Conflicted Witch (Jagged Grove Book 2)

by Willow Monroe

  “I’ll work on it.”

  An elderly man comes up from the docks and sits at the other end of my bench, so I shut up.

  Rachel doesn’t, though. Evidently she sees this as an opportunity to get things off her chest. I thought having a big sister would be cool, but it’s not. According to Daddy’s stories, you are the greatest thing ever, but all I see is a scaredy-cat.

  What is she, twelve? Daddy? Scaredy-cat? I can’t answer her, though.

  He said your powers were unbelievable, and that he wished you were around to teach me. I just don’t see it. You won’t even use your powers, so how could you teach me anything? I bet I know more than you.”

  She’s probably right. I rub my nose, because the green keeps catching my eye. Beside me, the old man shifts in his seat.

  Angelo swore he’d always love me, you know. I’m not being mean, I’m just making him keep his promise. It isn’t my fault I’m dead.

  Bitter witch.

  And it isn’t my fault you’re here. Blame Daddy for that one. Well, if you’re brave. Which you aren’t. This is all his fault.

  I don’t know what she’s rambling about, but I’m listening. Maybe if she keeps talking I’ll pick up some clues about this mess, and figure out what’s really going on. So far, I know my father has something to do with our coming here, yet he won’t show his face. I’ve looked, walking down the street or when I go out, at the faces that pass and none of them resemble mine. I don’t even know how I would know him. He could be anywhere.

  He could be here now.

  He could be the man beside me.

  I peek in that direction, but the man has his head back and his hat pulled down over his face. He’s snoring.

  That’s not him. He’s not allowed in Jagged Grove.

  “Can you read my mind?” I ask out loud, before I remember I’m supposed to be alone.

  The old man snorts but he doesn’t wake up.

  Only when you’re more relaxed.

  I’m not relaxed. I’m nowhere near relaxed, especially now that I know she can invade my thoughts, too.

  We are sisters, after all. Unfortunately. That man is Millard Flak, by the way.

  My mouth drops open. “You could have mentioned that before.”

  I touch the man on the shoulder lightly. He snorts again, but doesn’t raise his head. “Millard?” I ask quietly.

  Nothing. “Millard? Millard Flak?”

  He snorts again and raises a hand to lift his hat, revealing a strong square jaw and the bushiest eyebrows I’ve ever seen. Then he looks around and finally spots me. “Hmm? What?”

  “I’m sorry to wake you, but can I ask you a couple of questions?”

  He peers closer at my face and grunts. “You look weird.”

  “I know. Listen, did you know Lilly Crabtree?”

  His entire expression scrunches into a scowl. “What about it?”

  “Well, she died a couple of days ago.” I should have prepared better for this.

  “I know, and good riddance. Killed, wasn’t she?”

  I nod. Take a deep breath. “Someone mentioned that you might have had something to do with it, because you supposedly hated her so much.”

  I scoot back a little on the bench, sure that he’s about to lash out at me.

  Instead he starts to laugh. Well, laugh in the midst of his coughing. “Me? Kill Lilly? Oh, goodness. That’s funny.”

  He’s shaking his head. “I wish I had, but no - I’m not your man, young lady. I have no desire to go up against that coven.” I think he shudders. Is Lilly’s coven that bad? “Should I expect a visit from the Council? Or maybe that young one...Scott Travine? He seems to be playing detective a lot these days.”

  I’m shaking my head. “No. At least, I don’t think so. It’s nothing official. Someone mentioned your name, though, and I thought I’d better ask you about it.”

  He shakes his head and frowns again, then pushes up from the bench and leaves without another word. I let him go, even more sure than before that he had nothing to do with Lilly’s death.

  Angelo seems to take forever to get to me, and then he takes my arm and leads me into town, to my office, before he says anything. When the door is shut firmly behind us, he sits on my desk and looks at me. “OK, now what’s this about Bilda and Aries?” The look in his eyes isn’t helpful. He seems nervous.

