“This is why I love Florida,” Katie mused to Arlo, who was sitting in the passenger seat of her green Volkswagen Beetle while she drove to Kandied Karma. It was late February, and with the top down to allow the gentle breeze, the sun was deliciously warm on the crown of her head. The wind ruffled Arlo’s fur as Katie navigated to a parking spot near the rear entrance of her grandmother’s artisanal chocolate shop in downtown Aura Cove. Katie quickly unbuckled her seatbelt but then froze when she saw her reflection in the rearview mirror.
“Holy cow. It’s all white now,” she remarked, leaning in and whipping her chin from side to side to confirm her entire head of hair was now as white as the driven snow. The change happened so quickly, it often felt like she was staring at a stranger whenever she caught a glimpse of herself.
“I think you look beautiful either way,” Arlo offered, barking once for emphasis.
“I think you’re trying to get back in my good graces with flattery.”
“But is it working?” he teased, batting full-tilt puppy dog eyes up at her.
Katie laughed. “Nope.” He whined in dismay, and she scratched under his chin to comfort him. “You’re cute, but you’re still in the doghouse for spying on me. Besides, I’m not the kind of girl who needs ego boosts from others anymore. I can genuinely say I like who I am.”
“What an evolved creature you’ve become!” Arlo exclaimed. “Even just a year ago, you would have never made that claim.”
Katie nodded. “True. I’ve come a long way, but there is still so much further to go.”
“You’ll get there,” Arlo encouraged, confident in his owner. She patted him on the head and then reached over to open the car door to lead him into the back door of the shop. Once her eyes adjusted to the lower light inside, her jaw dropped, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Following too closely, Arlo whined when his nose crashed into her heels, then quickly backtracked, quivering in fear and hiding behind Katie as he looked up at the woman standing there.
Zoya rolled her eyes at their over-the-top reactions. “You’re going to have to get used to seeing me on the regular around here. If I’m supposed to make those crotchety witches in the eternal coven happy, I must find ways to be more altruistic. Hence, I decided to search out my two favorite do-gooders.” She waved her gloved hands to indicate Yuli and Katie. “Got any ideas?”
“Step one might be to stop referring to the eternal coven as crotchety witches,” Katie offered, trying to be helpful, but Zoya shot her an incensed glare that made her last few words trail off at the end.
“Historically, doing good has not been your strong suit,” Yuli reminded her.
“True,” Zoya admitted with a shrug. Her white hair was gathered in a loose braid that flowed down her back. She wore an aqua-colored sundress that reminded Katie of the color of the sea surrounding the Castanova Compound. “I’ve far preferred delivering comeuppance, but maybe it’s time to turn a new leaf.”
“Pfft.” Yuli’s disbelief was clear. “New leaf! Ha!”
“I thought after the Fioletovy Mahiya, we decided to let bygones be bygones.” Zoya challenged her reaction, leveling her eyes on Yuli, who refused to back down, testing her grandmother. The Fioletovy Mahiya was a once-in-a-lifetime lunar event that temporarily lifted the veil between the living and the dead. During last February’s full moon, Katie, Yuli, and Zoya discovered the only way to step into the fullness of their supernatural powers was to unite the mortal coven. It was a task that still seemed monumental, even after the healing they’d individually received during the event.
“In that case, since we open in fifteen, why don’t you kick off your good deeds by stocking the truffle case?” Yuli pushed the envelope in her typical direct fashion, making Katie grin at her audacity. It was obvious, Yuli was not pulling any punches and was poised to test the magnanimous version of herself Zoya was longing to claim.
Zoya scoffed at the idea, balling her hands on her hips. “Ana Castanova can’t be seen engaging in manual labor,” she huffed. “It’s dangerous to her brand.”
Yuli palmed her lined face with her hand in frustration. “It’s far too early, and I am not even remotely caffeinated enough to deal with you and your brand.” Her annoyance was palpable.
Zoya plowed on, “Ana Castanova is a celebrity. How about I make a post on Instagram that I’m signing autographs at Kandied Karma? Just think how much that will increase business around here.”
“No, thank you. We already have more customers than we can serve. We don’t need you posturing for social media like some kind of geriatric influencer,” Yuli scolded, rolling her eyes. Shifting her focus and eager to be more productive, she walked over to a section of the wall and struck it three times with a balled fist. Katie gasped when she heard a soft click and part of the wall opened up to reveal an organizer lined with amber-colored bottles, mason jars, and clumps of dried herbs hanging upside down.
Like a moth to a flame, Katie was drawn to the hidden treasure. As she walked closer to the cabinet, her jaw dropped in awe. She thought she knew every inch of the chocolate shop by heart. “Has this secret hidey-hole been here the entire time you’ve owned this building?” She leaned closer, marveling at the discovery, and ran her fingers over the edge of the organizer.
