Baffling Blend Read online

  From the way Rye was rubbing his chin in chagrin, I realized right away that Leo had been trying to tell me that someone had been standing behind me. I figured it was either Aunt Rowena or Bridget Gablore, so I braced myself for how to handle the situation before turning around and coming face to face with—

  “Mother!”

  Not everyone can say that the Mistress of the Dark is their mother. Look at how she is dressed! What is with the black leather? It might be overcast, but it’s the middle of the day. Are their children around?

  I should have known that my mother hadn’t bought my story about Rye and the dreamcatcher. She knew me too well, and now I had to explain why I didn’t let her in on the fact that someone wanted her dead. Worse, she now knew the name of said witch. I couldn’t help but wonder how she’d gotten here so fast, but I figured it was best not to ask.

  Are you happy now, Raven? You’ve put us right on the front lines of battle without me so much as taking a hit off my pipe.

  “This is called fashion, Leo,” my mother stated, though her narrowed gaze was completely focused on me. “You saw a premonition of my death, and you didn’t have the decency to tell me?”

  “I think I’ll just go on inside and delay the masses as long as possible,” Rye interjected, lifting a hand in acknowledgement of my mother. “Don’t leave me waiting with them too long, Raven.”

  I think I’ll go ahead and join—

  “Don’t you dare leave my side,” I warned Leo, not willing to face my mother alone. It wasn’t that I was afraid of her reaction. She’d already shown up in an outfit right out of the pages of that one famous book that I’d caught her reading last summer. The only thing I could do now was lessen the fallout. “Mom, you would have overreacted and done something that would have escalated the coven war.”

  “You mean the same coven war that you wanted us to stay out of, my dear daughter? The one where you’re currently the guest speaker of an event that I wasn’t even given an invitation to for whatever reason you’re about to come up with?” my mother continued dryly, somehow managing to cross her arms in that black leather jacket of hers. “I’d say that we were both jumping to conclusions, wouldn’t you?”

  I never thought I’d say this, but I’m beginning to wonder if my life would be better as a toad.

  “No one is turning anyone into a toad, Leo.” I didn’t regret keeping my mother out of this situation, and I wasn’t going to pretend to be ashamed of my decision. “Mom, you and I both know that you would have overreacted to my premonition. I have things covered, and I’m about to confront the woman I saw in my dream that night. We’re missing something really important, and I can’t put my finger on it. What I do know is that we can’t go in there and exchange energy balls or cast spells on one another until every witch and warlock are piles of ash.”

  Ash? Look, I was stretching it with the toad thing, but now you’re taking this down to the lowest level possible. I might need to tap out, Raven.

  “It saddens me that you immediately believe that I can’t control my impulses.”

  Wow. There she goes again, using the disappointment tactic. Manipulation at its finest. Do they hand out those types of classes for all moms? Don’t fall for it, Raven. You and I both know that she would have hunted down the Venus Witchtrap in the shadows of the dark, without anyone the wiser.

  My mother frowned at Leo, most likely attempting to figure out where the nickname Venus Witchtrap had come from. Either that or his assumption that she would have reacted in spite had been dead on.

  Could we not mention the word dead?

  “Mom, how did you get here so fast?” I asked, unable to help myself. The cold began to settle deep in my bones from standing outside for way too long. “Never mind. Don’t answer that. Please just tell me that Beetle is far away from here.”

  Noooo. Did you bring my BFF to the front lines of a coven war? My supplier? Raven, do something! Your mother has lost her mind.

  “Beetle is currently enjoying a cup of coffee at Aunt Rowena’s place,” my mother stated, not appearing to be fazed by the cold winds that seemed to be picking up. Both Leo and I could only stare at her in horror upon the realization that Beetle might very well be unconscious by the time this was all said and done. “Don’t worry. I went inside first to make sure that there was no indication of witchcraft anywhere for the human eye to detect. He’s working on a crossword puzzle that I might have rearranged with a wave of my hand. Trust me, he’ll be kept busy until this matter is resolved. Now, would you like to fill me in before I confront my would-be killer?”

