“Gilly had an air of snideness about him,” I said. “And he has an overly large amount of self-esteem. A healthy ego is no bad thing, but when it gets too large, it needs to be popped. Nobody is that perfect.”

  “Certainly not me,” Roland said. “You could fit my ego into an egg cup.”

  “Big gross ego, he has,” Nimbus said. “Nasty little man. Like Gilly, we do not.”

  “Gilly does his best,” Roland said. “But he was pressing our main committee to have Azureus’s license taken away, so he couldn’t legally hunt for new fungi. Ultimately, that decision would have been made by Kinoko.”

  “Could Gilly have convinced Kinoko to remove Azureus’s license?” I asked.

  “I don’t know for certain. Maybe. They must be close if they’re meditating together,” Roland said. “As I’ve mentioned, I don’t travel along the same lofty paths of mushroomy esteem, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Kinoko was considering it. Azureus’s expertise came from an unconventional route.”

  “He was untrained,” I said.

  “Self-taught,” Roland corrected. “The usual path to becoming an expert and having an opportunity to serve as the Grand Mushroom Mage requires a decade of extensive study. You must also produce academic papers and at least one non-fiction book. And you must have taught in an area of specialty for at least twenty years.”

  “Azureus never studied at a conventional university?” I asked.

  “No, but he was awarded three honorary degrees last year. He had his own methods of gaining knowledge. And he knew the subject inside and out,” Roland said. “He was raised in a traveling community, and they spent a lot of time living on the edges of forests, which gave Azureus ample opportunity to get hands-on experience with finding fungi and working with it.”

  “When I spoke to Gilly, he wasn’t impressed by Azureus’s training,” I said.

  “I’ve no doubt about that. It’s expensive to train in this industry. Most students get into debt to gain their qualifications. It’s no wonder many resent Azureus for getting a free education and being willingly accepted into the community.”

  “Accepted by most,” I said.

  Roland nodded. “There are always a few who don’t approve of difference.”

  “That could be a motive for wanting him dead,” I said.

  “I wondered about that, which was why I suggested Gilly. But if Gilly was with Kinoko, then it couldn’t have been him.” Roland scratched his forehead. “I’m no expert, so I’ll leave the crime solving up to you and Angel Force.”

  “I’m surprised you mentioned Kinoko was considering taking Azureus’s license away,” I said. “When I spoke to him, Kinoko said he respected Azureus. Was he lying to me? There have been reports in the media about a feud between them.”

  Roland’s eyes widened, and he vigorously shook his head. “I’d never suggest such a thing of our Grand Mushroom Mage. He’s honorable and benevolent.”

  “In on it together, they were,” Nimbus said. “Both mage and the ego gossip. They killed Azureus.”

  “Hush now, Nimbus. Don’t say things like that,” Roland cautioned.

  “Do you have any proof to back up that accusation?” I asked Nimbus.

  “Nasty little men,” Nimbus said. “Grasping. Greedy. Always want more.”

  “It’s not nice to say unkind words about people,” Roland said. “Everyone tries their best. And you’re only annoyed with them because they bought the last tray of chocolate fudge truffles, and you were looking forward to those.”

  Nimbus grumbled her agreement. “Best is sometimes a disaster. Embarrassing behavior, it can be. Their best, my worst. Shameful. Greedy truffle snufflers.”

  “Please excuse Nimbus,” Roland said. “She’s tired. We had a long day yesterday, and she spent much of last night patrolling because she was worried the killer might strike again.”

  “Do you think they’ll come after you?” I asked.

  “No! Why would they? I’m a small, harmless toadstool in the grand scheme of fungi education and exploration. Barely anyone knows me. But you know how our familiars can be. Well, sorry, of course, you’re a familiar. But you must be protective of your witch when she’s in danger.”

  “I always look out for Zandra, even though she doesn’t need it.” I ignored the aching stab in my heart. “My witch is the most powerful and creative magic user you’ll ever meet.”

  “Protect them, we must,” Nimbus said. “They blunder around and make dumb-dumb mistakes.”

