Prelude to a Witch, Amanda Lee [ebook reader web txt] 📗

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Thistle said. Clove’s laziness — a word she used and I never would — had turned Thistle into a beast of late. We all were looking forward to the birth so that Clove would return to normal. Sure, she was a whining kvetch a lot of the time and I expected her to be a neurotic mother, but that was still better than … this. What she was right now — an uncomfortable woman about to spew forth life — was even worse.

“What’s stupid?” Clove demanded, annoyance obvious. “Brian only bought that house because he wants to torture Bay. Why else would he come back? He knows everybody here hates him. This is all payback.”

“I stole his newspaper,” I said. “He wants to make me pay.”

“I think he’s more interested in making Landon pay,” Thistle countered. “Landon threatened him. That’s the only reason Brian agreed to sell to you.”

I’d spent a great deal of time thinking about that. “I’m afraid he’s going to do something to cause Landon to lose his job,” I admitted. “An FBI agent isn’t supposed to threaten someone so his girlfriend can buy a newspaper.”

“If you ask me, that’s the best thing your boy wonder has ever done,” Aunt Tillie offered. “He made me proud to say he was a Winchester that day.” She puffed out her chest. “He was a badass.”

“You should tell him that,” I said with a laugh.

“No way.” Her expression darkened again. “That will only puff his ego and we all know what he’s like when his ego is out of control.”

“I happen to like his ego.”

“That’s because you’re blind to his faults.”

“He doesn’t have any faults.” That was mostly true. “Well, other than the fact that he’s a little bossy.”

“A little bossy?” Aunt Tillie screeched. “He’s a lot bossy. He needs to learn that he’s becoming a member of our family. I’m the only one who can be bossy from here on out.”

That was such an Aunt Tillie thing to say. “I’m pretty sure my mother has reason to argue with that,” I pointed out. The only person I knew bossier than Aunt Tillie was my mother. In fact, she was the only person who could rein in Aunt Tillie. It was fairly impressive ... and altogether terrifying when she got in a mood.

“I’m the boss of your mother, no matter what she says,” Aunt Tillie groused, her attention back on the house. “We need a storm.”

“Excuse me? Why would we want a storm? The weather is beautiful.”

“Yes, it’s a lovely day in the neighborhood,” Aunt Tillie drawled. “It’s absolutely delightful. We still need a storm.”

“I think you need to expand on that,” Thistle said. “What would we do with a storm?”

“We could turn it into a tornado that just happens to hit that house.” Aunt Tillie pointed across the lake. “A storm could level it, and then we would go on our merry way.”

“I’m guessing if a storm leveled exactly one house in Hemlock Cove before disappearing, it would be considered suspicious,” I offered.

“I think you’re doing what you always do – overthinking,” Aunt Tillie shot back. “If you think two decimated houses would help, I know another one we could take out.”

I shot her a dirty look. “Yes, because Mrs. Little’s house being flattened along with Brian’s — which are miles apart — wouldn’t be at all suspicious.”

“Who cares if it’s suspicious? They’d have to prove we did it, and we all know that won’t happen.”

“Just leave the house alone.” Even as I said the words, a pang rocketed through me. I’d done my best the last two weeks to pretend Brian’s return hadn’t bothered me. I didn’t want to be seen as paranoid — that was Aunt Tillie’s job, after all — but I couldn’t shake the notion that something terrible was about to happen.

“Who raised you?” Aunt Tillie demanded with a scowl. “Only an idiot would think we shouldn’t do something about that house. If Brian Kelly has his way, he’ll be spying on you and Landon the rest of your lives. You’ll be neighbors with Rosemary. Is that what you want?”

It was the last thing I wanted, but that didn’t change my reality. “So far he’s done nothing to warrant payback.”

“Oh, puh-leez.” Aunt Tillie’s eye roll was so pronounced I was surprised she didn’t fall over. “Who says there has to be a reason to pay somebody back?”

“I believe that’s part of the standard rules,” Thistle said dryly.

“Well, it’s a stupid rule.” Aunt Tillie was determined when she turned to me. “We need to get rid of him. Like ... right now. We can’t sit around and wait for him to move on us. We need to move on him and get him out of our town.”

“And how do you suggest we do that? We can’t attack him out of the blue. We could get in trouble.”

“You’re not worried about us getting in trouble.” Aunt Tillie made a face. “You’re worried about your love muffin getting in trouble. That won’t happen either. Do you think Brian is going to drive to the FBI field office in Traverse City and report your boyfriend for dating a witch?”

That’ exactly what worried me. “I don’t want Brian creating trouble for Landon. Things are good for us right now.”

“That won’t change,” Aunt Tillie insisted. “I’ve met the fed’s boss. He’s easily manipulated. We can bend his will and turn him into a slave if we need to.”

“Don’t even think about it,” I warned. “Just ... stay out of it.” It would turn to war if Aunt Tillie pushed too hard. “We can’t do anything until Brian does something. All he’s done since returning that might be considered dastardly is hang out with some teenagers.”

“I still want to know what that was about,” Thistle muttered, her eyebrows drawing together as she stared at the house. “Hanging around with teenagers — some of whom turned out