by Nora Lee
Turning to the sink, Enid ran the water and started washing the plates. She questioned Nana in what she hoped sounded like a nonchalant manner. She didn’t want the other woman to realize she hadn’t give up on her idea. “Out of curiosity, how is a spirit tethered to a specific location? I’ve always heard they move on to a new vessel after death.” Washing dishes often comforted her and quieted her mind so she enjoyed having her hands in the sudsy water. Her eyes went to the garden beyond the window and she allowed her thoughts to drift as she awaited a response to her question.
Nana hooked her cane on the edge of the counter and took up a towel to dry the plates. “Oh, different methods can be used. The Book of Shadows, for one. That’s how we keep our Hephaestus in place.”
They fell into a companionable routine: wash a dish, rinse a dish, dry a dish. The soft clink of the plates stacking up on the counter served as background noise to the quiet conversations going on in the background. Rowan and Orianna seemed to be discussing the rival merits of the various cakes. Gemma and Fox continued to laugh and joke with each other and the brides as Iris made the occasional sharp remark. Adora must have gone back to her repairs, judging by the slight creak of wood coming from the corner of the room.
“Why would someone use the grimoire that way?” Enid thought about how long ago Hephaestus passed and wondered why all spirits didn’t stick around. She often wished she could talk to her mother. If only she’d remained in the Ash home after she’d passed, her daughters might feel less alone in the world. All the Ash cousins in the village couldn’t make up for that one special person in their lives.
Rowan’s voice brought her back to the present. “Time for Siobhan’s afternoon feeding.” She kissed Nana’s cheek and patted Enid’s shoulder on her way to the back door. “My choice is the pumpkin and I think a simple layer cake will be fine. We don’t need anything fancy, despite my high place in our society.”
“I should go, too.” Orianna also gave Nana a kiss. “And I agree about the pumpkin.”
Nana smiled at the two brides-to-be. “You’ve made a wonderful choice.”
Surprised to find the shadows in the yard lengthening, Enid turned from the sink, drying her hands on another soft towel. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn’t noticed the passing of time. Now Gemma swept crumbs from the floor around the chair where she’d been sitting as Fox held a dustpan for her. Adora set the chair she’d been working on right side up and sat down to test her repair. Iris already seemed to have left.
“You should all go home for now. I’ve a lot of work to do here and time’s a-wastin’.”
Enid hung up her dish towel. After dropping a kiss on Nana’s cheek, she followed Gemma and Fox out into the warm afternoon.
Gemma looked over her shoulder. “You coming, Sis?”
“Yes.” She hurried to catch up to the other two. “We didn’t talk about anything but the cakes. The dinner menu still needs to be ironed out.” As she caught the look that passed between Fox and Gemma, she wondered if she might have missed something.
“Your head is in the clouds, Sis. We figured all that out.”
Fox patted Enid’s arm. “And we assigned various other duties. Iris is helping the brides decide on their dresses, hair, and makeup. Adora’s going to build an altar and an arch. The Leif family will provide us with pumpkins, gourds, and what-not that we can use to decorate. And we’re going to use our technical knowledge to come up with some interesting surprises.”
“Guess my mind was wandering.”
“Just a little, Sis.”
The trio walked arm-in-arm into the village in the waning light of late afternoon. Sunlight reflected off the ocean in the distance and the tiny white specks on the horizon looked like they might be gulls searching for a meal. The trees lining either side of them rustled in the breeze and cast dappled shadows on the stony dirt trail beneath their feet. If she weren’t so stressed about what she’d gotten herself into, Enid would have enjoyed the idyllic surroundings and the time with her beloved companions.
The Penny Spindle would be closing for the day so she’d have to go the next morning. While at the shop, she could talk to Hephaestus about wedding ceremonies.
And she might just try to find The Book of Shadows…
3
Enid found an arrangement of pumpkins and gourds amid the sale items in the front window of The Penny Spindle: potion bottles, cauldrons, spell supplies, and a few text books for the school children. She enjoyed the artistry of the display. Despite being a spirit, Hephaestus still seemed to take great pride in the little shop he shared with Nana Winterblossom.
She pushed open the front door. The black bat and cat streamers hanging behind the windows rustled in the breeze she created as she stepped inside. Among the other tantalizing aromas in the shop, she caught a tell-tale whiff of bay rum.
I know he’s here somewhere…
A slight shimmering motion caught the corner of her eye.
Enid turned to see find Hephaestus Hallow gliding her way. “Good Morn, Miss Ash. You have not been here in quite some time.” He gave a slight bow of the head as he reached her side. “How are you this fine day?”
Though insubstantial, his body showed signs of having been in good shape when he passed. Longish dark hair curled around his pale face, dark brows curving over his piercing eyes, his aquiline nose almost aristocratic, the downward turn of his mouth an indication of his normal grumpy demeanor. A close-cropped moustache and beard added a slight rugged touch to his appearance. Hephaestus must have been a fine figure of a man in his day. “I’m well, thanks. And you?”
