by Bella Falls
“Ha!” the brash older lady exclaimed, giving I’m an appreciative once-over with her eyes. “I said it the first time we met, you are one fine specimen of a gentleman. If any of the doofuses I’d met over my many decades on this Earth treated me like you just did, I might have settled down with one or two of them. But I ain’t unhappy about my life choices. Not in the least.”
Rissa stepped down from the elevated stage to join us. “What brings you to my small museum, Auggie? I know it wasn’t just my lecture. That special gleam in your eyes suggests you found something of interest. Has your metal detecting on the beach turned up anything?”
The professor tugged open the bag slung over her shoulder and dug into its contents. She pulled out something wrapped in a red bandana. “In fact, I do have something for your staff to take a look at.” With nimble fingers, she unwrapped the fabric to reveal a thin piece of dirty metal. “Feast your eyes on this.”
We crowded around Auggie, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it was she held in her hand. Odie’s gargantuan presence shut most of us out until Crystal moved him back with a gentle touch. No matter how hard I stared at it, I couldn’t muster up the same excitement as the others around me. Even Luke couldn’t take his eyes off it.
Rissa pointed a finger at the object, careful not to touch it. “The age is hard to tell at first glance, and there’s a slight greenish blue patina on about a third of its surface that I can observe.”
“Very good,” approved her former mentor.
“And under this light, it’s hard to detect if there are any distinctive markings or patterns that we can use for identification,” the museum’s educational director continued in a serious and captivated tone.
Auggie’s smile grew bigger. “Maybe not on this side. But now, if I turn it over.” She flipped the small item over, still nestling it with the bandana. “What do you observe?”
“That’s definitely the outlines of what might be the cross of the Catholic Church.” Luke took a step closer. “See? There and there.”
“It just looks like a fancy X to me.” Dani shrugged and looked to me for support. I nodded in agreement with my cousin. Although there were many antiquities I could identify from fifty paces away, coins were my biggest weakness in knowledge.
“Wait, I read about the types of coins pirates might have dealt with,” Odie uttered with the glee of a little child. “During the years I’m most interested in, a lot of them would have been cut from bars of silver and created by hand in Mexico City and used as currency by the Spanish.”
Surprised by the big guy’s knowledge, I refused to be left out and blurted with sarcasm, “You mean like the pieces of eight from that big blockbuster movie?”
“Not like pieces of eight, cara,” Luke interjected, still keeping his attention on the object. “Spanish reales were all mistakenly called pieces of eight at one time or another, although depending on their sizes, they could add up to the same amount. A genuine one was worth two weeks’ wages in the eighteenth century.
“Stamped with the cross on one side and Spain’s coat of arms on the other, they’d hammer in the denomination on it as well so those using them would know their value. Although since those who could read were scarce, they weren’t always marked with the correct amount, so most people went by their sizes. Without picking it up, I would estimate that cob to be a single reale or called a bit by the English.”
Rissa and Auggie stared at my boyfriend in awkward silence. Realizing he’d revealed his wealth of extensive knowledge a little too much, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ve done a little bit of reading myself.”
“Mm-hmm,” murmured the professor. “And I used to be a supermodel. Keep your secrets, hot stuff, because I’ve got bigger questions that need answerin’. Rissa, you wanna prove what an incredible teacher I was and tell me what they might be?”
With the spotlight on her, a fine sheen of sweat broke out on our friend’s brow. “Are we assuming that the information shared so far is our starting point?”
“My generous gut filled with sweet tea and a corn dog think these two well-informed boys are probably on the right track, yes,” Auggie confirmed with a satisfied nod.
“Then we have to consider the location of where it was found and work backwards from there,” offered Rissa. “Care to share where it came from?”
Her professor wrapped the coin back up in the bandana and held onto it tight in her palm. “Nope. Suffice it to say it came from the nearby coast. Now what?”
