by K. M. Waller
“The Hartford witches.”
“You touched me to bind my powers. How are we going to get close enough to her?”
“Right now, we have the upper hand. Shelby doesn’t know that we suspect anything.” Lex walked a figure eight between the tables. “We have to set a trap tonight. Before she has another meltdown and chooses a new victim.”
She tapped the glass with her finger. “Or worse, she goes back for another hit on her first two.”
Lex thought back to Sparsh’s directive. “I have to catch her in the act. Assumptions aren’t enough.”
“We have to allow her to spell someone else?” Amira came around the counter and placed her hands on her hips. “That’s a big risk. We’d have to control the environment.”
Jordie would not appreciate being the bait. “How can we do that?”
She spread her arms wide. “Bring her back to the first scene of the crime. I’ll confront her here and we’ll see if she makes a move.”
“I can’t risk letting you get hurt.”
“You have to use the amulet to bind her, and there’s no one else to put in her crosshairs. It has to be me.” Her eyes sparkled. “I can totally do this.”
It wouldn’t matter if he didn’t agree with her plan. Amira had many layers, the smart shop owner, the fiercely loyal sister, and now his partner in taking down a potentially dangerous witch. Her sister was cleared of wrongdoing, and yet she still wanted to be involved. Every layer made him want to spend more time with her, just to see what she did next.
He grasped both of her hands and held them tight. “When this is over, I’d like to take you out for cup of coffee. You and me without the interference of pets, assistants, dog walkers, witch-ly siblings, great-aunts, or the LSP.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you mean like a date?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Exactly like a date.”
Footsteps clomped from the kitchen, and Jordie rushed in. “Hey, bosses, got bad news.”
Lex released her hands. He’d have to wait for her answer. “What’s going on?”
“Goth-girl went into the library.”
“Ris and Ally are over there.” Amira raised her arms over her head. “So much for it being the safest place in town.”
Lex glanced over his notes he’d taken earlier in the day. “Ah, the vision. The person was surrounded by books. Shelby is always surrounded by books at the library.”
Jordie rubbed his hands together. “You guys have a plan?”
Amira tapped the tea pot beside her. “Let’s invite her over for a cup of tea. We can use the same trap we set up for Chase. We’ll get her in the chair and once she admits to everything, we’ll bind her.”
Lex slipped his phone in his pocket. No reason to let a perfectly good trap go to waste.
∞∞∞
The library didn’t close for another fifteen minutes and Amira hoped it would take less than five to coax Shelby across the street. Lex had given her ten before he and Jordie would come crashing in. She’d texted Ris to let them know she was on the way over. They were to sneak out the back and stay in the kitchen of the tea shop.
Poor Shelby. The girl had obviously lived in the shadow of her overbearing mother and super popular brother for so long, she thought this would put her in the spotlight.
From the sidewalk, Amira could hear the movie playing in the town’s square. Lex and Jordie weren’t too far away, hidden in the shadows in case the plan went south.
She pushed open the door of the small, two-story white house which had been converted to the town’s library in the 1960s. Lex had given Amira a little silver doohickey that would record any conversation. She rolled it like a marble in her hand.
Mrs. Halburt, the head librarian, waved from the front information desk. Muscles tense, Amira couldn’t do more than give her a short wave back.
She bypassed the children’s area and headed directly for the fantasy section. How appropriate. Shelby sat in an overstuffed wingback chair, her hair covering her face. Her cell phone sat in her lap, but she wasn’t focused on the screen.
“Hi, Shelby.”
Her head jerked up, and her eyes were red-rimmed as if she’d been crying. Paler than usual, Amira wondered if maybe Shelby regretted the days’ events.
“What do you want?” She wiped her sleeve across her eyes.
“I wanted to see if you’d like to come over to the shop and have a cup of tea.”
Shelby’s gaze drifted back to a bookshelf. “I’m not in the mood for tea.”
