Of Blood & Magic: Blood Descent Book 1

by T. L. McDonald

  I turn back around when I spot a door with an open sign hanging in the window near the end of the alley. My eyebrows scrunch together as my gaze shifts to the picture window. Ornate letters curve into a semi-circle near the top of the glass, spelling out Books and Brew. Just under the name is an artistic drawing of a steaming cup of tea with an open book behind it.

  Books and Brew? I don’t remember there being a shop here. Maybe it’s new? But why hide it in a back alley? Seems like it would make finding customers hard.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, contradicting the intense urge I feel to go inside. I take a step toward the door, telling myself to chill out. My tingly, spidey senses have been on high alert since the night of the club which isn’t necessarily bad, just maybe a little overactive at times—like now for instance. It’s a harmless-looking shop. Plus, it’s the middle of the day. How bad could it be?

  The sweet smell of tea and incense wafts up my nose the closer I get. I inhale deeply, my shoulders relaxing instantly. I highly doubt teashops are dangerous. I need to stop being so paranoid.

  A bell chimes, alerting a girl with a dark purple pixie cut to my presence. She looks over her shoulder, greeting me with a warm smile as she places the book in her hand on one of the many bookshelves lining the wall. She’s dressed in black from head to toe in a stylish sweater tunic with a wide neck exposing her shoulder, black leggings, and chunky-soled combat boots. Silver rings adorn all of her fingers and both thumbs. Huge silver hoops dangle from her lobes while further piercings span all around the outer edges of her ears. “Welcome to Books and Brew,” she says as she heads for me. “Is there something I can help you find? Or would you like to try one of our specialty teas, perhaps?” Her eyes are a hypnotizing lavender color, making it hard to look anywhere else.

  “Tea would be nice,” I find myself saying. “Thanks.” I follow her over to the counter area where there’s a menu board posted on the wall. On the way, I take in the rest of the space. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be for being hidden in a back alley, anyway. It has a cozy feel with exposed red brick walls, comfortable looking plush sofas, and dark cherry coffee tables. It also has a few tall wrought iron café tables and high back stools placed near the windows for people who want a less intimate setting.

  Near one of the bookcases is a doorway with hanging crystal beads, reflecting the light of the candles placed throughout the shop. An ouroboros carved into a brick above the doorframe, gazes out over the shop. I narrow my eyes, trying to scope out what’s behind the beaded curtain, making out a shelf of books placed near another shelf full of assorted jars containing what looks like spices and other dried things. Curiosity has my feet moving toward the room to find out what else is back there. I brush my fingers across the beads, sweeping them to the side. A hand grips my shoulder. I drop my arm and twirl back around, my heart racing. Standing in front of me is the purple-haired girl, holding a steaming cup of tea.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. Your tea is ready.”

  “But I haven’t ordered yet,” I say too fast, and a little breathless. I rub the palm of my hand over my chest just under my collarbone, hoping to coax my heart rate back down to a normal pace.

  She hands me the cup. “You didn’t have to. I knew what you needed the moment you walked in. This should help to calm your nerves and find peace in a recent decision you’ve made.”

  “How do you know I’ve made a decision about something?” She’s kind of creeping me out, but at the same time, I’m kind of intrigued.

  “It’s my gift. I get impressions.”

  “Are you psychic?” This shop definitely has that otherworldly metaphysical feel to it. Maybe the back room is where she does ‘readings’.

  “In a sense. I’m a witch. Just like you.”

  I nearly drop the cup. “What makes you think I’m a witch?” Geez, how many people in this town have supernatural radar? First it’s Sebastian, now it’s this purple-haired girl. Is it stamped across my forehead for all supernaturally inclined people to read? Because it’s not supposed to be, I’m supposed to still be cloaked. I may have stopped drinking Aunt Claudia’s ‘magic suppressing/hide me from everyone’ tea, but Jack and Liv’s protection spell was supposed to take over keeping me hidden while allowing for my abilities to emerge. If their spell isn’t working then how many others out there know who I am? And if others know who I am, then that means my family could be in danger, especially if the angelic bounty hunters find me. They already took my mom from me; I can’t let them take anybody else.