  “My wonderful witch never makes mistakes,” I said.

  “Missing she is,” Nimbus said. “Mistake that is.”

  “Zandra is not missing. She is... otherwise engaged.”

  “I’m sure Zandra will come back soon,” Roland said, the pity in his eyes making my heart hurt even more. “You must miss her terribly. If I don’t have Nimbus wrapped around my shoulders all the time, I miss her. Even though she’s heavy and gives me a numb shoulder.”

  I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Roland and Nimbus had an incredible bond. It was almost as good as the one I had with Zandra.

  “Mushroom beads,” Nimbus said.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “Check the mushroom beads, you must.”

  “I don’t know what they are.” I looked at Roland.

  “Kinoko wears them around his neck,” Roland said. “A long chain of beads shaped like tiny mushrooms. Why do you think they’re important, Nimbus?”

  “Perfect strangling tool, they would be.”

  “Oh! I saw his beads when we spoke, but only briefly,” I said. “He tucked them inside his cloak before I could get a good look.”

  “Our esteemed mushroom mage didn’t kill Azureus!” Roland said. “Why would he do that?”

  “Shame Azureus brought to the fungi community.” Nimbus hissed. “Old-fashioned smelly obsessives. Stick in the muds.”

  “Shame?” I asked.

  Roland comforted Nimbus with a gentle hand. “I wouldn’t have called it shame, but Azureus ruffled feathers by being unconventional and unapologetic about his success. We’re an old-fashioned bunch and despise change. Our current mage is very... particular.”

  “Stick in the mud,” Nimbus repeated.

  Roland half-shrugged. “I got the impression he only allowed Azureus to continue his work because of his popularity. Azureus’s last book was more of a fictional adventure than a reality-based factual tome. It was adored by fans but despised in the academic community. Although I believe Azureus donated a portion of the profits to our university, so the book boffins can’t be too grumpy.”

  “It sounds like Azureus was aware he wasn’t popular, so he looked for ways to secure his position,” I said. “That was smart of him.”

  “Through bribery, he secured,” Nimbus said. “Smart or sneaky?”

  “No bribery. It was a very public and very generous donation,” Roland said. “Azureus funded twenty full scholarships. And there was talk of him donating more money to expand the fungi research facilities. They were considering naming a new wing after him.”

  Nimbus grumbled to herself and shuffled on Roland’s shoulders. “Silly men and their mushrooms.”

  “You need a nap. That’ll sweeten your mood.” Roland kissed the top of Nimbus’s furry head.

  There was a loud pop followed by a hiss and then several screams. We all turned to see a food stall had caught fire. The owner was ineffectively throwing cups of water on the flames and then dancing back and yelping as they grew higher and grabbed at the fabric roof.

  “Oh, dear! Duty calls. I hope I’ve been helpful. And I hope you catch your man.” Roland and Nimbus raced off to deal with the blaze as mushroom-doped idiots began dancing around the fire as if it were a fun adventure.

  I let out a sigh of frustration. This conversation left me in a muddle and no clearer to discovering who should be my prime suspect. Gilly was open about his dislike of Azureus. Kinoko said he’d shared a mutual respect for Azureus, but if he didn’t like his way of doing things, was that a lie? And was Kinoko lying because he strangled Azureus with his mushroom beads?

  More laughter drifted out of the marquee Angel Force had taken over.

  I twitched my whiskers. I was done muddling through this on my own. It was time to confront the angels and force them to help.

  Chapter 8

  Broken wings

  It wasn’t until I zapped Cythera in the butt with a stinging spell that I got her attention. She whirled around, her wings splayed. She held a large glass of what looked like cloudy champagne and a half-eaten sweet tart. “Oh, look, it’s my least favorite feline. Come to ruin our fun, I suppose.”

  “You shouldn’t be having fun. You should be solving Azureus’s murder.” I whipped my tail out of the way as two angels bounded past.

  “That’s your problem,” Cythera said. “Either join in the party or get lost.”

