The Witch and the Dead

by Heather Blake

  I’d tried to picture this moment a thousand times, maybe more. But I hadn’t even come close to imagining the gift Nick had just given me. I wanted to tell him all the things I loved about him. The list was long. So long. But mostly I wanted to thank him for making me believe in love again. True love. The forever kind of love. But I couldn’t find the words. They were trapped in a web of emotion in my throat. Later. I’d tell him later. I’d probably be talking his ear off all night long. I knew instinctively he wouldn’t mind a bit.

  I tried to pull myself together, but the knot in my throat just wouldn’t let any words pass. I could barely swallow. Breathe. As he patiently waited for my answer, I couldn’t even say “Yes, I’ll marry you” like a normal person. I could only nod. And nod some more.

  But Nick seemed to know what—and how—I was feeling. A smile stretched across his face as he set the notes he’d been holding on the ground behind us and reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a ring. He held my shaking hand tightly and slipped the ring on my finger.

  As I gazed at the bright round diamond surrounded with smaller geometrically cut diamonds in a bezel setting, I almost started crying all over again when I realized what I was looking at. My chest ached but I managed to squeak out, “A starburst!”

  “It reminded me of you when I saw it,” Nick said, kissing my hand, “and I knew it had to be yours.”

  I threw my arms around him and held him tight. I felt like I could sit here with him all night. Holding him tight. Feeling his love. Feeling our love.

  And breathing in that special magic in the air . . .

  * * *

  Across the village green, a little dog sat on the window bench in the master bedroom of her new home, watching the romantic scene in front of the bookshop unfold. Even without being able to hear the words, she could feel the emotion of the moment all the way down to her soul.

  Next to her, the Elder sighed.

  “It’s everything we wanted, isn’t it, Mel?” she asked.

  “It’s more than I ever dreamed when we collaborated to play matchmaker,” Melina Sawyer replied. “Mimi is giddy, and nothing makes me happier than seeing her happy.”

  “How are you adjusting to living under the same roof as all three?” the Elder asked.

  Melina shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. The Coven of Seven had denied her request to create a new Craft that would allow her to hop out of her canine form and into another at will. It had to be a unanimous vote, and there had been one holdout. Melina knew just the witch who’d denied her. It was no surprise, really.

  “Mel?” the Elder asked, tenderness in her voice.

  “The spell you gave me has been immensely helpful, but as you know, it leaves me drained.”

  “Adjustments are being made using your feedback. It’s a new spell, so it will take time to work out all the kinks.”

  The spell allowed Mel’s spirit form to lapse into a sleep state while her canine form remained awake. She’d been testing the spell these past few weeks and was slowly adjusting to its quirks. “I know, but . . .”

  “But what?”

  She looked at her friend, held her gaze. “I don’t belong here. As much as I love Mimi and love being with her, this is Darcy and Nick and Mimi’s house. Not mine.” She drew in a deep breath. “I’ve made a decision.”

  The Elder tipped her head. “What is that?”

  Mel told the Elder of the plan she’d devised. “It has to work. I believe it’s the only way I can stay in the village and still be a big part of Mimi’s life. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s the perfect resolution, but it could take some time to implement.”

  Mel laughed. “If there’s one thing I have, it’s time. I have all the time in the world.”

  The Elder smiled. “That you do.”

  Unless . . . No, she would not bring it up. No doubt it was already weighing on the Elder’s mind. As if she didn’t have enough to worry about with the Renewal looming, now she had to deal with Vince bringing sorcery into the village.

  The fool had no idea that he could destroy the magical fabric that generations of witches had labored tirelessly to stitch.

  Or perhaps he did.

  It was a terrifying realization.

  Mel did not envy the Elder one little bit.

  The Elder’s mind must have wandered to the same place as Mel’s, because she said, “We’re going to have quite the battle ahead of us, Mel. Especially if Harper doesn’t . . .” She trailed off, shaking her head.

  “She cast that spell, remember?”

