Curse of the Witch Read online

  I raced to the edge of the magic barrier where a broken hunk of green stone, known to locals as the Green Man, rested against a lightning struck oak.

  I was just in time to see three women emerge. Their images looked misty as they passed through the magic.

  Samantha Smythe-Barrow was easy to spot. She was a curvy witch with flame red hair and green eyes. She carried her fifty-five years well and often caught men’s attention.

  Bastille Drew was next. She’d always been the quiet one of the group. She had a neat gray bob, a fondness for long cardigans, and lots of silver rings.

  Caprice Gray was the final arrival, with a neat dark pixie cut, a willowy figure, and intense dark eyes.

  They all waved at me as I approached.

  “Tempest, it’s lovely to see you.” Samantha air kissed either side of my cheeks. She was the refined one of the group until she’d had a few drinks.

  “We’ve been so looking forward to our visit,” Caprice said. “Where’s Queenie?”

  “Entertaining Esmeralda and Lila,” I said. “She asked me to take you to the hotel.”

  “Lovely, and you must join us later on.” Caprice grabbed my elbow and walked alongside me. “We’re going to have such fun.”

  “I’ll definitely drop by,” I said.

  “You must stay all night,” Caprice said. “I want to hear all your news.”

  “Watch out. I spot trouble.” Samantha grabbed Caprice and Bastille’s arms and yanked them to a stop, her gaze narrowing as she stared across the street.

  I looked over to where she was staring, and my eyes widened. Rhett and his entire gang sat astride their bikes in a single line of leather-clad menace. They hadn’t been there when I’d hurried past a moment ago.

  “If they’re trying to intimidate us, it’s failing.” Caprice lifted her chin and stared them down. “They’re little boys on big bikes that they don’t know how to handle.”

  “They’re fine,” I said. “Give me a minute, though, and I’ll make sure they’re not after anything.”

  “They’ll find my foot whacking them in the backside if they spoil our fun,” Caprice hollered, loud enough so they could all hear.

  I hurried over to Rhett, hoping the blush I felt hadn’t spread to my cheeks. “You look like you mean business.”

  “Just making sure our new arrivals are appropriately welcomed.” Rhett grinned at me and winked.

  “Your gang rivalry was a long time ago, before you were head of this gang,” I said.

  “It’s tradition when former gang members arrive in the village. It never hurts to remind them who’s in charge,” Rhett said. “We might be the new generation, but old grudges stick.”

  I shook my head. “Look at them. They’re middle-aged women. They—”

  “Incoming!” Josh yelled.

  Rhett grabbed me and yanked me against his chest as something hot and magic-laced shot past us.

  “Sorry!” Samantha shouted. “My aim’s a little off.”

  I peered over Rhett’s shoulder to see a flaming purple rock behind us. I turned toward her. “A little! You almost took my head off.”

  “See what I mean?” Rhett brushed my dark hair off my face, amusement glinting in his eyes. “They might have a few wrinkles, but those witches have power. They’re not our fans, so we return the favor.”

  I nodded, my attention shifting to his mouth. “They won’t be a problem. They’re only here for a couple of days.”

  “They might be. Those witches have a lot of power, especially when they get together.” Rhett’s gaze moved over my shoulder, and his fingers tightened on my back.

  I turned to see Caprice shoot a green flame into the air, her glare fixed on the gang.

  I groaned and rubbed my forehead. “Okay, so they’re powerful witches. They still won’t cause you any trouble. They’re here to get merry, drink too much, and talk about old times.”

  Rhett scrubbed his stubbled chin before nodding. “Are we still on for tomorrow night?”

  I grinned at him. “Of course. Tonight, I have to take care of this lot, but I’m free tomorrow.” Rhett had asked to take me stargazing. I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it, but if it meant alone time with Rhett, snuggled on a blanket, I was willing to experiment.

  “I’ll pick you up at ten. We won’t get the best view until midnight.”

  “Not a problem.” I glanced at the other members of his gang, who were watching the three witches with scowls on their faces, before giving him a quick kiss. “See you tomorrow.”

