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CHAPTER THREE

I woke up to Miss P. kneading my stomach. All twenty pounds of her. It was her way of saying, “Wake up! I’m hungry!” I let out an ‘oof’ and eased her off of me. She curled up in the crook of my arm and I rubbed her belly.

“What shall we do today?” I asked, yawning.

“Mrrrr…” Miss P. purred, pawing my hand so I’d rub behind her ears.

I finally pushed myself up against my headboard and picked up my phone, checking my messages. I’d finally changed my relationship status on TouchLine—the social networking site that I had signed up for years ago. I had a few friends there, one or two from my time with Dan, but most were people I’d met online.

“Hey, Miss P.…what do you think? Should I start a page for my business?”

I sighed. Ten new messages. Two were legit—from net-friends who wanted to know how I was doing now that I was back in Midnight Point. The other were from cheesy men with really bad pickup lines. Most were probably scammers, and the ones that weren’t were pathetic. I deleted and blocked those, then answered Connie and Jocko.

After I finished, I closed the app, then slid out from under the covers and padded to the shower. Miss P. let out a miffed snort, then jumped off the bed and sashayed out the door. We’d installed a cat door on my bedroom door so I could close it at night, but Miss P. could still come and go.

I opened my phone and linked it to my Wavez speaker, then hit my morning wake-up playlist, starting with the Scorpions wailing out The Zoo . I’d developed a lot of my taste in music from my aunts. Astra never minded when I blasted my music, unless she had a migraine, and that wasn’t all that often, luckily.

When Astra had renovated her house a few years back, she had updated all the bathrooms and turned the guest room into a second en suite. Hence, I had a gorgeous full-size walk in shower with shower seat, rainforest shower head, and jets spraying from both back and front.

I slipped off my robe and sleep shirt, then turned on the water and waited for it to heat up. Auntie had upgraded the bathrooms, and she also installed radiant floor heating. So now the floors were lovely and warm. Both Miss P. and Dahlia loved sprawling on them.

As I lathered up, the smell of Vanilla Woodland filled the room. I loved vanilla scents, and spicy, woodsy scents, and the combo was the best. I washed my hair, which hung down to my shoulder blades. It was caramel brown with gold highlights. I’d started highlighting it after Dan died. It felt like body armor—like the tattoo that covered my left upper arm.

The dark red rose with green leaves that covered my upper arm was a tribute to Dan, though nobody but Crystal and my aunt knew that. I wouldn’t have to explain it if I ever decided to date again, because I could say that I loved roses. But it kept Dan close to me every day. I had another tattoo—a pair of wedding bands, interlocked, on my left inner wrist, honoring my powers as a matchmaker, and on the right inner wrist, a pentacle, symbolizing the magic that flowed through my veins.

After I rinsed off, I stood in front of my mirror. By now, White Zombie was playing More Human Than Human . As I stared at my clothes, I realized I was bored. I was bored with my clothes, with the sedate cocoon I’d woven around me over the past couple of years. I wasn’t sure what I wanted—I wasn’t even sure how I felt about my feelings.

With a sigh, I shook off my thoughts and pulled out a green sweater dress, a pair of gold sparkly leggings, and my knee high black boots. They were low-heeled, so I could walk on snow and ice, but I hadn’t worn them in a long time. As I dressed, I decided that I’d talk to Astra later. She was always a good sounding board.

As I applied my makeup, I decided to start breaking out of my rut and I went for color instead of neutrals. I sat back, staring at the green and gold eye shadow. It worked, even though I wasn’t used to it. I applied a thicker coat of liner, then mascara. Instead of using a neutral pink for my lips, I found an old bronze lipstick and tried that.

“Well, you wash up pretty good,” I said. Then, deciding to leave it at that, I headed downstairs.

Astra was drinking coffee in the kitchen, glaring at the screen of her laptop. “Fucking assholes. The HSL is at it again.”

My aunts had both been activists, involved in politics and social causes, and Astra still was. They’d brought me up to value the beautiful diversity of the world, and that belief had never left me. I peeked over her shoulder. Sure enough, the Human Supremacy League was once again trying to sponsor a bill to roll back rights for vampires.

“First the vamps, then the shifters and witches…but once they get to the Fae, it will be fuck around and find out,” Astra said. “This bill won’t get anywhere, but we have to be vigilant. It’s so easy for corruption to slide into power, and they usually do so through the ignorance of a subset of the population.” She shut the laptop with a disgusted snort. “Anyway, how are you doing this morning?” She did a double-take. “Wow, you look great.”

“You think so?” I glanced down at my outfit. “I just…wanted to try something different.”

“Well, it works.” She stood. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“I’m not that hungry, so just something light,” I said. “I’m thinking of signing up for a gym membership,” I said.

Astra narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on, love?”

