Southern Wands

by Amy Boyles

  Southern Wands

  Sweet Tea Witch Mysteries Book Twelve

  Amy Boyles

  LADYBUGBOOKS LLC

  Contents

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  1. ONE

  2. TWO

  3. THREE

  4. FOUR

  5. FIVE

  6. SIX

  7. SEVEN

  8. EIGHT

  9. NINE

  10. TEN

  11. ELEVEN

  12. TWELVE

  13. THIRTEEN

  14. FOURTEEN

  15. FIFTEEN

  16. SIXTEEN

  17. SEVENTEEN

  18. EIGHTEEN

  19. NINETEEN

  20. TWENTY

  21. TWENTY-ONE

  22. TWENTY-TWO

  23. TWENTY-THREE

  24. TWENTY-FOUR

  25. TWENTY-FIVE

  26. TWENTY-SIX

  27. TWENTY-SEVEN

  THANK Y’ALL!

  Also by Amy Boyles

  About the Author

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  ONE

  “Get in here. We’ve got some serious planning to do.”

  Rufus Mayes, my one-time nemesis and sort-of friend, had just informed me that the Head Witch Order was on its way to Magnolia Cove, Alabama, with the sole purpose of seeking me out for my power. They wanted to use my power for themselves.

  That wasn’t cool, y’all.

  This meant we had to come up with a plan and fast.

  Rufus crossed the threshold of Betty’s house, and I slammed the door, closing out the night.

  He stood inside and pinned his gaze on me.

  I hadn’t always trusted Rufus. In the past I would have preferred leading an alligator hunt in a swamp over believing a word he said.

  But this time was different.

  “What do we do? How can I stop them from doing anything to me?”

  Rufus shook his head. “You’re asking me to teach you how to gain the skill level of an advanced witch in the span of one night. Because that’s what it will take to fight them off.”

  I nodded hopefully. “So you don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

  His expression twisted in frustration. “It’s a huge problem. Pepper, I can’t teach you years of magic that quickly.”

  I cringed. “Are you sure? There must be a spell somewhere that will help me fake it. You know, fake it till you make it?”

  Rufus scowled. “You’re asking for the impossible.”

  “Aren’t you a warlock? Surely you know something.”

  Footsteps hit the top of the stairs. “What’s all this racket?” My grandmother’s voice.

  I groaned.

  I debated hiding Rufus—shoving him in a closet and telling my grandmother a ridiculous lie that I was talking to myself. But what was the point? She’d know I was fibbing and would ferret Rufus out—probably by sniffing around the house.

  Literally.

  “Pepper? Is that you?”

  “And Rufus,” I answered.

  Betty paused. I could tell she was deciding if she was going to be hopping-mad Betty or gracious-hostess Betty.

  I sighed and closed my eyes tight. “The Head Witch Order is on their way.”

  Betty didn’t bother taking the stairs. She appeared right in front of me in her bathrobe and slippers.

  My grandmother glared at Rufus. “Are you their messenger?”

  Rufus shook his head of dark hair. “No. I found out and came to warn Pepper. They’re coming for her.”

  “Because of the issues with the werewolves?” Betty said.

  Apparently there had been a dispute between some witches and a pack of werewolves. The Head Witch Order was now getting involved.

  Rufus nodded slightly. “What started as an argument quickly became a skirmish—at least from what I understand.”

  Betty inspected Rufus from head to foot as if to make sure what he said was true.

  I turned to Betty, hoping that maybe what Rufus predicted was wrong. “What will the Order do? And please don’t say take my powers.”

  Betty pulled her glasses from her nose and cleaned them on her robe. “They’ll take your powers.”

  “Crap.” I raked my fingers through my hair. “I was hoping that was only worst-case scenario.”

  “That is if you don’t offer to help them.”

  I shot Rufus a confused look. “You didn’t tell me I had a choice.”

  He stared at the ceiling, silently asking God for patience, I was sure. “Ask Betty what they’ll want you to do, and then you decide.”

  I glanced at Betty. “Well?”

  She pulled her pipe from her robe. A flame flared on her fingertip, and Betty dipped it into the bowl, lighting the tobacco.

  Way to stall, Grandma.

  “They’ll want you to do things…bad things.” She slumped into her rocker and stared at the everlasting fire crackling in the hearth.

  “Like what?”

  Her gaze slashed to me. “Hunt werewolves. They may want you to kill them.”

  “They’ll definitely want her to do that,” Rufus said.

  I winced. “I won’t kill anybody. Axel’s a werewolf. That would be like killing him.”

  “Only some of them will be women,” Rufus said.

  I shot him a dark look. “So you’re saying it won’t be like killing my boyfriend.”

  “Unless he has breasts, I would say not.”

  “Rufus,” I yelled.

  He shrugged. “I’m only telling you the truth. But talking about the nuances of biology doesn’t help. What do we do with you?” He turned to Betty. “I can’t teach her what she needs to know in one night.”

  “Maybe you won’t have to,” Betty mused.