“Well, with my job, I’m always trying to determine the provenance of articles. That means trying to trace who possessed an item and the exchanges of money involved until we find the original owner.” My chest swelled with a little pride in my family’s business. “But with something that’s older than a century or even half of one, it can be really hard.”
“Right.” Rissa blew out a breath to steady herself. “So, we have to start with what ways the coin could have ended up here if its origin started in Mexico City? If it was Spanish currency during its time, then it would have been used in trade.”
“And there was a lot of trade going on in and out of our coastal ports at the time,” I admitted. “It could have traveled on any number of ships.”
“I can try to come up with a list of likely ships with goods that might have come from Spain,” Rissa offered, glancing at the rest of us. “Although if you had one crew member who happened to work or trade for the coin, then the ship itself becomes a dead end.”
Luke had been watching Auggie’s face the entire time, trying to get a read on the older lady to see when her former student was getting hot or colder in her hypothesizing. “Excuse me, but may I add an inquiry?” he asked, adding a dashing smile to his request.
“Of course, hot stuff. Whatcha got for me?” the professor replied.
Luke lifted one eyebrow when he spoke. “Is this the only one of its kind in your possession, or does it have similar friends?”
“Bingo! Wow, brains, brawn, and beauty.” She jutted her chin at me. “You hit the jackpot, sweetie.”
Rissa lowered her voice. “You mean, you have more of these?”
“I cannot confirm nor deny—”
“Auggie!” Rissa hissed. “Now is not the time to play games, especially with someone like Nigel Lansing taking a huge interest and hanging around.”
A loud voice echoed from the back of the room. “My ears are burning. Don’t tell me you’re all still in here talking about me and my quest.” The self-proclaimed adventurer and treasure seeker sashayed down the aisle. On his way, he took out his phone and held it up as if recording us. “So, Augusta Waters, it sounds like you think you’ve found some pirate treasure. Care to share exactly where?”
Luke turned his body to keep his face from being recorded. I considered conjuring up another heating hex but didn’t think I could hide the magic in such close quarters.
The professor held her hand up high enough to block the lens. “Nobody invited you to our conversation. Now, why don’t you and your pretty young assistant go try and fleece some other dupes out of their money. That’s the real treasure you’re after, isn’t it?” she accused.
“You know you have to report anything you’ve discovered. There are rules to treasure hunting,” the vile man goaded.
Auggie snorted. “I’ve got a funny feeling you’ve never followed a single regulation in your life, Nigel. Now, none of us give our consent to being recorded, so put your phone away and get out of here.”
“You’re not going to be able to stop me from finding out what you’re trying to hide, Ms. Waters. Just like you can’t stop me from videoing all of you,” he needled.
Odie stood to his full height and stepped forward until he towered over the deplorable hustler. “You’ve been asked to go. I highly suggest you heed those words, sir.”
Nigel backed up, his neck cranked back to take in the beast of a man in front of him. Swallowing hard, he asked, “Is that a threat?”
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nbsp; A low growl emanated from Odie’s chest. It vibrated through all of us, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The treasure hunter had no idea who and what he was dealing with. I learned long ago never to antagonize a burly bear shifter. Even a regular mortal’s instincts should have detected when he was standing in the presence of imminent danger.
With a squeak of a yelp, Nigel turned on his heels and ran out of the auditorium. Crystal rushed to her husband’s side and ushered him off to the side, whispering private words to calm him down.
“Who knew today would be filled with so much intrigue?” Auggie tapped the pack of cigarettes in her hand until she retrieved one.
Rissa shook a disapproving finger at her. “You can’t smoke in here.”
“I know, girl. Just wanted to be prepared for the second I walk out of here. With everything that just happened, I definitely need one.” The professor handed the bandana she’d been holding over to her former student. “Here, you keep this for now. When you’re done giving lectures to the tourists and the festival’s over, come see me and I’ll show you more.”
“Where are you staying?” Rissa pressed. “And show me what?”
