“That sounds like a great way to live to me,” Astra drawled.
Cooper shot her a quelling look. “And that’s why you’re destined to live your life without true fulfillment. You want power. You’re incapable of understanding that true power comes from love.”
Astra rolled her eyes. “Only a sap would believe anything of the sort.”
“Then I guess I’m a sap.”
“You’re definitely a sap.” Astra pasted what could’ve passed as a friendly smile on her face as she regarded Bettina. Hannah recognized the expression as predatory but didn’t comment. She figured the relationship between Astra and Bettina was for them to figure out. She didn’t want to get involved. “You can’t close the nexus forever, no matter what she says. I’ve researched it. That’s not how it works.”
Bettina hunkered down and grazed her fingers over the water. She seemed to be fascinated with the tactile nature of the world, Hannah noted. When she was locked away for centuries, unable to touch anything, she’d lost her bond with humanity. Now she was trying to regain at least a semblance of it.
“I don’t want to close the nexus,” Bettina explained. “I want to empty it.”
Hannah couldn’t hide her surprise. “Is that possible?”
“Anything is possible.”
“Empty it?” Astra was positively sputtering now. “Do you have any idea how much magic you’re talking about?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Bettina managed a smile as she stood. It was something straight out of a horror movie, made even worse by the fact that she was inhabiting a teenager’s body when she graced us with it. “The only way to ensure that Amelia never comes back is to empty the nexus. To do that, the magic of the nexus needs to be absorbed – I believe I’m the only candidate capable at this time – and kept from her even as she’s ripped from this world and trapped in the next.”
Hannah pressed her lips together. She’d suspected that was Bettina’s plan — heck, she’d almost admitted it on more than one occasion — but hearing it laid out in such a blunt manner had her stomach clenching. “Will Angel survive you absorbing that much energy?”
Slowly, Bettina tracked her eyes to Hannah. “I know you worry about the girl, perhaps incessantly so. I have no intention of hurting her.”
“You’ve taken her over,” Hannah argued. “You’re already hurting her.”
“She doesn’t realize what’s going on. She’s buried, living in dreams. When she wakes, it will be as if she’s slept for a long time. She will be able to reclaim her life.”
“She’d better.” Hannah shifted her attention to Astra. “I take it you haven’t seen Stormy.”
“No, and I don’t ever want to see her again.” Astra was petulant. “If she dares show up at my store, I’ll kill her.”
“You don’t have the power to kill her,” Bettina countered. “You’re strong for what you are, but you’re not at the same level. My sister has been able to build her power base for centuries. You’re just a witch.”
Rage kindled in the depths of Astra’s eyes. “I’m more than just a mere witch.” She jerked her thumb at Hannah. “She’s just a witch. I’m so much more than that.”
Rather than agree, Bettina let loose a hollow laugh. “You believe that. I can see you do. Ego is something that can ravage a soul, though. You need to realize that or you will fall victim to power just as Amelia has.”
“I’m the most powerful witch this land has seen in ages,” Astra argued, refusing to back down. “That’s why you need me when it comes time to kill Stormy. You can’t do it without me.”
“I need magic to help open the nexus,” Bettina corrected. “It doesn’t have to be your magic. Her magic, however, will be necessary.” She inclined her head toward Hannah. “She’s much stronger than you.”
Astra made a disgusted face. “She’s new at this.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“She doesn’t even know what she’s doing,” Astra insisted.
“That also doesn’t matter.” Bettina scuffed her shoe against the muddy earth next to the creek. “Her magic is instinctive. She’s tied to this land through her grandmother ... and her ancestry. She’s one of my father’s descendants.”
“So am I.” Astra was adamant. “I’m just as strong as her.”
“You’re not.” Bettina refused to back down. “I can sense the magic of others, and while you’re strong for the witches that wander the land at this time, you’re not stronger than Hannah. Her blood boils with magic. It was awakened when she arrived here. She grows stronger every single day ... while you diminish.”
Astra was incredulous. “I don’t diminish. How can you even say something like that?”
“Because it’s the truth. Your soul is tarnished by greed. That eats at your magic, erases it, devours it. Hannah is pure of heart. She wants to help others. The nexus knows that and feeds her.”
Hannah swallowed hard. The fact that Bettina seemed to know more about her magic than she did made her uncomfortable. “How can you know that?” she asked. “The stuff about the nexus feeding me, I mean. I don’t feel that, so it seems weird to me that you can know that.”
The chuckle Bettina let loose was hollow. “My magic is tied to the nexus, as is your magic. You’re a child when it comes to knowledge regarding the power this land provides, naïve to the point of distraction. Everything you do is instinctive. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“The other witch wants the power because she yearns to be stronger than anyone,” she continued, shooting Astra a derisive look. “She doesn’t understand that she diminishes herself with every covetous thought. Her hunger for power will destroy her.
“You, on the other hand, will continue to grow. You don’t want the power — it frightens you — but that’s exactly why you will continue to consume it. When it comes time to open the nexus and defeat Amelia, you will be the one standing with me. This one will stand against us. You cannot let her back on this property.”
