“Wow.” She studied it reverently.
I eyed her, making sure she didn’t try to touch it. “What about you? I see you studying at Siren’s Song all the time,” I paused, leaving out the part where she was mostly seen studying Beechwood Harbor’s most eligible supernatural bachelors. “What are you working on?”
“Spellcrafting mostly.” She dropped her attention to the gentle tapping of her nails against the counter. “I can’t say a lot, because it would be spoilers, but the next season of my show is going to require some more advanced magic, and the director wanted to make sure I was able to do it authentically. He thinks it will make me a better actress if I understand what my character, Cora, is trying to do.”
I nodded like I understood, but in reality, her statement confused me. After all, how hard was it to point a wand and deliver the right spell names on cue? Surely, if humans could make magic behind the scenes, then paranormals could too. No one really thought that Evangeline was doing all the magic her character was portrayed as doing on the show. Did they?
Evangeline sighed. “It’s not really going all that well.”
“No?” I flipped open the handbook and got to the page that contained the recipe for my first batch of the night. The ever popular Perky Potion. “Why not?”
“I don’t feel like I’m making much progress.”
“Hmm. Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” I crossed the kitchen, lit a fire under the kettle on the stove with a flick of my hand, and then wiggled my fingers at the radio sitting near the deep, two basin sink, to kick on some tunes. “I like to work with music. Hope that’s all right.”
“Of course!” Evangeline held up her hands. “I’m just here to observe.”
“Thanks.”
She inclined her head and then dropped her hands, palms down, to the counter. I studied her for a long moment. Everything about her was Hollywood perfection. Her sleek raven hair fell nearly to her waist and never looked tangled or frizzy. She usually wore it in a braid, tossed casually over one shoulder. Tonight, she had it braided, with three strands of purple ribbon woven into the intricate design, giving her an even more exotic flair. Her skin was a light mocha color, which made her sapphire blue eyes pop all the more.
Generally, I wasn’t an insecure person, but staring at Evangeline made it hard—if not impossible—not to compare and find flaws with myself.
I pushed aside the thoughts and went to work. I had a lot of potions to whip up and couldn’t afford to waste time wishing for impossible things. At first, I was hyper aware that I was being watched, and nervously began to narrate everything I did. It was a little like hosting a cooking show on TV. Except, I was cutting up worms instead of whipping up gourmet delicacies. Evangeline honored her side of the deal and while she listened intently, she didn’t ask any questions. After a few minutes, I got lost in the work itself and hummed along with the radio as though I were alone in the kitchen.
When I had the first potion brewing, I leaned against the counter, stirring the contents every few minutes, and turned my attention back to Evangeline.
“I notice you don’t refer to the handbook all that often,” she commented, sensing an opportunity to interject.
I nodded, glancing at the old book, opened before me on the counter. Absently, I ran a finger down the pages. It was more of a comfort thing, having it near while I worked. “Most of the potions I make are of my own invention and kind of live in my head these days. My Aunt Bethany taught me almost everything I know about potion making. She’s a genius.”
“Where does she live?”
“In the New York Haven. She married a SPA bigwig and moved out there after I turned nineteen. I haven’t seen her for years.”
Evangeline frowned. “That’s too bad. What about your parents? Do they live nearby?”
A familiar jolt of pain ripped through me. I shook my head and flipped a few pages, though I wasn’t focused on the words or images. “No. Um, actually, I lost both of my parents.”
Evangeline covered her mouth, masking a gasp. She quickly dropped it and shook her head. “Holly, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“It’s okay.” I met her gaze and tried to smile, but it felt strangled. “It was a long time ago.”
Like that meant anything. The pain was just as real and raw as it had been the day the team of SPA agents had shown up to deliver the horrific news.
I tugged the elastic band from my hair and readjusted my ponytail, still keeping my gaze off of Evangeline. I didn’t want to see the pity in her eyes. I knew the expression well. “What about you? Do your parents live in LA?”
