Page 118 of It All Started with a Bite

“Ma’am?”

I turned to find a sergeant from the supernatural task force hovering nervously next to me where I stood on the terrace outside the ballroom of the Holt mansion. He was one of the few officers who’d arrived with Nigel after I’d used the crystal skull’s power and therefore wasn’t currently stuck on his butt, unlike many of his unfortunate and very embarrassed colleagues.

“Yes?”

“It’s been two hours.” Sergeant Holmes grimaced. “Detective Johnson is getting tired of being under Officer Brigham. Also, half the guests are complaining about numbness in their nether regions.” He hesitated. “Any idea when this command of yours might wear off?”

I peered inside the ballroom. Most of the supernatural creatures were indeed still firmly planted on their backsides, their expressions ranging from mortified to possibly murderous. The Lincoln sisters had started a game of cards with Didi and Gavin. Helen was sulking in a corner. Gregory was attempting to maintain his dignity while Victoria used him as an ottoman and discussed pack matters with Caroline and Kent. The dragon newts and the dwarves were hurling insults at the vampire mercenaries and witch who’d assisted Camilla, the Council of Elders assisting with elegantly pointed barbs. The fae and the pixies were having some kind of lighting competition, which meant the place now looked like a chic club with a glitzy disco ball.

As for the officers who’d managed to get inside when the barrier fell, they were looking distinctively uncomfortable at being in such close proximity with Amberford’s supernatural elite.

“I’m sorry, I have no idea.” I made a face. “Using an ancient cursed artifact wasn’t top of my to-do list tonight, believe it or not.”

Samuel had broken free of the skull’s effect and was drinking a coffee beside me. Hugh had also emerged from the spell early, a fact we were attributing to the werewolf nip.

Sergeant Holmes sighed. “Right.”

“Look on the bright side.” Bo wagged his tail. “At least no one’s trying to kill each other anymore.”

“Word,” Pearl said stoically beside him.

Sergeant Holmes studied them warily. News of the pair had already circulated among the officers, not least because Pearl had spent a good part of an hour criticizing Amberford’s socialites about their unseeming behavior.

Pearl having extricated herself early from the humiliating spell I could put down to the fact that she wasn’t an ordinary cat. Plus there was that weird light she’d projected from her eyes to protect the Hawthornes and the Luptons from the skull’s curse.

As for Bo, the jury was still out on how he’d managed the feat.

Sergeant Holmes took off his hat and sighed. “Arresting the perpetrators is going to be interesting. We’ve cuffed the ones we found in the library.” He glanced at where Camilla sat scowling. “We’ll have to wait until the spell wears off before we can move any of them.” He scratched the back of his head. “Maybe we should order takeout.”

One of his colleagues overheard him.

“I want pizza,” the officer called out where he squatted atop a vampire mercenary. “And someone better expense this!”

The mercenary raised a hand shyly. “Could I have a type-O, garlic-free, pepperoni pizza?”

“May I remind everyone that I’m still in charge of this operation?” Detective Johnson said indignantly from under Officer Brigham. He waited until his officers stopped grousing before addressing Holmes as haughtily as a man who was being squatted on could. “Hawaiian for me, please.”

The whole ballroom quickly dissolved into an argument about why pineapple on pizza was the epitome of the devil’s work.

My gaze found the Holts. Someone had given Arthur clothes. He sat with his arms around Priscilla and Marcus, waiting for the spell to wear off. Priscilla looked like a different woman after their tearful reunion, her expression speaking volumes about her adoration for her husband.

Samuel and I went to check on the crystal skull after Sergeant Holmes left. It looked deceptively harmless where it sat in a velvet-lined box in the back of the forensics team van.

I was not fooled.

The magic it emitted still made my skin crawl.

“What will happen to it now?” I asked warily.

“The supernatural task force will take it to a secure facility. After that, we have to decide what to do with it.”

“We?”

Samuel’s face tightened. “The Amberford Alliance. I intend to take you to the next meeting.”

I liked the sound of that about as much as I liked the idea of waxing my boobs.

He sighed at my crestfallen expression. “It can’t be helped.” He pressed a kiss to my brow that made my skin tingle. “You did good tonight.”

---