by TJ Green
“Want some coffee?” El offered, interrupting her train of thought and providing a welcome distraction as Reuben dropped back into the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. El was standing next to a wooden counter than ran under a window overlooking the courtyard. Her hair was piled on the top of her head, and she wore pale blue jeans and a skinny grey tee. Next to her, a collection of jewellery and gems were laid out, and it looked as if she had been working.
“Why not? Tachycardia never hurt anyone.”
“What?” El said, confused.
“I’ve had a lot of coffee today.”
El looked at her watch. “Already? It’s only ten!”
“Long story.” She looked at Reuben, wondering how much to share.
“It’s okay,” El reassured her as she poured a cup of coffee from a percolator on the bench and passed it over. “He knows everything.”
“Oh.” For a few seconds, Avery wasn’t sure what to say. As far she knew, Reuben wanted nothing to do with witchcraft.
“Your secrets are safe with me,” he said, looking amused.
“It’s not that,” Avery explained, leaning against a cupboard at the back of the room. “I just thought you weren’t interested.”
“Interested, just not a practitioner.”
“I wanted to know what he thought of the whole, weird thing,” El explained.
“And?” Avery asked him.
“It sounds dangerous. But intriguing.” He shrugged, non-committal, his bright blue eyes assessing her.
“Well, Briar thinks it sounds too weird. She’s not doing anything for now,” Avery said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice and failing. “I wondered if you’d had second thoughts, too, El?”
“No way. Reuben’s gonna help me hunt for my grimoire. I think I know where to look.” She frowned. “Seriously, Briar’s not looking?”
She rolled her eyes. “Not yet. And wait a minute—you know where to look already?” Avery had a rush of relief that El was still in, and then a rush of panic as she realised she didn’t have a clue where to look for her own.
“It’s just a theory,” El continued. “According to Anne’s paperwork, my family lived up on the hills above the town. The old crofter cottage—Hawk House.”
Avery knew the one she meant immediately. “That was yours? But it’s a wreck now.”
El grinned. “Exactly. We can check it out without interruptions.”
“When?”
“Tonight. No time like the present. You look like a small kid, Avery. Do you want to come?”
“Yes, please! I presume you mean tonight, in the dark?” She faltered for a second, wondering just how creepy that might be.
Reuben smiled a slow sarky grin. “Scared, Avery?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, hating to be called out. “No! I’m coming. Just tell me when.”
***
Avery’s final visit of the day was to Alex. If she’d had time she’d have visited Gil, but his house was on the edge of town, and she really should get back to the shop. Sally would think she’d been kidnapped. In fact, she should call her. She pulled her phone from the depths of her bag and saw she’d missed half a dozen calls. Crap. She’d left her phone on silent. She guiltily called her, bracing herself.
Sally’s voice rang out in her ear. “Are you okay?” She sounded grumpy.
“Of course—I’m fine. I’ve been catching up with a few things, and honestly didn’t think I’d be this long.”
“Bloody hell, I wish you’d have left a note. I’ve been calling you all bloody morning.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“The shop is really freaking busy.”
“Sorry, really sorry. I’ll be back by lunch.” She checked her watch. Hopefully. She was right next to The Wayward Son now.
She heard Sally exhale loudly. “Dan’s here early, so you can take your time. It’s a good thing someone answers their phone.”
Avery bit down a reply. She employed Sally; she should chill the hell out. But Sally was her friend and a fantastic manager. Without her, the shop would be a disaster. She adopted her most conciliatory tone. “I’m really sorry. I‘ll see you soon. Thank Dan for me.”
She headed into the pub, deciding she had to buy cake before she headed back. Something to appease her staff. The smells of the kitchen hit her as soon as she entered, and the place already looked busy. The lunchtime rush had started early. She saw Simon, one of the bar staff she remembered from the other night, and she leaned on the bar as he came over, wondering if it was too early to get a pint. It was a quick decision. “Pint of Doom, please.”
“Sure.” He grabbed a glass and started pouring her drink.
“Alex not working today?”
Simon nodded his head, up towards the ceiling. “Up there. Said he’s doing some stuff.”
She took her pint and paid. “Cheers.”
Avery headed to the back room and went up the stairs, hoping Alex wouldn’t mind her dropping in. She knocked and shouted, “Alex, it’s me! Avery.”
She heard the thump of footsteps and then the door flew open. Alex looked half asleep, his long hair tangled, his stubble darker and thicker than usual. He leaned on the frame, yawning, and then he grinned. “Avery!” He stepped back. “Come in. You’ll have to excuse the mess. I was up half the night.”
“Bloody hell, Alex. This place is a mess. It’s worse than mine!”
The room was gloomy, the blinds still down and semi-closed. Papers were strewn across the rug in front of the fireplace almost covering it completely. Half-drunk coffee cups were placed randomly around the room, and a selection of empty beer bottles sat on the kitchen counter. A large corkboard was propped on the floor, leaning against the kitchen workbench, scraps of paper pinned to it.
