“Stop casting a spell against me. It won’t stop me. Ouch. Stop it.” She stepped away. Candy Cherry glared at me. Jane turned and ran. Then Candy Cherry and Mr. Fine followed after her.
“What was that all about?” Mindy asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m glad she left.” I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.
“We need to call the police,” Mindy said.
Karyn stepped from behind the building. “There’s nothing the police can do to stop her right now.”
“Karyn. What’s going on?” I asked.
“That’s my sister. Isn’t she lovely? Apparently she’s come to Magnolia looking for trouble.” She folded her arms in front of her chest.
“How did this happen, Karyn? How did your sister get to this level?”
“About five years ago, the decision for coven leader came up. It was between the two of us. I don’t know why they decided to pit sisters against each other, but they did. Not that we’d ever gotten along well anyway. There was always a level of competition between us. She felt as if she always had to compete with her older sister. I tried to get along, but ultimately she didn’t want any part of it. When the coven decided to make me the leader, she kind of went off on a tangent, throwing black magic around everywhere on a whim. She was famous for casting spells to change her appearance. She loved doing that.”
That was when it hit me. It made sense. Jane had changed her appearance to look like Karyn. She had been at my house that night. I knew something wasn’t right about that.
“What else had she done?”
“I never thought she’d be back. She changed her appearance so that when I went into High Fashion yesterday, I didn’t even recognize her.”
“Wow, she’s good,” Mindy said.
“Too good. That’s why they wouldn’t allow her to practice magic anymore.”
“So what happened? Why is she back?” I asked.
“I suppose she served her time. It wouldn’t have been my decision, although I guess they’ll rethink their decision now.”
We walked back toward Book Nook as we talked.
“Can I ask who are they?”
“The Order of the Covens. They oversee all covens and keep order within the witchcraft world.”
“Is that what happened to Brianna and Becky?”
She nodded. “Yes. And I’m afraid they’ll take my sister back again. I wish it didn’t have to be that way, but there is no choice. She decided years ago that she wasn’t going to practice white magic. She went over to the dark side. When she cast spells on the entire coven, that was when they put a stop to her magic. I guess she came back for her revenge.”
“I’m so sorry, Karyn,” I said as I opened the store’s door.
“No, what are you sorry for? It’s my sister. I’m sorry that she did this to you.” Karyn followed toward the counter.
Had Karyn known that her sister was coming back? Was that the real reason she’d left town and wanted me to be the coven leader? No one had wanted the necklace. It was as if they’d just wanted to get rid of the thing.
“Did you give me the necklace because you knew that she would come back for it?”
Karyn paused and looked out the window. I had my answer. I’d thought I could trust her. Obviously I had been wrong.
Finally Karyn turned to me. “I didn’t think she would do anything. I figured if she knew a non-witch had the necklace that she wouldn’t bother you. After all, you weren’t the coven leader.”
“But you asked me to be the coven leader.” I searched her eyes.
“I knew you wouldn’t do it.” Karyn studied her high-heeled shoes.
“So that was all a scam? What about that stuff about me having natural talent?”
“If you had decided to be the leader I wouldn’t have let you keep the necklace. I would never put you in danger, Larue. I like you and I care about you. You’re a wonderful person and a great friend. I hope you won’t hate me.” She pleaded with her stare.
I tried to process the revelation. My thoughts were muddled. I wasn’t sure what to think. Karyn seemed sincere, but I had no idea who I could trust anymore.
“How did she find me?” I asked.
“Jane cast the spell that would lead her to the necklace. Once she found you, she cast a spell that would draw upon any weakness or fear you might have. If a demon had been around or in the background, she