by Tonya Kappes
“I’m not a knick-knack.” A bright light shined from the bedroom and down the hall.
“You shouldn’t have said that.” I rolled my eyes. “But when you put it that way, it does make sense.”
“Let me make it up to you.” He pulled me back into his arms. There was no place that I ever felt safer. “I’ve made a reservation for two at the Treesort for dinner.”
“You did?” I asked and stared into his big blue eyes. I watched his strong jaw as he spoke.
“I did.” He pushed me to stand. “Go get ready and we can go. I’m starving.”
“But it’s not dinner time.” I looked at the clock in the kitchen. We usually didn’t eat dinner in the early afternoon, but then again we usually weren’t home then either.
“It’s vacation time.” A wicked grin passed over his lips before he smacked me on the hiney.
“I might get used to honeymoon time.” I giggled and scurried down the hall.
Madame Torres’s face was bobbling up and down in the glass globe. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. She was not happy.
“If you think that you are going to get me on a plane. . .” Her eyes rolled side-to-side. “Then you have another thing coming.”
“Why is it that when I really need you, you want to give me a hard time?” I asked a simple question. It was true. She was always so mad, but she did always come to my rescue.
“Take the furball.” Her eyes shifted to the bed where Mr. Prince Charming had curled up on Oscar’s pillow. Oscar would die if he saw Mr. Prince Charming there. He was okay with him on the bed, but not on his pillow.
“You were the chosen one.” I decided a little flattery might get me somewhere.
“Unchoose me.” Her head spun around and around until the inside of the ball went black. It was her way of having a crystal ball hissy fit. She was good at it.
“Almost ready?” Oscar stuck his head in. “Get that cat off my pillow! Gross!”
Mr. Prince Charming lifted his head, twitched his lip and laid it back down.
“Go on,” I suggested. “You move him.”
Oscar huffed down the hall knowing good and well he better leave the cat there or there would be consequences before, during and after we were at dinner.
“Play nice,” I warned my familiars as I quickly slipped on a little strappy black dress. It wasn’t like the Treesort restaurant was five-star or anything, but it was a date with Oscar and those were few and far between.
The Full Moon Treesort was the only bed and breakfast in town. It was something to behold. Amethyst Plum was the owner and proprietor of the Treesort and she’d had a brilliant idea. The resort lodge and the rooms are built in the forest trees beyond The Gathering Rock and my little cottage. The main lodge was the most spectacular place you’d ever see and the rooms were in separate trees around the property. They were so romantic and Amethyst had given a free stay to me and Oscar as a wedding present. And it couldn’t be more fitting that we have dinner at Full Moon since Amethyst’s spiritual gift is Onerirocriticy, dream interpretation. It couldn’t be more perfect timing.
“Sonny was having a hard time finding someone to take my shift while I’m gone.” Oscar made small talk as we walked into the woods, hand-in-hand as he referred to his boss at the police station in Locust Grove.
Mr. Prince Charming couldn’t stand being left home; he was suddenly beside us leading the way as his tail darted up and down.
“He said that everyone is trying to go on vacation.” He helped me over a log that had fallen. “I need to tell Colton to send someone out here and clear the trail for the tourists.”
Oscar’s thoughts were all over the place and so was the conversation, as though he was nervous.
“And you say that I have a hard time turning off work.” I made note. I understand him though, because it was not only my work, it’d become my way of life just as his has. “We are on vacation. No work talk.”
A group of fireflies danced the trail in front of us, lighting up the path that had been darkened by the canopy of the full leaves of the tree branches overhead.
“You kids are out early.” I noted as they buzzed about. The souls of teenagers that went to the great beyond came back in the form of fireflies. Just like teenagers, they loved to flutter around all night and sleep all day. “Go on and tell Petunia I’m doing fine.”
No doubt they were there to check up on me for Petunia. I was sure she wanted them to make sure I was okay with the village council’s ruling earlier today about Tulip Island. After all, we were friends and we would never want anything to come between us.
“Just think.” Oscar stopped when the path ended and the Full Moon Treesort was in front of us. “We got married right there underneath the stars.”
“We did.” I looked up at the massive double-decker A-frame resort that was mostly windows. There was a large staircase that led up to the Treesort lodge and the first step was where we got married in front of all our friends and family. It had truly been an amazing night.
Step by step we climbed to the top and Mr. Prince Charming was already inside doing what he did best. Begging for some of Amethyst’s good food. The aroma of freshly baked bread floated on the late afternoon wind, leaving us with watering mouths. Inside the main room of the resort there were couches filled with the resort’s clients. There was a big stone fireplace in the center of the room that served as a wall between the kitchen and the gathering space. The kitchen had a long counter with stools so some of Amethyst’s clients could sit there and chit-chat with her while she prepared meals. Or they could sit at one of the private dining tables.
Oscar and I waved to her.
“Our favorite Whispering Falls couple.” Amethyst untied the apron from around her waist and neck, setting it aside as she hurried over to greet us with a peck on the cheek. “I’ve got your table ready.” She batted her long lashes under her thick brows. Her dark eyes danced as she tugged her black fishtail braid around her shoulder.
