A Call to Charms

by Denise Swanson

  Before my butt touched the seat, she said, “I have a date with Eric tonight.”

  “Terrific.” I was impressed that she’d moved so fast. But I guess knife-like pain every time she took a step was pretty motivating.

  “And, my legs are about fifty percent better.” Harmony walked back and forth in front of me to demonstrate her new mobility.

  “That’s amazing.” I smiled, then frowned as a new thought occurred to me. “How did you manage to be on your feet all day here in your shop?”

  “I used a stool when it got too bad.” She grimaced, then brightened and said, “But enough about that. Describe your original color to me.”

  “Sort of an apricot copper.” I wish I had pictures to show her. Too bad they’d all been on my phone—the one I’d destroyed and left in Chicago to prevent Gil from tracking me down. “But anything close to that is fine.”

  “Hmm.” Harmony nodded thoughtfully as she ran her fingers through my hair. “I can do that. And how short are you willing to go?”

  “I’d like to keep as much length as possible.” I hated the whine in my voice, but I’d always had long hair, and it had been traumatic losing the six inches I’d cut for my disguise.

  “With your natural curl, unless you want to have to straighten it every day, it would be best to go with a side part and layers.”

  “Sounds good.” I sat back and hoped Harmony’s magical ability was fixing hair disasters.

  Ninety minutes later, feeling happier about my appearance than I had since I’d arrived in Echo Springs, I walked to my truck and headed home. Harmony had done a remarkable job, and I kept glancing in the pickup’s rearview mirror to admire my restored color and new cut.

  Once I’d eaten supper, I was too tired to do much besides watch television, and I went to bed as soon as the ten o’clock news was over.

  I spent most of the next day learning the store’s bookkeeping system and looking through Aunt Pandora’s computer files. I was hoping for one marked Shield or magic or ability or even instructions, but all I found were cute cat pictures and lots of recipes.

  When I wasn’t working, I obsessed about the black van that had tried to run me over. It had taken all the nerve I could summon to return to the candy store’s lot and retrieve the truck after my hair appointment, and I wasn’t looking forward to having to face that again this evening when I parked there to meet Lucas and his father at the diner.

  At four thirty, I headed into the shower. I intended to look my best for this dinner. Lucas had seen me at my worst and I wanted to replace that picture of me in his mind with a better image.

  Although I wasn’t ready to date or even feel safe around him right now, if the whole someone-wants-to-kill-me-good-versus-evil-ex-boyfriend-trauma ever was resolved, I wanted Lucas to be interested in asking me out. I mean come on, he was one of the hottest men that I’d ever seen.

  It took me nearly forty-five minutes to get my makeup and hair just right. Then another quarter-hour to find just the perfect outfit. I finally chose a pair of dark wash fitted jeans with an apricot T-shirt and navy jacket. Some gold hoop earrings, an infinity scarf, and black mid-heeled ankle boots pulled the ensemble together.

  It was five forty when I parked in back of the candy store and after a quick check that no mysterious black vans were idling anywhere in sight, I bolted out of the truck and ran until I was safely on Main Street. I slowed as I approached the Wizard of Hogs, and by the time I pushed open the diner’s door, I was able to stroll inside as if I didn’t have a care in the world.

  A middle-aged man who barely reached my chin was standing by the register. When he saw me, he darted from behind the counter and nearly bowed.

  Beaming, he said, “Ms. Ravenscraft, you honor us with your presence.” His resemblance to a bandy rooster was increased when he stuck out his chin and said, “I am Amboise Hoggs, your humble host.”

  His front teeth mesmerized me. They stuck out like a pair of light switches at half-mast. I’d never seen that particular dental oddity before, and growing up on the wrong side of the trailer courts and apartments, I’d seen a lot of bad orthodontia.

  It took me a moment to respond, but I finally, said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Are you eating alone?” Ambrose asked.

  “No. I’m meeting Lucas Furman and his father here for dinner.” I peered over his head but didn’t see any familiar faces. Had I gotten the day or time wrong? “Have they arrived yet?”

