A Witch Before Dying: A Wishcraft Mystery (25 page)

I sat up so fast I almost spilled my coffee as I thought of something. Could Jonathan be behind the recent break-ins? Was he looking for the Anicula to stop the outbreak of food poisonings?

I thought about that for a second. The recent Peeper break-ins
had
started around the same time as the food poisonings. Plus, he had silver in his hair—just like the man I’d chased into the woods yesterday morning. The man who’d been in the house.

I doodled on my notebook and wondered why he’d break into As You Wish. Then I realized he knew I was working for Elodie—he’d seen me there yesterday. Maybe he thought I’d found the Anicula?

The hair stood up on my arms, and I knew I was onto something. If Jonathan was the Peeper, it would also explain the argument he’d had with Zoey, about the police finding out about
something
.

As I let my thoughts tumble around, I recalled a bit of what Yvonne had said last night, about how the Peeper had been picking up pieces of her jewelry and mumbling something. The truth of
why
hit me so hard I sucked in a breath.

The Peeper didn’t know what the Anicula looked like.

It explained why nothing was ever taken during the break-ins. The Peeper would pick up the jewels, make a wish, and wait to see if it was granted. If it wasn’t, the Peeper moved on to the next item, to the next house.

But if Patrice had granted Jonathan a wish before—the
one to get rid of the rats—wouldn’t he know what the Anicula looked like? Or had she granted the wish without him seeing the Anicula?

I was trying to figure out how I could find out when there was a sharp rap on the back door before it swung open. Mimi rushed in, slamming the door behind her, her cheeks red. “Darcy!”

Missy started barking and circling around Mimi’s feet, looking for attention. Alarmed, I jumped to my feet. “Mimi, what’s wrong?”

“Archie just came by.” She huffed and puffed, as if she’d run the whole way from her house to mine.

“Did something happen to your dad?” I racked my brain, trying to think of what would cause her so much panic. “Is he hurt?”

She shook her head, sending her dark ponytail flying. “No! Archie wanted to see
me
.”

A feeling of dread started in my stomach when I spotted the dark cape in one hand, her mom’s diary in the other. “Why?”

She gulped. “I’ve been summoned by the Elder.”

I
tried to keep calm. One of us had to. “What did Archie say, specifically?”

“Just that the Elder wanted to see me at one o’clock, and he told me to bring my mom’s diary with me.”

The same time I’d been summoned. I told her so.

“Are we in trouble?” she asked.

“I don’t think so. When I was in trouble with the Elder before, Archie announced which Wishcraft law I’d broken when he summoned me.”

“Do you think the Elder knows that Vince saw my mom’s diary?”

There was no way to sugarcoat my answer. “Yes.”

“How?”

“I haven’t quite figured out how the Elder knows anything.”

“Is she all-knowing? Like the Wizard of Oz?”

I smiled. I’d also thought of the Wizard when it came to the Elder. “I think so.”

“Then if she knows everything, does she know who the Peeper Creeper is? Or who killed Mrs. Keaton?”

It was a good question. “If she knew who the Peeper was, I don’t think she’d be sending out patrols.” Helplessly, I shrugged. “I don’t know how her powers work, so it’s hard to say what she knows and what she doesn’t.”

“Maybe we can ask her,” Mimi said.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Tilda strutted into the room, her tail high in the air. She pranced by Missy and hissed for good measure. She hopped onto the coffee table and sniffed my coffee, then leapt onto the back of the couch, where she watched us with veiled interest.

“Why not?”

“Maybe we should just hear her out for now and save our questions for another time.”

Mimi blanched. “Do you think there will be other times?”

I was saved from answering by footsteps on the stairs. Ve was saying, “I already feel much, much better.”

Cherise Goodwin said, “Be that as it may, I still want you to rest. You’ve been through a lot this past week. Emotionally, you have a long road ahead of you, and I cannot help you with that. You need your rest.”

Ve twirled. “But I feel good as new.”

