Witching For Moxie: Premonition Pointe, page 1
Witching For Moxie
Premonition Pointe
Deanna Chase
Bayou Moon Press, LLC
Copyright © 2021 by Deanna Chase
Editing: Angie Ramey
Cover image: © Ravven
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
Bayou Moon Press, LLC
www.deannachase.com
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Deanna’s Book List
About the Author
About This Book
Iris Hartman thought she’d finally gotten everything she’d ever wanted. She had her dream job of mayor of Premonition Pointe and was married to a handsome, charismatic man who adored her. But after finding out her husband was involved with a local drug dealer, she suddenly found herself single and forced to step down as mayor. Now she’s starting over. But when a curse hits Premonition Pointe and tourism dries up, turning the beach town into a ghost town, Iris will do anything to save the village she loves, even if it means leaning on a new man in her life. With the help of the local coven and a too-good-too-be-true neighbor, Iris’s new beginning means tapping into magic she didn’t know she had and maybe even learning to trust again.
Chapter 1
“Can you feel the magic prickling over your skin?” Iris Hartsen asked the four coven members who were standing with her in the empty town square. Less than an hour ago, some sort of curse had been cast that had rendered Premonition Pointe a ghost town. Normally the beachside town would be bustling with tourists for the summer, but the shops were eerily empty after all the out-of-towners had mysteriously disappeared.
Grace Valentine, a local realtor, tucked a stray lock of auburn hair behind her ear and shook her head. “No. I don’t feel anything at all.” She turned to her friends. “Do any of you?”
Hope and Joy both said no, but Gigi nodded.
“I feel… something. Like the air is charged maybe?” Gigi, a pretty blonde, ran her right hand down her left arm and made a face. “It’s kind of sticky, like humidity only…” She rubbed her arm again and winced. “That wasn’t pleasant.”
“It stings a little bit,” Iris said, frowning. “I wonder why it only affects the two of us.”
“It must be the type of magic,” Joy said, scrolling through her smartphone. “It says here that if herbs are the primary source of a curse, then witches who are skilled in earth magic are more likely to be affected.”
“You work with herbs?” Gigi asked Iris, her eyes alight with interest. Gigi had a new skincare line that she sold through a local shop and was becoming quite well-known for her skills with plants.
“No,” Iris said, shaking her head. “I don’t at all. Or at least I haven’t in the past.” Iris came from a long line of powerful witches, but she’d never been especially magical herself. Her mother had gotten her power from the ocean, and had been the type of witch who knew things before they happened. She’d also had spirit guides, but Iris hadn’t shared her gifts. The only ability Iris thought she’d had was an uncanny sense for business. She could predict with almost certain accuracy when a business would thrive and when it wouldn’t. It was always a shame when new business owners in Premonition Pointe disregarded her advice. Though no one would be consulting her now since she’d been ousted as mayor a few days ago.
Gigi placed a light hand on Iris’s arm. “I would be happy to work with you if you want to test out some potions or herbal concoctions.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Iris said, smiling at the other woman as a small weight lifted off her heart. As the longtime mayor of Premonition Pointe, Iris had found herself too busy to make or maintain many friendships. It was one of her major regrets in the life that she’d built for herself. But given the chance, she’d love to try to rectify that oversight now that she was going to have a lot more free time on her hands. And she could think of no better group of women than the four standing with her in the town square.
“Thank you, Gigi. I’d love to take you up on that offer sometime,” Iris said with a hand over her heart. “But right now, I think I better head over to the new interim mayor’s office and let him know your suspicions so that maybe they can narrow down the hunt for who did this and why.”
“We’ll go with you,” Joy said quickly, her gaze shifting from Iris to her friends and back again. “I know Tad from the Arts Council and…”
“And what?” Iris asked after a beat.
“Um, how well do you know Tad?” Joy asked.
Iris shook her head. “I don’t. Not really. The most interaction I’ve had with him was while standing in line at the Bird’s Eye Bakery yesterday. He asked me a few questions about the city budget, and when I said I’d be happy to go over it with him, he declined. He said he’d figure it out.” Iris frowned and then sighed. “I guess he was worried about how it would look to the council if the ousted mayor was in the office. What do they think? That I’m going to sabotage things now that I’m not running the show? The only thing I’ve ever wanted for Premonition Pointe was for it to be a success.” She glanced around at the empty streets that should be bustling with people, and her heart sank. “Now look at it.”
