by Cate Conte
It clicked, then. Mazzy. “Wait,” I said. “How was there a story? Who wrote it?”
“I don’t know. I have it here.” Carissa reached into her bag and pulled out a paper, folded to the right page.
I glanced at the byline. Not Mazzy. Which made sense, since she was a pile of slime now. Maybe she’d been working with someone on it. I skimmed the article. Lilia Myers had been unveiled as a fraud when she was discovered using a staff of people to feed her information during her sessions. I sighed and abandoned the rest of the article. Next to it was a small paragraph declaring that any mention of The Full Moon and its proprietor, Violet Mooney, had been made in error and there was no evidence her practice was fraudulent.
At least Mazzy had gotten that done before she was slimed.
I glanced up as Presley raced into the room, giggling as she threw herself at me. “Hey, sweetie!” I gave her a hug. I hadn’t seen her in days and realized how much I missed her.
Syd followed her in. “Hope it’s okay that I’m early,” she said, then stopped dead, staring.
I looked around, confused, and realized she and Carissa were staring at each other.
“Ohmigod,” Carissa squealed, jumping up in a rustle of satin. “It’s you!”
That was unexpected. “Get out. You guys know each other? How?” I asked. Up until, well, this week, Syd would’ve rather walked on hot coals than associate herself with characters like Carissa.
But Sydney didn’t look amused. In fact, she looked ill.
“Did you get in any trouble? I have to admit I’m disappointed,” Carissa continued, disregarding Sydney’s discomfort. “I thought she was the real deal. She seemed so good. I wonder if she’ll do time?”
“Carissa,” I interrupted. “What the heck are you talking about?”
“Sorry, Vi. Forgot you weren’t in the know.” She waved at Syd. “This here was one of Lilia’s backups. She was working Monday night when Lilia got discovered.”
CHAPTER 54
Sydney had gone from green to red. I was staring at her, openmouthed, not sure what to say. Natalie walked in and stopped, looking from one to the other of us.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Presley broke the silence with a loud gong on one of Carissa’s singing bowls. Carissa whipped around. “No, honey, you can’t do that,” she admonished, sending Presley running to her mother.
Syd hugged her daughter against her legs. Her eyes met mine, pleading a little.
I dragged Syd into the reception area. “What’s she talking about?”
Syd picked up Presley, hiding her face against her daughter. “I’m sorry, Vi. This was the part I left out. I told you I’d been trying to find extra income. Well, I picked up a gig. With this psychic.” She sighed and walked to the far end of the room and then back. “It was supposed to be harmless. We were in the wings, doing research on the people who came in to try and find nuggets she could use. But then Monday night it went kind of bad. She was trying to get this really rich woman to buy a ring that she said would bring her love. But it was like a fifty-thousand-dollar ring. Or so she said.” She grimaced a little. “I’m sure she got it out of a vending machine. Anyway, when I realized what she was doing and how much money was involved, I was out. But we didn’t know it was a reporter posing as a client.”
Ouch. “Monday. So that’s where you were when you said you were at the paint party?”
She nodded.
“Are you going to be in trouble for this?”
“I got a fine.” She grimaced. “That I really didn’t need. But I guess that’s what I get. At least it gave me an alibi for Carla’s murder.”
“Syd. Don’t you know I’d never judge you? You can talk to me,” I said, exasperated.
“Violet. I’ve spent the entire time I’ve known you telling you how I don’t believe in any of this. And then I’m going to tell you I work with a medium? A fake one, to be exact?” She shot me a skeptical look. “I can’t imagine even you being supportive of that.”
“No, but I could’ve helped you in other ways,” I said, then trailed off as the door opened. People were starting to arrive for the event. “We’ll talk later,” I said, and moved over to greet the newcomers.
I stayed out front while people trickled in, greeting and sending them to the studio. Nat had disappeared again. She was so distracted. I’d brought her crystals, and decided I’d stay after the circle and try to talk to her.
I was surprised to see Zoe come through the door. I briefly wondered how I’d explain her to Syd and Natalie, but then brushed that aside. If they were here to stay, I’d figure it out.
