Hex on the Beach (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 1) (4 page)

“Magic?” I said weakly, still in shock.

“Magic.” Mimsey turned to me, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Now, the choice is yours. We both desperately want you to return to The Isle with us, even if my
sister
doesn’t know how to show it.”

I focused on inhaling and exhaling and trying to listen to the words I found impossible to believe.

“Our people need your services.
However,
we will not threaten you. You
must
decide for yourself if you’d like to join us. To be part of the culture you were born into.” Mimsey’s eyes implored me to agree.

“I was born here in St. Paul,” I said after a pause.

Mimsey shook her head. “No, you were born on The Isle, darling.”

“But my dad…” My back stiffened. “Wait a minute. My dad, does he know?”

“
Hmm
, how to put this…” Mimsey began.

“It’s complicated,” Trinket said, the shortness still prevalent in her words. “Now, your decision?”

I twisted to look at Jesse and realized he wouldn’t be helping me anytime soon. His eyes darted between the three of us, his expression as dazed as if he’d been knocked on the head with a brick.

“Let me take care of him,” Trinket said. With brisk steps, she strode across the room and removed a pencil from her purse. Or at least, something that resembled a pencil. When she reached Jesse, she grabbed his arm. “Hold still, boy. This won’t hurt.”

“Stop!” I cried, leaping toward Jesse as Trinket lifted the pencil and pressed the eraser to the center of Jesse’s forehead.

“It doesn’t hurt him, dear,” Mimsey said, grasping my waist and holding on with the full force of her plump body. Though I was younger and arguably more agile, I found myself stuck in place, running as if I had a bungee cord tied to my waist. “Hold still, dear. It doesn’t
hurt
!”

“What does it do?” I stopped struggling, but Mimsey didn’t let go of me.

Taking hold of my biceps instead of my waist, she held me steady, gesturing toward Jesse. “She’s just erasing any memories of magic.”

Jesse’s eyes remained open, staring straight at me with a blank, unseeing gaze. My spine prickled with the eerie sensation of being watched. But Jesse didn’t move as he looked intently at a memory nobody else could see.

“It’s literally an eraser?” I asked, looking around for another pencil. “I never knew a number two pencil was so powerful.”

“No, of course not, dear. It’s enchanted with a spell. We witches try to enchant things that don’t look out of place in human culture. Things like lipstick cases, necklaces—”

“Pencils,” I finished. “Huh.”

“We run a supply store on The Isle,” Mimsey said, hopefulness lacing her voice. “Would you like to come see it?”

I gasped, ignoring her question as Jesse sagged against the bar. Trinket—thin, bony arms and all—somehow managed to drag him onto a stool.

“Do witches have superhuman strength?” I asked. “Jesse is not a small guy.”

“A bit.” Mimsey sounded distracted. “Trinket, are you finished? We can’t hang around all day. Someone will wander in for a drink soon enough. We should be off.”

Trinket gave a nod.

Mimsey straightened. “Well, then. Lily?”

I opened my mouth, then I shut it. Then I opened it again. I closed it again as Chunk crawled out from one of Mimsey’s pockets. I’d completely forgotten about the guinea pig, what with bottles flying around, fire shooting up the walls, and my friend being knocked unconscious by a pencil.

Mimsey stroked her pet’s fur absently. “We need an answer. I don’t know the next time we’ll be able to come back.”

“I can’t get there on my own?” I asked.

“Yes or no, are you coming with us?” Trinket asked, her voice flat. “There is no other way.”

“But—” I hugged my body as I backed up against the counter.

My mind raced. The scariest thought of all? I was considering going with them. I shivered, wondering what I’d done wrong for Karma to come after me. I’d lost my job, encountered two crazies, and gone off my own rocker—all in one day. I didn’t believe in things like witches and wizards. And even if I
did,
there was no way I was one of them.

As much as I liked to believe I was an important, successful twenty-something, I still
knew
there wasn’t anything particularly special about me. I worked hard, did my job, and I got promoted. It wasn’t magic.
Magic didn’t exist.