  “You’re the head of this local branch of Angel Force. That makes this murder very much your problem,” I said. “Stop getting drunk and start investigating. Although I’m perfectly capable, I can’t be expected to do this all on my own.”

  “Go bother your witch and ask for her help.” Cythera smirked and nudged Bertoli, who stood beside her. “Oh, my mistake. You can’t. She ditched you.”

  “Take that back,” I snarled at Cythera. “I have a perfect partnership with Zandra.”

  “So where is she? Everyone knows Zandra abandoned you weeks ago. She took off partying with Vorana, and you’ll never see her again.”

  “That’s untrue. And if you were halfway decent at doing your job, you’d be looking for Zandra and Vorana. Their disappearance is unnatural.”

  “You’re only saying that because they’ve abandoned you and you’re looking for someone to blame. But their disappearance is on you, furball.”

  I drew in a breath to settle my anger. “I’m not here to discuss my missing witch. A murder was committed at this festival, and you need to look into it. The angels you left to look for the murder weapon or any clues let me down.”

  “That’s your fault for not giving them clear instructions,” Cythera said. “As stunning as my angels are physically, they’re not the brightest tools in the box. You must be explicit to avoid mistakes. Over the years, I’ve learned that the hard way.”

  “Then be explicit! Do your job and make sure your angels do theirs,” I said.

  Cythera downed her drink and tossed the empty glass over her shoulder. “Or what? You don’t control me. I’ve put you in charge of this case because I’ve got better things to do, but that doesn’t mean you get to order me around.”

  “I’ve done it successfully in the past, and I’ll do it again,” I said. “Stop acting like an over-enthusiastic airhead at a sorority party and focus on the serious crime that’s been committed in Crimson Cove.”

  “The serious crime that’s been committed in Crimson Cove,” Bertoli mocked. “Loosen up, Juno. Have a mushroom tart.”

  I batted away the tart he offered me, and it splatted on the ground.

  “What’s got your panties in a twist?” Bertoli rubbed his hand. “There was no need to use your claws.”

  “It got your attention,” I said. “Now I have it, both of you come with me. Look at the murder scene again. Then go back to your headquarters and study the body. I’ve already had a look, but I don’t know what tests you run on corpses.”

  “How did you manage to look at the body?” Cythera took a menacing step toward me. “I closed the office. My angels are all on vacation, so they can celebrate the festival. Did somebody let you in?”

  “No. When I got there, the place was empty, but I found a door open.”

  “You mean you broke in?”

  I dodged the wing Cythera swiped at me. “Maybe I did. But you left me no choice. I had to break in to check on Adrienne and Joel. They had no food and were furious.”

  “They’re ghouls! If they get hungry enough, they’ll eat each other,” Cythera said. “I should charge you with breaking and entering. I expect there’ll be criminal damage charges to throw in there, too.”

  “Juno probably stole something as well,” Bertoli said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if food has gone missing from the fridge. She’s always sneaking into people’s food stashes and taking what doesn’t belong to her.”

  “That’s right, she does. Perhaps a few hours locked in a cell with Adrienne and Joel will teach you how to behave.” Cythera flared her wings wider as she swiped one at me again.

  “If you lock me up, who will solve Azureus’s murder?” I dodged another wing strike. This angel was relentless in her attempt to injure me. “And if this case goes unsolved, the higher angels will get involved. Do you want them poking about your business?”

  “That bunch of elevated freaks can take a long walk off a short pier,” Cythera said. “I get sick of their weird demands and constant rule changes that make no sense. The last committee I went to with higher angels lasted four days because one of them got lost in a different dimension. They shouldn’t be allowed to use such power if they can’t control it. Most of them are insane or imbeciles.”

  I’d never heard Cythera speak badly about the higher angels. It was a clear sign something was dreadfully wrong with her.

  “Just come with me and focus on the case,” I said. “If we work together, we could have this solved by the end of the day. I’ve already started talking to suspects.”

