Rhinestone Way

by Addison Creek

  Rhinestone Way

  (The Rhinestone Witches, Book 2)

  by

  Addison Creek

  Copyright © 2018 by Addison Creek

  Cover Design © Broken Arrow Designs

  This novel is a work of fiction in which names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is completely coincidental.

  License Notes

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  the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

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  Chapter One

  A dark day had descended on the magical town of Twinkleford.

  I, Jade Rhinestone, had recently moved to Twinkleford to live with my grandmother and my cousin on Misdirect Lane. After I found out that I was a member of an old witch family, and that I had to become a witch myself, it made the most sense for me to stay in Twinkleford instead of returning to my prior life with my father, his second wife, and her daughter.

  I wanted to get to know my mom’s side of the family, and in the end my dad recognized that I had to go. In the deepest part of my heart I also hoped that I would soon get to know my sister, Ethel, but at the moment my sister was on the run from the evil Vixens. A secret organization operating in Twinkleford, the Vixens had it out for the Rhinestones, and especially for Ethel.

  The dark day had to do with the recent debutant weekend for new witches. Every witch family needs a witch to pass in every generation, and there is only a small window during which we can attempt to do so. I was my family’s last chance. At first I thought I had failed, but in the end I succeeded. All but one of us had passed the tests.

  Unfortunately, another family’s last chance had failed.

  It was time to remove Glory’s family from the coven. Tonight would be our ritual casting out.

  Days after the test, I couldn’t get the image of Glory crying uncontrollably out of my head. She hadn’t passed the examinations, and now her whole family was going to suffer for her failure. The tests had been their last chance of remaining in the coven, and she hadn’t made it.

  My grandmother had been quiet ever since we returned from the ceremony and the scene of Nancy’s arrest. The makeup of the coven had changed, but at least in my presence my grandmother was so philosophical about it that I almost couldn’t stand it.

  We were sitting in the kitchen a few days after the ceremony. Herbs still hung from the ceiling and there was a pot of freshly brewed tea from the purple kettle. With the windows thrown wide, the whole space smelled like mature flowers, unicorns, and the open fields that surrounded the cottage.

  Sometimes if the wind was blowing just right and we were sitting in the exact correct place, we also smelled rusted metal from the trailer park down the road. But today wasn’t one of those days.

  “Rituals are important in the coven,” Bethel explained. “We perform rituals to keep our members strong. We also perform rituals to protect the town. We have too many different kinds of supernatural characters here to be lax about protection. Your father managed to come here because this is what he’d known. Others cannot. Unfortunately, Glory’s family won’t have the special magics any longer.”

  Her voice was tight, and I had a hard time listening to her explanation. It wasn’t as if Glory and I had become best friends, but we had gone through the ordeal of the examinations together, and that counted for something. I liked her fine. I certainly liked her more than I liked Hannah Carlisle or Taylor Newtonville, who were also part of my passing debutant class. Their families were rich, powerful, and rude. There was no way I wanted to see her as devastated as she had been.

  “I don’t see why she doesn’t get another shot. At least she must have a cousin somewhere who could help them stay in the coven,” I said desperately.

  My grandmother rolled her eyes at me. “It doesn’t work like that. She had all the shots she could. Part of this process is practical. You have to be able to perform the spells. Each family has to have a witch from that specific generation,” she said.

  I nodded slowly. This was at least the tenth time she’d said this. I was officially getting tired of hearing it.

  I glanced out the window. The day after the ceremony had been stormy, but since then the skies had been clear. This afternoon, though, the weather had changed again. The sky was gray and swirling with dark clouds, with the sun still burning behind one particularly thick circular mass. I wondered what would come later, weather-wise.

  As part of her job within the coven, Bethel was expected to bring unicorn dung to the ritual. Other than that we had nothing to do to prepare.

  I was expected to be at the casting out, my first ritual after my initiation. I couldn’t exactly say that I was excited about the prospect. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to be a part of a coven if it meant being so cold-hearted.

  “What happens tonight?” I whispered.

  “All of the members of the coven gather together in the Magnite Circle,” said Bethel. “Magnite was the first structure built in Twinkleford. As our power base, it was built of stone, a part of the Earth itself. We use it only for the most important rituals. All of the Trophi family’s witch clothing will be burned, the shoes, hat, and the cape. Any supplies they have, let’s say a crystal ball—those will also be burned.”

  “I helped solved the murder mystery. I think that should give me clout in important decisions. Are you sure this has to be done?” I asked.

  My grandmother shook her head again. “Maybe if you catch the culprit, that will give you some clout. Until then you’re just a new witch.”

