Page 64 of Witches and Wine
Chuckling, I propped an elbow on the bar. “Gee, Herb. Tell me how you really feel aboutmyestablishment.”
“Sorry, Dion. The truth is, this was the only place I hadn’t thought to look for a suspect.” Herb paused to lick whiskey droplets that collected on his thick mustache. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. Whoever it was, murdered that poor female in cold blood, left zero evidence, and then seemingly disappeared.”
“You make it sound like they had plans to do it again. Maybe this was something personal, and they skipped town?” I scanned the club for anyone who might be nervously watching us.
Herb scratched his scalp. “That’s the thing. This pixie wouldn’t have harmed a fly, went out of her way to help people, and from how most folks described her, she had the type of personality that lit up a damned room.”
Nodding, I tapped my finger on the bar top. “You know what I want to say to all of this, right?”
The sheriff swiped the tumbler into his grasp, lifting it and pointing at me. “I’ll ask for help when I’m good and ready for it, boy. In the meantime, I’m going tomingle.”
He’d said the word mingle as if it was difficult to push from his throat before sliding off the stool. Hermes and Bruce were quick to scoop him up, waving me off like taking the crotchety porcupine under their wings was no big deal.
Smiling and shaking my head, I made eye contact with Tambie and gave her a thumbs up to indicate there wasn’t additional bad news. A tingle zipped down my spine, an invisible tether tugging at my bond with Chelsea. She needed me. A devilish grin played on my lips, and I ported straight to my apartment, which was nowours.
Chelsea stood at the window with one hand raised skyward, her moonlight glow damn near lustrous from the full moon tonight. She’d had her back to me but slowly turned when she sensed my presence. The expression she gave me wasn’t what I had expected. She looked—surprised?
“Chels? Did you not call on me?” I raised a brow, my nose picking up several other female scents overlapping each other.
“Babe, I didn’t think it’d work that quickly,” Chelsea admitted, a light burp following.
Scanning the surroundings, I noted several empty bottles of ambrosia wine and Riley chasing a greycat. A mouse squeaked, zooming toward my feet, and I lifted a boot so the tiny creature didn’t run into me. “Oh, light of my life. What the Tartarus is going on?”
“Sorry,” Amara’s voice chirped. She scurried from the hallway, chasing after the mouse, scooping it into her palms once she caught it.
Elani, Chelsea’s sister, emerged next from the hallway, holding my saved rum bottle from the eighteenth century when I’d had a very brief career on a pirate crew. “I looked all over, Chels, but this was all I could—” Elani froze when she spotted me, and her pale pink wings drooped.
“Dion,” Chelsea started, clutching something in her fist and slipping an arm around my waist. “This was a surprise I didn’t know was happening. They all showed up unannounced, and I couldn’t rightly turn them away.”
“Hey, Dion,” Elani added, smiling brightly, bits of her copper appearing in her dark brown hair when the ceiling lights hit it at the right angles. “Long time, no see.”
With Chelsea draped over my shoulders, I extended a hand for the prized bottle Elani held. “Nice to see you too, sis. But what is this surprise? It isn’t her birthday.”
Amara moved closer, stroking her mouse familiar with a single finger. “We thought we’d throw you both a mated party, but Elani couldn’t make it out to the Cove until recently.”
“We were getting ready to bless your bond with favor when Bacchus closed so you could be here too,” Brigid answered, appearing with several items cradled in her arms and a woodenbowl. A bat perched on her shoulder, its veiny black wings folded back.
Chelsea kissed my cheek and opened her hand, revealing the small white crystal resting on her palm. “I was letting the moon charge it.”
“Well then, do your thing, ladies. Don’t let me get in the way.” Pinching Chelsea’s chin between two fingers, I pulled her lips to mine, kissing her. “And next time you need more booze foranyoccasion, just ask me, sweetheart.” I arched a brow at Elani, who averted her gaze, whistling and pretending she had no idea I referenced the rum bottle she’d pilfered from my stash.
Moving to the kitchen, I set the bottles upright, sending spirals of burgundy magic around them, filling each to the brim and, not bothering to cork them. Chelsea’s emerald eyes locked onto me as she formed a triangle with her coven sisters, Elani joining me in the kitchen to watch from afar. Tears filled Elani’s eyes as she peered at her big sister in her magical element, reciting spells, her glowing white magic entangling with the other witches’ yellow and green magic.
“I know it’s too late to reverse any of it, Lani, but are you okay with this?” I asked, filling my wine glass.
Elani looked at me perplexed. “Okay with what? You being my sister’s fated mate?”
“Yeah,” I whispered, uncomfortably rubbing the back of my neck.
Elani laughed and patted my arm, snatching one of the bottles and not bothering with a glass, drank from it. “Dion, I’ve been rooting for you both to get your heads out of your asses since the day Chelsea started texting me about how much she couldn’t stand you when you all first met but also how much she couldnotstop thinking about you.”
“You knew from the start, didn’t you?” I asked, smiling.
“I’m a love-goddess. Of course, I knew. But I’m duty-bound to let you figure it out for yourself.” Elani winked and raised the bottle to cheers.
The witches finished their spellbinding, Chelsea trotting to us with Riley curled around her neck. “What are you two talking about?”
Elani hugged her sister. “How much partying we plan to do tonight in your honor.”