  The Elder nodded, then smiled weakly. “She did, but I fear her heart is not open to her birthright at this moment. It needs to be open to be fully receptive.”

  Melina sighed. She still couldn’t believe that Marcus had walked away from Harper. If he were here now, she’d bite him. Hard. Harper had been making such progress. . . . “Can you not seek Darcy’s help in this matter?”

  “You know as well as I do that Harper has to do this on her own.”

  “There must be a loophole.”

  “No loopholes.” She laughed, but it held no humor. “Trust me. I’ve looked.”

  Mel’s gaze went to the dark windows above the bookshop. “Then we just need to trust the magic that’s within Harper.”

  “Trust the magic,” the Elder echoed, nodding. Then she solemnly added, “May it save us all.”

  Read on for an excerpt from Heather Blake’s

  A POTION TO DIE FOR

  Available now!

  If there were a Wanted poster for witches, I was sure my freckled face would be on it.

  Ducking behind a tree to catch my breath, I sucked in a deep lungful of humid air as I listened to the cries of the search party.

  I didn’t have much time before the frenzied mob would turn the corner and spot me, but I needed to take a rest or risk keeling over in the street.

  It was times like these that I wished I were the kind of witch who had a broomstick. Then I could just fly off, safe and sound, and wouldn’t be hiding behind a live oak, my hair sticking to its bark while my lungs were on fire.

  But noooo. I had to be a healing witch from a long line of hoodoo practitioners (and one rogue voodoo-er, but no need to go into that this very moment). I was a love-potion expert, matchmaker, all-around relationship guru, and an unlikely medicine woman.

  Fat lot of good all that did me right now.

  In fact, my magic potions were why I was in this predicament in the first place.

  I’d bet my life savings (which, admittedly, wasn’t much) that my archnemesis, Delia Bell Barrows, had a broomstick. And though I had never before been envious of the black witch, I was feeling a stab of jealousy now.

  Quickly glancing around, I suddenly hoped Delia lurked somewhere nearby—something she had been doing a lot of lately. I’d been trying my best to avoid a confrontation with her, but if she had a broomstick handy—and was willing to loan it to me—I would be more than willing to talk.

  There were some things worth compromising principles for, obviously. Like a rabid mob.

  But the brick-paved road, lined on both sides with tall shade trees, was deserted. If Delia was around, she had a good hiding spot. Smart, because there was a witch hunt going on in the streets of Hitching Post, Alabama.

  And I was the hunted witch.

  Again.

  This really had to stop.

  Ordinarily I would’ve ridden my bike, Bessie Blue, to work, but when I saw the crowd gathered on my curb that morning, I snuck out the back door. Unfortunately, someone had spotted me and the chase was on. I’d cut across to the next block over, then doubled back to my street. And now here I was, trying to catch my breath and hoping for a broomstick, of all things.

  Pushing off from the tree, I spared a quick glance behind me as the crowd turned
the corner.

  “There she is!” someone shouted.

  Heart pounding, I made a break for it. I jumped the rotting picket fence surrounding my aunt Marjoram’s front yard, skipped over loose stepping-stones, brushed away overgrown shrubs, and then made a dash toward the back gate.

  I nearly tripped as I tried to wade through a thigh-high weed patch, and heard the cackle of my aunt’s voice.

  “Carly Bell Hartwell, get your skinny ass out of my garden!”

  Some garden. “Sorry, Aunt Marjie!” I yelled over my shoulder. “But they’re after me.”

  “Again?” she shouted from the steps of her dilapidated deck.

  The high-pitched cries of the crowd trying to find me carried easily in the quiet morning. “Mr. Dunwoody made his forecast.”

  “Land’s end!” Marjie shouted. “I’ll get my gun.”

  I didn’t bother to try to talk my aunt out of it. The townsfolk would be safe enough—most knew better than to trespass in Marjie’s yard. And if they blatantly ignored all the posted No Trespassing signs, they’d get what they deserved.

  Just like those Birmingham lawyers who’d been sniffing around Marjie’s place the past few weeks.