  “Yes. Yes. I apologize for the confusion. They didn’t mention they were expecting a guest.” Ambrose took my elbow. “Right this way. They’re at their usual spot. Please allow me to escort you to their table.”

  Ambrose’s overreaction intrigued me. Was it my place on the council or my family’s magic that made the little man so nervous?

  Ambrose led me through the diner, until we reached the very back. Huge circular booths took up both corners of the room. Lucas and an older version of him were sitting in the one to the right. The other was unoccupied.

  Lucas sprang to his feet and said, “Lexie, it’s good to see you again.”

  His smoky voice floated over me in a wonderful blanket of warmth, and it took me a second to respond, but I finally said, “You too.”

  He gestured to the man sitting in the booth and said, “This is my father, Quillen Furman. Dad, may I present Alexandria Ravenscraft. The newest resident of our special community.”

  The man stood and in an accent thick enough to drive cattle said, “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Please call me Lexie, Mr. Furman.”

  “Only if you’ll call me Quill.” We shook hands, and he gestured to the booth. “Please, have a seat. Do you like beer?” When I nodded, he said, “Ambrose, bring us three bottles of the Newcastle Blood Red Ale.”

  As I slid onto the padded bench, the diner owner bobbed his head and scurried away, presumably to fetch our drinks. Lucas and his father sat on each side of me and I glanced around for the menus, but the only things on the table were glasses of water.

  “Are you settling in all right?” Lucas asked. “It must be hard to pick up and move somewhere like Echo Springs all by yourself.”

  “It was a bit difficult, but everyone has been very welcoming.” It seemed best to keep my answer vague since I wasn’t sure how much council members knew about my circumstances.

  “That’s good.” Quill’s words didn’t match the line that had formed between his eyebrows, but his next ones did. “Just be aware that some folks around these parts aren’t exactly what they seem.”

  “Uh-huh.” I wondered if I should come right out and ask about the magic. Or maybe mention the black van that had tried to run me over.

  As I contemplated sharing that information, my gaze wondered over Quill’s shoulder. Suddenly, I felt tense and jittery.

  In the few minutes since my arrival, the diner had filled up. Nearly every seat was taken, and I scanned the room, trying to detect a reason for my agitation. Of the eighty or so patrons, I could only get a read on about half of them. The rest, no matter how hard I concentrated, were blank.

  When I returned my attention to the Furmans, Lucas caught my eye and said, “If folks’ guards are up, our abilities don’t usually work on each other.”

  “Abilities?” Was he saying what I thought he was saying? It was a struggle, but I managed to keep my expression mildly inquiring.

  “You don’t have to pretend with us,” Lucas assured me. “The council is aware that Elissa planned to fill you in the day after the party.”

  When I remained silent, Quill patted my arm and said, “Son, I’m betting Miss Lexie here doesn’t quite believe her cousin.”

  “Oh, right.” Lucas tapped his fingers on the tabletop for several seconds, then gazed into my eyes, and said softly, “But you know in your heart that everything Elissa said to you is true.”

  My chest tightened, and I couldn’t catch my breath. When Lucas looked at me like that, it felt as if someone had suck
ed out all the air in the diner with a vacuum. Was that his ability?

  “But...” I opened my mouth, but sadly, nothing intelligent came out.

  “Enough of that.” Quill patted my arm again and said, “We’ll let you get used to things and talk about it again some other time.”

  I smiled back at him. Lucas’ father exuded kindness and warmth, which, in this town, probably meant he was pure evil. But I sure hoped not.

  While I was still musing about Quill’s true character, Ambrose brought us our drinks. He also handed out menus saying he’d be back to take our order in a few minutes. It was interesting that the diner owner was personally waiting on us while most of the other patrons were being taken care of by a bevy of servers.

  Maybe being one of the founding families and a member of the council meant special treatment. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It might be nice for a while, but I’d bet good money it would get awkward pretty darn quick.

