“I’m so sorry, Gertie.”
She sniffled from inside the group of ladies holding her and soon they eased away and busied themselves with cleaning up. “It’s not your fault, dear. I’m just so glad you found the bowl and that I was able to get your attention.”
“Me, too. How to you think Howard is going to react when he sees you? And why did they think Gracie was you?”
“She could disguise herself to look like anyone she wanted. It didn’t take anything for her to transform her looks and shape into that of any other person. That’s what she did. She transformed herself to look like me.”
Damn. Aunt Gracie was cold. “Do you want to go outside and talk to them?”
“I don’t know. What if they don’t believe me?”
“How could they not? You were stuck in a bowl for Goddess’ sake.” That brought a shaky smile to her lips and she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief she produced from the pocket of her dress. “Will you come with me?” she asked. “To talk to them, I mean.”
“Of course, I will.”
Out the door we went. I looked back to find Merrick watching us, an interesting smile playing about his lips.
What was he thinking? Did I want to know? Or was it enough that he was always smiling at me?
“Your demon. He’s a real stunner,” Gertie said, taking my arm, as though she could read my mind.
“He’s not my demon, but yes, he is very handsome.”
“Of course he’s yours, dear.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Demons don’t just hang around for the hell of it. They usually have a mission and if you’re not his mission, then he’s simply yours.”
“Somehow, I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“And then, of course, there’s the way he looks at you. Like you’re everything.”
“He’s just kind and looking out for me.”
“You are in denial, aren’t you? You’ll come around sooner or later. He’s not going anywhere.”
“How did you know he’s a demon?”
“He told me.”
“Oh.”
The closer we got to the oak tree and the six figures laid out in the grass, the stiffer Gertie became and the tighter her hold on my arm.
The Wickeds stirred first and one by one jumped up. They stared at Gertie and she stared at them. “Who are they?” she asked.
“They’re of Hell. They cause mayhem wherever they go when they’re free. But most of them are servants of the demons. Not Merrick or his brothers. They’ve freed these three. They’re called Wickeds.”
Ms. Remarkable stirred next and when she saw me and Gertie, she spluttered to Bowler Hat Man, er… Howard, and Cane Lady, to wake up. I didn’t know ghosts could sleep or did sleep.
Learn something new every day.
Howard came to his feet and helped Cane Lady as well.
When they looked up, something akin to shock or maybe fear, transformed their typically benign faces into visages that I would see in my nightmares.
“You,” hissed Cane Lady.
“Hello, Martha.”
“Why aren’t you dead?”
“It’s the least you deserve after what you did to us.”
“She deserved a grisly demise.”
“Hello to you, too, Jean.”
The insults flew back and forth from Cane Lady, er… Martha, and Ms. Remarkable, to Gertie, but she wasn’t listening. She was staring at Bowler… Howard. And he was staring at her.
“I didn’t do it.”
“You were supposed to meet me.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t.”
“I couldn’t. Gracie…” Gertie began to explain what had happened. I took a step back and urged the Wickeds to come with me. They didn’t appear to care much what I wanted, but soon they fell in line and headed back to the house. I turned to find Merrick halfway between where I stood and the back door. The Wickeds were being called by him.
Was there no one or nothing he couldn’t charm?
Wickeds are different, love. They have to obey me or my brothers, even if they are somewhat free of their enslavement.
Gertie says you’re my demon.
She’s right.
I don’t want you to lose your job as a demon.
I would’ve thought that would make you happy.
Why would you think that? Everyone needs something to do and you’re good at yours, right? So, why wouldn’t I want you to keep your job?
I can’t be with you if I do.
I know.
Oh, wait… Is this you telling me you don’t want me?
I have to tell you that?
You are still fighting fate.
Don’t you have demon stuff to do?
You cannot get rid of me that easily.
You could always go help the Prayer Circle ladies.
I could, but I wanted to be sure you were all right.
I am.
I can see.
All was silent in my head after that. I watched him turn and walk back into the house, but continued to stare long after he’d disappeared inside. Late afternoon sunlight caught the Christmas lights and made them glint and gleam. Prisms of color danced along the edges of my cottage and the sight made me smile.
I loved Christmas lights. No matter what time of year it was. They added sparkle and happiness to life.
Gertie was still in conversation with the ghosts and I was glad to see that none of them looked ready to eat her heart out of her chest. Ms. Remarkable, er… Jean appeared wary and I suppose I could understand that.
But on the selfish side, I now had three ghosts and one old woman I needed to do something with. Though, honestly, it could be twenty people and I still wouldn’t have a clue how to get rid of them.
I left them under the oak tree.
When I stepped into my kitchen, I found Wickeds at my kitchen table eating mini pies and making more of a mess on themselves than I’d ever seen anyone do. They would need to be sprayed down with water hoses and scrubbed with soap.
Merrick was nowhere to be seen.
