A Witch's Curse (8 page)

Her vaginal walls stretched wide to accommodate his thickness, the pain excruciating and exciting at the same time. None of her former lovers had been so big or thick, yet she took everything he had inside her, filling her in more ways than just physically. She had fallen completely in love with this man-ghost. Whatever he may be, she was determined to keep him for her very own.

Fuck off, Aunt Caroline. You had your chance. He’s mine now.

Her orgasm built swiftly in her molten core
while leaning over Caleb, her breasts dangling enticingly, inches from his mouth. He took a nipple into his mouth, alternately nipping and licking, his thumb lazily caressing the other. Rivulets of sweat trickled down her chest as she rapidly rose and fell on his shaft, sinking him deeper and deeper into her.

Her muscles clenched his shaft, pumping him for
everything he had. She felt his cock erupt, spewing his hot seed inside her, causing her orgasm to explode right on top of his, shaking her with the intensity of a six point five on the Richter scale.

Caleb rolled her over onto her back and pumped harder. His orgasm lasting just as long as hers. Wave after wave of breath robbing euphoria hit her until Caleb finally collapsed next to her. When she
was able to draw a breath again, Carolyn kissed Caleb tenderly then rested her head on his muscled chest.

Bright sunlight streamed through the bedroom window to wake her
, revealing that Caleb left her side sometime during the night. She hadn’t expected him to still be there, yet felt empty inside that he wasn’t lying next to her.

“
This has got to stop. I have to break the curse Caroline placed on him,” she vowed.

Chapter Four

The small
, brass bell above
Herbs and More’s
door
tinkled
as Carolyn entered. Familiar scents of basil, sage, thyme and a dozen others greeted her like old friends. Inhaling the fragrant aromas of the fresh herbs did more than put a smile on her face; they helped settle her troubled mind.

Maggie popped up from behind the counter. “Hey, stranger. Welcome back to the salt mines.”

“
Thanks Mags, good to be back. I am sorry for being away for so long, but the house needs a lot more work than I originally thought. I think I should hire a handyman.” Setting her purse on the counter, Carolyn saw a Band-Aid on Maggie’s forehead. “What did you do to yourself, or did you take up kick boxing?”

Waving her hand dismissively, Maggie said, “Oh, you know, old klutzy me. I banged my head on a shelf the other day. So, you ready to get back to work?”

“
Just tell me where I should start?” Carolyn said with a smile.

“
There’s a grindstone in the backroom with your name on it.”

“
Oh, an order came in?”

“
Yep, a big one. Bags and bags of fertilizer.”

Taking off her jacket and rolling up her sleeves, Carolyn said,
“Then I better get started.”

Going into the back, Carolyn saw three large pallets sitting next to the garage door. Cutting the straps, she carried the individual bags to a shelf.

Odd that
Maggie has a cut on her head right about the same place I hit the burglar, and she is about the same size as the woman who broke into my house. Don’t be ridiculous. Why would Maggie break in and try to scare me? Then again, she did tell me I should move out the day she helped me clean. Practically saying if I didn’t, something bad would happen to me. Maybe she had come inside and put the coffee pot on while I slept and went back out. She was also very curious about my inheritance. In addition, it was her house-warming gift that died so quickly.

Throughout the day, her doubts about Maggie continued to fester in her mind
, and whenever Carolyn would glance in her direction, Maggie would be looking back, smiling.

What do I really know about her? I only met Maggie a little over eight months ago on a crowded bus going to work. Now, who started the conversation that day? Did I?
Did Maggie? I can’t remember now. Had that been a chance meeting after all or had she planned to
accidentally
run into me on the bus? I do recall Mags first mentioned plants and herbs, and how this town needed a store that sold fresh herbs, spices, and organically grown food. If she hadn't been so gung-ho with us starting an organic food store, I don't think I would have dared opened this place by myself.

Carolyn’s suspicions grew by the minute. More than once, she
was sorely tempted to confront Maggie and demand an explanation. She finally decided to wait and confide her suspicions to Chief Rose first. Leaving Maggie to handle the front while she worked in the back, potting herbs to sell as starter plants, allowed Carolyn the time she needed to calm herself enough to act nonchalant the few times she had to be around Maggie. The day's end hadn’t come fast enough.

Carolyn stopped at the police station on her way home to talk to Chief Rose, only to find that he left an hour ago on a call. She left a message with Sally requesting him to call when he had the chance, and as she started to leave, ran into Herman coming into the station. Carolyn ran her suspicions about Maggie by him, which he in turn promised to pass on to the Chief.

Chester greeted Carolyn at the door when she arrived home, doing his best to trip her by rubbing himself between her legs in a figure eight pattern as she walked into the kitchen, yowling pathetically, as if not fed in months. Knowing full well she fed him that morning before she left, and he was only vying for attention, Carolyn refilled his dish anyway and as an extra bonus, poured milk into a saucer for him.

No sooner had she put away the groceries she brought home from work, someone knocked on her door. Sarah had come over with a plate piled high with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and her
Book of Shadows.

