A Witch in Time (2 page)

Enid bent to pick a stray twig up off the manicured lawn and strolled over toward the compost heap at the far corner of the house. Leaning her arms on the fence, she dropped the twig onto the refuse pile while glancing up to where Castle Hallow watched over them all like a silent sentinel. Massive trees hid the stone structure from the prying eyes of the outside world and a long-standing spell cast by the original owner, Hephaestus Hallow, kept the location unplottable. The majesty of the structure gave her an idea.

“Hey,” Enid called out as she rushed back to the group.

No one heard her over all the loud conversation.

“Guys, listen up.” Enid tried to push her way into the crowd. “I have an idea.”

Fox put her fingers to her lips and whistled.

The sharp sound penetrated the noise and everyone fell silent. They all looked around to see what new excitement might be happening.

With a grateful smile at Fox, Enid said, “Samhain is in a week.”

Nana stepped forward. “You felt the need to interrupt to remind us all of something we already know, daughter?”

“Castle Hallow would be a great place to celebrate Samhain.”

“True,” said Nana. “Am I dense? I still don’t know what this has to do with what’s going on.”

“No, you’re not dense.” Enid turned her attention from Nana, annoyed at the older woman for treating her with a decided lack of respect. She looked up at Rowan and Orianna. “How would you feel about a double wedding up at the castle on Samhain?”

All eyes turned toward the two couples.

“Wouldn’t this be a beautiful time to wed?” The idea filled Enid with a sense of purpose she hadn’t felt in a long while and she felt desperate for the couples to agree. Having only a week to prepare for a wedding would be tough, but at least that way the town wouldn’t spend the next few months fixated on the topic of marriage. She didn’t think she could handle such an extended focus on happy couples. “The castle would make such an awesome venue, too.”

She held her breath as Rowan and Orianna shared a glance. Neither looked too excited. Yet they didn’t look upset, either. Enid realized they must both still be in shock from the proposals. They hadn’t yet processed the idea of being engaged. How could they think about the weddings?

Orianna looked up at Caedmon.

He shrugged. “I don’t care where or when we do this, though I do like the idea of sooner rather than later.” Pulling Orianna into his embrace, he kissed her forehead. “I’m more interested in spending my life with you than in the ceremony.”

“I agree,” said Garrett. He laughed when Rowan elbowed him in the ribs. “Careful, woman. Don’t damage me until we’ve sealed the deal.”

Everyone laughed.

“Let’s do this,” said Rowan to Orianna. “If you don’t mind a double wedding.”

“I don’t if you don’t. This could be a lot of fun.”

Both women turned to Enid. “Would you mind heading up the wedding committee?”

“Of course. That was my thought all along.”

“Great.” Caedmon took Orianna by the arm and shifted Fern’s weight on his hip. “I hate to break up the party guys, but I think we should all go get some rest. This will be a hectic week.”

“That’s for sure,” said Rowan as she handed Siobhan off to her father.

Everyone began heading into the night with cheerful waves and calls of “See you tomorrow.”

Nana Winterblossom looked Enid over. “I hope you know what you’re doing, child.”

“Of course,” Enid assured her. “This will be a great time for everyone. Trust me.”

Shaking her head, Nana followed the others from the yard.

Gemma stepped up to the porch. “This is a huge undertaking, Enid. Can you manage?”

“You don’t trust me?”

Fox gave Gemma a little shake as she winked at Enid. “Your sister is strong and smart and can handle anything she chooses. Can’t you?”

“Of course.”

The last few stragglers wandered out the front gate as Gemma and Fox went into the house. Alone on the porch, Enid looked out into the night. Her initial excitement disappeared under the heavy weight of disbelief that she’d talked everyone into allowing her to plan a double wedding in seven days.

A soft hoot and rustle sounded nearby.

Enid looked over in time to see Nana’s owl, Sparkle, taking flight. She watched the bird head out for a night of hunting and got the impression that even the familiar didn’t seem to believe she could pull off such a large event in such a short time.

Maybe they were all right. Had she taken on too much?

“
C
ome on in
,” called Nana as Enid knocked on the front door frame. She stepped inside and took an appreciate sniff of air laced with the wonderful smell of fresh-baked goods. “We’re all in the kitchen.”