“No. They ended up moving abroad after I left home. We see each other a few times a year, when my schedule allows for it.”
The Perky Potion started bubbling and I was grateful for the distraction. I plunged back into my work, abandoning the somber conversation.
When the final potion—the Fated Flirt—was simmering nicely, I cleaned up my work station, and prepared to call it a night.
“Adam wasn’t kidding,” she said, smiling up at me, a cat-like quality to the shimmer in her eyes.
“What do you mean?”
Evangeline laughed softly, the sound like a tinkling wind chime in a summer breeze. “He told me that you were a prodigy.”
“Adam said that?” I arched a brow, as a smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
She smiled too and tapped her long nails on the counter. They were painted a glossy, onyx black. “He talks about you endlessly.”
“He does?” My heart twisted in my chest as a flash of guilt hit me in the stomach like a boxer’s glove. Here I’d been worried about Adam having second thoughts about choosing me over Evangeline, but he’d been thinking of me the entire time.
Evangeline nodded and pushed up from her place at the counter. “Thanks for letting me sit in, Holly. It means a lot. Maybe we can work on something together one of these days.”
“Sure,” I replied automatically, my mind still locked on thoughts of Adam.
Evangeline said goodnight and left the kitchen. Boots meowed sleepily from his cat bed in the corner, by the back door, and I glanced up at the clock above the kitchen door. It was nearly midnight. With a start, I hurried to bottle the Fated Flirt—carefully labeling the set of vials—and finished clearing the kitchen. Time had a way of flying when I was working on potions but I hadn’t meant to go so long. Especially not when I knew Adam was waiting for me to finish.
I’d screwed up with him. Again.
When I finished cleaning up, I pushed out to the formal sitting room off the kitchen and spotted Adam’s socked feet propped up on the arm of the couch. Posy would murder him if she floated by and saw. Couches were for sitting, not lounging. A smile twitched at my lips and I opened my mouth, about to comment, when I realized a soft snoring sound filled the space.
Adam was out cold.
I covered him with the knitted blanket from the basket by the fireplace and then went off to bed. Our talk would have to wait for another day.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE CLOCK HAD barely crept past six o’clock a.m. when the door to Siren’s Song burst open and Cassie came striding in, not wearing her usual work attire. Instead of jeans, a company t-shirt, and flats, she was decked out in a hot pink one-piece bathing suit, electric blue sarong, and a black floppy hat. Once inside, she removed a pair of large shades and tucked one stem into the top of her suit. She grinned at me as my mouth flopped open. “I have a surprise for you!”
“My favorite words at six in the morning…Cass, what’s going on?”
She giggled. “We’re taking the day off!”
“We are?”
The door opened behind her and she stepped to the left as her younger sister, Kirra came inside. Her demeanor was the polar opposite of Cassie’s and I rushed to get her a huge cup of coffee. It was obviously a caffeine deprivation emergency. Kirra grumbled something indiscernible as she took the cup from my hands and slouched over to lean against the counter.
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br /> I turned my attention back to my colorful friend. “Seriously, Cass, what’s going on? Did I miss a memo about hula day?”
Cassie laughed and waved off my comment. “No. I’m serious, Holly. We’ve both been here all day, every day for over a month! We need a little break and I think a day at the beach is just what the doctor ordered. It’s going to be in the mid-seventies today. It’s perfect!”
“She’s serious?” I asked, spinning around to look at Kirra.
Kirra nodded. “Would I be here at this indecent hour if she wasn’t?”
She had a point. Kirra and Cassie ran on completely opposite internal clocks.
“I just finished my last final yesterday. I was supposed to be poolside all day. But Cass said the tips would blow my mind, so here I am. Ta-da.”
I sucked in my lower lip, stifling a laugh, and glanced back at Cassie. “You’re really okay with taking a day off?”
“More than okay! Now, go home and get changed, and meet me back here, stat! I’ll grab some goodies to take with us.”
