Once Upon a Charmed Time

by Rose Pressey

  “Do you live here alone?” She touched the polished banister as we walked.

  “Actually my fiancé is staying here now too. You’ll meet him later. I used to live here alone,” I said.

  We reached the second-floor landing and made a left turn. She followed me down the hallway. I stopped at the room on the left. I figured it would be best if she was on the second floor. I knew how tiring it could be going up and down the stairs.

  “I bet it was spooky staying here alone.” She shifted her gaze back down the hallway.

  Was she having second thoughts? I shoved the old key into the lock and turned the aged brass knob.

  “It wasn’t spooky at all.” Little did she know I mentally crossed my fingers behind my back.

  She forced a smile. “That’s good to know.”

  “Here’s your room,” I said, opening the door wide, allowing her to enter the space.

  She paused and absorbed the surroundings.

  “You won’t be afraid to stay here, will you?” I asked. “It’s actually quite cozy once you get used to it.” I held my breath waiting for her answer.

  Yeah, she probably wouldn’t believe that. Though I had grown accustomed to the quirks of the manor, the bangs and footsteps. It was all a part of the character.

  “I’m sure I will be fine.” She walked over to the window and peered outside.

  Not far away was the river and before that an old family graveyard surrounded by a small black iron fence.

  “The place has character. Almost as if it is alive.” She trailed off as if lost in thought.

  She noticed it too? Sometimes I wondered if I was the only one who felt that way. Nicolas never seemed to notice.

  “It does have its quirks,” I said.

  She turned to face me. “Anyway, the room is great. Thank you again for the opportunity.”

  “You’re welcome. Thanks again for starting on such short notice. We should head back down.” I motioned.

  She turned and gave the room one last glance before I closed the door. We headed back down the staircase.

  “I’ll be back early in the morning,” she said.

  I sure hoped so because there would be no time to find anyone else for the job. We reached the bottom of the staircase and I walked her to the door. She was about to step out the front door when she stopped. She turned to face me.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  Before she answered a noise rang out. It was unlike any I’d heard before around the manor. It was a mix of a growl and a bang. My cat Pluto was sitting on the back of the sofa in the other room, so I knew it wasn’t him. I swung open the massive wood door. I’d halfway expected someone to be out there. I rushed out onto the porch. I thought the sound had come from outside.

  Once out on the porch, I peered around. The wind had picked up and the branches on the nearby trees swayed. It seemed as if they were always watching over the place. Were they trying to tell me something? What was the warning?

  “Do you see anything?” She stood behind me as if I was her shield.

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” I said. “It was probably just the wind.”

  She forced a smile. “Yes, I guess you’re right.”

  I was convinced that she wouldn’t come back in the morning. There was nothing I could do about it now though. I wasn’t sure how the wind would sound like a growl, but it was probably just our ears playing tricks as the sound whistled through the air. The wind had died down almost as quickly as it had started. Was there really something out there just out of view?

  Addie hurried down the steps toward her car. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  I tossed my hand up in a wave. “Right. Tomorrow at seven.”

  Addie jumped in her car and sped off down the driveway. I stood there for a moment, thinking about what had just happened. It was definitely the wind, I told myself. I glanced over at the trees again. They were completely still now. Why couldn’t they have stayed that way the entire time Addie had been here?

  I turned and went back inside. Nicolas would be home soon. I had planned a special dinner for our last night at the manor. That made it sound as if we were leaving for good, but I hadn’t been away from the manor this long since I’d moved in, so I was having a bit of anxiety about the whole trip. Not to mention that I hated flying.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning arrived with bright sun and a cloudless sky. I hopped up in a hurry because I still had a tiny bit of hope that Addie would return. I’d overslept since I didn’t have any guests to cook for this morning. Nicolas was still asleep so I figured I’d leave him be for a while longer.

  I slipped into my jeans and a pink t-shirt. My bags were all packed. I liked being prepared early. On the kitchen counter I’d left a binder with all details for running the bed-and-breakfast. Last night I’d even added a section that explained some of the strange noises she might encounter.

  I made it halfway down the stairs when the doorbell echoed through the house. Was it really her? Had she actually returned? I hadn’t been this excited since my mother cast a spell to make giant chocolate-chip cookies. I rushed to the door and opened it without thinking that it could be someone I didn’t want to see.

  “You came back,” I said when I opened the door.

  “You act surprised. Did you think I wouldn’t come back?” Addie had all her packs with her.

  I tried to laugh it off. “I figured you would.”

  She stared for a moment and then smiled.

  “Oh, sorry, won’t you come in?” I opened the door wider and motioned for her to enter.

  Just as we stepped back into the foyer Nicolas emerged at the bottom of the stairs. He’d changed into his jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. He wore the new white sneakers we’d picked up at the mall a few days ago.

  “Hello, nice to meet you,” he said with his gorgeous bright smile.

  She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too.”

  Addie seemed even shyer than usual around Nicolas.

  “I left a binder on the kitchen counter that contains any information you made need,” I said.

  Addie seemed focused on something behind me. Was she even listening to what I said?

  “Is someone else here?” she asked with a frown.

