Charming Blend

by Layne, Kennedy

  “Technically, even magic can’t force someone to fall in love,” I argued, not even bothering to try and brush aside my mistake. It was better to own up to my errors, because more were bound to happen with my accident-prone tendencies. “Richard might very well find me attractive, and Candy clearly has a thing for Chief Mason even without her current peppermint-tainted high.”

  You’re forgetting about the mad scientist who’s back from the future and now driving around town with a woman who didn’t even come from his time.

  “Beetle and Wilma?” My mother waved her hand in dismissal. “Infatuation isn’t always about true love. Friendship plays a big part in something like this, and Beetle has been doing Wilma’s taxes for decades.”

  “At least now I know what caused the slight hiccup.” My small shrug of regret wasn’t going to be good enough. “I’ll now forever remember to wash any item I use when casting a spell. Duly noted.”

  At least now we know why Ted was affected by the spell.

  Peppermint was considered many things in the witchcraft world, but one known reflective property was protection. The powdery mint residue must have coated the tea leaves inside the container, thus leaving the outer portion of the glass as a conduit for the spell.

  “Trial and error,” my mother reassured me in those rare instances she tried her hand at guidance. They’d been few and far between, but I could always count on her in emergencies. “Go on, Raven. Undo the magic so that this town can return to normal.”

  My evening plans of leisure can subsequently commence!

  After a deep calming inhalation, I was able to concentrate on righting the wrong I’d initiated on the contaminated glass container and tea leaves. The verses were spoken, the components minced together, and the energy from the earth utilized to remedy my previous blunder.

  I was also able to remove the tea leaves, wipe down the glass with disinfectant, replace the contents with a fresh tea blend, and then cast the original charm spell so that Dee could reconnect with her husband. By the time all was said and done, this day had proven productive…with a few worthwhile lessons tossed in for good measure.

  “Mom, I do appreciate you driving all this way to help me.”

  Could you save the sappiness? I don’t need to bear witness to your family curse.

  I sincerely meant every word, and I brushed Leo aside so that he had to jump off the counter. Mom hated that I’d chosen to fall into Nan’s footsteps, but this was the right path for me. The fact that she was coming around to accepting my decisions was huge.

  Don’t get me wrong.

  It didn’t change the fact that Mom had damaged her relationship with Nan out of spite, but hadn’t I just learned that mistakes could be fixed with enough determination and desire?

  “Raven, you’re my daughter.” Mom had begun stacking the bowls on top of one another in order to be cleaned later. It was just a way for her to keep busy. She hated when I became emotional, and she always tried to avoid scenes like this one. “I don’t always agree with your choices, but I would never allow any harm to come to you if I can prevent it.”

  Why does that sound more ominous than it should? Has she got anything on her hands?

  Leo was right, in a manner of speaking.

  My mother was still keeping herself busy by cleaning up the makeshift casting area. I was going to ask her to clarify, especially since the coven in Windsor was about to go to war with one another. Unfortunately, Ted was calling us into the main area of the shop.

  Oh, this can’t be good.

  “Ted?” I was the second one through the ivory-colored fairy beads. Leo had all but poofed into thin air the second the alarm had been rung. “What’s wrong?”

  “Miss Raven, I think there’s been another fire.” Ted pointed out toward the glass door with his long, crooked index finger. I followed the direction he was indicating to see the fire truck turning onto Water Way, one of the side streets that led into one of the neighborhoods. “Look. There go Mr. Beetle and Ms. Wilma. Is that Ms. Candy in the backseat?”

  Go figure, another clown in the circus car. All we’re missing are the elephants and lions.

  “Don’t jinx us,” my mother warned Leo, coming to a stop next to Ted looking out the front window. The two weren’t each other’s favorite person, but they’d called a ceasefire the last time she was in town. “Your reversal of the charm spell apparently didn’t stop what was sparking these fires.”

  Don’t say it, Raven.

