I nodded.
“I tell you what, if I were you, and I had the witchy powers people accused me of having, I’d have turned him into a toad on the spot.”
I laughed. “Seriously?”
“Tell me. Did you turn Jerome Hanson into a rat when you moved out?” The smile on her face indicated she was joking, and her good-natured ribbing shook me out of my irritation.
“My Uncle Jerome was more of a mouse type, but no, he’s still in his original skin. Even if he’s a tad milquetoasty. It’s his wife who ought to be transmogrified.”
“Milquetoasty? Transmogrified?” Cassandra laughed. “And if you could, what would you turn her into?”
Do what you will, but do no harm. I’d made accidental wishes in the past, a practice I wasn’t about to repeat. This wasn’t wishes, or even wishful thinking. This was making light of a dark situation. “A pickle, I think.”
Which sent Cassandra into fits of laughter.
Chapter 21
By Saturday evening, four inches of snow had fallen, inconvenient for the trip to the mall I’d planned. The snow meant shoveling before I took my car out. I considered walking, but carrying the containers I needed to buy for my products would make it difficult.
Kyle phoned as I turned the lock to close the store. “Want a ride home?”
“That would be great. You know what else would be great? If you would drive me to the mall to pick up some containers for the store.”
“Absolutely. No need for you to drive in this snow.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “I did grow up with snow in Illinois, you know.”
“Whatever you say,” he replied. “While we’re there, we can get dinner at Max & Molly’s.”
I chuckled. “Nice diversion. You won’t have to work late to help with fender benders? People sliding into each other?”
“Wisconsin people know how to drive in the snow, unlike you flatlanders,” he joked. “I can pick you up in ten minutes. I’m taking the squad car home.”
“And then there’s the part about riding in police vehicles,” I reminded him. “I’m not riding in the back.”
“I think Sergeant Cudahy would give you a pass. I can clear it with her first, if you like.”
“Kyle, I don’t want to jeopardize your job.”
He lowered his voice. “They’re tip-toeing around me these days after rescinding approval for my K-9 officer. Pretty sure if I want to bend a rule or two, now is the time to do it.”
I wasn’t going to argue with him. “Fine. I’ll see you in ten.”
When he picked me up, we made a stop to drop Ash at home, and continued to the mall. The container store had my order waiting for me. Mission accomplished. Kyle carried my purchases as we walked through the mall, past a bridal shop. I stopped to admire the dresses in the window—not that I intended to wear a formal gown at the gazebo in the park. Or did I?
“Want to try it on?” Kyle asked.
I swatted him. “Not while you’re around.” Nora had worn a caftan for her wedding, but that was standard attire for her. Bohemian. Her personal style.
Someone shoved against my shoulder, turning me away from the store window.
“You.” Sharon practically spat the word.
Kyle set my bags down and put his hands to his gun belt.
Anger flashed in her eyes. “Thanks to you, I won’t be watching Georgia anymore.”
“Because she disappeared on your watch?”
“No, because you told LeAnne I was after her husband.”
I smirked. “Well, aren’t you?”
“Everything was fine until you butted in. He appreciated my help.”
“Tell me. How did Georgia happen to disappear?”
Sharon’s face flooded with color. “I had to take a call from work. I was only on the phone five minutes.”
“Hard to do two jobs at the same time, isn’t it?”
“We were working.”
I put a finger against my cheek. “What a coincidence. You did tell me you didn’t work directly with him in Madison, didn’t you?”
She leaned toward me. “He’s going to leave her. You’ll see. If you won’t help me, you’d better stay out of my way.”
“Is that a threat?” Kyle asked.
Sharon snapped her head toward him, as if noticing him for the first time. “It’s a promise.”
“I didn’t take Narcy’s threats seriously,” he said. “I won’t make the same mistake twice. If I find you harassing Ms. Taylor a second time, I will take you in.”
Kyle was out of his jurisdiction by a mile and a half. He couldn’t take her in. I watched, wondering how he intended to follow through.
“What do you know about Narcy?” Sharon matched his stance, hands on her hips.
Kyle hesitated, trying to defuse the situation. “Look, I don’t know what you have against Brynn, but I’d hate to see your anger destroy you the way it did your foster sister.”
Sharon’s eyes grew wide. “Destroy her?” She glanced from Kyle to me and back again. “Where is Narcy?”
“You don’t know?” he asked.
I laid a hand on Kyle’s arm. “This isn’t the place.”
“Know what?” Sharon asked.
Kyle stood silent.
“Know what?” Sharon repeated.
“When’s the last time you spoke with your sister?” I asked.
“I don’t know. She came to visit in June, then again in August. We don’t have a regular schedule.” She glanced at Kyle once more. “I called her to talk to her about my job, and she came to help. She found your gift shop,” she cocked her head my direction, “and an interesting business opportunity. I figured she decided against pursuing it because I haven’t talked to her since.” Her head swiveled between us once more. “Is she in jail?”
My first instinct was to comfort her, but like Kyle had said, I’d learned my lesson with Narcy. They might only be foster sisters, but from the sounds of things, they were like-minded.
