Lucille had stopped smiling.
Have you ever seen an unhappy non-smiling ghost?
It was downright creepy enough that I took two steps back.
“Lucille, don’t do that,” Mazie chastised with a flick of her wrist. “You’re only here because I needed your energy after my first visit depleted mine. The gatekeeper won’t be happy to find that you used your ticket to upset the balance of things. Remember, Karma takes care of these things for us. It wouldn’t do to tempt fate.”
Ticket? Karma?
I didn’t tell you about the ticket system? It’s quite simple, really. All spirits who have passed through the veil need a very valid reason to come back to the earthly plane before they’re granted visitation tickets.
Leo was finally back, and his words reassured me until I gave it some thought. Only spirts who have passed through the veil? What about the ones who hadn’t?
Of course, Leo confirmed my suspicions before I could even part my lips.
It’s only the troubled spirits who haven’t passed through the veil that you have to worry about.
“Oh, yes!” Mazie agreed with Leo, nodding her head up and down to the point that her floppy hat rippled in time with her movements. “Mr. Leo has a point there. Stay away from those pesky troubled souls who haven’t transitioned. Is that why you needed the sage?”
Given that I was currently speaking to two ghosts who were being rather pesky themselves, I wasn’t sure how to reply. I didn’t have to when the sound of the front door opening caught our attention.
It seemed that Ted had finally joined us.
Think again.
Sure enough, Ted’s pale hand and black sleeve gradually inched through the slit and dropped a bunch of sage on the ground before ever so slowly retreating back out and closing the door.
Chicken.
“Isn’t that calling the kettle black?” I muttered, not so sure having Mazie see what he’d brought me was such a good idea, but it was too late. One, she’d already heard me and Leo talking about it. Two, it was evident when she finally realized that it had been brought to burn because of her. “We were just being overly cautious. Right, Leo?”
We were caught red-handed. No use denying it, kiddo.
On the bright side, at least I understood why Nan hadn’t been able to join Mazie.
From Lucille’s apparel and the fact that she’d known my great-great-great-grandmother, she’d passed on many, many years ago. She had the ability to muster enough energy to assist Mazie, but Nan might not have had enough to come through clearly. And Nan would never have been given a ticket by the gatekeeper for a simple, single visit of her own.
“I’m deeply hurt, Raven,” Mazie declared with a frown after watching Ted attempt to sneak the sage through the door. She patted her hand against her chest as if I’d broken her heart. Her reaction was enough to get me to step forward, but not enough for me to reach out to her. “I have no one else to turn to! Isn’t the right, Lucille? Raven, you’re my last hope. It’s not like I can pay a visit to the council when I believe they are the ones who stole Strifle to begin with!”
Lucille nodded her head in sympathy and rested a comforting hand on Mazie’s shoulder.
Don’t do it, Leo warned, the tufts of orange and black fur on his back standing to attention. Don’t fall for their guilt trip!
“What is it that you think I can do?” I asked, wondering if there was something I was missing in the bigger picture. “I have no connection to the coven, no idea of who is even in the coven, and I don’t even know where the coven is located in order to talk with anyone about Strifle.”
I concur. Raven does not possess that type of required information, so all would be for naught.
Leo’s confirmation was met with him vanishing from the door and reappearing on the counter with a squint of his vivid green eyes.
You may now be on your way. Sorry for your loss.
Leo had apparently found some courage in the face of these two spirits, and it was nice to have a bit of backup against the unknown. I couldn’t help but cross my arms to give the appearance that we were on the same page, but I also wanted to let them down gently.
There was something very endearing about a tea drinking ghost and her supportive friend. Would Heidi and I be the same way in the afterlife?
