Spirited Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  “I do believe that Miss Rowena was carrying a very large tote bag.”

  We’re headed to the cemetery, aren’t we? I’m fine with that, honestly. No unicorn costume for me. I mean, seriously. I think it’s very sweet that my beloved Heidi wanted to accessorize me to go with her costume, but there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed. You can tell her. I’ll meet you there. If we’re going to deal with the Wicked Witch of Windsor, then I need to call in a few reinforcements.

  “Why would your aunt want to lower the veil?” Heidi asked, not waiting for my answer as her she walked back to the counter where she’d left her purse. It was made from the white shimmery fabric that matched her wings, which were fluttering with each step she took. “Ted, you have a choice. I can drop you off to help with the trick or treating event, or you can come with us to the cemetery. I don’t think it’s wise to let Raven go deal with Rowena herself. Besides, Rowena will be extra careful with a human around.”

  I adore my beloved Heidi’s optimism. She has no idea the lengths the Wicked Witch of Windsor will go to get her way, which is apparently to Hades and back on the express train sitting beside your mother.

  “How are the preparations coming along?” my mother called out after throwing the front door open. We all startled at once, with even Ted putting his hand over his heart. Mom came to an abrupt halt when she saw all of us gathered round, with the exception of Leo. He was still invisible, and he would likely stay that way until Heidi lost interest in stuffing his rather haggard but portly body into a unicorn costume. “I can see we’re all dressed, but why the long faces? It’s All Hallows’ Eve, as well as your birthday, Raven. This is time for celebration, unless…”

  My mother narrowed her emerald green eyes in Heidi’s direction, whose own eyes widened as if she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. The sight was enough to cause Leo to abruptly appear standing on his pillow, a few strands of his fur still floating in the air.

  Why does my beloved look so guilty, Raven? I’ve never seen that expression before. It’s like she’s been caught aiding and abetting my nemesis in the squirrelpocalypse. Where’s my pipe? I feel an anxiety attack coming on.

  “Unless what?” I asked hesitantly, not sure who to focus on first. Heidi had a will of stone, but my mother was as hard as a bedrock. “Heidi, what’s going on?”

  Doom and gloom is what’s going on by the look of it. I feel an asthma attack coming on, Raven. Your mother has somehow convinced Heidi to go over to the dark side, and I don’t know what to do with that kind of revelation.

  Heidi had a sudden and intense interest in those sparkly, shimmery things on the fabric of her clutch purse. I’d thought she’d been awfully quiet as she’d gotten dressed into her costume, but I’d just assumed that the fairy wings had been giving her a bit of trouble. Now, I realized that she’d been attempting to sail under the radar.

  “Your mother was just concerned that I told you about the birthday gift she got you,” Heidi hedged, though I could tell that she was telling me the truth by the way she met my gaze. Unfortunately, I still witnessed a bit of guilt in her baby blues. “We should head to the cemetery, don’t you think? We don’t have all night.”

  Oh, whatever this birthday gift is…it’s bad. I mean, really bad if my beloved Heidi would rather spend an evening with the local grim reaper than let it slip to you whatever it is your mother bought you. The suspense is killing me. Who did she murder?

  I was more afraid that the birthday gift itself might be the reason we ended up being escorted by Ivan to the other side, but it was Aunt Rowena who was currently holding that proverbial door open while using the Ouija board as a doorstop.

  You’re right. It’s better to be kept in the dark. Heidi didn’t spill your secret, Regina. So tell us why you’re here, because I’m almost certain that it wasn’t to change out of that Mistress of the Dark outfit.

  “Why are all of you going to the cemetery?” my mother asked, completely ignoring Leo as she focused on me. “Raven, it’s your birthday. The children are about to start their trick or treating stroll down River Bay, stopping at all the small shops that have gone out of their way to make this All Hallows’ Eve a success. You don’t want to miss that, do you?”

  I didn’t answer my mother, but instead focused on Ted. He was staring at my mother with suspicion, and I immediately recalled running into her when Liam and I had paid Gertie a visit. She’d acted very similar to how Heidi had a few moments ago.

