by Rose Pressey
“Yes,” I mumbled.
“I'm Martha Avery. I'm here about the problem.”
Dixie entered before I could answer, but I knew what Martha meant when she said problem.
“I'm glad you're here.” I wiped my brow with the back of my hand.
“What's the status?” Dixie asked.
“Nothing has changed, as far as I know. I noticed Cooper watching not long ago. I don’t know what he’s up to. But Becky has been suspiciously quiet.”
“That can only mean she’s working on her next step.” Martha spoke fast.
She had no accent to speak of, not that I noticed, anyway. I wondered if she was originally from this region.
“What’s our next step?” I asked.
“Can you close your shop?” she asked. “We need to perform emergency magic.”
Emergency magic? This had gotten so weird. How had I ended up in this situation? And I thought talking to ghosts was crazy. “Will it work? It's not even dark yet,” I said.
“By the time we’re prepared, it’ll be dark. We need to start now because we don’t have time to waste.”
With only a few hours before closing time anyway, I agreed without hesitation. Mae and Seth stood in the corner and listened to the action while Anthony paced behind me like a shadow. I closed down the register and grabbed my purse.
“You can ride with us,” Martha said. “It'll save time.”
Oh no, that meant I'd be in the backseat with Mae and Seth. As long as there was room, they'd come along for the ride. But where would Anthony sit? No way was he sitting on my lap. The ghosts were too nosy to stay away. I couldn’t say that I blamed them, though. Especially Seth. After all, his grandson was involved.
I hopped in the backseat of the Cadillac. I sat on the left side; Seth sat in the middle with Mae on the right. The women had no idea that ghosts were in their presence. And I wasn't about to tell them. Imagine their faces if they saw Mae West in the backseat.
“I can’t believe I have to ride in the trunk,” Anthony’s muffled voice said from the back of the car.
He was lucky he was getting to tag along after that caper he pulled with the fake crossing over thing.
We pulled away from the curb. No sign of Becky or Mindy. And Callahan had closed his shop for the day a few hours earlier. I wondered where he was and if he was safe. We headed away from town, I guessed to Dixie's house. Please let us not be headed to the wooded area again. The last thing I needed was for my father to show up again. Speaking of which, he’d tried to call, but I hadn’t answered. I didn’t have the patience to talk with him until I got a handle on all the other chaos in my life.
Chapter Forty-Four
“Do you feel that?” I asked no one in particular. I didn't care if Dixie or Martha answered, as long as someone acknowledged me.
“Feel what, dear?” Dixie asked.
“That strange feeling? It's in the air. I've felt it for some time now. And it seems to be growing stronger.”
“Magic,” Martha said in her steady even tone.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“It's magic you feel. It's all around. This town is full of it. And not just witchcraft. I bet you'd be surprised at the hidden talents people of this town possess.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think you know what I mean. You have a hidden talent, no?” She winked.
I paused and glanced over at Mae and Seth.
Mae shrugged her shoulders and gave me her typical sassy look. I looked toward the front of the car at the women.
“How did you know?” I asked.
“Never mind that. Just…I know. You're an open-minded person. Open your eyes more and you'll see what I mean. Karyn told us about your witchcraft talent, and we can see for ourselves.”
I didn't answer. I rolled her words around in my mind. Perhaps I did need to open my mind more. I mean, look at the magic in town. I had no idea about the witches until recently. And I needed to decide what I wanted to do about Karyn’s offer…if she got better.
“Where are we headed?” I asked, looking out the window at the passing trees.
“We’re going to the woods. The usual spot.”
Not again. Just what I’d been afraid of. I’d had enough of this spot recently. I’d never go on a nature hike again.
“They love the earthy stuff, huh?” Mae said.
I didn't know about any of this. It seemed like we were up against a power we couldn't fight this time. But I guess Martha knew her stuff, so I had to trust her.
As we moved along the road, the magic feeling increased. Almost as if eyes were focused on me. I glanced over my shoulder out the back window. A car followed close to our bumper.
“What's their hurry?” I asked.
“I just noticed them,” Dixie said, looking in the rearview mirror.
“Are they crazy?” Seth asked.
The ladies couldn't hear his question, but I assumed they might be thinking exactly what he said. I turned around again to get a better look at the car. It was a white car, but I couldn't make out the style, although I saw one thing clearly…the occupants of the car. Becky was driving and Mindy was in the passenger seat.
“It's her,” I said.
“Who?” Dixie asked.
“Becky,” Martha answered for me.
“How did she know? Why is she following us?” I looked out the back window again.
“She's brave. She knows we're on to her. She wants to stop us and she thinks she can.” Martha seemed calm considering the speed at which we whizzed down the road.
The car bumped us.
“What the heck,” I said, my body moving forward in the seat. “She's trying to run us off the road.”
“What the hell is going on?” Anthony asked from the trunk.
Dixie swerved the car. She sped up, but so did Becky. We raced around the curve. The turn-off point was just ahead and the dirt path came into view.
“Looks as if we may have a fight on our hands.” Dixie had a death grip on the steering wheel.
“I can take her down,” Mae said.
“Hardly,” I said.
