Clear as Crystal: Cauldron of Crime, #3

By Iris Leigh

The truth is not always crystal clear.

With my first spell one of the record books, it's time to try my hand at using crystals to read fortunes. The only problem is… I'm not very good at magic. That's probably why things go wrong so quickly.

What appears to look like one thing turns out to be another. Now there's a dead girl, a growing line of possible suspects who want me to read them to help them find the person responsible for her death. While honorable, my distrust of my magic could spell disaster. Looks like I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way. With any luck, I just might get something right this time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Iris Leigh
• Release date: Aug 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223482628

Iris Leigh

Iris Leigh stumbled upon the genre of cozy mystery by accident. Since Iris is easily scared she does her best to avoid horror books, tv shows, and films. But dying for some type of mystery without all the suspense to make her heart burst from terror was when someone asked if she had ever read a cozy mystery. Now she has fallen in love with the genre and started to write to bring her stories to life.

Book preview

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Chapter 1

T his is boring. April’s voice was flat and unenthusiastic as she helped scoop hair potion into bottles as we sat at the counter. Business was booming, well, as much as it could with one product. I’d be sold out of hair potion by the time I closed for the day.

"Can we please do something else?" she asked as I popped the lid onto the bottle and set it on the counter.

April, you don’t have to spend your Saturday with me, I replied as I stood, grabbing the bottles that we had filled together. Scooping them up in my arms, I made my way over to the last two bottles on the shelf, making sure to slide them forward as I placed the new bottles behind. Twelve bottles would last me the rest of the day, but tomorrow I would one hundred percent need to make another batch.

Can you teach me something?

Like what? I asked as I finished making sure the bottles were perfectly straight before turning back to the nine-year-old with a smile on my face.

I don’t know… What you got?

I pursed my lips as I thought about what I could teach her. There was no way I was going to teach her how to mix a potion. In order to do that, I would have to reveal my witchy side to her, which would cause questions from her dad Warren.

So what could I teach her instead?

I tapped my chin as I thought about the items in the back of the shop.

Do you have tarot cards? Or maybe a crystal ball? April asked hopefully as she jumped up from her seat.

Cards? Crystal ball? I repeated vaguely. There was a crystal ball sitting in one of the boxes that I hadn’t unpacked. But no way could I teach her that. I had no idea what I was even doing myself.

Sorry, April. I don’t know how to read a crystal ball yet.

Her eyes shot open wide as she smiled from ear to ear, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

But you have one? she asked excitedly.

Busted. I do…

Sweet! Can I see it? she blurted as she raced over to me, standing right in front of me and looking up, her smile growing bigger by the second. As I stared into her shining green eyes, I felt myself growing weaker. My resolve not to expose too much about the magical part of my life was rapidly vanishing in the face of that smile that could destroy walls.

All right, I sighed before smiling back. She had won me over so easily. Take a seat while I go look for the crystal ball.

I can help!

She turned on her heel to run to the back of the shop, but before she could do so, I placed my hand on her head. With a little bit of pressure, I was able to prevent her from taking off like a bullet.

Don’t push it, April. I agreed to the crystal ball. The back room is still off limits.

But Dad lets me in the kitchen in his shop!

She gave a pout as she crossed her arms over her chest.

I don’t have a kitchen. I have a back room, I replied firmly as I ushered her over to the counter to plop her back down in a seat to keep her from roaming the shop. The last thing I needed was for her to slip into the back room and see what I had hidden back there.

Kitchens are more dangerous, April coaxed, attempting to sway me as she sat down on the stool. She was largely correct. In the normal world, a kitchen was more dangerous than a back room. But when it came to magic, there was nothing more dangerous than a room filled with magical items combined with someone who didn’t know how to do magic. Like me.

I’ll only be gone a moment.

I jogged to the back of the shop, with a pointed look at April letting her know she really needed to stay put. When she didn’t move, I jerked open the door to the back and entered the workshop, making sure to close the door quickly behind me. I placed my ear to the wood and listened for footsteps to ensure she was paying attention to me, and when I heard no scurrying or giggling on the other side, I let loose a sigh of relief as I took in the room, examining the boxes I still hadn’t really gone through.

I need to be quick.

April wasn’t going to sit quietly forever. Stepping forward, I made my way to a corner of the room where there were two boxes stacked together. Lifting the flap of the top one, I peered inside. All I saw was an open shoe box of stationery with fabric tucked around it to fill out the rest of the box. It wasn’t what I was looking for, so I picked it up — it was very light — and set it on the ground. Why my grandmother needed fabric and stationery, I had no idea.

It was the second box underneath it that I remembered held my prize. A shiny black cloth greeted me as I pulled open the flaps of the box. Gently, I reached inside, tucking my hands under the cloth to find the base of the object, and lifted. The cloth fell to the ground in the process, exposing the crystal ball sitting on its holder.

I hope this works.

I turned towards the door, carefully tucking the item into the crook of my arm as I made my way out of the back room. April was still sitting at the table, lips pulled up in a big smile as her hands rested on the table, clasped together. I strolled over as she held out her hands, clearly expecting me to hand the item over.

Careful. It’s heavy.

I set the ball down on the counter, placing it between us.

So I have to touch it, right? she asked as she put both of her hands on the crystal ball before closing her eyes. I stood in silence as I watched her face scrunch up in heroic concentration. Is it working? She cracked open one eye to peer at me and I shrugged my shoulders. I had no idea if it was working or not. April closed her eyes again and I sat down on my stool, crossing my legs as I waited for her to be done playing with the crystal ball.

Wow! April gasped, pulling her hands off the ball and examining her palms.

What?

It worked!

Huh? I looked at the ball. It did?

It worked?

What did you see? I inquired as I peered at the crystal ball. I saw nothing in it.

Look for yourself!

I placed my right hand on the ball first, hesitantly followed by the left. The cold of the glass bit against my skin as I closed my eyes. Did April really see something? If that was the case, then it surely would work for me as well!

So I waited…

And waited…

But nothing came to me.

Like April moments ago, I cracked open a single eye to look at her. With an encouraging nod from the young girl to keep going, I shrugged my shoulders and kept going. Closing both eyes again, I waited for something to happen.

For anything to happen.

Except I really hoped nothing bad would be shown to me, only good things. That was my only request.

A bell jingled just as something began to dance across my vision, and I sat up straighter. A shiver coursed up my spine as I tried to focus on the thing running in and out of my mind’s eye. It was like a black dot that grew bigger and bigger. I tilted my head to the side, eyes still closed as I tried in vain to identify the object, furrowing my brow as I tried to understand what I was seeing.

Hi, are you reading the future with that crystal ball?

My eyes shot open, a gasp escaping my lips as I took in the figure standing before me. It was a young woman with her blonde hair braided to the back to keep it out of her face. She had her hands stuffed in her pockets as she peered first at the crystal ball and then at me.

Uhh… I muttered, and the random girl smiled.

Can I get a reading?

April jumped off her stool to stand at the edge of the counter.

Sorry, I don’t… I trailed off. April motioned for the newcomer to take a seat and looked beyond proud as she helped the lady get settled.

Of course you can!

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Chapter 2

H i. I’m Rebecca.

The lady with the blonde hair held out her hand, sitting on the opposite