To Love a Witch

by Amanda M. Lee

  I could see the gears of her mind working. “All I ever wanted was to be special.”

  I nodded in understanding. “I get it, but magic doesn’t make you special. Deeds do. You can still be a special person. You just can’t be a witch.”

  I expected to find desperation in her eyes when they locked with mine. Instead, I found resignation.

  “Fine.” She attempted to shrug despite her arms being tied behind her back. “Take my magic. Anything is better than staying in this town. I want to be free of this place ... and you people.”

  Aunt Tillie pulled the cork from the bottle and moved it to her lips. “You made the right choice.”

  “I didn’t really have a choice,” Dani countered. “I can’t stand you people. I hate this place. I want to go somewhere else. There’s only one way that will happen.”

  “There is,” Aunt Tillie agreed. “Open up.”

  Dani swallowed hard, cast one more look in my direction, and then did as requested.

  I watched as she gulped three times. The contents of the bottle were gone in an instant. Other than a shimmery haze that washed over her after the first swallow, she looked the same.

  “How do you feel?” Thistle asked as she started untying the ropes.

  “Like I hate you guys and want to be out of here,” Dani replied. “How am I supposed to feel?”

  Her response almost made me laugh. Almost. “You have to wait,” I instructed once her hands were free and she started rubbing her wrists. “Hazel has a ghost — she’s mutated it somehow — and it’s murderous. You can’t wander around until we handle that situation. When we’re done, you’re free to go.”

  “So ... you just want me to wait here?” Dani looked dubious. “There’s not even a television.”

  “What’s more important?” Thistle asked. “A television or your life?”

  “I might need some time to think about it.”

  Okay, that was enough to garner a chuckle. “If we don’t see you again, Dani, good luck.”

  She held my gaze for a moment and then nodded. “Same to you. By the way, I didn’t know Hazel was evil. I knew there was something up with her — she disappeared a lot — but I thought she was a drunk. I didn’t know she was capable of this.”

  That made two of us.

  WE LEFT DANI IN THE BASEMENT AND RETURNED to the main floor. The house was eerily quiet and I couldn’t wrap my head around Hazel’s end game.

  “She’s outside,” Aunt Tillie said, taking me by surprise.

  “She is?” My eyebrows hiked. “How do you know that?”

  “I can hear Valerie screaming.”

  I stilled, confused. When I cocked my head to listen, I heard only the wind. Then I remembered there had been no breeze when we walked into the house —Valerie was bringing the wind.

  “I don’t ever want you to play the selective hearing game again,” I hissed, bolting toward the door. “You hear just fine.”

  The world outside had changed drastically in the ten minutes since we’d escaped inside to face an enemy who turned out to be something else entirely. The trees bent from the force of the wind and Valerie was indeed screaming as she circled Chief Terry’s vehicle. My heart dropped when I took in the scene. Landon and Chief Terry were still inside, their faces gone white. It was clear they registered the wind, but the screaming ghost was lost on them.

  “We have to get them out of there,” Thistle said, starting forward.

  Aunt Tillie’s hand shot out and grabbed her arm. “They’re safer inside.”

  “Unless one of those trees falls on them,” Thistle argued.

  I hadn’t considered that. My stomach twisted. “Where is she?”

  “There.” Thistle pointed toward a small hill about two hundred feet away. Hazel stood on it, clad in a black robe. Her hair whipped in the wind as she glared at the police vehicle. She didn’t as much as look in our direction.

  “She doesn’t see us,” Aunt Tillie noted. “We can sneak up on her.”

  As if hearing Aunt Tillie’s voice over the wind, Hazel slowly turned her head, her eyes seeking — and finding — us.

  “So much for that idea,” Thistle said dryly. “I think we’re going to have to take her head-on.”

  “Only because you jinxed us with your big mouth,” Aunt Tillie hissed.

  I ignored their bickering, chalking it up to nerves, and kept my gaze locked on Hazel as I stepped out from under the eaves of the house.

  “Bay, this is a different situation than we initially envisioned,” Aunt Tillie warned. “You can’t just go over there and beat her with your fists and call it a day.”

