The Witching Hour

by Sara Bourgeois

  “It was my idea. I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Ginger said. She did a little shake and her normally orange fur turned black.

  “Nice trick.”

  “It really is, if I do say so myself.”

  I picked a black bag from my closet and loaded it up with everything I thought I would need. Once it was ready, Ginger jumped in. We were ready to go.

  “Comfortable in there?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “I’ll hurry.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  The back side of The Seeing Eye was on a side street across from the town’s brewery. It was a small place that made craft beer. Destiny Dark Ale was a popular brew with both the locals and tourists. But, it was a small operation and the workers were only there from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. A few were regulars at my shop, but everyone was long gone for the day.

  That meant that there was no one around to see me sneaking in the back door of Regina’s shop. Before I could open the door, I had to deal with the protection spell Regina had left behind.

  Normally, removing a dead person’s spell would be a nightmare, but Regina’s spell was weak. And, she wasn’t a natural born witch. She managed to cast feeble spells from time to time, but they came from the wrong place inside of her. So, it didn’t take much to dissipate the protection ward on the door.

  It was a shame too. Not many non-magicals could learn to cast spells. If Regina had been a genuine person with the right teacher, she would have had potential.

  But she was gone, and I had to find my Cookbook of Shadows. A little sprinkle of caraway, which is usually used to protect a person from theft but I was trying to get my belongings back so it still worked, and the right incantation opened the lock in a snap.

  We went inside and relocked the door behind us. I put the bag down so Ginger could get out, and felt around for a light switch. I found it and flipped it on. Ginger and I were in a dirty store room that would have killed my mother.

  “Willow would have a fit if she saw this place,” Ginger said. Sometimes we were on the same wavelength.

  “Yeah, it doesn’t look like anyone has pushed a broom through here in decades,” I said and stifled a sneeze.

  “Where do we start?” Ginger asked.

  “I think we should go through all of these boxes. She could have hidden it inside of one under whatever is in them.”

  “Isn’t that going to take forever?”

  “No. Watch this,” I said.

  I raised my arms and a few of the boxes floated off the shelves. I put them down in the center of the room and snapped my fingers. All of them opened.

  “You can climb in and go through one while I do this,” I said and willed the contents to float out of the box.

  “I think I like your way better,” Ginger said, and with a wiggle of her butt, the contents of another box floated out.

  We searched through all of her supplies. She had boxes and boxes of cheap candles, herbs, teas, and incense. None of it showed that she had any pride in her craft. The sad part was that I was sure most of it was fake. She was selling people herbs that were nothing more that grass clippings and dried fruit peels. Not that dried fruit peels don’t have their usage, but if you’re selling people sacred mushrooms for a hundred dollars and it’s nothing more than desiccated apple peel, you’re a charlatan of the worst kind.

  That wasn’t the only fake thing we found. Regina sold premade “ritual packs” for people who wanted to cast spells but didn’t have all of the needed materials. She had packs with spell names like “Bring Him to Me”, “Lover’s Enchantment”, and “Money Now”.

  If you set aside the fact that magic shouldn’t be used to override someone else’s will, the spells she was selling weren’t even real. Her “ritual packs” weren’t based on any genuine spells. It wasn’t ignorance either. Regina obviously knew some real magic, but all she sold was fake bull honkey. She was the worst kind of fraud who preyed on desperate people.

  The whole thing soured my mood, and unfortunately, the Cookbook of Shadows wasn’t in the storage room.

  “Let’s move on,” I said and we walked into Regina’s reading room.

  The room where Regina did her “psychic” readings was covered in gypsy-style fabrics. I was fairly certain she’d purchased it all at a Halloween theme store. None of it reflected actual Romani culture. There were gaudy bead curtains that separated the room from the lobby area.

  In the center of the room was a wood table, and in the middle of that was a large crystal ball. The ball was flanked by two sets of tarot cards. I picked up the cards in the hopes that I could get some sort of magical clue from them. I wasn’t very psychic myself, but I hoped I could get an energy reading from them.

  All I could feel was desperation. It was probably leftover from the last client who had handled the cards. My heart hurt for them.

  We’d looked everywhere, and I hadn’t found my Cookbook of Shadows. I was about to give up and leave when the crystal ball in the middle of the table began to glow.

  Chapter Nine

  I was curious as to what Regina’s crystal ball might want to show me, but I was also hesitant. I didn’t like scrying. It formed a connection between the physical world and the spirit realm, and there were so many things that could go wrong if you weren’t properly protected.

  It was an important decision. Should I try to look into the crystal ball, or get the heck out of there? In the end, I was desperate for any clue I could get.

  Before I began, I cast a quick circle around me and asked my spirit guards for protection.

  While taking salt from my bag, I sprinkled it around myself and Ginger. After speaking the incantation, I felt a little better about looking into the ball.

  At first, there was nothing but swirling fog and dim light. Then the fog began to dissipate, and a broken, heart-shaped locket appeared from the mist. Tears fell onto the locket, and I was almost knocked over by an overwhelming sense of loss. It hit me in the chest like a punch.

