They both ignored me.
“Will you be going to the Mabon Festival?” Miss Elva asked.
“I plan on it. I’ll take Althea with me too,” Luna said.
“I’ll come with you as well. I’m not sure you two should walk into that alone.”
“Why?” I demanded, “Aren’t Pagans supposed to be peaceful?”
“Most Pagan groups are peaceful. Much of what they practice is kindness, harnessing the earth’s energies, and honoring Gods and Goddesses. I have no quarrels with the Pagans. However, I don’t like this Horace character.”
“You know him?” Luna asked.
“I know of him. This is your warning, girls. Tread carefully with that man,” Miss Elva turned her eyes on me. I swear she gave me an extra doubting look.
“I can handle myself, jeez,” I muttered.
“And who didn’t heed my warning last time something bad happened around here?” Miss Elva’s voice rose. I hunched my shoulders and couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes.
“That would be me. But blame Luna, she got us into that mess,” I said.
“Hey!” Luna said, smacking me lightly on the back of the head. We both snorted and laughter bubbled up.
“Speaking of, did you take care of Craig?” Craig was the reporter who had written that nasty article about Luna when she’d been accused of murdering her lover.
“He won’t be working around here anymore,” Miss Elva said, a small smile playing across her face, changing her expression from welcoming to sinister.
“Do I want to ask?”
“Let’s just say that every time he tries to write an article, he can only type cuss words.”
I was shocked – I had suspected something far nastier. And yet the curse was simple in its brilliance.
“So he can only write an article of swear words?”
“So long as he stays in Tequila Key,” Miss Elva amended.
“I love you, Miss Elva,” Luna said with a smile, bending over to wrap her arms around Miss Elva.
“I love you too, girl. But you need to come to me. We have some things to discuss. October is arriving soon,” Miss Elva said.
Halloween. A big night for the undead. I wondered what Miss Elva and Luna might need to work on together, and then decided to push that thought from my mind. I had enough things to worry about.
“We’ll come pick you up tomorrow?” Luna asked.
“Yes, let’s go in the early evening, please,” Miss Elva shifted in her chair and began to hum as the music changed to Howlin’ Wolf.
“We’ll be here,” Luna said, bending over to kiss Miss Elva’s cheek.
“Bye, Miss Elva,” I said, wrapping an arm around her and inhaling her vanilla scent.
“You listen to Luna tonight, child. I don’t have a good feeling about this,” she murmured in my ear.
I pulled back to meet her eyes.
“Are you warning me?” I asked, searching her face.
“I’m telling you to listen to Luna.” She clamped her lips together and began to rock in earnest.
