The late October sunset reflected through the tinted windows of Kandied Karma as Yuli flipped the sign to closed after another long day. She untied her fuchsia apron and dropped it into the dirty pile for the cleaning service, taking a second to tighten the sash of the loose-fitting eggplant-colored peasant dress she wore. Glancing through the plate glass of the front window, she watched the ordins file past and into the quaint shops and eateries surrounding her building.
“They are always in such a hurry,” she muttered to herself, watching the square fill with the early dinner crowd lured in by happy hour specials. She tilted her head, a crease appearing between her narrowed eyes as she observed the colors around her intensifying and the smell of cocoa beans and espresso becoming more pungent. The incoming auditory and visual stimuli overwhelmed her, and she quickly closed her eyes to contain them before shifting into receiving mode. The vision came a few seconds later. She saw herself closing a book and putting it on a shelf. Then another visual came in quick succession. She saw herself walk through a door filled with warm golden light and shut it behind her.
With a jolt, she re-opened her eyes, marveling at the magic that always seemed to find her at Kandied Karma. Surveying the artisanal chocolate shop with fresh eyes, she felt a surprising but not unwelcome warm gush of bittersweet longing fill her.
The store had become a beacon of Karmic rebalances, and the sight of golden sparkles and colorful aura shifts were becoming more frequent than ever since her granddaughter, Katia, turned fifty and experienced her awakening. Now, with the existence of three generations of supernatural women, the air tingled with purpose and the golden sparkles that accompanied it more often than not. Yuli had long abided by the principles of Karma, letting it guide her decisions and, though there had been some harrowing journeys lately, the mortal coven had only become stronger. She mused over a question that had been at the forefront of her mind since Katia’s awakening. Who lived to almost one-hundred without a long laundry list of regrets?
“No one. I’m a lucky lady,” she whispered with gratitude as she let this truth fill her for a moment before turning back to her closing tasks. Too exhausted after the long day on her feet to explore the messages she received from Karma, she filed them away to digest later and absentmindedly kneaded the tight muscles in her lower back. She didn’t even pause when the amulet at her throat tingled, and instead, she brushed the pesky sensation away. Ready to head home, she gathered the container she’d filled with the few remaining truffles from the case and walked to the kitchen to put them in the chiller.
When she laid eyes on Zoya on the other side of the door, she lurched in surprise and lost her grip on the box. The truffles scattered to the floor, rolling under the marble workstations. Frustrated, she bent down to retrieve them. “Jeepers! You startled me. Now we can’t even give these away! What a waste.”
“Sorry, darling.” An apologetic expression settled on Zoya’s features as she swept the full skirt of her cloak to the side with one gloved hand and bent to help retrieve the candy. Yuli noticed her irritation quickly dissolve by the helpful gesture and instantly be replaced by confusion. It was the state she most often felt herself gravitate toward around Zoya lately. They’d been tentatively building a bridge toward each other, and while Yuli found their new dynamic a vast improvement from the bitterness of the past, it was confusing as all get out.
Two versions of Zoya existed in her mind now. One had loomed large in her childhood, cruel and neglectful after her mother died giving birth. The other was softer and apologetic, trying to earn her reincarnation to reunite with the love of her life, Salvatore Lombardo, when the next generation of supernatural females in their lineage was born. It was difficult to reconcile these two vastly different people.
“I’m sorry to drop in and surprise you, but I just received some important information you should know about.” Zoya’s skin glowed with the translucence of youth, evidence of her rigorous beauty routine in the meditation chamber. Dressed from head to toe in a deep teal-cloaked dress with a plunging neckline, her eyes shone with anticipation. Her long white hair was gathered in a loose braid that spanned the length of her back.
“And you decided to share it with me voluntarily?” Yuli’s white eyebrows shot to her hairline. Her grandmother, Zoya, had a long history of wielding knowledge as a weapon, manipulating anyone she came in contact with without remorse. But she’d witnessed several recent shifts in her behavior, and Yuli had to admit, the change was astonishing.
Zoya chuckled. “I did, in the spirit of full transparency and to show you I am now a reformed witch. A team player, if you will.”
Intrigued, Yuli chuckled at the idea Zoya would call herself a team player. She dropped the candy in the trash and leveled her eyes on Zoya’s green ones. “Okay. I’ll bite. Out with it.”
“I’ve received confirmation the next generation has been conceived.”
“What?” Yuli sat down on a stool in shock, taking in the revelation. “When? Katia has said nothing of the sort.”
“I suspect she doesn’t know,” Zoya said, and after a long pause added, “Yet.” She tugged out the stool next to Yuli and pulled off her gloves that provided a protective layer around the ordins. Sitting down, she gathered her elegant hands with long tapered fingers into her lap. “I thought it was important to confide in you first. After thinking it over, I don’t believe the announcement should come from us. After all, the birth of the first grandchild is a momentous occasion, but if you feel we need to inform Katia, then I will support your decision.”
