I raised my hand again. “Isn’t there only one yeti in town?” And he owned Icebergs, the premiere place for ice cream and water ice.
The muscle in Lady Weatherby’s cheek twitched. “It’s simply an example.”
“Okay,” I said weakly.
“The Blowback spell, please, Sophie.”
I was a little nervous about this one. My lower back ached on a good day. I could only guess how it would feel after a spell knocked me on my butt.
Sophie aimed her wand at me and my body stiffened. “Step on a crack/suffer blowback.”
Lady Weatherby flew backward and slammed against the desk. Beakers and other glass containers scattered to the floor, breaking into pieces. Purple and green liquid oozed in the cracks in the floorboards.
Sophie covered her face with her hands, mortified. “I’m so sorry, Lady Weatherby. My wand must not have been pointed straight.”
Since I’d been the one staring down the barrel of it, I could assure her the wand was perfectly straight.
Lady Weatherby regained her composure, smoothing her clothes and tucking a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. “As I said earlier, the witch’s will is just as important as the wand and the incantation.”
She snapped her fingers and the glass fragments reformed with the relevant liquids inside. I was desperate to know how she did that without a wand or incantations. She snapped her fingers the same way every time, yet the outcome was different. I suppose that was the type of skill level that differentiated beginners from experts.
Sophie’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and she took her seat without another word.
“A wand can be dangerous in the wrong hands, Miss Hart,” Lady Weatherby said. “That is why training is crucial for witches. And that is why we insist that you take your role as a witch very seriously.”
“Yes, Lady Weatherby.”
“Your homework is to work on these spells with your classmates. Listen and learn.”
“But I don’t have a wand,” I objected.
“Listen and learn, Miss Hart,” she repeated. “I didn’t say perform the spells yourself. It’s too soon.”
I didn’t argue. Part of me agreed with her. A wand in my incapable hand was a recipe for disaster. Sophie nearly knocked Lady Weatherby through a wall, simply because she disliked her. Her true feelings betrayed her. I understood that. I wasn’t very good at hiding my emotions either.
“Witches, be sure to take Miss Hart for her owl. She’ll be needing one sooner rather than later. We won’t want her to miss any important announcements.”
An owl? I was getting an owl?
“Class dismissed.”
“Where do we go for an owl?” I asked, once we’d left school. “The forest?”
The other witches laughed.
“Paws and Claws,” Millie said. “It’s the animal rescue center in town.”
“Right next to Petals,” Laurel added.
We crossed the main road and headed to the town square. The clock tower loomed in front of us.
Paws and Claws was tucked between the flower shop on the corner and Wands-A-Plenty. Several black cats ran to greet us when we entered.
“Do you need a familiar?” Millie asked.
“Is that what you call cats here?”
They laughed.
“No, silly,” Laurel said. “You’ve never heard of a witch’s familiar?”
I shook my head.
“Allow me to enlighten you,” a man said, presumably the owner of the shop. Based on his short stature and the points of his ears, I wagered we were dealing with another elf.
“Emma, this is Chip,” Sophie said. “He owns the rescue center.”
“I’m an elf, in case you were wondering,” Chip said with a friendly smile.
I knew he was an elf because I’d read the file in Gareth’s office about the shoplifting charges against him. Seeing him in person, Chip didn’t strike me as the shoplifting type. I was glad it had been a misunderstanding.
“Witch familiars are animal spirits that serve as a witch’s guide or assistant in this world,” Chip explained.
“Or simply as a companion,” Sophie added. “My cat doesn’t do any household chores.”
“I gather this is all new to you,” Chip said.
“It is,” I agreed. “Still getting used to the idea of vampires and werewolves in my neighborhood.”
“It’s those harpies you should be concerned about,” Chip said, and his expression soured.
“Which harpies?”
“Your neighbors.” He arched a pencil thin eyebrow. “You haven’t met the Minors yet? Consider yourself lucky.”
“Now Chip,” Begonia chastised him. “Let her decide for herself.”
“Calliope’s really nice,” Millie added. “We play tennis together at the club.”
“Stay far away from Octavia,” Chip warned. “She’s the grandmother. If she senses weakness, she’ll eat you alive.”
Laurel looked at me with solemn eyes. “No, really. She will literally eat you alive.”
I swallowed hard. I’d make darn sure I kept my yard tidy and took my trashcans in straight after each collection. I didn’t want to give the harpies a reason to dislike me.
“I take it you’re here for an owl,” Chip said.
“She is,” Sophie said. “Lady Weatherby sent us.”
“Then I shall put it on the coven’s tab,” he said. “Any type of owl in mind?”
“Take her in the back and let her see,” Begonia urged.
“What will I do with an owl?” I asked.
“The owl is like your personal assistant,” Chip explained. “He or she will deliver messages, run errands, and attend certain classes with you.”
The four witches nodded.
“They’re indispensable,” Millie said.
“They keep the mice away too,” Laurel added.
“How is it different from a familiar?” I asked.
Sophie’s nose scrunched. “Well, because they’re owls.”
