Later that week, Katie stood at the back door of Kandied Karma, ready to insert her key when she heard a giggle and a cackle from inside. Confused by the sound since she often opened the shop alone, she entered the kitchen to see Yuli and Talulah LaRue sitting on stools enjoying a cup of coffee together.
Katie arched an eyebrow toward Yuli, questioning the pairing, but Yuli just smirked back as if she were any normal visitor and not a famous clairvoyant who’d popped in for a visit.
“What an amazing surprise! It’s great to see you again,” Katie gushed. A little starstruck, Katie quickly joined them and offered an engaging smile, waiting for Talulah’s violet eyes to meet hers. “Can I give you an update?”
“Please do,” Talulah said, her eyes twinkling. “It’s my favorite part.”
“Well, after our reading, my mom and dad sorted through the collection of pennies Grandpa mentioned.” Katie leaned closer, her words rushing out in excitement. “It seems one of the coins was incredibly rare, and when they took it to a coin shop, they discovered it was worth ten thousand dollars!”
“Wow.” Talulah whistled through the gap in her teeth appreciatively. “You were right.” She turned her head to address the space next to her as if someone was standing there. “I know. I won’t,” she muttered out of the side of her mouth, then turned back to Katie and Yuli. “I can’t take credit for that discovery. It was all Otto. I was simply the messenger.”
Yuli couldn’t let her be so humble. “No. You have a pure gift.”
“And so do you… both of you.” Her eyes twinkled with electric understanding that stunned them both as she pointed back and forth between them.
Katie pressed her lips together to avoid blurting out a confirmation. Being outed made her fear rise up, even if the outing was only by the most gentle clairvoyant on the planet. Talulah took another sip of her coffee, resting her elbows on the marble countertop before she continued, asking Yuli, “But your daughter doesn’t know, does she?”
“Know what?” Yuli asked innocently.
“That you’re witches,” she whispered. “The magic, the supernatural abilities, it’s a bold feminine energy that swirls and gathers around the two of you, but not the others in your family. You’re different. Beyond the veil, in the astral plane, I see you cloaked in golden sparkles and light.”
Katie could see the gears turning in Yuli’s head and was grateful the question was not directed at her. She patiently waited for Yuli to confirm or deny the allegations. Talulah turned away, her lips moving as she mumbled as if she was carrying on a conversation with someone next to her.
“Otto says there’s no sense in arguing with me,” Talulah said matter-of-factly as she leaned closer. “He says you can trust me.”
“Is he there?” Katie asked in awe, shocked her grandfather was coming through again. “Standing next to you?”
“Standing isn’t exactly the right word, but yes. He appeared at your mother’s reading and never left.”
Yuli reached out to touch the air next to Talulah. Closing her eyes, she tried to make contact with his spirit. “I wish I could feel him near like you do.”
“I know.” Talulah reached out to pat Yuli’s hand, a comforting gesture that made Katie like her even more. Then she muttered again out of the corner of her mouth, “I know, I know! Give me a minute.” She returned her gaze to Yuli and said, “Your third act is coming. Is there a big life change on your horizon?”
Katie felt Yuli’s remaining walls disintegrate as she opened up to Talulah and nodded. “There will be an ending with a new beginning happening soon. I will be essentially starting over.”
Talulah clapped her hands together. “How grand! Can I offer a bit of advice?”
“Certainly.”
“Do it on your own terms,” she suggested. “Supernatural gifts are so draining. It’s a calling for sure, but it is not for the weak or weary. Find a place to start over that restores your spirit.” She brushed back her thick, lavender-tinted hair and smiled. “It’s why I have my treehouse in the Everglades. It’s in the Ten Thousand Islands and hidden by a grove of Palmetto bushes and Kudzu. The treehouse is an introvert’s absolute paradise.” She sighed with pleasure at the thought of it and grinned at Yuli. It bestowed on her an aura of childlike innocence that made her radiate with joy. “Giving readings and working with people who’ve lost loved ones is rewarding, but it will all drain you dry if you let it. I have to escape there to keep my sanity.”
“Sounds divine.” Yuli considered her advice. “I might need to join you.”
“Actually, we were hoping you’d say that!” Talulah grinned. “Chakra and I have become a little too feral, and I’m concerned we’re one eccentric misstep away from being on the front of the tabloids.”
“But I thought the Ten Thousand Islands were uninhabited. How did you end up there?” Katie asked.
“You’re right,” she confirmed with a wink. “Mostly. We travel by boat, and I live off the grid. A dear friend deeded me a family property years ago.”
“Off the grid?” Yuli asked with a wince. “That’s usually a pretty primitive setup, isn’t it?”
“Solar power and battery back-up have come a long way, but there are simple sacrifices required, like proximity to a grocery store and access to a washer and dryer. I find the silence and peace it offers far outweigh any inconvenience.”
“How long have you lived there?”
“I acquired the property in the eighties,” Talulah answered, “but didn’t move there full-time until ten years ago.”
“All this time, you’ve lived there alone?”
