Witchin' Sugar

by Lissa Matthews

  She unofficially lived with Amir, but they tried to keep up the pretense that they weren’t living together. I had no idea why. None of us did. “So, I heard about what’s been going on. Are they real ghosts?”

  “Yes.”

  As much as Broo was re-educating us about modern human life, she was still learning all about the life of magicals. She’d encountered warlocks, witches, magical objects, and cursed frogs. She’d been awed and frightened and bemused.

  She’d also been something of a menace when it came to her own unique powers.

  “Can you see through them?”

  “Yes. The Wickeds like to run through them to make them wobbly.”

  “Are you going to have to call upon You Know Who?”

  I sighed. “I hope not, but…”

  “But?” Broo prompted, fishing a cookie out of her box. She nibbled around the edges before taking a large bite. The reindeer was now headless.

  She moaned and smiled and closed her eyes in bliss.

  “Would you like to be left alone with the cookies?”

  “Maybe,” she said with her mouth full. “So, why don’t you want to call her? I mean, I get it. Believe me, I get it. She’s a royal pain. And a know it all. And smug as all shit.”

  Broo wasn’t wrong in her assessment. Baba Yaga was someone who didn’t seem to like any of us and I’m not sure any of us liked her. I’d tried on the few occasions I’d had to meet her, but for the most part, she didn’t exude friendliness and warmth. She appeared more than a little annoyed anytime she was needed. If she was going to be in a position of power, shouldn’t she at least try to get along with people? Especially those who needed her from time to time?

  “I realize I may not have a choice, but I’m not ready to concede just yet.”

  “What have you done to try and get rid of them?”

  “Nothing. And I know I should be doing something, but the truth is, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to start or what clues I’m even supposed to be looking for.”

  “I understand that. I wouldn’t know how to get rid of them, either. No one has any suggestions?”

  “Other than to call Baba Yaga? No.”

  “Then you may have to.”

  “I know,” I said miserably. “It’s not so much that I don’t want help, it’s that I don’t really want her help. She has to come to everyone’s rescue here. I’m sure there are other towns that can handle their own fiascos without having to bother her. I can’t imagine all witches need her help, but those in this town certainly seem to. We’re definitely not the most powerful.”

  “Maybe not, but we’re unique and we have our own contributions. We may have things happen that we can’t control or fix on our own, but the things we do well are magical in their own ways.”

  “When did you become so wise?”

  “I don’t really know.”

  “How are you and Amir doing?”

  “We’re… We’re okay.”

  “Are you still struggling?”

  “No, not so much anymore.”

  “He’s wearing you down, then?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Don’t be afraid. Amir is a good man and he adores you. It’s plain to see every time he looks at you.”

  Broo blushed and nibbled on another cookie. A tree this time. “I know. And if you want to know a little secret? I kind of adore him, too. He’s a super guy and honestly, I just don’t think I can keep up the resistance.”

  I smiled. It had been a long time coming, this admission from Broo. We’d all been wondering when she was going to figure out how she felt about him.

  “What’s that look?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Was there a bet or something?”

  “A bet? No, of course not.”

  “Hmm… Well, I know everyone must’ve thought I’d never realize I had feelings for Amir, but it just takes me a bit longer than most I guess given the circumstances of my birth and the death of my mother and then the way I was raised. I’ve been skittish when it comes to letting people in and getting close to them.”

  “I can understand that. You grew up not really trusting anyone and it’s hard to accept when you come across someone who is worthy of it.”

  It was Broo who smiled this time. “That’s it exactly. I don’t know how you knew how to explain it, but that was perfect.”

  “I don’t know either. I grew up the opposite way you did. I had family and love and people I trusted and who trusted me. I can’t imagine how lonely you must have been.”

  “There was a lot of that. I probably wouldn’t have acknowledged it at the time, but looking back I can.”

  “Well, you’re not alone anymore. You have friends, Bethilda, and Amir. You’re surrounded by love and acceptance.”

  “I am. Thank you.” She held up the box of cookies she was still eating. “And thank you for these. They’re delicious.”

  “You’re so welcome.” I pulled out a second box and handed it over. “I packed two for you.”

  Broo was a bottomless pit when it came to food. I’d never met anyone who liked food as much as she did, but once she found out that she’d never gain weight because she had a witch’s metabolism, she’d been eating nearly nonstop.

  “I needed to get back home. I don’t want to leave the ghosts alone with Wickeds and cats and an old woman for too long.

  Chapter Nine

  The sun was starting to dip behind the horizon, but the heat was still high and humid, and we really needed a weather witch. I didn’t know of one, but surely in some other magical town there was one who’d like to help us out.

  Or, I needed to modify my little snow spell. That was likely the practical option and it wouldn’t take much, just a little… There. That was it.

  The air beneath my little snow cloud cooled several degrees and I wondered, not for the first time, why I didn’t do that before. Of course, I had tried and it didn’t work.

  Oh well. At least it was working now and I wouldn’t need a cold shower when I got home.

