Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1) Read online

  Mira took out a mug for Ian and busied herself with making coffee and tea. "In this weather, I probably wouldn't be going anywhere. How were the roads this morning?"

  "Your neighborhood isn't bad. The city's mostly cleaned up, but everything in between is awful."

  "Did Gabriel make it home okay last night?"

  Ian raised an eyebrow at her. "I guess so. I spoke with him this morning and he didn't say anything."

  "Oh." Mira felt her face go pink. She hadn't realized that Gabriel hadn’t told Ian that he helped her last night.

  Ian looked like he was trying out different things to say in his head. Finally, he settled with, "You two getting along better?"

  "Not really," Mira said quickly. "He spotted my car on the side of the road last night and took me home. I thought he would have mentioned it."

  Ian didn't say anything.

  "I'm surprised he bothered to stop," Mira added, trying to make light of it.

  Ian chuckled. "I told you he's not a bad guy once you get to know him. He's been preoccupied lately. I think finding John trying to kill you threw him off balance."

  Preoccupied was one word to describe it, Mira thought. Gabriel's mood probably had nothing to do with John, though.

  Well, less to do with John and more to do with Gabriel discovering he was an angel.

  Ian cleared his throat and continued, "Have you given more thought to, um, giving him the same spell you gave me?"

  Mira's forehead crinkled in confusion.

  She had performed a Bind spell on Ian, forcing him not to tell any of the secrets of the supernatural community and he’d been fighting it ever sense. Then she remembered that Ian had asked her to do the same to his partner before her trip to the Ether with Gabriel and before John tried to kill her.

  The request had slipped her mind, which made sense when it came down to it. Gabriel didn't need the spell to keep the secret.

  Ian didn't know that, though.

  "Sorry," Mira said. "With everything that happened, I wasn't sure if you still wanted that."

  "With John gone, the case has grown cold," Ian said.

  "But you know John did it," Mira said.

  "We don't know if he was working alone, though. There’s no clue as to why he did this, and we have no idea what he's planning next."

  "Yeah," Mira said. She was having trouble keeping track of the lies. She knew John died. A being from the Ether had possessed John, killing him in the process. Knowing the creature was inside John, Gabriel had shot John in the chest in an effort to kill the monster.

  John wasn't coming back, but she couldn't say that. She also knew John hadn't been working alone, but she didn't know what that meant.

  Ian was giving her space to consider his request, which was thoughtful. Maybe Gabriel would be willing to pretend he'd been spelled by her?

  "It would help if he knew about Tyler as well. His disappearance might not be related, but another person's point of view would be helpful."

  "You have—"

  "Another detective's point of view," Ian corrected.

  Mira sank a little in her chair. "You haven't found anything, then?"

  "No leads."

  Mira wrapped her hands around her mug and stared blankly at it.

  "Look," Ian said, in a kinder tone, "Tyler may have just left town unexpectedly. It might have nothing to do with the case."

  Mira nodded, not actually believing him.

  "Maybe we'll find out more tonight," Ian said. "Although, someone else helping tonight may be useful as well."

  "Emmit and I could help," Mira said.

  "I don't trust Emmit." Ian was adamant about the statement. He and Emmit had been opposed to each other from the start. "Besides, Gabriel always spots it if someone is lying. It's a useful skill to have available."

  "Everyone lies," Mira said.

  Ian appeared uncomfortable. "He knows I'm lying to him. He hasn't said anything since John disappeared, but he's been avoiding me."

  "I'll think about Gabriel," Mira said, wondering if she could call him today and somehow convince him to come. He’d made it pretty clear that he wanted to avoid other supernaturals for now. "Are you ready for the conclave?"

  "Why don't they just say it’s a meeting?"

  "Because the community has been gathering for more than a century. Are you ready to talk to everyone?"

  "As ready as I will be. Will I know anyone?"

  "Barney might be there," Mira said. "He usually came with John, though, so it's hard to say."

  "I didn't realize he and John were so close," Ian said.

