Her eyes widened. “Who?”
“By the man who broke Anna’s heart. David Andrews. Apparently, he found the necklace and decided to give it to Opal. As a gift.”
“Did he know that it was Anna’s necklace?”
Meredith’s face darkened. “I’m pretty sure he knew. She cherished it and wore it everywhere.”
Clarice clucked her tongue. “He must have been a dreadful man.”
Meredith clenched her jaw. “Very. He was an arrogant jerk and… I’m glad that I did what I did.”
“Do? What did you do?”
“I did what I had to.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
She released a ragged breath. “I placed a curse on him. But, you already knew that, didn’t you?”
“No. Not at all. I didn’t know anything about David and his relationship with your daughter.”
She smiled grimly. “I hadn’t meant to do it. I just wanted him to feel guilty. Or, at least take some kind of responsibility for her death. She loved him, and he used her for his own needs. Then tossed her away like garbage. He was a despicable human being.”
“What kind of curse did you place on him?”
“A dark one, Clarice,” she replied softly.
Clarice sucked in her breath. “Did you kill him?”
She nodded slowly. “I cursed his heart. Broke it, just like he did to Anna’s.”
Clarice leaned back in the chair, not sure of how to feel about this confession. Part of her understood how distraught Meredith had been, while another part of her was horrified. It was one thing to want to want an apology, but to inflict death using a curse was quite another. “Goodness,” she whispered.
“I swear to you, I didn’t plan it. He just made me so angry! Throwing everything back into my face. He actually had the gall to blame me for Anna’s death! I just lost it, Clarice.”
Clarice sighed. Obviously it had been a crime of passion. “I’m not going to pass judgment on you, Meredith. I’m sure you were distraught and not thinking in your right mind.”
Meredith smiled grimly. “I was only thinking about my poor Anna and how he’d hurt her. He pushed me over the edge.”
Clarice tried to picture David’s face. “David Andrews… yes, I remember now. The mayor’s son. He worked at some bank and died of a heart attack in his early thirties. It was even in the papers.”
“Yes, he worked at the Salem Credit Union. She met him while opening up her savings account. Against my wishes of course.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, and he pursued her until he got exactly what he wanted. Then he moved on to the next girl, who I’m quite sure was Opal.”
Clarice sighed. “Meredith, did you also curse Willow’s mother?”
She shook her head quickly. “No. I did not do any such thing.”
“She claims that Opal wrote in her journals that you placed a death spell on her. That you also cursed Willow.”
Meredith leaned forward. “Clarice, I swear to you, I didn’t curse either of those two. I will admit that I took back the necklace, but I never wished any harm on Willow or Opal. As far as I’m concerned, Opal was a victim just as much as Anna.”
“Yes, I agree with you there.” She bit her lower lip. “Hmm… do you think that David was Willow’s father?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. She looks just like him. Plus, they were together the night that he died.”
Clarice’s eyebrows shot up. “How do you know?”
“Because I saw them together that night. When I first tried to steal the necklace back from him. David had taken her to his father’s cabin. Made her dinner, and wooed her into his bed.”
“You watched?” asked Clarice, horrified.
“Not all of it.”
“Why didn’t you try to warn Opal about David?”
“Part of me wanted to. The other part wanted him dead. I hated him so much. I guess I just wasn’t thinking very clearly that night.”
“You cursed him with Black Magic,” said Clarice. “And we both know what can happen when it’s used.”
She sighed. “Yes, I know. I know. Clarice, I swear to you, it was the last time I ever used that type of magic. Although, I have to admit, there were many times I wanted to try it again.”
“I’ve heard that once you’ve used it, it’s hard to resist using it again. Like heroin.”
“I know. It’s definitely like a drug. But, that was the one and only time I ever used it. Since that day, I’ve never placed a real dark spell on anyone.”
Clarice tapped her fingers on the dinette. “Why do you think that Opal wrote in her journals about you cursing her family? The girl is adamant that it’s true.”
“You said journals?”
“Yes.”
“From what I understand, Opal was illiterate.”
Clarice was stunned. “What?”
“Yes. In fact, so was Margaritte. She couldn’t concentrate long enough to learn how to read or write much when she was growing up. That’s what I heard, at least.”
“From who?”
“My mother was friends with Isadora and I heard them talking about it once. I thought everyone in your family knew about that.”
Clarice’s own mother had never mentioned it. She frowned. “You really don’t think Opal could read or write?”
“To tell you the truth, I’m not sure what to believe. I don’t think that Opal attended school either.”
“Hmm…”
“Pardon me for saying this – but your family has a lot of secrets. Ones that you’ve even hidden from each other.”
She couldn’t lie with her there. “Yes, I guess so. As far as Opal goes, somebody else could have taught her to read and write?”
“Yes. Maybe. But, believe me when I say this – I never placed a curse on Opal or Willow. As far as I’m concerned, Opal died in childbirth of natural causes, and Willow has been somehow misled.” She stood up and went to the tea kettle, which had started whistling.