“Oh. Fancy.” I smiled. “I thought we were going to sit at the counter.”
“Not tonight.” She had a singularly sweet smile. She motioned for us to follow her.
We followed her and I couldn’t help but notice she looked much thinner in her black pencil pants and the sleeveless green blouse. Her arms were thinner than I recalled.
“How are you doing?” I asked, a concern in my tone.
“I’m all right. A little stressed with such little help.” She opened the door to the outside balcony where there was a café table for two, a single white rose in a white milk vase with two lit tapered candles on each side. There were two place settings along with a bottle of wine next to the table in a chiller. “But that is how it is during the busy season.”
“Oh you shouldn’t have said that.” Oscar gave me the eye because in the beginning when he wanted to take the honeymoon, I knew it was going to be the busy season, but I went along with it since I had Faith.
“I’m sorry.” There was an empathetic look on her face as she pulled out my chair and offered me to sit.
“It’s all good.” I shook my head and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “When I get back, if there is anything I can do, you let me know.”
“I will do that. Now, I’ve taken the liberty to prepare a special dinner for the two of you using some of your aunt Eloise’s fresh vegetables from the garden.” She poured some wine in each flute. “Enjoy the view.”
We all took a moment to look out over the balcony and appreciate the colorful treetops and view of Whispering Falls in the distance. Pops of colorful flowers dotted Amethyst’s garden off the to the right of the resort. The fragrance of the flowers filled all of the universe.
“That was nice of Eloise to send fresh vegetables.” I picked up my glass and took a sip.
“I had asked her to send some of your favorites. I really want the honeymoon to be special. Me and you.” He reached over and put his hands on mine. “We deserve this.”
“Y
es you do.” The familiar voice of my great aunt Helena chimed over my shoulder. “You deserve a lot of things in life, but that doesn’t happen very often.” She tapped me on the shoulder. “We need to talk. Privately.”
She was good at being the bearer of bad news and was a pessimist regarding most situations.
Oscar’s head tilted a little to the right, his brows hooded and his mouth slightly opened. It was not a good time to protest Aunt Helena. She didn’t live in Whispering Falls. She was the Dean of Hidden Halls, A Spiritualist University where most of the spiritualists I knew had gone to school. I had even taken a few classes myself when I had learned of my gift. That was where I’d met Faith and Raven, though I’d like to forget about that since we didn’t hit it off right away.
Regardless, I got up and gave Oscar the “it will only be a minute” look even though we both knew she would take longer than that.
She swept her long black cloak around her body. There was a glimpse of the toe of her red pointy boots. She twirled to face the opening of the lodge and tapped her way inside with me following behind her. Once inside, she passed the kitchen and went straight past the fireplace and out the door.
“Where are we going?” I asked as she trotted down the front steps of the Treesort and into the woods. She didn’t respond. She simply kept going until we were deep into the woods and the darkness settled in quicker than normal. I glanced around to see if any fireflies were going to light my way, but we were alone. All alone.
The moon appeared above and the leaves on the tree gave a slight whisper as the night breeze drifted around causing them to dance in the moonlight and create a dance floor on the earth. Aunt Helena threw the cloak from around her and let it sweep behind her. Three owls flew down from the trees and surrounded her, hooting and flapping their wings.
Aunt Helena’s long red hair dragged down her back as her head floated backward and her arms lifted to the side.
There was some sort of spell going on that I was not aware of. In fact, I’d never seen many of her spells or her at work. She was magical in many ways and she let young spiritualists learn on their own and perfect their gift. Even though I am her niece, I had no insight to what she was really capable of.
She pulled her head up and opened her eyes. They shot sparks of emerald colored streams as if her eye color was bleeding out. Her lips opened and she chanted, “By the light of the owl moon on this summer night, I call thee to give she your might, by the power of the three, I conjure thee to protect she with these.”
Aunt Helena clapped her hands and held her fingers out to each owl. One by one, they pecked her with their beaks, each drawing blood from a different finger.
“Surround thee, surround thee,” she chanted and moved from the circle of the owls to circle me. She clapped up my body and down my body before going around my body. “Mote it be. Mote it be!”
She dropped to the ground just as the owls floated up through the trees and the silence wrapped around us like a blanket.
“Aunt Helena, what was that?” My voice pierced the dark and it almost hurt my ears. I gulped when she didn’t move. A chill ran up my legs, along my core, and across my shoulders down to the tips of my fingers.
I extended my hand to touch her and a spark of electricity shot through my veins and out the tip of my finger hitting Aunt Helena.
Her body shot her up in the air. Her limbs limp, her head flailed backward, her hair dangling and eyes closed, she spoke, “Mote it be.”
“Mote it be,” the words came out of my mouth as if I had no control.
Aunt Helena floated down and solidly landed on her feet. She brushed her hands together and looked at me.
“Now that that is over,” she said and walked past me. “You can go back to dinner with Oscar but do not breathe a word of this to anyone.”
“I wouldn’t even know what to tell them if I did.” I stalked behind her. “So are you going to tell me what that was and why you wanted me to see it?”