  I’m not sure what to address here first—the fact that my BFF is about to drink a sleeping concoction, the ease at which your mother believes it’s okay to utilize magic, or that she’s about to turn the tables on a Venus Witchtrap without batting an eyelash. See? This is why I need a supplier, Raven.

  “I’m going to make this short and sweet,” I replied, determined that my mother wasn’t going to enter the town hall meeting. We’d finally gotten what was essentially the management of the coven to listen to a peace treaty, and I couldn’t have Mom messing it up. “I did give the dreamcatcher to Rye, who in turn has ensured that the energy of the earth can’t reach it. Without energy, it can’t work. He doesn’t want Aunt Rowena to get ahold of it, either. He’s afraid she’ll try to utilize it to alter events that might lean toward the other faction winning this so-called war for the Windsor Stone.”

  “The Windsor Stone?” my mother asked, her confusion evident. “What does the stone have to do with this war?”

  I waited for Leo to pipe in, but he’d fallen silent. A quick glance down toward my boots told me that he’d vanished into thin air. I had no doubt that he was checking up on Beetle. Leo might say that he was only worried because of Beetle’s penchant for giving him treats almost every day, but the two did care for one another.

  “Apparently, the Windsor Stone hasn’t worked for any witch or warlock inside the coven for decades.” A revelation hit me out of nowhere now that I was aware the Marigolds had something to do with the Windsor Stone’s abilities. “Mom, remember when we discovered that there are pages missing from the family grimoire? Well, Leo found them hidden in Aunt Rowena’s coffee table. They were all regarding the Windsor Stone. Our bloodline had something to do with its creation, and she thinks one of us holds the key to getting its magic back.”

  “Are you telling me that Merrick and the others know of this so-called connection?” my mother asked guardedly. It was too late to walk back this conversation, but I didn’t have time to worry about my mother’s reaction. The council members and the other witches and warlocks inside the town hall weren’t going to wait around all day. “Your grandmother never mentioned this to me.”

  “I only just realized that maybe the stone stopped working after Nan was excommunicated, but that’s a question for Aunt Rowena that we can ask later.” Leo had still not returned, but I was running out of time. “Mom, please go back to Aunt Rowena’s house and wait there with Beetle. We have a plan, and your presence here will only—”

  “You expect me to leave after discovering that Merrick’s side of the faction tried to assassinate me so that Aunt Rowena wouldn’t be able to utilize the Windsor Stone?” my mother asked, incredulity lacing every word. When she put it like that, I completely understood her disbelief. “I am not—”

  “That’s the thing, Mom,” I interrupted her, not having the time to debate this. “I’m not so sure that Bridget was trying to kill you. It doesn’t make sense. The Marigolds weren’t the only line of witches to be involved with the creation of the Windsor Stone. It’s not like they can start picking off those particular families one by one without someone noticing.”

  The heat that had been stirring in the palm of my hand since my confrontation with Aunt Rowena started to subside. I was definitely onto something. The only way to know for sure was to go inside, give our proposal about utilizing a spell to split the Windsor Stone, and then wait for th
e inevitable reactions.

  “And yes, I expect you to leave and let me handle this, Mom.” I wasn’t quite sure that I was going to get what I wanted in this moment, especially when she arched that brow of hers. “Fine. You can come inside with me, but you’re to remain silent while Rye and I do all the talking. Deal?”

  My BFF hadn’t taken a sip of his coffee yet, so I did what I had to do, Raven. The Wicked Witch of Windsor might need new carpet in the living room. Oh, and she also has to replace the coffee pot in the kitchen. Don’t worry. The fire went out almost immediately.

  An image of cups and glass carafes being pushed off tables and counters probably had Beetle all worked up, and I could see that my mother was now torn on whether or not she should go and check on him. It wasn’t easy keeping this part of our lives separate from those we loved, which is why I had ended up telling Liam and Heidi everything. I didn’t regret my decision.