Cherise smiled conspiratorially. “That may be because of your new rela—”

Ve caught sight of me and Mimi and cut Cherise off with a squeeze to her arm. “Look who’s here!”

I wasn’t buying the bright smile. “What’s this about an emotional long road?”

Waving a dismissive hand, Ve said, “Nothing to worry about.”

“I should go,” Cherise said. She kissed both Ve’s cheeks.

She waved good-bye to me and Mimi, and I very clearly heard her whisper “Good luck with everything” to Ve when she left.

Huh. What was that all about?

Mimi said, “So you’re all better now, Aunt Ve?”

“It sure feels that way,” Ve said. She clapped her hands. “There’s so much to get done.”

Mimi said, “For the wedding?”

Something dark flashed in Ve’s expression before she brightened again. “Among other things. First things first—a big lunch! I think I’ll go out. Maybe to the Stove. Do you two care to join me?”

“We can’t,” I said, still studying her. Something was off. Way off. I just didn’t know what. “We’ve been summoned to see the Elder.”

Ve’s face fell. “Oh? Why?”

“I think it’s because Vince saw my mom’s diary,” Mimi said, holding up the leather-bound book.

“That would make sense, I suppose,” Ve said. “When are you due?”

I glanced at the clock. “In a few minutes. I should get my cape.” I stole a look at Mimi, who was flipping through the diary. “I’ll be right back, Mimi. Ve, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Certainly!”

She followed me to the front closet, where I pulled my brand-new cape from within. “Is everything okay with Cherise?”

“Perfect,” Ve said. “I’ve never felt better.”

“Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?”

“I have no idea.” She smiled wide and shrugged

Oh, she was definitely hiding something.

I let it go for now—only because I had to go see the Elder.

“Where do we stand with the wedding, Darcy dear?” Ve asked as we walked back into the kitchen.

Mimi snapped the diary closed and looked up at us. Was that a guilty flush to her cheeks?

What was going on around here?

“Darcy?” Ve repeated. “The wedding preparations? I’m still worried about the lack of RSVPs.”

I winced. I’d completely forgotten to ask her about
the invitations in the trash behind Sylar’s optometry office, Third Eye. “I think I might know why,” I said and explained.

Ve’s eyes widened. “Oooh,” she fumed. “I bet Sylar gave the invitations to Dorothy to mail and she trashed most of them.”

Mimi said, “But I got my invitation.”

Ve curved an arm around Mimi’s shoulders. “Lesson number one in being devious, Mimi dear: Don’t be obvious. Dorothy probably mailed only a few invites, to the people closest to us. That way we wouldn’t know anything was amiss.”

“Why would she do that, though?” Mimi asked.

I winced again. “There’s probably something else I should tell you,” I said to Ve.

“Have mercy, child. What now?”

My heart beat wildly, and I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing. “There was kind of an incident behind Third Eye yesterday. Between Sylar and Dorothy.” I cringed.

“The kiss?” Ve asked.

Shocked, I could only nod.

She patted my cheek. “Don’t worry. Sylar already told me all about it yesterday. He didn’t tell me, however, that you had seen it.”

That’s right—Archie had said Sylar stopped by. At least he was being up-front with Ve. It made me like him a little more.

“He kind of didn’t know I was there,” I said.

Ve smiled. “I see.”

“You don’t mind that Sylar was kissing someone else?” Mimi asked, slightly outraged, if her tone was any indication.

“It’s complicated.” Ve’s eyes flashed. “I think it’s time I paid Dorothy a visit. Today. Right now, in fact.”

“Why don’t you wait?” I said, not wanting her to go alone. “I’ll go with you.”

Ve laughed. “You don’t have to worry, Darcy. I can handle this myself.”

Missy ran to the back door and whined. I looked at the clock again—I couldn’t risk her escaping when I didn’t have time to look for her. “Mimi, can you take Missy out before we leave?”

She nodded, and as I watched them go, I couldn’t help but think about the fire last night. “About Dorothy…”

“Spill it, Darcy Ann.” Ve stared long and hard. “What else are you keeping from me?”