So why were my instincts telling me these two women weren’t lying?
Why am I listening to them when I don’t know them from the homeless guy down the street?
I could blame it on the flying bottles trick, the snapping of their fingers and muttering of strange phrases. I could blame it on the eraser-dealie-bob or the whole necklace warming to the touch. Heck, I could blame the strange happenings of the PowerPoint on them. At least then something would make sense.

“Hey!” I raised my eyes from where I’d been staring at the floor. “Did you two ruin my presentation this morning?”

Mimsey shook her head at the same time Trinket nodded
.

“It was you.” I pointed an accusatory finger at them. “Why would you do that?”

“We thought you’d come back with us if you had nothing to live for here.” Mimsey cringed. “We wanted to make your decision easier.”

I shook my head. “I worked all my life for that presentation. You’ve ruined my whole life.”

“I’m sorry about the side effects—” Mimsey started.

“Lily.” Trinket stepped forward and rested her hand on my shoulder. “Mimsey is a nice woman. She sugarcoats things.”

Mimsey nodded.

“I’m not nice.” Trinket’s fingers dug into my shoulder like talons. “So listen up and listen closely. I don’t repeat myself.”

Trinket’s gaze held mine so firmly that I found myself nodding.

“You have the potential for so much more.” Trinket’s grip tightened as if it were difficult for her to administer such a compliment. “In the scheme of things, your presentation should be but a mere blip on your radar. It shouldn’t be the pinnacle of your success. Your life is
sad
if that is what you live for.”

My jaw hung open. “That’s… that’s mean.”

“
Trinket!
” Mimsey stepped forward, shaking her head. “What she’s trying to say is that you’re talented, dear. You were born for so much more than a job in marketing.”

“That is exactly what I said,” Trinket said, her tone annoyed.

“Well, not
exactly
.” Mimsey tilted her head while disagreeing with her sister. “Your words were a bit harsher.”

“My words weren’t
harsh,
were they?” Trinket turned to me, her eyes burning furiously.

I cleared my throat. “Just a tiny bit.”

“Well, I don’t understand what’s harsh about me getting a fire under your petunia. You have potential to do great things, Lily Locke. You have the potential to save lives. To change reality for many people.” Trinket shook her head. “This little marketing job is nothing. It doesn’t love you back.”

Mimsey burst in. “It doesn’t reward you with hugs or kisses. Not like a child, not like a grandmother, not like the family you have waiting for you on The Isle.”

“Family?” I asked. That idea had always been an elusive one to me.

“
We
are your family,” Mimsey said. “We have children, your cousins. The Isle has all sorts of
your
kind. Consider our proposal, dear.”

I breathed deeply and debated.

“Jesse, what should I—” Glancing at the bartender, I stopped at his surprised gaze.

“Who is Jesse?” Pointing at me, Jesse pursed his lips. “And who are
you
?”

“What did you do to him?” I asked.

“The confusion fades in a few minutes.” Mimsey shifted from one foot to the other. “And we need to be out of here before Jesse comes back to himself, or we’ll have to redo the procedure, and if you do it too many times—”

“They start to go a little crazy,” Trinket finished. “So?”

“Two questions.” I crossed my arms. “If I don’t like it on The Isle, may I come back?”

“Yes, but—”

Trinket held up her hand and cut off her sister. “Enough. We can’t spill our secrets until she’s one of us, Mimsey. We’ve already said enough.
Yes
,
that’s the short answer. You can return.”

I briefly wondered about the long answer, but as Trinket didn’t seem inclined to elaborate, I moved on. “Do I have time to say good-bye to my father? What about Ainsley?”

The sisters looked uncomfortably at one another.

“No,” Trinket said. “Not now.”

“But what if he worries?” I asked.

“We’ve taken care of that.” Mimsey’s lips parted as if she looked surprised at herself. “We used a Writing Replicator
charm to mimic your handwriting and sent him a note. It says you aren’t working for Lions Marketing any longer and mentions that you’re taking a few months off to travel and will write to him when you return. As for Ainsley… you’ll see her again. This isn’t good-bye for you two.”

“But why would you do that?”

