Haunting Blend

by Layne, Kennedy

  “What in heaven’s name are you talking about, Mr. Leo?” Mazie asked, fanning herself as if she’d just been given a compliment.

  Well, didn’t Leo’s realization put us in quite a dilemma?

  If he was right, how was I to know that anything Mazie said had anything to do with the truth? Then again, would a spirit go to all this trouble to spend enough energy to cross the veil in order to mess with another witch?

  May I remind you that we’re talking about a witch and her fairy? Fairies are derived from chaos. They are the physical embodiment of the winds of change. They shouldn’t have used a butterfly to describe the effect of a pixie beatings its wings and the storm that results on the other side of the world. I’m telling you…they’re worse than djinn!

  “Mazie, can you…um…how do I put this?” I scratched my head as I tried to come up with a polite way to ask if the older spirit could move. As in, literally move her body so that we weren’t in full view of anyone strolling past. It would be better for us to talk in private, where no one could walk in on us. “Are you able to—”

  Both Leo and I startled for the second time this evening as the bell over the door chimed, alerting us that we had a visitor. How was I going to get us out of this mess?

  This is it. I’m finally dying. My heart just stopped. Raven, it’s been a pleasure to serve with you.

  “Raven, is Leo okay?” Eileen Weepler asked as she came flying through the glass door. I mean, not literally. Eileen wasn’t a witch or a poltergeist. She was an everyday citizen of Paramour Bay. After reading about me and Leo having a conversation with a ghost and discovering there are actual fairies in the world, I didn’t want you to think Eileen could actually fly through glass. “I was walking to my car when I saw you consoling Leo. Is something wrong with him? Does he need to go to the vet? I can call Dr. Jameson for him.”

  I realize that I probably looked a bit stricken with all-out panic, but what was a girl to do when caught red-handed with a ghost? A quick glance had me practically sagging with relief to find that Mazie had simply evaporated from her seat, taking her teacup and matching saucer with her.

  Act normal, Raven. And just so you know, Dr. Jameson and his ice-cold hands aren’t coming anywhere near me. Have you seen the size of those needles in his office?

  I really needed to act as if everything was fine…even though it wasn’t.

  As for Dr. Jameson, I would never subject Leo to a human veterinarian or technically, the veterinarian to Leo. I wasn’t sure which would incur injury from such an encounter. With that said, I did have to wonder if Leo shouldn’t see some witch’s doctor who specialized in familiars and their maladies.

  I go once a year for my regular checkup, thank you. Now go for the Emmy, Raven. It’s yours for the taking. I need to go home and sleep for the next twelve hours after the day I’ve had. You’re completely exhausting, you know that?

  “Leo had a hairball stuck in his throat,” I explained with a tight smile, trying not to inhale the heavy perfume Eileen liked to douse herself with in the morning. The stuff never seemed to fade, either. “I was worried he couldn’t breathe, but he seems fine now.”

  Would Eileen buy my cover story?

  Does a cat shed? Work it, Raven.

  “It was so sweet of you to check in on Leo and me,” I gushed, probably overdoing it, but Eileen was beaming with pleasure at my compliment. It was time to switch the subject and remove her focus from Leo. “Wasn’t that New Year’s Eve party that Alison and Oliver Bend hosted over at the wax museum fantastic? I’ve never had so much fun!”

  Just so you know, I’m probably the worst liar in Paramour Bay. My inability to lie made being a witch rather difficult, but I’d somehow succeeded thus far.

  There has definitely been a bump or two in the road. Could we hurry this along? You need to tell Mazie that we’re not—I repeat, not—in the fairy business. We will not be sending out a search party for that devilish pixie she’s gone and lost. Oh, there it is again—arrhythmia. I do need an urgent puff or two.

  The bump in the road Leo had been referring to was when I’d told Heidi about my family’s secret, but that didn’t count. She was my best friend, and I couldn’t keep her in the dark about something so important.

  That wasn’t a bump. It was a volcano, complete with an avalanche, pyroclastic flow, and burning lava. You just haven’t heard the shockwaves yet.

