Haunting Blend Read online

  Wait.

  Ghosts could drink?

  I could certainly use a drink myself right about now. Bourbon, maybe.

  Leo wasn’t helping the situation, and I couldn’t stand here for the rest of the night. I’d been in the process of putting on my dress coat when I’d walked through the strings of ivory-colored fairies, and my body was at an odd angle. I gradually lowered my arms and purposefully gripped my coat in my left hand.

  There were times I could gather enough energy in my left palm to use while protecting myself, but I wasn’t so sure it would help either of us in this case.

  I hate to break it to you, but there’s not a thing you can do if that ghost decides to stir up any funny business.

  Funny business? Recollections of various horror films involving demons and ghosts certainly weren’t helping me contain my fear. Did I even want to know what a spirit or poltergeist could do when unhappy?

  Trust me, that is a definitive none starter.

  “Are the two of you going to keep conversing with one another or can this old witch spirit get a word in edgewise?”

  I admit, I did scream.

  Sort of.

  It was a small squeal that sounded like I’d stepped on Leo’s tail. I’m not proud that it escaped my lips, but it happened all the same.

  Leo instinctively vanished so fast that tufts of his orange and black hair were still floating in the air where he’d been.

  “Maybe I’m in the wrong place, but Rosemary assured me that Tea, Leaves, & Eves was the tea shop where her granddaughter worked,” the older lady shared before setting her cup of tea down on the delicate saucer. She met my gaze, causing another wave of panic to wash over me. “Are you the infamous Raven Lattice Marigold?”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. It was a silly thing to focus on, but I made the realization that the china she was using also held a misty sort of quality. Go figure. That particular tea set must have come from the other side, as well. It would have been a top seller here in the shop.

  That wasn’t the only thing that caught my attention, and I was finally able to say something other than standing there looking like a fish out of water.

  “You know my Nan?”

  A million thoughts ran through my mind at once, but I wasn’t sure where to begin. If this woman was from the other side, then why couldn’t my Nan pay me a visit? What was a ghost doing in my tea shop in the first place? Could I somehow talk to—

  “Oh, don’t get your knickers in a bunch, dearie. I’ll answer all your questions in due time.” The feminine apparition raised an eyebrow in question as she looked around the shop. “Where did your funny-looking familiar go? There are some things we need to discuss, and I don’t have all day.”

  I wasn’t sure what there was to discuss with a ghost, but I also realized that it was probably a bad idea to upset her, given my current position.

  There was only one thing to do.

  “Leo.” I waited for him to appear, but he remained invisible. “Leo, show yourself right this minute.”

  I was not going to be left alone with an apparition of which I understood nothing about.

  Technically, there wasn’t much I could do if Leo decided to remain unseen, but I’d continue to badger him until he did the right thing. After all, Nan had left him behind to help me, and I was clearly out of my element at the moment.

  You remember my fear of spiders? Well, ghosts rank right up there with those eight-legged creatures.

  “Are you comparing me to a hairy, long-legged spider, Mr. Leo?”

  Leo suddenly reappeared, and his chest slightly rose as he took in the title that he pretty much demanded everyone call him.

  I love her.

  Great.

  She just had to coddle his mammoth ego.

  It wasn’t a surprise when Leo leapt off the counter and began sauntering toward the misty poltergeist in long strides that had his bent tail swaying back and forth in the most graceful manner he could muster.

  What is your name, my darling witch?

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head at Leo’s change of heart at talking and interacting with such a fearsome spirit. Of course, he would change his tune now that she’d given him exactly what he’d wanted—reverence.

  Don’t ruin my moment, Raven.

  “Rosemary said that you were quite the charmer, Mr. Leo,” the elderly specter said with a light laugh. Her oversized hat flapped a bit as she rested her fingers against her neck in delight. “My name is Mazie Rose Young, and I’ve come to hire the two of you to solve a mystical mystery.”

  I remember you now. You’re one of Rosemary’s friends from her time at the coven. How have you been, Mazie?

  Now that Leo had moved closer to the table, I slowly followed behind. He’d greeted her like an old friend, but it was easy to see that the word mystery had put a little hitch Leo’s step. He continued to move toward the table, anyway.

  I couldn’t help but cast a quick glance toward the window, afraid I’d find someone peering in and wondering why it looked as if I was speaking to a vacant chair.

  Okay. I might have also been looking for a reflection. Silly me…ghosts don’t have reflections.

  I decided it was best to find out what this ghost wanted and send her on her merry way. I’d wait to deal with the fact that ghosts could interact with living humans after a few glasses of wine.

  “Pardon me, but did you say that you’ve come to hire us for…” I had to have heard the apparition wrong, even though Ms. Young had spoken rather clearly. There were times that the haze of mist became more solid, which told me that her spirit was struggling with some unknown force to remain in our realm of existence. “I’m sorry. I thought you said you wanted us to solve a mystery of some sort.”

  Don’t do it.

  I snatched my hand back, tucking both arms underneath my coat.

  Touching an apparition might just cause you a severe case of frostbite.

  Leo’s warning had me shooting him an annoyed glance. How had he known I was about to reach out to see if I could touch Mazie’s arm? I mean, wouldn’t you be curious, too?