Hannah had already come to that conclusion herself, although not for the same reasons as Bettina. “That’s why we re-drew the wards. They’re stronger than ever.”
“They’re fairly impressive,” Bettina agreed. “For now, they’re enough to keep out Amelia. If she wants on this property, though, she’ll find a way to make it happen. We must be ready.” Rather than continue the conversation, Bettina headed toward the hill. “I believe the door has been opened recently. At least one demon has been brought through, although it’s impossible to ascertain with any degree of certainty. We need to be prepared for an attack, because Amelia wants to weaken us before making her move. That’s the way she operates.”
Hannah nodded, resigned. It didn’t make a lot of sense for a demon to pop up out of nowhere, especially now. The fact that Amelia had called the demon that attacked Boone made sense. “How do we prepare?”
Bettina merely smiled. “Follow your instincts. They haven’t let you down so far.” And, with that, she was gone.
Astra scowled at her retreating back. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. You need me.”
“We’ll think about it,” Cooper replied, sliding his arm around Hannah’s waist. He could feel the worry radiating off of her. “For now, we’re heading back.”
“To do what?” Astra challenged. “This is the spot where the final battle will occur.”
“And yet it’s not happening today,” Cooper noted. “If you want to camp out here, that’s on you. We’re not dropping the wards, though, so you’re on your own.”
“You’re going to need me,” Astra insisted. “You know it.”
“I guess we’ll find out. For now, you’re staying on that side. That’s all there is to it.”
5
Five
Hannah and Cooper made the walk back to Casper Creek in silence. Once home, they took the time to watch Jinx frolic with the goats before heading toward the saloon.
“What’s your plan for the day?” Cooper
asked, internally cringing when she slid him a dubious sidelong look. “I’m asking as the head of security, not your overbearing boyfriend.”
His sheepish expression was enough to nudge a grin out of Hannah. “Lindy should arrive within the hour.”
Cooper nodded. “Oh, right. I almost forgot that she was coming. She seems ... competent.”
“So have the others.”
“Yes, and only two of them have tried to kill you.” Cooper was going for levity, but it fell flat and he sighed when he realized how stupid he sounded. “Do you want me to stick close?”
“No. I’m perfectly capable of training a bartender.”
“Yeah, but ... .” He trailed off. He didn’t want to push the matter and yet he couldn’t help himself. Her safety was his primary concern. “What if she decides to kill you?”
“They usually try to get to know me before killing me,” Hannah reminded him. “Besides, the town opens in an hour. Lindy is learning on the job. I don’t think she’s brave enough to try to kill me in front of witnesses.”
Cooper happened to agree. Still, he was nervous. “Okay, well ... I’ll make regular swings by the saloon just to be on the safe side.”
Hannah’s lips twitched, amusement crashing over her. “If you think that’s best.”
“I’m the head of security,” he reminded her.
“I’ll be happy to accept a visit from the man I love,” she offered. “I’m less excited about hanging out with the head of security.”
Cooper hesitated and then turned sheepish. “Then it will be your boyfriend who stops in for a visit.” He leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Keep your phone handy just in case.”
“If she attacks, it won’t be the phone I go for. It will be magic.”
“Just ... keep your eyes open. I didn’t get a bad vibe from her. Technically I didn’t get a bad vibe from the others until it was already too late, though, so I’m understandably leery … just like you.”
“I’m prepared.” She meant it. “I won’t let my guard down. You have my word.”
He gave her another kiss. “It would be nice if this one worked out, huh?”
“It would. I can’t get my hopes up yet, though.”
“Yeah, I think we should both be careful on that front.”
LINDY WAS ALL SMILES WHEN SHE ARRIVED at the saloon, chipper and ready for work. She was also thirty minutes early, something Hannah appreciated.
“I know we had the fitting for the outfit, but I had nightmares last night about arriving and it not fitting,” Lindy admitted ruefully as she accepted the saloon girl outfit Hannah handed her. “I also brought three bras because I’m not sure how this thing is supposed to work. I’m not nearly as stacked as you.”
Hannah glanced down at her ample chest, which was fully on display given the low-cut nature of the top. “Yeah, I’m not exactly a big fan of the outfit either,” she admitted. “When I first took over operations and saw what they expected me to wear, I was horrified.”
“But?” Lindy prodded as she stripped out of her street clothes. They were in a small storage room behind the saloon so nobody would accidentally walk in on them before Lindy was dressed.
“But I got used to it relatively fast, and the customers really seem to appreciate it.”
“You mean the male customers.”
“Those would be the ones.” Despite herself, Hannah giggled. “I think it must be some male fantasy or something. I swear, some of the guys who come in here have eyes that are practically popping out of their heads. It’s almost comedic.”
“I bet it helps with tips, too.” Lindy tugged on the skirt before reaching for the gauzy top. “I really like the setup here. I know you’re still leery about me because you’ve had some bad luck in the past, but I really am a good worker.”
“It’s not you,” Hannah reassured her quickly. She didn’t want to hurt the woman’s feelings in case she was legitimately interested in the job instead of magic or murder. “It’s just been a really intense couple of weeks. The last two bartenders I had walked out on the job on the same day ... and the one before them was killed.”
