“And it’s nothing I can’t handle,” Liam reassured Eileen from somewhere back in his partially lit office from what I assume was some source of limited power to keep the phone lines working, along with a few emergency lights. “You and I both know it’ll be the same townsfolk who call in for the same reasons every time something like this happens. Go and buy your bags of ice before the gas station runs—”
Liam had reappeared on the shadowy threshold of his office door, looking down at a file in his hand when he finally noticed that he and Eileen weren’t alone. A bright smile formed on his handsome face, but I found it hard to return his enthusiasm when I somehow had to convey to him that he needed to get rid of the hexed broomstick.
“Raven, you poor dear. Here. Hand me your umbrella,” Eileen ordered while ushering me through the swinging counter door that hadn’t been taken out during the numerous renovations that must have taken place over the decades. The dispatcher’s heavy dose of perfume hit me before I could brace myself. “Can you believe that we lost power again? Goodness gracious, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before in all my years growing up here.”
My hair and clothes were mostly dry, given that I’d used an umbrella to walk from the tea shop to the police station. It was still somewhat cooler inside after coming in from the rain, but it was easy to tell that the humidity was rising with each passing second the main power remained off and the central air wasn’t working. There were two lanterns stationed on a nearby desk that used fuel oil. I’m sure they were positioned there as backup in case their small generator ran out of gas. I handed off my umbrella, still trying to figure out what I was going to say to Liam about the broomstick.
“Thanks, Eileen.” I locked gazes with Liam and forced another smile, but I’m not so sure I covered my apprehension. Who am I kidding? I was absolutely terrified that he still had the cursed broomstick in his possession. “I just saw Monty closing up his shop, as well as Bree locking up at the bakery. After yesterday, I don’t think anyone wants to chance going over eighteen hours without power.”
“I don’t blame them,” Eileen said, grabbing her oversized purse from her desk drawer. She cast Liam a worried glance. “Are you sure that you don’t want me to stay?”
“Go,” Liam instructed with a fond smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll forward the phones if I have to leave the office.”
Eileen didn’t waste any more time as she skedaddled right through the swinging counter door, out the front exit, and headed straight to her vehicle. It wasn’t until she’d driven off that I finally turned my attention back to Liam. He’d leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, most likely wearing my same expression of concern.
“What’s wrong, Raven?”
“Do you trust me?” The anxious words came out of my mouth before I was able to run them through my filter. I could actually answer for him, because he shouldn’t trust me. All I’d done from the moment I laid eyes on him was pile one lie on top of another. It was probably best if I reworded the question before he replied. “If I asked you to do something truly important to me, would you do it with no questions asked?”
Liam seemed to weigh my words, as if he understood that the undertone of my question had an additional layer of significance which hadn’t been stated.
Without replying, he held out his hand.
I’m not sure if my reaction to his response had been delayed from yesterday’s shock at thinking Liam might be dead or if I really just needed the reassurance that he would still accept me should the truth come finally out.
Each step I took became quicker until I was in his embrace, inhaling his woodsy scent as if I’d never again have a chance to do so again.
“Hey, whatever it is…it can’t be that bad,” Liam murmured against my ear. I could feel the folder in his hands resting on my back, but it didn’t take away from the comfort he was providing me. He allowed me to remain in his arms until I was finally ready to give back some of his personal space. I’m pretty sure the temperature had risen another two or three degrees in that short time span. He used his thumb to brush away a strand of hair before meeting my gaze. “You want the truth?”
My heart skidded to a stop, and I wasn’t so sure it was going to beat again.
Was Liam saying that he didn’t trust me?
What if I couldn’t convince him that the broomstick might be the very reason why Sheriff O’Leary had died in the middle of the town’s square?
I found myself nodding my head in response, even though I was scared beyond belief that this would be it—the end.
“I’ve always known you were keeping something from me, Raven.” Liam sighed in what almost sounded like defeat, but he showed no physical signs that he was ready to give in. Instead, he took my hand and drew me deeper into his office. He didn’t stop until I was seated in one of the two guest chairs. The other one was filled with files, which meant that Liam was looking for something specific. “I figured all this time that you’ll tell me when you’re ready. Trust is a two-way street, and I’ve been an open book with you. I’ve done everything humanly possible to show you that I’m in this for the long haul, and that I’m trustworthy. I’ve been falling more in love with you every single day, Raven Lattice Marigold. Telling you that in the middle of another blackout wasn’t in my original plans, but you have a way of muddling those kinds of things up for me.”
I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry, dance, or run away as fast as I could all at the same time.
Liam knelt before me, taking my hands in his after he’d dropped the file on his desk. He lifted my fingers and gently pressed his warm lips to my knuckles.
“I do trust you, Raven, but I need you to show yours in return,” Liam said, his dark gaze focused solely on me. This was it. The moment that I’d feared and hoped for all at once, and I wasn’t ready to make the choice. “Let me put it to you this way—the only one who might walk out that door is you. I’m not going anywhere.”