The misty figure passed through the glass-topped counter to the shelves along the back wall. When he waved a hand, a vial of blood-red liquid on a top shelf slid into alignment with the others in the row. “Must have had another tremor,” he said in a low voice. After looking over the shelves for another moment, he turned his attention back to his customer. “You will hear no complaints from me, young Miss.” He adjusted the white apron covering his old-style shirt and suspenders. “What may I help you with? Something for Samhain?”
“I do need items for Samhain…but not what you might think.” Enid glanced around in search of decorative items. “You may have heard we’re to have a wedding here.”
“Who are the lucky bride and groom?” From the tone of his voice, she got the idea he thought the couple anything but lucky.
“Rowan Middlebrook and Garrett Blank.”
“The young man is not well-known to me.” His brow furrowed and he wiped the top of the counter in an absent-minded way. “Rare is the occasion they come in to this shop. Do you find them acceptable mates for our High Priestess?”
Enid nodded. “He seems a good man. I wasn’t sure about him at first, but he’s grown on me.” Meeting Hephaestus’ eyes, she winked. “Even though Garrett is mundane.”
“No shame in that,” said Hephaestus. “Many people out in the wider world with no powers would be welcome additions to our little community. Some might even find they have abilities as yet untapped.”
“Orianna Westerly is also to marry Caedmon McFarland.”
“At the same time? A double wedding?” Hephaestus almost cracked a smile. “That is a pleasant surprise. Young Miss Westerly needs a life partner to help with her offspring.” He motioned around the store. “Please feel free to browse. I assume you are in charge of the details?
“Oh, yes.” Uneasy at the way he seemed to stare into her soul, she moved away to look through a shelf laden with normal party supplies like streamers. “I had a vision and volunteered right away. We’re to hold the ceremony up at your old home, in fact.” She gave him an innocent glance, though her heart hammered with nerves. “I only wish we had a proper officiant. No one in the coven seems quite right.”
“I joined many a couple in my day.” Hephaestus gave what sounded like a sorrowful sigh. “Those were magical times. Would that I could do the same for these young people.”
As she browsed, Enid worked her way toward the stairway leading into the basement. Though Hephaestus seemed willing to perform the ceremony, she didn’t think he’d agree to being relocated. He always seemed a stickler for doing the right thing. She hurried into the dark depths before he realized what she’d planned.
“The storage area is off-limits. I will bring up anything you might need.” Hephaestus slipped through the floor at the same moment that Enid flicked on the overhead light.
“You don’t mind if I look around, do you?” She gave her best innocent smile. “You might have something in stock I wouldn’t have thought of using.” She hoped his sense of chivalry would prevent him from tossing her out of the shop.
“You are as strong-willed as your ancestor. She charged ahead without a care about others.” He gave a morose shake of his head. “You do make a good point, however. I will allow you to search my stores just this once. Do not expect the same privilege in the future.” He moved off to hover near the bottom of the steps, not taking his eyes off her.
Enid poked around the shelves of items like the ones on display upstairs and hoped she’d find something he hadn’t put out. She picked up a box of artificial long-stemmed black roses and tucked them under her arm. Several spools of burlap ribbon soon joined the box of roses.
Realizing she didn’t have enough hands, she dropped the items into an empty crate, then moved off to a stack of the wooden crates to see what they might be hiding. Poofs of dust tickled her nostrils, making her eyes water, and she fought hard to hold back a sneeze. She felt sure she wouldn’t find the Book of Shadows in plain sight. Nana probably didn’t realize she’d mentioned the basement as the hiding place of the book during their discussion the day before.
When she came across a small bookshelf behind a teetering stack of crates she felt a surge of optimism. The location seemed a promising one. The Book of Shadows might just be hiding in plain sight with what looked like more mundane volumes.
She tested the wooden cases and found them to be light. They shouldn’t be hard to move.
Putting her shoulder to the stack, she put all her weight behind her effort.
The stack shifted a few inches. Just enough to leave her a path to the hidden shelf.
“What are you doing, young Miss? You’ll find nothing you need in that area.” The panic in Hephaestus’ voice increased Enid’s confidence.
She moved as fast as possible in the cramped space, running her fingers over the spines lined along the shelves. Titles like “Soil Chemistry for Dummies” and “Fantastical Fall Desserts” brought a fond smile to her lips. She understood quite well why those books might have been ordered, but couldn’t imagine either Maddock Leif or Nana Winterblossom purchasing them. No one else in the community would be interested, either.
The tiny hairs on her otherwise bare scalp prickled.
Enid ducked.
The shelf before her quivered.
A large book flew straight for her nose. She ducked again.
“Hey! That’s not nice.” Enid whirled on her attacker. “How dare you treat a lady this way?” Distracted, she reeled when another large volume caught her temple. She felt the tell-tale sensation of liquid trickling down the side of her face and touched the spot with her index figure. Pulling her hand away, she saw a hint of her own blood, and her stomach lurched.
Reaching out, she pulled the shelf over. Books rained down on her feet.
Hephaestus motioned. The books levitated to head level and danced a circle around her head.
