Spellbinding Starters

by Annabel Chase

  "Hudson Rose-Nash," she yelled. The sound was so unexpected coming from her elegant frame that my whole body jerked in response. "Get your hairy butt in here and clean up this mess like I told you."

  I tried to disguise my amused surprise. This was not the Linnea I’d met at all. She’d definitely been on her best behavior then.

  A shaggy-haired boy appeared in the doorway. "What do you mean? I did clean up."

  His mother stretched out her arms. "Do you call this cleaned up? It looks like a vampire’s nest in here. All that's missing is blood."

  Hudson began begrudgingly collecting his pairs of shoes. "You don't know what you're talking about. You've never even seen the inside of a vampire's nest."

  "You don't know that," Linnea said. "My younger days were wild. How do you think I ended up with your father?"

  It occurred to me that Hudson didn't have the white-blond hair indicative of a Rose. Like Marley and me. I felt an instant connection to him.

  Hudson stopped picking up his shoes when he noticed us. "Mom, you didn't tell me the company was here."

  "Why do you think I told you to clean up your mess? We're having dinner, remember?"

  Hudson frowned. "Are you cooking?"

  Her hands flew to her hips. "Don't you start with me, young man. My cooking is excellent. If it wasn't, this inn would not be nearly as successful."

  He lifted a pair of sandals. "Tourists don't come for your cooking, Mom. I hate to tell you."

  “You don’t hate to tell me anything,” Linnea retorted. “That’s the problem. Where's your sister? Half of this stuff is hers."

  "She kept saying one more page," Hudson said. "You know how she gets when she's reading."

  Linnea cupped her hands around her mouth and bellowed, "Bryn Rose-Nash, front and center."

  Marley and I exchanged glances. A willowy brunette appeared, her hair pulled up in a high ponytail. She had her mother's striking features, but presumably her father's brown eyes and hair.

  "Cool, the cousins are here." She closed her book and set it aside. "I'm Bryn. You must be Ember and Marley."

  "What are you reading?" Marley asked.

  "Oh, that? It's way too old for you. It's a romance novel."

  I shot a quizzical look at Linnea. She was allowing her fourteen-year-old daughter to read romance novels? I was no prude, but I was pretty sure they contained a lot of sex. Linnea didn’t seem to register her daughter’s remark.

  "Why don't you two keep your cousins entertained while I get started in the kitchen?" Linnea said, looking a little stressed out.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked. Offers of assistance were not my usual gut response, but Linnea seemed to need a hand.

  Her relief was palpable. "Would you mind? I can tell you what you need to do."

  "It's no trouble at all," I said. "Marley will be fine in here getting to know her cousins.” I assumed.

  "Absolutely," Bryn said. "I can show her my room. And Hudson has every video game console imaginable in his, if you like that sort of thing."

  I left Marley to the impulses of her teenaged cousins and followed Linnea into the kitchen. This room was just as disorganized as the living space. There were dishes on the counter and cups and mugs scattered everywhere. I couldn't tell which were clean and which were dirty. Yikes. And I thought I was sloppy.

  "Is this where you cook for your guests at the inn?” I asked.

  She shook her head. "No, there’s a bigger kitchen on the main floor. This whole lower level is our private space. It was converted years ago, before we even bought it." She shook her head. "I mean, before I even bought it."

  "You originally bought this with your ex-husband?"

  “We originally bought it together…with my money. We fixed up what needed fixing. Then I did all the work while he kept himself busy getting acquainted with all the young women in town."

  I couldn't imagine anyone cheating on Linnea. I would have thought her beauty and family name alone would've kept a man in line. If a guy didn’t want to be faithful to her, what chance did I have? Karl and I were only married for six years before he died. Who knows? Maybe he would have strayed eventually, too.

  "So Bryn and Hudson don't have the Rose coloring," I said. "They’re like Marley and me."

  She pulled a pan from a lower cupboard and set it on the counter. "They’re not members of the coven either."

  "Why not? Is it because they’re half-breeds?"

