The Dirty Coven

by Lily Harper Hart

  “The man who fired me was named Archibald. It’s a ridiculous name for a ridiculous man. He was supposed to be my father-in-law. No joke. I was engaged to his son for years. We lived together.”

  “And you broke up?”

  “You could say that. I caught him cheating on me for the third time. When I say that, I mean that I caught him red-handed three times. That means he probably got away with cheating on me hundreds of times and I was too stupid to notice.”

  Cooper was uncomfortable with the self-deprecation. “I don’t think you’re stupid. I mean ... I’m sure that happens to a lot of people.”

  “Maybe the first time,” she conceded. “By the second time, though, I should’ve walked away. I didn’t. Do you want to know why?”

  “I guess.”

  “I told myself it was because I wanted a comfortable life and I thought I was doing the best thing for me,” she continued. “He was from a good family. They had a lot of money. We lived in a really ritzy townhouse. I convinced myself that was important.

  “What I came to understand after the fact, after I had a good cry and torched all his belongings in the front yard, was that somehow he’d beaten me down to the point where I didn’t believe I deserved better,” she said. “I never thought I deserved all of his attention. When he cheated, I wondered what I could’ve done differently. That was weak of me, and a little sad. The truth is, he was the one at fault.”

  “I never doubted that.” Cooper rubbed his hands over his knees, engrossed in the story. He couldn’t understand why anyone would ever cheat on her. Not only was she beautiful, but she was engaging. Just the interactions she shared with her dog were mesmerizing. “What happened?”

  “Well, I blew up and ended the engagement. I’d finally had enough. He wasn’t even sad when the end came. Not even a little. He thought it was funny. I was furious with him, but I was even angrier at myself. This is the guy I left college for. I didn’t get a degree because I thought he was more important. I was ... furious. Only part of that anger was directed at him, though. The rest was aimed inward, and that was where it should’ve been pointed. Doing things for him and sacrificing myself in the process was stupid.

  “It’s not that I don’t think one person should give to another in a relationship,” she added hurriedly. “Honestly, I believe with my whole heart that when you find the right person the give and take comes naturally. He only took, though, and I was an idiot who always gave.”

  “I’m sorry for all of that.” Cooper meant it. “You deserve better.”

  “That’s what I told myself ... right up until Michael’s father called me into his office to fire me,” Hannah supplied. “Oh, he didn’t use those words. He offered to transfer me to the worst office in the firm first. Michael was obviously uncomfortable with me being at the office where he worked ... especially since he was bouncing from paralegal to paralegal and didn’t want the story of his cheating to get out. That would’ve ruined his romantic prospects.”

  Cooper’s anger began to build. “He sounds like a jerk.”

  “He was. I was a jerk, too, though. I should’ve thought better of myself. It would’ve made things easier for both of us.”

  “You obviously didn’t move to the crappy office.”

  “No. After we split up, though, all I could afford was this terrible apartment in a really bad neighborhood. It was barely safe enough to walk Jinx — and only during daylight hours — and I had no idea what I was going to do.

  “Archibald tried to give me six weeks of severance. I negotiated six months. That gave me a cushion. I was still terrified when I returned to that apartment and started thinking about my prospects. Archibald said some things to me that weren’t very flattering at our final meeting. The sad thing is that they were true.”

  Cooper stirred. “How were they true?”

  “He said I wasn’t a very good worker, that I only did enough so no one would point and call me lazy. I did everything that was put in front of me but never asked for extra work.”

  “I think that’s true of a lot of people.”

  Hannah’s smile was rueful. “I do, too. That’s not who I want to be, though. I want to be better than that. I was focused on that, dwelling on it really, when I opened the letter. The next thing I knew, a whole new world was in front of me ... and it was being provided by a woman I never knew.”

  “You said you assumed Abigail was dead,” Cooper prodded. “Didn’t you ever ask about her?”