  I take a deep breath and sit behind the desk, very aware of Rachel watching our every move. “Aries came to get Bilda this morning. I think Bilda plans to join her coven.”

  “That doesn’t make sense...”

  “She doesn’t know Aries, or what kind of magic she practices.”

  “Why didn’t you tell her?”

  I smack my hand on the desk top. “I tried, Angelo, but she just thinks I’m being mean to her again.” I pause. “Maybe if you tried. She likes you.”

  “She’d like you, too, if you’d quit hurting her feelings. Maybe include her once in a while.”

  Then he says, “Rachel, would you please fix her hair?”

  “And my nose.”

  “And her nose? It’s annoying.”

  Rachel sighs her ghost-y sigh and then Angelo nods. “Thank you. That’s better.”

  “Why didn’t you do that the other day?”

  He looks at me. “I left. It wasn’t annoying then.”

  “Thanks. Now will you go with me to get Bilda?”

  The look he’s giving me intensifies. “I can’t, Trinket. You can’t either.”

  “Why not?” Now I’m annoyed.

  “Because she’s a grown woman. You can’t just force her to go and do what you want.”

  The irony isn’t lost on me and I level my gaze on him. “Oh, really? You did.”

  He gets it. “That was different. I was just doing my job.”

  “And following my father’s orders?”

  He looks away.

  I want to ask more, find out what my father has to do with this situation, but now isn’t the time to try and pry information from Angelo. “I need to protect Bilda, Angelo. Will you help me or not?”

  His voice comes back low and even. “What if she doesn’t want protection?”

  I don’t even know how to answer that.

  “What if she knows exactly what she’s doing, and what if she’s tired of you protecting her?” He practically spits the word. “You’re a bully where she’s concerned, Trinket. Did you know that?”

  I open my mouth, close it again, and swallow instant tears. “I’m just trying to keep her out of trouble,” I whisper.

  “No you aren’t. You’re trying to keep her closed up in a little box. That way, you have all the control. Leave the poor woman alone, and let her make her own choices.”

  Then, to the air, he says, “And Rachel, leave me alone. It’s over.”

  The air crackles.

  Then he looks at me one last time and shakes his head. “You two really are sisters, aren’t you?” Then he walks out. I wince as the door slams behind him. Somewhere off to my left, near the window, Rachel gasps.

  I suddenly feel very alone.

  Well, except for the dead girl crying over there.

  ELEVEN

  Come to the house. Rachel is evidently over the abrupt breakup. Or she knows she’ll get him back, because how do you break up with a ghost?

  “Shut up, Rachel. I’m trying to think.” Actually, I’m still staring at the door, trying to process Angelo’s accusations. It’s been almost twenty minutes, but I can’t get his words out of my head.

  Am I really a bully? I’d like to believe that I’m just overprotective, but now that he’s pointed out the obvious, I’m afraid that he’s telling the truth.

  What right do I have to make Bilda do anything?

  Not that I was ever trying to make her - I was just keeping her out of trouble, or so I thought.

  Come to the house. Let me help.

  “That house has caused half of this trouble,” I say. Not entirely true, but it did contribut
e.

  I need to show you something. It will help. I promise.

  I consider this. She hasn’t tried to kill me, and she’s obviously not blaming me for Angelo’s little outburst, but I’m still not sure I trust her. “Rachel? Where do we stand?”

  I have no idea what you’re talking about.

  “Yes you do.” Anyone passing by would think I’m nuts, consulting an empty room. “You tried to kill me, then you tried to keep me away from the house. Now you want to help? What’s with all the mixed signals?”

  I couldn’t wait to meet you, you know. After all Daddy told me, I thought we could be best friends. Like...you would steal my clothes and I would get you in trouble. You would steal my boyfriend and we could share secrets. Like real sisters. I always wanted one.

  “But then you thought I was jumping ahead to the steal your boyfriend part?”

  Exactly. I gave you the house, but then it seemed like you wanted Angelo and my practice, too. What was next - my coven? My father? My friends?

