I was surprised. “You decided to look for me? Why?”
“We’ve had two ritual deaths in a short amount of time. Both bodies were discovered close to your camping spot. I don’t think that’s a coincidence, do you?”
I shook my head. “No, but ... I’m not sure what you expect me to do about it. We don’t have anything to go on.”
“That’s not entirely true. We have a pattern of behavior. We also have a town full of witches. I think it’s entirely possible that someone came to town with a plan, perhaps to engage in a ritual or something. This would be an ideal place to do it.”
“And why is that?” I asked.
“Because ... there’s magic here.” Her answer was simple. “And, more importantly, people believe there’s magic here. If you believe something hard enough, often times you create a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.”
She had a point. “So ... what do you think we should do about it?”
“I think we should follow the tour bus.”
“Why?”
“Because the young witches who wanted to purchase the destructive potion ingredients are on it.”
“And you think they had something to do with this?” I was incredulous. “They’re kids.”
“They’re kids who want power.” Bay refused to back down. “Besides, we don’t have anywhere else to look. It couldn’t hurt to look at them.”
“I guess.” I rolled my neck and shrugged. “Okay. We’ll follow the tour bus. I don’t suppose you know where they’re going, do you?”
She nodded as a slow smile spread across her features. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
THE DANDRIDGE LIGHTHOUSE WAS like something straight out of a movie. I didn’t know how to describe it, other than to say it was simply breathtaking.
The tall spire cut a fine figure as it reached into the sky, and it was clear that those who refurbished the property had poured a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the project.
“This is amazing,” I breathed, my heart sighing at the splendor of the vision. “I can’t imagine getting to live out here.”
Bay’s amusement was obvious as we walked from the parking area toward the structure. “It’s pretty. Clove loves the water.”
“She did all this?” I was officially impressed.
“Sam did a lot of it before they hooked up,” Bay replied. “Actually, Sam did a lot of it while they were hooking up. They kept their relationship a secret at the start and things were well on their way — with the building and the relationship — before we found out about it.”
“Why did they keep it secret?”
Bay shrugged. “It was just something they wanted to do.”
“Oh, stop pussyfooting around,” Tillie barked from behind us. She and Nellie insisted on being included in the adventure — which was tedious for Bay and me — so we were a foursome rather than a twosome. I was convinced I would live to regret it.
“Sam came to town looking for witches,” Tillie explained. “His mother was a witch and he had questions. He immediately started hanging around us and went so far as to spy on Bay. We weren’t sure if we liked Sam at the start, and that’s why Clove hid him.”
Bay glared at her elderly aunt. “Way to open your big mouth.”
“What?” Tillie adopted an air of innocence. “What did I say?”
“I’m pretty sure that Sam doesn’t want you spilling his private business.”
“And I’m pretty sure that you’re being a kvetch.” Tillie wasn’t in the mood to kowtow to anyone, especially her great-niece. “Now, where are the evil teenage witches? I want to smite them and get home in time for General Hospital. Jason is supposed to take his shirt off today and it feels like years since it last happened.”
Bay rolled her eyes. “Oh, geez!”
“You can’t smite them,” I argued, genuinely worried for the first time. “They’re kids.”
“I can do whatever I want,” Tillie argued. “I’m queen of the world.”
That didn’t sound good. “But ... .”
“Ignore her.” Bay offered up a small half-wave. “There are times she simply likes hearing herself talk. She’s a complete and total pain in the cauldron that way.”
“You’re on my list, smart mouth,” Tillie warned.
Bay ignored her. “I think the tour winds through the gardens Clove planted at the back of the property,” she offered. “The thing is, I don’t think teenagers would be interested in that. Given how Lizzy and Kaley were acting, I’m guessing they went in the opposite direction.”
“Which is where?” I asked, glancing around.
Bay pointed toward a spot to the west. “There. The dock is that way ... and so is the cove.”
“What’s in the cove?”
