Page 5

CHAPTER FIVE

The second reading went far easier. My client — Emily Markwood — wanted advice on a new job she had accepted. Luckily, it was pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. She had a good chance of success if she did her work, follow directions, and didn’t try to change things for a while. Given she was an Aquarius, and it was second nature of her to try and fix things that may not even be broken, I gave her chances about seventy-five percent. It wasn’t that she couldn’t do the work, but I spied a rebellious streak in her. She was an individualist through and through. But she seemed content with the reading, paid me with no problem, and said she would come again.

I sighed, deciding it was time to tackle the insurance company again. As I put in a call to them, I prepared myself for another run-around. I finally got hold of a customer service rep.

“Hi, I’m calling to see if there’s any progress on my check. My house burned down.” I gave her my case number and waited.

Ten minutes later, she said, “I’m sorry for the wait. It looks like the claim’s been approved and the check will be sent out with the next batch, at the end of the month.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “They said that last month.”

“It looks like there was a glitch. But it’s in process right now, and you should receive it shortly after the beginning of February.”

I took down her employee number and the call number, in case there was another glitch, and thanked her. After that, I plastered a sign on the door that I’d be back in half an hour, and headed next door to the Mocha Express, after locking the door. Midnight Point might be a small town, but I was used to high crime rates in Seattle, and didn’t want to take any chances.

The Mocha Express was busy as usual. In fact, there was a line out the door. Four people were standing outside, at the back of the line. For a town the size of Midnight Point, that was an impressive queue. I glanced across the street at the Rialto theater. Midnight Point was still small enough of a town for going to the movies to be an event, and they were advertising a new musical that was coming out. I’d heard that it was good, and thought about asking Crystal if she wanted to go.

After juggling my way through the door, I slid inside and looked around to see if there were any tables available. There weren’t, but Crystal saw me.

“Hey, come into the back,” she said, motioning for me to follow her.

I wove around the line of customers and through the curtains leading into the break room.

“Wow, it’s really jumping out there,” I said.

“It’s cold. People want mochas and hot cocoa, not to mention hot coffee. Apparently, this weekend we’re supposed to have a big snow event, before the weather clears up and gets back to normal next week. So you might want to stock up on eggs and bread.”

“Oh, a French toast alert?” A meteorologist out of the Seattle area often called weather events French toast events , because people always stocked up on eggs and bread and milk, all ingredients to make French toast, a luxury usually requiring a snowy morning stuck at home.

“Apparently so. We’re due for five to seven inches of snow this time. So we may actually get snowed in. At least we don’t have the hills that Seattle does, but with the wind that comes in off of the strait, you know it’s going to be icy.” She motioned for me to sit down at the table. “Do you want some coffee?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course,” I said with a laugh. “I could use a double shot mocha, if you don’t mind.” I reached for my purse but she waved me away.

“On the house. I’ll be right back.” As she headed back through the curtains, my phone sounded. I opened it up to find a text from Brenda.

i had the oddest dream, she texted. you were in it, and together we were being chased by some sort of invisible monster. it was so real, and we were running through the woods at night. we were afraid for our lives. i’m not quite sure why i decided i needed to tell you, but it felt so real that i’m going to trust my instinct.

I stared at the text. That was odd. Not sure how to respond, I finally texted back that I would call her in a while, when I was free.

Crystal returned with my mocha, a hot cocoa for herself, and a bag of cranberry oatmeal cookies. “If I remember right, you like these, right?”

“Oh, I love those. And you make the best ones.” I took a sip of the mocha, and leaned back in my chair. “My morning reading — my first reading — was incredibly sad.”

“What happened?” Crystal asked.

“Oh, someone losing their mother, and trying to put tie up loose ends. Just…a lot of heartache in so many ways. It left me in a odd mood. I feel so bad for my client, and yet… Sometimes things just work out the way they do. At least my second reading was pretty generic. Anyway, did you find out anything about the Midnight Hour Social Club?”

“Yes, actually. They’re still meeting, every Saturday evening at seven PM in the community center. Anyone over eighteen is welcome.” She bit into a cookie. Then, after she swallowed, asked, “So, are you going to go?”

“You mean this Saturday? I thought it was supposed to snow.”

“It is, but you know how forecasts can be off around here. Maybe you should think about trying it out.” The grin on her face told me she thought I was going for myself.

“Slow down! You know I’m not ready to date again,” I said. “However, it occurred to me that I might be able to find some potential clients there. I did some preliminary work on my client Brenda this morning, and it seems that I’m looking for a star witch. However, there aren’t many in the database and so…I need leads.”

“Didn’t you tell me she was a bear shifter ?” Crystal asked.

“Yes, and I know it doesn’t sound like a likely pairing, but that’s what I saw. And I’m almost always right.” I paused, then added, “Do you know of any star witches around?”

