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Avery lived in White Haven, a small seaside town on the Cornish coast. It was an old and charming place, with its old stone buildings with mullioned windows, tiny lanes, cobbled streets, quayside views, and boutique shops and restaurants, all swirling down to the sea, where fishing boats bobbed in the harbour. Outside the shops and pubs were hanging baskets and potted plants, and the whole place was picturesque. Beyond the town were rolling downs heading up and away from the sea.
This was the place she called home, a place that was filled with magic. It had a special quality to it, like a few of the ancient towns and villages that carried their old magic through the years. Many sensed it, and it attracted new agers, wiccans, mediums, pagans, and spiritualists, although she doubted that any knew that real witches actually lived among them.
It was now nearly 10:00 PM, her tea of beans on toast was hours ago, and she was starving again. Part of her wished she’d gone to the pub with Sally for their usual post-work drinks with friends, but she had really wanted to read Anne’s notes before meeting the other witches.
The traffic was always nightmarish in town, so she walked from her shop down to the pub, thinking about Alex and trying to dispel the annoying feelings he always provoked.
She’d always felt he thought he was better than her, and she’d resented him for it. A few years ago he’d left White Haven, and she had no idea why or where he’d been. He’d returned a few months ago, taking over the old pub on the quayside that belonged to his uncle, and it had been a shock to see him back. She’d seen little of him since his return, other than when he came into her shop to say he was back. It surprised her that he thought to tell her. He was as good-looking as always, more so now that he was older. He’d looked around her shop, waiting for her to be free, and then he sauntered over to the counter, grinning. “Long time, no see, Avery. Thought I’d let you know I’m back, in case you ever need anything.”
“Thanks, Alex. Very generous of you. But I think I’ll be okay.”
“Same old Avery. When you change your mind, you know where to find me.” And then he strolled out the door.
Since then she’d bumped into him at a few parties, and in a few bars with mutual friends where they’d chatted a few times, but that was all. And yet last night he’d come to see her, had known she would have seen something coming.
The Wayward Son, Alex’s pub, was on one of the quayside roads, looking over the small harbour with its collection of fishing boats. She could smell the brine. It always made her tingle.
As she walked in, the sound of chatter and music swelled around her; the pub was packed. She headed to the bar and saw Alex make his way towards her from the far end, leaving his two bartenders to attend to the other customers. His dark hair was tied back, but he still hadn’t shaved; dark stubble coated his chin and cheeks. He wore a black t-shirt and old jeans, and he looked way too good. “Evening,” he said, a lazy grin on his face. “What’s your poison?”
“A very large glass of red, please. And a packet of cheese and onion crisps.”
He reached behind him and grabbed a bottle of merlot. “I predict the lady likes a full red with a hint of spice. Sound good?”
“Perfect, thank you,” she said, feeling churlishness wouldn’t be a good idea in his pub.
“Drink’s on the house, and don’t worry about the crisps, there’s food upstairs.”
“Is there?” she asked, all animosity towards him temporarily forgotten.
“Of course, I like to feed my guests.” He gestured towards the stairs at the back of the pub. “Head up, I’ll be with you soon. You’ll have to unlock the door, but you know how,” and he promptly turned to another customer.
She grabbed her glass and headed through the crowded main room to the back, as instructed. A set of stairs was tucked to the rear of the small room that looked out onto the beer garden. Outside a breeze bustled around the courtyard garden, jostling the strings of fairy lights that lit up the drinkers still sitting outside. The back room was much quieter and darker than the main part of the pub, lit only by more fairy lights, candles on tables, and discreet up-lighting in the corners. It seemed that only locals were in here, and she nodded in greeting to a few she recognised.
She headed up the stairs and onto a broad landing, shrouded in shadows, and found a locked door. She whispered a spell to unlock it, and hearing the lock click, she turned the handle and went in.
Avery knew Alex had the whole of the first floor to himself. He didn’t rent any of the rooms out, saying it was too much work, but she had never seen it before and she was surprised at how good it looked. He had knocked through as many walls as safety allowed, and consequently his flat was large and roomy, with an open plan kitchen and living area, exposed brick walls, and a massive fireplace. A tan leather sofa, enormous and squashy, dominated the living area, and a large rug covered the polished floorboards. She was impressed. Alex had style. Taking advantage of being the first there, she had a quick peek around and found there was a single bedroom leading off and a bathroom, and that was it.
Drawn by the thought of food, she headed to the kitchen, and found a few covered dishes of crackers, olives, and pickles. She nibbled a few olives and sipped her wine, wondering where the others were, but within seconds the door opened and Briar arrived, halting with surprise when she saw Avery in the kitchen.
