by Paula Lester
The Trio?
A tiny smile played in the wrinkles of Marian’s eyes and mouth. She tipped her head toward me. “Your niece, of course.”
Chapter 2
TEN MINUTES LATER, I was in the middle of the most awkward teatime of my life. When I’d gone inside to help Aunt Dru bring out trays of tea, coffee, cups, and cookies, I’d tried to get her to tell me who the strange visitors were. But she’d shaken her head. “There’s no time. I’ll explain it all to you once they leave.” Then she’d turned and grabbed my hands, staring into my face intently with her own pale, extra-lined one. “Don’t use magic while they’re here. And be respectful, especially to Marian.”
Her expression had upset me. I’d nodded and squeezed her hands. “You got it.”
I’d never seen my aunt look kowtowed by another person before, and it shook me. She was my rock, and if she got crumbly, what did that mean about my own foundation?
I’d shaken away the thought, and we’d carried everything out to the porch where we’d found Marian seated on a bench, the younger two women flanking her. The three men all stood nearby, leaning on the porch railing or the house, just far enough away to not be obtrusive to conversation between the women but close enough to maintain a presence.
It was all so very odd.
Once everyone had settled in with their choice of drink and a cookie, Marian addressed my aunt. “I expected to be here sooner than this. Why has it taken the girl so long to come into her powers?”
Aunt Dru’s eyes darted toward me and then re-focused on Marian. “She came into her powers around eight, as she should. But she didn’t use much magic before. Now, she’s studying. Learning more.”
Marian nodded, her spikey hair staying firmly in place despite the movement. She took a bite of cookie. “I see. How strange.”
A flash of my aunt’s normal personality appeared in her expression. The worry lines eased a touch, and anger thinned her lips. “Not strange. Just Willow’s journey in life. An ebb and flow, such as we all have.”
I felt relieved at the glimpse of my normal Aunt Dru. I’d never realized how much my emotional state relied on hers. That was something I’d need to tuck away and examine once there weren’t six strangers on my front porch. I took a big sip of coffee and waited for the caffeine to hit my system. What a day to be feeling extra tired.
“That makes perfect sense.” The middle-aged woman nudged Marian with an elbow. “We each follow our own path in life.” Her voice was like warm honey, the opposite of Marian’s scratchy, off-putting tone. She pushed auburn hair behind her shoulder and smiled at me. “I’m afraid we’ve been rude. Poor Willow doesn’t know who we are. This is Marian, the Crone. I am Kressida, the Crux, and this,” she gestured toward the young blonde, “is Celeste, our lovely Key.”
I blinked a few times. The titles Kressida used meant nothing to me. But Aunt Dru hadn’t raised a woman with no manners. I smiled back. “It’s nice to meet you all.” My gaze traveled to the men on the porch. “And your friends?”
“Oh! Our Guards. Pence serves Marian.” Kressida gazed fondly at the dark-haired, dark-eyed, forty-something man she indicated, who stood closest to the women. He gave her a small smile. “And Baxter is my steadfast helper.” She gestured toward the man leaning on the banister across from her. He looked to be around forty also, but he had sandy blond hair and outweighed Pence by about fifty pounds. “And last but not least is Celeste’s Guard, Griffin.” The third man was the youngest, with raven black hair and eyes to match. He had an air of cockiness that irritated me, but he was handsome.
All three men obviously worked out. Their heavy muscles reminded me of barely restrained, sinewy cats. There was something predatory about them that made me feel a touch uneasy. And that made me want to touch my magic, make sure it was there. But Aunt Dru had given me specific instructions on that front, so I forced myself not to.
“Enough with the pleasantries.” Marian scooted forward on the bench and attempted to get to her feet. Pence was there in an instant, offering a hand to help her. She used it without thanking him and stomped over to stand in front of my aunt. “She’s triggered an audit, Druida. We’re here to make sure she’s safe. Since you’re in charge of her training, you’re under audit too. We’re staying at the Flying Fish Hotel at the harbor. We’ll be in touch.” She waved an arm, and the other five moved to follow her off the porch.
