A Good Demon Is Hard to Find Read online

  Erin pulled off the next exit and followed the two lane road along the river’s edge all the way to a sleepy downtown neighborhood.

  An assortment of colorful whirligigs and flags fluttered in the yard of an old Victorian house facing a quiet side street. The sign on the veranda read “The Dragon’s Cave: Olde Worlde Curiosities and Magical Supplies.”

  This was certainly a different way to spend a Sunday.

  Erin pulled into the driveway underneath an old oak tree draped with Spanish moss.

  She’d passed the quaint magic shop dozens of times over the years, when in the neighborhood for an ordinary outing of shopping and dining, but never once set foot in the store. The gravel crunched under her feet as she approached the house.

  The stained glass in the heavy wooden door was impossible to see through. Erin pushed the door open carefully, setting a tangle of bells to ringing as she stepped over the threshold.

  Mismatched bookshelves and shabby glass cases lined the walls. Woven baskets mixed higgledy-piggledy with plastic buckets on the shelves, each filled with crystals, incense cones, or some other magical accoutrement.

  Erin idly picked up a piece of rose quartz and weighed it in her hand.

  “That’s for love,” a voice piped up.

  Erin turned in the direction of the voice.

  A young girl sat behind a cash register. Her colorful dress draped the stool she perched on with yards of overflowing fabric. She tilted her head and focused her large hazel eyes on Erin. “Are you looking for a love charm?” Her childlike features contrasted with the vintage hippie aesthetic of her clothing, making her look simultaneously young and old.

  “Um. No,” said Erin, placing the rose quartz back in its basket. “Is your mommy around?”

  “She’s upstairs. She’ll be back in a few minutes. Can I help you?” The girl slid off the stool, eager to assist.

  “I think I’ll just look around,” said Erin.

  “Sure. Okay.” The girl quieted, but stared unselfconsciously at Erin, following her every movement.

  When Erin picked up a book, the girl approached. “Are you studying hedge magic? That’s a good one. I like the forest stuff. It’s really helpful. Do you like forests?”

  Erin put the book down. “I don’t know.”

  “Then why did you pick that one up? Silly. You need help.”

  “Probably,” said Erin.

  The girl nodded, sending her fine brown hair swishing back and forth. “How about we start with a nice wand?”

  Erin hesitated. Raya had done a lot with her wand, maybe even too much. The idea of a wand intimidated her.

  “No wand?”

  “Maybe not yet. Maybe when I know what I’m doing,” said Erin.

  The girl shrugged. “Okay. How about cards?”

  “Cards?”

  “Fortune-telling cards. You know. Tarot?”

  “I don’t know … ”

  “I know! I’ll read them for you. Then you can see if you like them and you can buy some of your own. Come!” The girl skipped to the counter and pulled out a velvet bag.

  “You sure your mommy won’t mind?”

  The girl beamed. “Mommy says I’m the best. She won’t mind at all.”

  “Try before you buy,” said Erin.

  “Exactly!” The girl’s musical laugh echoed in the otherwise empty shop. “Now, when I read the cards for someone, they have to focus on what it is they want. You do know what you want, right?”

  “I’m not sure, actually.”

  The girl tsk-tsked. “The first step in getting what you want is knowing what you want. I thought everybody knew that.” She eyed Erin skeptically.

  “I guess—I thought I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t.”

  “You really do need help, don’t you?”

  Erin chuckled. “I guess I do.”

  “Close your eyes, then.”

  “What?”

  “Close them!” The girl fluttered her hands at Erin.

  Erin obeyed.

  “Picture yourself standing in a forest. Grass underneath your feet. Trees soaring into the air around you. The sun breaking through the leaves to warm you. Can you see it?”

  Erin nodded.

  “Now look into the distance. See the hills on the horizon?”

  “Yes. I see them.”

  “There’s a road before you. It runs from where you stand all the way to the hills. Can you see the road?”

