Witch out of Time

by Elle Adams

  She shrugged. “I dunno.”

  Tweens rarely had a handle on what they wanted out of life. I still didn’t know now, really, at twenty-five. I’d just kind of muddled through life. My arrival at Fairy Falls was the first decision I’d made which had felt like I was moving in the right direction.

  “Well, Alissa works at the hospital,” I said. “She has healing magic. What type do you have?”

  Sammi gave another shrug, fiddling with a loose thread on her cardigan. “I have the same. Healing magic. Most of my family does.”

  “You have time to decide,” I added. “But try to think before you speak in future, okay? Rebecca’s been through a lot.”

  “Mm.” Her gaze went to the desk, where a book lay open, titled A Guide to Basic Rituals. Madame Grey must have left it out. I gave the page a scan, but even the basics were far too advanced for me. Besides, there was no point in looking up how to use the sceptre when it was missing. A Guide to Banishing Ghosts for Dummies would be more helpful right now.

  Or talking to ghosts. Like my mother. Raising the dead was illegal, but if they came back on their own, it was another story. Curiosity seized me, but before I could investigate the bookshelves behind the desk, Madame Grey re-entered the office.

  “Sammi, you can go,” she said.

  Her granddaughter nodded and ducked out of the room.

  Madame Grey closed the door behind her. “I do hope you haven’t come to report a haunting, Blair. Your boss has left me fifteen messages.”

  “Oh, no,” I said. “It sounds like our office isn’t the worst case, if this is happening all over town. Is there nothing you can do?”

  She walked to the desk and closed the ritual textbook. “Any of us can banish a single spirit using a spell, but this sort of epidemic can only be reversed by removing the cause.”

  My heart sank. “You mean, by finding the sceptre. Not by waiting until after Samhain.”

  “Yes, Blair,” she said. “I take it you’ve thoroughly searched the house?”

  “Alissa and I looked around the whole place yesterday,” I said. “And nobody lied when they said they didn’t kill Grace, unless I wasn’t thorough enough with my questionings. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Aveline confirmed what Nathan’s dad said about—about my mum being a criminal. She said Tanith stole the sceptre, once. Is it true?”

  Madame Grey’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I knew the sceptre was stolen once before, but not who was responsible. Aveline never mentioned it to me, and nor did your grandmother. I wonder what possessed her to confide in you?”

  Er… a werewolf potion. Which I’d forgotten about, thanks to the ghosts. “I don’t know why she didn’t tell anyone. How did nobody from Fairy Falls hear about it?”

  Had anyone really known my mother at all?

  “We only knew her as a child,” she said. “She left the town when she was eighteen. At the time, she still carried a membership to the Wildflower Coven. Her only surviving family member was her mother… your grandmother. Her disappearance wasn’t unusual, given her adventurous nature. She’s not the first witch to leave town in search of excitement.”

  It sounds like she found more than excitement. “Aveline probably only knew because she was the sceptre’s owner. But I don’t understand why my mother would take it to begin with.”

  “If I know one thing about Tanith, it’s that she rarely did things without reason.”

  “Aveline said she was prone to making rash decisions,” I said. “I take it running away with a fairy isn’t conventional?”

  “No, but Tanith would never harm anyone. She had a very strong moral code.”

  I swallowed down bitter words. Maybe I was naïve in my continuing belief that there was an explanation for my mother’s actions which didn’t hinge on her being a career criminal, but it was either that or believe that maybe… maybe she’d never wanted me to begin with.

  You were never supposed to be part of this world, Nathan’s father had said. Madame Grey had unambiguously told me he was talking complete nonsense, and yet…

  “If Aveline knows more about Tanith, she’s never told me, Blair,” said Madame Grey. “I didn’t lie to you.”

  True. “Thanks for talking to me.”

  If anything, I felt even worse than I had before when I left her office. The road was still mired in thick fog, and since it got dark earlier at this time of year, it was all I could do not to trip over my own feet. When I reached the doorstep to the house, I did trip—over a small bundle of fur sprawled across the entryway.