Joy placed a light hand on her arm. “We know you only want what’s best for Premonition Pointe. That’s why you came to us immediately after this curse hit the town, right?”
Iris nodded.
“Exactly,” Joy said. “That’s why we’ll go with you to the mayor’s office. From my experience, Tad has a chip on his shoulder and isn’t likely to accept our help, but I’ve kind of figured out how to finesse him. If you don’t mind, I’d like a chance to see if I can get through to him before he dismisses us outright.”
“Yeah. Okay.” A pit of unease formed in Iris’s gut. This wasn’t going to go well. There was no question about it. Joy’s assessment of the man lined up with Iris’s first impression of him when she’d met him at the bakery. He’d been defensive and acted as if he was threatened by Iris’s offer to counsel him. She’d shrugged it off, but now that there was serious trouble in Premonition Pointe, how could she leave her beloved town in the hands of a man who seemed too ego-driven to accept help? She doubted they’d be successful in convincing him of their theory, but they had to try. She nodded to Joy. “Lead on.”
Joy straightened her shoulders and strode down Main Street, straight toward the city offices. Iris trailed behind, knowing that if she was in front of the pack, it wouldn’t help matters. But everything inside of her longed to take control, to be the one who dealt with the city’s crisis just as she had countless times before when something went wrong in her beachside town.
“It sucks what happened to you,” Hope said, falling into step beside Iris. “I heard they ousted you because of your ex.”
Iris nodded. “Yep. Or at least that was the most convenient excuse.”
Hope let out a growl. “The mediocre men strike again. Pushing a strong, smart woman out so one of them can be installed into a position of power. Disgusting if you ask me.”
“It is. But it’s done, and I’m moving on. Or at least I was trying to before this happened.” There was no arguing Hope’s assessment. It was exactly what had happened, but if Iris spent too much time dwelling on it, she was going to turn into a bitter bitch. Instead, she was determined to move forward, to find a way to help Premonition Pointe grow and thrive without being the mayor. Though, that wasn’t something she could do if the town was cursed.
“We’ll figure it out.” Hope squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. “If there is one thing we girls have, it’s tenacity.”
“That’s why I came to the coven.” Iris returned the squeeze, and for the first time in months, she felt like she wasn’t alone. Why hadn’t she befriended these women before? She’d always liked them. The problem had been time. Iris had poured everything she had into her job. One good thing about being fired was that time would no longer be an issue. Or at least not for the next few months before she had to find another job.
Iris’s heart started to race as they neared the city offices. The overwhelming feeling of failure settled over her. The humiliation of being fired was something she’d firmly buried deep down
Chaos reigned.
“Julie! I told you to get the governor on the line! If you can’t do your damned job, then just get the hell out of here!” Tad barked from his office.
Julie had tears streaming down her face as she frantically dialed and then redialed a number with shaky fingers.
Anger seized Iris as she watched her former assistant’s hands shake.
After another unsuccessful phone call, Julie put the phone back down on the receiver and winced as she said, “He’s on his way to Washington, Mr. Howell. His assistant says he won’t be available until tomorrow.”
“That’s Mayor Howell. And this can’t wait until tomorrow!” Tad barged out of his office, red-faced with his lips twisted into a scowl. He was wearing an expensive suit and had his hair slicked back with too much hair product. “We need him to call in the Magical Task Force so we can get to the bottom of this. Don’t you understand anything?”
“I tried, Mayor Howell.” Julie straightened her shoulders and turned to him, her head held high, though there was no mistaking the tremor in her voice. “No one else has the clearance to authorize the task force.”
Tad let out a growl and started to stalk toward her.
Iris’s instincts took over, and she started to move forward, intending to cut him off before he reached Julie. But Joy put her arm out, stopping her, and said, “We can help.”
The mayor jerked to a stop and turned to her, his expression full of surprise. Clearly, he hadn’t realized they were there. His gaze swept over them, and then his eyes narrowed when he spotted Iris. “What are you doing here?”
“We came to offer help,” Joy said before Iris could answer. “The town has been cursed, and we think—”
“I don’t give a flying fuck what you think.” He pointed to the door. “Get out. We’re in a crisis, and the last thing I need is a bunch of middle-aged busybodies getting in the way.”
“Well that was rude,” Hope said, placing her hands on her hips. “If you’d get out of your own way for two seconds, we could—”
“Leave now!” He barked. “And stay out of my way unless you want the sheriff to show up on your doorstep.”