  A sliver of anxiety slid through Erin. “I don’t know where it goes.”

  “Don’t be afraid,” said the girl. “Just look down the road. Follow it with your eyes as far as you can see.”

  Erin breathed deeply and placed her hands on the edge of the counter for balance. In her mind’s eye, she looked down the road, farther and farther.

  “What do you see where the road disappears over the hill?”

  “I see—” All of a sudden, she saw the silhouette of wings rising over the hill, as if something were coming over the hill from the other side to meet her. “I see someone.”

  “Do you know this person?”

  “I do.”

  “Okay, then. You can open your eyes now.”

  Erin looked at the strange girl.

  “That’s the goal you’re headed toward right now. Reach that, and the next time you visualize the road, you might see something different.”

  “You’re very wise,” said Erin.

  “Mommy says I’m an old soul.” The girl opened the velvet bag, removed a large deck of cards, and shuffled them. “Now that you have a goal, I can read the cards for you.” She turned over the first card. “The first card is the past. You got the Tower, which means that you had a big change. Probably an unexpected one. Everything you thought was strong and steady fell down around your ears, basically.”

  “I’ll say,” said Erin.

  The girl laid down a second card. “This is the present. You got the Star. Magic is flowing around you. There is great potential if you follow the voice within.”

  “That sounds good,” said Erin, feeling cautiously optimistic.

  “I like the Star. It’s a good one.” The girl drew a third card and turned it over, revealing a wheel surrounded by creatures. “The future. The Wheel of Fortune.”

  “Is that good?”

  “It is what it is. The Wheel means change. Where you were is different than where you will end up. It also symbolizes karma.” The girl’s gaze met Erin’s. “What goes around, comes around.”

  The Tower, the Star, and the Wheel of Fortune settled in Erin’s mind like gems in a setting. “Thank you. I think you helped a lot.”

  “Do you want to get your own set?” The girl’s hazel eyes blazed with hope.

  “I think I will. Give me a set like yours. And—you know what? You got anything for good luck? Good dreams? Anything like that?”

  “Have I? Have I ever!” The girl bounded out from behind the counter. She grabbed a handful of crystals and stacked several books in the crook of her arm. “These are just what you need.”

  “Great. Anything else you would recommend?” she asked, throwing herself fully on the judgment of the precocious child.

  The girl looked her up and down. “Let me see. I know you said you didn’t want a wand, but how about a necklace?” She ducked behind the counter and retrieved a clear crystal dangling from a silver chain. “This one is good for everything.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  The girl piled Erin’s purchases on the counter and pecked the cash register with two fingers to add up the total.

  Erin handed over cash and received her change.

  The girl hummed a tune as she wrapped the more delicate items in tissue paper and slipped each one into the bag.

  The sound of footsteps on old wooden stairs
echoed through the room.

  “Mommy!” called the girl. “Look at all the things this nice lady bought.”

  The girl’s mother emerged into the front room. “Oh, my. Have you been a good salesperson?” Unlike her daughter, the older woman was dressed in casual slacks and a blouse that wouldn’t have been out of place in a more conventional workplace.

  “She got the quartz crystal necklace.” The girl picked it up. It was the only item remaining that hadn’t been packed into the bag. “You want to wear it to go?”

  Erin looked back and forth between the girl and the shop owner. “Sure. Yes.” She reached across the counter and took the necklace from the girl’s fingers. Triggering the clasp open, she drew the necklace around the back of her neck and re-clasped it, letting the sparkling crystal fall into place on her chest. She touched it self-consciously. “Thank you.”

  “I hope it’s everything she promised you,” said the woman, handing over Erin’s bag.

  “I have no doubt of that,” said Erin.

  “Come back and tell me how it worked!” the girl called as Erin pushed open the door of the shop.

  “I will!” Erin turned and waved goodbye before the heavy door swung closed with a final rattle of bells.

