Page 334 of Castings & Curses

RED MOON RISING

ERZABET BISHOP & GINA KINCADE

CHAPTER1

Bare branchesof the tree line dotted the twilight sky. A brisk autumn breeze blew past and Kendall shivered. She huddled next to her car for warmth, but it wasn’t helping. The acrid smell of burning leaves tickled her nose. Mischief ran freely in the air tonight. She could sense it. Not much longer until Samhain. Just another month or so. Time enough before the Witch’s Ball for her to make a bit of cash to get her costume in order.

The swamp lay silent, save for the chirp of an occasional cricket and animals running in the brush. She had to get to the Enchanted Yarns shop and soon, even though she really wasn’t in the mood tonight. Endless hours winding skeins of yarn and teaching women to wield crochet hooks and knitting needles tended to fray her nerves.

Especially the gaggle of project women that always seemed to show up on Wednesday mornings. They brought their misshapen toilet paper cozies and whatever weird thing Kate had set up for the month; but for the last three weeks, she swore not one hook actually hooked. Clueless, the lot of them. She’d never seen a bunch of women take hours to accomplish absolutely nothing. Well, except make her miserable and drink the shop out of iced tea.

She’d also promised Kate she would show her how to start up her Tiktok account. The witch had many talents, but wielding a phone wasn’t one of them.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered to herself. Her nerves were still smarting after one of them had complained to Kate, her boss, that she had given them attitude. Kate had rolled her eyes and dealt with the woman, but she was pretty certain the discussion wasn’t over. Talk about the last freaking thing she needed.

What was it with busy body women anyway?

Damned Karens were taking over the world and she was sick of it.

Her mother and Kate were in the same coven. She was more than capable at setting up her own curses, thank you very much. She didn’t need help. The bitch had better watch her step the next time she came into the shop. Spit might not be the only thing she needed to worry about being in her tea.

Kendall let out a throaty laugh that echoed in the silent dirt clearing. She’d been here often enough for raves, but tonight, it felt especially creepy. If it got out she was foraying into the swamp, it would put her on the naughty list for sure. But the exhilaration of dancing with the forbidden was a siren song.

A twig snapped in the distance and her head popped up, eyes searching the darkness.

“Okay. This isn’t a serial killer special here. WTF? Dude, I have to go.” She stomped her foot and checked her phone for the time. She wanted to get this meeting over with. Her girlfriend, Cybelle, was pissed at her for going, especially knowing she had work first. They planned on looking through the costume shop site once she got paid. After weeks of nothing, a bite on her ad came through. She texted the client she would meet him after her shift at Cast Two Stitches.

Things were lean and she needed the cash. Spell work for hire. Pretty straight forward.

A love spell.

A banishing or two.

No biggie.

What she didn’t like was meeting random weirdoes in the swamp after dark. She’d promised Cybelle this would be the last time. Maybe there was someplace safer. She’d have to think on it. There was that park near Lucia’s Botanical Brewery. Nobody would mess with her there.

Yeah.

Maybe.

But right now, she was stuck here. The guy had better fucking hurry or she was going to be three shades of late to work.

Kate would kill her if she knew. So would her mom, for that matter. The coven kept harping about not going out alone. Someone was picking off witches and it wasn’t safe.

Get real.

If something happened, she could scream, and somebody would come running.

Well, probably.

There was always someone out here getting up to no good. Besides, whoever it was had better keep his hands to himself. She just wasn’t in the mood.

The news reported another murder a few days ago. Kendall wasn’t worried. She felt around in her pocket, palming the spelled pepper spray she kept on her for just these occasions.

It paid to have insurance.

Shit. She ought to just sell that.

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