Conflicted Witch (Jagged Grove Book 2)

by Willow Monroe

  She shakes her head and finally grins.

  “What?”

  “I don’t know...you’re just so uptight that I can’t see you chasing a boy.”

  I blink. “Uptight?”

  Suddenly all three of them find something else to occupy their attention.

  “I’m not uptight,” I mutter, and go back to updating addresses in our appointment book.

  “You are, just a little, dear,” Bilda offers.

  I sigh. Will anybody ever understand that I was dragged here against my will, and that I’m just trying to make the best of the situation until I can go home? Everyone but me sees this place as a little slice of heaven, and Bilda thinks it’s a grand adventure. Speaking of which...

  “By the way, I need to go out for lunch to run an errand. Do you guys want anything while I’m out?”

  Bilda shakes her head. “I promised the twins homemade hamburgers. We’re going home for lunch.”

  I hesitate for a moment, because Bilda’s hamburgers are fantastic, and now I want one. Then I shake my head, because I really need to do this other thing instead. “OK. I’ll see you later.”

  Maybe I am acting uptight, but I think I’ve got good reason.

  The day is bright and warm - summer in Jagged Grove is beautiful. This day reminds me of last summer, when Clay and I slipped away to Navio Beach for a few days. Low humidity, lots of sunshine, the sea glistening in the distance.

  The memory hits me hard, and for a moment I miss home so much that I want to cry. I miss Clay, with his easy-going manner and slow smile. I miss working hard on finals. I miss my crappy little apartment above the Glow nightclub in downtown Raleigh. I miss Tawny.

  She would love it here.

  I learned long ago that life isn’t fair, but it still pisses me off. I want it to be fair, just once. Instead, Clay thinks I’ve run off to Paris, and my school probably thinks I’ve skipped out altogether, unless Angelo made up some story to tell them, and Tawny has probably decided I’ve been kidnapped by the ASS man or something. She would think this is all very exciting.

  I’m busy mulling over excuses that Angelo probably gave people from back home when I turn the corner at the end of the street and slam into something.

  Or someone. Jones. He wraps both arms around me to keep me from staggering backward.

  He’s smiling down at me. “Hey, babe. You all right?”

  “I told you to stop calling me that.” I try to twist away, but he’s holding me close. He smells good.

  “I know.” He nods, the smile - and his arms - staying put. I sigh.

  “Are you all right?” he asks again. When he looks down at me there is a hint of concern mixed in with the amusement in his eyes.

  I nod. “I was just thinking. Sorry.”

  He just stands there, still looking at me, and I can see his werewolf nature hidden inside. It looks hungry, and I shiver.

  “Let me go now, Jones. Thank you.”

  “Sure. Where are you headed?”

  I don’t want him to follow me, but I doubt I’ll get rid of him. “Just an errand.”

  To my surprise, he nods and turns to go the opposite way. “OK, then. I’ll catch you later.”

  I watch him walk down the street. Well, saunter down the street. The man’s ego is as big as Mt. Savage. Then I gulp when he reaches the door to my office and slips inside.

  Bilda is in there, and I’m torn between going to the Salty Hog and following him back to my office. His recent interest in her is suspicious, even though I know it has to be some innocent thing. Maye they’re trading recipes. Maybe they’re trading spells, or working on some project together. It could be anything.

  Surely, he isn’t interested in her that way. Surely. So why do I suddenly feel the need to protect her from him?

  I shake my head, turn left and head for the Salty Hog, putting Jones out of my mind for the moment. Then I start praying that Angelo won’t be at the Salty Hog today, because I really need to talk to Portia. She hates me, and the last thing I want to do is talk to her, but I’m getting desperate.

  The interior of the bar is a lot cooler than the sun outside, and I wrap my arms around me when I step in through the big wooden door.

  She’s behind the bar, talking to someone. I don’t know who he is, but I can see that he isn’t Angelo, and that’s good enough. Ignoring the dead animals on the wall and the lack of music, I walk over and sink onto a stool.

