Fly by Midnight (17 page)

“Of course—once you tell me who you are and why you’re in my classroom.” He tilted his head to the side in an inquisitive way, but his stern gaze told her he was not playing games.

“I’m working for the council. They sent me to check on you and your wife, to find out how you are adjusting to life back in Everland.”

The skin at the corner of his eye flinched. “How considerate.” He waved his wand, and the sticky trap disappeared. “The council should have notified us you were coming. It’s very unlike them to send someone. Are you Hex? You don’t look like Hex.” He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, as if he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Is your wife around? It won’t take long. I’d like to ask you both a few questions.”

A witch wearing a startlingly red gown with an open neckline appeared from a small door in the back of the room. Her skin was milky-white and glowed strikingly against a cascade of long blood-red hair that fell well past her waist. A huge black spider perched on her bare collarbone. “She looks just like her mother, doesn’t she, Marvin? She has Elspeth’s eyes and that penetrating gaze.”

“You know my mother?” Honora jerked toward her.

The spider reared up, shiny black legs twitching. Its fangs dripped with venom. What kind of witch had a spider as a familiar?
A confident one
, Honora mused with a swallow.

“Now, now, dear,” the witch cooed to her spider. “Let her explain all the details, tell us of this important mission she’s on. She’s come all this way to speak with us.”

“I’m Honora Mayhem, Elspeth’s youngest daughter, and first of all I want to know anything you can tell me about my mother. Do you know what happened to her?” Honora’s mouth went dry as dust.

“Not well, but yes, we know Elspeth Mayhem. Sadly, we don’t know what befell her. I’m so sorry not to have better news. But you must have other questions we could assist you with. What else has brought you to us?” the witch asked.

Honora’s stomach twisted over another dead end about her mother’s fate. “I’m here on urgent council business. It’s imperative that I speak with the two of you about recent events. You’re Professor Sky Brassborn?”

The witch nodded. Eccentric professors permeated Haven Academy, plus the Brassborns had been out of the witching world for a long time, so their odd behavior wasn’t entirely unexpected.

“I wanted to talk to you about your time in the Otherworld.”

The professors exchanged a nervous glance. “Not here. We’ll go somewhere more private,” Marvin said.

They invited Honora into their office. Two large desks filled the cluttered space packed to the brim with trunks and boxes, towers of books, shelves stacked with parchment scrolls, and huge vases filled with wild plants. Sky glided into the room and perched on the edge of one of the desks. The spider disappeared into the folds of her dress, making Honora shudder.

“You really must be more careful, my dear.” Marvin mopped his brow with the sleeve of his robe. “Secrecy is of the upmost importance. No one here at Haven Academy knows where we’ve been for the past ten years. They think we were on sabbatical, writing a book on magical illusions.” He sat behind his desk and exhaled a nervous sigh.

“We can’t be too careful. Our privacy is essential to protecting our research. Life in the Otherworld has taught us to be cautious.” Sky sat straight-backed, her gaze roving around the room, checking, assessing. “Tell us, what’s happened to suddenly bring you to our doorstep?”

“Let’s start with you telling me about your studies in the Otherworld. Specifically, where you traveled to and what creatures you encountered while there. Also, I need to know if you met any unusual people.” Honora sat in a chair between the two desks.

“That isn’t an easy request. We’re still compiling our journals. We filled over a hundred while in the Otherworld.” Marvin motioned proudly to the piles of books and parchment scrolls. “It was a marvelous and trying time. Can you be more specific?”

“Did you encounter any dangerous creatures?”

“Oh, yes. Many, many.” Marvin’s eyes flickered with delight. He sifted through the materials on his desk and pulled out a red leather journal, passing it to her. The first page read
Creatures of Death and Destruction.

Honora’s eyes widened. “You weren’t kidding.”

Sky raked her pointy fingernails through her hair, completely relaxed, in contrast to her husband’s jittery demeanor. “The Otherworld is brimming with darkness and beings who dwell in the shadows—vampires, demons, dark angels, and scavengers of death,” she practically purred. The spider re-emerged from the cleavage of her dress and crawled to her shoulder.

