Page 16 of Curses & Cold Brew (Maple Hollow #2)

IRIS

W e fell into a well-worn rhythm as Jordyn and Harlow helped me gather all the supplies for the summoning.

They’d clearly seen my mountain of dusty tomes in the diner as a cry for help, and we went straight back to the apartment to get to work.

I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed this until we were doing it again—performing spells, working through the night, hunting clues.

It had taken us hours to find something that Maude Ketchum had been attached to in life. The B&B was full of knickknacks, antiques, and random heirlooms, but we needed something that had truly been hers, something that she’d cherished, which had made the task almost impossible.

Understandably, Jordyn was extra careful with our prep this time.

No wine was permitted pre-ritual. The last thing we needed was another sloppy summoning.

Jordyn’s experience last year with Lou had shaken her confidence with this type of magic.

Harlow, on the other hand, was like an excited golden retriever.

She had the good sense not to pepper her girlfriend with a million questions about magic but seemed to have no issue asking me.

“Why salt?” Harlow asked, stir-fried noodles hanging from her overloaded mouth.

Summoning on an empty stomach was not good practice, and we had a few hours before midnight, so we’d ordered dinner from the local noodle shop. After that, we’d spent probably way too long double-checking the incantations and candle placements.

“It’s a purification thing,” Jordyn answered.

“Even the best intentions can be muddied if the spell area isn’t purified properly.

” She pointed her chopsticks at me. “It also helps if you have more than one witch present to keep the vibes on task. It’s easy to let emotions and the spirit get a bit . . . out of hand.”

I wanted to point out that Lou, her ex-girlfriend, being stuck on our plane for so long had had more to do with Lou’s unsolved murder than Jordyn’s emotions getting out of hand, but I knew Jordyn still bore the burden of responsibility.

And Lou was at peace now because of Jordyn—something she might’ve never gotten if Jordyn hadn’t been a witch.

Harlow scooped another bundle of noodles into her mouth, nodding at her paramour.

“We shouldn’t need to hold onto Maude for long,” Jordyn said. “Just one question.”

“What do you need to ask her?” Harlow asked.

I took a deep breath. They needed to know before the ritual started. This would help us properly set the intentions, but would also keep the encounter on track once Maude crossed the veil.

Bracing myself for their reactions, I started spilling my guts. “Ramona’s souls are being stolen. The person responsible has figured out a way of breaking Ramona’s sigil and snatching the souls before Ramona can collect them.”

I waited for the other shoe to drop while they sat there blinking at me.

And waited . . .

And waited . . .

When neither said anything, I continued, “The last soul that was stolen was Maude Ketchum’s, so I want to call hers forth her and hopefully she can tell us who broke the sigil before she passed away. So only one question: who?”

“Okay.” Jordyn looked between Harlow and me. “So explain to me why we’re helping Ramona again? Meddling in demon affairs is dangerous, Iris. You know the coven wouldn’t approve. Hell, I don’t approve! Are you sure you want to get further wrapped up in her world?”

I shrugged, feigning casual interest. “She’s part of our town.”

“You’re suddenly concerned with being an upstanding citizen?”

“Yeah,” Harlow chimed in. “I mean, Ramona also tricked you into making a deal with her. Is this part of that? Do you owe her this? If so, this is a pretty lousy date.”

“It’s sort of part of it,” I hedged. “She didn’t actually ask for my help, but Ramona is . . . guarded. This whole thing has her really riled. She seemed upset, and she wouldn’t let a witch help if she didn’t really need it. Right?”

“Oh, so this is because you like her,” Jordyn cut in. “I thought you swore to me no demons?”

“No—I mean, yes, but no.” I stumbled over my words with absolutely no grace. “This isn’t about liking her. If I even did, which I don’t. Definitely not. Not really.”

“Oh, you’re down bad!” Harlow jeered.

Shit. This was the last thing I needed.

I shook my head and held up my hands. “Okay, don’t be mad, but it’s a little more complicated, and I didn’t want to tell you guys, but . . .” I pulled back the collar of my shirt and showed them the mark on my clavicle. “I’m a little more involved than just helping her out.”

Jordyn lunged closer and rubbed two fingers over the mark as if trying to check that it was permanent. “This is much bigger than you let on. I didn’t think she marked you with that deal for information last year.”

“She didn’t.”

“Then why do you have a demon sigil on your skin?” Jordyn screeched.

“It happened when we extended the deal over the summer.”

“What!” Jordyn shouted. “You made another deal with her? Damn it, Iris!”

Ichabod leaped off the couch, and Harlow slung an arm around Jordyn’s shoulder to calm her down.

Jordyn took a breath and in a calmer voice asked, “Why didn’t you tell us about the mark sooner?”

I pulled out of her reach and fixed my clothes to cover up the mark again.

“Because it was already done and it’ll be removed once the deal is completed—I checked a dozen times—so I didn’t think it would matter.

So, I have her mark on me for a bit. It’ll be gone soon.

It’s not forever! Think of it like a really long-lasting temporary tattoo. ”

Jordyn pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, so there’s much more of a vested interest in this soul stealing than we originally thought.”

“Yeah, we have to figure out who this thief is. They could come after you next,” Harlow said, her voice deeper and more serious now.

“They’re only going after souls that are passing naturally,” I assured them.

“Otherwise, it would be too hard to hide. Everyone would be on high alert if someone were going around and killing anyone in association with Ramona.” My words didn’t seem to comfort them.

