Page 54 of Witches of Honeysuckle House
Regina lit the candle. But as it started to burn, the taper melted in a way Regina had never seen before. Rather than a steady burn, the flame flitted this way and that, sending uneven rivulets of wax down the edge.
“Is this your doing?” she asked the house.
The light flickered off. No.
“I’ll light another just in case.”
That night at dinner, Regina sat with an untouched plate of beef stroganoff in front of her. She’d expected Violet to come home without Tillie thanks to her magic. When she’d heard their laughter from the kitchen, she thought maybe her spell simply hadn’t taken hold yet. She’d almost run up to the attic to see if her candles had finished burning, but she didn’t want to arouse Violet’s suspicion. Instead, she’d dished up their plates, poured them each a glass of wine, and set the table.
As Regina brought her fork to her lips, a record started spinning in the other room, the lights dimmed, and Regina lost her appetite.
“Tillie and I were talking at work today,” Violet started to say, her voice a little hesitant.
Regina sat up straighter, thinking this was the moment she’d been waiting for.
“What do you think about adding a few more hives to the apiary?” Violet asked. “We’re always running out of candles at the shop. With more bees, we’d have more wax so we could dip more candles.”
Regina slumped back in her seat. “That’s an idea,” she said. Then, she drained her drink.
She tried another candle the next morning, only to find it melted wrong. At dinner, things were much the same. Regina sat, moving rice around on her plate, trying not to show her disappointment at the happiness between Violet and Tillie.
“I got everything to make waffles in the morning,” Violet said. “Just like Mom used to.”
Regina blinked a few times as her sister’s words sank in. She glanced at the wall calendar hanging from the side of cabinet, and the date stared back at her. Tomorrow was October thirteenth. With everything that had happened, she’d almost forgotten the anniversary of her parents’ deaths.
She pressed a hand to her chest, taking pause at all the pain she’d felt over the past few days. Her fear over losing her sister had shadowed every waking moment. She wondered if she’d had it wrong. If it had simply been her grief sneaking up on her and finding a new way to express itself.
“Do you want me to take off work tomorrow?” Violet asked. “I could stay home. We could play a few games of backgammon out by the bees. Drink a Manhattan before noon.”
“I can pick up lunch at the diner on my break,” Tillie offered.
The sound of Tillie’s voice snapped Regina out of the moment.
“I’ll be fine,” Regina said. “It’s been thirteen years.”
“That doesn’t mean the pain’s gone,” Violet said gently.
“No,” Regina agreed. “But I’ve learned to live with it.”
Violet made the same breakfast every year to mark their parents’ deaths, and every year Regina found comfort that she didn’t have to live with this grief alone. But now, as Tillie wrapped an arm around Violet, Regina realized for the first time that shewasalone, and if things continued this way, it would never be just her and Violet again.
After dinner, Regina had gone straight for the attic and lit her fourth and final taper. As the flame blew toward one side, the wax dripped off the edge while the rest of the candle remained unaffected by the heat. She started to wonder if somehow she’d done something wrong while dipping them. But, no, that wasn’t possible. If there was one thing Regina excelled at, it was magic.
Only Violet was better, simply because she was older. As a Caldwell aged, her magic grew stronger. That was when the realization hit her. If her own magic wasn’t working, it must be because Violet was countering her spells. Regina thought she’d been so careful. She welcomed Tillie in after she learned the truth. She made them dinner. She suggested they all spend time together.
She played back the last few days in her mind. She’d let slip about the candles she’d made to keep men away from Violet, but that shouldn’t have mattered. Her sister had always trusted her, had always believed Regina only wanted the very best for her. And that was true. Every spell Regina had cast on her sister’s behalf had been for her own good. For her own happiness. Violet might have thought she was in love with Tillie, but she’d never find the sort of happiness in love that she would find in a life spent with her sister.
If Violet truly was countering Regina’s magic, there was little Regina could do about it. Her sister had left Regina with only one choice: She had to find another way to get rid of Tillie.
Part VIIThe Seven of Swords
Suggests a need for resourcefulness and strategy. May point to deception.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Florence, Now
When Florence and Owen got back to the bookshop, there was already a hot pot of tea waiting for them. Florence immediately went to it and poured herself a cup, trying to center herself. As much as she’d come to fear her own magic, the day’s events made it clear that giving up her power had been for nothing. If they wanted answers, the cards were the only hope they had.