Enid walked through to find a large group congregated in the small space. Sparkle roosted in the rafters with the drying herbs as she watched over the commotion with wide golden eyes. Rowan, Orianna, and Kimberly already sat on the bench along one side of the old wooden table where a delightful array of cakes and pies cooled. Orianna’s mother, Iris, stood on tiptoe near the counter as she reached up to grab some plates. Fox and Gemma squeezed together on a single oversized chair at one end of the table, laughing at some private joke. Adora Glenn stood over an upturned chair, tightening the legs with an old screwdriver, paying no attention to the other women’s happy chatter.

Like the front door, the top half of the split door in the back of the house stood open, allowing a good view of the busy bees pollinating the plants in the kitchen garden. The orange and gold flowers filling three chipped ceramic pots on the windowsill added an extra sense of cheer to the already-happy space.

“I can’t believe you baked all these so fast, Nana,” Enid said. “Everything smells amazing.” Not one to hold onto hard feelings, she’d already forgiven her elder for what she considered to be her disrespectful actions of the night before. She planted a light kiss on Nana’s soft cheek and enjoyed how the woman smelled of baked goods and fresh air. “This is how I imagine fancy bakeries look out in the mundane world. Of course, no food out there could hold a candle to yours.”

“Sit down, sit down.” Nana motioned Enid to an open spot and bustled around with little sign of her normal limp. “We’ve got very little time. Our brides need to decide on a cake. Then we have to discuss foods for the reception.”

“Why don’t you sit and rest, Nana?” Rowan swung a leg over the bench as though she were going to get up. “I can take over from here.”

Placing a hand on Rowan’s arm, Nana smiled down at her. “Not in my kitchen, granddaughter. I’m much stronger than I look.” She stroked Rowan’s cheek with a flour-dusted finger, leaving a smudge of white on the younger woman’s skin. “You’re the one who needs to sit. With those raccoon eyes, you look like you got no sleep at all last night.”

Without further argument, Rowan turned around and rested her chin on her hands. “I just hope you aren’t pushing yourself too hard. This is a lot of work.”

When Adora left the chair she’d been working on to take a seat at the table, Enid took the spot next to her, and was joined by Iris on the other side. She felt uncomfortably hemmed in by the women, but didn’t want to look rude by moving away from them.

Nana cut slices of each type of cake she’d baked and passed them around to her assembled guests. “Let’s all try the same ones. Orianna and Rowan will make the final decisions about which they prefer, of course, but I’d like to know what you all think.”

“You’re too kind, Nana,” said Orianna as she passed a plate. “I’m very thankful for all your hard work.”

“Oh, pumpkins.” Nana ducked her head to hide her blush as she distributed the last of the cake. “You know I love you as much as I do my own blood, daughter. You and Fern are just as much my kin as Dyani and Rowan.” She winked over at Orianna’s mother. “Not to say you aren’t a fit mother.”

Iris grumbled under her breath.

Everyone laughed.

Nana sat down and took up her fork. “Dig in everyone.”

Digging her utensil into the flaky pastry, Enid took a bite, closing her eyes while savoring the delicate flavors. The dessert seemed to melt in her mouth. “Ooh…that’s sinful,” she said with a sincere reverence for the older woman’s cooking prowess. “I didn’t chew at all.”

Rowan nodded her agreement. “I’ve never tasted this one before. Is the recipe new?”

“Not at all, granddaughter.” Nana gave a broad wink. “You were just too young for the secret ingredient. This one is made with honey mead.” She licked frosting off the tip of her finger. “I’ve also figured out a new way to prepare the pear topping.”

“I could eat every bite of that and more, though I’m afraid I might get a bit tipsy.” Orianna’s tongue poked out to capture a crumb caught in the corner of her lips.

“The alcohol bakes off. Or so I’ve heard.” Nana laughed.

Enid swished cool water around her mouth before digging into the second offering. The spicy pumpkin cake with honey frosting melted the way the honey-pear concoction had. “I didn’t think it possible, but this is even better than the first one.” Enid downed a second mouthful. “Pumpkin is a weakness of mine.”

Rowan glanced at Orianna. “Pumpkin’s perfect for a Samhain ceremony, don’t you think?”

