Almost Charmed Read online

  Was it an animal? A bird? Maybe it really was the wind? I peered out at the tree line across the way. The branches were completely still. I supposed a ghost had decided to pay me a visit. Right now, I didn’t want any visitors. Living or from the spirit world.

  After locking the door, I moved through the house toward the kitchen. I hoped that I wasn’t out of ice cream. Maybe I’d have to use my magic just this once to make some appear. It was an emergency. At least the days of bad magic were behind me. I’d messed up some other witches’ spells. For miles around my bad magic had been known.

  I headed straight for the refrigerator. The blast of cold air hit me in the face when I opened the freezer. Bags of frozen peas, carrots, and corn stared back at me. So far there was no sign of the ice cream.

  Chapter 6

  I frantically shuffled bags out of the way. Thank goodness I found the ice cream. It was hidden behind the package of brussels sprouts. Cookies and cream ice cream—my favorite. Thomas had no doubt tried to hide it for his next visit.

  I released a deep breath knowing that I wouldn’t have to cast a spell. Because in this emotional state, perhaps spellcasting would go terribly wrong. I was confident in my magic abilities, but I wasn’t that confident.

  I grabbed the container and a salad spoon and headed out of the kitchen. The house was as quiet as ever. The floor squeaked under my feet. My footsteps were the only noise that echoed around the massive rooms. A million thoughts zipped through my head at a thousand miles an hour. Thoughts about how maybe I should have given up the leadership. And then immediately my thoughts would go to no, I shouldn’t. Why should I give it up? Everything had risks.

  I really was a sad scene heading up to my room all alone with my gallon of ice cream and a utensil reserved for dishing out food instead of actually eating with it. The stair treads groaned with each step. The sound mimicked exactly how I felt.

  It actually felt as if I wasn’t completely alone in the house. But that was a feeling I had often. It seemed like the spirits or the house itself was always watching. But right now, I didn’t even care. Maybe it was that unseen presence of LaVeau Manor minding over me.

  No doubt I would probably have an ice cream hangover in the morning. When I reached the second-floor landing, I paused, thinking for sure that I heard a noise again. I listened for a moment. Where was Pluto? The last time I’d seen him he was on the chair in the living room.

  Pluto would find his way to my bed sometime in the night. But he was very independent, obviously, and would only do so when he was ready. Pluto got very angry when Thomas was around and switched to his feline form.

  I stood on the landing and peered up at the third floor. If even possible that floor was spookier than the other levels. Maybe because I didn’t go up there often. Or perhaps because the attic was up there. That was where I’d found the Book of Mystics. Was it fate that had made me go through my aunt’s old things and find the book hidden in the rafters? What else was hidden up there? Rumor had it that in the old walls of LaVeau Manor were hidden bones of former residents. That was just rumor though… I hoped.

  With no other sounds, I continued down the hallway to my bedroom door. While balancing the ice cream and spoon in one hand I unlocked the door with my other hand. Pluto shot past me and jumped onto his usual spot at the foot of the bed.

  I plopped down on the bed and ripped the top of the ice cream off. Without hesitation I dipped my gigantic spoon into the creamy dessert and started shoveling it into my mouth. As soon as the creamy deliciousness hit my lips the tears started flowing.

  In between bites I sobbed. I was just glad no one was here to see me in this condition. I was sure I had mascara running down my face. My hair was half up in the upswept hairstyle that I’d had for the wedding and half falling down on my face. I didn’t even care if I washed my face before bedtime. And I always took my skin care seriously. But tonight, I just didn’t have the heart for anything other than the ice cream.

  I’d made it halfway through the gallon of ice cream when a faint noise made me pause with the spoon midway in the air. The ghosts were awfully active tonight. Without another noise, I continued digging into the ice cream. I was so used to the ghosts that they really didn’t bother me much anymore. Besides, I had other worries.

  I finished almost half of the ice cream and was ready to take another scoop when an even louder noise sounded from the hallway. The sound was so loud that I thought for sure it couldn’t be a ghost this time. I placed the ice cream container down on the nightstand beside the bed and tiptoed over to the door.

  If Pluto was in the room with me then I always kept the door locked because I’d had too many bad experiences in the past with people trying to get that book. Stopping at the door with my hand on the lock, I listened for more footsteps. I couldn’t tell where the noise had come from for sure. It had sounded as if it came from the hallway, but sound carried in this house so much that I couldn’t be sure.

  Just as I was ready to unlock the door and take a peek out into the hallway, the door knob rattled. I sucked in a deep breath and managed not to scream. In a panic, I ran over to the closet where I hid the Book of Mystics. I fumbled with the key trying to unlock the door.

  I didn’t know why, but I just wanted to be near the book. I had a feeling whoever was in that hallway was here to take the book. Finally, I got the door unlocked. I was trying to be as quiet as possible. I didn’t want the person to know for sure that I was in this room.

  The large safe that was in the closet was still secure. I stepped into the closet and eased the door shut behind me. I wasn’t sure why I did this, because like I’d said, my bedroom door was locked. I didn’t think there was any way possible for the person to get inside my room.