  "When you have a child with another paranormal, you run the risk of not producing a witch or a wizard. Both of my kids ended up full werewolf. No witch genes.” She shrugged. “It happens.”

  I bet Aunt Hyacinth had a coronary when they were born.

  "So they can't do any magic?"

  She shook her head ruefully. "Nope. No magical abilities whatsoever. It nearly sent my mother into hibernation for a year after Hudson was born. She thought at least one of them would carry on the Rose genes."

  Hang on a hot minute. The gears in my brain began to click. Werewolves. Nash. “Is your ex-husband related to the sheriff?”

  Linnea nodded. “Wyatt is Granger’s older brother.”

  “Is that why the sheriff doesn’t like our family very much?” I asked. “Because of your divorce?”

  “Sticks and wicks, no.” She shook her head and more pieces of hair fell from the braid. “Granger never liked the way my family treated his brother. Mostly Mother, as you can imagine. My father stayed out of it, for the most part. He tried to balance my mother.” She smiled to herself. “He failed most of the time.”

  “How long ago did your father die?” I asked.

  “About ten years ago,” she replied. “He suffered a stroke and went downhill from there.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. I knew how it felt to lose a father. I was only twenty-eight and I’d already lost mine as well as Marley’s dad. Life sucked sometimes.

  "At least you married for love," I said, trying to look on the bright side. "You didn't marry another wizard just so you could make your mom happy and have children in the coven."

  She bit her lip. "There are days when I regret my choice, but then I look at my kids and my heart melts. Even when they leave their crap all over the house."

  I surveyed the kitchen. “Tell me what you need me to do.”

  She shifted the cutting board across the counter and placed it in front of me. "There's a knife right there. If you wouldn't mind chopping these peppers, that would be a big help."

  "Can’t you use magic to make things easier?" I asked. She seemed so harried, I would have thought magic like her mother used would improve the quality of her life.

  "To be honest, I use magic a lot, especially for the inn. The thing you'll learn is that magic wipes you out when you use too much of it. Half the reason I'm so tired is because I used magic today to get the inn ready for the influx of guests over the weekend."

  I started chopping slowly, careful not to knick myself. "So you have a set amount of energy and then it gets depleted?"

  "Something like that," she said. "I should have had you come for dinner on a day when I didn't have to deal with the inn as much. I wasn't thinking when I invited you. I was so eager for you to meet my kids."

  "Of course," I said. "It doesn't matter to us. It's not like we’ve been around magic so long that we expect it.” I wished I were more advanced so that I could help her right now. The best I could do was try not to slice off my finger while I chopped.

  "What about Aster?" I asked. “Is she married to a wizard?"

  Linnea pursed her lips. "Of course she is. Aster does everything right. That's why she's Mother's favorite."

  "I guess Florian still has the potential to become her favorite," I said.

  Linnea blurted a loud laugh. "He'd have to get his life in order first. He refuses to settle down. Mother would like nothing more than to marry him off to the right sort of witch and produce lots of coven babies."

  "So what's stopping him?" I asked. />
  "It started when our dad died," Linnea said. "Florian became stuck in this man-child state. He's got a Peter Pan complex like I've never seen."

  "He's a good-looking guy," I said. "There must be a line of girls wanting to take a crack at marrying him."

  Linnea busied herself preparing the roast. "You'd better believe it. It's pretty much a Starry Hollow sport, watching to see which girl catches his eye next.”

  "Does he only date coven witches?"

  "Hardly. I think he avoids them on purpose, just to aggravate Mother. He goes through phases. His paranormal of choice at the moment seems to be fairies."

  "With the big smiles and sparkles, I can see the allure. Like strippers with wings.”

  Linnea laughed. "You’re a breath of fresh air, Ember. Do you know that? Mother isn't going to know what to do with you."

  "To be fair, she’s been nothing but generous. I hope I don't piss her off."

  "I hope you don't either. You do not want to see the bad side of Mother. Trust me on that. I saw it for years after I married Wyatt."

