by Joyce
“Why are you here?” My voice shook, but I forced the words from my lips. “What do you want?”
He smiled—a ghastly experience—but didn’t say a word. In another instant, he’d vanished.
I sat on the bed, my trembling hands covering my face. My heart was threatening to burst from my chest.
“Molly?” Elsie came into the bedroom. “Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid you’d left without me. And you found the purple hat. Thank you.” She sat on the bed beside me. “Is something wrong?”
“I—I saw the Bone Man.” The words scraped out of my throat.
“What? Have you recently visited Oak Island? You didn’t say anything to me. Did you go alone?”
“That’s just it. I haven’t been to Oak Island since last year.” I moved my hands from my face. “But he was here, in my bedroom. That’s never happened before.”
Elsie caught my hands in hers. Her green eyes were filled with the same fear I was sure she saw in mine. “Here? Why would he be here? We always go to Oak Island to see him. Are you sure it was him?”
I stared at her. “How could I mistake him for anyone else? He was standing here when I came out of the closet. I can’t imagine why.”
Elsie tried on the purple hat, tipping it to the right on her head. “It probably wasn’t him. It was probably only a vision of him. I don’t know why on earth he’d send you a vision. Or were you thinking of visiting him?”
“No. I haven’t thought about him since the last time we went to the island. I can’t imagine why he’d appear here.”
But a fleeting thought suddenly filled my brain. It was Joe repeating the words he’d spoken before we’d gone to sleep that night six months ago. Good night, little witch.
Why had I thought of that?
I couldn’t ask Elsie for her opinion. I hadn’t told her that Joe knew I was a witch. We all knew it was bordering on suicidal to tell anyone we loved who didn’t possess magic. Elsie had never confided in Bill or Aleese. Witches who were smart kept their secrets to themselves.
But I had been forced into a position that had made me worried about Joe’s safety if I didn’t tell him. Nothing less than his life would have made me confide that secret. I knew the consequences.
“Molly?” Elsie snapped her fingers in front of my face. “You’re not seeing him now, are you?”
“No.” I got to my feet. “I don’t understand why I saw the Bone Man. I hope I never see him again, except on the island. We’d better get over to Dorothy’s house before Olivia drives her and Brian crazy.”
“Maybe it’s the stress of knowing Joe will be working with his ex-wife,” Elsie conjectured as we went out to the car. “I could understand that. She’s very well preserved, isn’t she?”
I didn’t reply. There were too many other things running through my head to even think about what Suzanne looked like—though I had to admit she was in good shape.
We got in the car and drove across town to the Historic District. Olivia’s family home was on Third Street. At least one member of the Dunst family had lived here for more than two hundred years. We were all glad that Olivia had someone to pass her family’s legacy to.
Brian’s Corvette was in the drive with the silver Mercedes Olivia had left Dorothy. Dorothy still drove her Volkswagen Beetle most of the time. She said the Mercedes made her nervous.
The three of them were waiting inside the lovely old home for us. We’d managed to reconstruct most of the inside of the house, which had been trashed by Olivia’s killer. There was still a lot of work to be done, but a spell we’d set in place kept everyone but witches from seeing the damage.
Elsie and I couldn’t have done it without Brian and Dorothy. Their magic was very powerful together—when we could direct it.
Dorothy was holding her tuxedo cat, Hemlock. Brian was trying to stroke the cat’s silky black fur. Hemlock wanted nothing to do with anyone except Dorothy, which was the way most familiars were.
“Maybe I need a cat,” Brian said. “Now that I’ve got my own place, I could have one.”
“I’d be glad to help you find one,” Dorothy volunteered.
Olivia shook her head, a movement that left shadows behind, like a bad movie going from side-to-side for a few minutes. She came close to Elsie and me. “Can we get on with this, please? Spending too much time with Dorothy and Brian is upsetting my equilibrium.”
“Talk about equilibrium—Molly just saw the Bone Man in her bedroom.” Elsie chuckled as she enjoyed the look of distaste that crossed Olivia’s still-pretty face.
“Why would he be in your bedroom?” Olivia asked. “He’s a man with certain tastes that don’t run to vanilla pudding, if you know what I mean.”
“Are you saying I’m boring?” I asked.
“Not exactly.” Olivia flew around the crystal chandelier above us, making it tinkle. “But he’s definitely not your type.”
“I don’t think he was there to enjoy my company,” I said delicately, though I had no idea why he’d been there. “Never mind. Let’s get the blessing and protection spell done here before Brian has to leave. We still have to go to Elsie’s house.”
I wished I hadn’t told Elsie what I’d seen, but at the time it had been so overwhelming. There were dozens of questions from Brian and Dorothy. It was hard to concentrate on the spell.
“I’ve never met the Bone Man,” Brian said. “What’s he like? I’ve known other witches who went out to the island to trade with him. They’re terrified of him.”
“Everyone is who has any good sense at all,” Elsie said. “I would never want to see him again if I didn’t absolutely have to. He’s like a walking nightmare. You never know what he’s going to do.”
“I’ve never seen him either,” Dorothy said. “He took my mother’s ghost in exchange for information. That seems a little harsh.”
