Crystals and Criminals Read online

  The inside of the chamber was no exception. As Mallory predicted, Madame Astra’s booth — a large table lined by a shimmering velvet cloth topped by a massive crystal ball whose insides swirled like smoke — was far and away the most impressive. Madame Astra herself, however, wasn’t around. I tried not to stare as I passed and headed down the hall.

  “Good morning, Councilwoman Clarke,” Umrea, the newly appointed female captain of the gargoyle guard assigned to my personal security detail greeted me as I approached my office.

  “Good morning, Umrea. Is Heath in yet?”

  “He is. He’s waiting for you in his office with the President of the Chamber of Commerce.”

  “Well, then I guess my messages can wait a little longer,” I said and continued down the hall toward Heath’s office. Gorloz, Heath’s gargoyle guard, grunted and nodded as I approached. I knocked three times and entered.

  “Ah, speak of the devil, there she is!” Heath said with a smile as he pushed himself up from his chair. A witch who couldn’t have been much older than me perched on the corner of his desk in professional black robes. She faced me with a curious look and piercing blue eyes that raked over me from behind her small-framed black glasses. She wore her deep brown hair in a meticulously formed, braided crown around the top of her head and a pop of ruby lipstick shone on her lips. She was beyond intimidating.

  “I hope whatever you were saying about me was good,” I said and closed the door softly behind me.

  “There’s nothing else to say. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Zoe, this is Gillian Lovelace, President of the Moon Grove Chamber of Commerce.”

  Gillian stood and slightly bowed her head to me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Head Witch.”

  “Please, call me Zoe,” I said and stepped forward to offer her a hand. She took it and gave it an all-business shake. “And it’s nice to meet you too. Thanks for offering to give us a tour today. I think we’d get lost out there in that jungle without a guide.”

  Gillian smiled, but even that didn’t seem warm. “Not a problem. Is there anything in particular you’re interested in seeing or hearing more about?”

  I hesitated while Madame Astra’s name clung to the tip of my tongue. I didn’t want to seem too eager — and I didn’t want Gillian to think I’d fallen under Astra’s gullibility spell — so I shrugged. “I’m open to pretty much anything. I’m sure you can curate a good selection for us.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Shall we get started, then?” Heath asked, his eyes twinkling as he looked from Gillian to me and back again. “It’s probably best if we get out there early before the lines form.”

  “Good idea,” Gillian agreed. “Though I suspect most people would give up their place to allow you ahead.”

  “Perhaps. Regardless, we’ll follow you.”

  Gillian nodded and led us outside Heath’s office. Gorloz fell in with us, accompanied by Umrea. It wasn’t easy at first, but after a few months serving as Head Witch, I’d eventually gotten used to being trailed by the hulking, stomping gargoyles — and after everything I’d survived since my election, I’d grown to appreciate their company.

  Most of the booths and tents were now setup and waiting for their first visitors — and it looked like Madame Astra already had attention. She sat behind her crystal ball in lavender robes. A golden tiara held her luscious black curls out of her haunting purple eyes, which shone in the light from the crystal while she spoke to another witch I didn’t recognize.

  “Ah yes, that’s Adele Astra, or Madame Astra as most people know her,” Gillian said as she followed my gaze. “I assume you know who she is?”

  I nodded, slightly embarrassed that Gillian had caught me. “Only vaguely.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth, either.

  “We suspected her booth will attract a lot of attention today, but I didn’t think it would start this early.”

  “Who’s that she’s talking to?”

  “Rowena Norwood, founder and CEO of Norwood Creative,” Gillian said, as if I had any idea who that was. When I said nothing, Gillian cleared her throat, annoyed with me for being so clueless. “She’s one of the most successful and influential witches working in MagiTech, and I’ve heard she’s locked in a bitter bidding war with another MagiTech mogul from Starfall Valley looking to acquire Madame Astra’s app.”

  “Interesting,” I said, and I meant it.

