I was only half-way home when Paula landed on my handlebars.

  “You have to come quick,” Paula said.

  Before I could ask why, the parrot was gone.

  Chapter 3

  I parked my bike in the usual spot and hurried inside the house. Paula, the parrot, met me and flew off in the direction I was to go. She led me straight to the library...and Cassandra. Well, most of it was Cassandra.

  “I’m afraid I’ve made a mess of things,” Cassandra said. “I should know better.”

  Cassandra sat in an old, leather chair, smiling despite her obvious discomfort. Because one of her legs, below the knee, had been turned into a giant turnip. The purple thing made it impossible for her to even walk.

  “I was reading one of the rarer books,” Cassandra said. “And, well, I just had to try a spell I found. I guess my Latin isn’t what it used to be. I did what I thought I had to do, and you can see the results. I thought sure rapum was Latin for polish. And don’t ask why I wanted polish.”

  “I won’t,” I said. “Where is the book?”

  She pointed, and I picked up the fragile book. A bookmark led me to the right spell, and like Cassandra, I found myself trying to translate the Latin into something I could understand.

  “I tell you what,” I said. “I’m going to make us some smoothies that will take away all the anxiety. Then, we’ll tackle this spell and get you back the way you were.”

  “That sounds like a plan I can live with,” Cassandra said. “I do apologize.”

  “Magic is not science,” I said. “If it were, it wouldn’t be nearly the fun it is.”

  I whipped up two smoothies that would not only put us in a mellow mood but would induce sleep once we put Cassandra back in shipshape status. I poured a bit into a saucer and placed it on a table in the library. I figured Paula could use some calm also.

  “Now,” I said and returned to the book. “For every spell, there is a counter spell, as my grandmother used to say. Let’s see how this tome is organized.”

  It took half an hour to locate the proper spell, and another half hour to translate the Latin properly. Turning the turnip into a lemon wouldn’t do. The smoothies did their job, as Cassandra and Paula merely watched while I worked. Trying to converse and translate Latin at the same time would have added another hour to the process. In the end, a bit of magic turned Cassandra back into Cassandra without a turnip appendage. Apologizing profusely, she and Paula went to bed. I cleaned up, realizing that my night would be far shorter than I had first anticipated. Luckily, I knew David would be working the next day, which made me wonder if he had replaced the blender that had failed the week before I left for Sunrise Beach. Knowing David, he had. My smoothie worked exactly as planned. I was asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

  DAVID BEAT ME TO THE shop. I parked my bike and found him grinning from ear to ear.

  “What makes you so happy?” I asked.

  “It’s a good day, a good year. Did I tell you a couple guys from the club are opening up a motorcycle parts and repair shop in Goodsprings?”

  He handed me a smoothie the color of blood, which I didn’t find terribly appealing. Who wants a bloody smoothie? David had started his quest for the ultimate smoothie a long time in the past, and while he had come up with some tasty concoctions, he had not yet found the be all and end all. When he did, he was going into the bottling business and make a fortune—or so, he thought.

  “I know the color is a bit much,” David said. “But people drink bloody Marys for breakfast all the time. I figured it might be the wave of the future.”

  I tasted the smoothie, and if the color wasn’t enough, it tasted a bit acrid to me, a definite iron bent.

  “Too much iron, right? I can tell.”

  “It doesn’t exactly taste like rust, but it’s close.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, there is that.”

  “Which guys are opening the shop, and where?” I asked.

  “CueBall and Nails. You can guess why CueBall is nicknamed CueBall, and Nails got his name because he was always cleaning his fingernails. You would think a bike mechanic would know better than to even try.”

  “And where?” I prompted.

  “The old flower shop, just down the street. It’s a prime location, and the little green house in the back can easily be turned into a repair shop.”

  “They’re not going to turn the downtown into some kind of massive noise zone, are they? I mean, motorcycles are loud by nature.”

