Brewing Boys (Tree's Hollow Witches Book 3)

  Brewing Boys

  by

  Sara Bourgeois

  Chapter One

  I could barely breathe as the nurse pulled me out into the hallway.

  “You have to wait out here, darlin.” She said in a thick Creole accent.

  Her dark lips curled into a reassuring smile, and then she patted my arm and rushed back into the room with Nate. I watched her thick, black curls bounce as the back of her head disappeared through the door.

  She was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen, and there was a light in her eyes that almost seemed otherworldly. An angel. Oh god, it was an angel. Was she here to take him or to save him?

  The angel couldn’t be here to take him. His mother had appeared for that. The angel must be here to intercede. It has to be. I can’t stomach the thought of anything else.

  After what felt like an eternity, most of the doctors and nurses filed out of Nathan’s room looking sweaty and spent. I looked through the doorway, and the Creole nurse was still in the room standing over Nate. She was patting his hand and whispering to him even though he appeared to be unconscious.

  He was unconscious.

  His monitors had come back to life and the sound of them beeping was music to my ears. The nurse walked around and stood next to me quietly for a moment while I tried to catch my breath. Her presence was soothing even though she said nothing at first.

  “I’m Ariel.” The nurse finally spoke. “I need you to listen to me.”

  My heart started to race, but Ariel put her hand on my shoulder. In my mind, I could hear the soft sounds of a nearby stream and the soft singing of birds. It was as if the melody was in the distance and in my head at the same time, and it was comforting.

  “Okay.” I practically whispered.

  “I was sent here to save Nathan, but I’m the angel of nature. Lenny, do you understand?”

  “I think so.”

  “I’ve interceded on his behalf, but nature requires balance. That balance must be paid. I don’t know why they chose me for this job or why you’re about to be put to the test, but Lenny, you are about to be tested. How your story with Nathan ends depends on the outcome.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, but she was gone.

  The room felt a little heavier without her in it, but I pushed past that because my Nate was alive. I held his hand and stood there quietly thankful at his bedside for a few minutes. It wasn’t long before his father burst through the door.

  “He’s alive?” He asked.

  “Yes.”

  I vaguely remembered calling Lincoln from the hallways while the doctors and nurses brought Nate back to life. After a hug, he excused himself to the hallway to call Nate’s stepmother.

  “She’s on her way.” He said when he came back into the room.

  After that, we resumed our pattern of holding vigil over Nathan. A doctor came in to talk with Lincoln, and he asked that I stay in the room while she explained his son’s condition.

  Nathan had a stroke. He was unconscious and possibly in a coma. There was a specialist from the Neurology Department scheduled to come in and run tests on Nate later that day if he didn’t wake up.

  Lincoln had to leave to pick up his wife at the airport, but I stayed in the waiting room while they wheeled Nathan to the Neurology Department. It was a long, arduous wait. I did have time to meet Nathan’s step-mom, Helen before the doctor came back.

  “Hello, Lenny.” She said and extended a thin hand out to me.

  Helen was a slight woman, and I’d guess that she’d lost a couple of pounds over the last few days. On a woman as tall and rail thin as her, two pounds gone was enough to make her look drawn and gaunt.

  Her style wasn’t what I expected, but I’m not sure what I expected a step-mother to look like. Lincoln was always dressed in khakis or slacks with dress shirts and a sweater vest. He looked like a college professor.

  It was fitting because that’s what Lincoln was before he retired. As I looked at Helen, it dawned on me that she was probably his polar opposite. Her long, flowing skirt was a bold pink, and the white tunic she wore over it was adorned with embroidered yellow butterflies at the hem. Helen reminded me of an older version of Kizzy, and I started to wonder if there could be more to Helen than I could have imagined.

  “Hello, Helen. It’s nice to meet you even though I wish it could be under better circumstances.”

  She pulled me into a hug, and that’s when I felt it. There was something more to her. It was like a spark just under the surface. I couldn’t tell if she was a witch just yet, but there was something supernatural ebbing and flowing inside of Nathan’s step-mom.

  We all sat quietly in the waiting room for another hour before the Neurologist, Dr. Tran, came to speak with us. He had a grim look on his face that made my stomach churn. Lincoln and Helen shot out of their chairs as the doctor walked in. I got up as well, but I was much slower because I started to feel dizzy.

  “How are you all?” Dr. Tran said in a steady, forced tone.

  “As good as can be expected,” Lincoln answered quietly.

  “I wish that I had better news for you folks.” Dr. Tran’s statement made my chest clench. “Nathan is in a coma. The good news is that it’s not a deep coma, and there is a chance he could wake up as long as he continues to improve and doesn’t have another stroke.”

  “What do you mean he’s not in a deep coma?” Lincoln asked.

  “There are different levels of coma. Some people are unconscious while their body heals, but some patients have such extensive brain damage that they are either in or nearly in a persistent vegetative state.” Dr. Tran said and then cleared his throat. “But, that’s not Nathan’s case. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that it’s not possible, but at this point, it’s unlikely. He still has a chance at recovery.”

