“I wish I would have tried harder to get her out,” I said. “But I didn’t know. I thought she was just crazy. I loved her, but the stories she told couldn’t possibly have been true.”
“Well, now you know that they are, and you can protect the Tuttlesmith legacy,” Meri said and stretched out his front legs while flexing his impressive claws. “But you’re going to need to learn to read Latin if you want to use most of those books.”
“I don’t want to use them,” I said and shook my head. “I’m not a witch, and I have no power. I’m just crazy like Maude. You can’t talk. None of this can be real.”
“What about the blinds, Brighton?” Meri asked. “That’s your doing. You’re closing them magically. You may not have accepted it yet, but your subconscious is using your powers to protect you.”
“No, I’m just doing it in my sleep,” I said.
“There’s a way to prove it,” Meri said.
“How?”
“You can set up a camera tonight when you go to sleep.”
It was completely bonkers, but that night I did set my phone up to record the window while I slept. I knew it would prove once and for all that I was shutting them while sleepwalking, I was completely losing my mind, and that I needed to book an appointment with a mental healthcare professional sooner rather than later.
Chapter Six
As soon as I woke up the next morning, I watched the video. My jaw was slack as I watched the blinds close around two in the morning. I rewound and watched the video three more times. The blinds definitely closed, and there was no one closing them.
That was the moment that I began to believe that maybe Maude wasn’t crazy after all, but I wasn’t quite at a place where I could admit it. I decided the best thing to do was to call my mom and ask her what she knew. The phone rang a few times and went to voicemail. I set my phone down on the bed and was about to try and move on with my day when it rang again.
“Hello, darling,” my mother sang into the phone. “I’d begun to think I was never going to hear from you again. I’m glad to hear you’re alive.”
“Hi, Mom. Sorry it took me so long to call. Things got a little dark in my head after Donnie and I divorced, and everything just sort of spiraled out of control. I should have called.”
“No worries now, Brighton. I’m just happy to hear from you.”
“I wanted to ask you about something,” I said.
“Go ahead.”
“Well, is there anything about our family that I should know? I mean, are there any weird things about us?”
“Oh, lord, Brighton. I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I think there are weird things about every family.”
“No, I mean, like anything… I don’t know how to put this… Like, maybe paranormal.”
“You should be careful talking about that stuff, Brighton. You know my Aunt Maude was crazy, and I’d hate for you to end up like her. You said your head went somewhere dark. Maybe you need to see someone. Do you know anyone who could recommend a good therapist?”
“I don’t think that’s what I need, but you’re right.” I didn’t think she was right, but if she didn’t know anything about the magic and witches, I didn’t want her to start thinking I really was crazy. “How have you been, Mom?”
After that we just chatted for a while until she had to go for her vitamin infusion appointment. I wasn’t quite sure what that was, but it sounded an awful lot like getting an IV full of vitamins.
Once I was off the phone with her, I had to figure out who else I could ask. I remembered that my grandma had warned me not to come to Coventry, so I decided to call her.
“Hello, darling,” my grandmother sang into the phone. “I just got a text message from your mother letting me know that you’re not dead after all.”
“Sorry I haven’t called in a while, Grams.”
“It’s okay, I’m just glad to speak to you now, but please don’t be a stranger in the future.”
“I won’t,” I said. “But I do need to ask you about something important.”
“Anything, Brighton.”
“Why did you tell me not to move to Coventry?”
“Oh, my. Brighton, did you move into Hangman’s House?”
“I did.”
“And have you met Meri yet?” she asked.
“I have.”
“I worked so hard to keep your mother out of all of this. Which is why she couldn’t tell you anything when you called, right?”
“She couldn’t.”
“But you know that Maude wasn’t crazy now, don’t you?”
“Either she’s not crazy or I’m nuts too.”
“First off, I want to say that no matter what that blasted cat tells you, we did what we did to protect Maude. We weren’t trying to hurt her or take advantage of her. If we hadn’t dispensed of her assets, that asylum she lived in was going to take it all. We didn’t keep the money, Brighton. We donated it all to families in need. The second thing I need to tell you is that you need to move out of Hangman’s House and leave Coventry for good. Amelda Skeenbauer is not going to take it well that a Tuttlesmith witch has moved back into town, and I’m afraid you probably aren’t strong enough to deal with her. Brighton, the safest thing for you to do is leave. You can come stay with me if you need a place to live. I promise I’ll give you your space.”
“I’ll think about it, Grandma. I really will,” I said. “Hey, do you know who around here could teach me Latin?”
She let out a huge sigh. “You’re going to do the exact opposite of what I’ve suggested. I can feel it, but if you really want to learn Latin, then there are archives at the records department in Coventry. I’d guess that whomever is running it these days can help you.”
“The records department?”
“At the courthouse.”
“Thank you, Grandma,” I said.
“Call me if you need me. Or you know, just call me sometimes.”
“I will.”
“Be safe, Brighton.”
“I will.”
When I was off the phone, I scooped up the handwritten book and started to head out. Meri interrupted me.
“Hey, grab a big handbag so that I can come with you,” he said. “You can sneak me into the courthouse.”
