Witch Avenue Series (The Complete Set)

by Bolton, Karice

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” she continued. “If your mom really is only missing versus the other,” she couldn’t bring herself to say it either, “then I think it could be plausible, especially with the notes in her planner.”

  “He didn’t leave anything out, did he?” My eyes finally meeting theirs.

  “No, why should he?” Angela asked. “We’ve never kept things from each other. Why start now, Triss? This is exactly what I was talking about last night. Quit building up those walls, because they’re a lot harder to deconstruct than construct.”

  Logan made it into the kitchen holding the first cardboard tray of Starbucks drinks for us all. I wanted to be angry with him for divulging what we spoke about, but the anger didn’t come. He plopped the drinks on the table, and Ellsy was right behind him with another carrier, followed by my aunt with a brown bag full of what I’m guessing was to be some delectable pastries.

  “Good thing I didn’t finish my cereal,” Jenny announced, pushing her bowl away.

  “Right, because cereal is so filling,” I laughed. “It would have been tough to push through it.”

  Logan started laughing, grabbing his drink out of the carrier, smiling at me. Ellsy was spreading out the cheese Danish, cranberry scones, and bagels on a plate when it occurred to me that maybe now wouldn’t be a horrible time to bring up the living situation. Having the support of Jenny and Angela might help the cause.

  Logan was staring at me intently and must have sensed what I was thinking about because he immediately started smiling. Handing me a chai tea from the tray, his fingers skimmed mine, and I started thinking it was a bad idea. This wasn’t healthy, but before I had a chance to back out of my idea, Logan started speaking.

  “Jenny and Angela told me that Triss wants to stay here in the house,” he began.

  Ellsy sat down at the table, picking at her bagel and eyeing my aunt across the kitchen.

  “We figured as much,” Aunt Vieta finally said. “Logan and Ellsy are going to be here for a couple of weeks before they head back, so you won’t be alone.”

  I was frozen. I looked over at Jenny and Angela, who were grinning far too wide for their own good, or mine.

  “We don’t think you should go back to the floral shop immediately, though,” Ellsy started. “Meredith is a good shop manager, and she’s got it covered. I’m on your mother’s accounts just as she’s on mine, so I can check on everything and make sure the money keeps coming in.”

  “I’m fine to go back,” I said. My irritation level with others planning for me to this degree was beginning to soar. Logan must have sensed my annoyance and stepped in to stop any train wreck from happening.

  “I was thinking I could take you out for a little road trip somewhere too. You know, to help you get far from everything,” his voice was so gentle, and his words touched everyone in the room the same way they did me. “Besides, we’ve got a lot of investigating to do.”

  I couldn’t help the swell of emotions that were making their way through me.

  “You mean in the next two weeks?” I asked, avoiding the stares from Jenny and Angela.

  “No, after.” His eyes held mine, and the kitchen fell silent. I was almost certain the others might be able to hear my pounding heartbeat. Jenny and Angela started to squirm. Their little scenario was playing out perfectly, and they were loving every minute of it.

  “Logan,” his mom warned, without saying anything else.

  “I think if Triss wants to stay here in her home, then she should be able to. She’s basically eighteen, will be in a matter of days. This home is hers. The shop is hers. Rather than screw her entire world up, I think it seems logical for me to rent one of the rooms and help around the house. That was the plan after all.” His voice was full of strength that I needed to start borrowing. It was as if he was daring his mom or aunt to cross him. The truth of it was we didn’t need their approval. It was my home, and he would just be doing what my mom had planned with Ellsy anyway.

  Surprisingly, my aunt spoke up first.

  “There’s nothing we can do about it, Ellsy. And I have to be honest,” she took a breath in, “the thought is quite comforting. It’s better to have them here than in some dorm packed in like sardines doing who knows what,” my aunt muttered.

  “In Triss’s defense,” Jenny spoke up, “it’s not like she’s ever been into anything typical. We’d constantly try to drag her to parties, and she refused every time. She always preferred to be out collecting things and working on some project for the shop.”

  My cheeks started getting warm, and I scowled at her. I was appreciative of her support, but I didn’t know I’d come across like such a prude. I’m sure Logan was not only attending the parties in his hometown, but he was probably throwing them. I glanced up at him quickly, only to have him looking over at me with a contemplative look. He was probably wondering how to get out of staying with such a complete bore.

  “Jenny’s got a point,” my aunt said. “I was always a tad envious of how easy my sister had it with Triss. I only know a small sliver of the trouble my kids have already gotten themselves into in the first couple years of college and that’s too much.”

  My cousins, all of them, were handfuls. I think Aunt Vieta preferred them in another town, so she never had the possibility of finding out what they were up to at college.

  “In the immediate, I think you’re right. I shouldn’t plan on going into the shop every day. My mom and I planned that I wouldn’t start school until spring quarter. She wanted me to experience life before heading into more classwork. Obviously, what I’m experiencing is more than I bargained for, but I’d like to stick to as much of the plan as possible. I’ve got a lot on my plate, and I don’t want to move. I want to be here. And yes, it would be nice to have Logan at the house to help out,” I said, staring at my aunt, ensuring I didn’t look at Logan at all. I was happy it was out in the open.