  Home. I was a little worried about what my house might look like when I got there. I’d only been gone for a couple of hours, but that was enough time for the ghosts to wreak havoc the same way they’d done before.

  Of course, they did have Gertie. And maybe Merrick had checked in.

  I really needed to talk to him again about his demon job.

  “Oh good. I didn’t miss you.”

  My heart sank from my chest straight down to my toes. Nonononononononooooooo…I kept walking. Maybe her voice was a figment of my imagination. I mean, it was hot and I had been under a lot of stress and —

  “So, you’re going to ignore me? That’s a bold move for a cookie witch.”

  The way she sneered the words cookie witch made my spine twitch. Definitely not a figment. But she was right. I shouldn’t ignore her. I didn’t want her here or her help, but I shouldn’t ignore her. I stopped walking and waited for her to catch up to me. I didn’t have to wait long. She could do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.

  Not even a second passed and she was in front of me. The neon orange and pink she wore nearly blinding me.

  What must we look like, standing in the middle of Blue Balls Falls? I wore red and green and black and walked under a light snow shower. She wore colors that shouldn’t go together at all and were blindingly brighter than the sun at noon.

  Shari the Cat continued to wind herself around my feet and ankles. As long as she didn’t hiss, we’d probably get through this okay.

  “Why is it always this little nothing and nowhere town that causes me trouble?”

  “I couldn’t begin to know.”

  “I mean, I do have things to do. I do have other people who cause me grief, but you lot here?” She shook her head and her oversized hair didn’t even move. “At least you come up with some interesting things.”

  “How did you find out?”

  “Bethilda. She was w
orried about you.”

  “I’m not so fragile,” I said with defiance.

  “You did get drunk, did you not?”

  “That was Bethilda’s fault.”

  “Uh-huh.” She waved her hand to dismiss my words and I could swear I saw them floating away. She probably did it on purpose, too. “Anyway… About the three ghosts. And your long lost aunt…”

  “What about them?”

  “It’s time we send them on their way. They don’t have any business here in this time and place.”

  “I’m working on it.”

  “Not very quickly.”

  “It’s only been a couple of days. Give a witch a break.”

  “That’s a couple of days too long. They should’ve been taken care of immediately.”

  “What’s the rush?”

  “Let’s just say, things like this are best resolved as soon as they occur.”

  “Okay. Well, I’ll get on it as soon as I get home. Thanks for the advice.” I took a step. One single step before she started laughing.

  “Oh no. You’ve had your chance. Now it’s my turn.”

  “What are you going to do with them?”

  “Don’t worry. They’ll be alright.”

  “What about Gertie?”

  “I’ll need to talk to her to find out what she wants.”

  “Why talk to her and not to the ghosts?”

  “Because they’re ghosts,” she said, exasperation lacing her voice as though that answer solved everything.

  Ask her about your powers, Bethilda said inside my head.

  “Powers?”

  “What?”

  “Bethilda told me to ask you about my powers. What’s wrong with them.”

  Baba Yaga made a face, then sighed loud and long. “Let’s get back to your house before we get into that. I told her not to meddle.”

  “I told her that, too,” I said. “She didn’t listen to me, either.”

  “Yes, well, I’m not you. I’m me.”

  Well la-dee-da.

  Before I could say anything else, we were standing in my yard and Baba Yaga was walking into my house like she owned the place. And Shari the Cat was nowhere to be seen.

  I heard exclamations of uncertainty and fear from inside and I wondered, again, not for the first time, if I could run the other way.

  I stood in the doorway and found the three ghosts huddled together, staring at Baba Yaga with abject horror and Gertie casually sitting at my small kitchen table, exactly where I’d left her a while ago.

  “Do you have to frighten everyone, everywhere you go?” I asked, placing myself between her and the ghosts.

  “I don’t have to, but it sure is fun.”

  “I’m sure. What do we do now?”

  “It’s time to dispatch them.”

  “How?”

  “I have an idea.”

  “Going to share it?”

  Baba Yaga shrugged. “Oh, Hildy!” she called.

  And soon there was another witch standing in my kitchen. “What do you want now? I was right in the middle of something.”

  “I have a transportation issue for you to resolve. Meet Jean, Martha, and Howard.”

  “Hello,” Hildy said kindly to the ghosts.

  “I’m Kaydence,” I said.

  “Lovely to meet you. Now what do you mean you have a transportation issue for me to resolve?” she said impatiently to Baba Yaga.

  “They need to be transported to their next great adventure.”

  “What do I look like? A magical Uber?”

  “As a matter of fact…”

  “What’s an Uber?” the ghosts and I asked at the same time.

  “Out of touch in this day and age. Goddess, save me. You need a computer so you can do some research. Or better yet, ask Broo. She’ll be able to tell you.”

  “Oh, you’re beyond saving,” Hildy added. “Do they even want to go on an adventure?”

  “They’ve been trapped for years inside a recipe. I can’t imagine they want to go into the nothingness. They deserve some fun.”

  “You old softie.”

  “I am not old.”

  “Touchy, touchy.” Hildy smiled at the three ghosts. “Well, I suppose we should get a move on.”