  “My mother never wanted to talk about her,” Hannah explained. “Then, when she got sick, I was fourteen and confused. She fought for two years before she died. It never seemed the time to bring it up because she always got so upset.

  “I asked my father a few times, but he was gutted after my mother’s death,” she continued. “It upset him to talk about it so I was forced to let it go. I didn’t think about it at all ... and my brother didn’t care enough to think about it.”

  “And then you got the letter,” Cooper mused. “It must’ve seemed like divine intervention with the timing.”

  “You have no idea. Honestly, three months earlier I would’ve turned down the opportunity because I was too scared to embark on an adventure. That wasn’t the case this time. I jumped at this chance.”

  “It’s worked out so far. I mean ... you’ve hit your head, almost drowned in the creek, and been verbally attacked by a witch. You’ve been here a little over forty-eight hours. Who else can brag about stuff like that?”

  Hannah chuckled and shook her head. “Yeah, well ... wait. Did you just say witch?”

  Cooper heaved out a sigh and dragged his hand through his hair. “Yes, I did. It’s the truth. Astra is a witch. Your grandmother was a witch, too. I’m guessing she’s still hanging around as a ghost. We expected that, which is why we put off customers returning for so long. We haven’t seen her, though. She chose to show herself to you first.”

  To give herself time, Hannah cracked the bottle of water and took a long swig. When she spoke again, her voice was raspy. “I don’t believe in witches.”

  Now it was Cooper’s turn to laugh. “That doesn’t mean they’re not real. It also doesn’t mean you don’t have your grandmother’s genes flowing through you.”

  “But ... .” Hannah had no idea how she was supposed to respond.

  “I have some things to tell you,” Cooper started. “I’m not even sure where to begin. It’s so ... convoluted.”

  “Well, I guess you should start with Astra.” Hannah felt more comfortable talking about a woman she didn’t care to know than the grandmother she felt robbed of knowing. “What’s her deal? She called you ‘lover,’ so I’m guessing that means you guys have history.”

  Cooper shifted, uncomfortable. “Yeah, well, that was before she turned in to whatever she is now.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s just ... Astra wasn’t always the woman she is today,” he explained. “When she first arrived she was young, dewy-eyed, and full of a lot of energy. She was running from a bad home life in Chicago. She left an abusive boyfriend, and that was after running from emotionally-manipulative parents. She was kind of a hollowed-out shell when she arrived.”

  Hannah didn’t want to feel sympathy for the woman — for some reason, she looked at Astra as a rival of sorts for a variety of reasons — but she could feel pity stirring in her gut. “That sounds horrible.”

  “Abigail recognized that she was living on the edge from the first moment Astra showed up looking for a job. We all knew that Astra wasn’t her real name. A few of us had a few laughs over it. I mean ... what kind of twenty-three-year-old woman willingly goes by that name?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Abigail wouldn’t hear any of it, though,” he continued. “She didn’t like it when we made fun of Astra and she let her opinion be known. I was close with your grandmother because I was fighting demons of my own. I couldn’t get some of the things that happened overseas out of my head and she
helped me clear my mind. I still don’t know how she did it.”

  “Was it her witchy powers?” Hannah’s lips quirked.

  “I know you don’t believe, but you’re doing yourself a disservice to disregard everything I’m about to tell you outright. It’s the truth ... and the sooner you come to terms with it, the better.”

  Hannah was understandably dubious, but she managed to hide her true feelings ... if only barely. “Just finish the story.”

  “When Astra first arrived, she was eager to help,” he supplied. “She liked to perform and there was no job she thought she was too good for. She worked in every part of the town at some point. Well, except for the barn. I’ll get to why that’s important later, though.

  “While she was working, she started spending time with Abigail,” he continued. “We all knew Abigail was a witch. She never hid her true nature. Since the area is crawling with paranormals, it wasn’t a very big deal.”

  Hannah’s forehead wrinkled. “What kind of paranormals?”