  The crystal ball’s energy was around me, and it was shockingly strong. It felt like vines enveloping and entrapping my limbs. The energy seeped into me and I felt the tentacles of energy start to rip my spirit from my body. I was being literally sucked into the spirit world.

  I needed to look away, but I couldn’t will myself to move my head or my body. I began to feel sleepy, and I accepted that I was going to the other side.

  Before the ball’s energy could take me completely, Ginger hurled her whole body at the ball. It broke loose from the pedestal and rolled to the floor where it shattered into a million little pieces.

  I snapped back into my body. When I realized how close I came to being pulled into the spirit world, I freaked out.

  “Oh, my gawd. Oh, my gawd. Oh, my gawd.” I was hyperventilating and my heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest.

  “Pull it together, Zoe,” Ginger whispered softly.

  “Pull it together? Do you realize just how close I came to being pulled into the spirit world? I could have been trapped there for an eternity.”

  “Yeah, but I totally saved your life,” Ginger said.

  “You did,” I said, finally getting control of myself. “Thank you.”

  “What are you doing here?” The woman’s voice made me jump half out of my skin and my heart started racing all over again.

  Chapter Ten

  “I…”

  “Well, what are you doing here?” Esmerelda tapped her food impatiently. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Should I just call the sheriff now?”

  “I thought I saw an intruder,” I said. “I came in to check it out.”

  “You’re a terrible liar,” Esmerelda said.

  “Fine. I didn’t see an intruder. I came in here to look for my Cookbook of Shadows. I know Regina took it, and I want it back.”

  “Yep. I’m going to call the sheriff and have you arrested for trespassing.”

  “Not
if I call Joe first,” I said. “You’re trespassing too. I wonder which one of us he’ll believe because I can always tell him that I was in my store and I saw a prowler.”

  “I’m pretty sure he’ll believe me. Remember the part about you being a terrible liar?”

  “What are you doing here so late? Why are you in Regina’s shop?” I asked suspiciously.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but you tripped a silent alarm when you broke in here. I got the alert and figured I’d come see who was trespassing. Regina gave me a key.”

  “Why didn’t you call the police?”

  “I don’t know. I figured it would be more interesting to see who was here first. I thought I could sneak in and maybe catch Regina’s killer. My plan worked too. You had no idea that I was here until I said something.”

  “Don’t you think you should give that key back to Regina’s family?”

  “It’s none of your business,” she snarled. “You know, she was going to sell me this place. Regina had made so much money that she planned on retiring someplace tropical.”

  That was suspicious. I’d never seen Regina give any indication that she’d planned on retiring. For one, she was young, and for another, she’d been ramping up her advertising lately. It seemed to me that, fraudulent or not, Regina was trying to grow her business, not get rid of it.

  That made me wonder if Esmeralda could have killed Regina to take over the store. Regina’s family would most likely be looking to sell the business after her death.

  “Have you seen my Cookbook of Shadows?”

  “I haven’t,” Esmeralda said. “You should get out of here. And don’t let me catch you snooping around this place again.”

  I left without saying another word, but I was nervous. What if she called Joe after I left? He’d told me to stay out of the investigation, and it wasn’t exactly like he was happy with me lately.

  My walk home was slow. I kept envisioning Joe waiting there for me with the handcuffs. I couldn’t believe that I’d done something that could get me arrested. It wasn’t like I was guilty of killing Regina, but some of the darkness surrounding her murder had sunk in just because I’d been so close to the dark deed.

  I knew that I needed to do something about it. A cleansing under the moonlight would be a good start, but I was tired. All I wanted to do was go home and go to bed.

  Joe wasn’t waiting for me when I got home. I didn’t want to be arrested, but I was a little sad he wasn’t there. I missed my friend.

  After a shower and a snack, grapes for me and a carrot for Ginger, I went to bed. But, all I did was lie in bed staring at the ceiling. I was exhausted but also too wired.

  Another twenty minutes or so of insomnia later, and I decided I needed to do something. I had to be up early to work in the morning, so lying awake all night obsessing wasn’t an option.

  The box of valerian root tea in the pantry called my name. I didn’t want to use magic if I didn’t have to, but I knew the tea would knock me out nicely. It meant I’d have to set two alarms in the morning because it would be hard to wake up. But that was a small price to pay.

  I sat at my kitchen table alone sipping my tea. Unlike me, Ginger had no trouble sleeping. She never did. I guessed it was one of the perks of being so small and having a lightning fast metabolism.

  The tea started to take effect when I’d finished about half the cup. I started to feel like my mind was drifting, but in a good way. It was nothing like when the crystal ball was trying to take me out of my body.

  I let my mind wander back to a few days ago when I still had my Cookbook of Shadows and no one had died in my bakery. I got the feeling that something had shifted for me. I’d be happy and less stressed again at some point, but the world would never be the same for me again.

  And, that’s how I feel asleep. Facedown at my kitchen table with a cup of valerian root tea in my hand.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Hey. Hey, wake up.” I heard Ginger’s voice and felt her little nose sniffing at my ear.

  “Five more minutes.”

