The Mayhem Sisters (11 page)

Concern for the witch filled Vivi. “The healers are doing all they can for her.”

Finn shifted a roll of parchment and something reflective caught the light. It was in a separate bag and was half hidden by the papers. Vivi picked up the photo and stared at it for a few seconds before retuning it to the table and using the edge to shove the pile aside, bringing the bag into view. Something metallic caught the light. She tried not to stare. Hexer Finn’s watchful eye was tracking her every move. Buried under the piles of notes and papers was a silver bracelet in an evidence bag. Her heart leapt. It took all her strength to remain calm.

The bracelet looked identical to the one she found in the woods. Last night hadn’t been in vain. She
had
found something.

“See anything familiar?” Finn asked.

“Of course, but you already know that. This is the woman we found in the Dire Woods.” Vivi wasn’t about to mention the bracelet until she understood what was going on, no matter how
persuasive
this Hexer was.

“Yes, but she wasn’t the one you reported seeing in your vision. You claim to have seen a younger girl. Not the one currently in the healer ward. Correct?”

“Yes.” Her voice came out sharp.

Finn opened a roll of parchment and stretched it out for Vivi to see. There was an image of a wizard with a shaved head, wearing an easy smile. His bright eyes squinted at the camera and flying goggles hung loosely around his neck. The name on the page was Maynard Luck. It sounded familiar, but Vivi couldn’t place it. The photo showed him alive and well, but the one next to it was not so pleasant. His neck was raw, his eyes blank. But unlike the witch, Maynard was a corpse.

Vivi sucked in a sharp breath. Her hand flew to her mouth. She reached for the glass and gulped some water, averting her gaze from the dead man.

“What were you doing late last night, Ms. Mayhem?” Finn asked. All the charm had left his voice.

She closed her eyes for a second and considered her options. “I tested out a few new potions.” Technically it was the truth. She had only used the strider potion once and had never used the protective wards against a lethal creature before last night.

“In the middle of the night?” His brow furrowed.

“Yes, I was in the Dire Woods. I wanted to get another look at the crime scene.” Her shoulders relaxed. There was no use lying to him, especially if his
persuasion
detected it. “It wasn’t the smartest thing to do. But I’m not sorry for it.”

“I know where you were last night. You had a very close call with an unfriendly creature.” He tapped his arm in the exact place where she was wounded. “Your conduct is suspicious at best, foolish, and potentially criminal.”

Her body tensed.
Criminal?
She needed to be careful with him. “How did you know?” She was wearing a jacket, so he couldn’t see the bandage. She thought she had been alone last night. Someone had been watching after all.

“Like I said, I can sense when a witch is being honest with me by sensing her state of mind and body. The fact that your body is injured was easy for me to detect. But what should really worry you is that you reek of dishonesty.”

A shiver ran through her. She was speechless. She didn’t like that he
knew
things about her, but he was right. She was hiding things from him. She had been less than forthright about her
persuasion,
but he was wrong about her intentions.

“I’m the one who reported the crime. I wanted to help.” She had to make him understand.

“By traveling alone into the most dangerous woods in Everland? Who were you trying to help? Were you meeting someone?”

A hot rush of nerves washed over her face and neck. “I’m trying to save a witch. That’s why I was in the woods. If you would do your job, I wouldn’t have to.” She struck back, not afraid to do a little antagonizing of her own.

“Your mysterious lost witch.” An amused grin played across Finn’s lips. “Who only you can see.”

“I don’t expect anyone to trust or believe in my visions. I realize I have no track record, so I went alone.”

“You’re right—I don’t believe you. You hid your
persuasion
for years, and then suddenly you take the local police out to a crime scene, where you find a witch who had been tortured with black magic. Then you go right back to the scene of the crime in the middle of the night, claiming to be doing some concerned witchy detecting.” He shook his head.

“Am I a suspect?” Vivi’s throat was suddenly dry. That was why she was in this room, looking at crime-scene photos. This wasn’t a friendly chat. He was interrogating her. She didn’t know how to react to the angry turn the conversation had taken and was relieved when a scuffling sound came from the hallway. A loud commotion could be heard from outside the door. Lance was fighting with someone.

Finn jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand. The other two Hexers moved away from the door. The wood bulged inward. The ward was barely holding. Vivi pushed back her chair and moved out of the line of attack. Someone with more than a few magical tricks was ramming the door, trying to break through the magical barriers. How had the intruder gotten past Lance and his deputies?

