Chapter Thirty-One
The moment they were a fair distance from the entrance, Belinda asked Blair where exactly they were going.
‘First, we need to grab some stuff from the house. Belinda, you get the candles and matches. Bianca, get the salt and that nasty jar of your witch-detection stuff from the fridge. I’ll get the spellbook and chalk.
I know where to get two more witches. We’re making a summoning circle at the festival. ’
Both Bianca’s and Belinda’s eyes widened as they realized exactly who those other two witches were, but Blair motioned for them to hurry, so they rushed to the car.
‘Are you sure about this?’ Bianca asked once they were on the road. ‘Accusing someone of being a witch if they’re not doesn’t usually go well.’
‘Yeah, how could we have not known that Luke Caldwell and his mother are witches?’ Belinda added.
‘I’m completely sure,’ Blair said. ‘I’ve never been surer about anything. The blackthorn extract is going to prove it, though.’
‘But why didn’t Luke tell you this morning that he was a witch when you told him you were?’ Belinda asked.
‘Because I don’t think he knows. His mother does, though.
Remember they were able to be possessed because they are direct descendants of Hecate.
They have witch blood, and I think witch powers, too.
They can complete our summoning circle. I think it will be even more effective with witches who are related to Hecate. I will convince them to do it.’
They got to the house, and the three of them ran inside to grab the items they needed. When they came back to Belinda’s car, Belinda had Kass in her arms.
‘He insisted on coming to supervise.’ Belinda put the cat in the back seat with Bianca.
It was probably a good idea. Kass might not be able to actually participate in the circle, but he could monitor them to make sure everyone was safe during the complicated spell.
Belinda drove straight to Shirley’s Sugar Mountain next. Blair hopped out, taking the mason jar of blackthorn extract with her while Belinda, Bianca and Kass stayed in the car. ‘Good luck,’ Bianca said.
Taking a deep breath, Blair knocked on the door to Shirley’s Sugar Mountain. There were plywood boards covering the windows, so she couldn’t see if Luke and his mother were there, but it wasn’t long before Luke opened the door, surprised to see Blair.
Blair’s heart had always skipped a beat when she saw Luke, but this was her first time seeing him knowing he was a witch.
She had no idea why she hadn’t figured it out before.
Blair had been drawn to Luke in a way she’d never been drawn to anyone else.
First as a rival – she remembered being obsessed with beating him.
And then her obsession changed and grew even stronger.
She felt at home . . . more comfortable with Luke than anyone else, except her own family.
And that was because Luke was like her – a witch.
He had magic in his veins; he just didn’t know it.
‘Blair!’ He grinned. ‘What are you doing here?’ He leaned down to kiss her briefly.
Blair could see his mother behind him, also smiling at Blair.
It was quite clear from the fact that Luke kissed her in front of his mother, and the smile on her face, that Calista did approve of this relationship.
Which was actually a little strange. After realizing that Calista and Luke were witches, Blair had wondered if Calista hadn’t approved of their relationship as teens because she didn’t want Luke to be with a witch and potentially find out what he was.
But if that was the case, why was she okay with it now?
But Blair didn’t have time to get a full family history – they needed to get back to the festival and summon Hecate as soon as possible.
‘Luke, I need to talk to you urgently . . . you too, Mrs. Caldwell.’
Calista blinked, like she maybe knew what Blair was going to say. ‘I’ve never been married, Blair. Please call me Calista.’
Blair nodded, walking inside the bakery. The shattered remains of the broken tables and chairs had been swept to the sides of the room, and it smelled like Luke and his mother were repairing the walls with drywall compound.
‘Okay. Before I say anything else, can you tell me what you think of this new . . . syrup I’ve been developing? My sisters say it smells rancid, but . . .’
Blair opened the jar and was immediately hit with the smell of vomit and decay that she smelled the first time Bianca had opened it. It wasn’t as strong anymore, though.
Luke made a sour face. ‘That’s the maple syrup from your fridge, isn’t it?’
Blair nodded. ‘It’s not maple syrup.’ She held the jar under his nose, which made him cringe even worse.
‘Your syrups are usually amazing, Blair, but you may need to go back to the drawing board on that one.’
‘What does it smell like to you?’ Blair asked.
His nose was still wrinkled. ‘Like when a squirrel died in our garden shed.’