  Don’t go insulting my beloved Heidi by comparing her to your mother. That’s like comparing sunshine to mud stuck to the bottom of your shoe.

  “Heidi, did my mother stop by your office today?” I asked, cutting off my mother’s sarcastic retort to Leo.

  “Um, maybe?” Heidi offered, shooting daggers in my mother’s direction. “I was quite busy today. Did you stop by the office, Ms. M?”

  I was all for presents, especially the kind that were well thought-out and personalized. I’d foolishly assumed that my mother’s gift fell into that category, but I was quickly changing my mind. Whatever my mother had gotten me was enough to cause Heidi to believe I wouldn’t be thrilled upon opening it.

  Then don’t. Problem solved. Now, let’s go fix the other issue at hand so that I’m not torn between stopping a ghost invasion or preventing a squirrelpocalypse. I’m only one familiar, and I can only do so much with the amount of catnip I’ve ingested today.

  “The problem isn’t solved, Leo.” I put my hands on my hips, planting my boots firmly on the hardwood floor. “Mom? Spill it. Now.”

  Heidi took a slow and deliberate step back. Had my apprehension not reached the highest point possible, I would have laughed when Ted mimicked her movement.

  “Fine. Ruin the surprise,” my mother exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “Beetle and I are getting married.”

  Leo gasped, promptly choking on something he must have swallowed.

  “We were going to formally announce our engagement at your birthday party.”

  A lot of thoughts were bouncing around in my head, and I was definitely wishing I’d taken Leo’s advice about ignoring the problem at hand. We still had to seek out Aunt Rowena in order to stop this so-called ghost invasion she’d inadvertently let take over Paramour Bay. Plus, I’m pretty sure Leo had gone into a full-blown asthma attack from the wheezing I heard coming from his cat bed. I could relate, because I was at a total loss for words.

  “Uh, Raven?” Heidi called out to me, tilting her head as she scratched her neck. I’m pretty sure she’d broken out in hives, and her clarification of the situation pretty much confirmed it. “In case you haven’t connected the dots, that means your mother is moving back to Paramour Bay to be near all of us. She made me promise not to tell you, and the consequences of doing so were quite dire.”

  I’m almost certain the thud I heard was Leo’s body hitting the ground after he’d stopped breathing from hearing such an announcement. On the bright side, the ghost invasion wasn’t sounding so bad in comparison…mud and sunshine.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about my mother moving back to town,” I scolded Heidi as we parked in front of the cemetery. I was still in shock by my mother’s announcement. “I mean, this is a monumental decision that affects all our lives.”

  Affects our lives? Be honest, Raven. It’s over. We’ll never be at peace again. There’s no need for an express train to Hades when the fiery pit has been brought to us by way of broomstick.

  We’d had to take the side roads since Liam had already blocked off River Bay. I could already see the children and their parents lining up for the costume parade prior to the big event, but there was a really good chance that I wouldn’t be a part of this year’s tradition.

  “I was going to tell you before we left the house,” Heidi said defensively, wrestling with her wings as she tried to shift in her seat to get a better look at me. She grabbed ahold of my hand. “You’ve been so hap
py, especially after sharing your secret with Liam. I just wanted you to be able to spend the majority of your birthday without worrying about your mother moving back here. I didn’t expect her to show up out of the blue when she was supposed to be helping Beetle get ready for the little ones to come marching down the main drag for their candy.”

  You realize there’s not enough catnip in this backwater part of the world for me to handle your mother on a daily basis, right? I’ll need daily injections. Sweet angel of mercy, she’s turned me into a junkie, and she hasn’t even moved back here yet!

  “Mom got concerned that you were going to spill the beans,” I said to Heidi, having already figured out why my mother had left Beetle to his own devices. I also understood why she was currently parked behind me, with Ted in her passenger seat. He hadn’t been too pleased that he’d had to ride with her, but Heidi had needed the extra room in my vehicle for those wings of hers. “Which you would have done, and I should have recognized that something was bothering you sooner. You were quiet, and I’d just assumed it was because Jack couldn’t be here for some of the festivities.”