We stepped into the back room and my eyes lit up. It was as though we’d entered another building entirely. The room’s ceiling was so high, I couldn’t even see it. Animals were everywhere I turned. Cats, dogs, hamsters, owls, and snakes. And then there were the more unusual animals—a three-headed dog, a fish-tailed goat, and a horned animal I didn’t recognize.
“You’ve rescued all of these?” I asked.
“Yes,” Chip replied. “Some have been here since the town was cursed and their owners have passed or abandoned them. Others wander in from the forest.”
“Why can’t animals cross the town border?” I asked. “They’re not all supernatural.”
“Oh, some can,” Chip said. “It’s just that the area is so remote and prone to snow in the winter, I wouldn’t dream of setting them loose there. Their chances of survival would be minimal.”
Several owls swooped above our heads. Chip didn’t seem to believe in cages.
The elf whistled and a brown owl landed on his arm. “This is Tonto.” He addressed the owl. “Tonto, this is Emma. She’s in need of an owl.”
The owl cocked its head and studied me with its round eyes. After a moment, he flew off.
“That’s a no then,” I said. Rejected by an owl. That was a new low, even for me.
“Don’t worry,” Laurel said. “You’ll know the right owl when you see it.”
“Incoming,” a voice said. “Break left.”
I jumped to the left and narrowly avoided being doused with bird poop. I glanced up to see a spotted owl gliding to a nearby tree branch.
“Thanks for the warning,” I said.
Everyone looked at me.
“I dodged a bullet there,” I said, and pointed to the poop on the ground next to me.
“We didn’t warn you,” Sophie said.
“I know. The owl did.”
They exchanged surprised glances.
“The owl spoke to you?” Chip asked, not bothering to
contain his excitement.
“Yes, that one,” I said. I pointed to the sullen owl on the tree branch.
“Sedgwick,” Chip whispered. “Of course.” He let loose a shrill whistle. “Sedgwick, come down here.”
“I’m coming,” the owl said. “No need to burst anyone’s eardrum.”
I laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Begonia asked.
“The owl is,” I said. “Why can’t you hear him? Isn’t it a witch thing?”
“We are only able to speak to our cats,” Millie explained. “The owls understand us, but we don’t communicate with them telepathically.”
Then why could I? I stood quietly for a moment and realized I couldn’t hear all the owls. Only Sedgwick.
The spotted owl landed on Chip’s outstretched arm.
“So are you going to be my new mommy?” the owl asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Um, I don’t know,” I said.
The owl’s yellow eyes bore into mine. “What kind of witch are you? I sense power but also…you reek of humans.”
“That makes sense,” I said. “Because I only found out I was a witch recently. I’ve lived as a human for the past twenty-five years.”
“You don’t need to speak out loud to me,” Sedgwick said. “I can hear you just fine if you talk to me in your head.”
I realized that everyone was still staring at me.
“He understands me,” I said. “He said I can talk to him telepathically.”
Chip offered his arm. “Would you like to hold him?”
I’d never held an owl before. He looked heavy. “How much does he weigh?”
“Hey,” Sedgwick objected. “That’s personal.”
“About two pounds,” Chip said. So not heavy at all.
“Snitch,” Sedgwick snapped.
I held out my arm and Sedgwick hopped over to perch there. My arm dipped a bit at first, but then I easily kept him aloft.
“So he’ll come to class with me?” I asked. I hoped he didn’t cause any trouble with Lady Weatherby. Then again, she wouldn’t be able to hear his caustic remarks.
“Not every day,” Begonia said. “We’ll let you know when.”
“I feel confident that Sedgwick is your familiar,” Chip said.
“But shouldn’t it be a cat?” I asked. “Does anyone have an owl?”
“Not in Spellbound,” Chip said. “But it’s probably because your coven is different from the one here. Most of the witches trapped in this town can trace their ancestry back to the same coven.”
“I don’t know anything about my coven,” I said.
“The fact that you have a link to owls will give you a place to start,” he assured me.
“This is so cool,” Laurel said. “My owl is boring.”
“Yes, but Delilah is lovely,” Millie said. “All of our cats are lovely.”
“They are.” Chip beamed with pride as though he’d made the cats himself.
I lifted the owl closer to my face. “How about it, Sedgwick?” I said. “Do you want to come and live in the most depressing house you’ve ever seen?”
Whatever. I don’t wake up before noon and under no circumstances will I do dishes, Sedgwick said.
“You have a deal.”
Chapter Six
The sound of a church organ brought me to my feet. I was going to have to replace that doorbell. It didn’t suit me at all. In fact, it made my skin crawl.
I opened the door to see two squat fairies on the front porch. One clutched a bucket and the other clutched a mop.
“Hi there,” the fairy with the yellow wings said. “I’m Bernadette and this is Lila. We run Fairy No-Dust. It occurred to us that you might want a little help cleaning up your new home.”
Her smile was so bright, I resisted the urge to grab my sunglasses, except, of course, that I no longer owned sunglasses. They were back in my apartment, along with the rest of my human belongings.
“You will definitely have your work cut out for you,” I said. “Parts of the house have been a bit neglected.”
They clapped their hands in unison.
“Delightful,” Bernadette said.
Behind them, two more fairies appeared.
