But not today. She looks at me with something in her eyes—is that—fear?
Yes. I can spot it. She’s nervous.
Even as I examine her, she still won’t meet my eye.
Her fingers twitch nervously at her side. “I was trying...” She stops abruptly, and then changes course and glares at me defensively. “What are you doing here?” She asks.
“I work here,” I say. “You’re the one who’s always spying on me. You should know that.”
It’s true. Azure’s been known to use a ‘Looking Glass’ spell on me. It allows her to watch me from afar. It’s kind of creepy, actually.
Azure sighs. She pushes a strand of blue hair away from her eyes. Her face is paler than usual. Are those dark circles under her eyes? In the outdated lighting of the Nugget building, it’s a bit hard to tell. I think they are.
When she speaks, her voice is quiet and timid. Her usual attitude of superiority is definitely in check—for some reason.
“I’ve been busy lately,” she says. “In the Air Realm. It’s complicated. I haven’t had much time to keep tabs on you.”
“Is everything... okay?” I ask.
I don’t particularly like Azure Spincraft. But now, as she stands in front of me looking so tired and unsure of herself, I can’t help but feel a little bit of pity for her.
“Everything’s fine—absolutely fine,” she says. “I’m a real witch. Unlike you, I can actually work magic. Which means I can take care of myself.”
“Okay! Sheesh” I say, taking a step back and putting my hands up. “Just thought I’d ask.” Apparently, Azure doesn’t want my pity. “You just don’t look like yourself, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m busy. A few... things have come up in my world. Nothing I can’t handle.” She blows air out from between puffed cheeks. “A bit of drama between the Air and the Fire Realms. I just had to come here to get out of the way for a short while. It’s not a big deal. It’s not out of the ordinary. We’ve had plenty of situations like this before.”
“Oh,” I say. “Is there... anything I can help with?”
She really does look tired. And she’s acting so jumpy. Something is on her mind.
“No. You don’t even know how to do magic, Penny. The biggest help would be for you to leave me alone. I’ll be going back to the Air Realm soon. Any day now.” Azure points her nose in the air, turns on her heel and walks away.
Yep. I can say for sure that my opinion of Azure Spincraft hasn’t changed one bit. She’s still about as mean as they come. I really don’t know if she has one friendly bone in her body.
The door closes behind her, and I’m left standing in the hallway outside of the yoga studio alone.
I wait, just to give her a head start. The last thing I’d need right now is to walk beside her if she’s heading the same direction that I am.
After a minute or so passes, I move towards the door. As I walk, I’m wondering what might be going on with Azure. What kind of trouble is she facing with the Fire Realm? Why is she here in Hillcrest, if she wasn’t expecting to see me? What is she doing here in the Nugget building?
This thought stops me in my tracks, and I spin around and go back to the bulletin board. On the yellow sheet of paper, I see a flier that was put up by the Yoga Studio owner, Sherry O’Neil.
‘Seeking Yoga Instructors,’ the title of the flier states.
Below the heading, it says:
‘The Hillcrest Yoga Studio is seeking qualified instructors with a passion for sharing yoga with others. Must be energetic, friendly, and good at communication. Must be a full time resident of Hillcrest. Please call Sherry O’Neil to set up your interview.’
All along the bottom of the flier there are little tabs that can be pulled off. Each of the tabs has Sherry’s number written on it. Three of the tabs are missing.
One of the tabs, I know, is in Azure’s pocket as we speak.
Now that I know what the flier says, I head for the door again. I really do need some caffeine if I’m going to figure a way out of the financial pickle I’m in.
I’ll have to put my curiosity about Azure aside. Saving my PI license needs to come first.
If I don’t keep my license current, I can’t legally work as an investigator in the state of Colorado. But how am I supposed to pay to keep my license renewed, seeing as I haven’t had a case in over a month?
One large Americano and two scones later, I’m no closer to finding a solution. I am, however, closer to my five-forty five date with Cora, so I hurry home so that I can feed Turkey before the evening begins.
Once Turkey is fed, I hop on my pink town-cruiser bike and make my way to Cora’s house.