  After Lucas made sure I liked the beer his father had recommended, Quill said, “Why don’t we figure out what we want to eat, then while we wait, I’ll tell you everything I know about your dad?”

  Unsure of what I felt like eating, I leafed through the many pages of the extensive menu. As expected by the name of the diner, Wizard of Hogs’ meat selection was heavily pig influenced.

  Lucas must have noticed my indecision, because he said, “If you like spare ribs, Ambrose’s cook is a master of the grill. He makes his own dry rub using brown sugar, mustard, plus six spices he refuses to reveal. And his sauce is ‘slap your mama’ good.”

  “Sold.” My lips twitched, and I asked, “Are you always this persuasive?”

  Lucas shot me a look that, had he been a German Shepherd, might have passed for a grin.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Generation Hex

  As the evening wore on, I found myself enjoying Lucas’ and Quill’s company more and more. Quill’s reminiscing of growing up with my father was heartwarming. He talked about them playing together as children, as well as hunting and fishing together as teens, which as far as I could tell, took place in the early 1900s.

  But my ears perked up when Quill moved on to them as young men and said, “Before your father left on his Saorsa, he was dating Calista Enescu, I thought they’d end up married, but...”

  “But he met my mother during his Saorsa,” I supplied, then asked, “Is it common to marry people from outside the community and bring them back?”

  “No.” Quill’s bushy eyebrows formed a V over his nose. “And it rarely works out when it happens. The adjustment is just too difficult.”

  We were silent as we finished the delicious ribs, coleslaw, and fries, then as I was wiping my fingers on my napkin, I asked, “Is the Calista you mentioned my father dating Cole’s mother?”

  “Yep.” Quill took a swig of beer. “She married Tariq Pendergast shortly after your dad returned with Miranda as his wife.”

  “That had to be awkward.” I took a sip of water. “But she got over it, right?”

  “Not so much.” Lucas twisted his lips. “Let’s just say she didn’t attend your dad’s funeral, and she wasn’t sad to see your mother disappear.”

  “Any chance she’s the one who killed my father?” I asked, then put my hand over my mouth. I had to stop blurting out whatever popped into my head. “I mean, I’m sure she didn’t, but...”

  “Oh, it crossed all of our minds.” Quill chuckled. “Except, of course, for my idiot brother-in-law who was sure no one in town was responsible.”

  “But I thought you all used your powers to keep outsiders from entering the city limits?” Hadn’t Elissa mentioned something like that?

  “My uncle was sure that someone found a weak spot and slipped past are barriers,” Lucas said. “It was just after my aunt left him, and he wasn’t in the best of shape psychologically.”

  “Like he ever was,” Quill scoffed. “Denying his abilities is just crazy. That’s what drove my sister away, but Neville insists she was unfaithful.”

  I tucked all the information I had gathered into my mental files and said, “I need to get going, but thank you for a lovely evening.”

  Both men stood and slid out of the booth. While I settled my purse on my shoulder, some silent communication took place between Quill and his son.

  As I started to leave, Lucas said, “Let me walk you to your car.”

  “No. That’s okay.” I didn’t think being alone with him in a dark alley was a good idea. He seemed like a nice guy, but so had my ex.

  As if reading my mind, Quill jumped in and said, “How about if Lucas and I both escort you to your candy store? We can watch from the street to make sure you get to your vehicle all right.”

  “Fine.” I wasn’t sure if I was more afraid of the Furmans or the return of the mysterious van. If I hadn’t seen Gil go into the river and not come back up, I would wonder if he’d been the driver.

  The Furmans were perfect gentlemen, and I was home safe by nine. After making a cup of tea, I sat down with the estate papers. This time I was able to get through two more pages before the headache started. Maybe I really should see the doctor for a checkup.

  Giving up, I watched a couple of episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, then got ready for bed. Tomorrow, I’d ask one of my customers where in town I could get reading glasses. Either that or just let Uncle Will go over the papers with me like he’d offered.

  The phone woke me the next morning at seven, and I groggily answered, “Yes?”

  “Did I wake you?” Elissa’s cheery voice sparkled from the speaker.