“Very appropriate.” Orianna eyed the two pieces they’d tried. “I truly can’t decide.”

From the corner of her eye, Enid caught Gemma smashing a piece of cake into Fox’s face. Fox responded by flicking frosting off her fork.

“Settle down, you two. We’ve got a lot to get through before a final decision is made.” Nana passed her chipped water pitcher around so everyone could refill their glasses. “The cake can also be tiered layers of each flavor if you can’t pick just one.”

She imagined a towering confection slathered in orange icing decorated with black piping and candy bats, cats, and cobwebs and couldn’t help but laugh at her overactive imagination. When everyone looked at her, Enid said, “No one would survive that.”

“I’d love to see how that turned out.” Rowan smiled at Nana. “As wonderful as all your cakes, I’m sure. Just really, really big.”

The group then moved on to wax poetic over delicious bites of a chocolate-cherry concoction. Next they tried an apple-cinnamon, a pear-cranberry, some molasses-spice, just maple, and an all-plum, each type evoking the tastes and smells of autumn. The freshness couldn’t be beat since the ingredients came from all around Secret Hallow; many of them from the Leif farm, though other members of the coven also grew and harvested crops in the fertile soils long tilled and planted by their families.

When they’d tried the last one, Enid licked her fork clean and sat back. She placed one hand on her overstuffed stomach. “I can’t try another bite. I haven’t felt this full in a long time.”

“I haven’t felt like this since before I had Siobhan.”

Everyone but Orianna laughed at Rowan’s flippant comment.

Enid looked over to see the young woman toying with a slice of cake as she stared out the window with a troubled expression on her face.

“What’s bothering you, granddaughter?” Iris frowned at Orianna. “You look unhappy.”

Orianna didn’t respond.

Iris glanced over at Nana, who took a turn. “Orianna?”

Again, the young woman didn’t respond.

Sparkle landed on the table and emitted a loud hoot.

When Kimberly nudged her, Orianna sat straight and looked around, finding everyone watching her. She flushed with embarrassment. “That sounds good to me.” She reached out and stroked Sparkle. Satisfied, the owl returned to her perch overhead.

“You seem a million miles away, granddaughter.” Iris stared at her child. “Are you having second thoughts about marriage? That’s normal for someone in your situation.”

“How would you know? You haven’t been in her situation.” Nana’s attempt to temper Iris’ dour mood warmed Enid.

She couldn’t blame Orianna for being nervous about making such a momentous change in her life. Wouldn’t she feel the same way?
At this rate, I’ll never know.

“If you’d asked me that awhile back, I would’ve said I was terrified.” Orianna gave her grandmother a gentle smile. “I have no doubts or fears now. Caedmon is wonderful. Marrying him feels right.” The troubled look came into her eyes again. “My worry is for Fern.”

“Is my great-granddaughter acting up now that she’s not the center of attention? I can have a word with the child, if you’d like.”

Orianna shook her head. The slow and measured movement gave a clue to her mood. The other woman seemed to be trying to work something deeper and more troubling than her own feelings. Enid couldn’t yet understand a mother’s perspective, but she’d seen how parents always worried for some reason or other. The intensity frightened her to the point where she didn’t feel she’d ever be ready to have a child of her own.

“Fern’s very excited. She followed me around all morning asking questions about the castle, the wedding, and whether we plan to move into a new house. I think she’s looking forward to all this even more than I am.” Orianna looked around the room and then caught Enid’s eye. “Can we include her in the ceremony somehow? I realize she’s young yet, but she is my daughter and we’re becoming a new family unit.”

“She can be the flower girl, of course.” Enid remembered how much Fern blossomed after Rowan’s return to Secret Hallow. They hadn’t seen much of the child before then because her mother feared her powers. Now the little girl interacted with the other witchlings and thrived under the tutelage of Gemma and Rowan. “We can come up with some special duties for her during the ceremony. Would that work?”

Orianna’s brow relaxed. “She’ll love that. I’ll find her a cute little dress to match mine.” She raised a hand to rub at her temple. “All this talk is giving me a headache. I’m not really a big fan of weddings.” She gave a wry smile. “Not even my own.”

“You must have gotten that from your father.” Iris got up and rounded the table to rub Orianna’s shoulders. “He never could abide anything ceremonial. No esbats, no sabbats, no births, no deaths…and he hated weddings most of all.”

