by Amy Boyles
***
Ten minutes later we stood outside an old Victorian home. I'd seen the house probably a thousand times but had never thought much of it until now. White paint flaked off the boards while sun-beaten flowers drooped in the first-floor window boxes. Over the driveway a dead vine clutched a trellis arbor, apparently hanging on for dear life.
"Where are we?" I asked Em as she ascended the poured-concrete stairway.
"Can't you guess?"
We shook our heads in unison.
"We're at a registered witch's house."
"Oh," I said. I hadn't realized a witch lived in town. Were there any more?
"By the look of the dead plants, I'm guessing this witch doesn't have a green thumb," Sera said.
I glanced back to the street. A few people strolled down the sidewalk, heading toward the business district. We were so close people could walk downtown to work or shop.
"There's Tim," Sera whispered.
My belly sank. Sure enough, sauntering down the other side of the street came Sera's ex, all six feet of him with his college-boy haircut and blazing blue eyes. He'd be a real looker if he hadn't been a douche bag to my sister.
"Hey, Tim," she said.
He gave a cockeyed smile. "How are y'all today?"
I tugged Sera's elbow, but she didn't budge. "Great," I said. "How's Olivia? You know, the girl you're dating."
His gaze skirted to Sera. "She's good. You doin' okay, Sera?"
Sera gave me a dirty look and then smiled daintily for the pretty boy. "Doing great."
"Listen, Tim, I'd love to stay and chat, but we've got to go." I yanked Sera, and this time she came with me. "Let's go inside."
"What'd you have to bring her up for?" she seethed.
"Because last I looked, he's dating her. Don't even think about going back to him. The man doesn't even have a job."
"He's independently wealthy," she said.
"Forget him. He's a waste of oxygen."
I pulled Sera to the front door and stopped behind Em and Reid. Em knocked. A minute later a small, hawkish woman answered.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"Milly Jones, how do you do?" Em's mouth formed a tight grin. Well, well, well, will wonders never cease? A witch who stands up to the queen.
"Hello, Em," Milly said. The small woman squinted at the queen. "Is this an official visit or what?"
"It ain't official."
"Who are these piddly witches with you?"
"Excuse me, but I am not piddly," Reid argued.
Milly stared at her. "You're right. You're not, because you aren't even a witch. Em, what's this all about?"
Em stamped her foot. "Let us inside and I'll give you a good yarn."
Milly grumbled something I couldn't make out. She dropped her hand from the door and turned back inside, leaving it wide open. I guess that was an invitation?
Em entered. The three of us exchanged glances. We were thinking the same thing—wondering if we should follow.
Em popped up behind the door. "Well? What are y'all waitin' for? Come on. She won't bite."
I wasn't convinced, but since we had no other leads, we went inside.
Where the outside of the home looked run-down and neglected, the inside proved immaculate. Antique rugs blanketed the wooden floors, landscape paintings in gilded frames decorated the walls, and a bronze birdcage housing a wooden parrot sat in the corner. Bright, cheery sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains. Milly thumped her cane on the floor as she plodded over to a worn recliner. She motioned for us to sit.
"Tea, anyone?"
Em answered for us. "Yes, thank you, that sounds refreshin'."
A glass pitcher filled to the brim with dark amber tea and ice appeared in midair.
"Holy crap!" Reid said.
I watched wide-eyed as the pitcher tipped—by itself, mind you—and poured the liquid into a tall glass that had also appeared. In total it poured four drinks. Ice clinked as the glasses danced about the room, making their way to each one of us. One stopped in front of me and hovered. Em took hers in hand and sipped. Since she didn't drop dead after a few seconds, I grasped the trunk of my glass and took a long draught.
"Mmm. Delicious," I said.
"Mmm hmmm," Sera mused.
"Thank you," Milly said pointedly. "It was my mother's recipe. You can't be Southern and not know how to make a great pitcher of tea, she always said. I'm apt to agree with her."
