Witches Just Want to Have Fun

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Iced tea is fine.”

  Lilac flicked her eyes to the clock on the wall. “It’s almost five o’clock. You can drink without your mainland sensibilities guilting you if you’re so inclined.”

  She wasn’t wrong. Still, I wasn’t ready for alcohol just yet. “Iced tea is fine for now.”

  “You got it.” Lilac filled a glass and handed it to me. “Where have you been all day? Galen stopped in looking for you about two hours ago. I’m not sure he believed me when I said I didn’t know where you were.”

  Hmm. That was interesting. “Did he seem upset?”

  Lilac’s eyebrows winged up. “As compared to what? He seemed normal to me.”

  I didn’t know whether that was good or bad. “Did he look as if he wanted to strangle me? Maybe he wanted to get in a good kick instead. I think that’s what I’m getting at.”

  Instead of reacting with worry, Lilac snorted. “Oh, now things are getting interesting. What did you do to make Galen want to strangle you? Wait … do I want to know?” Lilac tilted her head to the side, considering. “Oh, who am I kidding? I totally want to know. I can’t believe I haven’t heard this bit of gossip yet.”

  I risked a glance around the bar and was thankful that the other patrons were in booths along the back wall. I was the only one at the counter, which allowed me to talk freely. That was also a good thing if I wanted to enact my plan.

  “I didn’t technically do anything wrong.”

  Lilac bobbed her head. “It’s always good to lead with a denial.”

  “I just … well, I might have picked up lunch at the grocery store and surprised Galen with it at the station.”

  Lilac’s face remained expressionless. “If that’s the height of your gossip I’m going to be really disappointed.”

  I sighed. “I wanted to feel him out for information,” I admitted. “I’m dying to know what happened to Trish Doyle, so I took him lunch as an excuse to question him.”

  Lilac’s lips curved down. “You are the worst manipulator ever. That’s not a fun story. I was expecting so much more. I’m disappointed … to say the least.”

  I tried not to take the comment as an insult, but it was difficult. “I was totally on top of my manipulation game,” I argued. “We were having a great time. He was opening up. Ashley Conner is in custody, by the way, although she hasn’t been charged yet. Then something happened to derail things.”

  “I’m waiting with bated breath.”

  I didn’t like her tone. “Trish Doyle’s father came into the station and picked a fight with Ashley Conner’s father. Galen had to physically break them up. He kind of ordered me out of the station so he could deal with them.”

  Lilac blinked several times in rapid succession. “Huh.”

  “That’s all you have to say?”

  Lilac shrugged. “I’m not sure what else there is to say. I didn’t hear anything in that story that would suggest Galen was angry with you. In fact, I’m betting he was more resigned than anything. As for Henry and Gus, that’s no surprise. They’ve been one argument away from blowing each other’s brains out for as long as I’ve known them.”

  She was so blasé I couldn’t help but wonder if I was looking in the wrong spot for investigation inspiration. “Well, I’m glad Galen isn’t angry with me.”

  “I don’t think he’s likely to get angry with you for a bit. You’re still in the honeymoon phase of your relationship. It’s all longing looks, linked fingers and long kisses that promise more down the line.”

  I was dumbfounded. “That was a little … .”

  “Romantic?”

  “I was going to say Lifetime television for women.”

  “Fair enough.” Lilac shrugged. “But he didn’t seem angry, and I can always read Galen. In fact, he seemed more worried than anything else. He said you weren’t at the lighthouse and May said you hadn’t been back.”

  “Oh, so May is talking to him but not me, huh?” I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was agitated all the same. “Why is that so … May?”

  “I have no answer for you.” Lilac dropped a lemon wedge in my iced tea. “Where did you go?”

  “I went out to see Wesley.”

  “Oh.” My answer obviously took her by surprise. “What did Wesley have to say?”

  “Not much.” That was the truth. “We talked about a few different things. We didn’t have a chance to talk after … well, after he shot Ned Baxter.”

