Something stuck in my throat. “Third and final?” I managed to ask.
Jackie shrugged. “They do that sometimes. They intentionally don’t confirm you if they know you have more years to make the attempt, so you have to come back for more classes. They like their coven members to be polished and successful.” That twinkle lit her eyes again.
“Who’s your mother?” I asked.
“The mayor,” she said.
Her mother was the mayor? The woman must have her hands full.
“Morning everyone. Except you,” said the Carlisle witch as she reached us. Her eyes skated over and discarded each of us in quick succession.
When she realized that the only seat available was the one next to me, she stared at it, then looked down at the other end of the row. The girl with brown hair who sitting there shot out of her seat even before the Carlisle ordered, “Kelly. Move.”
“Yes, Hannah,” whispered Kelly.
The small girl came over to sit next to me, while Hannah Carlisle walked to the just-vacated chair and pulled further away from all of us. Not too much, but just enough to give her some space and to make a statement. She set an expensive-looking handbag down on the floor by her dainty feet.
Hannah was wearing a mix of witch clothes and regular clothes, including a red cape. My grandmother had said that there were no capes or crystals until after coven members passed deportment. I wondered why Hannah was already wearing one.
Jackie must have sensed my question, because she whispered, so quietly that I almost couldn’t hear, “Red capes don’t mean anything. It’s just wishful thinking.”
Then silence fell over the little group.
Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long. A bang on the red double doors made me jump, and the next instant a woman with a severe look on her face entered the room. Her gray hair was pulled back and she was wearing an uncomfortable-looking dress. As she sort of floated into the room, I wondered what exactly she’d be teaching us. Just my luck it would probably be deportment.
Next to me the small brown-haired girl sighed and shifted uncomfortably.
“Morning, girls. Glad to see you’re all on time. Unlike my last crew,” she said as she clicked her way toward us in sharply pointed shoes. “Let’s begin.”
Chapter Eighteen
Hannah Carlisle raised her hand.
“Yes?” said the woman.
“May I be excused, Ms. Mallon? My feet hurt,” said Hannah.
“No you may not,” said the woman as she reached us.
Hannah Carlisle’s clan might run Twinkleford, but she still had to sit through class. Even if Ms. Mallon was a little in awe of her, that didn’t change how deeply she believed in the ability to tap dance properly.
She too held an oversized purse, which she set down at her feet. Then she straightened and smoothed her steel gray dress before she started to speak again.
“My name is Ms. Mallon. I’ll be one of your instructors in the art of deportment. As I’m sure all of you know, you will have instructions in scribing, basic spell, advanced spell, and manners. Those are the four pillars of our society.
“I expect you all to work hard and do as you’re told. I further expect you not to give me any trouble. I understand that we are all reeling after Jonathan’s tragic death. I know some of you knew him well, and the fact that he was senselessly murdered here in this very revered building is upsetting.
“But there is nothing we can do about it now. Jonathan would want us to stay strong and carry on. He loved this pageant. He loved this event more than you could ever know, and we must make a go of it for him. We must find comfort in cauldrons, globes, and spells. Do all of you understand?” She looked at each of us sharply.
I found myself nodding with the others. “Now, I would like all of you to introduce yourselves to the group. Then you can see how it’s done properly. Let’s start on this end,” she said. With a gentle wave of her hand she indicated Hannah.
Hannah stood up. It wasn’t until then that I realized what good posture she had. Her shoulders were slung back, her back was straight, her head forward. Her eyes were held high and level. I found myself trying to sit up straighter in my chair. Suddenly I felt more like a skittish horse. “I’m the youngest of the Carlisle Witches of Twinkleford,” Hannah began. “I look forward to this course and to the deportment of my talents and attributes. With four sisters that have gone before me in this honored tradition, I know what it takes to reach the goals and standards set by our exceptional instructors in the days ahead.
“I look forward to the culmination of many hard years of work and study. As a future member of the Coven Council, I expect to play a large role in our future.
“Preparation is vital. Here is where the prepared become the successful.
“The coven’s future is something that we are all concerned with. This course is the building block to success.”
She simpered, tossed her hair, and smoothed her cape under her as she sat back down.
“Thank you so much for that sparkling description of you and your family. Carlisle witches have always been an asset to the coven. I’m sure that they will continue to be such,” said Ms. Mallon. She looked as if her teeth hurt as she said it.
She then looked at the rest of us, who were sitting there open-mouthed.
The mousy brow-haired girl next to me muttered, “I’m doomed.”
The next girl to stand up looked like she’d be more at home on a soccer field or basketball court than in a dance studio. She had broad shoulders and short-cropped hair. Her dirty knees made me think she had already been outside running around today.
Who knows why? I’d been sleeping.
The girl tried to pull her shirt straighter and smooth her hair, but she just looked like she was fidgeting.
“My name’s Glory. My mother’s name is Glory too. She was really good at volleyball. We’ve always been members of the coven, so I have to be a member of the coven now. My mother hasn’t convinced me that it’s important, she just threatened to hang me by my ankles and not let me play soccer if I didn’t come here. I don’t have any sisters, so our membership is down to me. My mother told me that if I had a sister, I wouldn’t have to be here. My name is Glory, by the way.”
