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  He stood in a semi-circle with the police and fire chiefs as the three discussed the case. Well, it was more like they were discussing the lack of a case. Each of them had a cup of locally brewed hard cider, and the bite of the alcohol helped take the chill out of the air. The three men were off duty, so they allowed themselves to indulge in one drink.

  By the time the sun went down, a roaring bonfire lit the center of town square. Kids stood around it with marshmallows on sticks while their parents waited a few feet away with graham crackers and chocolate bars. Watching the families make s'mores together tugged at his heart a little bit.

  His wife had wanted children, but cancer took her before they could have any. It took her ability to have kids early in the marriage, but they’d sworn that when she’d recovered, they would adopt. Amy had fought for years before the disease took her all the way down. Ben had never met anyone as strong as his wife. A tear threatened to roll down his cheek, but he could almost swear he heard her voice in his ear.

  “Not tonight, Benji. Tonight you remember the good times. Tonight you should dance.”

  At that exact moment, a lively bluegrass band burst into life next to a makeshift dance floor on the other side of the bonfire. He smiled when he thought about how ticked off Amy would be if she saw him here mooning over her and crying at a party. She would have really laid into him.

  Ben watched as the dance floor filled up with people. Some even spilled off the wood platform and danced around the fire in a great circle instead. It even appeared that the flames of the bonfire responded because they started to rise higher and higher while undulating like a belly dancer.

  He was so entranced by the fire dance that he almost didn’t see Belladonna moving towards him as she kicked up her feet and moved with the music. Her hand reached out and grabbed his. Ben tried to protest, but Bella dragged him along.

  “I can’t dance, Belladonna,” he said, trying to keep up with her.

  “Yes. You can dance,” she said, and like magic, Ben found the rhythm and moved in time with her.

  His feet and body felt the music in a way he’d never experienced before. Ben felt free and alive as he moved around the circle. Belladonna had one hand clasped in his and the other rested on his shoulder. Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

  Detective Ben felt so happy that he thought he would burst. Then moments later, a pang of guilt threatened to extinguish the flames inside of him. That’s when he heard it again.

  “Dance.” Amy’s voice rang out through the night, but it appeared that only he could hear it.

  So, he did. Detective Ben and Belladonna danced until they were out of breath and laughing so hard that their stomachs ached. Even under the white makeup she’d applied as part of her costume, Ben could see that Bella’s face was flushed. His eyes met hers, and he got his secret wish. The full moon reflected in her eyes was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in a long time.

  “Are you thirsty? We should get something to drink. I’m parched,” he said when the nervousness of being so close to such a beautiful creature threatened to break down his stoic façade.

  “Let’s get an apple cider,” Belladonna answered and took Ben’s hand.

  They walked to the cider stand and got their drinks. Still walking hand in hand, they found a bench outside of the funhouse to sit on and sip the cold, sweet beverage.

  Ben had tried in earnest to resist Belladonna, but sitting there together in the moonlight was more than he could handle. When she put one hand on his thigh, it was over. He leaned in, and she leaned towards him, too. Their lips hovered millimeters apart.

  Detective Ben’s phone rang.

  It startled them both so much that Detective Carmichael jumped halfway off the bench, and Belladonna spilled her cider all over her costume. Had she not been with the detective, a little wave of her wand would have cleaned up the mess in a jiffy. But, they’d sworn to protect him from the reality of Winterfield until he was ready. That meant Bella had to stay in the wet, cold, and sticky dress until she could get away.

  “Hello, yes,” Ben said as he answered his phone. Belladonna smiled at how flustered he sounded.

  His face grew grim, though, and Bella got that now-familiar dark feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “You’re sure?” Ben asked as Bella watched his phone conversation. A sense of unease was spreading through her body, and she could feel it like a sharp tingling all the way to her fingers and toes. “Uh-huh. Okay, thank you.”

  “Everything alright?” Bella asked hopefully when Ben hung up the phone.

