by Rose Pressey
“What do you mean?” she asked sweetly.
“Why aren’t you asking me what happened?” I stared at her.
She continued her work, pouring an unknown concoction into a pot. “I figure if you want me to know you’ll tell me.”
Oh, now I got it. “You’re upset because I didn’t return your call last night.”
“I still feel magic all around you. And it’s not the normal feeling. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked with a suspicious glare.
I continued taking things out of the box without looking over at her. I knew she was glaring at me. The staring was getting to me too. She had always had a way of making me talk. I knew she would win this battle.
Finally I gave in. “Okay. I found this book the other day and I performed a couple spells out of it. It seems like there’s been this strange energy around me since it showed up. Or maybe it has been since Nicolas and Liam showed up.”
“Oh. You’re on a first-name basis with them?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Mother! Out of everything I just said, that is the one thing you decided to focus on?” I looked at her incredulously.
She shrugged. “No, it’s not the one thing, but it was just the first thing.”
“Well, using their last names seems so formal.” I sniffed one of the soaps. “I want them to think of my place as a cozy, friendly spot.”
Uh-huh. Yeah, my mother wasn’t buying it and I knew that wasn’t the reason either. But I’d never admit it out loud.
“So tell me about this book,” my mother said. “Where did you find it?”
“It was in the attic,” I said nonchalantly
She brushed her hands on her apron “Well, your great aunt had a lot of old books.”
My voice lowered. “This one was different from the others.”
“How so?” she asked.
“Well, for starters, it wasn’t on the shelf with the rest of them. I found it upstairs in the attic. Or more like it found me.” I stirred the pot then met her stare.
“Honey, what are you talking about?”
Just then the phone rang and she held up her finger, making me pause. It was just as well though. I was having second thoughts about telling her about the book. Maybe I could think of something else to say. I could start talking about Nicolas and Liam. That would distract her from the situation.
My mother cast a glance at me as she apologized to the person on the other end of the line. What had I done this time?
She hung up the phone and looked at me. “Been doing spells in the middle of the night, have you?”
“I knew that witch Abigail would rat me out. I can’t help it if I messed up her spell. Besides, I can’t exactly do spells in front of my guests. Well, unless it was an emergency.”
“Can’t you wait until they leave?” The amused look suddenly left her eyes. “It wasn’t an emergency was it?”
“Not exactly. Well, I don’t know if it was an emergency.” I bit my bottom lip.
“You’re not making any sense, sweetie. Why don’t you tell me the whole story?” She patted the stool next to her and motioned for me to sit down.
“There’s not much to tell really. Like I said, I found the spell book in the attic. It was hidden behind the beams. I don’t know who hid it there, but I’m assuming it was Aunt Maddy.”
“That sounds like something she’d do. She probably forgot about it. What kind of spells are in the book?” my mother asked.
This was the tricky part, telling her the story had been easy up until now.
“I’m not sure what kind of spells are in the book.” I plopped down on the stool behind the counter.
“What do you mean you don’t know what kind of spells? Aren’t they labeled?” Her eyes widened.
“I don’t know if they are labeled,” I said.
“You’re still not making any sense. Did you hit your head again?” She touched my forehead.
I let out a deep breath. “What I’m trying to say is the book is in a different language.”
She froze with her hand midair. “What language is it written in?” she asked with wide eyes.
I picked at a piece of paper on the counter, trying to find the right words. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen it before.”
“Then how did you do a spell out of the book?” she asked.
I shook my head. “This is the really strange part. A big wind came through and opened the book precisely to a page that was written in English.”
Her face blanched. “Then why the heck did you do the spell? Did it say what it was for?”
I shrugged. “I was compelled to. I don’t know what came over me.”
“This is not good.” She wiped her forehead and narrowly missed the eyebrow.
She looked at me as if to say ‘look at what you’ve done.’
“I need to call the Coven,” my mother said with alarm in her voice.
I stopped her from reaching for her phone. “No! You can’t do that.”
“Halloween, you don’t know what this book is or what it could do. You have to seek advice from people who are experienced in this sort of thing,” she pleaded.
She did have a point. But I didn’t want them involved. Not yet anyway.
“Just give me a little time to figure it out on my own, okay? I promise if I don’t figure it out I will tell the Coven. Do you promise not to tell them yet?” I asked.
She hesitated, then finally nodded.
“Thank you,” I said, giving her a warning glare.
The bell on the door jangled and we both looked up. I was thankful for the momentary distraction. A man carrying a beautiful bouquet of roses approached us.
“Oh, how beautiful,” my mother cooed.
If I’d known that roses could have captured her attention so much I would have sent flowers a long time ago. I’d have to remember her reaction.
“I have a delivery for…” He paused and looked down at his clipboard.
My mother held out her hands but stopped short.
The man finished his sentence. “Halloween LaVeau?” He quirked a brow and looked down at the paper to make sure he’d read it correctly.