  “It’s been years since Alison and Oliver hosted such an extravagant event,” Eileen gushed, though I’d already been informed of that little tidbit. She hadn’t buttoned up her jacket, so it hung open at the seams. At first, I thought maybe she was still wearing one of her Christmas sweaters with the bells sewn strategically into the fabric. Upon closer inspection, the sweater was of three dancing snowmen wearing top hats. “The wax museum’s reception hall looked gorgeous with that huge ball and streamers hanging from the ceiling, didn’t it? And just so you know, all anyone can talk about is that kiss you and Liam shared at midnight.”

  I might barf, and it has nothing to do with hairballs.

  Eileen pretended to fan herself similar to how Mazie had, but this time with different intent. She even gave me a wink of encouragement, but her comment made me slightly uncomfortable considering Eileen wasn’t a regular confidant of mine.

  I didn’t like being the talk of the town, especially when it came to who I was dating. One thing usually led to another, and before you knew it…all one’s secrets were laid bare on the table.

  Loose lips sink ships. Zip it. I don’t want to go down with the Titanic. I don’t swim very well.

  Granted, the town’s police dispatcher had never given any indication that she suspected me of being anything other than a tea shop owner and the granddaughter of Rosemary Lattice Marigold. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been at the top of my game lately.

  You think? Talk about underestimating yourself. Keep going. You’re on a roll.

  “Liam and I had a wonderful time,” I began, not sure where to cut off this conversation. A part of me was afraid Mazie would reappear, but in all honesty, my mouth would most likely end up being the culprit that got me and Leo ousted to the community. “Heidi and Jack enjoyed the evening, as well. It was good to see Heidi enjoying herself after her previous boyfriend, Patrick, ran off to Maui with one of the baristas at the coffee place they’d frequent on the weekends. She’s better off without someone of his maturity.”

  Now who is spreading gossip?

  “That poor girl,” Eileen declared with a shake of her head. “Heidi is such a doll. You know, it’s all over town that Beetle is retiring. She should set up shop here with us. I’m sure you know by now that all of the business owners are worried about who they’re going to find to do their taxes, payroll, and handle such matters. Do you think that Heidi would be interested in taking over Beetle’s clientele?”

  Yes, yes, yes! I’m not the only one who wants that blonde goddess nearby.

  “Otis told me a couple of weeks ago that Beetle is retiring. I’m waiting for an opportune time to bring up the subject.” Truthfully, I hadn’t even known who Beetle was until the former sheriff had pointed him out one morning. The man with the white hair drove a Volkswagen and that was apparently how he’d gotten his name, but he wasn’t a tea drinker. I’d only ever seen the man from afar, but he did remind me of that mad scientist in the movie Back to the Future. “I’ll definitely check with Heidi, but I should probably wait until she can give it some serious thought. January through May is always her busiest time of the year, as you can imagine.”

  Eileen nodded her understanding before frowning.

  “It’s rather cold in here, Raven. Is there something wrong your furnace?”

  Now that Eileen mentioned it, the temperature in the shop had dropped rather significantly.

  Really? You have to think on that one?

  So, it was true that the air around an individual dropped precipitately upon a visit from a lost spirit.

  Oh, trust me. Mazie’s not
lost. She came here for a very specific reason, but I’m not so sure she’s telling us the whole truth. Why would the council want to kidnap a fairy?

  “I’m not sure why it’s so cold in here, but I’ll take a look at the thermostat before we head home.” I decided now was the perfect time to call an end to the evening. It didn’t take me long to slip my arms into my dress coat, signaling that it was time for us to leave. “Eileen, thank you so much for checking on us.”

  Oh, yeah. She had no hesitation in subjecting me to Dr. Jameson. I should put a needle in her—

  “You drive safe now,” I advised with a smile, cutting off Leo before he continued down a path that would invite bad karma though an open door. We’d already attracted Mazie’s attention, and from what Leo said…I sure didn’t want to have anything to do with Strifle. “The roads are still a little slick from the dusting we received this morning.”