Relaxing into her mother’s touch, Orianna leaned back. “Thank you, grandmother. That feels better.”

“Speaking of fathers…” Enid’s face heated as everyone turned her way. She hadn’t thought before speaking and, now that she’d gotten their attention, she realized she should have kept her mouth shut. Orianna owed them no answers. After taking a sip of water, she cleared her throat. No one seemed inclined to say anything else until they’d heard her out. “Have you heard from Fern’s?”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

A slight gust of wind came up and blew a swirl of red and gold leaves against the window.

Sparkle gave another soft hoot.

At the same time, Orianna spoke up again. “We haven’t seen each other since…that night. He’d disappeared by the next morning and no one could say where he’d gone. Elementals don’t like to stay in one place. So all I have to remember him by is Fern.” She gave a slight shrug. “Not that I mind. She’s a wonderful child and I can’t imagine my life without her now.”

“That she is,” said Iris in agreement. “We’re blessed to have her.”

“I’m twice-blessed to have Caedmon now. He’s very good with Fern.” Orianna looked out over the garden. “She doesn’t seem to have my powers with the soil; at least none I’ve seen yet.”

“Don’t worry, child.” Nana’s soft voice caught Orianna’s attention and the younger woman looked over at her elder. “She’s still young and could manifest other powers later.”

“Fern’s father was a force to be reckoned with when angered. The thunderstorms he created.” Orianna looked around the table again, as though searching for support and understanding. “You know Fern is the light of my life and I wouldn’t trade her for anything. But she’s strong-willed and can’t always handle her powers. She doesn’t mean any harm.” Pride filled her voice. “Once she learns to control them, she’ll be an important asset. I feel she’s meant to lead her own coven someday. She’d be a wonderful High Priestess.”

Rowan shifted.

Orianna glanced at her friend, eyes wide. “Not that you aren’t. You’re the perfect leader for our little coven and I’m so glad you’ve come back to take your rightful place.”

“I understand, Ori. Leading this coven wasn’t my first priority.”

Enid remembered Rowan’s escape out to the mundane world. She’d come back to escape her relationship with Garrett before he learned her true identity. Rowan feared her mundane boyfriend wouldn’t understand witchcraft. When she’d returned, she’d been asked to help figure out why the Elder Tree couldn’t be healed. She’d learned the Tree missed her. Then Garrett followed her to Secret Hallow and she learned he not only understood, but accepted, her lifestyle. Rowan’s next words brought her out of her reverie.

“We don’t yet know whether Siobhan will be mundane. The line may end with me.”

“Now, granddaughter, you can’t think that way. And I can’t believe you plan to have just one child. I need more descendants.” Nana tapped her cane on the floor for emphasis.

Everyone laughed at the look Rowan gave her grandmother.

“To be honest, I must admit I’d hoped my own powers would strengthen so I could lead the coven until Fern came of age.” Orianna leaned her head on Rowan’s shoulder. “Back when you showed no interest, Ro. I’d never try to take your family’s place otherwise.”

Rowan patted Orianna’s hand. “Of course not. I’d never think that of you.”

“I’m glad, sister.”

The two women hugged.

Thinking of relationships made her mind race with thoughts about the history of Secret Hallow. Her own ancestor, Emilia Ash, played a huge role in the founding of the community along with the village’s namesake Hephaestus Hallow. Having the wedding ceremonies at Castle Hallow seemed a very appropriate way to include those ancestors in the event. Yet, she still felt her plans lacked an ingredient she couldn’t quite figure out. Something that would make the special day even more memorable for everyone involved.

She smacked the flat of her hand on the table. “Hephaestus!”

The room went quiet and all eyes turned to her.

Nana frowned at her. “What was that, granddaughter?”

Rubbing her stinging palm, Enid realized the others didn’t know what she’d been thinking so her outburst seemed out of context to what they’d been discussing. They’d all start thinking she couldn’t handle the strain of preparing for the wedding if she wasn’t careful. “I’ve had another idea.” She screwed up her courage and allowed her thoughts to tumble out. “How about…well, what if, maybe…” No one seemed upset, but they all looked impatient. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Hephaestus Hallow performed many a marriage ceremony back in his day.”