spies and spells 01 - spies and spells

by Kappes, Tonya

  “This means you have to wear the stone at all times. This means you need to figure out what your place in this new world means to you and your life. We aren’t tracking you. The stone lets you keep in touch with Vinnie when you are not with him.” Auntie Meme curled her head around mine, looking back toward the kitchen. “And him, he can’t know all the truth. You continue to do what your senses tell you is right; you will know, but he cannot know we are witches or there will be dire consequences.”

  “I say dump him now.” Mom dispensed with the pleasantries and meet fire with fire.

  “Fae, you know if this is her life’s journey, she can’t do that.” Auntie Meme patted Mom on the back trying to calm her down.

  None of this bothered Lilith in the least bit. Gilbert sat on her shoulder while she picked at her manicured nails and deeply sighed a few times, probably happy the heat was on me and not her. All of their familiars were making them feel better. Me? Not so much.

  “But. . .” I was going to blurt out how SKUL had asked me to help them with one case, but I figured the less they knew, the better off I was. If I did know them, and I did, they would show up at every sting I had with SKUL on this one case.

  Plus, there was no way Mick and I could ever be an item. Ridiculous.

  This was what the Witchy Hour was? Two worlds colliding? There were so many questions I had swirling around in my head. How was I supposed to know what to let Mick know and not know? Rely on my senses? Huh. That failed me a few times. And working with SKUL was my destiny between the two worlds? Mick found me because we were destined to be a part of each other’s lives? None of this was making sense to me.

  “What about her?” I pointed toward Lilith. “What the hell is her gig in this colliding world crap?”

  I wished I could erase the last couple of weeks and have a do-over. Or even still live out in the country where we grew up and where the witchy life was easy.

  “Everyone’s colliding is different. Hers hasn’t happened.” Mom lifted her chin, her eyes dark, deep, and piercing.

  “I hate to break up the little family meeting, but not only is the pot of beans boiling over, but there are about four women dressed like her at the back door.” Mick stood in the middle of the hallway, rubbing his hands together before pointing over his shoulder toward the kitchen. Uneasy, he rocked back and forth on his heels before he stuck his hands in his front pockets.

  Mom and Auntie Meme pushed their way past him and disappeared into the kitchen. Lilith and Gilbert darted up the steps to the second floor to her room.

  “Did I interrupt a party or something, because I can come back.” Mick walked toward me, not taking his eyes off of Lilith. My mind was still trying to wrap around the little pow-wow my family just had and all the information swirling in my head about this concept of worlds colliding. Why didn’t I have a say in my existence? “Was that a purple macaw?”

  “No. I mean yes. A rare purple macaw.” I ran a loving hand down Mick’s arm, talking loud enough for Mom and Auntie Meme’s eavesdropping ears to hear me. “No, you aren’t interrupting anything. I was just telling my mom and auntie how we have been dating.”

  He drew back, his mouth opened and then closed after he saw me give him the deer-in-headlights look.

  “And my auntie’s Spell. . .” I paused trying to sense if I let him in on what the Spell Circle really was, but as it really didn’t have anything to do with him and me, I lied, “They are a book club and since it’s so close to Halloween, they like to dress as characters of the books they are reading.” I laughed, wiggling my finger around my ear like they were all crazy. “You should have seen them when they read Gone With The Wind.” I twirled as though I had on a ball gown. “Besides, they are old and a little nuts.”

  “Oh.” Mick’s eyes narrowed. “Halloween is a few months away.”

  “They are old.” I circled my finger around my ear gesturing crazy.

  “We need to talk about the case. I’d like to get this one solved and out of the way.” He didn’t question my explanation of my crazy auntie and the Spell Circle.

  “How did you find me?” I asked, grabbing him by the elbow.

  “I followed you.” His stony face told me he was still questioning who I was—and for good reason.

  I was unsure how to bring both worlds together without exposing too much.

  “My house is off limits.” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one was around. “They cannot know about any of this. Do you understand?”

  “That is best for the case anyway. You are going to be going undercover and no one can know about this.” His words made the actual danger I could be putting myself in a little more official. “We have to talk about it. I have to give you the instructions.”