Celeste stopped and squeezed my arm. “You have super cool powers.” She bounced on the balls of her feet. “And I just love it in Superior Bay. Maybe you can show me around sometime?”
Marian narrowed her eyes at Celeste. “You’re the Key, girl. Comport yourself accordingly.”
“She can be the Key and still enjoy her life.” Kressida’s tone was conciliatory. “Griffin can go with them. I think it’s harmless.”
“We’re here to audit the new witch, not party with her,” Marian spat, spinning around and descending the stairs, Pence’s hand on her elbow for support.
Celeste leaned close to me. “The Crux and I will convince the old Crone. Don’t worry.” She beamed and then bounced away, Griffin right behind her.
I couldn’t help but like Celeste. She was maybe ten years younger than me and had a good vibe. Kressida seemed kind too. But that Marian was something else.
Aunt Dru stood at the top of the stairs, statue-like, and stared after the two black Cadillacs as they pulled out of our driveway. I moved to stand next to her. Once the sound of the cars’ engines had completely receded, I breathed, “Care to explain more to me about who they were?”
With a sigh, Aunt Dru walked around me and dropped into a chair. “I should have told you before they came. I thought we had much more time.”
Several questions leaped to my tongue at once, but I bit them back, wanting to let her share in her own time, without pressure. I gave her a minute to herself by going into the house. I crossed to the big dog kennel in the living room’s corner and opened it.
A little beagle bounded out, almost knocking me over with his exuberance. I laughed. “Come on. Outside with you. We don’t need you knocking something over with all that energy.” I let Dragon out, and he raced over to Aunt Dru for a quick pet before leaping down the stairs and racing toward Juliet, where she sat looking into the paddock at the sheep.
Aunt Dru chuckled at the dog’s antics. Then she said, “Okay, have a seat. It’s time I told you about the Trio.”
I sat next to her, in a spot where I could monitor the dogs, and waited for her to continue.
She didn’t make me wait long. “Marian is the Crone. She’s the high matron of the Trio which is the council that rules over the witches in our zone.”
“Zone? You mean like Michigan?”
“I mean the western hemisphere,” she corrected. “There’s another council on the other side of the world, but they work differently. Ours consists of the Crone, the Crux, and the Key. They must all agree in order to perform important spells and make decrees to keep witches in order. It is the Crux who acts as a mediary between the Crone and the Key, bringing them to agreement on many matters.”
“And the men? Guards, I think Marian called them.”
She nodded. “They are mystically assigned but often stay in their position even when a new witch advances to each spot. They’re magically bound to their charge and meant to protect them from all threats.”
“Wow. That’s like some medieval stuff right there.” I thought for a moment. “So, why are they here? Marian said it was to make sure I’m safe.” I shrugged and looked around. “This is my home. Why wouldn’t I be safe?”
Aunt Dru shook her head. “When a new witch comes into their powers, they have a certain amount of training to go through to advance steadily. When they can control a particular degree of magic, it triggers the attention of the Trio who comes to investigate—that’s called an audit. If they find the new witch to be of pure intentions, not too powerful so as to be a threat to humans or other witches, and having excellent
control of their power, the Trio will give the new witch’s full gift to them.”
My jaw dropped. “Are you saying I don’t have my full power yet?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. A portion is locked away until the Trio releases it. If they see fit to do so and agree on it.” She wrung her hands and watched Dragon jump on Juliet and chew her ear.
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re worried they won’t unlock my power. Aren’t you?”
She bit her lower lip and nodded, almost imperceptibly. If I hadn’t been watching carefully, I wouldn’t have seen it.
“Why?”
She seemed to come out of a reverie, standing up suddenly. She turned to me and smiled. “Only because I’m your aunt and it’s my job to worry about you. No other reason.” She paused. “You’ll want to focus even harder on your training right now. The faster we can convince them you’re worthy, the sooner they’ll unlock your powers and leave Superior Bay.”