  No. Most ordinary people run from ghosts.

  “That’s right, dear. There’s a mystery I need you to solve.” Mazie patted the other stool, but she’d done so in order to let Leo know he was more than welcome to join her at the table. He didn’t hesitate and somehow was able to leap the four feet onto the cushion with ease. He wasn’t what one would consider a lightweight kitty. “Now, let’s get back to business. You understand know how hard it is for me to stay here for long periods of time, Mr. Leo.”

  How is Rosemary?

  I flicked my gaze back and forth between them in astonishment. Were they really going to carry on a conversation as if this was a normal visit by an old friend from beyond the grave?

  “Oh, that woman has been stirring up trouble during her transition. Last I heard, Rosemary was complaining about the bread, though I have no idea why. It’s quite good, you know. The manna over there fulfills one’s every need. It reminds me of a fresh croissant, warm out of the oven.” Mazie reached for her tea as she and Leo continued to casually converse as if talking with the dead was an everyday activity. Hadn’t she just said that she didn’t have time for small talk? “Now don’t go worrying about Rosemary. That woman can take care of herself, and she’s fitting right in. I’m certain she’ll find a reason to visit once she’s completed her transition.”

  It figures. I could be there with her in all my glory as a Persian leopard, yet she left me behind as if I was nothing but a mere housecat with…issues.

  I’ll admit that my shock at seeing an actual bona fide spirit might have hampered my ability to fully understand what was happening right in front of me, but it was time for me to grow a backbone. This discussion was getting away from the subject Mazie had paid us a visit for in the first place.

  “Um, Ms. Young,” I began, attempting to hide my hesitation. How did one go about conver
sing with a ghost like they were actually there in person? Leo didn’t seem to have a problem, but I found it rather disconcerting. I cleared my throat to make sure she understood me. “Why have you come to us in particular? Why seek us out of all the living?”

  Stop that. You sound as if we’re attempting to conduct a séance. It’s rude.

  “We can do that?” I asked in surprise, not meaning to veer from the topic of conversation once again, but this was too good to pass up. “As in, use a Ouija board to talk with Nan?”

  “Now those things are quite tricky, Raven,” Mazie warned with a wag of her finger. “That’s a portal that you should be very wary of in your craft. You never truly know whom you’re talking to on the other side. If in fact, it’s a human spirit at all.”

  I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you, Mazie.

  I inhaled deeply, attempting to control my irritation that these two were getting along like two peas in a pod after Leo practically demanded I ignore the haunting poltergeist to begin with.

  And it didn’t escape me that Leo had mentioned he’d known her when she was…well, not a ghost. He’d never mentioned Ms. Young before, and neither had anyone else in town. So, who was she and why hadn’t I ever heard about her before?

  “Ms. Young, why are you—”

  “Oh, please call me Mazie, dearie. The only one who used to call me Ms. Young were those witches and wizards on the council,” Mazie shared with a dismissive shake of head. It was clear she didn’t approve of the council, but it made me all the more curious to find out if she was talking about the so-called coven I had yet to meet another member of. “I swear, those old relics are to blame for me going to such an early grave.”

  Leo and I both gasped, believing that Mazie meant the coven’s council was to blame for her death. Was that the reason she was here? Was she looking for justice? Was she calling on all the witches in this area to help her find the culprit? Oh, wow. This was way out of my league.

  Tell me about it. No one goes up against the so-called “Wise Ones” and walks away clean.

  “Mr. Leo, it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen each other. I would tell you about how difficult the council made my life after Rosemary and I lost touch in the human realm, but we just don’t have time. There’s been a lot of turnover on the council, in case you weren’t aware.” Mazie paused long enough to have another sip of tea, though I wasn’t quite certain that she was consuming an actual beverage. Maybe she was just going through the motions? The cup made a tangible sound as it clanked against the saucer. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

  “And what business is that, Mazie?”

  I found it very hard to call someone by their first name who was so elderly and…

  Dead?

  I shot Leo another exasperated look.

  I’m just keeping it real.

  “You two are all everyone on the other side is talking about during social events,” Mazie gushed, waving her hand as if she couldn’t believe she was in the same room with us.

  Truthfully, I couldn’t believe we were in this situation, either, but for many different reasons.

  Hush now, girl. I like being treated like royalty. Mazie, do go on.

  “I’m just saying that the stories of how you two amateur sleuths keep solving crimes using witchcraft have taken over high tea. Who would have guessed that the two of you would be so good at cracking mysteries?” Mazie leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper as if we were conspiring against the world. It seemed only natural for Leo and me to lean in, also. “I’m surprised the council hasn’t reached out to you to solve the unexplained thefts that have taken place in the worship temple as of late, but I digress. I’m here because of Strifle.”

  Strifle?

  “Strifle?”

  It wasn’t uncommon for Leo and me to echo each other’s words, but it was usually because one of us didn’t understand what the other was talking about. In this case? We were both lost for a meaning.

  And here I thought Leo was a strange name for a cat.

  I just remembered something important. This isn’t good. Oh, this isn’t good at all!

