Broomstick Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  I couldn’t believe that my mother had harnessed energy for some type of spell during a thunderstorm. Leo hadn’t been too concerned in the beginning of my lessons, given my level of experience, to explain to me that casting magic during thunderstorms was dangerous. It was easy to draw too much energy too quick.

  Now?

  I was getting stronger and more confident with each passing day.

  Leo had gone on and on about the dangers associated with utilizing magic during unpredictable weather just last week, especially after witnessing the petals circling above the pestle during my creation of an herbal remedy. I’d been so concentrated on the spell that I hadn’t realized I’d created a mini-tornado of white rose petals inside my living room.

  If I was able to do that with just a few gathering clouds, then no wonder my mother had been able to short circuit an entire town with the severe weather we were having.

  “Please tell me that Beetle isn’t with you.” I closed my eyes and held my breath for her answer, feeling more like Leo every second that passed—stressed, frazzled, and waiting for the other shoe to drop from high up above.

  “We’re actually at your cottage right this minute, and I stepped outside to speak with Ted about gathering some material components for a spell you’d be able to use on the dirt from where I’d buried the broom,” my mother explained before discreetly coughing.

  That telltale sign told me that she’d done something I wasn’t going to like…such as descending the town into darkness.

  “Are you finding everything just fine, Mrs. Finley?” I asked, holding the cell phone down on my shoulder while I checked in with my customer. She flashed me a smile and waved that I should continue with my personal phone call. It wasn’t very professional of me, but I was definitely in a bind. I scrambled to put the phone back to my ear. “Mom, why did the power go out if you were waiting for me to help with the incantation? Plus, we didn’t even obtain dirt from the burial site yet…right?”

  “Well, dear, I might have made a slight detour before arriving in town this morning.”

  My mother’s next words were muffled, which ratcheted up my stress level nearly to the breaking point.

  “Mother, explain yourself this instant,” I whispered harshly, wishing I were at the cottage with her and Beetle. The thought of Beetle finding out that we were witches had me breaking out into hives. It was one thing for Heidi to know, but Beetle was utterly unpredictable. “You stopped at the place where you buried the…item? Are you kidding me right now? You didn’t think to mention this to me before I opened for business?”

  “Thank you, Ted,” my mother replied to the individual she’d been conversing with while I almost went blue from holding my breath. Those two didn’t even like one another. “I didn’t tell you about my little detour because of this very reason—you tend to overreact over such trivial things. It’s you, dear, who would have jumped headfirst into a divination spell without considering the ramifications. You need to find your own rhythm…your natural tempo.”

  I pulled my cell phone away from my ear and could only stare at the device in disbelief. Overreact? Rhythm? Tempo? My mother—the very witch who professed to give up her craft—just caused a massive blackout during an epic thunderstorm. How in the world was it in her head that I was the spontaneous one?

  The rest of the call was so going to have to be made in private. I quietly slipped through the string of beads that blocked the back room off from sight and hearing. The enchanted ivory-colored fairy beads would prevent anyone in the main shop from hearing a single word I said…and there were going to be a few choice sentences I was about to string together for my mother to understand the level of wrath my simmering anger had reached. It was currently at a boiling point.

  “You just took out the town’s power, Mother.” I rested my hand on top of my head in exasperation, wondering how such a wonderful week had spiraled out of control. “Fix it. Now.”

  I have searched high and low for that hairy rat, but Skippy and his band of ninja squirrels are nowhere to be found. I don’t get it. You’d think they’d be celebrating for getting one over on me.

  Leo plopped himself on the high-top counter in the inventory room, a bit overheated from his recent search. He splayed himself out so that his chin was level with the hard surface. His bulging left eye eventually focused on me, awaiting my response.

  Why do you look like that? Wait. Don’t answer that. I didn’t ask, and I don’t want to know. Strike that. I shouldn’t know. As a matter of fact, I was thinking of reserving a one-way airplane ticket to Honduras to inspect this year’s crop of catnip. From the pallor of your skin, I’d say there’s a slim chance I might actually be able to talk you into packing a bag and coming with me.

