To Love a Witch Read online

  That was easy for her to say. I had a sneaking suspicion I would be doing all the paddling.

  “Why can’t I come?” Dani whined. Despite Hazel’s suggestion that we needed backup, I was leery about taking the teenager, which meant Hazel also had to stay behind.

  “It’s better if you stay here with Hazel,” I replied, refusing to meet her accusatory gaze. I understood that she was grappling with the confinement, but she was dangerous. We couldn’t allow her trips into town — or other places for that matter — until we were certain she wouldn’t use her magic on some poor soul who happened to accidentally step on her shoe or brush her arm. She was nowhere near that.

  “You know, this is cruel and inhumane punishment,” Dani snapped as I shoved the canoe into the water. My great-aunt was tiny, didn’t top five feet, but she felt as if she weighed a ton when I pushed the canoe. “I’m going to report you to ... someone.”

  “I suggest reporting us to the authorities,” Aunt Tillie said dryly. “I’m sure they’ll be sympathetic ... what with you being a murderer and all.”

  Dani’s glare was dark enough to cause a shiver to run down my spine. “You’ve killed people.”

  “How do you know?” Aunt Tillie eyed the girl.

  “I just do.” Dani insisted. “I know she’s killed people, because she took out my aunt.” She tilted her head toward me.

  “Your aunt was trying to kill us,” Aunt Tillie argued. “She had it coming.”

  “Only because you guys wouldn’t mind your own business. Maybe you had it coming.”

  I bit back a sigh. “Dani, there’s only room for two of us if we don’t want this thing to sink. We don’t even know if we’ll find anything. Stay with Hazel.”

  “But ... I want to see.”

  “Well, maybe we can decide on an outing later,” I lied. I didn’t want the girl mixing with the unsuspecting residents of Hemlock Cove. We lived in a tourist town. People from all over the state — the country, really — traveled to our small hamlet in northern Lower Michigan because they were witch enthusiasts. The fact that there were real witches on the loose — some legitimately dangerous — would put a damper on the festivities. “You can’t come with us now.”

  I grunted as I gave the canoe a final push, sloshing through the water to keep up and hop in at the last second.

  “Head to the east,” Aunt Tillie instructed from her perch in the bow of the canoe. “The shore over there is best for hitting even ground. There are few rocks over there.”

  I growled as I started paddling. I’d provided her with a paddle of her own, but it rested across her knees as she stared at the far shore and let me do all the work. “You could help,” I complained as I tried to keep the canoe in a straight line. “It wouldn’t kill you to paddle once or twice.”

  “It might.” She was silent for a few moments before glancing over her shoulder. I had the distinct impression she was gauging the distance between us and Dani. That meant she was about to unload her specific brand of wisdom. I wasn’t in the mood. “She’s not getting any better, Bay.”

  I was expecting the words. The dark sentiment they were delivered with was another story. “She’s ... trying.” Even as I made the argument, I knew it wasn’t true. The only thing Dani was trying to do was get under our skin, and it was working.

  Aunt Tillie’s snort was full of disdain. “Who are you trying to kid? That girl isn’t capable of growth. She’s already been corrupted.”

  Frustration bubbled up. “She’s still young. She could learn.”

  “You just want to think that because the alternative is too much for you. You’re soft.”

  “And what is the alternative?” I was beyond frustrated. “What are we talking about here? If this doesn’t work ... .” I couldn’t finish the thought.

  “She’s a threat, Bay.” Aunt Tillie was grave. “You know as well as I do that she can’t be redeemed. You’re just afraid to take the next step.”

  “We’ve been at it barely two weeks,” I argued. “She still has attitude over what happened. Seeing Diane die traumatized her. We need to get her over that hump, make her see us as friends rather than enemies. We won’t make any inroads with her until she stops believing we’re going to turn on her.”