  What did I miss? Is it over? Can we go now?

  “No to all of those questions, Leo.”

  I would have given my mother an ultimatum, but Rye beat me to it when he opened the side door to the town hall and stuck his head out.

  “It’s now or never,” Rye muttered over the loud voices that were clearly impatient for what we had to say. It still amazed me that Ruby had been the one to make this happen. Was she just trying to cover her tracks so that we wouldn’t suspect her of talking Bridget into doing something so drastic? There was still a very good chance that Bridget had made these atrocious choices of her own volition. “Raven?”

  I’d like to point out that we can still make it to the car before anyone realizes that we’re gone. Chop-chop!

  “Fine.” My mother lowered both arms and nodded toward the door, causing Leo to groan aloud. “I’ll not say a word unless I’m forced to do so, but I’m standing by your side when you face the same coven that excommunicated your grandmother.”

  This isn’t going to go well, is it?

  “Leo, we just need to convince them that this war has gone too far,” I murmured, entering through the door that Rye held open for all of us. Sure enough, quite the crowd had been gathered in the time that we’d been gone. Who knew that the coven had so many principal roles? “They’ll just keep fighting one another until the coven is no longer in existence.”

  Is that such a bad thing? My beloved Rosemary did just fine without them, and so have we. Granted, your mother is a prime example of why there should be a coven. Off on her own, she can be quite dangerous.

  It was then that I realized why the coven was so important. It was the same as society in general, where morals and values were taught to the children. Being gifted the use of magic was a great responsibility that needed to be fostered for the greater good, and who better than our elders? Their wisdom was more valuable than anything else, and the council seemed to be forgetting their roles.

  May I remind you that you’re talking about the same elders who are trying to kill off your mother? Not that she hasn’t pushed me to the edge a time or two myself, but that’s why having a supplier such as my BFF is so important. Someone’s got to be the voice of reason, and there’s nothing to say it’s not me after I’ve consumed my fair amount of premium organic catnip.

  “Which one is this Bridget you saw in your dream?” my mother asked as we became the center of attention. “Not that I’m going to do anything rash, but it is always a good thing to be prepared.”

  I scanned the audience of witches and warlocks, most of whom I’d never met. Had they known Nan? Had they all agreed that she should be excommunicated for falling in love with a non-warlock? I understood the need for wisdom to be passed down through the generations, but there was something to be said for compromise, which was our goal here today.

  “She’s near the door, next to the man with a top hat,” Rye replied, right before clearing his throat to gather everyone’s attention. “Thank you for all coming to listen to our proposal.”

  “Whatever you have to say will not change our minds,” Merrick announced, not having taken a seat with the others. He, Angelica, and Ruby all stood on one side of the room with those who’d had chosen their sides, while Aunt Rowena stood proudly on the other with her supporters. Oddly enough, Bridget still remained by the door as if she didn’t even want to be here. I wondered who else felt the same. “The coven must remain intact as our ancestors would have wanted.”

  “How do we know that when no one can communicate with the other side?” someone asked from the middle of the crowd.

  “Yeah, our ancestors all went silent long ago,” another voice chimed in.

  “Specifically, the Windsor Stone ceased to work the day your grandmother was excommunicated,” Angelica pointed out with a sharp look at the man who’d chosen to speak up. “That fact alone should tell you that our ancestors weren’t happy with her decisions to go against our rules.”

  “Maybe it stopped working because she was excommunicated,” someone else shouted, only to incite more arguing.

  The two sides began to banter with one another until it was basically a shouting match.

  Way to go, Raven. I mean that sincerely. If these two factions are going at each other’s throats, they aren’t even thinking about turning us into toads or ashes. Well done.

  “Stop!” My voice was loud enough that it echoed off the walls of the town hall. “Listen to yourselves, arguing over your home like it’s winner take all.”

