Chapter 320

Tessa’s POV

I had never been to Esme’s actual apartment before, and I really wasn’t sure what I was expecting. But as soon as we stepped through the door, I wasn’t surprised to see how beautifully decorated it was. She had a collection of different crystals and gemstones layered on shelves and in different cases. She had different magical tools as well, such as wands along with a big case of different potions.

Other than that, she had normal decorations too such as beautiful paintings that she’s purchased at art sales and auctions. Her couch has a nicely knitted quilt that matches its cushions. There were a couple of comfortable reclining seats near the couch with a coffee table and a fireplace. Above the fireplace hung a big, screened TV.

I was surprised to see some photos on top of the fireplace, one of Esme with my mother and one with my mother’s coven circle.

Attached to the living room was a kitchen and dining room area. There was a hallway that went past the kitchen and led to what I’m assuming were the rooms and bathroom.

Esme was walking out of the kitchen with her brows furrowed when she saw us.

“Thanks, Jessie,” she said to the young girl. “These are my friends and my coven; they are always welcome here. I pretty much live with them when I’m not here.”

The girl, Jessie, looked surprised by this. I’m surprised that Esme came out and told Jessie that we were her coven. This meant that the girl could be trusted, and she was possibly a witch as well.

“It’s nice to officially meet you,” I said to her.

She couldn’t have been older than 18 and her smile was charming as she peeked up at me through her long lashes.

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m still learning this stuff so I’m sorry if I seemed a bit rude downstairs.”

I was surprised by her apology because was nothing but sweet. I could tell she didn’t want to get in trouble with Esme by bothering her after Esme told her not to, so I didn’t blame her for being reluctant to call her.

“You weren’t rude at all,” I assured her.

Jessie beamed.

“I should go back downstairs and keep an eye on the store,” Jessie said, waving at us as she walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind her.

Esme just shook her head, but she smiled fondly at the retreating girl.

“She’s very young,” Esme said.

“Is she part of a coven herself?” I found myself asking.

“Yes, a shitty one,” Esme said, rolling her eyes. “I’m surprised her parents allow her to venture out and work for me. I have no bad blood with this coven or this girl’s parents. I’ve known them for a while, and they’ve tried to get me to join their coven at one point. I respectfully declined. The coven leader was an asshole and he got off on control. Women weren’t allowed to do anything other than housework and have children. He barely even allowed them to practice magic.”

“So, why did they let Jessie work for you?”

“I’m honestly not sure. I guess he’s trying to change his ways or something. Her parents were desperate to get Jessie out of there for at least part of the night. They didn’t come right out and ask me to employ her; her mother was venting to me about how she wants Jessie to get out more and that she doesn’t want her hanging around the coven if she doesn’t have to. Now that the leader is allowing a bit more freedom, she wants Jessie to get out more. She sounded desperate for it so I offered Jessie a job. She’s only worked with me for a couple of weeks, but she seems to like it. Even her mother says that Jessie is a lot happier than she had been,” Esme explained with a shrug. “I’m a sucker for helping the youth.”

“That was really kind of you,” I told her honestly.

She nodded.

“It’s nice having another employee here; especially when I’m not here as often as I used to be,” Esme admitted. “It was only a matter of time before I had to hire someone. I’m glad I could help Jessie out while also helping myself out.”

I nodded in agreement.

“Well, if Jessie ever wants to leave her current coven, we have room,” I said, peaking at Joseph who raised his brows at me. “Granted, we’d probably have to get a bigger place seeming the spare bedroom is being turned into a nursery.”

“If it comes down to it, I’ll mention it to them. But I don’t think it’ll be that easy. Jessie is pretty loyal to her parents, even if their living arrangement isn’t great,” Esme said, sighing. “But anyways, what brings you two here at his hour?”

“Oh, right!” I said, almost forgetting' why we came here in the first place. “I went to see my father and something weird happened that I wanted to talk to you about.”

Esme’s brows raised as she looked from me to Joseph and then back to me.

“Want to sit down?” She asked, motioning for the dining table.

I nodded and sat down in one of the wooden seats with Joseph sitting beside me.

“I’m not entirely sure where this is going,” Joseph admitted. “She wanted to bring it up to you first because she’s not sure how to put it into words.”

I nodded in agreement.

“I was hoping you’d be able to put it into words,” I admitted, fiddling with my fingers nervously.

