Haunting Blend

by Layne, Kennedy

  You might want to take a step back. There’s that giant bug again.

  I quickly retreated, this time not looking behind me. It had been instinct to separate myself from anything with six legs. Not even my mother’s hold on my hand could stop me from losing my balance and landing on my backside.

  It might not have been my most graceful moment, but my tumble to the ground gave me a different vantage point…and also had me solving our latest case.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Mom, I know who has Strifle!” I managed to get to my feet, wiping away as much snow and wetness as I could before grabbing her arm. “We need to—”

  It was clear that someone had entered the temple from the resounding boom that echoed throughout the trees. It was too late to stay out of sight from the rest of the coven, regardless of the fact that Angelica had warned us to leave minutes earlier. We were about to be caught red-handed, but I had a bargaining chip.

  It better be one of those gold chips they can use at the casino, because otherwise they’re going to turn us into toads and then fry us in a pot of boiling lard. We’ll be turned into fried toad chips.

  “Follow my lead,” I muttered, practically dragging my mother into the moonlight on the path so that there was no mistaking our whereabouts. Sure enough, Merrick and the two remaining members on the council were marching our way. I made sure to announce our intentions. “We come in peace!”

  Wait a second. Why didn’t you tell me we were trying to pass ourselves off as aliens?

  “What is going on here?” Merrick called out in impatience, his gaze searching behind us. No doubt, he was seeking out his wife. His concern for her welfare was evident. “Angelica? Are you alright, my dearest?”

  “Yes, sweetheart.” Angelica walked past us through the thin layer of snow with her head held high, taking her rightful place next to her husband. Ruby and Hestia were standing on the other side of him, completing the council. “I found them here, looking for Mazie Rose Young’s familiar. I tried once again to tell them we had nothing to do with such an evil injustice.”

  Ohhhh, she’s good. Oscar-worthy. Angelica might take home the award this year, Raven. She did much better than you did earlier with that lackluster story.

  “Raven, who has Strifle?” my mother asked underneath her breath as Angelica continued to divulge to Merrick all that had taken place here tonight. “We need to finish this up quick before they decide to put us on trial for violating the sanctity of the temple.”

  Trial? I don’t do well in high stressful situations, Raven. I’ll end up rolling on both of you for a lighter sentence. Sorry.

  We didn’t tamper with anything, but I couldn’t worry about what Merrick and his cronies might or might not decide to do to us. Angelica hadn’t mentioned once that she’d informed us of the coven’s inner struggles. Her glaringly obvious silence on that subject told me that she didn’t want her husband to know she’d disclosed such privileged information.

  “Regina Lattice Marigold, is that you?” Merrick asked, stepping forward in total disbelief. Angelica made sure she kept a hold of his arm. It wasn’t because the man was in his late seventies, either. Truthfully, he looked at least ten years younger and quite spry, especially in that long black—and presumably very expensive—dress coat. Why was it that men always seemed to age in a more distinguished manner than women? “It’s been years. I can’t believe it’s you.”

  We’re not going to age another day if you don’t get us out of this mess your mother got us into. Dealing with more than one of you is more than I can handle at the moment. I have a contract, you know. I was made certain promises—legal binding promises.

  “I can’t believe that you would want to take away our progress and go back to the old ways,” my mother exclaimed in anger, totally outing Angelica. So much for finishing this up quickly. I understood Mom’s reasoning for calling out Merrick, especially considering that the deep-rooted coven rules were the exact reason Nan had been shunned from this community to begin with. “If you’re the one responsible for detaining a familiar from crossing over to the afterlife, I demand you hand her over this minute. Does the fifth council member have her?”

  Oh, yeah. I forgot about the fifth member. I guess that must seem rather important now. So, I’ll tell you now—there’s a fifth council member.

  That would have been useful information, but it had come a little too late.

  “No,” Merrick replied angrily, his previous softening evaporating upon my mother’s accusations. “We have not—nor would we ever—resort to kidnapping to get our way. Not even the other faction would stoop to those levels.”

  The warlock has a point. There are rules.

  “Someone in this coven has Strifle in some type of binding spell to prevent her from leaving this realm.”

  A point has been added to your mother’s side of the scoreboard.

  “I repeat, no one on this council nor any of our members whom are still in good standing would do anything so atrocious.”

  No point for reiteration. The score remains one to zero.

  “No one ever would have ever foreseen this coven would be split into two factions, but the council hasn’t prevented that outcome, has it?” Regina asked, taking the proverbial stick and poking the bear. In this case, four very powerful and hungry bears. “Show us the fifth council member. Should the witch or warlock prove to us that this council is innocent, then we will seek out Aunt Rowena. No familiar should be used as a tool in this nonsense war that you’ve created.”

  While Leo continued to keep score, I’d been watching the other three participants closely. The inherent instinct that usually came over me had settled itself in my stomach, and I was ninety-nine percent positive who the guilty party was within the suspect pool as we knew it. The other one percent came from not knowing about a fifth council member existing.

  “May I speak?”

  You don’t need to. Just apologize for the intrusion, and maybe they’ll let us be on our way.

