Collards & Cauldrons

by Bella Falls

  “Oh. That sounds nice,” Abigail uttered.

  Realizing she needed to do both, I offered. “Want me to give you an example?”

  “Please,” she exhaled with a little relief.

  “I always start by closing my eyes and concentrating on the object I’m seeking,” I instructed. “The rhymes seem to come to me whenever I need them, but don’t worry too much. The words are really to help bring your intent into focus and give power to your spell.”

  “So, I could say anything?” asked Abigail.

  “I think so. Here, let me show you.” I closed my eyes for dramatic effect and composed on the fly. “Within our blood, our magic flows and helps to keep us on our toes. To find the ring, please let it work, and if we’re successful, Abs will twerk.”

  Fits of giggles erupted from my cousin, and I internally high-fived myself that I’d gotten her to forget her nerves. “As you can see, I tend to like things on the funny side. But maybe that was a little too zany to really focus us on anything but laughing.”

  Abigail wiped away the moisture around her eyes. “But I haven’t found anything that funny in a long time. I get what you’re trying to do, though.” She caught her breath. “And for the record, I’ve never twerked.”

  “Well, we’ll see what happens when we find the ring,” I threatened.

  She chuckled again and cracked her neck from side to side. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  “I’ll be right here if you need me,” I offered, still irritated at my inability to truly help.

  Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. After a few quiet moments, the left side of her mouth quirked up before she spoke. “I call upon the magic power,” she paused to think. “To help us in our needful hour.”

  I smiled in approval, waiting to hear the rest of it.

  “Our family’s magic is the thing to help us find the missing ring,” she finished all at once, a pleased grin on her lips.

  The smile faded as she concentrated. I wanted to ask her questions but feared the sound of my voice might break whatever connection she’d made.

  “Okay, I’m getting the faintest sense of what we might be looking for. If I was around the person who wanted it, I could see it better. But there’s definitely a faint connection,” my cousin explained.

  I couldn’t help a question from bursting out. “What does it look like for you? Because I usually see a thread of some kind stretching out in front of me that I can tether and tie to me.”

  Abigail opened her eyes. “That’s a really good explanation.”

  “I’ve spent a lifetime trying to explain it to others who can’t experience it,” I shrugged.

  She gave a rueful snort. “And my life has been spent with others who expected me to do exactly what they did.”

  The more she slipped and revealed about our family, the more the picture of what they’d be like tarnished. Maybe I didn’t really want to know what they were like.

  “I’m sorry, I’m distracting you.” I needed to concentrate on finding the ring, not finding where I fit in the world.

  “It’s okay, I’ve still got the connection.” Abigail turned her body this way and that, facing the different directions. She pointed at the door toward the hotel. “Best I can tell, the ring is somewhere that way.”

  I helped her down the steps so she didn’t fall and followed right behind while she walked with slow deliberate steps. When we reached the hall to the lobby, she stopped. A line of people waited in clumps by the door to the courtyard. Word about the outdoor space had made its rounds.

  “There’s too many people. I’m losing the connection.” Abigail did her best to walk through the throng.

  Worried, I rushed in front of her and tried to forge a clear path she could follow. We made it into the lobby, and she stopped again.

  “Don’t tell me you lost it,” I begged.

  A shadow crossed her face. “I’m sorry, Charli. I told you I wasn’t any good.”

  Despite my disappointment, her lack of confidence killed me. I rubbed her arm. “Don’t say that. Like you said, there’s just too many people down here. Everyone’s tired of being cooped up, so high emotions have to be crowding the space in here, which means it would be hard for me, too.”

  “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” She collapsed onto a nearby couch.

  I sat down next to her. “I do want you to feel better, but if anyone understands why your magic wouldn’t work, it’s me. Trust me.”

  She managed to look at me again. “I do trust you. Really. I just wanted to be able to do this for you.”

  “Are you giving up on me or something?” I teased, trying to ignore my disappointment. “Cheer up, Abs, I’m gonna be bugging you to try again a little later. You said it would be helpful if you could be around the person who wanted the object? Well, that person will be coming here late this afternoon. So, let’s make sure you get some rest and then eat a bunch of good food to fuel our search tonight.”

  I stood up and offered Abigail my hand. She gripped it and let me pull her a little off balance as a joke.

  “Okay, I’d be happy to try again.” She paused for a moment, a wrinkle forming between her eyebrows while she considered what to say. “I hope this isn’t out of line, but I wish I’d grown up knowing you.”

  “We can’t change our past, Abs, but we can choose what to do with our present.” I stopped short, too shocked at how much I sounded like Nana. “If you and I choose to, we can take it day by day and see where we end up.”

  She blushed a bright pink. “I’d like that.”

  I caught a glimpse of green hair streaking down a far hall toward the conference rooms. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go speak with someone. Like I said, rest up and prepare to conquer later.”

  Not wanting to lose where I saw the half-dryad rushing to, I left my cousin standing in the middle of the lobby. A cacophony of high-pitched voices rang out from behind one of the closed doors marked for employees only. I knocked on it, and an immediate silence answered.

  “David, are you there?” I whispered. “Let me in.”