  “Whoa, Sky. Didn’t see you there.”

  Usually at night, all I could see was his one white paw. In the fog, the only part of him still visible was his bright blue eye. His grey eye had merged with the fog, and the sight of a single disembodied cat’s eye staring at me was pretty creepy.

  “Are you hoping Aveline trips over you on the way out?” I asked. “Or—there aren’t any ghosts in the house, are there?”

  I checked my phone and found a new message from Alissa telling me she was going to be late back from work due to a ghost infestation at the hospital.

  “I think I should go and help Alissa, right, Sky?”

  Madame Grey’s words had left me restless, and besides, being alone in the house with a potential murderer was unappealing enough even without any unwanted ghosts hanging around. Maybe I had seen my mother’s spirit that morning, but now wasn’t the time to go wandering around the hills in the dark. Finding my way to the high street was difficult enough, and I took three wrong turnings on the way to Alissa’s workplace. Given the number of people walking into one another, it was a good job nobody in the town drove cars.

  I stumbled my way into the hospital, colliding with Vincent the vampire in the doorway.

  “Whoa.” I jumped back, wincing when I hit my elbow on the door frame. “Sorry, didn’t see you there. Were you—right, you were at the blood bank, right?”

  “Yes,” he said, looking disgruntled. “This ghost epidemic is very inconvenient.”

  “Vampires can see ghosts?” I asked.

  “Most of us can,” he said. “Our enhanced senses make navigating this perplexing fog easier, but not for everyone else.”

  “I guess not.” I covered my ears as a ghostly howling struck up in the corridor to our right. “I should have known the hospital would be flooded with spirits. I take it they’re all over your house, too?”

  “Surprisingly not,” he said. “Ghosts often return to places they lived in, and nobody actually lives in the morgue except for us.”

  “Never thought I’d envy you for sleeping in coffins,” I said. “So the ghosts are just appearing in the places they used to live in?”

  “Or where they died,” he said. “But most bodies that show up at the morgue are already dead.”

  “I’d hope so, considering,” I said. “So if I wanted to find a specific ghost…”

  Wait a second. Never mind chasing my dead mother—Grace had died so recently that her spirit must be closer to this world than most of the others. What if it was possible to bring her back to reveal the identity of her murderer?

  “Not thinking of dabbling in necromancy, are you?” he enquired.

  “No, but I was thinking now’s a good chance to question a murder victim,” I replied.

  “And your mother.”

  I stepped back. “I thought you weren’t reading my mind anymore.”

  “Tread carefully around the dead,” he said. “They might resemble their living selves, but they’re not the same. They’re not alive, and they have no wants or needs. Make no mistake, they should not be walking among the living.”

  “This coming from a vampire?” Maybe I should have kept that thought to myself—not that he couldn’t have plucked it from my mind anyway.

  “I was not raised from death by a magical force beyond comprehension as these spirits were,” he said. “I would advise you to ask an expert witch or wizard if you wish to contact a s
pecific spirit without inviting trouble into your house.”

  He disappeared, leaving me alone outside the hospital and wishing I’d asked Madame Grey about questioning Grace’s ghost. Perhaps she already planned to, regardless of the magical world’s usual feelings on summoning the dead.

  Unless we found the sceptre, the town was doomed to be haunted no matter what. Why not take advantage of that to solve the murder?

  I woke to an early morning call from Veronica saying the office was closed for the day because the printer and the coffee machine had got into a fight with the ghost in the middle of the night. Fervently glad not to be dealing with that mess, I tried to get back to sleep, but now I was awake, Aveline’s words came crashing back into my head, along with the reminder that we had one less day to track down the sceptre. Small mercies that nobody seemed to have noticed the Head Witch’s abrupt change in personality and no ghosts had appeared inside the house. Our house might be old, but it seemed nobody had died here… with one obvious exception.

