Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3 (31 page)

Kelly’s face was still streaked with drying tears as Ivy led her out of the woods two hours later. She had no idea what the girl saw – or felt – but she couldn’t help but hope the teenager finally managed to put some of the pain behind her.

Ivy knew there was a lot more healing to go, though.

Broad male shoulders met Ivy’s gaze as she rounded the corner of her house, and for a moment she was taken aback thinking someone had come for Kelly. When the man turned, though, Ivy was relieved to find Max’s face staring back at her.

“Where were you?” Max asked.

“We took a walk,” Ivy said. “What are you doing here?”

“I just had your new door installed,” he said. “Come look.”

Ivy trudged to the front of the house, not missing Max’s face as he studied Kelly’s drawn features. He wisely kept his mouth shut and directed Ivy toward the painted metal monstrosity he was so proud of. “This is ugly.”

“I’ll paint it a different color this weekend,” Max said. “You can live with it for now. No one is getting through this door. It has a deadbolt, and I installed a new security chain.”

“What color are you going to paint it?” Ivy asked.

“Why is it that you fixate on the stupid stuff?” Max asked.

“Why is it that you won’t tell me what color you’re going to paint this door?”

“I’m going to paint it pink, just like your hair.”

“Pink is good for hair,” Ivy said. “It’s not good for a door, though.”

“Fine. What color do you want me to paint it?”

“Green.”

“Fine. I’ll paint it green.”

“I want you to touch up the trim while you’re at it,” Ivy said, studying the splintered wood in the doorjamb. “I don’t like it like this. It makes me unhappy.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” Max said, rolling his eyes until they landed on Kelly. “What do you think? Is this a fancy door, or what?”

“It looks strong,” Kelly said, rubbing her fingertips over the metal. “No one can get in, right?”

“No one can get in,” Max reassured her.

“Jack will be sleeping on the couch, too,” Ivy reminded her. “You’ll be safe.”

“Okay,” Kelly said. “I’m … um … going to go and wash my face in the bathroom. Is that okay?”

“Take your time,” Ivy said. “We’ll decide what we want for dinner when you’re done.”

Kelly forced a wan smile. “Thank you … for everything.”

“Don’t mention it,” Ivy said.

Once Kelly was gone, Max turned to Ivy with an arched eyebrow. “Do you want to tell me what that was all about?”

“I took her out to the fairy ring.”

“Did you beat her while you were out there?”

Ivy smacked his arm. “Of course not. Do you have to be such a … ?”

“Great brother?”

“I was going to say rampant pain in my ass,” Ivy countered.

“You say tomato,” Max teased.

Ivy’s face was serious as she studied him for a moment, and then – without warning – she threw her arms around his neck. Max was surprised by the gesture, and he hugged her back wordlessly.

“Thank you for being such a good brother,” Ivy said. “I know I don’t tell you how much I love you enough.”

“I know you love me,” Max said, rubbing her back. “I love you, too. Do you want to tell me what this is about?”

Ivy told Max about her afternoon with Kelly. When she was done, Max was angry. “I can’t believe people would just trade her in for a baby.”

“It’s horrible,” Ivy said. “I never realized how lucky we were to have Mom and Dad until now. I mean, in the back of my mind I knew they were great parents, but we had a great childhood.”

“We did,” Max agreed, releasing Ivy as she took a step back. “You look tired.”

“It’s been a long couple of days,” Ivy conceded.

“I have an idea,” Max said. “Why don’t you let me take Kelly for the rest of the afternoon? I’ll show her around town. I’ll take her to dinner. That will give you some time to yourself.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask,” Max said. “I volunteered. I like her. It might do you two some good to be apart for a little bit.”

“But … .”

“Go and see Aunt Felicity,” Max prodded. “You’re overwhelmed. She’ll help you … clear your channels, or whatever it is the two of you do together.”

“We usually gossip about you,” Ivy said.

“Well, do that then,” Max said, winking. “I promise I won’t let Kelly out of my sight. I’ll make sure she has fun.”

“Thank you,” Ivy said, hugging him again.

“You don’t have to thank me for loving you,” Max said. “Even though I wanted to trade you for Matchbox cars when you were little, I’ve always wanted to take care of you.”

FELICITY GOODINGS
was Luna Morgan’s sister and an avowed witch. Unlike Ivy, who balked at identifying herself in such a way on most days, Felicity was more than happy to tell anyone who would listen that she was in tune with otherworldly spirits. Since she owned a magic shop, Ivy knew her aunt did part of it for show. She was also blessed with other gifts, though.

“Hello, my darling,” Felicity said, drawing Ivy in for a hug when she walked through the door of her store. “I haven’t seen or heard from you in days. I was starting to worry.”

“I’m okay,” Ivy said, hoisting herself up on one of the stools next to the counter. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Felicity said, pushing Ivy’s hair out of her face so she could study her more closely. “You look exhausted. Your aura is … scattered.”

“I hate it when you do that,” Ivy said. “Just because you can see auras, that doesn’t mean you should comment on them.”

“If you would open yourself up to other things, I’m going to bet you could see auras, too,” Felicity said. “You’re too stubborn to let anyone – or anything, for that matter – take control of you. You’re the most obstinate witch I know.”

“Well, I can’t see auras,” Ivy said. “I have been doing a little dream walking, though.”

Felicity stilled. “Really? Wow. I’ve never been able to do that. I always thought it would be fun.”

“Well, it’s not,” Ivy said. She told her aunt about Jack’s dreams, refusing to go into too much detail about his past because she didn’t want to betray him. When she was done, Felicity was smiling. “That’s not the reaction I was expecting.”

“I’m just happy for you,” Felicity said.

“Because I’m invading Jack’s dreams?”

“Because you’ve found your match,” Felicity said.

