by Sonia Parin
A breeze swept into the bedroom.
“We’re here. The both of us…”
“Cat? Mirabelle?”
“Yes. Evangeline messed with the written words so much they’re all scrambled now. It’s somehow affected the seal. We’ve breached it. Quick. We must gather our forces.”
The light breeze blew with greater intensity.
“What do I do?”
“Hold our hands,” Mirabelle prompted.
Lexie stretched her hands out and actually felt Cat’s fingers intertwining with hers. Mirabelle grabbed hold of her other hand.
“Repeat after us, Lexie.”
“What?” The wind was now howling around them.
“By our spoken words we repel the force that is so wrong. We bid you write all that is bright and send the dark back to the…” Mirabelle appeared to stumble, “Dark.”
Lexie felt them squeeze her hands.
“Repeat.”
The words spilled out of them, faster and faster.
The inky black fog appeared to be loosening its hold on Evangeline who continued to struggle to draw breath.
“Faster,” Mirabelle urged.
Lexie picked up the pace and let the words ease out of her. Lightness and calm surrounded her. They chanted without stopping and finally… they reached a crescendo and all fell silent.
The eye of the storm.
Instinctively, Lexie knew it wasn’t over yet.
She didn’t dare say anything. Cat and Mirabelle tugged her hands almost as if in agreement.
Another thought streamed in. A whisper that could have come from Mirabelle.
Stay bright.
She thought of sunshine in the park. Hiking in the forest and rays of sunshine caressing her skin.
The silence settled around them. A light breeze swirled around their feet. The swirling increased accompanied by a soft humming. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know something was about to happen. When it did, it took Lexie’s breath away.
The sudden gushing of energy lifted her off the ground. She felt it swoop across the room, wrap around the inky black fog until it swallowed it.
Evangeline stood stock still for a moment and then crumbled to the floor, a growl roaring out of her.
“It’s done,” Mirabelle said.
“Oh dear… No it’s not,” Cat said.
Lexie gazed at Evangeline, her eyes wide as she saw Evangeline being engulfed by a blanket of darkness. It rose up, completely swallowed her and then disappeared, taking Evangeline along with it.
“Now it’s done.”
“What happened?” Lexie asked.
“Where there is light there can’t be darkness and vice versa.”
“Now what?”
“Now we set everything right.”
Epilogue
Everyone gathered in the library.
Reginald St James stood in the center of the room, the St James family book in hand. As he spoke the words, the right words, a light shimmered around him.
The Mackenzie spell had been restored in its original form without the addendum. Darkness would never set foot in House St James again.
Lexie looked to her right and then to her left. Cat and Mirabelle shone brightly as they hovered beside her.
Reginald stretched his hand out. Henrietta Smithson-Wight stepped forward and took it. “My future bride and I would like to extend an invitation to the Mackenzie Coven.”
She felt Cat clap her hands.
“Oh, goodie. A wedding.”
“We would both be greatly honored by your presence at our wedding. From here on end, the doors to House St James will always be open to you.”
Lexie pulled on her boots. “So… all this time, the Mackenzie Coven has been responsible for the happiness permeating throughout this house.”
She heard Cat and Mirabelle whispering.
“Please don’t do that.”
Mirabelle cleared her throat. “It’s not exactly our doing.”
“Explain.”
“Well, we cast the idea of happiness and created an expectation. Every St James family member coming to House St James does so with the expectation of being happy,” Mirabelle explained.
“So all this time, happiness has been springing from them?”
“Precisely. We merely gave them an encouraging nudge. A positive prompt.”
“Sneaky but clearly, effective. Although… I couldn’t help noticing it sometimes gets out of hand.”
“Oh, that was due to the unusual circumstances. Taffy was working overtime trying to maintain a feeling of wellbeing. Not easy when you have such a dark force hungry for negativity. Everything should be back to normal now.”
