by K E O'Connor
She jabbed me harder.
I groaned. “Fine. Let’s see what’s edible.”
After a few minutes searching in the kitchen cupboards, I produced a dozen tins of food, mainly vegetables and a few tins of beans, several tins of tuna, and some cat food.
Nugget danced around my legs, twirling his tail around my calf and purring.
“I’ll know how to win you over in the future.” I opened a tin of cat food and dumped it onto a plate, before putting it on the floor.
His purring intensified as he gobbled it down.
I glanced at Russell. “What do you eat?”
“He likes fruit. And insects. Small mammals if you’ve got any to hand,” Hilda said.
“What about you? Would Russell ever try to eat you?”
Hilda backed up several steps and rubbed her fangs together. “He tried once. He won’t ever do it again. That bald patch on his head didn’t get there by accident.”
I grinned. Hilda was a tough old spider. I opened a can of tinned peaches and left some on the countertop for Russell to eat.
“What about you, Hilda? What’s your food of choice?”
“There are plenty of insects in here to keep me full. I like to graze.”
“Then we’re all sorted with our gourmet meals.” I grabbed a tin of beans, a fork from the drawer, and sank into a dusty chair. I couldn’t have dreamt up a weirder homecoming if I’d tried.
***
I jerked upright as something clanged on the floor by the chair. I was cold and stiff from falling asleep after my less than hearty meal of tinned butter beans served from the tin.
I tensed and remained in the seat, firing up what little magic I’d regenerated from my nap. It wasn’t the can falling to the floor that had woken me. Someone was inside the house.
There were a few seconds of silence, before soft footsteps on the creaking floorboards began again.
I eased out of the chair, keeping my feeble magic poised on my fingertips.
As the intruder rounded the corner into the living room, I pounced and grabbed them in a headlock.
There was a scream, and nails dug into my forearm.
I let go and backed away as my nose flooded with the familiar smell of cedar wood and raspberry jam tarts. There was only one person I knew who smelled like that.
I grabbed the candlestick off the shelf and sparked a flame against its dusty wick. As it flickered grudgingly to life, I thrust out the candle.
My heart thudded to a stop. “Luna!”
A smile crossed Luna Brimstone’s face. “Hey, Indigo! Why did you attack me?”
“I didn’t know I was attacking you. All I knew was someone had broken into the house and was coming after me.”
Luna laughed. “No one’s coming after you. I wanted to make sure the rumors were true. You’re really back?” The last time I’d seen her, we’d been seventeen and wide-eyed innocents when it came to magic. Well, sort of innocent. We were teenage girls and always found a little trouble to get into.
Luna was curvier now, her dark hair longer and straighter, and the once thick, dark eyeliner had gone. She’d grown into a striking-looking woman with a wide mouth and intelligent eyes.
I grinned and was about to step forward to hug her, when I froze. Luna wouldn’t want anything to do with me. She must hate me. She’d lost her aunt when Magda and I had gone on our rampage.
There were several seconds when we just stared at each other. Why was she here?
“First things first. Let’s fix your dismal light situation.” Luna walked over to the light switch and tried it.
“It won’t work. The power’s been disconnected,” I said. “No one’s been here for years, so the bills haven’t been paid.”
“I can solve that.” Luna blasted out a scatter spell, which latched onto the candles in the room and brought them to life. A moment later, we were standing in a warm, welcoming glow.
Luna smiled at me again, a hint of nerves around the edges of her expression. “You should have said you were coming home.”
“Why?” I winced, not meaning to sound so sharp.
She jerked her head back and chewed on her bottom lip. “Because I’ve missed you.”
I placed the candle back on the mantelpiece, giving myself a moment to gather my thoughts. I’d taken away one of her family members. She shouldn’t have missed me. Luna had every right to be raging mad with me.
I glanced back at her. Was this a ruse? Maybe she was here to kill me.
I ran my tongue over my bottom lip. I wouldn’t stop her if she did. It was no less than I deserved.
