Y'all Witches Read online

Grandma tugged me until I sat. “It’s rude not to do what you’re told.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Okay, tell me about my future.”

  Maria peered into the crystal. It was clear, and then it clouded up.

  I jerked back. “Whoa. Is it supposed to do that?”

  Maria glanced up. “The ball reacts to each person differently. It is as uncommon as it is common.”

  Well, that explained it.

  Not at all.

  “I see…” she said, her voice taking on a dark and mysterious tone. “I see danger in your future.”

  Grandma could’ve saved the five dollars if that’s what the charlatan was going to tell me. It seemed that every other week there was danger in my future. Someone was murdered. I was trying to solve the mystery while avoiding getting killed.

  Yeah, lady, you can say there was danger in my past, present and probably my future.

  Maria continued the whole foreboding-voice act. “This is not like any danger you’ve known before. This danger, it happens because you trust too much. Do not be so trusting.”

  Who was I not supposed to trust? That fortune made no sense.

  I rolled my eyes and leaned back. “Okay. Well, that was totally worth five bucks,” I said sarcastically.

  Maria’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. “But there’s more. You must trust, and when I say that, I mean you must trust the right person. That is important. Trust the right one, because if you trust the wrong one, terrible things may happen.”

  I quirked a brow. “Really? And what does trusting in the wrong person bring?”

  Maria lifted her fingers over the ball. Her eyes rolled back, and she jerked, twitching and rocking.

  “Oh no,” I said. “She’s having a seizure. My fortune gave the woman a seizure.” I glared at Grandma. “See? I knew this wasn’t a good idea.”

  I reached out as Maria pitched forward. Her eyes turned white, her lips peeled back into a sneer and she said in a deep, thick voice, “Dylan Apel Bane, you must believe in the right person, because if you don’t, if you follow the one who is false, then only death will come to you.”

  A terrible, roaring laughter welled up from the pit of her stomach. She cackled hard and then doubled over.

  Maria popped back up, her eyes resuming their normal dark irises and pupils.

  “Well,” she said. “Did you get a good fortune?”

  I shrank back. “Umm...it was interesting. You don’t remember?”

  She shook her head. “When the spirits talk through me, they take over. I remember nothing during that time.”

  “Right,” I said. “When the spirits take over.”

  “Yes, the spirits,” she said.

  “Okay, well that was great.” I slapped my thighs. “Thanks so much.”

  Grandma and I rose. We’d walked a few paces when I heard Maria call out. “No, stop.”

  Boy, could this carnival get any more drama filled?

  I turned around. Maria was reaching out. Griselda Blanche stood on the other side of her booth. She had a young girl by the arm. The girl was all bones and skin with large, dark eyes. She looked about ten or eleven.

  “She didn’t do it,” Maria yelled.

  “She stole my earring,” Griselda announced for any and all to hear. “This young girl stole my diamond. If you check her pocket, I know you’ll find it.”

  Max Devereaux strode forward. “Griselda, Lillian is a good child. She wouldn’t take it.”

  “Mama,” Lillian called, reaching for Maria.

  Griselda pointed at Lillian’s pocket. “You must look. You must check. Otherwise you’re calling me a liar.”

  Max grimaced. He looked at Maria, who shook her head. “Please, Max. Griselda has magic, same as all of us.”

  Griselda glared at Max. “Check the girl’s pockets.”

  Tension rose thick in the air. Roman saw me and sidled over. “What’s going on?” he whispered.

  I inhaled the leathery scent of him. “The evil woman is accusing that young girl of stealing one of her diamond earrings. Says it’s in the girl’s pocket. From what I gather, though, the mother is afraid that Griselda herself planted said earring in the pocket.”

  He brushed his jaw over my hair. “What makes you say that?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Just a feeling I have.”

  His gaze flickered to my grandmother. “I see you found Hazel.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed. “Not sure where she’s going to stay.”

  Roman winked at me. “I’ve got a plan for that.”

  I frowned. “Not between us in bed, right?”