“You brought reinforcements already?” I queried.
Bernadette whipped around. “Back off, Kendra. This is our turf.”
The fairy presumably named Kendra landed on the porch with grace and ease. She popped a hand on her slender hip. “You don’t own the northwest corner, Bernie.”
Bernadette folded her arms. “We got here first.”
Kendra muscled her way between them. “Hi, I’m Kendra and this is my business partner, Fiona. We own The Magic Touch. If you want this place to sparkle like a diamond, we’re your fairies.”
Well, I wouldn’t mind the place sparkling like a diamond. I certainly wasn’t capable of making that happen with my lack of upper body strength.
“How much do you charge?” I asked. “I don’t have any money yet.” In fact, I had no idea when or how much I got paid. It wasn’t exactly a typical job offer.
“You can owe us,” Bernadette said quickly. “We take IOUs from respectable citizens.”
Kendra stood directly in front of Bernadette. “You can owe us, too. A standing order. Or we’d even consider a trade of some kind.”
Bernadette raised a pale eyebrow. “Like what? The next time one of you gets arrested, she’ll defend you for free?”
The next time? I tried to imagine what kind of criminal mischief the fairies might be involved in.
“How about this?” I ventured. “Bernadette, your team can do downstairs and Kendra’s team can do upstairs. Whichever team does the best job wins the contract.”
The fairies exchanged smug looks.
“You’re on,” Bernadette said, more to her arch nemesis than to me.
“Name the time and place,” Kendra said.
“Um, I think we know the place,” I said awkwardly.
Kendra continued to try to outstare her competition without blinking. “Then just name the time.”
“I need to go out,” I said. “If you want to start now.” I wasn’t about to look a gift cleaning fairy in the mouth.
“We can do now,” Bernadette said.
“So can we,” Kendra replied.
“Don’t let the owl out of the house and watch out for the cat,” I warned them. “He’s not exactly the warm and fuzzy kind.”
“Oh, cats love us,” Kendra said. “Don’t worry about a thing.”
“Cats love us, too,” Bernadette said and paused, unsure what additional evidence she could provide. “A lot. They love us a lot.”
“And please don’t touch Gareth’s belongings,” I added. “I’ll take care of them another time.” I wanted to go through everything and make appropriate piles, although I suspected the lion’s share of items would fall into the ‘donate’ pile.
“We won’t need to touch any of his things,” Bernadette sang. “We’ll simply give the place a good scrub. Clear away those nasty cobwebs on the main floor.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Sounds perfect. I’ll be at Gareth’s office if anyone needs me.” It sounded like such an odd thing to say. I also wasn’t sure how anyone would reach me if they needed to, since phones didn’t seem to exist here.
Feeling excited by the prospect of a clean house, I grabbed a shoulder bag and began the long walk into town.
Gareth’s office was remarkably neater than his house. File folders were stacked on the corner of the desk. A quill and inkpot rested in front of me. I plucked the top folder from the pile and flicked through it. The paperwork was all about Mumford’s case. There wasn’t much there, to be honest. One of the council members had said the evidence against Mumford was flimsy and this file seemed to support his statement.
A door opened to what I thought was a closet and a head popped through it. The head was covered with a crimson headscarf.
I screamed and nearly fell off my chai
r.
“Ah, there you are,” a woman said. “You must be my new boss.”
Not a closet then.
She entered the office and stood in front of the desk. She was tall, nearly six feet, and her cheekbones looked as chiseled as the fountain statues.
“I’m Althea,” she said, her brow creasing. “Did no one tell you about me?”
“Sorry, no,” I replied, my heart still pounding. I regained my composure and smiled. “You’re Gareth’s assistant?”
“I was.” She lowered her head and I was sure I heard the faint sound of hissing.
“What’s that noise?” I asked.
Althea paused to listen. “I don’t hear anything.”
“It sounds like hissing.”
Her face lit up. “Oh. You hear the snakes.”
“Do we have an office pet?” I asked slowly.
Althea patted her headscarf. “No. They’re here. I keep them covered so I don’t turn you to stone. The hazards of being a Gorgon in the modern world.”
I stared at her. Did my new assistant just tell me she was a Gorgon?
“You seem taken off guard,” Althea said. “Don’t worry. I don’t bite. They do,” she said, glancing upward, “but I don’t let them out unless it’s for self-defense. There’ve been a few incidents with werewolves in the pub where I had to let the girls out, you see.”
“I…I’ve never met a Gorgon before.” I didn’t know what else to say. Telling her that she scared the living daylights out of me probably wasn’t the best start to our professional relationship.
“There are three of us in Spellbound,” she said. “I work here. My older sister, Miranda, has her own photography studio and my younger sister, Amanda, makes garden gnomes.”
“Makes them?” I pictured gnomes running for their lives as Amanda turned them to stone for the residents’ garden pleasure.
“The old-fashioned way,” she said, and then laughed. “I guess technically our way is the old-fashioned way, but you know what I mean.”
“So how long did you work for Gareth?” I asked.
Althea sighed. “Many years. He was wonderful. A heart of gold. Not easy to find in a vampire. Trust me, I’ve looked.”
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