“Mazie, helping to solve a few small mysteries here in the town of Paramour Bay is one thing.” I ignored Leo’s twitching whiskers as I attempted to explain our reasoning for not helping them. After all, they were both sweet old ladies who’d passed on to the other side and not one of those ill-omened spirits who had an agenda. At least, I think I was reading the situation correctly. “I know almost everyone in town, and it’s easy for me to talk to the residents without causing undue attention to my secret life as a witch. You can see how my not having even a causal connection to the coven would make it nearly impossible for me to find the answers you’re seeking.”
Well said, Raven. Well said. The last meeting of the Dead Shouldn’t Be Hanging Around Here Society is officially adjourned. Good day to you, ladies.
Lucille’s rather haunting eyes focused on Leo. He wisely scooted back an inch using his front paws to push himself up, his left eye contracting in response to Lucille’s intimidation.
“Don’t you see why your nonexistent link to the coven is exactly the reason why you’re the perfect witch to find my Strifle?” Mazie gushed, causing Lucille to nod once more in agreement. I was definitely somehow losing ground, and it was rather frightening at how good these spirts were at manipulation. I couldn’t imagine dealing with an angry one who refused to see reason. “You now have a practical motive to introduce yourself by extending condolences on my passing. You could seek to reconcile yourself with the coven and conduct your investigation as a postulant. Before you enter the coven’s inner sanctum, you can cast a truth enchantment. Whoever the guilty party is will confess to their crimes without a thought of deception. You’ll be able to free Strifle from whatever horrible curse that has been cast to trap her, and you’ll be able to reject becoming an acolyte based on their corruption of the coven’s covenant. They’ll have no choice but to allow you to leave the maternal order to come home free of their bindings while the council faces their punishment. It’s absolutely perfect!”
No, it’s not. Where is she getting this horse pucky? Has she snuck a puff of my catnip? That’s clearly the worst idea I’ve ever heard, and I’ve had to listen to you on a daily basis.
Mazie was still clapping her hands in excitement, purposefully ignoring Leo’s rant.
I mean, it’s really a bad idea, Raven—right up there with hugging bear cubs in the wild. You can see that, right?
“I’m in agreement with Leo,” I responded warily, comprehending the difficult situation we’d now been placed in. “I’m what you might call a bit accident prone with my casting…in general. I’m still learning the nuances, and you’re asking me to go up against a well-organized group of seasoned witches—possibly with more than one involved in the kidnapping if your claims against the council is true—who would most likely harm me in unimaginable ways.”
Oh, they wouldn’t do that to one of their own. They actually have quite the imagination, that sort does. They’d just turn you into a toad or a goat. Maybe they’d even draw your mother into their revenge.
I didn’t get a chance to ask Leo if he was being truthful or just trying to scare me into getting rid of Mazie and Lucille faster than their current course of departure. Lucille spoke her final declaration, which had me completely teetering on the edge of what I’d thought was my final decision.
“Strifle is in pain, Raven. No matter the spell they’ve used to bind her here, it would have a vicious effect on her.” Lucille’s plea had me beginning to think she wasn’t so bad. “She needs your help.”
Oh, that was a low blow. Minus one point for hitting below the belt.
“Strifle is in pain?” I asked, this time forgetting my fear and lowering my arms s
o that my hands rested on the island. “How do you know?”
We’re losing ground, aren’t we? This is not going the way I’d planned. You’ve got to snap out of it!
“It is extremely painful anytime a familiar is separated from their host against their will,” Mazie responded as she clutched her handkerchief in grief. “You should know that Mr. Leo. My poor Strifle. Please, Raven. I’m begging you to find my precious familiar and release her from whatever dark spell the culprit has used to bind her.”
I was quite torn on how to answer, because my reasoning on why it wasn’t a good idea was sound. Why was I hesitating?
Your reasoning was very sound, right up to the point that your head got in the way.
Nothing had changed.
Hollow, I swear.
“Leo, Nan had you remain here for a reason. You agreed to that arrangement, and yet you suffered certain consequences,” I reminded him gently, clutching my fingers into the palms of my hands. “How much pain are we talking about? Physical? Emotional?”