  “Show yourself,” Merrick demanded of Leo.

  Everyone’s attention had been on Merrick Bronach and my mother, but their focus had immediately turned to Leo when he poked his head out from behind one of the trees lining the path. I didn’t want anyone’s attention on the fact that Nan had dabbled in black magic. That little tidbit would only solidify their opinion on the fate of the Marigold family.

  Raven, do something. They’re staring at me like they’re going to eat me. I’m not that tasty.

  I’d always been a horrible public speaker, and now was no exception. The palms of my hands began to perspire, and I took off my right glove to buy myself some time. What if I was wrong? What if Aunt Rowena was the criminal mastermind and I was about to accuse an innocent woman?

  I don’t have time!

  “Warlock Bronach, the witch who has bound Strifle to this realm is the same witch who has been stealing the sacred artifacts from your temple,” I declared, not surprised when my mother began rubbing the back of her neck to ease her tension. This was either going to go well or we were definitely going to end up as toads. At least my announcement had the four council members looking away from Leo. “I stand before you to declare that I believe—”

  “Oh, get on with it,” Angelica interrupted, apparently not a fan of my public speaking, either. “Who is it you believe has been stealing from our sacred temple?”

  The fact that Angelica didn’t mention Strifle and the fairy’s plight told me that Mazie had been correct in dubbing the woman a gold-digger. Angelica didn’t care about anything other than power and affluence within the coven. Mazie had been spot on with the other nicknames she’d given, and I believe there was only one moniker my beloved ghost had gotten wrong.

  “Hestia Calixta!”

  * * *

  Evidently, I wasn’t too bad at giving public speeches.

  I’ve seen better, but your announcement definitely got their attention off yours truly, which is fine by me.

 
I had even been able to instigate a long chorus of “ohs” that were carried out in unison. The only problem I could foresee was that Hestia wasn’t going to give up so easily. She was not clueless.

  “I beg your pardon?” Hestia replied, using her elbow to prompt Ruby into backing up whatever story that was about to be concocted. “Ruby, tell them they’re being ridiculous!”

  My heartrate has calmed down a bit. I think we’re good. There’s no need to rush me to the vet—not that I’d ever set a paw in Dr. Jameson’s veterinarian clinic. Not in this lifetime or the other eight.

  Leo definitely didn’t have nine lives left by anyone’s count. Who knows what Hestia might do to get out of this predicament? Unfortunately—and if I were right in my assumption—she was the only one who knew where Strifle was being kept.

  Hmmmm. I forgot all about that little pixie. See? That’s what happens when I’m in fear of croaking for all eternity.

  “It all makes sense,” I said forcefully, not letting go of my mother’s hand in case we needed to defend ourselves. I’d been so nervous about being caught that the cold air no longer felt so chilly. “The sacred artifacts in the temple are being stolen, but which ones? Have you ever thought to narrow down their specific powers?”

  I didn’t know you were such a gambler, Raven. You better hope you’re right on the money with this one.

  I wasn’t usually a risk taker, but it was rather empowering to have Mom by my side. There was no doubt that she was watching and waiting for any sign of attack. She wouldn’t allow us to be blindsided by the council.

  Really? Then where is the fifth council member, huh?

  My mother’s lips twitched in irritation at Leo’s constant interference. In an odd way, his quips kept me balanced.

  Merrick and Angelica were whispering to each other in doubt while Ruby continued to stare at Hestia with suspicion. Their distraction gave me time to glance over my shoulder, just to confirm that there was no one behind us. The oversized looming tree that was surrounded by an old wooden bench covered with a dusting of snow were the only items in sight.

  Don’t get distracted, Raven. You’ve got them biting, now set the hook. Become the angler I always knew you can be.

  “When these so-called attacks Angelica mentioned took place on the neighborhood and all of you were defending the coven, did any of you do so with Hestia by your side?” I asked, forcing the other three members to recall Hestia’s whereabouts. I even took my questions a bit further. “Who was the one who found Mazie’s body when she died of natural causes?”

  Another collective round of “ohs” and “ahs” made their rounds, and I was quite proud of myself to have solved this mystery. Unfortunately, we still didn’t have Strifle in our possession. Technically, I wasn’t sure what would happen once we located Strifle.

  Don’t worry. We don’t have to kill the pesky sprite, if that’s what you’re thinking.

  It was, but I had more pressing issues to worry about—especially when Hestia suddenly stepped forward with enough anger radiating off her that the palm of my hand instantly reacted. The only thing that prevented my arm from involuntarily raising was my mother’s vise-like grip.

  “How dare you accuse me of such a thing!” Hestia exclaimed, shaking her finger at me as if I were caught sullying her favorite teakettle. “Ruby, tell them that I was with you. Go ahead. Tell them!”

  Hestia’s not so clueless after all, is she?