  Then she went off to tell Lowe it was time to head out to the farmer’s market. I would have the house to myself, though my solitude didn’t end up lasting long.

  The gloom settling over my shoulders was full and oppressive. It was rare that a family was kicked out of the coven. Despite the fact that the Rhinestones had come close, it had nevertheless not happened to us in the end. We knew that there were still several members of the coven who wanted the Rhinestones
gone, but for now it was Glory’s family that was going.

  I had felt sick to my stomach ever since we found out she hadn’t passed the exams. Tonight their departure would be official; the waiting was over.

  I was just thinking about how discouraging it was when Tiger, a handsome black and white fellow, came galloping in and rubbed against my legs. I had been around long enough to know that this was a sign that somebody was approaching the house, so I stood up and went to the front door. For all I knew, Tiger had already tried to tell me who had arrived, but though the ability to speak with cats was common in Twinkleford, unfortunately it was not one that I possessed. I had to go and see for myself.

  Chapter Two

  The fairies and the pixies were still at their perpetual garden war when I went out to see who was here, and found Jackie and Kelly coming up the walk. As they came through the yard the fairies and pixies took a break from their fighting to stare at the visitors. As soon as we had passed by, they started battling again.

  “This is a beautiful garden. I’m surprised it hasn’t been destroyed by all the tiny explosions,” said Jackie, pointing to a fairy with a lighted silver spear.

  “My grandmother would have their heads if they did any permanent damage to this garden. Lowe uses it as her livelihood,” I said.

  Both Jackie and Kelly were dressed in sensible clothes, Jackie in a black T-shirt and black pants, Kelly in a white sweater and a skirt that fell below her knees. Jackie’s mother was the mayor of Twinkleford. As a form of rebellion she dyed her hair different colors, and she was in fine form today.

  “Nice to see both of you,” I said.

  “We wanted to come by and talk before tonight. It’s terrible what’s happening to Glory,” Kelly said.

  “Come in. I just put some tea on in the kitchen,” I said. As my grandmother had explained, you weren’t a real witch if you didn’t like tea. She loved the ritual of pouring. Given that so much of our world revolved around ritual, I wasn’t surprised that her appreciation extended to tea.

  “Are those the unicorns?” Kelly asked, rushing to the back window to peer outside. There was a perfect view of the pasture from there, with the white unicorns strolling in the distance.

  “Sure are. They’re pretty wild. If my grandmother were here you could meet them, but it’s best to give them their space when she’s not home,” I said.

  “That would be amazing. I’ll definitely come back sometime when Mrs. Rhinestone is around,” said Kelly.

  “Have you seen them before?” I asked Jackie.

  “Yes. My mother has made a point of taking me with her on a lot of her engagements around town. She wanted me to know everyone and to understand how the important business gets done. Because of her job, I’ve definitely gotten to see some cool things that I wouldn’t have otherwise.” Then she smiled and added, “And also spend countless hours incredibly bored. I got to meet the unicorns a long time ago, and you’re right, they’re wild, but also fun. My mother considers them one of the most important features of the town. She very much values your grandmother and the work your family does,” said Jackie.

  “That makes one,” I said dryly, thinking of the witches who didn’t value my grandmother, at least not in her current position. They might value her more if she moved to Canada and never came back. The Coven Council and the three governing witch queens were not fans of the Rhinestones.

  “We wanted to talk to you before the ritual tonight. My mom is very busy, so she doesn’t even know I’m here,” said Jackie.

  “I had to make a deal with one of my brothers to do the work I was supposed to do today,” said Kelly with a wry smile. “He knew why I was coming, though, so he was more than willing.”

  Kelly’s family was kind of like mine. Their standing in the coven was precarious and lowly. They sold goods at all of the farmers markets. Kelly worked hard for her family, and she was also an excellent witch. Kelly’s passing her tests had solidified their membership for years to come.

  Just then both Spunk and Tiger joined us. Spunk strutted in, while Tiger swayed in a stately manner. They each went to one of my guests. Jackie giggled as Tiger hopped on her lap and demanded to be petted.

  “He likes the side of his head scratched,” I said helpfully. Jackie of course obliged.

  Once I had tea ready I brought it to the table. “You said that you came for a specific reason?” I asked, turning to Kelly.

  The old wood creaked under her weight as she shifted nervously in her chair. “That’s right, I did. Well, we did. Jackie wanted to help me. I didn’t know where to turn. With the ritual coming tonight, nothing has been normal. Everyone is upset about it. Poor Glory.”