  The floor doesn’t feel so solid under my feet anymore. I start to sway, the tea sloshing around the edges of my cup. Thoughts jump around in my mind about what I should do. The main one being the one thing I don’t want to do.

  Maybe it’s time I reconsider telling Uncle Caleb and Aunt Claudia everything that’s been going on. Even if it means they have to move us all away to a new town for a new start with a fresh cloaking spell and a memory wipe so I’m back in the dark. If that’s what has to happen for us all to be safe then maybe it’s what we should do.

  A deep ache forms in the center of my chest—right over top of the one left behind from having pushed Evan away—at the thought of having to disappear. Because it wouldn’t be a move away in the middle of the night telling no one kind of disappear, it would be a disappearing in every sense of the word. My family and I would vanish. We’d be completely forgotten as though we’d never existed here at all.

  I really don’t want to disappear and forget who I am. I’m just starting to figure it out.

  I don’t want to forget everyone here either. Or have them forget me.

  I don’t want to leave my life, or my friends, or Evan, or even Sebastian behind.

  I don’t want to leave me behind.

  The purple-haired girl leads me over to one of the two sofas positioned in the middle of the room. I barely feel her hands on my arm as my lungs seize up. My chest moves in and out, struggling to catch air through a haze of fear and memories swirling through my head, each one threatening to push me over the edge. She sits me down then disappears behind the counter, returning with a jar of something held between her hands. Pinching the contents between her fingers, she sprinkles something over my tea. The aroma changes, the effects slightly calming. Nudging the bottom of the cup with her finger, she encourages me to take a drink.

  “It will help with your panic attack.”

  My mind splits in two, each half arguing over what I should do, while the rest of me battles against lack of air and closing in walls. Should I trust her and the tea? Should I run away as fast as I can? Should I do nothing and let my panic attack completely take over?

  A clap of thunder echoes across the sky and I flinch, nearly spilling my tea. I stare down at the contents sloshing around, the only thing I can see clearly in the haze of darkness creeping in from the edges. I close my eyes and take a drink before I can change my mind.

  Tingly warmth begins in my belly and spreads throughout my body. The jagged edges of my nerves smooth out, my breathing becoming regular, as my muscles release every bit of tension held inside. I open my eyes feeling more relaxed than I have in a long time. Even the weather outside has become more cheerful, trading in the pop up storm for sunny skies. I drink the rest of the tea without consideration. I don’t know what’s in it, but whatever it is, it’s working and it’s wonderful.

  The purple-haired girl looks out the window then back at me with a smile. “So you’re an elemental witch.”

  “Why do you say that?” I glance back out the window, the answer dancing around the outer edges of my mind.

  “You created the storm. Which means your powers must be linked to your emotional state. Now that you’re more relaxed the storm has dissipated.”

  I can affect the weather?

  “How do you know that?” I didn’t even know that. I lean forward in my seat, taking a deeper look at the sky beyond the shop window.

  “You’
ll find I’m very intuitive.” She holds out her hand. On the inside of her wrist is a small ouroboros tattoo just like the one carved into the wall above the door. “I’m Ivy.”

  I take her hand. “Indi.”

  “It’s nice to meet you Indi.”

  I set my cup down on one of the many coasters on the coffee table, noticing it too has an ouroboros design. Though instead of it being one snake, it’s two intertwined together. Whoever owns the shop must have a thing for snakes eating their tails. “Has this shop been here long?”

  “I just opened up actually. You’re my very first customer.”

  “So this is your shop?” She doesn’t look any older than me. “How old are you?”

  She laughs. “I’m eighteen. Technically, this is my father’s shop, but he’s agreed to let me run it during my gap year before college.”

  “Oh.” I wonder if the ouroboros’ around the shop and on her wrist is a family symbol, like a crest or something since it seems to be everywhere.