  “Ruby, do the right thing. Tell us the truth,” I encouraged, recalling the redhead’s expression the night I’d been able to astroproject myself into their council meeting. The woman might be opinionated, but she wasn’t a bad person. With enough prompting, she should do the right thing. “Strifle is in tremendous pain being trapped here. It isn’t fair that she be kept from crossing over to be with Mazie. Be honest with the council members, Ruby. Tell them that Hestia was worried about the vision of her own death. Explain to them that she was stealing artifacts to help prevent the fateful vision from coming true, and that her heinous plan was preventing Strifle from crossing through the veil all because Hestia wanted to use the fairy’s power to avoid the inevitable.”

  Not to make you feel bad or anything, but it is human nature to fight death.

  “Is this true, Hestia?” Merrick demanded, patting Angelica’s hand in reassurance that everything was going to be okay. “You should know that a vision could be years in the future. Stealing from the temple? Causing a familiar to be separated from…”

  Merrick couldn’t even finish his inquiry. He was too busy shaking his head in astonishment, hurt, and anger. Ruby was standing beside him wringing her hands in dismay, and Angelica seemed ready to put Hestia on trial immediately. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the punishment for these types of crimes.

  “How could you do this to us, Hestia?”

  “Where are those artifacts? You’ve weakened the coven with your treachery.”

  “I’m sorry, Hestia,” Ruby declared painfully over the numerous questions being thrown Hestia’s way. “Borrowing the artifacts from the library was one thing. But causing a familiar pain?”

  Their voices began to carry over one another, though I could hear Leo’s thoughts as clear as if he were inside my head.

  Trust me, you don’t want to know the punishment for one such crime, let alone the lot. On the bright side, at least the council’s anger is no longer directed toward us. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a lot better about our odds of returning home safely tonight.

  “I’d be surprised if Liam hasn’t put one of those all points bulletins out on us,” my mother muttered, her gaze going beyond the four council members in front of us. We had been gone a long time. Liam wouldn’t have stayed in the truck, which meant he was out patrolling a neighborhood of witches and warlocks who might not appreciate his presence. Nausea hit me hard. “How did you figure out it was Hestia?”

  Yeah, I’d like to know that one, too.

  “The bug that was crawling around on the ground wasn’t an average insect,” I shared, remembering when Leo had sent the six-legged creature sailing through the air with just one swipe. “It was Harold, the cockroach. He is Hestia’s familiar, and he was listening in on our conversation with Angelica. I put two and two together, and also recalled how she was so focused on the vision she had of her death.”

  Harold. That creepy, crawly little bugger. Where did he go?

  “Angelica did seem aggravated that we continued to accuse the council,” my mother summarized, once again scanning the distance behind the four arguing council members. What or who was she looking for? “Hestia’s crimes should be dealt with by her own coven. Our task is to collect Strifle and be on our way as soon as possible.”

  Too little, too late. Hold onto your hats, folks! I’m pretty sure we’re about to meet the fifth council member.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Leo hadn’t been kidding when he told us we should hold onto our hats—not that we had any hats on our heads, which I initially regretted. I’d left my watch cap in the truck. My adrenaline had spiked and instantly caused another hot flash upon seeing a beautiful older woman walking toward us from the front entrance.

  Could this day get any worse? Forget I said that. We’re still at some risk of becoming little green amphibian lumps of Jell-O with legs.

  “I apologize for my delay, but I was busy keeping a certain human occupied from scouring the neighborhood for our guests.” The woman was easily in her seventies, but age hadn’t altered one ounce of her physical beauty. She definitely had to be dabbling with the age spells to look that good. I would have wanted to know more about her had stark terror not spiked through my heart at the mention of a certain human. He could be none other than Liam. “Would someone like to catch me up with our friends here?”

  In a net, maybe. You and your group of bumbling band of cohorts have got a lot of explaining to do.

  “Is that you, Benny?” the woman asked nonchalantly before wiping away a snowflake
that had fallen on the shoulder of her long black dress coat. “Ever the gentleman, I see. You haven’t changed much in a lifetime. It’s been at least that long, don’t you think?”

  Rowena, it hasn’t been nearly long enough for me. And it’s Mr. Leo to you now.

  “Mom?”

  I’d never met my great-aunt before, but something about her commanded attention—everyone’s attention. She carried herself as if she was mystical royalty, even having that tilt of her chin that could only come from a sense of being highborn.

  Perfect angle for someone to—

  “I don’t believe it,” Regina muttered in shock, yanking on my arm until I was forced to take a step back. “Aunt Rowena.”

  Could we please get on with this? I need to clean my fur.

  “Rowena, you aren’t needed here,” Merrick announced with irritation, torn between keeping his gaze on Hestia versus my aunt’s distracting entrance. Ruby was still wringing her hands, and Angelica appeared like she wanted to bare those nails and use them as claws. There was definitely no love lost between the so-called fifth member and the rest of the council. “Your replacement on the council is forthcoming, as well as your banishment.”

  I might be able to stay for another few moments if there’s going to be entertainment.

  Leo was getting enjoyment out of Rowena’s displacement within the coven, but I wasn’t so sure it hadn’t been orchestrated on purpose. After all, Angelica had admitted to Aunt Rowena heading the faction who was currently opposing the remaining members of council.