Fiery Gemstones (A Heston Witch Novella) Read online

  “Too late for that,” Eden scoffed.

  “Hey, it’s not my fault that both your daughters,” she waved her cup across to include both her sisters, “consider me their favourite aunt.”

  “No, it’s not. But it is your fault that they take their inspiration from your wildest pranks.”

  “That’s not fair. The girls have vivid imaginations and they know how to use them. Besides, we’re all role models for them. And it’s not like we didn’t get into any scrapes when we were their age even though we didn’t have an Aunt Edna for Evie to blame all our shenanigans on.”

  “Nope, we had an Uncle Harry and that was much worse.”

  All three ladies burst out laughing.

  “Seriously, Edna,” Eden continued when their mirth over shared memories had died down, “What are we going to do about Preston Williams?”

  “I have an idea,” Ethos chipped in. “Let’s have him for dinner.”

  “Really, are we going to resort to cannibalism now? Do you really think that will be necessary?”

  “Not have him for dinner, as in devour him, silly. Have him for dinner. You know, invite him to The Happy Place for dinner.”

  “And then what? Dazzle him with our considerable charm?”

  “No, you dazzle him with your considerable charm, Edna, and if that doesn’t work, you could always do some mental mojo on the fella.”

  “Hmm that would work,” she mused aloud. “I’d wanted to get him to sit down and talk ages ago but he just keeps throwing random numbers at me, he’s obsessed with Red Rock Haven.”

  “Well, you’ll simply have to give him a new obsession. Red Rock Haven isn’t for sale, not now, not ever,” Eden stated fiercely.

  “I know that. But will he? Alright I’ll try this your way but if this doesn’t work, you guys will just have to trust me to deal with this on my own.

  “Why wouldn’t it work?” Ethos wanted to know.

  “I don’t know. I have a funny feeling about the guy, that’s all.”

  “Have you seen anything?”

  “Nope, not a thing. I didn’t even see him coming into Silverline City before he showed up around here and that is very strange.”

  “Well, whatever he is hiding up his sleeve, you’ll have a chance to read his intentions tonight.”

  “Not to put the cart before the horse, ladies…”

  “What!?”

  Both sisters turned to look at Eden. She held up her hands defensively.

  “I’m just saying, you haven’t even invited him yet.”

  “Oh,” Edna said sheepishly, “you’re right.”

  She pressed the intercom on her desk.

  “Hey Sharon,” she said to her secretary when she responded. “Help me send a message over to Williams and Shanks and tell that buffoon Preston Williams that he should meet me at the happy place at 8.00pm tonight for dinner. Tell him I’m ready to discuss his latest offer for Red Rock Haven.”

  “Ok, Ms Heston,” Sharon said cheerfully, “I’ll get right on it.”

  If she was surprised by the content of the message, she was much too professional to show it. Besides she had a good idea what the result of the meeting would be. There was no way the Hestons would move out from Red Rock Haven, no matter how many bundles of money Preston waved in their faces.

  “Will he accept the invitation?” Ethos asked curiously.

  Edna closed her eyes and focused. Her gift of prescience was very strong. Like her sisters often said, if she’d seen it, it was as good as done because her visions were never, ever wrong. She knew she’d been having issues tracking Williams so she focused on his aide and bodyguard, Burt Morgan instead. She saw them conversing in Preston’s office.

  Preston was holding a slip of paper in his hand and was gesturing with it like it was a winning raffle ticket. “Just got a message from that Heston Witch girl, Edna,” he crowed. I knew the little witchy fool would come around sooner or later.

  Huh, you wish.

  “Boss, do you really think that’s a good idea,” Burt asked with a frown.

  “Sure, sure. It’s just a little sit down with the little lady. On her own turf,” he conceded, “But don’t worry, I can handle anything that might come up. In fact, I might just have a trick or two up my own sleeve,” he concluded with a fat smirk.