  “I didn’t even think about that.” Lilac turned sympathetic. “Have you been upset about that?”

  “I’ve been confused about that,” I clarified. “I thought he didn’t want to visit because of me. It turns out he didn’t want to visit because of May … and Galen … and a little bit because of me.”

  Lilac snickered, genuinely amused. “That sounds about right. Wesley is a complicated man. He’s probably not ready to see May’s ghost. He was absolutely crushed when she died. He went on a three-day bender … and he did it in town. He’s usually more for drinking at home.”

  For some reason, that made me unbelievably sad. “Well, he’s a little irritated that I spent fifty bucks for a cab ride to his place this afternoon. I think that driver is probably hearing an earful about now. He says he’s going to come up with a way to fix that, although I have no idea what that is.”

  “It sounds like you had a nice chat.”

  “We did. He gave me the lowdown on some of the history between Gus and Henry. It was eye-opening, to say the least.”

  “They’re a colorful duo,” Lilac agreed. “This situation will only make things worse. Ashley and Trish managed to overcome the feud for years, but they eventually succumbed – or that’s how it seemed yesterday – so I think things will get worse before they get better.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t know what to make of it. I think Moonstone Bay is so small that everybody is up in each other’s business, so it creates unnecessary tension.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to change.”

  “No. Definitely not.” I sipped my tea. “Anyway, I actually had a reason for stopping by. I thought maybe you and I could take a walk around the festival when you finish your shift. I was hoping you could point out people who might be looking for employees.”

  “Oh, well, sure.” Lilac didn’t appear thrilled by the suggestion. “I don’t see why I can’t do that.”

  “Of course, I’m not sure I should really be taking on a full-time gig right now,” I admitted. “Part of me wonders if I should be spending my days reading those magic books in May’s library. I don’t know anything about magic, even though I appear to be the beneficiary of a magical lineage. It’s all so much to take in, and yet I feel as if I’m doing absolutely nothing.”

  Lilac furrowed her brow, her expression serious. “You really don’t know anything about magic, do you?”

  “Not even a little.”

  “Well, I think I can help you there.” Her smile was unbelievably bright, which made me instantly suspicious. “In fact, I know I can. I agree you should be learning instead of wasting time every afternoon.”

  “And how can you help me with that?”

  Lilac’s smile turned sly. “There’s someone I want to introduce you to.”

  “Who?”

  “Let’s just say she’s an expert on certain witch subjects and leave it at that for now. I’ll be done here in an hour. Swing back then and I’ll take you to her.”

  I wanted more information but knew it was unfair to pressure Lilac when she had a business to run. “Okay. That sounds good.”

  “It’s going to be great. Trust me.”

  PART OF ME THOUGHT I shouldn’t have been surprised when Lilac led me to the fortune teller tent I’d caught a glimpse of the previous night. She was waiting when I returned to the bar and was unbelievably chipper as we walked along Main Street. She didn’t reveal who we were going to see until it was too late for me to change my mind.

  I read the sign hanging over the open tent flap
. “Madame Selena, witch to the stars.” That had to be a joke. “I’m not sure this is what I had in mind.”

  “And I’m not sure you have a choice in the matter.” Lilac was firm. “I’m not a witch. I can’t help you with witchy powers. You need someone who can teach you the ways of your people.”

  Now that she mentioned it, I wasn’t all that sure what species Lilac belonged to. She didn’t volunteer that information – and we’d only been hanging around together for two weeks, so it felt presumptuous to ask – but my curiosity was rampant. “What kinds of things could you teach me?”

  Lilac merely shrugged. “To start out with, nothing. That’s why I think you should talk to Madame Selena. She and May go back a long time.”

  That was slightly more interesting. “She and May were friends?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t use that word.” Lilac’s smile was sheepish. “It’s more that they knew each other and crossed paths quite often. I don’t think I’m the one who should explain their relationship. I’ll let Madame Selena do that.”

