Double Magick in the Falls

by April Hollingworth

  “Yessssss, but...”

  “No buts, child, stay away from them, and that’s final. Now I’m tired, and going to bed.” Shaking a finger at me, as if to emphasize her point, Eve rises and strides out of the room, without a backward glance or another word.

  I gape in surprise at her unusual behavior. The wagging of her finger at me and the sharp tone of voice was normal enough. The year I previously lived with Eve after my mum’s death had me on the wrong side of her plenty of times. But the lack of any information, and the finality of the conversation, surprised and troubled me.

  Looking thoughtfully out the door, I wondered if Eve could be scared. Could vampires be so dangerous? A quick flashback to the vampire in the parking lot has me thinking yes, especially with how I reacted. I decide to go to bed as well.

  Tomorrow I’ll look at the old Winters’ house, but if it’s in my price range, I’m taking it. Situated on the border of the woods, it is just what I’m looking for. As I climb the stairs, the rain starts, and I hear the sound of distant thunder.

  Waking up to the annoying sound of singing birds, I growl in frustration and stick the spare pillow over my head. With a start of surprise, I sit up and brush my hair out of my face, letting the pillow plop back onto the bed. Looking toward the window, I stare in confusion. The curtains and the window are thrown wide open.

  What the hell? I mutter, knowing I always close the window and keep the curtains tightly shut. A morning person I am most definitely not. Even after so many years in the army, or maybe that’s the reason I like to sleep late.

  “Grandma, did you open my window and curtains this morning?” I holler, as I scramble out of bed.

  “Yes, I’ve booked you an appointment to see the old Winters’ house before work today, hence this treat,” Eve replies.

  I watch in surprise as my grandmother enters the room, carrying a large tray full of sausages, crispy bacon, fried eggs, hash browns, grilled tomatoes, buttered toast, black and white puddings, and a large mug of coffee with plenty of milk. Nose sniffing in delight, I quickly take the tray off her and set it on my bed.

  “Wow, thanks, Grandma. I’ll just freshen up.” I give her a quick kiss on the cheek and rush into the bathroom.

  Back in my room, I tuck into my breakfast. With a groan of happiness, I finish the last bite of my toast, grab my mug of coffee, and set the empty tray on the floor.

  “That was wonderful, thank you. What time is the viewing?”

  “Ten. You have forty minutes to get ready and get to the house to meet Alex Higgins, the local estate agent.”

  “No probs, that’s loads of time. Thanks Gran...for everything.” I give her a quick hug.

  “Go on, get yourself ready, girl, before you’re too late.” I watch Gran’s face as it lights up from the impromptu hug.

  I know Gran missed me and worried The Protectors would find me and kill me, just as they had my parents. It was a silly fear, as children I learned are never harmed. However, the loss of my mum is still raw for her, and the thought of the last connection to her being murdered terrified her.

  She knew I was determined to follow my own path, and I think she is proud of the strong woman I have become.

  She will always worry, and with me living nearby she will know I’m safe. Though she’d never understand my affection for my dog.

  Why a witch would ever have a dog was beyond her. In her old-fashioned way of thinking, if you’re going to have a pet at least make it a cat.

  ****

  Quickly I scramble into my tracksuit bottoms and tank top and put my hair into a scrunchy. Grandma does not like people wandering around in their pajamas, even if it is only for a couple of minutes.

  Jogging downstairs, I fill two dog bowls with food and fresh water. A quick woof of hello and a happy tail wag is my greeting before Jasmine devours her food.

  Running back upstairs, I get into the shower. A quick wash, brush of my teeth, and change into a pair of jeans and a light jumper. Pulling on a pair of boots, I pick up my jacket and car keys, before heading back downstairs.

  “Grandma, I’m going now, I’ll see you at lunchtime,” I yell out as I leave the house.

  Seeing Jasmine I call her over. I climb into the front seat and she hops in beside me, and I head to the old Winters’ house.

