Page 35 of Secrets of the Forgotten Heir

Whilst Mum always ensured I did at least a couple of hours’ training most days, once or twice a year she gave me a whole day off. I spent several of them around here, climbing trees, messing around, building forts, normal kid things.

Even then I’d known something about my magic wasn’t quite right. Maddie’s powers had been growing stronger and stronger with every passing moon, and the wolves were growing more and more formidable. Me? I’d stayedthe same, the stunted runt of the litter. Even so, neither Maddie nor Ezra ever did anything to make me feel bad about myself.

‘You’re at a different stage,’ they had always said to me. ‘It’ll happen.’ And then as the years passed, the refrain had changed to, ‘You don’t need more magic. You’re perfect the way you are.’ They had said it so often that I knew they’d come up with that party line together. Their care made me feel loved, but I still despised my own ineptitude.

I should have had more magic because my mother was incredibly strong. I’d kept hoping that one day it would come, but at twenty-eight I’d finally learned to stop wishing for something that was clearly never going to happen.

It had taken a couple of decades, but now I could accept it. I was a magical dud.

Chapter Twenty-Three

It was only when Yanni stopped the car that I realised I'd drifted away into my own thoughts. ‘We’re here,’ she said. ‘Do you want to bring Eva in with us?’

Eva had spent most of the day as a guard dog, first outside Warren’s yacht and then Jennifer’s cottage. Knowing her, she was in desperate need of some human interaction even if it was only listening to more questioning and getting the occasional pat.

‘Yeah, why not? She can be disarming. A dog helps settle people, which sometimes mean they reveal more than they mean to.’

Yanni looked impressed. ‘Maybe I should get one,’ she mused. ‘For the office,’ she added hastily.

‘If you do, don’t forget to increase the snack budget. And add some extra money for baby wipes – they’re handy to clean up the drool.’ Eva shot me an outraged look,which we both knew wasn’t warranted. When she was waiting for treats she drooled like she’d turned on a tap. It was gross, but I loved her anyway.

‘Come on, girl,’ I said and she jumped out behind us. I didn’t tell her to be quiet; she already knew that. She’d been my wingdog during many an interview and she knew her role well: disarm, charm and calm.

When Yanni knocked on the door, it was answered promptly by a stout woman with an amazing head of deep brown curls. Her eyes glinted with a smile that flickered slightly when she saw Yanni standing there. ‘Oh, hello,’ she said.

‘I’m Police Chief Greenridge,’ Yanni introduced herself. ‘We’re looking for Toby Brown. Is he in?’

‘I’m his mother, Selena.’ The woman’s face tightened. ‘What do you need him for?’

Yanni smiled broadly, though I could feel the tension in her body. ‘We actually need to speak to your son directly. It’s in connection with one of our investigations.’

Eva stepped forward and put her puppy-dog eyes to work. Instinctively Selena crouched down, held out her hand and let my dog sniff her before patting her head. Perfect: she was a dog person.

‘Investigation?’ Selena asked. ‘What sort of Investigation?’ Her lips pressed into a tight line. ‘If it’spoaching, then he’snotpoaching. That land out back is for all the shifters – it’s in the original agreements, the ones that date back as far as the Witchlight.’

‘No, it’s not about poaching.’ Yanni’s tone grew more serious. ‘It’s a bit more than that. It’s a murder investigation.’

Selena froze mid-pat and her eyes shot up to meet Yanni’s. ‘What? Amurder?’ She’d gone pale. ‘You’d better come in.’ She straightened and held open the door for us.

She led us into her lounge, a small room painted sage green with worn sofas and a well-loved rug. When we sat down, Eva jumped up, snuggled next to Selena and laid her huge head on the woman’s lap. Instantly Selena tangled her hands into Eva’s long golden fur.

Finally she asked the question she’d been building up the courage to ask. ‘Who’s been killed?’

‘Warren Storcrest.’

Selena’s mouth dropped open. ‘Oh, good God. The poor man. Oh poor Jennifer. She must be devastated.’ Tears filled her eyes and she clutched a hand to her heart.

I lowered my shields and her emotions clobbered me over the head: shock and sadness. The punch of them was so strong that I struggled to breathe for a second then hastily tried to pull my walls back up. It took effort and I sagged a little in the chair. Damn it, I’d forgotten howstrongly a supernatural’s emotions could hit me; it was so much stronger than being around humans all the time. I’d need to use my magic sparingly because Selina’s impact had instantly left me with a pounding headache.

‘You know Jennifer well, I take it?’ Yanni asked, and I tuned back into the here and now.

‘Oh yes, absolutely. She’s a lovely girl. Jennifer and Toby were so well matched, though unfortunately her family didn’t see it that way.’ Selena grimaced. ‘Especially not after the incident with the merman.’

‘I heard about that,’ Yanni said pointedly. ‘So, is Toby in?’

Selena’s eyes widened. ‘No, he’s out, but you can’t think he had something to do with this! He wouldn’t—’

‘We need to talk to him, that’s all,’ Yanni interjected smoothly. ‘To ascertain his whereabouts for the last day or so. It’s simply procedure.’

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