Chapter 16
Sylvie
Tara and Em basically pull me into one of the bathrooms, and then Tara flips the lock while Em knocks on the stall doors.
“Clear,” Em announces.
Prudence sticks her head out of my purse. “You can’t just talk about witch stuff everywhere,” she tells me.
“Oh. Shit. The talking cat.” Em’s green eyes are huge in her face.
“Yeah,” I say, exhausted. “It’s been a weird few days.”
It’s been one day, actually, but it feels like about a year has happened.
“I have a possessed doll,” Em tells me brightly.
I stare at her. “That sounds horrible.”
“Oh, it is,” she agrees cheerfully. “You just kind of get used to it. The jump scares don’t really stop, but maybe all that adrenaline is secretly good for me.”
“It’s not. That doll should be exorcised,” Prudence weighs in.
I set her on the floor because, small as she is, my purse isn’t built to be a talking cat’s conveyance.
“I don’t know if you’re allowed to have cats in here, rebel. I dig it,” Em tells me.
“I got your text,” Tara tells me. “Let’s break it down real fast for Em.”
“Okay. Ghosts attacked me because I am an idiot and forgot to clean the store or whatever. Thankfully they waited until Colton left.”
“I love Colton,” Em enthuses. “He did my hotel reno.”
“He’s great,” I agree. “I really like his whole vibe, you know? He knows what to do but doesn’t make me feel stupid when I am absolutely clueless.”
“Yes, that’s exactly how I feel—”
“Okay, back to the ghosts,” Tara says, pressing her lips together like she’s trying to keep from laughing at us.
I start to rake a hand through my hair, but then remember I just slicked it back. Great, now I’m going to look even worse.
“Right. So they were throwing stuff at me and Pru, and then I remembered something, but I couldn’t remember what—”
“I’m going to cut you off there,” Prudence announces, leaping out of my purse to sit on the sink basin.
“She was spelled to forget we found a grimoire, and long story short, we sealed up the store again but we’re going to need more firepower for a real cleansing.
Whatever’s hanging out in the bookstore is a nasty piece of work, and we need more people to get rid of it. ”
I could be annoyed that the cat’s cut me off, but I just shrug. “Yeah, that about sums it up. We need help.”
“It’s so weird because my ghosts are friendly.”
My nose scrunches up. “Even the possessed doll?”
“She means well,” Em tells me, then elbows Tara. “Your ghosts weren’t happy.”
“They weren’t, but they just wanted peace. They didn’t… It wasn’t like whatever this haunting is.”
“So you’re a witch, too?” I ask Em.
“Focus!” Pru yells.
“I guess. I see ghosts, can kind of communicate with them, but I don’t like… do spells. Not like Tara.”
“You just don’t know that you’re doing them,” Prudence says, annoyed at being ignored. “I can smell them on you.”
“I’m surprised you can smell anything after our cleaning day,” I tell her.
Tara pinches her nose, then crosses her arms over her chest. “Okay. Are you safe for the night?”
“Yeah, the door sealed again. Whatever is in the bookstore isn’t going to get out.” I don’t know much about magic, or running a bookstore, but somehow I am sure about that.
“She’s powerful. The house itself is safe,” Prudence says, agreeing with me.
I grin at the little black cat. “Thanks, Pru.”
“Okay, so like, I feel like I shouldn’t be cavalier about all of this,” Em says. “Considering the whole ‘I see dead people’ thing I have going on. But the cat talking is throwing me off.”
“Cool, huh?” Tara laughs. “Wild times in New Hopewell.”
“You get used to her. She’s actually pretty cool to have around.” I wink at Prudence.
A loud rumbling purr begins in her throat, and the sound makes me feel less on edge.
“The grimoire my witch found has a lot of local history in it, including what we assume is about the restless spirits in our bookstore.”
Our bookstore, the cat says. Like we’re partners.
I can’t say I hate the idea of it. It certainly is better than thinking of me having to do it all on my own.
My fingers find the spot Prudence likes scratched below her ear, and she leans into it.
“There is a set of pages that have moving words, and we both get the feeling that they’re about whatever’s trapped in the bookstore, but we didn’t know how to decipher it or unlock it or,” I pause because I have no idea what the right witchy word is for what I’m trying to say, “whatever. We’re pretty sure we need help to figure it out and to get rid of the bad juju. ”
“Bad juju,” Prudence repeats, moving her head slightly so I can get a new spot. “I like that. That sums it up.”
Em blows out a breath, her hands on her hips.
Tara’s eyes are narrowed, her foot tapping on the tiled bathroom floor.
“This is a nice place, by the way,” I say, suddenly overwhelmed with how fucking awkward this is. “Thanks for inviting me out, uh, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Be a Bad News Bear. I definitely want a beer. How’s Aiden?”
