Curses and Candy Canes: A Paranormal Mystery Christmas Anthology

by Tegan Maher

  “What is this?” Eve demanded, looking from the candle-lit scene then back to me.

  “Let’s find out.”

  I took my younger sister’s hand, escorting her up the flickering runway, handing her over to Paul and Nova before joining Shane and my kids. She looked frightened as she took center stage. And when Nova presented her with a bouquet of white flowers, Eve burst into tears.

  “Mommy, why is Auntie Eve so sad?” Montana whispered to me, tugging on my coat sleeve.

  “She’s not sad. She’s happy.”

  “That’s how girls show you they are happy,” Marshall agreed.

  Luna nodded, shooting Eve a thumb’s up from atop her father’s shoulders.

  “Eve Maddock,” Paul began. “I remember the first day I saw you in New York. You were arguing with a customer over how many chicken wings should come on his plate. You held your ground, even when he was trying to bully you. I wanted to help, to step in, to stop that person from treating you with anything but the respect you deserved. But I held back, sensing you could stand up to him yourself, and I was right. Ten minutes later, that man apologized and slipped you a twenty.

  “I think I fell in love with you that very moment. You were not only beautiful but strong. And you’ve made me stronger, and better, for knowing you.

  “I’ve waited a long time to ask you, wanting everything to be perfect. But one thing I’ve learned is that things will never be perfect. We need to seize the good things in life while we can. Eve Maddock, will you marry us?”

  Eve stood in shock, her hand half-covering her mouth. We all waited so silently for her response that you could hear the candles flickering with the hint of a breeze.

  “The song, Daddy!” Nova reminded him.

  Paul shot Nova a crooked smile, twisting his guitar around his shoulder to the front. “Me and Nova wrote this for you. It’s still a work in progress, but here goes…

  We made a wish, and it came true

  We dreamed a dream of meeting you

  A princess from another world

  So different from the other girls

  The only way this dream gets better

  Is if we spend our lives together…

  The pair stopped singing and Paul dropped to his knee. Nova handed him the black jewelry box. “Say yes, Eve.”

  “Pretty please,” Nova added, jumping in place.

  “Yes. Yes!” Eve screamed, hugging Nova. Then she kissed Paul so deeply that I covered Montana’s eyes.

  “I’ve never seen Eve so happy,” Shane said, turning Luna away from the extended kiss. Luna swiveled her head and continued watching anyway.

  “I guess a day in the clink gives you a new perspective,” I said.

  “Isn’t it wonderful?” Merry asked, joining us with her daughter, June Bug. “Paul and Nova are officially family now. Not that they weren’t family before--it’s just official now.”

  “Does that mean Nova is my cousin?” Marshall frowned.

  “Yes,” June Bug answered. “Guess you can’t like her anymore.”

  My mother and Aunt Dora folded in around us, my aunt rosy-cheeked and jovial, while my mother couldn’t stop crying. “Love is so beautiful,” my mother said as Aunt Dora handed her a tissue.

  “Enough standing around! Everyone, come and look at my ring!” Eve shouted, returning to her usual self. “And just so you all know, we are re-doing this ceremony once I’m showered and have my makeup on. Anyone who tries to photograph me now will be turned into a toad!”

  I stepped up, surprised to see that it wasn’t the same ring Paul had previously shown me.

  “It is gorgeous,” I said, of the small simple diamond. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “I’m happy for me, too. Okay, who hasn’t seen my rock?” she asked, flashing her hand.

  “Merry told me what you did for Eve,” Paul said, pulling me and Nova off to the side while Eve was preoccupied. “Thank you.”

  “Let’s just be glad you’re not marrying a murderess,” I said.

  “You probably noticed it’s not the same ring,” Paul said. “We took the other back this morning. I didn’t have quite as much money saved as I thought.”

  Nova looked down, shuffling her feet. “I took money from the registers when no one was looking. I wanted Eve to have the best ring. I was going to give it back when I saved up. I’m sorry.”