I shrugged. “I’m restless. I woke up this morning feeling like I was a shadow. I thought it might be nice to get out of my rut.”

She nodded, looking like she wanted to say something, but then she moved over to the counter. “Latte or mocha?”

“Iced caramel latte, quad shot.” I hopped up to sit on the counter next to her. “I think for breakfast…some peanut butter on toast and a banana.”

“Sounds good,” she said. “I already ate. I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep.” As she popped a couple slices of bread in the toaster, I flipped on the espresso machine.

“I’ll make my latte,” I said, sliding off the counter. I tamped coffee into the portafilter, then pulled two shots. Wash…rinse…repeat… I added a shot of caramel coffee syrup to my travel mug, then filled it with ice and milk. As I slipped the top on, Astra handed me the peanut butter toast.

I carried both toast and latte over to the table, where I settled in the booth. A bowl of fruit was in the center and I selected a banana—one that was slightly green. I didn’t like them when they were overly ripe.

“I have two readings today, and I’ll start on a plan for my matchmaking client,” I said. “I doubt that I’ll have a problem finding the right person for her. She’s an easy match.”

Astra returned to the table, carrying a latte for herself. “Every time you mention her, I get an odd feeling, Maisy.” She stirred the steaming drink, frowning.

“Really? What about?” I trusted Astra’s feelings. She was always on point.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “But I think you should be cautious with this. I have no clue what’s going on, but I get alarm bells. If I can pinpoint it, I will.”

I bit into the toast, then wiped my lips with a napkin. “What are you up to, today?”

“I’m getting ready for a little trip. I’ll be gone for a few days, so you’ll have the house all to yourself.” She winked at me. “I’d say no wild parties, but unfortunately, I don’t think it’s necessary.”

I sighed. “I wish I had a reason to throw a wild party. Anyway, where are you going?”

“Moonshadow Bay. A friend there needs some help. She threw her back out and it’s going to take a few days for it to heal. You remember Teran Karns?”

Moonshadow Bay, like Midnight Point, was a shadow town. All shadow towns were connected to the Court Magika. The Court Magika was the supreme council of witchblood, and they answered only to the queen of witchblood.

“Right—January’s aunt.” I’d met January Jaxson in Seattle, before she dumped her abusive ex and moved back to Moonshadow Bay. We kept in touch, infrequently, but it had been several years since we actually got together.

“Right. The high priestess of the Dark Moon Society asked me to conduct a little business while I’m there.”

Astra belonged to the Dark Moon Society—Midnight Point’s local branch of the Order of the Moon. She was one of the high priestess’s lieutenants. All high priestesses answered directly to Queen Heliesa, who lived in Easa Cailleach. Easa Cailleach existed in Betweon Veille —a dimension between the veils.

“Is something up with the Covenant of Chaos?” I asked.

The Covenant of Chaos was a group of chaos magicians dedicated to bringing back the Elder gods of Chaos, and creating as much havoc as they could. They were greedy, going after the almighty dollar, and they didn’t care who they are to in the process, or how much mayhem they wreaked. The only thing that matter to them was disrupting the system, and gaining as much power for themselves as they could.

“Maybe. There are indications that they’re rising again. But mostly, I’m going to help out Teran.” She paused, then added, “Do you want to come with me?”

“I’d like to see January again,” I said. “But I can’t really leave my new business, and I have clients coming in tomorrow. So, tell her hi for me, and give her my new number, would you?” I glanced at my watch. “I’d better get moving. Time to get the day started.” As I picked up my purse and latte, Astra kissed me on the cheek. “When are you leaving?”

“This evening. I’ll take the 5:30 ferry over to Whidbey Island, then drive up Highway 20, over the bridge to I-5, and from there, it’s a hop and a skip north to Moonshadow Bay. I’ll take Dahlia with me. Keep an eye on the house.” She whistled to Dahlia, who came bouncing into the room. “You little dust mop. Want to go for a ride? I need to pick up some things before I go.”

Dahlia wiggled her butt. I laughed and, after stopping to pet Miss P. for a moment, I slipped on my jacket, then exited the kitchen door, heading to the side driveway.

The snow was melting, and it had warmed up to thirty-seven degrees. It was supposed to be back in the forties by next week, but between then and now we had a big snowstorm coming in. As I approached Clearwater Street—the main drag—a light sleet began to fall. The snow had melted just enough to create a few dirty piles of slush near the curbs. Pedestrian traffic was light today, given the weather, and there were plenty of open spots along the sidewalk. I was able to park directly in front of my shop, and as I stepped out of my car, into a river of slush near the gutter, I was grateful for my waterproof boots.

As I juggled my purse and coffee, trying to unlock my front door, a voice to my left caught my attention. I glanced up and saw Kevin.

