Prelude to a Witch

by Amanda M. Lee

  “She knew.”

  “She suspected. She didn’t know until you admitted it.”

  “I think we’ll do better working with her.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” He turned to his side and rested his hand on my stomach. “I’m not upset you told her, I just ... think we should talk about these things before they happen. You didn’t mention that she was digging as hard as she was.”

  “That’s because she was only circling the subject in the library. I knew she was suspicious, but I couldn’t believe she’d just jump to that conclusion. I mean ... who does that?”

  “Someone who has crossed paths with the paranormal before.”

  “Yeah, I’m curious about that.”

  “As am I. Her not telling us about it is a good sign, though.”

  “I agree. She’s not the first one to find out the truth about us.”

  “No, but I still think we should have protocol for situations like this.”

  I grinned. “That’s so you. I love how you want to establish protocol. That’s such a man thing.”

  “It’s the smart thing.”

  “I think it’ll work out.”

  “I hope you’re right, and not just because our lives could drastically change if the wrong person finds out.”

  I’d been worried about the same thing, so I could hardly chastise him for saying it out loud. “I’ll do my best not to ruin your life.”

  “Don’t say things like that. The only thing that would ruin my life is losing you. We’ll deal. I trust Hannah.”

  “Even though she doesn’t have a crush on you?”

  He scowled. “I’ll never live that down, will I?”

  “No. It’s too cute.”

  He sighed. “Honestly, thinking back, it makes sense. There were ... hints ... that she wasn’t as into me as most women are.”

  “Ah, a way to boost your ego even in the face of defeat.”

  “Ha, ha.” He started tickling my abdomen, causing me to squirm. “The only person I want to have a crush on me is you. As for Hannah, I never had reason to think she wasn’t trustworthy. I have hope that she’ll work with us. Is that what you need to hear?”

  “Pretty much. I’d hate to be the one who opened my big mouth and put my family at risk. I always assumed that would be Aunt Tillie.”

  He laughed. “I’m right there with you.” He nipped in for a kiss and then pushed his unruly hair from his face. “I’m starving. My stomach is about to lodge a formal complaint. Let’s head to the inn early so we can talk to Terry. It’s best he knows that the witch is out of the bag, so to speak.”

  “He’ll probably be angry.”

  “I don’t think so. He loves you too much. He’ll be worried, but he needs to know.”

  I nodded. “I have to tell Mom and the others too. I only outed myself, but Hannah isn’t an idiot. She’ll figure out that the entire family is involved.”

  “She will. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

  I figured otherwise, but there was only one way to find out.

  CHIEF TERRY WAS AT THE TABLE WITH Aunt Tillie when we entered the dining room. I couldn’t help but notice Aunt Tillie had opted for standard blue leggings today instead of her usual loud ones. That likely meant she was hungry.

  “Something happened last night.” Landon didn’t stand on preamble, but he did dart a look toward the door to make sure Hannah wasn’t approaching. “You’re not going to like this.” He laid it all out for Chief Terry, who frowned throughout the entire tale.

  “Well, that’s just great,” Chief Terry rumbled. He didn’t yell, but I could tell he wanted to. “That doesn’t sound very smart.”

  I shrugged. “She knew.”

  “She suspected,” Landon corrected. “It’s done now. We have to deal with it. I just wanted you to be aware before she comes down.”

  “It will be fine,” Aunt Tillie waved away his concern. “She’s not evil.”

  “How can you be sure of that?” Chief Terry challenged.

  “Because I’m me. I know things.” She tapped the side of her head. “You guys need to stop getting worked up about things like this. Worry about the big stuff.”

  Landon, from his spot by the door, swiped his hand across his throat to silence Aunt Tillie. It didn’t work.

  “Is that a gang symbol?” Aunt Tillie demanded. “Did he just gang signal me?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “He just wants you to stop being you.”