  I shook my head. “I don’t understand why these witches think they can walk in and take whatever they want. Why are they so powerful? So feared?”

  Rufus and Betty exchanged a look. “You can field this one,” she said.

  Rufus crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. A slash of dark hair fell over his eye, covering one side of his face. He pushed it away with a finely sculpted hand. Rufus looked so natural in Betty’s home.

  I wanted to hit myself over the head. There was definitely something wrong with me—like brain damage—if I thought Rufus Mayes looked perfect standing in my house.

  “The Head Witch Order is an old sect of witches, dedicated to training only those with head witch powers, like yourself. They deem themselves as the elite. Only head witches are allowed membership, but the Order often finds itself tangled up in problems, like the werewolf issue.”

  His dark gaze bored a hole straight through me. There were times when I felt that Rufus could look into my soul and see the string that connected a part of me to him.

  I guess that was why I never wanted to give up on Rufus. I knew a good soul lived inside him. Sometimes it was buried, but it existed.

  “The Order will see you as theirs. When they come, you have to do what they say. There are no arguments. They take what they want without question and without hesitation.”

  I balked. “Because they can?”

  “Yes,” he said quickly. His hand twitched. I felt he wanted to reach out to me, but we both stood unmoving. “They’ll want you to fight their war with your powers. You can either join their ranks or they’ll take what they want—no exceptions.”

  Fear surged from my head to prick my toes. The hair on the
back of my neck rose as a chill swept across my flesh. No wind rushed through the house. It could only be fear coursing through me.

  “Betty, is there anything we can do?”

  She tapped the stem of her pipe to her lips. Suddenly mischief flared in her eyes. “There is one thing.”

  Hope buoyed in me. She had a plan, and when Betty had a plan, it was either brilliant or horrible.

  Let’s hope this was on the side of brilliance. “What’s that?”

  Betty dragged her gaze from Rufus to me. After a long moment she said, “We hide you.”

  TWO

  “It won’t work.”

  Axel Reign stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, aggressive scowl slashed across his face.

  To be fair, I didn’t know if the scowl was because Rufus was in the room or if Axel just plain thought Betty’s plan was stupid.

  It could’ve gone either way.

  I twisted my hair over one shoulder and knotted it at the end. “Why won’t it work?”

  His cool blue eyes settled on me. A chill zipped down my spine, encircling my heart. The power of his stare made my stomach quiver, my head swoon.

  Powerful magic tangled up between us.

  “Because,” Axel said gruffly, “they’ll smell the plan out. They know you’re here. They’ll find you.”

  “Not if we cloak her together,” Rufus argued. He pointed to me. “If they come, Reign, the Order won’t stop at just taking her. They’ll make sure no one wants to play hero as well. They may take over the entire town.”

  I fisted my hands. “We won’t let them.”

  “You won’t have a choice,” Rufus snapped. “They’ve done this sort of thing before—after another town sneaked behind their backs. The Order discovered it and took over everything. They outrank the local police, at least according to the High Witch Council. The Order can do whatever it wants.”

  “Then how can we hide Pepper?” Axel growled. He shot Betty and Rufus hard looks. ”We’re talking about powerful head witches.” He raked his fingers through his ebony hair. Axel’s biceps popped, and his straight jaw clenched in anger. “How will we keep Pepper safe from their magic? So that they don’t discover we’re hiding her?”

  “We’ll use magic they won’t expect,” Betty countered.

  “What’s that?” Axel said.

  A slow smile curled on my grandmother’s lips. “We’ll use the dragon. Use his power to help.”

  Rufus dragged his gaze to Axel. The two men studied each other. Neither looked away.

  I started to wonder if they were having an old-fashioned staring contest.

  I almost clapped to break the hold.

  “It might work,” Rufus said.

  “If it’s done right. But if this goes wrong…” Axel warned.

  Rufus opened his arms in invitation. “What? You’ll take me out back and spank me? I’m trying to help. I discovered they’re coming, and I want to stop it. They have no right to take her powers.”

  “Oh, now you see the light,” Axel fumed.

  Rufus smirked. He shook his head in disgust. “I saw it a long time ago.”

  Axel pointed his finger at Rufus. “We probably have you to thank for putting them on her scent. How do we know you didn’t inform the Order about Pepper for revenge?”

  Rufus’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Do you really think I would do that?”

  Axel took a threatening step forward. “I don’t know the depths of what you’re capable of.”

  Rufus stiffened. “I wouldn’t harm her—either intentionally or unintentionally. Can I say the same for you, wolf?”

  You could practically hear Axel’s restraint snap in two. The insult of being called a wolf instead of a werewolf, as well as the reminder that in that past Axel had nearly attacked me, broke him.

  He rushed Rufus, and in less time than it took for a raccoon to steal an apple from a trash can, Axel had Rufus pinned to the wall by his neck.

  I moved to stop them, but Betty held me back. “Men must be men,” she whispered. “In order for them to feel like they’re protecting you, you must let them be. It is nature, nothing more, and you can’t hinder it.”

