Chapter 19
Mia took a picture of the memo with her phone. “One way to find out.”
She looked at the pile of complaints and found another one she wondered about.
It was from Sabrina, the woman who had just been over to the academy to congratulate Mia.
She snapped a picture of that one too. Finally she found one from the National Office to Brandon explaining that because so many complaints were filed, they were sending a new tester rather than Hugh Charlton, the man who was in charge of Magic Springs’s testing for years.
Suzanne Parker would redo the test. The memo also said that Brandon could stop the testing if he thought this was a nonissue.
“Huh.” Mia sat back in her chair. “Why didn’t Brandon just stop the second test?
And even if he didn’t agree with the first test level, why the dog and pony show when I got my second set of test scores?
This doesn’t make any sense.” Brandon knew Mia didn’t want to join the coven.
Why would he keep asking if he didn’t think she deserved the levels she was testing at?
“Ready to go ask some people what they really think?” Christina asked, skimming through the memos.
“Almost. I need to know who requested the house training for Cerby and Tempest.” She handed Christina a new stack of papers that had just drifted down from the first question. “You go through these. I need to ask a second question.”
As Mia formulated the next question, she tried to narrow it down as much as possible without limiting the answer. She had a feeling she might know where the house training request came from, but she would rather know all her enemies than think some of them were friends.
She wrote down the question, then pushed the paper forward to the edge of the table, where it appeared to fall off. Mia knew she wouldn’t see a paper on the floor if she looked down. Her question had disappeared into a metaphysical slot. Mia couldn’t see where it started or where it went.
A new paper floated down to the table. Mia waited for others to drop to pick it up, but only the one page dropped.
She picked it up and read the memo aloud.
“‘Per your coven president’s appeal to the National Office’s department of hellhounds and other magical creatures, due to the special circumstances, the office has approved a home study course for both hellhounds. ’
“Brandon authorized the at-home training program for Cerby. And Tempest. He knows about Sarah and her powers, and maybe Em.” Mia tried to think.
What special circumstances could he have found out about?
Buddy? Why had he requested this? She turned to Christina.
“Anything else we should know? Is the governor or president against us as well?”
“One more. Blake sent in a complaint too. For someone who’s trying to hide from the coven, she’s sure busy getting into your business.”
“Let’s get out of here and get some visits done.
We’ll leave talking to Blake about the letter for tomorrow.
Right now, I like knowing I’m employed. After we talk, I might have to actually join the coven for the monthly payments, because if this is true, I can’t work with her.
” Mia took a picture of the survey. She couldn’t believe all Blake wanted was to stay out of the limelight.
The complaint not only outed her as a witch but put her in Magic Springs.
Two things she said she didn’t want the coven to know. What a liar.
“Where are we headed first? To find Brandon or to talk to Thomas?” Christina stood as she straightened the papers on the table.
“Let’s go to the store. If they falsified Thomas’s complaint, maybe some of the others were false as well.
” Mia followed Christina out to the lobby.
Cleo was nowhere to be seen. Mia shrugged, and they left coven headquarters.
“Something feels off about this. Would Thomas submit a complaint without telling Abigail? If he’d told her, she’d be in the third bedroom in the apartment. ”
“You’re right about that.” Christina grinned as she unlocked the doors to the Land Rover. “Mama don’t take kindly to people attacking her family.”
Mia smiled as Christina started the car.
As they pulled out of the parking spot, she saw Cleo standing in the window, watching them leave.
What had Cleo wanted them to find? Were Mia’s questions on point enough for the magic answer room to give her the answer she needed?
Sometimes in Magic Springs, Mia thought she might do just as well with one of those Magic 8 Balls.
Your answer is inconclusive. Try again later.
As Christina drove the short distance to Majors Grocery store, she was quiet as well. She parked the car in the lot and then turned to Mia. “You really don’t think Thomas sent that complaint, do you?”
“Honestly I don’t know. Levi said something earlier about his dad.
Maybe we should listen to the people who know him rather than relying on what we think we know.
” Mia had a few mottos to live by, and one was when someone shows you who they are, believe them.