  “Leo, you can’t stop a determined criminal,” I warned, not surprised when Liam walked out of the police station. He stopped long enough to give me a wave before hopping into his truck and driving off…in the exact direction of the fire truck. “Paramour Bay has an arsonist in its midst.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Raven, that smoke isn’t coming from the residential addition. It looks like it’s coming from somewhere over on Oceanview, near the treasurer’s office, maybe.”

  My mother and I had just stepped out onto the sidewalk when she gestured toward a plume of black smoke billowing up into the overcast sky. We’d already decided to grab a bite to eat at the diner, where I had every intention of discreetly discussing spells that could potentially give me some insight into who was responsible for the outbreak of these troublesome fires. It was going on three o’clock in the afternoon, late enough to miss the tail end of the lunch mob and early enough to avoid the dinner crowd. We were relatively guaranteed a booth of our choice in the back.

  “That’s odd,” I murmured, briefly concentrating on locking up the shop. Ted had gone over to Mindy’s boutique to stare through the window display, and Leo was in seventh heaven with a pouch of fresh tuna I’d brought from home. There wouldn’t be morsel left by the time I got back. I was hoping he wouldn’t eat the packaging, too. “Unless Chief Mason was just using Water Way Avenue as a shortcut. Creek Bed Road parallels River Bay.”

  “That’s right,” my mother murmured, probably recalling the streets from when she was younger. “There’s also a fire hydrant on the corner of Creek Bed and Oceanview. We used to pop one of the valves halfway open and dance in the spray on hot days.”

  We strolled over to the intersection, where it was easy to see a few of the townsfolk gathered on the sidewalk down yonder.

  “Are you absolutely positive that the original charm spell couldn’t have caused this mayhem?” I believed in coincidences, but categorizing today’s activities as one might be wishful thinking. “Mom, maybe we should—”

  “Raven, you have nothing to worry about. Charm spells don’t release fire elementals or summon sprites with a match fetish, even if you’d added an ingredient or two.” My mother crossed the intersection without hesitation. “Let your sheriff handle these fires, and give poor Leo a break. He’s had a tough day. At this rate, all of his hair is going to fall out.”

  I had no choice but to fall into step with her, giving a small wave to Newt. The mechanic was test driving Otis’ vehicle, most likely trying to detect the source of the mysterious squeak that the older gentleman swore had been there for the past month. Not even his wife could hear it amongst the other engine noises, but Otis was unwavering in his quest to prove he was right. He was bound and determined to find out the exact cause.

  “Don’t let Leo fool you,” I replied, continuing our conversation. We’d made it safely to the other side of the street, although I certainly had to skedaddle to keep up with her pace. I didn’t understand why she was in such a hurry all of a sudden. “He actually enjoys solving these little mysteries that pop up every now and then.”

  “Your version of the saying every now and then versus mine is vastly different,” my mother replied wryly, passing the police station without a second glance. I couldn’t do that and made sure to wave to Eileen who was sitting at her desk just inside the office. “No one says you have to live up to your reputation on the other side. Your grandmother just wanted you to be happy with the tea shop and her little side business bilking the
natives out of their Social Security money.”

  What my mother meant by reputation was the fact that Leo and I had been sought out by a tea-drinking ghost—yes, a real dead apparition—last month to determine why her familiar didn’t cross through the veil with her.

  Remember that fairy kiss that wouldn’t come off of Leo’s paw?

  Well, let’s just say that Mazie Rose Young and her fairy familiar were quite the handful.

  Anyway, Mazie had made mention of the fact that Leo and I were known on the other side as promising amateur sleuths, something that had stuck with me ever since her visit.

  There were a lot of mysteries to solve that involved the supernatural that Liam or other humans couldn’t solve, because they didn’t understand the occult. If Leo and I could help in any way, shouldn’t we at least try like any other good citizen would do?