  “It’s not happening. Besides, it sounds like you’ve gotten everything under control,” Cythera said. “We’re not needed. And I won’t tolerate this behavior for much longer.”

  I hissed at her. “What behavior are you talking about?”

  “The disgusting, clingy neediness you’ve had ever since Zandra ditched you. You’re looking for her replacement, but don’t waste your time staring at me or any of my angels. We all know you’re unnatural and strange. Your magic reeks of burned wood and broken dreams. Who’d want to be anywhere near that?”

  I flung a spell, and it whacked into Cythera’s chest, causing her to stagger back. “Firstly, Zandra hasn’t ditched me. And secondly, there’s nothing wrong with the way my magic smells. You’re just not used to being around an immensely powerful being who could kick you into another dimension if she chose to do so.”

  “Being?” Cythera rubbed her chest. “You make it sound like you’re some elevated creature of rule rather than just another magic user.”

  “Juno probably thinks she’s a goddess,” Bertoli said. “Cats always have an over-rated opinion of themselves. I blame Egypt. The cats have never forgotten all the statues and worship.”

  He didn’t know how close to the truth he was. Not the over-rated part, but the goddess part. “My magic isn’t up for discussion. Will you help me solve this crime?”

  “We’ll help drink this place dry of all the mushroom-infused champagne we can get our hands on,” Cythera said. “But that’s it. We’re on vacation. And I’ve given my angels triple pay while they don’t work, so you won’t get help from us while those rules are in place.”

  “Then let me give you a gift. A visual display of how twisted and messed up your heart is.” I conjured another spell, leapt in the air, and twirled, covering every angel in the marquee with my magic. They shook and flapped their wings as their feathers turned a dense matt black.

  While they protested and examined their new color scheme, I snagged a bunch of keys off Cythera’s belt and dashed from the marquee. At least with these, I’d be able to get in and out of Angel Force easily to keep an eye on Adrienne and Joel.

  I bounded away from the festival, dodging celebrating groups and crowds investigating the busy stalls. There was still a crowd dancing around the blazing food stall, but Roland had things under control. I didn’t look back to see if the angels were in pursuit. If they came after me, I’d fight back. I recognized they’d been affected just like so many people in town, but I didn’t have time to unpick their problems.

  This murder wouldn’t solve itself. And I was glad I had Azureus’s death to focus upon. I’d been pining for Zandra, thinking through the possibilities of where my witch had gone. At least with a murder at the forefront of my mind, it gave me a distraction. And a welcome one. Ruminating got a cat nowhere. It was as unhelpful as a chocolate teapot and far less tasty.

  I arrived back at Vorana’s house, setting down the keys so I could undo the front door using my paws. It was never an easy task without opposable thumbs.

  “Look out below!”

  I backed to the edge of the porch and peered up at the sound of Sage’s voice, just as she leapt off the top of the roof! Her front paws were splayed wide and her eyes shut.

  I raced out and thrust up a spell to soften her fall. She landed with a gentle bounce and rolled several times before coming to rest on her back with a grunt.

  “What did you do that for?” Sage spat at me, her ears flat against her head.

  “You fell off the roof! What did you expect me to do? Watch to see if you’d bounce or splat?”

  “You should have let me fall.” Sage weakly swiped a paw at me. “I’ve made a decision. If Vorana’s not here and she’s not coming back, I don’t want to be here either.”

  I stared at my grumpy friend in unmasked shock. “You deliberately jumped?”

  “Of course I did.”

  I looked up at the roof again. “You wouldn’t have died from that height. You may have broken a bone, but that would have been simple to heal.”

  “So says you. I could have done it. I was planning to land on my head, but then your stupid spell got in the way. Thanks for nothing.”

  I sighed and rolled Sage over so she lay flat on her belly, which looked much comfier. “Giving up isn’t the answer.”

  “I don’t want to live without Vorana. My world has no meaning now she’s not in it.”

  “She is in it! Tug on your magic bond and you’ll see she’s right there,” I said. “Go on. Do it now.”

  Sage huffed out a breath then closed her eyes for a second.

 

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