“And besides, if we figure out who it is tonight, then they’ll be stopped long before they can get to me. ”

Jordyn crossed her arms, clearly unhappy but cognizant of the rock and hard place I was stuck between. “Fine, but she owes you big time after this. That date better be the best date ever in the existence of dates, and after, she is never to speak to you again.”

“Really good dates between women never end with never speaking again, babe.” Harlow laughed. “They end with the strap?—”

“Don’t you dare finish that thought,” Jordyn warned with a pointed finger.

I rolled my eyes as if I didn’t already know.

The mood warmed from there. I was relieved to ease back into a less stressful conversation than Jordyn looking at me like I was a coven traitor.

They told me about some local gossip they’d heard and their plans for a trip to one of the magical Christmas towns up north for the holidays.

It was as if no time had passed between us, even though I couldn’t remember the last time we’d hung out like this.

Eventually, Ichabod curled up on my lap, well aware of what time we usually headed to bed.

Rhythmically petting the soft fur on the top of his head soothed him long enough for the old grandfather clock in the corner to strike midnight.

It was finally time.

Jordyn and Harlow pushed the couch out of the way, then rolled up the large rug to avoid any stray candle wax dripping onto it—and to spare us twenty minutes of vacuuming salt out of its soft fibers.

Jordyn and I chanted a protection spell as we drew the salt circle, marked the compass points with chalk and protective herbs, and laid out our offerings.

Maude’s favorite sugar bowl sat in the middle, along with a small tray of sweets from Midnight Market and a bundle of herbs to burn after she moved on again.

Maude’s daughter thought that we were borrowing the dish to pay her spirit homage and bless her journey across the veil.

Which technically wasn’t a lie since Jordyn had promised we would do it after we got our answers.

Maude would haunt us for sure if we damaged it, and the apothecary really didn’t need that kind of poltergeist energy hanging around . . . again.

Jordyn and Harlow joined me in the circle, and we joined hands. I began the chant, followed by Jordyn. Harlow, still learning Latin and spell binding, only hummed and focused all her intentions on Maude joining the circle with us.

“ Coniuro te. Veni ad regnum nostrum, et loquere veritatem tuam ,” Jordyn and I chanted in unison until the candles around the circle started to flicker.

The room went still.

Goose bumps erupted up my arms and the back of my neck. A blurred image of mousy brown hair, wrinkled skin, and a fluffy cheetah-print robe came into focus.

“Maude, we’ve summoned your spirit tonight to ask for your help,” I said. “Would you be willing?”

It was a formal-sounding request, but I promised Jordyn we’d play this by the book.

“That doesn’t look like Maude,” I heard Harlow whisper to Jordyn, who shushed her quickly. But it was too late.

Maude’s wispy form rounded on Harlow and gave her the stink eye.

“If you must know, my body didn’t age, but my soul was well worn.

” Maude dabbed at the bags under her eyes as if vanity had gotten the better of her, even in death.

“That demon’s magic only worked until I was detached from my mortal vessel. ”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t?—”

“Please, Maude,” I cut in, trying to reel the situation back in. “When your soul left your body, were you alone? Or did someone visit before you passed?”

The transparent figure floated higher and leisurely twisted around before hanging upside down in front of my face. Her long, withered finger pointed at me.

“I saw you there. After,” she said, her voice creaky. “With Ramona.”

“Yes, but before that? Did anyone else come to see you?”

She slowly rotated as if on an axis, her lips pursed. “There was someone. With long teeth. I remember the table lamplight glinting off them as she laughed. Sweet girl, but a little too chatty for my liking.” Her image flickered in and out of focus.

“Who? Who was the chatty woman?” I perked up, squeezing Jordyn and Harlow’s hands tighter so Maude wouldn’t slip away.

“She had big hair, wavy brown. Blue eyes and a fiery personality. But I didn’t recognize her.”

“Is there anything else about her that you can tell us?” Jordyn asked. “Did she say a name or where she lives?”

Maude floated closer to the ceiling. “I don’t know any of that. But she talked like Ramona. Cocky. And a bit uppity. The immortals always are.”

“Immortal with long teeth?” Harlow whispered toward me. “Does she mean the vampires? Could it be a vamp?”

“Maybe?”

We all watched Maude continue to turn about as she started singing a haunting tune to herself.

Ichabod jumped onto the couch and mewed at Maude, who wiggled a loose thread from her shawl. He happily batted at it.

“Wouldn’t she know if it was one of the local vampires? She and Agnes manned the welcome booth together for years,” Jordyn reminded me. “Ask her where she is. Who holds the strings to her soul now that she’s been cut loose from Ramona?”

“Could you—” I made to ask another question when the cat leaped through Maude’s body, landed on the edge of the circle, and went sliding across the floor through the line of salt.

In an instant, Maude’s ghost was gone and the candles all went out, casting us into darkness.

Harlow bolted to the nearest lamp. “Is she gone? Should we try to call her back?” Her eyes searched the room, but Jordyn was already lighting the cleansing herbs.

“It’s better that we don’t,” Jordyn said, trailing smoke around the living room. “Calling her back that quickly might get her stuck in between.”

“She’s right. But I think I know how to figure out which vampire it was,” I said, fetching the broom to start cleaning up the salt before Ichabod could make a bigger mess.

“How?” Harlow asked, settling on the couch to contain the wild beast that had broken our circle.

All three of them looked at me as I smiled. “I’m going to need yarn.”