  “You do the same, dear. And just so you know, Liam is due back at two o’clock on Friday afternoon. I’ll let you know if his schedule changes,” Eileen informed me with a bright smile as she zipped up her jacket. I realize that Paramour Bay was a small town, but when did one date make two people a couple? Not that I was opposed to that idea. There was something about Liam that caused my heart to flutter every time I heard his name. Now was no different. “Have a good night!”

  Leo and I remained where we were as Eileen vacated the tea shop. We both waited in silence for Mazie to reappear, but ever so slowly the temperature began to return to normal.

  “Is she gone?” I asked cautiously, not wanting to disturb the ambiance.

  You’re asking me? Does it look like I have a P.K.E. meter, Dr. Venkman?

  I’d kept my tone soft in order to not jinx anything. I’d never encountered a ghost before, and I wasn’t sure I wanted Mazie to come back or stay away. I still had a ton of questions, mostly about Nan, but I wouldn’t have any of them answered if Mazie didn’t return to continue our conversation.

  It’s better to keep things status quo. We don’t want to upset the balance.

  Leo sniffed the air, twitching his bent whiskers all over the place. I waited for him to reach his conclusion. I mean, Mazie seemed harmless. Then again, Leo was the one who’d had experience with fairies before, not to mention spirits from the other side.

  Trouble with a capital T.

  Another minute passed before either one of us moved, and it was Leo whose orange and black fur began to settle and reassure me that we weren’t about to have another tea party. Who would have thought I would be partly disappointed that Mazie hadn’t stayed around to talk more?

  Don’t encourage that old witch! It’s your fault we’ve been given the reputation of being amateur sleuths in the first place. Now every half-baked spirit with an issue is going to be knocking down our door.

  I turned away to walk back to the counter in order to retrieve my purse and car keys, not wanting Leo to see my smile. Amateur sleuths? It was kind of cute that the news had reached the other side, and my initial reaction to this entire ghost encounter made me realize how far I’d come over the last three months.

  You mean that time when you were ready to commit yourself to a mental institution for hearing a talking cat?

  “Something like that,” I said with a laugh, the melancholy from before completely vanishing. I had been given a brand-new lease on life, and each day was a blessing. There was no reason for me to be sad the holidays were over, and it was time for me to finally make my New Year’s resolution. Technically, I’d already made one without even realizing it. “Leo, I’m—”

  Don’t say it.

  “But—”

  Do you know how many witches pass over to the other side who aren’t ready to go? The last thing we need is to have a long line of incensed spirits wanting us to investigate whatever matter it is they believe were left unresolved. Not happening. No. We’re not getting involved.

  “I read somewhere that burning sage might keep ghosts away,” I offered in reassurance, because we clearly got our wires crossed. I might have handled an interaction with a ghost without screaming my head off, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be a conduit for the other side. I was with Leo on this one, which was quite rare. “I have some sage at home, and we’ll light it first thing after you’ve found your pipe.”

  Then what was it you were going to say?

  Leo’s tail twitched in irritation as his left eye focused solely on me, most likely wondering what the catch was with my peace offering. It was unusual that I was able to leave him speechless, but I had certainly succeeded with my bombshell.

  “I’m going to hire an assistant!”

  Chapter Four

  “What exactly do you mean when you say Mazie Rose Young paid you a visit?” my mother asked me warily over my cell phone. Don’t get me wrong. I realized my mistake right away, but it was too late to rectify the upcoming lecture. “I’d heard she’d passed away over a month ago. Are you saying you’ve talked with her since?”

  I should never have taken my mother’s phone call before I’d made it into the house, but it had been instinctive to answer since I’d just pulled my beat-up old Corolla alongside the wrought iron fence that surrounded the cottage I’d inherited from my Nan.

  My second major error in judgement had been to blurt out info on the supernatural event that had transpired earlier this evening.