The Prayer Circle ladies were gathered around the window over the sink watching what was happening under the oak.
I stole a mini pie and bit into it.
Strawberry.
One of my favorite flavors.
The crust was incredible and flaky.
The filling was sweet and tart and perfect.
I could eat more than one. Or two. Or five. They were delicious.
The cookies were undecorated, but I saw the icing lined up in piping bags. Various colors of white, green, red, blue, and yellow. The sight made me smile.
Cookies were what I’d wanted to do from the moment I got up yesterday morning. And cookies were what I would do right now.
I picked up the piping back with white icing in it and took one of the ghost cookies from the cooling rack, and laid it on a piece of parchment.
Along the edges of the cookie, I outlined the shape, then carefully filled it in.
Yes, this is what my heart wanted to do. Cookies.
I felt relaxation wash over me and a Christmas song sprang to my lips and I began to hum, forgetting all that had been going on over the past forty-eight hours.
There would be time enough to deal with all of them again soon enough.
Chapter Eight
The walk into town was a long one, but it was a nice one as I was followed by a cloud of snow. It wasn’t a cold snow, just an extension of the spell over my cottage.
I also carried with me a basket of cookies. I decorated all the ones that had been baked by the Prayer Circle and Gertie. It was the first time I’d had cookies to deliver to the people of Blue Balls Falls the way I had planned all along when I was anticipating the celebration of Christmas in July. Not that I didn’t enjoy delivering cookies to people all through the year, but Christmas cookies in July were a nice thought.
They not only looked different because of the
ir shapes… candy canes, trees, angels, bells, reindeer, but there was something magical about the taste of a Christmas cookie as opposed to other sugar cookies.
I—
“Are those cookies in the basket?”
I looked down to see a black cat trotting along side me. Shari the Cat. “Well, look who it is. You’ve been scarce.”
“The ghosts freak me out and they’re mean.”
“A demon doesn’t freak you out. You were familiar to a warlock. And now a witch. But ghosts freak you out?”
“They’re mean. Don’t forget that part. They petrified me and stuffed me in a cabinet.”
I’d give her that. They were rather unkind to her and I was ready to send them to the underworld for it, so she had a point. “If they upset you this much, you can’t come back home with me.”
“I know. They’re still there.”
“And, if I may say, you’re my familiar, or you say you are. You also say I need you, yet you’re not around. Aren’t you supposed to protect me? What happens if I need it?”
“The demon can take care of it until the ghosts are gone.”
“Uh huh.” Leave it to me to have a scaredy cat for a familiar. Literally.
“Have you missed me?”
“Nope.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“I’m not lying. I didn’t even realize you were gone.”
“You just said I’d been scarce.”
“Yes, well, it wasn’t until you showed up that I realized I hadn’t seen you.”
She rubbed up against my leg and wound her way through my feet as I walked. Oddly enough, I didn’t trip or lose my footing or slow in my steps at all. She seemed to know where I was going to put my foot down at just the right moment.
She was a deft little cat.
And she was right. I had missed her, but I would never admit it out loud to her.
“Who are you delivering cookies to today?”
“I thought I’d stop at the inn and at Leon’s and go to see Broo and Amir.”
“Oh good. They all like me.”
That they did, though Leon was still a might skittish around Shari given how similar to her brothers, Larry and Barry, she looked. However, there was something infinitely sassy about the way she walked that gave her the distinction of being female.
“And then are you going back home?”
“Probably. I don’t trust the ghosts any more than you do, even with Gertie there.”
“Wait.” She sat down in front of where I was to place my foot next. “You mean, there is a Gertie? They weren’t making that up?”
“Yes. There is a Gertie.”
Shari stared up at me a little quizzically, then turned around and continued walking in the direction of town.
“What are we going to do when they’re all gone?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, what’s going to happen with us?”
“I’m afraid I still don’t follow.”
“Will the demon come to live with us, or will we go to live with him? And are any of the Wickeds going to live with us? I don’t really like any of them, either, but I could probably handle at least one being around. Larry doesn’t like them all living with him and Morgan and Kandy. I don’t think Kandy minds all that much, though.”
“I… I haven’t thought about it,” I said. This time I wasn’t lying because I hadn’t thought about what would happen once the ghosts were taken care of, and I hadn’t thought about what would happen with Merrick and me, and I definitely hadn’t planned on any of the Wickeds coming to live in my house. I mean, it would be fair. There were three of them and three of us and they each had a demon they’d lived with prior to living in Blue Balls Falls. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“You do like the demon, don’t you? I mean, I only ask because I don’t want to have to move somewhere else. I like your cottage. It’s not too big and I don’t feel like I’m so alone as I did when I lived with the warlock.”
“I didn’t know you felt alone.”