  Watching Burt’s face, Edna saw him reacting with a frown as he listened to his boss’s confident spiel. She wondered if it was Preston’s arrogance or the fact that he would be meeting her for dinner that night that was turning his stomach.

  Huh, I’d say it was probably the noxious arrogance of that beast of a man, she thought.

  After all, the message she’d sent was one Preston had been badgering her for constantly though she had repeatedly declined to meet with him one on one. She’d have thought Burt would be happy that his boss’s plans were falling into place.

  Burt lifted his head as if he could see her watching him and she shrank back in alarm.

  Silly! She scoffed silently. You know he can’t see you. Of course, that’s simply not possible. There was no way he could see or sense her. She wasn’t physically there after all. She was merely exercising her prescient gift and eavesdropping on their future conversation. She pushed her subconscious back and retreated to her physical body. Wriggling her shoulders to expel the faint sense of alarm she’d felt when her subconscious gaze had met Burt’s piercing black eyes, she coloured slightly as she remembered the pleasure she had felt when she first laid eyes on his well-built physique and his short blond hair. He was so handsome, she thought dreamily as she rubbed the ring on her pinkie finger. The massive diamond on it was her own gemstone and touching it comforted her as she tried to order her thoughts.

  “Err, Edna, what’s up? What did you see?”

  She flushed a deeper shade of pink but thankfully Ethos and Eden either didn’t notice or they were being unusually tactful. At least they didn’t ask her any other questions.

  “He’ll be there,” she told her sisters. “And so will I. This nonsense ends tonight.”

  As her sisters finished their coffees and got ready to leave she detained them for a few more moments.

  “One more thing. I thought as a caring and devoted aunt, I should let you know that your offspring, my delightful nieces, are planning to sneak out of Red Rock Haven tonight, not really sure what for, though.”

  “Hand it over,” Eden said with a smile. “Told you they’d have an escapade in the works before the week was out.”

  “Drat,” Ethos said, handing her a silver coin engraved with a picture of Evie, Silverline’s only form of legal tender. “You always win. I don’t know how you do it. It’s not like you can see the future.”

  “Sweetie, I did watch the two of you grow up remember? I have more experience at this. I know what teenage witches are like.”

  Still debating what to do with their errant daughters, the two of them went off and left Eden alone. She shut the door behind them with a fond smile. Sisters.

  Where would I be without them?

  #3

  Listening to voices from yester year.

  Esther was dreaming. She knew she had to be dreaming. She was sure that she was asleep in her bed and yet it was as if she was watching events unfold through the eyes of another.

  “My subconscious is working overtime” she thought to herself within her dream. “It’s got to be all this research Elvira has me doing.”

  The girls had been reading up on the history of Silverline City, part of their ‘get to know your heritage project’. It was something they had started over two years ago and it seemed as if every time they went down to the archives they found out something new. She’d spent the day pouring over maps and journals in the old west wing library. She recognised the scenic setting as a garden of beauty and of pleasure.

  “Eden,” a voice in her head whispered. “This place was called Eden.”

  She closed her eyes in her dream and tried to will herself awake but it didn’t
work. If anything she was drawn closer to the scene she was observing and at a point, felt herself merging with the participants. It was as if she’d stepped into the set of an epic movie. From then on she was little more than a member of the audience. Deep inside her, she acknowledged that this was no simple dream. She was watching and reliving events that had happened long ago.

  She opened her eyes slowly.

  All around her there was light and warmth. She felt …safe, secure and… loved. She contemplated her feelings for a couple of moments. She became aware of another presence outside herself. No, there were two of them. One of them was like her, the other… she stretched her faculties to their limits, trying to comprehend his essence, to understand more of who he was.

  She sighed as she came to the realisation that she could never fully appreciate him. It was impossible for her to know him. He was unknowable, he was infinity itself. She gave a mental shrug and turned her attention back to the first being she’d noticed. Her heart beat in an echo of his and a voice inside her head said “Mine.” She claimed him before she fully realised what she was doing but decided it felt…Right. It felt absolutely right.