I believe we’ve reached another level of Hades. Is it possible for catnip to melt? I bet we’re close to finding out. I’ll tell you, Raven, I came very close to staying in the cool kitchen of Rowena’s residence. Of course, it only took me two seconds to change my mind. That woman can induce an asthma attack faster than your harebrained witchy antics.
Leo had returned, and all I wanted to do was scream for him to leave. He’d try to change my mind, and I needed to make this monumental decision on my own.
Monumental decision? Change your mind? Wait just a frog’s ribbit. What did I just barge in on here? You weren’t just about to…
Leo’s gasp had me swinging my gaze to the top of the files in the other chair. Of course, I couldn’t see him. His horror at quickly figuring out what was taking place was ruining this moment.
What moment? The one where you decided it would be better if we lived as toads? I don’t want to be a toad! I’ve told you that a million times! You do realize that we’d have to live with warts for the rest of our lives, because that is what’s going to happen if you spill the proverbial beans. The coven let the Heidi thing slide with only a warning, but the town sheriff? Oh, I feel an epic hairball coming up.
Liam had begun to cautiously look in the direction of the other chair, his fingers squeezing mine in reassurance.
I’ve decided that dying from heatstroke is more preferable to—what in sweet heaven is that thing doing here?
Leo must have noticed the broomstick lying across Liam’s desk. His gasp was even longer and louder than the previous one. I squeezed Liam’s hand back, but not in reassurance. I was actually holding on for dear life.
I leave for one hour, and you somehow figure out multiple ways to kill me off?
There were times in life when the stress of it all became too much. This was one of those times, and my admission bubbled forth the same way it had when Heidi had walked in on me casting a spell in my living room.
I’d hate to see what you come up with if you were truly trying.
“I’m…”
Don’t…
“A…”
You…
“Witch.”
Leo didn’t finish his warning, and I’m pretty sure the thud I heard was him hitting the ground.
Chapter Nine
Once again, my gaze kept sliding from where Leo most likely had landed in a heap in front of the desk back to where Liam knelt before me. There was literally no expression on his face, and I began to suspect he believed he’d misunderstood me.
Neither one of them had a said a word since my confession.
The temperature had risen another couple of degrees. At least, I’m pretty sure that was the reason I’d begun to break out in a fit of perspiration in some unspeakable places.
I’d have thought that the weight of such a secret taken off my shoulders would have been a huge relief. Instead, I was beginning to wonder if Liam had a paper bag stashed away somewhere in his desk. I was going to need it before I started to hyperventilate.
“I was expecting you to reveal you were a psychic or something, so you’ll have to give me a minute here.” Liam patted my hand like he would some confused elderly woman before he stood, only taking a step back so he could lean against his desk. He ran a hand over his face and spoke before I could ask him why on earth he would have thought I was a psychic. “You’re not talking about simple holistic remedies, are you?”
I shook my head, still waiting rather impatiently for Leo to give me a sign that he hadn’t perished from a heart attack.
A psychic? I’d suspected for quite a while that Liam had an idea that all was not normal in my world. There were times that I’d catch a sideways awkward glance my way over something I said or I’d find him beginning to ask me something before changing his mind and remaining quiet. But a psychic?
“All these months,” Liam began before shaking his head in disbelief one more time. He hadn’t picked up the phone yet. That was a good sign, right? “You somehow knew things that you had no way of knowing or gave me information about a case that you couldn’t possibly have guessed. I chalked it up to coincidence the first and second time, but I was fairly positive I’d nailed it down by the time I drove you up to Windsor to look for your mother’s sugar gliders.”
I recalled that little road trip a bit too vividly, because that was when it had been revealed that Aunt Rowena was leading a faction against the other members of the council. It was selfish of me to hope the two factions were so busy with one another that they simply discarded my crime against the coven’s rules.
Leo and I had gone over that little issue many times, because we weren’t actually a part of the coven anymore. I figured the council just had more important matters to deal with than the Marigolds. We had been excommunicated long ago, and we didn’t need to follow their policies or guidance. I also understood that the supernatural secret wasn’t only mine to keep, but I’d disregarded their wisdom and told Heidi right out of the gate. That bit of insight, though, had been what was holding me back from letting Liam fully into my life. At what point was it worth sacrificing one’s existence?
I had to clear my throat twice before I could speak.
“I’m not a psychic,” I finally replied, trying to give Liam a smile of reassurance. I’m pretty sure I utterly failed. Would he have been more comfortable with me being a psychic than a witch? “I can cast divination spells to garner information when it’s needed, harness energy from the earth to protect myself and those I love, and utilize magic to help others…though I can’t use witchcraft for self-gain. It’s a moral imperative.”
“Magic spells?”
I slowly nodded, having come to the conclusion that Liam was definitely on the fence with how this conversation would pan out. If he could accept me as a psychic, there was no reason why he couldn’t accept me as a witch. I just somehow needed to prove that itsy-bitsy detail to him.
