by Brenda Trim
Squirting soap into my hand, I ran it through my hair and over my body. This wasn’t working. It was time to use the spell and ask for help. I finished cleaning the mud off and turned off the water.
After drying and throwing on some sweats, I grabbed the book and paused in the middle of the kitchen. I was about to go outside and cast the spell, but it was a mess out there.
I really need a place to practice magic. Somewhere I won’t cause too much damage and have space to work. The one thing that stood out to me was how many implements witchcraft called for—cauldrons, herbs, jars, knives, spoons, crystals, and so much more.
With a sigh, I set the book down and cleared off the island. I needed a candle for this one, so I went into the living room and grabbed a vanilla scented one then hurried back.
I went out the side door directly into the garden and grabbed some thyme, thistle and lavender. Back in the kitchen, I put it in a mortar and ground them together with a pestle. Once I created a sticky mixture, I scooped some out and smeared it in a circle around my feet. It was supposed to be dried herbs, but I couldn’t find any.
I grabbed a lighter from the drawer behind me and a knife from the butcher block. I hadn’t gotten around to purchasing an athame yet, so this would have to do. I pricked my finger and added drops of my blood to the herbs then focused on the candle.
“Witches and Fae course through time, I need assistance. Come, I beckon you. Share your wisdom and enlighten me.” I changed up things a bit since I was a hybrid. The intent was the most important factor, and I focused on my desire to learn and become a better Guardian.
Next, I lit the candle then drew my knife through the herbs and put it in the window above the sink. I waited for several minutes listening to the wind blow outside and the branches hit the house.
Finally, I realized it wasn’t an instant spell and cleaned up the mess on the floor before putting water on for some tea. Taking my favorite mug from the cabinet, I decided on green tea and put a teabag in the cup.
The kettle started whistling the second there was a knock on the door. My heart started pounding in my chest as I hurried to see who my spell called forth.
The smile fell from my face when I opened it to see Sebastian standing there with a scowl on his chiseled face and his stunning blue eyes narrowed. “You rang. And, rather rudely at that. I don’t appreciate being forced to come here.”
My mouth opened and closed when his head snapped around. I glanced over his shoulder and rubbed my eyes. A woman with silver hair that was cut into a stylish bob was climbing out of her car. She had on leggings and a long, teal sweater.
The woman lifted her hand in a casual wave. “Hello, Bas. How are you this evening?”
“I’m good, Camille. Did she call you here, too?”
The woman smiled and shifted her blue eyes to me. “Seems like she did. Although, I must admit I’m surprised to see you here.”
I lowered my gaze and twisted my hands together. “I need help learning my magic and how to be a Guardian. Violet and Aislinn told me I was part Fae too, so I modified the spell a bit.”
The woman chuckled. “You used fresh herbs, too, didn’t you?”
I gasped as my head snapped up. “How did you know?”
“Because I was forced to drop everything I was doing and come right away. There are reasons we use dried herbs. You’re lucky it didn’t blow up in your face this time, but it’s clear you need a lot of help.”
Bas crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not needed here seeing as you are here to help her.” The dismissal burned and my heart raced in my chest. That should destroy every ounce of attraction I felt for the guy. I looked at him, hoping to see an ugly toad now. Unfortunately, it did nothing to quell how good looking I found him.
Camille held up her hand, stopping him. “Not so fast. I can help her with the proper use of herbs and incantations, but that will only do so much for her. She’s a hybrid and her magic works differently than mine. Besides, I have a feeling the most pressing issues she needs to address revolve around becoming a strong Guardian which means she will need us both.”
Sebastian only grunted at that and headed inside the house. “Would you like some tea?” I asked the witch. Her presence was comforting and eased a lot of the worry I had been obsessing over.
“That would be lovely. It’s been a rough few nights trying to reinforce the wards around Staves and Stoves.”
I held the door open for her as my breathing quickened. “Were you there when the barghest attacked?”
Her head bobbed as she passed me and entered the messy mudroom. My face flamed. I hadn’t cleaned up the evidence of my disastrous spell. “I was. I have a booth there where I sell herbs, potions and soy candles.”
“I feel like it’s my fault. I had no idea about any of this before I moved here after my grams died.”
She went straight for the mugs and tea and handed one to Bas before she poured hot water into the cup in her hand. “None of this is your fault. Isidora talked about needing to bring you in for weeks before she passed, but she worried about ruining your life. She said you’ve had a hard time after your husband died and she didn’t want to add to that.”
I sighed and picked up my drink. It was lukewarm now, but I didn’t care. “She had to know how bad things would get if I wasn’t told. What if I never came here? Shit would have really hit the fan then.”
Sebastian shook his head. “You don’t give this power enough credit. The magic wouldn’t have allowed that to happen. It stepped in to ensure you were where you needed to be and enticed you to stay.”
My initial instinct was to deny that I was forced to accept this position. The second I arrived at Pymm’s Pondside, I knew this was where I belonged. “That’s reassuring. I’m not ready to tell my kids, but if something happens to me it helps knowing one of them will be drawn here. Speaking of. Where do we start? I know I have a lot to learn and don’t want to push you guys this late at night, but I need something I can do.”