"Here, here," Reid said.
"She also used to say, you can't be a Southern witch and not know your tail from your behind. Which, from the looks of you three, is definitely not the truth of it. You're so green you don't know if you're coming or going."
What a nice old lady. So welcoming. "You've got a great bedside manner. Were you a doctor before you retired?" I asked.
Her sharp eyes penetrated me. "It's not good to cross a witch."
"So I've been told," I said.
Em cleared her throat. "Guess the niceties are over." She glared at me. As if it was my fault Milly decided to be rude first. "We need information."
Milly's head swung in Em's direction. She took a sip of tea and crunched a cube of ice for a full two minutes. After smacking her lips, she said, "What kind of information?"
"Someone wants the girls dead."
Milly threw back her head in laughter. I didn't realize my life ending was so funny.
She wiped tears from her eyes. "Of course they do. These girls don't know what they've got. If I were a young witch trying to prove myself, I'd attempt to off one of Hazel's granddaughters as well."
"You know our grandmother?" Sera asked.
"Of course. Would anyone like more tea?"
We shook our heads. Milly waved at the tea, vanishing it. She rose and caned over to a rough-hewn wooden mantle. She picked up a picture and ran her fingers down it. I craned my neck to see the image. Milly pivoted the picture toward us. Two woman stood in black-and-white, their arms around each other in an embrace.
"This is your grandmother fifty years ago. This was taken here, in Silver Springs, where we both grew up. This was right before she took your mother, who was only a girl at the time, to Savannah. Your grandmother and I remained close until…"
I quirked an eyebrow. "Until?"
She threw her free hand into the air. "We disagreed on a few things."
"Like?" Sera said.
"Like how to raise you three. After your parents died in that horrific car crash, your grandmother brought you back here. Dylan…” She paused. "It is Dylan, right?"
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"You and Sera probably remember a little bit before the crash."
"I was ten, so I remember moving here, but I don't recall too much about before then. Sera might remember more. She's only two years younger than me."
On cue Sera shook her head. "Not really. I only know Silver Springs."
Milly frowned. "Anyway. Your grandmother wanted to keep magic a secret from you. I thought it best that you know." She stamped the cane on the floor. "It was your right, damn it. You needed to be able to protect yourselves in case someone tried to kill you. Which now they are." She coughed, wheezing. I rose and helped the old witch back into her chair.
"With all due respect," Sera said. "You don't even know us. Why would you have any say in how we were raised?"
Milly's beady eyes glared at Sera for a moment. She turned away, gazing at the wooden parrot. It squawked.
I flinched. "That's a bit unnerving."
"Easier to take care of that way," Milly explained. "It talks and sings but doesn't poop. Perfect pet."
"It talks, it sings," the parrot screeched.
I rang out my ear with my finger. "Very nice." Not at all.
Em reached her hand toward Milly. "So do you know who might be after them?"
"Of course not, you idiot," Milly said.
I have to say, Em took the insult in stride. Where my jaw slackened, she didn't even wince.
&nb
sp; Milly continued, "There are no other registered witches in the area. Anyone stupid enough to register and try to harm the girls would be quickly discovered."
"So you haven't felt any disturbances in the air."
Milly shrugged. "Sure, I've felt some quirks here and there. A few pulses of energy. I'm not dead, you know."
Em smiled tightly. "I know that. You have a lot of power, Milly. If anyone could sense another witch using her magic nearby, it would be you."
Milly chewed on that for a moment. I mean, literally chewed. "How'd they try to off you?" she said to us.
"She spelled a dress?" I said. "I guess that's what it's called."
Em nodded. "The spell burned the poor girl who tried it on to a crisp."
Milly rubbed the wiry hairs on her chin. "Yes, I heard about the Eckhart girl's surprising demise. Sloppy work. In a perfect world, if you had tried on the dress, it would have knocked you out long enough for the witch to skin you alive. A smart witch would have placed a safety on the spell so that if anyone other than the intended victim wore the gown, they wouldn't be harmed. We know there was no safety. Which means we're dealing with a young, inexperienced witch."