  “What’s going to happen to us?”

  “Don’t you worry about it. You’ll be just fine.”

  “Can I go, too?” Gertie asked.

  We all turned to look over at her. “You want to go?” Baba Yaga asked.

  “I don’t belong here, and Howard and I were in love back in our time. I’d like to be with him.”

  “How sweet! I know just how you feel. My Chuck and I…”

  “We don’t need a history lesson about your love life. I have things to do, too, and it doesn’t include hanging around this backwards town any longer than I have to.”

  “Not getting enough, huh?” Hildy asked.

  “I’m getting plenty. Now, get on with it.”

  “I’m so sorry we invaded your space and petrified your cat,” Martha said.

  “I’m sorry I can’t take her demon with us.”

  “Behave yourself, Jean.”

  “I don’t have to. I’m a ghost. I’m leaving. And I can say whatever I want.”

  “Never mind her,” Howard said. “She was difficult when she was alive, too.”

  “I’m sorry Aunt Gracie did such a horrible thing to the three of you. No matter what you did, being thieves and all, it wasn’t her place to cast judgment, especially when that’s not what she cursed all of you for.”

  “Thank you, Kaydence. You’ve been so kind to us under the circumstances.”

  “Oh jeez…” Baba Yaga moaned.

  “Shut up. They’re having a nice moment. Don’t ruin it.”

  “Fiiiiiiiine.”

  “Take care, my dear,” Gertie said, enveloping me in an awkward hug. It was real and yet, it wasn’t. “Use my recipe wisely and with my blessing. I’m so glad I was able to meet you.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad I was able to meet you, too, to learn a little about you.”

  “Okay, kids, gather round and gather close,” Hildy said. “Yes, yes, that’s it… Now, off we go…”

  In a blink, they were gone and silence reigned.

  Except for…

  “There’s some explaining I need to do or Bethilda will hound me until the end of days.”

  “Explaining about what?”

  “No reason to beat around the bush… You’re not just a cookie witch,” Baba Yaga said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You could have at least brought me along,” came a hiss from the kitchen door. Shari the Cat panted as she walked over to me, then jumped up on the counter next to the sink. I took the hint and turned on the faucet, then gave my attention back to a snickering Baba Yaga.

  “Your family’s powers were bound after what Gracie did.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because you couldn’t be trusted.”

  “No, she couldn’t be trusted. The rest of us had nothing to do with that. Especially, those of us who came long after her.”

  “She and cursed her sister into a mixing bowl and stole the life forces of three other people because she was jealous. That’s a volatile emotion and no one knew what sort of defect it might cause in generations to come.”

  “That was a little overboard to bind the powers of all of us. Who did it?”

  “Not my department.”

  “Is that why we’re mated with demons? Because our powers aren’t, well, powerful?”

  “I don’t know who did that. That’s not my department, either.”

  “So, who removes the binding on our powers?”

  “That part does fall to me. It’s really just a mental thing. Like an invisible clamp in your mind.”

  “I have a clamp in my head?”

  “I said invisible. C’mon Kaydence, keep up or I’ll have to think twice about releasing your powers.” “Sorry. I’m just still tr
ying to grasp all the other things that have been going and this new bit of revelation.”

  “Well, get a grip faster. I don’t have all day to dawdle.”

  “Is there anything else I should know?”

  “Oh! That was one of my favorite 80’s songs. But no. Your powers will come back to you in increments. Not all at once.”

  “What are my powers?”

  “I honestly don’t know what powers you’d have been born with.”

  “Will it be like waking up after a long sleep and seeing the world all new again?” It was what Merrick had mentioned at dinner and it was a nice way of looking at things… The town, and love, and now powers.

  “You’ve been watching way too much Hallmark Channel. You might want to cut back on that.”

  “What would you know about romance?”

  “More than you ever will.”

  “I don’t think I want to know. Forget I asked. So, the powers will gradually come back to me and my sisters? That’s what you said.”

  “Yes. Too much all at once and no one knows what that might do.”

  “How will we know what our powers are?”

  “Trial and error.”

  “What? You mean like Broo’s powers? Oh no. I don’t want to go through that.”

  “You’ll be fine. Your control is already established.”

  “Is the reason I couldn’t figure out how to deal with the ghosts on my own because I had powers, but couldn’t use them?”

  “It’s possible, but it’s more like you just hadn’t dealt with anything like it before and just didn’t know how.”

  “That’s why you don’t bind a witch’s powers just because one person in the family went a little cuckoo.”

  “It was a safety measure. No one wanted a family of jealous and off the hinges witches going around cursing people who upset them.”

  “My sisters and I aren’t like that.”

  “Everyone has a bit of jealousy inside them, a bit of insecurity. Emotions are messy. Besides, you have done well as a cookie witch. What you and your sisters can do with sugar… You bring happiness to others with what you make with your own two hands. That has power. That has magic. You don’t have to have out of this world power to do powerful things. Remember that.”

  And then she was gone. A purple plume was all that was left of the neon witch.