The Cupcake Coven (13 page)

“Yeah, but she looked right at me and there was no light of recognition in her eyes. They say everyone has a twin. This girl could have been hers, but Shasta would never cut her hair short or color it what she calls ‘dishwater blonde’.”

“Yeah. That’s too bad. Well, we really could use ya. The hay bailin’ starts soon, but you know that.”

“I didn’t think it would take so long. Believe me, I’d be back by now if I’d found her.”

“Hmph. How’s the weather up there?” Pete asked.

“Pretty nice. It gets hot occasionally, but most everything is air conditioned like it is down there. Good thing, because I’m spending most of my days in this bakery…”

“A bakery? What are you doin’ there?”

“Just helpin’ out a friend until she can hire someone.”

“Well…isn’t that nice? Meanwhile, we’re bustin’ our humps down here to pick up your slack.”

“I get out and look for my sister every day. Meanwhile, I’m drummin’ up business for my friend by givin’ away samples.”

“Is this friend single?”

“Yep.”

“Pretty?”

“Yep. But what’s that got to do with anything?”

“For Christ’s sake. I shoulda known.”

“Shoulda known what?”

“Look. I gotta go. I just told Earl I’d give you a call. He wants to know what happened to ya.”

“Well, don’t tell him I’m workin’ in a bakery. It’s not a payin’ job. I’m just helpin’ out a friend while I show Shasta’s picture around. A couple of people said they might have seen her. I really think she’s around here somewhere and I’m just missin’ her.”

“Well, good luck. Just so you know, there’s a young buck from the next county lookin’ for a job. I think Earl’s about ready to give him yours.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah. But you do what you need to do. I’ll try to cover for ya.”

“Thanks, Pete.”

Without saying goodbye, Pete hung up and Dru flopped back onto his mattress. Could this day get any worse?

While April and John were at the ER, John caught a lucky break. Some guy who was wheeling a patient in on a gurney stopped and called out to him. Only, he called him “Duke.”

April gaped at him. “Duke?”

John, Duke, or whoever he was, rose and strode over to the guy.

“Dude, where’ve you been?”

Oh, maybe he called him ‘dude’ and it sounded like Duke.
But either way, the guy seemed to know him. April watch fascinated, wishing she could hear the conversation.

The stranger’s eyes widened as John was speaking. He took something out of his pocket and gave it to him. It looked like a business card.

April was both happy for him and a little sad for herself. It seemed as if her amnesia buddy was on his way to discovering who he really was. Would he go back to his old life and forget all about her?

After a few more moments of quiet conversation, the guys shook hands and John returned to April.

“Did that guy know you?”

“Yeah. Apparently we work together.” He smiled. “I guess I’m an EMT, and my name is Mike Wentworth. He said everyone calls me Duke, but he didn’t say why.”

“What’s the card he gave you say?”

“It’s the name of the ambulance company we work for. I guess everyone there was wondering what happened to me, because I haven’t been to work in a few days.” He handed her the card.

It said,
Great Bay Ambulance, William Shelly
. That must have been his friend’s name.

“So, if you have a job, they’ll have your contact information. You’ll find out where you live and…stuff.”
Like if you’re married with a family who’ll come and take you away from me.

“Yeah. I guess so. I’m gonna see if someone at the nurse’s station will let me use their phone.”

“Of course. Go. I’ll be fine. I’ll call the shelter for a ride after.”

He looked at her strangely. “I’m not going to just leave you here.”

“You’re not?”

“Hell, no. What kind of amnesia buddy would I be if I did that?”

She grinned. Maybe she hadn’t lost him…yet. “Well, go ahead and make the call. I’ll bet you’re dying to know whatever they can tell you.”

“Yeah. And I’d better hope they buy my excuse and I don’t lose my job.”

He hurried to the nurse’s station and April watched as he made his phone call. He borrowed some stationary and a pen from the intake secretary and started scribbling frantically.

At one point, he twisted to one side and gazed at her.

Oh, no. This is probably the point where he finds out he’s taken. Guys like him don’t stay single long.

A few moments later, he hung up the phone and strolled back to her.

She could hardly contain herself. “Well? What did you find out?”

He sat beside her. “I have an address in Rye. I guess I haven’t lost my job, but the boss doesn’t want me to come back until I recover my memory. He said they tried calling the hospitals, but of course they were asking about Michael Wentworth, not John Doe. And I—I guess I had a fiancée. They tried calling her in case we got back together. She said ‘no,’ but she seemed concerned anyway.”

Whew!
April knew she shouldn’t be happy that he was unattached. It might be easier if he were—for him. At least someone could help him with his memory.

“My next of kin is listed as Mr. and Mrs. Logan Wentworth. They’re in Peterborough. That’s a few hours west of here. They must be my parents. The boss was just getting ready to call them.”

“It’s probably a good thing they didn’t. At least you can call your folks yourself and tell them you’re only missing your memory. Your parents would have been frantic if they thought you were just plain missing.”

“Yeah.” He quieted for a few moments and just stared at her.

“What’s the matter?”

“They might want me to come home.”

She nodded. “I imagine they will.”

He faced forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Clasping his hands, he stared at the floor. “I don’t want to leave you. Is that weird?”

She smiled. “It’s not weird for me. It’s actually nice. I—I’d miss you.”

He glanced up at her with a shy smile. “I’d miss you too.”