  “How’s the tea working? Are you feeling better now? More at ease?”

  I don’t even need to ponder her question. The moment I drank it, it’s like I did a complete one eighty, going from freak out to total calmness in an instant. “Actually, yeah. What was in it?”

  “It’s a specialty blend. It’s been in my family for generations. I’m glad it could help. I have something else you may be interested in as well.” She disappears into the back room.

  While I wait, I skim over the books along the wall, running the tip of my finger along the spines. A jolt of electricity zaps me and I yank my hand back, shaking the pain away. A quiet “Ow,” slips from my mouth. Half afraid to touch the book again, I tap it a few times to make sure it won’t shock me anymore. When it doesn’t I pull it off the shelf to get a better look at it.

  It’s old, really old, and bound in leather. There’s nothing on the cover or spine to indicate what it’s about. It opens without a sound as though it’s been opened hundreds of times before. Blank pages stare up at me as I thumb through it, but then suddenly sigils and words in a foreign language fill in the emptiness. “Gah!” I drop the book at my feet where it lands facedown with a soft thud. My heart ricochets against my ribs as I nudge it with the toe of my Chucks before picking it back up. The pages are full of writing now.

  It must be spelled or something.

  “If only I could read you,” I say out loud. I start to close the book when all the words shimmer and shift into English. “What the…” I flip through the pages, reading bits and pieces here and there.

  It’s a spell book.

  “Here you go.” Emerging through the beads, Ivy heads straight for me like she already knew where I’d be. She opens her hand, dangling an intricate-looking symbol from a silver chain necklace. “You seemed very concerned when I recognized you as a witch so I thought maybe you’d like this charm. It’s very powerful. So long as you wear it, you will appear as an ordinary human.” She places it in my hand, closing my fingers around it. “For it to work as it’s intended, you must tell no one about it and keep it hidden at all times from anyone who possesses magic or is supernatural in nature. Simply keeping it tucked beneath your shirt while you wear it will work just fine. Otherwise, they will know your secret.” Her eyes shift to the book in my hand. I have the sudden urge to hide it behind my back.

  “Um, thank you. I’ll take it.” Maybe now I won’t have to involve Aunt Claudia and Uncle Caleb, which means I won’t have to worry about them wiping my memories or moving us all away. If it works like Ivy says this charm could be exactly what I need to fight my own battles and take control of my life. Maybe now I can finally be me in my entirety, magic and all. I can’t help but smile. “How much do I owe you for it and the tea?” I look down at the book, gripping it a little tighter. I don’t know what it is about it, but I feel like it’s mine, as in it already belongs to me and always has. “I’d like to buy this book too.”

  “That is a very special book; a powerful book. Where did you find it?” Her face is completely unreadable, but I get the feeling she somehow wanted me to find it. “I normally keep all Books of Shadows I’ve amassed in a specialty section in the back.”

  “It was here on the shelf.” I point to the bookcase beside me. “It shocked me when I touched it.” I don’t know why I just told her that.

  “Really?” Her voice rises in surprise, but her charcoal lined, lavender eyes say she was hoping I’d say that. Ordinarily this would be the part where I’d be concerned about whether there was something more going on, especially when combined with everything else happening, but I can’t seem to make myself care. I really want this book. I need this book. I can worry about the weirdness of this whole situation later. “Then it has chosen you.” The way she says it has the hairs on the back of my neck rising. “The book is yours free of charge.”

  “What? Really?” This should be another red flag, but again I ignore it.

  “Of course. It wouldn’t be right to charge you for something that already belongs to you. If you’ll follow me, I’ll ring you up for the tea and concealing charm.”

  “Thanks.” I slip the necklace over my neck. A burst of magic, pulses from the charm the moment it touches my skin, sending ripples of energy through the air. Any concerns I have about this girl or this shop disappear.

  Ivy would never harm me.