  “Indeed. Starfall Valley is the MagiTech capital of the entire magical community, so it would be quite the upset if Rowena acquired Madame Astra and her technology to keep her here in Moon Grove. If anyone can do it, she can.”

  “Which I’m sure isn’t an outcome you’re pushing for, right?”

  Gillian smiled and a tinge of blush appeared on her cheeks. “As President of Moon Grove’s Chamber of Commerce, I’d be happy to see a businesswoman as successful as Adele Astra call Moon Grove her new home.”

  “New home?”

  “Yes. For the last year or so, she’s been roaming the country, bouncing from magical community to magical community to promote her app. She’s a bit of a nomad.”

  “I see.”

  “Anyway, I’m sure she’d love to meet you and Mr. Highmore, but we should probably leave her to her business with Rowena for now and come back later.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Maybe it was a good thing Madame Astra was busy. Mallory would’ve been furious with me if I’d met the psychic before she got there. Speaking of, where was she?

  “Zoe!” A voice shouted, and I spun on my heel to find Mallory standing in the entrance to the chamber as if my thoughts alone had summoned her. She waved her hand over her head, sending her tangle of curls spilling over her shoulders, and Gillian fixed me with a disapproving look.

  “Sorry, that’s my best friend, Mallory Crane. I promised I’d help her get an introduction to Madame Astra today. Do you mind if she tags along with us on the tour?”

  Gillian looked to Heath for approval, and thankfully he nodded. “I don’t see why not? The more, the merrier.”

  The look on Gillian’s face said she didn’t agree, but she also knew better than to refuse both the Head Witch and Head Warlock, so she swallowed her disapproval and I waved Mallory over.

  “Sorry I’m late. I had trouble finding my wand this morning,” Mallory said, but her admission didn’t surprise me. Based on the various things I’d seen her pull out of the pockets of her robes, I could only imagine what the inside of her house looked like. “Wait, that’s her, isn’t it?” Mallory hissed as her eyes locked on Madame Astra. “And is that Rowena Norwood she’s talking to? Oh, dear Lilith, this is gonna be even better than I thought.”

  “We’ll circle back to Madame Astra. Why don’t we start with the Norwood Creative table?” Gillian asked.

  “Yeah, sure. Great idea,” I said. I’d never heard of Rowena Norwood nor her company until a few minutes prior, but now that I knew she was in talks to acquire Madame Astra’s technology, I wanted to learn more about both of them.

  Gillian led us across the chamber to a plain folding table that looked positively drab compared to Madame Astra’s. A bundle of pens branded with the Norwood Creative name and logo — a wand tapping the screen of a smartphone — sat on one corner, and a stack of matching branded wand polishing cloths sat on the other.

  “Good morning! Thanks for stopping by the Norwood Creative table. Help yourselves to a pen and cloth if you’d — Oh, goodness, excuse me Mr. Highmore, Ms. Clarke!” An excitable, bubbly witch interrupted herself as she realized who she was speaking to. She bolted out of her chair and smoothed out her brown jacket and matching skirt.

  “Not to worry. I’d love a wand polishing cloth,” Heath said and reached for one to pocket it in his robes. “One can never have too many of these little lifesavers. And who might you be, young lady?”

  “I’m Holly Craft, Ms. Norwood’s personal assistant,” she said. “I’m running the table while she’s out networking. It’s such an honor to me
et you both.”

  Heath flashed her a warm smile. “The honor is all ours.”

  Holly’s face turned beet red. “Thank you, that’s very kind. I only wish Ms. Norwood was here to meet you too.”

  “I can fill her in,” a young, serious-looking warlock in a full suit said as he stepped forward from behind Holly. He’d gelled his brown hair in a swoop away from his forehead, and “Norwood Creative” flashed in imitation stars on the face of his tie. He jabbed his hand out at me. “I’m Carter Norwood, Rowena’s brother and COO of Norwood Creative.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Norwood,” I said and shook his hand.

  “Likewise. Holly here’s obviously the pretty face, but I’m the business brains,” Carter said with a smirk, but I didn’t find it funny or charming. “Do you have questions I can answer?”