  “In my defense, I was inside Ted’s shack in the backyard when I began to cast the spell,” my mother said, without an ounce of real apology in her tone. I could even picture the way she tilted her chin when being confronted with an accusation. “I had no idea a storm was rolling in over the bay or else I never would have attempted such an intricate incantation that needs such a delicate balance. By the way, I’ll be happy to pay for the repair of damage to the side of the house and have some of those vines replanted.”

  The way Leo’s whiskers began to twitch, I started to wonder if he was finally going to lose his grip on his sanity. It wasn’t like I could blame him. Interacting with my mother was like asking to be put onto one of those swirling teacups at Disneyland…only at a high rate of speed.

  “I’d ask how you missed the fact that grey clouds have been moving in for the last hour or that lightning streaks have been shooting across the sky, but I’m afraid you’ll actually answer me.” I definitely didn’t want to know the extent of damage to my beautiful vines. I quickly formed a plan, because these residents didn’t deserve to suffer from the heat all because my mother had forgotten one of the cardinal rules of witchcraft. “It’s not like we can utilize a spell right now with the thunderstorm practically on top of us, so we’ll wait until it passes before you fix this. In the meantime, please tell me that Beetle has no clue about…”

  I was waving my hand in the air, because I couldn’t figure out what exactly I wanted reassurance about first—that my part-time employee hadn’t discovered that the Marigold women were witches, had finally noticed that Ted was actually a wax golem, or that there was still a hexed broom out there waiting to claim its next victim.

  There was also the fact that Leo had still yet to say a word, which really worried me. As a matter of fact, his whiskers had completely stopped twitching. He was simply staring off into space, as if he’d gone to some faraway place in his mind that didn’t involve magic, flubbed-up spells, nor power outages.

  “Beetle was inside the cottage the entire time, even after the lightning had struck,” my mother reassured me, taking great pains to keep optimism in her tone. I recognized it right away as she continued to try and set my mind at ease that things weren’t all that bad. “The minute the storm passes, I’ll restore the power grid immediately. In the meantime, you’ll be happy to know that I saw who unearthed the broomstick.”

  That was the first piece of good news I’d all day. I leaned forward and poked my head through the ivory-colored fairy beads after I’d heard the bell above the door. Sure enough, the tea shop had another customer. It seemed we were getting a rush.

  “Mom, I’ve got several customers.” I waved toward Karen and her husband, receiving the gesture in kind. “Tell me who found the location of the broomstick and dug it up out of the ground, and then I’ll try to slip that information to Liam. Maybe someone knew of the curse and wanted Sheriff O’Leary dead.”

  “I find it hard to believe that Sheriff O’Leary’s own deputy wanted him dead.”

  I yanked my head back through the ivory-colored fairy beads, causing them to dance together in a melodic rhythm.

  “Did the deputy stumble across the broomstick sticking out of the ground or something? We’ve been getting
storms, so it’s possible that the ground had been disturbed.” I was hoping that was the case, but my mother’s silence told me otherwise. “You’re about to tell me that the deputy seemed to be looking specifically for the broomstick, aren’t you?”

  I glanced at Leo, but he was still looking a bit worse for wear.

  “We both know that what we see while casting a divination can easily be misconstrued,” my mother warned, still having no compunction over the fact the town had once again been descended into the Dark Ages over her inattentiveness to the weather. “I’ve done my part to help you with this mystery, my dear. Having been the one to bury the hexed object, I only felt it right to determine who unearthed it.”

  I have a lot of feelings about your mother right now. Shall I lament those spirits?

  It was really good to have Leo back, because he really needed to make his way down to the antique store for a quick look around. The sooner I was able to talk with Kathleen, the faster I would be able to figure out how Sheriff O’Leary’s deputy knew about the cursed broomstick and where to find it.