  “How do you know that Mazie…never mind.” I was going to question how my mother had known of a witch’s death when she’d given up the life of witchcraft, but it was best I didn’t know all of her secrets. I’d come to find that I dealt better with small doses of the mystical happenings than a full-on leap off the cliff. “Mazie informed Leo and I that her familiar hadn’t crossed over to the other side with her. She came to us seeking assistance, but Eileen walked in on our encounter and scared Mazie off. We haven’t seen her since.”

  A quick glance at the cottage revealed that Leo had beat me home, as usual.

  He was currently lying on his back puffing away on his pipe. He had a pillow under his head, lying in full view of one of the front windows without a care in the world, which indicated to me that all was normal in the house.

  Apparently, no unwelcome visitors from the other side and no unexpected trouble had landed on our doorstep…currently covered in a light dusting of snow.

  I always keep a few lights on inside and out since we usually got home after dark. Unfortunately, the golden hues from the bulbs gave off an eerie ambiance and an even more sinister look as the menacing darkness seemed to swallow the radiating beams.

  Think of a stereotypical haunted house at the edge of town in any horror movie you’ve ever seen. Yeah, that pretty much summed up the exterior of where I live. The tangled overgrowth that had taken over the edges of the cottage had lost its leaves, as well as the two ancient oak trees on either side of the sidewalk leading up to the front door. For some reason, the darkness of the bark glistened even more ominously with the addition of wet snow.

  Don’t let the spooky description fool you, though. The interior was absolutely stunning, and the massive inland lake which was fed by the bay behind the property made this piece of land prime realty.

  “Listen to me very carefully,” my mother cautioned, dropping her voice as if someone might overhear her. It was hard to ward away the shiver of fear that had washed over me. The only explanation as to why she’d lowered her tone in such an ill-omened manner was that she wasn’t alone. I’d thought she’d be home this late at night, but maybe that wasn’t the case. “You need to burn some sage in every corner of the house and tea shop, as well as sprinkle some sage over three fresh hardwood logs in your fireplace for good measure. Light the fire and make sure it burns through the witching hour. One can never be too careful or burn too much sage in situations like these.”

  I could just picture my mother rubbing her fingers together to mimic the gesture of sprinkling sage over a piece of wood. She’d never want to hear it, but the Marigolds did some
what resemble witches. We all had black hair, green eyes, and porcelain skin with a propensity to wear red nails and matching lipsticks. Well, Nan and my mother wore red lipstick. I liked mine to be more a brownish red so that the sight of me wasn’t such a jolt to one’s senses upon our first casual introduction.

  I’m getting sidetracked again.

  Anyway, I’d kept my Corolla running to keep the interior heated, though I had put the gear into park. Since we’d taken a break so I could describe my family’s features, now was also probably a good time to explain that my mother’s name was Regina.

  You see, all the women in the Marigold family had a name that began with the letter R. Oh, and we all had Lattice as a middle name. I was still attempting to go through the boxes Nan had left behind in the bedroom loft, but there was only so much time in any given day. According to Leo, I also had a required reading list somewhere in that mess.

  “I mentioned sage to Leo, but he wasn’t too convinced it would work.” After I’d dropped the bombshell about wanting an assistant to finagle some more time off to improve my quality of life here in Paramour Bay, Leo had been a tad bit irritated. I didn’t understand what the big deal was with me bringing in part-time help at the tea shop, but he’d already moved on to explain that sage only kept evil spirits at bay…not spirits of witches, per se. “Something about using sage only for malevolent spirits.”

  “Leo has forgotten that fairies fall under that title,” Regina said rather wryly, apparently having the same opinion of fairies as Leo. “A bit of sage should keep Mazie away, though I do find it odd that Strifle didn’t join her on the other side as is the usual practice. Not enough for you to go poking your nose into the coven’s business, mind you. They have a habit of looking back at anyone with the temerity to involve themselves in coven business even if you had just cause…which you don’t.”

  “You know Strifle?” I asked in surprise, taking off my gloves so that I could put my hands in front of the vent. The steady heat was enough to cause goosebumps up and down my arms, but in a good way. I couldn’t wait to get inside to enjoy a cup of hot coffee in front of the fireplace. “Is she like Tinkerbell? And what do you mean by the coven’s business?”