Prelude to a Witch by Amanda Lee (free novel reading sites TXT) 📕

raised under the same roof. I have fifteen blood cousins and a few that were added by marriage. I know I shouldn’t segregate them, but it’s impossible not to because there’s an invisible line between the ones who came in later and the ones I grew up with. Those of us who were raised together know exactly what buttons to push to drive each other crazy.”

“That’s how it is with Clove, Thistle and me,” I said. “We all know exactly how to drive each other crazy.”

“And you probably enjoy it.”

“Yeah.”

“I enjoy messing with my cousins, too.” She gestured toward the garage. “Come on. My great-grandmother is probably on the patio. That’s where she’s been hanging out of late.”

I followed her through the garage, smiling at the huge rose garden she led me through at the back of the house. It was absolutely beautiful, and whoever was caring for it had put in a lot of time.

“This is my grandmother’s pride and joy,” Stormy explained. “She’s been taking care of these rose bushes forever.”

“They’re lovely.”

“The thorns hurt when you’re screwing around as a kid and accidentally run into them.”

“I hadn’t considered that.”

“I still have scars on my arms.”

“We all have scars like that.”

She nodded in agreement. “We most definitely do.”

Helen Archer was indeed sitting at the patio table. She was reading a book, a glass of iced tea at hand. She looked up when she heard us and smiled.

“This is a pleasant surprise.” She nodded at me as a greeting. “How are you, Bay?”

I decided to get right to the heart of matters. “We’re dealing with something in Hemlock Cove and Aunt Tillie thought you might be able to help.”

Surprise rushed over Helen’s features. “Tell me about it.”

I did just that, leaving nothing out. When I finished, she looked perplexed.

“You said they look like ghosts in the windows?”

I nodded. “That’s what it looked like to me. I’ve never seen anything like it. That’s why I’m searching for answers. I don’t think the appearance of the images in the glass can be a coincidence. It has to be tied to what happened to Paisley Gilmore.”

“I would think,” Helen agreed, thoughtful as she rocked in her chair. “And you saw the reflections in two different locations?”

“Yeah. Once was at the diner in town. The other time was at the inn my father runs with my uncles.”

“Which means they’re not trapped in one specific location.”

“Do you know what they are?” Stormy asked.

“I can’t be certain without seeing them — and since I can’t see ghosts, that seems unlikely — but they sound like shades.”

I was familiar with the word. I’d come across it and them a few times. “I’ve seen a few shades here and there,” I said. “They were different.”

“That’s because all shades are different.”

“I don’t understand,” Stormy said. She was still learning about magic and was always brimming with questions. “What’s a shade?”

“It’s a ghost that’s been anchored by something,” I replied. “I mean, that’s the best way I can explain it.”

“It’s a rather broad description, but it does the job,” Helen agreed. “Shades are ghosts that have been enslaved by other magical beings, or tied to a talisman, or even cursed to walk the land for eternity. They’re not normal ghosts.”

I thought back to the images I’d seen in the window. “These ghosts definitely didn’t look happy. They also didn’t look like true ghosts. They weren’t wandering around. Why can I only see them in glass reflections?”

“That I can’t answer. I have to think it’s some sort of spell or curse. I’m not an expert on shades. I don’t know why Tillie thought I could help you.”

“You have helped me,” I reassured her. “Aunt Tillie had no idea what we were dealing with. She’s too busy messing with Mrs. Little and Aunt Willa to care about anything else right now, and that includes shades. I hadn’t really given the possibility much thought, but now that you mention it, shades sound as likely as anything else.”

“You need to figure out who is controlling them,” Helen said. “They’re ... dangerous … in their current form. They may appear to be trapped in the glass, but that’s likely not true. You might only be able to see them in the glass for some reason.”

That was a sobering thought. “Maybe someone made them invisible and I can only see them in the glass because of that, some weird glitch of the spell.”

“Anything is possible.” Helen looked worried. “Be careful. Your necromancer powers make you an appealing target. If someone did cast a spell to hide these ghosts, they know what you are.”

“And if they know my weakness, they’ll likely know Aunt Tillie’s as well,” I mused.

“According to Tillie, she doesn’t have any weaknesses.”

“Her biggest weakness is that she’s full of crap,” I said as I got to my feet. “I thank you for your time. You’ve given me something to think about.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to do what I always do. Figure it out and then wing it.”

She smiled. “You have a great deal of your Aunt Tillie in you. It’s lovely.”

I frowned at her. “I think that’s the meanest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“I meant it as a compliment.”

“Well, try better next time.”

12

Twelve

Once back in Hemlock Cove, I headed for the inn’s extensive library. I needed to bone up on shades. If Helen was right, we were dealing with an enemy who knew us. That made things dicier.

I heard my mother and aunts in the kitchen sniping at one another, which was their way. More guests would start rolling in for the weekend this afternoon, and even more tomorrow. They had a lot on their plates when it came to running the inn and I had no intention of interrupting them.

I selected several books from the shelves and sat on the couch, glancing over at my phone when it started buzzing. Landon’s name scrolled across the screen.

“Is anything wrong?” I asked as I answered.

“Sometimes