Page 32 of Kat Bethel

“My grandmother said that she knew her way around ghosts and spooks, but that her mother told her to never to enter. That the harbinger of death rested inside, and it was best to leave him be.”

I followed her down the sloping hill. Even without the blooms the field was peaceful. I checked the ground behind me for any sign of corrosion, but the field stayed pristine. If anything the green radiated too bright under the sun. As if each leaf was working overtime to be perfect.

Perhaps he wasn’t always at my side.

A piece of me was weirdly disappointed in that possibility.

“I like a bundle of nine, but three works if there is a drought or something.”

For the goddesses.

He mentioned praying to the goddess when I was in the forest. So at some point, probably Myrtle’s great-grandmother, one of these witches, actively practiced enough for him to be familiar with the religion.

We came to the bottom of the hill. The line between the Dark Entry Forest and her land was obvious. The land in the forest was a darker green, closer to black, as if it had died and grown back again countless times.

“I set it down here.” She pointed to the divide. “I wrap the knots around the flowers like a band.”

“What kind of twine are you using?” My eyes landed on the trees sprinkled about her property line a moment too late.

“Elderwood.” Myrtle confirmed my suspicions.

“Did you miss your ritual when the kids were out here in June?”

She shook her head. “The blooms stopped early this year.”

“So there is no reason for him to be so violent with the teenagers.” I hummed, leaning on the elderwood tree nearby. “At least not that we know of.”

That said, teenagers could be thoughtless. They stomped on the wrong shit all the time. I’d cleaned up countless messes caused by people between the ages of twelve and nineteen.

The sun rose high enough to angle my shadow in front of me. Except, one thing made my heartbeat speed up.

My shadow didn’t match a short, curvy woman with curly hair tossed in a bun on her head. It was the man. I froze in place, but the shadow’s hand moved as if it was rolling over something curvy.

My face grew hot as I realized he was standing directly behind me, and it was me that he was caressing with soft, loving motions. I could almost swear I could feel him, but I knew that was in my head.

I forced deep breaths to calm myself and hummed an old tune Aunt Jackie would sing at night when I cried for my mother. I went to bend over and realized he’d probably be inches away from me.

The heat migrated lower as I decided how much I wanted to push my luck before I squatted down instead, running my hands over the overgrown grass. “The witch’s ladders are gone, but not the dead blooms.”

“Huh?”

I pointed to the knotted twine in her hand.

She froze as she stared at it. I could almost hear the click as everything came together for her. “You know, I haven’t gotten your name.”

I gave her a small smile and answered the actual question she was asking. “Sasha Rinah.”

That would be my name again soon enough.

Her eyes went wide like she’d seen a ghost. “You’re…That’s my maiden name.”

“I figured as much.” I rose to my feet, sticking my hand out for her to shake.

“You were sent by the coven?” Her eyes grew wide, as if she was reliving a childhood story. She even took a step back.

“They didn’t send me. I found this job on my own.” But her reaction was curious.

“I heard they were vile people,” she whispered.