Talulah reached down to scratch Chakra’s furry chin, the dog preferring to gather at her feet. “We feel we are being nudged to a new beginning, too, don’t we, girl?” Chakra’s eyes narrowed into half-slits as she enjoyed the gentle nuzzling in one of her favorite spots. “I recently began construction on a small raised bungalow with fewer steps for Chakra and me since we’re both old girls now,” Talulah explained. “I always thought it would just be the two of us, but after the reading, Otto has been hounding me day and night. He has this idea in his head…” She chuckled at her own odd little metaphysical joke, “…I mean, his soul, that we’d be compatible roommates and he’s suckered me into offering you an invitation. The man can be quite persuasive, as I am sure you know.”
Yuli grinned, the action rewinding years off her face as it always softened when she thought about Otto.
“As we get older, I thought it might be nice to have someone to rely on. Someone who knows the signs of a stroke and how to call for a life-flight,” Talulah added with a disarming grin. “Chakra here is the best roommate in every way, except for her lack of opposable thumbs.” She scanned Yuli’s face, trying to decipher her reaction. “I’ve been asking the universe to send me a sign, and a few weeks ago, Otto appeared, holding an actual sign, that said ‘Roommate wanted.’” She laughed. “Men. They are such literal creatures.”
“They are.” Yuli nodded.
“Well, at any rate, think it over, and I’m sure Otto will let me know when you’ve made a decision.” She stood to stretch. “I better skedaddle.”
“How about some Tahitian vanilla caramels for the road?” Katie asked.
“I would adore some.”
Long after she left Kandied Karma, taking a little of the magic with her, Katie found the words to broach the subject with Yuli.
“What do you think about her offer?”
“It’s very generous,” Yuli admitted. “Shrinking my world down was one of the most difficult parts of this transition for me. I am used to having a loud, funny bunch of people around. The idea of eating a chicken leg alone on Thanksgiving was depressing, but necessary, to keep our supernatural secrets intact. But now, I am being nudged toward a better option with a built-in support system. Maybe it’s the next right place for me to go.”
“I have to admit, I love the idea of you not being alone,” Katie said. “It seems like you and Talulah are built from the same unconventional cloth.”
“I would agree.”
“And it seems like Grandpa is paving the way for you.”
Yuli’s eyes glistened with tears. “He always did consider it his highest responsibility to take care of me. That’s how I know it’s for the best. He never had a bad bone in his body.” Yuli brightened at the idea. “I’ll sleep on it, but it is looking like the Everglades could be my next home.”
“Things are really going to change around here,” Katie mused out loud. Sadness filled her at the prospect of the day-to-day contact with her grandmother ending.
“In some ways, yes, but in others, they will remain the same.” Yuli told her, “You’ll have to come to me.”
“You never even considered living at the compound, did you?”
Yuli let out a chuckle. “I didn’t realize I was that transparent.”
“Will Zoya be disappointed?”
“Perhaps, but she’ll get over it.” She explained, “It’s too extravagant. It will be a place we visit, but it’s too enormous and opulent to consider home.”
“What will you do with it?”
“I don’t know. The right path will be revealed when the time is right.” A crease appeared between her brows as she picked up on Katie’s hesitation. “Don’t worry, dear, there is far too much history there for it to not remain in the family. But perhaps it could be utilized in a better way. Let’s noodle on it and figure it out later. There’s no need to rush into a decision now.”
The door swung open, and Yuli teased under her breath as Zoya rushed through it without knocking. “Well, speak of the she-devil and she appears.”
Zoya took the reference as a compliment as she sailed into the kitchen, her black cloak sweeping into the room. “Darlings, my ears were positively burning. Did you mean to summon me?” Their amulets brightened into shining luminescent purple as she tugged off her gloves. She glanced from Yuli to Katie and back again. Narrowing her green eyes, her discerning gaze landed on Katie. “You.” She took another step closer, sniffing the air. “I smell a secret.”
The door whipped open again, and Frankie breezed in her eyes wide. “Did someone say secret?”
“Jeepers! It’s like Grand Central Station here today!” Yuli remarked.
Katie gulped and cast her gaze down. She’d been sitting on the knowledge of Callie’s pregnancy for days, waiting for her to make an announcement.
Zoya closed in, ready to suss it out, wagging her finger at Katie. “What are you hiding?”
Katie pressed her lips into a hard line, not wanting to break her daughter’s confidence. She knew, however, that she needed the matriarchs of the mortal coven to know the transfer of power to the next supernatural generation would be more complicated than they thought.
With a heavy sigh, she reluctantly began. “I’ve been meaning to fill you in on some recent developments. Arlo paid me a visit a few days ago.”
“What?! Is that why you blew me off?” Frankie blurted, shaking her head in shock that Katie’s former rescue dog had shown up on her doorstep.
“He decided he wants to be part of my life.”
“Oh, I bet he does!” Frankie snorted. “He wants to get right in there. Probably doggy style.” She shimmied her shoulders and laughed at her own joke as Katie choked on her espresso.
