WITCHES KNOT

yard below. The sounds of the water gurgling in the fountain floated up on the wind. She breathe

at you think of this sauce," Em c

sauce for the redfish her sister was making them for dinn

ssed in another clove of garlic and ground som

p, something on the wind.

olden-haired

f the man who'd been haunting her dre

r another half an hour anyway, go down to the shop and have Tante

gged her shoulders, giving in

ll be back," she called out as she walked out and down the steps into the lushly appointed courtyard. She

French Quarter, with its music and magic in the air. She walked two more blocks to her grandmother's shop and went i

te Lou called out as Lee walked through the black velvet curtains th

er cheek. She sat down on the small loveseat, tucking her feet beneath her botto

, golden-haired and powerful, he comes. He is part of you." Lou was quiet for a bit, breathing

very dark. I can't see a whole lot, watch yourself. Practice. You have a lot of power, you simply need to hone it, to use it. You know we've been feel

of magic, which made it a great place for her to be but it was a dangerous thing as well. There was so much old and

r half and that's good, but there is some supernat

y." Tante Lou hesitated, re

nt to be with each other. But there's more, I can't say

front. She greeted her cousin, grabbing a pack of spring rain incen

*

knew that as an inherent witch, she had a duty to use her gifts to protect those who needed them. Problem was, she knew what she had to do and it entailed swallowing her pride and calling her mother and restarting the training she'd set as

man

clock. Come out to the house, we will start. Lock your doors.

witch. The women in the Charvez family were born with magical gifts. Some, like Tante Lou and her grandmere, could read the future. Some, like her sist

s or while unconscious. The witch dreamer could dream walk, she could project herself into the subconscious of others and work her magic there. There were only three liv

he'd planned to go to graduate school, to get her MBA so she could help run the shop, but she'd gotten distracted. Distracted by art, something she never thought she'd have the talent for. But now, two years later, she'd built

*

sibility, the legacy of the Charvez magic. And she realized that she had a lot to learn, a l

efore that, her grandparents had lived there. It generally passed down from oldest daughter to oldest daughter and would be hers someday but she had no plans to kick her

cund scent of flowers and trees, grass and dirt. Nature was tangible, it hung in the air. As always, there was the underlying scent of powe

, the woman who managed the household and had since before Lee was born. Georgie was a cook, a maid, a social planner and a me

shut at the pleasure of the sweet juice bursting over her tongu

make sure you get a few jars of my jam a

d to me," Lee sa

e front room. She's

her hands and chin. The house was cool and calm as she walked through to the front room where she

ith so much potential and she'd pushed Lee hard for most of her young life. So hard that at times Lee felt more like a project than a daughter. Things had come to a head when Lee had decided to go off to college rather than pursue her training. She and her mother hadn't spoken for nearly six months and it had been the most difficult time of her life. Slowly,

orning,

r mother said quietly, with amusement in her voice. She sat up, her tone turning businesslike. "You will come to me, each day at eleven. We have a

itantly, searching for the right words

the dark, it is rising, yes, surfacing is a good enough word. You must work to harness your power. I've spent a lot of energy over the last ten years, shielding you from things. I cannot any longe

a certainty that her mother w

let out the reins and then harness it and reel it back in. It's a lot like making you play scales, yes? Necessary. You need to

t you to draw a circle of protection around us, always use one if you have the time. When your power has been dormant for so long and you unleash it you will attract some-how do you say?-onlookers. Most are harmless but never forget where you are

nnected with her power, with the earth, and felt it surge up, her soul would be the conduit. An electric hum filled her ears and subsided as she let the power roll over her, through her. She reached down and grasped the energy and pulle

to sense what's going on around yo

hood. She touched some other spots of power, nothing overwhelming. Minor psychics, though many of them probably didn't even know it. She edged around the cemetery and saw more clearly the things she

reining her power back in. As she did she felt a presence, someone was watching her. Some thing was watching her. It chilled her. She felt like someone wa

t?" Lee asked

words. Lee could feel the presence of something truly evil, dark and malevolent. Its manifestation was like oil, sticky and toxic. She sent more power to her mother and at the same time lashed out at the encroaching presence like a whip. She felt her power strike the dark po

was

training me. It knows you now, it knows me. I'm going to call Tante Elise and have her help you ward your apartment and reward the shop a

e. "Perhaps we shouldn't train here. Georgie's amulet might work for run-of-the-mill dark magic but what I felt earl

You're right. We can train in the shop. It would be bette

med when she got up to leave. "I need to go. Tante Elise is meeting me at my apartment in a bit to help with the wards. I'll see you

*

nd, her still-dark hair held back in the neat bun she habitually wore at the back of her head. The birds had clustered close by. It had been like th