  Together, we finished preparing dinner and the kids set the table with minimal objection. It was a relaxed affair with lots of plate passing and only two spills—the first was Hudson's glass of milk and the second was my beer. Something called Moonglow. Linnea managed to summon enough magic to clean up the mess. The dinner seemed to restore her energy. Maybe food was fuel for magic as well as the body. I had to remember that. Not that I needed an excuse to eat more.

  "How are you enjoying school?" Linnea asked Marley.

  "It's great so far," Marley said. "I have Mr. Fuller and he seems like a smart guy."

  Hudson nodded. "I had Fuller in the middle school. He was decent."

  "So you're both in Starry Hollow High School?" I asked.

  They nodded in unison.

  "We don't see each other much in school though," Bryn said. "I avoid him as much as possible.”

  "Suits me fine," Hudson said. "I don't need you and your smelly girlfriends gaping at me."

  "No one gapes at you, dog breath," she said.

  "No name-calling at the table," Linnea said.

  "I take dog breath as a compliment," Hudson said. "At least I don't have a crush on a vampire."

  Linnea’s brow lifted. "Bryn has a crush on a vampire?"

  Bryn folded her arms and glared at her brother. "I do not have a crush on him. He has a crush on me."

  "Who is this?" Linnea asked. "Why is this the first time I'm hearing about it?"

  "Because you’re too busy with the inn to pay attention," Bryn snapped.

  Linnea's face fell. She looked genuinely crushed by the accusation.

  "Don't act like I don't spend time with you," Linnea said. "Sometimes you make it difficult to want to spend time with you."

  "Thanks a lot, Hudson," Bryn said. "Now you've made mom upset."

  Hudson pushed back his chair. "I'm not the one who started it."

  "Did too," Bryn said.

  I suddenly was thankful that Marley was an only child. And that I was, too, for that matter. I wondered whether Linnea had lived through similar interactions with her siblings. Somehow I couldn't see Aunt Hyacinth tolerating this kind of behavior at the table or anywhere else.

  “So did either of you know Fleur?” I asked, hoping to steer the subject away from arguments.

  “Not me,” Hudson said. “She was a junior. She had no interest in mixing with seventh graders.”

  “She was quiet, but pretty popular,” Bryn said. “Hard not to be popular when you looked like her.”

  “Bryn, you’re a stunning girl,” Linnea said quickly.

  “Not like her or you,” Bryn said. “I didn’t get the witch genes.”

  I touched my dark head. “Neither did we.”

  “Yes, but at least you’re still witches,” Bryn said. “I didn’t get the looks or the magic.”

  Ah, the angst of a teen girl. Bryn was athletic, pretty, and smart. She had no clue that the odds were already stacked in her favor.

  “I knew Fleur from the coven, of course,” Linnea said. “The Maiden played a very important role.”

  “That’s what I was told,” I said. “Like the shadow to the High Priestess.”

  Linnea nodded. “The Maiden is chosen very carefully. It’s a great honor to serve. And to die from hemlock…”

  “Hemlock?” I repeated. “That’s the cause of death?”

  Linnea nodded. “Mother told me earlier today. They found hemlock in her system. It’s a poisonous plant.”

  “I’ve heard of it,” I said. “Her family must be devastated.”

  Tears swelled in Linnea’s eyes. “I can only imagine their grief.” Her gaze darted to Bryn. “Losing a child…It’s the worst imaginable fate.”

  My chest tightened at the thought of losing Marley. Losing Karl and my father had been hard enough. Marley would be pure devastation.

  “I hope the sheriff catches the killer soon,” Linnea said. “Starry Hollow doesn’t need a murderer on the loose, especially one that targets teenaged girls.”

  “Are you sure we can’t use Bryn as bait?” Hudson asked.

  Linnea’s eyes narrowed at her son. I watched as his cup of milk drifted above his head and tipped, pouring the white liquid all over him. Okay, so three spills total, but only one was deliberate.

  “Hey,” Hudson objected, wiping his face with his napkin. “No magic at the table.”

  “It’s my table,” Linnea said. “I’ll do as I please.”

  She snapped her fingers and a towel appeared on Hudson’s head. He used it to wipe off the rest of the milk. Linnea snapped her fingers again and the towel disappeared. I wondered if magic would ever come that easily to me. I’d probably need a wand and a spell book for the rest of my life, One True Witch descendant or not.