I gave her a mock salute and scrambled for the door. I needed to hurry back, before she could find something to clean or organize. Luckily, everyone at the manor was still sleeping, so I was able to slip in and out without disturbing anyone. Even Boots slept through my quick visit. Within fifteen minutes, I was back at Siren’s Song, wearing a bathing suit under a baggy t-shirt that I’d knotted in the front, revealing a sliver of skin above the waist of my denim shorts.
The parking lot in front of the coffee shop held a few cars, and I knew the morning rush would pick up soon. The locals would be heading to work and not too long after that, the early bird beachcombers would be up and ready for breakfast before heading to the shore. When I pushed back through the doors, Cassie was behind the counter, making a drink, while Kirra fielded the short line clustered around the register.
I groaned and adjusted my bathing suit top under my t-shirt. “Great, now I get to work a shift in a bikini.”
Hey, maybe it would help with tips.
I went to join my co-workers behind the counter and the three of us got through the line within a few minutes. Kirra’s coffee had kicked in and she was turning back into her normal, bubbly self. “I got it, guys. Scoot!”
Cassie swept a glance over the shop. I could almost see her checking things off her mental list. I tugged at her arm, but stopped when the bell on the front door jingled and Nick walked into the shop. Cassie straightened and a hand went to one of the two pigtail braids she had over her bared shoulders. “Morning, Nick!”
I bit back a laugh and stepped to the register. “Little early for you, isn’t it?”
He smiled at the three of us. “Morning, ladies!”
Cassie turned back to the espresso machine and went to work making Nick’s standard order, a large mocha with extra chocolate sprinkles.
Nick drummed his fingers on the counter and glanced around. “I’m actually here in a semi-official capacity.”
“Does that make your mocha tax deductible?” I deadpanned.
Nick chuckled and shrugged. “Something like that. Is Paisley in yet?”
“Not yet. She’s probably at Thistle for the morning shift. She usually doesn’t come here until the afternoon,” I answered.
“Oh, actually, she’s coming in early today,” Cassie corrected, dumping a hearty spoonful of sprinkles the whipped cream mountain peak atop Nick’s drink. “Holly and I are going to the beach,” she explained, handing over the drink.
“Nice.” He glanced at each of us, like suddenly our cruise ship attire made sense. “I don’t know if Paisley told you, but her aunt hired me to locate her missing daughter, Katerina. Paisley said that she’d bring some pictures with her today for me to use when asking around. Her aunt couldn’t figure out how to work her fax machine or scanner.” He winced as though he’d personally tried to walk the woman through the process.
Cassie nodded and I wondered if she already knew about Paisley’s cousin. “I told her to come in at seven. So,” she paused to look up at the clock. “Not too long.”
“Okay, great. Thanks, Cass.”
Cassie’s cheeks tinged pink and I turned away to keep her from catching my grin.
For Cassie’s benefit, I shifted the conversation. “What do you think happened? Paisley and I talked about it a little yesterday. How long has she even been missing?”
“She’s been gone for two weeks. No one has heard or seen from her. Or, at least no one that her mother has the phone number for. From the sounds of it, things are a little…tense…between them. I’m not sure if the girl is just putting some space between them or if something happened. Either way, I promised I would find out. Paisley’s aunt is pretty hysterical about the whole thing.”
Cassie sighed. “That’s so sad.”
Nick nodded. He looked like he might add something but the bell on the front door chimed and we all turned to see Paisley walk in. Her hair wasn’t styled today, but instead it lay flat against her head where it must have been pressed against the pillow while she slept. Her face was makeup free and her eyes were rimmed with red.
“Paisley, are you all right?” Cassie asked, her voice thick with concern.
Paisley gave an unconvincing nod. “I’m all right. I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I kept thinking about Katerina and the last conversation—well, argument—that we had. What if something happened to her? I tried calling her half a dozen times last night and every single time it went straight to voicemail.”
We all turned to look at Nick, gaging his reaction. Unfortunately, Nick had an excellent poker face. “It’ll be all right, Paisley. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Did you bring the pictures?”