  “I didn’t. Don’t. I’m just trying to get home now.”

  A hint of fluttering white near the door catches my eye. Even with your fiancé out of the picture?

  How’d she know that? “Yes. I still have my law career to think about. And my friends.” I wouldn’t admit to her that home sounded less appealing with Clay gone. “Besides, everyone here hates me.”

  She makes a noise - near the window now - that sounds like a snort. Doesn’t look like it to me.

  I don’t know what that means, so I ignore it. “So have you changed your mind?”

  She’s quiet for a long moment. Maybe. It’s still fun to harass you, though. I probably won’t stop that. Think we can still be friends?

  Blue nose or death by witch? I think I can live with the colorful skin.

  “OK then, show me something.”

  I meant to echo her remark about showing me something in the house, but something else catches my eye. Rachel is materializing. Slowly I see long blonde hair come into view, and then eyes like mine and a perky nose with a few freckles scattered across it. Next is her lips and chin—also very delicate looking, like mine. A long neck, slim shoulders covered with what appears to be a thin shawl of some sort. She’s tiny, and I’m startled at how young she looks. Much younger than me. That explains all the impulsive destruction, too.

  “How old are you?” I whisper, trying to make out more details. “Were you, I mean?”

  Twenty-two.

  I would have guessed eighteen or nineteen. “That’s...really young.”

  Her chin comes up. I am the youngest healer in the history of Jagged Grove. Very talented for my age. That’s why I was so surprised that you... Her voice trails off.

  “Aren’t?” I finish.

  Let’s just say you need help, and I’m offering.

  “Fine.” I pause. “Thank you.”

  As I lock the office door and walk toward the cottage, with Rachel close behind me, I wonder if Bilda would say I told you so. She told me to talk to Rachel, and that things would work out fine.

  Of course, when I didn’t like that idea, Bilda had offered to kill her. That still blows my mind, and I have to wonder if she knows more about Aries than I thought. After all, she does have that death-bag full of creepy candles and a possible human finger in her room.

  It feels weird to think it, but I wonder if Bilda has secrets of her own.

  The cottage looks just like it did the last time I saw it: brooding. The lot looks beautiful, though, and anyone walking by would see a pleasant little home in a pleasant little neighborhood.

  I like what you did with the lawn, Rachel says. I push open the gate and step inside, closing it behind me quietly but still wincing at the screech.

  She vanishes through the door as I dig out my keys and unlock it. “Show off!” I call, and hear her laughter from the depths of the house.

  Come on, already. Her voice sounds quieter now, so I assume that she’s in the kitchen and head that way, still marveling at the beauty of the house. Even in the shadows of early evening, the place sparkles with gemstones and polished wood. I love it here.

  Trinket?

  Rachel has materialized outside of the door to what I can only guess is a basement. When I open it, stairs lead down into complete blackness. “I’m right here...”

  Trinket? Look.

  “At what?” Even as I say the words, a loud crash makes me scream and jump. I spin around to see a flash of movement - someone heading for the back door. Long hair streams out behind a slim body.

  I act without thinking, and chase after them, but Rachel is faster. I’ll never know how she got there, but when she materializes in the kitchen doorway it brings the intruder to a screeching halt. They slip around on the stone for a second, then catch their footing, spin away from her, and slam head first into me before I can get out of the way. We both go down, the runner on top of me, and I feel my lungs expel from their weight.

  I hang on, though. I had instinctively grabbed for them when we fell, but now that my arms are wrapped around whoever it is, I’m hanging on with all I’ve got.

  The grunts I’m hearing are somehow feminine. Add that to the hair in my eyes, and I’m pretty sure we’ve got a woman intruder.

  “Let. Go. Of me,” she says pushing away from me with the hand trapped between us.

  I look up to see a very familiar face. “Candace?”

  She doesn’t answer, but her struggling increases. An elbow catches me across the bridge of my nose and she jumps up when my arms loosen. I grab my nose with one hand and her ankle with the other, and she goes down again before I can scramble to my feet.

