“Let’s leave dad out of this for a minute,” I said. “What does all of this have to do with my night flying?”
“You have been gifted with extreme powers, just like your namesake, Olivia,” Great-Aunt Rue said. “And it appears that your powers simply want out.”
“What?” I said.
“After you cast the spell that churned Mother Earth and her Sister Wind and caused all of the uproar and damage in New Moon Beach, things began to change,” said Great-Aunt Lavandar. “I think that we can both agree that the strength of the spell you cast was far greater than you had expected?”Great-Aunt Lavandar said with a question in her voice.
“Yes,” was all I could reply.
“Well, that was the beginning of your unleashing,” said Great-Aunt Rue.
“Her unleashing?” questioned Harmony.
“Yes, from that time onward your witchcraft begged to be released,” said Great-Aunt Olivia. “And when you did not willingly release it, except for some of your silly little spells, your magic opted to release itself in any way that it could; hence, your night flying episodes.”
I was so confused at this point and maybe even a little scared. I had never considered myself a very strong witch. And remember I shared with you all of the problems I was having with casting spells? If I was so strong why am I having problems casting simple spells? And if my magic wanted out, had I caused myself to fly into Jonathan’s bed? So many questions.
“We had better go now,” Harmony said suddenly. “I have a meeting tonight that I need to attend.”
“Yeah, I need to go too,” said Constance.
I looked at my two sisters and felt a sudden pain filled ache in my soul as my sisters looked back at me as if I was someone they no longer knew. Had I gained new insights only to have lost my sisters?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I wandered back into my shop feeling so very lost and alone. Neither Harmony nor Constance had said a thing to me as we drove home. There were so many things that I wanted to shout out. I had not chosen to be different. I didn’t want any extra powers. I just wanted to go back to being their little sister; the one who struggled to cast even the simplest of spells. But neither sister appeared to be in the mood to hear any of it. They were dealing with their own hurt and confusion and I needed to give them time to work it through in their own heads.
Gail and Mrs. Schwartz were in the back of the shop completing the last crafting packages in anticipation of our sale. Happily at work they both looked up ready to share with me all that they had completed. But one look at my face must have told them that I was in no mood for their celebratory behaviors.
“Well, Gail,” said Mrs. Schwartz. “I think that I’ve done all the damage I can for one day; probably time for me to head home to Mr. Schwartz. Besides, looks like Olivia needs her best friend to talk to.” Giving me a brief hug, Mrs. Schwartz left the store. I love that woman; she really does get me.
“Wow, what’s going on? You look awful,” Gail said. “I know that you went to, your Great-Aunts house this morning. Did something happen there?”
Before I had a chance to answer her questions, Larry came through the front door. “I haven’t had a chance to talk with her yet,” said Gail quickly moving Larry back towards the shop front door.
“Oh,” was his only response. “Well, send me a tele-message once you have,” he winked; leaving my shop as quickly as he had entered.
“A telemessage?” I repeated. “What’s that all about?”
“I have so much to tell you, but I think that you need to go first,” Gail said, heading towards the coffee pot to start our Hazelnut brew before turning the shop closed sign over.
I opened Miss Cassandra’ carrier and encouraged her out and then sat there for quite a while before making a decision. “No, Gail. You go first.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yep, shoot! What’s going on with you and Larry? Are we planning a wedding?” I asked, forcing a smile.
“A wedding? No! At least I don’t think so,” she responded.
“Okay, then what?” I asked.
“Olivia, do you remember when you asked me if I thought that Larry was charmed or something?”
“You mean because he made it through our doorway that was locked and another that was sealed by a ward Constance had cast?” I asked.
As she nodded her head in agreement Gail continued. “Let me go back for a minute and add something. This morning Jonathan was having breakfast and Larry joined him. Somehow during the conversation Jonathan let it slip that you’re a witch,” she said. “I didn’t know that you had told him Olivia.”
“I didn’t,” I said.
“Well, then how did…..?”
“Harmony told Matt that she was a witch and then Matt told Jonathan, and Jonathan just assumed that I was one too,” I said. “With everything that happened this morning I forgot to tell Harmony how upset I was with her for spilling the beans without ever warning me that she had.”
“How did Jonathan take it?” asked Gail.
“You know I guess I’m not really sure. When we talked, he seemed to take it all in stride. We didn’t get into a deep enough conversation for me to know,” I said. “He talked more about my cat and my house. I think that we have to revisit the subject. But he did seem less thrown by it than I thought he would be,” I said wondering how that could be. Did her Great-Aunts have anything to do with that? Would she wonder the same thing every time something unexpected happens?
“Okay, so what does that have to do with you and tele-something Larry?” I asked.
Gail sat down next to me and took a deep breath. “Olivia, Larry is charmed,” Gail said. “Although his father never knew it, his mother was a witch; a water witch - like me! And Larry can telecommunicate with others, among other things.”
“How did you find out?” I asked.
“Well, after Jonathan talked to Larry he came to see me. I guess he wanted to know if I knew about you. And I guess that Larry was curious about how I would react when he brought it all up.”