  Some of the shops along River Bay had opted to have a few additional activities, such as bobbing for apples and haunted mini-houses. I hadn’t had time to create something so extravagant. I was definitely going to do something next year, because I categorically refused to allow another ghost invasion to ruin my birthday.

  Does this mean we can have the Wicked Witch of Windsor thrown into jail for the foreseeable future? I’m sure she’d like company, so I’ll come up with some reason for the good ol’ sheriff to arrest your mother, as well.

  “No one is being arrested,” I countered, opening my car door. I’d had to bend my witch’s hat just so in order to keep it on top of my head. “Leo, just show yourself. We have too much going on for Heidi to try and wrestle you to the ground attempting to put that unicorn costume on you.”

  “I’d pay to see that,” my mother retorted as she came to stand next to me. I found myself staring at her, wondering what I was going to do with her living so close. Once again, I found myself actually thinking that a ghost invasion didn’t come close to competing with my mother’s announcement. “Now, Ted managed to clue me in on everything that’s taken place in the last few hours. It sounds as if Aunt Rowena is helping Rye contact his ancestors, although I have no idea why she would do such a thing. I mean, it’s one of the reasons that she sent him away from the coven to begin with.”

  I wonder where Ivan keeps his appointment book. Do we know any forgers, Raven? We can slip your mother’s name in one of the open slots and write it off as a business expense.

  “Listen here, you—”

  “Both of you just stop,” I warned the two of them. The instant headache I’d gotten upon my mother’s announcement began to pound even harder in my temples. “We’re here to make sure that the residents of Paramour Bay are safe, thereby keeping our secret and the supernatural realm safeguarded from harm. Ted, why don’t you lead the way back to the Watson family crypt?”

  Ted’s cape lifted a bit in the slight breeze as he quickly bypassed the crooked wrought-iron gate of the cemetery. Had anyone been about to witness his entrance, they would have been certain they’d seen a real-life vampire with their very own eyes. Add in a fairy and a witch with a cat, and it was definitely a Halloween card in the making.

  I shot a warning glance at Leo when he would have made a comment about my mother being Mistress of the Dark. He’d finally decided to show himself, and he was currently attempting to walk gracefully alongside Heidi while he maintained a safe distance from Mom.

  “Do you feel that?” my mother inquired cautiously, falling into step beside me. It was very rare that we presented a united front, usually because she was constantly lecturing me about living my life as a witch. “There’s a low hum of supernatural current in the air.”

  Don’t fall for that false sense of security, Raven. Your mother is up to something, and now I’m going to be forced to split my time between the squirrelpocalypse and the momageddon. It’s not going to be pretty. Many lives will be lost, but the greater good will prevail.

  Dusk had already fallen, allowing those low patches of fog to begin inching their way through the graveyard. The haze was practically hugging the tombstones, yet some were distinctly clear. Ted was methodically moving forward in his usual manner, so I didn’t get to catch a glimpse of the names engraved into the sandstone.

  “You’d think we’d be used to this by now,” Heidi whispered as she walked to my right, grabbing my sleeve to make sure we were inseparable. “Yet I still think a hand is going to burst through the grass and grab ahold of my ankle.”

  My beloved Heidi is usually so careful when it comes to jinxing the situation. We haven’t had to deal with zombies yet, and I’d like to keep it that way. Tell her to hush. I don’t want to have to trip her, Raven.

  “I’d be more worried about a flying apparition trying to possess your body,” my mother countered matter-of-factly, without even the slightest trace of fear. “Raven, you didn’t answer me. Do you feel that muted current of energy?”

  First zombies, now possession. Have we learned nothing this past year? You two are insufferable.

  I certainly did detect what my mother was referring to, but I didn’t want to admit it out loud. Leo was right about the entire jinxing thing. We’d done it one too many times. Besides, the subdued sensation was getting stronger the closer we got to the back of the graveyard. I’m pretty sure even Heidi and Ted could feel the change in the air by now.

  The caw of a black crow came from up ahead. I didn’t miss the fact that Leo instinctively disappeared, only to reappear without missing a step. I hadn’t noticed it before, but the crisp air was actually becoming quite colder the farther we advanced toward the crypts.

