Everwish: The Primati Witches Book One

by Amelia Oz

  "Well, Stella. We don’t get many visitors. Lilly doesn't talk much so you'll have to forgive her manners. She's getting up there in age. Do you like to garden?"

  "I like to be outside. I know about gardening from my grandfather, but we don't have anything like this," I said, waving towards the sizable garden.

  "Well, I’m always glad to meet another gardener, even a novice.”

  "Is it just the two of you?"

  "Just us. Although it's Lilly who lives here full time. She's a little shy with strangers, the poor dear, but she does love to talk to the plants," she said, nodding down at where Lilly continued to pluck bright red strawberries.

  “I know this sounds strange, but would you mind if I sketched some pictures—back by the wall? I’d stay out of your way and I’m happy to help out in exchange.” Please say yes, please say yes…

  "Let me ask Lilly, later. She has certain triggers from time to time that can get her upset. If she’s okay with you, then I am as well," she responded with a gentle smile. This garden would be a perfect place to begin drawing subjects again. Maybe even practice magick in that cemetery clearing. It might be worth staying a few more days cooped up in Murad's elegant lair.

  "In the meantime," she began, turning to scoop up a pair of worn garden gloves from a nearby gardener's table. "...make yourself at home." She thrust the gloves at me, and I accepted them with a grin. When Ela returned to pruning the trellis, I knelt by Lilly’s side. The woman paused and met my eyes for a moment, tilting her head this way and that before ignoring me once more. Eschewing the gloves, I dug my hands into the rich soil, letting it sift through my fingers. Soon I was searching through leaves for strawberries, working opposite Lilly.

  "I need to take this inside. Be right back," called Ela.

  I found a strawberry so fat and juicy that my mouth watered. The fruit was nearly to my lips when Lilly grabbed my wrist. Jeeze. It was just one strawberry. She stood jerkily, looped the basket over one arm and gestured for me to follow her. Curious, I followed. She walked around the side of the house to an old-fashioned water pump. She pumped the handle several times before cold water streamed out and into a small ditch lined with stones. She gestured to my hand and waited until I thrust the strawberry beneath the running water.

  After a moment she stopped the flow and waited expectantly. I raised the glistening berry to my mouth and, not giving her a chance to stop me again, took a huge bite of the strawberry, all the way to the stem. Juice dripped from my lips and I wiped it away with the back of my hand. A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips and I grinned around my mouthful. She was lovely, despite, or perhaps because of, her age. She must be the one with Alzheimer's that Murad mentioned. Eye contact was nonexistent with Lilly, but she didn't seem disturbed by my presence.

  She took the stem from me and flung it out into the garden. I laughed. Lilly took another strawberry from her basket and handed it to me, doing the same. We stood there, rinsing and chomping on sweet berries in companionable silence until the basket was half empty. Then she handed me the basket and walked away, towards the back of the house.

  "There you are." Ela appeared, passing Lilly on her way towards me. I met her halfway.

  "I have something for you." She extended a cloth bag bursting with fat lettuce heads.

  "Ah. It looks like Lilly gave you a bit of treasure as well," she said, nodding at the basket I held. "It's a good sign. Come back anytime, Stella, and bring your paints or whatnot," she beamed. I sighed in relief, feeling as though I'd passed a terribly important test. The chance to work here, to practice the ability to transfer, were powerful reasons to stay a day or two longer. Maybe Alaric would change his mind and look for me. If not, I’d have to figure out just how far I was willing to go—including breaking off an engagement with a Primati vampire king.

  Chapter 26

  The Sun

  Stella

  urad came to visit daily for one hour, arriving just after dinner. We often played backgammon as we argued. Sometimes I practiced Turkish with him once he brought me language books but he refused to teach me the bad words, which made the entire enterprise seem pointless. We didn't always fight. At first, I couldn't get enough of his stories.

  I learned more about the Primati community and the search for Marcus—yet he was always distracted. Not that I made a big attempt to keep him entertained—I was plenty tired from my days with Ela and Lilly. But his constant peeks at the clock would infuriate a saint. I had more important things to do than languish like some moron, waiting for him to pop in and disrupt my day for an hour as if I were a chore.