He pushed his hair back, and then opened the blinds in the kitchen, allowing sunshine to stream in. He squinted for a second, letting his eyes adjust. Even looking half awake, he was still very hot. She had a sudden vision of waking up next to him and wondered what he’d look like naked. Reuben was good looking, but Alex had a smouldering sexiness that she just couldn’t ignore. What was the matter with her this morning? She hoped his psychic abilities meant he didn’t read minds.
He put the kettle on and called over, “Do you want a coffee?”
She looked guiltily at her pint. “Er, I’m drinking.”
He looked at her pint and then at his cup. “That’s a way better idea.” He pulled a beer from the fridge and popped it open. “Cheers.” He took a long slug.
“So, I guess you were researching all night?” Avery looked around the room. “Where’s your grimoire?”
“Under that pile of papers.” He nodded towards the rug in front of the sofa. He grinned again, dispelling the tiredness. “You should see what’s in there, Avery. Hold on, let me get it.”
He padded barefoot over to the grimoire, and unearthing it from beneath the papers, he carried it to the kitchen workbench that separated the two rooms.
Seeing it again gave Avery a shock. She had forgotten how much older it was than their existing grimoires. It oozed age and arcane knowledge, the cover guarding long forgotten spells and secrets. She turned the pages, admiring the old script and the drawings in the margins. She was itching to find her own. She looked up to find Alex watching her.
He smiled. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “Now that you’ve had a good look at it, what spells have you found?”
He excitedly turned pages, trying to be gentle. “I don’t know how this has kept so well, but it’s in really good condition. I presume it was the spell on the wooden box. I doubt they knew how long it would have to be hidden for.”
Avery frowned. “I doubt the intention was more than a few years. Or even months. Helena’s death must have had far-reaching consequences.”
“The families fled. Her death would have been catastrophic. Unbelievable, even.” He sighed. “It depresses me to think about it.
Can you imagine that happening here? Now—to us? Anyway. Spells. Let me show you this.” He found the page he was looking for. At the top was an image of linked bodies. Beneath, written in tiny script, was a list of ingredients and a spell.
“What’s this?” Avery asked.
“Spirit walking.”
“What?”
Alex laughed. “Another word for astral projection. But with someone. What do you think?”
Avery was confused. “Well, I thought that’s something you could do, so why do you need a spell?”
“Because I’ve never done it this way. Or with someone. Shall we?”
Avery looked at his dark eyes, all traces of sleep in them gone. Her heart was beating incredibly fast; he was so close. She had an overwhelming urge to kiss him, but instead said, “Are you insane? You want to spirit walk with me?”
“If you’ve never done it before then it will be a safe way for you to do it. I’ll help you, protect you.” He winked, his gaze falling on her lips before he met her eyes again. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather spirit walk with.”
Avery’s stomach lurched. Was Alex flirting with her? It would be so easy to be seduced by him, and she wasn’t completely sure that would be a good thing. “Really? I’m not entirely sure I trust you that much. I thought spirit walking was dangerous.”
“Only if you don’t know what you’re doing. And I do.” He was still smirking at her in his insufferable way. “Go on. You know you want to.”
As much as she had the feeling she should run in the opposite direction, she really wanted to see what spirit walking was like. “All right. What do I have to do?”
He grinned. “You have to come back here later tonight, when you’re already tired. I’ll prep the spell and we go from there.”
“But I’ve promised to help El and Reuben search for El’s grimoire tonight.” She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not.
“Great! El has a plan. And help from Reuben—interesting. How come?”
“I’ve no idea. He was there at her shop. Looked pretty comfortable, too. Said something about being interested in magic, but not practising it,” Avery explained, but thought she’d keep the fact that he looked very hot to herself.
Alex nodded. “Where are they looking?”
“The old Hawk House, up on the downs above the town. It seems it once belonged to her family.”
Alex thought for a brief moment, and then decided, “They don’t need your help. Not the physical kind, anyway. I’ll text her that we’ll help in other ways.”
“What other ways?”
“Astral ways,” he said, grinning.
11
The rest of Avery’s day passed in a blur, and all too soon she was back in Alex’s flat, her heart pounding uncomfortably, her mouth dry. She leaned against his door before opening it, wondering briefly if she’d gone mad, and why she thought to touch up her makeup before arriving. She wished she were heading to the downs instead.
Before she even knocked, the door flew open, and Alex ushered her in, saying, “Your nervous energy preceded you. I could sense you a mile off.”
“Exaggerator,” she said, pushing past him.
He locked the door behind her. “We really don’t want to get interrupted.”
His flat was completely transformed. All traces of the mess from earlier had gone. Despite the warm night, the fire was on low, and the room glittered with candles. In front of the fire was a soft warm blanket, big enough for two. There was no other lighting in the room, and the rich smell of incense drifted around. Avery could feel her mouth dropping open in surprise, and Alex laughed.
“It’s easy to get cold when you’re lying still, so we need the fire, and we need to be comfortable. The lights help induce a relaxed state.”
Right now, Avery thought she would never relax. “I bet that’s what you say to all the girls,” she shot back, thinking her heartbeat must be audible.