  A click of a lock alerted me to try the knob. The door opened, and I found myself staring at a supply room full of small fae, staring up at me with great fear.

  One of them pointed at me with a trembling finger. “Witch.”

  “Don’t worry, she’s on our side. She’s from that town I was telling you about,” David reassured them. “I’ve got some good news to share. I’ve heard through our friends in the kitchen that some of the witches from this city will be coming here tonight to feed you.”

  I nodded without telling him I already knew that information. “Thank you for finding that out for me.” Glancing around the crowded space, I decided to share my gratefulness with them all.

  A tiny sprite peeked out from behind a gnome. “You talk to us like you see us.”

  “I do see you. And I’d be happy to talk to you anytime.” I hoped they wouldn’t be knocking at my door in the middle of the night, but clearly, they were all starving for normal attention.

  “See, I told you she was different.” David stood to his full height, pleased with himself.

  The same sprite raised the toilet brush it held in her hands high in the air. “Then we will help you whatever you need.”

  Agreeing cheers rose to a higher level from all of them, and I begged them to quiet down. “Remember, we don’t want your bosses to know that you’re helping us.”

  David’s eyes widened. “That’s right. You all need to be quieter.”

  I opened the door to leave, thanking them again. The half-dryad followed me out of the closet, closing the rest inside again.

  “I have even better news,” he exclaimed. “The two pixies, Fleet and Flit, have promised me they will give an official statement to the wardens. That means you can stop worrying about your elderly kin now.”

  Without thinking, I hugged David tight in absolute relief and gratitude. “Thank you. It means so much, ever
ything you and all of the fae are doing to help.”

  He let his green hair cover his face to hide his embarrassment. “If I get hugs like that in Honeysuckle, I’ll never leave.”

  “That can be arranged,” I promised, preparing to walk away on a cloud of hope. “Oh, and David?”

  He glanced up at me, still a little dazed from my embrace. “Yes?”

  “I wasn’t kidding about being careful,” I warned. “The last thing I’d want is for something to happen to you because you’re helping us. I don’t think I could live with myself if you got hurt.”

  He promised to be more careful and waved for me to leave. As I turned, I heard the first of his sobs, the kind that came with relief. Knowing he didn’t want me to witness him crying, I hurried down the hallway to go find Nana and tell her the good news.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Because Mason had already done a thorough check for listening spells and declared Nana’s room clean, much to her relief, I went to her room to update her about trying to find the ring with Abigail.

  “I wish Abs could have held onto the connection until we got to a less-populated area of the hotel,” I complained.

  “No, what you wish is that you could be the one tracking the ring instead of her. You’re not foolin’ anyone, Birdy, least of all me.” She ruffled my hair and fetched two water bottles from the tiny fridge.

  We hydrated in silence while I went down my list of things she needed to catch up on. “Oh, Tucker’s doing really well in his new position. He got the wardens to include the courtyard in our borders, so now everyone can get a little sunshine.”

  “I knew that boy would come into his own someday. I’m just sorry it took such extreme circumstances for him to find his footing,” she mused. Now, if only we could convince Leonora to step down, we might be able to assemble the strongest town council Honeysuckle’s ever had.”

  “But wouldn’t that mean Clementine would take her place?” I asked. “It would be weird to have a married couple on the council. Like it might tip the balance of power too far in their favor or something.”

  Nana sat down on the bed opposite me. “It wouldn’t necessarily be Clementine who would take the spot. The position must be filled by a Walker, but that doesn’t mean a direct descendent of the person who vacates the seat. Both you and Matt qualify because of your mother.”

  It wasn’t the first time my grandmother tried to include me in the family legacy of keeping up the town’s special protections. Pretending I could hold a position of power without the blood lineage to support me used to make me feel like I was no different than Matt. Now that I spent some time with Abigail, I couldn’t help but feel a new distance from the woman who practically raised me.

  “I’ve said this before, Nana, just Matt. Not me.” I regretted my words the second they left my mouth. Why would I choose to pick at that old scab? Because my old insecurities were open and raw now that my family tree had sprouted a new branch.

  “Listen here, Charlotte Vivian Goodwin.” Nana held me captive with her famous glare. “You hear your last name? Your family lines run from both the Goodwins and the Walkers.”

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered, realizing my mistake too late.

  Nana held up her hand. “No, I get it. You must be feeling a bit off kilter meeting a new person who shares your blood. But sweet honeysuckle iced tea, Birdy, she doesn’t share any of the memories involving your life. She knows nothing about the bumps and scrapes and trials and tribulations that scarred you just a little bit on the outside and inside.

  “She may get to share new memories and experiences with you. But your foundation in who you are today makes you a Goodwin. And your mother, who loved you to the moon and back, would absolutely support you if you took the Walker position on the town council if she was still living. I dare you to tell me differently.” My grandmother crossed her arms, challenging me.

  Heat rose in my cheeks, and I hated the questions swirling in my head. “Does it bother you that my biological family reached out to me? Do you think I made a mistake meeting with Abigail in the first place?”

