Rhinestone Way Page 4

  “Yes, it’s felt strange for a while. There’s also weird smell. Maybe I should go find Quinn? Or I could stay with Henry until he comes back,” said Lowe.

  We had made it all the way to the end of the hall by then. I don’t know what possessed me, but at that moment something told me to turn around, so I did.

  What met my eyes made me turn and stumble backwards. We were in big trouble.

  Chapter Six

  Once long ago, on a day when my dad took me to the ocean, a storm appeared out of nowhere. We ended up on the beach alone, since anyone else who might have thought to go had checked the forecast ahead of time. My dad hadn’t taken that precaution; for once he had decided to do something adventurous and fun on the spur of the moment. Not long after that, he would work up the courage to tell me that he was engaged to Blossom, but on that day at the beach I had felt free and happy. I went dashing over the hard-packed sand, sending brown particles flying up behind my feet. I shrieked with delight as the wind twisted and seagulls moved in and out of the water with ease.

  Then the waves had grown taller, building slowly but consistently, growing as I’d been planning to make my sand castle grow. At last, and all of a sudden, they had become too tall. The wind blew far too hard, and the storm crashed down on us.

  That moment appeared vividly in my mind in the hospital as Lowe and I tried to flee.

  Coming down the hall was a dark, rolling wall of fog. Now I recognized the signs of danger. It looked just like the fog bank that Henry had described seeing in the woods the night Kyle disappeared. Coming through the fog were three figures, all dressed in hoods, their skin almost greenish, their arms covered in tattoos.

  “What are the Vixens doing here?” I cried.

  “Run!” Lowe yelled.

  But I didn’t want to run now. Not yet. The crackle of spells was making my fingers ache. I quickly performed the hand motion I was itching to do: All five fingers together. Twist the wrist, then open the fingers. A cascade of shining magic shot out.

  “Defend,” I whispered.

  I planted my feet, then raised my arm to shoulder level and pointed it forward. The spellcasting shot through me.

  Never before had I performed such a powerful spell. Never had I felt stronger. Never had I fired at three Vixens all at once. Sooner or later the Vixens were bound to go after all of us Rhinestones, not just Ethel. Sooner or later had apparently come today.

  Just as suddenly as I had sent the spell forward, it disappeared, swallowed up by the black fog. Lowe tugged at my back. I was so stunned that for a moment I didn’t move.

  The next instant I turned around and tripped away. We ran desperately for the stairs. Click, click, click followed us. Now it made sense. Whoever had walked past the sitting room before had been a vixen. They had been casing the joint and now they had invaded it.

  Lowe and I shot into the stairwell and raced down a floor. Finding the door to the second floor locked, Lowe swore underneath her breath. “Should we go up or down?” she asked.

  We both knew they might have locked the other doors already. “If we go down, at least we’ll be on the ground floor. It’s just that if that door is locked, we won’t be able to get out.” The big spells were easier than the little spells. Unlocking the door was a little spell. I would sooner be able to blow up the building than open a door. “Let’s try to get out.”

  I didn’t have to tell my cousin twice. She shot up the stairs. She knew as well as I did that our only hope was to get past the third floor before the Vixens reached that door.

  I’m not sure I’d ever run so fast in my life. My leg muscles were screaming. I felt heavy, as if I couldn’t move as fast as I wanted to. We shot past the third floor just as the door popped open. The hissing noise preceded the Vixens.

  The opaque clouds nipped at my ankles as they came wafting toward us. I didn’t dare look behind me, because I knew what I would see. More clouds, more danger, and a vixen amidst it all.

  “Keep going. Don’t stop. If we stop now we’re done for,” said Lowe. Then she trailed off, and all I could hear was her ragged breathing. She was terrified.

  The concrete and metal around us felt suffocating, but we raced onward. As we ran, Lowe tried to open every door we passed. Every one was locked. Whenever I glanced over my shoulder, I saw the dark cloud of fog rolling toward us. Each time, the vision forced me to run faster. “There can’t be that many floors in this place,” I gasped.

