by Amy Boyles
A chill swept up my back. There was no reason for it to, but something about this guy gave me the heebie-jeebies. “Who wants to know?”
He ignored the question. “You need to come with me.”
I quirked a brow. Okay, so I might be a failure when it comes to picking boyfriends, but something told me this guy was trouble, and I mean TROUBLE, all in caps with an exclamation point at the end.
“What if I don’t come with you?”
I was afraid to hear him answer, because he’d already proclaimed it in my dream.
He narrowed his gaze. His voice rumbled when he said, “Then you die.”
TWO
I backed up. I was not, I repeat, not about to go with this guy.
And coat me with sugar and call me stupid, but I wasn’t about to die, either.
He jumped off the car. His feet hit the ground lightly, as if he weighed no more than a feather.
The blue flame flickering atop his fingers grew.
I ran to the right in a feeble attempt to dodge a dude who clearly spent a lot of time playing street magician.
Suddenly the stray cat appeared out of nowhere and jumped on the man’s head.
He screamed, throwing the cat off. It landed on its feet. The cat turned to me, and the strangest thing happened.
“Get in the car. Now. He’s distracted.”
I whirled around. No one was there.
“What are y’all waitin’ for? Hurry the heck up!”
I raced to the car, shoved the key in, started the engine and floored it out of the parking lot. My heart thundered against my chest, and my foot shook as I pressed the accelerator. Sweat sprinkled my forehead as I tried to put all the pieces together.
Man. Flame. Voice. Cat.
None of it added up.
My gaze flicked to the rearview. The man stood in the distance for a second; then he started to run. I was so scared, fear lodged in my chest. I wanted him gone, away so he couldn’t follow me. Pressure swelled in my gut as I wished for him to disappear.
He vanished.
“He ain’t gone for long. He’s gonna follow you until you’re safe.”
I whirled my head around, searching out the voice. There wasn’t anyone in the car. “Who said that?”
“Me.”
In the passenger seat sat that stupid cat.
“How the heck? What the—”
“Hey, there.” The voice distinctly popped in my head, but the animal hadn’t moved its lips.
“Did you say that?”
“You see anyone else here talkin’?”
My gaze flicked to the cat. I held my breath for three seconds, and then I screamed. “Ahhhh!”
The cat screamed in my head, too. “Ahhhh!”
Still screaming, I said, “Why are you screaming?”
“Why are you screamin’?” the cat said, still screaming.
“Because you’re a cat! You’re not supposed to talk!”
The cat threw up its paws. “Ahhh! No one ever told me that!”
I pulled over onto the gravel shoulder. I pressed my forehead against the steering wheel and closed my eyes. “This is not happening. This is not happening. There is not a talking cat sitting next to me, and there was not some faded rock-star illusionist sitting on the roof of my car.”
“Oh, there wasn’t?” the cat said.
I gulped down another shot of air. “It’s just stress. I’ve had too much stress. By the time I count to ten, the cat will be gone… One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”
I peeked from behind my hand and came face-to-face with whiskers. “Boo,” the cat said.
“Ah!” I sat up and wedged my back against the door.
“Sugar, you need to stop screamin’. It ain’t goin’ to do ya no good. Come on. Rufus is gonna try to catch up with you. We need to get on the road.”
I flared out my arms. “No. I’ve gone crazy. Too much stress. My brain has broken. Today was too much. I mean, you can’t lose your job, your home and your boyfriend all in one day.”
The cat blinked at me. It pawed its whiskers and said, “Pepper Dunn, you ain’t gone crazy. You’re a witch and you need help.”
“What are you talking about? I’m a witch?”
The cat placed its paws on the dash. “Drive and I’ll tell you everythin’. Go. Rufus’ll be comin’ after ya, sugar.”
I gritted my teeth. Clearly I was out of options. I didn’t have anywhere to go. When my father died, he hadn’t left me anything. I had no other family I knew of, and when I’d moved to Nashville, I’d done it on my own, leaving my college friends behind. Now I wished I hadn’t.
