“Young lady, you will watch your tone.” Mrs. Hazleton stepped in front of me to chastise me. I couldn’t believe she was calling me out after what her daughter had said.
“We don’t have to be nice because you don’t matter, Celeste.” To prove her point, Tamara whipped her wand in the air and yelled, “Fluxul de apă!”
Without Carson to help me, a spray of water hit my entire left side as I tried to scurry past. Their laughter echoed through the wide vestibule, drawing everyone’s attention to me. Slipping and sliding, I rushed to the door and ran outside.
I hurried down the steps and ran along the sidewalk in no particular direction. The water trickled under the collar of my coat and dripped down my gauzy shirt to my bra. I was soaked, yet I was so angry that I didn’t feel the cold until I was halfway down the street.
I shook my head and scolded myself. It was stupid to challenge Tamara. I knew better than to talk back to her.
Sniffling, I pulled my ridiculous hair out of my face and wiped my cheeks. I didn’t know why I thought today would be different. As usual, nothing was going my way.
Thinking back on Benjamin’s conversation with Anika, I scowled. How? How could Benjamin have my back one second and turn around to acquiesce to a pouting girl? Did he really want to be her king so badly that he had to betray me?
Maybe I had waited too long to say something to Benjamin or maybe I never really had a chance to be with him. Maybe I was a fool to believe that he could ever fall for someone like me.
Taking a deep breath, I looked up at the darkening sky and sighed. I needed a plan.
First, I needed to get out of the cold and dry off since my mother would hang around with her friends for at least another hour before she was ready to leave. Then, I would ponder my chances with Benjamin.
Looking around, I noticed a chalk sidewalk sign that said, “Pumpkin Spice Latte”. Salvation at last.
I marched right into the Jewels Cafe and got in line. Seeing only a few familiar faces from town, I was happy that most of them were strangers. I could sit alone and pity myself in silence.
When I reached the front, I tried to compose myself. “Can I please have a Pumpkin Spice Latte and a chocolate muffin?”
“Rough day?” The man behind the counter smiled. He pushed the muffin across the counter on a small plate. I recalled my mother calling the owner, Julian.
“You have no idea.”
“Sorry to hear that. Here, this will make you feel better.” He winked as he rang me up.
“Thank goodness. I could really use a pick me up.” I smiled at Julian, grateful for the cup of warm happiness.
I took the warm cup and handed Julian my money. Walking toward the closest table, he called out to me. “Don’t worry. Things will get much better real soon.”
I felt optimistic as I looked at my drink and my muffin. Food always made me feel better after a bad day.
Seeing Onyx, a human from Stone Hill School I sometimes ran into, sitting at a table by herself, I thought about joining her. She was no stranger to adversity, so she might understand my problem, even if we weren’t actually friends.
Her father was messing around with a woman at the local paper. When her mother found out, she went ballistic and took a bat to the newspaper office. I was torn between giving her a hug and leaving her alone to avoid the humiliation of a stranger talking to her.
I decided to sulk at my own table until I was dry enough to leave.
“Are you new in town?” A young woman with blonde hair called out from nearby.
I looked up and stared at her quizzically. “No, I go to boarding school, so I’m not home much. I like the shop. It’s cute.”
She smiled and nodded. “It was a struggle at first, but things have gotten better. I hope you enjoy your drink. Let me know if I can get you anything else. I’m Amber.”
She held out her hand. “Celeste, or Pearl Dreger, if my mother is around.”
Chuckling, she nodded. “Nice to meet you, Celeste. I’ve heard mention of your mom. Interesting woman.”
I laughed at her assessment since most people in town had strong opinions about my mother. “That she is. Thank you for brightening my day.” I held up the cup to show my appreciation.
“Anytime.” She waved and headed over to another table.
Settling into my seat at a small table in front of the windows, I stared at the gemstone sticker on the side of the cup. It resembled a Pearl, which was an odd coincidence.
