Everyone Loves a Good Comeuppance: Diva Delaney Mysteries, #9

By Anni Jayde

The Delaney Coven has been given the task of taking down Minerva Kensington and her cronies. They'll have to work with the mysterious person the UK Council of Conjurers have chosen to be their mole. Their mission is to find enough evidence against the councilmembers to have them ousted from their positions.

Diva's hairdresser has left town unexpectedly and appears to be on the run. It seems Khloe was involved with a dangerous coven who have friends in high places. Their powerful connections might have protected them in the past, but they won't save them from facing justice forever.

With the curse still hanging over them, Diva and Haydn must find the last of Yvonne Creighton's remains and destroy them. Even if they manage to accomplish this, they'll still be bound together. Now that their power has been merged, they'll never be free from each other completely. The worst part is that Haydn has been involved in Diva's life for so long that she isn't even sure if she wants to be free from the man who is supposed to be her enemy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seize The Night Agency
• Release date: Nov 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393592754

Book preview

Chapter One

AFTER BEING DISMISSED from our meeting with the UK Council of Conjurers, Grandma led the way back to the teleporting room. People wisely stepped out of her path when they saw her determined expression. Everyone knew a feud had been established between the Alderdale and Farque Covens. They also knew the Delaney Coven had been involved. What they didn’t know was that we’d been given a secret mission to take down the US Council of Conjurers.

My grandmother flicked a grumpy look at Haydn when we stepped into the teleporting room. He was holding my hand like we were a couple rather than being enemies. Instead of releasing me, the warlock merely raised an eyebrow. He was used to dealing with Georgina, who was frankly even more intimidating than my grandmother.

To forestall a tirade, I tugged my hand free. Haydn immediately put his arm around my waist. Aunt Janet shook her head at her mother, warning her not to start anything while we were in public. Let’s head back to the Cheshire Hotel, she suggested. My grandmother and aunt pooled their power and zapped us all to our suite.

We’ll contact you once we’ve come up with a plan to oust Minerva Kensington and her cronies from the Council, Grandma said to Haydn and pointed at the door. Diva has had enough excitement for one day.

Heaving a sigh, Haydn took my hand and brushed his lips over my knuckles. The blood rushed to my face, no doubt turning it as red as my cabochon ring. Even a small touch from him was enough to bring my desire to the surface. Until next time, darling, Haydn said, then strode over to the door and let himself out.

Try not to hyperventilate from lust, Jess said to me dryly. I shot her a dirty look and trudged over to the couch to sink down onto the plush seat.

I can’t believe we’re going to get to take Minerva down, Aunt Janet said. She was pacing up and down and was rubbing her hands together in anticipation. This is like a dream come true, she added gleefully.

This isn’t going to be easy, Grandma warned her. I’ve heard the councilmembers got their positions through questionable means. They’re all sneaky, ruthless and dangerous. If they think we’re onto them, they’ll strike before we can gather enough proof to have them expelled from the Council.

If it’s common knowledge that they didn’t get their positions through merit, why are they still in charge? I asked.

Grandma shrugged her bony shoulders. No one has gathered sufficient proof against them. All we have is hearsay.

How are we going to get the proof we need? my aunt asked.

The spy Mr. Browning and his colleagues planted in our Council will have to come up with it, Grandma surmised.

The mysterious warlock was going to contact me at some stage. All I had to do was wait patiently. Since patience wasn’t my strong suit, I was going to be in an agony of suspense until he showed up. Are we going to stay in London for much longer? I asked.

I have plans tonight, Aunt Janet replied. From the sly look on her face, her plans involved a certain warlock by the name of Nathan Daniels. I’ll return home in the morning, she added.

Grandma gave her a long-suffering look, but she didn’t protest. Diva and I will head home now, she decided. Pack your things, she instructed.

