I looked at my phone, realizing that it was almost five o’clock. Time had passed more quickly than I’d realized while I checked out the house. The coven probably shut their door at five, but if I hurried, I’d make it there in time. I looked at Poa. “Want to come?”
She scrunched her face. There’s only a little sun left. I’m not leaving this spot until its gone.
“Suit yourself.” I shrugged. “There might be a handsome tom there, though.”
Pass. She rolled over so that her white belly faced the sun.
I grinned and hurried to the car, then drove back into town. I found a parking spot right in front of the coven storefront. As I climbed out, my phone buzzed in my pocket. A text came through from Tommy, then another and another. I deleted all of them, then blocked his number. He hated being ignored, and I loved the idea of how irritated he would be.
The thought put a pep in my step as I walked toward the Aurora Coven, reveling in the wild autumn day by the sea. The wind had whipped up even stronger, and as the sun neared the horizon, it was cooling off. On the sea, the whitecaps tipped the waves, and most of the birds had abandoned the sky.
Inside the Aurora Coven storefront, the room was cozy and welcoming. A fire burned in the hearth, and two witches sat in cozy armchairs in front of it. Bookshelves and plants filled the space, and I immediately felt at home.
Both witches smiled as they stood. One was tall, with long blond hair, and the other wore a pretty scarf tied through her dark curls.
“Hello,” said the blonde. “What can we help you with?”
“Hi. I’ve got a bit of a problem.” I blew out a breath, unsure of where to start.
“Let me get you a cup of tea,” the blonde said. “I’m Emma, by the way.”
“Hi, I’m Isobel.”
“Holly.” The other woman waved and smiled, then gestured to the third chair in front of the fire. I took a seat while Emma disappeared into a back room.
Holly sat, then leaned forward. “You’re a witch.”
“I am. But not skilled.”
Holly frowned. “I feel your power, though. You’re strong.”
I winced. It was almost worse to be powerful but unskilled—it was just evidence that I’d neglected my gifts. Holly seemed to notice my discomfort, though, and said quickly, “That’s okay, we can help you with that.”
It wasn’t the reason I’d come, but it was a great idea. I needed to master my magic, and after what I’d seen at the house today, that was the only way I’d be able to fix the place up in time. There was no way I could do all that work with elbow grease alone.
Emma returned with the tea, setting the tray on the little table in front of the fire. It was all so cozy that I was immediately in love. She poured the tea, then handed me a mug and said, “Help yourself to sugar and milk.”
“Thank you.” I added a splash of milk, then took a sip. It was fiercely hot but delicious.
“So, you’re new to town,” Emma said.
“I am. How did you know?”
“Well, we know everyone.” She smiled and shrugged. “But I know you’re not just a visitor because I stopped by Margot’s for coffee, and she told me about the newcomer at Lavender House.”
“That’s why I’m here,” I said, then I looked at Holly. “Though I could also use help with my power. But the house is my biggest concern right now. I need to fix it up in a month, but it’s got a ghost or a curse, or something. I’m not sure what, and I need help finding out.”
“I can assist you with that,” Emma said. “I’m good with ghosts.”
“Fantastic.” Relief rushed through me. “Thank you. This is the first help I’ve managed to find.”
Emma nodded, a sympathetic look on her face. “Yeah, that place is infamous. Not a single contractor will touch it.”
“I’m hoping they’ll change their minds if I can get rid of the ghost.”
“I can come by tomorrow morning, if that works for you,” Emma said.
“Perfect. Nine?”
She agreed, and I wondered how to broach the subject of my neglected magic. I hated talking about it. I didn’t need to, though. Holly leaned forward. “As for your magic…”
“It’s that obvious?” I asked.
“Just that you’re powerful. I only know about your lack of skill from what you said. But don’t worry.” Her warm smile was a balm to my embarrassment. “Do you know what your skill is?”
“I don’t.” Every witch had a specific skill to call her own—I just had no idea what mine was. “I also don’t know many spells, but I’m going to need some if I want to fix up this house. Do you maybe have a library of spell books I could use to brush up?”
“Of course.” Holly pointed toward the ceiling. “We have a workshop that will be perfect.”
“And we can help with pointers, if you need,” Emma said.
“Oh, I would love that.” How was I so lucky? “I know you’re probably closing soon, but would it be all right if I took a peek upstairs before you do?”
“We can do you one better,” said Emma. “I’ve got to make some potions. You can look at the books while I work.”
“Thank you. That’d be amazing.”
“Good luck, ladies, because I’m out of here,” Holly said. “I’ve been manning the desk all day, and I need a break.”
I looked around for a desk but didn’t see one.
“Just a turn of phrase,” Holly said. “I’m a novice in the coven. There are four of us, and we take turns in this front room greeting possible customers.” She gestured to Emma. “Whereas Emma here is our most recent full member.” She grinned proudly at her friend. “She was just keeping me company. Senior witches don’t have to man the desk.”
“No, but we do have to make potions after hours if we didn’t finish our work earlier.” She grimaced. “Vivienne will not be pleased. It’s fish and chips night, and I’m going to be late.”
“Vivienne?” I asked.
“My partner Alaric’s grandmother. She lives next door to us. I love her to bits, but she gets grumpy if we delay dinner.”
I smiled, loving the idea of having family like that.
“Come on,” she said, “I’ll show you the first floor.” She led me up the stairs and into a magnificent workshop. It ran the length of the building, with windows on one side that provided a view of the sea and more windows at the back. Shelves covered the walls, each stuffed full of books and potion ingredients. Herbs hung from the ceiling, and large wooden tables sat beneath. Cauldrons and other tools were scattered across the surfaces.
“This is amazing,” I said.
“Isn’t it?” Emma smiled. “I moved here a few years ago and have been in love with Charming Cove and the Aurora Coven ever since.”
“I can’t blame you.” She’d clearly built a life for herself here, and suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to do the same.
“You’ll find some helpful books over here.” She walked to a shelf and pulled out a few, leaving them poking out slightly so I could find them. “They’re mostly about housekeeping and construction. A few spells to help you do the work more quickly, to make the materials more cooperative, that kind of thing.”