  “Nova will personally return all the money,” Paul said. “Starting with yours.”

  Nova had stolen the money! I was relieved to hear it wasn’t Immy or Paul. “I’d like to donate mine to the Rhonda House,” I said to Nova. “Can you make sure it gets there?”

  “Yes!” Nova nodded. “Are you mad at me?”

  “I can’t stay mad at family. I just wish family would ask when they need something,” I said, squeezing her shoulder. “That’s what family is for.”

  “Amen,” Shane said, heading our way with an armful of giggling children. “On that note, Luna needs to go to the potty.”

  “Me too!” Eve exclaimed.

  “Let’s head over to Dip Stix. I’ll whip up some waffles for the kiddos and Chuck’s bourbon biscuits for the adults.” Shane said, starting off the parade back to the diner.

  I watched as my family filed into Dip Stix. What else would change between us all? Even with potions and mirrors, there was no way to know our future. But that was one of the wonderful things about life.

  I stood at the window with a piece of pecan pie, listening as Eve regaled us with harrowing tales of the Linsburg County Jail bathroom. Directly across the darkened street, a light flashed on in Miss Sasha’s Magick Shoppe.

  I stepped closer to the glass, peering until I was able to make out the image of Imogene Porter, slowly waving to me.

  The light went off again and Imogene vanished, like the dancing snowflakes on my windshield, whisked away into the night.

  The End

  About the Author

  April Aasheim is a USA Today Best-Selling author of over 13 novels, including her best-selling Dark Root novels. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family and her familiar: Boots the Cat. To being your Dark Root journey, check out The Witches of Dark Root here, or her Amazon page for a complete list of titles.

  Follow April Aasheim online at:

  Time to Get Jolly: A Witch in Time Short

  K.M. Waller

  Time to Get Jolly

  Time Witch, Nuala Walsh, and her shifter-familiar, Lily Rose, are on the case when one of their own receives a magical gift in the form of a curse.

  Chapter One

  I waddled between the booths of the Christmas bazaar toward the sweet smell of warm cinnamon and sugar. Waddled. I despised that term but it was the only one that correctly described how I walked while almost six months pregnant with twins.

  Dodging the outdoor shoppers became a mini-game. If I even brushed against an article of their clothing, my uber-heightened empath powers would fill me with that particular person’s emotions. With Christmas being two weeks away, that meant stressed out shoppers, moms dealing with the upcoming school break, and others wondering where they’d get the money to pay for the expected gifts for friends and families. In simpler terms—people were more miserable than usual. And all that misery could transfer onto me.

  At least they didn’t have the added worry about telling their significant other he was soon to be the proud parent of one baby girl witch and one baby boy not-witch. Seth still didn’t know about my abilities yet, either. Waiting for the right time to drop all of these bombs into his lap became more elusive the closer we came to my due date.

  The twins started bumping and kicking as if they’d understood my worries and now fought over only one of them getting to have magical powers someday.

  I rubbed a hand over my protruding abdomen and turned toward the food truck that promised the yummy goodness of an elephant ear. Lily Rose, my shifter familiar who doubled as an aging homeless woman at times, had asked me to bring her to the bazaar to shop for
gifts for some of her less fortunate pals. The Methodist Church’s bazaar had the best supply of handmade crocheted beanies and blankets.

  I left Lily Rose to her shopping while I hunted for sugar.

  I’d once made the mistake of asking where she got the money from to buy gifts, and she’d quickly given me a hard look and a “mind your own business, Nuala.”

  In the past, we’d attended the holiday craft fair held at St. Vincent but ever since Halloween when I’d stirred up a little trouble with the volunteer coordinator, Lily Rose had suggested I steer clear of her hangout. In my defense, I’d been searching for a missing person but my good intentions had taken a wrong turn down a don’t go there street.

  I dug some cash out of my purse and checked my cell phone while I waited in line for my elephant ears. That’s right—ears as in plural. One for each baby.

