Growling Grimoire: A Nine Lives Magic Mystery, page 1
GROWLING GRIMOIRE
A NINE LIVES MAGIC MYSTERY
DANIELLE GARRETT
Copyright © 2024 by Danielle Garrett
Cover by Melody Simmons
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
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CONTENTS
Books By Danielle Garrett
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Also by Danielle Garrett
Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries
About the Author
BOOKS BY DANIELLE GARRETT
BEECHWOOD HARBOR MAGIC MYSTERIES
Murder’s a Witch
Twice the Witch
Witch Slapped
Witch Way Home
Along Came a Ghost
Lucky Witch
Betwixt: A Beechwood Harbor Collection
One Bad Witch
A Royal Witch
First Place Witch
Sassy Witch
The Witch Is Inn
Men Love Witches
Goodbye’s a Witch
BEECHWOOR HARBOR GHOST MYSTERIES
The Ghost Hunter Next Door
Ghosts Gone Wild
When Good Ghosts Get the Blues
Big Ghosts Don’t Cry
Diamonds are a Ghost’s Best Friend
Ghosts Just Wanna Have Fun
Bad Ghosts Club
Mean Ghosts
SUGAR SHACK WITCH MYSTERIES
Sprinkles and Sea Serpents
Grimoires and Gingerbread
Mermaids and Meringue
Sugar Cookies and Sirens
Hexes and Honey Buns
Leprechauns and Lemon Bars
NINE LIVES MAGIC MYSTERIES
Witchy Whiskers
Hexed Hiss-tory
Cursed Claws
Purr-fect Potions
Furry Fortunes
Talisman Tails
Stray Spells
Mystic Meow
Catnip Charms
Yuletide Yowl
Paw-ful Premonition
Growling Grimoire
MAGIC INN MYSTERIES
Witches in the Kitchen
Fairies in the Foyer
Ghosts in the Garden
HAVEN PARANORMAL ROMANCES
Once Upon a Hallow’s Eve
A TOUCH OF MAGIC MYSTERIES
Cupid in a Bottle
Newly Wed and Slightly Dead
Couture and Curses
Wedding Bells and Deadly Spells
CHAPTER 1
“You might as well smother me in butter and serve me up alongside a cob of corn.”
“Excuse me?” I glanced up at my familiar’s remark and found the gray-blue cat sprawled across the kitchen island.
A pair of bright blue eyes snapped to mine, and the pinched expression on Selene’s furry face made it clear she was not thrilled at having to explain herself further. “I feel like a boiled lobster, Cora.”
“Ah. And see, here I am, feeling fresh as a daisy,” I muttered, lifting one arm to show the sweat marks on my pale mauve tank top. I really should have worn something black. “I’m sure they’re working as fast as they can.”
In a cruel twist of fate, the hottest week in Winterspell’s history coincided with our home’s HVAC system giving up its electronic ghost. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only ones having issues, and had gone three days without air conditioning while the sole HVAC repair company in town worked to get everyone back up and running.
There were some things even magic couldn’t fix, though I’d heard a few enterprising water witches were drawing water from the lake to create splash pads throughout town for anyone who wanted a good spritzing.
“I told Clint to slip them a tip and get our names up the list,” Selene continued, somehow managing to spread even further as she rolled to her back and splayed out her limbs. “But did he listen to me? Noooo! And now look at us!”
“They’re trade workers, Selene, not maître d’s at a stuffy restaurant.”
With a groan, Selene flipped over to her belly again, and scowled at the quartz stone beneath her front paws. “I need the ice pack again.”
Sighing, I set my pen aside and heaved up from my seat at the opposite end of the long kitchen island. “Fine, but this is the last time.”
“We’ll see about that.”
It was the middle of August and Clint was out of town, handling some business at the second location for our enchanted candle company, Wicked Wicks, leaving me to deal with the home repairs, heat wave, and Selene.
What can I say? I’m one lucky witch.
“And yes, I already texted Mom, and she said her AC is working just fine,” I added as I yanked open the freezer door and grabbed for the large ice pack wedged against the side between a sad bag of peas, long past their sell-by date, and a mystery package wrapped in aluminum foil. Selene scooted out of the way as I turned back around and began rubbing the ice pack along the countertop to cool the stone surface. “So, in less than an hour, we can escape over to her place. By the time we get back, the house should be a bit cooler.”
At least, I hoped.
Things had been awfully quiet since the work crew arrived, but I was choosing to believe that meant things were going well with the repairs.
I iced the counter a bit more, then wiped away the condensation to ensure not so much as a drop of ice water would touch Selene’s delicate little paws, then returned the ice pack to the freezer and grabbed a bottle of half-frozen water for myself. Selene melted down against the cooled stone and exhaled. “If it’s not fixed by tonight, I’m staying at Lilac’s house, so best pack up a bit of my food, just in case.”
