Family Feud: The Witching Hour Series Book 5 Read online

  "My condolences, Julia," Kelsie said later on outside. Then she leaned in and added in a whisper. "I want to nail the son of a bitch who did this. Just tell me what you want me to do."

  "Thank you. I appreciate it."

  "We’re all here for you," Nicky whispered while hugging me.

  Tron approached once I didn't have anyone around me. He shook hands with Nathaniel saying something to him, looking quite moved. My parents and the rest of the family were walking towards the graveyard where the priest was going to continue with the funeral.

  "Your grandmother was a fine elf. We will all miss her," Tron muttered. "Have you heard any news about your grandfather?"

  "No. I wasn't sure if you were going to show up. I was expecting to hear from you," I said, feeling disappointed that he hadn't called.

  Tron stared at me in silence as other people were slowly moving for the burial. Sparks of electricity danced along my skin. Tron’s strong magic pulsated, embracing us tightly.

  "I don't believe the individual who was seen with your grandmother was a wizard. There is a possibility that he was charmed or acting as wizard. He might be the key to everything, the key to finding the real murderer," he said. I wanted to walk away and tell him that he wasn't telling me anything new and I’d already thought of all that.

  "I know, Tron. I thought at least you of all people would have more information."

  "It's strange, but all of a sudden, everyone has gone quiet. I'm sorry, Julia, but things are a little bit complicated."

  "All right, fine. I need to go. The funeral isn't over," I said, knowing a few people were staring at me.

  "Julia, I know you’re impatient, but collecting information will take time. I’ve been away, and paranormals don't want to trust me like they used to."

  "After today I'm going to get involved and I'll find whoever killed her myself. "

  "Julia, your dad is asking for you," my cousin muttered, looking from me to Tron. I nodded.

  "We can talk about this later," I said to him and carried on walking. There were other things I needed to ask him. It was a good thing that Nathaniel didn't hear what I told Tron. Besides, I was done with Tron’s promises. It seemed he was more worried about his own reputation in the community and now, I just needed to concentrate on my own investigation.

  I felt a little absent during the rest of the funeral. People were sobbing, paranormals who I’d never even met. Dad looked lost.

  The priest said a few nice words and I kept feeling those odd magical vibrations circulating in the air. Deep down, I had already said goodbye to her. An hour later it was all over. Nathaniel and I decided to stay until the very end and walk behind the crowd. That didn't stop a good number of elves glancing back at us in obvious distaste.

  "Who is that old man you were talking to earlier on?" Dad asked, catching up with me as we were walking back to the house. I’d never mentioned Tron before and I wanted to keep it that way. My dad had no idea that Ella wasn’t an ordinary human and for now I needed to keep it that way.

  My magic lessons and his involvement in recent events could indicate that he was a suspect. Dad was already getting himself in trouble at work; there was no need to wind him up anymore. Besides, I still didn't know much about Tron.

  "He’s an old friend of Grandma’s from when she was dealing with the potion business," I quickly explained.

  Dad was stroking his chin, staring intensely at my magic teacher.

  "I’ve seen him before but many, many years ago, when I was a teenager," he added. "Anyway, it's probably not important. I need to speak to a few people from the Association. They should give me some leads."

  "Dad you’re not supposed to be involved. Seriously, drop this. What’s going to happen once you lose your job?"

  "Julia, something is going on with our family. Paranormals aren’t murdered in broad daylight for no reason. I need to get to the bottom of this."

  "No, Dad, the police are going to get to the bottom of this. The unit has to find the murderer, not you," I insisted as we approached the corner to get back to the house. Nathaniel was behind us probably listening to every word. I noticed the way a few elder elves were looking at him, like he was a monster.

  "What the—"

  Nathaniel didn't even finish his sentence, because everyone was all of a sudden blinded by flashes of the cameras and the surge of reporters outside on the driveway. I heard Dad barking at everyone to get inside the house.