  I felt the urge to skip as I hurried away from Rhett. It was silly, but he always made me feel like a teenage girl with a giant crush.

  Caprice shot another bout of flame into the air, and Samantha and Bastille laughed as I drew near.

  I doused the flames with my own magic. “That’s enough showing off.”

  Caprice raised her neat eyebrows at me. “You’re having a dalliance with Rhett Blackthorn?”

  I shrugged. “Sort of.”

  “What does Queenie think about that?” Samantha asked.

  “If I’m happy, she’s happy. Do you have an issue with who I date?”

  Samantha laughed. “When he’s as hot as that, of course not. It’s just a shame he runs that rabble.”

  I turned and smiled at Rhett. “They aren’t so bad when you get past the attitudes.”

  “I’m itching to try out my new ice spell,” Caprice said. “I should see if these big, tough guys fancy a little frost on their beards.”

  “No! No frost on anything.” I blew out a breath. “Let’s get to the hotel.”

  “Just a little spell,” Caprice said. “I promise not to hurt any of them.” Ice danced across the ground toward the bikers.

  “Wiggles.” I pointed at the ice.

  He sucked in a breath and belched out a hot steam of brimstone laced smoke, melting the ice.

  “Oh, you’re no fun, you bad puppy.” Caprice pouted.

  Wiggles shrugged. “I had trapped wind. If I hold it in, I get a stomach ache.”

  Caprice frowned. “I’m still keeping an eye on that gang. I don’t trust them.”

  “No one does.” I tilted my head in the direction of the hotel. “Let’s get a move on. You don’t want to be late for the fun.”

  These witches might be retired from the gang, but they were still a big handful of mischief.

  Chapter 2

  The mission I’d been forced into accepting by Mom that evening was to keep Auntie Queenie and her gang of delinquent buddies in line. If none of them got arrested and ended up in the angels’ cells, I’d consider it a win.

  After depositing Auntie Queenie’s friends at the hotel, I’d headed to Cloven Hoof for a quick shower and a change of clothes. It was never polite to go to a party stinking of demon.

  I now sat by an open fire in the forest with two forkfuls of melting marshmallows in my hands.

  All of Auntie Queenie’s friends sat around the fire, drinking spiced red wine from fancy gold chalices and chatting about old times. Nearly everyone from the family was here. The only ones missing were Grandpa Lucius and Uncle Kenny, who were at the cemetery keeping an eye on the demons.

  I passed a fork of melted marshmallows to Aurora, who sat beside me, dressed in a fluffy white jacket and knee-high black boots, her hair hidden under a woolen hat.

  She scooped off a finger of gooey marshmallow and blew on her finger. “That’s hot!”

  “Fire tends to make things warm. You should wait until they’ve cooled.”

  “No way.” Aurora squashed the gooey marshmallow between two chocolate cookies before taking a bite and handing me half.

  We both looked over and smiled as Auntie Queenie roared with laughter and slapped Lila on the back.

  “She’s still got it,” Aurora said. “I hope we’re like her when we’re her age.”

  “Crazy, drinking too much brandy, and reading inappropriate books about how to spice up your love life?”

  Aurora laughed. “Exactly
. It’ll be me and you, drunk, half-mad, and reading smutty novels. I can’t wait.”

  That did sound like fun. I thought about Frank, and some of my happiness faded. He was behaving himself and had barely stirred all evening, even when Aurora sat next to me with a bag of marshmallows and two toasting forks. Would I still have a demon living inside me when I was Auntie Queenie’s age? Maybe he wouldn’t let me live that long.

  I shook my head. It was no time for maudlin thoughts. This was a party, and I was determined to enjoy myself.

  Wiggles bounced around between everyone, accepting belly rubs and treats whenever he could. He loved nothing more than a good party.

  “Look out. We’ve got company.” Lila jumped to her feet, her eyes narrowed.

  I squinted through the gloom into the trees. Two shadowy figures stood outside the light of the fire. I tensed and rose slowly to my feet. Who would want to snoop on our party?

  “Can you see who it is?” Aurora whispered.