  She could hear them speaking softly. No, her intellect told her. They weren’t speaking exactly, but they were communicating all the same.

  “So what do you think?” She heard the Infinite One ask with a touch of indulgent humour in his voice.

  She turned to look at the one she had claimed and felt something inside her melt at the expression on his face.

  “She is perfection, she is exquisite, my Lord.”

  “She is yours then, since she meets your demanding criteria for a companion.”

  Her eyes returned to the one her mate had called Lord.

  Yes, it’s an apt description but still seems woefully inadequate.

  He was much more than sovereign, she sensed. He looked at her and she blinked in amazement at the reflection of warmth, love and benevolence that she saw there. He addressed her directly for the first time.

  “You are his and he is yours. This is how I intended it to be. He is Man and you, my precious darling, are Woman.”

  She shuddered as she realised that she was in the presence of her creator. His communication left her in no doubt. She could tell that he loved her and her mate with every fibre of his limitless self and she knew they were precious to him. And she knew that she had been created to complement the perfection of creation that was …

  She searched deep within herself and found what she was looking for, a link with her mate. Suddenly she knew his name and she knew all there was to know about him.

  “Adam,” she said with certainty and she could feel his pleasure in the simple fact that she knew him. She felt his delight at the sound of her voice. Everything was just perfect and that was as it should be.

  Esther came awake slowly, still steeped in contentment, with receding images of the beauty of paradise flickering behind her eyelids. This had been no ordinary dream. It was apparent that the closer to her fifteenth birthday that she got, the stronger her gifts were becoming. It was definitely part of her heritage as a Heston witch. She just didn’t know if everyone got these dreams or if it was just her. She made a mental note to ask Elvira. Elvira would definitely know. Or maybe her Aunt Edna could help.

  Definitely not mum, she’ll freak out for sure.

  Esther struggled with the realisation that she’d been watching the first moments when the Creator had presented Adam with his mate Eve. She knew the Hestons were direct descendants of the first mother. Family lore held that they were the offspring of the unnamed daughter of Eve who had been estranged from the family for marrying Cain. From Esther’s research that was the result of endless hours spent in the Heston private archives, she’d discovered that that her name was Edalene. Edalene had been written out of the family annals, disowned and shunned by the bereaved Eve after Abel had been killed. Her name wasn’t even noted by most ancient scholars, she was just called the wife of Cain.

  Huh, looks like dysfunctional families are not exactly a modern phenomenon! She thought to herself as she got out of bed and padded to the bathroom

  #4

  Dressed up to the nines with somewhere unpleasant to go to.

  “Well my dear, don’t you look absolutely wonderful,” Evie cooed. “I haven’t seen you all dressed up in ages. My, that lovely sea green does bring out the blue in your eyes, doesn’t it?”

  Evie beamed at her daughter with pride in her eyes.

  She works too hard. I hope this is pleasure and not business but somehow I doubt it.

  “So who is the lucky lad, then?”

  Wishing she was dressing up for dinner with a totally different man, she pushed thoughts of Burt out of her mind with reluctance and turned to greet Evie with a soft smile.

  “Alas, dear mother mine; it is only a business dinner. And I wouldn’t call my dinner partner a lucky lad either, though I do feel distinctly unlucky. I have to have a sit down with that imbecile Preston Williams.”

  “Whatever for?”

  Evie was aghast. She was yet to meet the man but from the reports she’d heard of his behaviour since he came into Silverline City, that slime ball was not the kind of man any mother wanted her daughter socialising with.

  “It’s a long story, mother.”

  “That’s what you all say. Make it short.”

  “Ok, ok.” She turned to face the gilded mirror that had been a present from her mum many years ago as she struggled to fix her brunette hair into a sleek chignon. Satisfied, she turned to put both her hands on her mother’s shoulders and looked into the caring grey eyes that she had known and loved all her life.

