Page 13 of Of Magic and Murder

“You owe me.”

“I don’t think I do.”

“You wouldn’t even be in Moonburrow if it weren’t for me.”

Technically, that’s true. It was Olivia who went to both her coven leader and the chief deputy, telling them that Ashton Morgan was ‘cursed’ and a cursebreaker was needed to fix him. I only found out later that she was aware that Penelope Willows was the last in Morrigaine’s line, and she used that connection to see if I could figure out what antique in Roxy’s shop was the latest incarnation of Morrigaine’s mirror. And then, when I told her that I knew it was a compact, she wanted me to help her steal it, I said no, and⁠—

“You framed me for your murder!”

She has the audacity to look surprised that I’m still holding a grudge over that. “And? Now I’ve actually been murdered, so I’d appreciate it if you could focus on the now and not the past.”

“The past was two months ago!”

“And I’m dead now.”

“You tried to kill Roxy!”

“And someone succeeded in killing me. I think mine is the more pressing problem. And now I’m going to make it your problem.”

I stare at Olivia. Olivia stares right back, looking every bit as smug and self-important in death as she did while she was alive, and something tells me that whatever powers decide who gets to cross over immediately and who gets stuck behind made a terrible mistake.

“You’re a healer,” I remind her. “Or you were. Don’t you have some sort of witchy belief about accepting death gracefully?”

She scoffs. “Not when I was murdered.”

Murdered. She keeps saying that.

Wait.

“Where exactly did you die? You said the woods, but where? In Maryland or Virginia or…”

If Riordan Lobo had stayed out of Moonburrow because he was searching for Olivia, to bring her back and make her pay for faking her death and trying to murder Roxy, then the fact that she’s a ghost now suggests that he might’ve caught up with her wherever he is. Especially since she seems so certain that it was a wolf who killed her⁠—

“It was here. In Moonburrow.”

Okay, then.

Riordan isn’t in Moonburrow. If Olivia died within the recently strengthened borders, then he’s the only wolf shifter from this town that couldn’t have done it.

But who killed her? And why does she think I’m going to help her? Because I’m a seer?

That’s why she’s here. That’s what she said. That I’m the only seer she could go to… but what was she doing in Moonburrow?

More importantly⁠—

“How did you escape? From the holding cell, I mean?”

I have to know. It’s bothered all of us in town for months. Let’s put her death on the back burner for a second. I need her to tell me this.

“Oh, that?” Olivia waves her hand, brushing aside the question as though I’m silly for even wasting time asking it. “It was easy. I told Deputy Dog that the salt was making my nose itch. That it didn’t work to temper my magic anyway, and the silver in the bars was enough to keep me in place. He believed me and started to sweep up the mess. I zapped him and levitated his keys off of his belt so I could get out of the cell. Poor thing. I’m sure he didn’t want to admit what happened, that a witch bested him, and it seems like he hid the fact that he accidentally helped my escape.”

At least the coven had been telling the truth that none of them aided Olivia’s escape. I figured as much; Max was the one who went to speak with Delilah after Olivia disappeared, and the sheriff’s alpha wolf would’ve known if the head witch was lying to cover for any of her witches.

Same for whichever deputy messed up by believing Olivia’s lies. Though Max must’ve interrogated everyone who was working at the station that day, if the unconscious wolf had no idea how she broke free, he wouldn’t be fibbing when he told Max that.

Still, I’m nothing if not curious—and thorough, too.

“Deputy Dog?” I know it couldn’t be the chief deputy, but… “Who’s that?”