  I didn’t think those stuffed-shirt businessmen would be back anytime soon.

  Shotgun blasts had that effect on city folk.

  Taking a deep breath, I yanked open the wooden gate at the back of Marjie’s property. Rusted hinges groaned in agony, and the brambles at my feet didn’t want to give the gate an inch of swing, stubbornly digging their thorns into anything they could grab onto. Including my shins, which made me regret my choice of shorts over jeans that morning.

  I yanked for all I was worth. The gate swung only a foot, but it was all I needed. I wiggled through the narrow space. Safe on the sidewalk on the other side, I assessed the damage from the brambles (minimal), and wished I had a cell phone to call for backup.

  Unfortunately, I didn’t have a cell phone. No one in town did because there was no coverage, thanks to the surrounding mountains and the town’s refusal to build an ugly cell-phone tower that would ruin the picturesque landscape. Except for a noisy few, we’d all embraced the quirk as a charming throwback to a simpler time. But right now, a cell would’ve been handy.

  I headed for the town center, not having time to admire the sun-dappled view of the Appalachian foothills in the distance. I had lived in Hitching Post, Alabama—the wedding capital of the South—nearly my whole life, with only one brief, somewhat disastrous foray beyond its borders. I loved this town, but right now, I wished it were smaller. Much smaller. Like, a one-stoplight kind of place—because it seemed as if I’d been hotfooting it down side roads and back alleys for an hour now, even though it had been only ten minutes.

  The heart of Hitching Post was made up of a large circle, nicknamed the Ring (very appropriate, considering it was a wedding town). In its charming middle was a grassy picnic park with twisting trails, big shade trees, flowers, and a gazebo smack-dab in its center. A wide cobblestone sidewalk (no roadways inside the Ring) connected the park to dozens of shops, offices, and restaurants.

  Splintering outward from the Ring were parking areas, quaint neighborhoods, the scenic river walk, and the bread and butter of Hitching Post: the chapels, inns, and reception venues catering to the marriage crowd. People came from all over for quickie country weddings—more intimate and personal and less tacky than Vegas. Hitching Post looked postcard perfect, too, and was consistently named one of America’s most beautiful small towns, which had a lot to do with the mountain backdrop, the river views, and all the effort the beautification committee expended to create the perfect idyllic Southern atmosphere.

  Occasionally tossing looks over my shoulder as I stealthily entered the Ring, I zipped down the sidewalk toward Déjà Brew, the local coffee shop. Ordinarily I’d go in and visit with the shop owner, Jessamine Yadkin, pick up a muffin, linger over some coffee.

  This morning, however, Jessa waited in the doorway of the shop with a to-go bag dangling from an outstretched arm. I grabbed it—kind of like a marathoner would snatch a cup of water—and kept on going. “Thanks, Jessa!”

  “Run faster, Carly!” she yelled in her raspy, used-to-smoke-two-packs-a-day voice. “They’re gaining on you!”

  Run faster. Easy for her to say.

  At this rate, I was going to need a defibrillator by the time I reached the safety of my store, the Little Shop of Potions. The crowd was gaining on me; I needed to pick up my pace.

  Unfortunately, my shop was on the opposite side of the Ring from Déjà Brew. A good half mile at least if I followed the walkway; less if I cut diagonally across the picnic park and hurdled some shrubbery. The choice was a no-brainer. Thankfully, I had a head start. A small one, but it was enough.

  Sweat dripped from my hairline as I dodged picnic tables and flower beds. Behind me, I heard pounding footsteps, along with hollers of “Carly! Carly!”

  I ran at a dead sprint and finally my shop came fully into sight. The storefront was painted a dark purple with lavender trim, and the name of the shop was written in bold curlicue letters on the large picture window. Underneath was the shop’s tagline: MIND, BODY, HEART, AND SOUL. Behind the glass, several vignettes featuring antique glass jars, mortars and pestles, apothecary scales, and weights I’d collected over the years filled the big display space.