Honora tried not to flinch. “What about ghouls?”

Marvin pushed his chair back, scraping the legs against the hardwood floor as he sprang to one of the shelves. “There are things far worse than ghouls on the other side. In fact, though foul, a ghoul is much tamer than something like a goblin or a demon or a blood-sucking fiend,” Marvin said, sifting though the parchments.

“Really? Because I’m tracking a ghoul who knows how to use magic, and that’s bad enough for my taste.” Honora watched for a reaction from the two, but their expressions were blank.

“Impossible. Ghouls don’t possess any magical abilities of their own. What kind of magic is it using?” Sky drummed her nails against the desk.

“The ghoul has taken the shape of a witch—the wife of a very important wizard.”

“This is truly disturbing. We had no idea that something unusual happened with the crossing other than two of us not returning,” Sky said with a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry your mother didn’t make it back. It must be hard.”

“Yes, it is. No one knows anything.” Honora swallowed her emotions, forcing herself back on topic. “Do you have any idea how a non-magical creature is creating advanced spellcraft?”

“An identity spell. Very tough, but not impossible to master. The ghoul is probably wearing a charm,” Marvin said, abandoning the parchments and returning to his desk. “It’s the easiest way to maintain the spell over long periods of time.”

“A charm? You’re kidding. I didn’t know charms infused that much power.”

“You might be surprised.” Sky stood and selected a small wooden box from the shelf. Inside was a long golden chain holding an ornate amulet with a dull purple gemstone embedded in a wreath of gold filigree. The gaudy necklace had been in fashion about a century ago.

Sky draped the chain over Honora’s head, and as the amulet touched her chest, a tingly feeling ran throughout her body. The red-headed witch handed her a gilded mirror, but to her shock, when she peered into the glass, Honora saw a girl with short white hair and pointed ears.

She gasped, and the girl’s face moved. Honora looked exactly like an elf!

Honora fingered her new ears with amazement. They even felt real. “This can’t last for months, can it? And fool someone’s husband?”

Marvin and Sky exchanged a look. “This kind of magic isn’t from Everland. I obtained the amulet from the Otherworld. The magic of the fairies and the elves is different, and in some ways, more powerful. The fairy folk enjoy foolery done with illusions and disguises.”

“Fairy and elfin magic, interesting.” That explained the ears. Honora peeked in the mirror and tugged on her short white hair. She pulled off the amulet and smiled as her familiar face appeared in the mirror and then handed the necklace back to Sky. “But would fairies want to cross the wall and enter Everland? Could they be working with a ghoul?”

“I couldn’t imagine an alliance between them,” Marvin said. “They’re not natural allies and frequent different worlds entirely. I can’t think of a reason for them to come to Everland, but I wouldn’t know for sure. Rogue factions exist in every society.”

“Graveyards infested with ghouls don’t seem like typical fairy or elf territory.” Honora stood. She needed more information, but it was a good start. “Now I just need to know two things—how can I break the spell and kill the ghoul?”

“Take away the charm and force the creature to show its true form,” Sky said, shaking her head. “It won’t be easy.”

“If you want to kill the ghoul, decapitation followed by cremation is your best option,” Marvin added. “Ghouls live off dead flesh, and they are surprisingly resilient. You’re going to want to make sure there’s nothing left.” His fleshy jowls shook when he spoke.

“Who’s the wizard the ghoul is after?” Sky asked.

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you that the ghoul is suspected of coming through the wall on the pilgrimage. With you.”

“You aren’t suggesting one of us could have had anything to do with it, are you? We’re loyal to the council and Everland. We would never do anything to jeopardize it.” Flustered, Marvin spilled a pile of parchments on the floor.

“I’m not making any judgments, but I must suspect everyone. I’d be careful if I were you two.”

“We’re peaceful, law-abiding witches.” Sky never took her eyes off Honora.

“But you have no idea who on the pilgrimage might have had the power or opportunity to join an alliance with dangerous Otherworlders?” Honora leaned against her chair, keeping it between her and the witch. “It would go a long way in proving your loyalty to the council.”

