Blood Kissed (Lizzie Grace 1)

I grabbed a fresh T-shirt and pulled it on as I obeyed. “Then who was on the phone?”

“Someone wanting to know if we did birthday cakes.”

“And do we?” I asked, amusement touching my lips.

“We do if she doesn’t want anything too fancy.”

She waited a moment until I was fully settled and then placed the tray on my knees. It not only held bacon and avocado croissants and a mug of tea, but also another of her green concoctions. This time it at least smelled like banana rather than something left out in the sun too long.

“We’re a little light on cash at the moment,” she added, “so every little bit helps.”

It did indeed. “Was there any gossip at the produce market this morning about last night’s events?”

“No, but the spirit world is rather uneasy. They’re not liking the situation.”

“Are they saying what, exactly, they’re not liking? Or are they just being their usual unhelpful selves?” I picked up one of the croissants and bit into it. Delicious didn’t even begin to describe it.

Belle smiled as she sat on the edge of my bed. “They’re not liking the fact the wild magic is unprotected. They’re saying you should go out there and find its source.”

I frowned. “To what damn purpose? It’s not like I can commune with the stuff.”

“You are still a Marlowe, even if a lower powered one. That alone gives you the right to at least try.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Mom was almost lost to such magic the one time she was asked to intervene and redirect it. If that could happen to her, what chance would I have?”

“Arguments I also made, but the spirits are nevertheless insistent.” She shrugged. “At the very least, we could try placing some form of protection spell around the wellspring.”

“That’s not going to stop it getting stained by darkness.”

“No, but it will at least prevent whoever is responsible for Karen’s death from tapping into it, especially if we are dealing with a vampire capable of powerful magic.”

“We aren’t supposed to be dealing with this situation at all.”

“I know, but since when has that ever stopped us?”

“Good point.” I finished off the croissant and then picked up her concoction. “Did Mrs. Banks mention whether the rangers had been there yet?”

“They were there earlier this morning, apparently. They took away several items, including a laptop.”

Given Karen had been using the laptop to communicate with her killer, it would hopefully lead them to his location and capture, and we’d be free of having to

deal with the whole situation any further.

“Since when has it ever been that easy?” Belle said. “I’ve called in Penny to help me in the café just in case there’s a morning rush, so you can take your time at Marjorie’s.”

“And what constitutes a morning rush?” I asked, amused. “More than the half dozen people we had yesterday?”

“Hey, that’s infinitely better than no people.”

And there’d certainly been other times and other cafés when that was exactly what we’d gotten. Witches were a competitive lot, especially those who came from the lower houses—like those of the Fitzgerald line who’d all but run us out of the last town we’d set up in. They might have been little more than carnival fortune-tellers and tricksters of no real power, but they’d been well-known and liked in the small town. Gossip and innuendo had killed our business before it had truly gotten off the ground.

“And I still think you should have put a hex on the bastards.” Belle pushed to her feet. “Or at least allowed me to order up a haunting or two to liven up their days and spoil their profiteering.”

“Would a little rat infestation suffice instead?” I asked mildly.

She blinked, and then a slow smile stretched her lips. “Tell me you did it. Please.”

“Well, it’s totally possible I might have thrown a small incantation their way as we were leaving.”