Crystal thought for a moment, then shook her head. “They’re pretty rare, even around here.” She worried her lip, then hesitantly added, “I think there’s a family of star witches over in Whisper Hollow. In fact, the mother belongs to the Crescent Moon Society. I think she runs it.”

I blinked, surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah, and if I remember correctly, her name is Starlight. I’m not sure about her last name. I’ll have to look it up.”

“Isn’t there a spirit shaman over in Whisper Hollow?”

“Yeah, Kerris Fellwater. I’ve met her a couple times. She spooky as hell, but nice enough.”

Spirit shamans weren’t exactly the most friendly of people, and there weren’t many of them around. They weren’t witchblood, but an entirely different branch of magic. Liaisons between the living and the dead, they were steeped in necromancy. Even those witchblood who dealt with the dead and the Veil didn’t have the intimate connections that spirit shamans did.

“If you could find out Starlight’s last name, that would be helpful. I may have to make a trip over there. Meanwhile, I got a text from Brenda while you were making our coffee. She had a nightmare about her and me. I’ll call her back about it later.”

“Where’s your aunt?” Crystal asked. “I usually see her at least once a day, but she hasn’t been in yet. Is she okay?”

“She drove over to Moonshadow Bay. Her friend, Teran, needed some help. Astra will be there for a few days and she took Dahlia with her. So Miss P. and I are on our own. Why don’t you come over tonight for dinner?”

“Sounds like fun to me,” Crystal said. She glanced at the clock. “Okay, I’d better get back to work and make sure nothing’s ready to explode out front. Although Karina’s such a good worker that I don’t have to worry. What time do you want me for dinner?”

“Seven o’clock?”

“See you then.” She pushed back her chair and stood up.

As I headed back to the shop, I thought about the possibility of making a trip to Whisper Hollow. The hair stood up on the back of my arm. It wasn’t exactly the most charming place to visit.

Once I returned to my store, I called Brenda back. “So, tell me more about this dream.”

“We were out near a forest, and it was very dark. I’m not sure where we were. The woods were dense—the same type of woods we have around here, only they seemed go on and on. Little globes of light were floating through the trees, bouncing through the air. They reminded me of fireflies, only they were much larger. About the size of golf balls.

“There was snow on the ground, a lot of it, and we were trying to make our way back to a trail that we knew would lead us out of the forest. But we got lost. Everything got a little mixed up at that point. Suddenly, we were running, slogging through the snow trying to get away from some creature that was chasing us. Whatever it was, it was big and scary and smelled fetid. Then, you screamed for me to duck and I did. The next moment, I woke up in a cold sweat. Does that make any sense to you?” Her voice sounded shaky. I didn’t blame her, nightmares were rough.

“Do you have any idea of where we were?”

“I don’t know, but it wasn’t Midnight Point, and it wasn’t on the island. I think we were somewhere in the Olympics.” She sighed, then added, “I feel better for having told you.”

The Olympic National Forest ran across the whole Olympic peninsula. The towns bordering it—Port Townsend, Port Gamble, Port Angeles, Whisper Hollow, Forks, Aberdeen-Hoquiam, and Ocean Shores—encircled three sides of the national forest.

While Forks didn’t have sparkly vampires, unless they were wearing sequins, it and all of the other towns had soaked up the ancient magic of the massive old-growth trees. The peninsula was filled with ghosts and creatures from other dimensions and ages unknown. A dark, feral energy permeated the entire area, and it kept out anyone who didn’t belong there.

“Let me think on it for a while,” I said. “Try not to worry. I’ll let you know if I come up with any insights. Meanwhile, I’m making some headway on your case. While I haven’t found the right person yet, I know what kind of man to look for. So try to focus on that. You know, positive things. And if you have any more dreams like that, let me know.”

“Before you go,” she said, “you also do readings and psychic investigations, correct?”

“Yes, I do. Why? Do you know someone who needs my help?”

Brenda paused, then said, “I actually might need more help than just finding a man. Last night, I could have sworn that was somebody in the house with me. I woke up feeling like someone was watching me, so I got up and looked around. The house was empty, but the feeling wouldn’t go away. After that, I took a sleeping aid and finally went back to sleep but then I had that dream. I don’t know if the incidents are connected, but I feel uneasy today.”

I frowned. It could be psychological. Now that she was actually looking for a new partner, she might be afraid, given her late husband was abusive.

“Keep an eye on things. Let me know if it continues. Maybe it’s the weather? I know that weather can affect a lot of things, including our moods.”

As we said goodbye, I realized that my entire mood had changed. I felt pensive, and as I glanced outside, it started to snow again. I walked over to the window. The sky shimmered with that silvery tint that accompanies snowstorms, and I had a feeling that the French toast warning was going to be an actual French toast emergency.

I spent the afternoon doing some research. Starlight Williams was actually a star witch, from an old family of star witches. She was married, with two children, but when I did some more research, I discovered that several other members of her family lived with her in Whisper Hollow, including two brothers and several cousins. They were part of the socially elite of the town, and I jotted down the names of everyone I could find.

