“But why?” I knew Melony’s grandfather had urged her not to leave the house, but I still didn’t understand the full extent of it.
“Simple,” Parker said with a crooked grin. “Lila Haberdash lived her entire life in that house. Her parents lived there before her, and their parents before them. Over time, the house has absorbed generations of family magic—so much so that it became a part of them.”
“And it amplified their bond,” I said, finally understanding.
He nodded and looked as if he wanted to say something else, but I still had more questions that needed to get out of me.
“What were they after? Why did they need that extra power if Mrs. Haberdash was already dead?”
“They were never after her. At least the grandfather wasn’t.” He took a deep breath and squeezed my hand before letting it go. “They wanted the board.”
“Who? Fluffikins?”
“Yes. And Connie. And Greta. And Buckley. And—”
“All of you.” I exhaled slowly, taking this new information in. If Melony and her grandfather had been successful, they could have destroyed the magical balance completely. Could have done whatever they wanted with all that power, no matter how horrible.
Parker nodded, confirming my suspicions.“We are the strongest in the region. If they were able to assume all our power for themselves, they’d be unstoppable. They thought with Lila out of the way, they could use the house to help accomplish that.”
“But they failed.”
“They failed. Thank goodness for that.” Parker looked so tired now. Was that because he’d been worried about me? How long had I been out? How badly had he been hurt?
“Where were you?” I asked gently.
Luckily, he didn’t seem to take offense. “Incapacitated,” he stated simply.
“Oh.” I decided not to press further. Instead I switched back to the previous topic, “So their whole plan hinged on everyone coming to the house?”
“Since it was a major source of their power, yes. But they were also counting on us coming one by one, so we’d be easier to defeat. That’s why Melony’s grandfather took my form, so he could sway our actions. He dropped just enough hints to raise suspicions, then sent us to the power points in order to divide us.”
This all made sense, but it didn’t complete the puzzle. Not yet. “But they didn’t kill me or Greta when they had the chance. Why?” This more than anything, I needed to know.
Parker shrugged and pressed his lips together in a tight line.“I don’t think Melony ever quite understood the full extent of her grandfather’s plan. I don’t think we do, either.”
“What happened to him?”
“Fluffikins dropped him off in the farthest possible region from here. New Zealand, I think.”
“But he’ll be back.” This wasn’t a question, because I already knew for sure it would happen.
“Yes. This time we’ll be expecting him, though.”
“What happens now?”
“The board will find a new Liaison to the Force, and I’ll work at filling Lila’s very big shoes as Town Witch. You go back to living your normie life. Hopefully, though, you’ll be up for frequent visits from your new landlord and friend?”
“I’d like that,” I said, feeling like an old-timey movie heroine. Now would have been the perfect time for Parker to sweep me off my feet—or rather my bed—and give me that sweet and perfect first kiss.
Instead, he leaned forward and hugged me tight, then whispered in my ear,“This will be our little secret. Okay?”
“My lips are sealed. Well, on one condition,” I whispered back.
“Anything,” he promised. He also wouldn’t stop smiling.
“Would you please fix my hot water heater before you go? I could really use a nice long shower.”