  I have no idea what you’re talking about, Raven. You blinked. Nothing else happened.

  “Good evening.”

  Heidi and I both let out a short-lived squeal upon hearing Ivan greet us from the dark shadows of a lone tree that was in the process of losing all its leaves. Even my mother let out a small gasp and rested her hand over her heart, though she pretended to then brush off some imaginary lint. Ted was the only one who seemed unfazed by Ivan’s sudden appearance. Leo was simply nowhere to be found.

  “I see that you’re here to pay your aunt a visit again,” Ivan said to my mother as he balanced a shovel in his right hand. It was a rather creepy vision, but I was too stuck on the fact that he’d all but confessed that my mother had been here before. “I was about to go have a word with her myself, but I can see you brought reinforcements this time.”

  Wait just a skeleton’s knee bone, did my good friend just say that your mother has been here looking for the Wicked Witch of Windsor before tonight? Regina Lattice Marigold, have you switched back to the dark side?

  My mother gave an uneasy laugh as she shifted her weight and avoided my stare. Heidi was encouraging me to stay calm, but that was hard to do when my hurt and anger began to merge into a ball of heat in my hand.

  “It’s not what it sounds like, Raven.” My mother shook her finger at Ivan, as if he were the one responsible for her actions. “And no, Leo, I haven’t switched sides at all. I just didn’t want your birthday to be ruined, Raven, so I tried to handle Aunt Rowena on my own. Unfortunately, you know how she gets when she sets her mind to something.”

  “Mom!” I exclaimed in total disbelief, feeling somewhat relieved that my mother had categorically denied any previous involvement in our current ghost invasion predicament. “You can’t keep things like this from me. I’ve been running around for two days trying to figure out what was going on, and you knew the truth this entire time.”

  That’s right, Raven. Don’t let your mother off the hook. As a matter of fact, I’ll drive the boat and we’ll drop her body somewhere out to sea.

  “In my defense, I only just figured everything out this afternoon.”

  “Isn’t tha
t when you ran into your mother?” Heidi murmured, still casting a suspicious glance Ivan’s way. He and Ted were now standing side by side, watching my mother and I argue about her terrible decision making and lack of judgement. “She only dropped by my office for a few minutes, and it sounds like she was gone from the tea shop much longer than that.”

  “Heidi, dear, I’m right here,” my mother scolded, clearing her throat before she straightened her shoulders. I recognized that stance, and she was getting ready to go to battle to defend her actions. “Raven, it’s simple. I’m in love.”

  What in fiery Hades does that have to do with anything? Raven, don’t let her wiggle her way out of this like some lost puppy stuck in a fence. I saw one of those before, you know. It’s a ploy. Next thing I knew, I was side by side with Skippy helping the poor thing loose. What did I get for my trouble? Slobber. It’s in their DNA.

  “You do realize that this town has been inundated with spirits of the residents’ dead relatives, right? You’re the one always saying that humans can’t know about the supernatural, and yet you just sat back and allowed Aunt Rowena to open the floodgates,” I exclaimed, unable to comprehend how my mother thought that she’d done the right thing in the name of love. I wasn’t even sure what love had anything to do with it. “Wilma, Eugene, Gertie, Candy, and countless others have had encounters with spirits. They’re eventually going to figure out that those ghosts might very well be the real deal.”

  Keep up the good work, Raven. You’re on a roll. Don’t cave now!

  “What I’m trying to say is that I’m in love with Beetle,” my mother admitted, still holding her own and refusing to acknowledge that she shouldn’t have tried to handle anything on her own, especially when it came to Aunt Rowena. “I realize that my moving back to Paramour Bay after thirty-one years is a major decision for all of us, and I knew that it would come as a shock to you. I wanted very much for you to be okay with me getting married, as well as me being around more often. When I figured out that Aunt Rowena might be the guilty party that was basically unleashing the afterlife, I thought the additional stress might be a tad bit too much. I paid her a visit, believing that was all that was needed to end whatever it was she was trying to accomplish this All Hallows’ Eve.”