“Oh,” I said.
“Well, how did it move from I’m a witch to you’re a witch to Larry’s a witch?” I asked.
“Larry started out real generically with questions like, how long have you known Olivia? And comments like, ‘she seems like a really talented person,” Gail said. “I couldn’t figure out where he was going. Then he finally popped the question. Have you ever noticed anything supernatural about your best friend and I figured he knew something.”
“Hmmm,” I responded.
“Well, we danced around the topic for quite some time before he finally asked if I believe in witches and I answered yes. Then the conversation took off and he told me about you and his mom and finally about his own powers.”
“Does he know about you? I mean, does he know that you’re a water witch like his mother?”
“YES!” said Gail. “I told him. I told him all about me and how I came to have my powers.”
“And now he is waiting for you to telecommunicate with him that all is well?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“I am so happy for you both Gail. Now go tele-whatever with him and have some fun,” I said with tears in my eyes. “Go ahead, right now!” I said with more enthusiasm than I felt.
“Thanks Olivia. I can’t wait to talk to him. It feels so good to have it all out in the open,” she said, racing towards the front door. “Oh, but wait, you never shared with me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing is wrong, go and find your charmed gentleman. I’ll see you tomorrow Gail!” I said, opening the cat carrier for Miss Cassandra to return to.
“Love you Olivia,” Gail said, throwing her purse over her shoulder.
“Love you too,” I said.
“You are a good witch Miss Olivia Merriman,” said my cat. “That was kind of you not to rain on her parade. Shall we head home?”
“Yep,” I said and locked the front door to head home.
<
br /> Chapter Twenty-Nine
“She’s having a tough time, Mother. I’m not quite sure how to help her,” said Rue.
“Well, the first thing is to keep your sister, Olivia, away from her. I don’t know why she feels that she needs to get so involved. I must tell you that the Council is not pleased with her actions,” said Isadora.
“My heart goes out to our young grandniece,” said Rue. “She seems so confused and unsure of herself at a time when she should be celebrating the maturing of her magical powers.”
“Between the struggles she is facing with her mortal and the tension that now exists between her and her sisters, I’m sure that she feels quite alone. I think that we may want to contact Alistair,” said Rue calmly.
“NO,” responded, her mother. “He is partly to blame for her problems. If he had stepped up and taken control of those three young witches, she would have been better off. But no, he was weak, letting his sorrow for Jasmine take him over.”
“Oh mother, you can be so harsh. He was hurting. Jasmine was the love of his life and I know just how he feels. I’m not going to condemn him for that.”
Turning towards her daughter, Isadora continued, “At least he did not shut himself away in his home. At least he continued to live outside of this tiny world. Something that you have not been brave enough to do.”
Sighing softly Rue walked back to her room, the place where she felt safest. Looking into her crystal ball, she said, “I will watch out for you Olivia, even if it is from afar. You will be safe.”
In another room of the old house Isadora held her personal thoughts and emotions close to her vest. She was frustrated, uncertain of what to do next and angry with herself for her indecision. Isadora had already tried to help her great granddaughter once. Hadn’t she dulled the mortal’s fear of witchcraft, making it all seem like a normal part of who Olivia was; like the fact that she had blue eyes or blonde hair?
Isadora wondered that Olivia had not been more surprised at how accepting her boyfriend had been of the whole witch thing. Maybe she wasn’t as bright as her Great-Grandmother had suspected. Isadora would need to keep this last thought from the Council; a council who had great expectations of the young Olivia Merriman.
_____
Olivia unlocked her front door, walked in and opened Miss Cassandra’s carrier, leaving her cat to roam. Starting up her coffee pot after filling Miss Cassandra’s dishes with water and food, Olivia headed for the shower. She needed some quiet time to try to pull her back together.
Why was this happening to her? How had she suddenly lost control of all that she knew? And how was she ever going to get it all back together?
Pulling on her most comfortable sweats post shower, Olivia walked towards her kitchen to fill her cup and grab some cookies to go along with her fresh brew.
“That’s not a very healthy dinner, my child,” said an old woman who was seated in the center of her couch.
“Who are you and how….? Great-grandmother?” I said, resigned to the fact that I had a new visitor.
“Yes, my dear,” she said, reaching her tiny hand out towards me. “Come and sit down. It seems that we have much to talk about.”
The temperature in my apartment dropped slowly until I felt the need to reach for the blanket that rested on the back of my couch. Miss Cassandra had silently tucked herself deep into the pillows of my couch and appeared to be sleeping.
“It’s so cold in here Great-Grandmother.” The knocking at my front door was the last thing I heard as I fell into a deep, deep sleep.
#####
Dear Readers,
Thanks so much for joining Olivia on more of her mystical escapades. I truly hope that you enjoyed the story and that you’ll follow Olivia and her sisters as they struggle with an evil wizard and an unexpected relative or two. Wonder who’ll be turned into a toad - read the preview of Midnight Madness which I’ve included for you!
