Putting on the Witch (4 page)

The new magic I'd found in my amulet was too difficult to explain to him. We ate baked ziti and homemade garlic bread in silence as we both contemplated the future. They seemed to be two different futures for the first time in our lives. I didn't like the way that felt.

As usual—particularly during romantic moments, birthdays, Christmas—Joe got a call about the homicide he was working, and we had to pack up the last of our food and take it with us. He dropped me off at the house with a grin and a kiss.

“Don't worry about it, Molly,” he said. “We'll figure it out. We always do, right? I'll see you later. Don't wait up.”

I put my arms around him and hugged him as best I could through the open window of the SUV. “I love you, Joe. We can't let this come between us. We've gone through worse, haven't we?”

“We have,” he agreed, but his smile didn't reach his beautiful eyes. “I love you too. See you later.”

The storm clouds heading our way from the Atlantic were beginning to get thick and dark around us. I crossed my arms against my chest as I watched Joe leave and wondered if the clouds were an omen of what was to come.

Sunshine was gone when I went inside. She'd left me a note to say that she and Detective Malto were doing fine. She was going back to Norfolk, promising to erase any memories of what had happened from Malto's mind. She was always such a clever girl. I wondered what she and her friends had fallen into.

Isabelle said there had been another caller while I was gone, but this one had stayed outside, leaving quickly when no one was home. Before I had a chance to wonder who it was, Dorothy, Elsie and Olivia were frantically knocking at my door.

“Did you get it?” Elsie asked with an excited smile plastered on her face. “Did you look at it?”

“Did I get what?” I asked as I put our leftovers from the restaurant in the fridge. “What's everyone so excited about?”

“I'm not excited at all.” Olivia pouted. “No one cares about what happens to you when you're a ghost.”

Dorothy held out a beautiful black invitation with gold
embossed words on it. “I can't believe he didn't invite you too, Molly. There must be some mistake. Don't worry. I'll talk to him.”

“Talk to . . . what?” There was another person at the door. “Just a minute while I get this.”

Elsie and Dorothy giggled, holding each other's hands. “I knew you'd get one too, Molly,” Elsie said. “I knew Brian wouldn't just invite us.”

I opened the door, and there stood a servant in sumptuous gold and black livery. He was tall and beautiful—probably not really a person. Magic washed from him in waves.

“Molly Addison Renard.” His diction was perfect, but his dark eyes never moved and his expression was featureless. “Schadt and Yuriza Fuller invite you to a ball at their residence. Should you accept the invitation, a car will be sent for you. Should you decline the invitation, all is well. Good day.”

He vanished as he finished, nothing more than a messenger created for the purpose of giving out invitations in a grand fashion. It was impressive, I admitted as I closed the door with the invitation in my hand.

“It's a ball at the castle,” Dorothy's voice squeaked with excitement. “It's Brian's birthday bash, and he wanted us to be there. Is that cool or what?”

“It's amazing!” Elsie was almost dancing with excitement. She'd been quite a dancer when we were younger, but I hadn't seen her dance in many years. “I don't know what to wear. I'm not sure there's anything in my attic that will do. I wonder if I can take Larry with me as a date. It says bring a friend on the invitation.”

“I'm pretty sure the Fullers weren't imagining you'd bring a werewolf or a ghost with you to the party.” Olivia sighed. Her familiar ghostly features sagged as she fretted. “I've never been invited to a ball at a castle. I guess I wouldn't have to worry about what to wear, as I haven't been
able to change clothes since I died. But you all go on without me. I don't want to hold you back.”

I glanced at the elaborate invitation. “I'm sure they aren't talking about bringing a non-witch either if it makes you feel any better.”

“Forgive me, Molly, if it doesn't make me feel one whit better that Joe can't go either.”

“What about using the bottle again?” Elsie asked. “That sort of worked last time.”

“It would've worked if Olivia had stayed in the bottle,” I suggested. “We were lucky we weren't caught with her. She was lucky too, or she might not be here.”

“I think I could come up with something so you could go too, Mom,” Dorothy said in the voice of a child who wanted to appease her parent. “I hate for you to miss it. Since Brian is already going to be there, you could be my plus one.”

Olivia wrapped her mostly see-through form around her daughter to give her a hug. I hadn't said anything about Olivia's ghostly hugs, but they were more like being suffocated. She couldn't help it, bless her soul. She just wanted to be alive again. She'd been working hard to have a better physical presence and control the many abilities that came with being a ghost. But as yet, she hadn't mastered those abilities enough to fool an entire castle full of witches who intensely disliked ghosts and had the ability to banish her from our world.

“You're the best daughter ever.” Olivia smiled at her and patted Dorothy's dark, sleek pageboy hair even though her hand appeared to go through her head. “I'm sure we can come up with something. It's so exciting, isn't it?”

I shook my head, hating to be a killjoy. “I don't think we should go if we're planning to take Larry and Olivia into a castle full of witches—and not just ordinary witches. The entire Grand Council is bound to be there, since it's the Fuller
family. I don't want to be thrown out, or worse, try to sneak inside.”

“Oh, that's just fine,” Olivia said quickly. Too quickly. “I'll just sit this one out. As Molly says, it's too risky. I'll be dandy. Don't worry about me.”