“It’s hidden,” Bay replied. “It’s a quiet place. If they’re looking for a spot to disappear, that’s the one.”
“Well, then let’s head that way.”
“You read my mind.”
“I SHOULD’VE BROUGHT MY AX.”
We’d been walking only three minutes when Nellie decided to take the conversation into a tangent.
“You don’t need your ax,” I argued. “They’re teenagers. They most certainly don’t need to be beheaded.”
Tillie perked up and her eyes shifted to Nellie. “You behead things? That is so awesome. I’ve only ever shot things. Winnie won’t let me have an ax.”
“There’s a reason for that,” Bay called out. “You’re not supposed to have the shotgun either. You’d better hide that thing well if you don’t want Mom and the aunts to confiscate it.”
Tillie rolled her eyes so hard I was surprised she didn’t topple over. “Thank you, Little Miss Bossy. I’m so glad I have you around to explain the wrath of Winnie to me. I don’t know what I would do without you spoiling my fun.”
“I hear that,” Nellie intoned. “Poet is our Little Miss Bossy.”
“That’s because I really am the boss,” I reminded him. “I sign your paychecks.”
“I get direct deposit,” Nellie said. “You don’t sign squat.”
“Oh, geez.” I rubbed my temples as I followed Bay through the foliage. She seemed to know where she was going so I let her lead the way. “We should’ve left you guys back in town.”
“You could’ve tried,” Tillie countered. “I have a truck. We simply would’ve followed you.”
“And they would’ve been armed if left to their own devices,” Bay said. “It’s fine. Just tune them out. I like to pretend I have earplugs in whenever Aunt Tillie decides to put on a show.”
“That sounds annoying.”
“You have no idea. I ... .” Bay slowed her pace and held up her hand. Her body language said she meant business, so I pressed my finger to my lips to quiet Nellie and Tillie before moving closer to her.
“What are they doing?” Nellie asked, pushing his way past Bay for a better look, his eyes narrowing when he caught a hint of movement toward the water’s edge. “Is that ... ?”
“Lizzy and Kaley,” Bay replied, her voice barely a whisper.
“What are they doing?” I couldn’t see very well from my vantage point, but something told me Bay could ... and she wasn’t happy.
“They’re spreading herbs,” Bay replied, grim. “It’s the same herbs Thistle and Clove gathered for them. They think the herbs are for one thing, but they’re for another.”
“I thought Terry and Landon were going to talk to them,” I pressed. “Isn’t that what they said?”
“The girls claimed they were only interested in the herbs for keepsakes,” Bay explained. “They said they were going to throw them away.”
“Obviously they didn’t do that,” Tillie said, all traces of mirth fleeing from her features. “I think it’s time we had a talk with the little witchlings.”
Bay was resigned as she nodded. “Yeah. We should approach from two sides just in case.”
“Just in case of what?” I asked.
“In case they’
re something other than what they pretend,” Tillie replied. “Not everything is as it appears. You’re with the circus. You should know that.”
I was offended. “Of course I know that.”
“Then you go with Bay,” Tillie ordered. “I’ll take Nellie. We’ll take those witches down and make them wish they’d never been born.”
Bay snagged the back of Tillie’s shirt before she could wander too far. “We’re talking to them, not cursing. No spells unless they’re necessary. Do you understand?”
“You’re not the boss of me.”
“I’ll tell Mom about the still you’re building in your greenhouse.”
Tillie balked. “You little narc. I mean ... I’m not building a still. I promised your mother to take down the old one, and I always keep my promises.”
“Yes, but you didn’t promise not to build a new one. Perhaps one that’s bigger and better than the last.”
Tillie’s eyes narrowed until they were nothing more than glittery slits. “What do you want?”
“Behave. We don’t know these girls are up to anything evil. Until we do, no curses.”
“You’re such a kvetch.”
“I can live with that.”
20
Twenty
On one hand, I thought allowing Nellie and Tillie to be a team was a terrible idea. On the other, in this particular instance, having Bay by my side seemed my best option. She was less likely to freak out ... or threaten someone with beheading.