  “I’ve got this,” I reassured her, grim.

  Landon reacted in the vehicle when he saw me and reached for the door handle. Chief Terry grabbed his shoulder to stop him and they began arguing. I ignored them and kept my focus on Hazel.

  Even as the wind whipped my hair and drowned out everything around us, I talked in my regular voice as I advanced on Hazel. “Did you do this for buried treasure?”

  She responded in the same even tone. “It’s real. I saw the maps Margaret had. There really is treasure out here. I just have to find it before they do.”

  “How did you see the maps?”

  “She showed them to me when she was enlisting me to spy on you before the solstice celebration.” She looked haughty. “You didn’t see that coming, did you?”

  My anger grew. If I started screaming now, I might never stop ... not until she was dead. “You came to town with an agenda.” I flicked my eyes to Aunt Tillie, who looked smug rather than afraid.

  “I told you!” Aunt Tillie stomped her tiny foot for emphasis. “I freaking told you she couldn’t be trusted! Did you believe me? No. You said I was overreacting. You said not everybody was an enemy. Well, who was right?”

  I let out a pent-up breath. “You were right.”

  “And who deserves to be queen of the universe?”

  “Don’t push it,” Thistle warned. “We just said you were right. There’s no need to drag it out.”

  Aunt Tillie’s glare was withering. “Bay said I was right. You’ve yet to utter the words.”

  “And don’t hold your breath.”

  I forced myself to tune them out and kept my focus on Hazel. “What did Mrs. Little hope to gain by sending you in as a spy?”

  “She wanted proof of what you are. She thought if I could film some of your rituals that she would be able to turn the town against you.”

  “That’s preposterous,” Thistle argued. “Hemlock Cove is built on witch mythology. That’s how we make our money.”

  “Fake witches,” Hazel countered. “Margaret is comfortable with humans pretending to be witches. She’s not comfortable with real witches being witches.”

  “Why would you agree to that?” I challenged. “You’re a witch.”

  “A broke witch,” Aunt Tillie answered for her. “She lost her house ... and her retirement ... and essentially lives out of her car.”

  “You knew?” I was furious. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “It was none of my business,” she sniffed, squaring her shoulders. “Being poor isn’t a crime. I thought she was struggling. I didn’t know she was working for Margaret. I assumed she was working against us, but that’s just because she’s a horrible person.

  “When she volunteered to help with the Dani situation I thought there might be hope for her,” she continued. “I see now that she took advantage of us because she wanted to get close, make us trust her. She couldn’t get the information she needed because I’ve never found her trustworthy. She needed to get past my walls.”

  “Yes,” Hazel said dryly. “That’s what I needed. You didn’t give it to me, though. Even when I selflessly volunteered to take care of Dani ... .”

  “Which wasn’t all that selfless because it gave you a place to stay rent-free,” Thistle pointed out.

  Hazel pretended she didn’t hear the dig. “Tillie is a hard nut to crack. Sh
e always has been. Still, if she’d been the only holdout I would’ve gotten what I needed right away. But you younger three ... .” She shook her head in disgust. “You’re all so wrapped up in each other that you don’t consider the feelings of others. It’s entitled ... and frustrating ... and I’m not even a little sorry about what I’ve done. Trying to reason with me won’t work.”

  “We’re not interested in reasoning with you,” I shot back. “We’re trying to understand. Mrs. Little offered you money for proof that we’re witches ... and you filmed us.”

  “I tried to film you the night of Clove’s wedding, but I was being watched too closely by her.” She jerked her head in Aunt Tillie’s direction. “After that, you guys were around often, but you never put your magic on display. All you did was snark at one another. Oh, and occasionally you and your boyfriend would talk about bacon and start giggling like middle-schoolers. Do you have any idea how obnoxious that is?”

  “She’s not wrong,” Aunt Tillie offered. “I’m the one who said you guys were gross first. I want credit.”

  I wanted to throttle her, but Hazel was our concern. “Was it during one of these clandestine meetings with Mrs. Little that you learned about the purported treasure?”