Taking a deep breath, I took a sip, hoping that somehow the day got better. How had I screwed things up so badly in such a short amount of time?
I was losing Benjamin, losing fights to Tamara and losing my sanity by seeing the black cat again. I had been home for one day and everything was a disaster.
Reflecting on the last few months away from home, I wasn’t sure what had changed. I was the same person, so why was everything suddenly ten times harder than before?
I sat up and gasped.
“Everything changed!” There was a reason for my sudden desire to be seen and heard. Sadie Goodwin.
The second I had woken up to her sleeping in my dorm room, my life had completely changed. Sadie watched my back, encouraged me to do magic and never once made fun of me. When the Misery Twins had sent burning notes to me, Sadie confronted them and saved me during a magical duel.
Sadie’s positive influence made me want more for myself. She had inspired me to take a stand for what I wanted and stop hiding. Unfortunately, without her around to fight my battles, I was pissing off my enemies and getting soaked. I had to find a way to accomplish my goals without getting into a duel with Tamara. It wouldn’t be easy, but I refused to slink back to my corner.
Chapter 4
Watching the locals come in and out of the cafe, I felt warm and relaxed as if my body was rejecting all the negativity I’d absorbed since returning home. I felt almost hopeful. For a few minutes, I didn’t care about Benjamin and his stupid non-girlfriend. I decided that Carson could jump in the springs for being a jerk, though part of me wanted to be there to watch him jump in. Even my dumb, annoying ghost cat didn’t bother me as much.
Was I being dramatic? Maybe my troubles weren’t as bad as I thought.
Reflecting on my time at school, I realized that I had endured all kinds of teasing and bullying, yet I was still me. I hadn’t become bitter or vengeful. Sure, there were times when I wanted to pummel the mean kids, but I would never actually do it. I never wanted to be like Tamara and her friends. If having magic turned me into a jerk, maybe waiting for it was a good thing.
I stared down at the pearl sticker and smiled. Leaders who saved their villages from dragons were heroes, not jerks. I wanted to be a hero like Pearl. I wanted to be like Sadie, who stood up to any challenge that came her way. Tamara certainly wouldn’t jump in front of a dragon or a curse to save someone.
I might not be strong enough to save a village, but I was nice enough to make friends with the village and kind enough to take care of one. It was time to get off my butt and stop hiding behind my books. Regardless of what Tamara and the Misery Twins at school thought of me, I couldn’t let their opinion hold me back from becoming the person I wanted to be.
Feeling better about myself and a little drowsy, I headed out the door. My coat was slightly drier, so I was able to ignore the squishiness along my side. I breathed in the crisp air and smiled. I was on a new mission. I was going to be the nice girl.
Looking down the street, my eyes landed on the Silver Springs Public Library or “SPELL” as we called it. If I couldn’t cast spells, I could continue reading about them. Maybe I could find a spell that would turn mean people into nice people, or at least toads.
I walked with my head held high towards the intersection, until something distracted me and darted in front of my legs. Tripping to a stop, my new shoe slid and I lost my balance. I tried to catch myself, but my shoe went one way and my ankle went the other. Tumbling, I fell into the street, unable to
stop myself.
Quickly looking up, I saw a black SUV speeding towards me. I scrambled to get back on the curb, but I wasn’t fast enough.
Frozen, I watched the SUV coming straight at me. Feeling strong arms wrap around my shoulders, I turned my head to see a handsome blonde guy pulling me back to the curb.
In the span of a breath, my feet landed on the curb and the SUV zoomed past us.
Stunned, I looked up into beautiful green eyes.
“Are you all right?” The handsome boy looked back at the street and down at me to make sure we were far enough from danger. His British accent was surprising, yet enchanting.
I cleared my throat and moved my body slightly to confirm that I was still in one piece. “I think so. Thank you.”
He gave me a tight smile and held me a little longer than was socially acceptable. I didn’t mind being in the stranger’s arms, which should have concerned me. Perhaps I was in shock, or lonelier than I thought. He cleared his throat and took a step back. He put his hands in his suit pockets as he frowned. “You need to be more careful.”
