by Rose Pressey
Finally my mother’s shop came into view. We weaved around traffic as we crossed the street and walked into the store. When we rushed in the door my mother was standing there with her hands on her hips.
“Well, what kind of mess have you gotten into now?” She looked at us, then focused her attention on Kelley’s hair. “Oh, dear. Is it a costume party?”
Kelley frowned.
“Mother, this is Kelley. She’s the witch I accidentally brought back from the Eighties,” I said.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, when will this end,” my mother said.
I glared at her. “I don’t have time to argue with you right now. Where is the book?”
She reached under the counter and handed it to me. “It’s a good thing you have your mother to look out for you.”
I felt heat rush to my cheeks. I looked like a complete idiot because I’d let the book get away. “Where did Annabelle go when she left the book?” I asked, taking the book from her hands.
“She left with Misty Middleton and some man who said he was a bartender at the Bubbling Cauldron.”
That didn’t sound right. What was she doing with them? Annabelle had never cared much for Misty. “Did she say why she left?” I asked with a frown.
My mother shook her head. “No, they were secretive, which I found a little odd.”
“We should find out what’s going on,” Nicolas said.
“Thank you, Mom, for taking care of the book. Now we have to find Annabelle.”
She looked at all of us and shook her head. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Yes, call me if she shows up here again,” I said.
“Well, I tried to call you, but the phone wasn’t working. Maybe you should think about getting a new service provider,” she said with a frown.
“I’ll think about that,” I said.
Now that I had the book back, I had to find Annabelle to make sure she was okay. With our cell phones not working, it would be kind of hard to call Misty.
“We’ll have to go to Misty’s home,” I said.
“Let’s go,” Liam said, holding the door open for Kelley and me.
“Thank you, Mrs. LaVeau,” Nicolas said, waving to my mother.
My mother blushed and wiggled her hand in a flirty wave.
“I hope I remember which house is Misty’s,” I said as we rushed back to my car.
We loaded into the car with Nicolas and Liam in the back seat and headed toward the other side of town. It would be hard not to speed because I couldn’t get there fast enough. Something wasn’t right and I had to figure it out before it was too late.
As I drove down the main street, I glanced over at the sidewalk. “Hey, there’s Annabelle.”
I whipped the car over in front of several cars, causing angry honks. I steered over to the side of the road and tapped the horn. Annabelle jumped and clutched her chest. A look of relief fell over her face when she saw us. I shoved the car into park and cut the engine. We all jumped out and rushed over to her.
“What is going on? Are you okay? I was worried about you,” I said.
“Sorry about that, but my cell phone isn’t working,” Annabelle said.
“Yeah, it seems like no one’s phone is working lately. Where have you been?” I asked.
“I was with Misty Middleton and that guy from the bar who said he was her friend.” Annabelle’s neatly plucked eyebrows furrowed.
“I take it from your expression that you don’t think he’s really a friend,” I said.
Annabelle frowned and shook her head. “No, I don’t think he is. I overheard him talking and he was talking with that Giovanni.”
“Damn it,” Liam said.
“I knew it. I knew we couldn’t trust this guy,” I said.
“What else did he say?” Nicolas asked.
“He was supposed to meet Giovanni, but he told him that he didn’t have the book yet. I guess that made Giovanni mad because I think they were arguing on the phone,” Annabelle said.
“It’s funny that their phones work,” Kelley pointed out.
She was right. I’d have to find out which service they used.
“Why were you with Misty?” I asked.
“She said that she had something for you and it was a surprise. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn’t have been so gullible,” Annabelle said.
“What was it?” I asked. I didn’t care if it was supposed to be a surprise, something told me this wouldn’t be a gift that I would want.
“I don’t know, I never saw it. As soon as I overheard the conversation, I took off. They’re probably looking for me now,” Annabelle said.
I narrowed my eyes. This made me furious. I didn’t know what tricks they were up to, but I had to find out. “First, I need to take the book back and make sure it’s in a secure location, then we need to find Misty Middleton,” I said.
“Why don’t you let us find Misty and Kevin and you go back to the manor with the book?” Nicolas asked.
“That sounds like a good idea,” I said.
We drove Nicolas and Liam back to his car and then we headed back to the manor.
“I’ll try to call you. If the phone will work,” Nicolas said as he climbed out of the car.
We exchanged a look. Nicolas’ eyes held strength, but underneath there was an uneasy worry. As much as he tried, he couldn’t hide it from me.
I watched for a moment as the men walked away. Liam turned around and gave me a reassuring nod. How had he known that was just what I’d needed at the moment?
“I can’t believe you took off with the book like that,” I said to Annabelle as we steered away from the curb.
“Sorry about that,” Annabelle said with a sigh. “I didn’t know what else to do and the impulse hit me, so I ran with it. Literally.” She snorted.
“No, I’m glad you did because I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t taken the book,” I said.
She smiled. “Thanks. This paranormal stuff is crazy.”
She could say that again.