“Okay. Whatever you think.” I watched her walk into the house, an uneasy feeling skittering over my skin. There was something she wasn’t telling me.
The Flying Fish Hotel. It was a swanky place mainly frequented by tourists, right on the lakeshore in town. I may just have to go for a visit and see if I could dig up more about what had my aunt so freaked out.
But before I could get up and put the plan in motion, my phone rang. I pulled it out and checked the screen, saw that it was Julia, and swiped to answer. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Girl, you don’t even know.” My friend’s voice sounded strained. “This is a mess.”
“What is?” I leaned over and snapped my fingers. Dragon had grown a lot in the past few months, and he could climb the porch steps on his own now, though it took him longer than it did Juliet, with her long, graceful border collie legs. So, she got to me first and absorbed some pets before the pup arrived and shoved her aside. The older dog could have easily put the younger one in his place, but she settled back onto her haunches and let him have his moment.
“It’s Becky Stroves. She arrived from Oregon yesterday, and she’s just wreaking havoc at the bakery.” Julia, normally calm, sounded beyond irritated and super stressed.
The change from her regular demeanor got my attention. “Is that Delilah’s niece? The one she’s handing the business over to?”
“Yep, that’s her.” Julia was the only employee at Stroves’ Bakery in downtown Superior Bay. Even when the owner, Delilah Stroves, hadn’t been in prison for murder, Julia had done most of the work there. “Becky has absolutely no idea how to run a bakery.”
“Uh-oh. What’s she doing?”
The sound of an automatic mixer started up in the background. “What isn’t she doing? She swooped in. And she’s trying to change everything. She did the ordering this week, and I ended up with more flour than I have room to store but no butter. How am I going to make scones with no butter, Will?”
I winced. I wasn’t a great baker, so I really had no idea what ingredients were necessary for scones. But I could tell from the tone of my friend’s question that it was rhetorical. I made a sympathetic noise and pushed Dragon’s front feet off my knees. “Down,” I whispered to him.
“I can’t.”
“What?” I’d lost the train of conversation trying to give the pup a little training.
“I can’t make scones without butter. And Mrs. Marshall ordered a dozen chocolate chip scones yesterday for her daughter’s seventh birthday tea party. Now I have to use my own money and go to the store for butter.” Exasperation flooded her tone.
“Can’t Becky give you some petty cash or a credit card or something?”
“Oh, she doesn’t understand how the finances work around here. I don’t think she knows how a business runs at all. Plus, get this. When I got here this morning, I found her in my kitchen. Rearranging everything.” She may as well have said the woman was practicing black magic, complete with goat sacrifices. It would have fit with her disgusted tone. “Now my spatulas are where the whisks should be.” She moaned. “It’s madness.”
“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
“Tell me how to deal with this woman?” Her tone was hopeful.
I thought about it for a minute. “You are the only person I know who could deal with Delilah. That woman was tough with a capital T. I know you can schmooze Becky nicely too.” I listened to my friend make disgruntled noises. “Maybe you could sit Becky down and explain the things she’s missing. Ask her if she’ll agree to let you continue to handle that stuff for now. Just while she learns.”
Silence stretched across the line for so long that, if I couldn’t still hear the mixer in the background, I would have thought we’d gotten disconnected. Then Julia said, “That could work. I’ll try it.” She sounded much calmer. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Listen, let’s plan on going out for drinks tonight, okay? I’ll tell Aly. We can talk about this some more and really drill down into a plan for you to follow.” I pushed Dragon away with my foot, but he just attacked it, producing little puppy growls meant to sound ferocious but that really just made me smile. “Wait. I have plans around six. Let’s shoot for late drinks, and I’ll text if I can’t make it.”
“Why late drinks?”
“Because I have a date.”
“Oh! Then you need help getting ready. I’ll come over at four.”
I didn’t want help getting ready. Julia and I didn’t have the same fashion sense. But then I heard her inhale a deep breath. “Okay. Date preparations and drinks later. Yes. I’m good now.”
