Collards & Cauldrons

by Bella Falls

  A lady with her nose poised in the air like she smelled something unpleasant stood up from her place at the end of the table and walked over and stood behind my grandmother. Her strand of pearls dipped forward as she leaned close to Nana’s right ear. Whatever words were said through her perfectly plum-colored lips caused my grandmother to turn a bit pink and frown.

  With an air of arrogant satisfaction, the woman straightened, ran her hand down her violet dress to smooth out invisible wrinkles, and clutched the strand of pearls surrounding her neck. She walked over to a nearby dais and tapped the microphone. Before she spoke, she scrutinized the audience. Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile which held no friendliness.

  “Hey, y’all,” she drawled in an affected Southern accent. “I’d like to welcome you to our thirteenth annual conference for witches. For those who may not be familiar with me, and that should not be very many among us, my name is Priscilla Ravenel Legare, widow of the great Hunter Legare and mother to Peyton Ravenel Legare.”

  A smattering of applause from those who knew her peppered the air. She sniffed and waited until the rest of us joined in and clapped.

  Blythe snorted. “When they audition for the role of wicked witch, she’s a shoe in.”

  “And what’s up with all the names?” I added.

  Clem leaned in and whispered, “Tucker says they take their family lines very seriously. Even money can’t buy you a spot in the upper elite circles. It’s all about what bloodlines you come from.”

  “I know we have the tradition with the Founders’ families and such, but that’s…a whole other level.” I tried my best to pay attention, but I couldn’t help focusing on how much the direct bloodline of the family mattered here.

  “Thank you,” Priscilla continued. “We are so pleased to see our numbers more than double this year with witches from all up and down the coastal region. Y’all have come to our fair city to be inspired and learn more about how we can all share in how to maximize our magical effectiveness wherever we live.

  “Now, today and tomorrow, you’ll have a program of panels during the day from which you can choose to attend. Tonight is the big mixer held in the adjacent Hyperion Hall next door. Put on your best and your brightest, and let our local district show you a good time.”

  Panic clenched my gut. Based on what this lady wore for regular daytime garb, my go-to dress with sunflowers hadn’t been my best choice to pack. Then again, Nana had told us to prepare one nice outfit, and being covered in my mother’s favorite flower always gave me a boost.

  “Please give a warm welcome to Frances Whitcomb, who will be moderating this first shorter panel to kick things off titled Magical Communities: Who’s In Charge.” Priscilla lightly tapped her fingers against her left palm and took her seat at the end of the table.

  “Thank you, Prissy. Let’s dive right in,” Frances began.

  “Uh oh,” I muttered, focusing on the title. “I wonder how friendly this discussion is going to be?”

  The presentation started out with basic introductions and an overview of the magical life in each presenter’s home base. Although both Nana and the other guest from a smaller Southern town answered with pleasant and positive details, Charleston’s representative raised the glass of water sitting in front of her, taking a long sip to pause before she spoke.

  When she finished her few swallows and with all eyes on her, she sniffed once and clasped her hands together. “Well, that’s all well and good for communities as small as yours, but in a town like Charleston, it is our job to police all of the magical beings as we have to co-exist with humans day in and day out. If we witches didn’t take up the mantle, then who knows what kind of chaos could erupt?”

  The moderator glanced at Priscilla and nodded once, looking down at her card full of questions. “I am sure both of the other towns full of witches have their own magical law enforcement. Can you elaborate on what you mean by policing, please, Prissy?”

  “I’d be happy to,” the three-named woman grinned.

  “That wasn’t a set up at all,” snarked Blythe.

  Priscilla looked out into the crowd with confidence. “You see, we were not the first settlers in this area when our descendants were granted land. It took us many generations to learn how to whip all the supernaturals into shape and bring about some form of order, especially the wilder fae.”

  Nana’s reddening face matched my insides. “I don’t like where this is going,” I uttered in a voice loud enough for others around us to hear.

  “Before World War II,” Priscilla continued, “having any type of fae running around on their own could endanger the secrecy of our kind. It wasn’t until afterward that our leader at the time figured out a way to allow the fae and their kind to live in a more civilized manner with some inspired foresight and ingenious spellcasting. Nowadays, the only problems we have within our community is deciding what outfit to wear to the next solstice gathering.”

  The woman dared to smile and expect applause for her explanation. The loudest claps came from the locals while the rest of us wore confused or bitter faces.

  Watching my grandmother, I knew it was a short matter of time. “Three…two…one…” I counted.

  The words burst out of Nana’s mouth. “In what world is it acceptable to suppress another supernatural being’s rights to live?”

  The crook of Priscilla’s mouth quirked up. “Before our kind rose up to take control of all magical enforcement, there were recorded accidents and yes, even deaths caused by those not of witch lineage. All beings in the world require some form of organization, and they respond best when there is someone in charge doling out rules and upholding them. You have your own form of government and control in your town, do you not, Vivian?”

  “Yes, but we also allow any and all beings with magical powers to live with us. Even the unwanted ones,” my grandmother declared with pride.

  Her counterpart raised a perfectly-shaped eyebrow. “And yet, it is not always a harmonious place. Have you not had issues with a fairy who assisted a vampire in stealing from your citizens? Has a troll not been arrested on suspicion of murder?”