  “Um.” I sat up and cleared my throat. “I needed to get up, anyway.”

  “Sorry,” Elissa said, then added, “I forget everyone isn’t an early bird like me. Anyway, I wanted to warn you that Mom and Dad are back and will be stopping by the candy store to meet you.”

  “Okay.” I wondered why Elissa thought I needed a heads up for that.

  “They can be a bit overwhelming, but don’t take anything they say to heart.”

  “Sure.” I paused, then asked, “Is your mom mad that I inherited?”

  “No. It’s not that.” Elissa hesitated. “It’s... she didn’t get along very well with your mother and it may take her a while to warm up to you.”

  “I understand.” Getting out of bed, I grabbed clean underwear from the drawer.

  “Anyway. I’ll let you go and if you want to talk later, call me tonight.”

  After Elissa disconnected, I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It sounded as if it would be another interesting day.

  Once I was dressed and had eaten breakfast, I had an hour to kill before going to work. Selecting a key at random from Aunt Pandora’s ring, I climbed the stairs and when I found the lock it opened. I swung the door inward, then gasped. The room was packed with stuff. It felt like I was on an episode of Hoarders as I edged my way through the narrow space between rows of boxes, discarded furniture, and stacks and stacks of old magazines.

  If all the locked rooms were like this one, it would take me from now until I was ready to move into assisted living to go through them.

  With less than forty-five minutes before I had to head over to the candy store, I wouldn’t be able to make much of a dent in the piles of stuff crowding the space. Although, I did manage to drag several broken chairs and about a hundred pounds of National Geographic down the stairs and into the bed of Aunt Pandora’s pickup.

  Once I was done with that. I cleaned up and drove to the shop. I was still leery of the parking lot, and as I deposited my load into the store’s dumpster, I kept a sharp eye out for any threatening vehicles.

  It was almost ten o’clock when I finally finished heaving the junk into the trash can and made it inside. After stowing my purse in the desk drawer, I quickly washed my hands and grabbed an apron, retrieved the cash drawer from the safe, and ran to the front of the store to unlock the door and flip the sign from closed to open.

  It wasn’t as
if I expected a long line of customers, but it was a letdown to realize that I had rushed for nothing. As far as I could see, there wasn’t a soul in sight anywhere on Main Street.

  With no one to wait on, I pulled my cell phone from my pocket. I thought I’d felt a vibration as I’d been hurrying around, and I was right. There was a text from the mayor reminding me that the council was hosting a Spring Ball Friday and as a member I was expected to attend.

  Considering that this was the first I’d heard about the ball, reminding was a strange word for him to choose. Informing might have been better, but then again, his message sounded more like a command.

  The event started at seven, and council members were instructed to be in the hotel ballroom no later than six-thirty. Evidently, a short meeting would be held before the festivities started.

  Without even consulting Uncle Will, I knew that skipping this shindig would get me into big trouble. I swore under my breath when I read that the dress code was black tie. I hadn’t packed any gowns and didn’t think my one cocktail dress would do. Who knew that I’d need formal attire in Echo Springs?

  Shoot! I’d have to stop at Princess Di’s, I mean Francine Althorp’s clothing store on my way home. I had to pray she had a floor length dress that would fit me. One that wasn’t hideous and that I already had shoes that would match would be a real bonus.

  The morning went smoothly, and once again, there was a steady stream of customers. As I boxed chocolates and wrapped trinkets, I wondered when my aunt and uncle would show up. After Elissa’s warning, it was hard to stop my pulse from racing every time someone entered the shop, but I’d been in retail long enough to keep a pleasant expression on my face even when my heart jumped into my throat.

  Having forgotten to bring anything to eat for lunch, my stomach was growling, and I was considering eating a tray of truffles when a little after one the door was thrust open and a striking couple strolled into the store. They looked to be in their early forties, but considering the whole Echo-Springs-citizens-age-at-one-third-the-normal-rate-after-turning-thirty, I figured that despite their younger appearance, they were most likely my aunt and uncle.