Suddenly, the door exploded open. Sparks flew as one of the wards went down. The air crackled with magic.

The Hexers mumbled a spell, wands at the ready.

“Wait!” Vivi yelled, recognizing the witch who broke down the door.

Honora stood there, wand in hand, fierce determination in her eyes. “Out of my way!” Never one to take the subtle route, she had a way of making grand entrances. She was wearing her battered brown flying leathers and cap. Her goggles were still on, framing her large eyes.

“Damn you, Honora!” Lance hurried up behind her. “They’re in the middle of an interview. Contrary to your belief, you don’t own the place.”

Her sister gave Vivi a nod. No wonder she got by Lance. No one had expected her to go charging into the room. “This little party is over.” Honora practically snarled at Finn and the other two Hexers.

“I’m not done here.” Finn glared at Honora but held up his hand to keep the other two Hexers from striking. “Your sister is being questioned on her whereabouts last night. We have reports of suspicious behavior in the Dire Woods, and she’s hiding valuable information.”

“You don’t have any legal evidence to hold my sister on, so her presence here is voluntary. Am I right, Vivi?” Honora slipped her wand into her belt. She moved like a panther into the room. Vivi nodded. Her sister was in butt-kick mode. Something had really pissed her off, and Vivi had a feeling it had to do with the Hex Division’s sudden involvement with the case.

“I see you’re hungry for more action, Honora.” Finn put his wand back into his belt but stayed in an aggressive stance. “Didn’t get enough last night with my other team, so you decided to come up and visit me?”

“Your pathetic Hexers were following me all night while I was trying to run a case, and thanks to them I couldn’t get any work done. Luckily for me, they weren’t too hard to get rid of once I realized their agenda.” She smirked. “You might want to get a smarter team.”

“Next time a Hexer tells you to stand down, I suggest you do it.”

Vivi’s head spun. The Hexers had descended on Willow Realm, were following her sister, interrogating her, and yet were no closer to finding the witch from her vision. It was as if they didn’t even care. The noise in the room was too much. She had to get out. “Enough. Please. It’s been a long night, and I’m going home now.”

The tension in the room wavered. Lance stepped aside to let Vivi pass, but before she could leave Finn grabbed her injured arm and squeezed, sending a jolt of pain to her fingertips. “I’m watching you.” His voice was like sandpaper.

Vivi yanked free of his grasp and rushed out of the sheriff’s station, not once glancing back. Honora hurried to keep up with her.

“What happened back there?” Vivi asked as they walked back to her shop. Her mind reeled over the encounter with the Hexer Finn. “Why are you being followed?”

“Remember that wizard I was looking for the other day when I was out here, Maynard Luck? The one I thought had nothing to do with the witch from your vision?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he turned up dead in the woods, a couple of miles from the crime scene.” Honora shook her head. “Somehow both cases are connected.”

“He was killed.” Vivi remembered the photo Rye Finn had shown her. That’s why he seemed familiar.

“Hex Division thinks it’s murder. It looks really bad with both of us digging around for witches who were juiced with black magic. Especially now that the Hexers are involved.”

“I was a complete idiot last night. I was just so angry with you. I just plowed ahead,” Vivi said.

“I have that effect on people. You know me. Brutal honesty has always been my downfall. I hurt people and I don’t mean it.” Honora gave her a sheepish look.

“Unfortunately for me, your honesty tends to be accurate. But it was my fault, too. I was overly sensitive. Sorry about Scarlet. I was wrong to go to her behind your back. I should have told you what was going on with me.” Vivi linked her arm with Honora’s. She was still a little angry about what her sister had said, but this was no time to hold a grudge. All sisters fought, and the Mayhem sisters had their share of family battles, but once they cooled down, they always made up.

“I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said what I did about you and your
persuasion
. We’re going to need it more than ever now.”

“We’re not going to worry about that now. We’ve got to find out who’s harming witches before we get blamed for it.” Vivi was relieved to have Honora by her side again.

From the looks of the pile of parchment Finn had on the table back at the station, this case was more complicated than Vivi had realized.

“What drives me crazy is we haven’t done anything. If another witch was found in the woods, why was there no one out there last night?” Vivi asked. “There wasn’t even one Hexer in sight, and yet somehow they knew I was there.”

“My sources say Hex Division’s under pressure to sew this case up fast.”