  My phone didn’t boast any new texts or calls from my time-traveling witch friends. They’d been quieter than usual lately. I understood. They were busy with cases from our bosses at the Agency of Paranormal Peculiarities while I remained sidelined for obvious reasons. The safety of the babies was a top priority, but I’d been struck with a wicked restlessness at being out-of-action for so long.

  I stuck my phone in my back pocket as I moved forward in line. The truck’s radio blasted “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. The typical warm Florida weather made it easy to forget we were so close to the holiday.

  The food truck owner leaned over the counter. “What can I get you?”

  “Two elephant ears and a hot chocolate,” I told him then fluttered my hands to get his attention again. “Extra marshmallows.”

  Even at seventy degrees, I couldn’t resist a hot cocoa with my sugary treat.

  “She means three elephant ears and two hot chocolates with the extra marshmallows.” Lily Rose sidled up beside me and adjusted her newly purchased bright pink beanie cap over her wiry gray hair.

  The guy hesitated but I nodded for him to fill the order. Not many people knew how to take Lily Rose in her human form. Her wrinkles and gruff voice suggested she’d lived a rough life but a twinkle of magic glistened in her bright blue eyes.

  “You need to stop it,” Lily Rose said, the unlit cigar she favored bobbing in her mouth as she spoke.

  I blinked hard. “Stop what?”

  She backed away from me. “Your eyes are all misty and you look like you want to buy me a puppy.”

  I glanced around and realized that a mother with a sweet-looking toddler stood close behind me. The edge of her purse had touched my elbow. Ah, now the loving thoughts about Lily Rose made sense. It also explained why I’d been making goo-goo eyes at her. Not that I didn’t love my familiar to death, but I could normally keep the sappiness out of it.

  A teenager working in the food truck handed us our order and I paid him, adding a tip to the jar in hopes of boosting his Christmas spirit. I could tell he worried about getting that special something for his girlfriend.

  I bit my lip and cringed. This was going to be a long holiday season.

  Lily Rose and I sat at a folding table set up between food trucks. In between bites I asked, “Did you find everything you needed?”

  “And a few things for myself.”

  I pointed to her head. “That is a very lovely hat.”

  She chewed thoughtfully then raised a bushy eyebrow at me. “You should learn to knit.”

  “Why would I learn to knit?”

  She shrugged deeply, a gesture that put her shoulders close to her ears. “That’s what new moms do, right?”

  “Between the gym, my personal training clients, the agency, and two babies, I don’t think learning to knit is in the schedule.”

  “Oh.”

  I’d read pity in her eyes. “Oh, what? What does that ‘oh’ mean?”

  “Nothing. It’s just that things aren’t going to be the same as before.” She stared at my stomach.

  “I know that. I’ll be a working mom. Like millions of other working moms.” I started in on the second elephant ear.

  “Most normal working moms don’t travel back in time to solve cold cases.” She stood and tossed her napkin and cup into the trash.

  Good thing I’m not normal. I didn’t worry about going back to work. Mariana did it and she had kids too.

  “Lily Rose!” Someone called to her from several booths away.

  We turned to find two women, both bottle blondes with dark roots, rushing down the path between booths and dodging shoppers and loose children. One wore a flowing red dress and gold chains stacked on each other around her neck. The second wore a pair of faded jeans, riding boots and a T-shirt with a horse on it.

  “Who are they?” I asked.

  “Hunter’s witch and her sister, I think.” Lily Rose waved a hand toward them, acknowledging she’d heard her name. “Not sure why they’d be seeking me out.”

  Lily Rose knew all the familiars in the area who were also shifters. They were a close knit crowd but I’d never met her friend named Hunter. All I knew was that he preferred to stay as a dog most of the time.

  The sisters reached us and the one in the red dress appeared much more out of breath than the other. She sat and took deep breaths. Her arms were bandaged from her wrists to her elbows and a sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. She placed a hand on her chest. “Lily Rose, we need your help. And your witch too.”

