Twisted Magic

by Holly Hood

  “Your boyfriend and the other one’s he hangs around with?”

  I nodded. “Slade and his family are good people. Audrey is evil, and I am afraid of what she might do to them.”

  “You can only look after yourself. And asking them to break away from what they are will never happen, Doll. Slade and his family are indebted to these witches right?” Hutch stroked a hand against his chin.

  “Yes.” Was all I said.

  “That’s a bond made by that coven. Your bond is to Slade,” Hutch eyed me carefully as he explained this. “Slade holds the link to you even though the supernatural is from somewhere dark.”

  My head was foggy and nothing Hutch was explaining made sense. “So what are you trying to tell me?” Did it mean I was screwed, or maybe I wasn’t but Slade and the rest of them were?

  “I’m saying I can help you. I can connect you to me if you want to break away from that coven.” This was all hokey. The very things I never believed existed until recently.

  “How do you do that? A spell?”

  Hutch nodded. “There’s a store up the boardwalk, we can get what we need to start the process. And then we will see what we can do about your friends. However, I am not promising anything. If they refuse there’s nothing we can do.”

  I nodded. I understood, but that didn’t mean I was completely satisfied with the answer. Or what it even meant to connect myself to another witch when Audrey had warned me to steer clear of this sort of thing, of disobeying the coven.

  I looked at Hutch. “Let’s go.”

  MAGIC AND MAYHEM

  As I stood in the sordid looking shop at the end of Hutch’s neighborhood, I wondered what I got myself into. I crossed my arms not moving from my spot at the front door. The dusty windows barely let the sunlight shine through and made it more dreary then it already was.

  “Are you sure about this place?” I asked Hutch as he looked past the wooden counter at the array of herbs, and concoctions bottled and on display. The jars were neatly lined on one long shelf after another covering the entire back wall.

  “I swear it. Anything you want to do there is something here to help you.” He waited patiently, while I counted in my head to thirty and if someone didn’t appear soon I was out of there. I had a previous incident with places of the sorts, and I wasn’t about to have another one.

  The beaded curtains rattled and shook and out came a red-haired woman, her long skirt swaying in the breeze as she came to the counter.

  “Hutch so nice to see you again,” she said, a small smile on her face, the creases in her forehead proved she was old. I just wasn’t sure how old exactly. She looked past Hutch to me, pushing a strand of fiery red hair from her shoulder, her silver bracelets chiming against her tan arm.

  Hutch turned toward me. “This is Hope.” He motioned me forward. I reluctantly stood beside Hutch at the counter.

  “Jane,” she didn’t offer a smile as she had with Hutch.

  Hutch ignored the awkwardness between the two of us and brought the matter at hand to the surface.

  “I need some things for a binding spell and for a connection spell.”

  Her eyes grew large. “What is it your trying to unite, Hutch?” Her gaze dropped to my tattoo. I covered it with my hand feeling judged and unwelcome.

  “I’m not getting into the details. But yes, it seems foolish I’m sure.”

  “More than foolish, I can sense the darkness just looking at her. You don’t want to mess with that connection.” She turned her back on us.

  My mouth was dry. I looked at Hutch. “What is she saying?”

  Hutch sighed. “She’s afraid of what you are and what is connected to you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Just like the rest of Cherry. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. He’s not like them.” I wasn’t about to battle this weird woman over Slade and whether or not he was some lost soul.

  She turned back around dropping a rope, and some sort of sage on the counter pushing it toward me. She acted as if I had the plague, and I was growing rather sick of it.

  “What good is a rope?” I lifted it off the counter.

  “The rope is part of the spell you will do to ward off your little problem,” he said, raising an eyebrow. I scanned my wits trying to make sense of it.

  “Her,” I said, referring to Audrey. If I strangled her with the rope I probably had better odds of getting rid of her. I didn’t get it.

  “A binding spell is very powerful. It will keep whoever you cast it on from hurting others and themselves.” She explained. “But this could all well be a mistake.” Her eyes dropped to my wrist again. I dropped the rope and dropped my arm below the counter, so she wouldn’t stare at it anymore.

  I knew a few people this could work on. I wondered if I should ask her for more ropes. And wondered why nobody else was doing this. The world would be a better place.

  “That sounds simple enough,” I said to myself looking at the rest of the stuff on the wall.

  “Not hardly, on a human maybe, on someone with their own power it can prove difficult.” Hutch handed over the rope and dropped his hands on the counter. “Jane, I know you’re concerned, but I really could use your help.”

  Jane’s penciled eyebrows lifted; she drew in her bottom lip, and with a soft exhale spun on her heels. She looked around the shelves and finally settled on a couple of different herbs. She put them in a small black bag and secured the string.

  “This should do it,” she pushed it across the counter, her rings catching my eye. Black stones and shiny silver gleamed in the rather dank environment. It was odd.

  Hutch gladly pocketed it, and pointed past her to something else. “What’s that?”

  Jane turned, taking the feather off the shelf. She ran it across her fingers. “This is the feather of a very old crow said to have been around for hundreds of years. They say it only came around when evil was near and those who carried the feathers were protected.”

  Hutch extended his hand; she placed it in his palm. He turned to me, his fingers slipping through my damp hair. “A gift for you.”