  Hazel nodded. “Sometimes Margaret talks to hear herself talk. She doesn’t realize how stupid that is. When I first heard what she was saying I thought she was nuts. She’s deranged where you guys are concerned. Seriously deranged. She’s convinced that Tillie has ruined her life on purpose.”

  “She’s not wrong,” Aunt Tillie offered.

  Hazel barreled forward as if Aunt Tillie hadn’t interjected. “The more I listened, the more I thought she might be on to something. The history books were very clear about where this pirate lived. Out here — and he had a lot of money.

  “Still, I thought it was a wasted effort ... until the map showed up,” she continued. “That map clearly indicated the treasure was on this side of the lake. All I have to do is find it. But I can’t do that as long as Margaret and her little friends are sticking their noses in. I also can’t do it when heartsick girls are running around the property spying on people and constantly crying about being dumped.”

  And that was the final piece I needed confirmed. “You killed Valerie.”

  “She caught me out here. I couldn’t be certain she wouldn’t tell someone. Then you guys would’ve realized I wasn’t watching Dani like I said I would. And that’s it.” She craned her neck. “Speaking of Dani, where is she? I thought for sure you would bring her with you. I figured she’d make an appealing additional target.”

  “Dani is no longer your concern,” I replied. “In fact, she’s no longer anyone’s concern.”

  “Did you kill her?” Hazel looked intrigued at the prospect. “I didn’t think you had it in you, but I’m impressed. You’re growing into the sort of witch I always knew you could be. With Tillie’s influence, I figured you were a lost cause. Maybe not.”

  “She’s not dead. She’s simply no longer a concern,” I countered. “Why did you enslave Valerie’s ghost after you killed her? Why not just let her go?”

  “Hey, she stayed behind on her own. She was a whiny little thing and wouldn’t shut up. Kept talking about her boyfriend cheating on her. When it first started, I was just trying to keep her quiet. Then I realized that the control I managed to exert over her could be used for other reasons ... and I took advantage.

  “I need to be able to cover the property without fear of being discovered,” she continued. “Once Valerie’s death became known, that wasn’t really an option because you guys were traipsing all over the place. So were the cops. When you add Margaret and her merry band of mischief-makers, well, the place was just getting too crowded. I had to scare people away.”

  “So you killed Heather?” That was the part that made no sense. “All that did was bring more attention to your doorstep.”

  “I didn’t mean to kill her.” Hazel almost looked contrite. “I was trying to scare her. She refused to acknowledge there was another presence in the house. No matter what Valerie did to frighten her, she ignored it. She refused to see ... until it was too late.

  “I didn’t take into account the level of Valerie’s rage,” she continued. “She couldn’t be fully controlled, and she somehow warped into something else. She killed Heather on her own. Believe me, that’s not what I wanted.”

  “And yet you still control her,” I pointed out. “Why not cut her loose if she’s so volatile?”

  “She’s the best weapon in my arsenal against you,” Hazel replied, her eyes darkening. “You’re strong, Bay. Being able to command the ghosts makes you stronger. I need a level playing field and Valerie provides that.”

  I had news for her: I wasn’t going to allow that to happen. “How do you think this is going to end?”

  “I kill all of you and Margaret gets the blame,” Hazel replied without hesitation. “Everyone in town knows she’s enraged. She’s at her breaking point. It won’t be a stretch for people to believe she snapped and killed the three of you.”

  “And them?” I gestured toward Landon and Chief Terry.

  “They happened upon the mass murder and were caught off guard. She managed to get the jump on them.”

  I was incensed. “She’s eighty. She can’t get the jump on three witches and two cops.”

  “She’s also nutty,” Hazel pointed out. “She’s unpredictable. It will be a true tragedy, but when the dust settles, I’ll have a clear shot at this property — and the treasure.”

  We stood silent. I had no idea what to say. Aunt Tillie, of course, never had that problem.

  “Except there is no treasure,” she volunteered.

  When I risked a glance in her direction, I found smugness.

  “Of course there’s treasure,” Hazel shot back. “There’s a map.”

