“Sutter said he wants us all in the library at 3pm.” Angelina gave him a sharp look. “Be on time for once, Ewan.”
“Am I ever late?” he asked with a smile. “I don’t think so. See you Bluebell. Consider wearing your pajamas to the meeting. It would irritate Sutter, and that’d make me happy.”
“He doesn’t like Sutter much, does he?” Bluebell asked.
“Does anybody?” Angelina smiled.
“Why not?”
“He’s a brash man,” Angelina said. “He’s far smarter than the rest of us, but he’s self-centered. It can annoy people.”
“Well, who made him High Priest then?” Bluebell joked.
Angelina gave her a measured look, and her voice was a little tougher when she said, “You better not ask too many questions, Bluebell. Just put your head down and learn.”
“How will I learn if I don’t ask questions?” Bluebell asked.
Angelina sighed and shook her head. “All right. Follow me up. I’ll show you to your room.”
“Sure.” Bluebell paused at the foot of the staircase. “Er… is there an elevator we could perhaps use? My suitcase is a little too heavy to carry up the stairs.”
“What kind of witch are you anyway?” Angelina said, with a bored laugh. She snapped her fingers, and the suitcase rose up a few inches. “There. It should follow you. Now come on and don’t waste time.”
Obediently, Bluebell followed her up three flights of stairs. Each floor they passed seemed to have been decorated differently, and the interiors didn’t make complete sense. One had a long hallway, with red doors along it. The second floor was spherical with a swimming pool in the centre and somehow, improbably, slanting skylights on one side. The third floor had massively vaulted ceilings and tiled mosaics on its walls. Bluebell had to make an effort not to gape as Angelina led her through the passageway. She finally paused at a door, and rapped on it.
“Come in,” a voice said.
“Mathilda. I’ve bought you your student,” Angelina said. “The two of you are rooming together this weekend, correct?”
They entered into a suite with floor to ceiling windows on one end, and wood paneled walls with a single door on either side. Like the rest of the house, this was beautifully decorated too - it had a wine-colored carpet on the floor with gold threads sneaking through it, and expensive antique furniture arranged around a small coffee table. Mathilda was sitting on a big leather couch with her legs on the table, but her face lit up with a smile when she saw Bluebell.
“Right.” Mathilda stood up and greeted Bluebell with a hug. “I never got to thank you enough for saving me last time,” she said. “I’m sorry I haven’t been in contact much. I’ve been very busy ever since.”
Mathilda, like Bluebell, had brilliantly blue hair. It fell in a tumble of curls on her shoulders framing a rather toothy smile, sharp cheekbones and a slightly horsey face. Not everyone would consider her beautiful, but Mathilda had an arresting face and eyes that shone with intelligence. Bluebell had liked her since they had first met, and was pleased that Mathilda seemed to feel the same way.
“Why am I even here?” Bluebell asked her. “Why did Sutter choose to call me through an astral projection instead of just sending you over? Nothing makes sense.”
“It will soon enough,” Mathilda said. “How do you like Phoenix Estate so far?”
“It’s beautiful, but confusing,” Bluebell said.
“Yes, well, since you’re new, you’re forbidden to wander around it alone,” Mathilda said. “The house may look like a normal house—”
“It doesn’t, actually,” Bluebell said.
“…but it hides many secrets within it,” Mathilda said firmly. “High Priest Sutter Cutler, he told me that I’m to be with you at all times this weekend.”
“But wh–“ Bluebell’s words were interrupted by a knock on the door.
*****
Chapter 3
Oliver James, Detective
“Oliver!” Mathilda exclaimed as she opened the door. “I didn’t realize you were here, too. Isn’t the job keeping you busy anymore?”
“Mathilda. I just came to say hi. Can we just be civil for once?” Bluebell felt something stir in her mind. That voice, where had she heard it before? Polished and confident, yet very male. It was… she walked to the door, and gave a little yip of happiness.
“Oliver James! Never thought I’d see you again! Actually, I’d hoped I’d never see you again!” Bluebell exclaimed.
