Looking for Mr. Good Witch by Joyce and Jim Lavene Read Free Book Online

or you’ll find yourself without family or money in the future, do you understand?”
    â€œI get it.” Brian raised his chin and stared down his father. “I’ve been without family for a long time. As far as money is concerned, I’ll just sell the gifts you’ve given me to make up for actually spending time with me. Thanks for the heads-up.”
    Without another word, Schadt and Yuriza abruptly vanished.
    â€œCan you do that, Brian?” Elsie asked him. “If so, can you teach me?”
    Brian shook himself. “It’s not something teachable. Some of the families pay a premium to the council for the extra magic it takes. It’s convenient—charms and spells, that kind of thing. I know you don’t do it, but lots of other witches do. Are you guys ready to go now? Let’s finish this.”
    Elsie and I, with Olivia and her staff, led the way to Elsie’s house on Grace Street in my car. Of course we discussed the unfairness of being able to purchase more magic on the way there. None of us had even known it was possible to purchase more magic.
    â€œSo that’s why some witches are able to keep their magic for hundreds of years.” Elsie nodded, the purple velvet hat covering her faded red curls. “It makes sense to me now. Why should the witching world be any fairer than the normal world?”
    â€œI guess that’s what made Dorothy’s father so powerful and vital when I met him, even though he was a thousand years old.” Olivia sighed. “I had no idea you could pay for extra magic. I wonder what it costs.”
    â€œProbably more than any of us have,” Elsie said. “And let’snot forget that Dorothy’s father was so evil that you had to hide her from him all these years.”
    â€œI don’t see where one has anything to do with the other,” Olivia argued. “Besides, I am quite well-to-do.”
    â€œAnd you’re also quite dead. Having enough money to buy more magic doesn’t seem to be in your future.” Elsie smugly smiled.
    â€œI could buy extra magic for Dorothy.” Olivia shrugged. “Well,
she
could buy extra magic with my money.”
    â€œI’m not sure if Brian can really stand up to his parents.” I changed the subject. “If they want him back badly enough, they’ll probably just take him.”
    â€œMaybe it would be just as well for Dorothy,” Olivia said.
    â€œFor Dorothy?” Elsie asked. “Please.”
    We were finally at Elsie’s house. It was a lovely place that was surrounded by tall, old trees and green shrubs. It wasn’t historic, like Dorothy and Olivia’s house, but it was very nice. Bill had provided a good income while he’d been alive. Elsie had taught school until she’d retired.
    Dorothy and Brian were standing in the cobblestone driveway with their heads together—literally—his head against hers. Their fingers were entwined.
    â€œAren’t they cute?” Elsie giggled. “I don’t know how you can
not
want to see them together, Olivia. You might even have grandchildren.”
    â€œGrandchildren?” Olivia slid from the car like hot smoke. “I’m not old enough to be a grandmother. I suppose I never will be now.”
    â€œYou’ve got a hundred years before you move on,” I reminded her. “You should fill them as carefully as you did your house when you were alive.”
    She bit her lip and floated away. It was an emotional subject for her.
    Elsie opened the front door to her house, and we filed inafter her. It wasn’t as grand or filled with antiques, but it had a nice homey feel to it that I’d always enjoyed.
    â€œI guess the foyer is as good a place as any for the spell.” She took out several red candles that had been in a bureau to the left side of the door. “We can set them right here.”
    To my surprise, as Elsie touched each candle,