  “Fine.” I put my hand on his arm and quickly pulled it away. I bit my lip trying to figure out how to meet him without tipping suspicion on a gaggle of witches who were already curious. “How about a cup of coffee at The Brew in the morning?” I tapped my watch. It was well after our five o’clock suppertime. “It’s suppertime and Mom doesn’t like me to be late.”

  The front door opened. Abram walked in and stopped when he saw me standing there with Mick. His blond hair stood straight up in the air, his freckles deepened in color from the anger resulting from seeing Mick standing close to me.

  “Who’s this?” Abram asked.

  “Abram, this is Mick Jasper.” I did a quick introduction. “My…”

  “Her boyfriend.” Mick put his hand out for Abram to shake.

  I groaned. My jaw clenched and I sucked in a big breath. It was the worst thing Mick could’ve said to Abram, of all people.

  Abram eyed Mick, as Mick eyed Abram. The guy nod was exchanged between them. Both of them puffed out their chests. I rolled my eyes.

  “Boyfriend?” Abram asked in a grudging voice. His body stiffened. His hands curled into fists.

  “Supper is ready.” I lifted my brows at Abram, ignoring his question. “Everyone is waiting.”

  “Yeah, I’m late. Ronnie was busting my balls this afternoon. He’s all sore Fae hasn’t invited him to stay for supper.” Abram never took his eyes off of Mick. He took a step backward and stopped. “How did Vinnie do today? A little less action on the new tires?”

  “Who’s Vinnie?” Mick questioned.

  “You’re her boyfriend and you don’t know Vinnie?” Abram’s body was rigid, his fists clenched. I anticipated him throwing a fist.

  Mick curled his arm around my shoulder and squeezed me tight, cutting off my breathing.

  “Ouch. Tight.” I shrugged my shoulders, knocking his arm off of me. My hand flew up to his chest and rested there, lingering a little too long because I could feel the outline of his muscles.

  “Her car, you—” Abram stopped his big mouth. His eyes lowered, fire deep in them.

  “My car.” I pulled my hand away and clasped them in front of me. “I have a name for my car. Girl thing.” I glared at Abram to shut his mouth. “Abram is our family mechanic and childhood friend. He lives here on Belgravia Court too. He came for supper.” I looked at Abram, through gritted teeth I said, “You better go get some food. Auntie Meme’s book club is here.”

  “Book club?” Abram had a confused look on his face. “Since when did she start reading?”

  “Hey Abram.” Lilith skipped down the stairs grabbing him by the arm, jerking him toward the kitchen.

  He stumbled over his feet a couple times, looking back at me and Mick as Lilith dragged him toward the kitchen.

  “Boyfriend?” My brows rose. “You can’t come around here expecting my family and friends to think you are my boyfriend. Dating. Got it?”

  Mick’s face split into a wide grin.

  “Now, come by the diner around ten a.m.” I didn’t find humor in his cute smile, and I couldn’t forget how his chest felt. It was tattooed on my mind. “It gives me time to get the breakfast rush out and start getting ready for the lunch crowd. We can go over what my role in the Mystic
Couture thing will be.” I walked over to the large wooden front door. The leaded stained glass had little signs of my heritage embedded in it.

  Mick noticed.

  “Witch hat. Black cat.” He pointed to each glass picture. “Hmm.” His lips pressed together like he was contemplating something. “Yeah. I’ll be there at ten.”

  “Wait!” Auntie Meme screamed, springing from the kitchen and rushing down the hall. She waved something in her hand. “I’ve got something for you to put on that big boo-boo of yours.”

  “Oh no you don’t.” I shook my head with my arms extended out in front of me trying to stop her. “He has doctors, not home remedies.” I desperately tried to fend her off, but no one can keep Auntie Meme away. Not even SKUL.

  “Oh honey, you need more than modern medicine. Maggie can tell you, I make good stuff.” She by-passed me, grabbed Mick’s hand and planted the round glass potion bottle in his hand. “Pour this on your side and use the cork to spread it. You will be fixed up in no time.”