“We know very little about the other travelers. We lived our own lives and went our separate ways,” Marvin said.

“That’s what I’ve been told.” Honora remembered that Hexer Min said the same thing.

“There was another witch who was involved with dangerous Otherworld creatures, but she isn’t part of this,” Sky said, shaking her head slowly.

Honora’s stomach jumped at the possible lead. “How can you know for sure? Anyone could have been swayed or manipulated. I need to check her out.”

“I didn’t want to say anything, but if you insist. Her name is Elspeth Mayhem. The witch is your mother.” The professor’s brow creased, her expression filled with pity.

“That’s a lie.” Honora gave Sky an annoyed glare. “Do you have proof, or is it just speculation?” This was the second witch accusing her mother of being involved with Otherworld creatures, but she refused to believe it. “I know my mother, and she would never do anything to harm our world.”

Marvin took a step toward her, but Honora backed away. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have said anything. Witches change after ten years in the Otherworld. It’s a powerful place. I’m sure your mother is a good witch at heart. Everything she did was to learn as much as she could about the Otherworld in an attempt to help Everland, I’m sure. Right, dear?”

“Of course,” Sky said.

“If the council needs anything else, they’ll be in touch.” Honora spun on her heels. She couldn’t get out of the company of the professors fast enough.

17

S
ometimes, eliminating a suspect was just as important as identifying one. At least, that was what Honora reminded herself as she sat in the cramped living space of the third traveler—a gypsy witch who’d trekked across Everland and the Otherworld in a trailer towed behind two magically enormous horses. The trailer was as humid as a greenhouse and reeked of plant material. Honora could barely breathe, and the sticky air entering her mouth was leaving a thick coating in her throat. Innumerable specimens surrounded her. The witch had reached the hag stage in her life, and her hunched back and wizened body barely left the comfort of her tiny trailer. The most dangerous activity of her day was pruning, which she needed to work on.

“Witch Cleo, did you ever interact with the other witches and wizards from the Travelers Program? Elspeth Mayhem, perhaps?” Honora asked with a sneeze.

“Oh, no. I spent quiet days in the Otherworld. Horticulture is my passion. I’m afraid it didn’t interest any of the others. I never spent any length of time with any of them. I don’t recognize the name Elspeth Mayhem, either. Perhaps I met her when we first left, but I’m not sure.” The hag smiled kindly. “Can I make you some tea?”

“No, thank you. I should really be going,” Honora said politely and stood to leave. “Thank you for you time.”

Having gleaned little information from the elder witch, Honora made a quick exit and headed to the city to meet up with Hexer Min and Jenny. She was early getting back to her office, so she stopped by the corner deli to pick up sandwiches for lunch.

“I’ve got some bad news.” Sawyer’s face was ashen, his fingers smeared with ink. Honora handed him his favorite, beef brisket.

“What? I don’t know how much more I can take.”

“You remember my friend, Bailey, who works at the police department?” He took the food bag from Honora and pulled out his sandwich.

“Sure, the cute witch you’ve been secretly dating for months. I remember meeting her. Go on.” Honora smiled coyly.

“I asked her to let me know if anything happened with Rainer. She sent me an urgent note about ten minutes ago.”

“And?” Honora unwrapped her tuna salad sandwich. How bad could it be? “Sit down. We still need to eat.” She opened a back of kettle chips.

“They’re releasing the body,” Sawyer said, putting his lunch on the desk.

“When?” Honora’s heart leapt to her throat.
No, no, no.

“In an hour.” His shoulders slumped. “I didn’t know what to do. I thought about calling Harper to see if the council was aware, but then I remembered we didn’t tell them that Jonathan Rainer was still alive.”

“They can’t do that. It’s too soon. It hasn’t even been a full day. That’s not like them to be so speedy; usually they’re painfully slow and methodical. When have they ever worked this fast on anything? What gives?” Honora crumbled up her sandwich wrapper and tossed it into the garbage.