  He chuckled. “The only thing that’s going to be between us in bed is nakedness.”

  I shook my head. “That makes no sense.”

  He grinned, his green eyes sparkling. “It does to me.”

  Griselda’s grating voice snapped me back into the scene. “I demand you do it, Max. Check her pockets right this minute.”

  Max took a long look at Maria and said, “I have to.”

  “No,” the gypsy whimpered.

  Max held out a white-gloved hand to the girl. “Lillian, come here.”

  She tiptoed forward. Her eyes swelled with fright as she got near Griselda.

  “I need to reach into your pockets, okay?” Max said.

  The girl, obviously scared, nodded stiffly.

  Max stuck a hand into the first pocket of her shift dress. “No jewelry.” Then he dipped a hand into the next. His face crumpled as he pulled something from the cup of her clothes. A long, delicate teardrop diamond earring dangled from his pinched fingers.

  He glanced over his shoulder at Griselda. “I assume this is yours.”

  Griselda nodded. “It’s mine. All mine. That girl is a thief, just like her gypsy mother. I demand they both walk from the plank this instant. Mother and daughter need to be ejected from this ship as soon as possible.”

  THREE

  My simple dream of a blissfully boring honeymoon was quickly exploding like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

  I stepped forward. “Wait right there.”

  All eyes swiveled to me. I gulped down a nest of nerves to the pit of my stomach. “Anyone could’ve taken that earring and snuck it into the girl’s pocket. Even you could’ve done that, Griselda. In fact, I wouldn’t put it past little old Fifi there, either.”

  Griselda gasped and tugged Fifi to her. “How dare you insult my dog!”

  “Whatever. All I’m saying is that unless the girl’s fingerprints are on the diamonds, I don’t think anyone should jump to any conclusions.” I glanced back at Roman. “We have on board a police officer who regularly works with the witch police. He can help. In fact, he’d be glad to help the ship’s detectives.”

  Roman scratched his head. “I will be?”

  I nodded fiercely. “Of course. Justice has to be served.”

  Roman’s jaw twitched. I could tell he wasn’t exactly happy I’d volunteered him for this job, but hey, it would give us something to do—at least give us a reason to leave the bedroom every once in a while.

  “Sure,” Roman said finally. “I’ll help.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “Get Hazel out of here. I’m sure they’ll bring along that bloodhound of a stowaway sniffer.”

  “You got it.” I pecked him on the cheek and said, “I love you.”

  His eyes darkened with annoyance. “You owe me. In bed.”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  I escorted Grandma down the hallway to my room. “Roman said he has a place for you. I don’t know where, but you and I need to have a little chat.”

  Grandma’s eyes widened in mock shock. “Oh? About what?”

  I frowned. “About exactly what you’re doing showing up on my honeymoon.”

  We reached the cabin, and I tucked Grandma inside. “Dylan, why do I get the sense that you’re mad at me?”

  I gritted my teeth. “Because I am. First of all, you’ve put yourself in danger with that stowaway Sniff guy. He fi
nds you and you’ll be walking the plank. Next thing is”—and here I got loud and fisted my hands—“this is Roman’s and my honeymoon. Honeymoon. Family is not supposed to be here. This is a time for the two of us to connect. I’ve connected to you. He’s connected to you. It’s time for the newlyweds to connect to each other. So please explain yourself.”

  Grandma worried her fingers. “I just thought you might need a little help. Need someone to lean on in case there were misunderstandings. Need someone to offer a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to. Dylan, you’re my first grandchild to get married. This is a lot for me to take in, too. Can’t an old woman want to spend a few fleeting moments with her grandchildren before they all grow up and fly the coop?”

  I inhaled a deep shot of air and slowly released it. “Grandma, as soon as we get home, I’m moving in next door. I’m not going a thousand miles away. Only three steps.”

  “It’s still an adjustment,” she mumbled.

  I chewed on the tip of my finger until I got a hangnail and spit it out. I studied Grandma and realized for the first time that me getting married had been harder on her than I ever realized.