  “We need to talk,” he said severely.

  Six

  Town Square

  “Wow. That took a turn for the serious very quickly, Detective Carmichael.” She’d come so close to letting him in, and now Belladonna was distancing herself from him emotionally again.

  “That was the coroner. Mrs. Tory died from a heart attack, and not belladonna poisoning. Dr. Friedrick, the coroner, found high levels of adrenaline in her bloodwork. Best the doctor could piece together was that someone sedated Mrs. Tory with belladonna, something woke her up and caused a massive panic attack, and then she had the heart attack that killed her,” Ben said as he slid his phone into the pocket of his costume.

  “But why would someone sedate her?”

  “Well, at first I thought maybe she’d taken it herself to help her sleep. I was going to come to your house late this afternoon to talk, and so you could show me your belladonna plants. But when I came by, you already had plenty of company. I figured it could wait until tomorrow. I was going to ask you if you’d given or sold her any belladonna to help her sleep.”

  “I only grow it ceremonially. It’s too dangerous to use. My family used to use it as medicine, but I would never give or sell it to another person. I keep it locked up so that no children wander in and eat it. The berries are gorgeous and enticing,” Belladonna answered.

  “Do you know anyone else who grows it?”

  “I have other family that do, but they live several hundred miles away. I’m sure it’s possible that other people closer to Winterfield grow it, but I don’t know of any. Nevertheless, you didn’t answer my question, Detective. Why would someone sedate her?” Bella was picking up that Ben knew more than he was letting on.

  “I shouldn’t be telling you about this, but I don’t see what it will hurt at this point. I found something in the ashes of the Tory mansion. A golden jewelry box; looked as though someone smashed the lock. It was empty. I’m wondering if a thief sedated her, stole whatever was in that box, and then set the place on fire.”

  “Hmmm.” Belladonna pursed her lips together and tried to brush away the fog that had settled once again in her mind. “Why would they burn the house down, though? I mean, if they got what they came for. Why set the house on fire?”

  “I don’t know, Bella. I’m not sure if I’ll ever know. I’ve got no witnesses and the fire destroyed any forensic evidence.”

  “What about the box? Did they find anything on the box?” Bella asked hopefully.

  “They couldn’t have. I found it buried in the ashes. Either the forensics team didn’t find any evidence on it, or they just didn’t locate the box at all. I’ve inspected it, and there are no prints, hairs, fibers, or anything else that could help. It’s actually still in the trunk of my car in an evidence bag. For some reason, I never logged it into the evidence locker at the station. That’s so weird. I never forget things like that…” He started to drift off as if a fog was descending in his mind as well.

  “May I see it? I don’t have to touch it, but it might help if I take a look. Perhaps I’ll recognize the box, or if there are markings on it, I might know something about them.” Belladonna was trying to tiptoe around any possible connection to the occult the jewelry box might have, but her curiosity was definitely aroused.

  “It has a dragon on it.”

  That revelation made the hair on the back of Bella’s n
eck stand up. She’d heard rumors that Elsbeth was in possession of the dragon’s eye jewel, but could it possibly be true? And if so, did that mean that someone had stolen it? That could be a disaster.

  “Please, Detective, let me take a look at the box,” she insisted.

  Detective Ben relented, and they walked to his car. Neither one of them was sure how they were supposed to be handling the feelings that had almost overtaken them just moments ago.

  Ben knew he couldn’t let them cloud his judgment, but it wasn’t just that. Most of the town gave him the cold shoulder, but Belladonna was actually trying to help him. She was one of the few people who were open to him, and he wasn’t ready to let that go yet. Even if she was still technically a suspect.

  They had to walk a couple of blocks because Ben’s car was still parked in front of his house. It was another Victorian, but not quite as large or ornamental as Belladonna’s home. The street was eerily quiet since almost the entire town was at the festival. The sound of his trunk popping open echoed all the way down the block.