The cat’s tail flickered. “Get on I-65 and go south.”
Well, at least I had a traveling companion, wherever I was going.
“You’re only crazy if you don’t think you’re crazy,” I mumbled. “I think I’m crazy, so that must mean I’m sane.”
Made sense.
“Right. That’s how these things work. I’m not crazy because I realize that I’m not.”
“Sugarbear, you need to stop talkin’ like that.”
Right. And I’m chauffeuring around a cat who likes to refer to me as Sugarbear.
My eyes watered. I glanced at the cat. Fur buzzed around its head. Reaching over, I tapped the glove box button. The door flopped open, and I snatched a handful of napkins from the cubby. I rolled down the window as I felt pressure build inside my sinuses.
“Ahchoo.” I sneezed. “Can you sit still for a while? I’m allergic to you.”
“That why you don’t like animals?” it said.
My gaze slid to one corner. “Among other reasons.”
“Well, take an allergy pill. We’ve got a several-hour drive ahead of us.”
I frowned. “To where?”
“To Magnolia Cove, your new home.”
I cocked my head. Magnolia Cove. “That’s the return address.” I fished the package from my purse. The cat scooted out of the way as I dropped the bag on the seat and yanked out the envelope.
“I got this in the mail today.”
The cat sniffed the package. “Thank goodness you got it before Rufus came.”
“Who is that guy?”
“One thing at a time. First things first, you are a witch and you be needin’ to come to Magnolia Cove.”
“What’s Magnolia Cove and what’s that key?”
“Sugar, Magnolia Cove is a village for witches.”
I smirked. “Why haven’t I ever heard of it?”
“Because you weren’t a witch before, but you are now.”
I blew a wad of snot into the tissue. “What are you talking about?”
The cat blinked at me. “When you turned twenty-five, you came of witch age.”
I flared out my hands. “Whoa. Seriously. What are you talking about?”
The cat bit the gear shift as if annoyed. “Sugar, how many times do I have to tell you—you are a witch and I’m takin’ you to Magnolia Cove to be with your witch kin. Your momma, may she rest in peace, was a witch. So is your Me-me and all the other women in your family.”
I raked my fingers through my hair. In the rearview mirror I caught a flash of crimson. “My Me-me?”
“Grandma, sugar. Grandma. I was sent to make sure you made it to Magnolia Cove safe and sound. Because now that you’re twenty-five, Rufus’ll want to get his grubby hands on you.”
“Who is Rufus?”
The cat’s tail twitched. “I’ll let someone else tell you about him. The key’s in that there bag, right?”
I pulled it out. “This?”
The cat’s green eyes sparkled. “You’ve got it! Praise be to hallelujah! You got the key.”
A glint of gold caught my attention. “What’s the big deal? Other than the fact that it looks like it’s worth a small fortune. Is that a real ruby?”
“Sugar, this key unlocks the most important shop in all of Magnolia Cove. And now it’s all yours.”
I gulp
ed. My throat had dried from my encounter with Rufus, but now moisture filled it. A shop? All my own? I wouldn’t have to wait tables anymore. I could pay my student loans and not go into default. This would be awesome.
“I’ve never been a business owner. Do you think I can handle it? I mean, is there a massive staff that I have to orchestrate and be in charge of? I’ve never done that before, but I’m pretty sure I’m up to the challenge.”
“Hold on there, sugar. Someone needs to cut back on the caffeine. Just you wait until you see it. You’ll love it. There ain’t nothin’ like Magnolia Cove in all the world.”
“And you live there? Wait. Do you have a name?”
“Well, of course I have a name,” the cat said. “I’m Matilda Moonpie, but you can call me Mattie.”
I bit back a laugh. “Moonpie? You have a last name?”
Mattie nodded. “Course I do, sugar. I ain’t one of them old barn cats. I’m well-bred.”
“Sure you are.”
She dipped her head. “Take this exit.”