"I agree. A smart witch would also have made sure the spell didn't kill."
"That's obvious," Milly spat. "Why'd they make you Queen Witch again?"
"Because you retired, remember?"
Milly smiled faintly. "That's right."
Em clapped her hands against her thighs. "Any idea where we can start lookin' for this witch?"
Milly's eyes narrowed. Her gaze darted over to me, then back to Em. She opened her mouth and started to say something, but stopped. "No idea. Good luck." She rose, signaling that the interview had ended.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Any information you give us would be a great help."
"Sorry, but I'm old and tired. I can't help you." She practically pushed us out the front door. "Tell your grandmother I said hello." Then she slammed it in our faces.
"What's up her behind?" Reid said.
"Old age," I grumbled.
As Em led us away, I couldn't help but glance back at the house. The curtains were parted in one of the first-floor windows. Milly's gnarled face stared out. A chill waved through my body. That old witch knew more than she was saying, and I needed to find out what it was. After all, it could mean the difference between life and death. My life and my death.
I rubbed my hands together. Time to come up with a plan.
CHAPTER NINE
"We're going back to Milly's," I said.
"But I've put on my pajamas," Reid complained. She tugged at her red and white striped jammie top while extending her legs so I wouldn't miss the matching bottoms.
Sera glanced up from the magazine she was reading. "You look like a candy cane. Those should be illegal." She flipped a glossy page, pulled back the tab of the perfume sample and sniffed. And coughed. "Ugh. Who would wear that?"
"We're going back to Milly's right now."
Reid yawned. "Why so late? Can't it wait until morning?"
"No, it cannot wait until morning. That old lady knows something, and I'm going to find out what."
"Call her up and ask," Reid said. "I'm all comfy."
I fisted a hand on my hip. "Fine. You two can stay here. I'll go figure out what she knows all by myself." I pivoted on my heel and headed for the front door. "But if she turns me into a toad, it's all your fault."
I knew they'd be looking at each other, silently contemplating how true that statement could turn out. I smiled. It was only a matter of seconds now.
I heard the magazine fold. "All right. But if we get in trouble, I'm blaming you," Sera said.
"Great! I'll be out in the car."
"What about our bodyguard?" Reid asked. "Is he coming too?"
Ugh. I forgot about him. "I'll deal with it. Just meet me outside."
I racked my brain, trying to come up with a way in like five seconds for how to convince Roman not to follow us. No good options presented themselves.
Oh well, the truth it would be. I opened the screen door and stepped outside. Humid air clung to me like mist. I glanced up. Clouds obscured the stars. The air felt heavy, as if a downpour was only minutes away.
As I made my way over to the SUV, I opted for a good old-fashioned one on one in lieu of a simple window-roll-down conversation. Stepping to the passenger side, I pulled the handle and opened the door. Roman's eyes widened in surprise. Before he said anything, I slid onto the seat.
Buttery leather welcomed my heinie. The vehicle smelled new, not stale like I expected since the assassin spent most of his time in it.
"What are you doing in here?"
My own reflection greeted me in his sunglasses. "Why do you wear shades at night? Afraid someone will recognize you?"
He tapped the steering wheel with tight, muscular fingers. "No. They make it harder for people to see me. Even through the tinted window."
"You're worried someone will see you?" That was news to me. Seemed to me like he'd want people to see him. They'd know we were protected and wouldn't harm us.
He gave me a long look. I think he was trying to intimidate me. Didn't work. Big guys who wear shades at night made me laugh, not cower.
"I'm trying to catch a witch here."
"You are? I thought you were protecting us?"
He sighed. "I am protecting you. But I'm hoping the witch will show herself and I can catch her and be done with this gig."
My heart pinged. How could he not like us? My family was fun and full of laughter. We're a riot. "You don't like us?"
"I don't like witches."
