I’d have to explain what he was doing here in the first place. And how did I even know that Wiggles needed me?

  I groaned as I hurried along, my feet stinging from the sharp stones under my bare feet. What kind of idiot kills someone in their bare feet?

  Maybe when I got back to my apartment, there’d be some clue as to why I left and how this had happened. I had to piece this together before the angels came for me.

  I broke into a jog, trying to ignore the pain in my feet as I ran.

  I rounded the corner, and my eyes widened. A solid wall of white feathers was in front of me.

  I was going too fast to stop and slammed into the angel’s wing, my head bouncing off it. I staggered backward, trying to keep hold of Wiggles.

  My grip failed, and as my head hit the ground, everything went black.

  Chapter 4

  The groan that came out of my lips sounded more animal than human. My forehead throbbed, not from a headache, but from what felt like an enormous bruise. I moved my hand slowly and touched my forehead, wincing as I did so.

  I remembered now, the escape from Toby’s, being spotted by Dominic, and then running headfirst into an angel’s wing and being knocked out.

  My eyes opened, and I peered blearily at the ceiling. I was inside and lying flat on my back. I shifted and saw the bars of a cell and let out a sigh. I’d failed. The angels had caught me.

  Dazielle was sitting outside the bars. Her eyes narrowed as she saw me wake. “Is there something you’d like to tell me?” She shifted closer to the bars, bringing her chair with her.

  I licked my dry lips and eased my head up. The throbbing increased. “Before I say anything else, you have to know I’m innocent.”

  “What crime do you think you’re innocent of?”

  I sat up slowly on the single bed. “Unless I’ve just had the worst nightmare of my life, I guess I’m innocent of Toby Matlock’s murder.” I looked at my hands to see they’d been cleaned. My clothes were also different. Gone were the pajamas. I now wore loose white pants and a white tunic.

  “Your clothes were taken as evidence,” Dazielle said. “And there is quite a lot of it on them. If you’re innocent of this crime, why were you covered in Toby’s blood?”

  I rubbed my forehead gingerly. “Is there any chance of a mug of tea?” I needed a minute to compose myself. Being smacked in the face with an angel’s wing was never an enjoyable experience. It only added to the mind-numbing confusion I felt.

  Dazielle nodded. She disappeared from the room and returned a moment later, sitting back in the seat. “It’s on its way. Now talk.”

  I looked around the cell. There was no point in trying to use magic. The angels used protective spells to stop magic users from breaking out. Besides, the state my magic was in, it would be pointless trying.

  “Where’s Wiggles? The last thing I remember, he was unconscious. What happened to him?”

  “We brought him back here when we found you at Toby’s house,” Dazielle said. “There didn’t seem anything wrong with him. We took him to your mom’s.”

  “Does she know I’m here?”

  “Your entire family knows. They’ve been demanding to see you and shouting about your innocence.”

  I smiled. Of course, my family would be trying to get me out of this mess. “Can I see them?”

  “Not yet. You’ve got questions to answer.”

  “Is Wiggles awake?”

  Dazielle sighed. “According to your mom, he’s awake and has eaten three bowls of food.”

  I smiled despite my dire situation. “That’s good. I couldn’t wake him when we were at Toby’s.”

  “So, you admit to being there?”

  I nodded as I slumped against the wall. “You know I was there. Dominic saw me leaving.”

  Dazielle clasped her hands together and rested her elbows on her knees. “Tell me what happened.”

  I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. “I wish I knew. I’ll tell you everything I remember. Yesterday, I was feeling sick. I thought it was the flu. I was in bed. Granny Dottie came over with some soup and stayed until I fell asleep. The next thing, I’m having a nightmare about getting married to Toby Matlock. He was being super creepy. Oh, and everyone attending the wedding was dead.”

  “I’m not interested in your nightmare, Tempest,” Dazielle said. “I want to know what you did when you got to Toby’s house.”

  “That’s what I’m telling you. I had this nightmare and then woke up. It took me a few minutes to figure out where I was. Somehow, I’d gotten from my apartment, across the village wearing nothing but my pajamas, and woke in Toby’s study. I was on the floor, on my back, and it was dark. When I finally got the lights on, I found Wiggles unconscious and Toby dead. That’s when you knocked at the door.”

  “What did you do next?”

  “When you smashed down the door, I was looking for Aurora. I was worried about her. She’s been staying with Toby, and I thought she might be in the house. Did you find her?”

  “You’re answering my questions, not the other way around. What happened next?”

  I scowled at Dazielle. “I panicked. I realized how bad it would be if you found me in Toby’s house covered in his blood. So, I hid from you.”

  “Why hide if you’re innocent? Doesn’t that suggest you’re guilty?”

  “No. Yes, but I didn’t know what else to do. I knew what you’d think if you found me in that situation. When I was hiding behind the bookcase in the study—”

  “You were hiding in the study? When we were there?”

  “I couldn’t find anywhere else. I only had seconds when you broke the door down.” I rolled my shoulders. “I admit it doesn’t look good.”

  “It looks terrible. You hid at the scene of the crime. The crime it looks like you committed.”

  “I didn’t. I have no memory of harming Toby. I have no memory of how I got to his house or what happened to him. The first thing I remember is waking up and discovering his body. I didn’t kill him.”

  “You blasted Dominic in the face with magic. You were running from the house. Why run if you’re innocent?”

  I felt my anger stir but kept it under control. If I was in Dazielle’s position, I’d be thinking the exact same thing. I’d done it. “There must be a reason that I ended up in Toby’s house. Somebody’s framing me.”

  Dazielle’s bright blue eyes studied me for several seconds. “You were covered in blood, none of it yours, all of it Toby’s. You have significant bruising on your hands and several other parts of your body.”

  I lifted a finger. “Just a small complaint. It’s not cool to strip someone and look at them when they’re unconscious.”

  “Agreed, but your mom was present the whole time. We needed to make sure you didn’t have any serious injuries. Everything was done by the book.”

  I grudgingly nodded. Mom would have made sure the angels played by the rules.

  “Not only that, but you were seen fleeing the crime scene. And, you’ve made no bones about hating the fact Toby’s marrying your sister. You’ve been here most days getting information about him. You don’t trust him. You don’t like him, and you were determined that he wouldn’t marry your sister. Now that he’s dead, it can’t happen. You’ve gotten what you wanted.”

  I hated to admit it, but I’d had the exact same thought. “I didn’t kill him.”

  “You look guilty.”

  “It isn’t the first time you’ve thought that.” Panic flared inside me as my jumbled thoughts knitted together. I couldn’t see a way out. It was my word against the insurmountable evidence stacked against me. Everyone would think I was guilty. My family probably thought I was guilty. Would they abandon me? What about Aurora? If she thought I’d killed her fiancé, she’d be devastated. I couldn’t lose Aurora.

  There was a knock on the door. Dominic opened it, holding a plastic mug of tea. “Can Tempest have a visitor?”

  “Who is it?” Dazielle asked.

  “Kenny.” Dominic passed me the tea.

  I nodded. “Yes, let me speak to Uncle Kenny. He’ll figure this out.” Uncle Kenny was the calmest, most logical person in the family. If anyone could sort out this puzzle, it would be him. He’d know what to do. He’d know how to get me out of this mess.

  “He can come in,” Dazielle said.

  Dominic’s brow furrowed. “He’s got Wiggles with him.”

  She sighed. “Very well. They can both come in.”

  I grabbed the cell bars as Uncle Kenny and Wiggles walked through the doorway. I ignored the sting of magic as I reached through to pet Wiggles. “How are you doing?”

 

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