Free magical cures 07 - a charming fatality by tonya kappes Page B

the coat rack across the room. Mr. Prince Charming lifted his head off the hearth of the fireplace and watched.
    Mary Ellen was much younger than the other two Marys and the most stylish. She wore a one-piece bright red jumper and cheetah print high heels.
    Mary Sue was what Mary Ellen called the “old coot” of the Marys. She was the typical witch type that wore the long sleeved black dress, the pointy black hat, and black lace up boots. She really did take her job seriously. She was the most brash of the three and her deep voice made me take notice when she talked.
    “What dream?” I asked Amethyst.
    Her eyes darted between me and the three Marys. She leaned on the bar top on her elbows. “When Tiffany and Burt stayed here during Christmas, Tiffany had a dream that Burt died. Of course I didn’t say anything because I was afraid my dream was off due to the stress Tiffany caused me with her complaints. I was having a hard time distinguishing if it was her dream or my dream to implicate her in some way. After they were snowed in a few nights, the dream was more vivid than ever.”
    “Is that why you told me to have June smudge the headquarters?” Eloise asked her.
    “And shouldn’t I have know about this?” My mouth dropped. “This would’ve been some pretty important information.”
    “After you had given Tiffany the stress relief, the dream didn’t occur anymore. So I figured everything was working out and there was no need to step in.” Her eyes drew up and stared at me. Her long flashes created a shadow on her cheeks. “Do you remember the soup I had made for the guests with Eloise’s organic vegetables?”
    “I do and it was delicious.” I recalled how Tiffany had complained about Full Moon and how she didn’t think Amethyst was using organic vegetables. I had gone to Eloise and asked her to donate some veggies to the Full Moon and she had.
    “I had a special spell to put in there to help fix her dream of the death of her husband, but the dreams stopped.” Amethyst pushed herself back up on her feet and took the dishcloth, wiping down the counter.
    The coffee pot had brewed and she took five cups off the hooks on the wall and filled them up with the brew. One by one, she went down the counter setting a cup in front of each of us.
    Izzy, Gerald, and Chandra kept to themselves. They were on edge because they were waiting on the Marys to make a decision on what we as a village should do. Petunia continued to care for baby Orin. Since she was the village president, the Marys would go to her first, and then they would call a meeting at The Gathering Rock for the others to join.
    “I didn’t get her stress wrong, did I?” I asked with doubt in my head.
    Tiffany was so stressed out about Christmas and making deviled eggs of all things. Burt’s mother was a stickler for the eggs and since Tiffany was hosting the family dinner, she knew his mother would complain if they weren’t just right. I gave her the stress free potion to help her get through and not worry about the eggs. She said it had worked and that was how I got the deal at Head To Toe Works.
    “Oh no, she had stress about those darn eggs,” Amethyst’s eyes were compelling, magnetic, drawing me into her dream. “Her dream really captivated her heart. With each stir of those egg yellows, she envisioned stabbing Burt with the fork tines.”
    “Death by fork?” I made a half-witted joke to break the unnerving glare in her eyes.
    “You see where it has gotten us. It has come true,” her words trailed off. Her face turned to see who was coming into the room.
    “Everyone.” Oscar took his Locust Grove sheriff’s hat off and greeted everyone, but his eyes were on me. He walked over and hugged me.
    “What is this for?” I squeezed back feeling safe in his embrace.
    “That could’ve been you,” his husky voice broke. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you walked in a few minutes earlier.”
    “I swear there wasn’t anyone