  Sky meowed and curled up under my arm, his tail tickling my nose. Fairy cat or not, he was downright affectionate when he wanted to be. “The ghosts don’t bother you, do they? Can you see them?”

  “Miaow.” I winced when his claws dug into my chest, in a manner that implied that if I was awake, I’d better feed him. I fished in my bag for a treat and tossed it to him, and Sky settled down in the spot on Nina’s sofa where I’d been lying.

  All right. I guess I’m getting up, then.

  Madame Grey was bound to be unimpressed if I asked her for a guide to summoning spirits, so the university library was a safer bet. I took a quick shower and dressed before heading downstairs to meet Alissa.

  “Hey, Blair,” she said, locking the door to her flat—our flat. “No work today?”

  “The ghost wrecked our office,” I said. “So I thought I’d take a trip over to the university library and see if they have any guidebooks on how I might contact Grace’s ghost.”

  If we both had today free, then now was the perfect time to do some ghost-hunting.

  “Good thinking,” she said. “Aveline was pretty quiet last night, all things considered.”

  “No wonder, if she’s had a double dose of that werewolf potion.”

  “Speaking of the werewolf potion, I think someone threw it in the bin,” she said. “Did I mention I’m sick of people making a mess of our flat?”

  “Speak for yourself.” I dug my hands in my pockets, shivering as we walked out into the fog. “Sunday can’t come quickly enough.”

  “I can’t believe my grandmother is organising another rehearsal this evening in this weather,” said Alissa. “Half the town’s shops are closed, and the hospital has had to move all the patients to the east wing because it’s the only place that isn’t haunted.”

  “Another rehearsal? You’re joking.” I groaned. “How does she expect anyone to see where they’re going? And what if a dozen ghosts join the procession?”

  “I told her that,” said Alissa. “She insisted. It’s not worth arguing with her when she’s in one of her moods. Anyway, given that the werewolf potion is scheduled to wear off by tonight, we’re best staying out of the Head Witch’s way.”

  “Just what we need— Aveline back to her usual self.” I led the way uphill towards the town’s only university, which lay at the far end of town. “Wish we could exorcise her.”

  At this rate, Fairy Falls would need its own ghost extermination team. Most of the current security force couldn’t see ghosts… including Nathan.

  “Tell me about it,” said Alissa. “It’s quiet out here, considering half the town’s off work. Is Nathan free? I’m guessing not, since you didn’t invite him with us.”

  “No, he’s still on security duty,” I said. “I don’t know how he can see where he’s going. Even the High Fliers aren’t out in this weather.”

  “This might help.” Alissa pulled out her wand and gave it a wave, conjuring up a spark of light to show the path through the fog.

  “That’s a useful one.” I pulled out my own wand and did likewise. My torchlight was a little too much like a disco ball for my liking, but at least I could see more than a few inches in front of me. We made our way uphill to the university campus, where the fog masked the murals on the walls of the brick buildings.

  “My mum used to teach here,” Alissa said. “Before she left academia to work in the herb greenhouses. You’ve been here before… right, when you were looking into Dr Appleton’s murder.”

  “Which turned out not to be a murder,” I added. “Yeah, and I know someone in the library who might help me out.”

  It took a while to find the right building, not helped by the campus’s confusing layout which was tricky to navigate even without ground-level fog. At least the inside of the library was fog-free, though there was no sign of Samuel the vampire either.

  Alissa scanned the curving rows of shelves. “Where’s your friend?”

  “He’s—” I paused as Samuel the vampire appeared out of nowhere on my right. The vampire had dark skin and short hair and wore his usual smart suit. I’d never seen a vampire who dressed sloppily. Presumably they covered it in vampire training. “Here,” I finished.

  “Blair Wilkes,” he said. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “I’ve been busy,” I said. “You wouldn’t happen to have any books on ghosts, would you?”

  “I’m afraid most of them have been taken out by the History Department. There’s a particularly stubborn poltergeist wreaking havoc on the third floor.”

  “It’s happening here, too?” asked Alissa.