“I had to have a place to stash our ancient ancestral ingredients away from the prying eyes of health inspectors,” Yuli explained.
Zoya wandered over and surveyed the contents of the rows of jars and bottles.
“That’s a pretty well-stocked pantry,” she confirmed, looking over the available options on the shelves. Then inspiration struck. “I know! How about I teach Katia how to create some of our family potions since you haven’t gotten around to it yet?”
“Pardon me, but we’ve been a little busy around here lately,” Yuli defended, sensitive to Zoya’s criticism. Then, realizing Zoya always had an ulterior motive, her eyes narrowed as she asked, “Why? Are you planning something sinister that I should know about?”
“Not at the moment,” she admitted with a sly grin and one arched eyebrow. “Though that’s always subject to change.”
“I don’t have time for this insanity.” Yuli shook her head and left the kitchen with two trays of truffles to stock the case herself. The door swung back and forth on its squeaky hinges in her wake.
“If you’re looking to help, I received flashes from a woman yesterday who I believe is my next assignment from Karma.” Katie began to explain, and an interested Zoya strode closer. Katie felt a flutter of fear well up inside her and tamped it down. Her body was subconsciously responding to the ramped-up interactions she’d already had with Zoya, but she pressed past her initial qualms. Zoya was powerful. She’d seen the havoc her great-great grandmother was capable of with her own eyes, but having a mighty ally to help her assignment with Rox could prove invaluable. Her daughter, Lauren, had fallen head over heels for Rox’s son, Tom, and Katie received flashes of a possible wedding that could unite their families. With so much at stake, she resolved to set aside her misgivings and accept whatever help she could get.
“I saw a future where Rox could be Lauren’s mother-in-law.”
Zoya pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes as she considered Katie’s revelation. “It’s a definite possibility.”
One of Katie’s eyebrows arched at her answer, and her intuition tingled. “I feel like you’re leaving some vital information out. Do you know something I don’t?”
“Do your best to quell the paranoia, darling,” Zoya responded. “Not everything I say or do has an ulterior motive. What did you see?”
“Flashes of Rox in a military dress uniform and then a velvet-lined box housing a Purple Heart medal slamming shut,” Katie said.
“Hmmm.” Zoya deliberated over the information. “That’s a very underwhelming report.”
The tips of Katie’s ears burned in embarrassment. She should have waited to bring it up when Yuli was present. Zoya was a formidable presence, and it was easy to be intimidated in the presence of her unwavering confidence.
“We are going to need to gather more intel. I’ll see what I can muster up.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re going to have to learn to trust me. I do my best work solo.” Zoya effectively dismissed the rest of the conversation and strolled over to the secret stash of ancient ingredients. She mumbled under her breath as she inventoried the items on the shelves. A few minutes later, she turned toward Katie with a triumphant grin on her face. Yuli had returned to the kitchen as well.
“We have all the ingredients we need here for Verity Oil,” Zoya announced.
“What does it do?” Katie asked.
“Ordins are notorious liars,” Yuli explained. “When this oil is administered to their skin, it makes them unable to tell a lie.”
“Ooh! That could come in handy with a few people in my life.” Katie smirked.
“Please respect the magic, Katia, it holds immense power. A single eyedropper full will render an ordin unable to tell even the tiniest fib for up to twenty-four hours,” Yuli explained. “The closer you can administer it to the brain stem, the more potent it becomes.”
Katie chewed on the inside of her cheek.
“What is it?” Yuli asked, instantly picking up on her energy shift.
“Isn’t it playing God a bit to force an ordin to tell the truth? Aren’t we taking away their free will?”
Zoya groaned in frustration. “Fantastic. We’ve got another scrupulous bleeding heart in the mortal coven.”
Yuli shushed her. “Let her speak.”
“I’m torn. Recently, magic has helped me much more than harmed me, but we could not say the same about Jefferson.”
Zoya threw up her hands in exasperation and talked over Katie. “What more did you want? It was a fitting dose of Karmic justice!” she huffed, then admitted, “Did I get a little carried away? Possibly.” She shrugged off the supernatural spell she’d executed that left Katie’s ex-husband financially and physically impotent. Irritated, she gripped her hips with the palms of her hands, thrust her shoulders back, and stood up for her decision. “No! I did not get carried away. If given the chance, I would do it again,” she declared.
“That’s my point,” Katie said. “Just because we can, does that mean we should?”
Yuli mulled it over. “I’ve always advocated using our supernatural powers when it accomplishes the end goal and causes the least harm to others.”
“Sometimes harm is unavoidable,” Zoya chimed in. “And sometimes, it is just plain satisfying.”
Katie shuddered. “I hope I never become the kind of witch who savors the suffering of another human being, no matter how evil they are.”
“I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this,” Zoya reasoned. “There are some ordins who just won’t learn any other way.”
Katie didn’t agree but bit back her reply. She wasn’t confident enough in her abilities to stand up to Zoya yet.
