Spell or High Water Page 3

"I may not be able to swim out, but I can certainly call to my pod," he said.

  I knew selkies had magic, but I didn't know what kind.

  He stood on the beach and put his hand to his mouth. A high-pitched string of notes reached my ears, a strange noise that reminded of the dolphin or whale sounds that I'd heard on the Discovery Channel.

  Within minutes, several heads poked out of the water and swam toward shore, pausing several feet out. Three men and a woman waded to shore, pelts hanging from their arms. After a brief conversation, the group headed toward us, determination and anger written on their faces.

  Great. A pod of pissed-off selkies. Not that I could blame them, but things just got real.

  Chapter Five

  "I've found Circe Blackwood's room. She's not in the main hotel; she's having a massage at the spa," Blake said, flipping through the book. "It's scheduled to last another twenty minutes."

  If she was the culprit, she wouldn't have slipped by Margo yet.

  "You go talk to her," I said. "I'll deal with Julius's family."

  Being the brave—or smart—man that he was, it took him less than five seconds to disappear. As the selkies approached, I couldn't say I blamed him. They did not look happy.

  Angie, Julius's wife, was leading the group, holding her husband's hand as the group stomped toward us.

  I glanced at Stephanie, who was rigid and looked ready to do battle.

  You need to call to the loving side of her, Tempe thought to me.

  The loving side? I had no idea valkyries had a loving side.

  Valkyries love heroes; brave and honorable people,” she thought. They also recognize a hierarchy, as they're royalty themselves.

  I stepped between them as soon as Julius and crew made it to us. "Stephanie, I don't think you've met Julius yet. He's the new leader of his pod, voted so because of his honor and valor. This is his wife, Angie. She leads by his side."

  The warrior princess took their measure, then relaxed her stance. I was gonna have to convince her to come around more often. Girlfriend obviously needed some external influences to help her chill if she didn't want to burn out. I had a feeling an off-her-rocker valkyrie would be a bad thing for all involved.

  She dipped her head and looked skyward. It wasn't until I looked up that I noticed a glistening black horse in full armor plunging down at us, fire shooting from his nostrils. His eyes glowed red as he settled beside Stephanie, snorting and pawing the flagstones.

  She patted him on his neck. "It's okay, Buttercup. I seem to have misread the situation."

  "Buttercup?" I mouthed to Bob, who raised his brows and shrugged. He was as out of his element as I was.

  Stephanie stepped forward and introduced herself to Julius and Angie, then offered her services.

  Angie, an olive-skinned woman with flowing black hair, seemed to have a better grasp on her emotions than Julius did. She'd always been the take-charge type. Her eyes roamed over me, Bob, and Tempest as she wrung the water out of her hair and twisted it into a knot on top of her head. "Where's the new manager? Off finding my husband's pelt, or passed out in his office?"

  I pulled in a deep breath and huffed it out as I led the group toward the bar. It was hot, and standing in the brutal sun wasn't doing anything to improve moods.

  Our silence was all the answer Angie needed regarding Cassiel. She rolled her eyes. "Why on earth they put a drunken angel with a crappy attitude in charge of a bar where people come to relax and have fun is beyond me. I'm glad they at least had the good sense to pick a competent waitress and bartender, anyway."

  Blake popped back into the shade of the bar holding a struggling Circe Blackwood by the upper arm.

  Angie took a step forward, murder in her eyes. "Thank you, Blake. I'll take it from here."

  Out of all of us, it was Stephanie who stepped forward to be the voice of reason. "We cannot judge her until we get the truth from her."

  She reached out and grabbed the now-terrified witch by the forehead and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Circe's eyes glazed over.

  When Stephanie released her, the entitled woman appeared dazed and unfocused for a few seconds before righteous outrage took over. Buttercup took a step toward her at the same time Angie did, and she snapped her mouth shut.

  Stephanie shook her head. "It's not her. She's petty, selfish, and a horrible person who will receive a harsh judgment when her time comes, but she doesn't possess the wits to steal the pelt."

  Circe gaped at her. "Did you just call me dumb?"