We pulled up to the manor and hopped out. This time I had a tight hold on the book in case Giovanni showed up again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A strange vibe overwhelmed me. I’d experienced the oddness before, but this was different now. How it was different I didn’t know. Something was off and it felt like it was coming from inside the house. When I experienced this in the past it had always come from black magic or a demon. My sense of awareness kept me on edge and alert.
A sickening feeling washed over me just thinking about what I’d been through in the past couple weeks. Was this what it was going to be like for the rest of the time I was the leader? How long would I be the leader? It looked as if my days were numbered.
We parked in front of the manor and made our way inside. Once I stepped inside, the sensation grew stronger. It was thick in the air.
“Do you feel that?” I asked.
Kelley shook her head. “I don’t sense anything odd if that’s what you mean.”
“Maybe I’m being overly sensitive,” I said.
When I stepped into the parlor, I let out a little gasp. “What the hell happened?”
The coven members froze. Rebecca had a sofa leg in her hand and Barbara had a coffee table leg in her hand. The chairs were broken too. The whole room was in shambles.
“What the hell happened in here?” I asked.
Everyone stood around speechless. Finally, Rebecca said, “We were performing a spell and I guess it got a little out of hand.”
“A little? What kind of spell were you trying?” I asked.
“We just wanted to make things easier for you,” Sarah said.
I quirked a brow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Meaning we were trying to do housework for you,” Rebecca said.
No wonder I’d felt a strange vibe when we’d pulled up to the manor. “What else have you done?” My stomach turned.
They exchanged a look a
nd I knew the damage wasn’t over.
“Well, we tried to do your laundry for you,” Kimberley said.
My face was probably drained of color. “What happened to my clothes?” I asked.
They looked down at the floor, but wouldn’t answer me. I ran toward the laundry room, which was next to the kitchen. When I went into the room, I saw my clothing all over the place. I picked up a shirt and it had holes on the front and back. Another shirt was now pink instead of white.
“We’re sorry about that,” Rebecca said from over my shoulder.
“Why are you performing spells?”
“We’re witches. What do you expect us to do?” Kimberly said.
“I expect you not to destroy my house and my belongings. You’re not very good witches.”
“Well, aren’t you the kettle calling the cauldron black,” Rebecca said.
I’d have to tackle that problem later. I didn’t have time to deal with this. I just had to pray that they wouldn’t burn the manor down while I was gone. I had to find out what the spell was that Giovanni added and what it meant, plus find Misty.
When I reached the parlor again, I discovered Liam and Nicolas were picking up the mess. “You’re back. Did you find Misty?” I asked.
Nicolas ran his hand through his hair. “No, we couldn’t find her.”
“I need your help with finding out what the spell that Giovanni added means and then we’ll find Misty too.”
“What can we do?” Liam asked as he turned one of the chairs upright again.
“I guess we need to find Giovanni or the very least find out who he is. Why is he so mysterious? Where did he come from? Why did he pop up all of a sudden? Why not sooner?”
“You’re just full of questions,” Liam said with a smile.
“If I find Misty Middleton maybe she can provide answers. She needs to tell me why she was with the bartender. I know he is connected to Giovanni now,” I said.
I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Misty’s number, but it still went straight to her voicemail.
The witches stepped back into the room with innocent looks on their faces.
“I think you all have done enough magic for the day, don’t you think?” I asked.
“The night is young and we thought we’d go back to that bar you showed us,” Barbara said.
Nicolas looked at me. “You took them to a bar?”
“Not on purpose. They kind of tagged along when I went to talk with Misty Middleton,” I said.
“Ladies, I really don’t think it’s a good idea that you all go there,” Liam said.
Barbara placed her hands on her hips. “You don’t want us to have fun?”
“You can’t tell us what to do,” Rebecca said with a scowl.
The women marched toward the door. When Nicolas opened the door, Jon was standing there. I knew he’d said he really didn’t know Kevin, but I couldn’t help my suspicion.
“I came to pick up Annabelle,” he said.
“Don’t you want to go to the bar with us?” I asked.
Annabelle shook her head. “It’s tempting, but I think I’ll pass. Call me soon, okay?”
I nodded. “I’ll call you soon.”
An uneasy feeling engulfed me as I watched Annabelle leave with Jon. There was nothing I could do though. There was no proof that he had anything to do with Kevin or all of this craziness.
“Looks like we’re going to the bar,” I said.
“It looks that way,” Nicolas said.
I groaned. This would not end well. I knew the women would get in trouble. The only question was how much.
“What do you say, Liam, are you ready for the Bubbling Cauldron?” I asked.
The witches batted their eyelashes at him and flashed huge smiles. If he knew what was good for him he’d ignore their flirting. It would lead to nothing but problems.
“I think I’ll just wait here, if that’s okay? In case Misty, Giovanni or Kevin comes back.”
I nodded. “That’ll be good. Thanks.”
I knew it was probably wise that he stay behind, but I wished he’d come along with us.
I stopped the women as we approached the door. “Ladies, there is a no-magic policy at the bar. Do you understand?” I asked.