  "John was... is a psychic," Mira said, hastily correcting herself. "Barney is a seer. The powers aren't similar, but the effects they have on a person can be the same."

  "Do you think Barney had anything to do with this?"

  John had mentioned using Barney's blog, postsfromtheether.com to get messages from the Ether. Either way, it didn't bode well for the real world, and certainly not the supernaturals. But, was Barney actually involved?

  "You saw him," Mira said. "He rarely leaves the house. Without spells to block the Ether, he'd barely function. I doubt he's been helping John."

  "Well, I'll talk to him again tonight," Ian said. "Who else will be there?"

  "I'm not sure. Many people aren't keen on a human showing up."

  "I'm trying to track a serial killer targeting their—your people, and them hiding out isn't going to help matters."

  "Hiding is what we do," Mira reminded him. "Humans have targeted us throughout history."

  "It's not likely we'll start burning people at the stake again."

  Mira flinched.

  "Sorry," Ian said. "I just mean, society has changed."

  "People don't change that much," Mira said. "Besides, some of them hold positions where having a cop aware of them isn't going to make their jobs any easier."

  "Such as?"

  "Take Della, for instance."

  She couldn't help but notice Ian smile and sit up a little straighter. "She works for the district attorney's office. I know you would never hold her supernatural status against her or try to leverage the knowledge to your advantage, but other people might."

  "She knows I would never... I mean, she doesn't have to worry about... Does she think I'd do that?"

  Mira shook her head, trying to hide her own knowing smile. "Della isn't concerned. She never worries about things like that, but others might."

  "Will she be there tonight?" Ian asked.

  "Yeah, I'm sure she'll be there." Mira knew all too well Della would show up. Her friend stopped by two days ago after work and tried to subtly find out more about Ian, what he thought about their world, and—more importantly—had he said anything about Della. "Remember, she helped me introduce you to our world."

  Introduced was a nice word. Della had worked with others to scare the hell out of Ian while, at the same time, proving that the supernatural world existed.

  "Having an assistant district attorney there may help the case," Ian said.

  Mira shrugged. "We don't talk about what happens at the conclave out in the real world."

  "Never?"

  "There was a reason I had to bind you. Since Helen and Sally had only ever met at a conclave, there was nothing I could have said about them knowing each other. If I hadn't spelled you, there would have been no connection between any of the victims."

  "Except Sally and Tyler," Ian said.

  The idea hit Mira like a cast iron cauldron. She’d never thought of Tyler as a victim. Only... missing.

  Ian noticed the look on her face and rushed to correct himself. "Not that he's wrapped up in this. We have nothing to tell us there was foul play in his disappearance."

  "Have you been to his house?" Mira asked.

  "We've stopped by, but that's all."

  "You haven't been inside?"

  "Only the first day, just to ensure he wasn't injured or something. Like I said, there's no sign of foul play."

&n
bsp; "Maybe there's something you didn't recognize," Mira suggested. "Let's go over there."

  "We don't have a warrant," Ian said. "It's not even my case."

  "I don't need a warrant. I'm his friend."

  Ian hesitated. "I'm not sure it's a good idea. Not until I can let Gabriel in on things."

  Mira slumped back in her chair. "You really need to talk to him about all this, don't you?"

  "I've said that since the beginning."

  "What if he just met up with us at Tyler's? We wouldn't have to tell him about any of the supernatural stuff."

  "If you find anything... out of the ordinary… he'll know that you're lying about it. He's been suspicious of you before. I'd rather not go down that road again."

  Chapter 3

  A week ago, Mira wouldn't have suggested Ian's partner join them for anything. Before Gabriel had learned the truth, he’d procured a warrant and searched Mira's apartment, all behind Ian's back. But, things were different now, even if Ian didn't know why the situation had changed.

  "I'll risk it," Mira said. "I want to go to Tyler's house and I want you all to go with me."

  Ian appeared ready to argue.

  "Or, I can go by myself."

