Witchin' Around the Clock

by Amanda M. Lee

  He nodded. “She’s zipping around on the scooter and having a grand time.”

  “She could hurt someone.”

  “She won’t.” He sounded sure of himself. “She’s more responsible than we give her credit for ... at least most of the time. Don’t get me wrong, she does the occasional idiotic thing. Okay ... she does a lot of idiotic things. But at her core she’s a good person with a wicked sense of justice. Whatever she doles out to Margaret Little, that horrible woman has it coming.”

  I arched an eyebrow, unable to hide my surprise. “Tell me how you really feel.”

  “That is how I really feel. I want Aunt Tillie to make her cry. I’ve had it with her.”

  “You know, earlier today Aunt Tillie said I was getting more and more like her with each passing year. I didn’t want to hear it. Now I’m starting to wonder if you’re getting more like her.”

  Instead of being offended, Landon laughed. “You know what? I’m fine with it, especially where Mrs. Little is concerned. I don’t want to talk about her, though. I want to talk about the bacon truck. Can we please go there before my stomach implodes?”

  He was too earnest to deny. “Okay, but I might be getting my dinner from a different truck. I don’t think I want huge chunks of cheese wrapped in bacon as my primary source of nutrition this evening.”

  “Do what you want, but you’ll be missing out.”

  “I can live with that.”

  LANDON HAD SEVERE BACON BREATH when he dragged me into the kissing booth. It was one of his favorite festival attractions, which always made me laugh. He’d overdosed on bacon to the point I was convinced he would be sweating grease later, but he was in a ridiculously good mood so I was willing to put up with it.

  Masterson was one of the first people I saw upon leaving the kissing booth. He was holding court in the middle of the festival, a bevy of witches surrounding him, and telling jokes that didn’t sound even remotely funny. The brunette I saw earlier guffawed and I figured it had to be an act … or she was an airhead who didn’t get the idea of true humor.

  “Not tonight,” Landon admonished, lightly grabbing me by the back of the neck to keep me from crossing over to Masterson. “There are too many people here.”

  I was surprised he cared. “We need to talk to him.”

  “Technically I need to talk to him ... and Terry. You don’t need to be involved in this at all.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You can’t cut me out of this. Not after everything.”

  He sighed. “I have no intention of cutting you out of this. Believe it or not, I consider you a valuable part of the team.” He kissed the tip of my nose by way of proof. “But you have to wait. We can’t draw attention to a murder in the middle of a festival. That’s not the way to keep the tourists happy.”

  I was dumbfounded. “I had no idea you cared so much.”

  “Yeah, well ... I love this town. I fell in love with you first and your love of this town caused me to take a long, hard look at what we were dealing with. We’re going to live here forever. I don’t want to do anything to hurt Hemlock Cove’s future prospects.”

  That was an adult viewpoint ... which I didn’t necessarily like. “So ... we’re going to talk to him tomorrow?”

  “We’re going to discuss a game plan tomorrow,” he countered. “I don’t know how we’re going to approach this. Technically it’s Terry’s case. That means you and I are the subordinates.”

  “I don’t like being a subordinate.”

  He lightly patted my behind and prodded me forward. “It can be fun if you play it the right way. Later tonight we can play that game. I’ll be Mr. Montague and you can be my long-suffering secretary.”

  I shot him a dirty look. “That is not funny.”

  “Oh, it’s funny if you think about it.”

  “I don’t want to think about it. In fact ... .” I trailed off when I heard crows cawing. It was much louder than we’d normally hear at this time of night. “Where is that coming from?”

  “What?” Landon’s gaze was on the ice cream truck. “We should get sugared up and go back in the kissing booth.”

  I ignored the suggestion and lifted my eyes to the sky. There, a swarm of black birds circled at the far edge of the town square … almost as if they were stalking prey. “Harbingers.”

  Finally, as if sensing that I was distracted, Landon followed my gaze. His frown was pronounced. “What kind of birds are those?”

  “Crows.”