“Hey! Indigo, talk to me. Why the silent treatment? I really missed you not being around. I reached out a few times to see if you wanted a friend to talk to, but you never replied.”
I turned to face her. “We haven’t spoken since I left Witch Haven.” The sadness in her eyes made my heart ache. There was no anger there, and no hint of vengeance. Had Luna really forgiven me? I don’t think I’d be so open-hearted if someone killed a member of my family.
“No, we haven’t talked, but I wrote to you.” Luna lifted one shoulder, her fingers playing with the hem of her orange tunic. “Not at first. It took everyone a while to piece together what happened here, but I didn’t want to lose you as a friend. After a couple of months, I found out where you were and sent you letters.”
“You did?” I didn’t hide my surprise.
“Sure. I wrote twice a month for six months, but you never got back to me.”
“Oh! I never got any of those letters.” The prison must have stopped them from getting through. And I’d never once questioned why my friends had dropped me. I didn’t have to.
A smile crossed her face. “You didn’t? That’s good news. I figured you wanted nothing to do with me.”
A laugh shot out of me. “And they say I’m the crazy one. Don’t you remember what I did?”
“Of course. But you’re not crazy.” Her gaze cut around the room. “I... I don’t blame you.”
“You should. I’m not innocent.”
“You were a kid back then. You didn’t know what you were doing.”
“I was seventeen. I had a pretty good idea what was going on.”
Luna looked away. “I mean; it was mainly your stepmom. She made you do it, didn’t she?”
I scrubbed a finger across my forehead. “Honestly, I don’t remember if I was forced into doing anything against my will.”
“I’m certain you were. It was a mistake. And magic is hard to control. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes over the years with spells.”
“I bet your mistakes didn’t kill people.”
“I’ve come close. I work full-time with my uncle in the bakery, and I’m sure I’ve given lots of people food poisoning. I’m not a natural baker.”
“I didn’t know you worked there. You always wanted to teach. What happened to that idea?”
“I hadn’t planned to go into the family business, but after my aunt... well, you know what happened to her. My uncle wasn’t doing so well on his own, so I stayed to help. I only planned on being there for a couple of years, but here I am, over a decade later. I like it. And the free food at the end of the day is always great. Although not for my waistline.” Luna patted her stomach.
I clenched my teeth. Talk about derailing your best friend’s future. I still couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t swinging an ax at my head. “You look great. I’m glad things worked out for you.”
“I have no complaints.” Luna looked around the room again. “This place hasn’t changed.”
“There’s been no-one here to make any changes.”
She nodded. “I walk past here sometimes. It’s silly, but I sort of hoped I’d see you back fixing up the place. I’d close my eyes and wish you were here.”
My heart beat an unsteady rhythm as I sorted through my messy emotions. “Luna, I never meant for your aunt to get caught up in what happened. We... we didn’t have any real targets that day. We just...” How
could I finish that sentence? We went on a dark magic rampage for fun? We lost control? We didn’t care who got hurt, so long as we did maximum damage? Someone go build up the witch bonfire now. I’d throw myself on it.
“You don’t have to explain. People gossiped about you and Magda for a long time, but I didn’t listen to any of it. I always defended you when they said you were broken and as bad as Magda.”
“Magda wasn’t bad. She was...” I had nothing. I didn’t know what had changed my stepmom and how she’d gotten tangled in dark magic. Maybe she’d simply lost control, used the wrong spell, and it destroyed her. I’d never know for sure what turned her.
I so badly wanted to hug Luna, but kept my hands by my sides. I had to remember, I wasn’t here to rekindle friendships. There’d be no point getting to know Luna all over again, especially since I was leaving in a few days.
Luna hummed under her breath and nodded. “Anyway, I couldn’t believe it when I heard you were back in the village.”
“It didn’t take long for the rumor mill to start churning. Who told you I was here?”