  "If there's some sort of evidence about Tyler's disappearance, or of the murders, you could contaminate the scene."

  Mira's eyes narrowed. She wanted to defend Tyler and insist he couldn't have anything to do with the deaths, but she couldn't be positive. Mira had a bad track record of trusting people who betrayed her—college had become a disaster when she had trusted the wrong person.

  Then there was her current life. She had been certain Sally wouldn't harm anyone, but after Sally's murder, it turned out she’d blackmailed a ton of people. Before Mira and Gabriel were pulled into the Ether, she had taken a disturbing peek into John's mind. Thoughts of Tyler had flown through her from John, but she couldn't tell if it was because Tyler helped him or had been hurt by him.

  She couldn't be certain. Not one hundred percent, anyway.

  "I guess that means you all will be coming with me?" Mira asked.

  Ian seemed lost. "Maybe we should leave Gabriel out of this."

  The lies were bearing down on Mira and affecting everyone. "If the worst happens, we can consider bringing Gabriel in on everything."

  He appeared perked up by the idea. "I'm sold, but I need to make some calls first."

  Another department handled Tyler's disappearance. Ian made them aware that he and Gabriel would be entering the house, with permission, due to their case. With a city as large as this, it wasn't surprising that quite a few people went missing, some for a few hours, others never to be found. Ian and Gabriel received the approval they needed without any hassle.

  Mira also needed to reach out to a few people. She started with Tyler's sister. As siblings, the pair had never been close, but she was Tyler's only relative in the area, and Mira wanted to make sure his family knew she'd be opening Tyler's house to the detectives. His sister was thrilled about movement on the case. Mira talked longer than intended because of the worry and concern the woman had. She also left a message for Della.

  The thought of calling Emmit flashed through her mind, but the previous night had ended on a bad note, so Mira wasn't in a hurry to reach out to him. Besides, she would see him at the conclave later that evening.

  Once outside her neighborhood, the roads turned treacherous, especially in the residential areas. Mira was almost happy that her car had been totaled. It gave her a built-in excuse not to drive. By the way the crow flies, Tyler didn't live too far away. By driving, however, the ten miles turned into twenty-five.

  Tyler lived in an old brick house with a deep porch. The snow and ice from the past week laid nearly untouched in his yard and driveway. Mira stared at it before getting out of the car.

  The house felt empty. Not in a way that indicated Tyler would be returning soon, but a more permanent sense of abandonment.

  When Ian got out, Mira was hesitant to follow. It had been her idea, but now she wasn't so sure. She couldn't pinpoint if she was more worried of finding something grim in the house or finding that there was nothing at all.

  She heard Ian and noticed that he and Gabriel stood on the sidewalk talking and glancing at her. Mira forced herself out of the car and into the freezing air.

  They looked... the best word for it was strained. The two men that walked into her shop a few weeks ago were gone. Those partners had been in sync and comfortable with each other. Now, a palpable disconnect could be felt.

  Mira knew she’d caused the rift and the knowledge weighed her down.

  Gabriel nodded to her in place of a greeting. She gave a weak smile and returned the gesture.

  "Do you have the key?" Gabriel asked Ian.

  "I have it," Mira said. She fumbled in her pocket and held the key out.

  "Let's get inside, then," Ian said, taking the key. "I hope the heat's still on."

  Mira hadn't thought about that. She stared at the house again and wondered if anyone would come by to take care of it. Indentations in the snow indicated someone had been there, but fresh precipitation filled the prints.

  Mira followed Ian, trying to step where he stepped, although his stride was longer, so that didn't always work out.

  "The concrete is slick," Ian said. He kicked snow off his boots under the protection of the covered front porch.

  For four steps, there was no railing, but somehow, despite her bad karma building by the minute, she managed not to fall on her butt. Ian rang the doorbell, waited for a moment, and tried again. Once Gabriel joined them and stamped off the snow, Ian pushed the door open.

  Ian called out Tyler's name and scanned the room before stepping inside. Gabriel snapped the door shut behind them.

