Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen
Ipaid and arranged for transport and then Cosmo and I sneaked away while Genie and Adriana settled their bill and claimed the box. They’d next drop in at the police station, for the grimoire. It would seem strange if we accompanied them there as well, considering we’d only just met.
Posy was again busy with her plants when we returned to the B&B, but she pruned and watered them without her usual cheer.
I heard her mutter under her breath, “It’s all pointless, anyway.”
“Is everything alright?” I couldn’t think of a better question.
“Well, no. It’s such a lovely town and community, and it breaks my heart to think what will become of it.”
“Why? Is there a problem with Crystal Springs?”
“Only that one of the leading lights of our energy healing community has been arrested. That gives the mayor even more ammunition in his effort to yuppify us. Half the small business owners are afraid they won’t survive without their usual clientele.”
My stomach tightened. We hadn’t thought of that. Sure, stopping Fay had been the only option before she traveled further down the road of unleashing black magic, but these were serious repercussions for innocent folks.
We couldn’t let that happen.
Posy grimaced. “Have you seen the springs yet, while you still can? They’re magical.”
“No. I should rectify that,” I said.
A small smile curled up Posy’s lips. “Take a picnic and a blanket. We have a stack in the reception for this purpose. There’s a map too.”
“Great, thank you.”
Armed with the map and picnic supplies, Cosmo and I set out on our hike.
I’d spent so many hours sitting over the course of the last few days that I decided we both needed to stretch our legs.
A destination renowned for its tranquility that necessitated walking for a mile from the car park fit that bill perfectly.
Cosmo bounced and weaved across to sniff flowers and trees and greet the occasional squirrel and chipmunk. A gentle breeze carried the scent of wildflowers and grass.
With every step on the track, I relaxed more. It felt good to be far away from the traffic, the throng of people, even our new friends. For a few blissful hours, Cosmo and I were free to enjoy nature and each other’s company without demands on us or interruptions.
“Race you,” I told Cosmo as the springs came into sight.
“Race?” He shot me a haughty glance worthy of a feline aristocrat. Then, without giving me so much as a second’s warning, he barreled ahead of me.
I broke into a trot. It took me a hundred yards to feel a slight burn in my lungs. I slowed down. Trained runners had nothing to fear from me. Maybe I should take up jogging.
A pair of butterflies danced in the air, a few inches from my face.
Cosmo, who’d come running back to me with the ease of an Olympian sprinter, turned on his heel and raced ahead again. He jumped onto a rock and stood still like a statue.
My jaw dropped. Crystal Springs was more than a watering hole in the woods, it was a waterfall cascading five feet, tumbling over rocks and creating a whirling pool that glittered like diamonds where the sunshine hit the ripples.
Rainbows sparked off quartz in the rocks, and multi-colored fish darted to and fro below the surface.
The breeze created a sound that reminded me of chimes. No wonder this place attracted nature lovers and spiritualists. Alas, it was equally clear why developers and venture capitalists had discovered its charms.
It took little imagination to envisage a long line of hyper modern condos with a view of the springs behind a gated entrance instead of wilderness, a terrace with large sun loungers and a tiki bar where Cosmo and I stood by the pooling water, and influencers cashing in on the beauty of this spot.
Something stirred in my mind. The answer to the problem that threatened the community was so glaringly obvious I marveled at the fact that it took me so long to spot it.
“We’ve got to go back,” I told Cosmo.
“There’s no hurry.” He dangled a paw in the water, pulled it out and shook it. The droplets sprayed in the air. He watched mesmerized as they glittered.
“We’ll come back tomorrow,” I promised.
He sighed, every inch a suffering cat. “It’s such a beautiful day, and we haven’t had our picnic yet.”
“It is, and I promise you what I’ve got planned will be worth your sacrifice.” I picked up the basket with the blanket, bottled water, fresh fruit salad, cheese, sliced roast beef and turkey breast, and a fresh baguette.
He gave in with good grace, which probably had nothing to do with the fact that I offered him a handful of treats to munch on the spot.
Back in town, I cornered Posy who waved goodbye to Alphonse and his human. Paul Russo stowed away the mid-century modern lamps he’d won at the auction, in his station wagon. “See you soon,” she called out to him. I waved too. We owed those two.
Her face dropped the second the car pulled away.
“Do you have a few moments? I have a suggestion for you,” I said.
“Of course.” She sounded less than enthusiastic, yet good manners and business sense dictated that she humor me.
“You say that there are a lot of community events happening at the springs,” I began.
“For now.” The corners of her mouth pulled down.
“Can you arrange something spontaneous? And get people to call on every single influencer and podcaster they know? Take them on a tour of the town too and showcase why it’s so popular with all generations.”
She stared at me, while the words sank in.
“We have a few newcomers, young artisans and craftspeople, including a woman who used to work for a perfume maker in France and now creates signature scents for customers depending on their zodiac and enneagram.” Posy clapped her hands.
“That’s brilliant. Why didn’t we think of this? ”
She took her phone from her jeans pocket and dashed off, typing at a speed that made me dizzy. I’d reached my limit, when it came to speed without triggering autocorrect and changing my words into gibberish the instant I hit send.
A message pinged in on my phone.
I’ve got the books.
Books, as in plural? Probably a typo, or the predictive text I’d come to dislike. At least I could now with a clear conscience send a message of my own, to Ms. Vine.
Mission accomplished. Returning tomorrow night.
Genie ushered me into her room with an air of triumph. She’d covered her bedside table with a silk scarf.
Adriana lounged on the bed, with her headband holding her blonde locks. An iridescent feather turned it into the quintessential flapper accessory.
