Prelude to a Witch, Amanda Lee [ebook reader web txt] 📗

“Yes, but the booth is specially designed for lovers.” He moved his hands up and down, as if trying to sell us something great. “This is the booth to end all booths. How long do you guys want in there?”

I hesitated and then shook my head. “Actually, we’re not here for the booth today.”

“Oh, no?” Todd waved at a pair of tourists walking behind us. “That’s too bad. I particularly like when Landon loads up on elephant ears and chases you into the booth.”

There was an edge to his words, but his smile remained friendly.

“We’re here to talk to you,” Landon said. “We talked to a few guests last night, individuals staying at the Overlook. They mentioned that you weren’t in the best of spirits when they were here yesterday.”

Todd frowned. “Did they say I was unpleasant? I’m never unpleasant.”

“They mentioned that you were talking to yourself.”

Todd snorted. “I wasn’t talking to myself. I was trying to get my new earpiece to work. It’s Bluetooth and it’s very particular.”

“Why would you need an earpiece?” I asked. “Since when is that part of the deal here?”

“Since Margaret Little, that witch, decided we all needed to be available to her twenty-four hours a day.”

I was caught off guard. “What?”

“Haven’t you heard? She doesn’t think the festivals are organized well enough so she created this phone channel that we all have to check in on once an hour. If she feels that we’re not working fast enough, or if there’s a gap in the festival offerings, she barks at us through the earpiece.” As if to prove it, he pulled out a blue earbud. “She made us buy these. They weren’t cheap.”

I took the earbud and frowned at it. “I hadn’t heard.”

“And you were talking on this yesterday?” Landon challenged. “The guests we talked to said you were acting evil.”

“Have you ever talked to Margaret Little? The woman is nothing but evil. I told her the earbuds were a bad idea. It’s like being haunted but by people who are alive. I don’t want to talk to her on a normal day. When I’m busy with work, I especially don’t want to talk to her. I was probably snapping at her.”

Landon flicked his eyes to me. “Well, that is ... understandable.”

“It is,” I agreed.

“She’s a pain. I might’ve called her a witch, which isn’t professional, but the tourists can hardly complain about that given where we are.” Todd retrieved the earbud. “I’m sorry the guests were upset. I didn’t realize anybody heard me. I was trying to be discreet.”

“Mrs. Little doesn’t do discreet,” I mused.

“She doesn’t. She’s looking at a mutiny. We didn’t agree to make her the boss.”

I looked to the left where a hint of movement had caught my eye. There, Amelia stood watching us, her expression dark. She didn’t even try to hide her disgust. There was anger reflected in her eyes, outright hatred positively rolling off her. Todd seemed oblivious to her.

Landon’s hand moved to my back as he followed my gaze, his fingers stiff as they trailed up and down my spine. “Well, it sounds like it was just a mistake then.” His smile was wan. “We were just checking that there wasn’t something wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong,” he reassured us. “I am sorry that I put off some of the guests. I’ll make sure not to do that again.”

“That would be great.” I tugged on Landon’s belt loop. He needed no prodding. Amelia was our next stop.

“Have a good day.” Landon offered up half a wave as he fell into step with me. “Do you think it’s her?” he asked in a low voice when we were clear of Todd.

“She’s been acting weird. If she’s not working with the shades, or taken over by them, she’s involved some other way. We have to talk to her.”

“Do you think she’ll run? I’m too hungover to chase a teenager.”

“I thought you were a prime piece of beef.”

“I am, but Aunt Tillie’s wine makes me feel young when I’m drinking it and old when I’m recovering ... like ‘hand me my cane’ old. I need a day to get back to my normal self.”

The picture he painted made me laugh. “You’ll be sexy even when you need a cane.”

“Without a doubt,” he agreed. “I’m the sexiest of the sexy.”

Amelia had drifted to the corner of the street, positioning herself in front of the Unicorn Emporium. Her gaze was defiant as she regarded us.

“Amelia.” Landon had his FBI face in place as he stood in front of her. “Where are your cohorts today?”

“Who would that be?” Amelia asked blankly.

“Sophia and Emma,” I provided. “I never see you without them.”

“We’re hardly joined at the hip,” she said dryly.

“You are ... or you were,” I corrected. “Maybe something has changed in the last few weeks to upset the dynamics of your group.”

Amelia’s eyes narrowed. A chill ran down my spine. She was no longer hiding behind feigned innocence. She wanted me to know that there was more to her. I reached forward and clapped my hands on either side of her head.

“What are you doing?” She immediately began struggling. “Stop that!”

Landon lobbed a panicked look over his shoulder. After a few seconds, I released Amelia and took a shaky step back.

“Well?” Landon prodded.

I felt sick to my stomach, and only part of it was remnants of the hangover. “She remembers,” I said hollowly.

“Did you think I didn’t?” Amelia’s eyes flashed with fire. “Seriously? Did you think I didn’t remember what you did to me?”

“Is she one of them?” Landon demanded. “Does she have a shade inside of her?”

Amelia’s expression changed in an instant. “What are you talking about?”

“There’s no shade in her,” I said, letting loose a shaky breath. “She’s all teenager ... and altogether angry.”

“Can you blame me?” Amelia’s tone ratcheted up to shrill. “You messed with my mind. You ... changed who I was.”

“Look, you didn’t just do a bad thing.