Camille set her mug down and blew out the candle in the window. “Have you found your family’s grimoire yet?”
I shook my head from side to side. “Not yet. I have searched this house from top to bottom, but I haven’t come across anything. Is there some trick to finding it? Does it hide when someone dies or something?”
Camille chuckled. “Not that I’m aware of. Your family might have cast a spell on the thing to keep it safe. They are the most powerful witches I’ve ever known, and that knowledge would be highly sought after. You can find out rather easily. That necklace is imbued with your family’s magic and something extra. Hold that and recite the word, ‘revelare’ while thinking about the desire to find the tome. Witchcraft is all about the intent behind your spell.”
When Camille mentioned the charm, Bas’s gaze drifted to my chest and my heart started pounding. It was a relief to know my instincts were right about the thing, but unnerving to have so much attention focused on it at the same time.
I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths then wrapped my fingers around the necklace. “Revelare.” A tingle spread through my body but was gone by the time I opened my eyes. “Did it work?”
“What do you think? You need to trust your instincts and pay attention to tiny details all around you.”
I did as Camille instructed and took in the room, then the feel of the house in general. “There’s something outside.” I was moving out the door before either could respond.
The cold night air cooled my heated skin, and the energy surrounding me invigorated me. But nothing was there. The garden, cemetery and pond all looked the same. “Ugh!”
Camille placed a hand on my shoulder. “Just because nothing jumps out at you, doesn’t mean there’s nothing here. I can’t tell you what pulled you out here. The energy surrounding Pym’s Pondside is powerful and makes it impossible for me to see every detail. What about you Bas? Do you see anything?”
The guy glared at me without responding for
several seconds. “I can’t tell her what it is either, but it’s not the book.” Why the hell did my spell bring him to me? He was as helpful as bladder problems in the middle of the night.
“Don’t get discouraged. This will take time, but before I can teach you much more show me your ritual space. You can work on maximizing it for you rather than how your grams had it set up.”
That got my attention. “You mean like a workroom? I just thought I need to create one.”
Camille rolled her eyes at me. It made me feel like I was a child in school and had just blurted the wrong answer in front of the entire class. “There’s no reason to recreate the wheel. Show me Isidora’s space.”
It hadn’t dawned on me where that might be until that moment. When I realized I had misinterpreted the attic, I turned and hurried for the stairs. Once inside the top floor, I paused and saw it through different eyes. Grams didn’t have a table for working or a cauldron over an open fire.
Instead there were shelves and shelves of books, herbs, jars and liquids. Her cauldron was on the top of one bookshelf. “I thought she stored the things she canned for winter in here. I had no idea this space was her ritual room.”
Camille turned in a circle with a look of awe on her face. “There should be a switch to open the ceiling somewhere. All good witches want to access the power of the moon.”
I glanced around looking for something. There wasn’t even a light switch up here. Bas stormed past me and went to one end of the room. He grabbed a crank and turned it. Creaking echoed through the space and dust fell from the square lifting in the middle of the ceiling.
“Your chore until we meet again is to get this space organized. Think about how you will easily find herbs when you need them. And you might want to have a basket handy. It’ll make hauling your cauldron and various supplies downstairs easier when you need to make a potion.”
“Have you found the portal entrance yet?” Sebastian’s voice filled the attic and I’m embarrassed to admit sent a shiver of arousal through my body.
Gritting my teeth, I turned to face him. “Not yet.”
“Then that’s your other assignment.” With that he turned and left my house.
“I might end up killing that man,” I muttered.
Camille chuckled. “You haven’t seen his good side, yet.”
“I’ll have to take that on faith since I’ve never seen one hint of a good side. When can we get together again?”
My heart slowed and the tension riding my shoulders lessened. For the first time since I unknowingly accepted the position there was light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s hope an eclipse didn’t come along and blot it out.
Chapter 9
Mae walked into Pleasure Bound with a grim look on her face. I didn’t know the older siren all that well, but it was chilling enough that my gut immediately started churning. I looked to Violet behind the counter and lifted one eyebrow in question. The owner of the bookstore, and my long-time friend, lifted one shoulder.
Mae approached us at the register with her hands fluttering around her chest. The movement brought my eyes to the wicked scar across her throat. I internally winced at the poignant reminder this woman was tough as nails and had survived having her throat slit.
“Did you guys hear? Philbert was found dead this morning in his kitchen!” Mae’s words registered and I gasped along with Violet.
Violet’s hand shook as she brought them to her mouth. “Philbert? How did someone manage to kill a dragon shifter? Granted, he’s a big teddy bear, but his animal could eat most creatures whole.”
“Exactly! The police have been tight-lipped with the details, but I’d say it’s witchcraft,” Mae said in a loud whisper as she glanced around the store.
Just when I thought I rolled with the punches and had accepted crazy something new like this happened. “First off, dragon shifters are a thing? Second, maybe whoever did that is also responsible for the decay in the forest and failing protections.”
Mae’s midnight eyes went wide and her mouth formed an O. “The protections around town? Why didn’t you tell someone? We all need to leave. Now!”