“Yeah, I read about that in the newspaper.” Lindy’s expression was sympathetic. “It sounds as if you’ve had a run of bad luck.”
“That’s one way of looking at it. I’m starting to think I’m a bad judge of character.”
“Oh, I don’t think that.” Lindy tucked in the shirt and then puffed it out a bit before looking at her reflection in the mirror. “This isn’t so bad.”
Hannah grinned. “You look good.”
“I bet you get better tips, though.” Lindy inclined her head toward Hannah’s abundant cleavage. “I’m not being fresh or anything, but those things are impressive.”
Hannah’s cheeks flooded with warmth. “Um ... thanks.”
Lindy chuckled. “As for hiring the wrong people, you’re new at this. I think reading people is one of those things that can only be learned by doing. Until you’ve crossed paths with jerks, you don’t really know how to pick them from a crowd.”
“And do you know how to pick jerks?” Hannah queried.
“I think I’m pretty good at it thanks to years of working at various bars. I also grew up in a rough neighborhood and learned the hard way that not all grown-ups are good people. That allowed me to get a sense of others fairly well from the start.”
Hannah frowned, uncertain. “I ... um ... .”
“It’s not what you think,” Lindy reassured her quickly. “I wasn’t attacked or anything. Even out in the country, though, there are bad people. The hills around Casper Creek are filled with people who struggle for money. A lot of those people find they have to engage in some unsavory professions to feed their families.
“Unfortunately, what inevitably happens in those cases, is that a lot of people go in thinking they’ll just do it for a little bit before they find a different job,” she continued. “That’s almost never the case because once you’re in, it’s almost impossible to get out.”
Hannah suddenly felt as if she were out of her depth. “I’m not sure I understand,” she admitted finally.
“Meth. It’s a big deal out here.”
“Oh.” Whatever she’d been expecting, that wasn’t it. Hannah was taken aback. “That’s just ... something I never thought about,” she admitted. “When I think of meth, I think of tiny apartments in horrible neighborhoods in big metropolitan cities.”
“I think that’s more crack,” Lindy replied. “At least that’s what I read. I’ve done a lot of research because I have some cousins who are addicted to meth. They’ve started cooking it, too. Meth smells, to the point where it’s impossible to cover or ignore, so the cookers who have the best luck staying off the radar of law enforcement do it in the country because people are less likely to notice the smell if they’re not on top of one another.”
Hannah found she was both bewildered and interested in the information. “Just how much research have you done on this topic?”
Lindy’s laugh was light. “You don’t have to worry. I have no interest in meth, at least on a personal level. I’ve watched it ruin lives left and right around here. I will never touch it. The heaviest I go is one night a month when I hang out with the girls from high school. We go to the bar, get drunk enough we have to Uber home, and then spend the next four weeks swearing we’re never going to drink again. Then, of course, we do it again and start the cycle over.”
Hannah snickered. “That sounds like something I would do ... except I don’t have any friends from high school here.”
“You can come with me next time. My friends would love you.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because you didn’t grow up here.” The answer was simple but there was honesty reflected back from Lindy’s eyes. “They’ll treat you like a celebrity.”
“Just because I didn’t grow up here?”
“The dream for almost every kid who grows up her
e is to get out. We aspire to greater things and it’s not always possible when there’s no money to buy an education ... or even a bus ticket out of town.”
“Huh.” Hannah had never really thought of herself as privileged — she was still paying off her college loans — but it was easy to see how much easier she’d had it than other people. It had never been a consideration for her not to go to school. Sure, she’d fouled it up and left before graduating, but the opportunity had never been out of her reach. She couldn’t imagine dreams not being attainable.
“I’m sorry.” Lindy was contrite when Hannah snapped her eyes back to the woman. “I didn’t mean to bring you down.”
“You didn’t,” Hannah replied quickly. “I was just thinking. The human experience is different for everybody, huh?”
Lindy shrugged. “I guess.”
“When I came here, I was feeling sorry for myself. I’d left a bad relationship, allowed myself to get sucked in by a man who continually lied, and basically screwed myself. I didn’t think this opportunity would turn into anything good, but it was all I had at the time so I was going to try no matter what.”
“And what do you think now?”
“That moving here was the best thing that ever happened to me and I’m grateful for all I’ve been given.”
“I’m grateful, too,” Lindy said. “I really want to make this work. I like the location. I like you. I think we’re going to fall into an easy rhythm together.”
Hannah nodded. She suddenly felt lighter. “I think we’re going to make a good go of it, too. Let’s head out and I’ll show you where everything is. We should get our first rush of guests in about twenty minutes. I’m pretty sure you’ll have no problem keeping up.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing how this works. I’ve only heard stories. I’ve never seen the shows in the streets or anything.”
“Then you’re in for a treat. We’re nothing if not entertaining.”
“That’s the best way to be in my book.”
“Mine, too.”
LINDY WAS NOT ONLY A QUICK STUDY but a good worker. She took initiative, heading out to the back storage shed to refill the coolers without being asked. She continuously wiped down the counters, bussed the tables without prodding, and washed glasses like a pro.
All the Pretty Witches (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 6) Page 5