  I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m not going anywhere.” I laughed bitterly. “You know, it’s funny. For so long my problem was getting the courage to marry. Now I realize this change is hard on everyone else, too.”

  The cabin door opened and Roman entered.

  “Did you get everything all squared away with the girl?”

  He grunted. “More or less. They’re dusting the earring for prints and taking hers. Ship detectives use simple methods instead of magic on evidence. They say it makes it easier to pinpoint criminals and get things right. We should know something in the morning.”

  “What about the girl? Lillian?”

  Roman threaded his fingers through his silky hair. “They’re keeping her with them. Griselda will make too big of a stink otherwise.”

  I nodded in understanding. “So hopefully we’ll know something in a few hours.”

  Roman’s gaze flickered to Grandma. “I found you a place to stay while you’re here.”

  Grandma clapped her hands. “Thank goodness. I was worried I was going to have to sleep up on deck.”

  Roman smiled. The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. “No. We’ll have none of that for our family. I’m friends with the chief housekeeper, and he’s arranged a room for you.”

  “He has?” I said, surprised. Harboring a stowaway was serious business.

  Roman nodded. “I told him we required another room because you needed extra privacy.”

  I frowned. “What?”

  He slanted his head down. “I didn’t tell him about your grandmother. I said you were getting cold feet on our honeymoon and needed another room because you have issues.”

  I gulped. “So you blamed this on me?”

  He nodded.

  It struck me exactly what Roman had done. He’d gone to a friend and told a fib that happened to make not only me look crazy, but himself as someone who had to deal with it. My heart swelled with joy because he’d put himself out on a limb for me and sadness because now his friend thought Roman had married a lunatic.

  “So, where’s this room of mine? My grand castle in the sky?” Grandma said.

  Roman winked at her. “Right next door.”

  He yanked the door connecting our cabin to the next one. It opened, and Grandma walked right on through. She glanced around and sniffed in satisfaction.

  “I like it.” She wagged a finger in the air. “You know, this room reminds me of the time I was ice fishing in the rainforest.”

  I quirked a brow. “Ice fishing in the rainforest?”

  “Yes, Dylan. You’d be surprised what you can do with a little magic and elbow grease. Anyway, I was deep in the jungle trying to catch a pixie-eating barracuda. It was an elusive creature, but it had to be caught because pixies were dying left and right.”

  She smacked her lips. “I set up shop on the outskirts of their village. I had all my winter trappings on and was in a hut over the frozen river, with only a small fire and my clothes to keep me warm.

  “I’d drilled my hole and dropped my line. I hadn’t been at it two minutes before I felt the tug, the pull of the fish. I gave one solid yank, and the barracuda snapped right through the ice. Well, it took quick magic and footwork to keep from being eaten, let me tell you.”

  Her eyes twinkled when she said, “But I did manage to keep the pixies from being eaten.”

  I smiled widely. “Great. Now, please get some rest. We’ll see you in the morning.”

  Grandma shuffled into her room, and I softly shut the door behind her until I heard it click. I wedged my back against it and blew out a breath.

  “Whew. What a day.”

  Roman smiled at me. “You’re telling me.”

  He opened his arms, and I snuggled into his chest. I drank in his scent as he stroked my hair. “Dylan Apel Bane,” he murmured. “How long I’ve waited to say that.”

  “But now you’re saying it.”

  “I am. It sounds almost as delicious as you look.”

  I giggled and pulled away from him. I poked his chest and said, “How about we go up on deck for a midnight stroll before coming back here?”

  His head dropped back. “All I want is five minutes alone with you.”

  I cocked my head. A strand of dark hair fell in my eyes. Roman brushed it aside. “And we just planted my grandmother in the room next to us. How about we give her a few minutes to fall asleep before we start lifting the bed from its bolts?”

  He laughed. Roman wrapped an arm around my waist. “Darlin’, anything you say. That sounds fine to me.”