The older lady waddled toward the labeled side exit. “I’ll be in my old digs on Radio Island by the Bellfort Inlet.” She pushed the heavy metal door until it gave way with a rusty creak and squinted at the shining sun. “As for your second question, you’ll have to wait and see.” Sticking the cigarette in her mouth, she waved and disappeared from view.
The rest of us stayed behind for a few extra minutes to thank Rissa for her presentation and for letting us be a part of whatever whirlwind her professor had created. She promised to keep us informed of any new information she was given from Auggie at the next coven meeting.
As she escorted us out the front door of the museum, she tugged on my arm, holding me back. “That thing with Nigel’s assistant and her phone. That was you, wasn’t it?”
I wiggled my eyebrows. “I cannot confirm nor deny—” I started, mimicking her mentor.
The educational director offered me a very hearty high five. “Remind me to keep you on my good side,” she joked.
An errant breeze gusted from the direction of the water and blew our long hair into our faces. A slight chill ran up my spine that I couldn’t explain.
“I hope the rest of the festival won’t get canceled,” she mused, staring at the sky and hugging her arms about her body.
“Why would it?” I plucked my sunglasses off the top of my head and put them on to shield my eyes from the brightness of the afternoon. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Rissa pointed at some gray clouds gathering at the furthest point of the horizon. “I don’t know, there’s just something in my bones that says you’d better be prepared to adjust your sails by tomorrow. Because if I’m right, a storm’s heading this way.”
Chapter Three
The hurricane switched directions and panicked all of the Eastern coast from Virginia down to Georgia. Within hours, all of the bread and milk disappeared from every single grocery store as people bought supplies to last them while they hunkered down. With very little warning, our governor advised all residents to stay in place rather than clog the roads and get stuck trying to evacuate. Emergency shelters opened throughout the local areas. Every passing hour that we paid attention to the meteorologists and the weather apps on our spell phones, the category of the storm increased. Houses, trees, and lives were going to be lost no matter how much we managed to prepare.
Luke nailed the last board to my cottage window. “That’s the best we can do.”
I slung a bag I’d managed to pack in record time over my shoulder. “Well, the cottage has lasted longer than my dad’s been alive. Let’s hope that tradition continues.”
“I moved all of your outdoor furniture from the back porch into the little storage shed, too.” He opened up the trunk of his Impala and placed my bag next to the box of food I’d rescued from my refrigerator.
“You’re gonna stay with me up at the big house, right?” I asked, trying not to pressure him too much. “It’ll be the safest place around with all of the old wards still holding.”
My vampire boyfriend toyed with the keys to his vintage car. “You know I love you, but that house. It gives me the heebies.”
I cracked a smile at his mistake. No matter how well he could pass for a modern good ol’ Southern boy, sometimes his vampire past shined through. “You mean, heebie jeebies.”
“If that’s the term for not wanting to get trapped in a house full of generations of ghosts, then yes.” He kissed my forehead. “It’s not that I wouldn’t mind being stuck somewhere with you. Or that I don’t like spending time with your family.”
I stopped him from talking with a long, lingering kiss, ignoring the strong wind that kicked up around us. “It’s fine. At least help me find Buddy and make sure my cousin is safe.” Before he could see the disappointment in my eyes, I got in the passenger side of his car and waited.
He drove me to the storage barn where we met Uncle Jo fighting off a very perturbed rooster while holding our mustached barn cat in his arms. “Deacon, will you usher this blasted bird in there with you?”
The big pig form of my cousin stuck his snout into the air and grunted. “Sure, Dad. Snort. That’s exactly who I want with me when the storm hits and where I want to try to stay dry. Oink.”
Getting out of Luke’s car, I rescued Buddy from my uncle’s grasp and held his tense little furry body against me. “Deac, don’t give your dad a hard time. You know there are spells that will protect you in there. And Rex actually likes you. I’m pretty sure your flesh is safe from his beak.”