“Hardly what?” Dixie asked.
“Oh, nothing. Talking to myself,” I said.
We screeched around the turn and onto the dirt path with Becky right behind us. She followed as we barreled down the road. Mud flew everywhere.
“You women drivers are crazy. I swear if I wasn’t dead already, you’d for sure kill me back here,” Anthony said.
When Dixie pulled up to the spot, the parked cars lined the path, waiting for us. No one was in sight and I didn't know what we were going to do with the crazy person following us.
Chapter Forty-Five
I didn't know what Becky would do. If she’d been capable of strong magic with Mindy, I knew she could use it on us. As soon as the car was in park, Martha jumped out. Was she a stunt person for movies? I’d kill myself jumping out of the car like that.
Dixie lunged out from the car right after Martha. At that point, I thought, what the hell. I couldn't stay in the car like a big chicken while the other women jumped out to fight for maybe their lives, and mine, too. I pushed the door open and leapt out. I felt like maybe I should shout Geronimo.
Becky screeched her car to a halt right behind ours. Martha and Dixie stood shoulder to shoulder behind the car, waiting to see what move Becky would make next. I inched my way up behind them, forcing myself to stand in the line beside them. How we'd gotten to this point, I had no idea. Why was I fighting witchcraft? I just wanted a normal life, but it didn't look as if a normal life was in the cards for me. Becky leapt out of her car and Mindy followed her lead. My heart thumped. What would they do?
I soon found out.
Becky didn’t say a word as she lunged forward and, in one fluid motion, grabbed my neck. “Give me the necklace. It’s mine,” she screeched.
Apparently, Becky didn't believe that whole ‘rule of three’ thing. Meaning whatever bad energy she put out, she’d
get back three times as bad. The next thing I knew, she was on top of me and we were on the ground, rolling around. She wrapped her hands around my neck and squeezed. I grasped my hands tight around her arms, trying to break her grip.
“You’re crazy,” I gasped out.
I mean, Brianna was evil and had tried to kill me, but Becky was determined to finish the job. Mindy looked on with a blank stare. Martha and Dixie struggled to free me from Becky’s grasp, but to no avail. Becky must have lifted weights or been a freak of nature. She was strong and they were having a tough time of it.
“I’m not going to let you take my position in the coven, you stupid bitch.” She spewed venom with each word.
I tried to scream, but only a whimper escaped my lips. A loud thud echoed and the pressure on my neck was gone. What the hell had just happened? Becky fell off me and I rolled to my side. I looked to Martha and Dixie. Their mouths hung open.
Who had hit Becky? During the struggle, I hadn’t been able to make out much other than her face in front of mine. Now, Becky lay motionless. Her long brown hair fell over her face. I hoped she was okay, even though she would have loved to have seen me in the same position. And not just hurt either, but dead. Mindy still had the same dazed look on her face. There was no weapon in her hand so, if not her, and not Dixie or Martha, who had hit Becky?
My legs wobbled as I tried to stand.
“Here, let me help you.” Martha put her arms around me.
“Who did that to her?” I asked.
“I don’t know. The man ran out, hit her with the stick, then ran away again.”
A shadow emerged from behind the car. Had the person been in the woods all along? He walked toward us and my heart raced. Had he been the one to clobber Becky? Would he hit us, too? The need to run washed over me. Darkness surrounded us, making anything beyond our cars nothing more than blackness. As the dark figure drew near us, I recognized him. The big stick he’d obviously used as a weapon was still in his hand.
“Who is that?” Dixie choked out.
“It’s my father.”
He had saved my life. Dizziness overwhelmed me as the adrenaline rushed through me. I leaned against the car for support. He hurried toward me.
“Are you all right?” He touched my arm.
“Do you always hang out in these woods?” I asked.
At least I hadn't lost my sense of humor.
“No, of course not. I followed you. I didn't know if you were fully aware of the danger you put yourself in. Someone has to watch you.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
Anger and happiness hit me at the same time. Finally, for the first time in his life, he was there when I needed him. But it was a little too late to be a father now.
Becky moaned and rolled over. Mindy leaned over her and lifted her to a sitting position.
“She’s going to have a whopper of a headache,” I said.
“Yes, she will.” He nodded.
“She was trying to kill me.”
“I know. I hated to hit her like that, but she was messing with my little girl.”
Little girl? Oh, please. “You did what you had to do, but why did you run away?”
“Just in case I needed to get my gun.”
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t. You’d probably have accidentally shot yourself. No offense.”
“None taken, I guess.”
“Come on, Larue, you should have a seat.” Martha led me back to the car and I plopped down in the backseat, leaving the door open. Mae and Seth stood beside the car. This was the first time I’d seen them shocked silent. Anthony paced again. Mindy moved closer to me, away from Becky.
“You hurt her,” she yelled.
I didn’t answer. She wouldn’t listen to anything I said anyway. I wanted to grab her and tell her to snap out of it. Would the spell release now that Becky had been weakened?
“What will happen now, Martha?” I asked, looking away from Mindy.
“We'll perform the spell now. Becky’s magic will fade and won't have a powerful hold now that she’s injured but, to be safe, we'll do a spell. Come on, we have to hurry. The police will be here soon and they’ll want to speak with us.”