  16

  When the phone rang, Erin dove across the bed to retrieve it, narrowly missing Nancy Drew, who blinked at her myopically before trotting out of the way. Erin picked up the phone and mashed the button to answer.

  Raya’s voice crackled through the handset. “Hey. What are you doing?”

  “Nothing. Just hanging out and reading.”

  “Reading what?”

  Erin glanced at the pile of books from the magic shop and made a quick decision to keep that field trip to herself for the moment. “Nothing much.”

  “Glad to hear it. Well, put your pants on and get ready to go. I’ll pick you up.”

  Erin sat up. “Where are we going?”

  “I’ll tell you when I get there. See you in fifteen.” Raya hung up.

  Erin stared at the phone before dropping it back in its cradle. “Looks like I’m going out,” she said to Nancy. “Think you can keep an eye on things while I’m gone?”

  Nancy Drew cocked her head.

  “I thought so. Come on, girl.” She let Nancy out into the backyard before returning to the bedroom to freshen up. She removed the books from the bed and stacked them on one of the bedside tables next to her small collection of crystals.

  It would have been nice to know where they were going, but Raya seemed to enjoy being mysterious. In any case, the weather hardly varied during the summer—scorching hot, of course—making it easy to choose an outfit. Erin pulled on a tank top and shorts, then added a pair of flat sandals and a wide-brimmed hat. The necklace still hung around her neck—she hadn’t taken it off except to shower—and as she checked her appearance in the mirror, the crystal sparkled as it shifted from side to side.

  She brought Nancy Drew inside and filled the doggie bowls with food and fresh water. “See you later, Nancy,” she said, ruffling the dog’s soft ears.

  At the sound of Raya’s car pulling into the driveway, Nancy put on her sunglasses and left the house, locking the front door. She walked down the driveway to Raya’s truck.

  The passenger window rolled down. “Get in,” said Raya.

  Erin slid into the passenger seat. “So what’s the big mystery? And where’s Phoenix?”

  “Not like he’d fit.” Raya gestured to the truck cab. “Plus, we were getting on each other’s nerves. So I sent him to follow Mark around.”

  “You what?” Erin whipped off her sunglasses and stared at Raya.

  Raya shrugged. “He seemed to like the idea.”

  “Of course he would. He’s a demon. But how’s that going to help?”

  “You’re not getting squeamish, are you? Miss I-Summon-Demons-for-Revenge?” Raya pressed the accelerator and the truck shot ahead. “Come on, you have to be just a little curious about what your ex is up to. The more you know, the better you can plan your revenge. Isn’t that why you wanted Andy back?” Raya cast Erin a sidelong look before returning her gaze to the road.

  Erin’s mouth opened and shut while she considered her answer.

  Raya didn’t wait for one. “Anyway, since your ex was the key to Andy showing up, he might be the key to getting Andy back.”

  “So where are we going?”

  “Phoenix said Mark and Genevieve spent the whole day hanging around the big fancy hotel next to Destiny Park.”

  “Le Nouveau Palmier?”

  Raya nodded. “That’s the one. Phoenix said they didn’t stay overnight. They just walked around a lot. Like they were planning something. Does he have a lot of money?” asked Raya.

  “Who, Mark? More than me. He has a higher-paying job by far. And a better house. That’s why I was going to sell mine after I married Mark. But the market wasn’t great, so it just sat there.”

  “Thank God,” said Raya, pulling onto the highway.

  “Thank God,” echoed Erin, wondering where God fit in, exactly, in the plans of a witch, two demons, and a divorcée with an elderly dog. She stared out the window as they zipped past pine forests under the blazing midday sun.

  “Besides, whether we get anything out of this or not, it’s a good excuse to get out of the house. Sit by the pool, you know? Have a few margaritas.” Raya performed an impromptu dance by wiggling in her seat.

  “So is this really about revenge, or getting Andy back, or getting out of the house?”

  Raya shrugged philosophically. “Who says you can’t have it all?”

  They drove in silence for a while, until they were well past the exit Erin had taken to the magic shop the other day.

