Men Love Witches Page 12

  Posy’s own tears flowed freely as the corners of her eyes creased. “We’ve spoken to Scarlet about it,” she continued. “She’s told us that she can’t help us cross over, not without risking getting stuck in between this world and the Otherworld, but she said that when it’s time, we won’t have much warning, and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you without saying a proper goodbye.”

  Reaching up, I smeared my cheeks with the back of my hand. “So, you don’t—you don’t know when?”

  “No, but I imagine it will be soon,” she told me. “Oh, I wish I could embrace you and reassure you. It’s all for the best, dear. You have to believe me.”

  “It’s just, I’m going to miss you so much,” I told her. “There have been so many times over the past months where I’ve woken up in the middle of the night and gone to the kitchen to make some tea, and each time, I open the door, bleary-eyed and fuzzy, expecting to find you there for one of our late-night chats.”

  Posy smiled, a soft sobbing breaking at the back of her throat. “Well, I’m not gone yet, so we may have time for a few more before it’s time.”

  A few more tears splashed onto my cheeks as I bobbed my head. “I’d like that.”

  Posy glanced down at the sapphire earrings in my hand, still enveloped in the handkerchief. “Perhaps you can pass the handkerchief off to Adam, to wear in his pocket. That way I can be with both of you.”

  Smiling, I promised her I would.

  “Well, let’s see them on,” she urged, floating back a few paces. “There’s a mirror over here in the corner.”

  I slipped the earrings on and then folded the white handkerchief into a crisp square. It would need a good ironing before the big day, but I knew Adam would be honored to tuck it into his suit. “You don’t have a wedding dress around here, do you?” I joked, admiring my reflection in the freestanding mirror beside a stack of three trunks. The wooden frame looked hand-carved.

  “Sorry, dear,” Posy replied, glancing over the assortment of trunks and cases. “My younger sister wore it for her wedding and I never got it back. Hmm. I wonder whatever happened to it.”

  “What would you like me to do with … everything?” I asked, a fresh round of tears threatening to spill.

  “Tell you the truth, I’m not even sure I remember what all is up here!” Posy replied with a bubble of a laugh. There was a trace of soberness lingering in the air, but the ghost herself somehow seemed lighter than she had in years. An easy smile rested on her lips as she floated closer to inspect the trunks.

  “Well, why don’t we take a look?” I asked, joining her. “That is, if you want to.”

  Posy clasped her hands together and smiled at me. “I’d like that very much, dear. Thank you.”

  We spent several hours poring over the collection of Posy’s belongings while she regaled me with stories and treasured memories. Hours later, Earl turned up and I left the two of them to have a private moment of reflection over the things from their former life together. As I closed the door to the attic stairwell, I heard a faint piping of music and imagined the two of them dancing together, surrounded by their belongings.

  That night, I fell asleep wearing Posy’s sapphire studs.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Ugh. Why can’t I remember the difference between a stinging nettle and a wood nettle?”

  Smiling, I glanced over my shoulder to the table where Harmony sat, brows furrowed, poring over her flash cards. It was a rare slow day at the apothecary and I’d told her to take an extra-long lunch break to continue her studies. Judging by the muttered curses and balled-up papers littering the floor beneath her, it wasn’t going all that well. “Remember, you don’t have to get a perfect score to pass,” I reminded her gently. “If you miss a few questions, it’s not going to tank the whole thing, but if you let your frustrations get you flustered, it could really hamstring you.”

  My apprentice sighed and dropped the stack of blue cards to the table. “I know. I know. It’s just … I’ve been doing this for months now. Why does it feel like my brain is leaking out information and facts as quickly as I put them in?”

  “Maybe you’re getting burned out.” I placed my wooden spoon aside and brushed my hands together as I crossed the workspace to join her. “Did you eat anything? Or have you just been back here cramming?”

  A guilty look pinched the edges of her eyes.

  “Aha.” I went to the small fridge and pulled out a paper sack. “Here,” I told her as I set it before her, “have my leftovers. It’s not much, just half a panini, but it should power you for a little bit longer.”