I scrambled for my room and took my suitcase out of the closet. I wish my clothes and other belongings would pack themselves, I said to Jess as I started taking my clothes off the hangars. To my surprise, the shirt I was holding tugged itself free from my hands and zoomed over to the suitcase. The rest of my wardrobe followed suit and neatly folded themselves inside. Everything that had found a place in the luxurious bathroom stuffed themselves back into the toiletries bag before it flew over to my suitcase. In short order, I was packed and was ready to go.

How come that didn’t happen when you stayed at the Cheshire Hotel in Boston? Jess asked.

Maybe I had to ask the suitcase to pack itself for the spell to work, I replied in mystification. I guess some people are fussy about how they pack.

Even the boring books about magical history had found their way back inside my suitcase. I scowled at them before closing the lid and zipping it shut. The spell had repacked my gear far more neatly and efficiently than I would have.

Grandma was waiting for me when I stepped into the sitting room again. Aunt Janet gave us both a hug, then ambled back into her bedroom. It was Saturday, so Nathan was probably working all day. I was sure she would spend the night with him to catch up on lost time.

With Jess in the lead, we left the suite and headed for the elevator. Our luggage zoomed ahead of us. They’d been caught up in the transportation spell along with all the other suitcases and bags. It was fascinating to watch them stop at the doors to the suites, waiting to be let in. Letters and notes also flew through the hallways. Some magical folk didn’t like using phones and preferred to use stationery instead. They were sadly stuck in the past and couldn’t seem to get with the times.

Christmas was just around the corner and the Cheshire Hotel had been decked out in colorful decorations overnight. A gigantic Christmas tree stood over to the side with fake presents piled up beneath it. A few kids were gathered around the spectacle. They were pointing and giggling in glee at the magical snow that was drifting from the air above the tree. The snowflakes vanished just before they could hit the marble floor.

We stopped at the desk to hand over our keycards. Grandma paid the bill and we headed for the teleporting room. Our luggage was waiting for us inside the room. The hotel didn’t have a teleporting booth. They seemed to be strictly controlled by the Council and could only be found in a few places. Grandma zapped us to the UK Council headquarters again and we waited for our turn to use the booth. The warlock on duty reset the destination to Hollowood Grove and sent us and our luggage on our way.

I was getting used to the blinding white light that flared every time I was teleported, but it was still disorienting. Grandma acknowledged the witch who was manning our booth with a nod, then escorted me out into the hall. Our Town Hall was devoid of people, reminding me that London was in a different time zone. It had been lunchtime back there, but dawn was still a few hours away here. Our Christmas decorations were pitiful in comparison to the hotel’s, but at least we’d made an effort.

Making sure the hallway was empty of normals, Grandma teleported us home. She’d taken us to the parlor where a fire was banked and was on the verge of dying. A small Christmas tree with minimal decorations sat near the fireplace. Grandma looked around to find everything was in its usual place. It would appear that Yvonne Creighton’s ghost isn’t haunting our town, she mused. Now that she knows we’re trying to break her curse, she’ll do everything she can to stop us. Aunt Isabel would have called Grandma if a poltergeist had suddenly started trashing our mansion.

I wonder where she went? I mused. Wherever the ghost was, that was where we would find her final piece.

Get some rest, Grandma told me gruffly. Your body needs to adjust to being back in our time zone.

A question had been plaguing me ever since Haydn had joined our power to bring a halt to the war between the Alderdale and Farque Covens. What did Haydn do when he merged our power? I asked.

Seeing I wasn’t going to be put off, she huffed out a sigh. Jess hovered next to me, also wanting to hear her answer. Merging your power together has forged a strong link between you, my grandmother explained. As far as I know, the bond is unbreakable.

What does the bond do?

It allows you to sense each other’s emotions, she said with a look of pity when my face paled. Over time, you’ll be able to sense what he’s thinking and vice versa.

He’s going to know every thought that goes through my head? I asked in horror.