I went upstairs and grabbed a big tote bag from my closet and put it on the floor so that Meri could jump in. At that point, I’d barely registered it as crazy that I was smuggling my talking cat into the ancient temple that served as a courthouse to have someone help me translate my family book of magic.
There was a sign hanging inside the courthouse that told visitors what was located on each floor. The sign said that the archives were in the basement.
I took the elevator down and stepped off into a large room that seemed to go on for miles. It was strange because it seemed like the basement had to be bigger than the actual courthouse above it. I wondered how many of the residents of Coventry knew that there was a catacomb of records under their feet.
“Can I help you?” The voice came from a desk located in the middle of the room beyond the first rows of shelves.
“Um, yes,” I said and hurried toward the desk. “I was told that you might be able to help me with this book.”
“Let me take a look at it,” the man said as I slid the book gently across the counter to him. “My name is Remy. It’s nice to meet you.”
Remy’s cheeks colored pink when he introduced himself to me, and it became obvious that he was quite shy. My guess was that was why he held the job in the basement courthouse records room. He probably didn’t get many visitors.
I’d have put Remy in his thirties, but he could have been older or younger. He had a face that made it hard to tell. His skin was smooth like that of a younger person. But his eyes were a deep chocolate brown and they had a soulful look that made it obvious he’d seen some things in his lifetime. He was thin but I wouldn’t say scrawny and definitely at least a head or two taller than me, but th
at wasn’t saying much as I was quite short. So average height and appearance, but there was something else under the surface. Remy seemed unassuming, but I wasn’t going to underestimate him just yet.
I watched as he looked over the book for a few moments. “We should go sit down,” he said as he closed it and looked up at me.
“Sure,” I said. “Lead the way. Oh, and I’m Brighton, by the way. It’s nice to meet you as well.”
He turned quickly and began walking toward a table on the other side of the desk, but I could swear I caught another blush. He was endearing for sure, and I felt completely relaxed and comfortable in his presence. A little niggling at the back of my brain made me wonder if the whole thing was a spell.
“You’d like my help interpreting the book?” Remy asked when were both seated.
“I would. I don’t read Latin.”
“This book isn’t written in Latin,” he said more confidently than anything else he’d said.
“It isn’t?” My shoulders slumped. I’d been so close. “What language is it?”
“That’s hard to say. Not because I don’t know but because it’s hard to describe. But don’t worry, Brighton. I can read it.”
“Can you tell me what’s in it?” I asked.
“Well, it looks like a lot of what I guess are spells, incantations, and rituals. There might even be a few hexes and conjurings in there,” he said it all so matter-of-factly as if there was nothing strange about me presenting him an old handwritten book of magic. “It’s the Tuttlesmith family Grimoire. That means book of shadows or book of magic.”
“Can you help me learn to read it?”
“I can…” Remy said before a pause. “But we’ll need to keep it quiet and you need to keep that book hidden.”
“Why?”
“Because some of the members of my family would do unkind things to get it. Plus, even to regular humans, it’s probably worth a small fortune.”
“You’re a Skeenbauer?”
“Remy Skeenbauer at your service, but please don’t worry, Brighton. Not all of us care about the silly feud. Including my amazing cousin,” he said and stood up. “Hello, Annika.”
I turned around and Annika was stepping off the elevator. She looked a little shocked to see me.
“Hey, Remy,” she said with a smile. “Hello, Brighton,” she said with a half frown that matched the cool tone of her voice.
I couldn’t figure out why she was upset with me, and then I remembered. I’d completely forgotten about our lunch date.
“Oh my gosh,” I said, standing up. “I’m so sorry, Annika. I totally flaked on our lunch date yesterday. I am the worst, and I know it. Please forgive me. I do want to have lunch with you. It’s just that the shock of finding Harkin’s body kind of left me stupid yesterday.”
“I’ll forgive you for forgetting me yesterday if you’ll come to Dumbledore’s with Remy and I for lunch today. We really need the details on Harkin’s demise,” she said with a slightly wicked glint in her eye.
“It’s okay,” Remy said. “You guys don’t have to let me tag along.” He blushed again. “We can go another time, Annika.”
“Nonsense, Remy. We want you to come along, and you have to eat,” Annika said before turning to me. “You don’t mind if my favorite cousin comes along with us, do you?”
“Not at all,” I said. “Remy, do you think it would be okay for me to take the book with us? Or do you have a safe you can store it in for me?”
“I will definitely lock it in my personal vault for you, Brighton.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you sure Dumbledore’s is okay?” Annika asked while Remy was stowing my book. “I just realized that you might have bad memories about the place.”
“No, it’s fine,” I said. “I think a stack of pancakes is just what I need.”
The crowd at Dumbledore’s diner was thinner at lunch than at dinner, but not by much. The place was still mostly full, but we didn’t have to wait too long for a table.
Once Keisha had taken our orders, Annika thought that we should share our knowledge of Harkin’s death and discuss our suspects. I looked around, and despite the crowd, no one was really paying attention to us. So I started.