  My first glimpse of it takes my breath away. Through the windy trail and trees, I catch sight of the two-story house. The paint is fading and peeling, and some branches are brushing against the upstairs windows, gently scratching the glass. The upstairs balcony has a dead plant in a cracked pot on it, and the wrap-around terrace has a sad apologetic look, as if embarrassed to be caught in such disarray. The estate agent standing in front of the house wears a defeated look on his face.

  I for one have already fallen in love with it and can see so much potential. But no way am I letting him know that!

  Climbing out of my car with Jasmine on my heels, I cross the area of the drive to the estate agent.

  “Mr. Higgins I presume,” I inquire, while offering my hand.

  “Ah yes, but call me Alex please. Eve Allhallows said you were looking to buy? Miss Allh—”

  “Reynolds, Candie Reynolds,” I interrupt.

  “I do apologize, and you wanted to look at this house?” Alex asks, as if I had gone crazy, or he had misunderstood.

  “Apparently. May we look around since I’m here?” I request, since it does not look like we’re going to move. Doesn’t the man know how to walk and talk at the same time?

  “We, ahhh you have a dog? Yes, of course you can,” replied Alex, sounding highly flustered.

  “Yes, I have a dog. Now we’ve figured that out, can I look at the house please,” I reply a note of warning and irritation in my voice.

  I know exactly what he was thinking; it didn’t take a genius to figure out since it was written all over his face. A dud indeed, and even if I was, why should it matter one way or another?

  “Yes, yes, of course, this way please. As you can see the house has been abandoned for quite a while, and ah, yes, this way please,” answers Alex, gesturing toward the locked front door.

  “If you would unlock the door, I can walk around the house by myself if you prefer. How much did you say it was going for?” I casually inquire, as if I don’t care one way or another.

  “Yes, well, it’s going for €175,000, though if you are interested, it could probably be negotiated. To be honest, I think the owners just want to get rid of it.”

  “What land comes with the house?” I ask, hiding my smile and wondering how many times he’s tried to get rid of the property.

  “Well, the land is very extensive. Most of the woods are part of the land. There’s a trench around the boundaries. Old Mrs. Winters wanted to make sure no animal would be harmed if they crossed over to her land, but wanted it apparent to people they were about to trespass. There is also an old ruin and small graveyard,” Alex replies, muttering the latter part under his breath. With a defeated look on his face, he turns to leave.

  “I can’t look around the house if you won’t unlock the door!” I exclaim in annoyance. Good god what is with this man, for crying out loud! What, did most people feel unsettled on hearing there was a graveyard on the land?

  “Oh you still want to look at it?” gasps Alex, quickly unlocking the door before I change my mind.

  “Of course I do,” I huff, giving him a strange look.

  ****

  Entering the house, I see high ceilings and spacious rooms. Three doors lead off the hallway. Opening the first, I find the sitting room with a huge open fireplace.

  The second door reveals a cupboard under the stairs is in fact a bathroom with toilet and sink. The last door at the end of the hall is the kitchen and dining room.

  The dining room also has a large marble fireplace and an alcove leading off to a sunroom. The kitchen has a large wood stove and another door leading into the utility room with the back door, and as Grandma Eve had promised, a dog flap. />
  Upon opening the back door, I notice a nice bit of garden, not too big, with a shed and a small fence around it, the woods surrounding the fence.

  Feeling pleased I reenter the house, lock the back door, proceed back into the hallway and upstairs. I notice four doors leading off the upstairs landing.

  Inside the first room is a big, old-fashioned, claw-footed tub, toilet and sink to the left, and a shower to the right. If I hadn’t fallen in love with the house already, the bathroom would have made me fall for it in an instant.

  Wow, I’m in love!

  Leaving the bathroom, I open the next door, which is a bedroom with a veranda. Seeing a long wardrobe, I cross the room and open the doors to find not just a simple wardrobe, but a walk-in one with shelves and two rails.

  How are you still empty? Seriously, the house is gorgeous.

  Leaving the bedroom, I move to the next room, which is another large bedroom, and then upon opening a door to the left of the room, I find an en-suite bathroom.

  Very nice, I murmur, thinking this would do as a guest bedroom.