We waited for Tillie and Nellie to disappear into a stand of nearby trees before making our move. I assumed that Lizzy and Kaley would either run or take up fighting stances when they saw us. Instead, their eyes merely went wide.
“You’re not going to kill us, are you?” Lizzy blurted out.
I spared a glance for Bay and saw she looked as confused as I felt. “Probably not,” I said finally. “It depends what you’re doing.”
“We’re ... calling to the goddesses,” Kaley volunteered, her eyes darting between faces. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”
“If you’re not doing anything wrong, why did you run into the woods to cast your spell?” Bay demanded as she stepped closer, narrowing her eyes as she studied the herbal packs piled on the ground. Most of them bore tags from Hypnotic, but a few were unadorned. “What’s in the baggies without names?”
“I ... it’s nothing.” Lizzy straightened her shoulders. “It’s none of your business, so you should shoo.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Shoo?”
Lizzy nodded her blond head. “Shoo.” She made little motions with her hands meant to drive us away. “Shoo, shoo, shoo.”
Bay rubbed her cheek as she regarded them. “I need to know what’s in the baggies.”
“It’s none of your business,” Kaley hissed, her eyes flashing. “Why can’t you just mind your own business, you witch? Oh, that’s right. I called you a witch. I know what you are.”
“Both of you,” Lizzy added. “You’re both witches ... and we’re strong witches, too. In fact, we’re way stronger than you, so ... shoo.”
They both made hand motions now.
“Uh-huh.” I rubbed my forehead to ward off a building headache. This was not going as planned. “I think we should have a talk.”
“And I think you need to take a step back,” Kaley snapped, lunging forward to grab one of the baggies from the ground and raise it over her head. “If you don’t leave, I’ll curse you into oblivion.”
I slid a curious look toward Bay. “Can she do that?”
Bay shrugged. “I’m guessing no. I can’t really see what’s in the bag. In fact ... .” Whatever she was going to say died on her lips when two figures jumped out of the bushes behind the girls.
Nellie went straight for Kaley, tackling her from behind and causing her to pitch forward. She hit the ground with a loud thud. Tillie, who had older joints, opted to be more practical and simply kicked the back of Lizzy’s knees to get her to drop.
“Don’t move or I’ll blow your heads off!” Tillie bellowed.
Lizzy clamped her hands over the back of her head as if she were trapped in a prison movie and kept her face pressed to the ground. “Please don’t kill me! I don’t want to die. I have so much life left to live.”
A few feet away, Nellie continued to grapple with Kaley, who fought the only way she knew how, with slaps and bites.
“Ow!” Nellie brayed as if he was dying and flapped his hand. “She bit me!”
“Knock it off,” I ordered, striding forward. “You’re going to hurt her.”
Nellie didn’t stop fighting, instead sliding his arm around Kaley’s neck in an attempt to put her in a chokehold.
“Knock it off,” I repeated, surging enough magic through my fingers to burn Nellie’s arm without alerting the girl something odd was happening. He grunted as he released her, which she took as a sign that she’d won. When she attempted to regain her footing, I took a page from Tillie’s book and kicked her knee. In the confusion, she released the bag, which I grabbed before taking a step back.
“That’s mine!” Kaley screeched when she realized what I had in my hand. “I’m calling to the dark goddess so she’ll do my bidding. You have no idea the wrath you’ve wrought!”
“Who is the dark goddess?” Bay asked, ignoring the rest of the overly emotional statement as she plucked the bag from my hand without asking. She pulled it open and inhaled. “Leek,” she said after a beat. “Are you trying to conduct an exorcism?”
My mouth dropped open. “Is that a thing?”
“There aren’t many magical uses for leek,” she replied. “Aunt Tillie once bought some because she swore my mother was possessed.”