“Things are getting heated between you two. Let’s table this discussion for now,” Yuli said, ever the diplomat. “Ultimately, Katia, you will have to answer these ethical dilemmas for yourself. However, I do believe it is worth a discussion before any of us makes a decision on our own that will affect the future of the coven.”
“So we’re deciding by committee now?” Zoya scoffed at the idea. “I refuse to work that way.”
“As always, you can exercise your free will.” Yuli understood Zoya wasn’t the kind of witch to question her motives or walk through past experiences looking for ways to improve. “But your stubbornness to change will not help you earn your reincarnation.”
Yuli’s judgment made Zoya press her lips together in a straight line. Picking up on her discomfort, Katie offered a carrot. “Tell me more about Verity Oil.”
Eager to change the subject, Zoya turned toward her. “It takes seven moons to reach its peak state of efficacy.”
“Why?”
“Seven is the sum of the spiritual and physical realms. It’s a sacred number,” Yuli explained.
Katie rubbed her hands together, excited to learn more about her supernatural lineage. “How do we make it?”
“Stick with me, darling,” Zoya proposed. “I have so much to teach you.” She pulled out a dried satchel of lavender and a brown glass bottle filled with a thick, viscous liquid.
“Not the myrrh,” Yuli said as she dug deep into the recesses of a drawer and pulled out an antique hardcover book Katie had never seen before.
“The recipe calls for cinnamon, mugwort, vanilla, and myrrh,” Zoya said, relying on her memory.
Yuli shook her head in disagreement. “You’re wrong.” She opened the book, and it crackled to life. Golden sparks shot out of it and flowed down onto the countertop. Awed, Katie walked over to the ancient book and glanced at the page Yuli was reading.
“It’s blank,” Katie said, confused.
“No, Katia, you’re just not knowledgeable enough to be able to read it yet.” Yuli explained, “Soon.”
She walked it over to Zoya, delighted to prove her error. “See, it’s cinnamon, mugwort, vanilla, and mandrake.” She tapped on the page and handed the book over to Zoya. “Your mind is not the infallible steel trap you claim it to be.”
A sheepish look flashed over Zoya’s features for a microsecond. “I’m never wrong.” She read the page slowly under her breath. Her forehead knit together in confusion, and she shut the book and then opened it again, rereading the same page. Several long minutes later, she finally mumbled in the smallest voice imaginable, “You might be right.”
“What?” Yuli asked, her eyes twinkling with unconcealed mirth as she cupped one hand to her ear and leaned toward Zoya.
“I said, you’re right,” Zoya repeated, the smallest fraction louder.
“I can’t hear you,” Yuli gloated, beaming with pleasure.
“Alright! I said you were right!” Zoya’s eyes flashed in anger, and Katie gasped when she felt a wall of heat flash through her center then immediately fall away.
Yuli held up a hand. “Calm down. There’s no need to get pissy about it!” Consulting her watch, she said, “I’ll open up. You two get started on the Verity Oil in the double boiler. It needs to simmer for a week before it’s bottled, anyway. Then, Katia, I’ll need your help for the commuter rush.”
“You got it,” Katie quickly agreed.
“The celebrity can slink out the back door to protect her brand from the stink of menial labor when she’s finished.” Yuli used finger quotes to convey the absurdity she felt.
Zoya rolled her eyes when Yuli left through the swinging door. “She’s a tough old bird, your grandmother,” she remarked to Katie.
“She is.” Katie nodded. “You are both more similar than either of you will ever admit.”
“Stubbornness runs in the gene pool, darling.”
“Speaking of the gene pool,” Katie began shyly. “I was wondering if you’d be available to come by for a family dinner and meet the rest of my brood.”
“Oh?” Zoya’s green eyes locked on her great-great granddaughter’s.
“As Ana Castanova, of course.”
“Yes, that would be awkward if the children found out, wouldn’t it? We’d have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Especially since they saw their dad grinding on you at the Autumnal Equinox Ball on TV.”
Zoya blanched and visibly wilted at the thought of seeing Jefferson again. “He won’t be there, will he?”
Katie laughed. “No way. We have zero contact. Though I might run into him a bit more when the kids get married, or when there is a baby on the way. But for now, he is blessedly in my rear-view mirror.”
“Thank Lilith. I couldn’t stand the man, and I wasn’t even married to him.”
“Did you really give him a micro penis?”
“I’d never lie about a micro penis, darling.” A wicked grin broke out on her features, and Katie dissolved into a pile of giggles.
“You’re an original. They broke the mold when they made you.”
“They did.” Obviously pleased by the compliment, Zoya added, “I like to think I am a crusader for feminine justice. Women get minimized and stepped on all the time. I’m just righting a few of the wrongs in my own special way.”
“You can say that again.”
Zoya glanced around the kitchen. “Now where does that woman hide the double boiler?”
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