  “And I would love to take a road trip,” I announced, sitting at the table, relieved that at least this part of my future had been declared.

  Either Jenny or Angela kicked me under the table in a show of support and enthusiasm for all the wrong reasons.

  Ellsy looked at me and smiled.

  “You guys are good kids, and I know I shouldn’t think of you as kids, but I can’t think of anyone else better to look out for you, Triss. I think your mom would approve, and if there are things that are shifting in our world, I can’t imagine anyone other than my son who I would want to stand by your side.” Ellsy stopped herself and waited for her son to look at her.

  It made me wonder if she maybe did know about her son’s earlier studies, regardless of what he thought.

  “Thanks for your support,” I mumbled, attempting a smile.

  “We know how stubborn you are, my dear. You would have done what you wanted without it, so at your age, I might as well not fight it.” My aunt returned a smile, and I saw a little glimmer of light reflect in her eyes. “You’re like your mom.”

  “That I am,” I said smiling.

  “Well, that was fun!” Angela said hopping up, not one to miss stirring the pot a little. “But I think it’s time we hit the road so we don’t miss our flight.”

  I was secretly relieved. I needed some time alone. The bright side was that the living arrangement was out of the way. All I really wanted was to figure out what could possibly be going on with my mom, not to mention the unwanted visitor.

  ***

  I was poring over my mom’s planner when I felt him come into the study. I continued staring at the days before my mom’s disappearance, making a point not to look at him. His intensity was something I couldn’t afford to get lost in.

  “Hey, Logan,” I said, bracing my head in my hands over the pages.

  “How’s it going?” his voice full of concern.

  “It’s going,” I sighed, still not allowing my gaze to meet his. There was something about his eyes that made me want to drop everything and find o
ut what was lurking behind them. The way they could flash from light to dark in an instant made me so curious.

  “I’m here if you need anything,” he said, sitting across the desk from me. A charge started dancing between us, and I didn’t want to encourage it or acknowledge it. He shifted in the wooden chair, producing a little creak as he moved, and his hands gripped the chair. They looked so strong. Guilt flooded through me. I shouldn’t be thinking things like this. Maybe it was a bad idea to have him rent the spare room.

  “What’s going on in that mind of yours?” he teased.

  “Nothing,” I said, looking up at him. It was an accident, a complete accident, and it was too late. I wasn’t going to look at him and here I did. His sea-blue eyes locked on mine, and I felt the charge again. I didn’t dare look away. I was in control of this situation and myself. I could get a grip. His lip curled slightly.

  “What do you need, Logan,” my voice far more curt than I intended.

  He didn’t miss a beat.

  “Only here to lend a hand.” He was full on smiling at me now. Actually, it might’ve been more like stifling a laugh.

  “Something strike you funny?” I asked him, my eyebrow inadvertently rose at him. If he was going to be living here, I would need to create my boundaries right away.

  “Has anyone told you that you have the most beautiful brown eyes?” And before I had time to react, he popped out of the chair and left the study, leaving my jaw on the desk.

  There was no way I was going to let him get off that easy. Two could play this game. I grabbed the planner and charged after him. I was going to set him straight. Lay the ground rules, whatever they were. I heard his footsteps going up the stairs, and I darted after him. He was renting a room, and that was it.

  The door to the spare bedroom was shutting, and before I knew what I was doing, I swung it wide open, only to have Logan’s blue eyes dancing with amusement. I looked around the room and saw that he had already made himself right at home. There was no suitcase lying on the floor or clothes spread everywhere. The closet had all of his clothes hanging up in it. He had books on the dresser, and my hunch was that the drawers were all filled too. He had no intention of leaving.

  “Did you need something, Triss?” his voice was far too innocent, but his eyes intense.

  “No. I mean I was going to tell you that I could use your help,” I uttered, so much for the ground rules.

  “Yeah? No sweat,” he said, patting the bed that he sat down on. “Wanna show me what you’re thinking?”

  His eyes were staring at the planner in my hand, but for some ridiculous reason I panicked and spun out of the room. I knew he meant nothing by it, but I needed to be in a place that involved a desk, not a bed.

  “There’s more light in the study,” I hollered behind me as I left his room. I could sense Logan’s smile spreading across his lips.

  “I’ll be right down,” he replied softly, knowing he’d won.

  I didn’t understand what was wrong with me. I was fine. I’d been fine with him around, but once I voiced that I wanted him to still rent a room at the house, I had become crazy. No, I wasn’t crazy, only cautious. That’s what it was. I had far too many other characteristics that could fall in the crazy category, but this wasn’t one of them.

  I went back to the study and opened the sheer, wispy curtains wide so there was no doubt it was the light I was going for in the study. I heard his footsteps upstairs still. I wasn’t sure what he was doing up there, but I was grateful that whatever it was, it bought me time.

  A few minutes ticked by, and he appeared back in the study for round two. I felt much more in control and like my old self. He sat in the chair again and everything was back to normal, and I was going to keep it that way.