Amira pinched the area above her nose. Coaxing wasn’t going to work. They dealt with an ignored girl. Time to adjust the plan and talk to Shelby witch to witch. Give her the spotlight she craved. Make her feel important.
Amira sat in a chair opposite Shelby and crossed her legs. “I know you used magic on Dara and Samuel Chase today.”
Shelby’s eyes morphed into saucers. “H—how do you know?”
“Come on, you don’t think one witch can’t spot another?” Amira continued on, “I’m really impressed with your ability to manipulate the spells. That’s a level almost as good and me and my sisters.” She thought about Lex’s guess about her latent powers. “You have to come from a witch ancestry to have such power.”
The girl sat forward, and her posture relaxed into one of eagerness. “Some of our founding family members came down here after the Hartford Witch Trials. When I put the museum together, I found some old letters describing witchcraft.”
Just like she’d suspected. Most likely Shelby hadn’t even needed her family’s spell books to produce the magical mayhem. Amira’s pulse tripled in speed and her hands started a tremor. She squeezed the tiny surveillance device, hoping it did its job and picked up every word they exchanged. She focused on getting Shelby to admit to the spell casting. “I can’t say that I approve of having our spell books stolen. Why did you do that?”
“Ris wouldn’t ever admit to the witchcraft used by your family, but I heard whispers growing up about your aunts. After learning my ancestry, all I had to do was pay attention to the odd things you and your sisters do.”
“And you recorded us casting a spell the other night. Then you stole our books from my house.”
Shelby toyed with her long dark hair. “Working here across the street made it easy to watch you guys.”
“Why did you hurt Dara?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt her. I used a manipulation spell for confessions of the heart, and it didn’t go so well. Probably because she doesn’t have a heart. She’s not good enough for my brother anyway.”
Amira glanced at her watch. The ten minute time limit approached with each tick of the second hand. Before the guys showed up, she wanted the full confession. “And the fear spell with Samuel Chase? Most witches try to blend in with society, not get their own reality television show.”
She leaned forward. “Dara posted a video on how to apply blush and it received over three thousand views. I knew I could do better.”
“Is all of this about besting Dara? Doesn’t that seem a little shallow?”
Anger sparked in Shelby’s eyes. Oops.
Mrs. Halburt shuffled around the corner, putting all her weight on her walker. “Closing time, ladies.”
Amira stood and tucked the silver doohickey in her pocket. “Why don’t we discuss this over a cup of tea? We can compare spells.”
Shelby shut the book in her lap. “I’m more powerful than you and your sisters, aren’t I?”
Uh oh. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“If we got into a magical fight, I could beat you. All of you. That would put Mom’s precious town on the map.”
“Why would we get into a magical fight?” The direction of the conversation took a left into hostility.
Mrs. Halburt cleared her throat. “Improv night is on Tuesdays, ladies. I really do need to get closed up.”
Shelby pressed her finger to her lips and shushed Mrs. Halburt. The woman’s lips pressed together tightly
as if a hand had forced its way across her mouth.
Amira glanced from Mrs. Halburt to Shelby. Switching back to coaxing seemed to be the better idea. “I’d really love to see what you can do with your powers. Why don’t we go across the street?”
“After the first spell, I could feel the power wrapping its arms around me. Pushing and pulling me in the next direction. I never knew something could feel so good. So right.” The air around them became statically charged. Strands of Shelby’s dark hair lifted, giving her the effect of having a balloon rubbed on her head.
Mrs. Halburt mumbled against her magically shut mouth and limped away toward the front door.
Ris moved out from behind a bookshelf. “Hurting people isn’t right or good. Even if you think they deserve it.”
Amira gasped. “Ris, why are you still here?”
She huffed at Amira. “I can’t let you have all the fun.”
Shelby’s eyes lit with excitement. She raised her arms above her head and a few of the books on the shelves jumped out to the floor. The girl giggled and twirled. “Magical fight it is.”
Amira inched closer to Ris, and whispered, “She’s magic drunk.”