  "Comments, any comments, Mrs. Taylor?"

  "Inspector, do you believe your mother stole the money?"

  "Get the hell off my property," Dad shouted, red-faced, rushing towards the group in front with his fists. A few of them started moving away, still capturing his picture. He couldn't use magic—there were too many humans amongst the magical press.

  Nathaniel had joined my father. My mum and my aunt told everyone to get inside the house. People were angry that the press dared to disturb the funeral. Guests were squeezing through the gate, but the reporters were taking pictures from every angle, probably aiming for the best shot. Dad would have lost the plot if it wasn't for Nathaniel, who physically forced him inside. I was one of the last to go in, when I heard a voice behind me.

  "This is what you get for choosing a leech over me."

  I turned around to see Jasper, who stood in the front row with his arms crossed over his chest. He was obviously the one who called the press, clearly wanting to disturb the funeral, all because of me.

  Chapter 9

  Unexplained anger.

  The colour drained from my face as I stopped on the front steps, staring back at my ex-boyfriend who was smiling like this was the best day of his life. Everything finally made sense. Jasper was never planning to attack me; he was aiming to make my life as difficult as he could. He probably wanted to ruin my grandmother’s funeral from the moment the press reported that she’d been murdered.

  He stood amongst the paparazzi, laughing as they continued to snap pictures and shout through the gate, hoping that a member of the family would come out and provide a statement. That was the last thing on anyone’s mind. Piping hot fury overwhelmed me, and I felt like I wanted to unleash my energy on them.

  Someone grabbed me, and before I realised what was happening, I was shoved through the door. My fingertips inflamed, and a ball of light launched down and then shot up toward the celling, creating a hole.

  Dad locked the door, telling everyone to calm down. Nathaniel was holding me with his arms around my waist. Mum and Aunt Dorothy asked everyone to move to the back of the house where the buffet was being served. I couldn't believe Jasper would go that far, bringing all the reporters to my grandmother’s funeral all because he needed to get back at me. I felt embarrassed and disgusted that other members of the family had to witness it.

  "Let go of me, Nathaniel," I told him, annoyed that he was still holding me like I couldn't stand on my own. My cousins were telling my dad to stay in the house while he was pacing around the room, promising to teach Jasper a lesson.

  "Who is that wizard, Julia?" my cousin Claudia asked, trying to take a peek through the smallest window. Yeah, I had no idea how I was going to explain to her or anyone what was happening. I couldn't say it was my ex-boyfriend who’d actually been helping me a few months ago to save Dad’s soul.

  "I fucking told you to stay away from him, Julia, and now, there you have it!"

  For a split second I thought maybe I was hearing things, but then I turned around, seeing Nathaniel. He was more than pissed off, looking at me like this was all my fault that Jasper had decided to highjack the funeral; his vibes were dark and gritty. I shivered when our eyes met, being hit with his negative energy. The room went quiet for a moment, and I wondered why he’d become so aggressive all of a sudden.

  "Do you think I wanted this to happen? How was I supposed to know he would come here tonight?" I asked him, knowing everyone in the room was looking straight at me.

  Dad stopped pacing and stared at
us in silence, as did all my friends and cousins. The last thing I needed was to have an argument in front of them.

  "It's all your fault, Julia. Right from the beginning I told you he wasn't stable, but you insisted that you had everything under control. You need to take some responsibility for your actions. This isn't the first time and I'm really done with your bullshit!"

  My jaw dropped, but I wasn’t the only one who appeared startled. Nicky placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes on the man who claimed that he loved me. Kelsie frowned and exchanged a "He didn't just say that to her" look with Kate. Nathaniel’s eyes were unrecognisable. Maybe he was angry about this morning or found out Jasper had been stalking me since yesterday.

  "Don't speak to me like that," I told him firmly. "Especially not in front of my family and friends. If you want to talk, then we can do it upstairs."