They spent a quiet moment smiling at each other. Then he sat up, cupped the back of her head and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

The usual coven members gathered around the altar with one notable addition. A woman with long, white hair, wearing a long, white dress was introduced as Fayleen.

Her outfit struck Rebecca as a little odd since everyone else was in black and this woman was a high priestess. Oh well. Maybe she was from another discipline that wore white…for the color of the moon, or something.

Black was the color of protection and when their ancestors had to meet in secret, they blended into the night better in black. Of course, the days of witch burnings were over and their right to practice was protected by the first amendment.
Thank goodness.
Wearing white could be a way of celebrating that.

Hanna cast the circle the usual way, protected each member, and glanced at Fayleen frequently. Meanwhile, the new High Priestess glanced at Celestia more often than the others.

Finally, it came time to cast their spells. Rebecca went first.

“Dear Goddess, please send another baker to help me with my store. Send only those who meet my standards and more. My business is improving, and for that I give you thanks. Keep my progress moving and reviews high in the ranks. If it be for the good of most, so mote it be.”

She shrugged. It wasn’t the most eloquent spell she’d ever written, but she hit the highlights without shooting herself in the foot this time.

Celestia went next. “I, Celestia, call on the Goddess to improve my salary and job security. I love going to work, and wish for that—”

Suddenly, Celestia disappeared.

The whole room sucked in a deep collective gasp. Rebecca’s head lightened and whirled, but she got hold of herself before fainting.

The new High Priestess chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Keith blurted out. “One of our own just disappeared into thin air.”

The air’s thin all right—half of it disappeared deep into thirteen sets of lungs.

A moment later, Celestia returned. She teetered on unsteady feet, but didn’t fall over. Her eyes were so wide Rebecca could see white all around her green eyeballs. Her face seemed a little green too.

“Wh—what just happened?” Rebecca asked.

“Teleportation,” Fayleen said, matter-of-factly. “Celestia. Did you go where I think you went? To your workplace?”

Celestia’s mouth opened, but instead of speaking, she simply nodded.

“Excellent!”

Celestia turned bewildered looking eyes on the woman. “Excellent? You call that excellent? One minute I’m thinking of my lecture hall and the next, I’m there. Then I thought about the coven, and here I am. It’s a good thing I didn’t think of the Amazon rainforest—”

Oops. Gone again.

“What the hell?” Keith shouted.

The new High Priestess held up one palm. “Give her a minute.”

Sure enough. Celestia returned. This time she looked pissed. “Fuck! This is
so
not excellent! I stood face to face with a big, fat snake coiled around a tree branch.”

“You’ll learn to control it,” Hanna said, quietly.

“Can you do this, Hanna?” Celestia demanded.

Hanna shrugged. “Maaaaybe.”

Celestia folded her arms. “Well, I wasn’t trying to go anywhere, but it happened.” She faced the new High Priestess. “
How
did this happen?”

“In every ritual, you ask that your magic grows, do you not?”

Celestia focused her glare at Hanna. “Someone told us to ask for that.”

“And your wish is being granted.” Fayleen looked smug. Rebecca thought Keith was going to wipe that smirk off her face with his fist. Who knew a cross dresser could churn up so much testosterone?

“Would anyone else like to try?” Hanna asked.

Among the ‘hell nos’ and no ways’, one voice rang out. “I would!”

Rebecca was surprised to see Abby, also known as Ariel, raising her hand. The young witch hated her job as an Au Pair. Certainly she didn’t want to transport her way to her employer’s home.

“Ariel is the youngest of the group,” Hanna said to Fayleen.

Fayleen smiled as if she understood. “Now, Ariel. A word of caution…Be sure to think of a spot where no one will see you materialize. You could cause a panic.”

“Or a heart attack,” Keith muttered.

“Okay.” Ariel closed her eyes and a moment later, she disappeared.

Hanna and Fayleen smiled at each other.

The group waited for her return…and waited…and waited.

“Uh-oh,” Myranda whispered to Yvonne. Rebecca was standing next to them and caught the concerned remark.

“Where did she go?” Rebecca asked.

Fayleen shrugged.

Hanna cleared her throat. “Well, let’s continue with your spells while we wait for Ariel.”

“Seriously?” Keith asked.

Fayleen crossed her arms. “She knows how to get back. Maybe she’s just enjoying herself.”

Ethan rolled his eyes.

A moment later, Ariel rematerialized with a new Chanel scarf around her neck.

“Where were you?” Keith demanded.

Arial tipped her nose in the air. “Paris.” She giggled. “Don’t worry, Fayleen. I materialized in the fitting room.”

Fayleen walked over to her and kissed her on both cheeks. “Magnifique.”

Celestia glared at Fayleen. “Sorry, but this whole thing feels like manipulation to me. I think
someone
needs to go back to Witchcraft 101.”

Fayleen pointed to herself and raised her eyebrows in question.

Celestia just folded her arms and glared at her.

Fayleen burst out laughing and Hanna blushed so hard she looked as if she was might turn purple.

Rebecca cleared her throat. “Um…Ariel, how did you pay for that scarf?”

“Pay? I didn’t. I just returned to the fitting room and popped back here.”

As a business owner, that bothered Rebecca. She gazed at Fayleen. “Do you condone theft?”

“Absolutely not,” the High Priestess said. She turned to Ariel. “You had your fun. Now put it back.”

Ariel sighed. “I doubt the pricey designer conglomerate will miss one scarf, but it’s the principle…I guess.”