“Oh my, this thing with Willow is making my head spin,” replied Clarice, rubbing her forehead. “Meredith, would you be willing to sit down and speak to her?”
“Yes, of course. But,” she raised her index finger, “make no mistake, I want that necklace back. It’s belongs to my family.”
“I understand, but,” Clarice sighed. “I don’t think Willow is going to give it up so easily.”
“You know as well as I do that nothing is ever easy. Especially in our world.”
“Amen, sister.”
Twenty
After Megan left, Kala, Willow, and I followed mom into the backroom to practice using our wands.
“I’m so excited,” squealed Kala, whose face was alive with excitement. She held her new wand up and smiled. “I feel like I’m a little girl, again and we’re playing dress-up. Only, this is for real. I still can’t believe it!”
Willow’s eyes widened. “So, you’ve really never attempted this before?”
She turned around to look at her. “No. In fact, Kendra and I just found out this week that mom was even a witch.”
“Be careful where you point that thing,” warned Willow, quickly stepping sideways. “It could go off if you use the wrong word.”
“Sorry,” she answered, turning pink.
“Yes, please watch what you’re doing, honey. Think of your wand as your friend, but don’t forget – it’s also a weapon,” said Adrianne.
“Um, yeah. I guess I wasn’t thinking,” replied Kala, still looking embarrassed. “I’ll have to be more careful.”
“No harm done,” I said, smiling. “You’ll get used to it. I’ve made a lot of mistakes already myself. It’s not just you.”
“Now, ladies, the most important thing is to create a trusting relationship with your wand,” said Adrianne, raising hers. “And, as you have found out, some of them will actually talk to you.”
“Have you spoken with your new wand?” asked Kala.
“No, not yet,” she replied. “Sometimes it can take years for them to communicate vocally. And that’s only if they choose to do so.”
“Which isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, there are some wands who are complete chatterboxes,” said Rebecca, stepping into the back room with Tyler. “And believe me – they will drive you crazy at times.”
“What about yours, Rebecca? Has your wand ever spoken to you?” asked Kala, intrigued.
“Only once,” she replied. “When I was being attacked by another witch in France, who thought I was someone else, apparently. Someone who stole her boyfriend.”
Tyler’s eyes widened. “You never told me that story.”
Rebecca smiled grimly. “I wanted to forget about it, that’s why. It was pretty frightening.”
“So, what happened?” asked Kala.
“She sent a ball of flames my way and I tried using a spell that my wand didn’t particularly agree with.”
My eyes widened and I smiled, thinking of that particular conversation. “Your wand didn’t approve of your spell?”
“No she did not. Instead of using the water spell I’d chosen, she simply got us out of there. Which is good, because I found out later that the witch had actually created a grease fire.”
“Good grief,” gasped Adrianne. “That wouldn’t have been pretty.”
“Exactly. My wand explained it after we’d teleported. The witch thought she was smart, but thankfully, my wand was paying attention and proved to be even smarter.”
Kala looked at her wand. “That is so cool. I hope that I get to have that kind of relationship with my wand. One that would make it want to save my life just like yours did.”
“I’m thinking that my wand was worried about saving both of our lives,” said Rebecca. “A grease fire would have surely taken us both out.”
“No doubt about that,” replied Adrianne. “So, Rebecca, what do you think we should start out with?”
“Besides the basics, I think we need to teach them how to block other spells,” said Rebecca.
“Willow, do you know any blocking spells?” asked Adrianne.
She shook her head. “Not really. I mean, nobody has ever tried casting a spell at me, so I’ve never had to use one. I usually leave when things begin to feel dangerous.”
“I’m wonder if Juniper would automatically protect you from getting hurt?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Like I said, I’ve never actually been in a situation that I needed to block someone’s attack,” she answered.
“Thank goodness for that,” said Adrianne. “Now, let’s proceed so we’re ready for tonight. I’m hoping that we can get in and out before Vivian even notices, but I’d like you to be able to block her spells and escape quickly, if needed.”
“Do you think Bailey and Trixie are okay?” asked Kala, softly.
“I hope so,” replied Adrianne.
“I’m getting anxious,” said my sister. “I feel like we should be out there. Now. Trying to save them.”
“Remember, we don’t even know if they’re in any real danger. Who knows, maybe they’ll return here before nightfall,” said Rebecca.
“I hope you’re right,” said Kala.
I did, too, although the fact that we hadn’t heard from Bailey at all, wasn’t very promising.
Chapter Twenty-one
Bailey slowly opened his eyes and groaned. His head ached, and all he could see was a thick veil of darkness that surrounded him. If that wasn’t bad enough, he felt as if he was suspended in mid-air, his feet dangling helplessly.
Have to get out of here… save Trixie…
When he tried to move, he began to spin topsy-turvy, until his stomach began to protest. Clenching his jaw, he changed into a heavy anchor, which stopped him from rolling around, but didn’t do much more than that. Frustrated, he changed back into his human form and cleared his throat. “Hello?”
“Bailey?” squeaked Trixie.
“Where are you?” he asked, trying to peer into the darkness.