  Nana’s bravado dissipated, and she placed both hands on the bed to support her as she scooted forward until our knees touched. “Birdy, look at me.”

  It took me digging down deep to find the courage to face her after such a question. When I did match her gaze, I noticed a mist of tears rim her eyes. My heart trembled to see her hurt.

  “I’m your grandmother and you’re my granddaughter. There’s nothing that will change that. I can’t help but feel a little proprietary when it comes to you and your brother. First you were my son’s children for me to enjoy. But too quickly, you became mine when your mother passed away. It can be hard for me to accept that you and Matt are grownups now, making your own choices.” She ran her fingers through her gray hair with a sigh.

  “You’re not mad at me?” The simple words sounded too much like the little girl inside who’d tried all her life to earn her family’s approval.

  A tear trickled down her weathered cheek, and she placed both hands on my knees. “Oh, sweet bird, of course I’m not. It scares me that I don’t know more about your new relatives and can’t protect you from the possibility that they could hurt you. But you have every right to get to know them and make your own choices about how they fit into your life. In our family, we get to choose who’s a part of it.”

  I launched myself at my grandmother, capturing her in my arms and telling her over and over how much I loved her. The words couldn’t express how my heart would shatter if we couldn’t solve the murder before they arrested her.

  We both allowed ourselves to feel everything. With sniffles and snotty noses, Nana patted me on the back. “Let’s pull up our big witch britches, shall we?” She wiped the moisture off her cheeks with her fingers, then did the same for me with a chuckle.

  A vibrating noise and a ping interrupted our maudlin moment, and I searched for the source. When it happened a second time, I followed the sound to the desk.

  “It’s coming from your purse.” I picked up the leather bag and handed it to my grandmother.

  She dug around for a second and pulled out her spell phone. “Frosted fairy wings, I think Lee figured out how to get these to work. I better use it quick before the local wardens catch on.” Nana dismissed me with a wave of her hand.

  Before I left her room, she stopped me. “Make sure you bring me back a heapin’ plate of good food tonight from the potluck,” she requested.

  My mouth dropped. “How did you know about that?”

  Nana rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you figured it out by now? I know everything.”

  Someday, that woman would have to tell me how she always knew.

  David got word to me late in the afternoon. Like an odd game of telephone, by the time the word reached me through a gnome, who’d heard the word from a sprite, who was told by a pixie, who was sent by the half-dryad, the message got a little mixed up.

  “What do you mean, ‘The witches starve bears?’” I stared at the gnome, waiting for him to reveal the joke. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  He huffed in annoyance and started his whole explanation over again. “I told you I heard it from Trixie who was told by Fleet who was given the message from David. I’m supposed to tell you that the witches starve bears. So, now you’re told.” Raising his hands in the air in exasperation, the gnome left.

  “What an odd guy,” remarked Blythe. “And he totally got things wrong. We witches would never starve a bear or anyone else, for that matter.”

  “If it’s a message from David, then it must have something to do with Peyton’s arrival for this potluck meal.” We didn’t have time to decipher the mistaken code.

  Lavender tapped her lip. “What if he meant the witches are here, not that we would starve a bear?”

  “That works,” agreed her cousin. “Plus, didn’t you say he would let you know when Peyton and her crew showed up? If they’re here, what do you want us to do?
”

  More than anything, we needed to confirm some of the gossip spread to us through the line of diminutive hotel staff. Perhaps the list of over twenty names of people who might have issues with Priscilla could be narrowed down to a smaller number.

  “Right. We’re Southerners, so let’s do what we do best.” I clapped my hands together. “Let’s go down and offer to help set up. Even if they’d rather we didn’t, they’ll be held to their Southern upbringing and be too polite to turn us down. And then do your best to wheedle any information you can.”

  Preparing to go downstairs, I placed my spell phone in my pocket. It had stopped working about a half hour after Lee had gotten them to work once. He’d promised if he could make it happen for that long, then he could solve the problem. I just hoped Nana made the calls she wanted to before they gave out.

  I touched the small lump under my shirt, making sure the mojo bag still hung in place. For good measure, I dabbed a little rose water on my neck. While I placed the small vial next to the one with red oil in it, I paused.

  Mama Lee had explained that some of the properties of the St. John’s oil had something to do with luck. Wanting to use everything I had, I took off my mojo bag from around my neck and, with great care, poured a couple of drops of the oil onto it. Nana’s friend warned me not to use too much, but I really wanted to make sure things went my way tonight. Before I capped the vial, I added one more drop for good measure, and then slipped the bag over my head again and under my shirt.

  Nobody needed good fortune as much as I did to get Peyton talking, and maybe the extra oomph from the Hoodoo rootwork would give me the boost I needed. If I did get lucky and all went well, I intended to complete my important mission before everyone unbuckled their belts, popped the top button of their pants open, and declared themselves full.

  The four of us from Honeysuckle walked down the stairs to the floor below ours to pick up Mason and Ben. When we got close to Abigail’s room, I told them I’d catch up. Abigail had said she might be able to pick up a stronger connection if she were close to a person who wanted the item. With Peyton in the hotel, we wouldn’t have a better chance for her to succeed. We needed her help.