  Auntie Meme retreated back to the kitchen.

  Mick inspected the bottle a little more closely. Please don’t ask me any questions, I begged inside my head. Normally I would have put a little no-questions-asked spell on someone but it seemed my colliding world problem was helping my spells bounce off Mick.

  “Cute.” Mick found humor in the situation. He held the bottle up in the air. “She’s playing the part well.” He referred to her outfit.

  “You should try it. She and Mom grow all their herbs in the garden and make the best home remedies.” I opened the door, rushing him hastily out the door. “See you tomorrow.” I shut the door and planted my back up against it wondering what the hell I was going to do.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The time alone with my back planted against the door wasn’t long enough to clear my head. Auntie Meme and her Spell Circle gathered in the foyer with all their eyes focused solely on me.

  “Not tonight Abram.” Mom ushered Abram out the front door and shut it before he could protest.

  “Maggie isn’t going to tell Mick anything about this.” I rolled my finger in a circle in the air.

  The Spell Circle gathered around me.

  “Auntie Meme?” I questioned what they were doing. Mom and Lilith gathered in the circle. They all held hands with me in the middle. “I don’t want any part in this.”

  I might not have wanted any part of it, but what I wanted didn’t count. They were in charge and going to make sure I was able to merge the two worlds whether I wanted them to combine or not.

  “Boom, cha, ka, la, ka. Boom, cha, ka, la, ka.” Auntie Meme, Mom, Lilith, and the Spell Circle chanted with pointy hats on top of their heads. “Boom, cha, ka, la, ka. Boom, cha, ka, la, ka.” Auntie Meme and Lilith had gotten into a good groove.

  Mom broke the circle and grabbed me by the elbow; I went along with it. There was no sense in trying to break free of them.

  “The Witchy Hour is among us,” Mom let go of my arm and lifted her hands into the air. All the members of the Spell Circle followed suit.

  “The Witchy Hour?” I asked as though it was some sort of joke. “It’s a real ritual?”

  “Yes. When the two worlds begin to collide for one of us, that is your fate. Your destiny. Your Witchy Hour.” Mom’s words made me a little squirmy and made me realize this was a big deal among our world.

  She led me over to the edge of the circle, facing the kitchen.

  Everyone continued to chant following behind us. Mom guided me through our old brownstone and opened the forbidden door. The basement.

  I was never allowed to go to the basement. As a child, I was content with Mom’s explanation of monsters and scary things, but as I got older and understood I wasn’t like all the other people who lived in Louisville, I learned the basement was where all the secrets were held for our Coven.

  “Boom, cha, ka, la, ka. Boom, cha, ka, la, ka.” Lilith was much louder than Auntie Meme.

  “Do you believe in magic?” Mom whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, taking each step with deliberate pause between each. “You have to answer the questions out loud.”

  “Yes,” I said trying to take in all the surroundings.

  Twinkling lights swung down from the ceiling, curled around the banister, and dangled over each step illuminating our way.

  “Do you believe you posses the power, the love, and the intuition to know when to use your magic for good and never evil?” Mystery lingered in Mom’s tone.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  We made it to the final step where it narrowed into a cobblestone walkway, not a big basement as I had always envisioned it to be. We walked in a single-file line with Mom leading the way. The twinkling lights were long gone and gas-lit sconces were fixed on each side of the wall and spaced three feet apart.

  “Boom, cha, ka, la, ka.” The chanting was almost down to a whisper.

  My insides twirled in a knot. Excitement flowed through my veins. I knew I was in safe hands, but the fear of the unknown sent fright deep in my soul. The anticipation of my life really starting was almost too much to bear.

  We stopped at the end of the corridor. A wooden door with black hardware and a circular stained glass window took up the entire center of the door. Muted light flowed through causing the three-stars design in the stained glass to cast a shadow in the corridor where we stood. The designs matched the designs on Lilith’s and Auntie Meme’s pointy hats.

  “This is our family crest.” Mom tapped the window. She put her finger on the first star. “The first star represents family. The second star represents honor to the Coven. The third star represents honor to thyself.”