Lexie heard a cheer coming from the gardens. She looked out the window and sighed as she watched the St James cousins playing a game of badminton. It would have been a lovely place to live in…
Mirabelle clapped her hands. “Time to go home, Lexie.”
“Right.” She checked around her sumptuous bedroom. It had been nice while it lasted. Grabbing her leather jacket, she nodded. “I’m ready.”
“Focus.”
Lexie scooped in a breath. “There’s nowhere like home. There’s nowhere like home.”
Mirabelle did one of her mental eye rolls. “I told you, no clicking of heels required.”
In less than the blink of an eye, Lexie landed with a hard thump.
Her breath whooshed out of her. “I definitely need to work on my landing.” Leaning back, she groaned. “The closet? Again? Note to self. Work on your landing and guidance system.” Then again, was she ever likely to travel again?
She gave the thought a minute to sink in.
“Lexie?”
She nudged the closet door open. “Cat?”
“And Mirabelle.”
She crawled out of the closet and stood up. “Whoa.”
“What?”
“Dizzy. I can’t remember the last time I had something to eat. I’ve mostly been on a liquid diet of French champagne. Give me a minute.” She wobbled on her feet. “Okay.” She looked around her bedroom as she patted herself.
“Yes, you’re all there. You haven’t left anything behind.”
That’s where Mirabelle was wrong. Lexie knew she’d left everything behind. Everything she’d been before. Perhaps even everything she might have been. Her alternative life and whatever path she might have chosen if the Mackenzie Coven hadn’t reclaimed her.
She supposed it would take a while for it all to sink in.
A blanket of warmth wrapped around her. “Are you guys hugging me?”
“It’s the least we can do.”
Lexie was overcome by an urge to jump on the spot. “Are you guys jumping for joy?”
“I am,” Cat said. “Yippy.”
Mirabelle cleared her throat. “I… I might be… Okay, yes. I am. Alexandra Elizabeth Mackenzie, you did a splendid job. We knew you could. House St James will be forever in your debt. And you have restored our good standing with them, something generations of Mackenzies have tried and failed to do.”
“Nice of you to say so, Mirabelle. But I could not have done any of it without the two of you. You were there…” her voice shook. “How do I do the hug thing?”
“It’s the thought that counts,” Cat said. “Just think it.”
Lexie stretched her arms out.
“Lovely, I felt it.”
“I felt it too,” Mirabelle said.
“Well. I’m still on a bit of an adrenalin rush. That was almost too much excitement for me. And, by the way, if I can do that… you know, travel, how come you’re not getting your butts over here? What’s with all this air hugging?”
“That’s a sore point with me,” Cat grumbled. “You know I can’t travel.”
“And I’ve been loaded with extra responsibilities. My schedule is clogged up.”
“So it has nothing to do with being together… at once… in the same place?” She heard humming. “Cat?”
&
nbsp; “We do get together on special occasions during certain times of the year,” Cat chirped, “But like everyone else, we have certain responsibilities and daily duties to attend to.”
“That’s all beside the point,” Mirabelle piped in. “We should be celebrating. You saved the day, Alexandra. You did it. You’re a heroine. Generations of Mackenzies will hear of this and sing your praises. Did you hear me, Alexandra?”
“Who? Oh… me.”
“Would you prefer I call you Lexie?”
“Yes, please, Mira.”
“Who?”
“Mirabelle. Mira. Don’t make me add an addendum to the condition of me re-joining the Mackenzie Coven.”
“Are you threatening us… me?”
“Hey, I’m only trying to establish an easier working rapport. I guess we’ll be in touch on a regular basis… what with me being in training.”
“Oh, yes we’ll be in constant touch.”
“Great. So it makes sense for me to call you Mira.”
“If you must.”
“Did you just purse your lips?”
“What exactly are you suggesting? How do I sound?”
Lexie chuckled. “I’m getting good at reading your expressions without seeing you. It’s all about the intonation. You sound peeved.”