  The woman in jeans leaned in, the measure of calmness in her demeanor a stark contrast from her sister. “Can we find somewhere more private to talk?”

  Lily Rose jerked her head to indicate the far end of the parking lot where we’d left my SUV. “We can talk in Nuala’s car.”

  The one in the dress nodded and stood, her sister supporting her under her elbow. “I’m Ginnie and this is my sister, Nell. A woman at St. Vincent told us where we might find you. Hunter always says that’s your spot, and if I ever need help, that’s where to find you.”

  “Do you need an ambulance, Ginnie?” I asked. The sweat on her face had intensified and patches of red bled through the bandages.

  “Not yet,” she said and leaned heavily on her sister. “After I explain what’s happening to Hunter.”

  We walked in silence through the bazaar and to my SUV. Ginnie’s intense pain and fear filled the air around her, and I had to walk a short distance ahead to keep her emotions from engulfing me.

  Lily Rose and I took the front seats and Ginnie and Nell sat in the rear passenger seats. We twisted around, or as twisted around as my belly would let me, and gave the women our full attention.

  “Tell me about Hunter,” Lily Rose said.

  Her eyes welled and tears spilled down her cheeks. “I think he’s been cursed.”

  Chapter Two

  “Cursed?” Lily Rose and I repeated the word at almost the same time.

  Most basic curses could be unraveled with a little sea salt and by submerging the victim. A good spell while they held their breath would send it on its way. Rarely did you need more than one witch to remove a curse.

  Ginnie choked on a sob and Nell wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

  “It all started less than a week ago.” Nell took the lead on sharing more details. “Hunter went missing for a few nights. We didn’t think much of it until he returned and couldn’t shift back to his human form.”

  “Hunter prefers his animal form,” Lily Rose interjected. “Maybe he’s just not in the mood to be human.”

  “Normally, yes,” Nell agreed. “But ever since he and Ginnie opened up their crystal ball shop—”

  “Psychic medium and life coach studio,” Ginnie interrupted.

  “Okay. Ever since they opened their studio together a month ago, he’s been shifting back and forth to help with client information.”

  “What do you mean help with client information?” I checked around us to make sure that we didn’t have too many eavesdroppers near the SUV.

  Ginnie cast her eyes down. “My psychic abilities are
very limited. People want information but don’t want to give me enough details to get a decent reading. All my clients have to fill out pre-reading information online before attending their appointment. Hunter heads over to their houses to check them out. Then he shifts back and gives me the details.”

  “You con people,” I said and it came out an accusation. Even I could admit that magic is cheating, but Ginnie’s set up meant stealing from the innocent.

  Lily Rose put her hand over mine and I felt her nonjudgmental calmness overtake me.

  “I do have psychic abilities. I’m not a fraud. We just need the first few months to go really well with clients. I can’t afford to get my psychic wires crossed and have bad reviews to take us down. Hunter and I have invested everything in our studio.” Ginnie lifted her arms to make her point and winced in pain.

  “Tell me more about Hunter,” Lily Rose said.

  “He attacked me. Like a rabid dog. Something he’d never do. Ever.” Ginnie glanced over at Nell and then back at us. “I can’t get close enough to get a read on him, but I can at least tell that magic’s involved. He’s been cursed.”

  “How can we help?” I asked.

  Ginnie sighed and sat back, the energy around her turning hopeful. “Hunter mentioned that Lily Rose’s witch was a powerful empath. Maybe you can use your powers to calm him down long enough for me to get a psychic reading on him and find out how this happened.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that my powers usually worked in reverse. I’d be able to tell what Hunter was feeling but not control what he felt. But I had other magical abilities and after assessing the situation, Lily Rose and I would know what course of action to take.

  “Take us to Hunter and then you’re going straight to the emergency room, Ginnie.” I put the SUV in drive and guided us toward the highway and into the city.