Vivi and Honora walked around to the back of the shop. “Thanks for kicking the door in back at the station. I had just about enough of Hexer Finn.” Vivi relaxed her shoulders. “Subtle, Honora. Real subtle.”

Honora grinned. “The Mayhem sisters have found themselves in trouble once again.”

O
nce they reached the shop, the sisters said their goodbyes, and Vivi watched Honora lift off the ground and take to the sky. She was on her own now. As she made her way inside to get The Potion Garden opened for business, she noticed Rumor perched on the black mailbox stationed on the front stoop. He squawked and bobbed his head. Her heart fluttered and she raced over, flinging open the small metal door to find a rich parchment envelope that felt buttery smooth between her fingers. It had a thick gold wax seal imbedded with a cross insignia, which brought a smile to her face. Dax Cross had replied to her letter.

Vivi unlocked the front door and released the security ward. Once inside, she flipped the open sign and made her way behind the front counter, desperately wanting to rip open the letter and see what he had to say. Luckily, the place was quiet. It was still early, only a little after ten o’clock, so she wasn’t too late getting the shop going this morning. She sliced through the envelope, her eyes impatiently scanning the letter inside.

Dax was gracious as always, inquiring about her business and her family, especially one family member in particular, his ex-love Honora. Finally, at the end of the letter he extended her an invitation to come and visit him anytime at Mender Corp, saying she could visit the facility during one of the many promotional tours they were currently running. Vivi grinned to herself and slipped the letter into her purse under the counter. The response was exactly what she’d hoped for, and she planned on taking Dax up on his offer, sooner than he realized.

After taking the morning off, Pepper strolled in at noon to relieve Vivi for her lunch break.

“Did you finish the novel last night?” Vivi asked.

“Nope. I was racing through it when I realized that once it was over, I would have to wait for the next novel, so I slowed down to savor the experience. I want to make the book last.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Can you handle the shop for the rest of the day? I’m headed out on a little field trip.”

Pepper raised her eyebrows. “Do tell,” she said.

Vivi filled her in on the letter from Dax and her plan to get a behind-the-scenes view of the company. Afterwards, she ran upstairs to her apartment, changed her clothes into professional attire, and headed to the train station. Hopefully Dax meant what he wrote because she was on her way to Mender Corp, ready or not.

The magical Silver Train glided over the rails that crisscrossed the witching world like the spine of a great metal beast. Vivi rode in style, nestled into a first-class compartment, which she was bumped up into, since she was traveling alone. The plush seat melted around her body as she breathed deeply and relaxed. The train system had transformed Everland, bringing it into the modern age of witches, making traveling across the witching world quick and luxurious. A well-trained crew of elemental witches maintained the electrical power to run the high-speed rail system with the assistance of magical engineers to keep the trains moving effortlessly.

Vivi pulled out her journal and reviewed the notes she had taken on the case. Following the description of her vision were the details of the three witches—Clarissa Taylor, who they found in the woods; Maynard Luck, who was dead in the morgue; and the kidnapped witch, who only she had seen. Next to each, she wrote down their
persuasion
. Clarissa was an empath and Maynard was a flyer. Both were powerful witches who lived relatively solitary lives in isolated areas, making them easy targets.

She traced her finger over a crude sketch of the Mender Corp logo she had drawn in her notebook and reread the brief description she had written of the twins and the tragic accident that had left them orphans. Vivi had no idea what she was going to discover at Mender Corp, so her plan was simple—get a look around the lab, see the inner workings of the company, and learn as much as she could about the powerful healing
persuasion
that defined the mysterious twins, Mitchell and Miranda.

Outside the window, the landscape transformed from dense forests and farmland to villages and towns, finally giving way to crowded city blocks. Stargazer City never failed to take Vivi’s breath away. The towering buildings shined like a jeweled metropolis born out of glass and metal. Additional train routes wove a labyrinth through the streets and gave the sense that a witch’s feet never touched the ground.

Even though she wasn’t a city girl, Vivi could easily see how her sister Honora fit right in with the glamor and shine. Exotic restaurants and cozy coffee shops dotted every street. The train zinged by dazzling shops filled with clothes and shoes—precious colorful knits, leather coats and boots, glittering sky-high heels. There were bookshops filled with rare grimoires that crowded the shelves with the latest popular novels. Magical artifacts filled the three-story glass windows of one shop. Magic had advanced into the modern commercial age.

