Spells to Die For Read online

  I smiled up at him. “I think you’re right. Why am I believing what they told me?”

  “You’re a good, honest person, and you love your family. But it’s time to find out they’re all human or imperfect witches. Everyone has skeletons stashed somewhere. Everyone makes mistakes in their life, and some are bigger than others.” He grabbed the bowl of purple hair dye and mixed it vigorously. “Ready?”

  “Definitely.” I sat up a little straighter.

  Chapter Two

  At the coven meeting, things were tense within my own family. During the day at work, I could forget about the secret because we were so busy. My twin cousins worked the counter, and my aunt covered for them while they attended their college classes. I liked owning a family business until I found out my family was keeping things from me.

  Esme also worked at the café in more a of a magical liaison position. I’d let her be the big witch in town for a long time because she was older. Part of me believed she was stronger. But it was time for me to step up and grow.

  As I called the meeting to order, I saw Derrick’s mom among the rest. She didn’t usually come to every meeting, so I hoped she had news to share.

  We went over the usual stuff for the equinox and called for new business.

  “New witches are in town,” Esme said.

  “Yes, I’ve heard about them. A couple have a history of being solo,” I said.

  Esme looked at me with surprise. “Bran?” she asked.

  “No. Now, I think we should reach out to these new-to-the-area witches. Brenda is one who used to belong to a coven. I know we’re not actively seeking members, but letting them all know that we’re here and we’re friendly can’t hurt,” I said.

  “Do they have any powers?” Esme asked.

  “Does that matter?” Ellen, a barista and a member of the coven, asked.

  “It never has before. I’ll do some more research before I pay them a visit. Make sure they aren’t moving away from trouble or known for dark practices,” I said.

  Esme glared at me. “I’ll go to see them with you,” she said.

  “Fine. I think that’s all for this meeting,” I said.

  Aunt Mandy stepped up. “Peace and love to everyone”.

  The group broke up and seemed confused.

  My aunt turned to me and Esme. “You two need to behave.”

  “Behave? Stop mothering me. I’m an adult. I can disagree with others without a scolding,” I shot at her.

  “You’re upset about the secret. Stop making it about other things,” Esme said.

  “Then, tell me the secret, and it’ll be over,” I replied.

  My aunt hugged me. “There is no benefit. No upside. Only pain lies down that path. You don’t need to be in pain. You need to be strong. Grow your powers. See Bran. Go to that ball and dazzle the magical community,” she said.

  “I don’t care about them. I don’t care about impressions. Besides, how can I be confident and dazzle anyone if I’m unsure of who I am? This secret is big and bad enough that you’ll keep it from me when it hurts our relationship. It’s eroding trust. And you’re fine with that?” I asked.

  “No, but you obviously don’t trust us if you won’t drop it,” Esme said.

  “Would you?” I snapped back.

  Aunt Mandy and Esme exchanged looks.

  “Exactly. I deserve to know. I won’t stop until I find out. Someone out there knows and will tell me. Save yourselves the anger later and tell me, now. I promise I won’t blame you. You were trying to protect me when I was little. It became habit...but it has come to out sometime.” Maybe taking the high road and letting them off the hook would work. I loved them. They were my family. I didn’t want to be mad; I just wanted the truth.

  Esme smiled. “Nice try. You’d be mad, anyway.”

  “That bad?” I shook my head.

  “It’s not going to change anything. Nothing will change who you are. The good you’re doing. The past is written, and you need to focus on the future. You need a gown for that ball. And shoes. We need to get to work on that. Bran is a good wizard with great potential,” Aunt Mandy said.

  “I’m not Cinderella. You can’t distract me with a ball and a gown and a prince of a wizard. I’m not scrubbing floors and singing to mice. I have a good life on my own.” I didn’t need to be rescued. I needed the truth.

  I liked Bran. He was hot and smart, but they were using him like a shiny object to distract me. I had to juggle the café, my magical life and my “family secret” crap at the same time.

