Page 27 of Bewitched By the Wicked Witch
But the possibility that my parents' deaths were connected to all of this? That they might have been murdered for trying to expose or stop these extremists? It was almost too much to process.
"So, what's our next move?" I asked, my voice hard as flint, pushing down the emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "How do we stop this before any more girls gomissing? And how do we find out the truth about what happened to my parents?"
Callum leaned forward, his eyes intense and focused. "We start by digging into Reid Bishop and his associates. See if we can find any connections to known pureblood extremists or suspicious activity around the time of the disappearances. And we need to look deeper into your parents' research."
I nodded, my mind already racing ahead to possibilities and plans. "I can reach out to some of my contacts in the magical underground, see if they've heard any whispers about a resurgence of the old rhetoric. There are always rumors floating around the fringes of our community."
"Good idea," Callum jotted down a note in his official investigator notebook. "I'll focus on tracing the girls' last known movements again, see if there's any pattern we overlooked. Sometimes a fresh perspective reveals details that were missed the first time around."
We lapsed into focused silence, each lost in our own thoughts as we pored over the files. Despite the gravity of the situation and the terrible possibilities we were discussing, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of nostalgia working side by side with Callum again. Our minds seemed to sync up naturally, falling into old patterns of collaboration as we puzzled through the thorny problem. It reminded me of late nights cramming for exams together, fueled by caffeine and the electric thrill of his presence.
The memory hit me like a physical ache - the way we used to spread textbooks across hisdorm room floor, our heads bent together over ancient spells and magical theory. How he would absently play with strands of my hair while he read, and how I would steal glances at his profile when he was deep in concentration. The trust we'd shared, the absolute certainty that we were partners in everything.
I shook off the memory, annoyed at myself for the momentary weakness. This was no time for sentiment or wishful thinking about what might have been. We had a job to do, girls to find, and possibly a conspiracy to uncover. I couldn't afford to be distracted by ghosts of the past, no matter how tempting it was to slip back into old patterns.
Cosmo, who had been napping under the table like a large, furry guardian, suddenly perked up. His star-flecked eyes went alert and his ears swiveled toward the front of the cafe. "Someone's coming," he warned, tail twitching with tension. "And they're radiating hostility like a broken magical radiator."
I glanced up just as a shadow fell across our table, blocking out the warm morning sunlight streaming through the windows. Cate stood there with her arms crossed and a scowl etched into her pretty face, her perfectly styled blonde hair catching the light like a halo of righteous indignation.
"Well, isn't this cozy?" she sneered, her gaze flicking disdainfully between me and Callum like we were something unpleasant she'd found on the bottom of her shoe. "The wicked witch and her mysterious gentleman caller, plotting away in the corner. Should I be worried about my safety? Maybe I should call the sheriff."
I sensed Callum stiffen next to me, his muscles flexing beneaththe fabric of his jacket. His hands clenched into fists on the table, and I could practically feel the defensive energy radiating off him. Gently, I placed a firm hand on his arm, signaling him to hold back and let me handle this. This was my confrontation to deal with.
Turning my attention to Cate, I mustered a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes, its chill as sharp as a winter breeze off the mountains. "Careful, Cate. Green isn't a complimenting color for you." I let my power flare just a bit, enough to make the air crackle around us with raw magic. "And for the record, Callum isn't my gentleman caller. He's here on official High Council business, investigating a case that affects all of us in Old Hollows. Including you."
Cate scoffed, tossing her perfectly styled hair over one shoulder in a gesture I remembered from high school. "Please. As if anyone believes there's actually any helping going on when we all know the evil bitch behind everything that's been happening is right here pretending to investigate."
The temperature in the corner seemed to drop several degrees, and I saw a few customers glance our way nervously. Callum stared daggers at her, his green eyes narrowing dangerously. "I assume you mean Sage?" he asked, his voice clipped and coldly professional. "Because if you're going to make accusations, you should be specific about who you're slandering."
"Who else would it be?" Cate demanded, her voice taking on a slightly shrill edge that spoke of genuine fear beneath the bravado. Her eyes darted between us, searching for any sign of deception or threat. "She's beentrouble since we were kids, and now that girls are disappearing, she's conveniently here to 'help' solve the case? It's like asking an arsonist to investigate a fire."
"Famous last words," I muttered under my breath, letting a bit more magic leak into the air around us. The lights overhead flickered slightly, and Cate took an involuntary step back.
Louder, I said, "Believe what you want, Cate. But there's a genuine threat out there targeting innocent girls, and it's not me. This time." I let my lips curl up in a sinister smile that suggested I was considering all the creative ways I could make her life miserable. It wasn't entirely a lie - if she turned up as the next victim, I wouldn't exactly be crying at her funeral.
Maybe there was some truth to their fears after all.
She glared at me for a long moment, her jaw clenched tight and her hands balled into fists at her sides. I half-expected her to lash out with a biting retort or maybe even try to hex me, but she simply spun on her designer heels and stalked away, the sound of her footsteps clicking angrily against the tiled floor.
I let out a breath, feeling the magical tension in the air slowly dissipate. Beside me, Callum whistled low under his breath. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"Too late for that," I quipped, but there was no real anger behind the words anymore. The truth was, having him here, working together like old times, stirred up feelings I'd thought were long buried. Feelings I couldn't afford to dwell on, not with so much at stake.
I cleared my throat, turning back to the files spreadacross the table. "Right. Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"
Callum blinked, then shook his head as if to clear it of lingering tension. "Right, tracing the girls' last known movements." He tapped a detailed map of Old Hollows with his finger. "Beverly was last seen leaving the library around seven pm the night she disappeared. Ashlynn and Periwinkle both vanished after finishing their shift at the diner on Main Street. Chastity never made it home from her evening spells and incantations class at the community center. And Chrysanthemum disappeared somewhere between leaving her friend's house and walking the three blocks home."
I frowned, studying the map intently and trying to spot patterns. The locations were spread out across town, covering different neighborhoods and times of day. No obvious connection jumped out at me, but there had to be something we were missing, some clue to who was behind this and where they might have taken the girls.
"We need more information," I sighed, rubbing my temples where a headache was beginning to form. "But I'm not sure the local council or the sheriff's department will be much help, considering they all seem convinced I'm the one responsible for everything."
Callum's expression turned thoughtful. "What about your grandmother? Bertie was on the council for decades, right? She might have some insights or old records that could point us in the right direction. Plus, if there's a connection to the pureblood movement, she would have been around during their heyday."
I hesitated, my protective instincts warring withpractical necessity. It wasn't that I distrusted Gran - far from it. But I hated the thought of dragging her into this mess, of putting her in potential danger. She'd already been through so much in her long life, had fought so many battles for the magical community. She deserved to enjoy her retirement in peace.
As if sensing my reluctance, Callum reached across the table for my hand. His fingers were warm and strong as they closed around mine, offering comfort and support. For the briefest of moments, I let myself lean into that warmth, remembering what it felt like to have someone I could truly rely on. He had been the light to my darkness once, the person who made me believe I could be more than just the black-hearted witch everyone expected me to be.
But that was over now. That trust had been broken, those dreams shattered.