“That’s me,” I said with shock in my voice.
Chapter Fourteen
I’d never received roses before. Well, unless you counted the time my date cut roses from the bush outside my front door. I took the vase from the man’s outstretched hand, then placed it on the counter for closer inspection. There was a note attached.
“Who are they from?” my mother asked with excitement.
I pulled the card out and read it while my mother loomed over my shoulder.
Dear Ms. LaVeau,
I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted since arriving at your beautiful home. Please allow me to take you to dinner to make up for my actions.
The note attached was signed from Nicolas. My mother had a huge grin spread across her face. He had some nerve. Did he think I could be persuaded to trust him with a few flowers? They would die in a few days anyway. Then what? If he couldn’t tell me why Liam must leave, if he couldn’t be truthful with me, then why would I want to spend any time with him? Except, I did want to spend time with him. I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to taste his lips…
The bell announced another visitor and snapped me out of my daydream.
“Oh, dear,” my mother said.
Oh dear, was right. Liam was walking toward me. A strange, eager look flashed in his eyes.
Liam looked especially handsome in his casual black slacks and olive green shirt. He had a smile on his face that looked devilish and sweet at the same time.
“Good morning,” he said softly.
His voice would make any girl’s heart flutter. What was he doing here? He looked at the roses and a slight look of disappointment fell over his handsome features.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes, everything is fine.” He looked at my mother and smiled. “Hello, Mrs
. LaVeau. You look especially beautiful today.”
She blushed. “Thank you.”
Liam stepped close. “I wanted to ask you a question, if that’s okay?”
I glanced to my mother. She picked up a few items and pretended to go back to work, but I knew she was really eavesdropping.
“You look stunning today,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said, hoping that I didn’t blush.
He paused. He was making me nervous. What could he possibly have to say? Was it about the ghost that I knew he’d seen last night?
“I’m listening,” I continued, pulling items out of the box. Things needed to appear as normal as possible, although I didn’t know what normal was anymore.
“I know things have been strange since my arrival. I hope you’ll let me treat you to dinner to make up for my behavior.” His lips curved at the corners.
My mother giggled. This was unbelievable. What would I do? Although it was just dinner. I supposed I could let the men treat me to a meal, as long as it was separately of course. They’d kill each other if we all went to dinner together.
Liam stared at me expectantly.
Finally, I answered. “When did you have in mind?”
“How about tonight?” Liam’s voice was smooth and sexy.
Nicolas might be upset if I went out with Liam before him, so maybe I’d better make it tomorrow night.
“How about tomorrow night?” I asked.
He nodded. “Okay. Tomorrow night it is. ” His gaze was fixed on me as he reached out and grabbed my hand, placing his lips softly against my skin. “I’ll see you later,” he said, releasing my hand.
My mother and I watched as he disappeared out the door and down the sidewalk. When he’d turned the corner and was no longer in sight, I turned to my mother.
“Now what are you going to do?” my mother asked.
I shrugged. “I guess I have two dates.”
“You have dates with men who are staying in your home and who also seem to hate each other. You’d better figure out what is going on between them.”
“I intend to.”
My mother shook her head. So I’d gotten myself into another pickle. She shouldn’t be surprised. Nothing new.
“Well, you’d better find out about the book. Because you need to before I’m forced to tell the Coven about it.”
“I promise to look into it today. If you’d let me leave this shop, I could do some research right now.”
“You always manage to leave just when the work is getting fun.”
I snorted. “I thought the work was always fun?”
***
After finding a parking spot, I grabbed the book and made my way down the sidewalk toward the tall Gothic-style building that housed the public library. The more I walked the more I felt as if someone followed me. It felt as if a dark and dangerous presence trailed my every movement, like a penetrating shadow hovering over me. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a flash of the silhouette of a man. My imagination was in overdrive because for a moment I thought it looked a lot like Nicolas, or was that Liam?
Ignoring my uneasiness, I carried the book into the library as if it was a fragile egg. A few patrons sat at tables on the right, but otherwise the inside of the building was empty. The librarian behind the reference desk looked up at me, so I took the book over to her, hoping she would have answers to my many questions. When I opened the book, she looked at me like I was crazy when I showed her the language.
“Do you recognize the writing on these pages?” I asked with hope in my voice.
She pushed the glasses up on the bridge of her nose and peered down at the book. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.” She pushed the book back toward me as if she wanted me to get it the heck out of there. “Sorry.”
I let out a deep breath. “Thanks, anyway.”
She went back to her computer screen, letting me know that I’d get no more help from her.
That strange presence had invaded my space in the library too, so I decided to hurry up and get the heck out of there. Of course I didn’t see anyone following me, but I felt them. I was officially losing it. After some searching up and down the stacks, I picked up a couple books on obscure languages, but I didn’t hold out much hope that I’d find the information I was looking for.