“Don’t they know there’s a coven in town?” I asked.
“Yes, they know,” Martha said as she walked toward the trees.
“Are they all right with that?” I followed along behind them.
“Yes, you could say that.”
“There are members of the coven in the police department, aren't there?” I asked.
“Yes. Now come on. Dixie, call the police,” Martha said over her shoulder. “And stay here with Mr. Donavan until they arrive. We’ll be back soon.”
I cringed as I looked back at Becky. As mean as she was, and I knew she wanted me dead, I couldn't help but feel bad for her. However, I couldn't dwell on it, though. I had to help Callahan, Mindy, and Karyn. The coven had heard the ruckus, but didn’t question us about what had happened.
I moved to what was now becoming my usual spot around the circle, lit the candles, then placed them on the ground. The flickering glow cast an ominous feeling around the group. My hands shook, but I had to remember these people were here to help me. I added the salt along with the other mixture. The wind whipped wildly. I repeated the words Dixie had given me. As the incantation left my lips, the wind stopped. It was as if the night had been put on pause. No trees swayed, the mist ceased, and the sounds of nature quieted to an inaudible level. Peace settled over us…until the sirens rang out.
“Come on. Let’s get this taken care of, once and for all,” Martha said motioning for us to follow her lead.
We moved past the trees and out toward the road. At least we wouldn't have to explain why twenty people had been hiding in the woods—the police already knew of the witchcraft around Magnolia. I wasn't looking forward to talking to the police, though. I’d had my fair share of those conversations in the past few days. I just wanted away from all of the madness. What I wouldn’t do for things to be back to normal. My normal…ghosts and all.
My shoulders ached from the weight of the tension, and my throat hurt every time I swallowed. I walked to the end of the path, looking at all the expectant faces staring back at me. The ambulance had reached Becky.
My father was in the back of the police car. I ran over.
“What's going on?” I asked.
“We just need you to come to the police station to answer questions,” the officer said to my father.
“You can't do that here?” I said, stepping closer to the vehicle.
“You need them to look at your neck,” my father said when he looked at me.
“I'm fine.” I waved off his concern.
“Have them take a look,” he pressed.
“All right, but I'm fine, really. Don’t go with the police without me,” I warned.
“Don’t worry. They want your statement, too. You didn’t think you’d get off that easy, did you?”
“No, I suppose I didn’t. It’s never that easy.” I walked toward the ambulance, shaking my head at the craziness of my life.
Life with the paranormal would never be normal.
Mindy rushed over and grabbed me in an embrace, her eyes puffy and red. The spell had worked—faster than I ever imagined.
“I missed you,” I said, squeezing back.
“Oh, my God, Larue. I can’t believe this happened. If I get my hands on Becky, I’ll wring her neck.”
And with that, Mindy was back. That statement was from the Mindy I knew.
I frowned. “So Dixie explained what happened, I guess?”
She nodded.
“I need to go with my father. Can you meet me at my house in a few?”
She quirked a brow. “Your dad? Where the hell did he come from? Did you dig him up from under a rock?” She looked over at the police car. “Do you want me to clobber him?”
I smiled. “Maybe. I’ll let you know for sure. Can you do me a favor, though? Find Calla
han? Bring him to my house?”
“You know I love missions.” She winked.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.
She nodded. “I think so.”
Dixie walked over to where we stood. “Hey, Larue, I just got off the phone with Karyn’s mother. Karyn’s awake and she’s going to be fine.”
“I can’t believe it. I’m so happy. We should go see her right away.”
“Visiting hours are over, darlin’. But you can see her in the morning.” She patted me on the back. “And Martha just informed me that Cooper had nothing to do with the magic. He’s innocent and Becky acted on her own.”
“So Cooper had nothing to do with the black magic?”
Dixie shook her head. “It was just a coincidence that he showed up when all of this happened.”
It looked as if I owed Cooper Garret an apology. He would love throwing this up in my face. Through all of the chaos, I’d given thought to Karyn’s request and made my decision. Back and forth with my thoughts, until I’d reached an answer. Was it the right decision? I guess I’d find out the hard way. But it seemed I never did anything the easy way anyway, so why start now? Now that Karyn was better, she’d be leaving soon, so I needed to tell her.
The best thing for the coven was to find a different leader. Maybe someday in the future, I could help lead them, but it wasn’t my time. They deserved someone who knew what they were doing. Karyn might have thought I had natural talent, but I knew the position needed more than natural talent.
“So what about the dark shadow? I still don’t know what that was?”
“Martha says that was part of Becky’s plan. She wanted you to think you were responsible for attracting a demon by practicing magic. She thought maybe you’d stay as far away from the coven leader position as possible.”
“That’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard,” I said.
Chapter Forty-Six
When I finally pulled up the driveway and saw the front porch of my house, tears welled in the corners of my eyes. Mindy and Callahan sat in the two rocking chairs on my front porch. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was over. Really over. The spell was gone and so was Becky. I parked the car and stepped out from behind the wheel. Halfway up the stone path, I stopped, looking at both of them. They smiled and my heart warmed.