Briar was about the same age as Avery, late-twenties, with hazel eyes and chestnut brown hair that fell in waves past her shoulders. She was petite, barely past five feet, and slim. She wore lace and lots of white and pastel shades, and of all of the witches was not only the best with herbs and potions, but also at healing. Briar sold creams and lotions, herbal medicines, and old remedies in her shop, Charming Balms Apothecary. She had deliberately made it old-fashioned and everyone loved it, especially because her stuff worked. Skin did look better, eyes were brighter, nails were stronger, old ailments were eased. The magic was subtle, but it was there.
There was something very soft and gentle about Briar, usually. Avery detected a slight prickle to her at the moment, however. She shut the door behind her and said, “So you came! I really didn’t expect you would.”
Avery felt a bit shocked. Was she that unsociable? She gave a half-smile. “I wasn’t sure I would either, but here I am.” She wondered if Briar was put out. “How are you? It’s been a while.”
“I’m fine, Avery. Just busy. The shop is very popular at the moment. Can’t complain, it’s summer season. It will slow down soon enough.”
“I know what you mean,” Avery nodded. “I’ve been busy, too.”
Briar didn’t waste time. She leaned against the counter from the living room side, sipping her white wine. “So what’s this meeting about? It must be important, you don’t normally come here.”
The word ‘normally’ gave Avery a jolt. “No, I don’t,” she answered. “But Alex insisted.”
Briar laughed. “And when has that ever made a difference?”
Before she could answer, Gil, Elspeth, and Alex arrived together, bringing in a jumble of laughter and chatter.
Alex looked surprised. “Great, you’re here too, Briar! I didn’t see you arrive.”
“You were busy,” she said, hugging him. “Simon served me.”
Avery was already feeling like the outsider; they all looked pretty comfortable together. She wondered if it showed when Elspeth came round the counter into the kitchen and hugged her.
It had been a while since Avery had seen her, and she’d forgotten how gorgeous she was. Elspeth was tall and graceful, with long blonde, almost white hair that cascaded down her back. She always wore red lipstick that looked even brighter against her pale skin, but she also wore lots of jewellery. Rings, a nose piercing, necklaces, and lots of bangles, and she nearly always wore skinny black jeans, biker boots, and rock t-shirts. Elspeth owned a jewellery shop, and sold her own designs as well as things she brought in. All of her jewellery had a little magic woven through it. She sold charms and amulets that really worked, as well as pendants, rings, earrings, hair clips, pins, and brooches. She had spelled positive energies into them, and used gemstones as well. She must be making more things lately, from what Alex had said.
“Avery! It’s great you’re here. Alex said you were coming, but I didn’t believe him.”
“Elspeth, hi,” she managed to murmur through the hug.
“El, please, not Elspeth! I love your hair, Avery, it’s such a beautiful colour.”
“Thank you,” she said, suddenly conscious of her long, dark red hair.
In contrast, Gil stood next to El looking quite homely. He was shorter than Alex, his short dark brown hair was neat, and he wore a plain t-shirt and dark blue jeans. Gil ran a plant nursery called Greenlane Nursery out of the extensive grounds of his house, and it was very popular. He employed half a dozen locals, supplying hanging baskets to shops and businesses, and helped White Haven to compete in an annual garden competition, Britain in Bloom. He sold the usual annuals, perennials, and shrubs, but he specialised in herbs. Gil’s family were rich and he had inherited the house and grounds, most of which were private, apart from the nursery and show garden.
Gil grabbed her in a bear hug. “Lovely to see you, Avery.”
Avery felt flustered, and tried to laugh it off. “Well, it’s nice to be wanted. I think.” She took a large sip of wine, and a few deep breaths while the new arrivals grabbed drinks from the fridge, and Alex pulled out cheese and pate.
He loaded up a tray and handed it to Avery. “Would you mind?”
“No,” she stuttered. “Where do you want it?”
“The coffee table,” he directed, and picked up another tray and headed to the living room.
The group trailed after them, Gil and Elspeth sitting on the couch, while the others sat on huge floor cushions. Avery felt a whisper of magic and the lights around the room dimmed, as the fire flared in the fireplace.
“That’s better,” El said. “I was starting to feel chilly.” Her long limbs were crossed beneath her on the couch, and she took a large slug of bottled beer.
Avery realised it really had been a long time since she’d seen them, and she felt suddenly guilty, although she couldn’t work out why. She thought of the photo of Gil and again wondered what to do. As if he read her mind, Gil caught her eye and smiled.