  Unfortunately, I agreed with her. It was a terrible situation, but I still hadn’t heard why they had come, so I asked again, “What can I help you with?” I was a bit mystified, since I really couldn’t think of anything I could help anybody with. Maybe they wanted expertise on life on the outside, stuff like what humans were really like. I had supposedly grown up among them, having lived with my dad and my stepmom and her daughter for so many years. Then again, I wasn’t so sure that Blossom and Bailey were representative humans.

  My stepmother and stepsister took a particular view of the world, one where being thin, wearing the right clothes, and marrying the right (rich) person was what counted. I was never that thin, my hair was never that straight, and my clothing choices could best be described as eclectic with a dash of practical.

  “It’s my other brother,” said Kelly. “He and his friend were out the other night. His friend was found unconscious in the woods, and my brother hasn’t come home.”

  “I’m so sorry. What night was the other night?” I asked

  “This was the night after the dance,” Kelly explained. “After the ball my brother and his friend stayed out. My mom wanted him to come home, but he never does. He hasn’t fallen into the best crowd lately, and we’ve gotten used to him staying out for a few days at a time. At first we didn’t think much about it, but now . . . I don’t know.” She paused, furrowing her brow and looking worried.

  “What is the sheriff’s office doing about it?” I asked.

  Kelly made a face. “Nothing, yet. My brother’s friend was unconscious until a little while ago, so he couldn’t tell us anything. They say they’re looking for my brother, and I think they are. It’s just not that simple.”

  “Why is it not that simple?” I asked.

  Jackie was sitting quietly, sipping tea and petting the cat. I felt like I was asking all the questions and Jackie already knew everything. Well, Jackie and Kelly were friends, so that made sense.

  “My brother may or may not have gone missing before,” murmured Kelly, hanging her head.

  “He’s gone missing more than ten times,” Jackie cut it. “It’s always that he has run away, and he’s always fine and comes back after a while, usually when he’s hungry or has run out of money.”

  Kelly was still looking down at the table, clearly ashamed of her brother and of having to tell me any of this at all.

  “So they don’t really believe anything has happened to him,” I said.

  Kelly nodded soberly. “They don’t. I understand why they feel that way. It’s just that he’s never been gone this long before. Also, he’s usually in touch with my other brother, who told the sheriff as much. This time they’ve had no contact,” said Kelly.

  I bit down on my lip and tried to think. “Was there any sign of a struggle where his friend was found?”

  “A bit. There was a strange orange substance clinging to some of the trees and Henry was on the ground. I heard my mom talking to the sheriff, and he said there were exceptionally strong charms around him that erased any history or markings. For all we know there could have been an epic struggle, but by the time Henry was found there was no evidence of it,” she said.

  “I’m very sorry about your brother,” I said again. “It must be hard. As you know, my sister is on the run, and I worry about her
a lot. But I still don’t understand what any of this has to do with me.”

  “The sheriffs don’t believe me. They aren’t really looking for him. I don’t argue their motives, but I know something has happened. I thought that since you solved Jonathan’s murder, you might be able to help figure out what’s going on with my brother, and what happened to Henry,” she said.

  I nearly choked on my tea. “Are you kidding me? I’m not a detective. I don’t know the rules. Besides, the sheriff’s office already doesn’t like me. If I meddle in the investigation, we’ll all get in big trouble.”

  Kelly’s shoulders drooped and she looked crestfallen.

  “Don’t you think you could just look around a bit?” Jackie asked. “I know you did the last investigation for your sister, but this time it’s Kelly’s brother. It’s family. Besides, not knowing the rules is probably a good thing.”

  “How would that be a good thing?” I asked.

  “If you follow the rules, you might never get anywhere,” Jackie offered helpfully.

  Kelly broke in and added, “Kyle might need help! We can’t just sit around while we don’t know what’s happened to him.”

  In a way I had brought this on myself. After Nancy’s arrest I had met up with Jackie and Kelly and we had discussed what happened. I had told them of my suspicions based on Nancy’s continued accusations against my sister, and also that I had been up to Jonathan’s office and then later heard someone snooping around up there. They thought I was quite the investigator even when I demurred and told them that Quinn had really solved the case.

  Now I fiddled with my cup, trying to decide what to do. Part of me was curious. Part of me had also liked the thrill of snooping. The singular focus on finding out what had happened to Jonathan and clearing my sister’s name had been part of something larger, relating to the secret pearl trade in Twinkleford. Jonathan had been wrapped up in it, and so were the Vixens. Jonathan had lost his life, and now Kelly’s brother was missing. How much more destruction was there going to be?