  “We are going to turn on her,” Aunt Tillie said. “She’s a danger to anyone she comes into contact with. The cops aren’t equipped to deal with her. Listen ... .” She started shaking her head when I opened my mouth to argue. “I know you think your love muffin Fed can do anything — including walk on water — but she could seriously hurt him if he tried to take her into custody.”

  That had been exactly what Landon Michaels, my live-in love, had wanted to do after the big fight before the solstice celebration. He’d been adamant, attacking me head-on with Chief Terry at his side as they fired constant “rational arguments” at me. I had been equally adamant. I knew he would be at risk if he tried to control Dani. She responded poorly to most authority figures. With men she was terrible. And non-magical men? Forget it. She had no qualms about planting suggestions to jump off a bluff or eat the end of a gun. She didn’t understand her own power.

  “She can still come back from this,” I argued. “I’m not ready to give up on her. We were incorrigible at that age, too. You seem to forget that we misused our magic to go after our enemies. Remember Lila? We made potions that made her hair fall out.”

  Aunt Tillie let loose an exaggerated sigh. “You are ... being ridiculous. Making a potion to cause that little viper’s hair to fall out was general mischief. You didn’t try to kill her.”

  “I might’ve if I’d had the courage.”

  “You wouldn’t have done anything of the sort.” Aunt Tillie’s tone was sharp. “You guys liked getting in trouble, but it was the sort of trouble that was funny, not terrifying. You killed Diane because you had to. You still feel guilty about it.

  “She would’ve killed you and laughed, but you’re still wondering if you could’ve done something to save her,” she continued. “You don’t have it in you to kill with malice. Dani does. That’s why she can’t be rehabilitated.”

  “I’m not ready to just wash my hands of her,” I warned, struggling with the paddle as I tried to steer the canoe. “We have time.”

  “I don’t think we have as much time as you think,” Aunt Tillie countered. “You’re not ready yet. There will come a point when you come to the same realization I have. It won’t be pretty. You can’t fix the unfixable, Bay.”

  “Just ... focus on the ghost.” I could take only so much and I was at my limit. “See if you can catch a glimpse of it.”

  “Whatever.” Aunt Tillie muttered something I couldn’t make out. The splashes from my paddle drowned her out, which was probably best for both of us. “Was it a man or a woman?”

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t really see. Does it matter?”

  She shrugged. “It might. I’ve had my limit with women today. I think I need more men in my life or something. The estrogen brigade is becoming a constant headache.”

  That almost made me smile. “Since when are you a fan of the rougher sex, as you like to put it? Last time I checked, you hated all men.”

  “Not all men. I like Marcus.”

  Marcus was my cousin Thistle’s boyfriend. They’d recently moved into a converted barn. I was certain they were on the fast track to marriage. Marcus had a delightful ability to blunt Thistle’s rough edges — she had many — and he was pretty much the most easygoing man I’d ever met.

  “You do like Marcus,” I agreed. “That might have a little something to do with the fact that he does whatever you want without question. That includes growing pot ... and clearing a ditch of debris so you can strand Mrs. Little in it this winter.”

  Aunt Tillie’s head snapped in my direction and her mouth dropped open. “How did you know that’s what I had planned?”

  I smirked. “I didn’t until just now. I had a feeling, though. Mrs. Little has ended up in that ditch at leas
t ten times. When I drove by a few weeks ago, there was a downed tree in it. That could’ve caused a lot of damage.

  “Then, two weeks ago, I noticed Marcus out there,” I continued. “He had a chainsaw and was clearing the tree. I very much doubt he decided to do that out of the goodness of his heart.”

  “You don’t know. He might’ve wanted the wood for bonfires this summer.”

  “We’re surrounded by woods. He picked that specific spot because you like stranding Mrs. Little but don’t want to damage her car. You know which lines shouldn’t be crossed. You’re really a good girl at heart.”

  “That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “You’ll live.”

  “You’re on my list.”

  “I’ll still live.” I sighed as we drew close to the shore. “Honestly, would helping have killed you?”

  “I have delicate hands.” She held them up for emphasis. “I don’t like blisters.”