“I do not.”
“You do now.”
“Girls,” Cat said. “Back to celebrating, please.”
“Yes. Good idea. I wouldn’t mind a bit of recognition. Not that I need it, but…”
A shower of sparkles descended on her followed by rose petals. “Oh, that’s lovely. Thank you.”
“How about some champagne.”
A mental image of Dior gowns and carefree laughter filled her head. “No!” Lexie raked her fingers through her hair. “Sorry. I need to put some distance between me and House St James.”
“You did an excellent job, Lexie.”
“Thanks, Mira. You girls did too. It can’t have been easy. Let’s huddle together and give each other a pat on the back. I couldn’t have done any of it without you, not that I meant to do anything… if not for you, my life would have continued to meander along its uneventful path…”
“Are you taking a shot at us?” Cat asked.
“I think I’m experiencing some sort of post-traumatic stress.” She stretched her arms out and collapsed onto her bed. “So what’s next in my training?” A smile surged through her. “I guess hearing that made you happy, Mira.”
“So you’re fully committed,” Mirabelle said.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not exactly.”
A Mackenzie Coven witch. Forever… and ever. How did she feel about that? She drew a blank. “Are you prepared to be more open with me?”
“What do you mean?”
Lexie chortled. “Can you honestly say you didn’t know about the inky black fog?”
“I… I had an inkling.”
“And you didn’t mention it because ignorance is bliss?”
“If I hadn’t thought you could handle it, I would never have sent you out there alone. Also, I would never have thought of placing you in a risky situation.”
“That means we had your back, Lexie.”
“Thanks, Cat… and Mira.” She sat up and slid to the edge of her bed. “Now what?”
“Now we begin. We have organized a schedule of classes for you.”
“I’m going back to school?”
“Not exactly. Your guides will appear to you.”
“You mean… they’ll come knocking at my door?”
“Sometimes. Other times, you might encounter them throughout the day… or night.”
“Okay, now you’re spooking me.”
Hearing a knock on her door, Lexie flapped her arms in protest. “Already? I’ve only just returned from a perilous quest.” She opened the door a crack. “Jonathan.” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “Jonathan and friend.” A golden-haired tabby gave her an indifferent glance, sniffed the air and strode right into her apartment. “Well. Come on in. Make yourself at home. Yours?” she asked.
Jonathan shook his head. “It followed me.”
“Do you know if it has a name?”
“Stray Cat?” Jonathan strode in. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
“What did I do?”
“You left without saying a word.”
“Blame them for that.” She gave the cat a narrow-eyed glance. “Hey. Is it here to stay?”
“He’s a cutie,” Cat said. “And look at his beautiful black coat. So shiny.”
“Black? From where I’m standing it’s gold.”
“And yet from where we’re standing, it’s black. And her name is Luna.”
The cat purred and licked its paw.
“So what do I do now? I’m not a cat person. Do I pat it?”
“Feeding it would be a good start.”
“Feed it? Have you noticed I don’t even own a potted plant? And there’s a very good reason for that…”
A couple of bowls appeared in front of Luna.
“It’s a starter package. A sort of welcome to House Alexandra gift.”
Lexie looked around her small apartment. “House Alexandra? That sort of sounds a bit grandiose.”
“We’re thinking you need to revamp your image. After all, you are the incoming—”
Lexie put her hand up. “Please. Spare me. Can we possibly think of another title? The High Chair and all that follows is such a mouthful.”
“It’s… it’s supposed to be. It’s attention grabbing. Engaging.”
“It’s pretentious.”
Jonathan chortled. “What’s with the fairy dust?” he asked as he bent down to give Luna a scratch behind the ear.
It still hung in the air, floating like dust motes. “We’ve been celebrating. You see, I have returned home triumphant and apparently, I’ll be the talk of the Coven circle for eons to come.”
“Yes. I heard.”