When Cora opens the door, she gives me a bright smile. Cora’s about ten years older than me, and ten inches shorter than me. Her petite frame is muscular and fit, and when I stand next to her I sometimes feel like a bit of a clumsy giant.
Pop music emanates from inside the house. As a Zumba instructor, Cora’s always on the lookout for new songs to play in her classes. Whenever I’m at her house, upbeat dance music is playing in the background. It’s not out of the ordinary for Cora to bust out a move or two, if the right song comes on over the speakers.
I usually save my moves for class time.
Cora’s holding a glass of fizzy clear liquid in one hand. “Penny! Oh my goodness, it’s chilly out! Not as cold as it will be tomorrow, I hear, but still! Come on in!” Cora gives me a quick one-armed hug and then leads me through her entry way, towards a seating area.
“I am so glad you could come early,” she says.
The pop music is louder here in the living room. On the coffee table, I see a spread of appetizers. There’s also a bottle of white wine and three empty glasses. I also see a bottle of sparkling water.
Cora sets her glass down and lifts an empty wine glass. While she fills it with wine, I peruse the appetizers. “Wow,” I say. “You really went all out. This kind of feels like a party. What’s the occasion?”
I don’t really expect an answer. Cora’s just a good hostess. She always has been. She’s that kind of person. Her nails are always manicured, and if you ever need a tissue, she has a travel pack in her purse.
I reach for a butterfly-shaped cracker and top it with a little slab of cheese. Before I can bite in, Cora surprises me by saying, “Well, it is a special occasion, Penny... I have some news to share.”
“You do?” I lower the cracker instead of biting in.
“I do.” Cora nods. Her short, blonde ponytail bobs up and down.
She hands me the glass of wine she just poured.
Absent mindedly, I notice that she’s passing it to me with her left hand. She moves slowly and deliberately. I receive the glass, and once her hand is free, she gives her fingers a little wiggle. Light glimmers off of—what is that?
A ring!
There’s a diamond on Cora’s left ring finger!
“Cora! Is that an engagement ring?” I ask. Suddenly, there’s a lump in my throat. Is my friend getting engaged?
I’m happy for her, of course, but if I’m honest a part of me is not happy. Part of me is jealous. I know that must sound petty, but it’s the truth.
Everyone said that my ex, Police Captain Chris Wagner and I made such an adorable couple. Everyone kept asking me when the two of us were going to tie the knot. Chris and I even talked about marriage. Not directly or anything, but we each dropped some hints.
I thought that I would be the next in our little group to get married. Certainly before Cora, who hasn’t dated in years. Then, just over a month ago, Chris and I broke up. At the same time, Cora fell madly in love with a handsome werewolf named Silas, who was visiting from the Water Realm.
I set my glass down, paste a smile on my face, and jump out of my seat.
So many confusing emotions are running through me, but I don’t want my friend to know it. I feign excitement as I ask, “How did this happen?” I reach for her hand.
Cora laughs
as I take a closer look at the ring.
When I release her hand and scoop her up for a hug, she’s still laughing.
I give her a squeeze. Despite my jealousy, I really am excited for her, at the same time. The two emotions feel like water and oil inside of me—mingling but refusing to mix.
“Oh my goodness!” I say, as I rock both of us back and forth. “Did Silas propose to you?”
“He did!” Cora says, somewhat breathlessly. I may be squeezing her too hard. I let go.
“Two nights ago,” Cora continues. “Saturday night. Right here in this room. He got down on one knee, and...” Cora looks close to tears as she recalls.
“I had no idea you were so serious about him!” I say. “Just a little bit over a month ago, Silas was a werewolf we didn’t even know. Now he’s your fiancé?”
I reach for my wine glass, and hold it up. “Congratulations!” I say.
Cora picks up her glass and taps her glass against mine. “Thanks, Penny,” she says. Our glasses part, and we both sip our drinks.
“I know it’s fast,” Cora says, as soon as she swallows.
I take another sip of wine. Yum! Leave it to Cora to get a really good bottle of Chardonnay. The woman has class.