  The valkyrie lifted a shoulder. "I wouldn't call you the brightest star in the sky by any means." She turned to Blake. "You can release her."

  "But if it wasn't her, then who was it?" Angie asked.

  Bob, who'd been quiet, spoke up. "Maybe it's time to take a look at that brother-in-law of yours. Power is a great motivator."

  Angie glanced back and forth between Bob and Julius. "What's he talking about, Jules?"

  Julius sighed. "I didn't want to mention it, because I don't believe it was him, but Aron stopped by. He's understandably angry because he wasn't chosen as successor."

  "Julius!" Angie said, drawing her brows together. "Why didn't you mention this before? Out of everybody, he had the most reason to want to banish you from the sea!"

  He hung his head. “I don't want to believe it of him. He's family."

  Their family must have had way different dynamics than mine did. I had a couple cousins I was downright ashamed of. One of them boosted my grandpa's pickup in order to steal all the pink flamingos from her neighbor's yard, because she hated both the birds and the neighbor. Another had moseyed drunk into her ex's wedding reception at the local all-you-can-eat buffet and knocked the cake over.

  Another benefit of working eight-hundred miles away from your hometown, at least as far as I was concerned.

  Circe had used the diversion to slink away from the bar, but Angie grabbed her before she could escape. She gave her a good shake. "If you ever come near my husband again, I'll throw you in the sea and call upon the sharks."

  The witch's eyes darted to me for protection, presumably because I was a fellow witch. I just lifted a shoulder. "Told you so. If you ask me, you're lucky she's giving you a pass this time."

  Angie gave her another good shake, then shoved her toward to path that led to the hotel. "Don't let me see you again."

  My selkie friend had put the fear of the gods into the she-devil, because she beat feet around the corner and was gone before you could say sleazy tramp.

  Tempest spoke up. "I can tell you it wasn't your kin. I watched him leave, and the pelt was still hanging on the chair when he did."

  Well that was just great. Now we had no suspects and no pelt. Julius was going to be land-locked unless the tides changed, and fast.

  Chapter Six

  "What else have you done to find the pelt?" Angie demanded of Blake.

  Bob had retreated behind the bar to make everybody a drink. He seemed to be of the mind that a little bit of booze may take the edge off, but again, being raised in the South where drinking was an art form, I was afraid it was throwing gas on a fire.

  Still, Angie took a sip of her anchovy martini—I still shuddered every time I saw the fish floating in the glass—as she waited for Blake to answer.

  "I've locked down the hotel and have ordered a room-by-room search. If the pelt is in the hotel, we'll find it."

  "And if it isn't?" she asked.

  Blake looked at her, and I felt bad when I saw the utter helplessness that crossed his face. He took a deep breath and released it. "All I can say is I'm doing the best I can."

  Sunlight flashed off something by the beach, and a sapphire tail flipped out of the water. Kadi and Beth, two of the mermaids who had been in the pool, swam until they were within a few feet of the beach, then turned around and transformed their tails into legs.

  Striding up the beach, I couldn't help but wonder why all sea creatures—and most paranormals in general—seemed to be
blessed with extraordinary good looks, while witches just had to deal with whatever genetics we had.

  They pulled their long hair over their shoulders and wrung the water out as they approached us. Once they reached the bar, I made the introductions.

  "It's nice to meet you," Kadi said to Julius, Angie, and the other selkies. "I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances."

  "Where did you guys go?" I asked. I knew they couldn't have gone far, because I'd cast the water barriers myself.

  "We thought maybe it was a good idea to talk to her dad," Beth said. "As the king of the Gulf of Mexico merpeople, he has some far-reaching connections."

  I glanced at Kadi, or rather Princess Kadi, I supposed. "Any luck?"

  Regret crossed her face and she shook her head as Bob handed her a Bahama Mama. I glanced at him, and he reminded me of the bartender version of my mother. When all else fails, offer refreshment. I almost giggled at the thought.

  "Thanks," she said as she took a sip.

  Beth took hers, and looked toward Kadi. "I'll get our stuff. We were in such a rush, we left everything behind."