Olivia laughed. “It wasn’t a bit like that. He was just lonely. We had a good time together—at least as far as I can recall. The whole incident is blurry for me.”
“Maybe you need the equivalent of rosemary for ghosts,” Elsie said. “It could help with your failing memory.”
“Can we please focus and finish the blessing?” I wished the subject would go away. I was already worried I’d see the Bone Man in my bedroom again when I got home.
Everyone agreed to finish what we’d started, and in no time at all, we were ready to move on to Elsie’s house. It was an especially good opportunity for us to work a protection spell, since her daughter, Aleese, would be at work.
Dorothy opened the heavy front door to the house she now shared with Olivia. It was carved with magic runes that glowed when she touched it. She was immediately confronted by a man and woman.
It was clear to all of us that the pair were witches. She was tall and stately with thick black hair and blue eyes that matched the sapphires around her neck. Her white dress was stunning against her dark skin, but the expression on her face was hardly welcoming.
“Good day. We’re sorry to interrupt, but we’ve come to take our son home.”
CHAPTER 5
Willow wand and herb of sage,
Cleanse the air. Fire, rage.
Velvet cloak and silver coin,
Take this dream and make it mine.
“Mom.” Brian stepped forward. “Dad. What are you doing here?”
“I think your mother was clear on that point,” the man said.
Brian’s father was tall and a perfect match for the woman. His gray suit was expensive, probably handmade. His brown hair and blue eyes reminded me of Brian. Between them, it was easy to see where he’d gotten his good looks.
“Excuse me.” Brian stepped to one side. “Elsie, Molly, Dorothy and Olivia—these are my parents, Schadt and Yuriza. Mom, Dad, these are my friends.”
I could see the anger and distance in Yuriza’s wonderful
blue eyes. She didn’t like the crowd her son had fallen in with. Cassandra had probably told them about seeing us together at the cave. We weren’t exactly the cream of the witch world.
“I can’t believe you are with these people, Brian—and one of the undead. What are you thinking?” she demanded in a powerful voice. “Come with us this instant.”
Brian stepped back and grabbed Dorothy’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You ignore me for years and only come to find me so you can look down on my friends. Go home, Mom. Leave me alone.”
Schadt shook his head, his thick hair moving like a lion’s mane on his head. “You’ll either come with us now, Brian, or you’ll find yourself without family or money in the future, do you understand?”
“I get it.” Brian raised his chin and stared down his father. “I’ve been without family for a long time. As far as money is concerned, I’ll just sell the gifts you’ve given me to make up for actually spending time with me. Thanks for the heads-up.”
Without another word, Schadt and Yuriza abruptly vanished.
“Can you do that, Brian?” Elsie asked him. “If so, can you teach me?”
Brian shook himself. “It’s not something teachable. Some of the families pay a premium to the council for the extra magic it takes. It’s convenient—charms and spells, that kind of thing. I know you don’t do it, but lots of other witches do. Are you guys ready to go now? Let’s finish this.”
Elsie and I, with Olivia and her staff, led the way to Elsie’s house on Grace Street in my car. Of course we discussed the unfairness of being able to purchase more magic on the way there. None of us had even known it was possible to purchase more magic.
“So that’s why some witches are able to keep their magic for hundreds of years.” Elsie nodded, the purple velvet hat covering her faded red curls. “It makes sense to me now. Why should the witching world be any fairer than the normal world?”
“I guess that’s what made Dorothy’s father so powerful and vital when I met him, even though he was a thousand years old.” Olivia sighed. “I had no idea you could pay for extra magic. I wonder what it costs.”
“Probably more than any of us have,” Elsie said. “And let’s not forget that Dorothy’s father was so evil that you had to hide her from him all these years.”
“I don’t see where one has anything to do with the other,” Olivia argued. “Besides, I am quite well-to-do.”
“And you’re also quite dead. Having enough money to buy more magic doesn’t seem to be in your future.” Elsie smugly smiled.
“I could buy extra magic for Dorothy.” Olivia shrugged. “Well, she could buy extra magic with my money.”
“I’m not sure if Brian can really stand up to his parents.” I changed the subject. “If they want him back badly enough, they’ll probably just take him.”
“Maybe it would be just as well for Dorothy,” Olivia said.
“For Dorothy?” Elsie asked. “Please.”
We were finally at Elsie’s house. It was a lovely place that was surrounded by tall, old trees and green shrubs. It wasn’t historic, like Dorothy and Olivia’s house, but it was very nice. Bill had provided a good income while he’d been alive. Elsie had taught school until she’d retired.
Dorothy and Brian were standing in the cobblestone driveway with their heads together—literally—his head against hers. Their fingers were entwined.
“Aren’t they cute?” Elsie giggled. “I don’t know how you can not want to see them together, Olivia. You might even have grandchildren.”
“Grandchildren?” Olivia slid from the car like hot smoke. “I’m not old enough to be a grandmother. I suppose I never will be now.”
“You’ve got a hundred years before you move on,” I reminded her. “You should fill them as carefully as you did your house when you were alive.”
She bit her lip and floated away. It was an emotional subject for her.