“Aww, but Selene, how will I know it’s still hot as Hades if you go and stay the night with Mom? You know I live for your minute-by-minute reporting.”
Selene shot a glower at me before rolling to her other side.
I grinned, taking the small victory, then chugged a bit of the icy water. “I’m actually surprised you haven’t abandoned me already. Aunt Lavender has central AC, too, doesn’t she?”
“Assuming she remembered to pay the electricity bill on time,” Selene replied, her back to me.
“I’m pretty sure Checkers has her set up with auto pay by now. That cat is highly tech-savvy.”
“Yes, well bully for Checkers.”
I sighed but let any admonishment slide. We were both too grumpy to get into it. “Think they’ll come to family dinner tonight?” I picked up my phone and scanned the screen for any new texts or missed calls, but found nothing from Mom, Clint, or Aunt Lavender. “I texted her a reminder, but it doesn’t look like she’s seen it yet.”
“Undoubtedly she’s too busy making her final plans.” Selene flopped back over so she could look up at me, her tail flicking absently against the counter. “You know she means to leave in October?”
I nodded as an unpleasant mix of emotions swirled in my stomach. I was worried for my aunt. None of her adventures were without risk, and this one seemed even more uncertain and high stakes than many from the past. Added to that were her increased age and relatively inexperienced familiar. Checkers was a great companion and had already proved quite invaluable to my aunt in her day-to-day life, but he was still pretty new to being a familiar and didn’t have a grasp on his own magic, beyond the ability to speak. In case of danger, the most he’d be able to do would be to run and yell for help.
Then there were Selene’s emotions over the whole affair, and as she was my own familiar, her feelings tended to spill over into my own worries. She was a force of nature on a good day, so when she got into a foul mood … well, it was just better if that didn’t happen. For everyone’s sake.
I gnawed at the corner of my lip as thoughts battled within my mind. “Selene, I think—”
“It’s fine, Cora.” Another tail thump. “I don’t need platitudes. What I need is for you to call your mother and see what she’s cooking tonight. Did she ever end up taking that sushi class? Because I could really go for some sashimi.”
By dusk, two of Selene’s wishes had come true: the HVAC repairs were a success and Mom had indeed completed her sushi-making training, and spoiled us with a feast to show off her newfound skills.
“What a perfect night,” Selene said on the tail end of a contented sigh as
She directed the last part toward me.
Mom laughed as she came in from the kitchen, bearing yet another platter. “This is the last one,” she said before I could protest. “It’s called a dragon roll! Isn’t that so fun?” She set the platter down, then straightened and brushed her hands together, beaming with well-earned pride. “How is Clint? He’s in Bellevue?”
“Today and tomorrow,” I replied with a nod. “Then he’s headed down to the Oregon coast to scout out a small town there. Have you heard of Hazelwood Hollow? Demographically, it’s supposed to be pretty close to Winterspell, but about half the size. Clint thinks it might be a good market for a third shop. Something smaller, more curated.”
“Oh, wow! I didn’t realize you two were thinking of opening another.” Mom glanced at Selene in time to ward off a sneaky attempt to snag a piece of sashimi. “You have to wait for Evan and the kids!”
I frowned at my familiar. “Not to mention, no one wants your litter paws on everything. We’ll dish up what you want.”
Undeterred, Selene sent a flourish of pink sparks toward the platter in question, levitating one perfect portion of the raw fish, flashing a wicked grin as it sailed toward her mouth on the burst of borrowed magic.
“Selene!”
“What? I didn’t use my paws!”
“You’re impossible,” I muttered as Mom dragged the platter a few inches further from the cat. Not that it would do much good when she could nip a paw-ful of magic whenever she wanted.
“You owe me!” Selene protested around a full mouth of fish. “I’ve been sweltering for days in that house!”
I turned back toward Mom. “Nothing is set in stone, of course. It took us quite a while to get the second shop open.”
“If you ask me, he just wanted to go to the beach,” Selene interjected, her mouth only slightly less full. “But hey, he took the mutt, so I can’t complain.”
The worry line remained between Mom’s blonde-brown brows. “I just don’t want you to get spread too thinly, honey. You already do so much.”
From the other room, the sounds of the front door opening and footsteps entering stopped me short of a reply. “Hey everyone!” my brother, Evan, called.
My twin nieces barreled into the kitchen ahead of their baby brother, Pierce, who was starting to get a solid handle on the whole two-legged-transportation thing. No doubt motivated by his desire to chase his big sisters around.
“That’s my cue!” Selene yelped, abandoning her sushi feast to race away from the grabby hands of the tawny-haired baby.
Smiling, I scooped him up and pressed a kiss to his chubby—if not slightly sticky—cheek. “Will you please stop growing?” I asked as he giggled and made a grab for my short waves.
Emme laughed. “You say that every time you see him, Auntie Cora.”