  We sat silent, each of us wracking our brains for another avenue to explore, when Beth returned, scowling. "Destiny, somebody stole our towels. Our bags are still there, but that beach towel was a gift from my niece."

  I paused with my lime water halfway to my mouth and a lightbulb came on. I knew where his skin was, or at least I had another place to look

  . I set my water down on the bar. "I'll be right back."

  Without giving anybody time to ask where I was going, I snapped my fingers and landed in front of Margo, my feet moving practically before I fully materialized. Nobody but Blake could teleport beyond the sphinx.

  "What's the rush, sweetie?" she called after me.

  "I think I know where Julius's pelt is," I tossed over my shoulder.

  I ran through the hotel to the service elevators, and pushed the down button. The doors slid open, and I rushed toward the laundry room. A brownie named Lucinda was in there, pulling wet towels from a washer and stuffing them into an industrial-sized dryer.

  "Hey, Lucy," I said. "Did a cart of towels just come up from the tiki?"

  "Sure," she said, pointing to a red wheelbarrow. "That's it right there."

  I dug through the cart, hoping against hope that I was right. Sure enough, at the very bottom lay a black pelt with white spots, along with the towels Kadi and Beth had been using. I yanked them out, groaning at the weight of the pelt as I slung it over my shoulder.

  Glancing around at the mess I'd made while I was yanking the towels out, I cringed and apologized.

  "Come down to the tiki later and I'll buy you a drink." I said as I made a mad dash back toward the elevators.

  "You found it!" Margo said, delighted, as I rushed past her.

  "I did," I said, grinning as I snapped my fingers.

  I popped back into the tiki still wearing my grin, and handed a slack-jawed Julius his skin. I also passed Beth and Kadi their towels.

  "Where was it?" Blake asked, his brow creased.

  "In the laundry,” I said, smiling. “One of the new beach attendants must have mistaken it for a towel, though I have no idea how with as much as it weighs."

  We had attendants that went through at intervals collecting towels, linens, and other washable hotel property. It appeared they needed a little more training.

  Angie pulled me into a hug, and it wasn't until I saw the tears in her eyes that I realized how truly terrified she'd been. I hugged her back, happy that we'd found it.

  Julius called for rounds of drinks, and of course, that's when Cassiel appeared. He couldn't be bothered to help during a crisis, but when free booze was on the table, he was all in. Too bad Angie was the one with the credit card, because she wasn't as forgiving as Julius.

  Rather than offering him a drink, she gave him a suggestion that was anatomically impossible, even for an angel. I was sure I'd pay for my minute in the spotlight later, but that was okay with me; I had broad shoulders and was just glad I could help.

  Julius raised his glass. "To Destiny," he said, then paused and glanced at Angie, who nodded her head. "I bestow upon you honorary membership into our pod. Should you ever find yourself in need, we are at your service."

  He gave a little bow, and my eyes filled as I hugged both of them.

  "Thank you for saving my husband and keeping our family together," Angie whispered in my ear.

  I swiped a tear off my cheek and grinned, my heart full as I looked around at the people who'd become like family to me. The sea breeze tickled across my cheek and the scent of the sea filled my nostrils as the sunshine kissed my face.

  The Enchanted Coast truly was my paradise.

  This short story is a standalone to my Enchanted Coast Magical Mysteries Series. To find that series, or others that I’ve written, check out my Amazon author page. Thank you!

  About Tegan Maher

  I was born and raised in the South and even hung my motorcycle helmet in Colorado for a few months. I've always had a touch of wanderlust and have never feared just packing up and going on new adventures, whether in real life or via the pages of a great book.

  When I was a little girl, I didn't want to grow up to be a writer—I wanted to raise unicorns and be a superhero. When those gigs fell through, I chose the next best thing: creating my own magical lands filled with adventure, magic, humor, and romance.

  I live in Florida with my two dogs. When I'm not writing or reading, I'm racing motorcycles or binge-watching anything magical on Netflix.

  Join my readers club here to be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways, contests, and special deals. If you’re not an email-list person, keep track of new releases by following me:

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  Email me – I always love hearing thoughts and feedback, or just drop me a line to say hi!