It felt nice to have helped my friend, but as we hung up, my mind turned back to what I needed to do next. I got to my feet and scooped up Dragon to take him inside.
It was time to pay a visit to the Trio and figure out what they and my aunt weren’t telling me.
Chapter 3
I HADN’T BEEN INSIDE the Flying Fish Hotel in years. Our senior high school prom had been in their ballroom, and I’d attended a wedding or two there since then. The lobby looked much as I remembered it, with cream walls and marble floors with gold accents in the form of picture frames, wall sconces, and chandeliers. The furniture was all gorgeous, burgundy with cream flowers and gold brocade. But I could tell with just a glance it was uncomfortable for actual sitting, meant just for looks and ambiance.
Along the wall opposite the sliding front door, a woman stood behind a long reception desk. I didn’t recognize her, but she looked around ten years younger than me. She gave me an enormous smile that showed off bright white teeth and made me incapable of doing anything but smiling back. “How can I help you?”
I approached the desk and glanced at the nametag on her navy-blue suit coat lapel. “Hi, Liza. I’m here to visit some friends, but I’m not sure what room they’re in.”
“Oh, I’d be happy to help you with that. What are your friends’ names?” She clicked at the keyboard connected to the computer in front of her, and I was struck by how well she did that, considering her silver-polished acrylics were at least an inch long. I couldn’t type when my nails grew past the ends of my fingertips.
I thought about Liza’s question for a minute. What should I say? The Trio seemed too formal. Besides, they were connected to the magical world, as was that term, so they probably weren’t advertising it to local non-magical folk. “Um. Marian, Kressida, and Celeste.” I wondered if I should add the three men’s names.
A tiny line appeared between Liza’s eyes as she studied me. “No last name?”
I shook my head. “They’re really more acquaintances than friends. I . . . they’re my aunt’s friends. I think they all have different last names.” I stumbled to a halt, not wanting to act suspicious.
She pressed her lips together, nodded curtly, and punched some more buttons on the keyboard. Then her facial muscles relaxed. “Ah, yes. I know the party you’re referring to. They’re up in the penthouse suites.” She pointed across the room. “Take the elevator. Just press the butto
n that says P, and it’ll drop you off right in front of the main door to their suites.” She smiled, pleasant once more. “Have a nice visit.”
“Thank you.” I headed for the elevator, feeling the flutter of nerves in my belly. Marian was intimidating. But Kressida had gentle vibes, and Celeste was a total sweetheart. Maybe Marian would be occupied, and I could just talk to the other two, collect some information, and get out.
The elevator doors opened, and there were only two choices—knock on the tall, double oak door in front of me or turn around and get back into the elevator. So, I took a fortifying breath and knocked.
Pence opened the door and looked me up and down but said nothing.
It took me a minute to regain my equilibrium. He didn’t have an unpleasant look on his face, but it was obvious the Guard was waiting for me to speak first. I cleared my throat. “I was wondering if I could visit with the Trio a bit. Are they available?”
For the space of three heartbeats, he didn’t react. Just as I was wondering if he’d heard me, Pence stepped aside and held out an arm in invitation for me to enter past him. The room looked dim, and I couldn’t immediately see anyone in there. But I straightened my shoulders, took a leap of faith, and marched in as though I owned the place. Who were these people to make me feel intimidated? I’d stared down the fully loaded muzzle of an angry Akita who didn’t want a vaccine and lived to tell the tale. This couldn’t be worse than that.
But when the heavy door closed behind me, I had a moment of regret for walking in.
Then I emerged out of a small foyer into a huge, airy room with a wall of windows on one side overlooking Lake Superior and letting in all the midday sun. The room was stunning, with fluffy white area rugs dotting the sage green marble floors and multiple sitting areas, bookshelves, office tables, and chairs. I could see several doorways off the main room and assumed they led to individual bedroom suites.
Who knew Superior Bay had such a lavish, expensive penthouse?