So I’ve heard, she replied wearily. But only if he concentrates. You’ll know what he’s thinking and feeling, too.

I shared a look with Jess to see she was just as alarmed as I was. I’m not sure who I feel worse for right now, she admitted as I left the parlor.

What do you mean? I asked.

It sucks that you and Haydn will be able to sense each other’s thoughts and emotions, but in a way, it’ll be worse for him, she explained.

How do you figure that? I asked indignantly.

What do you do for a living? she reminded me.

Understanding dawned and I snickered. He’s going to suffer with me every time I see something private, gross or horrible, I concluded.

That’s karma for you, baby, my bestie said with a wink. He should have thought about the consequences before he tied himself to you. Now he’s stuck with a psychic medium inside his head.

My giggles cut off when pain lanced through my calf muscle. I dropped my suitcase and spun around to see Satan glaring up at me smugly. Flicking his tail in satisfaction that he’d caused me pain, he sauntered off.

Welcome home, ladies, Bryce said drolly as he made his appearance.

Hey, Jeeves, Jess replied. What’s shaking?

Nothing ever changes, I said as I grabbed my suitcase again, then limped over to the door and let myself out.

Chapter Two

IT WAS DISCONCERTING to head to bed for a few hours and wake up to realize it was still Saturday. It had been the middle of the night on Thursday in the US when we’d left for London. We’d managed to get our business concluded far more swiftly than any of us had anticipated.

I could hear voices in my tiny combined living and dining room and figured Jess was filling the Three Stooges in about our adventures. I took a shower and dressed in a comfortable sweat suit, then ambled to the kitchen to make breakfast. It was my second breakfast of the day, which made me feel even more disoriented.

How do you manage to get yourself into so much trouble with so little effort? Fran asked me. Her hands were on her pudgy hips that were clad in a blue dress with white polka dots. She shook her head and the bow that was nestled in her curly red hair seemed to glare at me sternly.

It’s a gift, I said with a shrug. I’d had a few adventures during my stay in London and I wasn’t sure which one she was referring to.

Did Haydn really bind himself to you? Reginald asked, narrowing it down for me. His slinky body was clad in a tight purple satin shirt with paisley prints and black trousers. He wore his black hair slicked back. His thick gold necklace sported a peace symbol that looked heavy enough to be used as a weapon. He’d been lucky he hadn’t been wearing flares when he’d died. That would have been a fashion nightmare.

That’s what everyone keeps telling me, I replied as I carried a bowl of cereal over to my blue velvet chair.

Can you sense his emotions yet? Maryanne asked. She hiked her saggy boobs up, but it had zero effect and they immediately fell down to their usual level again. The platinum blonde wig and white Marilyn Monroe dress looked ridiculous on her, but we were all used to the spectacle by now.

Not yet, I replied. Not that I’d tried to sense him. I preferred to pretend the warlock hadn’t done something that appeared to be rare and was usually only shared by people who loved each other deeply.

I can’t believe even a Creighton would stoop that low, Fran said in disapproval. This will be a horrible invasion of your privacy that will last until your death.

Oh my god! Jess exclaimed as she realized something and clapped her hands over her mouth.

What? I asked in alarm.

Do you know what this means? she asked. Her words came out muffled.

No. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

Haydn will be able to sense your emotions when you break the curse and you’ll be free to date other warlocks, Reggie told me. He’ll practically be in bed with you when you finally get naked with a man.

The color drained out of my face at that prospect. I knew the Creightons were a bunch of underhanded, unscrupulous blackmailers, but this seemed too low even for one of them. Why would he do this to me? I asked plaintively.

It’s the curse, chicky, Maryanne said in sympathy for my plight. It makes him do stupid things. I think he did this because he knows the curse will be broken soon.

It’s making him hold onto you any way he can, Jess surmised. Yvonne Creighton’s spell must be stronger than we’d all thought.