  “I made the map.” Aunt Tillie’s lips curved. “I knew Margaret wanted the campground so badly that there had to be a reason. I poked into the minds of her friends and found her treasure idea. I decided to play with her ... and actually found a guy in Traverse City who is great at drawing up maps that look like antiques. All he wanted in return was a case of my special wine.”

  And that’s when the final piece fell into place. “You put all of this into motion.”

  “I didn’t know it would turn into this,” Aunt Tillie countered quickly. “I wouldn’t have taken it that far. I ... didn’t know.”

  I believed her. “It doesn’t matter now.” I pursed my lips and regarded Hazel. “Now what are you going to do? The treasure is fake and you’re a murderer. Your ghostly creation has killed two people and you’ve killed one. You’ve also kidnapped a teenage girl and threatened us. You have nowhere left to go.”

  “I can still kill you,” Hazel hissed. “Now I have even more of a reason to want you dead.”

  Aunt Tillie had been right all along, loath as I was to admit it. Hazel was never the witch we thought she was. It was too late to correct things. We had to stop her here.

  “You can try,” I acknowledged, “but you won’t win.”

  “And why is that?”

  “We’re better than you,” Aunt Tillie replied, her eyes flashing. “Just watch.” She threw her hands in the air and started throwing out Latin words. “Ignis. Exitium. Sella.”

  Thistle frowned. “Fire. Destruction. Chair. What the heck are you going to do with a chair?”

  She probably shouldn’t have asked, because the magic Aunt Tillie ignited was a spectacle. A shower of fire arced from her fingertips and flew directly at Hazel, who managed to throw up a rather impressive shield spell. The destruction part of the curse came in the form of twirling branches that descended on the woman from every direction, a twister of tree-branch terror. As for the chair, the stone bench parked near Heather’s pretty garden lifted with a great groan and started barreling directly toward Hazel.

  It was an impressive display.

  “You’ll have to do better than that,
” Hazel screeched, launching her own magical assault. The bulk of it was directed toward Aunt Tillie, but a hard lash of magic struck my cheek and caused me to duck low.

  “They’re going to kill each other,” Thistle warned from my right. “We can’t just sit here and let them throw magic at each other like that. As soon as Hazel feels she’s losing, she’ll go after Landon and Chief Terry.”

  I was well aware — and I had a plan.

  I closed my eyes and summoned the ghosts. I had no idea where they’d been hiding during the run-up to the battle, but they came in force when I called to them.

  “Oh, you found her,” Viola said, smiling easily when she caught sight of Valerie, who looked lost and confused because Hazel wasn’t issuing orders. “What do you want us to do?”

  “Hold her back,” I instructed. “I’m going for Hazel.”

  “We’ve got it.” Viola took off in that direction, like a blue streak of energy. In Chief Terry’s vehicle, I saw Landon sit up straighter, as if he’d seen the movement. It was obvious he was aware something was happening. From his perspective, it probably looked like we were caught in a windstorm.

  “Let’s finish this,” I said grimly, nodding at Thistle. “Help Aunt Tillie. Keep Hazel’s attention on you.”

  Thistle didn’t look thrilled at the prospect. “What if you need help?”

  “I won’t.” I thought of everything Landon had said. “I’ve got this. I know what to do.”

  Thistle didn’t question me further. She nodded and then rolled in the other direction, landing on her feet and raising her hands above her head. “Arbor,” she screeched, aiming her magic at the tree on Hazel’s left.

  The double assault was sufficient to have Hazel grappling. Her back was to me when I moved from my hiding spot. I broke into a run.

  It was as if time stood still for a brief moment. Hazel focused her magic on trying to keep the tree from striking her. Aunt Tillie doubled her assault. Valerie, under siege by the other ghosts, snapped her head in my direction.

  I didn’t have much time, so I did the only thing I could. “Glacio.” I put as much effort into the magic as I could, and for one triumphant moment I thought it had worked. Hazel was smarter than I gave her credit for, though. There was a sneer on her face when she turned and reflected the magic back in my direction. She’d been expecting the subterfuge.