  “No, why do you ask?” I followed her stare and looked over my shoulder.

  She pointed. “I just saw a man. He walked into that room.”

  “The library?” My heart rate increased.

  No other people were in the house. Nicolas rushed toward the library. I hurried after him, but stopped once he was in the room.

  “There’s no one here,” he said.

  Addie had joined us in the library. “I know I saw someone in this room.”

  “I should check the rest of the house,” Nicolas said.

  She had no reason to lie, so I knew she had seen someone, but who? A ghost? An uninvited guest? How would anyone have gotten into the house without our knowledge?

  We followed Nicolas around the house as he went from room to room. I didn’t want to stand alone downstairs if someone was truly in the house. If it was just a ghost I could probably deal with that as long as he wasn’t an evil ghost. Room by room we went through the house. Nicolas even checked the attic. Once we reached the downstairs hallway we stopped the search.

  “Maybe I really was imagining things.” Addie released a deep breath.

  Just then the doorbell rang. This time Nicolas answered. I halfway expected to see the strange man at the door. Instead it was my mother Annette and my best friend Annabelle. My mother had recently cut her hair and changed the color to a platinum blonde. She still liked to dress in a bit of an eccentric style. Annabelle liked wearing bright colors. Today she wore jeans and a bright blue sweater.

  “You all look as if you’ve seen a ghost,” my mother said as she stepped into the house.

  “Ghost?” My voice wavered.

  When she saw our expressions she said, “Did you
see a ghost?”

  Annabelle had always been terrified of the paranormal, but she’d really come around recently. Now all of this talk of ghosts might set her back. She had a strange expression, but she came inside anyway.

  “Everything is fine. Mom, I want you to meet Addie Buchanan. Addie, this is my mother Annette. And this is my best friend Annabelle Preston. They will be around to help if you need anything.”

  My mother and Annabelle looked Addie up and down. They were scrutinizing her. I hoped they liked her because we didn’t have any other options.

  “Nice to meet you,” Annabelle said.

  “Likewise.” Addie offered a smile.

  Nicolas helped Addie up to her room with the luggage while Annabelle and my mother followed me into the kitchen.

  “So what do you think of her?” Annabelle asked.

  My mother placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not so sure about her.”

  “I don’t have any other options.” I rubbed Pluto’s head. I’d miss the cat while I was gone. “But she isn’t scared of the house. Not even after hearing strange noises and seeing the strange man.”

  “She’s almost too good to be true,” my mother said.

  “You saw a strange man?” Annabelle’s eyes widened.

  My mother had missed that part. Now she stood by Annabelle and stared at me in shock.

  I knew Annabelle’s fear was kicking in. I should have kept my mouth shut.

  I scoffed. “It was nothing.”

  The doorbell rang again, cutting me off. Could this be the strange man this time? We hurried out of the kitchen and to the front door. Nicolas had returned from upstairs and was opening the door. Liam stepped in. As usual he had that lopsided grin on his face. An air of mystery and rebellion surrounded him wherever he went.

  “Why so glum?” he asked when our eyes met. “You should be excited for this adventure.”

  “Maybe I should be, but I’m not.” I sighed.

  “It will do you good to get away from this place for a while.” Liam touched my chin in his usual playful style.

  Maybe he was right.

  Addie came down the stairs and immediately her eyes fell on Liam. I didn’t blame her. He was a handsome man.

  “Liam, this is Addie Buchanan. She will be taking care of the manor while we’re gone.”

  “Nice to meet you.” He shook her hand.

  She finally snapped out of the trance. “You too.”

  I checked the time on my phone. It was time to say goodbye. My stomach twisted into a tighter knot.

  “We really should be leaving now,” Nicolas said.

  “Yeah, I guess we should go.” My voice was barely a whisper.

  Nicolas and Liam carried the luggage out to the car. I couldn’t believe I was leaving the manor in someone else’s hands. Addie was basically a stranger. What was I thinking? At least my mother and Annabelle would stay with her for a while. That made me feel a teensy bit better. They would have to leave later though, and then Addie would be all alone. The Book of Mystics was secure in my carry-on bag. There was no way I would leave it here and there was no way I would trust the airline to get it there.

  My mother, Annabelle, and Addie walked with me out onto the porch.

  “I know you’re worried, but everything will be fine.” My mother grabbed me in a hug.

  Stepping off the porch, I didn’t look back. It was too hard.

  Chapter 4

  I wasn’t quite sure what the problem was yet. That was why we were flying all the way across country—so that we could get to the bottom of things. A lot of strange things had been happening and no one was quite sure why. I couldn’t take care of it from so far away, as much as I didn’t want to have to go on such a long trip. Traveling there was the only way.

  I’d be the first to admit I couldn’t stand flying. Being that far up in the air made me extremely nervous. I mean, the plane could just fall right to the ground and there would be nothing left of us. Sure, the odds of that were unlikely, but the thought was stuck in my head.

  At least Nicolas and Liam kept asking me if I was okay. By the look on my face I probably didn’t appear okay. No doubt there was a bit of a green look to my face. My stomach churned and I expected to be sick any minute.