  “Why are they doing that? This isn’t going to turn into a horror movie, is it?”

  I wasn’t sure. Until this exact moment, I’d forgotten about the birds I saw right before the explosion. “We should head over there.”

  “Why? Crows aren’t scavengers, are they? I doubt they’re circling a body.”

  “No, but a big murder of them appeared right before the blacksmith shop exploded.”

  He stilled. “Murder?”

  “That’s the term for a flock of crows.”

  “You didn’t mention the crows at the blacksmith’s shop.”

  “I forgot. Between Adam dying and the lack of oxygen to my brain, it had slipped right out of my head.”

  Landon didn’t look happy at the news. “Maybe we should stay away from that area if it’s dangerous.”

  “We have to look.” I was firm. “If another fire breaks out ... .”

  “People could be in trouble,” he finished, shaking his head. “I don’t know that I like this, Bay.”

  “Do you have a better suggestion?”

  He didn’t, so we wordlessly headed in that direction. His earlier bacon euphoria had diminished, and that made me sad. That didn’t mean we could shirk our duties.

  When we arrived at the spot the birds were circling, we found a lone figure sitting on a bench. It was a woman; I could make that out right away despite the dwindling light. I had to stare a bit longer, peer through the shadows, to make out the features.

  “Is that Lorna?” Landon asked after a beat.

  I nodded, confused. There was nothing in this area to set on fire. Also, Lorna didn’t appear to be communicating with the birds. Instead, she sat beneath them, staring into nothing.

  “What is she doing?” Landon whispered. “Is she gathering those birds to attack?”

  That was a good question. “I don’t know.”

  “So ... why are they gathering?”

  “I have no idea.” I was flummoxed. “I think we should watch her a bit longer.”

  “Maybe we should try to talk to her.”

  I flicked my eyes to the birds again and shook my head. It wasn’t that I feared them — well, not exactly — but they made me leery. “Let’s just watch for now. We don’t have a reason to question her yet.”

  Landon didn’t look convinced, but he acquiesced. “Okay, but if those birds attack I’m going to be really ticked off.”

  “Better birds than sharks.”

  Eleven

  I was lost in a dream. I realized that right away, but my heart still pounded. The landscape I found myself in was stark. It was Hemlock Cove ... only altered.

  The downtown was dark, red clouds filling the sky. The street lamps were operating, but they cast an eerie pink glow, bordering on magenta.

  “Landon?”

  I knew it was futile to call his name. It was my dream. The odds of him being there were slim. I was doomed to disappointment ... and yet I wanted him anyway.

  “What are you doing here?” The voice that ruthlessly questioned me didn’t belong to the man who I knew was actually sleeping in bed beside me in the real world. When I swiveled, I found Lorna watching me.

  She sat on the same bench I’d seen her on earlier, her expression grave. Behind her, black birds perched on a fence that didn’t exist in real life. All of them watched me with predatory eyes, looking as if they wanted to peck me to death and then tear off strips of my flesh. Of course, that could’ve just been more horror-movie knowledge influencing me.

  �
��What are you doing here?” I shot back, doing my best to appear bold. This Lorna was a figment of my imagination, but I didn’t want to appear meek.

  “I asked you first.”

  “Yeah, well ... I asked you second.”

  There was no amusement in her gaze. “You shouldn’t be here, Bay. You’re separate from what’s going to happen. This doesn’t concern you.”

  “What doesn’t concern me?” I was frustrated. “Did you kill Adam?” It was a ridiculous question given the fact that I was caught in a dream, but still I wanted to know.

  “No. Did you?”

  “Of course not. I tried to save him.”

  “I wanted to save him, too. I tried. I ... really tried.” For the first time since she appeared she showed a hint of real emotion. If I had to give a name to what I saw, it was forlornness. She was legitimately sad. “Still, it’s too late to save him now. If you persist in this, you’ll only put yourself at risk. Is that what you want?”

  “I never want it. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t occasionally happen.”

  “You should stay out of this.”