  Entering the last room, I decide I can partition it off, and build a darkroom, and still have plenty of space for my computer desk and chair, a couple of book cases and maybe even a comfy chair.

  I head back downstairs and out the front door, where I spot Alex impatiently waiting for me.

  “Is there anything you’re not telling me about the house?”

  “She died in the house,” Alex blurts out, as if he can’t hold the information in any longer.

  “Who did, old Mrs. Winters?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did anyone else?”

  “I don’t think so,” Alex replies.

  “Natural causes or murdered?” I might as well know, though to be honest, it still wouldn’t stop me from buying the house.

  “Natural, of course,” gasps Alex in shock, as if the idea of murder is a foreign experience.

  “Of course,” I say with irony, thinking of my parents.

  “Okay, there is a hell of a lot of work needing to be done to the house. I’ll offer €125,000, but obviously I’ll need to get a surveyor out to look over the place, if the owners are interested in my offer. Also, anything in or on the grounds as of this moment, is part of the sale. Contact me at Eve’s when you receive an answer.

  “You’re interested in buying it?”

  “Haven’t I just said that? Look, let me know when you have an answer. I have to go to work now. Thank you for letting me look around. Come on, girl.”

  I open the car door, and Jasmine squeezes in ahead of me giving her tail a happy thump. Climbing in, I fasten my seat belt and drive off.

  “You like the house, too?” I ask with a feeling of excitement.

  “Woof.”

  “It’s gorgeous, and thankfully most of the work seems to be surface, though it will still take time as well,” I mutter thinking of all the sanding down which needs doing inside and outside, the painting and the building of the dark room. The branches from the trees nearest the house need to be cut back so they don’t overshadow, and cause future damage and dampness.

  “The drive will need tarmac put down, too, and the porch needs support beams, or something done to it to stop the sagging. Yeah, there’s a lot of work needing to be done.” I sigh, and so does Jasmine in answer.

  Chapter 2

  A grin spreads over my face, as I hang up on Alex Higgins. The owners accepted my offer. I haven’t even been at work for an hour. I’m a bit surprised as the offer was so low, but it just means I don’t need to scrimp on repair work. I can hire someone outright to get it all done. I call a recommended surveyor, who agrees to come out tomorrow to look over the house and lands. Next I contact my solicitor to get the paperwork started.

  ****

  A feeling of excitement and the Earth settling comes over me. It is as if things are coming back to their rightful position in life.

  “Are you listening to me?” demands a little old lady, with bright blue hair, and a rather ferocious scowl on her wrinkled face. “I demand you pay attention to me this minute!” she screeches, at decibels the deaf can hear.

  “I can hear you, but sadly…” Huh, how to put it politely, so the little old dragon won’t explode from anger?

  “My attention was on another matter at the time. But you now most definitely have my attention, and everyone else’s as well,” I reply with utter politeness, seriously, I have done myself proud. Or not, going from the look of furious irritation on the lady’s face.

  “Why, you insufferable child, I ought to teach you some manners, you and your beast. Now, get out of this shop at once. I know the owner, and she won’t permit the likes of you in here,” cackles the old lady, pointing a bony finger imperiously at the door.

  Politeness forgotten, I stand up to my full height of five foot nine, so I nicely tower over the little hag in front of me.

  “Do not, under any circumstances, threaten me or mine again, old woman,” I growl, my green eyes narrowing, and sparks flitting off my fingertips.

  “As for knowing the owner, you are not the only one who does. Obviously I know her, since I’m working in her shop, and she’s my grandmother. Now, behave yourself or leave this place, but never presume to speak to me or treat my dog with anything other than politeness again. You may not like us, but tough shit on your behalf. Now, is there anything I can help you with, or are you ready to leave yet?” I demand in a controlled voice.

  Hearing gasps of surprise, I look at the other customers, most of whom seem more shocked at seeing me standing up to the old lady, than at sparks shooting from my fingers. That’s the way of things when surrounded by witches!

  “I hadn’t realized you were a witch, or that you were Eve’s granddaughter. With you having a dog, how am I supposed to know?” the little old lady answers huffily.