Enid staggered backward into the crates as the room spun. Her head, legs, and feet throbbed with pain from where she’d been hit. “I mean you no harm, Mr. Hallow.” The edges of her vision darkened bile stung the back of her throat. Taking a shaky breath, she willed herself to remain conscious. “You seem the best person to officiate at this wedding. That’s all.”
The books dropped to the floor as the spirit’s attention wavered. “Performing a marriage again would be wonderful.” Hephaestus’ eyes seemed to glow red with anger. “However, I would never agree to such a request from you or anyone in your line, Miss Ash.”
She lost her temper and became more determined to get the Book of Shadows away no matter how he fought her. “We’re all members of the same coven! We might as well be family!”
“The Ash family women have done enough to me! None of you are to be trusted.” Hephaestus pointed toward the staircase. “Leave this place now and do not return. You may send a representative to pick up what you need. Now I will wish you good day…”
With the hem of her skirt, Enid dabbed at the blood trickling into the corner of her eye. Her head throbbed and she feared she couldn’t climb the stairs without passing out. Even so, she moved that way. She could sneak back later in the day.
Enid tripped as her boot caught something. She looked down.
The Book of Shadows lay near her toe.
Hephaestus followed the movement of her eyes.
Enid dropped to her knees and reached out for the oversized volume.
The spirit whooshed to her side.
Two hands, one insubstantial and the other solid, touched the book at the exact same moment.
A tingle raced up Enid’s arm at the contact. Her eyes widened as the room spun around her again, faster and faster, until her surroundings looked like nothing more than streaks of light and shadow. She squeezed her eyes shut against the sensation of being sucked into a vortex. Her body felt as though she were turning inside-out and her stomach churned. A buzzing sound filled her ears and her skin prickled.
She heard a loud pop...and then the room fell silent.
The hard floor hurt her back. Enid wiggled her fingers and toes to be sure everything still worked. She moved her head from side-to-side. Once she felt the spinning stop, she opened her eyes, only to Hephaestus leaning over her.
He appeared different. More substantial.
Enid glanced around. She blinked a couple times to clear her vision since she seemed to be seeing everything through a mist.
Hephaestus helped her sit up. His hands felt solid.
With heart-stopping clarity, Enid realized she’d been sucked into the Spirit World.
4
Where before the basement seemed clean and well kept, the space now looked old and decrepit: the paint peeled and flaked off the walls, the floor seemed to be missing large chunks, lights hung at precarious angles, cracks lined the windows, the stairs leaned to one side, a film of dust covered everything, and intricate cobwebs decorated every surface. Even the inventory looked ancient. The entire place gave her a strong feeling of decay and neglect.
Everything also glimmered with a cool blue light.
Enid raised a hand to her face. She seemed to glow brighter than everything else. When she looked over at Hephaestus, she found he also radiated a powerful light and seemed more substantial than anything else.
“This is not good.” Hephaestus’ voice trembled. “Not good at all.”
Now that she could see him better she found him much more attractive than before. So good-looking, in fact, that she felt a thrill at being near him. Her pulse raced and butterflies flittered around her stomach.
How can I have the hots for a spirit? And one who despises me, no less.
Hephaestus helped her to her feet. Now that she’d joined him in the Spirit World, he looked and acted as though he were worried. “You have been through quite an ordeal. Are you well, young Miss Ash?”
She smoothed out her skirts then lifted a hand to her now-dry temple. “Everything seems to be in one piece. I even seem to have healed.” Her slight laugh sounded more hollow than normal.
“This is not amusing, young Miss. You have no idea of the trouble you are in.”
“Don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud, old man. Don’t you like having company?” Enid started walking toward the stairway. She felt nervous about the rickety steps and decided to have a look at the world beyond the shop before chancing the climb. Stepping onto a broken
crate, she looked out through the dirty glass.
Hundreds of figures glided past on the street above them.
She recoiled.
And fell right into Hephaestus’ arms.
He righted her.
When she spoke, her voice quivered. “What’s out there?”
“You surely did not believe me to be alone in the Spirit World.”
“I didn’t think…”
“That is quite obvious.”
Angered by his patronizing tone, she returned to the window. “Okay, I admit I made a mistake. So how do we fix this?” She noticed the figures seemed more shadow than substance, as though they’d been sapped of every ounce of the life they’d once possessed. A few of them looked like they might be Ash ancestors.
A small face pressed up against the window. Soon a second, and then a third, joined the first. The glass squealed as their clawed hands scrabbled for a way in. Bulbous white eyes stared at her. Jagged teeth in their gaping mouths glistened with saliva.
She backed off the crate.
“Those are ghouls,” said Hephaestus. “You do not want them touching you.”
“I don’t plan to go play with them,” Enid snapped. “I’m usually very level-headed.”
“Of course, young Miss.” Hephaestus held out a hand. “Now come with me.”
“Call me Enid, will you?” As she glared at him, she felt The Book of Shadows calling to her. Grabbing the volume, she raced up the stairs, heading straight for the front door. She didn’t think twice about the creatures outside.
“You should not leave the shop.”
Enid felt so heavy she couldn’t move very fast. The veil between worlds seemed such a tangible thing that she might as well have been running through water. The shop warped around her as she moved.
