“If we can get ahold of the covenant, then as town advocate, I can work on the interpretation of it and form a defense against a complete coup should the need arise.” Ben clasped Lily’s hand in his. “All we need to do is find the paperwork.”
“Good thing Birdy here’s an expert in tracking things down,” Matt added in approval.
After Uncle Tipper’s murder had been solved and the death curse removed from me, I had gotten his house that I inherited into pretty good shape. However, many bags of hoarded papers and items had been hauled to the dump.
My stomach dropped. “What if I can’t find what you think Tipper possessed?” I asked the vampire lady.
“Then a different battle may be brewing,” Eveline replied. “I am not the only non-witch in town who has great reservations should your aunt take the high seat position for her own. Nor am I the only one whose abilities have been underestimated or hidden.”
Matt crossed his arms. “Not to sound indelicate, but that sounds like a not-so-veiled threat.”
“Stop being a warden and think about the consequences of Aunt Nora taking over the high seat,” I warned my brother. “She’s right. If we can’t find a legal reason to keep her from reaching what must be her goal, then the future of Honeysuckle Hollow may be in serious jeopardy.”
Before the vampire took her leave, I touched her arm. “Thanks for the help. And especially for loving Tipper. I wish you two hadn’t needed to keep your relationship a secret.”
Her fanged smile unnerved me. “Prejudices have run deep despite the facade of acceptance here. But I thank you, child, for your kind words.”
Although Matt wanted to help me search my home, he placed more importance on going back to Nana’s house. Lily and Lavender agreed to go with him so they could make sure their grandmother didn’t exhaust herself.
Ben gazed down at me. “Guess the hunt’s up to you and me.”
“Yep,” I agreed, rubbing my hands together. “As my Uncle Tipper liked to say, it’s time for me to go bird doggin’.”
Chapter Twelve
We started our search at the advocate’s office that Ben now ran by himself. Jedidiah Farnsworth had retired and was currently traveling to visit family members outside of Honeysuckle.
The front of the space maintained a professional appearance for a small-town legal business. Based on my knowledge of Ben’s training, I suspected he could have had his pick of jobs anywhere he wanted, and I thought about my trip with Mason in the bigger city.
“Did you always know you were coming back here to work?” I asked as he escorted me to the back room filled with rows of filing cabinets.
With a flourish of his fingers, he unlocked one and pulled out the drawer. “This cabinet and the next has town business in it, at least from what Jed showed me. I would start with these first. And to answer your question, no, I thought when I left here I wouldn’t be coming back.”
“So why did you?” I pressed.
Ben took a step back, considering his response before he gave it to me in true advocate fashion. “I know most people think I wasted an opportunity or that I was crazy to come back. But the simple answer is, I missed home. No matter how hard I tried or how well I did in my job, the hole right here,”—he tapped his chest over his heart—“it just never got filled. Not until the night I made the decision to come back.”
“And now you’re where you want to be? With the person you want to be with?”
He tilted his head. “Yes, but why are you asking?”
I thought about Mason and the reason he’d stayed behind. Maybe life in a small town wouldn’t be enough to keep him satisfied. Maybe the happiness we had together wouldn’t be enough.
“No reason,” I lied, refocusing the conversation back on him. “Although if you want to make Lily happy, you really should consider moving up your plans for your future together.”
He scoffed. “Did Lil put you up to this? Ever since Alison Kate and Lee’s wedding, I’ve definitely felt a bit of pressure.”
Shifting my weight on my feet, I challenged him. “What are you waiting for?”
Ben leaned against a nearby filing cabinet. “I don’t know. I guess to feel like my roots run deep into the ground here. To make sure everybody stops second-guessing my return. And for me to be more established and stable in the practice.”
“That’s a long list of requirements. Are you sure you need all that to happen just to pop the question?” I asked.
“I’m sure that you’re stalling in the task at hand,” the advocate countered. “Let’s figure out whether or not Jed was right about some of the town papers being taken.”
Since our mission far outweighed whether or not Ben would ask my friend to marry him anytime soon, I let him off the hook, rubbing my hands together. “Right. Let’s see what I can find.”
My powers usually worked better if I was holding onto someone or something belonging to a person who wanted the item. However, no one wanted to make sure my aunt didn’t succeed in another bid for full power over Honeysuckle more than me.
Using my own desires to focus my search, I called on my magic. “The contract of our town we seek to stop a future much too bleak. Find the words writ when founded and the powers of protection grounded.”
As soon as the familiar energy surged through me, I knew the papers weren’t in the office. No golden thread. No pull of connection. Shuffling through all of the town papers, I hoped to feel something, but nothing came.
Letting go of my magic, I stepped back with my hands on my hips. “They’re not here.”
“Should we check Jed’s old desk?” Ben asked. “Or could
