Strike at Midnight(50)
A pang of emotion hit my throat, and I swallowed it away before it could register on my face.
“I’m sorry for your loss too,” I said, throwing the emotion back her way. Her father had passed about six months before Jacque.
“Thanks,” she said, and she started to twiddle with her braid.
“This is Rapunzel,” I said, figuring that she had suffered enough. It was time to get down to business. “We’re on the case of the missing Duke of York. Have you heard about it?”
“I saw something about an imposter in the journals,” she said, and her stoic demeanor returned. “You need a witch to help you with the case?”
A quick glance around the room confirmed that no one was eavesdropping on our conversation. People didn’t like witches. They were scared of them, and sometimes for good reason.
“Keep your voice down,” I said, and it made her smile.
“My apologies,” she said, and she lowered her voice. “But why do you need a witch to help you with the case, and why the hell come to me?”
“Jacque was vague about you, but he did mention something about you being good with potions and herbs. He also skirted over something about magic—” I put my hands up in the air in defense when her face shadowed over with an angry expression. “He didn’t say what, and it’s not something I’m about to advertise. I just need a point in the right direction.”
Rapunzel leaned over to get Briar’s attention, and I dropped my hands.
“A man’s life is at stake,” she said with a worried look on her face. “We have the imposter in custody but we still need to find the duke himself. We don’t have many leads, but we have reason to believe that magic was involved to make the imposter look like the duke. If we can get a witch to reverse any spells that were used, then we may have leverage with the imposter to find out where the duke could be. It’s all we’ve got.”
Rapunzel had such a way with words that even I had to give her credit. Add in the puppy dog look she had on her face right now and Briar didn’t stand a chance. A sigh escaped from Briar’s lips, and I internally gave Rapunzel a high five.
“I do know of someone,” she said eventually as she leaned in close. Her voice was so low that I could barely hear her. She didn’t look happy about the information she was about to share, and it made me wonder why.
“Who?” I asked, and she checked over her shoulder before turning back to us.
“I’ll give you a name and an address if I get their go-ahead that they will help you. I need to speak with them first. Deal?”
“We’ll need them to come out to the Royal Castle with us on Friday morning,” Rapunzel explained. “Can you get back to us before then?”
“It will have to be first thing tomorrow, but I’ll let you know either way by dawn.”
A groan fired up inside of me because I would need to be up so early again, but if it gave us the witch we needed…
“That’s fine,” I told her, knowing it would be giving us a very small window to try and find a replacement if the witch said no. But I had to risk it.
“Will she have legal permission to use the magic?” Briar asked, and it made me understand how much we were actually asking of the person who was coming on board to help.
“I will make sure of it. We’re on good terms with the prince.”
“At least Rella is,” Rapunzel muttered, so I kicked her under the table.
“Then I’ll make sure she’s aware of that. She will sort out the payment with you if she accepts. My part will end once I have given you the connection.”
“Acceptable,” I said, knowing she didn’t need to be doing this for us. It was obviously something she wasn’t over the moon about doing, and that said a lot about her character that she was going to do it anyway.
Briar looked at me with an intense expression that was making me uncomfortable. I went to say something to break the tension she was creating, but before I could get a word out, she grabbed my arm and said, “Look, this witch owes me, and I owe her. We have a very sensitive relationship, to put it mildly. I don’t trust her and she doesn’t trust me. But she will most likely do this thing I ask, and do it well. Just,” she paused and clamped her lips together, “don’t trust her because of me. You will still need to watch your back.”
Chills went up my spine at the look in her eyes, and all I could do was nod my head. What the hell am I agreeing to take with me into the castle?
“Good,” she said when she saw my affirmation, and she released my arm. “It’s complicated. But if there is a spell on your imposter, she will obliterate it. However, I must follow the rules and request her permission before confirming she will go with you. It is the way.”
Briar stood up from her seat and looked down at us both. “We did not have this conversation,” she said, looking uncomfortable at the fact that she had taken a risk and given us this information. “Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” I said, and I couldn’t help the confused expression that took residence on my own face. That girl was a bag full of complicated, let alone the situation she was in with the witch. “Thanks, Briar. I owe you one.”
“Yes, you do.” She nodded and left us feeling bewildered by the strange turn in conversation.