This confirmed it. Luke was a witch. She held out the jar to Calista, who had a blank expression on her face. ‘Blackthorn extract?’ Calista asked, sounding a little resigned. ‘That’s difficult to make. Haven’t seen it in a long time.’
Blair exhaled. Calista knew. She knew she was a witch, knew Luke was a witch, and knew Blair and her sisters were witches, too.
‘My sister is a talented botanist.’ Blair held the jar in front of Calista. ‘Smell it, please.’
Calista closed her eyes for a moment, then leaned forward and inhaled above the jar. The wince on her face as the scent hit her nose told Blair everything she needed to know. ‘Potent one,’ Calista said.
Blair closed the jar, eyes never leaving Calista.
Luke looked between his mother and Blair with a confused expression. ‘What’s going on?’
Calista sighed. ‘I knew this would happen eventually. I can explain everything.’
Blair shook her head. ‘There’s no time for that now.
The festival is in danger. There’s a witch spirit, Hecate, who has said she’ll destroy everything at sundown.
My sisters and I want to use a summoning spell to communicate with her – to convince her to leave the festival and this town alone forever.
But we’re not strong enough alone. We hope it will work with five witches instead of three. ’
‘What?’ Luke said. ‘What five witches? What are you talking about, Blair?’
But Blair didn’t answer Luke. She looked straight at Calista, whose expression was still unreadable.
‘There are thousands of people at the festival,’ Blair continued.
‘Both tourists and everyone from Moonbeam Hollow. This town is my home and it’s my community.
It was your community once, too, Calista.
And Luke’s.’ Blair took Luke’s hand. ‘I love him, and he loves me. I asked him to stay in this town with me, and he agreed. But if we don’t do something now, many people in our community will be badly hurt today.
Or worse. The town will not survive this. ’
Calista exhaled long, looking down. ‘I didn’t want him to know.’
Blair nodded. ‘I know. I told him I’m a witch. He loves me enough to accept it. Luke’s a remarkable person. He’ll accept this.’
Luke squeezed Blair’s hand, which almost made her cry. He had no idea what Blair and his mother were talking about or what was going on, but he was telling her that he still loved her no matter what.
Finally, Calista looked at Blair. ‘I haven’t been in a summoning circle in a long time. Has the festival’s opening ritual happened?’
Blair shook her head. ‘Not by the mayor. Hecate stole her memories weeks ago. Someone did it in her place.’
‘Which means it meant nothing,’ Calista said. ‘We will be able to practise witchcraft in the festival. Okay, let’s try a summoning circle.’
Blair smiled. ‘My sisters are in a car outside. We have all the supplies we need.’
‘Will someone explain to me what’s going on?’ Luke asked. ‘Mom, you’re a witch, too? Have I always been surrounded by witches?’
Blair pulled him out the door and to Belinda’s waiting car. ‘We can explain on the way to the festival grounds. Might have to be a shortened version of the story.’
* * *
Calista was surprisingly open during the fifteen-minute drive to the festival grounds, explaining why Luke didn’t know they were witches and how she came to stop using witchcraft.
Luke was sitting next to Blair in the back seat, weirdly silent.
Blair would have thought he’d have thousands of questions, but maybe this was too much to take in at once.
Basically, Calista, her brother and her sister grew up with their witch parents in one of the small towns near Moonbeam Hollow.
The family knew of the history of Moonbeam Hollow and knew they were descended from witches who’d lived here, but they felt safe where they were.
They kept their witchcraft practice and their powers secret, though.
Calista’s brother David travelled extensively, and while in Ireland, he met and fell in love with a witch named Molly. After marrying, they chose to live in Moonbeam Hollow.
‘David and Molly thought that living in Moonbeam Hollow was like taking back a place that should belong to witches,’ Calista said.
She turned to Luke. ‘They were in hiding of course, but still very brave. Molly’s family were well known and active in fighting for witches’ rights in Europe.
’ Calista paused, as if she needed to collect her emotions.
‘Luke was their only child, born a few months after moving here. They went back to Ireland for a funeral and were killed by witch hunters who made it look like a car accident. I had been staying here with Luke while they were abroad and was granted permanent custody after his parents’ death. ’
Luke looked down when Calista mentioned his parents dying. Blair squeezed his hand. ‘You didn’t know any of this?’