  He fixed his gaze on her. “I’ve never seen you before. Are you new?”

  To my astonishment, Alissa blushed. “Ah, no, I’m not a student. I studied medicine, though, and I work at the hospital now. I’m Alissa.”

  “I’m Samuel,” he said. “Is there another book I can help you find? Or perhaps you would like to come to the café for a drink instead?”

  I cleared my throat. “We’re not trying to banish a ghost,” I said. “We’re trying to summon one.”

  “Why didn’t you say so?” His gaze was still on Alissa, his eyes unblinking in that odd vampire way. “I believe we have one or two left… anything else?”

  “Anything on the sceptre?” I asked. “And Samhain, rituals… that type of thing?”

  “Unfortunately, Madame Grey has all those,” he said. “I heard rumours that the sceptre’s disappearance was linked to the current epidemic.”

  “I think it’s true,” I said, with a glance at Alissa. “I know Madame Grey and the others have their own books, but I wondered if there was anything here that might help us attract a specific ghost. Not banish them.”

  “I will see.” He vanished, leaving a blurred imprint on my eyelids. Yet another thing they must cover in vampire training. I’d never met a vampire who didn’t move in that way.

  “You didn’t mention a vampire worked here,” Alissa whispered.

  “I thought I did,” I said. “It’s quiet in here. Maybe the library’s ghost-proofed.”

  “Here,” said Samuel, appearing in another flash with a book in his hands. “This is a basic guide which concerns summoning spirits. I rather think everyone wants to do the opposite, given the circumstances.”

  “So do we.” I took the book from him. “But there’s something else we need to do first.”

  His gaze went to Alissa. “Let me know if you change your mind. About going with me for coffee.”

  She blinked at him. “Ah. Sure.”

  I rolled my eyes and put the book into my bag. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

  Alissa hesitated a moment, then followed me. “I didn’t think vampires could even drink coffee.”

  “Flirting with vampires again?” I raised an eyebrow at her as we left the building. “I’m starting to think you have a type.”

  She poked me in the shoulder. “Oi. Just because you’re immune to his charm…”

&nb
sp; “Vampires aren’t my type.”

  “No, that’s Nathan,” she said. “Speaking of whom—what’s he doing?”

  “Patrolling in the fog.” I adjusted the bag with the book on my shoulder. “I need a warm drink before I head out there. And not with a vampire.”

  11

  Inside Charms & Caffeine, we found what seemed like half the town’s population, sheltering from the fog and the ghosts. Alissa and I bought coffee and muffins, snagging a table the instant one became available.

  “New recipe from out of town, I heard.” Alissa bit into her muffin. “I approve.”

  I took a bite and sighed in contentment as the taste of cinnamon flooded my mouth, instantly warming me from head to toe. “Let’s read the book before we summon any spirits.”

  Alissa leaned forward as I placed the library book on the table. “The town has enough ghosts wandering around without us inviting more unwanted guests from beyond the grave.”

  “Definitely.” I glanced around before opening the book in case anyone was snooping, but everyone else in the coffee shop was too busy discussing the ghost situation to notice us reading the instructions for a spirit-summoning spell. Alissa copied out the list of ingredients, and once we’d finished our coffees, we headed to the apothecary to buy what we needed.

  “I’m surprised more people didn’t have the same idea,” Alissa remarked as we left with a bag full of herbs. “Considering how rare it is for ghosts to appear at all.”

  “Maybe they’re too preoccupied dealing with the ghosts who are already here.” If my dad’s letter hadn’t put the idea in my mind of talking to my mother, I’d never have considered using the spell at all, but who better to question about the murderer than the ghost of their victim?

  Grace could be a test run, and then—only then—would I consider trying to contact Tanith Wildflower.

  “Where do you want to do this?” I asked Alissa. “Grace died in our garden, but I dread to think what Aveline would do if she caught us summoning ghosts. Not to mention if the killer’s inside the house, they might try to bump us off next.”