She nodded and dug in her purse for an envelope. She slipped it open and produced a stack of three glossy pictures. We all crowded around as Nick fanned them out on the counter. Katerina looked to be in her early twenties, with blonde hair, brown eyes, and a wide smile. A dimple showed on each cheek.
“She’s so pretty,” Cassie said to Paisley, reaching up to rub her shoulder in a soothing, maternal way.
Paisley nodded, her expression distant, and I wondered if she’d even heard Cassie. She tore her eyes from the pictures of her cousin and pleaded with Nick. “Please, Nick, you have to find her and bring her home.”
He gave a solemn nod, pocketed the photos, and grabbed his mocha. “I’ll do everything I can. I’m headed to the office now and I’ll call as soon as I come up with something.”
“Thank you, Nick.”
Once Kirra and Paisley were situated, Cassie and I made our getaway. I felt bad for leaving with such a dark cloud hanging over the two girls, but knowing them, they’d rally and be back to normal in no time. If anything, it was probably good for Paisley to have something to take her mind off the worst case scenarios that were ringing in her head.
Down by the ocean, a chilly wind bit into our skin and we stopped at a large piece of driftwood to bundle into the sweatshirts we’d each packed in our tote bags. The sun was up and the morning cloud cover was quickly burning off. We’d be stripping away the extra layers in no time.
“Gosh, this is nice,” Cassie said, sighing contentedly as we started off down the beach, keeping about a foot between us and the edge of the tide.
I smiled over at my friend. “Agreed. You needed a day off.”
“You did too!”
I laughed. “I guess so. It has been a little crazy.”
Cassie nodded and pulled a stray strand of hair off her lips as a sudden flurry of wind whipped it against her face. “I guess we should have waited until later in the day. This isn’t exactly bathing suit weather.”
I shrugged. “It’s not so bad. Besides, this way, we get the whole place to ourselves.” I pointed ahead of us at the mile or so stretch of untouched sand. “At least for a little while.”
Cassie nodded and then tipped her head back to let the sun shine down on her face, completely defeating the purpose of her floppy sun
hat.
I smiled over at her, happy to see her relaxed for the first time in recent memory. “How are you holding up, anyways?”
“I’m good. I know you worry about me working too many hours, and I appreciate that, but actually, I’m really happy. There’s something really cool about having a sense of ownership about the place. It’s just…nice. And the money’s been great. Phillip gave me a generous salary, mostly so he doesn’t have to come back here, and with the extra tip money, I think my dad will be able to pay off some debt that we’ve been carrying around since…well, since his accident.”
A swell of emotion bloomed in my chest and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, hidden behind my sunglasses. I wrapped an arm around Cassie’s shoulders. “I’m so happy for you, Cass. You’re the most deserving person I know.”
“Thanks, Holly. I couldn’t do it without you. I hope you’re not planning on running away with Adam and leaving me all alone.”
I dropped my head back and laughed. “No! Not at all!”
“Good.” She flashed me a smile. “Do you think Nick’s planning to stay in town?”
I shrugged. “I’d say so. He has a nice office and every time I talk to him, he says business is good. From what I know about him, he’s a dedicated guy.”
A few seagulls flew overhead, circling the shore in search of breakfast. The sand was littered with shells and stones brought in from the tide. By the afternoon they would all be gone, picked up by visitors, or broken from kids and dogs running around. I breathed deeply of the salty air and realized how long it had been since I’d had a day off, to relax and meander. Since the murder investigation, things had kicked into high gear, and I really hadn’t had a chance to breathe. No wonder Adam was upset. We started dating and suddenly I went MIA.
We continued walking, each relishing in the peaceful sounds of the ocean and sea life. I pushed thoughts of Adam to the back of my mind. Tonight, we’d get a chance to talk and things could get back on track. For now, it was time to be with Cassie and enjoy a girl’s day.
And, what would a girl’s day be without some boy talk?
Twice the Witch: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 2) Page 4