They’re playing on your sympathies, of which I’ll remind you that I have very little. You’re going to cave and burn the both of us, aren’t you? You’re going to end up a member of the very small coven your grandmother fought to abandon, and I’ll be right there with you suffering the lot. Congratulations. I’ve failed in every duty Rosemary left for me to accomplish.
I wasn’t sure how I could help Mazie, but it was clear that neither Leo or I could allow a familiar to be in eternal pain by not being allowed to cross into the afterlife. Mazie and Lucille were both staring at me with hopeful expressions, not even bothering to answer my previous question.
We’re both such suckers, but your mother will blame me.
“You should know that I still believe someone on the council is involved with preventing Strifle from being with me,” Mazie said, now that she could obviously see us caving in under the pressure. There was a slight flicker to their bodily forms. “Whoops! I’m on limited time, Raven, so listen closely. The council exists of the warlock, the gold-digger, the redhead, and the clueless one. I’d lean toward the gold-digger, if I were you. Something on this side is telling me it’s one of them, so that’s where you should start.”
That doesn’t sound right. That’s not the council I remember.
“Fine, Mazie.” I signed in resignation, wondering how much yelling I was going to have to endure from my mother and how she was going to react to my decision to seek out the coven that had all but banned the Marigolds from their midst. “I’m not promising anything, but I will look into who prevented Strifle from crossing over and entering the afterlife with you. Four suspects? That’s better than an entire town, so it shouldn’t too hard. Right?”
Mazie and Lucille celebrated while Leo and I looked at one another with a combined sense of pessimistic resignation.
Five chances out of ten that your mother passes out dead away. As for the two of us, I can see our future as clear as day. Can you, Raven? We’re marching ourselves right into the clutches of the coven. Death awaits us. I always knew a fairy would be my downfall…or a spider.
Chapter Six
You can blame Rosemary. She’s dead, and she won’t complain.
I turned the open sign over so that my customers would see that the tea shop was ready for business, shaking my head at Leo’s attempt at changing the subject.
What? Too soon?
It was exactly eight o’clock in the morning, and I was trying to prepare myself for the inevitable phone call to my mother. She was the only one who had the vital information I needed to start my search for Strifle.
“The black magic’s side effects should only have affected your short-term memory, Leo,” I explained, having read through the spell that Nan had used to keep her familiar from crossing into the afterlife with her.
You see, part of the magic used to attract a familiar in the first place comes into play, a result of which was that each shared a certain amount of their life force with their companion from that point on. In effect, the familiar and the witch or warlock were linked physically. One’s constitution would be adversely affected by the loss of his or her familiar. Conversely, the loss of a magic user would normally flat out kill any lesser form.
Of course, there were a few cases where a familiar survived the passing of his or her host. However, those were strictly due to the size and virility of the beast in question. A minotaur’s constitution far outweighed that of a mere human, regardless of the fact its host had magical abilities.
When Nan passed beyond the veil, the life force she’d left behind in Leo was corrupted and twisted. Basically, their union had been severed by the necromancy spell that prevented Leo’s life force from being overwhelmed and causing his death. The ingredients she’d had to use to make its effect permanent would definitely have disturbed his short-term memory and damaged his recall.
“If your long-term memory wasn’t supposed to be affected by the material components, maybe I can heal some of the damage caused by the dark nature of the incantation, enabling you to recover from some of the lasting effects.”
Have you forgotten what happened on your first attempt at Otis’ arthritis antidote? I still have tingling in certain places I shouldn’t. Thankfully, it hasn’t affected my desire for catnip.
“It was your tail,” I replied wryly, amazed at Leo’s flair for the dramatic. “My word, you’ve become quite a scaredy-cat when it comes to intestinal fortitude and possessing a sense of adventure.”
The way my morning was starting out, I was grateful that I’d thought to bring double my normal ration of coffee with me from the house. Granted, my all-time favorite beverage was currently residing in a petite teacup with pretty flowers and a unique octagon shape, but the packaging didn’t matter as much as the sanity enclosed therein. It wouldn’t do for my customers to discover that I preferred coffee over tea.
