Komal opens hers and makes a face. “It smells like an Italian pizza left on a radiator for three days.”
“Itismostly garlic,” Isis admits as she drops a velvet pouch in my lap.
“Alaric isn’t a vampire!” I toss the charm into my handbag. “Remember I said before – his butler Reginald cooks with garlic all the time.”
“Maybe it’s so that he builds up a tolerance. Take another, just in case.” Isis tosses a second stinky pouch at me, then turns to the group. “Any new information on Danny’s murder to share?”
Beth raises her head from the rom-com she’s reading. “Linda Derry came in for her cupping treatment today. She told me that she was walking her puppy along the path up by the Old Mill when she heard some strange noises and she says?—”
“The Old Mill?” Celeste’s head whips around. “Why is she walking her dogs near there? No one ever goes up there.”
“Linda Derry is on the Historical Society with me,” Komal says. “She always forgets to turn on her hearing aids. I’m not sure her ‘strange noises’ are much of a lead.”
“I’ve found out something,” Mina pipes up. “Actually, two somethings.”
“Enlighten us,” Arabella says in a bored voice.
Mina leans forward. “Maisie, this cannot go in the paper, okay? If the villagers hear about it, people will panic and do stupid things.”
“I promise.” Maisie zips her lips. “Strictly off-the-record, like my snooping in Sanctus computers.”
“Exactly. Well, you all know that I’m friends with Jo, the medical examiner. She came over for dinner last night. Morrie plied her with alcohol and she accidentally let slip this little tidbit. We know that the body was exsanguinated. Jo told me thatnoneof the blood was present at the scene. This is super unusual, and it means the killer took the blood with him. Pints of the stuff. Also.” Mina swallows. “The only marks found on the victim’s body were two smallholes in the neck.”
“See?!” Isis smashes her fist into her beanbag. “What did I tell you? A vampire did it. A vampire sucked Danny dry. And the only vampires we know in the village are Winnie’s boyfriend, Lord Valerian, and Baylor Godsven. So I think we have a new suspect, unless there’s anyone else around here packing a set of fangs.”
I shudder at the memory of that dark coffin in the chapel where Alaric’s bedroom should be, but then it’s replaced by the cool, hungry press of Alaric’s lips on mine. A blush creeps over my cheeks. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Why not?” Arabella raises one perfect eyebrow. “Bloodsucker or no, that man should be cleaning out your cobwebs with his womb broom.”
“Agreed.” Beth licks her lips. “I’d entangle lower beards with Alaric?—”
“Anyway, the police aren’t going to follow a supernatural lead.” Isis rubs her hands together. “It’s up to us to make sure the village isn’t being terrorised by a hungry vamp?—”
“—again—” says Mina.
“That’s right, again. So we need to dig out our vampire-slaying kits, start eating a lot of garlic bread, and find the monster hiding among us?—”
Excuse me,again? Why do they keep implying that they’ve dealt with a supernatural menace before?—
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement in the window. Isis is going on about laying a vampire trap. I get to my feet, cross the room, and squint into the darkness.
Something moves on the street, just out of reach of the lights. I jump back in surprise, and all the women turn in my direction.
“Who’s that?” Komal’s head appears beside me. “Is there someone out there?!”
“Were they spying on our meeting?” Isis slaps her fist against the windowsill. “I’ll hex their arse so far into next week that they won’t be able to find it with a freaking Google Alert!”
All the women of the Nevermore Coven crowdthe window, peering at the dark figure as it crosses the top of Butcher Street, heading in the general direction of the pub.
A chill runs down my spine.
Isis heaves the window open. “If we catch you spying again,” she yells, “I’ll turn you into a toad, and you know that I can do it!”
The meeting breaks up after that. I stay behind to help tidy up the events room and pick up a selection of books from Mina. Isis gathers the plates and wraps up the last of the cupcakes to take to her Intro to Magic class the next night. Mina’s raven delicately picks out the bits of goji and kelp slice that the ladies hid behind the cushions and drops them into the rubbish.
Isis and I end up leaving at the same time. She helps me to shove my book booty into my handbag.
“This might be my true magical power – being able to shove a huge number of books into a small space,” she says.