  As for the Social Security quip…well, that was just below the belt. Nan wasn’t here to speak for herself, but I certainly didn’t create those magical tea blends to bilk anyone out of their hard-earned money. Some of these residents had ailments that couldn’t be cured by modern medicine.

  “I know it’s in the middle of the afternoon, but Heidi has been raving about Trixie’s pancakes.” It didn’t surprise me when my mother couldn’t leave well enough alone. She was able to get one snide remark in before opening the door to the diner. “I don’t remember them being anything spectacular, but we’ll see if I change my mind.”

  The delicious smell of coffee was the first thing that washed over me after entering the diner. The cold from outside quickly vacated as my favorite beverage left my mouth watering. I’d have to get my mother to order a cup and sneak sips on the side, because it wouldn’t do for me to be seen drinking anything other than the tea. On top of that, I provided this establishment its tea assortment from my business.

  I really, really needed to begin the initiative to add gourmet coffee blends to my inventory. A nice Columbian Supremo would be fantastic right now. Dark and rich, fresh out of a French press.

  “Has Heidi ever steered you wrong?” I replied in an attempt to lighten the mood and take my mind off the coffee fantasy that had definitely distracted me. Remember, my mother wasn’t the biggest fan of Paramour Bay. She’d up and left the town thirty years ago, but a lot had changed—including my mother. “Trixie still serves breakfast all day, so I’m sure you can try them out if you promise to keep your opinions to yourself.”

  Like I said before, it was going on three o’clock in the afternoon. The lunch hour rush had cleared out, and it was a little too early for the dinner crowd to be leaving work. With that said, there were only a few tables and booths that had been previously claimed. I was a bit surprised to find that Billy and his parents were sitting at one of the tables.

  Pete and Sarah Owen didn’t look as upset as I would have thought, but maybe that was because Billy had cleared up this misunderstanding and cleared his name. He wasn’t at fault for the fires. Unfortunately, that still left an arsonist on the loose with no clues as to his identity.

  “My heavens, are we truly being graced by the presence of Regina Lattice Marigold?”

  Ugh. This was so not the way to settle my mother down in the diner for a quiet meal before she drove back to the city.

  What was Trixie thinking in goading Mom like that?

  “Why did we come here again?” my mother murmured, pasting a smile on her face that said whatever patience she had before arriving into town had now thinned to the point of snapping like a twig. “Trixie, it’s good to see you looking so healthy.”

  That was a dig if I ever heard one, but at least my mother made an effort, right?

  “What brings you into town on a workday?” Trixie was quite a lot older than my mother, but at least she didn’t have to rely on a cane yet. She waved the hostess away and gathered up two menus before following us to the back booth. As I’d predicted, no one had claimed either one at this time of day. “Did you hear about those fires? I was just talking with the Owens about who might be setting them. Poor Billy was seen cutting through the alleyway, but Liam got things straightened out before Monty could start pointing any fingers.”

  I’d heard that Billy hadn’t always been so innocent, going so far as to swipe the candy out of the container that Monty kept for the children of his customers. Eugene and Albert—the two elderly men who played chess over at the shop—were better than any alarm system Monty could ever invest in, and they’d seen Billy’s grubby little fingers grab a handful of wrapped bubblegum out of the dish.

  Granted, that had been several years ago, but these old folks had memories like steel traps with rusty hinges. Once someone earned a reputation with those old geezers, even a life prison sentence wouldn’t serve as payment enough to redeem your name.

  “Monty never did like Billy after that,” Pete Owen said with a frown, making his opinion known. It wasn’t like the Owen family couldn’t hear Trixie give a recount of today’s events. “Liam went down to the hardware store to straighten things out. It does seem like we have a spree arsonist on our hands, though. First your tea shop, then Monty’s hardware store. The next fire was out at Beetle’s house.”

  “I heard that the pub had a small fire inside, but that turned out to be a false alarm,” Alice Abbott chimed in over her cup of tea. At least someone was drinking tea today. Trixie always made sure to put in a monthly order of English Breakfast and Earl Grey for her clientele. “What is this world coming to?”