  Heath opened his mouth to answer, but I interrupted. “Not really, we’re just browsing the booths.”

  “Well, we’ll be here all afternoon if anything pops up. I can’t say the same for my sister, though. She’s always been a bit of a social butterfly, so I doubt she’ll be able to sit still with this many people around.”

  “I’m sure our paths will cross at some point,” I said.

  “I hope so. Rowena will never forgive me for meeting you before she got the chance. Anyway, enjoy the fair, but if I can offer a bit of unsolicited advice, I’d avoid that guy’s table,” Carter said and pointed over my shoulder.

  I followed and found a grizzled old warlock with a beard that dangled from his face down the front of his table glaring at us. A hand-drawn poster that said “Derwin’s Divination” hung from the front of his table. I turned back to Carter. “What’s his deal? He looks cranky.”

  Carter chuckled. “I’d be cranky if I were him too. He’ll probably be out of business by this time next year if my sister snags Madame Astra’s tech, even if it turns out to be a total farce.”

  “Oh, poor Derwin,” Heath sighed.

  “You know him?”

  “I do. Mr. Moriarty has been around for nearly as long as I have. Years ago, he was a Professor of Divination at Veilside, but since his retirement from teaching he’s been running a Divination business. I gather Madame Astra has been tough competition for him.”

  “He looks like Merlin with that beard.”

  Heath smiled, his eyes twinkling. “I think that’s part of his appeal.”

  Carter snorted. “And what an appeal it is. His look is as old and outdated as his profession is, and I doubt anyone will miss him when he finally closes up shop.”

  “There’s truly no room for sentimentality in business, is there?” Heath asked.

  Carter’s beady eyes flashed like a shark’s. “None. Business is like the animal kingdom: You either keep up with the market, or the market will eat you whole.”

  I didn’t dare say it to his face, but even though I hadn’t yet spoken to Derwin, I already liked him better than Carter. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Carter. Good luck today,” I said and left before he had the chance to reply — it was a safe bet I wouldn’t have liked whatever he had to say, anyway.

  Mallory darted to my side and gripped my arm. “Zoe, look! Madame Astra’s all alone. Now’s our chance,” she hissed in my ear.

  “You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up. I’d like to talk to Derwin first,” I said. Gillian looked at me like I’d just announced I wanted to visit with a flea-ridden dog, but didn’t object. I waited until they’d all reached Madame Astra’s table to turn and walk to Derwin’s.

  Thanks to his unruly beard and equally untamed eyebrows, it was difficult to tell but as I approached, I could’ve sworn he’d fallen asleep in the short time between when I noticed him glaring at us and now. Thankfully, he jolted upright before I got to his table and panicked when he realized it was me standing in front of him.

  “Merlin’s beard, it’s the Head Witch!” he shouted and gripped the table to help stand.

  “It’s okay, Derwin. You don’t have to get up for me.”

  A look of immense relief flashed across his face as he sank back into his chair. “To what do I owe this visit?”

  “You looked lonely, that’s all.”

  Derwin chuckled. “Aye, I don’t get many customers these days ever since those young tech wizards started courting that blasted Madame Astra,” he grumbled and jabbed a knotted finger through the air at the Norwood Creative table. “I’m glad you’re here. I know this is awfully forward of me, Ms. Clarke, but I gotta say it now that I have your ear. I’m sure you understand how damaging it is to allow outside business like that to come into Moon Grove and force us small folks to close up shop, don’t you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well then, there’s gotta be something you of all people can do about it, right? You gotta understand, Ms. Clarke, my fortune-telling business is my only income and my pension from Veilside isn’t enough to make ends meet.”

  I froze, unsure what to do or say. I felt awful for Derwin, but I doubted there was anything I could do to help him and his business. As much as it killed me to admit it, Carter was probably right about Derwin’s prospects, especially if the Norwoods bought out Madame Astra like they planned.

  Derwin sighed and stroked his beard. “I knew it was a long shot, but I thought I’d ask, anyway. It’s business. It’s not personal, right? I suppose that’s just the way the wand waves sometimes.”