  “Candace! What are you doing here?” I stand up and bend over her, sucking in air and feeling the pain in my nose flare higher to the rest of my head. I groan.

  “Let me go,” she growls, but then she spots Rachel and her eyes go wide. I reach down and pull Candace back to a standing position.

  “What were you doing here?” I ask again.

  Look on the counters, Trinket.

  A small container sits beside the stove, one that looks a lot like the little box I used for salt. I hang tightly to Candace’s wrist and drag her over with me to see what’s in it.

  Powder. Red powder. I step back and put my free hand over my mouth and nose. “Candace?”

  “What?”

  I turn on her. “What were you just doing?”

  Her glare is breathtaking. “I was trying to kill you, you moron.”

  I blink. Wow, this is one angry kid. “Why? Because I wouldn’t give you birth control pills?”

  “That isn’t enough?”

  “Not really, no...”

  “You’re just like my mother. You won’t help me be with Lester, even though we’re in love, and you made him break up with me.” She shoves me back and jerks her had out of my grip, then runs for the door.

  I do the only thing I can think to do - tackle her. “Candace!” I’m trying to hold her still, but she keeps rolling around. “Candace!”

  Wow, big sis. You’re a tough one.

  I crack an elbow on the floor and wince. “Shut up and help me.”

  What am I supposed to do? I’m a ghost.

  I can barely hear her over Candace’s screaming, so I just ignore her and keep wrestling with the teenager under me. When I’m lying on top of her - enough to keep her still, anyway - she glares up at me, nostrils flaring. “Why are you running around killing people, Candace?”

  “I only planned to kill you.”

  “So how did you end up killing Lilly?”

  She looks away. “That was an accident.”

  “What? How do you accidentally kill someone?”

  “I didn’t kill anyone. Rain said that you were working on the lawn, so I hired an imp to deliver the powder.”

  “So you thought you could get me that way, but the imp screwed up.”

  “Right - I didn’t know Lilly would be there. That was the accident.”

 
; “And then you sent the imp after me?”

  She doesn’t answer.

  My arms are getting shaky trying to hold the girl. She’s strong. “Rachel? Could you at least go get Angelo for me? And hurry?”

  I look at Candace. “If I let you up will you stay here?”

  She rolls her eyes. “No.”

  “You just confessed to murder, Candace.”

  “No I didn’t. I confessed to manslaughter or something. Isn’t that accidental?

  Honestly I don’t know, so I don’t answer.

  “Where did you get that red powder?”

  Her chin juts. “I made it. It’s -.”

  “Magical. I know, but where did you learn to make it? You can’t have just accidentally created a poison like that.”

  She looks away again

  “Candace? Answer me. Angelo will be here any minute. I’m trying to help you here.”

  OK, not really. I’m kind of sick to my stomach, to be honest - no one has ever tried to kill me before this week, and it’s a little unsettling. This kid’s a brat.

  She sighs under me. “Aries. I’ve been taking classes for a while.”

  “Lilly teaches a class on how to kill people?” What the hell?

  “No. Just magic. I found the recipe and the spell in Lilly’s grimoire one day when I was looking for something else.”

  “So you just decided to try it? And what were you really looking for?”

  “A spell for birth control, since you wouldn’t help.”

  I groan and close my eyes, but I don’t get up until I hear Angelo’s voice calling from the walkway outside. “Trinket?”

  “In here,” I yell back, struggling to get on my feet and still keep between Candace and the back door. To my surprise she just lays there with a miserable look on her face.

  I help her up and meet Angelo in the living room. When I explain what’s going on, he simply stares at Candace, disbelief written all over his face.

  “You’re going to need to give a formal statement,” he says to me, gripping Candace by one tiny wrist.

  “OK. Just...not right now.” I give him a look to tell him I’m not budging on this.

  Then he drags the teenager away, and I don’t bother asking what he’s going to do with her. That’s his department, and I have other things to worry about. My mother, first of all.