At a routine stop, a potion shop caught Vivi’s attention. Tables towered with identical gorgeous green potion bottles, and shelves were stacked with crystal vials of every imaginable cream and elixir. She would have been a little jealous except her shop had one thing the glamorous potion shop didn’t: individuality. All the bottles here were mass-produced and exactly the same. The potions were also probably pretty generic. In her shop, all the bottles were hand-blown and no two were alike, and each potion was brewed in her big copper kettle.

The Silver Train dropped her off at a stop inside the enormous glass and chrome lobby of Mender Corp. This was no surprise since Dax was the genius businessman behind the train system and the newest investor in the healing company. She hoped to channel a calm and cool vibe as she made her way through the crush of witches and wizards hurrying to get to work. Pepper had twisted Vivi’s hair into a loose chignon, and she’d opted for black pants, a pale gray sweater, and the blue leather jacket Honora had given her as a birthday present last year.

Vivi was in awe of the elaborate building and tried not to trip over her own feet while taking it all in. A huge Mender Corp sign and a painting of the famous healer twins—Mitchell and Miranda—hung on the far wall of the enormous glass atrium. Sheathed in black, both twins had lithe frames and looked like they could use a big bowl of stew and hunk of bread from Arnica’s Nocturnes. Their black hair and pale skin gave them a striking appearance. Miranda stared down with huge doe eyes and wore a cropped black bob. Mitchell still wore the same mop of disheveled black hair and thick black-framed glasses he did in the photo from the paper when he and Miranda were first orphaned. They fit the eccentric genius look perfectly and reminded Vivi of the logo—two black birds haunting the vast empty sky.

The huge painting was creeping her out. Vivi averted her eyes and turned her attention to getting into the building. The reception desk looked more like a reception force from all the witches and wizards lined up to assist the throng of patrons entering the building.

“Can I help you?” a young wizard asked.

“I’m here to see Wizard Cross.”

“Do you have an appointment?” His face was blank, completely void of emotion.

Vivi smiled. “No, but I have an open invitation.” She pulled the letter from her purse and the wizard barely veiled his annoyance.

“You need an appointment to see him. No exceptions.” He cleared his throat and glanced around her. “Next, please.”

Dax probably had witches by the dozens trying to weasel their way in to see him. She just needed to explain her situation and he would understand. “Wait. I’m not finished. We’re old family friends, and I’m not leaving until you send word to Wizard Cross that I’m here. I’m sure he’ll understand.” No way was she going to let this guy dismiss her like a common groupie.

He gave her a smug little smirk. “Wizard Cross is extremely busy, and I’m not going to bother him with a fan witch who wants to fawn all over him. Come back when you’ve made an appointment with his assistant.”

Vivi twisted up her mouth. “This isn’t what you think. If you’d just read my invitation, you’ll see that.” She passed the envelop across the desk to him, showing the cross seal, but the young wizard wasn’t budging. Time to get convincing. She placed a hand on her cocked hip. “You should know that Dax, your boss, told me and my sisters a story once over dinner about an ambitious young wizard who refused to admit a business associate for an important meeting, angering Dax so much the poor wizard was demoted to working in
the pit
.” She snorted. “And you know what they say—once you’re in the pit, you never get out.” Vivi wrinkled up her nose. “Who knows if it’s a true story, though? You probably don’t have to worry.”

The young wizard’s eyes widened.

The pit was Stargazer City’s sanitation system and even all the scent spells in Everland couldn’t make it smell like a rose.

“Oh,” the wizard said after scanning the letter. He seemed relieved. “I’ll call right away and let Wizard Cross’s assistant know you’re on your way up. You can go back. Top floor.” He motioned to a nondescript corner across the atrium and handed her an old black key.

Vivi navigated through glass partitions to an elevator with huge brass doors off to the side that no one seemed to notice. She slipped the key into the lock and the doors dinged, swinging wide. Inside, elegant wood paneling surrounded her. She pushed the button for the top floor and was swooshed upward. The door to the elevators swung open, and she spilled out into a vestibule of dark wood.

The elegantly decorated office and sitting area was minimal, but the furnishings were plush and modern with clean lines and a cool color palate of dark blues, grays, and deep purples accented with glass and chrome. There was an invisible magical fountain off to one side that appeared to rain sheets of water from nowhere.