  “You’re not going anywhere until the storm passes and you fix this power failure,” I warned my mother, taking time to reach over Leo to the small cubbies where I kept the enchanted blends. Otis came in once a week for his holistic mixture to help with his arthritis. “So stay right there, and I’ll be home after I close up the shop.”

  I disconnected the line before my mother could say another word and throw a wrench into the game plan. Liam had called earlier to tell me he’d stop by the tea shop on his way to meet Jack, but I wasn’t so sure that would be the case now the town had once again lost power. I’d have to call him after ringing up Karen and Otis’ order. I didn’t want to be a step ahead of the police and let something slip that I couldn’t explain.

  A deep inhalation and a ten-second meditation had me ready to pass back through the ivory-colored fairy beads.

  Not so fast there, little Miss Nancy Drew.

  “I was thinking more Daphne, because right now you’ve got to be Scooby-Doo. So, shoo on over to the antique store and see if Kathleen is there, and I’ll figure out some excuse to go and talk to her.” I reached around and drew my long black hair over my left shoulder, smoothing it down so that I appeared to be composed after all but disappearing on the Finleys. It wouldn’t do to have them believing I was a bit woo-woo. “Maybe Sheriff O’Leary told her why his deputy was out in the middle of nowhere digging up a hexed object.”

  Woo-woo? What is this? Practical Magic?

  “Hey, I loved that movie,” I whispered, quickly leaving Leo before he could say another word. He’d recovered from learning that my mother had used magic at the exact moment a major thunderstorm rolled through the area, and the fact that she’d done so while Beetle had been within shouting distance. “Sorry about that, Mr. and Mrs. Finley. I was just collecting your order. How is your arthritis holding up, Mr. Finley?”

  Better than mine. I’ve got one massive pain right in the middle of my—

  “Better than ever.” Otis beamed, patting his fishing vest. He had no idea that he’d cut off one of Leo’s infamous, if not long-winded, lectures. “This storm was supposed to pass us by, but it seemed to turn at the last minute. Can’t believe we lost power again.”

  Oh, I can believe it. You know why? Because your mother—

  “I have cash,” Karen said, holding up her wallet. I continued to smile, though my lips were beginning to feel like I’d had Botox injected in them just a few minutes ago. It didn’t help that Leo came strolling out through the beads, his ungraceful exit catching the Finleys’ attention. “There’s that handsome tomcat of yours. I’m glad to see that he’s not outside with the incoming storm, Raven.”

  I’ll tolerate Mrs. Finley, only because she recognizes my rogue good looks. As for your assumption that I was going to give you a lecture on your mother…you’d have been correct, but not for the reasons you think. You see, dear Raven, your mother was the complete opposite of you. She was one of the most cautious young witches of her time, always triple checking every single component to a spell before she ever uttered the first word.

  “We best be heading out before we can’t see a foot in front of us,” Otis said, reaching for the bag I’d placed their items in after taking the cash Karen had retrieved from her wallet. “Let’s hope the power isn’t out as long as it was yesterday.”

  “Be safe,” I called out, waiting until the glass door was closed all the way and the Finleys were out of sight before addressing the horrible assumption that Leo had just made regarding my mother. “Leo, you cannot think for one minute that—”

  There is no rationalizing this, Raven. Your mother is much too skilled to cast a spell during unpredictable weather. Now, she wants us to believe that she gave up witchcraft after leaving home all those years ago, but we both know that’s not true. She was just very good at hiding the Marigold way of life around you. Now that you’ve come to the dark side, she clearly feels she can allow her druthers to hang out everywhere.

  Druthers?

  Wow, I hadn’t heard that word used in a very long time, but I also had never looked at my mother from Leo’s perspective.

  Was he right?

  Had my mother utilized her magic for her own gain, not caring that she could have done a lot worse than descend the town into darkness? Was she losing her inhibitions?

  Of course, I’m right. I’m always right. Why do you continue to question me on these types of things?