  “Before I forget,” Linnea said, “let me know if you need any help finding a white dress for the induction ceremony.”

  I nearly choked on my beer. “The what?”

  Linnea frowned. “The coven induction ceremony. Hasn’t Mother told you?”

  “That would be a big, fat no,” I said.

  “You need to be officially admitted to the coven,” Linnea said. “There will be a short ceremony tomorrow night because we need the full moon.”

  “Then yes,” I said. “I can tell you right now I need help finding a white dress, preferably not one with cat faces all over it.”

  Bryn and Hudson laughed.

  “It’s atrocious, isn’t it?” Bryn said.

  Linnea spread her palms flat. “Please, for Nature’s sake, no one say anything about the kaftan. Mother loves it.”

  “Speaking of cats, is yours around?” Marley asked. “I’d love to see it.”

  “Marley’s a big fan of cats,” I explained. “Our neighbor, Miss Kowalski, had three.”

  “No cat, I’m afraid,” Linnea said. “I married a werewolf. My kids are werewolves. The last thing this house of chaos needs is an uppity cat.”

  Fair enough. “Will I have one?” I asked. Because I wasn’t sure how PP3 would react to sharing a house with a cat. He was pretty much set in his ways at this point.

  “It’s not a requirement,” Linnea said. “Sometimes the familiar finds you. You’ve only been here a short while. Maybe there’s a familiar out there, waiting for its time.”

  That sounded too close to stalking for my liking.

  Marley, on the other hand, was only too eager to expand our family. “I think PP3 would love a cat buddy.”

  “Doubtful,” I said, “but I’ll take it under advisement.”

  “That’s what you say when you mean no,” Marley said, pouting.

  “I’ll make you a deal. If a cat is ballsy enough to walk up to me and form a telepathic connection with the nonsense that bangs around in my head, then she has earned the right to live with us. How about that?”

  Marley smiled. “We have a deal.”

  Chapter Nine

  “Let me adjust yo
ur wreath,” Aster said. “If the wind blows hard enough, you’ll lose it completely.” I stood in my bedroom as Aster and Linnea put the final touches on my ceremony ensemble.

  “That’s happened to me more times than I can count,” Linnea added. “Witches love to show off and blow the wind around. Very atmospheric.”

  My brow creased. “Wait, the ceremony is actually outside?”

  “Of course it is,” Aster replied. “What did you expect?”

  “A cozy indoor gymnasium? A banquet room at a local hotel?”

  The sisters laughed.

  “We’re called the Silver Moon coven,” Linnea said. “All of our major events take place under the watchful gaze of the moon and stars.”

  “So that’s why the Maiden’s hat was silver with that circle in the front?” I queried.

  “It’s not a hat, silly,” Aster said. “It’s a circlet.”

  I snapped my fingers. “That’s right. A circlet. It reminds me of Wonder Woman’s but daintier.”

  “Now the key to surviving the ceremony is remaining quiet,” Linnea said, running a brush through my tangled dark hair.

  “Surviving?” I echoed. “Is it dangerous?”

  “Only if you consider Aunt Hyacinth’s wrath dangerous,” Aster said.

  “Which it is,” Linnea added.

  “Right, so not literal survival,” I said, and breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s a shame Marley can’t come. She’d get a kick out of the whole thing.”

  “Next year,” Linnea said. “When her magic manifests. There’s a special ceremony for new members.”

  “Isn’t that me?” I asked.

  Linnea frowned. “Yours is a special case. The new member ceremony is designed for young girls, welcoming them to womanhood.”

  “So mine is…a fake ceremony?” I asked.

  “No, no,” Aster assured me. “Nothing like that. An induction is just different. Plus, you’re a Rose. Descendants of the One True Witch get special treatment.”

  No kidding.

  “Are you sure I don’t need to wear anything under this?” I asked. The white shift dress seemed flimsy for a nighttime outdoor activity.

  “It’s not too chilly,” Aster said. “You should be fine.”