He looked the same as always, wearing a navy blue suit with an ivory colored silk shirt, silver cuff links and a Rolex on his hand, Oliver James looked as if he’d walked off the pages of a magazine. His dark hair was cut close to the scalp, and his sharp nose gave him the look of a shark.
“Well, well, little Blue. The smartest witch in all of America.” Oliver smiled. “How have you been?”
The last time Bluebell had met Oliver, Mathilda had been accused of murder. So had Bluebell. With Oliver’s guidance and with a lot of help from her best friend Nolan, Bluebell had managed to solve the mystery of her ex-boyfriend’s death. Oliver had vanished shortly after, and Bluebell was pleasantly surprised to see him here.
“Are you a part of the coven?” Bluebell asked.
“I am.”
“How does that work? I though you’re a detective at the Ministry of Magic.”
“Magical Ministry,” he corrected. “I’m a detective with the Department of Unusual Events.”
“The only unusual event here is that you’ve found time to come to a coven meeting,” Mathilda said.
“Mathilda, don’t fight, please.” Oliver sighed.
“Wait, you two know each other?” Bluebell looked from one to the other. Instantly, she could tell that they did know each other, and very well. Their eyes were locked together, and she might as well have been talking to a wall for all the attention they were giving her.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Mathilda asked. “It’s always been the job with you, Oliver. So why bother coming here?”
“I’m part of this coven too, whether you like it or not,” Oliver said.
Mathilda smiled. “We’ll see about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that I’m going to make a case against you being accepted here,” Mathilda said. “A Coven member has certain duties!”
“What duties, exactly?” Bluebell asked. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I really don’t know the first thing about covens and I think I should before I’m initiated into one.”
Oliver gave her a fond look. “Congratulations, by the way. The Phoenix Coven is very exclusive. Only the most talented can get in.”
“Well, I’m not in yet. This is a probationary period, from what I hear,” Bluebell said. “Besides, I don’t even know if I want to be in. What does a coven do? How does it help you?”
“A coven is your tribe,” Oliver said. “It is a tribe you choose, and a relationship created by choice is far stronger than one created by blood. When you enter in a coven, you are sworn to protect each member as you would protect yourself. You gain their protection also, and their strength. It is a powerful boost to your abilities, and, if you wish to learn, to your skills.”
“Sounds good so far.” Bluebell nodded. “What’s the catch?”
“The catch is that once you join a coven, you are joined for life,” Oliver said. “Divorcing from a coven, or being expelled is a very serious matter, and very rare. Breaking an oath you’ve made while in the coven can lead to serious consequences with the Magical Ministry, and by and large you have to obey the Coven’s rules.”
“Oh,” Bluebell said. “Does that mean I’ll have to live here if I join?”
“Of course not.” Oliver smiled. “This estate is just where we meet. Only the high priest stays here. The rest of us have our own careers, our own families, our own lives.”
“Not you,” Mathilda said. “Your career is your family and your life.”
“That’s not true and you
know it,” Oliver said. “Mathilda, I came here because of the ceremony, but also because I wanted to talk to you.”
“So wait, how do you both know each other again?” Bluebell asked.
“Know each other?” Mathilda said. “We were married. That’s how we know each other.”
“We are married,” Oliver said. “I still—”
“Oh-ho-ho, so here we have the new initiate!” A jolly man with a large viking-esque beard peeked out from across the hall, from the room next to Angelina’s. He was wearing a denim shirt, a waistcoat with a dragon embroidered on the back, and pin-striped trousers with suspenders hanging free at the back. His great belly sat like a globe above the straining waistband. “Well, well well. Welcome to Phoenix Estate, young pupil!” the man said.
“Hector, must you boom so?” a thin-lipped woman asked, as she walked up the stairs towards them.
“I recognize you both.” Bluebell gasped. “You were in my dream, I mean, astral projection, whatever Sutter did.”
“Were we?” The viking looked bemused.
“You were juggling plates, and you were scolding him for juggling plates,” Bluebell said, pointing at each in turn.
The woman gave her a smile. “That’s right,” she said. “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Gertrude Pruneridge, and this gentleman is Hector Blossom.”