  She looks at me, then turns back to the man. I’m content to wait until they finish their conversation, but now that they’ve noticed me, they stop talking. The man waves goodbye, tells Portia he’ll see her later, and walks out of the bar, leaving me alone with her.

  She doesn’t share pleasantries. “Hennesey, right?” she asks sharply.

  I shake my head. “Not today, Portia. I came to talk to you, actually.”

  Her eyebrows go up. Curiously, her eyes drift to the big double doors before settling on me again. “What? Another report?”

  Her disdain for me is thick, and this is like talking to a brick wall. I wonder if she thinks I’m here to talk about Angelo, and then I wonder if the man who just left was her husband. It makes sense, going by the glow on her face.

  “No. I need to talk to you about your coven, actually,” I say, and she relaxes a little. Somehow, I know I’ve guessed right - that man is a lover.

  I don’t care if she’s unfaithful with her husband. That’s her business. I especially don’t care that she wants to be unfaithful with Angelo. I have a boyfriend. Clay just happens to be out of reach right now, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten him.

  I pull my mind back to the task at hand. “Bilda - my mother - needs a new coven. She’s been away from her home coven for a long time, and she misses it. Is there...”

  Portia is already shaking her dark head. “We don’t have room, and we’re pretty close knit. I don’t think a stranger will do well with us.”

  There is no room for argument in her tone, but I have to try. For Bilda. “Are you sure? It would make her so happy to be part of a coven again...”

  My voice stalls out as she turns away and starts washing glasses in the little sink behind the bar. I’ve been dismissed.

  I drum my fingernails on the copper slab for a moment, then ask, “Can you recommend another coven, then? One that might be more...”

  I stop talking. She turns to glare at me again.

  “More what?”

  “Well...more friendly?”

  She snorts and goes back to her chores. I rethink the shot of Hennesey for a moment, then shake my head again, stand up, and leave.

  That didn’t go nearly as well as planned, and Bilda still doesn’t have a coven. I wonder if Imala still has room for her, even though I thought at the time that Bilda was too old-school for those women. Maybe there isn’t a choice. I head back to the office and make a mental note to pass along Imala’s invitation to the summer solstice to Bilda when I see her again.

  The office is empty when I step inside, and for a second I think about following them home and grabbing a juicy hamburger. Then it occurs to me that a few minutes to myself might be just what I need, so I walk back to my office and close the door, then sink into the big leather chair, put my feet up, and close my eyes. I can hear activity down at the docks, but it’s far away and nothing more than a background hum. I let it roll over me as I relax.

  Hopefully, things are starting to turn around here. I’m solving the house problem, I’m working on the Bilda-needs-a-coven problem, and I’m hoping that the avoid-Angelo-until-Rachel-is-gone problem will resolve itself, with a little help from Lilly.

  Lilly. I wonder about her history, even though it’s really none of my business. She seems pleasant enough, in spite of the whole black magic thing. Maybe I’m judging her too harshly, a knee-jerk reaction from the days when Bilda explained dangerous magic.

  Dangerous doesn’t have to mean bad. I’m starting to think that sometimes bad is good, if it gets rid of Rachel, t
he bitter witch.

  Well, wait. That’s not exactly what I want, either. I don’t want to get rid of her. Actually, I’d like to meet her, under different circumstances. She’s my sister, after all. Well, half-sister. We could have been friends, if she’d lived. Maybe.

  Then there is the problem of my father, whom I’ve never met. The same father who supposedly wanted me here, and charged Angelo with making it happen. I’m here, though, and he’s shown no sign of actually making contact with me. I could go to him, but I’m waiting for the right time.

  OK, I’m scared. I mean, I have to wonder what he wants. As soon as I get settled in my new house, find Bilda a coven, and deal with Rachel, I’m going to find out.

  With my eyes still closed, I snort at the idea that Jones thinks I have time for a party.

  Bilda doesn’t come back with the twins. They come in alone, and for a second I worry that she isn’t feeling well, but then Glade explains. “She said she had to go talk to someone, and to tell you that she would come by later.”

