Cuckoo in the Coven

Sunny took up the empty seat at the table, taking off her hoodie and throwing it over the empty chair that’d been left for Cullen. A moment later, Wellington jumped onto the chair and started paddling at the hoodie, making himself comfortable.

“Okay,” Sunny said in a serious tone, while stroking the cat, “straight to business.”

“What’s on your mind?” Willow asked.

“Well, it’s the eve of the thirtieth day, right?”

Celeste nodded.

“Or is it?” Sunny shrugged and looked around the table, her expression concerned. “When did the thirty days begin—from the day I arrived in 1820 and Fox struck the deal, or the moment we woke up in 2020? If it’s the former, that’s today.”

Aveline nodded. “That’s a good question. Did Fox say anything about it when you made the deal?”

“As soon as I agreed to make an exchange, he said as little as possible and vanished with a smug smile on his face.”

“That sounds like him, noncommittal by nature,” Celeste said.

Aveline drummed her polished fingernails on the table. “It could go either way. Just rest assured we are as ready as we can be.”

“Fox will certainly be enjoying the potential for confusion,” Willow said with sarcasm.

Celeste berated herself for not thinking of this issue earlier. She could have asked him to his face. Of course there was no guarantee he’d answer with the truth, if he answered at all. He was notoriously slippery and devious. There was a slim chance he might turn up again, later that evening. If he did make an appearance, she would ask him. She cleared her throat. “Full disclosure—I did see him briefly, a couple of days ago.”

As she expected, several of the group groaned, and Sunny looked at her in horror. “You’ve seen him here in town?”

Celeste nodded. “He can turn up at will, and he often watches incognito.”

“Eben did say he might be up at the house on the hill,” Sunny said quietly, glancing at Eben.

“Did he say anything pertinent?” Willow demanded, a stern look on her face.

“Not really. That’s why I hadn’t mentioned it.” Celeste didn’t quite manage to keep the frustrated tone out of her voice.

“I’d been wondering,” Sunny continued, “if I should go up there, to his house, and take the lead.”

Celeste shook her head. “Don’t go there. It’d be incredibly dangerous.”

“What if I have to?” Sunny asked.

“You have to tell her,” Rowena said. The youngest member of the coven, she was usually quiet. But Rowena had once found herself trapped at Fox’s home, and she looked particularly concerned for Sunny.

“I suppose it’s important you know why. He has spellbound the place to keep it secure.” Celeste glanced around the table quickly and noticed the watchful expressions on their faces. “Once he has an apprentice there, the poor soul has effectively signed themselves up to the dark tides. From the outside it’s invisible, but once the bars come down, it’s an eternal prison.”

“Bars?” Sunny shook her head, her eyes glowering at an invisible foe. “I’ll show him effin’ bars if he tries anything with me.”

Celeste was worried by her vehemence.

“No, Sunny,” Rowena piped up. “At the click of his fingers, steel bars rise up and enclose the whole property. Believe me, I’ve seen it happen, I’ve been there, and if it hadn’t been for Celeste I’d still be there now. Don’t underestimate the viscount. It’s a horrible dark and lonely prison when you get locked up inside his house.”

“Oh, deep joy. I was hoping to pre-empt him. So much for that idea.” She lifted the mug of coffee Willow had put in front of her, but put it down again without taking a sip. “The worst of it is, I just don’t know when it’s going to happen. I don’t feel ready and I feel like I’m at the guillotine, waiting for the blade to fall.”

“Would it help if you spent the day here in The Cauldron, with me? We can go over things again.”

“Thank you, but I can’t. Cullen wants to visit his family home. For some reason it’s really important to him. There’s something he wants to show me there. That’s the plan for today.”

“We’ll shadow you,” Eben said, nodding across the table at Aveline. “Several of us will be close at hand in case you need assistance.”

“Absolutely.” Aveline took off her glasses. “Coincidentally, I’ve been looking at the history of Hollingswell, in case it revealed anything of interest, and it occurred to me Nathaniel Fox would have visited Cullen there, if they were childhood friends. Both men would have been considered nobles and it would’ve been appropriate for them to mix as youngsters. It strikes me Fox will know Hollingswell. He would likely have been there many times over the decades.”