“Mmm hmm.” I nodded though I hadn’t really heard him. I was still processing the fact that I was alive.
Assessing the guy’s black suit and white shirt, I wondered if he had come from church or a job interview.
He squinted off into the distance. “If you’re okay, I’m going to leave.” He appeared nervous, which was strange since I was the one who almost died.
“Sure.” I shrugged.
“Bye, Celeste.” He quickly stepped away and turned the corner, leaving me to flounder in awkward silence, trying to figure out what had just happened.
“Wait. How did he know my name?” I blinked a few times, trying to remember if I had said my name.
“Celeste, are you okay? I saw what happened.” Amber rushed out of the cafe to check me for injuries. “You’re lucky that boy grabbed you from the road.”
“Yeah. Lucky.” I nodded like an idiot.
Amber smiled and pointed to someone down the street. “I’m taking a stab at this, but I assume that’s your mother.” She pointed towards my mother and her friend Mrs. Danbury. “You need to tell her what happened. You should go home and take it easy.”
“I will. Thank you!” I waved to Amber as I looked over my shoulder to where the guy had disappeared. I could still feel the warmth of his arms around me.
“Pearl! What is going on? Why didn’t you wait for me outside?” My mother’s voice cut through my confusion and panic. “What did that woman want?”
I immediately stood up straight and rearranged my bunched up shirt and coat. “I wanted a latte, so I came here to wait for you. Amber was just introducing herself.”
She muttered to herself as she touched my wet blouse. “Is it raining?” She frowned deeply and looked up at the cloudy sky.
“It was.” I didn’t like lying to her but she would have never believed the truth. She was very much under the delusion that Tamara and I were friends.
She carefully pulled her wand out of her pocket to avoid being noticed by the humans and pointed it at me. “Usca!”
The water drained from my coat and shirt as I stood there feeling like a little girl being scolded for playing in the mud.
Satisfied that I appeared suitable for public viewing, she nodded and motioned for me to follow.
Mrs. Danbury smiled at me. “I saw your ball gown. You will be stunning. Your mother made a good choice.”
Mrs. Danbury had no children of her own, so she lived vicariously through my mother. She had no real concept of how to be a mother either, so picking out a gown without the approval of the wearer was perfectly acceptable to her.
“I’m sure it’s lovely.” I nodded to her and looked to my mother. “I’m on the decoration committee with Hana. We’re going to meet tomorrow afternoon to plan.”
My mother stopped dead in her tracks and leveled me with her patented “I know I didn’t just hear something that will displease me” look.
“I didn’t volunteer you so that you could hang tacky paper stars from wires. You were supposed to show off your leadership abilities and take charge of this fiasco. From what I hear, the girls want to turn this ball into a disco party. The Winter Solstice Ball is an elegant event meant to showcase the refinement of the girls and highlight the society’s charitable contributions. What will people think if they see our children writhing and twerking on the dance floor? I will not have it. I am expecting you to make sure that this dance is not derailed by those who wish to see it destroyed.”
Surprised by her accurate use of the word “twerking”, I tried not to roll my eyes at her idea of what the dance should be. God forbid anyone had any actual fun during a dance.
“Yes, mother.”
On the way home, I tried to forget about nearly dying, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the boy who had saved my life. Who was he? More importantly, how did he know my name?
Sniffing my coat, I caught the scent of his cologne. It smelled like warm vanilla. Had I not been in shock, I might have noticed the possessive way he held me. Even the way he stared at me was a little more intimate than it should have been. Had I imagined a connection between us or was my brain scrambled from the terror of almost dying?
Shaking my head, I shrugged away the idea that there was something between us. It was ridiculous to like a guy I knew nothing about.
Once in the house, I heard voices coming from the parlor. I walked in and saw the coven leader’s bodyguard, the Black Dog, standing in the vestibule. He was broad, intense and someone I never wanted to speak to.