My cousin, who’d messed with the wrong witch and got punished for his womanizing ways by being cursed into his current animal form, turned his generous backside on both of us. “Don’t worry, I know where my place is for now.” He turned his head to the side enough so we could see his snout snuffling the air before he spoke again. “Y’all stay safe, please, so you can let me out when it’s all over.” His curly tail wiggled as he waddled into the large structure.
Uncle Jo cast a chagrined look my way and followed after his son. “Deacon, come on,” he called after the pig.
Not wanting to get in between my uncle and his son, I held onto Buddy and rode up to the big house with Luke. The car idled as he parked in front of the front porch.
“I’ll bet Granny Jo’s got all kinds of food already frying up,” I offered.
“I don’t eat much,” he countered, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel.
Biting my lip, I attempted to create another reason for him to stay. “You could try and find that old study you discovered that one time. You know, the one with all the books you said might have some significant value.”
Our family home had the appearance of an old white farmhouse on the outside, but the inside contained a whole lot of magic that even my father couldn’t fathom. Through old family spells long forgotten, the interior of the structure changed to accommodate all of my kin that never crossed over, giving them space to continue to exist. Some rooms never disappeared while others came and went as they pleased. Luke swore he’d found a very old room once only to fail to locate it again when he attempted to show me.
The prolonged silence suggested he might be considering the idea. “I never did get a chance to read through any of those books in there.” He shut his eyes and shifted in his seat. “But it’s hard for someone like me to endure the presence of all those ghosts.”
“You don’t mind being around Granny Jo,” I said.
He shook his head. “She holds a more corporeal form. It’s the ones who don’t that get to me. Once they figure out what I am, they like to smother me with their memories of their lives. I can endure one spirit. Maybe even two.”
“But the house is fully occupied,” I admitted. Buddy squirmed in my grasp, so I tossed out my last proposal. “We could stay up all night in my old room and make out.”
A sly grin spread on Luke’s face. “Now, that’s an offer that may tempt me.” His flirty expression disappeared almost as fast. “Although the last time we tried that, your grandfather made it rather difficult.”
Granddad Jewell, Uncle Jo’s and my Dad’s dearly-departed father, still watched out for me with a little too much attention sometimes. The last time we’d gotten up to a little hankying and pankying in my old room, the stench of cigar smoke that always marked his presence almost choked the both of us.
“I’ll place selenite and black tourmaline all over the room to keep him and any other nosy spirits out.” Buddy nipped my hand with his sharp little teeth. “I gotta get him inside before he squirms out of my grip and runs away.”
Luke kept his car idling while he helped me get the stuff out of his trunk and into the house. Once Bobby spotted Buddy, he barked and began slobbering in excitement. The cat took off up the stairs with the hound chasing after him. Barks and hisses accompanied the banging of an animal kerfuffle on the second floor.
Standing at the door in disappointment, I stood on my tiptoes and threw my arms around Luke and nuzzled into the nook of his neck. “You stay safe out there,” I murmured into his cool skin.
His chest rumbled with a low chuckle. “I don’t think I’ll get into any trouble in the next fifteen minutes it’ll take me to go park my car in my private garage. With my vampire speed, I’ll bet I can make it back here in twenty.”
I pushed back from him so I could make sure he wasn’t joking with me. “You’re coming back here?”
He kissed my forehead. “There is no one else I’d rather be stuck with, cara.”
The first drops of rain splattered on the ground. “You better git so you don’t melt.” I waved and bit my lip to keep from squealing in girlish delight in front of him. The engine of his car rumbled as he drove it away.
A hint of cigar smoke wafted in the air. With all of the rocking chairs safely tucked away inside, my grandfather had no place to hang out. “You better behave this time, Granddad, or I won’t be taking you with me on any more flea market or swap meet trips ever again.” The scent dissipated, and I hoped he’d take my threat seriously.