  “Fat chance.” The smile Aunt Tillie pasted on her face when Hannah appeared was straight out of a horror movie. “Welcome to the wonderful world of witches. If you open your big, fat mouth, we’ll curse you to within an inch of your life. We’re having bacon for breakfast, though, so there’s that to look forward to. If you want some, you’ll have to get in there fast before the glutton steals it all.”

  I briefly shut my eyes. Only Aunt Tillie would think that was appropriate.

  Landon cleared his throat, discomfort rolling off him in waves. “Ignore her.”

  “I don’t think that’s wise.” Hannah returned Aunt Tillie’s smile. “I see everybody is caught up on where we stand.”

  “Not everybody,” I said, shooting a worried look toward the kitchen. My mother’s reaction was yet to come. “We thought it best to tell Chief Terry, though.”

  Hannah poured herself a glass of juice and focused on Chief Terry. “And how long have you known?”

  “Since ... forever.” Chief Terry’s expression didn’t change. “She’s always been my little sweetheart. Even though she’s an adult now, that hasn’t changed. It won’t ever change.”

  “And you want me to be aware that you’ll be working against me if I blab,” Hannah surmised.

  “He doesn’t think you’re going to blab,” I offered awkwardly. “He’s just ... .” What? How could I explain it?

  “He’s her second father,” Landon volunteered. “In some ways, he’s her first father. Everybody here will go to the mat for everybody else. You should be aware of that.”

  “I’m aware.” Hannah took a seat at the table. “I have no interest in ruining this family. Everybody is delightful.”

  “Have you met Aunt Tillie?” I pointed to the woman in question. “And what about Aunt Willa? She’s not delightful at all.”

  “Well, I guess she’s not delightful.” Hannah smirked. “She is, however, a concern. What does she know about your family?”

  “Not enough to matter,” Aunt Tillie replied. “We grew up together, but she was always separate. That was her choice. My mother tried to include her, but it never went well. Willa was always ... Willa.”

  “She knows you’re a witch.”

  “She knows I’m the queen of witches,” Aunt Tillie snorted. “I’m the super witch of super witches. Don’t worry about Willa. I have plans for her.”

  Hannah’s eyebrows hopped. “That sounds ominous.”

  “Oh, you have no idea.” Aunt Tillie’s lips curved. “Willa isn’t a concern for us.”

  “Well, she’s somewhat of a concern,” I hedged. “Her association with Brian isn’t good.”

  “And what’s the deal with him?” Hannah asked. “I assume you told me only part of that story.”

  “He’s a schmuck,” Aunt Tillie replied. “That’s all you need to know about him. He’s not a concern either.”

  “He is a concern,” I countered. “He knows enough about us to cause trouble if anybody bothered to believe him.”

  “He knows very little,” Landon said. “He believes Aunt Tillie cursed him.”

  “I made his tiny man parts itch ... and turn green ... and there might’ve been some puss balls,” Aunt Tillie said.

  Hannah wrinkled her nose. “Well ... that’s lovely.”

  “I’m good with a curse,” Aunt Tillie said. “Just ask these guys.” She jerked her thumb at Landon and me.”

  “You’ve been cursed?” Hannah sipped her juice. “Do tell.”

  “Some curses are worse than o
thers,” I explained.

  “And some are delightful,” Landon added. “There’s this bacon curse that makes me warm and tingly all over.” He took on a far-off expression.

  Hannah pressed her lips together, her eyes dancing with delight. “You like smelling like bacon, do you?”

  “Oh, not me. Aunt Tillie curses Bay to smell like bacon. That’s like Christmas for me.”

  “Yes, and I attract every derelict man in town,” I said. “Not so fun for me.”

  “It’s tons of fun for me,” Aunt Tillie said. “Just out of curiosity, you don’t seem surprised that we’re witches. Why is that?”

  “I’ve met a witch or two in my time,” Hannah replied. “I’m careful who I admit that to for obvious reasons. You’re not the only witches I’ve crossed paths with.”

  “We’re the strongest.” Aunt Tillie sounded so sure of herself, all I could do was smile.

  “We have a certain reputation,” I explained at Hannah’s quizzical expression. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out going forward.”