If she was going to see Dorothy—and I knew that once Ve had something in her mind there was no changing it—she had to be warned. I told her about Dorothy’s threat.

“The fire last night!” she exclaimed. “I should have known after what she did to Godfrey. I had been assuming it was this Peeper person. You should have told me about her threat.”

“I didn’t want to worry you,” I said. “Especially with you being ill.”

“Well, I am better now and will take care of this matter at once.”

Her tone had me worried. “There’s no concrete proof Dorothy set the fire….”

“Of course not,” Ve said. “She’s too smart for that. We shall see what she has to say for herself.”

“Please be careful,” I pleaded.

Ve narrowed her eyes. “Honestly, Darcy dear, I’m more worried about you.”

“Me?”

“Dorothy rarely bluffs. She can be dangerous.” Ve picked up the agate sphere out of the basket on the countertop and handed it to me. “Until I get this all straightened out, I want you to carry this everywhere you go.” She folded my fingers over the stone. “And be careful. Very careful.”

Mimi clutched my hand as we walked through the woods. “Why do we have to wear the capes?”

“I don’t know,” I said. Now I was wondering why, too. It was August. If anyone saw us, we might look a tad bit suspicious.

“Are you sure you know the way?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Even though the day was sunny, the woods were dark. Every once in a while a sunbeam would slip through the canopy to highlight a spot on the trail or a tree root. In broad daylight, there was nothing ominous about this trip. Thank goodness. I didn’t think Mimi could handle a trek through these woods at night.

“What’s that ahead?” she asked.

I smiled. “That’s the Elder’s meadow.” The woods may have been in shadow, but the Elder’s meadow was bright and cheery and full of colorful wildflowers. I felt Mimi’s hand relax.

“It’s beautiful.”

I agreed.

In the middle of the meadow was a solitary tree. Short and squat, it looked like an overgrown mushroom with willowy weeping leaves. It was the Elder’s tree.

We stood side by side, taking it all in.

“What happens now?” Mimi asked.

“We wait,” I whispered.

“I don’t like waiting,” she declared.

“Demetria,” the Elder’s voice boomed. “The sooner you learn patience, the better.”

The voice came from inside the tree. It wasn’t a young voice, and it wasn’t old either. Somewhere in between. It was also distorted, to a certain degree. A disguise, I realized. Which meant the Elder was probably someone we knew. Ve once told me the Elder’s identity would be revealed to me in due time.

I had no idea when that would be, but like Mimi, I was growing impatient.

“You cannot always control what is going on around you,” the Elder said. “Nor should you, even if you believe you’re doing the right thing. Do I make myself clear?”

Mimi sidestepped behind me and said, “I’m not controlling.”

I gave her hand a squeeze to warn her to be quiet.

“I’m not,” she whispered to me.

“My child, do not argue. I know everything. I see everything.”

Mimi gulped.

“Sit down, the two of you,” the Elder said.

Two tree stumps magically appeared behind us. Mimi’s eyes grew to the size of saucers as we sat down.

“Darcy,” the Elder said, “do you know why I called you both here?”

“It’s either because of the diary,” I guessed, “or because the Peeper Creeper overheard my conversation with Archie yesterday.”

“You are right on both fronts. Let us begin with the diary.” I could have sworn I heard her sigh. “Demetria, you willfully disregarded Darcy’s sound advice to keep the diary hidden. It almost fell into mortal hands, which could have been devastating to the Craft.”

“I’m sorry,” Mimi said in a quiet voice.

I glanced at her. She had tears in her brown eyes, and they nearly broke my heart.

“I wasn’t trying to put the Craft in jeopardy,” she added.

“Your actions were reckless, child. Please give the diary to Darcy.”

“But,” Mimi began.

The Elder’s voice was firm. “Right now.”

“My mother…,” Mimi said weakly, clutching the diary to her chest.

There was a beat of silence, during which not even a bird chirped or a leaf rustled. I swore I could hear my own heart fluttering.

“I am aware of your mother,” the Elder said. “She committed a grievous error in penning that diary. It should not be in existence.”