Vivi was drawn to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Staring out over the city, she figured she would need all the gold in Everland to buy a view from the top of this building. Stargazer City was laid out at her feet like a glittering jewel.

“Why am I not surprised to see you here?” A deep voice interrupted Vivi’s moment of awe and she jerked around.

To say Dax Cross was handsome was an understatement. His impeccable black suit cut across his broad shoulders, giving him a commanding presence. He wore his brown hair combed back from his face. His skin was golden and his brown-eyed gaze piercing. He held a lacquered walking stick with a silver fox head carved into the handle. It was a good choice for a magical staff, and few wizards could have pulled it off without looking like they were trying too hard. Debonair suited Dax like a well-cut cloth, but most of all he exuded warmth, a rare quality among titans of industry. He was not a job-killing cutthroat. No wonder he was voted Stargazer City’s most eligible bachelor three years in a row and Honora and Scarlet had fought like wild cats over him.

Vivi had good memories of him and Honora dating through their days at Haven Academy. She remembered when he was young, hanging out in their kitchen, eating dinner as fast as their mother could make it. He was the smartest wizard in school and had the ambitions to match. His dreams were huge, and he was the kind of wizard who made them come true.

Vivi gave Dax a warm hug, and he motioned for her to sit on a sleek leather sofa. It was so soft Vivi thought she might sink all the way through to the floor.

“You don’t waste any time, do you?” Dax asked.

“I hope you don’t mind. I was excited to receive the invitation this morning.” Vivi sat up. “I haven’t been in the city for ages and wanted to get a look at your new company, now that you’ve invested with Mender Corp.”

“Not at all, but I rarely get so lucky as to have a visit from one of the beautiful and entrepreneurial Mayhem witches.” Handsome and charming, the wizard was good.

Dax gave her a sly grin. “You came down for an innocent little poke around, is that it?”

“Not exactly,” Vivi said. “I was hoping to get a tour of the Mender Corp facility. For my potion making,” she continued, coming up with a believable reason to get inside the lab. “I want to keep up with the new magic tech and production in case I decide to expand and open up additional shops. That’s where you come in. I’ve read about your advancements in technology and wanted to check out a serious operation before expanding.” Her explanation was a stretch, since she had no plans to grow her shop, but she didn’t want to tip her hand by telling him about her investigation.

“Really?” Dax studied her. She hoped she wouldn’t start to sweat under his charming gaze. “I never took you for mass-producing potions. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a great idea, but I always considered you an old-fashioned witch brewing up one potion at a time.”

“A witch can change.” Vivi was the definition of old-school potion making. She would rather eat a newt sandwich than create dozens of identical potions in the same little bottles, but she needed to see this company and satisfy her curiosity. “I’m coming into my own. Becoming a wise business witch. Mass production is the wave of the future.” Vivi tried not to gag.

“Good for you.” Dax stood. “Can I get you a drink?” He poured two drinks from a crystal decanter and handed her a glass.

Vivi gulped some of the warm amber liquid that oozed down her throat and through her body. “About that tour. I would be so grateful. I know how valuable your time is.” She sipped the rest of her drink.

“I would love to accommodate you.” He took a hard swallow. “But I’m afraid I’ll be a terrible host. My schedule is tight.” Dax leaned back. “It’s a madhouse down in operations. We’re working on an important production push of a transformative new magical device.” His eyes gleamed.

“Sounds riveting. I always knew you would transform the witching world,” Vivi said, and she wasn’t just flattering him; she really believed it. “Just the thing I’m interested in learning about. For me to see how a groundbreaking operation works would be priceless. I’d really appreciate the favor.”

“You’re sweet.” He paused and glanced over Vivi’s shoulder. “Let me check with my assistant, see if I can’t work something out. Callie, can you come here, please?”

A rail-thin, frantic-eyed witch wearing a storm-colored suit and huge glasses, carrying a roll of parchment tucked under her arm, hurried into the room. “Yes, sir.”

“When’s the next production tour on the schedule? I’d like to get Ms. Mayhem signed up.”

She bobbled the parchment rolls and adjusted her glasses. “Right now, actually. Just started a few minutes ago. It’s packed. Not a spot left.”

Dax glanced at her. “I’ll take you down. I’m sure they won’t mind one more witch. But I’ll warn you, the Mender twins are on site, and they can get a little eccentric. They march to the beat of their own drums, if you know what I mean.”