Elsie opened the front door to her house, and we filed in after her. It wasn’t as grand or filled with antiques, but it had a nice homey feel to it that I’d always enjoyed.
“I guess the foyer is as good a place as any for the spell.” She took out several red candles that had been in a bureau to the left side of the door. “We can set them right here.”
To my surprise, as Elsie touched each candle, it burst brightly into flame.
“How in the world did I do that?” She was as puzzled by it as the rest of us. She hadn’t been able to quick-start a candle in years.
“You are one hot mama.” Brian grinned as he came near her. “Good job, Elsie.”
We were about to start the blessing when Aleese came downstairs. “What’s going on, Mother? I smelled the candles. Are you trying to burn the house down?”
Aleese was a very nice, practical sort of accountant, whose husband had died, leaving her nothing. She’d moved in with Elsie to survive, and was nearly the spitting image of her mother years before, with her bright copper red curls and petite build. Only the eyes were different. Aleese had inherited her father’s brown eyes instead of her mother’s magical green eyes.
“It’s just a few candles,” Elsie told her. “Why are you home? I thought you’d be working.”
“I wasn’t feeling well. I guess that’s why you felt free to bring your friends here instead of meeting them at that awful shop.”
Elsie stopped smiling. “I felt free to bring my friends here because this is my home. Go back upstairs, Aleese. We won’t be long.”
Instead of listening to her mother, Aleese kept coming until she’d reached the foyer. She looked at us as though we were specimens in a jar. “Mother, this isn’t a good idea.”
Brian smiled and touched her, muttering a spell under his breath.
Aleese stopped moving as she took on all the attributes of a statue. It was an old spell, not difficult to do. Elsie had managed it on her own recently—mostly by accident, of course.
But it was different since Brian had done it to her daughter. “What are you doing?” Elsie demanded. “Take that spell off her. She doesn’t know about magic. I’d like to keep it that way.”
Brian shrugged. “Let’s get the protection spell done, and I’ll take it from her. I can’t handle any other family interference today. I guess it doesn’t matter if it’s from parents or kids. It’s just annoying.”
“Is he talking about me?” Olivia demanded. “I’m not annoying. I’m just worried about Dorothy’s future. That’s all.”
Elsie’s hands glowed red as she approached Brian. “Get that spell off my daughter now, punk.”
“Look at that!” Dorothy was amazed at seeing Elsie use her magic so effectively. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
“Fire witches can be deadly,” Elsie hissed. “Brian, this is your last warning.”
“Okay.” He touched Aleese and muttered the counter spell.
Aleese moved as though she were sleepwalking. It would take a few minutes to get over the effects of the spell. “What happened? Why am I down here? Mother? W-what’s going on?”
Elsie helped her daughter back upstairs, reassuring her that everything was fine despite her confusion.
“I’m out of here,” Brian said. “This is stupid. I’m sorry, Dorothy. Can you catch a ride back with them?”
Before Dorothy could answer, Brian walked out the door. He didn’t disappear as his parents had. The Corvette’s engine revved, and he was gone with a squeal of tires.
“What happened?” Dorothy blinked away the tears that had gathered in her big brown eyes.
“Oh, he’ll be back,” Olivia said. “It’s just a tantrum.”
I put my arm around Dorothy’s shoulders. “If you could wait another ten years to fall in love, it’s more likely that you’ll find a man mature enough to handle it. Brian is just having issues. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
<
br /> Elsie returned without Aleese. We whispered the protection spell and blessing on the house with the three of us holding hands. When it was over, Elsie decided to stay with Aleese until she made sure her daughter was all right. She was still very angry with Brian.
I took Dorothy and Olivia back to Smuggler’s Arcane. It was just in time for the shop to open. We had a busy day ahead of us, but we were going to have to handle it without Elsie or Brian.
CHAPTER 6
Love, elusive and free,
Bring him back to me,
Touch his eyes and make him see,
Bind his heart to me.
The day was as busy as I had expected it to be. Witches we knew, and some we didn’t, came in for supplies to celebrate the full moon. We almost sold out of candles and silver knives. I knew the organized event in Wilmington was going to be well attended. I hadn’t realized how many smaller events were going on around us too.
That was good news for us as witches as well as for Smuggler’s Arcane. The Council of Witches always worried about losing witches without gaining new ones. One might be born a witch without knowing it, like Dorothy. Or one could be a witch and choose to ignore it. Either way was bad for the propagation of witchcraft in the new century. A strong base meant a better chance of survival.
I didn’t worry about the survival of witchcraft overly much, but the council continuing to bring it up had left me worried. I was glad to see new faces at the shop.
Many of our customers were not witches at all. Some of them wanted to observe our customs, while others were simply curious. I handled all of them the same. It was a blessing to have people interested in the old ways.
Phoebe came in from Atlantic Beach and filled a tote bag with everything from herbs to a new cauldron. She was a regular customer, and a practicing witch.
“Have you all heard the news yet about the deaths of the witches from Savannah and Charleston?” she whispered as she paid for her haul. “I’ve heard there has been another death right here in the Wilmington area.”