  “He has been a bit persistent and annoying with his attentions and his outrageous bids to buy Red Rock Haven. I am simply going to meet with him in a congenial place, at our expense I might add, just to make it crystal clear that neither Red Rock Haven, nor any of the Heston properties will ever be his.”

  “How long has he been bothering you? Why haven’t you told me about all this?”

  “Not that long, mother. It’s just that he is starting to grate on my nerves and I want to nip his stupidity in the bud before I lose my temper and end up doing something that he will surely regret for a long long time.”

  “Well, you will do as you see fit. I know and you know that I trust you implicitly, that goes without saying. But if it was just a simple dinner you wouldn’t have gotten that look on your face earlier when you were looking in the mirror.”

  “And what look would that be mother?”

  “The one that says ‘I’m a serious business woman and a Heston witch so everybody scram.’”

  Edna laughed out loud.

  “If you recognised that look it’s only because you have one just like it.”

  She gave her mother an affectionate hug.

  “It is only a dinner, two adults sharing a meal and some conversation. I’ll be home to see the miscreants getting grounded for sneaking out again, I promise.”

  “Ah yes, I knew the girls were up to something, I caught them plotting and planning earlier.”

  Edna gave a wry grin. “I’m certainly going to lose brownie points with the girls for ratting them out but at least I didn’t blab about the spell.”

  “Spell? What spell?” Eden asked as she came into the room. “Aww, look at you. Don’t you clean up nice? Seriously though, what spell?

  With a meaningful look at Evie first to encourage her discretion, Edna replied smoothly. “The spell that I am most likely going to have to whip up to get this yahoo out of town. But I’ll try to do it your way first.”

  “Please, credit where credit is due people,” Ethos added as she joined her mother and sisters. “I came up with the idea.”

  “So you did.” Eden responded graciously. “And we all helped refine it. Now remember…”

  “I know, I know, no turning him into a tadpole to drown in my bowl of soup. No spells that would inspire the next generation to explore
the heights of magical mastery that I, and I alone can demonstrate.” Edna simpered shamelessly.

  “Go on, get out of here,” Evie said with mock exasperation.

  “Alright, alright, I’m going already.”

  “Why is she going on her own again?”

  “Cos it’s business and she’d got the best head for it.”

  “And because this Preston guy has been bugging her and not the rest of us,” Ethos quipped.

  “Yeah about that. Why am I always the last to know anything around here?” Evie demanded.

  “What do you mean, Gramps? Ethos asked, using the affectionate moniker her daughter reserved for her mother. “We tell you everything.”

  “No, you don’t and let me tell you, I am on to you. Keeping me in the dark about stuff that concerns my girls just doesn’t cut it and I will not tolerate it. Is that clear?”

  “Crystal clear, Evie but you worry too much. We’re big girls now, we can handle ourselves.”

  Eden added her reassurances to her sister’s attempt to calm their elderly mother.

  “And we do not keep you in the dark. You know more about what happens at Red Rock Haven than anybody. It is no use pretending that you don’t cos you’re not fooling either of us.”

  Evie smiled at both of them cheerfully but there was a hint of steel in her eyes that they both knew not to mess with.

  “And I intend to keep it that way for a while at least.”

  #5

  Leeches sometimes walk on two legs.

  The Happy Place was certainly living up to its name tonight. The interior was well lit and bustling with wait staff taking and delivering orders. The ambient lighting showed the pristine white table cloths and gleaming silverware to their best advantage. The aromas coming out from behind the shiny double doors that led off to the kitchen area were enough to whet the appetite of the patrons.

  Edna had been sitting at the table that was usually reserved for Heston family and their guests. It was a lovely table within sight of the doors but with raised wicker partitions to give a semblance of privacy. Her nieces were right about one thing, the townies loved to point and stare. She glanced at the large wall clock that was ticking away on the wall right in front of her.