by Sonia Parin
Reaching down, she gave Luna a scratch. “Rebel, talk to us so we know you haven’t fallen asleep,” Lexie called out.
“Maybe we should discuss the day’s events,” Luna suggested.
“Those O’Rourke detectives looked like they meant business,” Rebel mused.
Luna stretched and yawned. “This would be a good time to start thinking about relocating. We might even need to go on the run. I should warn you now, I’ll be happy to do my bit but I will not be used as a pack mule. So, be prepared to travel light. Rebel seems to have some sort of magical travel bag, which makes me wonder what else she might have in there.”
Rebel blew her a raspberry.
“I guess that means she’s back to her old self,” Luna whispered. “Or, like me, she might be resigned to her fate and trying to make the best of an impossible situation. I guess we should be satisfied with being at the service of an incoming High Chair. Personally, I prefer to think of myself as an equal partner and I think Rebel earned her keep today, so I’m also prepared to welcome her as an equal partner. Please promise me you won’t start picking up strays. Two and a half is enough for this cramped apartment.”
“I thought we were hitting the road and setting off on a wild adventure of living under the stars and…”
“Who said anything about roughing it?” Luna gave her ear a scratch.
“Would anyone like a nightcap?” Lexie asked before Luna suggested moving to a penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side.
Luna stretched. “A warm bowl of milk would be nice.”
Rebel flew in and settled on her soap dish. “I wouldn’t mind a blueberry.”
Luna followed Lexie into the kitchen. “Does this mean you don’t want to talk about what happened today?”
“What’s there to talk about?” Lexie shrugged. “I did what I had to do. No regrets.”
“Yes, but… Was it really you doing all that stuff? I know you have the elements at your disposal, but the rest… I don’t know if you noticed, but your voice changed.”
“I think it was the undiluted version of me.” She’d recently learned how to tap into her inner self, but Luna’s remark made her wonder if there was more to her than… Lexie sighed. “Do you know anyone who might shed some light on what happened today and be willing to share it with us?”
Luna shook her head. “No.”
Grabbing a drink for herself, Lexie looked around her apartment. “We might as well enjoy the peace and quiet. Who knows what we’ll wake up to tomorrow.”
“If I had to hazard a guess,” Luna said, “I’d say the Disciplinary Board is currently revising their attitude toward you. They probably realize one hundred O’Rourke detectives won’t be enough to contain you. In their place, I’d start making plans for a new custom-made prison for you. Then again, they might be open to negotiation. In which case, you should ask for an Upper East Side penthouse.” Luna went off on one of her frenzied sprints around the apartment. “Who can sleep now when I have to work on a list of demands…” Luna stopped in her tracks. “Hang on. Something is not quite right. This feels too much like a cliff-hanger and we can’t have that. Your fate lies in the hands of the Coven’s Disciplinary Board or does it?” Luna’s little face scrunched up. “That too sounds like a cliff-hanger. Earlier today, you seemed to be able to see into the future.”
Lexie nodded and hoped Luna didn’t ask her to explain how she had done it because she didn’t have a clue.
Luna leaped up onto her shoulder and peered at her. “Do it again. Tap into your future and see what they have planned for you.”
The edge of Lexie’s lip kicked up. “They sent one hundred O’Rourkes to deal with me. I think we have our answer.”
“Yes, but… That didn’t work.” Luna lowered her head as if in thought. “This would be the moment when you look up at the camera and express your inner thoughts.”
Her inner thoughts?
Lexie tilted her head. Something told her the Coven would leave her alone. At least, for the time being, mostly because they needed to figure out what… who they were dealing with.
Luna sighed. “If push comes to shove, we could always seek temporary asylum with the Crone.”
“Rebel would like that,” Lexie said. “But I’m not sure you would. The Crone doesn’t seem to like cats.” Lexie gave her a scratch under the chin. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”
“We’ll need to do this scene again and when you deliver that last line, remember to look straight into the camera. Better still, look out the window.”
Nodding, Lexie looked out the window. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”
“And that’s a cut. Thank you everyone.” Luna looked up. “Make sure to tune in for the next adventure starring myself as Luna, Lexie and Rebel.”
*****
I hope you enjoyed this collection of Mackenzie Coven shorts.
Lexie, Luna and Rebel will return in Witch Fairy Tale
There’s a preview in the next page. If you’ve read the preview before, you might want to take another look – I’ve included a new beginning.
Preview
Witch Fairy Tale
Chapter One
JONATHAN GAVE THE COUNTER A brisk wipe and then rounded the bar. “I’m going downstairs for a while. Holler if you need me.” The lunchtime crowd had come and gone. A few stragglers remained; regulars who tended to stick to one drink with lunch, followed by several cups of strong coffee as they drew out their laptops and worked on-line.
O’Connor’s Bar had always attracted a strange crowd who lived by their own rules and didn’t toe anyone’s line. He didn’t care what they did so long as they stuck to normal human activities.
The door opened and a group came in and ordered drinks. Hesitating, Jonathan swept his gaze around the bar. If he waited for a quiet moment, he’d never get away.