“I know, I know.” I bounced Pierce, drawing a giggle, then looked to my two nieces, both dressed in airy sundresses and little white sandals. “That goes for you two, also! I swear, I’m going to blink and you’ll be driving off to your first homecoming dance!”
The twins giggled and ran off in pursuit of Selene as Evan came into the kitchen. Years of fatherhood to twin girls and now a toddler showed in the lines around his eyes and mouth, as well as in the slight padding around his middle—his “rocking dad bod,” as he called it. “Dang, Mom! You went all out, huh?” He didn’t hesitate before snagging a California roll for himself. His eyes closed as he savored the first bite. “Mmm!”
Mom laughed. “I suppose some thanks goes to you and Cheyenne, too. You’re the ones who bought me the certificate to take the classes in the first place.”
Grinning, I playfully smacked my brother’s arm. “A little self-serving there, Ev,” I said with a laugh.
Evan shrugged and reached for a second roll.
“Speaking of Cheyenne, where is your beautiful bride tonight?” Mom asked, looking past him expectantly.
Evan frowned, pausing mid-bite. “Oh, I thought she texted you? One of her cousins has her bachelorette party tonight. Don’t ask me why it’s on a Tuesday. Something about cheaper drinks, I think.”
“Oh.” Mom frowned down at the table. “Well, I suppose Selene won’t mind if there are leftovers. I’ve got a pot of mac and cheese on the stove for the kids.”
Evan beamed. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” He leaned down, closing the gap to kiss her on the cheek. “I’ll go get the wildlings washed up.”
He opened his hands, and I passed him baby Pierce. Evan gave the delighted baby a raspberry on his cheek, then started down the hallway to find the twins.
Mom smiled after them, a dreamy look in her eyes. Fortunately, she wasn’t the kind of mother to press me on when—or if—Clint and I would add to her brood of grandchildren, and as we drifted into the kitchen to get plates and utensils, she asked me about things at the shop and the kayaking trip I had planned for a little later in the summer.
My aunt and Checkers made a fashionably late entrance—or what was more aptly called a Lavender entrance—when the girls were polishing off the last of their mac and cheese, and Selene was so full of sushi she’d momentarily stopped talking as she lolled in the dining chair nearest the air vent.
At the sound of my aunt’s voice, Selene buoyed herself upright and peered over the edge of the table. “Lilac already told me I could take home the leftover sashimi, so don’t even try it, Lavender!”
My aunt, dressed in a periwinkle sundress and straw hat, stopped in the entry to the dining room and met her former familiar’s scowl with one of her own. “And a good evening to you, too, Selene,” she sniffed, fiddling with the large turquoise necklace she wore layered over the scoop-neck dress.
“What’s sashimi?” Checkers, the black-and-white fluffball, asked as he skirted past my aunt’s ankles and sniffed the air.
“If you don’t even know what it is, then you definitely can’t have any!” Selene snapped.
My aunt looked to me, her thin white-blonde brows raised.
“Our AC’s been out,” I said.
“Aha.” She gave a sage nod. “Then perhaps I should have brought along a bigger bottle of wine!”
CHAPTER 2
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” I called from the attached bathroom toward my bedroom.
Stony silence met my question.
Rolling my eyes, I leaned in closer to the mirror and finished applying my tinted moisturizer. “You always do this, you know? You say you don’t want to go, then pout and sulk and carry on the moment I get home, as if I up and abandoned you.”
I wanted to add it was the same thing she was doing to my aunt, but figured it was entirely too early for that conversation.
At the resounding silence, I peeked around the corner, from the main bathroom into the bedroom, expecting to find Selene lounging at the foot of the bed, getting her fur everywhere and wearing a sour expression.
Instead, I found the freshly made bed, sans Selene or traces of her fur.
“Sweet mother of Merlin. What’s she getting into now?” I muttered, stalking through the bedroom to track down the pint-sized terror.
Selene was an independent cat, or so she liked to claim, but most days she stuck to me like glue. She teased Pippin endlessly for his doggy devotion to his humans, but it rankled her when I pointed out that I spent far more time with her than with the ever-doting dog.
“Selene?” I called, wandering into the main living area of the house, halfway expecting to find her raiding the fridge. Instead, I found more empty rooms. It struck me how large the house felt when I was the only one home. Normally I was greeted by the sound of Pippin’s nails clacking across the floor as he raced to bring me his favorite tennis ball, and Clint often played instrumental music in the kitchen while he ate breakfast and read the day’s news on his tablet. And now, seemingly, Selene was gone, too.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I reached for it, giving the room one more scan before dropping my attention to the screen. It was a text from my best friend, Leanna, letting me know she was running five minutes late for our coffee date. She wasn’t normally the kind to lose track of time, but I had a pretty good idea what might have led to her delay. Smiling, I wandered back to the bathroom to finish getting ready.
