Haven Witches

by Emma Watts

  “Magic, Kelly. It’s real. As is the work that needs to be done here. It’s your calling.”

  “Calling?”

  “Ask yourself why you had this deep urge to become a police officer? It’s in your DNA. Your mother did it before you, her mother before her and so on through a line of Winters witches.”

  Chapter 6

  The commotion snapped me out of the shock. I was still trying to process what I’d witnessed. You have to understand, weird things had been happening to me for the past four years of my life but nothing like this. Up until now my life was pretty much ordinary, at least compared to anyone else’s.

  Ivy was sitting there chewing on her pastry with a smile on her face as if finding it all amusing when I heard Scott raise his voice.

  “Stop resisting.”

  There were so many people crowded inside that café, it had been hard to make out those seated at the back. Since the two detectives had walked in, they had made their way through the crowd after placing an order and from what I could tell had been talking to someone. That someone turned out to be Tobias, the same kid I’d seen earlier that morning, the same kid that had been fired by Daniel Moon yesterday. Most of the people in the store had turned to watch Scott placing handcuffs on Tobias. They had him bent over a table, his face pressed against it.

  “It didn’t have to go down like this. All we wanted was to talk to you,” Scott said out loud as if wanting to reassure everyone else that he wasn’t overstepping the line as a cop.

  “I told you, I don’t know,” Tobias snapped.

  The fiery redhead was holding back Sylvia who was crying and telling them to let him go.

  “Then maybe you can explain down at the station why you were seen entering the water this morning.”

  Within seconds, Scott was strong-arming him out of the shop. The redhead shot me a glance and her gaze narrowed before she closed the door behind her.

  “What on earth is going on in this town?” I said turning back to Ivy who was busy tapping something into her cell phone. “Did you hear me?”

  “I heard you. Did you know there is a 50% off deal at Gillian’s store down the road? I’m just creating a reminder to go in there. I need a new pair of shoes.”

  “Hold on a minute. Are you not fazed by any of this?”

  “No. Why should I be? It’s a common occurrence around here. You wait until the really strange stuff starts happening. That will put hairs on your chest.”

  I didn’t ask her to elaborate on that. Instead I just envisioned waking up with a hairy chest and screaming. I looked over to where Sylvia was. Logan was trying to console her by bringing her a cup of coffee. She was still working there but had taken her apron off and crumpled it up in front of her.

  “Sylvia won’t believe he did it but the police might, that’s why you’ll be looking into this one. We can’t have it going the wrong way. There is too much at stake here.”

  Everything that came out of her mouth was confusing to me. Certainly the whole thing I’d witnessed only minutes earlier was enough to make anyone lose their mind but all this talk about dark forces and now my parents having been involved in the town solving mysteries. It was all beginning to be a little too much.

  “Sorry, Ivy, but I’m confused here.”

  “Of course you are, my dear. That’s why I’m here to bring you up to speed.”

  “No, I need answers. How did you do what you did before?”

  “I told you. Magic.”

  “And what has any of that or this death got to do with me?”

  “Let’s get our drinks to go and I will explain. Yesterday I gave you a tour of the town and told you about some of the history. Now I think it’s time to fill you in on the history of what lies beneath.”

  “Beneath.”

  “You’ll see.”

  She got up and went over to the counter. “Logan, be a darling and put these drinks in cups for us to go.”

  “Will do.”

  As he went about doing that, the door opened and two from the group of scuba divers came inside. One was a woman, late fifties, wiry blond hair, and the other a stocky man with a bulbous nose. I was pretty sure I heard them discussing Daniel Moon and the dive.

  “That’s Gloria Moon. Daniel’s ex. And the guy with her is Matthew Rider, Daniel’s partner in the charter business.”

  “And they were both out diving today?”

  “Despite the fact that Gloria is divorced from Daniel, she’s still involved in the business. Apparently they had a nasty divorce.”

  “But wouldn’t he fire her?”