“Well, I went to Badersmith books the other day, and I heard Thorn asking Ralph about a fight they had at Mann’s,” I said. “Oh, and I saw Harkin reject Prue at her store. He was so condescending and insulting to her. I mean, if he’d talked to me that way, I’d probably want to hurt him to.”
“I don’t know what she saw in that guy,” Annika said. “But she really was sweet on him. I’ve heard the rumors of how nasty he was to her. Okay, so what I know is that Thorn was in Ruby’s garden this morning nosing around. Ruby stood by watching him with papers in her hand. She looked furious.”
“Who is Ruby?” I asked.
“She owns Ruby Red’s Apothecary. She sells herbal soaps, shampoos, candles, and remedies to the normals, but Ruby supplies the rest of us with herbs for our spells,” Annika dropped her voice to barely above a whisper for the last part.
“I don’t understand why Ruby would be involved,” Remy said.
“Because Harkin was killed with ricin,” Keisha said as she set our plates down on the table. She’d approached while Remy was pondering Ruby’s involvement. “At least that’s what I heard from one of the deputies this morning.”
“Oh.” A lightbulb must have gone off in Remy’s brain. “Ricin comes from castor beans.”
“Yeah, and Ruby makes her own castor oil. I’ve bought some from her before for spells,” Annika said and quickly recovered in front of Keisha. “I mean for dizzy spells.”
After lunch, Remy and I went back to the records office. I’d left my bag behind so that Meri could get out and move around while we were gone.
Remy retrieved my book from his office, and he attempted to teach me some of the language in the book. He was sweet and patient the entire time, but I didn’t think I was ever going to get it. I struggled enough with Spanish in school let alone a secret witch language that only a handful of people in the world understood.
“I’m never going to get this,” I said with a huge, and even in my opinion, overly dramatic sigh.
“I can help you,” Remy said with a nervous chuckle.
“I know you’re trying so hard, but I don’t think I’ll get it even under your expert tutelage. I really do appreciate this, though.”
“No, Brighton. I mean I can help you learn faster if you want. I have a way.”
“Of course, I would love that…”
But I wasn’t prepared for it when he began to chant in the language. His words were hypnotic and rolled off his tongue in waves that snaked into my brain. My head spun, and for a minute, it ached so badly that tears threatened to spill down my cheeks.
But just as quickly as it had begun, the pain and fog cleared. When I looked down at the book again, I could read it just as plainly as if it were written in English.
My heart began to pound out of my chest. What had he done to me? I grabbed the book and my bag and ran to the elevator. Thankfully, Meri had snuggled back into the tote bag for a nap at some point, so I had him with me.
The elevator chimed and the doors opened. I tried to dart inside, but I ran right into the wall of muscle that was Sheriff Thorn Wilson.
“Hello, Brighton,” he said and tipped his hat to me.
“Hi, Sheriff,” I said, and in my flustered state, I blurted out: “Is Ruby a suspect in Harkin’s death?”
“Man, sometimes I hate small town gossip,” he said. “That isn’t any of your business. Maybe you should learn how to walk,” Thorn said brusquely before stepping around me and walking toward Remy’s desk.
I got entirely more satisfaction than I should have when I stuck my tongue out at Thorn’s back as he walked away. Remy sort of smiled when he saw me do it, but when I caught him looking at me, his face fell. I couldn’t tell if his expression was sad, uncertain, or a combination o
f both.
Instead of getting on the elevator, I waited. Thorn requested some document that Remy retrieved for him quickly. As the sheriff approached the elevator again, he gave me a stern look.
“If you’re hanging around to ask Remy about these papers, don’t bother. He’s a good man and won’t betray his duty to the town just to fuel your need for gossip.”
“But…” I tried to defend myself, but Thorn stepped on the elevator and left me standing there.
Remy stood at the desk watching me again. He looked like he had something he wanted to say, but I knew that he was far too shy to approach me. He must have cast a spell on me to help me read the book, and I felt like I’d overreacted. I just wasn’t used to all of the magic business, but there was something to it.
I walked back to the desk, and he relaxed a little. “I’m sorry that I freaked out. You just caught me off guard, but I do appreciate what you did. Will you help me learn more of the secrets in the book?”
“I will help you when you need it, Brighton, but I think your familiar would be a bigger help with that.”
“My familiar?” I looked down at my purse and realized that Meri’s ears were sticking out. “Oh, right,” I said. “He, uh… Meri wanted to come along, so I let him.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind Meri at all. Like I said before, not all of us care about my grandmother’s feud. That’s her deal, not mine.”
“Thank you so much for your help,” I said. “And thank you for having lunch with us. It’s nice to get to know people from town.”
“Anytime, Brighton,” Remy said, and I noticed that the pink color returned to his cheeks. “Come back anytime you need help or just want to shoot the breeze.”
“You got it,” I said.
It was strange, I almost felt like I wanted to give him a hug. Instead I settled for an awkward high-five and another round of nervous chuckles from both of us.
When I got back home, I put the frozen pizza that Meri and I had picked up from Mann’s on the way home in the freezer and sat down at the kitchen table to read the book some more.
Wicked Witches of Coventry- The Collection Page 6