  At the palm tree-lined entrance to Le Nouveau Palmier, Erin wondered how they would pass the security gate, considering that they had no hotel reservation and no real reason to be there.

  Raya rolled down her window to speak to the security guard. “We’re going to lunch,” she said, in a very un-Raya-like tone of mild amiability.

  Erin turned her head away so the guard wouldn’t see her suppress a laugh.

  “Of course,” said the guard. He tipped his navy blue hat. “You ladies have a marvelous day.”

  “Why, thank you,” Raya said, with pure sugar in her voice.

  “Thanks,” said Erin, giving a little wave to the guard as they pulled away. “What was that? ‘Oh, why thank you kindly, kind sir!’” she said, mimicking Raya’s delivery.

  “It worked, didn’t it?”

  “I guess some magic you don’t need a wand for,” said Erin.

  “Now you’re catching on,” said Raya. “We’ll make a witch of you yet.”

  Erin touched the crystal on her necklace.

  After parking the truck, they approached the front of the hotel on a smooth sidewalk lined with stately palm trees and curved flower beds. Ornate twists of green-painted wrought iron criss-crossed over the porte cochere like graceful metallic vines. Flowers and trees glittered in fine mosaics across the facade. The stonework curved around windows and balconies all the way to the multicolored gingerbread roof tiles.

  They crossed a threshold depicting a stylized mosaic palm tree encircled in two gold rings.

  “This way,” said Raya, leading Erin through the glass-covered arcade enclosing the lobby.

  It was tempting to stop and gawk, but Erin kept walking. “You’ve been here before,” she said.

  “You bet I have. I love Art Deco stuff,” said Raya.

  “This is amazing,” said Erin, stumbling slightly as she tried to look all around while keeping up with Raya.

  “Wait till you see the pool.”

  “Aren’t we supposed to be trying to figure out what Mark and Genevieve were doing?”

  Raya waved away Erin’s objection
like she was swatting a fly. “Sure, sure. After some drinks.”

  They found a pair of vacant lounge chairs a short distance from the pool and settled into them.

  Raya hailed the pool attendant. “Two Singapore Slings, please.” She turned to Erin. “My treat.”

  The attendant, a young man garbed in a crisp white shirt and shorts, jogged off immediately to fulfill the order.

  The sunlight sparkled on the surface of the pool and glinted its way through an assortment of playful fountains and tiny waterfalls ringing the pool area.

  When Erin received her drink, she held it up to the light and admired it. “Isn’t that pretty?”

  Raya sipped and smacked her lips. “Tastes as good as it looks.”

  Erin tasted the drink carefully, knowing that even a little alcohol went straight to her head. “Mm. You’re not wrong.” She let her head rest against the pool chair while she held the cold cocktail glass in her hands. “Can I ask you something?”

  Raya tipped her glass back. “Go for it.”

  Erin glanced around to check if anyone was within earshot before speaking. “How did you become a witch?”

  Raya set her glass down and smiled. “That’s quite a question.”

  “Well?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Why do I ask? Because, one, I’ve never met one before—”

  “That you know of,” said Raya.

  “That I know of,” agreed Erin. “And, two, it must be an interesting story. I mean, I grew up going to a regular old church. Did you grow up going to—I don’t know—witch school?”

  Raya laughed. “Witch school! Hardly. My family wasn’t particularly religious in any direction. I started reading books about magic when I was in high school—you know, as teenage girls will do—and I liked the whole idea of having some kind of power.”

  “I didn’t think anything like that was even real,” said Erin.

  “You went to church, though. You believed in all kinds of things,” Raya said.

  “Sure, but that’s more taking things on faith than seeing an actual demonstration. Meeting Andy—and then seeing you send him away—was pretty impressive.”

  “Eh.” Raya drank from her glass and looked thoughtful. “You prayed in your way, I prayed in mine. We probably both had times where we felt our prayers were answered.”