Phantom Quartz: A Stacy Justice Witch Mystery Book 6 (Stacy Justice Magical Mysteries) by Barbra Annino

until she reached the end of the long hallway.
    I quickly texted Chance to tell him something had come up and dinner was canceled. He offered to take me to breakfast the next morning.
    Mom stood in front of the life-sized portrait of the goddess perched on her throne, a golden chalice in her hand. She closed her eyes and waved her arms, but nothing happened.
    “There’s a door there now, Mom. A real one.”
    Because at one time the painting had been used as a portal to cloak the secret room. It had functioned as a gateway that needed a little bit of vision questing to coax it open. However, after my too close encounter with the goddesses, I demanded the real painting be stowed away. For nostalgic reasons, Birdie insisted we at least hang a replica of Danu over the door.
    Or maybe that was just to irritate me, I’m not sure.
    Mom pulled the door open and curved around the passageway until she reached the entrance to the Geraghtys’ hidden lair. She stole a quick glance back at me and pushed through.
    I was expecting a gasp. Perhaps an audible cry. Maybe even a look of shocked awe. I was not expecting her to spin around and say, “Good lord, Stacy, what did you do ?”
    Hands on hips and everything.
    Honestly, you’d think by now the women in my family would have a little more faith in me. I hardly ever flubbed a spell anymore. Sure, there was that one time at the founder’s day picnic when I brought a bunch of dogs back to life by accident, but that could have happened to anyone. Besides, that was the last time I cast a spell while drinking.
    “What makes you think I had anything to do with this? This isn’t my fault.”
    “Well then what happened? Did they all get into the Jameson? Did Lolly mix up her special tea with Earl Grey?”
    I held up a hand, not ready to tell her the whole story just yet. I needed witnesses or I’d be the one locked up in a castle. Because there was simply no magic, to my knowledge, that allowed one to shapeshift into another human being. It couldn’t be done. Believe me, if it could, I’d look like Megan Fox. At least on the weekends.
    “Just help me wake them up, will you, please?”
    She rolled her eyes and muttered, “In town for five freaking minutes...” She walked over to the cabinet where Birdie always kept an extra supply of potions. After fumbling around for a minute or two, she pulled out a jar labeled ‘witch hazel’, a common astringent sold at most drugstores.
    I stared at her. “You’re kidding.”
    Mom shrugged. “They are witches after all.” She stepped over the pile of Geraghtys and held the jar out to me. “You do the honors, Stacy. Just dab a bit beneath their noses.”
    Still thinking about how they had betrayed me, all three of them, not long ago, I reached for the jar and uncorked it. “I really hope you had a good reason, Birdie.”
    I splashed some witch hazel on my hands and leaned over my grandmother, grazing her shoulder. Before I could even apply the potion, she startled awake.
    “Ouch. You shocked me.”
    I glanced back at my mother and our eyes locked. I had shocked her too when I touched her. Of course, it was winter. Lots of shoes scraping across carpets.
    “Why am I on the floor?” Birdie asked. “I never sit on the floor. I’m not a Campfire Girl, for cripes sake.”
    My mother walked over to help Birdie to her feet as I turned my attention to Lolly and Fiona.
    The procedure repeated itself, with me shocking both of my great aunts awake without the aid of witch hazel. I helped Lolly to her feet first.
    “What happened? Did I pass out sober?” she asked.
    “No, Aunt Lolly, you’ve been liquored up since I got here.” I helped straighten out the skirt and the lights.
    She said, “Good. Because that would be embarrassing.”
    I tried not to, but I glanced at the elven slippers on her feet. Lolly followed my eyes, looking down at herself. “At the time, it seemed festive.” She frowned. “I should never dress without