  As if that explained things. She did look nervously at my fingers, probably terrified the sparks would strike her.

  “Ah well, that’s okay, I mean, obviously it’s okay to speak to anyone else with complete lack of respect, just because they’re not witches,” I reply with a major amount of frustrated sarcasm. What the hell was wrong with people?

  “Well, I need help with a spell,” whispers the little old lady as she looks shiftily around to see who’s listening.

  “What kind of spell?” I demand, knowing I’m not going to like the answer, by her attitude.

  “Well, it’s, hmmm, I’ve been wronged, and I want someone punished,” answers the lady with a quiver in her voice.

  “You want a revenge spell. Sorry, I don’t help people with them.”

  “You mean you can’t,” sniffs the old lady with disdain in her voice.

  “I mean exactly what I said. I DON’T HELP PEOPLE WITH REVENGE SPELLS,” I state loudly and clearly, in case the nasty old cow can’t understand me.

  “Well, how rude,” gasps the woman, as her jaw drops in shock.

  “I’ll be sure to pass on a message to Eve you were in, if you give me your name.”

  “Eve? Oh no, that’s okay, no need to. I’ll…I’ll speak to her myself, at some point when I have time,” she replies, quickly scampering away, as she looks around as if expecting Eve to suddenly pop up out of nowhere.

  “Hello, can I help you?” I inquire of the nearest gaping-mouthed customer.

  “What? Ah yes, I would just like to get this crystal please,” answers a surprised-looking customer. “You’re very brave, standing up to Ms. Hayes. She scares me and most people actually.”

  Smiling gently at the petite woman in front of me, I take her crystal from her and wrap it up in tissue paper.

  “That’s €5, then please. Most people don’t scare me,” I admit, handing back the crystal and taking the money.

  “Oh, you are lucky. Most people scare me. I’m Beatrix, Beatrix Sullivan. Ms. Hayes is my neighbor sadly.” Beatrix sighs in resignation.

  “Nice to meet you, Beatrix. I’m Candi Reynolds.”
r />   “Reynolds? Oh, I presumed you would have your grandmother’s surname. Well, I had better go. Nice to meet you, Candi.” With a little wave, Beatrix leaves.

  A man approaches me next, with a swagger in his step.

  “Hi, Candi was it?” he asks leering at me, as if I’m an item to be procured. “How about I pick you up at seven p.m. for dinner and drinks, maybe dancing if you’re lucky,” he states as if it is a foregone conclusion.

  “No, thank you. Now what can I help you with?”

  “What? What do you mean no? No one says no to me. Do you know who I am?”

  “No. Why, is it important?”

  “My name is George Seabast the Fourth,” he pompously replies, taking hold of his jacket lapels and standing straighter with his head slightly to the side, as if to enhance his magnificence.

  “Oh, okay. Well, my answer is still no. Now are you buying or leaving?”

  I feel totally perplexed at his weird stance. Seriously, I am trying to be polite. But what is with these people? Or is it me? Am I so different from everyone else?

  “What? Did you say no to me? Well, I never!” a very shocked George Seabast the Fourth explodes before flouncing out of the shop.

  Shaking my head in exasperation at the idiotic man, I know there is no way I’m working in Grandma Eve’s shop again. I just can’t deal with people. Glancing down at Jasmine, I notice her huffing and snorting gently at me.

  “It’s not funny, so stop laughing,” I scold in exasperation.

  The remaining customers carry on with their shopping and have the sense not to ask me for revenge spells or anything personal.

  And thankfully the rest of the morning flies by uneventfully. Looking at the time, I finish up, closing the shop for lunch. I’m meeting Grandma Eve in The Olive Tree Café. I’ll also tell her I’m not working in the shop anymore. Anyway, she doesn’t need me; she has enough staff already, thankfully.

  ****

  Quickly walking around the shop, to make sure no one is left inside, I close and lock the front door then put away my till, set the alarm, and leave. Giving Jasmine’s head a quick scratch, we cross the road heading toward The Olive Tree Café. Noticing The Witch’s Brew bar, I stifle a groan. I could really do with a drink right about now.