  “You will take that back,” Axel growled.

  Rufus stared at him, his eyes full of anger. “I won’t take anything back. Every word I said is true.”

  “I could crush your windpipe.”

  Rufus smirked in secret triumph. “I still have magic. I utter one command and you’ll turn into the wolf. Would the bond you share with Pepper be enough to rein you in? Would it hold? Or would you destroy those around you?”

  I pulled away from Betty. “That’s enough. Rufus, shut it. Axel, stop! Let him go. He came to help.”

  Slower than molasses dripping off a stick, Axel pulled away. But he glared at Rufus as if the man had eaten the last helping of banana pudding.

  “I’m watching you,” Axel said in a low voice.

  Rufus straightened. He had enough pride that he wasn’t about to rub his neck and show Axel he’d been bothered. But I knew Axel’s actions had cut into Rufus.

  Rufus’s past would haunt him everywhere he went. No matter how much good he did.

  He slid a hand over his hair and smirked. Rufus’s eyes glinted with danger. “Haven’t you told me that before? That you’re watching me.” He bowed slightly. “Watch me as much as you want. I’m only here to help Pepper and this town. To keep them safe.”

  Feeling that their testosterone-fest was over, I turned to Betty. “How do we use Hugo to hide me?”

  She slipped her pipe into her pocket. “Get the dragon and I’ll show you.”

  The three of us stood in the living room. It was late. I didn’t bother looking at the clock to know that. All I knew was that I’d be useless the next morning.

  “Hugo,” Betty said, “when I tell you to, I want you to breathe fire.”

  Hugo, my adolescent pet dragon, cocked his head in question.

  “It’ll be okay, boy.” I smiled encouragingly. “You do as Betty says.”

  He pressed a cold, wet nose to the back of my hand. I ran my palm over the scales on his head. “What happens after that?”

  Betty glanced at Rufus. He stepped forward, ignoring the flaming arrows shooting from Axel’s eyes.

  “You’ll have to breathe in his fire,” Rufus explained.

  My knees wobbled. “I’m sorry. I think I heard wrong. It sounded like you were saying that Hugo was going to breathe deadly fire into my mouth.”

  “That’s what he said,” Axel replied.

  “Oh, no sir.” I backed away. “I know y’all want to keep me safe, but breathing fire is not the way to do that. I don’t have a death wish.”

  Axel crossed over and placed his hands on my arms. His gaze drilled into me, making my breath hitch in the back of my throat.

  Which then made me start coughing.

  Axel patted my back until I got ahold of myself. “Sorry,” I croaked.

  “Let’s try that again.” Axel gripped my arms. His blue eyes pinned my heart to my spine. I wanted to fall into him, but now was the time to be strong.

  “Hugo’s fire is the most powerful thing in this room,” he explained.

  “Speak for yourself, wolf,” Rufus said.

  Axel ignored him. “The fire can mold with you and protect you. This is stronger than any simple glamour. The Order won’t be able to penetrate the dragon fire. It’s the only way to hide you. If they appear and can’t find you, the Order will leave.”

  I pressed my fingertips to my forehead. “I don’t know.”

  “You have to trust me,” Axel said.

  “Us,” Rufus added.

  Axel shot him a look that could’ve burned his skin right off. “Stay out of this.”

  Rufus sighed dramatically and glanced away.

  Axel hooked a finger beneath my chin and lifted it until our gazes locked. “Do you trust me?”

  I nibbled my bottom lip. This wasn’t about trust. It was about stayi
ng alive, and I didn’t think literally breathing fire would do much to keep me that way.

  But we were talking about magic and with magic, many things were possible. Not all, of course, but some.

  “Yes, I trust you.”

  Axel’s hand slid down my arm until it reached my hand. He threaded his fingers through mine and lifted my hand to his mouth, brushing his lips along the back of it.

  My skin flared to life as his lips branded me.

  His eyes never once left mine. “Are you ready?”

  I swallowed a knot in the back of my throat that felt the size of Texarkana. I nodded.

  Axel cocked his head to Rufus. “I’ll need you over here.”

  Rufus’s voice oozed with sarcasm. “Finally I’m needed. To what do I bestow this honor?”

  “You’re needed for Pepper; now stop your childish yapping and let’s get to it,” Betty said. “We’ll need to make sure the spell works before the witches arrive.”

  I stood in front of Hugo as Betty chanted. Magic the size of lightning bugs flared and floated about the room.

  Energy swirled around me. Axel took one of my hands, and Rufus took another.

  I was acutely aware that Rufus’s thumb was pressed into the wedge of skin between the thumb and forefinger. I could feel the calloused pad as he lightly stroked my flesh.

  My gaze flickered to his.

  Can you still hear me? he asked inside my head.

  I hadn’t heard Rufus for ages. The last time I remembered was when he’d worked a horrible spell on me that shifted my power to him—but only when I used my magic.

  My throat dried at the idea that he could be in my brain. I had Axel. I didn’t need to get my feelings confused.