“Trust me, you’re still going through a lot of changes. I’m simply saying, hot flashes can have many causes.”
“Perfect. Now I not only have to worry about getting through them without dissolving into a puddle, I also have to worry about the causes?”
“It’ll be fine. It takes a bit of practice to control them, but under my guidance you’ll get there.”
“So, I can use magic?” I perked up.
“If we can undo the blockage and you’re willing to pay the price.”
“That sounds – not great.”
He ran around in circles. “That’s why I need to teach you the right way, once you’re ready for the lessons. A good witch only everinterferes to help others. No personal gain, that’s the main rule. If you step over that line even only once, there’s hardly any witch makes it back from the dark side.” His speed increased. So did his agitation. “You might tell yourself, it’s only one spell, I need to pay my bills, or I want to get rid of my wrinkles, or she deserves to win the lottery, or to get that promotion. But then it becomes harder and harder to stop, and suddenly you’re drunk with power and greed.”
An icy lump formed in the pit of my stomach. “Do you think that could happen to me?”
“I hope not. But you might come up against evil, if you haven’t already.”
“Are you trying to tell me Jake was killed by another witch? Who are they? Wouldn’t Aunt Violet have noticed?” My pitch rose to a level that must hurt Cosmo’s sensitive ears. I pressed one nostril shut and forced myself to take yogic breaths, alternating nostrils.
“No, and maybe. You don’t have to be one of us to be evil. And the more powerful you are, the easier it is to hide.”
“How many ‘of us’ are we talking about in Willowmere, or Cannon Hill?”
“A handful, probably. Some aren’t aware of their gifts, while others practice, to achieve certain powers.”
“Like Ange?” He stopped circling, and his fur smoothed down which I took for a yes. “I can trust her, right? And Harper and Reina?”
He smoothed his whiskers.“I think so.”
Why, oh why did he hesitate before he answered? “What about you? Can you sniff them out? Preferably both good witches and bad witches?”
“To a certain degree.”
“Oh.” I’d expected his vanity to get the betterof him, so he’d elaborate.
“It’s not that simple.” His head drooped.
I scooped him up and kissed him. “Sorry,” I said immediately after. “You have to tell me when I’m acting inappropriately.”
“It’s fine. I am a cat, and we are irresistible.”
“Good, but I interrupted you.”
“I can sniff them out, as you put it, but to do that I have to drop my, well, I guess you’d call it cloaking. Both Violet and I would have had to expose ourselves.”
“And then you’d be on the bad guy’s radar?”
“Yeah. And even nine lives can run out.”
The room spun. I steadied myself on the table, congratulating myself that I’d kept on sitting. If a witch cat had to fear for his life, what chance did I stand if I revealed myself? I was as good as toast.
Chapter fourteen
When Ange returned, I had recovered enough to present a calm façade. Wearing my comfortable red and black checkered flannel shirt, loose jeans and Doc Martens helped. They were my suit of armor when I faced unpleasant things, provided the unpleasantness happened below 60 degrees, which was practically a given in the fall in Oregon. I’d added a dab of powder, a swipe of mascara, and lip balm – enough to blend in without drawing attention. If there were evil forces outside, they’d hopefully look right past me.
Ange breezed past me, motioning me to follow her upstairs. She flung herself into a chair. “You won’t believe this.”
“The police have solved the case?” I crossed my fingers.