  The Cat of New Orleans

  A Whales and Tails Mini Mystery

  Kathi Daley

  Summary

  Cait is one of five children born to an Irish Catholic family living on Madrona Island – she owns a bookstore named Coffee Cat Books with her best friend, and volunteers at Harthaven Cat Sanctuary with her aunt. She has been entrusted to act as a partner of sorts for the islands magical cats – in The Cat of New Orleans, Cait visits the city with her fiancé Cody West and is asked to pick up a magical stone from a voodoo priestess which her witchy friend Tansy hopes will restore the magical balance which had been lost on the island.

  New Orleans

  If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with lingering thoughts of death, I might have enjoyed the throngs of people, deafening music, bright lights, and pungent scents. If I hadn’t been driven to the point of exhaustion, I might have better tolerated the stifling heat that felt like a wool blanket swaddling me with itchy dampness. If I hadn’t been dealing with the knot in my stomach, brought on by overwhelming fear and a sense of hopelessness, I might have found the sheer energy of the place to be intoxicating rather than overwhelming.

  “Are you sure this is the right place?” I asked my fiancé, Cody West, as I stepped over a man who had passed out on the sidewalk just inches from the busy street where cars and pedestrians competed for the same piece of roadway.

  “According to the note Devalinda left, we’re to meet our contact at La Fleur Noire at eleven o’clock. According to the GPS on my phone, we should find the bar about halfway down the next block.”

  “I hope our contact isn’t late. This,” I swept my hand in a circular motion, “all if this, is a lot more than I’m able to process. I’m really not sure how much more of this I can tolerate.”

  “I know. It’s a lot to take in. Once we get the map we can head back to an air-conditioned room and a cold shower.”

  I took a deep breath and nodded, wishing all the while I was home on my island off the coast of Washington State, where the temperatures were mild and t
he humidity tolerable. When Cody had suggested I come with him to New Orleans for a romantic vacation when he was asked to speak about the training program he’d developed for new SEAL recruits on a local network talk show, I’d enthusiastically agreed. Little did I know our romantic interlude would quickly turn into a sort of crazy scavenger hunt to find a map leading to a stone that had been purported to possess the power to restore the magic that seemed to be linked to my witchy friend Tansy. While I didn’t really understand the specifics, based on what Tansy’s life partner, Bella, had told me, if the magic on Madrona Island died, Tansy would as well.

  “I don’t think it’s much farther,” Cody assured me as we wove our way through the crowd that seemed to suck the air from my surroundings as additional bodies pushed onto the narrow sidewalk.

  I let out a little screech as someone bumped into me, spilling a blue daiquiri down the front of my shirt. I momentarily considered belting the guy, but Cody grabbed my hand and pulled me forward through the mass of people, most of whom appeared to be drunk. One more hour, I told myself. One more clandestine meeting in a dark and dank alley. One more stressful encounter with people I couldn’t relate to and or understand. One more task to complete before I could claw my way out of the Caitlin Hart in Wonderland nightmare I’d fallen into and put the most absurd day I’d ever experienced behind me.

  “I think we’ll need to cross the street,” Cody said, taking my hand. “Be careful. The drivers in this part of town don’t seem to care if they run you down.”

  I nodded tiredly and followed along. Could this day get any worse?

  Actually, I admitted, as I bounced helplessly like a pinball off one person and into another, the day had started off all right. The show Cody was in town to tape had aired early that morning, leaving us plenty of time, we thought, to take in the sights and partake of some down-home Cajun food before we took care of the errand we’d promised to carry out for Tansy. Cody had been confident and prepared and the interview went perfectly. He spent a half hour receiving thanks and congratulations from the staff at the small television station, then we set off into what promised to be a hot, sunny day. We hadn’t even made it to the first stop on our list of touristy things to do, though, when I received a call from Bella with a plea that I move up the timeline to retrieve the magical stone that was supposed to restore the magic on Madrona Island and save Tansy’s life. When Tansy had asked me to fetch the stone, she hadn’t attached any element of urgency to the request, so we planned to complete the task at our leisure, but, according to Bella, the time for urgency had actually come and passed.