  “I can’t wait,” I muttered, reluctantly following Lilac into the tent and pulling up short when the overpowering scent of lavender smacked into my olfactory senses. “What is that?”

  “That is the power of our people,” a woman replied, lifting her head as she swiveled to face me. She sat in a chair in the center of the room – it actually resembled a throne more than anything else – and she wore a turban so I couldn’t see what color hair she boasted. “Lavender strengthens the mind, encourages love and boosts fertility.”

  Huh. I had no idea what to make of that. “The mind stuff sounds great,” I said after a beat. “I’m not sure how I feel about being more fertile.”

  Madame Selena chuckled. “You might change your mind on that in the future. Come. Sit.” She gestured toward a chair to her left. It was a simple folding chair, nothing like the throne she perched in, and I felt exposed as I shuffled across the tent. “You’re Hadley Hunter.”

  “She is.” Lilac bobbed her head, her enthusiasm on full display. “May was her grandmother.”

  “And Emma was your mother. I know.” Madame Selena’s eyes never left my face. “You never set foot on Moonstone Bay until about two weeks ago.”

  “It’s actually closer to three weeks now.” My palms were sweaty, so I rubbed them against the knees of my cargo pants. “Are you really a witch?” I realized only after I opened my big mouth that the question might be construed as rude. “I mean … are you?”

  Instead of acting offended, Madame Selena merely smiled. “I am a witch. You are, too.”

  “So I’ve been told.” I shifted on the chair. “Lilac thought maybe you could … I don’t know … teach me a few things about being a witch. I was going to do research with May’s books but I’ve always been better with a hands-on education.

  “Like, for example, when I had science classes,” I continued, recognizing I was blathering and unable to stop myself. “I was always more comfortable, earned better grades and everything, when we had labs than reading about the process in a book.”

  “I was that way, too.” Madame Selena stretched out her rather short legs as she regarded me. “What have you been able to do so far?”

  The question caught me off guard. “Oh, well, I’m not sure.”

  “She blew a guy who was trying to attack her with an ax out of a second-story window,” Lilac offered helpfully.

  I kind of wanted to strangle her for being so open with my secrets. “That was a fluke.”

  “Fluke?” Madame Selena arched a perfectly-manicured eyebrow. “I don’t know that I would call it a fluke. I’m more apt to call it an interesting display for someone who had no idea at the time that she was a witch.”

  “That’s putting it mildly,” I drawled. “I’m still not sure how that happened.”

  “You protected yourself.”

  “But … how?” I was frustrated. “How did I know to protect myself if I didn’t even realize I had magic?” My fingers twitched as I continuously shifted positions on the uncomfortable chair. “I mean … seriously. How could I protect myself that way when I didn’t know it was possible?”

  “Your brain didn’t know it was possible,” Madame Selena clarified. “Your instincts – your fight-or-flight response, so to speak – understood that you had power. I’m guessing that you displayed magical abilities long before you arrived on Moonstone Bay but you simply didn’t realize that’s what was happening.”

  I cocked my head, considering. “No. I don’t think that’s true. I would remember using magic.”

  “Unless you rationalized it as something else.”

  “Like what?” I didn’t want to let my frustration out to play – I barely knew this woman, after all, and it wasn’t her fault I’d grown up in the dark. “How could I have done magic and not realized it?”

  Madame Selena shrugged. “I don’t know. I obviously am not privy to your entire childhood. You’re a witch, though, by birth. Given your lineage, you should be a strong witch. May was unbelievably powerful, and while I didn’t know Emma as an adult, she was a very strong practitioner as a teenager.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I never got to meet her.”

  Madame Selena’s expression turned sympathetic. “That must have been hard for you. Still, I’m guessing you did things – probably as a teenager – that you didn’t realize at the time. I don’t want to distress you, but it might behoove you to think back on that time and look at your life from a different perspective.”