  I HAD TO HELP AUNT TILLIE OUT OF the canoe when we finally managed to get to the shore. She didn’t want wet feet — though she had no problem with my sneakers getting soaked — and she was back to grumbling as she stood on the sandy expanse.

  “That took way longer than it should have,” she complained.

  “Then perhaps you should’ve helped.” I used my forearm to wipe away the sweat dotting my brow. “Let’s look around. Try not to be you and scare away the ghost.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Aunt Tillie headed inland so I stuck to the shore, giving the water a long once-over as I slowly trekked to the north.

  I’d barely made it thirty feet before something in the water caught my attention. I moved closer for a better look and frowned when I caught sight of a pair of jeans. “Oh, my ... .” I hurried in that direction with every intention of dragging the body out of the water. The closer I got, though, the more I realized it was a wasted effort.

  “What is it?” Aunt Tillie asked, appearing at my side. She’d either heard the distress in my voice or sensed it. “Is that ... ?”

  “A body,” I replied grimly, glancing around. There was no sign of the ghost — I was convinced that’s what I’d seen — and we were alone at the satellite camp. When we were kids, this part of the property was a camp for boys. Hazel and Dani were staying at what had been the girls camp. The two camps were allowed to meet only for meals, and only when there were plenty of chaperones on hand. Now Landon owned the property. He had plans for our future, which made me smile, but the discovery in the water eradicated all traces of warmth.

  “Well, he’s clearly dead,” Aunt Tillie noted as she stared at the body.

  “How can you tell it’s a man?”

  She shrugged. “I can’t. The body is too ... you know.”

  The body was definitely in rough shape, which meant it had probably been in the water for some time.

  “I’ll call Landon,” I said, digging in my pocket for my phone. My first call should have been to Chief Terry, but I was rattled enough to want Landon here now. “It’s his property. He’ll want to see.”

  Aunt Tillie arched an eyebrow. “You just want your cuddle bear. Admit it.”

  She wasn’t wrong, but I could never admit it to her. “Look around for anything that shouldn’t be here. I doubt this guy simply washed up here by accident.”

  “I’m not your slave.”

  I pinned her with a harsh look. “Really?”

  “Fine.” She blew out a sigh. “I’ll look, but only because I have nothing better to do.”

  “Thanks so much for your magnanimity.”

  IT TOOK LANDON AND CHIEF TERRY thirty minutes to reach the camp. They parked behind the old cabins, which were in better shape than those on the other side of the lake.

  “Are you okay?” Landon immediately headed for me, his arms already open to pull me in for a hug. He was a tactile man who enjoyed a good cuddle. If you could arrange for a plate of bacon to add to the mix, he was more than happy to rest on top of each other watching movies the entire day.

  I nodded. “I wasn’t hurt. I just ... thought I saw something over here and we decided to check it out.”

  “We?” Landon glanced around, frowning when he saw Aunt Tillie using a stick to poke at the ground. “Seriously? Why is she here?”

  “I heard that,” Aunt Tillie called out. Her hearing was only an issue when she didn’t want to listen to something my mother or aunts barked at her. “You’re on my list.”

  “That threat has lost its efficacy,” Landon countered, his hand moving up and down my back. He shook his head before turning his attention back to me. “Show me.”

  I led him to the body, grimacing as he and Chief Terry sloshed in the water for a closer look.

  “Well, he’s definitely dead,” Chief Terry pronounced, his expression unreadable.

  “Is that your professional opinion?” Aunt Tillie asked, snark on full display. She’d managed to sneak up on us. The woman had feet like a cat. Sadly, it was one of those cats who preferred peeing on the bed in retribution for some perceived slight.

  Chief Terry ignored her. “What caused you to come to this side of the lake?”

  “And did you come in that?” Landon asked, pointing at the canoe.

  I nodded. “I thought it would be faster.” I glared at Aunt Tillie. “Of course, I also thought I would have help paddling. As for why I decided to come over ... .” I hesitated. Chief Terry wasn’t always open to paranormal talk. “I thought I might’ve seen a ghost by the trees, but really I just wanted a break from Dani.”