“Oh. Does that mean your people have been in touch with you?”
Jonathan scowled at her. “My people haven’t stopped badgering me. And it’s all thanks to you.”
Lexie stepped back and pointed a finger at the two sparkly lights hovering in the room. “Collateral damage. I’m sorry. They came after me and… set off a chain of events.”
“Yeah, right. Do you realize what this means?”
“Um… no.”
“You and I.”
“You and I?” Lexie cast her gaze toward the lights. “Cat? Mira?”
“Oh… sorry. Must dash,” Mirabelle said. “Once again, congratulations, thank you… and welcome back.”
“Cat?”
“I think I smell burning. I left something on the stove. Catch you later.”
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the first book in A Mackenzie Coven Mystery. Scroll down for Chapter One – Witch Indeed
Alexandra Elizabeth Mackenzie has a long way to go before she ascends to her rightful position as High Chair of the American Continent and all Circumferential Domains Pertaining to the Mackenzie Coven, aka… Well, she’ll need to put her thinking hat on and come up with an alternative title... something more upbeat... less stuffy and pretentious...
Witch Indeed - Chapter One
“Let’s get one thing straight. I’m a dog person. Not a cat person.” Lexie punched her pillow. “Also, and you should be able to figure this one out without me having to tell you, I work late, I sleep in late. You don’t see me waltzing around my apartment in the middle of the day making a racket while you have one of your endless catnaps. Well, I expect the same consideration and courtesy.” She peeled an eye open and watched her new roommate eyeing her. The golden haired tabby flicked its tail and settled at the end of her bed, an improvement to sitting by the front door as if ready to make her getaway.
Was Luna about to meet her half way?
“So how long is this probation period going to last? A week? A month?” And how would she feel if Luna decided the
y weren’t a perfect fit? According to her cousin Mirabelle, a cat was to choose her, not the other way around. “I think I’m doing quite well. I’d be doing better, but you didn’t come with instructions or guidelines.”
Luna tilted her head.
“You know, a bullet point list of demands. I hear you’ve all become quite fastidious and precise about your expectations. FYI, I’m a witch in training. Half the time I have no idea what I’m doing.” And a part of her was still dabbling with the possibility of finding a way out of this predicament.
She’d been avoiding her responsibilities for ten years. Now that it had all caught up with her... Well, things had happened.
So far, she’d been thrown in at the deep end, forced to deal with a deadly inky black fog, wear designer clothes, which didn’t sound so bad except for the fact that she was strictly a denim and cotton t-shirt type of girl. There’d also been the humiliating sing-a-longs. She hated musicals...
“I wonder what your pet peeves are.” Luna lifted her nose up in the air. “Chatty witches?” She rolled over. “No, don’t answer that. I mean it. I’d rather you didn’t surprise me with a Mr. Ed reply. Who’s Mr. Ed, I hear you ask? He’s Wilbur’s talking horse. Yes, I’m a self-confessed TV junkie so if you decide to stick around, be prepared to immerse yourself in back to back reruns of my favorite shows.”
A knock at her front door had them both stilling and looking at each other, eyes unblinking. “Would you mind getting that, please?”
Luna inspected her paw much the same way Lexie inspected her fingernails when she lost interest in something or when she was compelled by otherworldly forces to wonder if she should get a manicure...
She sighed. “A dog would know how to run up to the door and bark until I managed to crawl out of bed. They also fetch and I’m guessing that’s something else you don’t do.”
Lexie rolled out of bed and dragged herself to answer the front door, but it opened even before she reached it.
Snapping out of her drowsiness, Lexie sprang into action and adopted a martial arts pose. “Don’t come any closer. These hands are lethal weapons,” she warned and blew her hair out of her eyes. Seeing Jonathan stride in, she relaxed. “Oh, it’s you.” All six feet of him. His broad shoulders, lean, taut and terrific frame looking relaxed, in a wary sort of way.