“What do we do? She’s losing it.” Ris didn’t bother to lower her voice.
“Losing it!” Shelby squealed. “I’m gaining it all. I’ll be the most powerful witch in the world. The most famous.”
“Now, Jordie!” Lex’s voice rang out from behind them.
Jordie moved out from behind another bookshelf and dove on top of Shelby. He pinned her arms to the ground and sat on her stomach. “Hurry up. Goth-girl is freakishly strong.”
Lex dropped to his knees and latched on to Shelby’s wrist. He opened his mouth but the binding spell didn’t come out.
Shelby laughed. “Lift, lift, out of face, take these bullies from my personal space.”
Both Jordie and Lex lifted from the ground and hung suspended in the air just below the ceiling. Shelby lifted her fingers up and down and both of the men’s heads banged against the wood.
“Shelby, please don’t hurt them,” Amira said.
Ris stood under them. “Wow. That terrible rhyme worked easy for her. I’ve been practicing for months and all I can do is conjure sparkles.”
“Don’t antagonize her, Ris.”
Shelby stood and skipped around the room. “I’m a bad witch. I’m a bad witch.” Her sing-song voice echoed against the library’s shelves. “And there’s nothing you can do about it. Good witches.”
Jordie called down, “Someone got a house to drop on her?”
Helpless, Amira grasped her mother’s charmed necklace. How would her mom or the aunts handle this? Witches were more powerful together. She didn’t know how to fight a crazy witch coming into her powers on her own.
The small green sparrow charm warmed against the palm of her hand. Through touch. The zing from Lex, the warming of the amulet, all the powers had to do with skin to skin contact.
Witches are more powerful together.
She glanced at Lex, who dangled in the air. Anger seeped from his every fiber. Mixed with the static electricity that Shelby radiated, it made the room suffocating.
He mouthed, “Run.”
That amazing man had asked her on a date. She wouldn’t stand by and let another witch snap his neck. She shook her head and stepped forward, grasping Ris by the hand. “Shelby, you need to stop. There are forces out there that won’t be as kind if you continue to cause trouble. It’s better if you let us help you.”
Shelby stopped spinning and weaved a little before catching herself. “I’m not scared of anyone.”
Ris resisted at first, but Amira held her grip firm as they approached their target. “You are the most amazing witch I’ve ever seen. And my three great-aunts are the best of the best. But you’ve surpassed them all in less than two days.” Amira stepped a little closer. “What you can do is special.”
Shelby nodded her head, the compliments softening the static feel around her. “There’s no one like me.”
“What if we combine our powers? Really show this town what three witches are capable of? Dara and your mother and even Samuel Chase would fear us. No more being overlooked.”
Shelby rocked back and forth, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “How?”
“We link our powers.”
“Amira!” Lex called down to her. “Stay back.”
She didn’t look up, but kept her gaze focused on Shelby. Another couple of inches and they’d be toe to toe.
Shelby reached out and grabbed Amira’s and Ris’s arms, the three of them now forming a circle. “I think I’m strong enough to take your power and use it. I don’t need to share the spotlight with anyone.”
“Now, Lex. Throw me the amulet!” He had to trust her.
Lex tossed the amulet down into the middle of them. The static energy coursed through Amira’s body and she closed her eyes. She slipped off her shoe and placed her foot directly on the amulet. Foot or hand, skin was skin. Flashes of rainbow colors speared across the back of her eyelids. She pulled Shelby off balance and into a deep bear hug. Ris did the same from the other side.
“Shelby Henry, witch of Burberry, I bind your powers.”
The buzzing noises created by the static energy stopped and both Lex and Jordie dropped to the ground with thumps and groans. A surge of zings passed through them, and Shelby’s body went limp in their arms.
As gently as she could, Amira dropped to her knees, bringing Shelby down with her. The girl was still awake, but her eyes didn’t seem to be in focus.
