Evicted Witch (Jagged Grove Book 3) Read online

  EVICTED WITCH

  Jagged Grove Book 3

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  EVICTED WITCH: JAGGED GROVE BOOK 3

  First edition. October 2, 2015.

  Copyright © 2015 Willow Monroe.

  Written by Willow Monroe.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Further Reading: Rear-view Murder: A Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery

  Also By Willow Monroe

  Chapter One

  “Jones, I really don’t want to be here,” I moan from behind him, dropping my head onto his shoulder to make my point.

  He snakes an arm around me and pats my back. “It’ll be fine,” he says, raising his voice a little to be heard over the music. “Nobody misses this event.”

  Across the room, laughter erupts and cheers rise as Winter Blake spins in a slow circle, snapping her fingers. Every time she does that, her outfit changes - from a sparkling teal ball gown to a flouncy red cocktail dress to a leather mini-skirt and boots. Winter is gorgeous, and every clothing change accentuates her dark, almost ethereal beauty in some way. Wolf whistles pierce the air, making me wince.

  “How does she do that?” I mutter as I watch, more to myself than Jones. “It’s dangerous.”

  “It isn’t,” he protests, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. “She went through the same growing pains with her magic as you did - she just didn’t quit, and now she’s got it under control.”

  “You mean she didn’t accidentally kill somebody.”

  “Right.”

  “Lucky her.” I turn away from the spectacle.

  Jones turns away for a moment to answer a question that Flux the fire chief has asked, and I look out over the crowd, wishing with all my heart to see my mother Bilda standing somewhere in a corner.

  She isn’t there, though, and I get the strangest feeling that she isn’t going to be there ever again. Not an outcome I want to contemplate.

  Someone taps me on the shoulder and I jump. Sither is standing very close.

  “I don’t believe we’ve officially met,” he says with a thin smile. “I’m the coroner here in Jagged Grove.”

  He smells acidic, like he just came from a lab, and his thin dark hair falls over one gray eye. He’s around thirty and skinny, shorter than me. I try to smile, but the vibe I’m getting from his proximity is unnerving. He reminds me of an injured squirrel that Tawny found in the park a couple of years ago.

  He leans in and lowers his voice. “You should be careful.”

  His tone stops me dead, and the sounds of the party fade away. “Why? What do you mean?”

  “There is a war going on in Jagged Grove, and you are the prize.”

  I shake my head. “I’m not - just talk, OK? In plain English.”

  “Find your mother. She can explain everything.” With that he turns and walks back through the crowd, gone before I can snag his arm to stop him.

  Almost immediately, my friend Imala is standing in front of me, blocking my way. “There you are - I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”

  I try to push past her, hoping to catch Sither, but she misinterprets my actions as a hug. “Did you come with Jones?” she asks. “Like, on a date?”

  “No,” I say, looking past her, but Sither is gone. “Not at all.”

  “Hmm. Boy’s losing his touch if you ask me.” She unwraps her arms from my neck and steps back. “What’s wrong?”

  “Sither - the coroner dude - just came up to me out of the blue and told me to be careful.” I’m still scanning the crowd.

  “Why?”

  I shrug just as Jones comes up behind me. “He said that there is a war in Jagged Grove, and I’m somehow in the center of it. Then he said to ask mom.”

  “Who said that?” Jones asks.

  “Sither.”

  He huffs. It would be cute if I didn’t feel like I’d just been threatened. “I think Sither is going off the deep end. I’ve talked to Angelo about him before, but he treats the guy like a little brother or something.”

  “What if he’s right?” I ask. “He doesn’t know me - does he really just go around and make stuff up to scare people?”

  Imala looks bored now. “Who knows with him? You two should dance.”

  With a bright smile, she’s gone. I wave and keep looking for Sither. Maybe Jones is right, though. The message was cryptic and completely out of thin air, and Sither is a little on the creepy side anyway. I go back to looking for Bilda.

  This party is supposed to be the big event of the year in Jagged Grove, hosted by Mayor Callahan and his daughter Wisp, who hates my guts for various reasons. She thinks I’m out to steal her glory or something. She’s delusional.

  If not for her, and the fact that Bilda is has been missing for nearly a week, I could relax and enjoy myself this evening. Rive Callahan’s property lies along the coastal edge of the island, on the foothills of Mt. Savage. That sets it slightly above the rest of the town - exactly where Wisp thinks she belongs.

  The room is expansive and bright, with furnishings that can only be described as stately and huge patio doors at the far end of the room that look out over the coast of Jagged Grove. Closer to the beach, I see a decent-sized yacht floating along the private dock. A lovely home, and one of the biggest in town. Everyone seems to be having a wonderful time.

  If only there wasn’t so much magic zipping around the room. A town full of supernaturals makes for some pretty impressive stunts, but somebody could lose an eye.

  I might be the only person here who doesn’t care about this party. The too-bright room and happy atmosphere grates against my nerves, and Wisp’s constant glare is unnerving, even if she is across the room. “This party sucks. I want to go home.”

  “You won’t learn anything at home. We’re supposed to be looking for Bilda, remember?”

