long ago even—seeking guidance on this or that.” She frowned and sipped her tea. “It was odd, really. Not only had I never had so many spirits appear in one night, but usually they are varied in form—not just canine.”
Her brow furrowed and she looked at me. “Where was it you found Keesha?”
“At the edge of the woods, past the baseball diamond in the park.”
I could see the wheels turning as a thought clicked into place. “The old pet cemetery rests in those woods.”
Well, that certainly explained a lot. I had forgotten all about that cemetery. I sucked in a breath as I recalled helping Chance bury a pet there once.
Fiona cast me a suspicious look. “You wouldn’t happen to know why I had an influx of visitors last night, would you, dear?”
I sipped my tea.
Birdie descended the stairs, a trail of lavender following her, and asked, “Would someone explain to me why there is a dog sleeping in my bed?”
“Fiona’s was too soft?” I offered.
Birdie gave me her unmissed look.
“Stacy was just about to explain that, Birdie.”
Betrayer! I shot Fiona a glare. She usually protected me from Birdie’s wrath.
Fiona patted my hand and grinned.
“Okay, but then you need to tell me all about Keesha.”
Fiona nodded and Birdie crossed her bare arms, her bracelets clanking together.
I explained how I couldn’t find Thor and I was worried so I performed a spell. I took them through it, step-by-step.
Birdie rolled her eyes and leaned against the island when I was finished. She crossed one sandaled foot and her purple skirt fluttered. “So not only had you been drinking, but you performed a spell on your own familiar?”
“Yes.” I looked from one to the other. “Is that bad?”
“Bad?” Birdie asked, incredulous. “Is pouring gasoline on a fire bad?”
“Yes.”
“What about using a sledgehammer to pound a nail into drywall? Would that be bad?”
I wasn’t a carpenter, but I could glean the correct answer from her tone. “Yes, I think that would be bad.”
“How about installing a V-8 engine in a scooter?”
Wait, what? “How do you know about V-8 engines?”
Birdie sighed. “The point is, Anastasia, you never cast a spell on your own familiar. When you do, you are combining forces, giving the spell entirely too much power, and the results—as you now know—are disastrous.”
“Okay, got it. No more spell casting on Thor. But no one got hurt and most of the dogs are accounted for. Most found their way home.”
Fiona stood and moved to the oven where she checked on Thor’s lunch. “That is not the way it works. Most likely, you will need to perform a clean-up spell. I’ll check into that. In the meantime, I don’t suspect Keesha was a product of your spell, but I can’t be certain.” She twisted the oven dial to off and pulled the bowl out, testing the temperature with her finger.
“What did you find out?” I pushed away from the table and filled a bowl with water.
Fiona placed the food on a mat near the back door and I set the water next to it. I made sure the door leading up the back stairs was shut tight.
“Go ahead and get Thor and then we’ll talk.”
I opened up the doors at each end of the hallway and whistled. Thor came rumbling through and headed right for his dish. He dug in with enthusiasm, lifting his head and smacking his lips every so often. He ate Fiona’s meals absurdly slow; like a foodie at the opening of a new, hot restaurant, he intended to savor and analyze every morsel.
Birdie, Fiona, and I settled around the apothecary table just as Lolly entered from the dining room wearing a wedding dress and yellowed veil. Her two sisters stiffened.
“How are you, dear?” Fiona asked.
Lolly smiled shyly at her. “Happy as I’ll ever be.” She had more makeup on than usual, and the manner in which it was applied made me wonder if she was about to audition for a silent film.
She said hello to Birdie, who smiled back, and proceeded to the pie
Her brow furrowed and she looked at me. “Where was it you found Keesha?”
“At the edge of the woods, past the baseball diamond in the park.”
I could see the wheels turning as a thought clicked into place. “The old pet cemetery rests in those woods.”
Well, that certainly explained a lot. I had forgotten all about that cemetery. I sucked in a breath as I recalled helping Chance bury a pet there once.
Fiona cast me a suspicious look. “You wouldn’t happen to know why I had an influx of visitors last night, would you, dear?”
I sipped my tea.
Birdie descended the stairs, a trail of lavender following her, and asked, “Would someone explain to me why there is a dog sleeping in my bed?”
“Fiona’s was too soft?” I offered.
Birdie gave me her unmissed look.
“Stacy was just about to explain that, Birdie.”
Betrayer! I shot Fiona a glare. She usually protected me from Birdie’s wrath.
Fiona patted my hand and grinned.
“Okay, but then you need to tell me all about Keesha.”
Fiona nodded and Birdie crossed her bare arms, her bracelets clanking together.
I explained how I couldn’t find Thor and I was worried so I performed a spell. I took them through it, step-by-step.
Birdie rolled her eyes and leaned against the island when I was finished. She crossed one sandaled foot and her purple skirt fluttered. “So not only had you been drinking, but you performed a spell on your own familiar?”
“Yes.” I looked from one to the other. “Is that bad?”
“Bad?” Birdie asked, incredulous. “Is pouring gasoline on a fire bad?”
“Yes.”
“What about using a sledgehammer to pound a nail into drywall? Would that be bad?”
I wasn’t a carpenter, but I could glean the correct answer from her tone. “Yes, I think that would be bad.”
“How about installing a V-8 engine in a scooter?”
Wait, what? “How do you know about V-8 engines?”
Birdie sighed. “The point is, Anastasia, you never cast a spell on your own familiar. When you do, you are combining forces, giving the spell entirely too much power, and the results—as you now know—are disastrous.”
“Okay, got it. No more spell casting on Thor. But no one got hurt and most of the dogs are accounted for. Most found their way home.”
Fiona stood and moved to the oven where she checked on Thor’s lunch. “That is not the way it works. Most likely, you will need to perform a clean-up spell. I’ll check into that. In the meantime, I don’t suspect Keesha was a product of your spell, but I can’t be certain.” She twisted the oven dial to off and pulled the bowl out, testing the temperature with her finger.
“What did you find out?” I pushed away from the table and filled a bowl with water.
Fiona placed the food on a mat near the back door and I set the water next to it. I made sure the door leading up the back stairs was shut tight.
“Go ahead and get Thor and then we’ll talk.”
I opened up the doors at each end of the hallway and whistled. Thor came rumbling through and headed right for his dish. He dug in with enthusiasm, lifting his head and smacking his lips every so often. He ate Fiona’s meals absurdly slow; like a foodie at the opening of a new, hot restaurant, he intended to savor and analyze every morsel.
Birdie, Fiona, and I settled around the apothecary table just as Lolly entered from the dining room wearing a wedding dress and yellowed veil. Her two sisters stiffened.
“How are you, dear?” Fiona asked.
Lolly smiled shyly at her. “Happy as I’ll ever be.” She had more makeup on than usual, and the manner in which it was applied made me wonder if she was about to audition for a silent film.
She said hello to Birdie, who smiled back, and proceeded to the pie
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