It was best to maintain the illusion, at least until I expanded the shop’s inventory to include gourmet blends of whole bean coffees and the associated machines to grind and brew them. Some of my specialty remedies might be better suited for a robust coffee blend than a less hearty tea.
Ingredients for certain spells could leave a bitter or stronger aftertaste based on their material components, which weren’t entirely consumed by the magic. Other times, the spell was cast on the tea itself, and the magical energy had no effect on the taste whatsoever.
“That mishap was quite a while ago, so you can stop bringing it up already.”
Never. I felt wounded to my very core.
I enjoyed a sip of my coffee as I watched Eileen get out of her car all bundled up like we’d experience the snow-apocalypse. In her defense, it was chilly outside, but she was wearing new earmuffs that utilized more fur on them than Leo’s entire coat. I waved back when she caught sight of me staring.
Eugene and Albert, the two older gentlemen who played chess every day over at Monty’s hardware store, were both entering Trixie’s Diner for their morning breakfast. It was a known fact that they ate the same dish each day. They said it was hearty enough to stick to the ribs of a veteran lumberjack. Their daily breakfast consisted of a bed of shredded fried potatoes, covered with a layer of scrambled eggs before being smothered in sausage gravy. They scooped it all up with an order of toasted sourdough bread before washing it down with a full pot of black coffee.
I surmised early on that their life expectancy as a direct result of such a meal would be adversely affected. The breakfast might stick to their ribs, but I was fairly sure it would stick to their arteries, as well. Watching them from my warm spot in the tea shop, they appeared to be bantering over something, but they were all smiles this morning.
I’d be smiling too if I didn’t have to face an entire coven of witches who’d previously excommunicated our family. By the way, have you thought of what’s going to happen when they find out that Rosemary dabbled in black magic and I’m still around?
“One, the council can’t re-e
xcommunicate Nan.” I didn’t think that was an actual word, but Leo got my drift. “Two, as you said earlier—she’s dead and won’t complain. Nothing will happen.”
I should be so lucky. You’ll be changing your tune once they notice me.
“Stop that,” I chastised, frowning at the fact that Leo would even say something so horrible. “Life isn’t something to be taken for granted. Of that, I’m sure Nan would agree.”
I suppose it could be worse. That premium organic catnip I ordered online was the bomb. It was easily worth the two hours it took for me to enter your credit card information on the website. It’s difficult to type with paws, you know.
I overlooked his obvious ploy to bait me and took another sip of my coffee, relishing the warmth that invaded my body as the caffeine began to course through my veins. I could understand Leo’s addiction to smoking his catnip, given my love of the rich beverage.
Standing at the glass door for a few minutes after flipping the sign over had become sort of a ritual for the two of us—Leo in the window on his pillow and me blocking the entrance staring out into the heart of Paramour Bay. River Bay, the main thoroughfare in town, was just beginning to come alive. It was a delight to watch as everyone commenced the start of their day.
The door to the diner opened once more, reminding me that the owner—Trixie—was in her seventies. She didn’t actually still cook, but she did make it into the diner every day to oversee the kitchen staff and socialize with the clientele. Trixie was a force to be reckoned with, and I didn’t see her joining Mazie on the other side anytime soon.
Larry Butterball was exiting the diner, keeping the door open with his dress shoe for Otis. After an exchange of pleasantries, Larry crossed the street with his briefcase in one hand and his usual cup carrier in the other. Two cups of coffee had been arranged in the tray diagonal from one another to distribute the weight evenly. The ends of his winter scarf carried in the wind behind him as he made his way toward Mindy’s boutique. It was wonderful to see the excitement in his eyes as his gaze focused solely on his destination—the shop two doors down from mine. The two of them deserved happiness.
Haunting Blend Page 5