  Stillness greeted them. It was the first time Mira had felt uncomfortable in Tyler's house.

  "Let's do a quick walk through," Gabriel said.

  Mira started to go with them, but Gabriel caught her eye and shook his head a tiny fraction. It didn't bother Mira to wait behind. She watched the two move from the living room to the dining room, and then disappear into a hall. The only noise in the house was their footsteps on the hardwood floors, until the heat kicked on.

  Mira inspected the front room. Tyler's over-stuffed furniture, normally inviting, now felt unused. She began to search for anything that might be in the open that shouldn't be.

  "Is there a basement?" Ian called.

  She hesitated before raising her voice in reply. "There's a small cellar, but you have to get to it from the outside, I think." Tyler used the space for spells when he needed direct contact with the ground. She fervently hoped he hadn't done magic in there lately.

  Tyler's entertainment system and coffee table were as she expected. Nothing appeared out of place, so she wandered into what was technically the dining room. Tyler never saw the point of eating anywhere except the kitchen, so he’d turned the room into a study of sorts. He had bookcases, his desk, a hutch, and an old apothecary cabinet that held a dizzying array of drawers, even if you didn't count the secret spaces that Mira was sure it must contain.

  Spotting a battered text on Tyler's desk, she frowned. Someone had thrown it down haphazardly. Mira recognized it as one of Tyler's everyday grimoires—a benign spell book which some witches might keep on a bookshelf.

  Tyler wouldn't leave something like that lying around. Like Mira, other witches had burned him in the past, so he always put his spell books away.

  It felt invasive, but Mira went through the spells.

  "Find something?" Ian asked.

  Mira jumped and slammed the book shut guiltily. "Um, no. Nothing."

  Ian raised an eyebrow and waited.

  "It's... I don't think Tyler would have left this out. That's all."

  He held his hand out and Mira recoiled.

  "It's not something that he'd want other people to see," Mira said.

  "Is it a journal or something?" Ian moved closer to stud
y the cover. "I need to see it."

  "Not exactly a journal," Mira said. She let out a sigh and handed the book over.

  Ian's forehead wrinkled as he flipped through the pages. Mira began to scan the shelves, something she'd done almost every time she’d gone to Tyler's. The bookcase rose high above her, filled with a vast collection of fiction, non-fiction, and non-fiction hiding out, pretending to be fiction. Tyler always read and studied everything he could.

  "I'm not sure what I'm looking at." Ian kept his voice so low that Mira almost missed it.

  "It's a grimoire," she said, not keeping her voice as soft as his. Seeing his confusion, she explained, "It's a spell book. All witches have them."

  "But, this is all old-fashioned remedies and cures," Ian said. "My great-grandmother had something similar, but I can't read all this."

  "You're human. You're not supposed to be able to read it all. You're right, though, this is all basic little stuff. The parts you can't read are mostly code for the magic."

  "Mostly?"

  Mira sighed. "I can't—"

  Gabriel stalked into the room, looking agitated. His eyes darted around, even up to the ceiling, not resting on any one thing too long.

  Ian slapped the book shut, with the look of guilt obvious on his face. "Did you find anything?" he asked, far too quickly.

  "Nothing," Gabriel said, striding over to Mira. "There's no one here and nothing looks disturbed. Have you seen signs of anyone else?"

  "No," Ian said.

  The ground began to shake. Looking around wildly, Mira saw that the whole house shook. The ceiling fixture rattled and swayed. Mira grabbed the bookshelf to try to steady herself, which didn't work since the shelf was as unsteady as she was.

  More so, even.

  When she put pressure on the shelf, it shifted and fell forward. Gabriel crashed into her, and Mira gasped as she slammed into the floor, too startled and confused to cry out. Gabriel's arms wrapped around her head and his chest pressed into her. Books and objects battered her arms and legs, Gabriel covered the rest of her.

  The shelf itself collapsed, stopping only when it collided with the desk, crushing Tyler's monitor.