“Thank you, Mayor Devine, for meeting with us. I assure you, we won’t stop until the portal is shut. As a member of the city council and director of the town’s shelter, I pledge to go above and beyond.”
“Thank you, Elijah,” she says. “As you always do. The town is fortunate to have you. Well, I guess that’s all I have to say. Many thanks for allowing me to speak.”
The councilman gestures for the mayor to head toward the door. “I’ll walk Jessica to her car.”
When they’ve left the room, the hedge witch doesn’t hold back.
“Aww, fuck the mayor and her concerns,” Agnes scoffs. “Unremarkables are weenies. We can handle anything that comes across, and we’ve proven that.”
“But our power isn’t limitless, my dear,” Leslie says.
Shane exhales. “Now, Agnes, she has a right to be frightened. She feels responsible for our town’s safety. We may have solved the mystery of the Dearg Due and returned her through the portal, but far too many perished before we did.”
“I admire your bravery, Agnes,” Archie says. “But this coven made a commitment to serve the greater good long before my arrival—and your return. We must work in tandem with the Unremarkables who are in the knowing. And be thankful they haven’t revealed the Fellowship’s true nature.”
“I’m with Agnes.” Spence points between himself and her. “We’re badass.”
She glares at him. “Don’t try to butter me up after tramping on my floors with your messy shoes.”
“What?” He throws his hands up. “I’m always on your side.”
Tanner shakes his head. “Quit while you’re ahead, hun. I understand the mayor, though. As long as that portal is open, we’re all in danger.”
“That’s an understatement,” Skye adds.
The hedge witch rubs at her back. “Can we get on with the meeting? My lumbar needs mattress time.”
“After a brief announcement,” Trinity says. “Courtney Davies, now Courtney Erickson, has returned to Bearsden.”
Spence throws up his arms. “Are you fucking kidding? How can she show her face after what she did to Gwyn?”
“Yeah, she has some nerve moving back here,” Skye says. “Made up all that shit about Archie.”
I raise my hand in a gesture to stop. “She apologized to me, guys. We should give her a chance.”
“Gwyn’s right,” Trinity adds. “Courtney works in the mayor’s office, so I didn’t want to announce this while she was here. I doubt Jessica is aware of Courtney’s witch status, and it’s not our place to divulge her secret. It appears she has moved on with her life. However, we will keep her on our radar. Hard not to when she’s married to a council member. Let’s wrap this up.”
Elijah returns, and we divvy up chores to set up on Samhain in record time. As Archie would say, “We’re all knackered.” After taking the chairs back to the kitchen, we put on our shoes and make our way out the front door.
“Mom, I’ll text you later this week about conferencing with Nain and Taid again,” Tyler says. “I want them to meet Zoe.”
“Oh. Are you ready to come face to face with spirits?” I ask her.
“You bet,” she replies. “Tyler said it was SO cool.”
“We’ll chat about it later.” I wave goodbye as they step out the door. “Archie, why don’t you go ahead? I want to talk with Agnes about…the remaining grimoires.”
“Sure. I’ll take Leslie home. Have a restful night, Agnes.”
Leslie kisses her love on the cheek. “Goodnight, my dear. I would stay if I didn’t have an early class in the morning.”
Agnes blushes. “Yeah, yeah. You sleep well, too, sweetheart.”
What a softie she is under that rough, worn exterior. Like her house, the hedge witch has had a makeover. Once Leslie and Archie leave, I pick her brain.
“Have you ever worked on your witch’s intuition?”
She squints at me. “What does that have to do with the grimoires?”
“Nothing. I didn’t want Leslie to feel bad that I asked you and not her. According to my mother, she always had a chip on her shoulder about her training. Mom said she envied her ancestral witch background. She was jealous of your witchcraft skills, too.”
“Yeah. That’s true. But Leslie is powerful now. I let my intuition develop naturally over the years. I wouldn’t say it’s all that great. The closer I get to death’s door, the less I wanna know what’s coming, you understand?”
I nod, understanding why she feels tentative about it.
“Why do you want to develop your sixth sense? Aren’t your visions stressing you out enough? Do you need the fears of your intuition to finish you off?”
I chuckle. “I don’t want it for my personal situation. Recently, I’ve been having unusual reactions. It happened in the Celestial Gardens the evening of the kidnapping. I haven’t had any visions, but maybe my sixth sense could guide me to the identities of the kidnappers. And bring that baby boy home to those devastated parents.”
“Shouldn’t you leave that to the Bearsden Police Department? Don’t you have enough on your plate?”
“So, you won’t help me?”
Agnes twists her lips. “For fuck’s sake. Call me. But I can’t guarantee you’ll improve.”
I grin at my mentor. “Thanks, you old softie. Goodnight.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get the fuck outta here.”