  I glare at the side of his head. He knows I remember - Bilda’s whereabouts are all I’ve been thinking about for days, when she allegedly killed a woman named Aries and disappeared. “She’s not here, and she’s not going to be here. Can we go?”

  I’m whining.

  “You’re whining. Quit it. I’m waiting for Angelo. He might have information.”

  “Not the kind I want to hear...”

  “You don’t know that.” He steps closer, out of Rive Callahan’s way. Rive is the Mayor of Jagged Grove, and this is his party. He’s making his way through the crowd in the direction of the kitchen. I look away, just in case Wisp is as jealous of her daddy as she is her boyfriends. I have no desire to listen to her squawk tonight.

  Movement in the far corner of the room, near the ceiling, catches my eye. My half-sister Rachel is there, watching the festivities with a pout on her lips. Through her ethereal form, I see a print of the Mona Lisa. Rachel insisted on coming, right after she insisted on me using her wardrobe for this party. That’s why I’m dressed in an all-white, silky mini-dress, complete with freshwater pearls sewn into the low-cut V of the collar. I look fantastic and I don’t even care.


  Rive drops a hand on my shoulder, making me look up at him. “Trinket, is that right?” he asks, holding out a hand to shake mine. He’s slim and distinguished, exactly like a small town mayor in his forties should look. With his southern drawl, he could easily be the mayor of Harte, back in North Carolina. His smile is very bright. “Our new healer, and I haven’t had the pleasure of officially welcoming you to Jagged Grove.”

  I nod. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”

  “Make yourself at home, and let me know if you need anything.”

  Before I can answer, Wisp is shoveling her way between us, patting her perfect little blonde bob. “Daddy - I’m so sorry I didn’t formally introduce you to Trinket. She’s the one who killed Maggie and destroyed the town. Remember?”

  “Well, I remember the event.” He smiles down at her, indulgent. “But I think you might have your facts twisted just a little, Pumpkin.”

  Pumpkin? I’d like to turn her into a...

  “Isn’t that right, Trinket?” Rive is asking, clapping me on the shoulder.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Wisp shakes her head. “No, Daddy. I’m right.”

  He grasps Wisp’s hand and pats it. A Southern gentleman. “I got all the reports from Angelo. Do you think I don’t know everything that happens in our humble little town?”

  I’m glad he knows that Rachel’s town-crushing tantrum wasn’t my fault, and I’m amazed that he doesn’t mention that I’ve come across three dead bodies since coming here. His island hasn’t exactly been quiet these last few weeks.

  It’s been an eventful year so far, and I’m only into month two.

  Wisp is shooting mental daggers at Jones and I as we thank Rive again and walk away.

  Jones steers me toward the refreshment table, or one of them - the mayor has five set up, filled with mouthwatering pulled pork, chips, seafood, and pitchers of his signature moonshine concoction. I’ve never tasted it, because I’m scared of it. When I first came to Jagged Grove, I was supposed to have an assistant, but when I got here she was dead and she smelled a lot like the moonshine I’m staring at now. “Can I have a Coke instead?”

  “Why? You need a drink. Let’s go find Portia.”

  “I think I need to leave.”

  He ignores my words, wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me in the direction of the bar, but not before grabbing a stein of moonshine for himself and taking a sip.

  “How can you drink that stuff?”

  “It’s fantastic. One day you’ll get brave and try it, and I promise it will be your new favorite drink.”

  I don’t believe him, but now we’re at the bar, waiting for Portia to finish ignoring us so that I can have my shot of Hennesey. She knows what I want, she’s just contrary because she thinks I’m after the love of her life, Angelo.

  It’s an old game and I’m tired of it. I rap my knuckles on the wood bar to get her attention. “Hurry up, Portia.”

  “Witch,” she mutters.

  “Witch,” I mutter back at her. This could take all day. I sigh. “Portia, I don’t want him. I just want my drink.”

  Beside me, Jones chuckles and sips his moonshine.

  She finally gives me what I want, and I fight the urge to toss it back all at once. I take a sip instead, and enjoy the heat it brings to my belly.

  Jones stiffens. When I follow his gaze I see Bumper, my white owl familiar, through one of the sidelights by the front door. He’s perched atop one of the low hedges that line the sweeping driveway in front of the house. “Be right back,” he says, and I watch him weave through the crowd in that direction.

  It’s weird that Bumper has been hanging around with Jones more than me lately, but then again, I’ve always gotten the impression that my familiar doesn’t like me very much. In fact, these days I’m not even positive he’s my familiar. He likes Jones better. Also, Jones seems to be able to communicate with Bumper in a way I never could.

  Voices rise behind me. I twist around on my stool to see Feena, Jones’s sister, dancing with Bradley. He’s the editor of the Jagged Grove Gazette. She’s levitating. Laughing, spinning, and levitating. It makes me smile, because a month ago she was dying of cancer, and I got to heal her.

  When Jones comes back, he casts her a derisive look before turning to me again. “I think you’re right,” he says, taking my glass and setting it on the bar. “We should go.”