  Hannah turned serious. “We need to talk. You’re obviously holding things back. I can’t help if I don’t know everything.”

  “As I told you last night, we don’t know anything.”

  “I know that you’ve seen things.”

  “Images in windows.” I flicked my eyes to the dining room window. It was empty. “I don’t know why I can’t see them anyplace else.”

  “Can you see ghosts regularly?”

  I hesitated.

  “It’s okay.” Hannah prodded. “I know that some witches can communicate with the dead. One of the other witches I’ve crossed paths with explained it. She said it’s a rare gift, passed down in families. Can all of you see and talk to ghosts?”

  “Just me.”

  “Um, and me,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’m a master at talking to ghosts.”

  “You rarely do,” I shot back.

  “I don’t feel the need. If people were stupid in life, they’re going to be stupid in death. That’s simply how it is ... and you can tell that idiot Viola I said so.”

  “Who is Viola?” Hannah asked.

  “She’s the ghost that lives at the newspaper office,” I said. “She can’t help with this.”

  “Because she’s an idiot,” Aunt Tillie reiterated.

  “Because she’s outside of this,” I corrected. “I don’t know that any ghosts can help us. If I can’t see the enemy, they might not be able to either.”

  “You could still try,” Landon suggested as he sat in his chair and collected my hand. “I know you’re uncomfortable bossing them around, but it’s worth a shot.”

  “I don’t think I understand,” Hannah said, glancing between us. “What do you want her to do?”

  Landon held my gaze rather than respond.

  “I’m more than a witch,” I replied. “My ghostly abilities are ... enhanced.”

  “Enhanced how?”

  “She’s a necromancer,” Aunt Tillie said. “She can control ghosts. She wasn’t always able to — or maybe she was and didn’t realize it — but now she can amass a ghost army to fight for us. It has come in handy.”

  “For what?”

  “We like to fight.” Aunt Tillie sent her a wink. “That’s a conversation for another time, though. If you want stories, I’ve got them.”

  “And she’s good at telling them,” Landon said. “Some of them are even true.”

  “Keep it up,” Aunt Tillie warned. “I’ll put you on my list.”

  “If you make me smell like bacon, it’s not a hardship. Then I’ll just molest myself.”

  Aunt Tillie rolled her eyes. “I’ll make you smell like liver and onions. Then Bay won’t come within twenty feet of you.”

  “Yeah, I don’t want that.”

  “I’ll hit you up for the stories later,” Hannah promised. “For now, we need to talk about what we’re going to do today.”

  “What did you have in mind?” Landon asked as he pushed my glass of tomato juice toward me.

  “You’re part of the team,” Chief Terry said. “Now that Agent Waters is in on the big secret, there’s no reason you can’t openly help us.”

  “I was pretty sure there was something weird going on when you took her back to the scene with us yesterday,” Hannah said. “I’ve never known an FBI agent to take his girlfriend to a crime scene. I was curious enough that I read through some of Landon’s field reports from the last two years. Do you know how many times Bay’s name is mentioned?”

  Landon shrugged. “It’s better to include her than get caught in a lie. Besides, it’s a small town and she’s a newspaper reporter. She’s with me all the time.”

  “And she actually helps you,” Hannah agreed. “I don’t have a problem with it. A smart agent uses the weapons at his disposal. It sounds like Bay is a weapon.”

  “She is,” Landon agreed. “She’s more than that, though. She’s my heart. I’m glad you’re on board, but I’ll still protect her with everything I have.”

  “You won’t need to. I have no intention of hurting her.”

  “That’s good.”

  “It is,” Aunt Tillie agreed. “What’s the plan to figure out who’s doing this? We have to put our heads together if we want answers.”

  “We?” Landon shot her a dubious look. “Since when are you part of the team?”

  “Since I don’t want to be around Winnie the Whiner today. The best way to punish her is to deprive her of my company.”

  I very much doubted my mother would consider that punishment. “You should stay out of it. You have revenge to dole out to Aunt Willa and Mrs. Little. Focus on that.”

