Chapter 4 Old Witch Business
OLD WITCH BUSINESS
We found spots near the back and wedged ourselves between a potted plant and a bookshelf.
Mrs. Chen served herbal tea before sitting on an armchair. She clicked a pen with a sound like a shotgun and consulted a clipboard like she’d been running meetings since before most of us were born. Which, given that she was a witch, was entirely possible.
The ghoul straightened, his pale eyes narrowing. “Yes. Stomping. At all hours. Some of us are trying to sleep during the day.”
The Lopez sisters made indignant noises. “We do not stomp. We were practicing our tap dancing.”
“With what, metal boots?” Mr. Kowalski sneered.
“There’s no need to be rude,” one of the brownies piped up, waving a tiny fist.
“The Lopez sisters will switch to rubber soles,” Mrs. Chen stated, ticking a box on her clipboard.
The Lopez sisters opened their mouths to protest and deflated in the face of Mrs. Chen’s narrow-eyed stare. Mr. Kowalski similarly subsided under the witch’s piercing look, but not without a grumble.
“Wow,” Virgil mumbled. “She’s good.”
“Second item,” Mrs. Chen continued briskly. “The Hendersons have offered to reorganize the storage units in the basement.”
A collective groan rose from the assembled residents.
“We’re very efficient,” a brownie protested, clearly offended. “Why, Mrs. Patterson’s holiday decorations are now arranged by color and season.”
“Mrs. Patterson liked them arranged by year,” someone muttered.
The brownie lifted his chin defiantly. “Her system was anarchy. Complete and utter anarchy!” His companions nodded vigorously.
“Motion for the brownies to organize the storage units is denied,” Mrs. Chen said firmly. “Moving on to the third item. Keith, status report on the basement situation?”
A shy, gravelly voice emerged from the shadowy corner. “The imp infestation is contained. Mostly. I recommend no one use the second washing machine until the warding stabilizes.”
I made a mental note to never do laundry in this building again.
The meeting continued in a similar vein—disputes about shared spaces, complaints about mysterious smells, a heated debate about whether the pixies should be allowed to use the roof garden after “the incident” that no one would explain but everyone shuddered about.
Bo had fallen asleep by my feet and I was starting to zone out when Mrs. Chen’s tone shifted.
“Final item.” Her voice had lost its businesslike briskness. “I wanted to make everyone aware of a situation affecting our community.”
The room went quiet. Even the brownies stopped fidgeting.
Ellie woke up with a snort and a mumbled “What’s happening?” where she’d been drooling on Virgil’s shoulder.
“As some of you may have noticed, medical services for the supernatural residents in Amberford have declined lately.” Mrs. Chen’s expression was carefully neutral. “Ever since the Lincoln sisters took their little… vacation.”
My wolf stirred, ears pricking.
“The new clinics aren’t the same,” a brownie said anxiously. “We took little Timothy to one of them last week when he caught fire—”
“Wait,” I whispered warily to Virgil. “Brownies can catch fire?”
“It’s a childhood thing. They call it Ember Pox. It’s like chicken pox, but burnier.”
Bo had woken up and was paying close attention to the gory conversation. This hardly surprised me, considering his macabre fascination with true crime shows.
“—the healing spells barely worked!” the brownie was saying, distressed. “He’s still smoldering slightly. The Lincoln sisters would have had him sorted in minutes.”
Several residents nodded in worried agreement.
“The wards are weaker too,” Mr. Kowalski added, his usual grumpiness replaced by genuine concern. “My preservation charms have been failing. Do you know how inconvenient that is for somebody with my dietary requirements?”
It was clear from everyone’s expression that no one wanted to know.
“The Lincoln sisters were the best healers in the region,” Sage Willow said quietly. “Their absence has left a noticeable gap in our community’s medical care.”
“When are they coming back?” Edna Lopez asked in a brittle voice.
Mrs. Chen’s pause lasted a fraction too long.
“I’m sure they’ll return from their sabbatical when they’re ready.”
I frowned.
Not only did the three sisters usually represent the witches in the Amberford Alliance, they also controlled most of the supernatural clinics in Amberford and the surrounding towns. Melody Flowers, a fae-witch, had temporarily assumed their seat in the Alliance pending their return.
“If there’s no other business, I believe we can adjourn,” Mrs. Chen said.
“Same time next month, assuming the roof garden situation doesn’t require emergency intervention.
” She shot a meaningful look at a corner of the room where a group of small and winged figures I hadn’t noticed were trying to look innocent.
The building residents began filing out, still murmuring amongst themselves about the general inadequacy of the new clinics in town. We were almost at the door when a hand caught my arm.
Mrs. Chen had materialized silently beside me. “A word, please?”
Ellie and Virgil hesitated. I waved them on. “I’ll catch up.”
Bo stayed by my side.
Mrs. Chen waited until the others had left before speaking. “You’re settling in well at the Hawthorne mansion, I hear.” Her expression had shifted from neutral to assessing.
I narrowed my eyes a little. “News travels fast.”
“In Amberford? Always.” Her lips quirked slightly before she sobered. “I heard about the transformation you pulled off in the mine against the Bludworth vampire. Quite impressive for someone so newly turned.”
I blinked. “How do you know about that? It’s meant to be a secret.”
“I know many things. It’s one of the advantages of being old and well-connected.” Her eyes sharpened. “A white wolf manifesting in a turned human is extraordinarily rare. Some would say impossible. And yet here you are.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that. The Hawthornes and the Alliance were still researching the latest manifestations of my powers.
The only one who hadn’t seemed surprised by my transformation had been Pearl, which led me to believe she knew far more on the matter than anyone else but was staying quiet on the subject for reasons best known to her.
Mrs. Chen patted my arm, her touch light but deliberate. “If you ever need information about old witch business, you know where to find me.”
The words hung in the air between us.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked carefully.
“Because I have a feeling you’ll soon be knee deep in it.”
She showed me out, turned, and disappeared back into her cozy apartment, Mimi padding silently at her heels. The door closed with a soft click.
Bo and I stood in the hallway and stared at the weathered wood.
“That was cryptic,” Bo said finally.
“Very.”
He wagged his tail and studied me with the bright eyes of hope.
“Are we going to look into it?”
I wasn’t sure I wanted my dog playing detective again. The last time he’d stuck his nose in places it didn’t belong, he’d almost gotten himself killed.
My wolf’s alertness and Mrs. Chen’s careful phrasing told me there was a high probability something rotten was afoot in Amberford again.
“I’ll ask Samuel about it,” I conceded.
Bo’s tail drooped as he headed for the stairs. “That’s boring.”
I grimaced. “What happened to you wanting a quiet life?”
“I changed my mind.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, I’d like to go one month without stumbling into trouble. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”
“Boring,” Bo huffed.