“Narcy’s dead,” Kyle told her. “She tried to kill someone, and when she fled the scene, she fell on a piece of glass. It severed her carotid artery.”
Sharon’s face blanched. Her knees buckled and she flattened a palm against the wall for support. “You’re lying.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
She did another swivel of the head. “Who did she try to kill?”
“I don’t think that’s important,” Kyle said.
“I want to know. I deserve that much.” Tears slid down her cheeks. She glanced at me. “It was you, wasn’t it? And now you want to keep me from the one person in this world I can’t live without.”
“Jason? He’s married to someone else,” I reminded her.
“I can change his mind. I can get him to see we’re meant to be together.”
“Can I call someone for you?” Kyle offered.
She gritted her teeth, said, “You stay away from me,” and stalked away.
“And that,” Kyle said, picking up my purchases once more, “is why I’m worried about you. Narcy nearly killed you. I’m not about to let her sister finish the job.”
I shook off his posturing. “How does she not know Narcy is dead?”
“You said they were foster sisters. She isn’t considered next of kin.”
Sharon appeared to think differently. The confrontation rattled me. “If you don’t mind, I think I’d rather go home for dinner.”
He paused a moment, considered. “Okay.”
I walked sideways beside Kyle. “Did you do the notification, when Narcy died?”
He shook his head. “No. Sergeant Cudahy handled it, although I’m not sure if there was anyone to notify. I can check into it.” We reached the car and he opened the door for me before he walked around, and slid behind the wheel.
Kyle drove across the mall parking lot and past the Hillendale arch on North Avenue toward home. When he dropped me off, he leaned across the seat.
“If she makes any mor
e contact, I want to know about it immediately.”
I saluted. “Yes, sir.”
“I’m serious, Brynn.”
Yeah, I knew. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. “I’ll be careful, and if I hear from her again, I promise to let you know.”
He opened his mouth as if preparing to give me more instructions and I put a finger to his lips to stop him. “If I’m the least bit nervous, you’re my first call. I promise.”
He frowned, but seemed satisfied. “I’ll be over as soon as I’ve changed.”
“I’ll be here waiting.” I grabbed my bags from the back of the cruiser and carried them into the house.
After I’d taken off my coat, I took my new containers into the workroom. The hidden grimoire lay open on the worktable.
Chapter 22
Seeing Auras.
I hitched myself onto the stool at my worktable to study the book. The picture on the yellowed page showed a halo surrounding a roughly drawn body. The text began with an explanation, that auras surrounded every living being and indicated emotional wellbeing and physical state. I scanned the paragraph that detailed how to focus on a person’s aura and went straight to the meanings of the colors—a dozen or so of them.
“Like I’m going to remember all that?” I took out my cell phone and snapped a photo. Whose aura was I supposed to look for? As with everything related to my gifts, I expected I’d know when the time came. Circling back to the paragraph I’d browsed, I read through the steps required.
A footnote had been added to the bottom of the page.
Auras have both positive and negative attributes. For those born with gifts, be forewarned they may hide their true selves the way they can mask the shimmer of their eyes.
A chill raced down my spine. I was familiar with that shimmer. I’d seen it in Nora from the time I’d first met her, but I’d missed it in Narcy—at least until after I’d fully accepted my gifts the night of the summer solstice. I read the footnote a second time— Be forewarned they may hide their true selves. Like Nora said.
“Okay,” I told the book. “I’ll watch for auras.”
My cell phone startled me. Nora’s ring tone.
“I called Hannah,” she said when I answered.
“Hannah. The woman from the solstice?”
“Yes, and if you’re free tomorrow, she’s invited you to her retreat.”
Retreat? “Where does she live?”
“Her family owns a castle in Brown’s Landing. I’ll send you a link.”
“A castle? Wait. Did you say she invited me? You aren’t going?”
“You’ll learn more without me there. You have nothing to be concerned about. You’ve already met her. She’s a lovely woman. You’ll call me after you’ve spoken to her?”
“Yeah.”
As Kyle walked in, I disconnected the call. “What are you up to tomorrow?” I asked him.
“Working. You need something?”
“No, just checking. Nora suggested I take a drive to Brown’s Landing. You ever hear of a woman named Hannah Noonan? She owns a castle there.”
“Aerie Castle? No, I don’t know her, but she’s something of a big deal there. You want me to check her out?”
“Nah. She’s a friend of Nora’s, so I’m not worried. Just wondering.” I chuckled. “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Wisconsin style.”
“Not someone I’ll be rubbing elbows with. As a lowly police officer, I’m not likely to reach that stratosphere.”
I circled his waist with my arms. “I have everything I need right here.” I looked for the grimoire on my work table—gone, once again. I took a step back and studied Kyle, letting him go out of focus, the way the book had dictated, until the white aura around him became visible, then looked for the color behind it. Red.
“You’ve got that look in your eye,” Kyle said. “Should I be worried?”
I blinked to refocus, glanced at my phone to determine what his aura meant. Energy. Strength. Courage. And if I’d missed the color by a shade, sensuality. “Only if you’re hungry,” I said. “I was thinking about a little physical activity before dinner.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I think I can manage.”