Was Thomas showing his true feelings? She stared at the big windows in the store.
He’d taken over the management of the store grudgingly for Trent when Sonja put him on house arrest for Cerby’s training.
Levi said he was old-fashioned. Maybe he didn’t believe a kitchen witch could obtain a level three without cheating.
She turned to Christina. “You don’t have to come in. If he did do this, maybe you don’t need to know.”
“Mia, you’re my best friend and basically my sister. What you know, I need to know. You can’t protect me forever.” She squeezed Mia’s hand. “Whatever this crazy life brings, I hope we’re always together to fight the battle for the right side.”
Mia squeezed back. “Let’s just hope the Goddess tells us the right side before we start the fight.”
“The fact that you’re even questioning which side is right tells me you’ll make the correct decision. People who don’t, well, they’re usually wrong.” Christina turned off the car. “Let’s go talk to the man who might be our future father-in-law, whether he likes it or not.”
Thomas Majors was standing by the customer service counter, talking to a clerk.
When he saw them arrive, he checked his watch and frowned, but then finished his conversation and walked over to them.
“Are you here to shop? You could have called in the order and I would have brought it when I came back from work.”
“No, we’re here to talk to you. Can we use Trent’s office?” Mia pointed toward the back of the store. She’d been to his office several times and knew where it was located.
“Of course.” He held up his hand and got the head clerk’s attention. “Farrah? I’ll be in the back for a bit. Can you handle the front?”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Yes. I’ve done it before.”
Thomas chuckled as they walked to the back.
“Farrah’s a little put out that I’m here.
She thinks that Trent should have put her in charge while he was training Cerby, but the door does say Majors Grocery.
She’ll get over it. Come on in. I just made a fresh pot of coffee.
Don’t tell Abigail; she thinks I cut myself off after the cup at home. ”
“No coffee for me, thanks.” Mia sat down as Christina waved away the coffee as well.
Thomas looked confused but sat at the desk, watching them. “Okay, so not a supply run and not a social call. Why are you two here?”
“Christina, show him the memo, please.” Mia watched as Christina handed over her phone.
He took the phone and read the memo. Shaking his head, he read it again. He handed back the phone to Christina. “I didn’t write or send that memo.”
“You weren’t upset that Levi wasn’t being put into coven management?” Mia asked, watching Thomas’s face.
This time he laughed before he answered the question. “Levi? My ski instructor-EMT driver Levi? That boy likes change way too much. He lives on the chaos. He would die in a desk role.”
Christina met Mia’s gaze. “That’s true. Levi has never expressed a desire to be part of management. In fact, he said he was happy that Trent took on running the grocery store. He would have hated it.”
“If I wasn’t looking for a place for my son in coven management, why would I worry about a kitchen witch taking a spot?
Besides, I know you don’t want to join the coven, even if they offered you Maxwell’s job.
You like cooking and feeding people. That’s your gift.
Not managing a group of people who don’t want to be managed and attending the parties that the coven holds.
” Thomas pointed at Christina’s phone. “Whoever did that made it seem like I didn’t approve of you and Trent’s relationship, which isn’t true at all.
Trent loves you. Any fool can see that.”
Blushing, Mia pushed the statement away. “We’re not here to talk about my relationship with your son.”
“Are you sure? Because that memo could have caused a fight. A fight someone wanted to happen. Maybe between you and Trent. Maybe between me and Abigail. Someone is playing us. And the National Office. Did you find more of these complaints?” Thomas leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled to his lips.
“A lot. Some I questioned, like yours and Blake’s, my boss. She swears she’s trying to keep off the coven’s radar, so why would she file a formal complaint and out herself over my rating?” Mia said.
“Anyone else stand out?”
Mia answered. “Brandon Maxwell. He’s been welcoming and pushing me to join because of my rating.
Why would he complain? Doesn’t it make Magic Springs special to have higher-rated witches as part of the coven?
I asked him if he knew who had complained, and he made it seem like he never knew about the complaints.
The research room showed us a whole pile. ”