  “How long will he be like this?” Helen asked as she clenched and unclenched her fists.

  I felt the air in the room shift as she did. The energy around us changed with her moods, and I knew I had to figure out what type of supernatural she was. If she could affect energy this way, maybe she could help Nathan. The problem was that I had no idea how to bring the topic up.

  “We don’t know.” Dr. Tran said. “It could be days or longer. He could wake up at any time. We’re going to keep him in the Intensive Care Unit for now. The most important thing we can do is keep him from having another stroke.”

  “But he was moved out of the ICU after his surgery,” Lincoln said.

  “That’s true, but I don’t think that was the best decision. I’ve discussed the matter with his doctor, and we’ve decided that intensive care is the best place for him for now.”

  Thanks to a little magic, I was allowed to go into the ICU and see Nathan. It was easier when he was in a regular room, but my spell greased the wheels of hospital administration, and I was allowed to sit at his bedside for a few minutes.

  “His oxygen was a little low.” The nurse checking his vitals told me when she saw me looking at the mask covering his face.

  I wasn’t sure if his breathing was really labored, or if it was my imagination. His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nate was a million miles away from me. I was holding his hand in mine, but he felt so distant that it was like I’d never see him or kiss him again. Had it truly only been a couple of days since I was ready to run downstairs and get a priest to marry us? It felt like it had been years.

  Before I could get myself even more twisted up in anxious thoughts and longing, the nurse came in and told me that my time was up. I wanted to protest, but it was Lincoln and Helen’s turn to
come sit with Nathan.

  “You should go get some rest, or go do something fun,” Lincoln said as we stood in the hallway waiting for them to let him into the ICU. “I know that seems impossible, but it’s what he’d want.”

  “Lenny, he’s going to wake up, and when he does, you want to be rested and ready for him,” Helen said and took my hand. Again, I could feel that current flowing just underneath her skin. “He’ll need you to be strong.”

  They were right. I wasn’t going to be any good for Nathan if I let myself get stretched too thin while he was unconscious. It wasn’t selfish to take care of myself.

  I decided that what I really needed was a walk in the woods. Without thinking too much about it, I got in my Jeep and drove to a parking area on the outskirts of the forest. As soon as I stepped onto the path and felt the sunlight streaming through the trees on my face, my spirits lifted.

  It wasn’t long before I realized where I was. The path I was walking lead to the cabin where I could find Kizzy if I knocked three times. I began to wonder if she could tell me anything about Nate’s condition, or if she knew anything about what I’d felt with Helen.

  “You should knock.” The voice startled me.

  I looked down, and it was Jezebel. She was seated at my feet looking up at me. I almost laughed at my current situation. My talking, teleporting cat was telling me to knock on the door of an abandoned cabin to summon the spirit of a deceased fortuneteller. This was my life now, but that thought comforted me.

  “Are you going to keep doing that?” I asked Jez with mock annoyance.

  She laughed and said, “Yep.”

  “So, you think I should go in?”

  “I think time alone in the woods is good for recharging your batteries, but you’ve done that. You need friends to get through this.” Jezebel said as she started to sashay towards the cabin steps. “Plus, you look dumb just standing there staring at a creepy old house.”

  “I’ve got you.” I teased as I followed. “You’ve been there for me through the worst.”

  “I’ll not be tricked into saying something mushy.”

  “But now I know you’re thinking something mushy,” I stated with a laugh.

  She shot a withering scowl over her shoulder, and I laughed even harder. It felt good, and even better, I knew right then that I could make it through this.

  I took the steps slowly. The curiosity about what happened if you knocked more or less than three times sprang into my brain. Something horrible could happen, but changing the knocks could make amazing things happen too. I felt it was worth the risk, so I held my breath and rapped four times. I’m not sure why I chose four, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

  When the door opened, it took my breath away. I almost started to cry, but I managed to hold it together. Standing on the other side of the door was my Papa. When I looked inside the cabin, it looked exactly like my grandfather’s house.

  “Oh, Sweetie. I was hoping you’d come.” Papa said and pulled me into a tight hug.

  That was when I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. It had been so many years since he’d passed on, but I could still remember the time I’d spent with my Papa vividly.

  “Papa, if I’d known you were here, I’d have come sooner,” I said as he handed me his handkerchief. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s okay, Lenny.” He said and stepped back from the door, so I could come in. “I might not have been here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, knocking four times on the door doesn’t necessarily summon your grandfather, Sweetie. When you knock four times, you get whoever you need the most at that particular time.”

  I followed him into the kitchen and marveled my surroundings. It looked exactly like my grandparent’s house, and it smelled like it too. I took a deep breath and savored the scent of peppermint and lemon cleaner. A pang of longing stabbed my chest.

  “Where is Grandma?” I asked as I took a seat at the kitchen table.

  “She’s around.” He said with a twinkle in his eye. “But, you won’t be able to see her today. It’s just your dear old grandad. Would you like some cocoa?”

  “Yes, please,” I said with the same enthusiasm I’d had for his cocoa as a girl, and that made him chuckle.

  “I’ll grab you some cookies too.”