  Some gasps and murmurs rose in the crowd in reaction.

  “She’s taking that out of context,” I complained.

  Nana sat forward in her chair. “Actually, evil comes in all guises. Witches have been some of the criminals who have been brought to justice for their actions. It’s not what we are but who we are and how we choose to live our lives that make a difference.”

  Clem fidgeted beside me, and I watched her place a hand on Tucker’s leg. Her husband and my former betrothed’s face blanched, and I cringed, knowing that one of the criminals my grandmother spoke about had been his father.

  “Yet, I know you can see the wisdom of having witches maintain the positions of control. In your council, you have had generations of the same families hold positions. It seems your ancestors may have been wiser than you.” Priscilla paused to take a breath to make another point.

  Nana jumped in. “I can’t say we’re perfect in Honeysuckle. Yes, for our own reasons, we have had witch families at the head of the town council. But recently, we held an election where anyone was invited to run. In the end, it was a gnome and our head of security who won the seat, and—”

  “After there was a murder involved,” interrupted Priscilla. “And the other candidate, a vampire, had been found in bed, so to speak, with the murderer. In terms of your enlightened election, there still remains a majority witch vote, unless my math fails me.”

  She held up a manicured finger to stop my grandmother from speaking, a dangerous move that could put her in dire jeopardy of being a target of Nana’s expert hexing. “Here, we have very little problems with the other kinds. They accept our authority and act accordingly. I think we would all agree, when it comes to magic, order is far superior to chaos.”

  Frances had been watching the back and forth like a tennis match, her mouth gaping a bit. When an uncomfortable
silence descended over the room, she cleared her throat and flipped through her cards. “Uh…umm…it seems we’re running out of time. I’d like to ask the presenters to give any last thoughts on the subject.”

  The other small-town representative batted her eyes. “I guess I would say that it depends on who the citizens are where you live. But mainly, I think live and let live is the best policy.”

  Nana pursed her lips, ignoring the poignant gazes from the two women from Charleston, expecting her answer. When my grandmother refused to speak, Frances uttered a sound of pain when Priscilla’s lower half hidden by the table jerked.

  The poor lady gritted her teeth into a forced smile. “And you, Vivian? Any final thoughts?”

  “I have thoughts, but they won’t be final,” Nana replied. “The idea that policing any other magical beings through the use of power wielded by our kind to suppress who they are and how they function should be investigated and revoked. Yes, each community has a right to act in their best interest, but that should be more inclusive, not exclusive.”

  I stood up, whooping loud and long while clapping until my hands hurt. Almost the entire crew from Honeysuckle joined me. Frances waited until we stopped and indicated for Priscilla to bring things to a close.

  The wicked witch stood up, looking down at Nana. “Bless your heart, sugar, you are more than right. Each community should take care of its own. However, I do think that when one of them seems to be outperforming in every way, there might be something worthwhile to consider. Thankfully, all of us will leave with lots to think about long after this weekend is finished.

  “I want to thank my fellow panel members for being so willing to share their points of view so freely. We’ll take a fifteen-minute break before the next panels start in the adjoining rooms.”

  The room buzzed with nervous energy, and I crossed my arms. “If we thought the issues between Honeysuckle and Charleston were over, I think we were just schooled on how wrong we were.”

  Tucker frowned and stepped closer to me. “We should have been prepared for a presentation like this. I will make sure to have a word with Prissy after the panel.”

  “You know her?” I jerked my thumb toward the front of the room.

  “I know of her,” Tucker admitted. “She’s been kind of the queen bee of the witch community at large in Charleston even before I attended college here. There were stories…” He whistled low but didn’t finish. “I know her daughter. Peyton isn’t bad, but you should see how her mother treats her.”

  Nana wasted no time leaving the front and pushing her way through the crowd in my direction. She huddled with Tucker for a brief moment where he agreed to lodge a direct complaint to Priscilla on behalf of our town council. Without talking to anyone else, she grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me along with her.

  I stumbled out into the main foyer of the hotel, fear coursing through me. My grandmother knew how to handle herself, and seeing her exhibit very heated emotions should make everyone move out of her way.

  “That woman,” Nana huffed. “It was all I could do not to bless her heart and hex her conceited hiney.”

  I pulled her further away from the crowds gathering outside the different conference rooms. “Why would she go on the clear offensive like that? It doesn’t make sense to invite all of us down here and then basically insult everything our town stands for.”

  My grandmother drank down the rest of her water bottle in a few gulps. “I didn’t see it coming. And Letitia was right.” She touched an area over her torso, and I suspected she wanted to make sure her mojo bag was still there.

  Curiosity got the better of me. “What did she say to you before everything started?”

  Nana’s gaze chilled me to my core. “She said, ‘This is for my brother.’”

  “Who’s her brother?”

  My grandmother closed her eyes. “Calhoun Ravenel.”

  Cold chills ran up my spine. “Oh no. Don’t tell me he’s here, too.”

