Looking for Mr. Good Witch (10 page)

Uncloud my path,

Show me the way,

Make blackest night

As light as day.

Dorothy had to work at the downtown branch of the New Hanover County Library on Chestnut Street the next day. I volunteered to help her bring the children's books that were going to be discarded to Smuggler's Arcane. She said she thought two cars would be enough to handle them.

I called Elsie to let her know that I'd pick her up around noon when Dorothy was finished for the day. There wouldn't be many customers after the rush that had built up to the full moon celebration. She said she had tomatoes to plant in her garden anyway and welcomed the time at home.

Though Elsie was a fire witch, she had a wonderful green thumb. Her plants were always bigger and produced more fruit, flowers and vegetables than anyone else's. It would be interesting to see how Dorothy's earth magic stacked up next to Elsie's fire. Dorothy was planting a small garden in her backyard too.

Olivia, being an air witch, had never grown a plant in her
life. All the greenery around her house had been carefully installed and maintained by landscape services. But she was also excited to see what her daughter could do with her innate abilities.

My garden managed despite the fact that I frequently overwatered. Elsie had always helped with me that. I suspected Dorothy would too.

While I waited for Dorothy, I looked up information about the killings on the library's computer. The local newspapers were full of the story too. Nothing like a series of murders to get people's attention. Between the two sources, I learned that the images I'd seen while gazing at my amulet in the garden last night had been accurate. I was surprised to say the least. My skills as a scryer had never been strong. The amulet was enhancing that magic too.

“What are you so intent about over here?” Olivia joined me. She'd been hovering around the library. “You have the worst frown on your face, Molly. You have to stop that before you start looking that way all the time. Our faces don't like wrinkles as we age.”

There was another woman looking up information on a computer one chair away from mine. It would be impossible to discuss this with Olivia since the other woman was so close.

I grabbed my bag, smiled at the other woman and retreated to a comfortable chair in a corner near the window. Olivia accompanied me.

“I had a vision last night after I went home. I saw the faces of the eleven people murdered since Savannah, and the places they were killed.”

“I though you were looking for the Bone Man's wife. Why are you looking at dead people? Aren't all the victims young men?”

“Yes. They're certainly
not
the Bone Man's wife. But you know the council isn't going to do much more than give us
a warning. Joe is working on this case. He knows another ‘religion' is involved, but he won't be able to stop the killer.”

“Another religion?” Olivia looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

I sighed. I should have realized that she wouldn't get what Joe got last night.

“Oh. You mean witches. Magic. Joe knows about your magic, but you can't help him.”

We both put our hands to our mouths as she finished speaking. She knew exactly what she'd said, but it was too late to take it back. I had to hope the Bone Man was sincere about protecting Joe. And I hoped he wasn't waiting until after I'd found his wife.

“Sorry,” Olivia whispered as she glanced around us. “I'm so sorry, Molly. It's hard not saying it now that I know.”

“Maybe it's okay. Nothing's happened so far.” My heart was still pounding. Despite my words, there was no way of knowing when the council might pop up and say that I had violated one of our most sacred trusts.

We waited a few more minutes—nothing happened.

“Anyway,” I continued. “I recognized all of their faces from my vision. You know how odd that is for me.”

“You think it's your mother's amulet, right? I'd agree, since the Bone Man mentioned it twice
and
the council wanted it. Whatever power is in the amulet must be really strong. I've noticed your magic has been better lately.”

“I know.”

“I looked up that rune on your hand last night. I don't sleep, you know. It's nice to have something to do while everyone else is sleeping. Dorothy didn't get to bed until almost three
A.M.
because of her crazy cat telling her stories about his past.”

“What about Hemlock's past?”

“It seems he was a Greek scholar who studied with Plato and witnessed the volcano erupting at Pompeii. He was a
wise man and a prophet who foresaw the end of Greek civilization. Blah blah blah. You know how cats talk.”

I laughed, sympathizing. Isabelle could spin a good yarn too. “What about the rune?”

“Yes. I couldn't find one exactly like it, but I found one that was close. Let me take a look at your palm again.”

I found a way to hold my hand palm-up so she could view it without people thinking I was a crazy person.

“That's what I thought. It has something to do with the sea. I found it as part of other runes mentioned frequently in Irish lore. It's definitely Irish, probably back from before what we think of as Ireland today, possibly from the Tuatha de Danaan.”

I caught my breath. “The faery folk?”

“Yes. I think it may have been used in conjunction with other things—such as sea nymphs, sea dragons, sea horses. You get the idea.”

“After the Bone Man's display of water magic, I'm not surprised. Thank you for looking it up. Elsie's right. No one knows runes like you.”

“Thank
you
, Molly. It's the first time I've felt useful since I died. People feel bad about getting old—they should try being dead. Nobody needs you or wants you when you're dead.”

I wished I could truly hug my old friend. I could tell she needed it. I had to settle for praising her and reminding her how lucky she was to be able to spend time with Dorothy.

That revived her, and we talked again about the Bone Man's wife.