  Something invisible but palpable rushed from the space as the lid opened. Ben and Belladonna exchanged a look, but the feeling was gone before they could speak. He reached into the trunk and pulled out the golden box still wrapped in a plastic bag.

  He handed it to Belladonna without thinking. She held it in her hands and tried to stifle her alarm. Bella had seen a picture of this box once before in one of her mother’s old books. She never thought she’d be holding it in her hands.

  Bella handed it back to him, debating how much she could tell him about the box, and its missing contents. “The box looks like it held something very precious.”

  She wanted to ask him if he’d searched the area around the box, but Bella didn’t want to tip him off. Her next stop would be the ruins of the Tory mansion. Belladonna needed to see for herself if the dragon’s eye jewel had fallen into a thief’s hands. She didn’t even want to think about the implications.

  “So we possibly have a burglary that crossed over the line to murder. It’s possible that the thief didn’t mean to kill her, but their intentions didn’t change the outcome,” Detective Benjamin mused.

  Ben put the box back in the trunk. He was suddenly hit with the need to go to the police station and log it into evidence. It was as if the fog clouding his brain lifted.

  The figure in the shadows lifted their spell long enough to allow Detective Benjamin to focus on his job. The gesture wasn’t to help him, though. It was to separate the detective from Belladonna. Together, they were stronger, and the dark magic interfering with their minds wouldn’t hold for long if they worked as a team.

  “I have to go to the police station. I need to get this into the evidence locker. I shouldn’t have it here,” Ben said and shut the trunk.

  “I should get home too.” It wasn’t really a lie. Belladonna should go home.

  Nevertheless, home wasn’t where her night would end.

  Tory Mansion Ruins

  Belladonna had gone home, but only long enough to change out of her costume. She put on a sweater, jeans, and a pair of comfortable boots. Everything she was wearing was black, but not just because she was a witch. Bella wanted to ensure that no one down at the festival could see her rooting around in the ashes up on the hill.

  She was lucky that the moon was full because Belladonna couldn’t use a flashlight or a light spell to illuminate the ruins. It also meant that the confusion spell that was blunting her mind, and the mind of Benjamin, couldn’t fully take hold.

  The full moon showed the truth, so dark magic spells were less active. The protection only lasted for the three days before, the day of, and three days after the full moon. That meant that after tonight, Belladonna and Benjamin only had three days before the dark magic could consume them. Her only hope was to realize what was happening. Bella’s magic was strong enough to fight the darkness, but only if she was aware of the danger before it overwhelmed her.

  Bella dropped to her knees, and she sifted through the ashes. There was just too much ground to cover, and she had very little time to search. Since she couldn’t use artificial light, Bella decided to try a simple locator spell. She held the image of the box in her mind, and let her body relax.

  She rose to her feet, and Bella’s body carried her weightlessly to the spot where Ben found the box. Her eyes were closed, but when she opened them, a shaft of moonlight directed her gaze to the spot where the box had rested. Bella sunk to her knees again and she searched carefully through the ash. Much to her dismay, there was nothing.

  Well, nothing wasn’t correct. There wasn’t anything physical, but there was a residue of something very powerful. A powerful artifact had once occupied this space, and the bright moonlight allowed Bella to see clearly.

  Elsbeth Tory was the guardian of something timeworn and potent, and someone killed her while they were stealing it. Belladonna didn’t know what it was yet, but she had picked up the scent. If she could find the thief, she’d be able to sense the relic. Belladonna would be able to wrap the case up in a pretty bow and give it to Ben as a gift.

  Bella wished she’d been able to take a photograph of the box. Having an image of it would help with her spellcraft. She could do the next best thing.

  “Where did you go?” Murielle demanded when she answered her cell phone.

  “Never mind that right now. I need your skills. Can you pull yourself away from your date and meet me at my place?”

  “It’s not a date and anything for you, Bells.” Murielle hung up, and Belladonna hastily made her way home.