“I transferred one of my gifts to you.” She stopped and twirled around. Her cloak wrapped around her. “Now you can go on your honeymoon and I can be of sound mind.”
“What?” I shook my head. “What power? Sound mind? Are you worried?” I shot questions at her like they were horses jumping out of the starting gate.
“Those.” She pointed the long red fingernail of her pointer finger toward my hands. “I gave you my gift of using your fingers and your thoughts as you see fit. You want a drink. Voila.” She snapped her fingers, nothing appeared. She grinned. “Now you try.”
I thought of the glass of wine back at the lodge sitting on the table where my husband was waiting for me to return and snapped my fingers. It appeared in my hand.
“Oh my,” I gasped. “This is interesting.”
“And you can use it for not so great moments like if you were in trouble and needed something not accessible to you. Like a potion.” Her eyes drew down her nose and her lips curled up. “But don’t let anyone see you use it.”
She seemed pleased but it only alarmed me. Actually, it scared me a little.
“So you think I’m going to need this special power?” I gulped and thought about my bracelet that Bella had as I wrapped my hand around my wrist. The spiral charm literally spiraled around my brain—it actually gave me an instant headache. I narrowed my eyes.
“Tap your temple,” Aunt Helena instructed me.
I lifted my hand and took a quick glance at my finger before I tapped the pad against my temple. Instantly the pressure in my head was gone.
“Anything.” She laughed. “But only for the specific time you are gone. Then it reverts back to me.”
“Wow,” was all I could muster up. “If I’d known this, I’d have begged for some other gift,” I said half joking.
“This is something between me and you.” Aunt Helena walked closer to me, she whispered, “I do not agree with the council letting you be gone for a week without Mr. Prince Charming, so I felt I needed to protect you in my own way. This will be a good gift from me to you.”
Literally as in gift.
“Thank you.” I smiled. She was my only living blood relative and I was glad she was there. We walked back to the lodge and I told her about the charm and my nightmare. She agreed with Oscar that it could be something to do with my nerves and leaving the secure village since I hadn’t gone on a vacation since we moved there. But she also agreed that it could be a vision like the other nightmares I’d had. I was going to go with the first guess she had and would use the finger spell gift only if I needed it for real protection.
“I’ll leave you here.” She placed both hands on either side of my deltoids and gave a light squeeze. “You have a wonderful time. I can’t wait to see the photos.”
“Photos.” I hit the palm of my hand to my head, realizing I’d forgotten to go to my house in Locust Grove to retrieve my old camera. Suddenly I was holding a camera.
“It’s a wonderful gift.” Aunt Helena curled the edges of the cloak around her before she snapped her arm down to her side and in a plume of yellow smoke, she was gone.
Mr. Prince Charming caught me off guard when I looked down and he was there next to me.
“I guess I better go eat.” I gestured him to follow me and strapped the camera over my shoulder.
The food was already on the table when I got back and the bottle of wine was almost empty.
Oscar’s fingers drummed on top of the table and his other hand was curled around a wine glass. He brought the glass up to his lips and downed the last sip. His eyes focused on me. There was no spark, no sparkle or even a hint of happiness.
“I know.” Immediately I began to apologize. “You know Aunt Helena.” I gave a half smile and took the camera strap off my shoulder before I placed it on the table. “She wants to make sure we are going to be safe and sound. I’m sorry.”
He reached over and grabbed the camera. “This is really nice.” The smile that had always brought a sprinkle of joy in my sou
l appeared. “We need a good camera.”
“Yeah.” I bit my lip, my brows furrowed. I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain the camera when Aunt Helena said I couldn’t tell anyone about my new, if only part-time, gift.
“This is an actual gift your aunt has given us that we can use.” He took the lens cover off and looked through the viewer. “I mean, like the crystal she gave us for the cottage porch as a wedding gift, what on Earth are we going to do with that?”
“Um. . .” I stuttered and pondered my options for about a split second. “Yes. I was thrilled she gave us the camera.”
Technically I didn’t lie. She did give us the camera by giving me the new gift.
“Now I don’t have to go to Locust Grove and get one.” I sucked in a deep breath and emptied the rest of the wine into my glass.
For a few minutes, Oscar and I sat in silence and enjoyed the amazing dinner Amethyst had prepared for us. By the time we finished our last bite, the sun had completely gone down over Whispering Falls and the wooded area was lit up by the fireflies. They darted about the branches and tree trunks leaving a little trail of sparkle behind them.
“Are you getting excited?” Oscar asked.
The discreet rattle of a pastry cart pulled up next to our table.
“I am.” I tried my best to make it sound as convincing as possible even though the tug at my gut and Mr. Prince Charming’s spiral charm told me to be careful.
To my delight, the cart was filled with real Ding Dongs.
“Don’t tell Raven.” Amethyst winked. A smile crawled to her lips and curled itself like a snake.
“Mums the word.” I grabbed one and tore into it giving Oscar the other half before I devoured it.
“Are you ready? We have a big morning ahead of us and I still need to pack.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Oscar joked and stood up to help me out of my chair. He turned me toward him and placed both hands alongside my face. His gaze was as soft as a caress. “June, you make me the happiest man on the earth.”