“She has to be a witch, doesn't she?” Olivia asked. “The rune stopped bothering you right away after we left the park last night. But how are you going to figure out which witch she is?”

We both laughed at that. A few library patrons turned and stared. I ignored them.

“I don't know. Maybe the rune will get even
more
uncomfortable if I get closer to her.” I shook my head. “That sounds like fun. The Bone Man didn't explain much when he put it on me.”

“I wouldn't want to be stuck on that little island all the time either.”

“I guess I'll cross that bridge when I figure out who she is.”

“You'd better put your time into that instead of trying to figure out who this witch killer is, Molly. The Bone Man is serious about his deals. You know that. How many witches have we known who have tried to go back on a deal with him? It never ends well.”

I remembered that happening only a few times. The Bone Man's deals could be difficult to fulfill. Some witches had boasted that they would beat him because they had his trade already and had no intention of doing what he'd asked them to do.

“I can't remember ever hearing from one of those witches again, can you?” I shivered in the cool library.

“That's exactly what I mean. Who knows what happened to those poor souls?”

I didn't want to think about it. I was going to find the Bone Man's wife and somehow convince her to go back to the island with me. What happened after that would be between the two of them.

But I also couldn't stop thinking about the young men who'd been killed. One of them had been my son's age, in his second year of college, according to Joe. Another had been Brian's age. Someone had to stop this from happening again.

Even if I could only come up with possibilities to pass on to Joe, it would be better than nothing. Whatever information I could find would help keep him safe too. Not that I had any intention of him facing the witch that was killing these young
men. When the suspect was clear, I would summon Cassandra. She and the council could do their part. A witch didn't belong in a non-magic prison.

It was finally time for Dorothy to be done working. I was glad, since I'd skipped breakfast and was starving. I thought we could pick up something to eat on the way to Smuggler's Arcane. Elsie was always willing to eat.

We lugged the boxes of books from inside the library to our cars. There were twelve large boxes—more books than I'd thought. I wasn't sure what we would do with them at the shop yet. Space was tight for what we already carried. We might have to put out one box at a time. At least the books would escape the trash heap.

“That's it.” Dorothy was breathing hard. “Thanks for your help, Molly. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do it alone.”

I was breathing twice as hard—there was a big age difference. I remembered an incantation from our spell book that would have moved the boxes for us, but there were too many people going into and out of the library to try using it. I'd have to remember to teach Dorothy that spell for the future.

It occurred to me that we might have to start a new spell book. I still hoped to find the old one, but in the meantime, we needed to write these spells down for Dorothy and whoever joined the coven in the future. We could always merge the two later.

Creating and sealing a witch's spell book was a difficult process. It required layers of protection and spells to keep the magic. That was one reason why witches passed their spell books on to people who came after them. Some witches had spell books that were thousands of years old.

Our spell book was only about a hundred and fifty years old. The spells weren't particularly powerful, but they had been left to us by the many witches in our families. They were
more than just a repository of magic. They were also memories of our past.

Thinking about the new spell book, I waved to Dorothy and got into my car. I dropped the keys on the floor and bent to retrieve them. When I looked up, the Bone Man was riding shotgun.

Secrets dark and secrets light,

Reveal yourself on this night.

“What are you doing here?” I tried to catch my breath as I put my hand to my chest to still my rapidly beating heart.

“Why didn't you take her last night? The rune told me you were near her.”

“Is that what it does? Because I thought it was supposed to guide
me
to her. If you're going to pop in and out of Wilmington, maybe you should get her yourself.”

It was audacious to speak to him that way, but he'd scared me.
Again.
I could only take so much.

“If that were possible, I should not have made the deal with you, Molly.” There was no expression in his voice or bony face. “That would adversely affect our trade, would it not? If that were the case, the council would certainly have come for you and your husband today.”

“Are you listening in on my conversations? I didn't agree to that.”

“You are fortunate that I heard and blocked your ghostly friend's remark. She would be wise to move on through this
world. You would be wise to stop telling others of your mistake in enlightening your husband.”

“I know I agreed to help you find your wife in exchange for your protection. That doesn't mean you can tell me how to live my life.”

“I understand your distress. Do not think to blame it on me or our trade. Fulfill your part of our bargain. Find my wife and return her to me.”

“You could tell me how to use the rune to do that.”

“You knew you were close last night. Don't act the fool with me. When the rune bleeds, you will know you have found her.”

“
Bleeds?
But—”

It didn't matter. He was gone.

Dorothy had stopped in the alley and come back to knock on my window. “Are you okay, Molly? You looked like you were having a stroke or something.”

“It was the Bone Man again. I guess, since I made the deal with him, that gives him the opportunity to stop by whenever he feels like it.” I took a deep breath and tried to center myself. Being angry with him wouldn't help.

“Oh my goodness! This is exactly what I was afraid of,” Olivia said. “He's going to be in your life forever now. You'll never get rid of him.”