I jerked the wheel and veered off. My thoughts drifted to Caleb and how much I wanted to call him, tell him about the talking cat, Mattie, but then I figured he’d be chin-deep in fantasy football and wouldn’t listen anyway.
Hmm. Maybe I’d call him later?
I followed Mattie’s directions down two-lane country roads until I reached a turnoff that didn’t look much wider than one lane.
“We’re almost there,” she said, blinking her green eyes at me. “Just wait until everyone meets you. They’re gonna be so excited, I bet they’ll pee their pants.”
I barked a laugh. I followed the winding road. Giant magnolia trees canopied the drive. They were in full bloom. We passed a sign that read, Welcome to Magnolia Cove.
The trees parted, opening up the road. Two- and three-story cottages dotted the landscape. They were painted bright colors with wood crisscrossing over the sides. Cedar shingles graced the roofs, making them look like they were cut straight from a storybook and planted in Alabama.
A bell tower loomed in the distance, and the road became cobblestone. Window boxes overflowing with flowers hung from the windows.
I swear, if my allergies didn’t flare and make me miserable, this place would be perfect.
A babbling brook rolled down one side of the hamlet, underneath an old mill. The wheel turned, sending water falling down into a pool where children played.
“Welcome to Magnolia Cove, sugar,” Mattie said. “It’s the most magical place on earth.”
THREE
Mattie directed me toward a shop in the middle of what appeared to be Magnolia Cove’s main street. Only it wasn’t called Main; instead it was called Bubbling Cauldron Road.
“Here it is. Your store, sugar.”
I parked in front of a shop with a dark wooden sign that read Familiar Place. I frowned, unsure what that title meant, but hey, I could at least stay, check it out, and wait for someone to tell me the entire thing had been a dream.
I mean, who shows up and hands someone a key to their own business right as they realize they’re broke?
I was waiting for someone to jump out from behind a haystack and say, Syke!
I killed the engine and grabbed my purse and key. Mattie jumped out behind me. I had almost reached the door when an older man with a bushy beard and eyebrows thick as my arm raised a hand to me.
He wore slim pants, a vest with a gold watch tucked into a pocket and a top hat.
“You there,” he sneered. “Are you the owner of this place?”
Mattie jumped in front of him. “It’s hers, Ebenezer. She’s got the key fair and square.”
I glanced from the cat to the man. He raised a crooked finger at her. “I wasn’t talking to you, fish breath. I was talking to the newbie. Does she have the key? Because she can’t go in without it. Those are the rules.”
I backed up toward the car, feeling very small and insignificant. “I received this,” I said, flashing the gold piece.
Ebenezer’s fingers twitched. He tapped the tips together almost gleefully. “Oh, that’s it. You’ve got it.” He leaned close enough that I could smell the sardine lunch he’d eaten. “If you don’t want the store, you tell me, girlie. I own the pawnshop just down the street, there. I’ll take it off your hands and give you a fair price.”
Mattie wedged between us. “Fair price, my hindquarters. He’ll give you a lump of coal for somethin’ worth thousands. Now get out of here, you old miser.” Mattie reared up, arching her back. “You get out before I call Betty on your head. She won’t like you messin’ round with her kin.”
Ebenezer wiggled his fingers toward me. “You change your mind, you call me.” He flashed a business card. He motioned with his finger, and I watched, jaw dropping, as numbers appeared on the white background.
“Holy cow,” I said.
“Magic, my dear. You’re in Magnolia Cove. Magic all around you,” he said. “That’s my personal number. You can reach me there anytime.” He licked the tip of his finger. “And what’s your name?”
“Pepper,” I said.
He smiled and traced the card. My name appeared in red ink along with the number. “Call me anytime, day or night. I’m always ready to make a deal.”
Ebenezer scurried down the street as Mattie hissed at him. “Horrible man.”
“Why don’t you like him?” I said.
“He’s a Northern transplant. Thinks he’s better than us Southerners.”
“Maybe you only think that because you’re a cat.”