It doesn’t have that bite like the cheap stuff I usually pick up from the liquor store. It’s a nice treat.
“Well, yes, it’s fast, but you’re in love,” I say.
“Yes—there’s that. We are in love. But there's more.”
I wait for more.
Cora takes a deep breath. Her eyebrows tent up as she says, “I’m—I can’t believe this. But you might as well know. I’m—Penny, I’m pregnant.” Cora bites her lip, waiting for my reaction.
“You’re pregnant?!” I shout. For the second time, I set my glass down on the coffee table and give my friend a bear hug.
This time she’s shaking hard, and at first I think that she’s laughing. But as I release her, and she wipes her eyes, I see that she’s actually crying.
“Oh! Cora,” I say, “It’s okay. You’re okay.” I don’t know what else to say.
“I know, I know!” Cora says, wiping her eyes. She’s smiling through her tears. “I’m just so emotional these past few days. I’m overwhelmed.” She starts fanning her face. Then, just like that, she goes back to laughing.
I join in with her.
Soon we’re both wiping our eyes from laughing-tears.
“Are you going to tell the others all of this, tonight?” I ask, once our fit passes.
Cora nods. “Yes. But I wanted to tell you first because there’s something I wanted to ask you.” She gives her eyes one final wipe, and then looks right at me.
“Will you be my maid of honor?” She asks.
I don’t hesitate for even a minute. “Yes!” I say. Then again, louder. “Yes, yes, yes!” I clap my hands. “I would love to be your maid of honor, Cora!”
Cora nods. “Thank you, Penny,” she says, just as we hear a knock on the door.
I stay in the living room while Cora goes to answer the door. I’m finally able to tuck into the appetizer spread. I bypass the celery and carrot sticks, and instead I polish off three butterfly cracker and cheese combos before Marley and Annie enter the room.
As they join me in the living room, both ladies greet me. Annie is dressed nearly head to toe in knit items. She’s wearing a pretty pink knit cap over her short, curly white hair. A soft, fuzzy infinity scarf is wrapped around her neck and shoulders, and beneath that I see the cable-knit sweater that she recently completed. Her pants are jeans that are sprinkled with flower patches. One look at Annie, and you know she’s an artist. At 70, she’s had decades to refine her crafty, embellished style.
Marley, on the other hand, is underdressed as usual. She’s twenty-seven like me, and her style shouts ‘Millennial.’ She’s wearing an old vintage Bob Marley tee shirt and leggings. Her long, dark hair is swept to the side and draped over her shoulder. I’ve always been envious of Marley’s beautiful black hair. That envy kicked up a notch a few weeks back when I chopped my own locks off. Now that I have a short bob, I wish I had Marley’s long lustrous hair more than ever.
“Hi, ladies!” I say, trying to sound casual. I’m practically bursting at the seams with the desire to blurt out Cora’s exciting news, but I know that it’s not mine to share.
Will Cora hand my friends their wine with her left hand and wiggle her finger around until they notice the ring, like she did for me?
Before Cora can even do her left handed wine pass, Annie says, “Cora! Look at that ring!”
I’m impressed with Annie’s observation skills. Cora had to bring the ring to my attention, but Annie picked up on it right away. I’ve been told that for a PI, I’m not very observant. It’s something I’m working on.
Cora holds up her left hand. “It is,” she says, raising her eyebrows. “You guys... I’m engaged!”
Bouncing. Clapping. Jumping. Tears. Squealing. Laughing. You name it, and it went down in that little living room over the next few minutes. We end our strange little display of excitement with a frenzied group hug.
We’ve been a knitting circle for five years. I swear, I never imagined I could feel as close with a group of women as I do with these three. We became even more bonded when we started practicing witchcraft together, this past August.
This is the first big milestone we’ve ever had the chance to celebrate since we started hanging out regularly. Well, at least the first big positive milestone. We were also together when Annie’s husband passed away, but that was a really sad time for her, and so turned out to be a pretty tough thing for all of us to go through as a group.