  “One more,” said Lowe. She was sucking in air, even less accustomed to running than I was.

  We finally reached the top of the hospital, with only one more door left. Behind us I could see nothing but the acrid cloud of Vixen potion. I tried the door.

  It too was locked.

  “What now?” Lowe asked.

  “Now we fight,” I said, crackling my fingers again. All five fingers together, twist the wrist, and open. A cloud of light burst out of my hand, flickered and wobbled, then flickered and wobbled again. I could feel the heat of it on my face. Then I sent it forward, a cloud of power about twice the size of my head. Like I said, no small spellcasting. The heat made me flush as the cloud went barreling into the opaque fog.

  Behind me I heard Lowe gasp. She knew how much trouble we were in. She knew that this was probably our only hope.

  The magical ball disappeared into the opaque wall in front of us. To my surprise, it sucked some of the wall along with it, giving us a bit more breathing room.

  “Do it again,” Lowe cried. She pumped her small fist and glared.

  Again I made the motion with my hand. This time I had a better idea of what I was doing. I was creating a large crystal ball of energy. This time the ball was about three times the size of my head. The second it was ready I sent it flying toward the wall once again.

  Dark and light fought as the light pulled the fog away from us. This time it took longer to surge forward. My hand was getting tired and the tingling was getting worse, signaling that I couldn’t keep it up forever. Fingers together, twist the wrist, open. Right before my eyes, more magic. But the ball was smaller this time. I was losing my grip. I concentrated. Nothing else mattered.

  The bright ball of magic expanded. I even stopped hearing what my cousin was saying behind me as I encouraged the balls to grow larger. I wanted to throw an entire room’s worth of color at the attacking fog. Just when I knew I couldn’t hang on any longer, I released the spell and it went flying toward the fog. As it reached out, the fog itself evaporated.

  Shocked, I stumbled. The next instant the ball of magic I had created went bouncing down the stairs, almost as if I had dropped a flashlight several floors.

  I fell to my knees on the cold concrete, shocked and exhausted. Behind me I felt Lowe move.

  Who knew being a witch involved so much falling down?

  “What happened? That magic really worked?” said Lowe.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said dryly.

  My cousin helped me to my feet. “You know what I meant. Come on. Let’s get down before whatever that was comes back.”

  I was in no way sure she had the right idea. Personally, I felt that if the fog was going to leave us alone, I had half a mind to stay at the top of the building for as long as possible. Giving the Vixens plenty of time to leave seemed like a much better idea than chasing after them. But in the end, I followed Lowe.

  When we made it back down to the third floor I almost expected that door to be locked as well. But of course it wasn’t. Instead, it swung open at Lowe’s touch.

  There was still no one in the hallway. I hoped that the Vixens hadn’t murdered all the staff. Even with the vixens that would be hard for me to believe.

  “Shall we check on Henry?” Lowe asked. “He might be afraid after what just happened.”

  “Good idea. If Quinn is there we can just tell him to be quiet,” I said.

  Lowe gave me a look that said she didn’t believe me. True enough, telling the sheriff to shut up was probably a terrib
le idea. Given what we had just been through, though, the only thing in my head was a supply of terrible ideas.

  We made our way down the quiet hallways. It didn’t take long to get Henry’s room, and when we got there we found his door was still open and the light still shining in.

  The amusing Henry was still lying on his bed.

  He was dead.

  Chapter Seven

  Just a few minutes ago Henry had been clear-eyed and communicative. We had left his side for only a few moments, and everything had crumbled.

  I blinked. Not only was I not crying, but my eyes felt dry to the bone.

  “I suppose you’re going to tell me you had nothing to do with this?” asked a familiar voice from behind me. I froze. Of all the . . .