  “I’m not sure. They don’t look friendly.” I handed the other forkful of marshmallows to her and accessed my magic, sparking it on my fingers if I needed it in a hurry.

  “You’re not welcome here,” Lila said sharply. “Get out before we run you out.”

  “Who is it?” Auntie Queenie joined her, along with Bastille.

  “Two of those boys we saw when we arrived this afternoon,” Samantha said. “I recognize the one on the left because of his ridiculous beard.”

  I sighed and shook my head. “I’ll deal with this.” Rhett’s gang wouldn’t be daft enough to come into the forest. They all knew what we were up to tonight. They must be looking for trouble if they were paying us a visit.

  “You stay where you are. We’ve got this.” Samantha and Caprice strode toward the bikers, sparks of yellow magic flaring from their fingers.

  “There’s no need for that.” Alarm spilled through me as I saw the focused intent on the witches’ faces. They weren’t playing around.

  “Don’t mind them. They’re having fun,” Auntie Queenie said as she settled back on her upturned log. “It’s been awhile since any of us has gone up against the gang. It gets the juices flowing to have someone to battle with.”

  “It won’t be fun if the fight gets serious,” I said, my gaze not leaving Samantha and Caprice.

  “Quick! They’re making a run for it,” Caprice said.

  “Let’s see if this puts them off of snooping on our fun.” Samantha rolled a large ball of sparking electricity between her hands before flinging it after the retreating figures.

  Two loud yelps and a torrent of angry curses filled the air as her magic made contact.

  Samantha and Caprice laughed and clutched each other as they returned to their seats by the fire.

  “You hit your targets,” I said.

  “I did. That was fun,” Samantha said. “We must celebrate seeing off those rogues.”

  More wine was poured and chocolate covered buns passed around.

  “We should start up the gang again,” Esmeralda said. “I miss the fun we had.”

  “If my joints could take it, I’d be right behind you,” Caprice said. “Every time I move these days, something aches.”

  “I’ve got an herbal remedy that might help,” Aurora said. “It’s good for aching joints.”

  Caprice patted her cheek, her face glowing, thanks to the wine. “You’re such a sweet girl. I’ll give it a try.”

  “Too much has happened since the gang broke up,” Bastille said softly. “We’ve all changed.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Auntie Queenie said. “I’m no different from when I was eighteen. I remember my first ride on a bike like it was yesterday. The wind in my hair and my skirt blowing up around my thighs. I’d never felt so free.”

  “You never wore a helmet.” Bastille stared into the flames. “We all know why that is.”

  Auntie Queenie cocked her head, and her eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you tell us just in case anyone’s forgotten?”

  I glanced at Aurora. I’d seen Auntie Queenie and Bastille bicker before. It was always over the same thing. Uncle Kenny.

  “You wanted to catch a certain person’s eye,” Bastille said. “You thought he wouldn’t notice you if you had a safety helmet on. And you used to wear those ridiculously short skirts on that bike. It’s a wonder you weren’t arrested for indecent exposure.”

  “Those skirts allowed me to move easily on the bike, and nothing stuck in the spokes,” Auntie Queenie said. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “It made you look easy,” Bastille said.

  Auntie Queenie sucked in a breath, and her lips thinned.

  “Now, now,” Mom said. “You were young and enjoying yourselves. We’ve all got an inappropriate skirt in our closet.”

  “Bastille’s still jealous,” Aurora whispered. “You’d think she’d let it go after all these years.”

  I nodded. It was no secret that Uncle Kenny had dated Bastille before Auntie Queenie. They’d been together for six months when Queenie had caught his eye. He always said it was love at first sight. He saw her, and no other woman mattered. He always called her his beacon of light, although, perhaps the short skirt had helped.

  Once they’d met, he’d ended things with Bastille. It was a long time ago, but Bastille had trouble letting go.

  “Bastille never married,” Aurora said quietly.

  “She must have dated after Uncle Kenny,” I said. “He’s a lovely guy, but he’s not the only lovely guy on the planet.” To look at Uncle Kenny, you’d never think he was such a stud in his youth. He was quiet, polite, and reserved. A kind-hearted guy who always looked out for others and kept his head down and out of trouble.