“Several people. Olympus Duke has a room in the inn, and he was talking about you when he went to the bar. My uncle heard the news from Bronwyn and then came to tell me.”
I tutted. Olympus couldn’t resist stirring up trouble for me. He probably hoped the villagers would do his job for him and run me out of this house.
“He paid me an unwelcome visit a few hours ago, telling me what I shouldn’t do while I’m here. The bottom line is the Magic Council want me gone as soon as possible.”
“I’m not sure I like Olympus,” Luna said. “He’s too arrogant for my liking. He knows he’s good-looking and thinks everyone will be charmed by him. But he’s too puffed up with his own authority to be considered yummy.”
“Yummy?” I smiled. That was how Luna had always described guys who made her weak at the knees. “I didn’t notice he was good-looking. I was too busy being drained.”
She gasped. “Drained? He took your magic?”
“What was left of it. He’s a jerk.”
“If he does that to witches, then I agree with you. Are the trolls outside his?” Luna said.
“Yes. How did you get past them?”
“They didn’t stop me from coming in. I told them I was here to see you, and they grunted and waved me by.”
“I had to kick them out of here because they started trying to move the junk as they called it. Most of this stuff may be junk, but that’s for me to decide.” I looked at the dusty furniture, piles of spell books, and knick-knacks on the mantelpiece. It would be easier to light a literal fire and walk away.
“You must have plans to stay for a while if you’re fixing up this place,” Luna said.
“Um... I haven’t decided what to do with the house. There’s lots to think about.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re back. I came as soon as I heard you were home. We should catch up. Have a girls’ night.”
Sadness settled over me like a smoke clogged cloak. “Luna, I’m not... home. Not really. And I’m amazed you came here. After everything that happened.”
“Don’t be. I wanted to see my best friend again.”
I blinked away tears. “I didn’t think we were friends.”
“We are. I promise.”
“Are you sure you didn’t just come to get some gossip to spread around?”
“Hey! That’s not fair. I’m not a gossip.”
“You always were a bit of a gossip.”
She laughed. “Okay, but not about this. And never about you. Friends don’t do that to each other.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” I had to take Luna at her word. She wasn’t yelling or blasting spells at me, so I was happy. “It’s great to see you.”
Luna ran a finger through some dust on a shelf. “I... um, actually, there is more than one reason I came to see you. There’s something I need your help with.”
I shook my head. Here it was, the kicker. I knew she wasn’t here to rekindle a friendship. “You’ve come to the wrong place if you need help.”
“It’s your magic. Your skills in a certain area.”
“I’m still no good to you. My magic is broken, and the Magic Council is watching me like pompous hawks, just waiting for me to put a foot wrong.”
Luna rushed forward and grabbed my hands. “Indigo, I can’t do this without you. I need you by my side.” Anguish simmered in her eyes as she gripped my hands.
“Why? What’s the matter?”
“It’s my apartment. It’s haunted.”
I tilted my head. “Ghosts aren’t usually a problem for you. We’ve always been around them.” Magic attracted ghosts. Everyone knew that.
“I don’t usually mind the spirits hanging about, but not this one.”
“Is he creeping on you when you’re in the shower? Banish him if that’s the problem.” My smile faded. Luna wasn’t laughing.
Tears filled her eyes. “It’s not that. He wants me dead.”
Chapter 5
“Wait! A ghost is trying to kill you?” I wasn’t sure I believed Luna. She’d always had an overactive imagination when we’d been kids, but there was no humor on her face as she stared at me. The one emotion I saw was fear. She was terrified.
“I’m certain this ghost has plans to hurt me. And it’s been going on for a while. Well, the apartment has always been a little haunted, but those ghosts never caused me trouble. This one is different. And he’s chased the others away. He doesn’t like to share.”
“Where are you living?” The last time I’d seen Luna, she’d been with her aunt and uncle in the apartment above the bakery.