  It appeared that Leo wasn’t so lost in this turn of events as I was now that his memory had been jogged.

  “Yes, Strifle,” Mazie answered with an affirmative nod. She took a moment to use a handkerchief that had come out of nowhere to dab the corners of her eyes. It was obvious she was upset about whatever happened to Strifle, but it was rather hard to keep up with the conversation when I had no idea what it was about. “You see, my familiar didn’t cross over with me to the other side.”

  Listen to me very carefully, Raven. We’re going to have to back away slowly while avoiding eye contact.

  “Your familiar is named Strifle?” I straightened, not understanding why Leo’s orange and black fur was slowly rising one by one as he inched toward the left side of the stool. “Where is Strifle now?”

  Have you learned nothing these past three months? Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to!

  “What are you talking about?” I couldn’t help but inquire in response to Leo’s dramatized reaction. I even switched my gaze from Mazie to Leo and then back again. It was obvious that they both knew something I didn’t. “Leo, do you know Strifle?”

  I feel a hairball in the back of my throat.

  “But—”

  I’ll say it again—slowly back away from the table and never speak of this again.

  “Mr. Leo, don’t you think you’re overreacting?” Mazie said in disappointment, her frown causing me concern. Unhappy ghosts were one of the reasons sidekick characters usually died in horror flicks. What did Leo think he was doing, stirring up trouble like this? “Strifle isn’t like the others.”

  “Others?” I cautiously asked, completely terrified that Leo and I had found ourselves up a creek without a paddle once more.

  You’re just now figuring that one out?

  This wasn’t something I could ignore, now was it? After all, it was the reason Mazie felt the need to cross that veil between our worlds.

  I could admit to loving the adrenaline that came with solving a mystery, but I could definitely do without the close calls with death that both Leo and I had experienced. Talking to a ghost ranked right up there in the bad idea column, and clearly Strifle wasn’t simply a cat.

  Don’t. Do. It.

  “What exactly is Strifle?”

  You just had to ask, didn’t you? You couldn’t listen to me just this once, could you? Now we’re doomed. Doomed, I tell you. Oh, boy. I need a puff or two of my best catnip. Where’s my pipe?

  Chapter Three

  “Strifle is a fairy, of course,” Mazie replied as if it were the most common type of familiar in the supernatural world—next to cats, of course. She even widened her eyes as if we’d surprised her with our question. “It’s all in her name—strife. See what I did there? Strifle is such a cute name for a pixie, and I do miss her so. You can imagine my surprise when I crossed over last month and she wasn’t with me. Did you know that fairies are known for—”

  Discord? Causing dissention wherever they go? Yes, I’m familiar with fairies, and they’re nothing but trouble.

  “Are we talking about something like a Tinkerbell kind of fairy?” I found a pixie with little gossamer wings rather endearing. “They’re so cute!”

  Cute? Cute?!? Raven, I’m having issues breathing again. It’s definitely not a hairball this time. I need medicinal grade catnip, STAT!

  I wasn’t going to ask what was causing Leo’s breathing problem, because it was a well-known fact that he had panic attacks anytime anything this exciting happened. I was more concerned with what Mazie wanted us to do about a missing fairy. Finding her would be the obvious answer, but I had no clue where to start looking for a missing familiar.

  Nothing. We do nothing, do you hear me? Fairies are bad news from the word go.

  “Mr. Leo, may I remind you that Strifle isn’t like other
fairies?” Mazie arched her right eyebrow high enough to reach the brim of her hat. “She might have a bit of a mischievous side, but she’s not malicious. Nor would she abandon me of her own free will. I think the council members had something to do with Strifle’s abduction.”

  Back up the horse! You call purposefully giving me wrong directions in the woods mischievous? I could have died out there! I’m not equipped for living in the forest!

  Obviously, Leo and Strifle had somehow been acquainted in the past. He’d have to share his stories at home, because pixies aside—along with Leo’s opinion of their ilk—it probably wasn’t wise for us to get involved with a…kidnapping? I mean, what else could it be? Leo and I weren’t the mystic police, regardless of what the other side was referring to as our passable sleuthing skills. Giving a helping hand to Liam or Detective Swanson was completely different than taking on the lead role in an investigation.

  Now that’s calling the kettle black. No pun intended, but it was you who led the witch hunt to clear Rosemary’s name of being involved in a fifty-three-year-old murder. How did that turn out for you?

  “That was different,” I whispered to Leo in admonishment, not wanting to discuss past events in front of a ghost who might very well go to the other side and tell Nan about everything I’d done. “You aren’t being much of a help right now.”

  I’m the one telling you we need to send Mazie on her way. Thanks, but no thanks. That’s me…helping. The old bat has nothing under that flimsy hat if she believes fairies aren’t chaos incarnate. Ohhhhhh. I just remembered something else.

  “Of course, you did,” I said wryly, bracing myself for what Leo was about to say. I was also trying to remember that Mazie could hear every word that Leo said to me, which was really rather hard now that I’d gotten into the habit of being the only one to converse with him. “What did you remember?”

  Witches who keep fairies as familiars are known to be…well, they also play tricks.