“Leo, show yourself right now,” I directed in a bit of desperation. Leo might have belonged to Nan in a past life, but I wouldn’t want any other familiar than him. He was my partner in crime and in witchcraft. He was also the only proof I had at my disposal at the moment, because casting any type of spell with lightning overhead was a really bad idea. It was hard enough for me to control my own power, but adding the additional energy of a lightning storm I couldn’t control was downright dangerous. That was truly a recipe for disaster. “Please, Leo. For both our sakes.”
I’d seen Liam move fast before when pursuing a suspect, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen both of his boots come off the ground at the same time. One second he was in front of the desk, and the next moment he was two feet away to the side of it.
Leo had suddenly appeared right where I’d thought he’d be, with all four legs spread out on the old carpet from where he’d landed with a thud. He undeniably looked a bit worse for wear, and a part of me felt guilty for everything I’d put him through since figuring out my place in this life.
“Thank you,” I murmured, knowing how much Leo had been against confronting this very spectacle. My heart filled with love, and I patted my lap. No matter what happened in this moment, Leo would always be with me. “Thank you so much.”
Like I had any real choice. It was me either confirming your story or me watching the men in the white jackets drag you off in a padded white van. Don’t believe for a second I didn’t weigh my options, though. This is going to cost us both more than you know.
I chuckled and pulled Leo close to me in a hug. The cool air that had remained inside the station had definitely begun to dissipate, leaving a building humidity that would likely leave us snapping at one another. Until that moment though, I didn’t mind Leo’s cat hairs sticking to my skin.
It’ll be warts by the time the council is done with us.
The relief that this moment had finally arrived was very liberating, even with the threat of the council members looming over our lives. I’d stood up to them before, and I could do it again if need be. Plus, there was no reason why they even had to know I’d confided in Liam.
I like the way you’re thinking…for once. You can try making a habit out of this, you know. I wouldn’t mind at all if you started keeping a few more of your more serious mistakes a secret. In the meantime, the good ol’ sheriff seems to be a bit speechless.
Liam was holding up a finger, as if to tell me to pause this current situation we’d found ourselves in. He was right. He hadn’t planned to tell me he was falling in love with me during a power outage, and the same went for my sudden confession of witchcraft.
Well, timing wasn’t exactly everything.
With the cursed broomstick now in my line of vision, it was time I put aside all doubt. I mean, really. What was so different between psychics and witches, anyway? Well, besides a familiar who’d been kept alive for a second go-round by a necromancy spell. It wasn’t like no one had ever heard of a witch before. Well, in a general sort of way.
Please don’t put that on my tombstone. I’d prefer something a little more poetic.
“I’m a witch, Leo is my familiar, and you have in your possession a broomstick that is actually cursed,” I blurted out, standing up from the chair after Leo had hopped down to the floor. It didn’t escape my notice that he’d backed up by a good three feet so that he wasn’t the closest individual to the broomstick. “Liam…”
I raised my hand and covered his fingers with my own until his arm lowered to his side. He was still staring at Leo as if he was going to spontaneously combust, leaving behind a fiery cloud of a thousand smoldering cat hairs.
“Magic,” I whispered, releasing my hold on Liam so that he had a bit of space to digest everything being thrown his way. “Liam, magic exists. The supernatural realm exists alongside you every single day. Nan used the tea shop to sell holistic tea blends, but those remedies had a touch of healing properties that the contents had nothing to do with. How do you think Otis gets around so well with his arthritis? Let’s face it. Remission isn’t something arthritis is
normally known for, right? How do you think Wilma and Elsie bounce back so quick after catching a cold? It’s not bee pollen extract. It’s magic.”
“Magic.” Liam swallowed hard before pointing toward Leo. “And that?”
Did the good ol’ sheriff really just refer to me as an inanimate object?
“That appearing out of nowhere thing?” Liam clarified, much to my relief. It wouldn’t do him any good to have Leo on his bad side. “That’s more than a magic trick, Raven.”
“There are a lot of things in the supernatural realm that you might have a hard time believing in. Some things are true whether you believe in them or not. I’d love to take the time to tell you about all of them, if you want to hear about a few of your misconceptions, but right now…well, that broomstick might be the very thing that killed Sheriff O’Leary.”
About that…
“Oh, Leo,” I replied with a bit of desperation. “Please don’t tell me that Aunt Rowena wasn’t any help, because right now we need all the help we can get.”
“What are you doing?” Liam asked, still observing Leo as if he would turn into a mountain lion right before our very eyes. “Are you really talking to him?”
Now might be a good time to reconsider that memory erasing spell. You know, just in case the good ol’ sheriff decides that he’s gone over the deep end.
“I can hear Leo’s thoughts, yes.”
I wasn’t particularly liking the horrified expression on Liam’s handsome face, either, but I wasn’t about to lose hope. He’d adjust to my abilities, especially after he had all but expressed his love for me.
How could you have turned out to be such a hopeless romantic after being raised by such a—
“Leave Mom out of this,” I chastised, understanding that Liam could only hear one side of the conversation. I could see how that might be a bit discerning. “Leo is my familiar. I can hear every thought he has and vice versa.”
Broomstick Blend Page 8