“That’s a hard pass,” Katie said sternly, wagging one finger to shush Frankie. “He’s been relegated to the friend zone, but we decided to give him a new name. He’s now Brody. It would just be dangerous otherwise in front of the kids.”
“Smart,” Zoya said.
Katie let out a pained exhale before revealing, “That’s not even the most important part. He let a secret slip.”
Frankie leaned much closer, her eyes widening. “And…?” She circled her index finger. “You better spill it.”
“It seems Callie is pregnant, too.”
“What?! Callie? Are you sure?” Yuli muttered in total shock. Zoya’s chin jutted back in surprise.
“He swears up and down. She was emitting the pregnancy pheromones, and he used the information to earn his freedom.”
Zoya stood and paced, stuttering in shock. “I… I assumed he meant Lauren.”
“Well, you know when you assume, you make an ass out of…” Frankie added, trailing off at the end when Zoya shot her a glare.
“It had to have been the Equinox Ball,” Zoya declared. “The security eagles alerted me to a consensual coupling between her and Christos. I thought she was just blowing off steam.”
“Christos?” Katie asked.
“A very sexy Greek who really knows his way around…” Zoya’s expression turned dreamy.
“Nope! I can’t! La-la-la!” Katie cried, covering her ears to stop the deluge of intimate information.
“It’s just sex, darling.” Zoya was clearly amused by her discomfort. “You’d do well to get your pipes cleaned now and then.”
“Pipes cleaned?” Frankie chuckled. “Yes, she would! I tell her that all the time! And this is why I love you!”
“Enough! Both of you deviants need to calm down.” Zoya and Frankie exchanged amused glances. “Let’s get back to the matter at hand,” Katie said, trying to get the group to focus. “You knew?” Katie asked Zoya.
“Not much happens on the compound that I am unaware of. She’s not a child. Callie is a consenting adult and allowed to have a little fun now and then.”
“Obviously, it was a mistake and completely unplanned, but looks like it is happening just the same,” Katie reasoned.
“There are no mistakes,” Yuli muttered, still in shock. “Two babies?”
“One is destined to be the next supernatural descendent and join the mortal coven,” Zoya added. “The other will be an ordin.”
“Wow.” Frankie blew out a sharp whistle. “Never saw that coming.”
“Me neither,” Katie agreed. “She’s got to be scared. I’m sure that’s why she’s kept it to herself. God, it takes me back to the day I was staring down at a positive pregnancy test as a sophomore in college. I was terrified.” Katie was locked in the memory for a minute. “It was the day everything changed. At that moment, my life unfurled out in front of me as if every decision I would ever make was already decreed. I had to let go of my future and embrace motherhood instead. Don’t get me wrong, I love my children and would have chosen them every single day, but I want Callie to have more options.”
“She will,” Frankie assured her friend. “She is surrounded by love and support.”
“But it begs the question: which one of them will have the supernatural child?”
“It could be either.” Zoya sounded unsure. “We won’t know until she arrives.”
“Or until she has an ultrasound.”
“Lauren has already told me they’ve decided to wait until the delivery.”
“I guess our only recourse is to prepare for both,” Yuli said. “Like it or not, our destinies are marching forward and a changing of guard is imminent.” She sobered up. Turning to Zoya, her resolve strengthened. “I received an offer to move to the Everglades when it is time for my transition.”
“Gator bait?” Frankie asked. “Not exactly the kind of retirement community I thought you’d choose.”
“What about the compound?” Zoya asked, clearly disappointed.
“It’s not the second life I want to live. You were given the choice, so don’t you think I should be offered the same?”
“Yes,” Zoya answered softly.
“There is one disturbing detail we need to discuss. To not arouse suspicion at our incredible longevity, I will need to die an ordin death,” Yuli explained.
“What? No!” Katie said, “I need more time with you. I’ve only just begun to learn.”
“Your studies will still continue,” Yuli said. “But far away from the life we live here in Aura Cove.”
Zoya stood. “There’s no time like the present. Since time is of the essence, we can fly back to the compound together tonight and resume your training.”
“Can I come?” Frankie asked, never one to miss out on a trip to a luxurious island with a sugar sand beach.
“I’m sorry, dear, another time. Yuli and I need to teach Katia about hexes and curses.”
Frankie’s face fell, but she understood. “I’ve got to get moving. One more late punch-in at work and I’ll be put on probation.” After Frankie left, the kitchen was silent. Each of the supernatural women was lost in her own thoughts.
“Higgins will fetch you later this evening,” Zoya confirmed, then disappeared as quickly as she had come, and their amulets dimmed in response. Katie glanced at Yuli, who offered her a tight smile.
“You’re going to be okay, Katia,” she said, reading her mind. “I will always make sure you are safe.”
Katie’s heart tugged and the doubts cued up.
“Even when I am not physically present,” Yuli added, intercepting her thoughts. “Shall we?” She stood and pulled out a clean apron and offered it to Katie before tying one on herself. Her words calmed Katie’s racing thoughts, but she never let her grandmother out of her sight. She would be forced to do that soon enough.