  While Trixie and Alice began debating the decline of society in general, I had taken the side of the booth that afforded me the luxury of seeing every table and booth in the diner. I noticed right away that Billy hadn’t looked up from his plate. He was purposefully staying out of the conversation, but I don’t believe it was out of guilt.

  With that said, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what he might be trying to hide.

  “I’ll have the pancakes and link sausage, please,” my mother ordered after having hung up her dress coat on the small silver hook attached to each booth. I had sat down in mine, but I did unbutton it and push it down off my shoulders behind me. I didn’t miss the glare Mom gave me in disapproval, but I’d had one heck of a day and the vinyl seats were always so cold against my legs. Anyway, I was allowed to be lazy when I wanted to be. “With a cup of coffee and a small orange juice, please.”

  I’d already resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to get a sip of that coffee.

  You know what?

  Every person had a breaking point, and I’d reached mine today.

  “Trixie, I’ll have the same,” I announced loudly, secretly waiting for the ceiling to collapse right on top of me. When nothing happened, I’d noticed that Trixie was still waiting for me to switch that coffee to tea. “I want to try your coffee this time around. I was thinking of incorporating some high-end coffee blends, but I’m not sure where to start with my inventory. I always like to dive head first into my research.”

  “Coffee?” Alice tilted her head slightly as if she weren’t sure she’d heard me correctly. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to have a variety of ingredients for the two most popular hot beverages in your store to widen your potential customer base. My Bob has one of those machines that brews him one cup at a time. It saves money, because I drink my tea. That way, he doesn’t have to brew an entire pot just for himself.”

  “I second that idea,” Pete Owen said, lifting a hand so that I would know I could count on him as a customer. Relief ran rampant through my body, and I couldn’t wait to share the news with Liam. Although I would be a bit sad that he no longer had to sneak me coffee throughout the day. That had been our special little secret only the two of us shared. “We’re a coffee family, so it would be nice to have somewhere local to get our premium caffeine fix.”

  My dream of turning the tea shop into a small hot beverage café might actually work, but I’d still take baby steps to get there. At the rate things were burning down around here, there woul
dn’t be a main thoroughfare to shop on.

  Trixie had already left our table to let the chef know our order, plus to hand off the drink orders to Paula. She was new in town, but Trixie mentioned knowing her from somewhere. It was the reason everyone accepted the younger woman so easily, though I didn’t recall hearing the story of how the two of them met.

  “Have you studied the book in more detail?” my mother asked me quietly so that no one could overhear our conversation. She was still careful in what she said, but I got the reference to the family’s grimoire. “There are short cantrips in the back that can benefit you in times like these.”

  “Are you talking about the one for the Freudian Slip?” I whispered, leaning over the table. Everyone had gone back to eating anyway. “I thought those types of quick offensive tricks required stored physical energy…a power source.”

  Regina Lattice Marigold did all she could not to reach across the table and strangle me. Her frustration was obvious, but I’d thought my question was reasonable.

  “What?” I gave a small shrug, having looked through the family grimoire a thousand times over the last four months. “I’m telling you, all those truth spells require ingredients.”

  “I’m not talking about those in the main body,” my mother muttered in irritation. It was a good thing Leo wasn’t around to hear this conversation. “I’m referring to the aura divinations known as cantrips. They don’t need anything more than a vocal component.”

  “You mean the ones that show the person’s color?” I asked in surprise, fully believing that topic had been thoroughly debunked. “Haven’t you been keeping up with your horoscope? I read online somewhere that a person’s aura closely matches their zodiac sign. Billy turned eighteen back in September, so he’s a Virgo. His aura should be royal blue. That’s not going to help me figure out if he had anything to do with those fires.”

  “You always were a difficult child to teach,” my mother muttered, somehow knowing that Paula was heading our way with a tray in her hand. Mom leaned back and stopped our conversation. “Hand me the sugar, please.”