  I hated how pragmatic she sounded. “Even if I do that, what good could come of it? That won’t help me control my powers.”

  “Are you struggling with out-of-control powers?”

  That was an irritating question. “Well, no. I haven’t really displayed any magic since … um … one night when Galen and I were taking a walk.”

  Madame Selena was intrigued. Her smile stretched the width of her face as she leaned forward. “And what were you and Galen doing at the time of the display?”

  Letting our hormones run wild. Of course, she didn’t need to know that. I cleared my throat. “He just wanted to show me that my magic could do more than throw a man out of a window. He walked me down to the water and kind of … I don’t know how to explain it … he helped direct my magic and we kind of made a mermaid or something out of the water.”

  “Hmm.” Madame Selena furrowed her brow. “That sounds like an elemental exercise. May was something of an air witch with earth witch tendencies. I didn’t get to spend enough time with Emma to form a solid opinion, but I always thought she would lean toward being a fire witch. What you’re describing seems to indicate you might be a water witch.”

  I had no idea what any of that meant. “I just want to be able to control it. I don’t want to be so surprised when someone comes to visit one day that I accidentally throw him or her against a tree or something.”

  Madame Selena chuckled. “I don’t think you have to worry about that, but I understand why you’re struggling. I think I’ll be able to help …and I’m more than willing to. I believe you responded the way you did during the attack in your bedroom because something inside recognized you needed to fight – and fight hard – or die. That would hopefully be the exception rather than the rule.”

  I didn’t want to appear overly hopeful, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “So, you think you can give me lessons or something?”

  “I think I can help. What you do with that help, well, that’s entirely up to you.”

  That sounded more mysterious than anything else, but I was in a unique position. “Great. When do we start?”

  9

  Nine

  “She basically said we could meet and she would show me a few things. Do you think that’s a good idea or am I making a huge mistake?”

  Galen found me at the festival not long after I’d finished with Madame Selena. I launched into the tale of my talk with her right away, not giving him a moment to speak until I wrapped
up what turned into a rather rambunctious monologue.

  “Um … I think that sounds okay.” He absently smoothed my dark hair. “She’s a bit of a nut, but she might be helpful.”

  “What do you mean? How is she a nut?”

  “Everyone on this island has nutty tendencies. I’m including you in that statement, before you ask. Madame Selena is no different. But if you think you need help, she’s a good place to start.”

  He wasn’t nearly as excited at the prospect as I envisioned. “Oh, well, maybe I’ll think about it a bit longer.” I chewed my bottom lip. “Do you have examples of the nutty things she’s done?”

  Galen let loose a heavy sigh. “I can put together a list later if you think that will help.”

  It couldn’t hurt. “That would be great.”

  “Good.” He gave me a quick kiss, something I didn’t allow before launching into my exciting news, and glanced around the festival. “Do you want to eat here or go someplace else?”

  It was only now, after I’d had a few minutes to calm myself, that I realized he looked weary. In fact, he looked absolutely beaten down. He’d obviously had a long day and my diatribe didn’t help. “Let’s eat here,” I suggested. “You can pick and I’ll order and pay.”

  Galen snickered at the shift in my demeanor. “You don’t have to pay.”

  “I want to. How about kebabs and rice?”

  “That sounds fine.” Galen trailed behind me as I headed toward the Middle Eastern-themed food truck, his eyes busy searching the crowd while I placed our orders. Once the food was ready, we picked a table that was isolated near the edge of the busy crowd and spent the next few minutes feeding our hunger.

  Because I was me, though, I couldn’t allow the silence to get a solid foothold. “Tell me about your day.”

  “My day was … interesting.” He wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin. “After you left, I spent several hours trying to talk down Gus and Henry. That didn’t go well. They’re both adamant that the other is evil and want me to do something about it.”

  “Are they evil?” It seemed the obvious question. “I kind of thought they were evil given how they were acting. I didn’t get to see much before you kicked me out.”