I wanted to say something, but my brain refused to work. She looked exactly like the woman in my dreams or visions, except she actually had a face.
Her hair was a mix of gray and brown, tied in a tight bun. Her eyes were two dark pools that pierced right through me. Her skin was wrinkled, and her cheeks were sunken as if she hadn't eaten properly in months. She wore a long brown cloak over a flowery dress.
Unexpectedly, she drew herself taller and her voice rose, filled with venom. "I did a noble act. I put myself in direct danger to protect others. That means you owe me your powers." She paused and curled her upper lip. "As a kindness, I'll give you until the full moon."
She turned as if to go, but then looked over her shoulder. "If you do not give me your powers, be warned. You will be breaking Karma's rules, and you will be punished."
She disappeared into thin air, and as she went, something settled over me, like a blanket drifting over my emotions. I shook it off as I glanced at the young gnomes. They'd been tied to the tree. As my pulse tried to return to normal, I untied them.
My mind mulled the woman's words and everything that had happened over the last few days. Once the gnomes were free, I stared at my friend. "Do you really think she just happened to turn up in time to save the gnomes?"
Beth snorted. "Not a chance. That woman is about as noble as a turd in the woods, and we're going to prove it."
13
EMMA
Beth pulledup outside of Carol’s store at the same time she hit the button to turn off the speaker on her phone. She didn’t need to tell me anything because I'd heard the conversation on the ride, but she did anyway, in a nervous voice. “The narwhal is back in the pool, and he’s angry, so I have to go take care of that. I know what happened was rough, but Carol should be able to help you figure out what to do next if that’s okay.” She was babbling, because she was nervous, as nervous as I was.
I released a slow breath. “Yeah, that’s fine.” Tension clung to my back, tightening the muscles. No, it was more like I had a shirt on that was slightly too small. Must’ve been the stress physically messing with me.
She looked at me with those intense eyes of hers. “Are you sure? Really? Because I could always—”
There was nothing else she could do. She was the only person I knew who could talk to animals, and this was her job. I forced a smile. “Seriously, I’m great.” The great came out so forced it was almost a joke, but I unbuckled and headed out of the car before she could ask me again. “Have fun,” I said oh-so-chipper as I closed the door. All I really wanted to do was run for the ocean and swim until I was exhausted, but that wasn't an option right at this moment.
I felt Beth’s gaze on me as I made my way into Carol’s shop, but I didn’t look back. If I did, I was pretty sure I'd burst into tears.
Inside, Carol and Hazel were by the register talking. The inside of the craft store was as cozy as usual, filled with dazzling colors and endless crafty possibilities. The walls were lined with shelves full of ribbons, buttons, fabric, yarn, and pretty much every crafter's dream inventory.
When Carol’s gaze landed on me, her eyes widened. “What happened?”
I shrugged one shoulder and sort of mouthed wordlessly at her. I couldn't say much in front of Hazel.
She pulled me to the back of the shop, and in a quiet corner, surrounded by yarn, I told her what happened, in the best detail I could remember. She was a great listener and let me get it all out, including my fears. "Then we headed here, and Beth got the call to go deal with the narwhal again."
I finished talking, and Carol’s expression was that of a soldier. “It’s time we talk to the witches.”
“Do you think they can help?” If they could, shouldn’t we have spoken to them already? Or was the fact that we saw the old woman finally enough for everyone to realize this was serious? I didn’t know, but Carol gathered her bag, shooed me out the door, and we were off.
Pulling up outside of the witch's mansion, I stared at the beautiful place for a moment. It looked exactly the same as last time. Rolling lawns, a gate that had automatically opened for us.
Opulence everywhere, from the statues on the lawn to the very structure itself.
“Do you think they’ll mind us dropping by?” I asked, my heart racing.
Carol shook her head. “Not for this.”
We climbed out of the car, and Hildy met us at the door. It'd been a while since I'd seen her, but she looked exactly the same as if time had frozen for her. The crystal witch greeted us sweetly, reminding me of the first time we’d been here. Her attitude had been warm and friendly then, but something about her set my teeth on edge. It had then, too.
“We need to talk to Khat,” Carol said, her tone one that said this was a business trip, not one for pleasure. We weren't here for a visit and a chat.
Hildy nodded and led us into the foyer. "Wait here a moment." She hurried off to speak to Khat, the leader of the coven.
The interior of the mansion was as opulent and beautiful as its exterior. The walls were covered with intricate tapestries, depicting scenes of witches in their element. In the center of the room, a grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over everything. There were doors leading off to other rooms, but I didn't want to explore. Instead, I looked around, feeling a little overwhelmed.
Witches came and went, women from all walks of life. This was a diverse coven, and each woman had an edge to her gaze that told me why my friends and I weren't invited to be members.
We didn't have to wait long before Khat came out of one of the side rooms. She was an imposing figure, and I wondered if she practiced dark magic. Her intense eyes bored into us, scrutinizing our every movement. “Karma, Carol, I was told you needed to see me.”