“I’ve got my own place on Cedar Lane. I fell in love with it the second I stepped through the door. It’s got two bedrooms, enormous windows that let in loads of light, and an amazing kitchen so I can work on improving my baking. I have to practice loads to create great desserts.”
“You bought it even though you knew it had ghosts?” Ghosts weren’t unusual in Witch Haven, but I’d hesitate before buying a place that came with its own resident specter.
“They were friendly. And I didn’t buy the place, I’m just renting. When I looked around, one ghost even opened the doors for me, so I had no worries. Then everything changed.”
I led Luna to a chair, and we both sat. “Why do you think this ghost is a threat to you?”
Luna pushed up the sleeves of her flower spotted orange tunic to reveal bruises on her arms that looked like large fingerprints.
“Holy broomsticks! A ghost did that to you?”
She nodded. “I was asleep when it happened. I woke to an icy bedroom and two red eyes glowing at me. I couldn’t move my arms. That’s when I screamed. The ghost laughed and faded away. That was the first time I felt in real trouble. Since then, it’s only gotten worse.”
“Then move out! Get this ghost out of your life.”
“It’s my home. I won’t be driven out by an angry ghost with an attitude. And I was there first, probably. I want him gone.” She leaned over and squeezed my arm. “Indigo, you were always great with ghosts when we were younger.”
“Uh, back then I was, but not anymore. I haven’t spoken to a ghost in a long time.” I still saw plenty of them, and I’d always had an affinity with spirits. Most of the time, they simply wanted to hang out in places they were familiar with, but you occasionally got a ghost who needed reminding he was no longer in the land of the living and to stop causing trouble.
“I know you can help me. When I heard you were back, I had to come and see you, convince you to take a look. You’ll figure out what this ghost wants and how to get rid of him.”
I hated that Luna was at risk from this ghost. It wasn’t fair her life was being ruined because she had an unwelcome house guest. If things were different, I wouldn’t hesitate in helping.
“Visit for an hour and take a look around. Maybe you’ll pick up something I’ve missed. I’ve tried all kinds of spells and
even tried to negotiate with this ghost to see if I can convince him to leave. He’s not interested. Just yesterday, I came home from the bakery, to find the walls in the living room dripping with slime. And it stank.”
“It sounds like you need an exorcism,” I said.
“I’ve tried that. And I’ve asked around to see what other people think, but no one knows what it is. I’ve had six different magic users in my place, and they assured me they’d get rid of the ghost. One of them ran out screaming after she was attacked.” Luna shook her head, her shoulders slumping. “I’m beginning to think I will have to move out, but I love the place so much. It’s not fair my life gets tipped upside down because of a ghost with issues.”
“You should move out. It would be simpler and safer for you.”
“And let the ghost win! He’s nasty. Bullies should never be allowed to prosper.” She tugged my arm. “You’re here! You can deal with this ghost. It’s as if you were sent to help me in my hour of need.”
I was no one’s savior. And even though a part of me wanted to help Luna, I didn’t have my abilities intact. I’d only be a massive burden to her and mess things up even more.
“I’ll pay you if that’s the problem,” Luna said. “I don’t make a huge amount of money at the bakery, but I do okay. I have some savings. What do you need?”
I raised a hand. “It’s not that. I’d never take your money. But the last thing you need is me back in your life.”
“It’s exactly what I need. My old friend back. If we work together, we can drive this ghost away and be eating cupcakes for brunch.”
“I’m bad news, Luna. My magic is wonky, and everyone who lives here hates me. If they find out I’m trying to fix your ghost problem, things could turn bad for you.”
“The villagers don’t hate you. They’ll be as thrilled as me to know you’re back.”
Something huge and orange smashed through the living room window and rolled over. It stopped by my feet. It was a pumpkin with the word killer etched into it.
I arched an eyebrow and kicked the pumpkin away. “Are you sure about that? Or is this just a weird welcome home gift?”
Luna’s mouth hung open. She turned and raced to the window.