  I watched him pull a Tupperware container out of the pantry, and my mouth started to water. Could it really be Gram’s cookies? I could smell them the second he popped the lid.

  “Grandma’s cookies?” I asked. “But, how?”

  “The universe has decided that what you need right now is your Gram’s cookies and hot cocoa with your Papa, Sweetie. So, that’s what you’re going to get.” He busied himself getting a plate and saucepan to heat the milk. Papa always used milk he’d cooked on the stove for the cocoa. He never used water, and he never used the microwave either.

  “I don’t suppose I can call Aunt Kara,” I said and pulled out my phone. “I know how badly she would want to see you.”

  “No, Lenny. Not today.” He said with a sad smile. “But, if she ever needs me, I’m here.”

  It was quiet for a few minutes while he stirred the milk and added the cocoa and vanilla. Papa took his hot chocolate seriously, and I knew better than to interrupt him. It was nice, and I took the time to enjoy the serene feeling I got from being in a place I’d loved so much as a child. I also couldn’t shake the feeling that my Grandma was sitting at the table with me. My face hurt from smiling so much.

  When the hot chocolate was done, Papa poured the hot liquid into two blue mugs he took from the cabinet left of the stove. My mug had a picture of a goose on it, and his cup had a chicken. It was exactly how we used to drink it when I was eight. I always got my favorite mug, and he had his. My cheeks finally got a break as my smile faded. Papa had a solemn look on his face, and it sent a chill down my spine.

  “I think you can tell I’ve got something serious to talk to you about.” He said and took my hand.

  My heart started to pound in my chest, and I felt the color drain from my face. I was able to take a deep breath and calm myself a little when he squeezed my hand tight.

  “It’s okay, Sweetie. I didn’t mean to scare you. What I have to tell you isn’t good, but in the end, I’m sure it’s going to be okay. That’s the most important thing I need you to take away from this. You’re going to make it through what comes next.” He said and smiled softly.

  "What do you mean? What comes next?" I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

  I had some ideas about what it could be. What I was worried about most that was Nathan wasn't going to make it. I had to push down the sudden panic as I envisioned him having another stroke and dying while I sat here at a ghostly copy of my grandparents’ kitchen table. Was that why I was here? Was I meant to be with my grandfather when the love of my life died?

  "It's not that." He said, and I realized he'd read my mind, or at the very least he could see it written on my face. "Although, if it were, you know that he'd be okay. We'd take care of him over here. His mother is here too, but you know that already."

  That statement about his mother, it made me wonder about my own. Papa could see that I was thinking about her, so he spoke up.

  "No, Lenny. Your mother isn't here. I can't say much more. There are some rules in this place, but I can tell you she's not here yet."

  "Thank you for letting me know, but you should explain the rest. Please tell me what's coming, Papa."

  He took a deep breath and then a sip of his hot cocoa. I followed suit and was amazed at how real it felt drinking it. This was all so real. It felt even more real than being at Kizzy's place. When you were in her parlor, it became apparent that it was a spectral copy if you looked close enough. But here, this was an exact copy. Even Papa looked as alive as the last day I'd seen him. He wasn't transparent at all.

  "Nathan will live, Lenny, but there is a trial ahead for the two of you." This all sounded ve
ry familiar. "Most of the burden lies with you, Sweetie. You're going to be tested. How you react to what's coming will determine both yours and Nathan's fate."

  "How will I be tested?" I asked. "And, why is this happening?"

  "Your trial will be revealed to you soon, Lenny. I can't tell you that. I'm sorry. As far as why this is happening, only the universe and the Goddess know that. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because your life's purpose is special. So, you have work to do before that purpose is revealed to you. But, the universe and the Goddess are not unkind. They have attempted to give you some warning and comfort before you begin."

  "Before I begin? You mean, this is just the beginning?" I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that.

  "Yes, Sweetie. If I am correct and you are chosen for something special, this is just the start. You'll get through this, and then you'll have to prove your strength again."

  "I'm not sure I want to be special or chosen," I said sadly. I couldn't believe that this might be the beginning of more challenging times.

  "And that, my dear, is one of the many reasons why you are perfect for the job." He said and stood up. "Now, come give your Papa a hug."

  I stood up and walked around the table to him. He embraced me tightly, and I could swear that I felt my Grandma there too.

  "What job?' I asked before pulling back slightly.

  "That is far above my pay grade." He said and smiled at me. "Just know that you're going to be okay. I know you can do this. I could tell when you were a little girl that you had a warrior's heart."

  I closed my eyes as he pulled me in for another hearty squeeze. When I opened them, he was gone. I was standing in the middle of the empty cabin. Alone.

  "You're not alone, Lady."

  I looked down, and Jezebel was at my feet. I felt terrible because I'd almost forgotten that she'd been with me when I knocked on the cabin door.

  "You didn't almost forget. You did forget. But, that's fine. I guess I'm not that important." Jezebel said sarcastically.

  "You know you're important, Jez. Now you're just fishing for a compliment."

  "I shouldn't have to fish for them." She said and then trotted down the path that led to the cabin. "But, speaking of fish."