Witchy Sour(16)
I put the ingredients away and filed each jar in its rightful place before starting up the stairs to the attic. “Thanks for everything, Gus. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“That’s a lie. You did it all on yer own, I just supervised.”
“Have a nice night, Gus.”
“Lily,” he called, almost as an afterthought. “You did good. That’s a hard thing for even an experienced Mixologist to do.”
“Which part?”
“All of it,” Gus said. “Creating The Elixir is just the start. It gets more difficult from here on out.”
“Did I do the right thing?” I asked, taking a few steps back down the stairs. “Because it doesn’t feel like it.”
“You did what you had to do, and that is the nature of your job.”
“I just wish the last Mixologist was still alive. I have so many questions about everything.”
Gus thunked his cane across the room and came to a stop in front of me. “You don’t need to hear opinions from the outside when it comes to your instincts. You don’t need me, or your aunts, or your cousins, telling you what is right or wrong.”
“I don’t like making those decisions.”
“The Mixologist is chosen based on many criteria,” Gus said. “Part of the criteria is the notion of good and evil. By nature, you are a good person. We have never had an evil Mixologist, and I doubt it’s possible.”
“I thought it was all based on blood lines.”
“Blood lines play a role in it. Zin, Poppy, all of Trinket’s other rascals—they all could’ve become the Mixologist based on blood alone, yet you were the one chosen. Trust that you inherited this place for a reason,” Gus said, gesturing to the storeroom. “The knowledge and instincts run through your veins. Instead of turning outside to find the answer, you must turn inside and listen. When you learn how to listen to your heart, you’ll find the difference between right and wrong.”
“What if I can’t hear it?”
“You can, and you will. It takes time, like all things.” Gus returned to the table, a sign the conversation was rapidly coming to an end. “Next time you’re faced with a tough decision, use it as practice. Take a moment to be silent...and just listen.”
Chapter 6
Thirty minutes later, I’d showered, splashed on a bit of makeup, and slipped into a light, summery dress. My mind whirred at an incredible rate, but Gus’s words had helped calm my pounding heart. Standing in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I did a quick twirl and watched as the dress floated around my knees.
It felt good to get cleaned up and put on a nice outfit. I rarely had a night away from the shop, and when I did, it was usually reserved for dinner with the family. In recent weeks, Mimsey had forced Gus to let me out early once per week, and she was a strict enforcer of family meals. It was nice to have someone watching out for me, since most of my life, I’d fended for myself.
The sun was setting outside, casting beautiful glows of red and orange and pinks across my room. The attic had been converted into a quaint bedroom with fluffy white pillows and a snowy, lush comforter. I was sorely tempted to crawl under the soft covers and just sleep.
“No you don’t, Lily Locke,” I said, muttering to myself in the mirror. “You have one night off, and you will not spend it sleeping.”
Throwing a thick shawl over my shoulders, I made my way downstairs. Gus was gone already, so I did one final sweep of the storeroom, careful not to step on any of the yarn or wires still out from our theorizing the night before. Both the interior and the outside bar were deserted, so I turned the key in the lock and bounced down the front steps.
I trudged through the sand, the warm, dazzling crystals cascading over my toes as I walked. I’d lived in flip-flops ever since I’d arrived because really, anything else was impractical. I strolled toward The Twist, the garden labyrinth outside of Hettie’s house that kept visitors—welcome or not—at bay.
My plans for tonight were simple. First, I would stop by The Twist to see if my cousins were available for a stroll. I wanted to return the extra coins Liam had left on the counter, and I figured the walk across The Isle would be a lot more fun with company. After that, maybe the three of us would grab a bite to eat at the restaurant near the B&B. Knowing the girls, all I had to do was offer to pay for food and they’d leap at the opportunity to join.
However, my plans went off track before I made it to The Twist.
Spotting one of my cousins on the way, I stepped from the sandy beach onto a green expanse of grass, raising a hand to shield the setting sun. Ten feet away, Zin sat as still as a stone statue, her eyes shut and her hands on her head. Close to me stood my grandmother, Hettie, dressed in a tiara that dazzled from the glow of the lake and a hoodie that read “Dance Mom” in blinging letters.