“Thank you for that illuminating run-on paragraph,” said Ms. Mallon.
Glory clearly couldn’t tell that she was being sarcastic, and just nodded.
Jackie was the next one to stand up. I might have been imagining it, but I thought Ms. Mallon looked her up and down and did not approve of her hair.
Past Jackie I could see Hannah smirking. She clearly didn’t think there was any competition in this bunch. She would be named a member of the coven without a doubt. As to the rest of us, there was a decent chance we’d all fail.
“My name is Jackie,” said the girl who had befriended me. She didn’t have a chance to continue before she was interrupted.
“I do not believe that’s your given name,” said Ms. Mallon.
“My name is Jacqueline Goldfield. My mother is the mayor of Twinkleford. Her father before her was the mayor of Twinkleford. This is my third attempt at becoming a member of the coven. I was rejected at both of my last two attempts because of my inability to do proper crystal ball reading. Hopefully this time it goes better,” she said, and sat down again.
All four of us clapped; even Hannah clapped lazily, waving her red nails in the air like a slow moving fan.
“And I suppose you think that blue hair will assist you in your endeavor?” Ms. Mallon asked.
“No, definitely not. I do it because it feeds my soul,” said Jackie dryly.
Ms. Mallon made a face at her.
It was my turn next, and I stood up reluctantly. “My name is Jade Rhinestone. I guess this is the last year I can pass deportment. Thanks for having me,” I said. I started to sit down, but Ms. Mallon shook her head. I stayed standing.
Ms. Mallon held a fan in her hand and she used it to tap against her other hand.
“A Rhinestone witch. My, my, isn’t that shocking? I thought your family’s membership in the coven was done for. After Ethel was accused of murder and then disappeared, I thought the Rhinestones would soon be leaving the coven. Then they just so happen to go find a secret witch. Terribly convenient,” said Ms. Mallon.
“Are you implying that I’m not a real member of the Rhinestone family?” I asked.
The thought had crossed my mind as well, but I didn’t like her saying it.
She smiled thinly. Her expression told me that that was exactly what she was implying. “I would never say any such thing. Believe me, these classes will prove whether or not you belong here.”
But it was plenty clear that she had already made up her mind. She did not think I belonged in Twinkleford.
The mousy girl next to me was last. She stood up but kept her eyes trained on the ground. “Kelly Coro. Family has been a member of the coven for generations. This is my first try at passing deportment.” She quickly sat down.
Ms. Mallon looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it.
“Very well. By summer’s end you will have your test in the art of deportment. Either you will be invited to join the coven and continue your family’s membership, or you will not. For those of you who don’t pass, there is always next year. Except for the ones who don’t have next year.
“The stakes are high for all of you, and I trust you will pay attention to your lessons. I trust that when I talk about crystal balls, you will listen. The fate of your families depends on it. What we do here has real-world impact. Whether I’m teaching you how to cast a perfect spell or the most excellent way to hold your cauldron spoon, every lesson is important. They are the most important lessons to take in.”
She was about to say one more thing when the red doors burst open and a girl in a white dress and high heels hurried in.
“I’m here. Did you start without me?” she asked.
“What took you so long?” demanded Hannah.
The girl sighed gustily. “The maid was late this morning. I couldn’t possibly dress myself.”
“Taylor Newtonville. Thank you so much for joining us,” Ms. Mallon said. “There’s a chair over there.” Ms. Mallon pointed to the other side of the ballroom.
Taylor looked over there and then looked back at Ms. Mallon. “Why wasn’t the chair waiting for me?”
“Because I knew you would be late and I didn’t intend on tolerating it. I still don’t. You can get your own chair and sit down now, dear. Introductions have passed and you missed them. You will just have to catch other people’s names later. We all know who you are,” she said.
Ms. Mallon did not appear thrilled with this Taylor character, to put it mildly.
On the other hand, Taylor appeared to be good friends with Hannah. Go figure. Taylor clicked her heels all the way across the dance hall, grabbed a chair, and carried it back, setting it down on Hannah’s left.
She arranged herself and her fancy bag next to her friend. Then she looked up expectantly at Ms. Mallon. Her mass of brown ringlets tumbled prettily over her shoulder as she crossed her ankles.
Our first lesson was basic spellcasting. Basic spells were performed with the fingertips, usually an incantation with finger movements to go along with it. Stronger spells could sometimes be performed with a crystal ball or a mirror. Usually those were best suited to seeing the future. Seeing the future was done with mirrors. I had noticed a distinct lack of mirrors around this town, and now I understood why. They were a magical device and not something you used to look at yourself. Even so, I was pretty sure that both Hannah and Taylor had fancy mirrors somewhere in their houses that they made frequent use of for non-magical purposes.
Ms. Mallon cast a couple of simple spells, explaining as she went. The main point, which we had to tackle first, was the exact hand movement. As she described it: “Bring all five fingers together, like a beak clapping closed. As we’re doing that we must twist the wrist, so that the hand is facing palm upward with all five fingers still together. Now we’re ready.”
