Read Online Witch Is When It All Began by Adele Abbott - Free Book Online Page B

Blue cats’ eyes glasses, orange lipstick and dark green hair. She was obviously going for understated .
    “Jill!” She waved at me from across the room. “Jill! I’m over here!”
    I could sense everyone was staring at me—no doubt wondering who could possibly be meeting the crazy, rainbow lady. Aunt Lucy already had a pot of tea and a slice of cake on the table in front of her, so I gave her a little wave to let her know I’d seen her, and then went to the counter to order myself a coffee.
     
    “Sorry I’m late.”
    “Don’t worry your head, dear.” Aunt Lucy’s smile was almost too wide for her face. “Lovely to see you again. Sit down, sit down.” She patted the seat next to her, but I took the chair opposite.
    “I can’t drink coffee.” She pointed to my latte. “It doesn’t agree with me. I prefer tea. Camomile preferably. They have some lovely cakes in here. I just couldn’t resist. Would you like a taste?”
    “No, thanks. I’m good.”
    “My daughters, your cousins, Amber and Pearl run a small cake shop and tea room. They sell the most delicious cupcakes. You really should come over and—”
    “I have a few questions.” I was in no mood to discuss my cupcake baking cousins.
    “Of course, my dear. Fire away.” Aunt Lucy polished off the last of the cake, and licked the spoon.
    “The book,” I said in little more than a whisper.
    “You mean the book of spells?”
    “Yes. Why did you send it to me?”
    “Your mother wanted you to have it.”
    “What am I supposed to do with it? It’s just nonsense.”
    Aunt Lucy smiled. “You know that’s not true.”
    “There’s no such thing as spells or magic.” I was still convinced that there had to be a logical explanation for the events of the previous evening.
    “My dear, of course there is.” Aunt Lucy took a sip of her tea, and placed her hand on mine. My instinct was to pull away, but there was something strangely comforting about her touch. “Do you remember what your mother said before she passed?”
    How could I forget? I wasn’t sure if I’d ever forgive that last act of cruelty. “She must have hated me.”
    “That’s not true. Your mother loved you more than life itself.”
    “Then why did she call me a witch? With her dying breath!”
    “It was important to her that you knew.”
    “Knew what?”
    “That you are a witch.”
    I pulled my hand away.
    “What’s wrong, Jill?”
    “What’s wrong? You call me a witch, and then ask what’s wrong? What do you think is wrong?”
    “Jill, please. I don’t think you understand.”
    “What’s there to understand? You called me a witch! Why come all of this way just to insult me?”
    I started to get up, but Aunt Lucy grabbed my hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong.
    “This is a waste of time.” I tried to pull away.
    “Please, Jill. Hear me out. Then, if you still want to leave, I won’t try to stop you.”
    I tried to pull away, but I couldn’t break her grip.
    “Please, Jill. Sit down.”
    “Okay, but this had better be good.”
    “I want to show you something—if that’s okay?”
    I shrugged.
    She pushed the empty plate, which had held the cake, into the centre of the table. Then she closed her eyes.
    “There,” she said.
    I’d been so focussed on Aunt Lucy, that it took me a few seconds to realise that the cake, which I’d seen her eat, was now back on the plate.
    “That’s the ‘take it back’ spell.” She pulled the plate closer to herself, and began to eat the cake—again.
    “How did you do that?” It was a clever trick. She must have had two slices. I checked under the table, but couldn’t see a second plate.
    “I know this is difficult for you to accept.” Aunt Lucy wiped a smudge of chocolate from the corner of her mouth. “But please try. When your mother said ‘ you’re a witch ’, it wasn’t to be hurtful. It wasn’t an insult. It was because you really are a witch.”
    “Sure I am. I suppose you are too?”
    Aunt Lucy