“Yo, woman, need some help?” he asked. Kevin was tall, with feathery brown hair. He was built like an ice skater—long and lean, and had the grace to go along with the look. He aspired to be Randy, from Say Yes to the Dress , but his manners weren’t affected, and he managed to radiate both empathy and yet a wry wit that had a little bit of a bite to it.

“Yeah, can you hold my latte?” I handed him the travel mug, and then turned back to unlock the door. I pushed it open and he followed me inside. “Slow morning?”

“Slow morning, yes. We have three appointments this afternoon.” He sat down in the chair opposite my desk. “So, how goes the new business? I’m hoping to gain some customers from your clients, you know.”

I laughed. “Well, vice versa, as well. So far, I’ve got one client to start researching on—she’s looking for a husband. And I have two readings coming in today. I’m really looking forward to getting back to work.” I must have shown something on my face, because Kevin cleared his throat.

“You’ve really been through the wringer, haven’t you?”

I nodded. “Yeah. First I was fired, then that same day I lost my house. I’m just grateful that Miss P. survived. But I lost almost everything from my life with Dan. I even lost our marriage certificate. I’m so grateful that I was still wearing my wedding ring.” I held out my hand, staring at the rings. “I know I should take it off sometime…but I can’t.”

“You’re not ready to,” Kevin said. “You’ll know when it’s time.”

I sat back, touching my ring. Sighing, I said, “You’re right. I can’t force myself to do something I’m not ready to. Not yet. It feels as though…if I take off my rings, I’m saying goodbye for real. I’m letting him fade into the past.”

“You won’t be, you know that. But if that’s how you feel, then let it be. Don’t worry about it. Someday, you’ll realize it’s time. It might be tomorrow…or in ten years.”

On thing I had to give Kevin was that he understood emotion. Maybe it was from him being a wedding dress consultant, maybe it was his nature. Whatever the reason, Kevin had an innate sense of being trustworthy.

“Yes…I suppose I will. Anyway, until that time, wearing it comforts me.” I hung up my jacket, but I didn’t turn on the open sign yet. I wanted to do some research first. “Let’s change the subject. I’ll give you a plug when I find my clients a match, because I almost always find them a match.”

Kevin stood, stretching. “I’d better get back to my shop. My first consult will be here in about twenty minutes. She wants something different , so I brought in a few gowns that are outside the box. We’ll see just how different she’s looking for.” He laughed. “Half the time, when they want something different, they go traditional. And sometimes I think I’ve got Little Miss Average and she goes for goth, or super-sexy. Either way, I like to be prepared.”

I snickered. “Always get the sale, huh?”

Kevin started to laugh, then stopped. “You know, on the surface, yes. But I love love …and I want my brides to go away feeling happy and good about themselves. I want them to truly see themselves as a bride.” He waved, then headed out the door.

After he left, I made sure my crystal ball and tarot cards were ready, placing them on a table against one wall. I lit a stick of incense, a light rose scent, suitable for both my matchmaking clients as well as for my readings.

When everything was ready, I had another hour before my reading, so I settled down at the crystal ball. Before I even touched the database, I wanted to find out what my guides had to say about Brenda’s match.

Taking a deep breath, I lowered myself into a trance and brought Brenda to mind.

“Lady Aphrodite, I summon you,

Fill my rites with morning dew.

Open the path and let me see

The path to love, so mote it be.

Bring to me the match for Brenda Kline,

Open the door to love divine.”

As I cleared my mind, a rose colored mist began to form in the crystal. I leaned in, watching carefully. As the mist coiled and blossomed forth, I found myself standing inside the ball. I was in a garden, dusted with snow. Rose bushes stood barren, waiting for the spring. I looked around and saw a small cottage that looked like it belonged in the English countryside.

The yard was tidy. Whoever lived here, loved their home. And then I saw her—through the window. Brenda was standing by the sink, staring out at me with a dreamy look on her face. She looked happy, and I saw a ring on her finger.

The next moment, the shadow of a tall man walked into the picture. He was surrounded by a glowing aura—a nimbus of blue and purple, all sparkling and beautiful. My breath slowed, and I could hear Brenda’s heartbeat as he walked through the door. She turned as the mystery man wrapped his arms around her waist. As he leaned in for a kiss, I felt a wave of magic flow through, icy cold and clear as the night sky.

A star witch , I thought. He’s a star witch .

As the tendrils of their energy entwined, I could feel love holding them close. As the mist began to fill the scene again, I snapped out of trance, and sat back.

So, Brenda’s match was a star witch.

That narrowed the field down a great deal. I knew what kind of man I was looking for. Now, I just had to figure out where he was. As I sprayed sage water around, clearing the energy from my scrying so it wouldn’t interfere with my clients, my heart swelled. Every time I made a match, I renewed my belief in love. And when I was on the chase, hunting down my mystery match, I felt alive in ways I seldom otherwise ever felt.