  Another voice joined the fray. “You really should.”

  I jolted at the new player and frowned when I saw the three ghosts I’d released earlier in the day standing in the middle of the road. I could see through them. The weird lights made them look evil, but I knew that wasn’t the case.

  “I’m sorry for what I did to you.” I meant it. “I didn’t realize I’d summoned you.”

  “That hardly matters now,” the brunette said. “What’s in the past is beyond changing. All you can do now is keep your future safe.”

  “Do you have any advice on how to do that?”

  “Watch the birds.”

  “Watch the birds?” That seemed like a silly statement and yet I understood, deep to my bones, what she said. “The birds are the key, aren’t they?”

  She nodded. “Yes, but you can’t control them. You can only wait for them to tell you where to look.”

  I pursed my lips as I shifted my gaze back to the crows. Suddenly, they and the fence they perched on were closer. “I really wish they wouldn’t look at me that way.”

  “They’re not malevolent,” the brunette warned. “They’re animals. They don’t hate. It’s the person who controls them who gives them their purpose.”

  I turned back to Lorna. “That’s you, right?”

  “Why are you focused on the birds?” she complained. “The birds aren’t important. What’s important is you minding your own business.” There was an edge to her tone, and it was sharp enough that it caused several of the birds to rustle their feathers and caw.

  “I’m not trying to hurt you,” I explained to Lorna. “I only want to know the truth. Did you kill Adam?”

  “How many times must I answer that question?” Her eyes filled with fire at the moment the crows started moving. They were moving in my direction. “Don’t stick your nose in something you don’t understand. This is none of your concern. You need to stay out of it.”

  As the last sentence escaped her mouth, the birds attacked. Instinctively, I covered my head and began to run. Dream logic is a funny thing. Even as I zigged and zagged to escape them, the crows were ahead of me at each turn.

  I shrieked — something I was convinced I would never do in real life — and dropped to my knees as I tried to protect my face from the beaks. “Leave me alone!”

  THE WORDS LEPT FROM my lips as I bolted to a sitting position on my bed. I couldn’t stop from shaking my head and smacking at my hair to make sure no birds had followed me from the dream.

  “Bay, look at me.” Landon was firm as he grabbed my shoulders and forced me to stop freaking out. “You’re okay. It was just a dream.”

  His voice was enough to soothe me. When I saw his features, though, I was so relieved I threw my arms around his neck. “I was looking for you.”

  “Yeah?” He stroked the back of my hair. “Well, you found me. I’m never very far away.”

  That was true. He was always close when I really needed him.

  “What did you dream about?” he asked quietly, his voice laced with concern. “Tell me.”

  “I ... it was weird.”

  “I want to know anyway. Unless it was a sex dream about someone other than me. If that’s the case, keep it to yourself.”

  I laughed. “I only have sex dreams about you ... and the dude who plays Thor. Sometimes you’re even in the dream together.”

  “That is disturbing.” He readjusted to keep me close and lay back against the pillows. “I still want to hear about the dream.”

  I told him, feeling a bit foolish. When I finished, he seemed more confused than I was. “What does that mean?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Is Lorna a killer?”

  “Don’t know. It’s not as if she was really in my head.”

  “No, but you’re intuitive. If you had that dream, there must be a reason.”

  I could think of a few. “The birds. It must’ve been the birds.”

  “That was not normal bird behavior,” he agreed, his hands moving to the base of my neck so he could rub at the tension there. “I can’t help but think you had this dream for a reason.”

  “Maybe it was simply all the ice cream I ate reacting with all the bacon you ate.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe it was something more.”

  “Like what?” I was genuinely interested in his answer.

  “I don’t know, Bay. What I do know, without a shadow of a doubt, is that I love you. I won’t let the birds or anything else get you.”

  I smiled in the darkness as I rested my head on his shoulder. “I never had a doubt in my mind that you would.”

  WHEN BREAKFAST rolled around I was feeling much better. I showered, changed into capris and a T-shirt, and walked with Landon to the inn. We entered through the back door and found Aunt Tillie in the middle of a screaming match with my mother.