  Belladonna arrived back at her house moments after Murielle showed up. She needed her friend to draw the box. They each had their gifts, but Murielle was the superior artist.

  “Don’t ask,” Belladonna laughed when she saw her friend eyeing her ash-covered hands.

  “I don’t have to ask. I know that you were up at the ruins. I assume you’ll tell me why when the time is right. Now, let me in, and I’ll grab my art kit from your office while you make us some cocoa.”

  Belladonna should have known that she didn’t have to tell Murielle what she needed. They were sisters in the craft. Bella unlocked her front door. Sterling was just inside the threshold waiting for her new mistress. A loud hiss escaped her, and her tail bristled up as her haunches raised.

  Instinctively, Bella grabbed her friend’s hand and pulled her through the door. She waved her hand and warded the door against evil. It was a spell her mother had taught her a long time ago. She was grateful for it now, even though at the time, Bella never thought she’d use it. In her thirty-plus years on this earth, Belladonna Nightshade had not encountered real dark magic.

  Once inside, Bella kept quiet about whatever had followed her home. She decided that her friend would be spending the night, though. It had been a long time since the two women had a sleepover, so it was overdue regardless of the circumstances.

  Belladonna turned on the burner and mixed melting chocolate, cream, vanilla, and cinnamon together while Murielle grabbed her parchment and pencils from the office. It was fortunate that she’d left them at Belladonna’s house the last time she’d been drawing there.

  Murielle sketched while Bella invoked an image of the box and described it to her friend. The two women sipped their cocoa, and soon the drawing was done. Murielle picked up the paper and turned it towards Belladonna.

  “That’s it! That’s perfect,” Bella enthused.

  “Now, are you going to tell me what this is about?” Murielle asked with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

  Belladonna chuckled at her friend’s posture and proceeded to fill her in on the details of the Tory murder case. She explained everything that she’d seen so far, from the burn on Jeremy Whiteside’s neck to the box that should have contained the dragon’s eye jewel.

  “Belladonna Nightshade. You went up to the crime scene at night alone?”

  “Well, I am a witch, so I figured I would be okay. Besides, I didn’t
know anyone was following me until tonight. Now I know I have to be careful.”

  “Don’t you dare do that again. You have to be safe until this is over.” Murielle said and put her hands on her hips again.

  “I promise. That also means you’re staying here tonight,” Bella said resolutely.

  “That’s a superb idea. Do you have any marshmallows? Oh, and have you called your family yet?” Murielle asked and then started rooting through the pantry for a bag of marshmallows. She knew they had to be there. Witches love marshmallows.

  “No, I haven’t called my aunt and granny yet. I’m not sure we’re in that deep. Let’s give it another day or so.”

  “Fine, but I have an idea.” Murielle’s face lit up as the lightbulb in her head went off. ‘Well, two ideas actually.”

  Seven

  777 Cornland Lane

  In the morning before the women had to go to work, they set to making a magical ointment. Belladonna was still suspicious of the burn on Jeremy Whiteside’s neck so she would take the balm to him after work. It was an excuse for her to talk to him, and she’d be able to sense if he’d been around the dragon’s eye. Once it was done, they headed to the diner for breakfast.

  Belladonna figured the more townspeople she came into contact with, the more likely she was to find the one that had handled the dragon’s eye jewel. However, other than the fact that the blueberry pancakes were delicious, breakfast was a bust.

  Murielle headed off to the library, and Belladonna walked across the square to her shop. Bella opened the shop and turned her sign. A full day of appointments awaited her, and if she had any walk-ins, it was going to be a crazy day. She liked that, though, because it meant a good payday and it would keep her mind and hands busy until her visit to Jeremy’s place tonight.

  Belladonna promised Murielle that she wouldn’t go alone. The two witches were going to meet at Bella’s house after work, grab the ointment, and go pay Jeremy a visit. Thanks to Murielle’s other idea, they had a reason to go over to his house.