Chapter 1
The pressure in my chest started the day after Halloween. Nothing major, just a sense of dread that accompanied the holiday season. It happened every fall, though it seemed to start earlier and earlier each year. I navigated my cart through the seasonal aisle, expecting discounted candy and mismatched costume pieces. Instead, I found candy canes and marshmallow Santas.
Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with Christmas in and of itself, but this time of year brought family obligations. While I don’t think I’m the only person on the planet with a screwed up family, I know for certain I’ve cornered the market on crazy mothers.
My name is Tessa, or Tessa Marie when I’ve done something foolish. I’m a licensed mental health counselor, though not currently practicing. My career came to a crashing halt when the fact that I’m a psychic medium made national news. These days, the only clients I see are victims of violent crimes at the Orange County Police Department or members of the local Cherokee tribe coming for a spell or potion at the medicine shop. Working two jobs is stressful, and my coping mechanism of choice is chocolate.
I turned the corner and hit pay dirt, an end-cap of left-over, semi-melted, and mostly damaged bags of Halloween candy. I tossed three into my cart and glanced at my watch. I’d left the house with a short shopping list over an hour ago. Less than half the items were crossed off, but my buggy was almost full.
My phone rang, and I cringed. My great-grandmother had a way of calling the moment I did something naughty. “Hi, Gram.”
“Tessa, are you still at the Walmart?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Could you pick up two bottles of my fiber mix? It’s on BOGO this week. Oh, and two boxes of tea bags.” She paused to speak to someone in the room. “You might want to get some more ribs and stop for a bottle of whiskey on the way home.”
“We have two racks thawing. Are we having company?” I held my breath, praying she hadn’t invited anyone awful to dinner.
“Darlene and her new beau stopped by. Hurry home, and don’t you dare buy Halloween candy.” She laughed and disconnected.
Gram Mae hadn’t invited someone awful to dinner. She’d invited the queen of awful—my mother. I didn’t worry about the latest in Darlene’s flavor of the month club. The new boyfriend wouldn’t be around long enough to remember his name. I added another bag of candy to the cart and my phone rang again.
“Hello?”
“Tessa, where are you? I have five of the elders’ wives waiting to see you.” Bryson spoke in a hushed tone.
“I’m at Walmart. Can you help them?” I had to prepare myself for dinner, take a couple of shots, and chase them with a pound of chocolate. The last thing I wanted to do was rush back to the medicine shop to make love charms.
“They asked to see you,” Bryson whispered. “Hurry. I don’t like the way Mrs. Matthews is looking at me.”
The playfulness in his voice curled my toes. I was pretty sure I was in love with him, but we’d decided to take things slow. The lack of toe-curling activities did nothing to relieve my stress. I added another bag of candy to the cart. “I’m only half done with my list.”
“If I’m there in five to finish the shopping, can you come here and take care of the women?”
“That’ll work.” I slid my phone into my purse and frowned at the candy. He wouldn’t judge me, however, standing next to his toned body would take the enjoyment out of hoarding sweets.
Bryson had a way of making me smile despite whatever catastrophe was going on in my life. The man ate like a machine and rarely touched processed sugar. He’d also given up coffee, two strikes against him in my book. We were quasi-engaged, but our relationship was complicated. We’d worked together as medicine man and woman for the local members of the Cherokee tribe since Charlie, my grandfather, passed away.
I rounded the corner to the health and beauty department when the phone rang again. “Hi, Aaron.”
“Tessa, we have a case. Can you meet me in Winter Park in an hour?”
I stopped in the middle of the aisle and hung my head. I considered Aaron one of my best friends, but I didn’t have time for police work today. “I’m at the store. What kind of case is it?”
“Suicide from the sound of it. The deceased’s partner found him hanging from a tree in the backyard.” Aaron’s voice lacked its usual humor. He’d either had a late night or rough day, maybe both.
“Sure. Text me the address. What’s the victim’s name?” I had no idea what I would do with the room full of people waiting for me at the medicine shop, but skipping out on dinner with Darlene made me happy. Plus, working the case would give me the opportunity to check up on Aaron. I hadn’t seen him in almost a week.
“Thanks, Tessa. You’re a doll. Partridge. The deceased’s name is Partridge.”
I glanced around to make sure no one was watching before I loaded two containers of Mae’s fiber mix into the cart. “What kind of tree was it?”
“Orange tree, why?”