  “No, I told them they had to hold down the pipes. And if they couldn’t let bikers lounge around on the street. Most of the guys are as peaceful as a cemetery, but tattoos and beards still scare some people.”

  “Exactly. But you can tell them to come here...as long as they behave. I won’t have any rowdies in here.”

  “That’s very nice of you, Sam. I’ll let them know. And if anyone gets out of line, they’ll answer to me. And they don’t want to answer to me.”

  I nodded and went about setting up my day. I believed that David exercised some control over the group, but people were people. Sometimes, they didn’t act in their own best interest. Not that it mattered. If David couldn’t handle someone, a couple of witches certainly could.

  At that moment, Cassandra and Paula entered. I immediately checked out Cassandra’s leg, to see if there had been residual effects. I spotted nothing, and she smiled.

  “As good as new,” Cassandra said.

  “Better than new,” Paula said.

  I had already informed Cassandra and Paula that David was not privy to the coven or magic. They understood perfectly. After all, they had managed to go undiscovered for years in Sunrise Beach.

  “David,” I said. “This is Cassandra and Paula. They’re staying with me for a while.”

  “Even better,” David said. “What’ll you have? While I don’t have the smoothie sense Sam has, I blend a mean smoothie.”

  Cassandra laughed. “I think I’ll have something with strawberries, pears, yogurt, and broccoli.”

  “Coming right up.”

  While David fixed the smoothie, I joined Cassandra and Paula at a table.

  “All is well I take it,” I said.

  “I feel better than I deserve,” Cassandra said. “And I’ve learned my lesson. From now on, I’m going to copy down the spells I might like to try. Then, you and I both can make sure I don’t mess up.”

  “You won’t mess up, but I’ll be only too happy to help you. We have to stick together.”

  David appeared with the smoothie, and I slipped behind the counter, just as Phineas entered, Chuckles on his shoulder.

  Chuckles, the rooster gave Cassandra and especially, Paula a long look. Phineas did his own perusal also as he approached the counter. To my eye, Phineas was looking a bit wan, a bit worn, and I couldn’t help but wonder if his other-dimension friend was causing a bit of trouble. I remembered Apophis had threatened Allie and Genevive before Phineas arrived to quiet the creature. While I had meant to ask Phineas about Apophis, I had not yet had the opportunity. The coven had pretty much assumed that Phineas was some kind of wizard, probably retired. Chuckles, on the other hand, was completely unknown.

  “What will it be this morning?” I asked Phineas.

  “What have you got?” he replied.

  Every day was the same with Phineas. He asked what I had, I listed the smoothies of the day, and he went right back to old faithful, a wheatgrass smoothie. It was a kind of skit, and everyone knew their lines.

  “Well, the smoothie of the day is a blueberry and vanilla yogurt blend with lemon juice for just a hint of tartness.”

  “Sounds delicious,” he said. “I’ll take it.”

  For a moment, I didn’t move. Phineas never had anything but wheatgrass. He was as regular as the tide. Yet, David had warned me that Phineas had turned over a new leaf. Perhaps, it was that, or Phineas was proceeding rapidly to some kind of mind problem. I smiled and went to work.

  “I’ll bring it to you,” I said.

  “Who are the new arrivals?” he asked.

  “Cassandra and Paula,” I answered. “Paula’s the parrot.”

  “So, I would have surmised. Do you think they would mind company?”

  “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind at all,” I said. “David!”

  David looked up.

  “Please introduce Phineas to Cassandra and Paula.”

  “No need,” Phineas said. “I’m quite adept at introducing myself.”

  I chuckled and blended the smoothie, adding one coffee bean, as caffeine was supposed to improve brain function.

  “Didn’t I tell you Phineas was acting weird?” David whispered. “The smoothie of the day? What’s next, trading in Chuckles for a boa constrictor?”