Blessed Be
Preview of Book Three
The Witches of New Moon Beach Series
Midnight Madness
I’m not sure just how long I slept. I awoke sluggishly, pulling my blanket closer around me hoping to shut out the cool breezes and the light that shone down on me from a moon that was both bright and full in the sky. The ground was soft, molding itself around my blanket covered body and I felt content. Life was good.
My momentary peace was shattered by the sea birds as they called to each other in loud, high pitched voices and danced across the moonlit waves. There was such joy in their playful movement that I found myself smiling.
“So, you’re finally awake,” Isadora said from where she had positioned herself on an old driftwood log. “I was beginning to think that the sun would be rising before you finally woke up. You are one of the most spell-sensitive witches I’ve ever seen. If I’d have known that you were such a weakling, I would have cut my spell dosage in half. Now, get up girl. It’s midnight and we have much to discuss.”
I stubbornly continued to lie in my blanket, looking closely at the woman I now knew to be my Great-Grandmother. It was funny, but I could see each of her daughters captured within her tiny frame. Her eyes reflected the determination of Great-Aunt Olivia, her features, however was softer like those of Great-Aunt Rue and there was a beauty there so similar to that of Great-Aunt Lavandar that I was surprised to find myself questioning just how old my Great-Grandmother really was.
“Why are you staring so rudely at me Olivia?” Isadora asked with a start.
“It’s just kind of strange seeing each of your daughters reflected within your face. You almost look more like their sister than their mother.”
“The many gifts of magic,” was all she said without a trace of humor or even a slight smile as she quickly dusted grains of sand from her skirt.
“Why are we here in the middle of the night? Why did you take me away from my home? And why did you put me to sleep? I mean I presume that it was you who did all that,” I said in a more asking than telling tone.
“So many questions for someone who is supposed to be so smart; settle down Olivia. I needed to speak with you without your mortal bothering us or one of your noisy neighbors popping in. Unfortunately, your magic and mine seem to be fighting each other and so I placed a sleep spell on you to aid in your travel. And I guess I got a little distracted by those two spirits who haunt your house and made my spell a bit too strong. That couple proved to be more than a little annoying to me. I was afraid that they were going to prematurely wake you up with all of their protesting.”
“Marv and Meghan have been very good to me,” I replied defensively.
“Yes, yes,” Isadora said, waving her hand as if to bat the subject away.
“Alright, you have my witchy curiosity up; what is it you need to enlighten me about? Does it have to do with my night flying? I have to tell you that I wasn’t too happy with what your daughters shared with me the last time we spoke. In fact, I’d just as soon return these super-powers to you right now.”
“It’s not that simple child. There is a good deal that I need to speak with you about; much that will be expected of you. Just as it was of your mother before she left us?”
“Us? Who are the ‘us’? Do you mean my Great-Aunts, my sisters, you?” I asked now sitting up in the sand to face my Great-Grandmother. “What do you mean when you say she left us? And what the heck does that have to do with me randomly flying around town?”
I was upset with my Great-Grandmother for transporting me away from my home and for speaking ill of both my mother and my neighbors. She really was one cranky old witch and I found it hard to believe that I was actually related to her.
“The council and I have been observing you for some time, Olivia. Yes, it’s true,” she said with a strange all-knowing look on her face. “You have great power within you, but you are apparently too stupid to know how to use it correctly.”
“Well, that wasn’t very nice Great-Grandmother,” I said, deciding that it was prob
ably time for me to walk away from this whole situation. Even though I had secretly always longed for a grandmother, I’d had more than enough of this old lady and all that she offered. Great-grandmother or not, we were done.
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful Isadora, but ever since I met you and your daughters, my world has been turned upside down. I don’t think that I want these powers or you,” I said, stepping away from her.”I have a really great life and I need to get back to it.”
A crack of lightning burst over my head and I heard my Great-Grandmother say, “You are far too much like your mother.”
And with that, she was gone and I was left to walk home from the beach in the middle of the night. I was tired and bummed out and wished more than anything right then that I could just fly my sorry self home.
“All you have to do is join us and you will be able to fly anywhere at any time,” I heard my Great-Grandmother whisper in my ear. “Turn away from us and you will lose it all.”
What the heck did that mean I wondered as I slowly walked up the ramp to begin my long walk home? This super-strength-witchcraft was just becoming too much for me to handle and I wanted out!
_____
“Stop your pacing, Jasmine. It does no good. You are mine and soon your daughter and all of her powers will be mine too! Then you will have the company you so desire,” Kevin said with a sneer on his face.
“After all this time, all these years, I don’t understand why you continue to fight me. Your destiny is here; you are mine and mine alone. So sit back and watch the world as it passes you by. I have given you permission to view the outside world because of my love and affection for you. Don’t you see that, Jasmine? Don’t you see how much I care for you?” he said, pleading with his hands resting on Jasmine’s shoulders.
“No Kevin, all I see before me is an ugly, old wizard. You torture me with a taste of my world and say it is love. You don’t know the meaning of that word,” she said, pulling away from Kevin’s bony fingers.
Night Flight (The Witches of New Moon Beach Book 2) Page 12