Violet leaned across the glass counter and grabbed hold of Mae’s pink top. “No, Fiona was talking about Pymm’s Pondside. Isidora never told her about her heritage or what it means to be Guardian. The good news is that no one is getting through the portal while she learns her new job, but she does have a lot to catch up on.”
Mae’s eyes narrowed and went from Violet to me and back. “I’m not surprised Isidora never told you anything. She believed she could handle anything. Look where that arrogance got her in the end?”
My ire rose and I lifted one corner of my mouth in a snarl while thrusting my hands on my hips. “My grams allowed me to live my life. She was the most thoughtful, giving woman I’ve ever met. And, there wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. She’d be here right now kicking the ass of whoever killed Philbert if age hadn’t gotten to her first.”
Mae reared away from me and pursed her lips. “You don’t know everything. Isidora didn’t die of old age. Someone killed her. And, you’d be wise to realize you need others in your life. They might not be able to decide who crosses and who doesn’t or be able to help you block Fae from forcing their way through, but they can be there for you in countless ways that will save you.”
Grams was killed? Why had no one told me? Who the heck would hurt a sweet old lady? Okay, she had a sharp tongue and no problem telling you if you’d screwed up or made a massive mistake, but she was my grams and I couldn’t understand why someone would hurt her.
Violet looked at me with sympathy and regret in her eyes. Yeah, she should have told me, but that doesn’t change my predicament. I was well aware there was a creature gunning for me.
I took a deep breath and reached for as much calm as possible. “You’re right. I don’t know everything, and I appreciate you letting me know. And, I know far more than you how much my friends and allies can help me. I wouldn’t be sane right now without Violet and Aislinn.”
Violet lifted a finger in the air as she nodded. “Or Camille and Bas. They’re helping with your magic.”
As if she’d been waiting to hear that, the lines around Mae’s lips disappeared and her arms dropped to her side. She was back to the gossipy woman I’d come to know as her ruffled feathers settled. “You girls need to watch out. There’s something foul in Cottlehill Wilds.”
Violet and I nodded our heads. “Keep us posted on what you learn,” Violet told her before the woman turned and left the store.
The second she was gone our gazes met and I had to swallow the lump in my throat. She sighed and ran a hand down her face. “This is bad, Fiona. Dragon shifters are very difficult to kill. I fear Mae is right which won’t bode well for those of us in Cottlehill.”
My heart was hammering in my chest and I was huffing and puffing like I was in the middle of a marathon. “That is the opposite of what I wanted to hear right now.” I can’t let this be the end of my journey. Or, worst case scenario, my life. “I’m trying as hard as I can with Camille, and I am making progress. I lit a candle this morning without burning my house down.”
“Have you found the portal? Or, discovered how to handle that side of things? If you have a firm grip on the Fae it will go a long way to calming people down.”
“I have my first meeting with Bas in a couple hours. He’s been reluctant to work with me, but Camille finally forced him into it.”
Violet chuckled as she started counting the cash in her drawer. “That sounds like something she would do. Just be careful when you work with him later. We don’t want you coming under the Chief Constable’s radar right now. Lance is always suspicious of newcomers and while he’s investigating Philbert’s murder he’s likely to look at you with extra scrutiny. The last thing we need right now is for you to end up in custody.”
I waved a hand in dismissal. “I highly doubt Bas will be of much help. He’s an ass most of the time. I’m m
ore likely to learn something from Aislinn as I am him. I still don’t know why my spell brought him to me in the first place, but that’s a question for another time. I’ll see you later.”
Violet said goodbye and was finishing her closing routine when I left a second later. Her bookstore, Pleasure Bound, was on one corner of the square on Main street and it had parking spots right in front. This late at night, I was able to park in front of the door.
I was in my rusted Mustang in no time and speeding down the road. The old car was the second purchase I made the day I went into the city. The first was a new mattress the day after the kids left. No way could I get any rest on the lumpy one in grams’ bedroom.
The car had more dents and divots than my backside, but I loved it anyway. It was a classic that my son would love to fix up when he visited. If only the tune up and paint job it needed could wait until their summer break. It might. After all, I rarely went anywhere.
Cottlehill wasn’t all that big. Nearly everything was within a ten to fifteen-minute drive. As if to prove my point, I was sliding under the portico next to my house ten short minutes later. A shiver shook me the second I stepped out of the vehicle. I nearly dropped the pink box of goodies as I stood with my hand on the door while I scanned the area.
There was a strange energy in the air. It was heavy and oppressive. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything that would explain the feeling. Slamming the car door, I hurried inside my house and set the pastries on the island.
I filled the tea pot with water and contemplated what kind of tea I would fix for Bas. Part of what I had been learning was how to make my own brews. Apparently, I had a knack for it.
Yeah, I was shocked to discover that one, too. During Camille’s first session with me, she walked me through the garden and pointed out what many of the plants were and their uses.
Immediately, my mind started putting leaves together as I thought about easing the pain in my knees, or the intensity of the hot flashes that had been keeping me awake. The next time Camille was over, I offered her an energy boosting tea and she told me I could give her a run for her money at Staves and Stoves selling my blends.