  “I can multitask. Besides, you might need me.”

  I pressed my lips together, debating, and then nodded. “Okay, but only because I still don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

  “Do you really think she can help?” Chief Terry asked.

  “She is sitting right here,” Aunt Tillie snapped.

  I ignored her. “She’s been around the block a few times. She can’t possibly hurt anything.”

  “I believe the entire course of my career proves that wrong,” Chief Terry said dryly. “Still, if you want her on the team, given what happened last night ... .” He trailed off.

  “What happened last night coincided with the storm. They could only attack when it turned dark. I don’t know why, but that has to be at the top of our list of things to figure out. Until we do, we’re stuck.”

  “Then she’s in.” Chief Terry smiled for my benefit. “If we can stop you from getting hurt, that’s good enough for me.”

  “And me.” Landon rubbed my back and focused on Aunt Tillie. “You have to do what you’re told for a change.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Aunt Tillie leaned to her left far enough that her bottom came off the cushion. That’s when I realized the leggings weren’t as harmless as I originally thought.

  “Is that a clown’s face on your butt?” I asked.

  She quickly sat back down and extended a finger in my direction. “Don’t even think about telling your mother.”

  “But ... .”

  “Don’t bother,” Landon said. “She’s going to do what she wants. If she wears those leggings, we’ll just tell anybody she weirds out that she’s senile. The leggings will sell it.”

  He had a point. “Mom is still going to kill you when she finds out,” I warned.

  Aunt Tillie’s smile was sly. “I’m actually looking forward to that.”

  16

  Sixteen

  “I want to talk to Paisley’s friends,” Hannah said from her spot next to me in the backseat of Chief Terry’s vehicle. We’d gorged on eggs, hash browns and bacon, and were ready to hit the investigation hard.

  “I don’t have a problem with that,” Chief Terry said. “I don’t know that they can offer anything.” He met my eyes in the rearview mirror. We hadn’t told Hannah about our previous run-in with the girls. It wasn’t by design, but he
r mentioning wanting to talk to them made me uncomfortable.

  “Teenagers usually confide in friends, not parents. If Paisley really did have a boyfriend, it’s likely the girls know more than they told you the first go-around. I’ve been trained in how to talk to teenagers.”

  I shifted on my seat but said nothing.

  “These girls have been mentioned in two case files in the past few weeks,” Hannah noted. “One of them was kidnapped, correct?”

  “Actually, that’s not correct,” Landon replied. “The girl who disappeared showed up after a few days. It was all a plan that they cooked up together because they wanted Amelia’s parents to pay a ransom so they could run away together.”

  “All the more reason to question them,” Hannah insisted. “If they were plotting that, maybe something else happened. Maybe they had another plan and it somehow went wrong.”

  “That’s possible,” I said, “but I don’t know how probable it is. They don’t really remember their last plan, other than the basics.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I modified their memories.”

  “I helped,” Aunt Tillie added. “In fact, I wanted to saddle them with a few nightmares along the way as payback, but Bay vetoed that.”

  “You modified their memories?” Hannah looked perplexed. “May I ask why you did that?”

  “They were collecting magic fragments from Hollow Creek and using them against us,” Aunt Tillie replied. “It was all borrowed magic, nothing to frighten us, but they could’ve terrorized the town with it.”

  “That wasn’t in the report.” Hannah stared at her legs and shook her head. “How many of the cases Bay is mentioned in have magical ties, Landon?”

  “Almost all of them,” Landon said. “Does it matter?”

  “I’m just curious. It seems that Hemlock Cove is more magical than I realized.”

  “Hemlock Cove is crawling with magic,” Aunt Tillie agreed.

  “I wonder why.”

  “Because we’re here.”

  “The magic is attracted to you?”

  “Magical beings are drawn to other magical beings. Bay’s abilities draw in ghosts. It’s not a big deal.”

  “It feels like a big deal,” Hannah insisted. “You modified four teenagers’ memories.”