  “Of course you do. No one says you have to rush into settling down,” my aunt soothed.

  “Trust me, single isn’t a bad way to go, but I’ve seen you and Bran together. You make each other better, not worse. Stronger. That’s a good thing, and you don’t want to lose it because you’re obsessed with the past,” Esme said.

  “How can I be myself in a relationship if I don’t know all the information about myself? What if he finds out the secret before I do? I mean, he’s deeply tapped into the magical world. I assume it’s something to do with my parents. Someone knows, and he’ll probably find them first,” I said.

  Aunt Mandy and Esme exchanged slightly worried looks.

  “If he loves you, it won’t matter. It’s not that bad. It’s just personal stuff that, in the big scheme of things, isn’t important. If it were critical, you’d know by now. It’d be impossible to hide.” Aunt Mandy patted my cheek. “I need to get back to the counter.”

  She left, and I scrunched my face in doubt as I studied Esme.

  “Don’t look at me. I swore. I’m not able to tell you. You know that.” She rearranged the chairs and put the extras in the secret room before locking it up. Now, the second floor looked much like the first with a few tables, sofas and comfy chairs to lounge in.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “In the end, you’re you. Details don’t define you; your choices do.” She flopped in a chair.

  I nodded. “I agree, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn the facts. If my mother had breast cancer, it doesn’t mean I’m going to freak out and run to the doctor for surgery. But I might get some scans or genetic tests done earlier. Screening yearly. Details from the past don’t hurt if you use them the right way.”

  “It’s not about your health,” she said.

  “That was just the first example I could think of. Not to sound like a hokey afterschool special, but knowledge is power. If I know, no one else can use it against me. I think that’s part of why you and Aunt Mandy kept me from getting into the deep magical world Bran is involved in. They might know. They might like it or hate it, whatever it is. Will Bran dump me for it?” I asked.

  “If he does, he’s not the man we thought he was. The secret is beyond your control. You can’t change it. You can only ignore it and overcome it. Don’t let it hold you back.” Esme transformed seamlessly into her feline form and headed down to the café level. A therianthrope, Esme spent the majority of her time as a black cat, which extended her lifespan considerably.

  It was easy to say “don’t let it hold you back”, but I didn’t know what it was. I took a few minutes for myself and brushed the two black cats (no relation to Esme) who called the second floor and my apartment level home. They were trained to avoid the café level. The purring duo rubbed and snuggled against me. I found their treat jar and set some out around the room. They jumped around, chasing down the goodies.

  This was the simple life I’d planned. My café, coven, cats, and customers. The right guy would turn up. I helped the vampires and the werewolves not get noticed or upset the human population. A deep dive into magic had never occurred to me. It wasn’t around me growing up. Esme would disappear for weeks at a time, but she also lived more than half her life as a cat, so her pattern was abnormal to begin with.

  I went downstairs and found Derrick’s mom, Genie, waiting for me at a table. She had a big frozen coffee drink in front of her.

  “Hi, Genie, ni
ce of you to come,” I said.

  “Derrick gave me the names and information.” She nodded to the chair opposite her.

  “Did you find something?” I asked.

  “A lot of cold shoulders. People don’t want to talk about it. I’ll keep trying, but it won’t be easy. Derrick said you’re dating a Killean?” she asked.

  “Sort of. Thank you for trying. Don’t burn any bridges or upset anyone,” I said.

  “No, honey. Don’t worry about that. I think you should put your boyfriend on it. Get him to shake the magical tree of secrets.” She sipped her drink.

  When she dripped some whipped cream on her blouse, she waved her hand, and a napkin holder moved from another table to ours. Derrick didn’t inherit his mama’s magic. His father was a human.

  “I don’t know if that’s the best idea. He’d know before I did.” It felt so odd. Like it was a wild goose chase. What could be so big about me that I didn’t know?