  But then again, I didn’t think there was any way possible for someone to get into the manor. I’d made sure all the doors and windows were secure and I had turned on the surveillance. My phone was over on the nightstand by the bed and I wouldn’t be able to check it until I got out of this closet. I was surprised I hadn’t heard an alert for the cameras. I’d set an alert to let me know if anyone made any moves throughout the bottom floor of the house.

  I stood there trying not to make a peep and listened for any sign of the person stepping inside my room. It was all silent. No rattling at the door and no footsteps either. How long would I stay in this tiny space until I got up enough nerve to check for the intruder? I supposed the wise thing to do would be get out of the closet, grab my phone, and see who had entered on the surveillance video.

  After just a few more seconds, I eased out of the closet, tiptoeing across the floor and trying to miss the squeaky floorboards. My body shook as I reached for the phone. With a shaky hand, I scrolled through to the app that allowed me to check the surveillance video. At first, I saw nothing but then I wanted to scream when I saw a man pop out from the library. He had to have been hiding there for a long time. That must have been when Liam and I heard the doors shut. Where had he been hiding when Liam checked the room? Under the desk?

  Could he have gotten in when we were all occupied with the wedding? He’d been hiding all this time just waiting for the chance to steal the book. Or was he here to attack me? That sent a shiver down my spine. He had to still be in the house. I needed to call the police right away and have this man arrested for breaking and entering. Well, maybe not breaking, just entering… whatever. It was dark, so it was hard to make out his features totally on the phone’s screen.

  I watched with fear as the man turned to his right and immediately moved up the staircase. I checked for more activity on the camera and it didn’t look as if he had come down the staircase yet. The man was so solid and real-looking that I was positive he wasn’t a ghost. Now I had to call the police and get them over here right away to arrest him.

  I had half a mind to confront him. However, I was tough, but not that tough. I didn’t want to get into a fight with him. He could be armed with any number of weapons. I closed out the a
pp and immediately dialed for the police. I had to whisper because I didn’t want him to know I was in here and possibly try to knock the door down to get to me, the book or both. Though. I was almost certain he was here for the book. He would probably not let anything stop him in order to get it.

  When the police answered, I whispered, “I need help.”

  “What’s your address?” the man asked.

  “It’s Halloween LaVeau at LaVeau Manor.”

  “Oh,” he said, immediately recognizing me. “What’s wrong?”

  Did I detect a bit of fear in his voice? They would send someone to help me, right? I didn’t want to call Liam. Though I could call some of the Enchantment Pointe members.

  “Someone is in the house. I’m alone here and I need some backup.” My voice rose a bit more than I intended.

  “All right. Stay calm. Who is this person?”

  “How should I know? And I don’t care. I just want him arrested. He’s probably here to take the Book of Mystics,” I said.

  “Aren’t they all there for the book?” he asked.

  “That’s beside the point. Are you coming or not?” I asked, losing my patience.

  “We’ll be there soon, Ms. LaVeau,” he said.

  The use of my name was a shocking reminder that I wasn’t Mrs. Marcos right now.

  I clicked off the call hoping that the officer was being truthful.

  Now I stood there by the bed wondering what my next move would be. Pluto wagged his fluffy tail but never opened his eyes. He didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned about the intruder. I had to go out there and confront the man. Plus, the police would be here, and I had to let them in the manor. I was the leader and I had to be tough. I had to take care of this situation. I just needed the police here to drag this man off to jail, right? There had been no other sounds, which I found odd. If he’d made noise coming up the stairs then he had to make noise going down. Was he still just standing by the door? That was more than a little creepy.

  I moved back over to the door and pressed my ear against it, hoping to hear any sound. Well, I actually didn’t want to hear sound, but I needed to know if he was there or not. What could I use as a weapon?

  Chapter 7

  I needed to check the video from earlier in the day to find out when exactly the man had entered that room. Had he been in there when I’d changed into my wedding dress? Or when I’d changed out of the dress? The thought sent a chill down my spine. How creepy. Who was this psycho anyway?

  I was torn on what to do next. Check the video or look for the man. I supposed the more pressing thing was to see if he was still outside the door. Plus, I needed to let the police inside, so they could drag him off to jail. What could I use as a weapon? I would hit him over the head with it. I looked around the room but saw nothing convenient to use. After all this time with strange people coming around to get the book I should have something readily available. Mace… anything. Yet I had nothing. Not a wise decision on my part.

  I still hadn’t heard another sound from outside in the hallway. Inhaling a deep breath, I released it and grabbed the lock. I moved it slowly so that it wouldn’t make a noise. Next, I placed my hand on that old brass door knob which groaned every time I touched it. I twisted it ever so gently. The knob clicked when I turned it.

  I held my breath as I eased the door open. The hallway was cloaked in darkness and I wished I had left a light on somewhere. I had outside lights and I left one night light on in the kitchen but nothing in the hallway. A faint glow from the lamp in the bedroom illuminated a small section in front of me. There were a lot of other bedrooms and all the doors were closed. But the person could’ve gone in one of those rooms to hide. Now I had to check each one. I peeked out into the hallway, looking to my left. There was no sign of the man. That didn’t ease my fear though.