“He'll go away when this is over,” I told her with absolutely no idea if I was right. “Let's go on to the shop. I'll get Elsie and meet you there. What sounds good for lunch?”

When I got there, Elsie was ready to go, dressed in royal purple with matching hat, gloves and shoes. She got in the car and I helped her fasten her seat belt. I told her about my visit from the Bone Man.

“I have a bad feeling about this, Molly. He's taking too much for granted, and there's still a lot you don't understand.”

“I know. But it's too late. I can't get out of the trade with
him now that I've made it. I'll just have to use the rune to find his wife and find a way to get her out there.”

“A bleeding rune sounds really nasty.” She shuddered as she adjusted her hat, which had been thrown off-kilter when she got into the car. “I know you're right. Maybe we could do a spell to find her. With Brian and Dorothy's help that sounds possible, doesn't it?”

“Maybe. We don't know who we're looking for—no clue at all. We could talk about it. Maybe Brian has some ideas.”

We stopped and got Chinese food from a small place close to the river. It was another beautiful day. Dozens of colorful sailboats were on the water. Gulls swooped around them. Tourists watching the water traffic littered the docks. At Smuggler's Arcane, we decided to eat outside to take advantage of the weather.

“A spell might be possible to locate the Bone Man's wife.” Olivia sat above her chair on the tiny porch. She had a small plate containing sweet and sour chicken on the table before her. She liked looking at the food even though she couldn't eat it.

“We'd need help.” Elsie drank her tea. “Where's Brian today?”

“I haven't heard from him,” Dorothy admitted. She hadn't even tasted her vegetables and noodles. “Maybe his grandfather really had the final say in what he's going to do.”

“Brian doesn't strike me as that kind of young man,” Olivia said. “He's been on his own for a long time. His parents and his grandfather haven't paid any attention to him. I'd hardly call them a family.”

“That might be all the more reason for him to want to be with them now.” Elsie said. “I'm sorry, Dorothy. I hope that isn't the case.”

“Let's talk about creating a new spell book.” I finished my egg roll and changed the subject. “I really think we should do this to preserve any new spells that we create. We could
also add any old spells that we can remember. I know it wouldn't be the same, but I think it's important to the coven.”

Elsie clapped her hands, the sound muted because of her elbow-length purple gloves. “I adore the idea, Molly. A new spell book. Like a new chapter in our lives.”

Olivia wasn't so sure. “I won't have any new spells in this one. I want our old spell book back. It's not just our spells, but the combined knowledge of our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers in that book. It's our heritage. We can't just give it up.”

“I'm not suggesting we give up the old one.” I tried to calm her. “We should find the old one, but so far our efforts haven't been fruitful in that direction.”

“What do you think, Dorothy?” Olivia asked her. “Do you think we should forget about my important spells that I created over fifty years of my life?”

“Of course I don't think we should forget the old spells, Mom. But I agree with Molly and Elsie that we shouldn't lose the new ones while we're looking for the old spell book. And I'd like to see a new book created. How often does that happen in a witch's lifetime?”

Elsie and I exchanged glances.

“It's never happened in our lifetimes,” I told her. “The spell book that was stolen was created before we were born.”

Dorothy smiled. “Then I definitely vote to do a new spell book. Is that right? Is it a vote?”

“It's good enough,” I told her.

We pored through catalogues from Elder Magics, a company in Germany from which we purchased most of our important magic items. They had been in business for hundreds of years.

“Oh, I like that one.” Olivia pointed to a heavily runed book with a leather cover.

“Of course you do,” Elsie remarked. “It has runes on it.”

“Could we look for one that doesn't have a leather cover?”
Dorothy winced. “They had to kill something to get that leather.”

“There are some very nice cloth spell books,” I said.

“But you know our spell book wouldn't have lasted so many years if it had been made of cloth,” Elsie added. “That's why the best ones are made of leather.”

“I'm sorry, Dorothy.” Olivia smiled at her. “I have to go with Elsie on this. It should be leather.”

“Maybe they have some kind of space-age material that will be good for hundreds of years but nothing died to make it.” Dorothy bent her head over one of the catalogues.

The door to the shop opened with a little chime, and Brian staggered in.

“Brian!” Dorothy got to her feet and ran to him.

“He looks awful,” Elsie muttered as the couple embraced.

“He's probably had a bad night, poor darling,” Olivia sympathized. “I wish I could take him in my arms and hold him tight.”

“That might be awkward in more than one way right now,” I added.

Elsie chuckled. “Like TV-talk-show awkward. I don't think Dorothy would like her mother holding her boyfriend in her arms to comfort him.”

“Oh, you have such a dirty mind for such an old woman,” Olivia retorted. “I only meant to hold him as one would a child.”

“Sure you did.” Elsie finished her tea and sat back to watch.

“Would you like some tea?” Dorothy asked Brian. “Or some Chinese food? I can run out and get something else if that doesn't sound good.”

“Dorothy.” Brian put his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were brighter than they should have been, burning in his face as though he had a fever. There were dark circles around them and his lips were white. “I've met the most wonderful woman.”