  “Thanks, Holly.” Still frowning, she grabbed the bag and dug in for the wrapped sandwich. She went to the microwave and popped it in for a minute. While she waited, she turned back to face me, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter. “Evangeline told me Posy came home.”

  A little twinge of pain twisted in my chest. I’d taken the sapphire earrings out before work. I’d discovered a loose prong on one of them and didn’t want to risk losing a stone. I planned to take them to a local jeweler to get them inspected and repaired before the wedding.

  “Think she’s going to stick around?” Harmony asked. “I know she’s dealt with a house full of crazy supernaturals for most of her afterlife, but it seems like Earl might be less cool with the parade of paranormals.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and tucked my chin, staring down at my engagement ring for a long moment. “She’s not staying,” I finally managed. “She told me last night. She and Earl are ready to—um … cross over.”

  When I looked up, Harmony’s eyes were huge. “Oh. Wow.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m really sorry, Holly. I know she’s like family to you.”

  The microwave pinged and I took a moment to collect myself while Harmony fished out the hot sandwich and slid it onto a paper towel.

  “She said they’re going to try and stick around for the wedding, but I’m not a hundred percent sure it’s really up to them. From everything I know about ghosts, crossing over is not something they control.”

  Harmony shook her head as she blew on the sandwich, preparing to take her first bite. “What’d Scarlet say?”

  “I haven’t talked to her about it yet. I’d go see her after work, but I have a feeling I’d better get home and deal with Lacey and the gang.”

  “Oh, right.” Harmony fanned her mouth after she took another bite, the sandwich still a little too hot. “When are they leaving again? I love Anastasia, don’t get me wrong, but I kind of miss my bed.”

  The knot in my stomach cinched a little tighter. The stone was still missing and when I’d finally given up and gone to bed, we were no closer to finding the stone—or a solution. Aretha was still threatening to leave early, and if I was honest, I was kind of hoping she would go. Maybe without her antagonizing Lacey, some progress could be made.

  “They’re scheduled to leave Friday evening, once the sun sets,” I told Harmony.

  “Good.” She nodded. “It will be easier to study with you this weekend. Stace will do flash cards with me, but she asks too many questions along the way. I have to keep reminding her that I’m the one with the test, not her.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh a little at the visual image of the two sisters at the dining table. Anastasia, or Stace as Harmony often called her, was a witch but her magic skills were minimal at best. As a paranormal wedding planner, she was more suited at directing other magic workers to do the heavy lifting when it came to enchanted floral arches, glittering fairy lights, or floating candles. She was more of a conductor in that regard, but it didn’t stop her from being curious about how various forms of magic worked.

  Harmony polished off the last bite of sandwich and washed her hands before coming back to the table. With a groan, she picked up the top dozen flash cards and handed them to me, her eyes closed. “Okay. Quiz me.”

  Smiling, I took the cards and shuffled them in my hands. “Okay,
but after we go through this stack, you’re going to pack it up and call it a night. We can take inventory and give your brain a little bit of a break.”

  Harmony nodded and I started her informal test. We’d nearly gone through the stack of cards when Eliza poked her head into the back room. “Sorry to bother you, but Holly, there’s someone asking for you at the front desk.”

  Flipping a card over, I glanced up. “Who is it?”

  “Um, she said she’s your aunt.”

  My mouth dropped open and I nearly lost my hold on the thin cards. Passing them to Harmony, I stumbled over my words. “Uh … my, um, my Aunt Bethany?”

  “I think so,” Eliza said. She shifted an uncertain look between me and Harmony. “Do you want me to send her back here?”

  “No!” I barked. “I mean, no. Sorry.” I cringed and smoothed my hands over my hips, ensuring my floral skirt didn’t have any wrinkles or smudges. “Tell her I’ll um—I’ll be right out.”

  Eliza nodded and ducked out of the room.

  Harmony slid a quizzical glance toward me. “I didn’t know you had family in the city.”

  “I don’t,” I replied as I smoothed my fingers over my slicked-back ponytail. “It’s a long story, but I haven’t seen my aunt in over five years.”