  Our bickering began in earnest when I told him I wanted to go into town and he refused. It went downhill from there. He suggested that Layla teach me how to cook to keep me occupied. It was beyond annoying for him to assume I didn't know how to already. I agreed if he would taste my efforts. After the first meal he agreed to drop the subject of my cooking. My own frustration was growing as I was unable to transfer by myself, no matter how hard I hugged trees or how many trips I made to the stone house and its secret closet.

  At least tomorrow was the Witch Council. It coincided with the Autumn Equinox, and Murad was taking me to Tess and Clara in the afternoon. I think we were both looking forward to the break. My borrowed bedroom overflowed with botanical paintings and pencil drawings from Lilly's garden that I dared not show Murad for fear he would find a way to block my visits.

  He was still unaware that I spent most of my days in the gardens with Lilly and Ela. I always made sure to be cleaned up and present before he arrived, and he never noticed my tan, nor my torn and dirty fingernails. He just assumed I was a good girl all day, and, to her credit, Layla wasn't a snitch. I think she enjoyed feeding my increased appetite from working in the sun all day. I would miss her as well as Ela and Lilly. A week ago, I'd finally succeeded in my personal mission to get Lilly to talk to me. My back sore and temper short, I’d grumbled about pulling weeds.

  "How do these weeds grow in rocks for goodness sakes?"

  "Life builds on itself. Adapts to fix the weakness," Lilly said in a bell-like voice.

  I'd plopped backwards, surprised to hear her speak.

  "Lilly, do you know my name?" She didn't answer.

  I hurriedly pointed to enormous bushes laden with heavy blossoms. "Why are those hydrangeas so blue?"

  "Roots like diversity. Nutrients help them grow stronger and more colorful," Lilly responded. And that’s how I’d learned that Lilly would speak as long as it related to plants or the elements. So, I talked about my life, in particular my frustrations with a young man who refused to accept that he adored me, and made sure to end my tirade with a question about the garden. She liked to talk about seasons and how removing what you didn't want in your garden allowed for something new to take its place. I wasn't sure if she meant that I should give up on Alaric after that one, so I stopped bringing him up.

  Now that it was my last full day here, I left earlier in the morning than usual, taking a gift of Layla's shortbread cookies for Ela and Lilly. Wearing old rain boots, I splashed through the creek and wound through the cemetery to the garden wall.

  As soon as I crossed through the gate into Lilly's land, rain poured from the darkened sky. A kipping sound drew my attention to the ground, and I saw an arctic tern taking shelter beneath the broad leaves of a fig tree. It had to be Bird and I shook my head in disbelief.

  "What are you doing all the way out here? Is Thomas around?" I held out a wet hand, but he nipped my fingers and flew away. "Nice to see you too," I called after him. I hugged the cookie tin to my chest and found shelter in the Orangery at the back of the manor. I rang the bell and waited. The roof and three sides were paneled with glass, and I shivered as the rain fell sideways in violent staccato. The door opened.

  "Oh, Stella! Look at you, poor girl. Let me get you some towels," Ela said as she disappeared. She left the door ajar and I peered through the doorway into a mudroom. I'd neve
r been invited inside and was careful now to stay outside with my dripping clothes.

  "Here you are," Ela sang, returning with an armful of warm towels. I smiled in thanks, happy to see her. Today she wore a dress with printed autumn leaves and, as she drew closer, I caught her comforting scent of lavender.

  "They're still warm from the dryer—I was just running a load."

  I gratefully accepted one as she threw another over my head and briskly rubbed my head until I laughed. She drew back with a chuckle.

  "My children are all grown, so you'll forgive me if I enjoy the odd maternal nudge now and then. You're so good to us, Stella," she said as she accepted the cookie tin from me. I returned the now damp towel to her.

  "Thank you—to be honest I don't take to coddling well, but with you it's kind of nice. I grew up with my grandfather, and he's not exactly the maternal kind. I can't imagine being a mom myself." I stopped, realizing what I'd said. I may not ever have children as long as this curse hung over me. Ela gave me a nudge.