  Did you not hear my earlier compliment? You’re ruining a good thing here, Raven.

  “Do any of you believe that our ancestors would have wanted all this fighting amongst us?” I let that question settle over them, more confident in what Rye and I were about to propose than when we’d first arrived this morning. I was also relieved that my mother had kept her promise and hadn’t instigated anything. “Rye and I came here with secrets of our own that we both agreed not to reveal, but I can see it’s going to take more of a proposal of compromise to get any of you to see reason.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Rye asked, giving me a few seconds to change my mind.

  Sweet angel of mercy, of course she’s not sure about this. Oh, I feel an asthma attack coming on, and I left what was left of my edibles in the car. Could you hold off igniting the fuse for five more minutes?

  “Why do you get to come in here with some proposal?” a woman shouted from the back.

  “Because I received a premonition of murder,” I responded abruptly, all of my nervous butterflies gone. Maybe it was me finally realizing what could be. I understood why Aunt Rowena believed things needed to change, and she was right in a sense. Times changed, and we needed to adapt in order to survive. “I believe these premonitions give me the right to come here and warn all of you that this war you’ve all agreed to partake in will bring an end to this coven. It will cease to be. Is that what you all want?”

  Well, aren’t you just all doom and gloom?

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Well done,” my mother murmured as gasps collected around the room in reaction to my frank statement. “I take it that Bridget is the blonde who seems to want to be anywhere else but here?”

  I can so commiserate with that witch.

  “Someone used black magic in an effort to weaken Aunt Rowena’s abilities,” I announced, causing Rye to rub the back of his neck in worry. He wasn’t so sure that we should be sharing certain facts, and I’d originally agreed with him. Now? All bets were off the table, with the exception of the dreamcatcher. Other than Aunt Rowena, no one else knew of their existence. “That’s right. This war has come down to turning on one another using the exact magic that could eradicate this coven.”

  “I have not authorized the use of such magic,” Merrick defended himself after more arguing had commenced in the audience. “How do we know this to be true?”

  I’d been keeping a close eye on Bridget to watch her reaction, but she didn’t seem in the least bit worried that I might accuse her dabbling in black magic. As a matter of fact, her
gaze kept sliding toward Aunt Rowena.

  “Because I was the one to find the hex bag,” Rye spoke up, standing by my side as we faced the crowd. “I can also corroborate Raven’s premonition regarding someone in this very room wanting to end the life of another witch.”

  Gasps and cries collected once more, but I noticed that Bridget Gablore still didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the accusation.

  I’m not a scientist or a physicist, but a premonition is in the future. The Venus Witchtrap wouldn’t necessarily know that she was trying to murder your mother. This is like one of those time travel movies that only confuse me until I have no idea what year we’re living in. Is our being here what sends the Venus Witchtrap over the edge? Are we the ones technically responsible for your mother being the next victim? So many questions, so few answers. It’s all so baffling.

  While Rye continued to explain how far and dangerous this war had been taken by both the leaders and their followers, I thought back to my dream. We’d all assumed that the grass, dirt, and my mother’s picture near the boiling cauldron were all meant as some type of black magic to take my mother’s life. I don’t believe that was the case at all now.

  It wasn’t? Look what you’ve done now. I’m hungry, scared, and now flummoxed. Those three reactions shouldn’t be thrown together, Raven.

  “I’ve solved the riddle, Leo,” I murmured, needing to let my mother know the truth before she decided to act on impulse. I could see her opening and closing her fist as energy coiled within her palm at the thought of self-defense. “Everyone, quiet!”

  Now that the focus was on me, I waited for Bridget to meet my gaze. As I’d predicted, she was still monitoring Aunt Rowena’s behavior. The spell I’d dreamt of her casting had nothing to do with death and everything to do with our ancestors. The grass and dirt mimicked the veil between us and the afterlife.

  So, you’re saying that the Venus Witchtrap was trying to figure out if your mother was the key to getting Windsor Stone to access the other side?