  “Well, he’d be your best bet. Your auntie locked down the information pretty darn good. She might be a healer hippie, but she can be tough when she wants to be,” Genie said.

  “Her mama bear comes out, but I’m not a little girl, anymore.” I shrugged.

  “Our babies are always our babies. And with you losing both your parents, she’s working double time to make up for what that werewolf did to you. She can’t undo it, of course. But you had a stable home. You were loved. She did what she thought was best,” Genie said.

  “And I’m grateful for that. I understand they didn’t have to do it. But what if she did it out of guilt?” I asked.

  “Guilt? She catches flies and puts them outside. She couldn’t hurt anyone intentionally. All of us do things unintentionally, so keep that in mind.” Genie laughed.

  I shook my head. “I’m serious. She and my mom were locking up werewolves over the full moon. What if one got out? What if the one that killed my parents was one that she let get away?”

  “That’s not her fault. If one escaped... I mean, if one escaped your cages and killed people, no one would arrest you,” she said. Genie was referring to the cells down in the basement below us that we offered werewolves during the full moon. Most gladly took us up on the opportunity to keep from harming the local populace during their bloodlusts.

  “But I’d blame myself. And if it killed you or one of my cousins, I’d be heartbroken, guilty, and I’d never forgive myself. What if she doesn’t want me to know that about her? That it happened?” I asked.

  Genie sipped her drink. “You’d forgive her. Bran wouldn’t care. You might want to put your boyfriend to work on uncovering that. If it’s bothering you this much, I’m sure he already knows. He’s probably trying to help, anyway, but men like to feel included. Like they can impress you with their connections and skills. No harm in taking some help,” she said.

  “Thanks. I didn’t want to pressure him, but you’re right, he knows it’s bothering me,” I admitted.

  “The male ego is a delicate thing. Throw them a juicy bone, and they keep coming back to help you.” She winked.

  I wasn’t sure I had those skills to play with Bran, but I hadn’t gotten very far. My ego didn’t need to get in the way of uncovering the secret. Nothing wrong with a little help...

  “We could’ve had dinner at a restaurant,” I said.

  We were at a small table set up in the solarium. The dining room of the Killean mansion was over twelve feet long. This was more intimate but felt odd.

  “Why? We employ a great chef. Everyone else is out for the evening, so we can enjoy without others overhearing or bothering us,” Bran said.

  He was tall, dark and handsome. A magical Mr. Darcy, in a way. He had old school manners and didn’t say much unless I prodded for more.

  “Regular people bother you?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “A lot of human chatter and bad manners bothers me. I want to focus on you.”

  I sipped the expensive champagne. I’d dressed up just enough. My purple dress was slinky with a sweetheart neckline, but I spruced it up with a silver scarf and heels.

  “Me?” I asked.

  He grinned as if I’d caught him. “I also thought you might want to check on the prisoners in the dungeon. Make sure they’re being treated to your standards and are secure. You’re not the type to blindly trust.”

  “That bothers you?” I asked.

  We feasted on steak with vegetables and sourdough rolls. Part of me wished I’d worn Spanx, but it was too late, now. Everyone called me skinny, but it wasn’t for lack of food.

  “No. We don’t know each other well enough yet for blind faith and complete trust. But I hope you do trust me to keep my word. To escort you to the ball,” he said.

  “Of course. The ball will be an education. But I have a favor to ask,” I said.

  “Name it.” He wiped his mouth.

  “I told you about this weird secret my family is keeping,” I began.

  “Yes, and I offered my help.” He refilled my champagne glass since the servant waiting on us had been dismissed after bringing the food.

  “Thank you. Yes, I need to take you up on that offer. I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of it within the family and close friend circles. I don’t want to look like I’m betraying my family or that I don’t trust them, but I feel like there is a part of me missing. Going to this fancy ball. Seeing you. It’s all wonderful, except for this odd little unknown. It could change everything or just be a bad piece of history. I don’t know which until I know the truth,” I said.

  My appetite had suddenly disappeared.