  We both laughed, but David was right. Phineas was off his feed. I delivered the smoothie and heard Cassandra describing Sunrise Beach, from the sand to the marsh. I supposed she wouldn’t tell him anything about her shack that transformed into a plantation palace. Perhaps later, when she and Phineas traded magical bona fides.

  The morning rush arrived. David and I went to work. We were so busy that I didn’t have a chance to ask David where he acquired the new blender. I did notice that it was considerably faster and more powerful than the other blenders. Leave it to a tattooed motorcycle rider to find a high horsepower blender.

  The off-to-work crowd thinned, and I sent David over to Good Eats for breakfast. Tessa’s food was the best around. I was happy to fix myself a tea, sassafras, and chocolate smoothie, that I carried to the table where Phineas and Cassandra were still chatting. As predicted, they got along perfectly.

  “So, what’s the verdict?” I asked as I sat. “Do blueberries beat wheatgrass?”

  Phineas laughed. “Indeed, they do. But I’ve overstayed my welcome already. Chuckles and I must get about our business.” He stood. “Thank you for a most enjoyable morning,” he said to Cassandra. “I hope to find you in here again some time.”

  “Well, since I’m staying with Samantha, I suppose I’ll be here most mornings,” Cassandra said.

  “You too,” Phineas said to Paula. “For a parrot, you are remarkably astute.” Phineas winked.

  “Awwk,” Paula said, making Cassandra laugh.

  We watched Phineas leave before Cassandra turned to me.

  “A most remarkable man,” Cassandra said. “And while I can’t guarantee it, I’m willing to bet that he’s involved in magic in some way.”

  “I think so too,” I said. “But he’s coy about it.”

  “He seems to think that the local vampire, Mr. Bluth? Is that right?”

  I nodded.

  “Phineas thinks Mr. Bluth is more than he seems. I’m not sure what that means, but it would not surprise me. Ancient vampires are incredibly powerful. I certainly wouldn’t wish to run into one at the midnight hour.”

  “Mr. Bluth is a perfect gentleman,” I said. “At least, he has been so far.”

  “What of Chuckles?” Cassandra asked. “I wasn’t able to suss out anything about him.”

  “No one knows,” I said. “I mean, before we discovered that Phineas was involved in magic, Chuckles was just a pet rooster. Now? We’re not so sure. I mean, Paula here is a parrot—and she’s not.”

  “I did not sense anything more than another bird,” Paula said. “But as you say, the outer form can hide something completely different inside.”

  I was reminded of the glamour spells we had used in Sunrise Beach. The changed outer shell did indeed cover something completely different. I wondered if Chuckles was simply some sort of glamour spell.

  David was back before the lunch hour crush. We handled it without a hitch. When I looked up, Cassandra and Paula were gone. After the push, I left for Good Eats.

  Tessa was behind the counter, and I waved as I slid into a booth. Allie brought me an iced tea. Tessa walked out a special club sandwich, the one with its own Tessa touch. I bit into it immediately, not realizing just how hungry I was.

  “You eat like the smallest orphan at the table. Slow down. No one is going to steal your food.”

  I tried to laugh, but my mouth was too full.

  “Don’t try to talk,” Tessa added. “I know the Heimlich maneuver, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to perform it.”

  I was eating like a ravenous, junkyard dog, so I slowed down. There would be an afternoon rush, but I had more than enough time.

  “How’s that?” I said. “Mannerly enough?”

  “Much better. Now, tell me, what did Phineas order today?”

  “Not wheatgrass,” I answered. “Blueberries.”

  “Impossible...unless he’s having digestive problems.”

  “When did Phineas ever have digestive problems? Never. By the way, have you heard about the new motorcycle repair shop?”

  “Motorcycles? Where? You know how their gangs are...scary.”

  “In the old flower shop.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  I told Tessa about CueBall and Nails, using David’s descriptions. Tessa frowned, and I guessed she was not entirely on board with the new business. Who was? But I was trying to keep an open mind until something actually happened.