  "You slept with him behind my back. You brought this on yourself, you stubborn, stupid—"

  "La Caz, this is my daughter you’re talking to," Dad warned him, standing next to me, but I was unaware of anything except the hurt I felt. I came to my senses and realised that Dad was ready to punch my fiancé and he wasn't even going to think about it first.

  Nathaniel had never insulted me like that before. We’d had arguments, but after our fights we always made up, ripping each other’s clothes off and making passionate love; however, this seemed very different. Thick magic was rushing throughout my body, ready to lash out and rip his throat apart. Vibrations and movement in the room were crazy intense and I wasn't sure if my magic suddenly had a mind of its own.

  "Nathaniel, get yourself together. It's Jasper. He’s angry and spiteful. You of all people should understand that."

  "Don't tell me what to do," he warned with those crazy eyes. "I'm done with your stupidity and immaturity."

  Then he turned around and left, slamming the door behind him. The atmosphere went very still as soon as he was gone. Intimidating, and almost deafening silence stretched on for a good few minutes. I was psychically and emotionally exhausted. I was ready to burst into tears, but I didn't want to cry in front of so many people. Nathaniel had just crossed the line, blaming me for Jasper’s appearance and insulting me so viciously. This time he could go to hell because I wasn't going to deal with his shit as well.

  Dad patted me on the back, telling me not to worry about Nathaniel. In his opinion his days on earth were going to end, whatever the hell that meant, and he was no longer welcome in his house.

  "Julia, are you all right?" Kate asked, approaching. "Don't pay attention to what he said to you. He’s lost his mind."

  "What a twat. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with him?" Kelsie barked, shaking her head.

  "He hasn't behaved like that before, has he?" Nicky asked.

  "I don't understand what got into him. It's Jasper. We all know that he’s mental but—"

  "He shouldn't have said what he did. It's not right, Julia," Claudia admitted, looking away, probably thinking that my dead grandma was right all along. I should have never gotten involved with a vampire.

  "Let's forget about him. I really don't know what all that was about. We’re here to remember Grandma, not discuss my relationship with Nathaniel," I said and told everyone to help themselves to the buffet. There was no doubt that my cousins, Dad, and the girls had heard the insults that came out of Nathaniel’s mouth. I couldn't imagine being married to someone who humiliated me in front of my family members.

  Maybe all these years I’d been blind; maybe there was another side to Nathaniel. The nasty and selfish part of him. Whatever, I couldn't think about what he said. A lot of my grandma’s friends wanted to chat, and I thought it was a good time to ask about her past.

  Dad had vanished, and Mum was busy arranging the food. I was glad she didn't overhear my exchange with Nathaniel. She thought he was the best man for me.

  The reporters were still outside, but Jasper had disappeared. I didn't know what to do with myself after I gained nothing valuable from the guests. Grandma was special and very powerful, but no one had any contact with her since last year.

  "Julia, are you feeling a bit better now, after that arsehole left?" Kelsie asked. "What the hell is wrong with La Caz? He went ballistic on you. I'm sorry, but you can't ignore the way he spoke to you."

  My cousin went to sort the drinks, leaving me, Kelsie, Kate, Ella and Nicky.

  "Kelsie, you were there, you saw him. I can't give you an answer. One minute he was normal, the next he went bat-shit crazy. Okay, we all know I shouldn't have gotten Jasper involved all those months ago, but what’s done is done. I can't do anything about it now."

  "Is that really what this is about?" Nicky asked, chewing her lip. "Maybe he just doesn’t want to get married. It took him five years to get where you are now."

  "I honestly don't know, but I do know that I have more important things to worry about. If Nathaniel wants to behave like an immature jerk, then that’s his problem," I told them.

  I didn't want to sound so harsh, but I was seriously pissed off with everything that had been going on. I didn't even know if I was still engaged to him. Ella didn't say anything; she’d been quiet all afternoon. I didn't even have a chance to catch up with her.