It was probably a sin to laugh at the dead, but I couldn’t help it. “We have a Partridge in an orange tree.”
Aaron groaned. “I’ll send the address. Try to hurry.”
“No problem.” I continued to push the cart up and down the aisles, adding items as I went.
I knew Bryson stood behind me before I laid eyes on him. Because of our weird metaphysical connection, his hand on my shoulder woke my magic, and his warmth made me smile. He leaned his six feet three-inch frame in to inspect the contents of the buggy and shook his head. To his credit, he didn’t comment on my stash of individually wrapped hip expanders.
I turned and faced him. “When did it become okay to start the holiday season on the first of November?”
“I love Christmas.” Bryson grinned as he moved his hand to the small of my back. Dimples formed from the corners of his mouth to his cheekbones, causing a woman in our aisle to swoon. Full-blooded Native American, and ridiculously sexy, he received no shortage of female adoration.
As much as I wanted to grouse about the nightmare to come, the twinkle in his eye made me bite my tongue. Of course, he loved Christmas. He was a morning person after all. Morning people had a certain outlook on life that night owls didn’t.
I raised on tiptoe to kiss his cheek and handed him the list. “Mae needs you to stop by the liquor store on the way home for two bottles of whiskey.”
“Will do.” He slid his arm around my waist and brushed his lips across mine. “Any reason she needs extra?”
“Darlene is bringing a new man to dinner.” I lingered in his embrace, enjoying the unexpected public affection. “You’re awful friendly for the middle of Walmart.”
“I’m happy to see you.” Bryson took a step back but kept his hand on my waist.
“Are you? Or does this have something to do with me bailing you out of a houseful of women?”
A lady beside us choked back laughter, staring at Bryson as if she had nothing else to do but wait for his reply.
He chuckled. “Both.”
“You owe me one.” I slung my purse over my shoulder. “Grocery shopping is my only me time.”
“You can collect later.”
His flirting left me tongue-tied and blushing. Bryson didn’t show this side of himself often.
He gave me a peck on the cheek. “You better hurry. Those women looked desperate.”
If one more person told me to hurry, I’d curl into a ball and refuse to move. “I have to meet Aaron at three o’clock. We have a case.”
Bryson frowned as he pushed my hair behind my ear, the gentle touch igniting sparks that warmed me. “Tell them to focus on their problem. Do a chant with them. Use some generic herbs or totems and send them home. I’m pretty sure they are all looking for something to get their husbands’ attention. Nothing too urgent.”
“I’d like a date and some attention.” I procrastinated, but I couldn’t resist a few minutes of alone time with him, even if we were standing in the middle of the store.
“I’ll take you out tonight.” He winked and pushed the cart down the aisle.
Chapter 2
After my grandfather passed away, Bryson and I set up shop at Charlie and Aunt Dottie’s place. Everything in the house looked different which made it easier to walk inside, but reminded me how much my life had changed. I craved the comfort of familiarity. I pushed my grief to the back of my mind and told myself this would always be Charlie’s house, no matter how many times we changed the furniture.
I walked into the living room, we used as a waiting room, and into a crowd of anxious women. The chatter stopped, and all eyes turned to me with a mixture of respect, fear, and hope. The air stilled in my lungs at the intensity of their stares. I hadn’t grown accustomed to the blind trust most of the tribe put in my and Bryson’s magical abilities. We were called on to heal all manner of physical, mental, financial, and relational problems. It was a hell of a burden, and my shoulders slumped from the weight of it.
One look at their faces and I knew Bryson had hit the nail on the head. The ladies had asked to see me for relationship issues. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Do any of you need privacy to discuss your needs, or have you shared amongst yourselves?”
Three blushed, two laughed, and the last wrung her hands. In my former life as a mental health counselor, I wouldn’t have dreamed of breaking confidentiality or putting a client on the spot. HIPPA didn’t apply to mystical arts, and I was in a hurry to get to a murder investigation.
“Is there anyone who isn’t here for help with a problem in their romantic relationships, or lack thereof?”
When no one spoke, I went around the room pulling the heavy curtains over the windows and locked the front door, all while muffling a chuckle. I’d never get used to insinuating myself into other people’s love lives and telling them what they needed to do. I could barely handle my own. “We’re going to do something different today.”
Mrs. Matthews raised her hand. “Miss Tessa, no offense, but are you going to do magic on all of us at the same time? Here?”