“Come on, then,” Briar said. “What’s going on?”
“Does anything have to be going on?” Alex said. “Can’t five witches get together for Friday drinks?”
“Four witches sometimes get together—Avery does not. Therefore, something must have happened.”
Alex glanced at Avery. “We’ve both had a premonition. Enough to merit bringing it to everyone’s attention.”
“What kind of premonition?” Gil asked, concerned.
“Ladies first,” Alex said, winking at her.
Avery tried not to glare at him. “I read the cards and saw that something is coming. Something dark. Something that will threaten us. I read the cards several times and saw the same things—the Tower, Death, the Fool, the Moon, and many sword cards. And then Alex came to see me.” She turned to him and found him watching her, his eyes narrowed as he listened. “What about you, Alex? You never said what you saw.”
“I was sitting here—well, at the counter, actually,” he said, nodding to the long counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. “I was just looking into my coffee thinking about what I had to do that day when I experienced a rush of darkness, almost a blackout, and I saw a man coming. He was dark-haired but faceless, and he brought danger. I could see blood and steel, maybe a blade. And a burning anger and desire. It was so strong, I knocked my cup over and almost scalded myself.”
Gil leaned forward, “Did you recognise him? Anything that was familiar?”
“Nothing.” Alex was a joker, a tease, but there was nothing light about his mood tonight. “It felt personal, though.”
“But what could he want?” El asked. “We have nothing that anyone who knows magic could desire. Nothing unusual, nothing powerful.” She looked around the group, perplexed and questioning, “Well, I haven’t, anyway.”
Avery shook her head slowly. “Me, neither.” The others agreed, although Gil looked down at the floor, lost in thought. Avery looked over at Alex. “But how did you know that I would have seen it, too? It was bit odd that you simply arrived at two in the morning.”
He hesitated for a moment, and then said, “You, more than any of us—well, other than me—have the gift of sight. As soon as I had my vision, I knew you had sensed something, too. I waited all day to see if the feeling would go, and it didn’t. It woke me up and I had to see you, straight away.” He shrugged, looking at her with an unusual intimacy, “I can’t explain it other than that.”
Avery made a decision, and she looked around at the others. “I did find something interesting today, although I don’t know if it’s anything to do with our premonitions. I was gifted some books by a lady who recently died, and I visited her house today to pick everything up from her son. She had compiled files and family trees on lots of old White Haven families, as well as histories on shops, buildings, and an interesting collection of old town maps. My family tree was in there, as was Alex’s. I haven’t had chance to go through it all properly yet. ” She omitted the part about the photo. “It was a bit spooky, actually, like I was being spied on.”
The atmosphere changed, and they all lowered their drinks and leaned forward.
“Who was it?” Alex asked immediately.
“Anne Somersby, she lived on Waverley Road. She was an old lady who was a bit of a local historian. Every now and again she’d come into the shop and look to see what books we had on the area.”
“What do you mean, our family histories?” El asked.
“All of us. I haven’t gone through everything yet, though.”
“What kind of family histories?” Gil asked, his beer on the table forgotten. “I mean, was there anything in mine?”
Was that more than natural concern she heard in his voice? “I haven’t had a chance to have a good look, Gil, they look like family trees with a brief bio on some family members. Although, she’s done the same to lots of old families in the area. Not just those with the craft.”
“Was there any mention of magic?”
“No! None.” She again omitted the scent of magic she had discovered.
“What have you done with all the records you’ve found?” Alex asked.
“They’re in my flat, which is sealed and warded, so they’re safe.”
He nodded, satisfied, but then he surprised her by asking, “The son, is he staying there? At her house?”
She looked at him, confused, “No idea. Why?”
“I think we should check the house out. See if there’s more there.”
“Are you mad? That’s breaking and entering!”
“We won’t do any harm! We’re just looking.”
She couldn’t believe she was hearing this, but no one else seemed to be putting up a fight. “No way! What if he’s there?”
“Take a look at those papers tomorrow, and then see if you can find where he’s staying. I think we should look, but not tonight. We’ll wait until you find out more.”
El had been watching them both. “Do you think this has to do with your premonition then?”
Avery shrugged. “Maybe. Or it could be some weird, random coincidence.”
Gil shook his head. “We know better than that. There’s no such thing as coincidence. It all means something. Maybe she’d found something.”
The room fell silent because they knew he was right. The fates moved in odd, unimaginable ways, and just because they couldn’t see the cause of something, or see where it led, didn’t mean there weren’t connections. It was like a web all around them; you just had to know where to look.