“Honestly, Gertrude, the 1950s got over 50 years ago. You have to learn to talk like these young people,” Hector said. He cleared his throat, and turned to Bluebell. “Yo, my name’s Hector, gimme a high five.”
“Er…” Bluebell patted her hand against his large meaty palm. “Thanks. I can speak English, though. Have you both been with the coven a long time?”
“Gertrude here’s been around forever,” Hector said. “Oh, maybe 80 years in the coven give or take.”
“120,” Gertrude said. “I’ve seen our coven grow from an inconsequential one to a real player in the upper reaches of the ministry.”
“Wow,” Bluebell said. “So is Sutter even older than you?”
“Sutter and I only joined in the 1970s,” Hector said. “Men weren’t allowed in covens before then.”
“Why not?” Bluebell asked.
“That’s the spirit!” Hector gave her a slap on the shoulder. “That’s exactly what Sutter asked.”
“What?”
“Sutter Cutler is the champion of the Wizard’s Rights movement, which I’m proud to be a part of,” Hector said. “For generations, only women have been allowed to use their magical powers. Men were deemed too dangerous and violent, and never taught the skills they needed. It was only after Sutter decided to end these matriarchal notions that we were allowed to join covens, and we’ve made some fantastic progress since, haven’t we?”
“I preferred the olden times myself, personally,” Miss Pruneridge said with a sour face. “The atmosphere was less… savage.”
“Oh, you’re a prim and proper one, aren’t you?” Hector smiled. “Not that I blame you. With a name like Gertrude Pruneridge, it’s almost like you have no option but to be old and—”
Miss Pruneridge snapped her fingers, and a lotus bloomed in Hector’s mouth. He gave an exclamation of surprise and rushed off to the bathroom to wash it out.
“Men.” Miss Pruneridge shook her head. Then turning to Bluebell, she gave her a warmer smile. “Never mind him. You’ll learn our ways soon enough, Bluebell. Welcome.”
A nearby door opened, and Ewan, with his hair still wet, but now dressed in a grey corduroy jacket and dark jeans instead of swimming trunks. Bluebell rather missed admiring his fine muscles, but had to admit he looked just as good dressed up.
“Shall we make our way to the library?” he asked. He looked at his watch. “Almost 3pm.”
“Let’s go,” they said.
*****
Chapter 4
An Important Announcement
“Welcome,” Sutter said, as the group filed into the library.
From floor to ceiling, every inch of the room was covered in books. For that reason alone, Bluebell fell in love with the room. But that was not all. In each corner, lamps burnt with fake fire in them. A heavy crystal chandelier hung above them all, glowing and reflecting light from its many facets. A thick Turkish carpet was underfoot, so lush that you almost sank ankle-deep into it. The pleasant smell of sandalwood and smoke hung in the air. The fireplace was empty, but Bluebell could imagine a nice fire roaring in winter would only add to the coziness of the room.
Sutter had a cigar in one hand, and was puffing on it occasionally. As the group arrived, he put it out on an ashtray shaped like a phoenix. He stood with his back to a wide desk, and waited as the rest shuffled into a circle around him. Bluebell’s nervousness eased a little as she noticed a tiny pink teddy bear holding a heart with I <3 LA written on it sitting on the desk. Sutter was a sweet man, beneath all his gruffness. She noticed with interest that he was just as nervous as them - he was picking at his thumb relentlessly, a nervous tic.
“Why have I called you here?” he began, when they were all standing still.
“That’s what we want to know,” Ewan said with a smile.
“I’ve called you here because this, being our 500th anniversary, is an auspicious day,” Sutter said. “Now as you all know, I entered this coven when I was only in my 40s, and I’ve seen it rise ever since. I won’t take all the credit for it, but all of you will agree that my ideas had some hand in taking it where it is today.”
The group looked at each other, and then at the floor, mumbling agreement.