  “Sounds like a one or two month operation,” Tessa said. “You know how these things are. Someone thinks they have a wonderful idea, and they open up, and they can’t sell anything, and pretty soon, the shop is gone.”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “It could last. But I told David to make sure they didn’t hang about on the sidewalk. Motorcycle gangs scare people.”

  “It’s the Hell’s Angels curse,” Tessa said. “By the way, want to try the Goodsprings Brewery tonight? You know a pint and a game of pool or something?”

  I stared at her. “Since when do you hang around a brewpub and shoot pool?”

  “Since I learned to be a blonde,” she grinned.

  “Your glamour spell?”

  Tessa nodded. “What do you say? And you don’t have to be that mousy person you were in Sunrise Beach. I bet you would make a smashing redhead.”

  “For one thing,” I said. “I have house guests.”

  “Bring them along.”

  “For another, I have no desire to be a redhead or any other color of hair. I like myself the way I am.”

  “I like myself too. But don’t you want to see what the guys say when they think you’re somebody else? Don’t you want to know what they really think of Samantha Greene?”

  “I’m guessing I already know, for the most part. And what I don’t know, I don’t care to learn.”

  “Be that way. I’ll just have to talk Mara into it.”

  With that, Tessa left me with my sandwich and drink. As I walked back to Happy Blendings, I considered Tessa’s infatuation with the glamour spells. Like most people, Tessa was enamored with the idea of being someone different, someone better. I supposed that in most societies, the larger people wanted to know what it was like to be skinny, and the short people wanted to see how the world looked from a higher perch. It was human nature to wonder if the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. But, for most people, everything stopped at “wonder”. They didn’t really want to know what it was like. They didn’t really want to become someone completely different. They were pretty happy with what they were. And as soon as they faced their next problem, they forgot all about being someone else.

  But Tessa was different.

  I supposed her fascination and desire came from being a fire witch. As the name implied, fire witches were hotter than most people, quicker to fire up and quicker to die down. Fire witches suffered from road rage more often than other witches. They leaped before they looked. Tessa wanted to explore a glamour personality, really explore it. But I couldn’t help but wonder if that was a good idea. I could just see some man becoming too friendly with a petite blonde only to discover he was messing with a fire witch. I didn’t fancy being the man.

  When I walked into my shop, I found David talking to what could only be CueBall and Nails.

  “Here she is,” David said. “CueBall, Nails, meet Samantha Greene, the owner of this establishment.”

  I smiled and shook hands. Nails’ hands showed the reason for his name. His nails were better manicured than mine. I didn’t mind. That kind of fetish wouldn’t sit well with an earth witch. We lived to feel the dirt with our fingers. CueBall’s hand was soft, pliable. I was reminded of a mannequin’s hand, something made of plastic, something not authentic. Weak handshakes never impressed me. Yet, we all smiled.

  “How is the shop coming along?” I asked.

  “We’ll open in two days,” CueBall said.

  “We think we’ll open in two days,” Nails corrected. “That depends on the delivery of our inventory tomorrow.”

  “And you’ve already set up the repair shop?” I asked.

  “Done and done,” CueBall said. “David, here, will be our first customer.”

  “I need a tune up,” David said. “And I’m getting a discount.”

  “Which brings me to the reason for being here,” Nails said. “We’d like to hang a poster on your wall, if you don’t mind. Advertising, tasteful advertising.”

  “No hot women in skimpy leather,” CueBall said. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

  I looked at David, who held up his hands, palms out. “I told them it was your call. I get nothing out of this...except a discount.”

  I laughed. “Okay,” I said. “Here’s the deal. Bring me the poster and let me decide. If it’s in keeping with Happy Blendings, we’ll hang it. But, as you said, no half-naked ladies, or gangbangers sporting bodies of tattoos.”

  “You got it,” Nails said. “It will be bikes, not bikers. And we appreciate it. In fact, you name the night, and we’ll treat you and David to some brewskis at Goodsprings Brewery.”

 

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