  “Oh! Wow. I wonder what she’s doing here. Maybe she saw the feature on you in Potions Today!”

  Exhaling, I shook my head. I honestly had no idea how she had found my shop, but that was a less distressing question than what she was doing here.

  Harmony watched me, her expression a mix of curiosity and secondhand anxiety. “Well, uh, good luck, I guess.”

  “Thanks.”

  I squared my shoulders and strode through the door, reminding myself that I was so far removed from the woman who’d stood there being scolded by my aunt for getting mixed up with the wrong wizard.

  Even with my internal pep talk, the sight of my aunt nearly knocked the breath from my lungs. She hadn’t changed a bit since the last time I’d seen her. She and my mother were several years apart in age but had always looked like they could pass for twins. The only real difference was that Aunt Bethany’s hair wasn’t as deep auburn as my mother’s—and mine—but more of a strawberry blonde with golden highlights. She had the same green eyes, slim nose, high cheekbones, and full lips.

  The only thing that really differed from my memories of her was her clothing and demeanor. Growing up, she’d always worn quality clothing, but items that were practical, and other than the Larkspur, I couldn’t remember her ever wearing a lot of jewelry. That had changed over the years and seemed even more noticeable to me now. Even someone who knew nothing about her would be able to tell she was wealthy. She wore a cobalt blue wrap dress with a pair of gold gladiator sandals that laced up mid-shin. She carried a trendy bag and had a pair of designer sunglasses perched atop her head. Somewhere along the way she’d leaned into her natural golden highlights and dyed her hair to match, lightening and brightening her blonde while removing any trace of red.

  She smiled tentatively when she saw me and blinked a few times in rapid succession. “Oh, Holly. Wow. It’s so good to see you!”

  I couldn’t bring myself to smile, not even the tight one I offered to unpleasant customers. There was just … nothing.

  “Your shop is beautiful!” she gushed. “That magazine spread didn’t do it justice, really.”

  So, that was how she’d found me. Harmony was right.

  A few customers browsed nearby, and I made a concentrated effort to keep my voice calm. “What—what are you doing here?”

  “I came to see you,” she replied. Her smile faltered when I failed to react. Apparently, in her head this whole scene had played out a little differently. Did she really think I would run to her, arms open, after all this time? I’d changed a lot since the last time we’d spoken. I was stronger now. More independent and confident in myself. But still, even my old self would have had a hard time rolling out the red carpet for the woman who’d all but abandoned me when my public persona no longer fit neatly beside her own.

  Bethany glanced around the shop before bringing her gaze back to meet mine. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  My jaw tensed. “There’s an alleyway out back, but then, your shoes might get dirty.”

  “Holly, please—”

  “Don’t—” I said, struggling to keep from snapping.

  A customer glanced up. Great. She was a regular, too. I offered the woman a tight-lipped smile and gestured for Eliza to follow up with her before I stalked off toward the back room. Harmony perked as I entered the workroom and looked poised to ask a question, before her gaze traveled over my shoulder. Then, in silent recognition, she scooped up her study notes and scurried out the back door.

  Turning back around, I found Aunt Bethany standing in the archway, her purse dangling from one arm. “So, what is this?” I asked, no longer bothering to tether my emotions. “You saw me in a magazine article and decided I was no longer a social pariah and thought ‘Hmm, it might be nice to have a niece again, I should go to her store, uninvited and with no warning, to see if she’d like to let bygones be bygones.’ Is that it?”

  For a moment, my aunt hung her head. When she looked up, a thin glossy sheen coated her green eyes. “I know I don’t have any right to show up like this,” she began, her voice a little shaky, “and I don’t expect you to forgive and forget. What I did to you was inexcusable, and the only reason it’s taken me so long to come around and say it is because I’ve been ashamed of myself.”

  “Good!” I blurted.

  Bethany looked like I’d smacked her across her artfully made-up face.