  “It’s too early to give up. Who knows? Someone else could snap Madame Astra out from under the Norwoods, and then you’d be back to business as usual.”

  Derwin chuckled. “You’re an optimist, I appreciate that. Time will tell, huh? Anyway, thanks for stopping by, Ms. Clarke. I’ve heard a lot about you, and I gotta say you’re even better in person.”

  Despite myself, I blushed. “That’s very kind of you. I’m sorry to chat and run, but I’d better catch up with my group before they think they’ve lost me.”

  Derwin glanced around me at Madame Astra’s table, where Heath, Mallory, Gillian, and the gargoyles were all crowded. He chuckled. “I guess not even the Head Witch and Warlock can resist all the hype, huh? Go on then, I won’t hold it against you.”

  “Thanks. Good luck, Mr. Moriarty.”

  “Aye, same to you,” he said, and I left to join my group, but even as Madame Astra’s table grew closer, I couldn’t take my mind off Derwin.

  Chapter Three

  As impressive as Madame Astra and her table were from afar, she looked positively ethereal up close. She batted her long, curly eyelashes at me as I stopped in front of her table next to Mallory, Heath, and Gillian. The wings that swept from each corner of Madame Astra’s eyes seemed to wink with the movement. She beamed at me through her sparkling purple lipstick, revealing perfectly straight and white teeth.

  She looked less like a psychic and more like a supermodel — or she would have if it weren’t for all the spiritual accoutrements.

  “Head Witch Zoe Clarke. We meet at last. I knew this moment would come, but it’s more impactful than I could’ve imagined,” she said in a voice as smooth and alluring as smoke. She stroked her crystal ball idly while she appraised me, and the liquid or dust or whatever it was inside intensified its swirling at her touch.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you too, Madame Astra.”

  She nodded. “I’m aware.”

  Mallory shifted uncomfortably beside me, picking up on my skepticism. Of course Astra knew that. Was there anything she didn’t know? If there were, it probably wouldn’t behoove her to admit it. Gaps in a psychic’s knowledge could spell the end of their career.

  “I also know you’ve already consulted my app. Have you heard anything further about your grandmother?”

  My breath caught in my throat like I’d unexpectedly swallowed a fly, and Mallory stared at me with eyes as wide and bright as the moon. Though Madame Astra hadn’t yet convinced me she was the real deal, how else could she have known what I’d asked her app? There wasn’t any identifying information in the questio
n I’d asked — there were probably thousands of people with Grandma Eleanors — and more than that, I’d asked from Mallory’s phone.

  A smirk appeared on her face. “You aren’t the first to doubt my abilities. I’d love to prove to you I’m capable of all I say and more if you’re interested in a deeper reading. It would be pro bono, of course.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not a really a believer in Divination, honestly. There are some things we’re better off not knowing.”

  Madame Astra searched me with her piercing eyes. “Possibly, but I think it’s more likely there’s something you don’t want to learn. Perhaps it has something to do with your family?”

  I whirled on Heath and Mallory. “Okay, which one of you told her about my history? This has to be a prank.”

  They swapped confused looks, and Heath cleared his throat. “I promise you, Zoe, neither of us said a word. Madame Astra and Mallory were discussing the underlying magic and technology that powers her app while we waited for you. In fact, you hadn’t yet come up in conversation until you approached the table.”

  “Tons of people would kill for a personal reading from Madame Astra. You should do it,” Mallory said. “Besides, what do you have to lose? If nothing else, you’ll walk away with a good story to tell at your next dinner party.”

  My chest tensed as invisible forces pulled my heart in opposite directions. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that Mallory was right, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Madame Astra was on to something: I was afraid of what she might say. What if she predicted my death or something equally unsettling? Plenty of people would love to know when they might die, but I wasn’t one of them.

  Then again, I Madame Astra still hadn’t convinced me she was anything more than an accomplished trickster, so getting an in-depth reading from her would give me a better chance to test whether she was a true artist or just a con artist.