  Nicolas and Liam practically carried me onto the plane. Okay, they held my arms, but if they hadn’t I might have run the opposite direction. After taking my seat I closed my eyes. Could I keep them closed for the entire trip? I’d certainly try.

  The next thing I knew Nicolas was shaking me.

  “Hallie, we’re getting ready to land,” Nicolas said.

  “Oh, no. Are we crash-landing? Where’s the oxygen?” My voice was entirely too loud.

  Liam laughed.

  “No, we’ve arrived at our destination.”

  That was weird. It felt as if it had only been ten minutes. Maybe that spell for a quick trip had worked.

  I hurriedly buckled in the seatbelt. I couldn’t wait to get out of this big metal tube. The landing seemed effortless, thank goodness. I grabbed my carry-on to get out of there as quickly as possible. Maybe I should make sure the Book of Mystics was still there.

  “Where are you going in such a hurry?” Liam asked with laughter in his voice.

  “I think you know why I want off of this thing,” I said, rushing past him.

  We hurried through the airport so we would get the rental car before they were all gone.

  “You get the car, Liam, and we’ll get the luggage,” I said.

  Liam gave a little salute and headed in that direction. Nicolas and I went in search of our bags.

  “Are you feeling all right?” Nicolas asked as we waited for the luggage.

  “I’m feeling much better now that we’re on the ground.” I blew out a deep breath.

  After several minutes and almost giving up, the bags appeared. I might or might not have cast a teensy spell for our bags to appear. I hated to do it, but we were in a hurry.

  Nicolas and I grabbed the bags and headed back toward the front of the airport to meet Liam. My nerves had somewhat settled from being on the plane, but now I had to worry about what was in store for us once we arrived at our location. Plus, I couldn’t help but worry about what was going on at LaVeau Manor. I knew I had to let some things go and that I should trust the woman that I’d hired, but it was tough not to be obsessive-compulsive.

  Liam waved the keys at us when we approached. “I got us a car.” Based on Liam’s expression I guessed he was less than thrilled.

  “That doesn’t look like a good sign,” Nicolas said.

  “What kind of car is it?” I asked.

  “What did you say?” Liam asked.

  “Oh, you know what I said. What’s wrong with the car?”

  Liam shrugged. “Well, it’s all they had left.”

  “Wow, how bad is it?” Nicolas asked.

  “It’s not the type of car as much as it’s the fact that it runs and it will be able to get us where we need to go,” Liam said.

  This coming from the guy who loved cars. He babied his BMW.

  We pulled the luggage across the floor toward the exit door and to the waiting rental car area. I stopped in my tracks when I spotted the car.

  “I don’t think we’re going to fit in that thing,” I said. “It’s so tiny.”

  “Are you sure it’s a human car and not like a toy car?” Nicolas asked.

  “Funny,” Liam said.

  We spent about ten minutes trying to cram the luggage into the back of the car. I wasn’t sure how, but we managed to wedge it in. How were we going to get it out when we got to the hotel? Needless to say this was going to be a fun trip driving around in this little thing. Now we had another problem. Where would we sit?

  When Liam was finally stuffed behind the wheel, he said, “All right, guys, don’t laugh. I was hoping for more of a Ferrari, but we have to work with what we’ve got.”

  I chuckled. “Absolutely. I mean this will be an adventure, ri
ght?”

  Leave it to me to try to sound like a peppy cheerleader.

  Liam turned the ignition. It sounded more like a fly buzzing than an engine. We took off out of the airport and immediately got lost a couple of times, but then turned in the right direction and headed for our location.

  This wasn’t the first time that I’d been to Los Angeles. I’d come here as a teenager with family and friends on vacation.

  Chapter 5

  First stop was a visit to meet the Los Angeles coven leader at her office. We had been called to California because there were reports of witches not being able to do their spells. No one knew why.

  We arrived at the large windowed office building and headed up the elevator to the twelfth floor. As soon as we stepped off the elevator we turned left and headed down three doors to her office. The initials L.A.C. were on the door, which I knew stood for Los Angeles Coven. This was a lot different from my office. Right now it was in the library at LaVeau Manor and not nearly as professional. Maybe I should look into getting a new computer or maybe some nice pretty files or something to make it a bit more organized.

  This was kind of embarrassing. I mean, I was the leader and had nothing like this. I had to get my act together. I was a simple girl and I liked simple things, nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary. Especially I liked my routine. I would never like going into an office every day. I enjoyed being home and working from my surroundings. Some said I needed to get out more. I didn’t know if that was true or not.

  The brown-haired woman behind the desk in the lobby area jumped up when she saw me and raced over.

  “Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” she said, sticking out her hand. “I’ve seen your picture in the magazine.”

  I’d recently been figured in Witches’ Monthly.

  I shook her hand. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

  “I’ll tell Victoria you’re here.” She gestured down the hall.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “Please have a seat in those chairs.” She pointed.

  Wow, Victoria even had a lobby area and magazines for guests. Before I even had a chance to sit down, Victoria emerged from the back room. She was wearing a dark pantsuit and had her blonde hair up into a twist.