  “Oh he tried. He couldn’t without Matt’s approval and despite Gloria and Daniel butting heads, she always got along well with Matt. I’m pretty sure that caused a lot of tension in the business.”

  Logan handed back one of the coffees and went about filling a go-cup from the contents of the other.

  “So what caused the divorce?”

  She gave a nudge towards them as they took a seat and Matt put his hand on top of Gloria’s.

  “He was seeing her?”

  “He denies he was doing it while they were married but some folks believe that’s what caused it.”

  As we watched them get cozy in the corner, I saw Sylvia get up from her table and move across the room. She jabbed her finger in front of her mother’s face and a few heated words were exchanged, none of which I heard but it didn’t seem to matter as Ivy, the town know-all, seemed to know. Perhaps it was her strange gifting, or she was able to read lips?

  “Oh trouble in paradise. Sylvia is blaming her mother. She thinks she murdered him.”

  We watched Sylvia hurry towards the front entrance. The bell above the door let out a shrill, and she exited before Logan could say anything to her. “Oh great! Now I’ve got to tackle this crowd alone,” he said.

  “I could give you a hand,” I said.

  “Nope. You are going to be busy. Sorry, Logan, but I have to steal her away.”

  I mouthed the word sorry as Ivy took my hand and led me out of the café. There were even more outside. It was like the entire community used Logan’s Café as a hub to gossip. Just as we were going out I glanced at Gloria and she met my gaze then looked back at Matt. As we made our way out of the store, I was curious to know what other relationships Daniel Moon had been involved in since his separation.

  “So was he living alone after the divorce?”

  Ivy smiled. “That’s what I like to see. The cogs of your mind are kicking in. Yes. He was dating a new woman called Nina Lopez. Nice gal, a little young for him but some would say she was better for him than Gloria.”

  “When did he and Gloria separate?”

  “About a year ago. You should have been here to see it. She would chew him out in the middle of the street. Everyone knew they were having issues leading up to the separation. I wasn’t surprised. They would come into the store together and he would look like half the man he was after they separated. You could tell who wore the pants in that family.”

  We continued walking down the street heading for the bookstore.

  “Why would Sylvia accuse her mother of being behind it?”

  “Because they have been at odds with one another since the separation. Rick, their oldest, remained neutral. He didn’t seem to take sides but Sylvia always believed that her mother was to blame for the way things went.”

  “What I don’t understand is, if it came to light that she was having an affair with Matt, why didn’t Daniel quit or fire them both?”

  “It doesn’t work that way. They usually have things in place to prevent partners from kicking out another partner. They only way things end is by going through the courts or…”

  “By murdering your partner?” I offered.

  She smiled. “You are catching on. Look, Kelly, I’m sorry if I scared you back there with the whole freezing everyone in the room but I thought it was best to cut through the small talk and get down to why you are here.”

  “And wh
y would that be?”

  She breathed in deeply. “Many hundreds of years ago Haven was a prosperous fishing village. At some point in history, though, it earned the name the ‘Town of Witches’ due to reports of black magic, necromancers and witches living in the area. According to the history book, a 12-year-old girl was found after she had been buried alive in a coffin. Many believe that she was used in some kind of sacrifice or some occult rituals performed by one of the hidden dark covens. There are also reports of her ghost being seen in this town after she died. The history books state that the father of the child was reportedly a powerful warlock and that upon hearing that his daughter was murdered, he cursed the town and all the residents. Now it’s believed that whoever takes up residence here will be driven to an early grave.”

  “Well, you’re proof that's bogus,” I said before laughing.

  “Hey, I’m not that old.” She smiled back as we reached the store and she inserted her key. “Okay, maybe I am but don’t tell anyone.”

  “How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I could tell you but I would have to kill you,” she said then broke into laughter as she pushed open the door which was slightly jammed by what I came to learn had been a foundation problem.