  “Is everything all right?” I ask, sliding off my stool and tugging at the draping skirt of my dress.

  “Not really. We should just go.” He’s acting weird, so I stare at him.

  “No. We haven’t eaten yet!” I spin around and Rive is standing there again, close enough to make me take a step back.

  “You should stay,” Rive says.

  Jones is about to answer him when something over my shoulder catches Rive’s eye and his smile grows wider. I turn to see Angelo making his way through the crowd in our direction. His eyes meet mine, then slide to Jones. He hesitates, then keeps coming.

  I nod to the mayor and then meet Angelo halfway. When I get close enough, I catch his arm, look up into his blue eyes, and lean in close so that I don’t have to yell. “What is it? Have you found her?”

  He takes both my hands in his big ones, but I know his answer before he even speaks. What’s odd is that his gaze slides away from mine. Tension makes his shoulders stiff. “Not yet, Trinket. We’ll find her.”

  “What, then? What do you know?” My mother was last seen in the company of a wicked witch who turned up dead a few hours later. We’re all looking for her now.

  “Can we talk somewhere else?”

  I nod and lead him toward the front door, but he veers me away and into a room that’s a little quieter. It looks like a library, or maybe Rive’s office. “Here?” I ask.

  He shakes his head and we keep going, through the room and out onto a different patio than the one I spotted before. How many patios does this place have? It’s much quieter out here, though, and I take a deep breath of fresh air before turning to him. “Tell me.”

  I don’t know what I expect to hear - that she’s hurt, or worse. That she’s the next target on the list of whoever is killing witches in the colony. What I don’t expect are his next words. “Another body has been found in the colony.”

  My mind jumps to my aunt May, who lives on the other side of the island in the colony. “Who?” I’m almost afraid to ask.

  “Sabrina.”

  “Do I know her?” I’m trying to ignore my relief that it wasn’t my Aunt May - I only just found her, so I’m glad I haven’t lost her already.

  “I believe you met her in Dravo’s office.”

  The redhead. I never caught her name, or she never shared it, before May whisked us away to drop family secret bombs on me.

  “Oh, no.” First Aries, and now Sabrina? The body count is piling up. “This is crazy.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ve got to find Bilda, as soon as possible.” But where do I even start? Here? Or in the colony? Maybe the vast forested area in between?

  “We’re working on it.”

  “People are dying, Angelo. You aren’t working fast enough.”

  “There’s nothing you can do - we’ve got every available person out searching the island.”

  “It’s not enough!” My voice is rising again, but I don’t care.

  “It’s all we’ve got. But Trinket, when we do find her...”

  “What?” I fight the urge to kick him in the shin. “When you find her...what?”

  He swallows. When he answers, his voice is husky. Well, huskier than normal. “The Council has decided to have Chief Carter arrest her for murder.”

  I blink. “Chief Carter?” The name sounds familiar.

  “Our police chief here in Jagged Grove.”

  “Oh, right. I met him earlier this evening.” Then his words hit me. Hard. “Murder, Angelo?”

  He nods, just once.

  “Bilda didn’t murder anyone.” I grab h
is arm and shake it until he looks at me. “Angelo, you know this.”

  Bilda is one of the sweetest, most wonderful people I’ve ever known, mother or not. She’s fun, caring and good-hearted, even if her spells don’t always work out the way she intends.

  He pulls me in for a hug, but I fight him. “Stop it. Hugs won’t make this better, you moron.”

  “I’m sorry,” he says, and to give him credit, he really does look sorry. “If it’s any consolation, arrested doesn’t mean convicted.”

  I rub my eyes.

  “This is out of my hands.”

  His words make anger shoot through me. “Really? Out of your hands?” My voice is shrill, but I can’t help it. “Who brought us here, Angelo - under false pretenses?”

  “That has nothing to do with -.”

  “Baloney. If not for you, we would be back home in Raleigh, doing our thing and not being accused of murder.” I glare at him.

  He sighs. “Will you ever let that go?”

  “No. Do you have any idea where she is at all?” If I can find her before Angelo does....

  He shakes his head. Well, that’s something, I guess. “So you won’t be arresting her tonight?”

  “Not unless she shows up here.”

  “Good, then I’m leaving.” I turn away before I smack him and start working my way toward the door. “Trinket, wait!” he calls, but I ignore him. I have to find Bilda before Angelo does and then...something. I don’t have a clue how to fix this.

  Jones catches up to me. “Trinket? Babe, slow down.”

  I don’t slow down. I speed up. “I need to find Bilda.”

  “The entire ASS team is trying to find Bilda. What makes you think you’re going to do better?”

  I have no idea, but I have to try, so I just keep walking. Behind us, Bumper flits along from tree branch to street sign to bench, following at his own pace. I wish I could talk to him, get him to scout the island from the air and tell me where Bilda is hiding.

  As it is, only Bilda can tell me why she’s hiding.

  Our house sits quietly behind a small lawn, and the lack of lights in the windows lets me know that the twins are still at the party. Good - I need to think, and the two of them together tend to be a little noisy.