They nodded. “Of course. Why would we cast a spell there?” Kimberly said.
“Why would you cast a spell in my kitchen?” I asked drily.
When I stepped out onto the porch, a ghost of a breeze floated past. Moss hung on tree limbs like sheets of lace, swaying with the wind. The motion lulled the area into a false calm. I wasn’t fooled by this deceptive tranquility.
As I moved down the steps, I said, “Oh, will you look at that. I forgot you all can’t fit in my car, not with Nicolas, too. I guess we’ll just have to cancel this trip.”
The women batted their eyelashes at Nicolas. “Barbara and I can ride with Nicolas. He has a car,” Rebecca said with a smile.
There was no way I could do that to Nicolas. “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” I said.
“I’ll make sure they don’t do anything on the ride there,” Nicolas said. “Once we get there I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to keep an eye on them though.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” I sighed as the women all stared at me. “Fine, but we can’t stay long. I have to rest. I honestly don’t know where you all get your energy from,” I said as I climbed behind the wheel.
I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw Rebecca sitting in the front seat of Nicolas’ car. She looked absolutely giddy. As soon as I turned out onto the highway, Kimberly turned on the radio. I reached over and turned down the volume.
“Do they have more snacks other than pretzels at this bar?” Kimberly asked.
As soon as we walked through the door of the Bubbling Cauldron, the witches took off for the dance floor. I soon lost sight of them in the crowd. I knew they would want to check out the cauldron again, so I forced my way through the swaying bodies toward the cauldron.
When I reached the giant black cauldron, the witches weren’t there. People circled around the bubbles, but the witches had all but vanished.
A guy wearing a red plaid shirt and skintight jeans pushed his body against me. “Do you want to dance, baby?”
I pushed his chest with my hand and hurried around him. Nicolas had been looking on the other side for the witches, but he caught up with me. “Do you see them?”
I shook my head. “They’re not here.”
A blonde woman watched me as she stood by the edge of the dance floor. I stepped over to her and asked, “Have you seen a group of witches wearing large witch hats?”
She took a sip of her drink and spoke over the noise, “Yeah, I thought I saw them leave with another young woman.”
Nicolas grabbed my hand. “Let’s get out of here. It’s too crowded.”
“We can’t leave the witches,” I said.
“The place will close soon. We’ll have no choice but leave.”
I scanned the crowd again. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Do you really think they left with someone?”
“Probably not. I’ll bet they stepped outside. They’re probably headed back to the manor.”
“But how will they get there?” I asked.
Knowing the witches, they probably caught a ride,” Nicolas said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
I couldn’t believe we’d lost the witches at the bar. I hadn’t wanted to leave the witches there, but I had no choice. I left my number with the bartender with instructions to call me if the witches showed up again.
“Don’t worry. They’ll find their way back.” Nicolas’s mouth curled into a reassuring smile.
***
Liam was asleep on the sofa when we returned. He looked so peaceful and handsome. A dark tendril of hair rested on his forehead and I resisted the urge to gently push it back. Instead I reached down and gently touched his arm. He opened his eyes and for a moment we stared at
each other in silence.
When he realized others were around, he jumped up. “What happened?”
“It’s okay. We’re back from the bar. We lost the witches,” I said.
“What? How did that happen?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I guess they blended in with the crowd.”
We sat around the parlor in silence. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Liam tapped his fingers against the chair. Nicolas leaned back and stared blankly at the wall. I tried to calm my nerves with even steady breaths.
“I just remembered something,” Kelley said as she stood up from the one of the few remaining chairs in the room that hadn’t been broken. “I saw something at the plantation that I think was Giovanni’s.”
I froze. “What do you mean something that you thought was his? What was it and what makes you think it was his?” Why hadn’t she mentioned this earlier? It was kind of an important detail to leave out considering she knew that I’d been looking for him.
“It looked like a pouch with a symbol on the front. I went outside and picked it up. The odd thing is, it looks like the one I have on my shirt and the witches have on their skirts.”
This revelation sent my head spinning. I didn’t know what to think. “What did you do with it?” I asked.
She pulled the pouch from her pocket and dangled it through the air. “I put it in my pocket.”
I was sure my mouth hung open. “But how do you know it was his?” I asked as I stepped closer and took the pouch from her outstretched hand.
“I saw someone who looked like Giovanni drop it.” She shrugged. “So I guess I can’t say for sure that it was him. But we should definitely go to the plantation and look for him.”
That was more than enough for me. This was becoming more complicated by the second. “I have to find Giovanni St. Clair,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The bayou surrounded the plantation. Darkness was moving in and clouds quickly covered the sky, blocking out the moon and stars. Moss-draped oak trees lined the long driveway that stretched out in front of the plantation.
Two large porches wrapped around the bottom and top floors of the plantation with massive columns on the front façade. The only light came from the front parlor. It cast an eerie glow across the night that let me know people waited in that room for us. I wasn’t sure what to expect—but I knew I had to be ready for anything.