  I’m not sure who it was, but either Auntie Meme or Lilith wrapped a cape around my shoulders and placed a hat on my head. I looked down and secretly wished I had on my cute Prada snakeskin skinny pants, black high heels and ruffled black tee for the occasion and maybe a swipe of the Mystic Couture lipstick.

  “Anytime you come into the sacred ritual room, you have to wear your cape and your hat.” Mom made a quick rap in the door, followed by a knuckle drag down the door. “Two short, one long.” She demonstrated again.

  “Dang,” I joked. “I wish I had a notebook to write all this stuff down.”

  Mom’s eyes lowered. Her face set. “This is not a joke. Everything to you is and that is why I had wanted to ask the Coven to give you leniency on how you have brought the two worlds into your life.”

  “I’m very serious about the Witchy Hour. And I’m sorry I joked.”

  Mom sucked in a breath and the peanut gallery behind me let out big sighs.

  “Now you do it.” Mom stepped beside me and nodded toward the door.

  I took one step forward in my bare feet. The cold and dampness from the cobblestone radiated through my feet, sending chill bumps up my legs. I lifted my right arm from under the cape and folded my hand into a fist. I raised it to the door.

  “Two short.” I knocked “One long.” I dragged my fist down the door and magically it opened in front of my eyes, leaving my fist dangling in mid-air.

  There was a large gold chandelier hanging in the center of a red room with at least one hundred red candles burning, little puffs of smoke dotting off the wicks. A circular area rug with the Coven crest was strategically placed in the middle with a large black cauldron sitting on top of it.

  Someone with a hood stood over the cauldron slowly stirring the frothy liquid with a large wooden oar.

  “We have come to the Witchy Hour of Maggie Park.” Mom stepped up to the cauldron. “She has accepted her life heritage and entered into the Coven willingly.”

  Mom took a step back with Auntie Meme and Lilith. All of them had their faces down to the ground and their hands clasped in front of them.

  “Is this true? Have you accepted with glittering eyes your heart’s desire to use your powers for good and not for evil?” The shrill voice boomed from under the hood.

  “Yes.” I wasn’t sure w
hat to say.

  “And you will use your familiar to protect and serve the family’s needs?” she asked.

  “Pixie?” I cocked a brow, slightly turned my body toward Mom and looked at her. She nodded her head. “Um. . .yeah,” I agreed to something I knew nothing about.

  The woman let go of the wooden oar and lifted the hood.

  “Is this a joke?” My jaw dropped when I saw Pixie slip the hood to rest on her back.

  “Maggie,” Mom scolded me. “This is why I said she wasn’t ready.” Mom threw her hands in the air.

  “I’m ready.” I rolled my eyes and looked at Pixie.

  “Maggie, this is serious.” Pixie’s face was stern. It was hard to take her serious with her small stature and buzz cut glistening under the chandelier.

  “We are here tonight to give Maggie her full powers as the two worlds collide. Who among us will guide her, protect her, and teach her the family’s expectations of the three stars we bear on our crest?”

  “I have taken the oath of Guardian.” Auntie Meme stepped up next to me.

  “As it is seen, Meme Park is hereby appointed the Guardian of Maggie Park.” Pixie used the oar to stir the pot one last time before she brought it out of the mixture.

  On the end was a ladle spoon with a cup full of the frothy mix. A fog swirled over top it. In silence, I watched Pixie offer the ladle to Auntie Meme. She cupped her hands around the bowl. She and Pixie together tipped the ladle up to her mouth and let the green liquid slide in.

  “Abrado, abrada.” Pixie waved her hands over top Auntie Meme’s head. “Let the Guardian feel the need of Maggie in time of need and carry her through. Ha!” She clapped her hands together and Auntie Meme hopped on one foot, as did Mom and Lilith.

  This is ridiculous. I couldn’t help but find the entire ritual stupid and silly.

  The three of them along with the other members of the Spell Circle gathered around me and did a little dance along with some chanting. I was feeling nothing. No different. No mysterious magical powers. Just tired.

  Chapter Fourteen