“We can’t risk you coming into contact with another human at the moment. You’re aware of our world now, but you don’t yet understand why we keep ourselves secret. That’s a dangerous combination.” Mimsey wrung her hands. “Of course after some training and orientation, you’ll be able to come and go between The Isle and the rest of the world as you see fit.”

I blinked. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Mimsey shook her head. “It’s not. Not in the slightest.”

I had a zillion reasons not to go with Mimsey and Trinket. Things like finding a new job, paying rent, figuring out how to afford my grocery bill. Things like not wanting to leave my friends or the one family member I had left.

But I couldn’t push away the nagging feeling in my stomach that asked
What’s the point?
of unfulfilling work. Sure, I could go get another marketing gig. But how many people would I be helping?

I wondered what the sisters meant when they said I’d have the potential to help others improve their lives. Even more than that, I wondered what they meant about having a family. Because the thought of having someone to love me back sounded incredible. A dream come true. After years of being on my own, living with my dad, a man with fewer emotions than a turtle, I wanted relationships that lived and breathed. I wanted to feel things that made me cry with joy and weep with sadness. I wanted it all.

And for that reason and that reason alone, I nodded.

“I’ll go.” My voice, somewhat resigned, belied the tiny spark of excitement leaping to life in my stomach. “I’ll go with you, assuming it’s understood that I can come and go from The Isle in time.”

Mimsey nodded furiously. “Of course. Of course, dear.”

Trinket let out a rattling breath. “
Thank you.
We need your services more than you know.”

The three of us stood in a bit of an awkward silence, alternating between watching each other and looking at the floor.

Eventually, I looked up. “Shall we?”

Mimsey burst into tears, startling Trinket and I so much so that we both flinched.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“It’s just…” Mimsey rushed forward, tucking her guinea pig onto her shoulder. She brushed a stray hair from my face. “It’s
you
. My beautiful niece.” Her lips parted as she surveyed my face. “We’ve waited so long to see you.”

My insides warmed, and to my dismay, the unfamiliar prick of tears in my eyes startled me. I hadn’t cried in
years
. There’d been nobody to comfort me and, therefore, no reason to cry.

But her gentle touch, the kindness in her eyes… I started wondering.
Maybe my mother is still alive. Out there. Looking for me.
I pushed away my tears, hid my excitement, and set my zillion and one burning questions on the back burner for now.

“Oh, cut the crap,” Trinket said. “This meeting has enough gooiness to make a… what do you call it, those sticky candies you humans make over a bonfire?”

“S’more?” I said.

“Yes. So sweet it’s making me sick to my stomach.” Trinket shook her head.

“Is that you?” Jesse leaned over the bar, squinting in my direction as he interrupted the conversation. “Is that you, Lily? Why do you look funny?”

“You don’t look funny.” Mimsey patted my arm. “Not really.”

“Hey—” I started to argue.

“That’s our cue,” Mimsey said. “Off to The Isle!”

“You couldn’t have snapped your fingers to get us there or something?” I asked, shifting uncomfortably in the bus seat. “My rear end is
very
,
very
sore.”

“I’m a firm believer in doing things the long way at least once before we go taking shortcuts,” Mimsey said. “Otherwise, you don’t appreciate the shortcut half as much.”

“This is a very long anti-shortcut,” I mumbled.

We’d been riding through Minnesota for the last five hours. We caught the last bus out of the Cities and rode straight north for ages. I glanced out the window, noting the surroundings that had changed from the concrete of downtown Minneapolis to sprawling suburbia, with all its manicured lawns, residential homes, and children running about as school let out.

Now as the sun set, I tried to find a comfortable spot in my seat. Despite my aching body, I couldn’t ignore the beauty of the North Shore. Greenery spanned as far as the eye could see—treetops stretched around the curling edges of Lake Superior while bushes, shrubbery, and grass lined the sides of the highways, making every turn in the road a luxurious sight.

All of this lush greenery was new for me. I’d grown up in this state, and I’d even gone camping once or twice. However, my dad had never been a proponent of father/daughter trips, which meant that most of my childhood had been in the Cities, surrounded by small patches of green, the type that grew between the cracks on the sidewalk. This, up here, was new territory.

“It’s beautiful,” I said. “So much life up here.”