  “One more thing,” Ivy says as she kneels down, reaching into a cabinet under the counter. She pulls out a metal box, removes the lid, then pulls out a small wooden box with a sliding top. She places it on the counter and slides it toward me with the tip of her finger. “To ease the pain of heart in the one you split from, simply blow this in his face while concentrating on your desire for his happiness and all will be well.”

  “How do you know I just broke up with someone?” I ask, even though I already know the answer. Witchcraft. I really should be freaked out by this entire experience, or at least be questioning it more, but I’m not. I don’t know why but I can trust Ivy. She only wants what’s best for me.

  She places the box into a bag along with the Book of Shadows, a smile the only answer I get.

  20

  I raise an eyebrow at the knock on the front door while Coco goes into doggy bark hysterics from somewhere in the house. Aunt Claudia and Uncle Caleb are still at work, Jack and Liv still in school, like I should be… so who would knock on the door at this time of day?

  Crap. What if it’s the truant officer? He could be here to bust me for cutting class.

  I set down my glass of chocolate milk on the kitchen counter beside the Book of Shadows I got at Books and Brew and slowly inch my way toward the front door. Halfway there I turn around and dart back into the kitchen. The whole witch and magic thing may be new to me, but even I know some of the spells in this book are on the darker side of things and it’s not something I want anybody to know I have, let alone my family. Bookmarking my place, I shove it under some appliance manuals in the junk drawer. With it out of sight from any potential prying eyes, I head back into the foyer, tiptoeing over to the window just inside the living room to sneak a peek through a slit in the curtains. Before I can see who’s there another bang reverberates through the door and I jump, nearly ripping the curtain down in the process.

  “We know you’re in there, Indi, so open up!”

  The coiled muscles in my body relax at the sound of a familiar voice. I drop the curtain still clenched in my hand and open the door. On the porch with three pints of ice cream stacked in her hands is Paige. Taylor stands beside her with her fist raised in the air, ready to knock again. She drops her arm to her side as Coco runs out to sniff her legs.

  “Hello Coco,” Taylor says, her voice going down two octaves as she kneels to scratch Coco behind the ears. “Who’s a good girl, hmm? That’s right. Coco’s a good girl aren’t you? Yes, you are.” After a few more ear scratches, she kisses the top of Coco’s head then barges past me into the foyer.

  “Hello to you too,
Taylor,” I say as I move to the side to let Paige in.

  “You broke up with Evan Lewis?” Taylor is always one to get right to the point, never any small talk to ease into things with her. She stares at me point blank, the look in her eyes demanding immediate answers. She points her finger at me then crosses her arms over her chest. “I demand explanations. How could you dump Evan? I mean it’s Evan. Quarterback of the football team, voted most likely to win prom king, hottest thing to walk the halls of our high school—other than Jacob, of course… and maybe New Boy. What?” She looks between Paige and me. “We all know New Boy is cute, despite claims of his creepiness.” She zeros in on me. “Oh my God, don’t tell me New Boy is why you dropped Evan like last season’s fashion hype. Did something actually happen between you two over the weekend other than joint homework assignments because I was totally kidding about that the other day in school?”

  My face flames beet red. “Of course not, which I also told you at school. Remember? I broke up with Evan because I’ve got some family stuff I’m dealing with at the moment. I’m not in a good place to be in a relationship right now and I didn’t want to string him along through my drama. It has nothing to do with Sebastian Chase.” Not entirely anyway.

  “Stop interrogating her, Taylor, and get some spoons before the ice cream melts.” Paige stares Taylor down until she complies.

  “Fine,” Taylor says with as much exasperation as she can fit into one word. She heads for the kitchen with a dramatic sigh.

  “Don’t mind Taylor, you know how she gets. Although, she’s not wrong about Sebastian’s hotness.” Paige gives me a sly wink as she closes the door with her foot. She hands me a pint of ice cream. “I got your favorite, mint chocolate chip.” Her features soften, her eyes taking on the look one gives a wounded animal. “Thought you might need some.”