“Oh, don’t go there,” Ivy said. “You know very well that Jack is not interested in a relationship.”

“He’s probably still not interested in a relationship,” Felicity said. “That’s what he’s telling himself, at least. His head is out of the relationship game. His heart has been spoken for since the moment he saw you, though.”

“You’ve always been a romantic at heart,” Ivy said. “It’s annoying.”

Felicity smirked. “Ivy, you know very well that Jack is calling for you in his dreams for a reason,” she said. “He doesn’t want to go through whatever he keeps going through alone. He’s not calling to anyone else to help him. He’s calling to you.”

“I can’t help him,” Ivy said. “I can’t stop what’s going to happen to him in that dream. He knows it, and I know it, too.”

“You don’t have to stop what happened to him,” Felicity said. “It already happened. You won’t solve anything by stopping it. You have to show Jack how to change his surroundings. You have to show him how to hope.”

“How do I do that?”

“You’ve already done it,” Felicity said, her eyes twinkling. “You’ve already changed the course of his life. You can’t change his past, but you can change his dreams.”

“How?”

“That’s something you’re going to have to figure out on your own,” Felicity said. “Come over here. I want to do a reading on you.” She gestured toward the small bistro table in the corner where she gave customers tarot card readings.

“I don’t need a reading,” Ivy grumbled.

“I want to give you one,” Felicity said, her voice firm. “Don’t make me wrestle you down and do it. I’m still strong enough to take you.”

Since her aunt was in her mid-fifties, Ivy wasn’t so sure, although it wasn’t something she wanted to gamble on. She didn’t think her ego could take a loss. She sighed and moved over to the table. “Has Mom told you what else is going on in my life?”

“She’s told me about Kelly,” Felicity said. “I’d like to meet her.”

“I’m not comfortable bringing her over here,” Ivy said. “I don’t have a problem with you seeing her. In fact, I think it might do her some good. She’s … struggling. You have to come to us, though.”

“I haven’t been to Shadow Lake since last fall,” Felicity said. “I’m sure I can schedule a visit. Tell me about her.”

“She’s been abused,” Ivy said. “She has bruises on her arms, and when I first found her, she had a bad reaction to men. To be fair, though, her reaction to me wasn’t great in those first few moments.”

“What has she told you?” Felicity asked, holding the tarot cards out so Ivy could cut them.

“Not much,” Ivy said, cutting the cards and handing them back to her aunt. “She’s a foster child. Her foster parents were in it for the money, not for guidance. Her parents died when she was eight, and since her brother was a teenager, they separated them.

“She was initially placed with a family who intended to adopt her, but they gave her back when a baby became available,” she continued.

Felicity made a small growling noise in the back of her throat.

“I know. It’s awful,” Ivy said. “She’s convinced herself that she’s living someone else’s life and she should be enjoying a happily ever after with her family. She won’t tell us what happened to her. Jack and Brian have been trying to track down leads, but they’re … caught … because Kelly won’t tell them what happened.”

“Someone broke into your house,” Felicity said.

“How do you know that?” Ivy was surprised.

“Your mother told me,” Felicity replied. “She’s angry you didn’t tell her, by the way. I don’t think she wants to push the matter until Kelly is more settled, though, so you have that going for you.”

“Max told her, didn’t he?” All the love she’d been feeling for her brother evaporated. “I’m going to beat the crap out of him.”

“Max loves you,” Felicity said, arranging the cards on the table. “He always does what he thinks is right where you’re concerned. You know that. You’re not really angry with him.”

“Oh, I’m angry with him.”

“You are not,” Felicity said. “You’re actually feeling warm and fuzzy where Max is concerned because you realize what your life would be like without your family. You’re putting yourself in Kelly’s shoes and wondering what would’ve happened to you if Luna and Michael died while you were young.”

“I … how did you know that?”

“A young girl from a loving family, an older brother … it doesn’t take a lot to figure out where your head is sometimes,” Felicity said. “You wouldn’t have been put in the system, though. You and Max would’ve come to stay with me. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Ivy said. “I still can’t help seeing the parallels.”

“There are no parallels other than the size of Kelly’s family,” Felicity said. “No matter what Kelly is feeling right now, she does have someone fighting for her. Several someones, if I’m not missing my guess. Where is she right now?”

“Max is spending the day with her.”

“And Jack is sleeping on your couch to keep you safe,” Felicity added.

“How do you know that? Oh, man, I’m going to kill Max.”

Felicity chuckled. “Your brother is a fine man,” she said. “One day, when he gets over his own good looks, he’s going to find someone to make his own family with. He’s going to be a wonderful father.”

“Do you really think he’s ever going to get over his looks?” Ivy asked.

“Yes,” Felicity said. “It’s not going to happen soon, though. You’re going to have to put up with a few more years of his hound dog ways.”

“Hound dog ways?” Ivy arched an eyebrow.

“I love your brother beyond reason,” Felicity said. “He’s still a hound dog.”

Ivy couldn’t argue, so she reclined in the chair and watched Felicity study the cards. After a moment, Ivy realized her aunt was being unusually quiet. Felicity often insisted on reading Ivy’s cards, and she happily told Ivy she was destined for greatness – and a happily ever after. Felicity didn’t look bubbly now.

“What do you see?” Ivy asked.

“I … nothing.”

“Don’t lie,” Ivy said. “I can tell when you’re lying. Tell me.”

“You’re in trouble,” Felicity said, raising her patient eyes up to Ivy’s clouded set. “You’re in big trouble, dear.”

Ivy wasn’t sure she believed in tarot readings, but her aunt would never tell her something she didn’t have faith in herself. “What about Kelly? Can you see her?”

“Your fates are linked,” Felicity said. “Your future used to be clear and precise. Now I just see darkness.”