Iris was fuming at Tad’s dismissal. Clearly, the man had no idea how to do anything, and he was acting as if she and the coven were amateur Scooby Doos instead of powerful witches with resources at their fingertips. Without a word, she walked over to Julie, picked up the phone, and dialed the personal cell number of the governor’s assistant.
“Iris Hartsen, hang up that phone, or I’ll have you arrested just as soon as the boys in blue get here,” Tad said through clenched teeth.
“Lisbeth?” Iris said into the phone, completely ignoring Tad’s temper tantrum. “It’s Iris Hartsen over here in Premonition Pointe. It appears the town has been cursed, and our new mayor, Tad Howell, is requesting an emergency dispatch of the Magical Task Force. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get ahold of the governor. Can you help us out?” After Iris answered a few questions about the curse and the state of the town, she let out a sigh of relief when Lisbeth told her she’d do her best to reach the governor.
Tad’s nostrils flared, but for once he kept his mouth shut.
“Thanks, Lisbeth. You’re the best.” Iris placed the handset back on the phone base and turned to look Tad in the eye. “That was the governor’s personal assistant. She said she’s sending him the paperwork immediately and as soon as the request is approved, you’ll receive a fax.”
“When will that be?” Tad demanded.
Iris shrugged. “Later this afternoon or maybe first thing in the morning would be my guess. But from personal experience, I expect that you won’t see anyone from the task force for at least a few days. There just aren’t enough agents to cover all the emergencies in the state. And since no one appears to be physically hurt, we won’t be first on the list.”
“Well, that wasn’t all that useful then, was it? No wonder the city council threw your ass out.” He turned on his heel, stalked back into his office, and slammed the door.
Chapter 2
“He’s a right asshole, isn’t he?” Hope said, not bothering to lower her voice.
“There’s no question about that,” Iris agreed, already pulling the door open. Their visit to the mayor had been a complete waste of time.
“Iris?” Julie called.
With her hand still clutching the door, Iris froze and glanced over her shoulder at her former assistant. “Yes, Julie?”
The younger woman glanced briefly at her boss’s door before looking back at Iris. Her cheeks flushed pink as she said, “It hasn’t been the same without you around here.”
Some of the anger coiling in Iris’s gut dissipated as she gave the younger woman a grateful smile. “Thank you for saying that. I wish things had ended up differently.”
“Me too.” Julie ran out from behind her desk and wrapped her arms around Iris, holding on tightly.
Iris was too stunned at first to move but then returned the embrace and blinked back the sting of tears. She and Julie hadn’t really been close. They’d had a good working relationship, but there hadn’t exactly been a friendship between the two women. So the blatant display of emotion was a surprise, but she welcomed it, pleased to know she’d had some sort of effect on the other woman. “It’ll be all right, Julie. I promise.”
Julie stepped back, her expression skeptical, but she still nodded. “Thank you for your help.”
“Any time, all right?” Iris squeezed her hand and lowered her voice. “You have my number. Use it if you need to.”
“Okay,” Julie whispered back and then returned to her desk.
“Let’s go,” Iris said and strode out of the office feeling sick to her stomach. The situation in the mayor’s office was worse than she’d anticipated. But there wasn’t anything she could do. Was there?
“We should still do the spell to see if we can figure out the origin of the curse,” Grace said, staring out at the ocean. The wind had picked up, blowing her hair into her face, and when she brushed it back, she was frowning and her eyes were troubled. “How much experience do you have with the Magical Task Force?”
“Not much,” Iris admitted. “They are stretched thin and usually are only deployed when magic is used as a weapon against people. Unless we find out that the tourists were hurt or missing, they likely won’t spend much time here.”
“It’s settled then,” Grace said, straightening her shoulders and walking toward her car. “We’ll do the spell ourselves and see if we can trace and reverse this curse. Let’s go. We have work to do.”
Iris stared in awe as the four women fanned out, each heading for their vehicles. Their determination and unquestioning resolve to help touched her heart and had her scrambling after Grace and into the passenger seat. “Thank you for… everything.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for,” she said. “This is our town, too. We love it here, and there’s no way we’re going to let whoever did this get away with it.”
The fierceness in her tone filled Iris with hope as they sped down the empty streets.
Ten minutes later, the five women were gathered around a firepit on the windy bluff above the Pacific Ocean. Gigi opened a canvas bag and started pulling out a mortar and pestle while Hope made a circle with salt and Grace placed five candles around the firepit.
Joy turned to Iris. “Have you ever done this before?”
“Tried to trace a curse?” Iris asked, frowning. “No, nothing like that.”