“
Sarah! You’re going to make me fat, bringing me all these pies and cookies.”

“
Don’t worry your pretty head, sweetie. I use a special recipe. You won’t gain an ounce. Trust me.”

“
Well, since you’re thin as a rail, I suppose I can eat a couple.”

Over coffee and cookies, Carolyn updated Sarah on yesterday’s events. When she finished describing the conversation she had with Caleb by the fountain, Sarah said. “You didn’t mention you spoke with Caleb when I came over yesterday. Or did you? I’ve been getting so forgetful lately. Oh well, no harm done. Now, until then, you say Caleb only came to you after midnight?”

“
I didn’t think it important to mention at the time. His other visits?” Carolyn shrugged her shoulders. “I wasn’t exactly looking at a watch, but yeah, I guess he did come after midnight those other times. Why?”

“
We’re getting close to All Hallows Eve, the one time a year when the veil between our world and the spirit world is the thinnest. Even the thin veil alone wouldn't account for his being able to change his visitation pattern. I’ve noticed your aura has grown a lot stronger and brighter since you've moved in. Am I right in assuming that you and Caleb formed a strong bond with each other? In combination, those two reasons would explain why he has been able to change his habit from appearing to you only at night and his coming to you in the day. A bond like yours will help us break the curse Caroline put on him.”

“
I have an aura, and you think mine will help us? How?”

“
The aura won’t help us, my dear, your bond with Caleb will. You, young lady, are in love. Love is the most potent magic there is.”

Carolyn didn’t need Sarah to tell her she was in love. She knew she loved Caleb, although the words felt fantastic to her ears when said aloud. Carolyn picked up her story and told Sarah about her other late night visitor and what the police discovered so far. She also told Sarah about Maggie, the cut on her forehead, and the other odd coincidences with her.

Sarah rubbed the bridge of her nose while mulling over Carolyn’s story. “I suppose this friend of yours may have been the intruder, but what would be her motive?”

“
That’s just it, as far as I know, she doesn’t have one. Unless she’s jealous of my inheritance? But I don’t think so.”

“
Hard to say. Money is a powerful motive. I say we leave the sleuthing to Eric Rose to discover your intruder's identity. He’s very good.”

“
I hope he figures out the
who
soon. You can't imagine how hard it was working with Maggie today, thinking she was the intruder.” Carolyn took another cookie from the plate and asked, “So, how are we going to help Caleb? Tarot cards? A crystal ball?”

Sarah shook her head. “No, my dear. We need to prove his innocence, and the best way is to force, if need be, the maid to tell us how she managed to get into the locked library. We need her to confess her crime.”

“
How can we do that? She’s been dead about as long as Caleb.”

“
Exactly. We'll summon her in a séance and ask her.”

“
A séance? So we what…sit around in a circle with the lights off and call her on the psychic hotline?”

The pained look on Sarah’s face made Carolyn instantly regret her flippant remark.

“
I see you’ve quite a few preconceptions, which I’ll need to eliminate before we can proceed with your training.”

“
I’m sorry, Sarah. I do have a lot to learn. Please, tell me how a séance works.”

“
To begin with, I’ll act as the medium. I’ve done quite a few séances with Ester over the years, I can guide you through the session. I’ll need at least two other people to complete the circle. You’ll be one, and if necessary, I can get one of the other members from Ester’s coven. And, yes, the lights should be off as bright light inhibits the spirits, we’ll use candles. They provide a warm, inviting atmosphere.”

“
Oh, I’ve found plenty of candles, they’re everywhere in the house.”

“
Good. Once we are ready, we will hold hands to complete the circle and draw energy from each other. There is a chant we can say to aid in clearing our minds for the task ahead, if needed. Then I will try to connect to the spirit world to summon the maid. Do you know her name?”

“
Yes. Her name is Ellie.” Carolyn said, happy to contribute something to the effort.

“
Ellie who?”

With her patent pending, innocent schoolgirl, ‘I didn’t do my homework look,’ Carolyn said sheepishly, “Ellie the Maid?”

“
That won’t do. I need her full name, or I won’t be able to contact her. Who knows who, or what, I’d get using that moniker?”

“
Sorry, I didn’t think her name would be important. I’ll ask Caleb. I'm hoping he'll come tonight.”

“
I’m sure he will,” Sarah said with a mischievous smile on her lips.

Carolyn’s cheeks turned a deep crimson. “Sarah!”

“
To be honest with you, child, I wish I had a friendly ghost like yours for my own. I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.”

Giggling, Carolyn said, “You’re incorrigible.”

“
Always have been and always will be, it’s the only way to live. There may be snow on the roof, but the furnace still needs stoked from time-to-time,” Sarah said, pointing to her lap.

“
Want me to ask Caleb if he has an older brother?” Carolyn teased.

“
Who said he has to be older?” Sarah shot back.

A knock on the front door interrupted their conversation. Carolyn opened the door and Chief Rose tipped his hat to her.

“
Good evening, Miss Waters. I thought I would stop by to give you an update on your uninvited house guest.”