As Jonathan made his way down to the cellar, he patted the whitewashed walls. He stood on solid ground. Yet, the foundations had been established at a time when nothing had seemed to be solid. The first stone, brought from the old country, held the place together. But for how long?
He bent down in time to avoid a low beam and, pressing his hand against the heavy wooden door, it opened. It had last been locked over five hundred years before and it still remained locked but he somehow managed to gain entry by a simple touch.
The whitewashed walls curved across the room and met the low hanging ceiling. Stooping, he entered. As he strode in, a candle came alive, flickering with a brightness that permeated every corner of the small and yet vast space. He’d never tried to make sense of it, or even question his place in the scheme of things. He’d accepted his role, albeit reluctantly. At least, he tried to give that impression…
He strode toward the lectern that held the Mackenzie Chronicle. As he approached, the large leather-bound tome shone with a rich luminescent light.
The seal remained intact; an unnecessary precaution since no one else could gain entry into his inner sanctum. No one, except Lexie.
She’d somehow managed to circumvent the wards he’d been maintaining since he’d first set foot in the place.
He glanced over at a smaller door in the far corner of the room. A wave of his hand revealed footprints leading to it. Lexie’s and Luna’s. His gaze narrowed as he focused on the footprints only visible to him. The imprints were only a foot away from the door suggesting Lexie and Luna had spent some time deciding their next move.
Lexie’s feline companion would have offered some sound advice, with a few personal opinions thrown in. And, knowing Luna, she would have tried to negotiate a deal for herself. That cat never missed an opportunity.
Pushing out a hard breath, Jonathan focused on the thick tome in front of him.
Alexandra Elizabeth Mackenzie.
He only needed to think the name for the tome to unlock and flick open to the last entry. He had been chronicling her life since the moment of her birth and he
had no idea how. He was only two years older than Lexie and yet… He’d been there at her birth, when she’d taken her first step, her first stumble and her next stubborn step.
Magic. It ran through his veins and linked him to the wench.
The day she’d stepped inside O’Connor’s, she’d carried the defiance that had led her away from her home in upstate New York to the city. She’d been determined to carve out her own future and pack in as much as she could in the ten years grace she’d been given—a reprieve from her coven duties. When she’d appeared at his bar, she’d only had two years to go.
After her recent adventure, she had probably put two and two together and realized the ten years of freedom had been the coven’s way of ensuring she didn’t completely turn her back on her heritage, as she would have done if her memory hadn’t been wiped clean.
Too late for that. She was all in now. Her powers were awakening. That meant he had no way out. No way of walking away from what he’d been born to do.
Shadow her every step.
What would Lexie do if she knew he had the power to destroy her?
If she ever stepped out of line, the O’Rourke Group wouldn’t be enough to stand between her and what he could do.
He knew he wouldn’t have any second thoughts.
Only he could wield the power necessary to bind her.
The thought lingered in his mind for a second and then dissipated the way it always did, giving him some breathing space.
Gritting his back teeth, he picked up the quill and settled down to write.
***
“NEXT ON MY TO-DO-LIST,” Lexie said as she shoved herself out of bed, “ask Octavia to research the Coven Rule Book and find out everything she can about personal gain. If I’m going to lead a life of peril, murder, mayhem and possible retribution, I should profit from this gig. I don’t want to get comfortable ordering coffee with the click of my fingers only to then have the proverbial rug pulled out from right under me.”
Lexie drew in a long breath and took a moment to enjoy the silence only to realize how misleading that could be.
Squaring her shoulders, she strode into the sitting room and found Luna spread out on the couch, her attention fixed on their new roommate, Rebel. The fairy hovered in front of the fireplace juggling blueberries.
“We should try the knife throwing act now,” Luna purred. “Put the blueberries down and hover in front of me. I’ll throw the knives.”
The fairy Lexie had recently been “gifted” blew Luna a raspberry, collected her blueberries and settled on the mantelpiece to eat them.
“Luna? What’s going on?” Lexie asked.
Luna gave her a kitty grin. “If you pick up another stray, we’ll have a full circus act and we can charge admission. I’ll manage the ticket booth and banking. Oh, and the knife throwing. We’ll work on an act for you. I’m thinking we could do something with those fireballs of yours.” Luna’s eyes sparkled. “We’ll be rich.”
Lexie turned and shuffled back inside her bedroom. A moment later, she strode out again. “I have a hole in my sock and I’m thinking we need to put up a Gone Fishing sign.”
Luna sat on her haunches and scratched her ear. “We’ve already had some time off. You’re still landing in the closet. Is this a good time for a vacation?”
Lexie rolled her eyes. “Can we get on the same page, please? We need to work together on this.”
“Which one do you wish to tackle first?” Luna purred. “As you have repeatedly told me, I have no thumbs, so I can’t help you with darning your sock or the Gone Fishing sign you want to put up.”
Lexie frowned. “I’ve never said anything about you not having thumbs.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Yes… I think so.”
They both turned toward Rebel.
“Are you any good at darning socks?” Luna asked.
“Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on what’s in it for me.” Shrugging, Rebel finished her blueberry and went in search for more.