  We stepped inside and Mr. Jenkins her cat came rushing over to rub his head against our legs. “How we doing, Mr. Jenkins? No intruders?”

  “By the way, Ivy. That cat doesn’t speak, does it?”

  She roared with laughter. “No, but that would be one heck of a party trick.” I nodded and followed her inside. “Anyway, where was I?”

  “The curse.”

  “Right.” She ran her hands along the wall and picked out a book. She blew off the dust and cracked it open. Ivy thumbed through the pages until she found what she was looking for. “Here we go. So part of the curse says that when a thousand souls have died without finding justice, Kilara, the daughter of this powerful warlock, will rise again and wipe out the rest of humanity.”

  “Whoa, let’s hope that curse is just a story,” I said turning back to the cat and petting him.

  “It’s not a story, Kelly. It’s true.”

  “So can the curse be broken?”

  “Yes. Which brings me to what your family line has been doing for years. Every murder that has ever taken place in this town, your family has set out to solve it. If they are able to solve it, and give that soul peace, it prevents Kilara from rising. Those they don’t solve, takes us one step closer to the day of judgment.”

  “And I guess you’re going to tell me that is what my mother was doing.”

  Ivy looked at me with a dead serious expression, then nodded. “Yes. And her mother before, and her mother before that. But once she got pregnant with you and Jamie, she decided to cut ties with the town and leave it all behind her. She began to lose faith in what had been told to her and in order to protect you and Jamie from a life she really didn’t want for herself, she moved away. Your parents’ death, Kelly, it wasn’t an accident, it was murder.”

  Wow, this woman really knew how to drop the bombs. Not only had she frozen an entire café of people, told me the town was cursed and everything I knew about my parents was a lie, but then to top it off, she dropped the murdered part. Like seriously?

  “I know this is a lot to take in, Kelly.”

  “You think?”

  “You don’t need to make any decisions today but I would give it all some serious thought. With every new murder in this town, we are getting one step closer to…”

  “Her rising, I get it.” I shook my head unable to comprehend it all. I was beginning to understand why my mother moved away from Haven.

  “And what about Jamie?”

  “Usually the gifting is passed from mother to daughter. Though it’s not uncommon for a son to show gifting. Your father was a very powerful warlock. You are classed a hereditary witch, essentially your skills in magic are passed down from one generation to another. It’s up to you whether you wish to tell him or not but Jamie arriving in Haven was not an accident. We are guided by those who have passed on.”

  I stared down at my hands. “So how does this magic develop? I mean it never worked today.”

  “Because you didn’t believe it would. Belief plays a big part in whether you can do anything in this world, and disbelief will do the opposite. When you are ready and believe me, Kelly, you are ready, you’ll be amazed at what you can do. Then you will no longer fear it and you will embrace it, as did your mother.”

  “Until she walked away from it.”

  Ivy leaned back in a chair behind the cash register. “No one is obliged to follow in this path but in making that decision, they place themselves at risk.”

  “Are you saying if I choose to be or not to be whoever it you think I should be, that I might die like my mother?”

  “I’m not saying that. You have a lot to learn. Go home. Speak with Jamie if you must but make sure he doesn’t turn it into one of his videos. The last thing we need right now is more attention. This town gets enough of it already.”

  “And what about the shop?” I asked, looking around and wondering when I was going to run it.

  “It will be here. I just think after what happened today, you’ve seen enough, learned enough. Go home, Kelly. I will handle the rest from here.”

  Ivy placed her head in her hand. She looked tired and stressed out by all that had occurred. I wanted to ask more questions, find out more about my mother and father, but she didn’t look as if she would divulge any more. After leaving Afterlife Bookstore I headed back to the car I’d borrowed from Jamie. I sank into the black Porsche and closed the door thinking about what it would mean to leave Haven. Could I go back to my old life? Madison would have let me sleep in her spare room, but that wasn’t the answer. Then again, the idea of sticking around here after what Ivy had unloaded seemed overwhelming.