  Landon scowled. “Why were you out here with her? I thought we agreed you would limit your visits.”

  “You agreed,” I countered. “I didn’t say that. I ... can’t ... limit my visits. This isn’t Hazel’s responsibility. She needs help. That’s why Aunt Tillie and I were out here.”

  “And you just happened to find a body,” Chief Terry said. “What are the odds?”

  I held out my hands and shrugged. “You tell me. It’s possible that whoever this is got drunk, or there was some sort of accident. It’s also possible that something else happened. I’m just doing my due diligence as a conscientious resident of Hemlock Cove.”

  “Cute,” Landon muttered, shaking his head. His anger wasn’t directed at me. Death offended him on multiple levels, which was probably why he became an FBI agent in the first place. “She’s not your responsibility either, Bay.”

  It took me a moment to realize he was talking about Dani. He was against me helping the girl. Given what had happened with the murderous birds — and her unhinged aunt — Landon wanted me to wipe my hands of the witchy teenager. We’d argued about it multiple times. I couldn’t, though.

  At least not yet.

  “If she’s not my responsibility, who’s going to make sure she stays on the straight and narrow?” I challenged.

  “Um ... how about a prison warden? That’s where she belongs. She’s not a good girl, sweetie. She’s evil.”

  “That’s what I’ve been saying.” Aunt Tillie held up her clenched fist so Landon could bump it. “You and me, it’s like we’re sharing the same brain.”

  “Don’t tell me that.” Landon scowled, ignoring Aunt Tillie’s fist. “That means I’m wrong.”

  His reaction made me smile. “Nobody’s wrong,” I reassured him. “I just ... don’t know what else to do.” Whenever talk turned to Dani I felt helpless. That must’ve been written across my face, because Landon moved back and hugged me tighter.

  “Okay. We’ll table this discussion for now. I still think you’re wasting your time, but I’ll stand by you no matter what. If this is what you want, then we’ll figure it out.”

  That was all I wanted to hear. “Thank you.” I pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth and then glanced back at the body. “What about him?”

  “We’ll call the medical examiner,” Chief Terry replied, already digging for his phone. “As you said, it could’ve been an accident.”

  It could’ve been an
accident. But I had a feeling it was something else entirely.

  Three

  Landon suggested we head back before the medical examiner arrived. He didn’t want to answer questions about why we were at the old camp. On the surface, it made sense. Unfortunately, I knew the real reason. He wanted to cut down on outside opinions about the situation at the camp.

  Nobody knew Dani was with us. I wasn’t sure what the people in town believed — if there was a rumor going around, it hadn’t yet made it to me. She’d disappeared and nobody had questioned it. If Aunt Tillie and I were present when the medical examiner arrived, he might ask questions ... and lying was always an iffy proposition in scenarios like this.

  “I might be a little late for dinner, but I’ll be there,” he promised as he got me settled in the canoe. He’d agreed to push us out to save my shoes from another dousing. “Just meet me at the inn.”

  I nodded, searching his face. He’d been acting weird. Well, he’d been acting secretive. I’d caught him on his computer a few times when he thought I wasn’t looking, and he became annoyed when I’d sneaked up behind him to see what he was studying. I had a feeling he was trying to find an institution to take Dani, someplace with bars and maximum security. I hadn’t come right out and asked because I didn’t want to know the answer. It would lead to a very big fight and I simply wasn’t up for it.

  “I’m sorry about all of this,” I offered. “I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend your day.”

  He slid his eyes to me and I read surprise there. “Sweetie, you didn’t cause this. You found a body and called it in. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”

  “Yeah, but ... this is your land. I’m keeping Dani in one of the old cabins even though you don’t want her there. If I hadn’t been out here, this might not have happened.”

  He hesitated and then shook his head. “First, I think of this as our property. The plan is to build a house for both of us to live in together, right?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, but ... .”