“How’d you?”
“I’ve got connections. Don’t worry about it.”
We pulled up to the Orange Peel. Abigail found parking across the street, twitching her nose to pay the fee. I would have to have words with her about the judicious use of her powers. There was a line of hipsters waiting impatiently to get in. Many of them held their iPhone inches from their faces, giving them a ghostly hue. Abigail ran up to the bouncer, bypassing the line. He ushered the girls in. Pixel and I were able to sneak in. No one ever glanced down at their feet. Abigail’s beauty kept all eyes on her. When she was in the room, no one else mattered.
Pixel and I walked between the legs clad with skinny jeans and short skirts, our paws sticking to the floor. Pixel stopped and licked his paws every ten steps.
Abigail and Charlotte were ushered to a special booth, left of the stage. Pixel and I jumped up onto the half circle bench, crouching under the table. Abigail rubbed my fur. Pixel popped his head up until his eyes were level with the table. Thankfully the room was dark and loud, and no one saw us. Pixel noticed the plate of nachos that the table next to us was enjoying. He stared at Abigail with his big saucer eyes. She smiled back and ordered a plate of nachos and two beers. The opening band came out, introduced themselves, and started playing what sounded like chaos to me. I could not get used to this din that was called music in this time; however, everyone else could, judging by the crowded dance floor.
After our second plate of nachos and fourth round of beers, a young man came over to the table. He was tall and good-looking, wearing a T-shirt that read Enchanting Alice. He held out his hand to Charlotte. “Dance with me?”
Charlotte took his hand. Abigail had turned down several offers to dance instead choosing to get drunk. “Abigail, you’re driving,” I said.
“I’ll put a spell on the car.” She almost slurred her words.
“Still, you’re not thinking clearly.”
“Terra, I think I deserve to have a little fun. I don’t know why you’re here.”
“Abigail, I heard the song too. It was playing on every station. Someone is trying to tell you something. It’s a warning.”
“It’s not a warning, Terra. Not everything is black magic or white magic or goose bumps.”
I knew better than to argue with her, but I knew I was right. And more importantly she knew I was right. Pixel lay on his back, licking the nacho cheese off his paw.
“Me full,” he said, a phrase I seldom heard him say.
The waitress brought over another bottle of beer. I scratched Abigail’s leg under the table.
“Stop it,” she scolded me, swatting me away. Her eyes turned fire red as she spoke the words. I was flung against the back of the seat and fell to the floor. I had half a mind to leave her to her own doing, but I couldn’t. Elizabeth never left me, and I had rebelled against her many times. The night of May Day in the woods with Prudence and the rest of my sisters. That night I had seen the true power of Elizabeth Oakhaven. As much as I loved her, I feared her, not that she would ever harm my sisters or me, but I feared what she could become if not for the goodness of her heart. I had that same love and fear of Abigail. She was not in control of her emotions or her magic, and those two worlds if ever were to collide would be devastating. I cleaned myself off and jumped back up, snuggling against her. She looked down, her eyes glassy and watery. “I don’t feel so good, Terra.”
She ran toward the back corner with me on her heels. She reached the women’s washroom only to find the door locked. She pounded. She held a hand over her mouth and pounded again. This time the door flung open. We saw Charlotte on the floor with the man she had been dancing with on top of her. He was tearing at her clothes, his hand over her mouth. Abigail screamed, “No.” His body lifted off Charlotte and smashed into the ceiling, arms and legs outstretched like they were tied to a whipping post. Charlotte’s eyes burst open, staring straight up at him. His body shook, a rain shower of blood pouring out his nose onto Charlotte.
“Abigail, stop,” I yelled. “Stop now.” I couldn’t stop her. In her rage, she couldn’t hear me.
Charlotte grabbed Abigail and shook her. “What are you doing? What’s happening?”
Abigail turned her gaze from him to her. And then they both ran out of the bathroom. They didn’t stop until we had reached the car. Abigail bent over and threw up. Charlotte crouched into the grass next to the car, shaking. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to comfort either one of them. I slowly walked up next to Charlotte and rubbed my head against hers. She grabbed me and then threw me onto the sidewalk. Pixel charged her with claws extended.
“Stop, Pixel,” I yelled. “She’s scared. Leave her.”
Pixel came back and cleaned my wounds.
Abigail composed herself and slowly came over to Charlotte, who looked up at her with terror in her eyes. She crawled backward on the ground. “Get away from me, you freak. What kind of monster are you?”
“Charlotte, listen.” Abigail tried to calm her.
“No, I mean it, just keep away from me.” Charlotte righted herself and took off down the crowded street.
Abigail started to take off after her. I stopped her. “Let her go.” I nodded to Bryson who was behind Abigail, watching. He had come the minute Abigail broke down the bathroom door. He understood what I needed and flew off to follow Charlotte. “Keep her safe,” I told him as he flew overhead.
“Terra, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” Abigail said, sinking onto the grass.
“Let me stop you there. You were drunk and out of control. You have no idea the power you wield. You must keep your senses about you.”
“Yes, Terra, I see that now.”
“Do you, Abigail?”
“What are we going to do about Charlotte?”
“Let me worry about that. Call an Uber. We’re going to the Leaf & Page.”
Abigail nodded.
Chapter 22
Dear Prudence
Albert greeted us at the door of the Leaf & Page. “Beatrice is asleep. You must be quiet.” He let us in. I thought about asking Albert about the ghost from the Biltmore basement, but ghosts like humans associate in cliques according to time periods and the way they left the earth. Bradley had served in the Civil War, so the Biltmore ghost was drawn to him. Albert was a young ghost, heartbroken from leaving his beloved. He had no friends in the next world. He didn’t quite understand yet that he was not living.
Pixel lay down on the couch in the sitting room. He didn’t look well either. I sniffed his breath. He had been sneaking drinks at the Orange Peel. He would not be a happy orange cat in the morning. Abigail plopped down next to him and passed out. I paced back and forth. Charlotte was my problem now. She was a Tangledwood yet didn’t seem to have any of their bloodline, not even a shade of Mrs. Tangledwood’s aura. Something was quite different about her. She seemed in all likelihood to be human, but I had a cat sense about her. I leaped onto the window seat and stared onto the cobblestone street. I yawned and half closed my eyes. This was a problem that would wait till the morning.
I’m dreaming again. I hear high-pitched giggles. Prudence is lying next to me on the grass, staring up at the stars. My other sisters are doing the same each talking about their witch star. I look at Prudence as I did when I was a girl with love and acceptance even knowing what the future would bring.
“Terra, I’m going to visit my star as Elizabeth has. And when I do I’ll come back as powerful as her.”
“Prudence, it’s late, and I worry we’ll be found,” I said.