  “You’re not the boss of me!” Aunt Tillie’s hands landed on her hips. “I’m the boss of you. I’m older. There’s a pecking order in this family and I’m at the top.”

  “Uh-oh.” Landon grimaced as he regarded my tempestuous great-aunt. She was dressed to impress today, a pair of Wonder Woman leggings offsetting a military coat. She was the queen of clash ... and the purple and green cape only made things worse.

  “There is a pecking order in this family,” Mom agreed, her tone brutally pleasant. “I’m on top. You’re somewhere below ... on the same level with Bay, Clove and Thistle. Do you want to know why?”

  “Because you’re getting way too big for your britches,” Aunt Tillie replied without hesitation. “That’s why.”

  “No, because you often act like a child ... just like them.”

  “Hey.” I was offended by the remark. “I’m rubber and you’re glue,” I started.

  Mom extended a finger in my direction but kept her eyes on Aunt Tillie. “Don’t add to this madness, Bay. I’m not kidding. I’m not in the mood.”

  That was obvious to pretty much everyone. “Why are you even fighting?” I asked after a beat, hoping to smooth things over. “It’s too early for yelling.”

  “It’s never too early for yelling,” Aunt Tillie countered, her gaze withering. “Have I taught you nothing?”

  “Speaking of people who are in trouble.” Mom turned her eyes to me. “It’s come to my attention that you were with Aunt Tillie when she selected this lovely ensemble. Would you like to explain yourself?”

  Oh, well, now I was on the hot seat. I didn’t like that one little bit. “When were we discussing people who were in trouble?”

  “That’s a regular conversation when Aunt Tillie is around,” she replied blandly. “Explain about the outfit.”

  “How am I supposed to explain that outfit? Besides, I was only with her when she had the cape made. The rest is out of my control.”

  Mom didn’t look convinced. “She said you helped her select all of it.”
>
  “And you believe her?” I gestured toward the leggings. “Like I would pair red and yellow with camouflage. Get real.”

  Landon, clearly bored with the conversation, craned his neck. “Where is Peg?”

  “She’s in the dining room entertaining all the witches,” Mom replied. “She’s a big hit.”

  “We’re still getting bacon for breakfast, right?”

  Mom rolled her eyes, but nodded. “We are. You know, if bacon ever makes it on the illegal substances list you’ll have to go to rehab.”

  “It will be totally worth it.” Landon started toward the kitchen, not letting go of my hand. “Come on, Bay. I want to meet these other witches. Is Hazel the Horrible out there?”

  Mom glared. “I see you’ve been getting an earful. I wonder who from.” Her eyes were glittery slits when they landed on me.

  “Hey, I just told him why Aunt Tillie disliked her. I didn’t say anything about my personal preferences.”

  “That’s true,” Landon noted. “Bay is a good girl.” He squeezed my hand. “Now I want to meet the evil witch.”

  Mom made a disgusted sound deep in her throat. “You’ll all be the death of me. Is that what you want?”

  “Better you than me,” Aunt Tillie replied, skating around Mom and hurrying to catch up with Landon and me. “I’ll protect you from Hazel, Landon. Stick close to me.”

  He winked at her. “Always.”

  THE DINING ROOM THRUMMED WHEN we entered. Landon immediately followed the sound of snorting, leaving me to greet women I hadn’t seen in more than a decade.

  “Who’s a good girl?” Landon crooned, dropping to the floor.

  “You really need to get him a pet,” Aunt Tillie muttered, shaking her head.

  “I’ve been thinking about it. What sort of pet doesn’t require a lot of attention and will let Landon pet it for five hours straight?”

  “Other than the attention part, you just described yourself.”

  I scowled. “You’re bugging me.”

  “That’s what I do.”

  I pasted a bright smile on my face when I settled next to Chief Terry. He looked overwhelmed by the sheer number of women at the table. He sent me a welcoming smile and then frowned at Landon.