  My fingers twitched. I snapped out of my shock as my blood started humming through my ears. My chest hurt, fear and adrenaline mixing together to stop me cold. Henry was someone’s friend and someone’s family member. He had been alive and joking only moments before. Then the Vixen Steam had swept through the hospital in a matter of moments. How could I have been so foolish as to leave him?

  “You know very well the Vixens did this,” I countered, my throat tight. “Or is it like last time, where you were sure my sister did it?”

  Quinn stood in the doorway. His face was unreadable, but his eyes looked troubled. I suppose since we’d just discovered someone dead, that was to be expected.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice going a notch quieter.

  He took a step forward and I had the distinct impression that he wanted to rest his hand on my shoulder, but thought better of it. Good for him. If he did reach out, I imagined my shoulder as a slingshot and his arm flying backwards, rebounding from the touch.

  “I think so,” I said.

  Was I? I’d need time to think that through later. No, no one could ever be okay after what had just happened.

  Quinn didn’t look like he believed me, but he didn’t argue. Instead he looked back and forth between Lowe and me, still holding the steaming mug of coffee he’d brought back from his break. “I should have known you weren’t here just to check on someone,” he said to Lowe.

  “Oh, if you know her well enough to be disappointed in her, then fine. But we have a dead body here,” I indicated heavily. I could feel tears pricking behind my eyes and I was using anger to keep them at bay. I couldn’t cry in front of Quinn. I had barely known the kid, but the fact that he was now dead . . . was just awful.

  “Did you see the Vixens?” Quinn asked, stepping into the room.

  Lowe and I stepped out of his way as he made his way over to look at Henry. The young man looked as if the very life had been sucked out of him, and maybe it had. The Vixens were ruthless. Given that we had no idea who they were, they could get away with anything.

  “Yes, there were three of them. They were walking through that fog of theirs,” I said. I could feel my hands trembling and I clinched them tighter.

  Quinn was nodding, but he didn’t really look as if he was paying attention. I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. He had gone so deeply into investigative mode that I wasn’t even sure if he cared that the young man we had just been talking to was now dead.

  “Which way did they go?” he asked. Still holding his mug carefully, he had slowly started to turn around the room and examine every inch. Neither Lark nor I moved. We both knew better than to disturb a crime scene.

  “We didn’t see. We did the smart thing and ran away,” said Lowe. My cousin’s lower lip was trembling. “We didn’t think . . . we thought they were after us so we ran . . . We should have stayed . . .”

  I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around Lowe. She snuffled and said, “I just can’t . . .”

  “We didn’t know,” I told her quietly. “We didn’t know.”

  “This isn’t your fault,” said Quinn. “You aren’t a secret protection force or the like. You had to save yourself from the Vixens and you did that. None of us had any idea that Henry was in such danger.” Quinn’s jaw was tight, and I could see that he was trying to control himself tightly. “The best thing you can do for Henry now is to tell me what happened.”

  Lowe nodded. She was upset, but still desperate to help, more so than ever. Once I knew she was ready for me to say something I told Quinn what he had to hear.

  I told him what we had done and how we ended up at the top of the hospital. I further told him about my attempt to perform a spell. Instead of mocking, he looked impressed. It was the first time he had looked up from his examination of the room.

  “Do you know how he died?” Lowe asked. Her voice trembled a little.

  “It looks like the magical steam killed him. I’m not surprised. The Vixens are venomous,” he said.

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” I asked.

  “No. Go home. Grieve. I have to get in touch with Joy. She needs to come here and watch the room while we search for the Vixens. Of course, that will be a wasted exercise. They’re no longer anywhere near here, mark my words. I’m sure we’ll see both of you again soon. I may come up with more questions, if nothing else,” he said.

  He had given us permission to leave, and we both made for the door. Lowe was holding it together at the moment, but she certainly going to collapse in tears when we reached the cottage, so I was glad we were about to leave. I thought we were home free when Quinn’s voice stopped me, “Jade? What were you doing here, anyway?”