Mimsey shivered. “I think it’s rather chilly. I’m not used to it.”

“Don’t you live on The Isle?” I asked. “If it’s up here, you should be used to it.”

“The Isle has a different climate,” Mimsey said. “You’ll see. We’ll be at the launch in thirty minutes.”

Thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes until I’m officially signing over my foreseeable future to these ladies claiming to be my aunts.
I must be going nuts.

Thirty minutes later, however, the tingle of excitement was undeniable. I’d never embarked on such an adventure. I’d gone to school, enrolled in enough extracurricular activities to get into college, then I’d garnered a job like a good girl. I certainly wasn’t unique. I certainly wasn’t special. But it was fun for a change to believe I might be different.

“Stop daydreaming, girl.” Trinket snapped her fingers. “Take this.”

I extended a hand, and she pressed something mushy into my palm.

“What is this?” I looked at the gummy bear in my hand. “A snack? I’m not really hungry.”

“Of course not,” Trinket snapped. “It’s a Stopper. We’ll exit via the restroom.”

“What’s a Stopper?” I shook my head. “I don’t think I like the sound of that. And I definitely don’t like the sound of exiting via the bathroom.”

“Oh, honey. You don’t think we get off at a regular bus stop, do you?” Mimsey gave a kind smile. “The Stopper allows us to get off the bus… unannounced.”

“Through the toilet?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Well, we can’t vanish in plain sight, can we?” Trinket asked, her voice cross. “One at a time. I’ll go first, then you, Lily. Mimsey can follow to make sure nobody is left behind.”

Before I could argue, the two sisters shuffled me toward the back of the bus. I didn’t know how they planned to be discreet, since they were dressed like two theater majors let loose on the costume closet after splitting a bottle of wine. Bright, flashy colors, overbearing patterns, hats so huge they barely fit down the aisle—the women did not know how to dress to blend in.

“
Sorry, dear—
”

“
Whoops! Your coffee there, my apologies—
”

“
Move your foot, please—
”

The two ladies bumbled through the bus, inconveniencing absolutely every person they passed. I eventually stopped trying to hide my amusement as I watched Mimsey turn to apologize to one person and knock the guy behind her with an elbow. Then Trinket stepped on a businessman’s foot, and when she turned to apologize, she bumped someone else.

The cycle went on for each row of passengers. By the time we reached the back of the aisle, the bus was filled with grumbling, disgruntled passengers.

“Good job being discreet,” I said, unable to keep the huge grin off my face.

“They make these dang things so tiny,” Mimsey said. “Trinket, I need fresh air. Let’s get going.”

Without a word, Trinket moved past us into the small one-person restroom. She closed the door but didn’t lock it, the little notification always saying Vacant.

“Well, she’s not going to lock it, is she?” Mimsey said before I could ask. She must’ve watched me read the sign over and over. “Otherwise how would you get in? Speaking of, you’re up.”

A pop as soft as a tiny Fourth of July snapper went off, and I felt my face pale. “Does that mean it’s my turn?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Okay,” I said, my voice squeaky. “What do I do, shove it up my nose?”

“Eat it!”

“Eat it?”

“Yes, yes. Hurry, we only have a certain stretch of highway for this to work correctly.” Mimsey nearly shoved me into the bathroom and shut the door. “Now, dear.
Gobble it up!
”

Before I could give myself time to second-guess anything, I popped the gummy bear-looking thing into my mouth, chewed for a second, and swallowed.

I crinkled my nose, the familiar sugary taste not quite right. “That’s not a gummy beaaa—”

Before I could finish my sentence, the
snapping
sound went off again, but this time it sounded distant, as if in another room. Something tugged behind my belly button, twisting my insides. It didn’t hurt, but everything inside me felt uncomfortable. My ribs felt out of whack, my legs turned to rubber, and my head filled with so much pressure it could’ve been a balloon.

I barely had time to close my eyes before my feet landed on firm ground, my head spinning so fast I had to sit down.

“First-time jitters,” Trinket said, not an ounce of sympathy in her voice. “Are you going to puke?”

I didn’t answer. Mostly because I felt like puking.