I leaned back in the seat to get a good look at him. With his star-quarterback build, only a fool would take Roman on in a fight. I didn't think witches scared him, so it must be something else.
"Why don't you like us?"
He stretched his legs, turning his body slightly toward me. My heart fluttered. I touched my chest. It wasn’t supposed to do that. Not for some creepy assassin guy who didn't even like what I was.
"Let's just say we've had our run-ins. They're not the nicest of breeds."
"Then why are you here?"
"You sure ask a lot of questions." He regarded me for a moment and chuckled. "Why are you here?"
Oh, that. "Well." I nibbled my fingers, unsure how much to tell him. The screen door slammed shut. Reid and Sera made their way to the car.
"Where are they going?" he mumbled.
"Roll down your window."
He turned the ignition key and pushed down the automatic window. I leaned over. The musky scent of him infiltrated my nose, filling my lungs. The primal aroma beckoned me. Come hither, it seemed to whisper. I very nearly closed my eyes and curled up beside him. Luckily I found my senses.
"Sera! Reid! Over here," I called out. "He's taking us."
"Taking you where?" he asked.
Sera and Reid climbed into the backseat.
I flashed Roman a wicked smile. "On a stakeout."
***
We nosed down Milly's street roughly ten minutes later. It took five minutes to convince Roman to take us. He tried to be a party pooper and demand we stay at the house where he could keep us safe (yawn), but when I told him we were going with or without his help, he changed his mind.
We slowed to a stop.
"Are you sure this is the right house?" Reid said.
"I'm sure," I lied. Ebony shadows slashed across the old Victorian. A single low-wattage bulb buzzed above the front door. Moths and other night insects flitted around its dim light. Though we were parked in roughly the same spot we had been in this morning, the nighttime atmosphere made the house dark and unsettling.
"It's the right house," Sera said. She pointed down the street. "That's where I saw Tim, remember?"
"Don't remind me," I said.
"Who's Tim?" Roman asked.
Why was he suddenly so interested in our lives? Did he have a thing for Sera? Not that it mattered, because I d
idn't care. I was just wondering. Just for, you know, wondering's sake.
"Her ex," Reid said. "He's a jerk."
"Here, here," I said.
"No, he's not," Sera said.
I whipped my head over the seat and found Sera nose-deep in a tissue. "Yes. He is. Royal jerk, that one. You're much better off without him."
"For what it's worth," Roman said, "I don't know the guy, but any a-hole who would break up with one of you beauties must be an idiot."
Sera blotted her bottom lashes with the tissue. "Thank you." A curtain of glossy hair fell in her face. She tucked the side behind one ear and looked up at Roman and smiled. He grinned back in the rearview mirror.
For some strange, alien reason, my gut twisted. My insides knotted when they smiled at each other. I swear to God I heard thunder or something in the distance, as if kismet itself had deemed this to be the big kapow moment between the two of them. You know, kapow, when two people touch and sparks or some bullcrap ignite, and then the couple know they've got some serious chemistry. The kapow moment generally leads to either a relationship or hot moments under the sheets.
And I swear on my life I'd just witnessed it between the superhot assassin and my little sister. And people wondered why I didn't date. How could I? My sisters took all the guys.
Not that this was a big deal, because it wasn't. Not at all. I loved Sera and supported anything that helped her get over Tim faster, because Tim was a jerk.
"This place looks eerie at night," Reid said. She snapped me back into the moment.
"You can stay here," I said.
"Like heck I am. I want to see what you're going to do."
"Yeah," Roman said. His lips curved into a crooked grin. "I'd like to see this, too."
I stared up at the imposing house and considered the daunting witch inside. What was I going to do? I had no clue, but I couldn't tell them that. I didn't even know what I was looking for. But I knew Milly was hiding something.
"I've been thinking," I said.
"About what?" Sera said.
"I think the reason the levitation didn't work was because the three of us were trying it together. Reid doesn't have any power."
"Thanks," she said.