My mood became glum and my ring turned gray to reflect my emotions. I’d had a crush on Haydn ever since I’d been a small child. My feelings for him were caused by the curse, but they still felt real to me. Even now that I knew the truth about what kept driving us together, I hated the idea of letting him go. We had to find the missing piece of his ancestor and destroy it before we would finally be free. Except we now wouldn’t be free at all. He’d bound our minds with magic that couldn’t be undone.

I decided to change the topic before I lost my appetite completely. Did we miss anything while we were gone?

Nothing too dramatic, Fran reported. Angelica hasn’t burned your office down and she hasn’t attacked Eve. We’re pretty sure her father’s threat to cut off her allowance has convinced her to back off on her revenge plans for you both.

Plus, she really kicked your butt during that catfight you had with her, sweetie, Reginald said in commiseration. Everyone has heard about your crushing defeat by now.

I wouldn’t call it a crushing defeat, I muttered sourly, pushing my cereal around with my spoon. It isn’t like she put me in the hospital. She just gave me a few bruises and a split lip. Haydn had healed me with his innate magic after extricating me from the fight.

You should have made Angelica bald for life, Jess told me. A month isn’t a long enough punishment for that little cow.

So, there’s no gossip going on that we need to know about? I queried. If there was any interesting news in town, the ghosts would have heard about it.

Khloe didn’t open for business this morning, Maryanne said. Her clients were left hanging and she isn’t answering her phone.

Did you check her house? Jess asked.

Of course, Reginald replied in an insulted tone. She wasn’t home.

It isn’t like Khloe to cancel her appointments and not call her clients, I mused. Something must have come up to make her leave in a hurry.

Were there any signs that she was in trouble? Jess asked. Were there any knocked over chairs, spots of blood on the floor or anything like that?

Not that we saw, Fran replied, but her tone was disturbed. Let’s go take another look at her house, she said to her friends. All three zoomed out through the wall to go in search of clues.

I’m glad my office and cottage weren’t destroyed while we were gone, I said to Jess as I finished off my cereal and gulped down my coffee.

I wouldn’t have put it past Angelica to burn them both down, she agreed. What’s on your agenda for today?

Reading, I said with a grimace. I have to get through those boring magical books if it kills me. I’d never get to learn anything interesting if I didn’t do the required reading first.

Ugh, I’m going to watch TV, she said and manifested enough to use the remote control. She’d gained strength when she’d become bonded to me. In the past, it would have worn her out to do something as simple as turning the TV on. Now she could flick through the channels at will. When she found something interesting, she settled back in her chair to watch the program.

I retrieved the book I’d been reading from my suitcase, then procrastinated for a few minutes by unpacking. My dirty clothes went into the hamper in the bathroom, then I put my toiletries away. The clothes I hadn’t used went back into my closet, then I poured myself another mug of coffee. When I couldn’t put it off any longer, I sat down to read.

For once, I managed not to nod off straight away. My brain wasn’t ready to shut down yet thanks to the extra sleep I’d had after returning from London last night. Finishing the book, I grabbed the next one in the stack. There were only a few to go now, but there were plenty more where they’d come from in the den of the mansion.

I was ready for a break when the terrible trio returned just after I’d finished eating lunch. What’s happened? Jess asked our spectral friends. Their expressions were disturbed and were verging on being frightened.

We checked Khloe’s house again and didn’t find anything suspicious, Fran replied.

Then we checked around town before going to her salon to snoop around, Maryanne added.

We saw she had a message on her answering machine, Reggie said. We don’t know who it was from, but it wasn’t friendly. One of them must have manifested enough to push the play button to listen to it.

What was the message? Jess asked.

It was a guy and he said, ‘I’m coming for you’, Fran told her.

I was wracked with a shiver at the ominous sounding threat. Right on cue, my phone rang. My feelings of doom increased when I saw who it was. Hi, Nina, I said when I answered it. Is everything okay?

I’m not sure, the baker replied. "I