“Hey,” I said. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here for the circle,” she said, as if it should be obvious, even though the last time I’d seen her had been over a puddle of slime. She held out a paper boat of fries. Looked like she’d been back at Potatoes from Heaven again. “Want some?”
“You’re going to develop a habit,” I teased, and reached for one, dipping it into the little container of orangey sauce nestled next to the fries. But on the way to my mouth, I stopped. Instead of the delightful smell that usually sent my stomach rumbling, I smelled something . . . rancid. Something I’d smelled before. On my scarf, when the police brought it to my door.
And the last pieces flew into place. Nat, saying she’d been meditating Monday and lost track of time. Sydney, in her usual judgmental way, mentioning that Nat had been at the french fry truck when she’d stopped there after closing up shop.
“What?” Zoe asked, staring at me.
I dropped the fry back into its container and walked out back to Natalie’s office, pushing the door open without knocking. She sat at her desk, staring at the wall.
“Nat,” I said.
She didn’t look at me. “I can’t hide it anymore, can I,” she said.
I took a seat across from her and reached over. She moved her hand out of my reach.
“Did you know?” I asked. “About Andrew and Carla?”
She looked at me. Her eyes were dull and empty. “I knew about him. I didn’t figure out who until . . . I bumped into her Monday. I was going to meditate, but I couldn’t resist getting some fries. I’d skipped lunch,” she added, as if she still felt the need to justify herself in that setting. “And she grabbed me when I was going in the back door. Said she was sorry to tell me this way, but she’d been seeing my husband.” Tears bloomed in her eyes, but her voice remained steady. “And that she’d broken up with him, but she needed him to leave the office. I don’t even remember the rest of it. Honestly,” she added, imploring me to believe her. “I’d been so worried and sick and anxious for weeks now, and I just . . . I lost it. I had your scarf with me. You left it here. I was going to bring it by your store.”
I swallowed. Until that moment, I’d been holding out hope that it wasn’t true. That there was some good explanation for all of this. That my Zen friend who didn’t even like to kill spiders could never hurt another person.
She still didn’t look at me. “I guess I couldn’t accept it. And she started walking away from me like I was nothing, like all of it was nothing, and I just . . . reacted.”
I could feel my own tears welling up as I frantically worked out what to do here. Maybe she could claim insanity. Maybe they’d let her off since it was her first offense. “We can fix this,” I said, grabbing her hand. “We just need to talk to Gabe. He’ll know what to do.”
But Natalie shook her head. “I already called the police. Told them I had information. They should be here any minute,” she said. “I’m sorry about the healing circle, but you should go ahead.” She smiled at me with wet eyes. “You’re the real healer here.”
CHAPTER 55
A Week Later
“Violet Mooney. Do you swear your allegiance to the Magickal Council, beginning today, the fifteenth of January 2020?”
“I do.”
“Do you promise to help rule the witch realm with justice, fai
rness, and an eye to all that your ancestors before you have pledged?”
“I do.”
“Do you promise to carry on the Moonstone tradition while you do so?”
“I do.”
The tall, serious woman with the glasses halfway down her nose nodded at me, then turned to the rest of the solemn circle assembled around me. “Then I pronounce you our newest council member.”
Cheers erupted all around me. I saw Pete in the crowd, clapping, along with some of my other friends from town. I saw Fiona wiping away tears out of the corner of her eye. As everyone dispersed, she came over to me and grasped my arms. “I’m so proud of you, daughter.”
I smiled, feeling on the verge of tears myself. I still wasn’t sure what I was doing, or how this would all play out, but it felt right. Aside from feeling responsible for maintaining the power of female witches, I had a responsibility to my grandmother. If her death was suspicious, I needed to find out what had happened. Fiona had already committed to helping me.
And this was the only way we could do it.
“So now what?” I asked.
Fiona smiled. “You go back to North Harbor and live a double life, I guess.”