Mattie blinked at me. “Sugar, you don’t know nothin’ ‘bout us felines. We’re smarter than most of y’all humans. Y’all hang around waitin’ for men who aren’t interested to call. I ain’t got time for that. I’m off catchin’ dinner in the time y’all are whinin’ about yer love lives.”
I gulped. “Okay. You might have a point.”
“Now, use that key and see what magic awaits.”
I palmed the golden tool. It was heavier than any key I’d ever held before. My stomach fluttered as I stood in front of the double doors.
They were glass, with brown shades pulled down so far I couldn’t see inside. I pressed the key into the lock and felt it give.
Snick.
I held my breath and opened the door. Darkness filled the room. I snapped on a light.
Filling the room from one side to the other were—
Animals. Lots of animals.
A floor-to-ceiling cage filled with kittens sat squarely in the center of the store. A bin of puppies sat to the right of the old-fashioned cast-iron cash register. Birds perched in another corner, and the side wall was lined with aquariums stuffed with all sorts of creatures—from water filled with fish to dry-land terrains featuring iguanas, turtles, toads.
The puppies stirred as light filled the room. Kittens yawned, and birds began to squawk.
“What the heck is this?” I said, backing up. “My worst nightmare?”
I did not like animals. I did not. I wasn’t crazy about cats, dogs needed too much attention, birds were loud and could swoop on your head, pooping on you without warning, and reptiles were untrustworthy.
Listen, I had watched those shows that feature a person getting eaten by their own large iguana or something. I knew reptiles were really just waiting around to kill their owners.
Untrustworthy, I’ll say it again.
Mattie landed on the counter. “Sugar, this is your store.”
My gaze flickered to her. “I thought you said it was the most important store in Magnolia Cove.”
Mattie’s mouth twitched into a smile. “It is. This is the familiar store. Where all witches come to find their animal soul mate.”
“Animal soul mate,” I murmured, reaching into my purse, hoping to find a tissue. My allergies were acting up, and I could feel the itch of a sneeze just behind my nose.
Pressure built inside my sinuses. My fingers scraped at my purse, but I didn’t find a tissue. “Is there a
bathroom in here?”
Mattie quirked her tail toward the back. “There.”
I raced down an aisle as a giant sneeze expelled from my nose and mouth. A kitten reared up on its hind legs. Another kitten hissed and clawed at me.
Great. They liked me about as much as I liked them.
I found the bathroom and yanked the roll of paper so hard half of it mounded on the floor. Needless to say, that half did not end up anywhere near my nose.
After several huge “ahchoos,” I got ahold of myself. I could feel my eyes swelling and the congestion plugging my sinuses.
I exited the bathroom and surveyed the room. I shook my head. “There is no way in high heaven I’m keeping this place. No way.”
Mattie paced the counter. “Sugar, of course you’re keepin’ this place. It’s yours. You’ve got to keep it ‘cause there ain’t nobody else who can do what you do.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about? Anybody can run this store, and they probably wouldn’t have an allergy attack just walking in.”
Mattie rested on her haunches and kicked out a back leg. “They don’t have the power you do.”
I tossed the tissue in a wastebasket and fisted my hands on my hips. “And what power would that be?”
The door burst open, smacking a stack of books wedged behind it. Parrots squawked, puppies whimpered and kittens hissed.
“Oh, shut it, the lot of you. If you’re not good, I’ll cook you up in my cauldron and use you in a spell.”
I cringed. I might not be an animal lover, but I sure as heck wasn’t going to boil them.
A squat old lady with short silver curls, black sunglasses and wearing a denim bodysuit stepped into the store. A gust of wind fluttered in behind her, whipping the pages of the books and ruffling the birds’ feathers.
She plodded in, and the animals ceased all sound. It was like this little lady, who only stood about four-ten, sucked all the air from the room.
The store stilled, the very weight of her personality creating the silence.
She pressed her glasses up on her forehead and stared at me. Bright blue eyes swept me from head to toe and back to head.
“So it’s you,” she said loudly.
“Me?” I said. “What do you mean?”