I decided to close up early and go shopping before everybody flocked to the stores to stock up for the weekend. As I drove into the Canberry Market’s parking lot, I almost slid into another car, the slush was so slippery. Tonight would drop below freezing, and turn this entire lot into a skating rink by morning.

I parked as close as I could to the market, cautiously making my way up to the sidewalk which was covered by the awning. They had salted the walkway, so it was easier going. The falling snow was light and feathery, but it was already sticking.

The market was bustling as I grabbed my cart and headed for the dairy aisle. I filled my cart with eggs and milk, and several varieties of exotic cheeses that I wanted to try, as well as cheddar and mozzarella.

As I turned the corner to the meat aisle, I saw Stuart Waterline. He was looking over the steaks. Stuart had been my high school sweetheart, and he was the sheriff of Midnight Point. He looked almost the same as I remembered him—tall and wide-shouldered, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Stuart? Is that you?” I push my cart over to the beef section.

Stuart looked up from the steaks, his eyes widening when he saw me.

“ Maisy ? You have to be kidding me! I didn’t know you were back in town.” He set down the ribeye he had been examining, and held out his hands. I gave them a quick squeeze before letting go.

“I moved back a couple months ago.” I glanced at the meat. “So, any good specials?”

“I’m not even sure I knew where you’ve been all these years. I heard you got married, but that was about it. It’s been so many years!” A glint in his eyes told me he was glad to see me.

“I was living in Seattle,” I said. “And don’t talk about so many years . I’m not that old!”

I grinned, realizing I was truly glad to see him. He had always been polite, as well as a lot of fun. In fact, he had been my first. I lost my virginity to Stuart Waterline in the back of his Ford Mustang.

“You know you’ll always be eighteen to me, at least in my memory. What brings you back to Midnight Point? Are you here visiting your aunt?”

I shook my head. “No. Or rather, I’m living with her. As I said, I just moved back. So, you’re the sheriff? Congratulations! You always wanted to be a police officer.”

“Well, I made it, so it seems.” He glanced at me, then shifted his eyes away. “So, did your husband move back with you?”

I hesitated. It was always awkward whenever I had to tell someone I was a widow. There was always that moment when I could see pity in their eyes, and then they would stumble over their words, trying to rectify a gaffe they didn’t know they were making. At times, I had just taken to saying that I wasn’t married, rather than try and explain. But Stuart knew I had married, and I wasn’t about to lie and say I was divorced. I decided to just rip off the bandage.

“Actually, Dan died a couple years ago. I’m a widow. I lost my job a couple months ago, the same day I came home to find my house going up in flames. Rather than try and start over again in Seattle, I decided to come back home. I don’t know whether I was running away, but for good or ill, here I am, back in Midnight Point.” I picked up one of the New York strips and placed it in my cart, along with a package of ground beef, and a pot roast.

Stuart froze. “I’m so sorry to hear that. It sounds like you’ve had a rough time of it.”

I nodded. “Yes, well…I’m here now. I opened a new business—a matchmaking business—this week. In fact, I just opened my doors yesterday. I’m staying with Astra until I can find a house. I’m in the market, by the way. So if you hear of any houses with good bones, preferably single story—though I’ll take a two-story if I have to—that seems reasonably priced, please let me know?”

“Of course,” he said. “Why don’t you give me your number?”

We exchanged numbers, and then he blushed again, stumbling over his words. “I suppose I better get home.… Paula is waiting for me. I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

I glanced at his left hand, but saw no ring. “You’re married?” In my many years in the matchmaking business, I had learned a lot of men didn’t wear their wedding rings.

“No, actually I’m not. I’ve been seeing Paula for about seven months now.” He shuffled a little, then took hold of the handle on his cart. “I suppose I’d better get on with my shopping.”

I could tell that he wanted to stick around and talk some more, but I didn’t want to give his girlfriend a reason to worry.

“I need to get my ass on the move, as well. I have company coming for dinner tonight. It was good to see you, Stuart. I’d like to have coffee later on, and have a proper catch up.”

“I’d like that,” he said, looking relieved. “Drop by the department any time you want. Feel free to text me and we’ll schedule a coffee chat.”

I turned with my cart and moved on to produce, thinking about Stuart. We had a wonderful time together, but I was witchblood and he belonged to a wolf shifter pack, and that alone was reason enough for us to break up. Though we’d both been sad, it had been an amicable breakup, although few breakups were ever easy.

I finished shopping and carried my bags to the car, ignoring the world of snowflakes that surrounded me. Seeing Stuart again had brought back a slew of feelings, though not romantic ones. When I was nineteen, I couldn’t wait to get out of the town. I wanted adventure, I wanted to visit places other than my sleepy, little, magical town in Western Washington.

But now? When I thought about being back in Midnight Point, I felt safe and comforted, as though I’d found a soft mattress after sleeping on the ground too long.

What a difference twenty-five years could make.