“I haven’t been proved wrong on that,” Tillie noted. She’d given up standing watch over Lizzy and was busily rooting through the rest of the herbs. “Juniper berries. Goats Rue. Dandelion.” She made a face as she scented another bag. “Ugh. Ginseng. You know how I feel about ginseng, Bay.”
Bay nodded, blasé. “Yes. You think it’s a useless herb that’s been co-opted by fake witches the world over. It does nothing for weight loss and is one of the most useless herbs.”
“Exactly.” Tillie upended the bag and dumped the contents on the ground. “None of this stuff can conjure anything.”
“That’s not true,” Lizzy protested, turning her head enough to see Tillie. “Hey. You don’t have a gun.”
“I don’t,” Tillie agreed. “I have this.” She held up her fingers, which she’d positioned in the shape of a gun, and pointed them at the girl. “Don’t make me use this. I would rather not have a murder on my conscience.”
“Knock it off,” Bay warned, hunkering down to look into Lizzy’s eyes. “Get up, please.”
Lizzy looked as if she would rather find a hole to crawl into. “I’m fine here.”
“She’s not going to hurt you.”
“But ... people in town say she’s a powerful witch,” she argued. “Supposedly she can kill people with a wink of her eye.”
“A blow of her whistle,” Kaley countered, her glare reserved solely for Nellie as she sat on the ground and rested her palms on her knees. “She kills people with her whistle. That’s what that crazy lady running the tour said.”
“She said I kill people with my whistle?” Tillie was obviously offended. “Why would I need a gun if I could kill people with a whistle?”
“I don’t know.” Kaley rolled her neck. “Can we have our herbs back? We have a ritual to perform.”
“To call to the dark goddess?” Bay pressed.
Kaley nodded. “We have a few tasks we want her to complete.”
“There is no dark goddess.” Bay was firm. “None of this stuff you’ve acquired will call anything. It’s just ... herbs. Why are you out here playing around?”
“We’re not playing around,” Lizzy said as she slowly pushed herself to a sitting position, her eyes constantly darting to Tillie’s finger gun. “We’re powerful witches. We’re goi
ng to rule the world.”
“Is that all?” Tillie made a face as she dropped her hand. “Listen, as someone who regularly rules the world, it’s nowhere near as much fun as it sounds. Trust me. It’s better to rule your own corner of the world.”
“But ... we’re sick of being told what to do,” Lizzy persisted. “We just want to have fun. Is that so much to ask?”
“No.” Tillie was solemn. “But you’re still kids. In fact ... where are your parents?” She looked around, as if expecting people to hop out of the trees and claim the youngsters. I’ve seen you several times since you arrived. I’ve never seen an adult other than Margaret with you, and she hardly counts.”
Now that she mentioned it ... . I cleared my throat to get everyone’s attention. “Where are your parents?”
Lizzy and Kaley exchanged wary looks.
“Your parents aren’t here, are they?” I pushed. “How did you get here without parents? How old are you guys?”
“We’re eighteen,” Lizzy replied quickly.
“Do you believe that, Bay?” I asked.
Bay shook her head. “How old are you really?”
“Sixteen,” Kaley replied. “We’re old enough to take care of ourselves.”
“Do your parents know where you are?” Bay asked.
Kaley nodded. “We left a note.”
I almost didn’t want to hear the answer, but I asked the question all the same. “Where do you live?”
“Ohio. We left a note. We were responsible. I’m sure my mother is ready to have kittens, but she’ll get over it. She always does.”
Well, crap. “I’m betting someone is looking for these two,” I supplied. “We should probably get your boyfriend on it.”
Bay looked resigned. “Yeah. This isn’t going to make him happy.”
“Who cares about him?” Lizzy challenged. “You’re ruining our fun.”
“Get used to that,” Tillie commiserated. “She ruins my fun all the time. She’s good at it.”
Well, that answered that question. Lizzy and Kaley weren’t dangerous; they were simply young and adventurous. We were right back where we started.
Freaky Witches (A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book 7) Page 19