“We’re going to draw on the collective energies of the female essence as a group.” I smiled and walked to the center of the room, hoping that they didn’t notice I made it up as I went. “Stand, please, and hold hands.”
The ladies cast shy glances at me and at each other as they formed a circle. I’d learned about waning desire in older women, as well as the causes. This group needed a reminder of their feminine power, more so, they needed a shot of confidence.
“Atsila,” I whispered the word for fire, which happened to be my birth mother’s name. Nothing happened. “Ladies, please repeat after me. Ah-chi-la. Ah-chi-la. Atsila.”
Mrs. Matthews yelped when the candles in the room lit. The other women turned to me with wide eyes. I had their attention.
I stomped out a rhythm and began with an invocation. “Oh, Moon, look down upon the would-be lovers, guide their feet to dance, and their bodies to love. Black Spider, weave your web around them, bind and tangle them so their affections can never flee.”
The women followed my lead, swaying and stomping.
I chanted an old love spell I remembered from Charlie’s book. “I take your kiss and return it. I take your body and worship it. I take your heart and protect it.”
The women repeated each phrase as they circled the living room.
“We are strong.” Sweat broke out on my forehead, and I shrugged out of my cardigan. I closed my eyes and danced around the circle as the women repeated my words. “We are beautiful. We are powerful. We are desirable.”
The energy in the room brought a smile to my face. Yes. This was exactly what the ladies needed. I soared on the high of knowing I had tapped into their psyches and provided some healing. “We are deserving of love. We are sensual, sexual beings.”
“Sexual beings!” The women called out to me.
I stepped on something soft and opened my eyes to find Mrs. Matthews’ blouse on the floor. Slowing the rhythm of my feet, I spun in a slow circle. It took my brain a few minutes to catch up to my eyes. The women, in various states of undress, continued to dance.
“Thank you for your blessings, Great Mother.” I stilled in the center of the circle and whispered the spell to extinguish the candles. However, the flames didn’t respond. They continued to dance along with the women. My spirit animal, the firebird, stirred inside me, heating my skin as she fought to burst from my body and join the party.
It hit me, the energy in the room wasn’t only feminine, but sexual. So much so that my breasts felt heavy, and the ache between my thighs left me wanting. I hadn’t managed an orgasm since the day Charlie died. Not because of grief or guilt, but out of a fear of losing control and unleashing my flames.
The front door opened, and Bryson stood stock still with his keys in his hand and his jaw on the floor. The color drained from his tanned face as he turned to go, stopped, looked back, and left the house. Thankfully, the ladies didn’t notice him or he might not have made it out with his virtue intact.
I clapped my hands together three times. “Ladies. We are finished. Ladies!”
One by one, they came out of their trance-like states. Their serene expressions morphed into confusion and embarrassment. No one spoke as they quickly redressed. The change in noise level left my ears ringing. Something had happened in that circle. Though I had no idea what I’d unleashed, I felt the effects spiritually and physically.
I opened the door to find Bryson sitting on the porch swing with a curious look on his face. “Hey. We’re finished. I have to go.”
He crooked his finger, calling me to him.
I took a step forward, not trusting myself to go any closer. The corner of his mouth turned up in a grin, but his eyes held a dark look that sent tingles through my already sparking nerves. The spell’s sexual energy had claimed another victim.
“What did you do in there?”
My eyes followed the movement of his hand as he adjusted himself through his jeans. “I’m not sure.”
He shook his head and headed for the steps. “I’m not going in until everyone leaves.”
“That’s probably wise.” I caught his arm and stepped closer. “I’ll call Aaron and tell him I’ll be late.”
“Tessa.” His lips brushed my earlobe before he pulled back. “We can’t have sex until you get control of your magic.”
My spirit animal happened to be a firebird. When I got hot and bothered, so did she, but her idea of hot involved actual fire. “Backyard?”
“We agreed there’s no need to rush things.” He sighed and stepped back.
I grabbed his hips and pulled him closer. “I’m tired of waiting. Aren’t you?”
“I’m willing to wait as long as it takes. Besides, you have a suicide investigation, a grieving family, and dinner with Darlene.”
I couldn’t argue with his logic. The timing stunk, but he’d turned me down several times over the previous weeks. The rejection stung. We spent a considerable amount of time together, during office hours and after, but I needed more from him than time. “All right, all right. No sex.”
“Clear the house before you go.” Bryson chuckled as he released me.
