How to Stone a Crow (Witch Like a Boss Book 2) by Willow Mason (great novels txt) 📕

trying,” I said instead, squeezing his upper arm. “No matter how long it takes, we’ll search for your partner until we get him home.”

I called Genevieve as we headed back to my place to regroup. She met us at the door, sweeping inside with her usual disdain for property rights. “What’s the latest?”

With my head cocked, I waited until I heard sounds from Wendy playing upstairs with Paisley before I gestured the supreme into the dining room and closed the door. “The latest is we have doubts about the familiar you brought into my house. Could you run through why Violet abandoned her again?”

“Kid’s allergic and it’ll be years before they can try a treatment to reverse it. Why?”

<The kid didn’t seem very allergic to me.>

“Well, it’s hardly a thing you can see, is it?” Genevieve leant against the table, then jerked upright as she rethought what Annalisa had said. “Oh, you mean allergic to you. Weird. I thought all cat hair was pretty much the same.”

“And dog hair. Not that I’m shedding in the way some of us are.”

“Maybe she was embarrassed,” the supreme said, pursing her mouth. “We found Paisley out in the woods and knew where she’d come from. With the others, well, there’s not much you can do about a witch being dead, but a straight case of abandonment can be sorted through the courts.”

“So Violet lied?”

“Paisley lied.” Genevieve fluttered her hand. “She was the one I asked. After her explanation, I checked with Violet, but she just agreed with what the cat told me.”

“And they moved house,” Patrick added. “Don’t forget that. Seems a bit extreme to go to all that trouble just to avoid a fine.”

The supreme’s nostrils flared. “It’s more than a fine. Kicking out a familiar is like throwing out a member of your own family. Just because they deserve it, doesn’t make it any less forgivable.” She paused. “Not that I’m saying that, either.”

“Hello,” Aunt Florentine said, walking into the dining room as though she owned it. Jared closed the door behind her, putting a finger to his lips and jerking his head upstairs. “What?” she whispered. “Is there an intruder up there?”

I shook my head. “Do you know anything about Paisley?”

“Black cat. About this high.” My aunt squatted and held her hand a foot off the floor. “One of my prime suspects for folks who had access to steal from your ingredient box.”

Genevieve’s head whipped around. “Say what?”

Aunt Florentine gave her a summary. “We don’t know that Paisley had anything to do with it, of course, but…”

“Motive. Means. Opportunity.” Patrick shifted his weight from foot to foot. “The classic combination.”

I held up my hands. “Look, I can understand Violet but what could she possibly have against Jac?”

My aunt tipped her head to one side. “Not to sound like I spend all my time conniving, but Paisley might just have targeted a second victim to throw us off the scent.”

I spluttered with laughter, unable to conceive that the moping black cat upstairs could be so cold-blooded. “She was here when he disappeared. Patrick and I had more opportunity than she did.”

“Except we don’t know how long it takes for her potion to work.” Patrick nodded to Aunt Florentine. “Do you have a ballpark?”

It was Genevieve who answered. “Any spell or potion can have a timer set into it. That’s just basic witchcraft—or familiar-craft—101.”

“Guess that rules me out nicely.” I picked at my bottom lip. “How powerful is she?”

My aunt smoothed down her skirt. “Violet isn’t a strong witch and she’s taken maternity leave to care for Sara.”

The supreme nodded. “So Paisley won’t have been assisting her with anything. Even if she’s weak, that unused magic will have been piling up.”

<And she might have had help,> Annalisa added, turning over from her favourite position in the sunny bay window. <There was a long enough lag between her being evicted from the household and coming here for her to form lasting friendships with the cast-off community.>

“Considering how quickly she formed a tight bond with Wendy, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

I’d no sooner uttered the words, than Gareth walked into the room, whistling, then stopping in his tracks. “Is this a private meeting or can anyone join?”

“Not a meeting at all,” Genevieve said with a trilling laugh. “Don’t be silly. We’re often all together at this house. Just a nice place to hang out and catch up, isn’t it?”

He walked to the bench, pulling down a mug from the cabinet. “Anyone else fancy a cuppa?”

“Can’t right now,” she replied, nearly convulsing as she tried to twitch communications at us with a mixture of winks and jerks. “But I’ll take a rain check. Too much to do.”

“I might go for a walk in the woods out back,” I said loudly, grabbing hold of Jared with one hand and Patrick with the other. “Annalisa, stay and make sure Paisley and Wendy are having fun, all right?”

<Not a problem, boss.>

“A walk sounds lovely,” my aunt said, sidling into the hallway with the supreme in tow. “Do you mind us tagging along?”

“Not at all.”

“You’re right. It does sound good.” Gareth put his cup back. “Anyone mind if I grab Wendy to come, too?”

“Oh, it’s a work thing,” I spluttered. “You won’t want to be involved in that. Enjoy your coffee.”

Before he could invite himself again, I darted out the front door, almost sprinting as I ran along the side and out the back of the house.

“Wow. Subtle.” Patrick shook his hand free of mine and pressed it gently. “I thought you were going to grind my bones together.”

“Sook,” Jared said, holding our joined hands aloft. “There are those of us who can take it and those of us—”

“All right.” I shook free of him. “I just panicked. If Paisley does turn out to have a paw in all this, I don’t know what I’m going to say to him. Bad enough he’s been kicked out of his house, but Wendy will be heartbroken.”

“Or she won’t.” Patrick pulled