“From what Bailey told me, the police are getting a lot of pressure from his wife. She wants her husband’s remains immediately and didn’t care about the protocols or paperwork. So they’re delivering the body to the funeral home for cremation.
Today
.” He stared at his sandwich.

“That’s fast. I’ve got to think. We’ve got to come up with a way of getting to him before the ghoul does. I can’t let that thing cremate him.” She was up and out of her chair, pacing the office. “He’s still alive!” Her voice was a high-pitched squeal.

“We know that, but they don’t. Maybe you should call the council and come clean. Where’s that Hexer when we need him? He has to have connections.”

“Where is he? I can’t believe they’re not back yet.” Honora spun around the room, as if Hexer Min might suddenly appear.

“He and Jenny are still out tracking down the travelers on their list. A messenger delivered a note.” Sawyer pawed through the papers on his desk and handed Honora a piece of parchment with a scrawl across it. “It says they’ll be late for the meeting. They got hung up in interviews.”

“This is weird. I thought with two of them they’d beat me back.” Honora tossed the paper on her desk.
Great, just great.

“Well, they didn’t, and now we’re in trouble. Is there anyone at the station you can call and get them to hold the body?”

“I haven’t exactly been honest with them, either.” She leaned back in her chair. “There’s only one thing I can think of.”

“What’s that?”

“I have to steal Jonathan’s body out of the morgue and replace it with another one, so his fake wife doesn’t find out.” Honora bit her bottom lip. “It could work. Right?”

Sawyer’s eyes bulged. “Are you crazy? I know you’re desperate, but that’s really illegal, and even if it weren’t, there’s no way you can pull off a body snatch. Where are you going to find a body just lying around the morgue? Well, I guess technically the morgue would be the place to find a body, since they are all lying around, but the security will be tight, and they frown on bodysnatching. I don’t see it happening.”

“That’s why I’m not going to do it alone. I’m going to get help from the inside.” Honora stared thoughtfully at Sawyer.

“Don’t look at me. Bailey is tapped out.”

“I’ve got to go much higher. I need someone who’s fearless verging on cocky, charming verging on hypnotic. Someone with advanced subterfuge skills.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I need to enlist the help of our favorite detective.”

“Good luck with that.” Sawyer rubbed his hands over his face.

“One more thing. Do you still have your hover truck? Because I’m going to need to borrow it.”

With focused gaze and squared shoulders, Honora made her way through the police station and marched over to Detective Corder’s desk. She received a few narrow glances from his coworkers but brushed them off. Convincing the detective to help her wasn’t going to be easy. “I need to talk to you, alone. It’s serious.” She put her hand on top of the casebook he was reviewing.

“Not now,” he huffed, peeling her hand off the page. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I have a job to do. I don’t have time to chitchat. You finished your part of the Jonathan Rainer case and got paid, but my job doesn’t end with one dead wizard hiding out in the woods. How was I supposed to know he was in the North Woods? No sane wizard goes to the freezing forest,” he ranted, wild-eyed. His hair was disheveled, tie loosened. Andreas was in a sour mood. Honora was guessing the sudden appearance of Jonathan Rainer’s body had not sat well with the detective’s superiors. She was about to make his day even worse, but his wounded pride would have to take a back seat to saving Rainer.

Honora grabbed his arm and squeezed hard. “I’m not joking. This has to do with the recent case. I need to talk to you, and I’m not leaving until I do.” Her voice was low and gravelly, her stare intense. “I need your help.”

With an annoyed sigh, Andreas waved his wand and uttered a spell. The air surrounding them wavered, and they were suddenly encased in a soundproof sphere.

He yanked free of her grasp. “This better be good, Mayhem. You have two minutes. Now what do you want?”

“Jonathan Rainer isn’t dead.” She glanced around, making sure no one heard.

Andreas rolled his eyes. “I’ve got a corpse down in the morgue ready to roll out of here that says otherwise. This case is finally
closed
.”