  Outside on deck, we found the air crisp, the moon glowing and the stars winking. The breeze was almost too cold, but I’d tugged on a sweater before we headed up.

  “What a beautiful night,” I said.

  Roman smiled. “Not as beautiful as you.”

  I tipped my face back and felt his lips brush mine. “You always know what to say.”

  “I try,” he grunted.

  I flattened my palm against his rock-hard stomach. “Listen, I’m sorry my grandmother showed up.”

  He sighed, leaned against the railing. “She’s worried about you. Like all of us are. She wants to make sure you’re safe and sound.”

  I fisted a hand and tapped it against the cold metal rail. I looked down, seeing nothing but clouds beneath us. A wave of nausea surged again in my stomach. I pitched back. “Of course I’m safe and sound. I’m with you.”

  “You should tell her that.”

  I smirked. “Or maybe she’s worried because I spend a lot of time trying to figure out who committed a murder. Getting involved in other people’s business. I don’t know.”

  Roman slid his hand into mine. “You’ve already done that here. Got yourself involved.”

  I blinked at him. “Oh, you mean with that Lillian girl. Roman, that was the right thing to do. I wasn’t trying to butt my nose into anyone’s business.”

  He quirked a brow.

  “I wasn’t,” I argued. “Not at all. But that looked like a power situation. Rich old woman accuses gypsy girl of theft. Who do you think everyone’s going to assume did it?”

  Roman squeezed my hand. “Case in point.”

  I cringed. “I’m not trying to save the world.”

  “Only one little girl.”

  “One little girl who may not have a voice otherwise.”

  A long silence creeped between us. I finally broke it. “Okay, after tomorrow when they figure out the whole fingerprints situation with Lillian, I promise that’ll be it. I won’t poke my nose in any situations.”

  Roman pulled me to him. My chest pressed against his. His body heat seeped into me. “I’d like to see you try.”

  I laughed. “You don’t think I can stay out of people’s lives? Not poke my nose into their business?”

  He nuzzled my ear. “Let’s just say I th
ink it may be difficult for you.”

  “I resent that.”

  He chuckled. “Darlin’, you and trouble go hand in hand. I don’t know if you can help it. A situation arises, and you throw yourself into it.”

  “I can stay out of a bad situation if I wanted to.” I pulled back and raised my hand. “I, Dylan Bane, pledge to stay out of any and all people’s personal lives while I’m on this cruise ship. No matter what happens, I will not try to help anyone or interfere. I will mind my own business and not pay attention to anyone else’s.”

  I lowered my hand, and a smile tugged on Roman’s lips. “That’s impressive. Think you’ll actually stick to it?”

  I jutted my hip into his side. He shifted over. “Yes. Of course I’ll stick to it. Once I make a promise, I keep it. I mean, I promised to marry you, didn’t I?”

  “And you stuck with it. You deserve a cookie.”

  “You’re not helping.”

  He brushed his lips over mine. “Tell you what. How about we go argue it out in private.”

  I giggled. “It is our honeymoon.”

  He nodded. “Let’s enjoy it.”

  I leaned into Roman as we strolled back toward the inner deck. A staircase to the right caught my attention. Something fluttered from the steps.

  “What’s that?” I said.

  “I thought you weren’t getting involved,” Roman said.

  I shook my head. “You’re right. But it looks funny.”

  “Oh boy.”

  I swatted him playfully. “I’m just curious about what that is. Looks like someone lost their scarf or something. I may need to turn it in to Lost and Found.”

  “Someone else could find it, you know.”

  I sighed and tipped my head to his arm. “You’re right.” The fluttering caught my attention again. I thought I saw a slip of something else. “Listen, the suspense is killing me. I’m just going to mosey on over, see what it is. After that, I promise I’ll stay out of people’s business. Let me just do this one thing.”

  Roman shrugged. “Okay.”

  We veered toward the steps. The fluttering scarf started to take shape. It wasn’t a scarf at all. Well, it was. The wind bit at the weightless material, whipping it into the air.

  But it was what the scarf was attached to that made my stomach turn.