Luna stretched and yawned. “Perhaps we should make an appointment to see Dr. Mercedes Shrink. One session with her and I’m sure she’ll reach the same conclusion I have. There are too many of us living in this cramped apartment.”
Lexie sighed. “For the umpteenth time, we are not moving.”
“Fine. Whatever.” Luna sighed right back at her. “Come and sit down. I’ll put on my loyal feline companion hat and you can tell me what’s on your mind. Something is clearly bothering you.”
Lexie slumped down on the couch. “What day is it?”
Luna tilted her little head from side to side. “I’ve lost track. We’ve spent far too many days lolling about doing nothing. Not that I’m complaining. I am, after all, a cat and we excel at taking it easy.”
Rebel sneezed.
“Bless you,” both Luna and Lexie said.
Luna turned to Lexie. “Are you in a slump? We could get in touch with Octavia and ask if there’s any news about your dad.”
Lexie leaned back and groaned.
Her dad. She’d been told to sit tight and give him some time to get used to his new circumstances.
Reading her thoughts, Luna said, “I see. You’re still trying to come to terms with the news about him being alive. Well, sort of alive. You’re probably wondering why he hasn’t come around. I’m thinking he’s still trying to adjust to the idea of being trapped in the body of your mom’s evil twin sister.”
“I’m living in my own soap opera.” Closing her eyes, Lexie raked her fingers through her hair. A few weeks before, she’d been desperate to fill in the gaps and restore her lost memory so she could prove her innocence. Now…
“Now I’m getting mixed signals from you,” Luna said. “Do you want to see your dad or not? Do you want to be left alone, or do you want Octavia to storm in with news about a new assignment?”
Lexie groaned again.
“Would you like me to contrive a way to hit you over the head and make you forget again?” Luna asked. “I don’t wish to harp on about me not having thumbs but I’m sure I could come up with a plan. You could stand outside on the pavement and I could push something off the roof so it falls on your head.”
“Thank you. No. And I don’t know how I feel about seeing my dad again. I need more time to get used to it all. I’m just afraid I won’t know what to say.”
“You can always fake amnesia,” Luna suggested. “If he finally decides to come around, just look confused. If that doesn’t work, speak in a foreign language. He hasn’t seen you in ten years and he’s still trying to get used to walking around in the body of a woman. The man has a lot on his plate. I think he’ll buy it.”
“I’m going to grab a shower.” Lexie pushed herself off the couch. “When I come out, can we please start the day again? We’ll go to the Kitty Café for breakfast.”
Rebel cannoned into the sitting room. “Did someone mention breakfast? I’m famished.” As if to prove the point, she pressed her little hand to her forehead, swooned, floated down and landed on the mantlepiece, her arm and leg flopping over the side.
“Where does she put it?” Lexie didn’t even make it to her bedroom door when the front door opened and Octavia strode in.
“Sorry, I forgot to knock.” Her personal assistant gave her a bright smile. “I’m still getting used to coming in the conventional way through the front door.”
Lexie tried to remember if she’d actually issued a request for everyone to please stop barging in on her and to always use the front door. She knew she’d told her cousins to give her at least forty-eight hours’ notice before materializing in the middle of her sitting room, but that had fallen on deaf ears…
“Octavia!” Luna leaped off the couch and raced toward her. “Oh, that’s the most active I’ve been in ages. And, look at you! Still a blonde.”
Octavia flicked her blonde locks back and grinned. “Yes, I’m rather attached to it now.”
A month. Lexie had only asked for
a month of peace and quiet. She looked heavenward. She’d asked nicely. She’d even put on her extra sweet smile. At least her cousins had been staying away.
Looking over Octavia’s shoulder, Lexie realized she’d spoken too soon.
Cat’s orb hovered behind Octavia. It turned a light shade of pink as she greeted Lexie. “Hello.”
The last time Lexie had seen her down under cousin, she’d been stuck in her enchanted forest for the duration of the lunar cycle.
Had it already been a month?
Something else whizzed into her sitting room. Lexie’s eyes widened. “Mr. Ellsworth?” The gnome Lexie had met at Cat’s cottage came to a sudden stop and turned to clay.
“Oh, dear. Mr. Ellsworth. You promised you wouldn’t.” His wife, Mrs. Ellsworth whizzed in and tapped him on the head.
Lexie shifted her narrowed gaze toward Octavia.
“I can explain,” Octavia said.
***
LEXIE TOOK HER TIME showering and would have stayed locked up in the bathroom for a lot longer but Luna barged in to demand she hurry up and tend to her guests who were still wary of her.
“Octavia asked me to step into the bedroom. For the record, I resent being asked to leave. Rebel took advantage of the opportunity to poke her tongue out at me. The gnomes are okay with her. I don’t understand why they’re afraid of me.”
“You could have made yourself invisible,” Lexie suggested.
Luna blinked up at her. “Oh, I forgot.” She disappeared. Moments later, she returned. “No, it didn’t work. Mr. Ellsworth sensed me and turned to clay. When are they leaving? You need to throw them out. What are they doing here? They don’t like the city. We should move to a penthouse apartment where no one can find us. Just listen to me, I’m on edge and all flustered. This stress will make my fur fall off. I’ll look ridiculous walking around with bald patches.”