  “You’ve known me for my entire life, except for these past few years. You knew me better than almost anyone, but when things went upside down you didn’t even bother listening to my explanation before you threw me to the wolves. You threw me away like I was nothing more than a piece of chewed gum scraped from the bottom of your Manolos.”

  Magic pulsed at my fingertips as my anger rushed and boiled to the surface in a red wave. “I was a child, Bethany. Barely out of my teens.”

  My aunt looked down at her handbag. “You don’t know the whole story, Holly. I wanted to be there for you. To help. But—”

  “But what?” I hissed. “What could have stood in your way? I don’t have a sister or know what it feels like to be an aunt, but I can’t imagine any scenario in which I would find your actions to be acceptable. You honestly thought I was capable of partaking in Gabriel’s ridiculous scheme? That I was some kind of anarchist?”

  “No.” She said the word so definitively that I closed my mouth and swallowed my next attack. “I knew you weren’t involved in the plan, but there was nothing I could do to help you. And my hus—my ex-husband, he—”

  Bethany’s face crumpled in on itself, her perfect complexion suddenly marred with red blotches across her cheeks, down onto her neck and chest. “We didn’t have a healthy relationship,” she continued, the words coming with difficulty. “He was up for a senior position with the agency and it wouldn’t have looked good for him to be able to help you. If anything, him helping to put you away with Gabriel and the others would only show him in a more positive light. Unbiased. Fair. Just.”

  She scoffed, her red-rimmed eyes drifting to the wall behind me. “He forbade me from getting involved. He told me I had to cut ties or risk losing his support.”

  Her chin dropped and I noticed her hands were shaking. One layer of the hardened bitterness around my heart threatened to buckle. “There have been so many times that I wanted to come to you and tell you the full story. You have to believe me, Holly.”

  “What stopped you?”

  “Pride, I suppose.” She paused to swipe at her eyes before her makeup could start running. “The divorce was messy and left me with virtually nothing. I moved to Florida and went back to potion work. I still have my license.”

  She sniffled as a tiny hint of a smile appeared. “Tha
t’s when I saw you in the magazine spread, and I knew that this was my one chance to make amends.”

  I nodded as I tried to process everything she’d said. Years of pain and bitterness faced off against still more years of happy childhood memories of time spent with my aunt. It felt impossible to know the right words to say, but she was looking at me with so much expectation and hope. Reaching out for the nearest chair, I leaned into it and exhaled long and slow. “I see.”

  “It’s a lot. I know. I honestly didn’t mean to come here and dump all of this on you, but you deserve to know the truth, and I thought a letter or phone call would be too impersonal.”

  “Right.” I swallowed the lump of emotions in my throat. A part of me wanted to tell her that I understood. I’d had a bad relationship, too. I knew what it was like to be consumed by someone in a way that made me blind to everything else going on around me. Gabriel had controlled and dictated my life in ways that took years of reflection to fully understand. And we hadn’t even been married. Just young, dumb, and in lust. A deadly combo if I’d ever heard of one.

  “Am I too late to wish you luck?” Bethany asked, drawing me from my thoughts.

  I blinked.

  “The ring,” she said, gesturing at my left hand where it rested on the back of Harmony’s abandoned chair. “Are you married? The article didn’t mention a married name.”

  “Oh, right. Um, engaged. The wedding is in six weeks.”

  My aunt smiled, the edges more pained than before, as she clasped her own hands together in front of her chest. “Wow! Well, congratulations. You’ll make a beautiful bride. Just like your mom.”

  Tears filled my eyes, and I ducked my chin.

  “They would be so proud of you, Holly.”

  Pain lanced through my chest and for a moment it was like I couldn’t get a full breath. The ache was always there, muted and dull in the background, but on occasion it would lash out and slam into me as if the loss were fresh all over again.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “I should go,” my aunt said after a long moment of shared mournful silence. She sniffled again and wiped her eyes before fishing into her handbag. I expected her to pull out a pack of tissues, but instead she presented me with a business card printed on inky black paper. “This is my contact info, should you ever need anything or want to talk. No pressure. Just, um, know that I’m here and that all you have to do is say the word.”