For the next hour, we gobble down appetizers. Annie, Marley and I sip wine, while Cora drinks sparkling water. While we eat and drink, we discuss wedding plans. At first, we’re excited to discuss the details of the party. We talk about where it will be hosted (a rehearsal dinner at the French Table, ceremony and reception at the Hillcrest Inn), when it will take place (next spring, when the wildflowers come up), and how big it will be (intimate ceremony, and then BIG town-wide party).
Because we’re so caught up with these fun details, we fail to talk about some of the more serious issues. But eventually, over dinner in Cora’s dining room, we start to talk about the fact that Silas is a werewolf for goodness sake, and Cora is pregnant.
“He’s the alpha of his pack, right?” Marley asks. She’s on her third glass of wine. Marley loves her chardonnay.
I’m feeling a bit buzzy myself. I guess I’m on my third glass too, for that matter. “The alpha male!” I say, and then giggle for no reason.
“Does that mean you’ll be a part of the pack, Cora?” Annie asks.
Cora nods. “Silas says that most of the other members will move from the Water Realm to Hillcrest soon—once he’s able to build more cabins on the property he just bought.”
“Up by Beaver Pond?” I ask.
Cora nods. “Where the old schoolhouse is. He bought up ten acres. Enough for a bunch of houses, plus room to grow.”
“How exciting!” Says Annie.
Cora spears a cherry tomato. “He says I’m going to love everyone. There are five other males in Silas’s pack, and three of them will move here. Each one has a wife, and two of the couples have children. Silas says that everyone helps everyone else. They even eat big family-style meals together sometimes. It’s going to be amazing. You should see the house that Silas is building on his new land. He’s a wonderful carpenter.”
“So your baby—will she be a werewolf too?” I ask.
Cora’s pretty face opens up into a bright smile as soon as I mention the baby. She’s been smiling like this every time the topic comes up. I can tell she’s thrilled to be pregnant.
Cora is forty. Because she was single for so long, I think she gave up on the idea of having kids. I know she always wanted a child, but she was never in the right relationship.
“I don’t know if she—or he—will be a shi
fter or not.” Cora says, as she lets one hand rest lightly over her still flat belly. “Maybe our child will be destined to be a witch. My one focus is that the child is healthy. Everything else will just be a bonus.”
I lift a piece of roast pork with my fork. Before I bite in, I blurt out, “Was this planned? Did you mean to get pregnant?”
Cora doesn’t even blush. “It wasn’t planned,” she says. “But I don’t want to refer to it as an ‘accident,’ either. I think everything happens for a reason. When I told Silas that I was pregnant, he said that he knew right when he saw me that we would be mates, and would have offspring together.”
“Mates!” Marley repeats with a giggle. “Offspring!”
I snicker.
Annie gets the conversation back on track. “If you and Silas are happy, that’s what counts, Cora, dear,” she says.
“We are,” says Cora, dreamily. She looks down at her ring. “Silas proposed two nights ago. Do you know how hard it was, not to call you all up right away? But Silas wanted me to wait. He said something about news traveling fast through the magical realms. He seemed to think that our marriage might upset members of another realm for some reason.” Cora shakes her head, and gives a little shrug. “I didn’t really know what he was talking about, and he wouldn’t explain himself.”
I add in my two cents. “I bet he was a real eligible bachelor. Maybe he wanted to break the news that he was off of the market, softly.”
Cora shrugs. “I don’t know,” she says. She looks around at our plates, taking in the fact that they’re all now empty. “Who’s up for dessert?” She asks.
In true Cora-the-health-nut fashion, dessert consists of fresh fruit topped with a dollop of plain yogurt.
As Annie, Marley and I say goodnight, I’m already fantasizing about having a bowl of choco-puffs when I get home, to satisfy my sweet tooth.
We all wave goodbye to Cora, and then Marley heads off by foot in one direction, while Annie and I walk in the other. I push my bike along and walk slowly, to keep pace with Annie.
“What an exciting night,” I muse. “I’m actually grateful for the distraction. It’s been kind of a rough week so far.”
The Case of the Desire Spell Page 2
