Page 193 of Blue Moon Mistress

“Then we’ll find a way to make staying at your place work.”

They feed me and suggest ways to make my—much smaller—home work for the five of us. And when we’re all done eating and the dishes are done, they try to lure me into the living room with promises almost too good to pass up.

But there’s one thing I need to do before I can settle into the comfort of their warmth.

From the back window, I see Mrs. Miller head down to her car with an enormous bag of coats, no doubt for donation at her church.

Perfect timing.

I peek my head into the living room. “I’m going to take a walk next door, see how the girls are doing.”

“We’ll be here waiting for you.”

“Plenty of incentive to make it fast.”

Pulling on the quick change of clothing I’ve left in the kitchen for “just in case”, I slip out the door into the brisk morning.

I open the back door to Mrs. Miller’s home, and pause in the semi-silence. She’s decorated her living room with colorful lights and small handmade baubles. It’s a familiar and comforting sight, even if it is a stolen one. I don’t bother to call out or knock until I get to the door that leads down to the basement.

When I do, Charity calls out to invite me down by name.

“I see you’ve got a handle on your boundary spell.” I say as I take the creaking stairs down into a basement that’s so brightly lit, it feels like walking into a different plane entirely.

“Yes, but only that one. I’m starting to feel like that old dog, new tricks adage reallyistrue. I’m not sure I’m ever going to get a handle on this.”

“You will. I have faith.”

The three women have transformed the basement of their grandmother’s house into a beautiful little home. Each has an altar hidden in plain sight near their bed. And they’ve managed to create a space that is perfectly witchy… without being obvious to anyone outside of our community.

Their rug is pulled back, revealing the usually hidden pentacle on the floor, and Victoria has her tarot cards out from the pretty pink box that usually keeps them out of sight. Mrs. Miller is, after all, a good Christian lady with a healthy dose of fear of the devil.

She scowls down at the cards, a book spread open in front of her as she tries to determine their meaning.

“There’s a diviner in town. I’ll introduce you to her after the new year.”

“That might be best. I’ve read so many different things about each card, I can’t figure out what’s right.”

“Reading the cards is often about what they feel and how they come to you more than it is about textbook information.” I nod toward the spread in front of her. “They’re telling you it’s going to take you time.”

“Are they?”

“Yep. But patience and respect will reap its reward.”

The space around me feels a little like a college dorm. Each of them sitting on their beds with random clothing slung over footboards and stuffed under a desk in the corner.

“How is the reading going?” I look at the enormous stack of books on top of their shared dresser. “Is that the to-be read, or the finished pile?”

“Oh, they’re all mixed up now.” Bethany smiles at the stack. “We’ll get through them all eventually. “Like you said, patience will reap its reward.”

“Speaking of…” Charity is on her feet and at my side in a heartbeat, she captures my hand, bringing it up to her face so she can study the ring. “Thisis gorgeous and I think I know exactly who got it for you.”

“That’s the band Thomas picked up at that antique store Aphrodite made me trap him in front of…” Victoria drops back onto the bed with a heavy sigh, “Oh to have four hot men to buy me jewelry.”

“Oh to have one hot man with a house he doesn’t share with his crotchety old dad.”

I look at Charity and ask, “Do I want to know?”

“I went out with the sheriff on Friday. It’s probably a good thing neither of us could take the other one home.”

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