  At this point I should have felt nothing but utter relief. I was almost there. So . . . close.

  But instead of relief, a new panic arose.

  Because standing in front of my door was none other than Delia Bell Barrows.

  I could hardly believe it. Now she showed up.

  I grabbed the store key from my pocket and held it at the ready. “Out of the way, Delia!”

  Delia stood firm, neck to toe in black—from her cape to her toenails, which stuck out from a pair of black patent flip-flops that were decorated with a skull and crossbones. A little black dog, tucked like Toto into the basket that hung from Delia’s forearm, barked.

  The dog and the basket were new. The cape, all the black, and the skull-and-crossbones fascination were not.

  “I need to talk to you, Carly,” Delia said. “Right now.”

  I hip-checked Delia out of the way, and the dog yapped again. Sticking the key into the lock, I said, “You’re going to have to wait. Like everyone else.” I threw a nod over my shoulder.

  The crowd, at least forty strong, was bearing down.

  Delia let out a gasp. “Did Mr. Dunwoody give a forecast this morning?”

  “Yes.” The lock tumbled, and I pushed open the door and scooted inside. Much to my dismay, Delia snuck in behind me.

  I had two options: to kick out the black witch—which would then let in the crowd . . . or keep Delia in and the crowd out.

  Delia won.

  I slammed the door and threw the lock.

  Just in time. Fists pounded the wood frame, and dozens of eyes peered through the window.

  I yelled through the leaded glass panel, “I’ll be open in half an hour!” but the anxious crowd kept banging on the door.

  Trying to catch my breath, I walked over the cash register counter, an old twelve-drawer chestnut filing cabinet. I set down my to-go bag, opened one of the drawers, and grabbed a small roll of numbered paper tickets. Walking back to the door, I shoved them through the wide mail slot. “Take numbers,” I shouted at the eager faces. “You know the drill!”

  Because, unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time this had happened.

  Turning my back to the crowd, I leaned against the door and then slid down its frame to the floor. For a second I rested against the wood, breathing in the comforting scents of my shop. The lavender, lemon balm, mint. The hint of peach leaf, sage, cinnamon. All brought back memories of my grandma Adelaide Hartwell, who’d opened the shop more than fifty years before.
r />   “You should probably exercise more,” Delia said. Her little dog barked.

  My chest felt so tight, I thought any minute it might explode. “I think I just ran a 5K. Second time this month.”

  “What exactly did Mr. Dunwoody’s forecast say?”

  “Sunny with a chance of divorce.”

  Delia peeked out the window. “That explains why there are so many of them. I wonder whose marriage is on the chopping block.”

  The matrimonial predictions of Mr. Dunwoody, my septuagenarian neighbor, were never wrong. His occasional forecasts foretold of residential current affairs, so to speak. On a beautiful spring Friday in Hitching Post, one might think a wedding—or a few dozen—were on tap. But it had happened, a time or two, that a couple had a sudden change of heart over their recent nuptials (usually after the alcohol wore off the next morning) and set out to get the marriage immediately annulled or file for a quickie, uncontested divorce.

  And even though Mr. Dunwoody was never wrong, I often wished he’d keep his forecasts to himself.

  Being the owner of the Little Shop of Potions, a magic potion shop that specialized in love potions, was a bit like being a mystical bartender. People talked to me. A lot. About everything. Especially about falling in love and getting married, which was the height of irony, considering my mother’s side of the family consisted of confirmed matrimonial cynics. Luckily, the hopeless romanticism on my father’s side balanced things out for me. Mostly.

  Somehow over the years I had become the town’s unofficial relationship expert. It was at times rewarding . . . and a bit exasperating. The weight of responsibility was overwhelming, and I didn’t always have the answers, magic potions or not.

  Because Southerners embraced crazy like a warm blanket on a chilly night, not many here cared much that I called myself a witch, or that I practiced magic using a touch of hoodoo. But the town did believe I had all the answers—and expected me to find solutions.