  I nod, pushing up from my semi-nap and swiping at my sleepy eyes. “It’s pretty quiet around here. You guys can go, too, if you want.”

  Glade shrugs. Rain, apparently still glum about her license exam, doesn’t even look up.

  I wonder if I was this moody as a teenager. If so, I don’t remember it.

  “Well, if you want to hang around here, you can’t just stare at me all day. Why don’t you work on the medicine jars in the back? They still need to be relabeled.”

  The jars in question came with the office, and I don’t understand half of their properties. That’s Bilda’s area of expertise, and I’m almost afraid to mess with them, in case I screw something up. The twins don’t seem to mind, though. Glade even seems to have a knack for recognizing which is which.

  I watch as they file through the waiting room and disappear in through the exam room door. Then I go back to the front desk to work on updating our patient records.

  I don’t look up again until Jones knocks on the desk, making me jump. “Jeez, Jones. I didn’t even hear you come in.”

  He grins, and it’s good to see him, so I grin back. Then my grin fades when he asks, “Is Bilda around?”

  “No. Why?” That came out sharper than I meant. “She said she was running errands today.” I look him in the eye. “Besides, you just saw her.”

  He raises an eyebrow, and I want to tell him to stop it. It’s too sexy. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to her. She was on her way out with the twins.”

  “Oh.”

  You guys are busy folks today, huh? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were avoiding me.”

  “I’m not avoiding you, Jones. I’m just trying to get things settled around here.”

  He looks hurt. It flashes in his dark eyes for a second. “I thought I was helping you with that.”

  Now I feel bad. “You are - you have been. Thank you.”

  “So where is Bilda?”

  I stop feeling bad. “You’re spending a lot of time with her these days...”

  “Jealous?” He looks happy about that.

  “No - worried. You have a reputation, and you don’t need to be leading Bilda on, if that’s what you’re doing.”

  He laughs out loud. I’m annoyed, but at the same time I’m relieved that he thinks the idea is funny. “You don’t need to worry about her - she’s one tough lady.”

  “I know, but you are one sleazy werewolf.”

  “You are jealous.”

  “I’m...concerned.”

  He leans over the counter and looks me directly in the eye. “You’re jealous, and you are incredibly sexy when you’re jealous, did you know that?”

  My gaze drops, and that’s a mistake, because it lands on the sight of his well-muscled chest. I clear my throat. “Do you want something, Jones? Besides my mother? If not, then scoot. I’ve got things to do.”

  “I’m hurt, Trinket. Last week you said I was your best friend here in Jagged Grove, and now you want nothing to do with me?”

  “I said you were my only friend.”

  “Still...”

  He’s right - he’s been a good friend, and I’m dismissing him like an annoying intrusion. Sighing, I put my pen down and push away from the desk. “OK, have a seat.”

  He reaches across the desk, takes my hand, and leads me around to his side. “I have a better idea. Come with me.”

  I pull back a little slowing him down. “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise. You can stand an afternoon away from the office, and I want to show you something.”

  I really want to argue. In fact, I think that not going with Jones is the best decision I could make today. But he’s persuasive, and sexy, and he smells good. Also, I’m glad he’s not going to chase Bilda down this afternoon.

  “What if somebody needs help? The guys are still working down at the docks, and...”

  “It’s fine. I’ll let the twins know where we are, just in case there is a problem, but I really want you to see this.”

  I’m not sure about this at all, but I nod. He lets go of my hand and walks back toward the exam room. I strain my ears to listen to what he’s telling them, but he must have whispered it, because I don’t hear a thing.

  What does he want me to see? I can’t imagine that Jagged Grove has any fabulous hidden treasures that I haven’t heard about yet. Maybe I’m wrong, though. It’s been a month, but I’m sure I still don’t know half of anything about this place. Maybe he will surprise me - I could use a nice surprise right about now, and if anyone can pull off a surprise, it’s Jones.