  “The normal ones. Shifters, vampires, pixies, and the occasional elemental. Nothing special.”

  “Right. Nothing special.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “I feel as if I should try to find the camera that’s obviously filming my reaction.”

  “There are no cameras here. I’m telling the truth.”

  “I just ... it’s so ridiculous.”

  “Yes, well, that doesn’t mean it’s not true.” Cooper took a sip of water before continuing. “We all thought Astra was pure of heart. I had no intention of dating anyone because I didn’t think I was ready for it, but she wormed her way under my defenses and, before I realized it, we were practically living together.”

  The admission caused Hannah’s stomach to flip. “Do you think she put a spell on you or something?”

  “I guess that depends on what sort of spell you’re talking about. Do I think she cast a love spell? No. Those are unpredictable and often come back to bite the caster. I do think she cast a spell to hide her true nature, though. I can’t prove it, but I feel it deep down.”

  “And what is her true nature?” Hannah was almost dreading the answer. “You’re about to tell me she’s evil, aren’t you?”

  “She’s definitely evil.” Cooper had no doubt about that. “It started fairly simple. Abigail noticed some of the herbs she kept in her garden shed were missing. When kept separately, the herbs were harmless. When mixed together, though, they were dangerous.”

  “Did she automatically jump to the assumption that it was Astra?”

  “No. Not even a little. There’s another coven here. Witches that live in the wild. Their domain is beyond the creek.”

  Hannah involuntarily shuddered at the dark look that crossed his handsome features. “Were those the other women I saw with her?”

  “Some of them, I’m sure. Astra has somehow taken over as leader, though.”

  “I still don’t understand how she went from being one of the favorites here to living in exile.”

  “I’m getting to it.” Cooper’s eyes flashed with impatience. “I’m going to nutshell this for you because it’s a really long story with a lot of twists and turns. We can get into the guts of it later if you feel it’s important. Basically, though, Abigail kept noticing things going missing. It grew to talismans and even tonics and potions.

  “Eventually, she questioned Astra about it and things didn’t go well,” he continued. “Astra blew up, to the point where she tried to curse Abigail. Abigail may have been older, but she was still spry. She easily held Astra off and offered to help her cut ties with the other coven.”

  “I’m betting that went over like a lead balloon.”

  “Actually, you would be wrong there,” Cooper countered. “Astra agreed to the terms and pretended she was back on Abigail’s side. Then she betrayed her a second time and it turned into a battle. The other witches crossed the border and there was a big fight. Abigail and the rest of us held them off and even magically banished some of them. Astra was one of those banished, but she’s obviously found a way around that.”

  “Abigail got a restraining order, too, right?”

  “She did, but Astra doesn’t respect that either. That was mostly for show.”

  “So ... what is it Astra wants?”

  “Abigail’s grimoire,” he replied simply. “There are numerous powerful spells in there. At one time, Abigail mentioned that she would probably leave it to Astra when she passed. Once Astra showed her true colors, that obviously didn’t happen. She still feels entitled.”

  “I don’t have the grimoire. Er, well, I don’t think I do. In my dream, Abigail said it was in that cabinet in the living room, but I don’t know where the key is. She hid it and said I would be able to find it when I set my mind to it.”

  “Then you’ll be able to find it.” Cooper was matter-of-fact. “Abigail knew what she was talking about. She always did. What I can’t figure out is why she’s only been approaching you. If she came to the rest of us, it would be easier. We already believe.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” The phone in Hannah’s pocket dinged and she absently dug for it. “I’m still not sure I can believe in witches … let alone the rest of it.”

  “You need to come to the bonfire tonight,” he pressed. “Everyone will be there. You’ll hear some stories, get a better feel for the people here. It’s important.”

  “If you say so.” Hannah frowned when she read the text message that scrolled across her screen. “Oh, he can’t be serious.”

  “What’s wrong?” Cooper was instantly on alert. “What happened?”