“Not too far from you, from the sound of your voice.”
He tried moving toward her voice and began tumbling out of control once again.
“Bailey, whatever you do – don’t try and move. You won’t get anywhere.”
“Ah, too late!” he shouted, feeling his stomach roll again. He quickly transformed himself back into the anchor and then returned to his human form when he stopped.
“Are you okay?”
“I’ll live. Where are we?” he asked in a ragged voice. There was nothing he hated more than feeling totally helpless, which had only occurred twice in his life. Both times because of Vivian’s coven.
“Some kind of holding cell. The witches stuck us in here after putting you to sleep.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry. Obviously, they had no idea that you were the deer statue, and now we’re both prisoners again. I feel like such an idiot.”
“You were just trying to help.”
“So, I made everything worse.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she replied softly. “You meant well.”
“You’re being too kind. As usual. So, do you have any idea of what they are planning to do with us? Did you hear anything?”
“All I know is that they’re waiting for Clarice and the others to try and save us.”
“Save us? There’s got to be a way out of here. I’d rather do this on our own instead of getting them involved.”
“You’ve been asleep for over an hour and I’ve tried everything. It’s impossible to get out of this spell they’ve put us under.”
“Have you tried turning into a bird and flying away?” he asked, looking up at the dark void above. It was like they were imprisoned in a black hole.
“It’s some kind of chasm,” she said, as if reading his thoughts. “And yes, of course I’ve tried to escape, but every time I move, I end up spinning and rolling out of control. I really don’t think we can get out of this thing, Bailey. Vivian is alive, by the way.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“The bonding wand they were looking for? Juniper?”
“Yes?”
“A girl named Willow has it and she saved Vivian with it.”
He groaned. “This just keeps getting better. Well, we need to get the wand to Adrianne,” he said, “so she can also be saved. Do you know where this girl, Willow, is?”
“The last time I saw her, she was at Secrets.”
“That’s good news. I’m sure Clarice and Rebecca will find her.”
“That’s what Vivian wants,” she said. “She’s setting up some kind of trap. She told Willow to lead them back here.”
“I’m pretty sure that they know Vivian will be expecting them. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Trixie. Our friends are pretty resourceful. They’re not going to walk into a trap without planning ahead.”
“Unlike you?” she asked, a smile in her voice.
He laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, unlike me.”
“You’re still my hero, big brother.”
He sighed. “Some hero.”
“You are some hero. In any other circumstance not involving witches, we’d be the victors. But even a shape-shifter isn’t resistant to a witch’s wand. It’s not your fault.”
“It’s just so aggravating. I feel so… incompetent.”
“You’re not.”
“You’re just trying to make me feel better.”
“You know, I’m not the only who thinks you’re a hero.”
“Is that right?”
“Kala.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Kala? Kendra’s sister?”
“Come on, didn’t you notice the way she’s been fawning over you? She’s obviously quite smitten.”
“She’s just a child.”
“She’s eighteen. An adult.”
“Sorry, but to me she’s still just a young girl. She’s not even old enough to rent a car.”
Trixie laughed.
&n
bsp; “It’s flattering, but there are far too many years between us.”
“What’s fifty years when it comes to true love?” she answered, a smile in her voice. “If you went by age, then you’d be dating someone closer to Clarice’s. Maybe you should ask Clarice out for tea?”
He snorted. “Leave it to you to joke at a time like this.”
“I’m just saying… it’s not Kala’s fault that we age differently. Besides, I’ve seen you with young humans before, and age has never stopped you from pursuing them.”
“She’s not an average human. Plus, she’s a witch and I think you can agree – they’re complicated.”
She sighed. “Can’t argue with you there.”
“We need to concentrate on getting out of here. Not setting me up with Kala.”
“I have been, and like I said, we’re pretty much stuck here until the witch brigade arrives.”
“I hope not.”
“It could be worse.” She shuddered. “Remember the pain they inflicted on us last time?”
“Yes. I’m surprised they’re letting us get off this easy.”
“I think it was because Vivian caught us last time. I have this feeling that some of the women in her coven are a little less volatile.”
“You mean not as psychotic?”
She giggled. “Exactly.”
Bailey was quiet for a while, obviously muddling things over in his mind. After a while, he cleared his throat. “So, you really think Kala likes me?”
She smiled.
***
“I want you to go back to Secrets and find out what’s happening,” said Vivian, pacing back and forth in her piano room.
“Why?” asked Mark, who was bent over his phone playing a video game. “They obviously know where you live and will arrive here eventually. “All we have to do now is wait.”
“I don’t care,” she snapped, shoving her hands into her velvet robe. “Something is wrong. It’s taking far too long for them to make their move. They’re plotting something unexpected, and I want to know what.”
“Well, yeah, they’re plotting something,” he answered, chuckling. “I mean, we have their friends and they’re probably trying to figure out a way to sneak in here without getting caught. They’re not the brightest bulbs, so it’s taking them awhile to come up with a solid plan.”
Enchanted Objects: (Witches Of Bayport) Page 13