I rubbed my eyes. It must be an illusion, because I also saw the headband in front of me, inside the open box on the dresser.
Genie correctly interpreted my puzzled expression. “It’s a ghost thing. Adriana wears the spectral equivalent of her stuff. Anyway --” She made a dramatic pause. “Are you ready?”
I nodded.
With a flourish, Genie pulled off the silk scarf. Warmth flooded my body as I stared at the grimoire.
The longer I looked, the more my impressions of it changed. What had started as appearing ominous, with its metal bands containing it and the darkened, engraved leather showing runes and symbols I couldn’t decipher, became more of an intimidating reminder of the power of witchcraft.
“Are you going to use it?” Genie asked.
“I don’t think I’m meant to. I only had to make sure it’s not falling into the wrong hands.” I touched the lock. It felt both icy and hot on my skin, in a way that could be either an encouragement, or a warning.
“What about the other one?” Adriana called out.
“What are you talking about?”
The ghost giggled. “Show her the surprise, Genie.”
Her great-great-niece lifted the grimoire and placed it in a backpack.
The book had been resting on top of a slim notebook, with fading cursive writing on its cover. “Summons and Spells, From A Student of Magick”, I read.
“The police thought it must belong to me as well, because it was also hidden in Fay’s luggage.”
I wrapped my hand in the scarf, in case mere skin contact triggered something bad in me as well, picked up the notebook, and let it drop.
It opened on a page near the end. “A Spell On How To Summon A Spirit Servant”.
I waited for a return of the witchfire wave. Nothing came.
And then the writing on the page faded.
“That’s crazy,” Genie whispered. She’d watched me and the notebook.
“I think Fay only recently found this spellbook,” I said slowly, while I was sorting through my thoughts.
“She must have been desperate to save Shawn’s project, and her investment in it which had led her to mortgaging her home, and she wasn’t really used to witchcraft, at least not on an advanced level.
That’s why the ghost crow managed to resist, and why the voodoo doll had no effect on the mayor before Alphonse found and removed it. ”
A memory of the apartment with the broken water pipe flashed up in my mind. There had been something odd about it, something that reminded me of my first attempts at adding magic to mundane things. I’d caused more flour explosions in the kitchen than I cared to admit.
“She must have tried so hard to master the cloaking magic in her own home that she ended up bursting the pipe. That’s why she had to move into the hotel,” I said.
“But her friend stayed there too,” Genie pointed out.
“She got a discount deal,” Adriana said. “Maybe she needed the other broad to give her an alibi.”
I agreed. “That’s possible. The most important thing is that she no longer has access to these spells. Hopefully she’ll have learned her lesson. At least she should still have a home when she’s released.”
I felt a tiny prick of regret. Fay had broken into the auction house, that was true, but we’d also framed her for thefts that she hadn’t committed. There had to be a way to ensure she wouldn’t be charged for those.
“Is it normal that they disappear, like a one-time code?” Genie asked.
“I’ve never seen it happen before. Maybe it’s to do with the intentions of the reader.” I scratched my nose. “You saw the spell, right? Maybe you’re a witch too. These things tend to be invisible until you’re ready.”
“I saw something,” Genie conceded. “But I couldn’t read it.” She crossed her heart. “I’ve got enough on my plate taking care of Adriana. I don’t have the energy to deal with witchcraft as well.”
“If you were a witch, you could use a spell to locate my necklace,” Adriana said. “I really thought this trip would be it.”
“I’ll keep looking,” I said.
“That’s very sweet, but I’m not sure how you can help,” Genie said.
“It’s simple. I’ve met Adriana. There should be enough of a connection to receive a strong signal if I come across anything related to her. It’s a knack I’ve had all my life.” I hefted the backpack.
“Are you leaving? What about painting the town red, just the four of us?” Adriana pouted.
“I don’t think that Cosmo’s welcome in a night club.”
Adriana’s shoulders drooped and her lip wobbled.
“How about a moonlight picnic by the springs? We can have fun without needing the whole town,” I suggested. With any luck, Posy’s organizing a spontaneous event would take longer than a few hours.
Adriana perked up. “It’s going to be swell. I’ll teach you to dance.”
“I can’t wait.”
She blew me a kiss as I walked out the door, with the promise to pick them up in the early evening.
I’d intended to return straight to Cosmo, and I almost did.
A familiar buzz in my veins caused me to stop outside Words, Swords, and Wonders. I entered the bookstore with my heart drumming against my ribs.
I practically salivated at the sight of book aisles dedicated to mystery, fantasy, esoteric arts, and children’s literature.
A large round crescent shaped display cabinet held light sabers, comic figurines, chess boards with gem-cut figures, and the object that had lured me in, a glass fishing buoy in a woven net.
Images of myself, Cosmo, and Harper flashed through my mind. Without bothering to check the price tag, I took the buoy to the cash desk. I’d saved enough money by not having had to buy anything apart from Jimmy's chair at the auction that I could easily afford this purchase.
“Do you need a bag for it, or will it fit in your backpack?” the sales assistant asked.
“I’ll take one of your cotton shopping bags,” I said, loath to have anything come into direct contact with the grimoire and the other spellbook.
“Cool.” The sales assistant wrapped my buoy in brown paper and placed it in the shopping bag.
As I left, I had to step aside to avoid a young woman dressed like an Egyptian princess, who spoke into her phone.
“I wonder what wonders we’ll find in Crystal Springs famous Words, Swords, and Wonders, named best bookstore five years in the running. ”
I grinned. The campaign of the influencers had begun.