  “Maybe she thought he was her true love,” Aurora said. “When you find it, you just know.” She sighed and gazed at the stars.

  Aurora was besotted by Toby Matlock. So far, she was still not telling anybody else about him but did keep dropping hints about them moving in together. Any day now, she’d have to come clean and let everyone know what she was doing. I’d make sure not to be around when that happened.

  Grandpa Lucius strode through the forest toward the fire. He gave everyone a cheery wave as he looked around. “Having fun, ladies?”

  Granny Dottie hopped up and kissed his cheek. “Of course. Don’t tell me it’s a shift change already. I was just getting going.”

  “Afraid so, old girl. The demons request the presence of your delightful company.”

  “Where’s Uncle Kenny?” Aurora stood. She was joining Granny Dottie for a shift in the cemetery.

  Grandpa Lucius rubbed the back of his neck. “He stayed behind. He didn’t want things to get tense around here.” He looked pointedly at Bastille.

  “Understood,” Granny Dottie said briskly. “There’s no point in opening old wounds.”

  “Ancient wounds more like,” I muttered. Bastille needed to get over having a crush on my uncle. It was sort of creepy.

  “Come on.” Granny Dottie linked arms with Aurora. “Let’s go bash some misbehaving demons.”

  I said goodbye to them and settled back in my seat, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying some delicious cobbler Mom had baked for the party.

  Samantha looked around the group, a smile on her lips. “I just remembered the time we snuck into the thermal spas and dyed the water.”

  Caprice snorted a laugh. “It was the day before the mayor brought his fancy friends to visit.”

  Auntie Queenie roared with laughter. “After they had a dip, they came out purple.”

  I joined in the laughter as I ate my cobbler. This was what life was all about. Great friends, close family, and incredible desserts.

  ***

  It wasn’t until almost midnight when the party broke up.

  All of Auntie Queenie’s friends staggered away toward the hotel, while Mom and Grandpa Lucius did a quick clear up and made sure the fire was out.

  Auntie Queenie leaned heavily on my shoulder
as I helped her to her feet.

  “Did you have a fun night?” I asked her.

  “The best.” She planted a sloppy kiss on my cheek. “Those girls are incredible. Absolutely nuts, but brilliant fun. When I’m with them, I know someone has my back. That was the incredible thing about being part of the gang. You knew you had someone looking out for you. No matter how bad things got, they were always there.”

  “It sounds awesome.”

  She hiccupped and giggled. “I might have had a bit too much wine.”

  I smiled. “Just a bit.”

  “It won’t be many more years before I’m too old to party. I have to enjoy myself while I can.”

  “You know that’s not true,” I said. “You’ll be partying long after I’m gone.”

  That comment earned me another kiss.

  “Let’s get you home,” I said.

  Mom loaded Grandpa Lucius with leftover food and empty dishes and sent him on ahead before grabbing Auntie Queenie’s other arm and wrapping it around her shoulders. “You old lush. You’re setting a bad example for Tempest and Aurora.”

  “It was a little fun,” Auntie Queenie slurred. “My nieces are too sensible to follow my example.”

  Mom shook her head and looked at me. “This is not the way you’re supposed to live your life.”

  “You said it yourself. There’s no harm in letting off steam,” I said.

  “Toot, toot,” Auntie Queenie said. “I feel like I’m all puffed out after tonight.”

  “I couldn’t help but notice things got tense with Bastille.”

  Auntie Queenie waved a hand as if conducting an orchestra. “Take no notice of her. We both loved the same man, but I won him. There are no hard feelings. Bastille sees how happy Kenny makes me and how happy I make him.” She started singing out of tune as we walked slowly back to the house.

  Uncle Kenny opened the door as we arrived. He chuckled and shook his head. “Had a good night, beautiful?”

  Auntie Queenie flung her arms around his neck and gave him a big smooch. “The best. You’re the best. Have I ever told you I love you?”

  “Only every day of our married life.” He grinned at me and Mom. “I’ll take it from here.”