I thought about that. North Harbor was where I belonged, no doubt, and it looked like there were plenty of people from my other community there. “What about you?”
She laughed. “We’re right behind you. I’m going to give your other world another try. Something tells me it may be better this time. Besides, your sister is so smitten with that police officer.” She grimaced. “I have to keep an eye on that.”
Zoe and Gabe had started dating once Carla’s case had closed. Nat’s confession had stunned everyone, including her husband. Now her fate rested in the hands of a jury. She’d made the enormous amount of bail the judge had set, using their house as collateral, and had basically shut herself away awaiting trial. Things had started to get back to normal, now that the case was closed and the bridge protesters, including Rain, had packed up and left town. The bridge project had been defeated in the special referendum, so the problem of what to do with the old bridge had been tabled for the moment.
“But we’re going to find another place,” she said. “Apartment buildings just don’t work for me. We need a little house in the country.” She looked at me, waiting.
I took a breath. “Grandma Abby’s house. I’m sure she’d be good with it.” I hoped.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she said with a wink. “I’ve already moved your friend back.”
“Syd?” I clapped my hands together. “Thank you!” I would need to keep an eye on her, after everything she’d been through. Plus I’d convinced her to come work at my shop for some extra cash. It had taken some doing, but she’d accepted the job.
“We’ll move in this weekend. I have a few things to deal with here. And we need to get ready for your first meeting,” she said. “I have a lot of reading for you. You have some catching up to do.”
I nodded. “I will.” But first, I had other reading to do. And other things to deal with. Including what I was going to do about Todd. Which I still wasn’t sure of, but the fact that he’d kept so many secrets from me wasn’t sitting well. “I’m going to go home, okay?”
She nodded and kissed my cheek. “Welcome home, daughter,” she said softly.
I kissed her back and tugged at my earring, pleased with my landing in my living room a second later. I’d even managed to bring some of my own glitter with me. I was learning.
I went to my bed and pulled the book I’d found at Grandma Abby’s out of my nightstand drawer. This time, it opened easily. Monty settled on one side of me, the black cat—Xander, I’d decided—nestled on the other.
I opened the book, and began to read.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have been fascinated with witches and magic for most of my life. As a college student in Salem, Massachusetts, I was in my element being around all of that history and watching people pay tribute to witches daily. It was there that I learned about magic and crystals and tarot, and even had the opportunity to meet Laurie Cabot. Exciting times for sure. But even back then I didn’t fully understand the implications of what was done to women throughout history and why—the patriarchal attempts to squash the incredible powers all women have. As I began learning more about that history, coincidentally the opportunity to write this book presented itself, and I knew that had to be a thread within the narrative. All the strong women I’ve met over the past two years have all had a hand in this—from my Saraswati’s Yoga Joint community and the incredible healers I’ve met by extension, to the Kundalini boss babes I’ve been honored to encounter and learn from, to the amazing women in my “ordinary” life. You’ve all shown me how much I’m capable of when I put my mind to it.
Thank you to my editor, John Scognamiglio, for suggesting witches for this series—how did you know I’ve been dying to write something like this for years? And to the rest of the Kensington crew, from cover art to copyedits, thank you for all your hard work. My agent, John Talbot, for his continued support and willingness to listen to me negotiate deadlines—thank you.
Special thanks to Nicole at Sacred Mystery Arts for my first-ever tarot lesson—and the awesome reading I got in the process.
I’ve visited many crystal shops throughout the years, and I’m currently fascinated with The Funky Hippie and its amazing proprietor, Nicole Simonelli, who is not only a wonderful teacher but has also become a good friend. both of which are local to me. Anytime I can spend hours looking at crystals and letting them speak to me is a good time, so thank you for sharing your wisdom and your treasures. Many thanks to Jessica Ellicott, who took time our of her own writing to plot with me.
And to my ultimate posse of strong women—my fellow Wicked Authors, Maddie Day, Jessica Ellicott, Sherry Harris, Julia Henry, and Barbara Ross—thank you for your always positive influence in my life, and your constant friendship and support. Love you all.