Honora explained everything that had happened in the past couple of days as quickly as she could. “I desperately need to get Jonathan back and not tip off Ghoul Jane. You’re the only one who can help me save him. His life and the safety of Everland are in jeopardy. Please, Detective.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes squeezed shut. “How in Everland do you get yourself involved in these messes?” He slowly opened his eyes. “It’s the Mayhem curse, isn’t it? I never believed it, but I’m starting to think it might be true.”

“I don’t know. But I can’t tell the council yet, and they won’t arrest the impostor Jane because we’re trying to catch the traitor, and she will hopefully lead us to him or her. I know it seems difficult, but really we just need to do a switch. Get Jonathan’s body and replace it with another one, so when it’s delivered to the fake Jane
,
she won’t suspect anything.” Honora clutched the edge of his desk. Her body was tense as a spring.

“Where am I supposed to get a spare body?” He threw up his hands. “It’s not like I have a collection just hanging around for this occasion.”

“The morgue.” She shrugged. “There must be some poor unclaimed body that you don’t need. We could borrow one and wrap it up. The ghoul would never know.” That sounded better in her head than it did out loud. Sawyer was right. Her idea was crazy. “I know this is going to be hard.”

The detective leaned back in his chair. “Are you delirious? I can’t just give you a body. I’d lose my job. I’d go to prison.”

“We can’t let one of the most important wizards in Everland be cremated. Ghoul Jane will burn him alive.” A cold sweat washed over her. “Please, Andreas. I’m begging you.”

He jabbed his finger at her. “We?! This is all on you. You came up with this plan. A divine corpse potion.” He shook his head, and then miraculously the tension in his face softened. A long sigh followed. “Let me think for a minute.”

“Technically, we don’t need a real body, just one that looks real. And we’re going to need a distraction.” She grabbed the leather cord from around her neck and fingered the tiny potion vial Vivi had given her for her birthday.

“I might have an idea,” he said. “But you are going to owe me big time.”

On the way to the morgue, Honora sent word to Sawyer to bring the truck around back to the delivery zone and get ready. The heist was on. Detective Andreas had given her strict orders to follow his lead—no improvising, grandstanding, or overreacting. “Play it cool,” he said as he pushed open the door, and they walked into an invisible wall of security spells. Goosebumps raced up her back, but they were quickly waved through the morgue security.

The halls were clean white marble and practically deserted. The operating rooms were empty, lights dimmed. There was no way they could swap Jonathan with another body. Even if they could find a John Doe, stealing a corpse was career suicide, and Andreas wouldn’t do it. Honora realized she’d been foolish to even ask him.

Honora followed the detective into a storage room. They dug through a half-dozen boxes of training supplies until they found a wizard mannequin, which had been folded up and jammed into a box. At least, if they got caught stealing a resuscitation dummy, Andreas probably wouldn’t lose his job. Honora loaded the dummy onto a table, stripped it down, and wrapped it with white gauze.

Andreas wisely reminded her that the switch had to happen after the morgue released the body, but prior to it being loaded into the truck. There was no way a morgue tech was going to sign off on a dummy. Honora wheeled the dummy through the empty hallways and made it as far as the loading area, before the detective stopped her.

“This is as far as you go. I’ve got to take it from here,” Andreas said.

“Are you sure? I can stay and help.”

He straightened his jacket. “No. I don’t want to have to explain your presence to anyone. Just wait outside with the truck and be ready to go.”

She handed him the potion. “Here, this is all we’ve got for a distraction. It’s called midnight mist. It should provide cover so you can get the body out.”

He eyed the potion warily, but took it anyway and disappeared through two swinging doors. Honora peered in through the window in the door. The medical examination room was lined with rows of metal drawers. One was open and ominously empty, Jonathan’s cocooned body already inside of the pine box that he’d been placed in up north, ready for transport. A shiver cascaded over her. She rubbed her arms.

“Good afternoon, Detective,” a chipper voice said.

“Cassie. How’s my favorite tech doing today? You look lovely as usual. How’s the transfer going?” Corder’s charming voiced filtered beneath the swinging door, but Honora didn’t wait to find out how he was going to pull the switch. With a uniformed wizard stationed at the loading dock, she had to race back through the building and take the long way around to the parking lot.