  Kate and Nicky, two reasonable voices, wanted me to leave this whole "tracking down the murderer" thing to the police. I hadn't forgotten the number of times I’d gotten myself into trouble. I knew it would be dangerous, but I just couldn't stand around and watch my family fall apart.

  While the girls argued between themselves I kept thinking about Ella’s secret and the past few times when I’d promised her that I would find out what happened to Alex. She hadn't told anyone about our little trip to the registry office or the fact that the blood in her veins was actually royal. I really needed to pin down Tron. He was back, but something must have gone wrong if he returned without Alex.

  The bottom line was, that I had to tell Ella that he was back. I owed it to her.

  The rest of the day passed with other people telling stories about my grandmother. Everyone had only good things to say about her. I did listen, at least I was trying to, but the argument with Nathaniel kept popping up into my head. Maybe it was the magic in the room that set him off. Sometimes when I was visiting my grandparents my mood would shift. It was the house. Grandma had used a lot of spells to keep other creatures away. Maybe she’d intentionally set traps for Nathaniel.

  The guests left by early evening. My Aunt Dorothy stayed downstairs, cleaning the kitchen. Dad went out to the village, and I climbed the stairs, puttering around the house. I knew the police had done a thorough search, but some of the rooms looked like they hadn't been used for ages. Thick layers of dust covered the shelves. Goose bumps appeared on my arms, and smooth waves of power zoomed in the air, following me.

  The house seemed so empty without Grandma’s harsh voice and her powerful aura. Her office was on the top floor, and it was filled with books, a huge mountain of paperwork and even more dust. It looked like she hadn't been there for weeks, and that concerned me. I hadn't noticed the state of it when I came up here on the night she died, probably because I was too upset. The floor squeaked as I walked in and the wind ruffled the papers everywhere. I found some potions in flasks and bottles, pages ripped from books and old letters in various languages.

  I began checking drawers, feeling the energy surging and circulating all around me, reminding me that Grandma’s spells were still active. This meant only one thing: Grandpa Fred was alive and well. They had always been connected. I was one of the only members of the family who knew about their special bond. My grandma acted as the head of the family, but I was certain she considered Grandpa Fred in all of her decisions.

  I spent a good half hour in her office and found absolutely nothing of relevance, just information about some matters for the Association. Then I remembered that I still had that old notebook in my bag. The past few days had been a blur, and I’d forgotten all about it. I went back
to one of the bedrooms where I’d left my stuff and pulled out the notebook. It was stained and ripped. There was also an envelope stuck between the pages. I couldn't believe I hadn't searched through the notebook earlier. The letter was partially burned, but I could just about make out that it was addressed to my grandmother.

  Dear Barbra,

  You must congratulate your son for me. All those years ago he chose his life partner, a human woman.

  This isn't necessarily good. The contract still stands, and it appears to me your son is the one who broke it and you allowed it to happen.

  You consented to our agreement. You knew what would happen if you failed to hold up your end of the bargain.

  Your first son was supposed to marry a full-blooded elf or fairy, not some filthy human. The bloodline has been tainted with scum, worthless human genes.

  I'm disappointed in you and furious that you didn't manage to change his mind, but this isn't the only thing that vexes me. You lied to me about Julia, too. All these years claiming she was a useless half-breed, that she couldn't use her magic.

  True, during our last meeting you proved you had made every attempt to fix the contract. The King intervened, and Fred kindly reminded me I had no business pursuing what didn't belong to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to give up.

  Barbra.

  Did you really think I wouldn't find out about her, about her genes?

  It was silly of me to believe in that old prophecy, the fact that you were still waiting for a boy.

  That girl belongs to me, and you know no one can stop me. Felix may have banned me from the place that has rightfully been mine since birth, but I will get it back. Her magic, her strength, everything, even the skin indicates that I was right. She's more than you ever imagined she would be.

  The contract binds us together through life and death and I will come for her.