Ris backed away from them. “You ain’t got nothing on the Walker sisters, witch.”
Gasps from behind her filled the silence.
Mayor Henry rushed forward. She dropped to her knees beside Amira and Shelby. “Shelby? What’s going on?”
Amira passed Shelby to the mayor’s arms. “Tea seizure?”
Lex pulled Amira to standing. “How did you know you could bind her?”
She leaned into his chest, a head rush spiking down the middle of her forehead. “I didn’t. I just focused on my sisters and my aunts and all the people I didn’t want her to hurt. Magical fights are the worst.”
Jordie limped forward. “I think I sprained my wrist on the fall. And maybe my ankle.”
Mrs. Halburt spoke up from behind them. “I’ll drive him to the emergency room. I need to have my head examined. Not to mention my jaw.”
Mayor Henry pulled Shelby to standing. “Can someone please explain what the heck is going on around here? First Mrs. Halburt nearly drove over us in the park and refused to speak. Then she practically dragged me here and once inside she starts yelling about floating men.”
Lex opened his mouth, but Amira reached up and placed a finger across his lips. She had the perfect narrative for this situation that didn’t involve damaging the reputation of the Tea Haven. “Call the fire department because it appears we have a massive gas leak in this area. That would explain the hallucinations. Everyone’s hallucinations.” She pointed at Mrs. Halburt. “The sore throat too. It actually explains everything that has gone wrong today. Even Dara.”
“Gas leak?” the mayor asked, her nose tilted in the air as if trying to find the smell to corroborate the story.
Lex nodded and squeezed her back to his chest. “Absolutely. A gas leak. Happens often with these older buildings.”
The mayor nodded and walked a disoriented Shelby past them.
Ris rushed to Amira. “You are the coolest sister ever.”
“Don’t tell Ally that.” She pushed away from Lex and glanced around the book shelves. “Where is Ally?”
Ris charged away from them. “Hiding in the romance section. I’ll grab her.”
They all filed out of the library, Lex and Amira taking up the rear. She looped an arm through his. “Is it over? Is the assignment complete?”
“I hope so.”
“What will happen to Shelby?” The list of possible Council
punishments entered her mind.
“I’ll discuss it with the LSP and have them contact the Council. My guess is that they’ll permanently remove any magical abilities and erase her memory.”
“All she wanted was to be someone special.” She tugged him to a stop. “That means the mayor has latent powers too, right?”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. “We definitely can’t leave that one with any powers. She has enough hold over this town as mayor.”
Lex stopped texting and faced her. “Speaking of special… I couldn’t have done this the right way without you. All I wanted was an end to a neat and tidy assignment, but you didn’t give up until you had the truth.”
Amira wiggled her eyebrows. If you took away the rich Greek god secret agent there was still a pretty normal guy underneath. Getting to know the real Lex would be a treat. “So, what you’re really saying is that you were wrong, and I was right.”
“No. Not exactly.” He wiggled his eyebrows back and sighed. “We should follow Jordie to the emergency room. We need to check on Samuel Chase too. Someone from the LSP will have to erase his memory and track down his producer.”
“Why don’t we do none of those things?” Be brave. “I’ll have Ris follow Jordie to the hospital. Ally can hunt down the producer and get him off our back. If she can scare third graders into doing their homework, she can handle him. Samuel can be dealt with tomorrow. Right now, I’d like to take you up on the offer of having coffee. Just the two of us.”
He placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her toward the tea shop. “I’d say that would be the perfect end to our evening.”
∞∞∞
The pungent odor from the tea sandwiches left out all day finally made their mark and Lex wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Amira glanced at him from over her shoulder. “You still owe me a cleaning crew.”
The smell did not invite a romantic interlude before getting back to reality. “Why don’t we go somewhere else? We can have our coffee somewhere warm and exotic. I have a private plane that can take us anywhere you want to go.”
She turned and snaked her arms around his neck. “I’m so glad to know that all your charm didn’t come from a spell.”