  “You don’t have five more minutes. If you don’t get up, you’re going to be late,” Ginger said. “Say, did you go on a bender last night or something?”

  “No, why?” I asked groggily before it dawned on me that I’d been asleep facedown on the kitchen table.

  “I thought you were dead at first,” Ginger said as I planted my hands on the edge of the table and pushed myself up.

  “I’m not dead. I just make a damn good cup of valerian root tea.”

  “You should sell that in your shop with your cupcakes,” Ginger said with a giggle.

  “Why, so customers can fall asleep at my tables?”

  “You could charge extra for pillows and blankets,” my familiar said.

  “I’m going to get ready for work.”

  “I hope by get ready for work, you mean throw on a clean shirt and wave some magic over that hair,” Ginger chided. “You. Are. Late.”

  “Right,” I said. “I need coffee.”

  “You can get coffee at the store.”

  “Fiiiiinnne,” I said and went to my room to find a clean shirt.

  I did as Ginger had suggested and used a little magic to get my hair under control. A little magical deodorant and I was passably ready to go.

  It was a good thing that Ginger pushed me to get to the shop on time. As soon as I opened, a bus full of French tourists streamed into the shop. Only a couple of them spoke English, but they all wanted American cupcakes. I’d gotten about half of their orders checked out when Lila came into the shop.

  She joined the back of the line and waited her turn. When Lila finally got to the counter, she announced loudly enough for all of my customers to hear. “I need one dozen of your In Love with Lavender cupcakes as soon as possible.”

  I had to wonder why anyone would need that many In Love with Lavender cupcakes for themselves. It was one thing to sell that many for a party, but as far as I knew, Lila wasn’t having a party. She wasn’t dating anyone either. The whole thing struck me as extraordinarily suspicious.

  “Hang on just a second,” I said. “Let me see what I’ve got in stock in the back.” I left before she could utter another word.

  My mom was in the back obsessively washing and rewashing pots and pans. She was convinced that Ginger was going to give my customers the plague.

  “Mom,” I said and she jumped a little at the sound of my voice.

  “Dear sweet lord in heaven, Zoe Magnolia, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

  “Mom, you sound like a church lady.”

  “Well, you almost scared the Holy Ghost right into me.”

  “Mom,” I said and rolled my eyes so hard that it just about gave me a migraine.

  “What can I do for you, Zoe?”

  “I need you upfront,” I said. “Please.”

  I followed my mom out to the front and signaled for Lila to join me off to the side of the counter. “I just wanted to ask you why you need so many of the In Love with Lavender cupcakes?” I asked cautiously. I wanted to know, but I didn’t need another scandal. In a small town, I figured something like me not selling love cupcakes to a single woman could turn into a scandal. “It’s just that I usually only sell the In Love with Lavender cupcakes to wedding parties. I mean, I’ve sold one or two to couples looking to celebrate an anniversary or something. It’s just that… I don’t know. Could you please tell me why you want them?”

  “I’ve got a special night planned for a special someone. Don’t worry, they aren’t just for me,” Lila said with a dismissive laugh. “I am willing to pay double if I can get some right now, though. For your trouble.”

  “I don’t actually have any made because I don’t usually sell those in the shop except around Valentine’s Day. If you can wait until tomorrow morning, I can have them ready.”

  “Really, that long? I was kind of hoping to do my… I mean have my special surprise evening tonight.”

  �
��I don’t have any made, and some of the ingredients I need are at home. There are things I don’t keep in the shop,” I said. “I’ll make them first thing in the morning when I come in. You can come by and get them as soon as I’m open.”

  “Well, I guess that will have to work. It’s not like there’s anyone else in town who can make them.” Lila seemed a little defeated.

  “Come to the register and let me ring you out. You’ll have to pay up front for a special order like that.”

  “Of course,” Lila said.

  Once she was gone, my mom went back to rewashing all of the dishes, and I helped the tourists some more. A lot of them wanted a second cupcake or a to-go order. I don’t think any of them picked up on the fact that I was a witch and the cupcakes had a touch of magic. While I was boxing cupcakes and swiping credit cards, I had to wonder what French witches were like.

  When the tourists and all of my morning regulars were gone, my mom came out into the shop to see the damage. She gasped and dropped her broom when she saw the chaos. It’s not that the tourists were disrespectful or anything, but that many people in my small shop had left a mess behind.

  “Zoe, it’s going to take forever to clean this up. Oh, gosh,” she said and sent the broom spinning across the floor with a wave of her hand.

  “I’ll help you. Don’t worry, we can do it. We’ll have this place spotless in no time.”

  “You are far more confident that I am,” my mother said.

  “I’m going to box up the day’s leftovers for the nursing home. I promised them they could have the rest for their dessert, and then I’ll clean the counters and cases. You just worry about the floors and tables, okay?”

  “All right, Zoe. But, please do a good job. I don’t want to have to do the cases again.”

  “I’ve got this, mom.”

  Normally, I’d take the day’s leftovers down to Your Fly’s Open, but once in a while I took them to the Shady Grove nursing home. The residents loved the treats, but the nurses asked that I not bring them too often.