“Eat this,” Trinket said, handing over another gummy bear, this one green. The first one had been red. “It’ll help the nausea.”

I shook my head. If I so much as opened my mouth, I was worried that everything I’d eaten today would end up on the ground.

A second later, and another
snap
announced the arrival of Mimsey.

“First-time jitters?” Mimsey asked, more to Trinket than me.

“I think so, but she’s not talking,” Trinket said.

“Give me a minute,” I grunted, hardly moving my lips.

“I tried to give her the antidote, but she refused.” Trinket shook her head. “Prideful girl.”

Mimsey sat next to me, rubbing my back. “You don’t need medicine. Just take deep breaths. You’re close enough to The Isle that it should have a relaxing effect on you.”

“Why would that
place
relax me?” My voice came out a moan as waves of nausea shot through my body. “It’s done nothing for me but cause trouble so far.”

“Because you’re coming home. Doesn’t home calm everyone?” Mimsey looked off into the distance, distracted by something I couldn’t see.

I focused on the low
whoosh
of the waves against the shore. Eventually my heartbeat slowed, my stomach settled, and I was able to glance around at the beautiful northern settings. I looked up, hyper-aware that everything here felt…
fresh
.

The air, crisp and cool, brought out images of autumn bonfires and nights spent cozied underneath a blanket. Still, the waning September sun warmed my skin as it descended below the horizon, which in itself was a magnificent thing.

Lake Superior spanned as far as I could see, and I understood why it might be called a
great
lake
.
The water sparkled and glittered under the sun, the blue so deep and dark it mesmerized me in a dangerous way.

The trees had begun to change to their fall colors, the leaves turning bright yellows, deep reds, and oranges so pure I felt as if I might just be the first person to ever see these sights. My lungs breathed in the clean air, and somehow, my shoulders relaxed. My breathing came easier when my mind was no longer plagued with worries, thoughts, fears. Sure, it was a little odd that I’d eaten a gummy bear and been deposited on the side of the road, but somehow that didn’t bother me all that much. In fact, I’d never felt more alive.

“It’s beautiful,” I said finally.

Mimsey and Trinket turned to me.

“You’re feeling better, dear?” Mimsey asked. “I’m surprised; you had a quicker recovery than most.”

I nodded, pulling myself to my feet.

“Perfect. Now let’s go find that boat. I
told
him to be here,” Mimsey said. “Do you see him?”

“If that man is one second late, I’m reporting him,” Trinket declared, crossing her arms. “We really do need a more reliable Guide.”

“A Guide?” I asked.

“The only witch or wizard on The Isle qualified to connect the human world with the magical world,” Mimsey explained. “Basically, there’s only one way to The Isle that doesn’t require magic.”

“And it’s a boat?” I asked.

Mimsey nodded.

Pointing over her shoulder, I frowned. “It’s not
that
boat, is it?”

Trinket sighed. “Yes, that’s the one.”

I changed my mind right there on that spot. “I’m not getting on that boat.”

I’m not sure what I expected—maybe a speedboat or a luxury cruiser, something to impress the newcomers. Anything would be better than the boat bobbing near the shoreline, a run-down dinghy that looked as if it might collapse at any second.

“I’d rather paddle out to The Isle by myself. In a bathtub. Using my hands as paddles,” I said, stepping backward. “You guys couldn’t have splurged for a pontoon? Honestly.”

“It’s uh…” Mimsey struggled to look for a word. “It’s safe enough.”

“If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it doesn’t.” I crossed my arms. “You’re not getting me on there.”

Trinket turned her no-nonsense gaze at me. “Either you get on that boat, or you start walking back home. The bus doesn’t stop here. Trust me, it’s a
long
stroll.”

I glanced up and down the highway in deep contemplation. But I had no clue how far the nearest town was, and the sun had nearly disappeared, now an orange halo above the land, fighting the oncoming darkness. I’d be sure to freeze in the chilling night winds.

I sighed a long, loud sigh. “Fine. Do you have an extra life jacket?”

“A life jacket?” Mimsey blinked. “What on earth is that?”

I closed my eyes, wondering why on earth I’d ever agreed to follow these ladies to a mysterious, magical island in the middle of Lake Superior.