“Our strength combined has made us unstoppable. Each of us are uniquely successful in our chosen profession. Gertrude will be campaigning soon to become the Chief Minister of the Magical Ministry. Hector is renowned for his charitable activities and his position as Treasurer of the Magical Ministry. Angelina, with her glamor, is known not only to us witches, but to humans across the globe for her films.” Sutter clapped his hands, and slowly, awkwardly, the others clapped too.
“So first, I have called you here to welcome a new talent, a talent I hope will be just as successful as some of our stars have been.” He waved a hand at Bluebell, who nodded nervously.
“Bluebell, introduce yourself,” Sutter said.
“Er… hello everyone,” Bluebell said.
“Not like that!” Sutter exclaimed. “Step into the center of the circle.”
Bluebell stepped forward, noticing the chandelier was now directly over her head. What she didn’t know was that the light caught and transformed her, showcasing the energy that oozed from every pore of her body.
“I’m Bluebell,” she said. “I live in a little town named Lledrith in Wisconsin. I just learned I’m a witch a year ago, and I’m still learning, so you’ll forgive me if I ask a lot of questions. I’m… pretty much dazzled by this coven and all the people in it.”
“What, even us lesser mortals?” Ewan asked with a chuckle.
Sutter glared at him, and Ewan’s expression turned sombre.
“All right, Bluebell. Go back,” Sutter said. She nodded to everyone and took her place in the circle. Sutter now stepped forward. In a booming voice, he spoke. “Now, for my second announcement. A most important announcement,” he said. “Are you ready?”
They nodded, and said, “Yes,” in unison.
“Very well. Here it is. I know,” he said.
They waited to find out more. Surely, he’d make a speech any minute now. But he didn’t.
“That’s it,” he said. “That’s my announcement. I know. You may leave now.”
“W-what?” Oliver looked confused, “I’m sorry, High Priest, but I’m confused.”
“That is all right,” Sutter said. “The person I’ve made this announcement for knows perfectly well what I’m saying. I’ll repeat again. I KNOW.” He shouted the words this time.
Bluebell looked at the others. Oliver and Ewan were exchanging shrugs. Mathilda was staring into the distance with a set jaw. Angelina looked bored, whi
le Gertrude looked impatient. Hector looked nervous.
Now that’s interesting, Bluebell thought. Why would he look nervous?
“So, I’ll give you a chance,” Sutter said. “From now until dinner time at 8pm, the door to the library will be open. Anyone who wants to make a confession, can come and make it. You have five hours. Confess your sins to me, and I may show you mercy. But if you don’t confess, well then, your sins will be punished with the heaviest of hands and the lightest of hearts. Remember, I know.”
Sweat was beading on Hector’s forehead. “What is this tomfoolery, Sutter? What are you saying?”
“Leave now.” Sutter waved a hand at them. “Leave to your rooms, and think over what you’ve done. The person I’m talking about knows what I’m saying. I’m sure of it. Goodbye.”
With that, he picked up his cigar again, and retreated to a leather chair behind the desk.
Uneasy murmurs went up in the group, but when Sutter looked up once more and simply said, “Leave,” they all made a break for the door.
“Whew,” Mathilda said. “What was that all about, Oliver?”
“I don’t know,” Oliver said. “I suppose we’ll find out at dinner.”
“Typical Sutter, isn’t it?” Ewan asked. “He loves drama more than Angelina does, if you ask me.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Angelina said. “I think that at the end of the day, we’re going to lose one of us.”
“Lose one of us?” Gertrude asked, “Whatever do you mean, child!”
“A premonition.” Angelina pressed her hand on her stomach. “I feel it right here.”
“Lose one of us how?” Hector asked. “Do you mean…”
“It can’t be,” Ewan said. “He won’t excommunicate a member of our coven. Will he?”
“Sutter might,” Oliver said grimly. “It depends on what this member has done. Something very serious, if he or she is going to be thrown out.”
“Perhaps whoever it is will go and confess,” Mathilda said, looking around at the group. “That would be the sensible thing to do, wouldn’t it? Sutter knows whatever it is they’ve done. Might as well take that chance.”
Murder At The Coven: A Witch Cozy Mystery (A Bluebell Knopps Cozy Mystery Book 3) Page 2