  My brow subconsciously raised in the same way Mom’s eyebrow did when trying to prove a point. It was automatic. Most of my mannerisms came from my mother, and my heart began to pound frantically against my chest with the thought that…

  There are a lot of reasons my anxiety is at an asthma-inducing level, but the thought of you turning into Regina isn’t one of them. Now, only one of us can lose our grip on our sanity at a time. That’s me. I reserved that particular spot a long time ago. Our most pressing issue right now is the fact that your mother was covering up her own tracks by attempting to figure out who dug up that broomstick. Meanwhile, lightning struck the cottage where I store my premium organic catnip. This poses a national threat, Raven.

  “Which could only mean Mom did something really bad back then,” I whispered in horror, nausea forcing me to sit on the stool. “Leo, what are we going to do?”

  I never thought I’d say this…I have a bugout bag.

  “What? Mom’s negligence might have gotten someone killed, Leo. We can’t just leave.” My thoughts were now spinning in a million different directions. I flattened the palms of my hands on the counter for some semblance of balance. If what we were considering held even an ounce of truth, wouldn’t my right palm be burning with the energy of the earth? Or was it simply that I couldn’t accept that Mom might have done something horrible way back when? “How do we solve a case where Mom is one step ahead of us?”

  Rowena.

  I could only stare at Leo with incredulity as he barely managed to mumble the name of who was basically our nemesis. Aunt Rowena wanted to split the coven in two and lead one of the factions to dominate the other. It was her own twisted way of making restitution to Nan, but Aunt Rowena’s methods meant putting a lot of lives at risk. We wanted nothing to do with her, and our current problem shouldn’t change our opinions.

  “Who are you, and what have you done with my undead familiar?”

  Funny, Raven. Real funny, but we are now at a point where we need to one-up the Queen Marigold. We need to fight lightning with lightning. In case it escaped you, Rowena’s attitude is practically the proverbial rod on the roof. She can singe your mother’s plan into embers with just one look, much like our vines.

  “Aunt Rowena has been visiting Mom in the city quite recently in her bid to get Mom to join her faction. What if there is more to the story?”

  It’s a chance we’ll need to take, because your mother just descended Paramour Bay into darkness. There’s no telling what she’l
l do next, Raven. I’ll be back soon.

  Leo disappeared, but I immediately called him back. Additional tufts of fur were sticking up on his head, and he wobbled on the counter.

  Don’t do that! It’s hotter than Hades out there, so make it quick.

  “That’s the point,” I said, knowing Leo better than he knew himself. I would be lucky to see him again before nightfall. “You’re going to get to Aunt Rowena’s house where it’s nice and cool, and you’re not going to want to leave. I know how this works, Leo.”

  He tried unsuccessfully to squint his left eye.

  “Don’t give me that look,” I warned him, not wanting to spend the rest of the day believing my mother would actually stoop so low as to cover up some witchcraft snafu she might have been part of back in the day. “State our position, and then come right back here.”

  I’m pretty sure Leo mumbled that there was no escaping Hades, but he’d vanished before I could make out the rest of his incoherent sentence. The silence of the shop became almost deafening as I continued to try and come up with a reason why Mom would risk herself and anyone in the vicinity of a spell just to find out who dug up the broomstick.

  A crack of lightning suddenly lit up the entire street in front of the shop. I put a hand to my chest, as if I could steady my racing heartbeat. What caught my eye through the display window practically had my heart skidding to a complete halt.

  Liam was running from his truck to the front door of the police station to avoid the rain that had begun coming down in torrents. That wasn’t what had stone-cold fear overtaking my body until I could barely breathe. The terror that flooded my veins was due to the item clutched in his right hand—the hexed broomstick itself.

  Chapter Eight

  “…go on home, Eileen.”

  “Are you sure? This is when we get the most calls from the residents. They usually just ask questions about how long it will take for the power to return, but you’ll be busy helping the elderly townsfolk with one thing or another.”