Then she turned back to us and said, “First things first. I want everybody to call an object to them. I could be anything you want, but to make it easier I’ve set up six marbles at the other end of the room. By lunch time I want all of you to have called a marble to you. Remember the simple hand motion I just taught you.”
After an hour that I had spent twiddling my fingers, I still couldn’t move the marble, and my wrist was starting to tire. On the other hand, Jackie was doing everything Ms. Mallon requested with ease. All the other witches had grown up in Twinkleford. I hadn’t.
The only other one who was having any trouble was Kelly. She looked like the nerdy type, but she had clearly been somewhat successful as a witch. Her problem now was that she kept calling over Ms. Mallon’s earring instead of the marble she was supposed to be fetching.
Ms. Mallon was getting so fed up with it that she took the earring off and chucked it to Kelly. That was when Kelly used her magic to send the earring skittering across the floor. Ms. Mallon actually looked impressed for a split second before she got angry. “That’s a nice earring! My aunt gave it to me. How dare you send it flying!”
The fact that she had just tried to hit Kelly with it and Kelly had chosen to deflect it rather than let it hit her was lost on our instructor.
This was all well and good, but there was something else on my mind as I toiled away with sweat trickling down my temples.
Why was this coven so important? Lucky wasn’t a member of the coven, and her family seemed fine. A little loosey goosey, but fine. Starting to wonder if there was more to this question than met the eye, I resolved to start trying to find out as soon as classes ended for the day. How I would go about it I had no idea, but I was tired of not knowing what was going on.
“Jade, you are the only one who hasn’t moved her marble all morning. We were supposed to start lunch ten minutes ago. Please call your marble and remember the hand motion I taught you!” Ms. Mallon commanded.
I was getting frustrated looks from some of my fellow students and downright dirty looks from others, and the pressure didn’t make it any easier.
I twiddled my fingers in what I thought was the proper manner. Across the room I could see the marble start to roll around. Although it was moving, it was equally clear that it wasn’t about to find its way all the way to me.
Hannah let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m with Ms. Mallon. She’s not a real witch,” she said in an audible whisper to her henchman.
Taylor twittered a laugh.
Fed up, Ms. Mallon said, “Never mind. You can make another attempt after lunch. Adjourned!”
She was about to leave, then she paused and said, “Oh yes. I nearly forgot. Upstairs is expressly off limits! Anyone caught up there will be punished!”
With that she turned and swept out of the room, Hannah and Taylor following quickly behind.
“Want to join me for lunch? There’s a cafeteria downstairs,” said Jackie. “Kelly and I are going to eat together.”
“Just give me a few minutes . . . I want to practice a little more,” I said.
“You might be better off giving it a rest for now, but okay,” Jackie agreed.
The two of them wandered off. The others were already gone. Glory said something about going to kick the soccer ball on goal.
As for me, there was something I had to do before I could eat.
I glanced around to make sure I was alone. My heart had started hammering again, but there was only one thing for it. I had to sneak into Jonathan’s office to see if I could find proof, or even some evidence, of who had killed him.
Chapter Nineteen
The stairs to the second floor were at the far end of the dance hall. Once I was sure I was alone, I headed for them. The stairwell was dark and cold and a little bit creepy.
On the second floor was a hallway with a series of doors leading off it, one of which I was sure belonged to Jonathan
’s office. At the end of the hallway was a beautiful set of white double doors. There was just enough light to see that no one had been up here in a while. There was a faintly musty smell and a layer of dust collecting in the corners.
I wished Tiger or Spunk could have come with me. Doing this by myself was downright terrifying. But I gathered my courage and headed along the hall, reading labels as I went.
Halfway down was an office marked for Jonathan. I sighed with relief to have found it so quickly, but when I tried the door it didn’t budge. I frowned at the lock. How could I not have anticipated the problem of a locked door?
I shook my head in frustration. I didn’t have a key, and I couldn’t think of any other way to get in. Discouraged, I turned around and started to head back toward the stairwell.
Then I noticed that next to Jonathan’s door was a potted plant that had seen better days. The poor thing was in desperate need of water, but that wasn’t what struck me.
What struck me was that I now knew exactly where the hidden key was. I picked up the plant, and lo and behold, there it was, in the most predictable place in the world.
Whoever had locked up Jonathan’s office must have missed it, or I was sure it would have been taken away before now.
Key in hand, I told myself I might as well go on in and check the place out.
Again looking in both directions and seeing no one, I stepped back to the door. My solitude probably wouldn’t last long, so I had to make the best of it. Jackie had invited me to join her and Kelly for lunch, and I needed to go soon so they didn’t get suspicious and come looking for me.
The key fit perfectly in the lock and I stepped into the office of the murdered Jonathan. The first thing I did was just to stand still and take in everything I could, slowly and carefully. I had no idea what I was looking for, I was just hoping something would jump out at me.
The Rhinestone Witches Omnibus: Books 1-3 Page 11
