Page 29 of Of Magic and Murder

“If you had just gotten the compact for me, I wouldn’t have had to do any of that.”

CHAPTER 8

OLIVIA RETURNS

mother won’t let gus nibble on the leaves.

gus likes them. they smell like fun.

— gus

My whole body stiffens. A moment later, I turn to see Olivia hovering about five feet away from Riordan and me. She’s as near-transparent as she was before, only now I can see the end of the alley through her outline.

Riordan notices that something is wrong right away.

“Pen? What’s going on? Is she here? Is Olivia here?”

“I’ve been trying to get your attention forever,” she complains to me while ignoring the wolf shifter. “Something’s wrong with this building. I couldn’t manifest inside. I wasted too much energy trying, and I had to listen to you boo-hoo it up out here before I could finally catch your attention.”

Goddess damn it. And I was too distracted by Riordan to sense that she was back.

On the plus side, at least I know that the wormwood works. I left it in the kitchen so that I didn’t have to carry it out with me when I was taking a look at Riordan’s curse. It’s not working out here, but it’s good to know that I won’t have to worry about her popping up inside the bakery for now.

I glance behind me at Riordan and sigh. “Yes. She’s here, but she’s not happy.”

“You wouldn’t be, either, if your only hope of getting vengeance is too busy mooning over Mr. Metrosexual over here.”

Did I tell you that I really don’t like Olivia? When I first met her, she seemed nice enough, but as soon as she realized that she couldn’t manipulate me with her faux politeness and her ‘I’m such a devoted healer’ schtick, I got to see the real Olivia Frost.

Now I’m stuck with her.

Glossing over the way she insults Riordan—and choosing not to fill him in on her rude nickname for him—I pick up on the other part of what she said. “Vengeance?” I echo for Riordan’s sake. “I’m not helping you get vengeance, Olivia. I’m trying to give you closure so that you can cross over.”

Cross over and leave me alone.

The ghost twists her hazy features into an expression of innocence that I don’t buy for a second. “Did I say vengeance? Silly me. You’re right. I meant I was looking for… what did you call it? Closure.”

“Mm-hmm. Closure. Right.”

“She still wants vengeance, doesn’t she?” asks Riordan.

I nod. “Yeah. She does.”

“Of course I do, witchling!” explodes Olivia. Witchling? I’m thirty years old! “I was murdered! When all I wanted to do was see the coven flourish, I was struck down by one of those dogs. And where do I find you? With the one who’s supposed to be their king!”

Huh. So Olivia knows Riordan as more than just the chief deputy who investigated her first ‘death’...

“He’s the Beta of the Moonshadow Pack,” I correct her. “And the chief deputy who is helping me figure out who killed you.”

Olivia’s rage disappears as quickly as it came. “Oh. He is, is he? I’m sorry. I thought he was too busy undressing your rags with his eyes.”

I clutch my long, flowing skirt, digging my fingers into the folds of the fabric. “He was not.”

Riordan arches his eyebrows. “He? She must mean me. What wasn’t I doing?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. Nothing,” I repeat, more for Olivia—and myself—than for Riordan. “Olivia. Is there a reason you wanted to talk to me? Besides reminding me that you’re dead and I’m looking for your killer?”

“Why, yes. Now that you mention it. I was wondering if you figured it out yet. It’s been almost forty-eighty hours. Surely you know who killed me by now.”