  “I’ve been scouring over my mom’s planner for hours, and I think there are a few other things that struck me as weird.” My mouth was dry. I didn’t know if that was because of my earlier incident with Logan or because of the subject matter.

  “Like what?” he ventured.

  “Some things are just little oddities, and others I don’t know what to make of them. For instance, she has a question mark scribbled on the day of the Litha, which is the same day that I’m supposed to enter the coven. Next to the question mark, she has written some sort of code. I don’t know what it means. It’s just letters and numbers.”

  “Huh. Can I see it?” he asked, and I shoved the planner toward him, feeling foolish for my earlier behavior, or more pointedly, my inner turmoil.

  He’s not expecting anything. He’s just being helpful and once college starts, he’ll be on his way, completely distracted with new people and new activities. My stomach fell a little at that last thought, but I shoved it aside.

  “What do you think?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ll keep thinking about it. What else you got?” He started flipping through the pages. I could see his eyes scanning the pages quickly.

  “Whoa.” He stopped.

  “What?” I demanded, not realizing the strength of my voice.

  He flipped the book around with the page open.

  “Do you know what this is?” he asked, eyes searching mine.

  I didn’t. I shrugged and shook my head.

  The image was a counter-clockwise spiral of sorts, circling inward. I stared blankly at him waiting for a response.

  “It’s called a devil’s trap or devil’s snare. It’s generally used to protect against evil sorcery. Kind of old school but still used pretty frequently,” he said. “You really aren’t familiar with that side of things are you?”

  Logan’s eyes changed. They were darker now, shielded. He was making a point not to look at me. Why does he do this and what is he hiding?

  “Nope. Not at all. My mom didn’t want me seeing that side of life, I guess,” I whispered. “Wish I’d opened the planner up to that page in the cooler. Maybe it would have chased that thing away.”

  “It’s not like if witches ignore this stuff, it goes away,” he grumbled, ignoring my statement, still thinking about the ramifications. “It’s out there, and we’re doing ourselves a disservice to not be aware.”

  “You say that, but when you start talking about all this stuff, you don’t even look me in the eyes, Logan. Not sure it is such a great idea to be so keenly aware of black magic,” I replied flatly.

  “Let’s stay on topic.” His voice was distant. “What about this?”

  The next page looked like another sketch.

  “She’s doodling flames?” I didn’t see the significance.

  “Look underneath at what she printed,” he said, tapping the page.

  “Anima Sola,” I read out loud.

  “Lonely Soul.” He sat back in the chair, stretching just enough where his shirt raised, and I wound up scolding myself for glancing.

  “How do you know what that means?” I asked.

  “How do you not? As much as you and your mom talked about the Lonely Souls,” he said, puzzled, squinting at me.

  There was an awkward silence. What did I really know about it?

  “It depends on the faith, and they all seem to have their own version.” He seemed back to his old self. “So I don’t ramble on, why don’t you tell me your version of Lonely Souls. It might help us put everything in perspective.”

  “How do you know so much about our traditions and the traditions of others? I don’t get it,” I asked.

  “It has always fascinated me. Besides, I needed to keep my mind focused on things other than what I would have liked to have daydreamed about.” His eyes locked on mine, and a quiver ran through my body.

  Shifting behind the desk, I looked away. Now was not the time. I wasn’t positive about what he was referring to, but if by chance it was what I was thinking, I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to survive in a house with him.

  “My mother always told me that I saved her from becoming a Lonely Soul. We never sat down and mapped out what all went into
being a Lonely Soul,” I said, somewhat annoyed. “But what I got out of it was that there are many options in life that help shape where you end up in not only life but in death too, and possibly I helped to divert her from something.”

  I’d never really tried to explain it before, but it sounded logical. Logan looked like he was debating something, and then he finally spoke.

  “With what your mom was referring to, I’d say that’s a fair definition. The tradition or belief of Lonely Souls goes way deeper than that though. It can be found in almost all faiths, whether it’s Catholicism, African tradition, or Voodoo. And, of course, Wiccan traditions embrace part of that as well. It’s kind of like a purgatory where souls are trapped before they are released to either heaven or hell. It’s said to be both here on earth and in the other realm.”

  “My mom always said there was nothing worse than being a Lonely Soul stuck on earth,” I muttered. “She said we all had the choice before we left this earth whether or not we’d be lost forever.”

  “I think she was talking from a very personal place, Triss,” Logan said. “If someone dies while they are a lonely soul, they will be trapped as such for eternity.”

  He knows something. He knows more than I do. I’m certain of it.

  “Imagine being so wounded and hurt by someone or something that you built walls around your heart, and nobody could get in. You shut people out, the world out, and you basically just exist. You eat, breathe, sleep but that’s it. There’s no emotion, no love. There are no magical highs and no desperate lows to experience because the person who is a Lonely Soul has turned everything off. They just blandly exist.”

  “Pretty sad existence,” I mumbled, getting uncomfortable. This was hitting home a little too much. Was I on this path?

  “Now take that figure and place them in purgatory, trapped with nothingness for eternity.” His blue eyes were wider than usual, staring me down to make sure I understood. I knew he was waiting for a response, and I didn’t know what to give him for one.