  I inched down the hallway just a bit and stopped at the first bedroom door. I should keep the doors locked at all times. But I’d thought since no one else was here that it was fine to leave them unlocked. Was I ever wrong. It was just more places for me to look now.

  Before opening the door, I remembered that I had just made a huge mistake. One that I rarely made, but it had happened. In the past it had resulted in undesirable consequences.

  I’d left my bedroom door wide open. Now anyone would have access to the room and possibly get to the closet. Granted, the Book of Mystics was locked away in a safe and only I had the code for it, but crazier things could happen. Somehow the man might get access. I wasn’t sure how. Dynamite? Dragging the safe out of the room. It was probably unlikely, but I didn’t want to chance it. A spell was always possible, but I doubted anyone had the time to conjure the energy needed for such witchcraft.

  I ran back over to the bedroom to lock the door with my key. What I wanted to do right now was go back to my melting ice cream and lock myself in the bedroom. Nevertheless, I couldn’t do that because I had some psycho in the manor.

  When I reached the door, I stopped in my tracks. It was too late. The man was in the bedroom. Pluto had abandoned me. Probably taking off down the stairs for the safety of the parlor. The man’s back was facing me. He had no idea that I was watching him. He moved straight for the closet. I knew it. What would I do? I couldn’t let him get near that book. I had no idea how he would get in that safe. Nevertheless, I still wished I had something to knock over his head.

  I wanted to call out and tell him to stop right there. But also, I wasn’t sure how to correctly deal with this situation. He could be an extremely dangerous man. However, I was going to protect what was mine. The closer he got to the closet the more I knew I had to make my move.

  With my heart beating wildly in my chest, I yelled out to him. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Get out of here.”

  As if telling him that was really going to make it happen. Like he would say, Okay, I’ll leave now. Sorry for the inconvenience. As I suspected, he didn’t stop, and he didn’t turn around to even look at me. He acted as if he didn’t hear me at all. Oh, I saw how it was, Mr. Crazy. He was going to ignore me. Well, I couldn’t be ignored. And I wouldn’t be ignored.

  I ran into the room to chase after him. Though I was still unsure of what I would do if I caught him. It wasn’t as if I could grab him and wrestle him to the ground. He looked like he had at least a hundred pounds on me and a foot of height. I continued toward the closet, trying to get as close as possible to reach out and grab him. Before I had the chance right before my eyes he disappeared into the closet.

  The closet door was shut. I’d closed it behind me when I ran out of the closet earlier. I stopped in my tracks, almost falling from moving so quickly. He was a ghost after all. Wow. He’d looked so real that I had just assumed he was living. Now I knew differently, but now I had to know why he was here.

  I ran over to the closet door and opened it. He wasn’t inside. He had vanished, but why hadn’t he just walked through the bedroom door earlier when he tried to twist the doorknob? Now I felt silly for calling the police and telling them that there was someone in the house when it was just a ghost like all the other times. I checked behind some of my dresses just to make sure he wasn’t hiding there. Nope, no one in the closet. At least I knew he hadn’t gotten the book. Or had he? Could a ghost take the book out of the safe? Could he reach in like he had with the door?

  I spun the dial around on the safe, clicking the numbers as quickly as possible. Once it clicked open I reached for the giant tome. Just holding the book was scary, since I didn’t like having the thing out in the open. Thank goodness it was still secure.

  The huge book had a leather cover and gold scrollwork on the front and spine. When I’d first discovered the thing, some pages were blank, and others had a language completely foreign to me. Since it had so many blank pages I’d almost decided to use the thing as a fancy journal. However, it didn’t take long until writing appeared. Spells and rules for the Underworld were displaced on the pages, but to this day they only appeared on a
need to know basis. Placing the book back inside, I closed the safe quickly and spun the dial again.

  Now back to finding out who the ghost’s identity. Would he return at any hour? Like what if he showed up in the bedroom while I was sleeping? A noise came from outside and I knew it was the police arriving. I slammed the closet door shut, ran out of the bedroom, locked that door and then hurried down the staircase, trying not to slip and tumble all the way to the bottom. I hated that I had to tell the police that it was all a misunderstanding. But they should know by now that things like this always happened with me.

  I made my way down the stairs, keeping my eye out for the ghost as I went. I reached the massive wooden door and opened it just as the police stepped onto the porch. Three officers had arrived.

  “Is everything all right, Halloween?” the dark-haired middle-aged officer asked.

  “Everything’s fine,” I said with a forced smile. “I’m sorry, but it turns out the man was just a ghost.”

  “Just a ghost?” Officer Matthews asked.

  “Yes, and I guess he disappeared now. Here I have video proof.” I pulled out my phone and showed him the video.

  “Well, I see that there’s a man there, yes,” Officer Hudson said.

  “He’s really a ghost.” I pointed at the screen.

  “He doesn’t look like a ghost.” Officer Hudson looked at the screen again.

  “I know he looks very real, but I promise you it was just a ghost.”

  Officer Potter remained quiet. I figured he’d be the most skeptical of the trio.

  “Would you like for us to take a look around just to be safe?” Officer Matthews asked.

  “Well, I suppose that couldn’t hurt,” I said.