After hurrying out of the library and jumping into my car, I knew I couldn’t avoid it any longer and I’d have to head to the manor. Before I arrived though, I wanted to call Nicolas. Somehow it seemed easier if I didn’t have to look him in the eyes. The way his gaze penetrated right through me made me feel slightly out of control, although I’d have to deal with looking at him when I went to dinner with the man.
Nicolas had left his cell phone number on the card attached to the flowers. Yes, giving him an answer over the phone would be much easier than doing it in person. How would I avoid telling him about my dinner plans with Liam? I wouldn’t mention it, and I hoped he didn’t bring up his name either. But then again, I wanted to get to the bottom of why they were fighting. As much as I didn’t want to, it looked as if I’d have to tell him about our plans.
After a quick phone call, I’d thanked Nicolas for the flowers and agreed to dinner with him. I couldn’t believe I’d done it… I’d agreed to go out with him too. Of course I hadn’t had the nerve to ask if he’d been following me into the library. I would have appeared crazy if I had. He hadn’t followed me, right? I’d read too many mystery novels. My imagination was out of control.
Nicolas had said he had the perfect place picked out for us. That seemed terrifying and exhilarating all at once. I had to confess what I’d done to Annabelle—that I’d agreed to go out with both men.
When she picked up the phone, I said, “I have something to tell you and you’re probably going to be shocked.”
I still hadn’t told her about seeing the ghost and I wasn’t going to either. Not unless I absolutely had to.
“If this has anything to do with finding old bones in your attic, I don’t want to know.”
I chuckled. “No, it’s nothing like that.”
“One of your guests killed the other one?” she quipped.
“No. Well, not yet anyway.” As if she could see me through the phone, I studied my fingernails, trying to play it cool. “In fact, I received roses from Nicolas and an invitation for dinner, then Liam asked me out for dinner too.”
“Get out. What do they want?” Her voice shot up in surprise.
I laughed. “My thoughts exactly.”
“You said yes to both of them, right? You have to find out what all of this is about.”
“Don’t worry, I intend to. I’m going out with Nicolas tonight.”
“Good luck. Do you need me to come for backup?” she asked.
“I’ll call you if I do,” I said with a chuckle.
The massive structure towered over me as I pulled up in front of LaVeau Manor. Branches on the old oak trees swayed in the wind, as if waving a warning. There was an undeniable essence about the house. Liam’s car was there along with Nicolas’ rental car. I hoped I could slip upstairs without seeing either of them. I had a few hours before my date with Nicolas and I wanted to look through the library books I’d checked out. With the library and the spell books clutched in one arm and roses in the other, I hurried up the steps, not looking over my shoulder to see if anyone followed me. The presence from the library still haunted me.
When I stepped into the foyer, I paused and listened for noise. The place seemed bigger each time I came home.
The cat meowed loudly and rubbed against my leg. “Sorry, Pluto, I don’t have a treat right now,” I whispered.
I placed the flowers on the hall table and soaked in another big whiff of their fragrant aroma. Movement sounded above me grabbing my attention. My heart rate increased when I realized it sounded as if someone was walking around in my room. I’d locked the door, so who could possibly be in there? That was when it hit me. With the books in my arm
s, I rushed up the stairs. What was I going to say if it actually was a ghost? Shoo, ghost, shoo?
I panted for breath as I reached the landing, then ran to my bedroom door. It was still closed. I pulled the key from my pocket and shoved it in the lock. The sound of someone walking around continued from the other side of the door. Whoever was there didn’t care that I was about to walk in on them. I pushed the door open and let out a gasp.
Chapter Fifteen
A woman stood beside my bed.
She smiled wide, and then said with a sweet Southern drawl, “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Who the hell are you?” I asked.
I asked, but I knew who she was. Well, I didn’t know exactly, but I’d seen her before. This was the ghost who’d been in my room for the past two nights. She looked different now though. She had been see-through before, but now she looked like any other living person. She was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and big blue eyes. When I’d first seen her she wore a blue gown, but now she wore a tight green dress that hugged her voluptuous curves.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my house?” I demanded, trying to hide the shakiness in my voice.
“You called me here, so why are you asking me?” she replied with slight disdain.
I placed the books on the table next to the door.
“What do you mean? I called you here. How could I call you here when I don’t even know who you are?”
She raised her arm up and pointed at the table where I’d just set the books.
“What?” I asked. “What are you trying to tell me? Why don’t you just come out with it already?”
“You don’t pick up on clues, do you?” she asked as she stared at me.
“No, I don’t suppose I do. I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I’m talking to a ghost. You are a ghost, right? I saw you for the past two nights. Did I not?”
“Yes, that was me,” she said smugly.
Her cool demeanor irked me.
“So how did you get here?” I asked.
She pointed again. “I got here with the book. You called me here with the spell book.”