Alex just laughed again, and led her to the rug. The grimoire was on the coffee table behind them, a selection of coloured candles next to it, as well as Alex’s Athame and a silver goblet filled with a dark, murky liquid.
“We need to create the protective circle, then take that drink—it will help us enter the right state and help us link, and then we say the spell.”
“What’s in the drink?” Avery asked, eyeing the concoction warily.
“Valerian, clary sage, vervain, amber, gold leaf, lavender, and bay. And a couple more.”
“All right, if you’re sure you’re not going to poison us.”
“Trust me, Ave, I’m a pro.”
She resisted the urge to comment, and instead joined him as he used the Athame to create the protective circle by drawing in the air and on the floor. She followed him, lighting the candles and placing them on the four points of the compass. He sat in the middle of the rug, and she sat opposite him, legs crossed, knee to knee. The soft yellow candlelight gave everything a warm glow, and despite herself, she relaxed.
“Do you feel okay?” Alex asked.
“Surprisingly, I do.”
“Good.”
He took her hands in his, closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths. Avery did the same, willing her heart to slow as she dropped her shoulders. After a few seconds, he squeezed and released her hands and she opened her eyes to see him holding the small, engraved silver goblet with the liquid inside. He took a few sips and grimaced, and then handed it to her. Avery took a few sips, too and shuddered. It was horrible. Bitter, with a slightly burnt taste to it. She handed it back to Alex and he placed it on the edge of the circle, and then he lay down on his back facing east, and she lay next to him. He took her hand in his and squeezed it again. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
Alex started to recite the spell and she closed her eyes again, feeling the energy in the circle change, and her awareness heighten. As he chanted, her breaths deepened and her body relaxed, her limbs becoming heavy. Within seconds she heard Alex’s voice in her head, but instead of jolting her awake, it intensified her experience and she embraced his voice. It was like a soft blanket wrapping around her and she wanted to hug it close. As if he could sense it, his presence encompassed her and she responded again, the intimacy almost overwhelming. And then she could see him, his entire form lying a few feet above her. But it wasn’t his physical form. He was a pale, silvery blue and he smiled down at her.
“Come on Avery. Join me.”
He took her hands and pulled gently and with a whoosh, she felt herself sliding up and out of her body until she floated next to him. For a second, a wave of panic washed over her, and then Alex’s presence wrapped around her again, calming and reassuring her.
“I’m okay,” she said. She saw her physical form lying beneath her, and a long, thin silver cord connecting her spirit to her body, and the same with Alex next to her. “This is so weird,” she thought, forgetting Alex could hear her.
“But great, isn’t it?” His eyes glowed with a pale light, and as if sensing her discomfort, he said, “Let’s just move around the room so you can get used to the feeling. Just move slowly.”
He floated away from his body and pulled her with him. The room was dim and shadowy, its colours drained, the candles bright points in the darkness. A powerful purple aura emanated from the grimoire. “Look,” she pointed.
Alex nodded. “Magical energy. Very strong, too.”
As she followed him, she felt stronger and safer. This was actually fun.
“If you feel worried at any point,” he said, “just envision yourself lying here, and follow the cord back to your body.”
She nodded as her eyes followed the cord spooling across the room. “Can we go outside?”
“If you feel ready.”
“Yes!” She grinned. “This is awesome.”
Avery again felt Alex’s essence squeeze her own gently, and she responded as he laughed. “This is so cool—way better than doing it on your own. For now I’m going to keep hold
of your hand, is that okay?”
“Yes, I’d prefer that.”
“Great. This is going to be odd, but don’t panic.”
He turned and pulled her towards the wall and then through it. She was aware of the strange sensation of brick and stone and then she was free and the stars floated above her. She gasped. “Look!”
Avery rolled onto her back as if she was swimming, and watched the stars glowing in swirls of incandescent light. They looked bigger than she was used to, and the rest of the town below her was pale in comparison. She could see waves of energy flowing around everything. Beyond the pub, she could see the sea, and the immense force of the waves as they rolled in and out further along the beach. The raw power on display was amazing—it was so tangible.
“This is what you draw on, Avery. Do you see it?” Alex asked, his hand the one warm constant in this sea of change around her.
“I do. I feel as if I could touch it.” She gasped again as people spilled out from the pub below them. “Look, I can see their auras.” The people were dim, but their auras glowed white, or purple, or orange.
“It’s easy to see auras here,” Alex said. “You’ll find it becomes easier when you return to your physical form, too. How’re your energy levels?”
“I feel fine. Great, even!”
“Good, let’s head up to the downs.”
“Can we go that far?” Avery asked, worried.
“Your cord will travel a long way, as long as your energy is good,” Alex explained with another squeeze of reassurance. “Come on.”
Alex pulled Avery up higher and away across the town to where it became dark, the lights and the people disappearing behind them. In the distance she could see dark purple clouds washing up from where the surf pounded at the cliffs heading out of town. And then she saw the ruined house on the moors, tucked into a curve of hillside, and the pale blue auras of two figures poking around amongst the ruins. Elspeth and Rueben. There was flare of light along the foundation; it seemed El was using magic.