AFTER MUCH FUSSING about my safety before he left for work, I promised Kyle I’d call both when I arrived at and when I left Brown’s Landing.
I checked the workroom, wondering if I should take anything with me. Ash sat in the window watching me, her paws curled under her. “What about you?” I asked her.
She tilted her head, but didn’t move. Her purr echoed, indicating she was content where she was. Considering the way she instinctively crawled into her basket every morning when I went to work, and again when it was time to come home, I trusted if she was meant to join me, she would. I scratched her ears, increasing the volume of her purr, and retreated to the dining table.
The web link Nora had sent opened to a website with pictures of a castle-like retreat made of brick, three stories tall, in an idyllic wooded setting—Aerie Castle. Curved paths wound through manicured beds of tulips and daffodils, a springtime photo. The text outlined how the property was open to corporate retreats and special events. A photo carousel showed outbuildings, meeting rooms, guest suites, and a cellar room with a triquetra on a gray stone wall.
I opened the map link on my phone, which calculated an hour and forty-nine minutes to get to Brown’s Landing. If I left right away, I’d be there by lunchtime. That would allow plenty of time to grab a bite to eat before my visit with Hannah and still get me home in time for dinner tonight.
With one last glance at the workroom to make sure Ash wasn’t meant to join me—she’d flopped to her side, eyes closed—I walked outside. Kyle had shoveled my driveway and I made a mental note to thank him when I got home tonight.
The bright sun reflected off yesterday’s snow, evaporating what remained on the roads while creating blinding glare. The GPS on my phone called out directions, and in an hour and a half, I arrived in Brown’s Landing.
I left the highway for a road that ran alongside the Fox River. Barren trees lined the banks, allowing an unobstructed view of water tumbling over rocks and branches while I drove upstream. Bends and turns led me deeper into the woods, with an occasional glimpse of the water as I made my way farther inland. I pictured the canopy overhead in the summer months, lush and green. The GPS alerted me to my destination as I rounded the final bend and the castle came into view. Situated in a landscaped meadow, I recognized it from the pictures on the website.
The road ended in a lot, where half a dozen other cars were parked.
A voice echoed inside my head. Welcome.
Well. That was nice. I sent a telepathic thank you, parked, and got out of my car.
The castle was huge, and I wasn’t sure where to go. A tower with crenellations marked the corner of the building, with an arched wooden door at the base. A welcome sign was mounted beside the door. The entrance. I followed the curving sidewalk, and when I reached the door, a woman opened it for me.
She had long blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders, as many white strands as flaxen. Grace lines fanned from cornflower blue eyes and well-worn ridges creased her face with her smile. She wore a long, flowing dress made from a purple paisley print with smocking across the bodice that made me think of a princess gown.
“You must be Brynn Taylor.” She held out a hand to invite me inside, a collection of rings on her fingers and bracelets jangling at her wrist. “I understand we met briefly at the solstice, but we weren’t introduced. I’m Hannah Noonan. It’s lovely to meet you officially.”
“Likewise. Thank you for inviting me.” I walked inside, to a small room which doubled as the reception area. A polished suit of armor stood at attention opposite the check-in desk. Shields and heraldry decorated the walls.
“Nora mentioned you were looking for ideas. Why don’t you accompany me to my office and we can talk about your problem there.”
“Thank you.” I unb
uttoned my coat while I followed her along a wide corridor to an arched wooden door marked private. Hannah reached into a pocket and produced a large skeleton key. She unlocked the door to a stone staircase that curved downward between narrow fieldstone walls. Hannah took a black candle from a sconce in the wall to light the way.
“How very medieval,” I said.
She sent me a wink over her shoulder. “I do appreciate a little atmosphere. That, and it’s difficult to light the staircase here.”
At the bottom, she opened yet another door to a cavernous room that contained an earthy smell. A metal triquetra sculpture decorated the wall.
“Is this the cellar room on your website?” I asked.
“It is. We use this room for wiccan gatherings from time to time.”
“You said this was your office.”
“My personal office, yes. Not my business office. This is my private space.” Hannah set the candle onto a candleholder and flipped on a switch.
The dim lighting showed me more fieldstone. A pentagram was inlaid in the hardwood floor. A bookcase took up one wall, containing an assortment of compartments both big and small, and a built-in desk. Shadows darkened the corners of the room. I made out the shape of an end table in one corner.
With a sweep of her hand, Hannah proffered a half bow. “Welcome to the coven.”
Chapter 23
If I hadn’t considered myself a witch before now, Hannah seemed intent on clearing up any misunderstanding.
“The first thing we should do is cast a spell for positive magical energy,” she said. She crossed to the bookshelf and retrieved a grimoire, except hers had a metal band with a lock. She didn’t, however, use a key to open it. Hannah sent me a sideways glance and a half-grin. “As I’m sure you’re aware, the books don’t require a lock, but my ancestors must have liked the idea as a visual deterrent.”
She set one hand on her hip and turned to face me, narrowing her eyes.
I tucked my hair behind my ears. “Is something wrong?”
“Your aura is green,” she told me.
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