  Chapter 7

  The next morning I sat at the breakfast counter waiting to fill Jamie in on what Ivy had told me. I glanced at the clock; it was a little after nine in the morning. While I waited I chewed on a piece of toast and took a swig of coffee. The previous day’s events replayed in my mind and a part of me was still in denial. I wouldn’t have minded if I had grown up around parents that had told me about Haven and shown me magic but I’d spent my entire life seeing nothing but the ordinary.

  In front of me was the Haven Times. I pulled it in close and turned it to get a better look at the front page. As I opened the paper, my stomach sank. The headline read:

  LOCAL DIVING INSTRUCTOR FOUND DEAD

  The body of a missing scuba diver was found partially embedded in the mud at the bottom of the ocean floor. Detective Scott Hunter said the body of the 53-year-old man was pulled from the mud about a fifth of a mile from the shore at a depth of about 131 feet. An autopsy has been ordered.

  Hunter identified the man as Daniel Moon of Haven. He had taken a group of people out for a recreational dive and then was reported missing by his son about an hour later. The circumstances of his death remain under investigation.

  Above me I could hear someone walk across the hardwood floors and then run a shower.

  “Jamie,” I hollered up the stairs but got no reply. After tossing the paper to one side I decided to take my coffee upstairs and talk to him while he got ready. My mind was still swirling with what happened and just needed a different perspective. Perhaps I was taking it all a bit too seriously. Maybe Jamie knew more than what he was letting on? I gave a knock on the bathroom door and it opened. The shower was on full blast.

  “Hey Jamie, we need to talk. Yesterday was crazy. You are never going to believe what happened. You know that Ivy lady? Would you have guessed that she can…”

  Before I got all the words out, the shower curtain pushed back and River’s face appeared. He grinned. “Kelly, how are yah? Jamie’s not around. He stayed out last night. Said he was going back to a hotel with some hot gal from the bar.”

  I diverte
d my eyes as he pulled the curtain back a little too far.

  “Um. Oh. I’m going downstairs,” I said stumbling over my words. “Speak to you when you get out.” I made it a few steps across the top of the corridor when I turned back. “Hold on a minute. Why are you here, River? Your home is down the road.”

  “Oh, Jamie doesn’t mind. Sometimes he sleeps at my place.”

  I arched a brow. “So this normal?”

  He burped. “Oops, sorry, had a bit too much beer last night. It’s back with a vengeance.”

  Right then the door to Jamie’s room opened and out came a scantily clad female, someone who was definitely not Debbie. The dark-haired beauty pawed at her eyes and yawned before dropping her towel to reveal absolutely nothing and walked right by me without saying a word. She stepped into the shower and River grinned.

  “I don’t even want to know.”

  I shut the door and headed back downstairs. Scooping up my phone I rang Jamie’s number, but it just went to his voice mail. Oh you have got to be joking. I felt uncomfortable staying in the house so I decided to head into town. I snagged the keys to the Porsche off the counter and headed out into a bright morning sun. That was one thing California had going for it. The weather. There was nothing like waking up to the fresh smell of the ocean and feeling the sun kiss my skin.

  Entering Logan’s Café that morning, I noticed it wasn’t as busy as it was the previous day. Logan was sitting on a stool reading a newspaper, he peered over the top at the shrill of the bell and then jumped up.

  “Kelly. Good to see you. What can I get you?”

  “An Americano sounds nice.” I slipped onto a stool and looked around for Sylvia. “Sylvia off today?”

  “Yeah, poor gal loved her father.”

  “So you knew him quite well?”

  “Daniel Moon? Somewhat. He came in here most days to get coffee.”

  “What about Rick?”

  He made a noise under his breath and wiped down the counter. “Rick’s a different breed. More of a momma’s boy. All of them except for Sylvia worked for Daniel’s company. You know, either helping out with the charter business, fishing or providing scuba lessons.”