“Pearl!” My father called from the parlor. Ducking my head around the Black Dog, I saw him sitting with the four elders of our coven.
My father stood up and waved me into the room. “Pearl, please come in. You might not wish to talk about this, but I wanted you to know that your attacker is standing trial next week. We are seeing to it that he is locked away for a very long time. He made a mistake when he chose to harm my daughter.” He proudly put his arm around me and gave me a side hug.
I shook my head. “He didn’t target me, father. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Nonsense.” High Priest Ainsworth, the head of the coven, stood up and cleared his throat. “Our coven is very well known within the magical community. I doubt that you were chosen randomly. There have been a growing number of attacks on our community. This was just the latest attempt to scare us into silence. We have been investigating a devious group targeting both casters and conjurers. I don’t want to alarm you, but we believe the man responsible for harming you is a part of this group. We have taken to calling them the Shadow Masters. Every time we get close to learning their identities, they crawl back into the shadows and disappear. I promise you, Pearl, we will get justice for you.”
“I wasn’t the only one attacked.” I was angry that they were ignoring the fact that these Shadow Masters had also hurt my friends.
Lady Tallulah Tallersal, the coven’s historian, stood up and shook my hand. “Do not worry, Pearl, we are working with the other covens to identify the persons responsible, including Lucas Hanley’s coven.”
I bit my lip when she didn’t mention Sadie since she didn’t have a coven to work with. At least Lucas’ family knew about the hunt for these people.
Lord Abner Cornish, the coven’s healer, nodded at me. “My door is always open, Pearl. If you need someone to talk to or if you need some herbs to help you sleep, I can assist with both. I’m also very good at telling long boring stories that will take your mind off nearly anything because you will be fast asleep by the end.” He chuckled at his own joke and waved at me.
I laughed at Lord Cornish’s strange humor. He always tried to put everyone at ease. “I’ll be sure to visit if I need to. Thank you for helping.” I attempted to sound pleased by their actions on my behalf, but I felt like they were following their own agenda.
My father guided me out into the hallway as I waved to eve
ryone. As he opened his mouth to speak, Lord Kellen Westerbrook, the coven’s treasurer and public face, slapped my father’s back.
“Don’t worry, Vincent. We will figure out who is behind all of this. And Pearl, I don’t want you to needlessly worry about things. You need to focus on the Solstice festivities. We will handle these matters. You focus on the Ice Carnival. I hope you consider offering something to be auctioned. I know you have clothes that you have grown out of, or perhaps you can make something. Given that you can’t offer your services by providing a spell to auction off, you’ll need another way of representing the family.”
I nearly groaned when I thought about the auction. Every witch and wizard in the YWWA offered to use their best spell to help the highest bidder, or they offered a gift basket to bid on in cases where the witch or wizard wasn’t proficient enough with their spells or a late bloomer.
“Of course, Lord Westerbrook. I have plenty of things I can offer at the auction.” I smiled brightly as my father nodded, seemingly pleased that I was willing to help. They both returned to the parlor and closed the door behind them.
I scratched the back of my head as I pondered how to get myself out of offering a stupid gift basket. I didn’t want my contributions for the charity auction to be a basket of old clothes. I wanted to make a difference and prove that I was worthy of being an ambassador for the casters.
≈
The next morning, I was feeling more optimistic about my dilemma. Nothing had changed, except for maybe my outlook. I felt like I could tackle any problem thrown at me. Maybe it was the fact that I was dry and rested after yesterday’s debacle.
Waiting next to the car for my mother to finish giving the dinner menu to Candice, our chef, I wondered why my mother cared about dinner since we were headed to a giant catered lunch at the YWWA. So much for watching my figure with back to back multiple course meals.
I ran my hands down my long leaf patterned black and white skirt to calm my nerves. All I had to do was say a few words at the Winter Solstice Luncheon to kick off the festivities. Simple, right?
Pearl (Jewels Cafe Book 8) Page 3