Elsie shook her head. “I suppose that means we'll have to think of something or Olivia will guilt us all to death.”

“Like I said,” Olivia reiterated, “I'm happy to stay home. I think we should be discussing how we're going to hide Dorothy from her father right now instead of thinking about this stupid ball anyway.”

“I don't need to be hidden,” Dorothy said. “I'm not leaving with him, but there's no reason that I can't get to know my father a little, is there? I mean, you did hide me from him all these years. It seems only fair to establish some kind of relationship with him now.”

“Honey, I know you mean well,” Olivia began, “but your father is an evil witch who will bend you to his will if he has half a chance. While that might be exciting in a lover, it won't be exciting to you as his child. Besides, I worked too hard to see you become evil. You know I had to live with those awful witches in the Paris catacombs until after you were born. Sometimes I still get the taste of sewer in my mouth.”

“Oh great!” Elsie put her hands on her ample hips. “Now we have to hear all about it again for the hundredth time.”

“Mom.” Dorothy stared at her. “I don't want to hurt you. I just want to be fair. How do we even know if Dad is still evil?”

“He's still evil all right.” Olivia tossed her head in the way she always had when she was alive, but the effect on her ectoplasmic form was different. It gave the gesture a streaming quality that came close to making me nauseous.

“We really don't know that,” I reminded her, looking
away. I knew how terrified she was for Dorothy, but I also knew she wasn't going to be able to protect her this time. Dorothy would have to make her own decisions and mistakes.

“Molly Renard!” Olivia's shriek was piercing. “What are you saying? How could you betray me this way?”

“I'm not betraying you. You've done all you can to protect her.”

“Standing here,” Dorothy reminded us.

Olivia folded her arms across her chest. “I'd leave now, if I could. It's stupid to discuss Drago not being evil. He'll ruin your life, Dorothy. Mark my words. If you let him in, he'll take advantage.”

“All right,” Elsie decided. “That's enough about evil witches. Let's talk about what we're going to wear to the ball. I'm so excited to be invited. Oh! That rhymes. That was fun.”

“Maybe now isn't the best time,” I suggested.

“If not now, when?” she asked. “It starts at midnight. Didn't you listen to the invitation?”

I glanced at the card again. “This is very little advance notice.”

“Witches aren't known for their thoughtfulness.” Elsie laughed and spun around. “I'd like a black hat with sequins, please.” She loved hats.

To our complete surprise, an imaginative black velvet hat with sequins appeared on her head.

“What the—?” Dorothy wondered.

Mike chose that moment to come home. He was immediately followed by Brian. Brian's shiny new red Corvette filled out the driveway behind Mike's old Camaro.

“Hey, Mom.” Mike nodded at Elsie and Dorothy. He couldn't see Olivia, because he hadn't inherited being a witch from me. “Hey, Elsie. Love the hat. Hello, Dorothy.”

We all said hello to him. Dorothy asked how school was as Brian came up and put his arm around her—a very territorial move.

“Hi, Mike.” Brian shook his hand. “I haven't seen you in a while.”

“Hi, Brian. How's it going?” If Mike had any memories of last year's crush on Dorothy, he didn't show it. His eyes, so like mine, were perfect with his father's dark hair.

“Good,” Brian replied before turning his attention to us. “I'm guessing you got the invitations by now.”

“Yes!” Elsie kissed his cheek. “And we're thrilled.”

“Don't look at me,” he said. “It wasn't my idea. I'm not going. I hate those things.”

“But it's your birthday,” Dorothy reminded him. “You have to go.”

He kissed the side of her face. “I never go to their parties. I'd rather just go out to dinner with you.”

“Oh.” She smiled softly, her usually pale cheeks taking on a pink hue. “Thank you. But I couldn't do that and take you away from your family.”

“Please. Take me away. I haven't celebrated a birthday with my parents since I was five. And if you'd ever been to one of their birthday balls, you wouldn't want to go again either.”

“So it wasn't your idea to invite us?” I asked, wondering whose idea it was. His family had no love for us and had actively tried to keep Brian from being part of our coven. We weren't worthy of the Fuller name.

“No,” he denied. “I wouldn't do something like that to you.”

Mike grinned at his words.

“I think the rest of us would be very disappointed if we didn't go.” Dorothy glanced at Elsie and me. “We've never been to a ball at a castle. It's very exciting.”

“Are you ashamed of us, Brian?” Olivia asked and I echoed.

“No—them! They've obviously put some thought into this. It scares me that they invited you when I think we all know how they feel about you.” He frowned. “Sorry. I didn't mean that the way it sounded.”

“Oh, Brian,” Elsie remarked. “I don't care how they feel. I just want the champagne and the castle!”

He shrugged. “Okay. If that's what you want, you go this time, but you won't ever want to go again. Believe me.”

“A ball at a castle?” Mike nodded. “Sounds fun. I think you should all go.”

“What do you have in mind?” I asked him quickly. “You're a little too eager to get rid of me.”

“Just some pizza and friends, since Dad is working a case. Nothing much.”

“That's fine,” I told him. “Just don't wreck the house. Or clean it up if you do.”

He laughed. “Like Isabelle would let me do that. When I have friends over, she gives us these dirty looks, and I can just imagine her reporting back to you! See you later.” He hugged me and flopped down in front of the TV as we walked into the kitchen.