  He tilted his head and nodded. “I see where you’re coming from, but most people will judge you for who you are, not what’s in your past. How you carry yourself and your magical skills. Family details are beyond our control,” he said.

  “You didn’t sound too excited that I was related to gypsies,” I pointed out.

  “Gypsies have a bad reputation. And you’re not related to them by blood. Look, your magic is impressive. That goes a long way to giving you status, plain and simple. Your mother had power, as well. Your father was human, so your powers are that much more impressive because of it. Do you want to obsess over one secret?” he asked.

  “If I could forget it, I would have. I hope it won’t change my life, but I need to know. You really think I should just forget it?” I asked.

  “Odds are it won’t help you. Why dig where it will only bring pain?” He shrugged.

  “Because it’s the truth. I deserve to know the whole truth of my life,” I said.

  “Plenty of people don’t. If someone hadn’t slipped up, you’d know nothing and be as happy and carefree as before,” he replied.

  I couldn’t argue that. “But someone did slip. I don’t want anyone to mess with my memory. Or maybe they already have when I was a kid. Maybe I know, but they’ve blocked me from remembering?” I asked.

  He waved a hand in front of my face. “No, you’re not under any spell, now. It’s very possible your aunt put one on you right after the murders happened. To block the most gruesome details. Memories of the bodies or something too much for a child, but by now, that would have faded.”

  I sat back. “I don’t remember the bodies. My uncle said I was in another room when they were attacked. Maybe he never let me see them. I remember the funeral. My mother was in a coffin, but my father wanted to be cremated and buried with her. She had his urn in the coffin.”

  He reached over and took my hand. “You don’t need to relive it.”

  I nodded. “I won’t feel at peace until I know. If it’s bad, we can keep it quiet. I trust you to help me find out with your connections and not use it against me or flash it around publicly.”

  “My aunt is the queen of rumors and gossip in our family. She’s a harsh judge, secrets or not, but I can run it by her,” he said.

  “I’d have thought you already did if you had someone that tapped into information,” I said.

  He shook his head. �
��I’d never pry if you didn’t ask me to. My family might have secrets, but I’m not responsible for them or what they’ve done. We’re only responsible for ourselves. This house has a dungeon. If that didn’t scare you away, I doubt anything will. But I want to know you—not a family history or genetic detail.”

  “Your family might feel differently,” I said.

  “They wouldn’t freak unless I’d proposed. Then, you’d get some questions. If you don’t want kids, run now. Family line means a lot to the Killean clan.” He winked at me.

  I blushed at the talk of proposals and kids. He spoke of it so casually that it didn’t seem scary, at all.

  “I had a cobbled-together family, but they mean a lot to me. I’d love to have a chance to have a normal family and keep them safe.”

  “I think our children would be powerful enough to defend themselves.” He chuckled.

  I rolled my eyes at him. “They won’t have to when they’re little. If that werewolf had come into my room...could I have protected myself? If my mother couldn’t—of course she could’ve. She should’ve. Unless werewolves move too fast.”

  He grabbed my hand, again. “You’re safe. And I see what you mean. Of course, we’d be safe and our kids safe. The only werewolf here is Harry, and he is not violent. He shifts far from people when he does. You’re not a little girl, anymore. You could blow him into little furry pieces if he attacked anyone.”

  “I don’t want to do that. To have to do that. But it’s good to know I can.” I exhaled slowly.

  The anxiety rushed back to me. The fear of that night. The screams and the look of panic on my uncle’s face. I’d rarely seen anyone truly terrified in my life; that was my first memory of complete terror. Seeing Uncle Vin covered in blood freaked me out, as well, but I trusted him.

  “You’re okay. You’re stronger for what you went through, and I won’t let anyone hurt you.” He’d left his chair and knelt next to me while I was in my mini panic.

  “Thanks. I’m okay. I just need to know all the gory truths, so I can put it behind me. This secret brought everything back up,” I said.