  "You have years and years to figure that out. The thing about children is that you have to let them learn their own lessons. Everyone creates their own path and their own story—even if they choose the wrong one with an outcome you think you know about. It’s the hardest thing about being a mother. You'll see one day," she assured me.

  "Where is Lilly?" I asked, changing the subject. Ela's broad smile faltered.

  "Oh, she's having a bad day. She insists on living on this island, but now and again a rainy day will come along, and she stays in her bedroom for days. I told her when she chose this place that Washington has more rainy days than not, but she's a very stubborn woman to say the least," Ela confided. Did she say Washington?

  "New York. I think you mean upstate New York?"

  "Darling, there are no islands in upstate New York unless plopped into lakes. Who told you that?"

  "Murad. The friend I'm staying with," I said, confused.

  "Oh. Murad's land is in New York. But we are in Washington. These things happen sometimes." My skin flashed cold from more than the cool rain.

  "Don't get all bent out of shape. I can see your mind spinning. It's simple as can be. If you don't believe me, follow that path over there—" she pointed to a gap in the far back wall "—and it will take you to the shoreline. Better take a jacket and hat with you unless you want to catch a chill." I turned to look at the pegs holding garments along one wall, and when I swiveled back, Ela had disappeared into the house, the door shut with a firm click.

  Thoroughly confused, I moved to the wall and put on a worn fisherman's jacket with a hood. The rain was easing up, and I trudged towards the back-wall Ela had pointed to. Just when I thought I had something figured out, it moved on me. A month ago, my first thought would have been that Ela had been drinking or senile—but my new experiences with the Primati community kept coming with lessons. Things were not always what they seemed. Don't trust anything or anyone.

  Beyond the wall were clumps of tall grass and young trees, a worn dirt path cutting through the middle. The rain pitter-patted softly on leaves as I walked the path. I came to an abrupt halt when the scent of saltwater teased my nose. No way. I jumped switchbacks down a steep incline and soon came to an opening in the trail blocked by large mounds of bone-white driftwood. I climbed over these and hurried to a shoreline. Waves lapped at a rocky beach, sea stacks in the distance. Further down, a wooden pier rose from behind a rocky outcropping. This had to be magick—or Murad had lied about being in New York.

  "Hey! Hey there! Yea—you girl!" came a loud voice from down the beach. I crept towards the sound, wary. "That's it, lovely. Keep a walkin!" encouraged the voice. I proceeded down the rickety wooden length of the pier until I reached the end. There were no boats or sunbathers as far as I could see.

  "Oi!" The voice was loud now. I went to my knees and peered over the side. Shock almost had me tumble into the water. A rotund woman with dirty blonde hair was bobbing in the dark water next to the pier. She had large sparkling green eyes and, from the white half globes that kept appearing and disappearing with her movements, she appeared topless. It was the dark serpentine tail I saw swishing beneath the surface that made me nearly swallow my tongue.

  "Hey, girl. Have you seen a white bird anywhere?" the woman asked, pointing towards the tree line behind me.

  "You're...a…you are a...a..."

  "Come on, you can say it. I’m the most gorgeous mermaid you ever saw. Is that about right?" Mermaids don’t exist. Mermaids don’t exist…She flipped backwards in the water, her smooth body and tail seamless. My mind blanked. That was a freaking mermaid.

  "Er. You would be…the only one I've seen. Like. Ever," I choked out.

  "Oof, really? Well put 'er there!" The woman hauled herself up to grab the edge of the pier and offered me a hand. Her skin was dull and plastic looking. I was afraid it might squish like dough if I pressed it, but I did it anyway, not wanting to be rude. Relief hit to find her skin firm if cold and wet. She released me quickly.

  "I ought 'a pull you in the water for such a stupid move. What's wrong with you shaking hands with a stranger like that? You don't even know me. I could be a predator, ya know," she scolded. I was too taken aback to defend myself. She was absolutely right. I’d never felt so dumb and that was saying a lot considering the last month.

  "Okay. Thanks? My name is Stella. Who are you? I mean—what's your name?" I asked, afraid she would disappear.

  "You can't pronounce it," she replied.

  "Try me."

  She began to emit a loud noise reminiscent of a whale but much shriller and high pitched. She broke off with a laugh. I closed my unhinged jaw.