“Okay, start from the beginning. What happened?”

“Well, we went to see Ruby earlier to tell her the good news about our pregnancy,” I explained. “And Ruby told us she had a vision about my father. Apparently Penny …or Eevee… kills him.”

Esme gasped and her eyes grew large.

“She kills him?” She asked for clarification.

“Yes,” I answered. “She drinks his blood after she finishes drinking the blood of a horse.”

She crinkled her nose in disgust.

“So, it’s true then. Anna was right; she’s a vampire.” It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway.

“I have reason to believe that she’s my old Overseer, Benji’s, daughter,” Joseph further explained. “Her name is Eevee and I think she’s trying to continue what her father started.”

“She wants Tessa’s powers,” Esme said, shaking her head with disgust written all over her face. “She would need a very powerful spell and an even more powerful witch. With Lucias dead, I don’t think she’d be able to do anything. Unless he’s not the only witch she had on her side.”

Another witch being on the side didn’t even occur to me; my stomach was cramped at the thought.

“Did she mention anything about it in her vision?” Esme asked.

I shook my head.

“Not about having another witch on her side. But she did mention that she ran out of some kind of elixir that helps her with her bloodlust,” I answered. “We think Lucier has been giving her this elixir and now that he’s dead, she doesn’t have that source anymore. Which is why she kills that horse and my father, but because she’s going through a withdrawal.”

Esme nodded.

“Okay, that makes sense,” Esme agreed. “When is this supposed to happen?”

“Next Monday,” Joseph and I say at the same time.

“So, why are you here and not with your father? Shouldn’t you be warning him? Or is it because you don’t want to mention this in front of Eevee?”

“Right now, Eevee is trying to get that elixir without Lucier’s help,” I told her. “Ruby’s vision takes place after she fails at getting the elixir and she starts to withdraw. We just came from my father’s house, and he won’t listen to us.”

Esme raised her brows.

“He won’t listen to you?”

“No, he won’t,” I said, sounding as irritated as I felt. “He thinks I’m out to get his dearest wife. He keeps proclaiming his love for her and says that Penny would never betray him. He thinks I’m lying about her…”

Esme’s brows pinched together.

“That’s strange,” she breathed. “With everything going on… with everything he knows… you’d think he’d at least listen to what you have to say.”

“That’s what I was saying too,” I said, peeking over at Joseph who met my eyes curiously.

I looked back at Esme.

“I asked my father some questions about Penny. About where she was and if he ever met the family she claims to be seeing right now,” I told her. “He answered each question like they were rehearsed.”

“Rehearsed you say?” Esme asked, leaning forward.

I nodded and then bit my lower lip.

“This part is going to make me sound crazy,” I admitted. “But when he answered the questions, I swear I saw something green flash through his eyes. Slithering across like a snake.”

“Wait what?” Joseph asked, raising his brows. “I didn’t see that.”

“I did see it… twice. When he answered those questions, it sounded rehearsed. It was there in a flash and then gone before I could blink.”

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“I know what I saw, and this is why I didn’t want to say anything earlier because it makes me sound crazy,” I said, feeling annoyed.

“I believe you,” Esme said quickly and yet so quietly I had to lean closer to hear her.

“You do?” I asked her, my eyes filling with hope.

She nodded her head once and the grim look on her face made me even more nervous.

“What does it mean? Do you know?” I dared to ask her.

She met my eyes and nodded again.

“It could only mean one thing and if that’s the case. We might be in trouble,” she said, glancing between Joseph and me.

“Go on…” Joseph said, impatiently.

“It means that Tessa’s father is under a spell,” she said, glancing between the two of us. “A spell that a witch cast. A spell that doesn’t disappear with death.”

“What does this spell do?” I asked, my voice quivering with fear.

“It basically brainwashes a person,” she answered. “It’s a different spell that was placed on the coven. This spell is usually held together by a single object. Whoever is the holder of the object controlling the mind of the one the spell was cast? My guess is Lucier cast a spell on your father and the spell is tied together by an object that Penny is holding. She’s controlling his mind and making him believe certain things…”

Good thing I was sitting because my legs were suddenly weak. I would have fallen over if I were standing.

“So, that means we have to find that object?” Joseph said.

“Penny isn’t in town… she’s far away,” I whispered. “She won’t be back until Sunday. Which means we are only going to have a day to find that object and destroy it before Penny kills my father.”