  Now was the moment truth. Should I tell him about Kelly’s fears for her brother?

  “I was just keeping Lowe company,” I said casually.

  Quinn’s face twitched only the slightest bit. “Were you? Why didn’t you come into the room to talk to Henry?”

  Because I didn’t want to see you, Mudface, I told him silently.

  “I somehow managed to come up with the idea that you wouldn’t like it. I have no idea why that entered my head,” I said out loud.

  With that we turned around and walked away.

  I went home. Now I was determined.

  When Lowe and I got home, there was still no sign of Bethel. I went up to my room to take a long shower and think over the morning’s evidence, while Lowe went to her room for some peace and quiet. Spunk followed her in, and I knew the cat would comfort her. He would offer himself up to be scratched and have his back rubbed and Lowe would feel a little bit better.

  Kelly would need to be contacted. Her family would now be desperately upset. Maybe I could head there after lunch, but at the moment I had to get cleaned up and collect myself.

  I had just finished getting dressed when there was a knock at my door. I yelled “Come in,” and Lowe poked her head inside.

  “How are you doing?” she asked. She had also showered, and her hair was now a blue ocean on top of her head. Her eyes suggested that she had been crying.

  “I’m all right. I guess I didn’t know him like you did,” I said.

  “It’s awful,” said Lowe, snuffling.

  “His family?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “He didn’t have any close family. I suppose at this point that’s kind of a small blessing. His mother won’t need to be notified.”

  “Should go see Kelly?” I said.

  “Yes, I think we should,” said Lowe.

  We made our way out of the house again. As usual the garden was teeming with life. Across the street there was still no sign of Lisa or Lucky, but that wasn’t surprising. For two women who had been kicked out of the coven, they were exceptionally busy.

  We caught the trolley and made our way to Kelly’s borough. I had never been to her family’s farm, and I loved taking it all in. Kelly came from a very big family, and she was often ignored. That left her more time to read, which I never saw her complain about.

  They had a small shop at the farm, and it was there that we looked first. Lucky for us we didn’t have to look very far. She was standing behind the cash register selling some pickled dandelions and cookies.
When she saw me she looked up and smiled. I saw the hope in her face, and I saw the hope die when she read our expressions. She quickly said something to one of her coworkers, took off her apron, and hurried around to counter to meet us.

  “Is there somewhere we can talk?” I asked. She nodded and headed toward the back of the building, where a door led out into a garden and a fenced-in area with goats. It was there among the goats that we stopped and stood under a tree, so that at least we were in the shade on that hot August day.

  “Please don’t tell me he told you something bad. Please tell me that Kyle is all right,” said Kelly.

  “He didn’t tell us much, just that they went to make a trade. I guess they had some pearls to sell,” I said.

  Kelly covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “He’s so stupid. Why is he always so stupid?” she demanded.

  “Do you have any idea what they might have been trading for?” I said.

  “No, I mean I don’t think so,” she said. Then her expression changed. She had clearly thought of something relevant.

  “They might have been trading in owl feathers,” she said. “Kyle did it once before. Years ago. My dad keeps owls. They are very important to a lot of potions. Of course you can buy them. We have some for sale, but we aren’t an official seller. They’re extremely expensive.”

  “If they can be bought, why would somebody want to get them secretly?” I asked.

  Kelly shook her head. “That part I can’t tell you. We do keep a record of whoever purchased them. Maybe they didn’t want to go on the record, and if Kyle took some openly we would know.”

  It was a beautiful August day. The sun was shining with a golden light. Around the farm the leaves, grass, and flowers all rustled in the breeze. The buildings looked old but well-kept. It would be a beautiful place to spend an afternoon or a lifetime. For a lot of people, maybe not for me. I wasn’t into farming. But I hated to bring bad news into such a beautiful, peaceful setting.

  “Wait a minute. Henry said the boys had some pearls to sell,” I said.