  “It’s Michael.”

  “And that’s your ex-fiancé?” Cooper made a disgusted face. “What does he want?”

  “His ring back.”

  “You kept the ring?” Cooper wasn’t sure he wanted to know why. “I guess you’re hoping he comes to his senses and begs you to come back, huh?”

  “Oh, no.” Hannah shook her head before shoving the phone back into her pocket. “I sold it to finance my move. I don’t want him back. I should’ve never wanted him in the first place.”

  Cooper felt the knot that had been forming in his back slowly start dissolving. “Oh, well, that’s good.” He offered up a genuine smile. “That’s really good.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” She swung her legs as she considered the new information Cooper had dropped on her. “I’ll go to the bonfire and listen to what they have to say. I’m not sure I can promise anything else.”

  “That’s all I ask.”

  “Good, because that’s all I can give right now. You have to understand, this is the first time I’m hearing any of this. It’s ... completely bonkers from my point of view.”

  Cooper couldn’t swallow his laugh. “It’s going to get even more bonkers.”

  “Oh, well, I’m looking forward to that.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  10

  Ten

  Hannah had no idea what to wear to a bonfire. She attended a few as a teenager, but she didn’t think half-shirts and hoodies were on the menu. When she peered out the window, though, she realized hoodies never went out of style.

  She had no idea why she was so nervous. It seemed ridiculous. Of course, the idea of witches, vampires, and whatever elementals were sounded ridiculous, too. She sat on the end of her bed and stared into Jinx’s happy eyes for a long time, trying to come up with a legitimate reason to flee without saying another word to the people gathering down by the fire pit. The old Hannah would’ve run without thinking twice. She didn’t want to be the old Hannah, though. She wanted to be more than that.

  “We have to go down there.” She wasn’t really talking to Jinx, but he was the only one there. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth and he wiggled his butt in anticipation. He seemed to understand the adventures weren’t done for the day. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  Decisively, she got to her feet and grabbed the dog’s leash from the nightstand. “Just be fore
warned, they’re going to tell you a bunch of nonsense when we get down there. I’m not telling you not to believe them – I’m not sure if I believe them or not – but don’t let them confuse you or anything. They could be nuts.”

  Jinx bobbed his head as if he agreed.

  “They’re probably nuts.”

  He wagged his tail.

  “What does it say about me that I’m willingly going to hang out with them around a fire?”

  He licked her hand.

  “Yeah, I’m nuts, too.” She hunkered down and gave the dog a hug. “I won’t let you stay with the crazy people overly long, okay? If I think things are going south, we’ll make a run for it. How does that sound?”

  Jinx enthusiastically licked her face.

  “I figured you would agree with me.”

  JINX STRAINED AGAINST HIS LEASH AS she led him down to the bonfire. Initially, she couldn’t make out the gathered faces. When she finally closed the distance, she realized she recognized at least half the people around the fire. The other four were something of an enigma.

  “I’m glad you could join us,” Tyler offered, gesturing toward a chair in the middle of the circle. “The smoke is blowing in the opposite direction so I figured you would want to keep Jinx on this side.”

  “Thank you.” Hannah felt awkward as she futzed with her hoodie zipper and slid into the chair. “Do you guys do this often?”

  “What?” A woman on the other side of the fire giggled as she stretched out her long legs. She had blond hair, although it was darker than Hannah’s, and she seemed to be making eyes at Cooper. “Do we hang around in a clump like this all the time? Not really.”

  “That’s not what she was asking and you know it,” Cooper chastised, taking the chair next to Hannah even though Tyler looked to be angling for it. He ignored the curious look the vet shot in his direction. “We should probably do a few introductions before we get started.” He gestured toward the blonde. “That’s Becky Gibbons. She works at the dry goods store and was an apprentice under Abigail.”

  Hannah was taken aback. “An apprentice? Like … a witch apprentice?”