“He had a big old house that was too big for just him and then he was dying, and I spent so much of my time alone…”
Was she just telling a sob story or was she being serious? She hadn’t ever talked this much about her life before coming to Blue Balls Falls. I’d often wondered about it, but didn’t feel it was my place to ask. She’d chosen me, though, and while I didn’t like to admit I liked having her around, I had become used to her and wouldn’t want her to leave.
“Your home will be with me wherever I am.”
“Okay. Good. I like that. See, I knew you’d warm up to me.”
“I suppose I have.”
The edge of town loomed ahead, and I would be glad to get there. It was hot out and I could use something cold to drink, but I wouldn’t be partaking of anything Bethilda had. That memory was very fresh in my mind.
Perhaps Broo would have some of the plain lemonade.
It still astonished me that something as simple as lemonade had been all but forgotten along with so many other things after the killing of Broo’s mother. The diners in town and the candy shop and other places to eat had still been open, and still had good food and drinks on their menus, but nothing ever tasted as good then as it did now.
Leon’s Shooting Range was the first business I came to as the trees in the valley began to thin. My snow spell only worked outside, so as soon as I walked inside, it was no longer snowing on me. Shari sashayed in beside me. Leon sat behind the glass counter scribbling on a notepad, only looking up when Shari meowed softly.
He smiled. “Kaydence. I didn’t expect to see you today.”
“Some cookies for you,” I said, setting the basket on the floor. I bent down, took out a small container, and put them in front of him. “I’m sorry I haven’t brought any before now.”
“Oh shoot. It’s fine. You know I never expect them, but it’s always lovely. I will never turn down sweets, especially cookies.”
“I know. These are vanilla sugar cookies.”
He opened up the box and took out a cookie. “Ghosts?”
“A little humor to go along with my current situation.”
“Yes. How is that going? Have you found a solution yet?”
“No, but some new things have come to light and have gotten both more and less complicated.”
He reached out and patted my hand. “I’m sure you’ll figure it all out. You’re a smart witch.”
“Thank you. Oh, and I don’t know if you’d heard, but Gertie wasn’t the one who’d gone nuts all those years ago. It was Gracie.”
“Well, I’ll be… Somehow, though, I’m not surprised.” That was all he said. I thought he might elaborate, but he didn’t say anything further.
“Well, I’m off to deliver more cookies. I hope you enjoy those.”
“Thank you, Kay. I am certain I will,” he said, taking a bite of the ghost cookie he’d picked up.
I waved and Shari and I walked out of the building. Bethilda’s inn was next. She was always there, day or night. I don’t know if she slept or not, but anytime I’d ever been inside, she’d been there.
The sun shown off the windows which always gleamed. Fans whirred on the large front porch, and several people I’d never seen before rocked in rocking chairs. I waved. They waved back.
“Bethilda,” I called when I walked in and didn’t see her in the dining room or behind the small front desk. Soon she emerged from a door behind the stairway.
“Kay? You’re back!”
“Yes, I —”
“You brought cookies!”
“Yes.”
“And… Gertie. Gertie made them. Oh my goodness.”
“She did. While I was passed out from that lemonade.”
Bethilda blushed. “You seemed to need the stress relief,” she said by way of explanation.
“Perhaps I did, but I won’t be wanting any more of it.” I pulled a box from the basket and handed it over to
her.
“Oh, thank you. I can’t wait to dive into these. But they’ll have to wait. I have a meeting to get back to. Thank you for dropping these off.”
“You’re welcome.” I waved good-bye to her, feeling for the first time since I’d know her, that she was brushing me off. I walked back outside. The afternoon hadn’t cooled off, but standing on the porch under the fans felt nice.
July in Virginia…
Skipping down the steps to the sidewalk, I looked back the way I’d come, and then looked up the street in the other direction. Residents and visitors walked through town, in and out of storefronts. It was great to see how much life Blue Balls Falls had now. Every time I came into town, I couldn’t stop marveling at it.
Movies started playing at the theater again. Nothing I was really interested in. Horror flicks. Just because we were a magical town didn’t mean we all liked scary movies. The least they could do was play something that would appeal to the rest of us.
The Prayer Circle started up the bridge club that had disbanded. Broo’s mother had played and was the reigning champion when she’d died. I wonder if anyone had ever told Broo.
Goat Yoga had begun catching on and well, I just didn’t understand the draw. Goats standing on your back as you moved into different positions? No, thank you.
I crossed the street and pressed on the call button outside Witchin’ Spice Bakery to alert Broo and Amir that someone was at the door. A buzzer sounded and I let myself in.
The bakery itself was dark, but there was a light on at the top of the stairs.
“I’ve brought cookies,” I said as I began climbing. Shari ran up ahead of me.
“Finally!” Broo said, meeting me on the landing. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to bring some into town. I was thinking I’d have to come out and get them.”
“I decorated the house so you should come out.”
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“I will definitely do that, then.” She took the box I offered and led me into her living room. It had been a replica of her old apartment from New York, but it looked different than it had even a year ago.
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