  “No, thank goodness,” Nana uttered. “I heard from the lady who ran the panel that he left to ‘explore their family history in Europe’ after he came home from Honeysuckle.” She made quotation marks in the air with her fingers.

  “You mean, he ran away to escape his humility.” A long groan escaped my mouth, and I looked for the nearest exit. “So, the guy who got beat at his own game when he tried to take over Honeysuckle has a powerful sister. Well, let’s leave. You’ll have all of our support if we just get up and go.”

  “And let her get in the last word? Not on your life!” Nana’s loud declaration echoed in the hall and a few heads turned to watch us. She lowered her voice. “I didn’t come to Charleston looking for another fight, but I refuse to back down from one when it presents itself. If she wants to go to battle with me, then she can learn as well as her brother did that I won’t stop until everything’s finished. No, we are not leaving until either Priscilla or me isn’t standing.”

  Worried about creating a spectacle, I escorted my grandmother away from the nosy observers and toward the hotel lobby. Seating her on a fluffy couch shielded by a large flower arrangement, I left her to cool down while I fetched another bottle of water.

  “Excuse me, Miss Charli?” a voice called out.

  I turned to find David chasing after me, waving a piece of paper in the air. He thrust it into my hand when he reached me.

  “This message came through our front desk for you,” he said. “Is everything okay? Do you need anything?”

  An escape hatch? A door to the fairy path? Everything in me screamed we should leave, but there was no moving Nana when she’d made up her mind to stay.

  “No. Priscilla whatever her other two names are kind of attacked my grandmother in the first panel. Except, if you didn’t know the context, not everybody would know it was an attack.” I shook my head. “We’ll be fine.”

  David’s eyes darted back and forth. “Be careful, miss. Once the great witch sets her focus on you, it won’t be long until everything ends.”

  His words alarmed me, and I grabbed his arm. “What do you mean? And what did she mean when she talked about controlling the fae?”

  Another hotel worker in uniform passed by, and David jerked out of my grip. “I can’t say more. I need my job.” He hurried off, leaving me to add his lack of explanations to my pile of concerns.

  I returned to Nana’s side and opened the folded paper, reading the message out loud. “Abigail was held up on her way here. She promises to meet me at the cocktail mixer tonight.”

  “That’s good,” uttered Nana, still lost in her recovery from the first panel.

  “Is it?”

  My doubt pulled my grandmother out of her frustrated thoughts. She sighed and rubbed my back. “It will be whatever you make of it, Birdy. Go in expecting the best. If things don’t work out, you know that your family is here for you either way.”

  Family. That word seemed more loaded with high stakes than ever while we were outside the borders of our safe small town. At least now I knew when and where I would finally meet a member of my biological family. If bloodlines were so important in Charleston witch society, tonight, I would get a chance to find out exactly what kind of people the blood in my veins attached me to.

  Chapter Five

  The rest of the panels for the day held no animosity or agenda. Nana insisted that our group from Honeysuckle show some solidarity and backbone by maintaining attendance. She acquiesced to letting me and my friends skip the catered lunch and go to a restaurant a few steps further down Queen Street to a restaurant that boasted thirty years of being voted as having the best she-crab soup. The tasty Lowcountry specialty soothed many jangled nerves as well as proved their award-winning claim deliciously valid.

  After supper, Blythe and the two Blackwood cousins joined me in our room in getting ready for the mixer. Steam billowed out of the bathroom, erasing the wrinkles from our dresses while Lavender did the best she could in getting makeup on my face.

  “I
don’t want to be all caked up,” I complained.

  Lavender dabbed a sponge underneath my eyes. “It’s just powder, silly. And see if you can calm down. Your aura is all wobbly. We’ll be with you when you meet Abigail.”

  I jumped when someone knocked on our door, and Lavender insisted I stay still unless I wanted eyeliner applied directly to my eyeball.

  “Hey, girls. Who wants their hair done?” crowed Alison Kate.

  “As I live and breathe, it’s Mrs. Chalmers! How did you manage to get Lee to let you out of his sight?” teased Blythe.

  Our friend blushed and looked away. “We haven’t been that isolated from y’all.”

  “It’s your honeymoon, Ali Kat.” My friend’s happiness radiated from her and seeped into me, clearing away some of the fog of nerves. “You’re allowed to take some personal time when you choose to come to a conference first. Anyway, can you do that thing with my hair like you did for your wedding?”

  With a little of her natural skills and a tiny bit of magical talent, Alison Kate brushed, teased, and sprayed my hair into a messy bun at the back of my neck with curled tendrils framing my face. Even if my dress wasn’t that fancy, at least the rest of me could look the part.

  “You’d best be getting your dresses on. The mixer will start here in a few minutes,” Alison Kate declared after she’d finished with all of us. “I’m going to go back to our room to fetch Lee.”

  “See you tomorrow morning,” Blythe teased from the bathroom.

  I inspected my reflection in the mirror after I put on my dress, still worried that I wouldn’t fit in. However, a glance at the bright yellow sunflowers against the black of the fabric reminded me to shine no matter what. And maybe my hair, makeup, high-heeled sandals, and an air of confidence would do the trick.

  Another rough pounding on the door surprised the four of us. When Lily answered, Ben and Mason entered our room.