  When he comes back, I say, “Let me go change and I’ll meet you at my house in twenty minutes, OK?”

  He looks reluctant, but nods. “Twenty minutes, and that’s it.”

  I head for home, somehow worried and relived all at the same time. Jones is a wild card, and even though he’s my friend, I’m not sure I trust him.

  I’m halfway down Main Street when I change directions and head for the cottage. My curiosity about Lilly is out of control, and I just want to peek at the house, and maybe see what she’s doing. Jones can wait for a few minutes.

  As I walk, I wonder if I’ll find huge pentagrams burned into the yard or something equally creepy, but the reality is a letdown.

  The cottage looks exactly the same as it did before, with the exception of the gate, which is swinging back and forth on its hinges and making a tiny creaking noise.

  I’m pretty sure no one is here, but then I notice that the front door is slightly cracked open as well. Shaking my head, I head up the walk to close it. She could be a little more considerate of other people’s possessions, even if she is an evil witch.

  The grass is starting to get tall again, and I make a mental note to ask Glade to mow it for me, before it gets too ragged. The edges of the flower beds are getting weedy again, too, now that I think about it.

  The house itself still feels like it’s staring at me, and I avoid looking directly at it. My gaze wanders everywhere else, though, and that’s why I notice the red powder along the edge of the walkway.

  It looks almost like cayenne pepper, but that doesn’t make any sense. Why would someone season my house? Lilly doesn’t seem the type to do something so silly, but maybe it isn’t actually cayenne pepper. Bilda has all sorts of concoctions at the office and very few of them are what they seem. I found that out when I tried to put sugar in my tea and almost turned myself into a blackbird. Thankfully, Bilda caught me before that happened.

  Staring at the sidewalk, I toe the stuff with one shoe. To my surprise, it rolls around, more like tiny pellets than powder. I look back up at the house.

  “Lilly?” I call softly.

  No answer.

  The trail leads to the front door and presumably on into the house, but I’m not about to follow it that far. Instead, I make my way up the stairs, reach inside just far enough to close the door firmly, then turn around to leave. I’ll ask Lilly about the pow
der later.

  I’m almost back to the street when I see a hand sticking out from one of the neatly trimmed bushes near the gate.

  It’s a small hand, definitely a woman’s, with several rings that sparkle in the late sunshine. It’s very still, and I know something is wrong. I’m so stunned that I stop dead and just stand there for a moment. “Lilly?” I ask finally, as if she’s just under there working on the soil or something.

  I take a step back, off the sidewalk altogether. I’m not sure how I even know it’s her, but it is, and I don’t want to see what the rest of her looks like if I can help it.

  I need to get help, in case she’s still alive, but my feet won’t move and my magic isn’t humming. There’s no help for her - she’s already dead.

  Forcing myself forward to the pale hand, I bend down and look farther, up the arm to whatever else is under that bush. All I see is bright red hair.

  Biting my lip to swallow a scream, I scramble back and sit on the sidewalk. My chest is heaving, and for a moment my vision swims.

  Rachel killed her. Lilly is the meanest witch I know, and Rachel killed her.

  I’m so dead. That hand might as well be pointing right at me.

  I don’t know how long I sit there, just staring at it, until Jones finds me. He bends down and touches my arm, startling me. “Trinket? Where did you go? I was starting to worry about you.”

  I point.

  Jones turns. “Oh, hell,” he mutters, then starts to pull me up. “Trinket? Come on, babe. We need to get you away from here.”

  I feel like I’m moving in slow motion, or underwater. It takes all my effort to stand up, even with Jones’s help. When he turns me away from the house and walks me to the gate, I finally break from my trance.

  “Do you know what happened?” he asks me gently, touching my chin and turning my face to make me look at him.

  That’s when I start to cry. “I don’t kn...kn...know,” I wail. I’m shivering, and he wraps me in his arms. “It’s Lilly. She was supposed to be helping with the house,” I heave, “But then she’s...Rachel.”

  I can’t say anything else, so I just point.