  "Are you pulling my leg?"

  "Yeah. I'm yanking on it, baby!" she crowed. "I'm just messing with you. You can call me Hillary," she said before she dove under the water and came up again, smoothing her hair back. Her tail was thick, with the mottled green color of a real fish. No pretty rainbow colors or sparkles to be seen.

  "Let me guess—I don't look like you think a mermaid should look? Did you expect a Barbie doll with a tail? That's hardly clever. Did you ever see a dolphin with a twenty-four-inch waist? Idgits! I can go forty kilometers an hour on a good day, and you try diving ten meters down off Alaska without a little padding on you," Hillary huffed. I flushed. I suppose if the Primati included vampires and witches, it might as well include merfolk. What other creatures roamed about I’d never known existed? Alaric and Amanda had left me sorely lacking in Primati knowledge.

  "So, have you seen a white bird or not?"

  "There are lots of white birds.”

  "He's an artic tern with a red beak and a black hood over his eyes. I've been following him for days and tracked him here." She barely moved as she somehow tread water enough to keep her torso still. Nice trick. Her description sounded like Bird. "What do you want with him?" I asked, masking a grimace.

  "I'm going to season him up and eat him with a nice Jamaican beer—look at your face! Nah, he's my boyfriend. I'm just trying to talk to him. We had a misunderstanding but I'm not giving up on ‘im."

  "Your think your boyfriend is a bird?" I pinched my thigh hard. It hurt. I’d just met my first mermaid and it turns out she's a stalker.

  "Not always. He likes to be a bird, but he's also a hunky blonde Adonis and the future father of my little fish fry," she whooped, slapping the water. I seriously could not tell if she was joking.

  "Please tell me you're saying he turns into a person."

  "Of course. What did you think I meant? He's the most handsome man on earth but has this thing for his bird form and playing hard to get."

  "Maybe no means no," I advised. She rolled her eyes.

  "Why are you here anyways? This island is enchanted but I saw you walk right out of it. If you aren't careful, you'll have the Lion's army after you. This place is super-secret. I hear he's on a warpath lately and that beast does not play," she shuddered.

&
nbsp; "My dad told me once that the Enforcer made sushi out of an entire school of rebel merfolk who were kidnapping tourists off the Kerama Islands. Are you a witch?" For some reason, I could only make sense of half of what she was saying. I grasped the last thing I understood.

  "No, I'm just a boring human." Hillary flicked the surface with her tale, which drove a fine mist over me. I glared through wet eyelashes. She grinned, exposing extremely pointed teeth.

  "Nice one. I like you. Hold up," she said, disappearing beneath the pier.

  "Come on out, Piper. Meet Stella. She's a bit of alright," Hillary coaxed. I held my breath as the water rippled. A smaller shape swam beneath and around Hillary until the crown of a red-haired girl emerged from the water. She rose slowly, only showing her remarkable eyelashes and pert little nose.

  "Hi." I waved at her, wishing I had my phone with me. Amanda was not going to believe this. The mermaid rose until her shoulders were visible and offered a shy grin.

  "Hi," she chirped, and then submerged to her nose once more, her hair fanning into a ruby halo.

  “I love your hair,” I complimented. Hillary grinned at her friend.

  “See, Piper. Humans love red-hair. Not like the creeps back home.” Piper dipped beneath the water and Hillary explained. "I know she seems a little shy, but my pal is just used to being an outcast. Red hair makes you a target. She’s also wary of our getting caught so far from where we're supposed to be. Speaking of—you have any bolt cutters?"

  "Huh? Oh, wow. Did you get wrapped up in fishing line or plastic?" I'd marched in more than a few protests to stop ocean pollution.

  "Nah—my sister slapped me with a tracker. I'm on house arrest and she keeps finding me," Hillary responded, holding up an arm to reveal a blue band with a blinking red light.

  I shook my head in disbelief. "I don't have any bolt cutters on me."

  "How about a trade? If you’re here you must be a witch. I happen to know something that the mighty Lion is afraid of. If you bring me bolt cutters, I'll tell you what I know. It might save your life if he ever catches you breaking a rule..." she trailed off. Piper whispered something in her ear and Hillary held up a hand.