I wince at the godawful segue.
Prudence huffs out a laugh, then nudges me until I resume petting her.
“He was definitely sad when you were late,” Tara says, batting her eyelashes at me. “Not that you care, right? You’re just friends. You’re both very clear about that.”
“Fuck being friends and fuck,” Em says.
I choke on my own spit.
“Sorry, not sorry.” Em holds up her hands in mock surrender. “I’ve played the ‘we’re better as friends’ game and it’s a waste of time. If you’re into him, just go for it. What’s the worst that can happen?”
“Uh, he decides he hates me and now it’s awkward because my two newest friends in town are also friends with him?”
“Fair point,” Em says, pursing her lips. “But the thing is, we’re all witches now, bitches, so witches before hoe-bros.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that,” Tara tells her, then grins at me. “But for the record, I agree. Go for it, and be normal if it doesn’t work out.”
“I don’t know that I even want to go for it,” I say. “He’s cute, yeah, like really cute, and nice, but we literally just met yesterday. It’s not like we’re wasting years of time here.” I laugh at that, but Em frowns at me.
Oh. I guess she did waste years of time in the friend zone.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
“Nah, don’t apologize. You’re just going to have to put up with me and Tara pushing you and Aiden together forever.”
It’s a mark of how much I’m lying to myself about being attracted to Aiden that she makes me blush.
“Live and learn and get laid,” Prudence declares.
“That is… that is not how the saying goes.” I shake my head.
Em’s staring at Prudence again like the cat’s grown another head, and then she doubles over laughing. “Oh my god, I’m so glad you moved here and have a talking cat. This is the best thing ever.”
“We did need some fresh meat,” Tara says, beaming at me.
“We’re gonna get your ghosties figured out, Sylvie, okay?
Tonight, though? Tonight we’re going to drink free at Em’s husband’s bar and enjoy being alive.
The ghosts are dead, they ain’t going anywhere.
” She gives me a meaningful look, but I’m not sure that I know what the hell she means by it.
Typical me.
“I mean, let’s hope they don’t go anywhere,” I say slowly.
That’s a sobering thought, that the mean-ass poltergeists with a penchant for pelting me with lemon Pledge could get loose and terrorize the people of New Hopewell.
Citrus-scented everything.
I shudder.
“Nah, if they were going to bother places besides your store, they already would be,” Tara says.
“You seem pretty sure about that.”
“If there’s one thing Tara and I have dealt with, it’s ghosts. Ghosts and murderous pawn shop owners.” Em nods at her own declaration, as if it makes total sense.
“Alright, let’s get out there and have fun.”
“Nope.” Prudence hisses. “You three need to agree on when you’re dealing with the bookstore ghosts before you’re all too drunk to see straight.”
“She’s not wrong,” I say. “Rude, probably, but also right.”
I hold my hand up for Prudence to high-five, but she just stares at me like I’m an idiot until I slowly lower it.
“We’ll work on the fist bumps,” I say.
“No, we won’t. You’ll be at the bookstore tomorrow morning. All three of you, and whoever else has an ounce of power in this town.”
“Why do I get the feeling the cat knows more than she’s telling us?” Em stage whispers.
“Probably because she does,” I say on a sigh. “It’s easier just to agree with her.”
“I can come by early,” Tara says easily. “Ward and I will crash at the shop tonight. Em, you could stay with us too! A slumber party.”
They both turn to look at me. “Oh, you can come too.”
“No, my witch needs to sleep in her own bed. It will help keep the spirits contained.”
I rub a hand over my face. “Thanks, Prudence. I didn’t know you could cockblock friendship but here you are.”
She harrumphs, and then vaults off the sink, tail swishing in the air as she prances to the door. “Now you can go. I would also like some fish. Maybe some cream.”
“I am not cleaning your litterbox if you eat any more cream,” I tell her.
“You don’t have a choice in the matter. You have thumbs, I don’t. It’s your house. If you want it to smell like that, that’s your business.”
“I was jealous I didn’t have a familiar at first—”
“Envious. Envious is the proper word.”
Em stares at her, then unlocks the door. Prudence pushes it open without missing a beat, scampering through the crowd in a flash of black fur.
No one seems to notice the cat in their midst, and I throw my hands up in defeat before picking up my purse. “She’s a handful.”
“It’s kind of cool,” Em says slowly, her eyes huge in her face. “Like, Tara and I had suspicions about the witchcraft stuff, but we didn’t have anyone to ask. And now you’re here, and you have a cat, and a grimoire—”
“The Romantics,” I say, slapping my forehead.
“What?” Em asks. Tara raises an eyebrow at me, too.
“I don’t see how being romantic has anything to do with it.”