Yuli cackled and held up a hand as she was overcome by this change in Zoya. “You are going to need to give me a minute. Normally, this is the type of mind-bending secret you brandish like a gladiator.”
Zoya grinned. “This is the kind of secret I used to brandish like a gladiator. Like I said, changed witch.”
Yuli let her bold declaration go in one ear and out the other, and instead focused on what was important. “A baby,” Yuli murmured as she sat stone still, musing over the shocking information. “You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Zoya confirmed. “The dog noticed a change in Lauren’s pheromones and leveraged the information to gain his freedom.”
“Ah.” Yuli let the truth settle deeper. The visions she’d just received came into clearer focus and now made total sense. Karma was telling her it was time to move on, that the changing of the guard was imminent. Yuli was lost in thought as Zoya continued to explain.
“At the Autumnal Equinox, Lauren and Tom couldn’t keep their hands off each other. I did the math, and it’s a stretch, but it’s possible.”
“What do you mean?”
“She would have to deliver two weeks late, but a July 1st birthdate is not out of the question.”
“Wow.”
“I know,” Zoya mumbled, and the silence that stretched between them lengthened as the room darkened.
“Thank you for being forthcoming with this information.” Yuli said, “It is definitive evidence of your desire to change, and I appreciate it.”
Zoya nodded. Words of praise from Yuli were few and far between, and the honesty rendered her speechless.
“You never answered my question. Do we keep Katia in the dark until Lauren and Tom make the announcement?”
“I think that is for the best.” Yuli nodded, thinking. “It would be unfair for us to spoil it for her.”
“Agreed,” Zoya said. “But we have to prepare. You will have to transition as well. Are you ready for your rebirth?”
Yuli thought about it long and hard. She dragged a loose white hair from her cheek and tucked it into the bun at the base of her wide neck. “I always knew it would happen one day, but knowing one day is no longer theoretical, the notion it is happening soon is sobering.”
Zoya nodded in agreement, for once taking the back seat. She pulled her black gloves from her handbag on the counter and tugged them on, preparing to leave.
“I will have the legal team begin preparing the necessary documents to transfer the ownership of the compound,” Zoya announced.
Yuli waved it away. Owning the exclusive resort-style property wasn’t even a blip on her radar. Truth be told, she mourned the need to leave her current home. She greatly appreciated the smaller footprint and didn’t have a need or want for servants to help her maintain a property like the Casanova Compound. Instead, she focused on the ramifications the birth of the next of their supernatural lineage would have, and what it would mean for their mortal and eternal covens, where every woman in their bloodline gathered for eternity.
“How will we teach Katia everything she needs to learn in such a short period of time?” The sheer volume of ancestral wisdom needing to be transferred was overwhelming.
“I think it’s important to remember her abilities have revealed themselves at an astonishing rate already, and Katia will mature in her supernatural powers even more rapidly as I decline.”
“That’s true. Energy is neither created nor destroyed,” Yuli mumbled to herself the universal principle.
“Yes. She will evolve at the exact right speed and at the exact right time. Nothing is left to chance. I believe Karma and the eternal coven knew the abbreviated timeline far before we were made aware,” Zoya mused. “Don’t worry. You will still have decades to help shape her skills at the compound after I’ve passed.”
Standing to leave, she cupped her gloved hands at her hips. Glancing at her, Yuli was surprised at her calm countenance and lack of reaction.
“You’re taking this all in stride? Going with the flow? That’s not like you at all!”
“Old witch, new trick.” She offered Yuli a shrug and a self-deprecating grin.
“Are you afraid?”
“Only of not being allowed to reincarnate. The possibility of reuniting with Sally…” She sighed as her tone turned wistful and girlish, filled with longing. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted and worth whatever price I will have to pay to earn it.” She glanced at Yuli. “I do, however, have one request.”
“I’d be surprised if you didn’t.” Yuli met Zoya’s gaze, waiting for her to explain.
“Would you be open to the idea of opening your home to me? Resting inside your sacred circle during this transition will slow the transfer of power and give us more time to educate Katia on the finer points of our abilities together.”
“Of course,” Yuli said without hesitation. “It makes the most sense.” She barked a spontaneous chuckle that morphed into a loud guffaw.
“What is so funny?”
“If you would have told me we’d be roommates someday, even a year ago, I would have called you certifiable.”
Zoya’s full lips curled up into a smile. “It’s true.” She looked back at Yuli, and with vulnerability softening the harder edges of her voice, she added, “I do appreciate your capacity for forgiveness. It far surpasses mine.”
“Maybe that’s one lesson you still need to learn to earn your reincarnation?”
“Perhaps,” Zoya considered. “But I don’t have to tell you, forgiveness has never been my strong suit.”
“It’s like a muscle. The more you use it, the easier it gets,” Yuli added teasingly.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll wait for Lauren and Tom to make the announcement and, in the meantime, prepare for the succession.”