  I smiled, accepting the large feather. Smiling at Hutch’s thoughtful gift, he ignored Jane’s gaping stare at our forbidden attraction—it was something similar to West side story or Romeo and Juliet the way this woman was making me feel.

  Jane raised a hand stopping us from leaving. “Hutch, I hope you think wisely about taking what is not yours.” She warned, pocketing the bills he threw on the counter.

  I spun around. “Look lady, I know you don’t like me, but you have no idea. This guy is not my keeper.” I crossed my arms offended for the third time since I walked into the place.

  She blinked, unruffled by me. “It is not you that I dislike.”

  I scoffed, that was amusing.

  “It follows you and what you are; you are new to power, to magic. It will eat you alive if you let it.” She looked at Hutch. He touched my arm. “I see her aura. It's blue, but it’s being blotted out by black.”

  I raised an eyebrow startled. Hutch tugged me toward the exit; it seemed he had heard enough to. He pushed into the door taking us from darkness back to light and fresh air again. I already felt a million times better.

  “What was she talking about my aura is blue?” Like my mood, I thought to myself.

  “Don’t listen to her. She’s an old witch that believes some lines should never be crossed. She’s old school like many others, but I’m not, and I said I would help you.”

  “But what exactly is a blue aura?” I asked, following him through the sand. I wondered what color Karsen’s was, maybe Zebra striped or leopard.

  “A blue aura, one that is spiritual, loyal, creative, sensitive, kind and moody. All things that you are,” Hutch teased.

  I wasn’t laughing. “If I was loyal I wouldn’t have almost slept with you last night.”

  Hutch stopped walking and turned at my remorse. “If you weren’t loyal you wouldn’t be beating yourself up over it. It�
��s human nature, Doll. You can’t help who you’re attracted to and who is attracted to you.” He dropped down in the sand close to the water.

  “It doesn’t bother you. That you almost slept with me, the queen of the dark side. The girl promised to the devil himself?” I raised an eyebrow; it was funny yes, but true in ways.

  Hutch grinned; I dropped down on my knees watching him sort through the contents of the small pouch.

  “What we are about to do, yet cool, may be a little disturbing. Are you up for it?” He shot me a crooked grin, waiting for an answer. “And to answer your question, it doesn’t bother me one bit, because I think you would be worth it.”

  My cheeks warmed.

  NATURE

  I watched as Hutch laid out the contents of the pouch strange Jane had given him.

  “I never told you where I’m from,” Hutch said, looking up at me as he lit one of the herbs, I wasn’t sure what it was, the strong peppery aroma wafted past my nose disappearing in the breeze.

  “So tell me,” I smiled, watching him rub the remaining ash in his palms. He reached for me. I offered my hand. Hutch grinned.

  “I grew up in Maine with my grandparents after my parents left.” He tugged on my pointer finger. I watched him closely, concentrating on his story rather than what was happening.

  “Once a coven grows so big they break apart into what we call a hive.” He dropped his gaze.

  I yelped in pain pulling away from Hutch. He dropped the culprit—a thorn, in a hole he dug earlier. “Three drops of blood.”

  I hoped he wasn’t talking to me. I had a weak stomach, but he was. I gave my hand back letting him milk me of my plasma. Three perfect beads of blood dropped in the sand.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, watching him cover my blood with bits of sand and more herbs.

  “I am enhancing your abilities, giving you a chance to fight if it comes down to it.” He wiped my finger clean. “I'm fusing you with nature.”

  If you say so. “Does that mean I can talk to the trees and those cute squirrels outside my window in the morning?”

  Hutch’s expression changed. He didn’t find my joke funny. I had to remind myself this was serious and his way of life. “Everything in life is natural. Everything comes together, and this will help you, believe me.”

  I pursed my lips. If I was going to start somewhere I figured belief was the best road to travel to get there. “Okay, so what do I do now?”

  Hutch sat back, collecting the remaining ingredients. “Believe in yourself.”

  “That’s it?” I asked, disappointed there wasn’t a big ordeal that needed to take place filled with sparkles and potions.

  “Think of the spell as a stepping stone, it will lead you down the path, but it’s up to you to get there.” He sat back, resting his arms against his knees and stared at the water. “When our coven got so large we split. And because my parents were of such great importance they traveled, leaving my brothers and I behind.”

  This made me sad, to lose your family because of who you were. I could never imagine losing my father over magic. Nevertheless, it seemed Hutch accepted it.

  “Where are they now?” I asked, watching the seagulls dive into the water in search of a bite to eat.

  “I’m not quite sure. It’s been some time since any of us heard from them. My grandparents passed on, and that’s when I was responsible. It was a lot of responsibility at first, but I learned to accept it.” Hutch sighed.

  “Then why do you travel?” I asked, if he held such an important role, I didn’t understand why he was always on the road, never in one place.

  Hutch looked over at me, “even those who mean well go off course occasionally."

  I held back my shock. He had me believing he was honest; I hated to think he was hiding something sinister, something just as evil as everyone else around me.

  “Our coven was attacked one night during a ritual. It was a mess, and the three of us took off. I abandoned our kind and several lives were lost. I was young. I didn’t know what I was doing, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel like shit everyday about it.” He pushed my hair behind my ear, lifting my chin.

  “I’d never mislead you. I hope you’re not thinking that. But I do have a past that haunts me quite a bit.” His eyes were dark. I nodded that I understood. I felt for him and his problems.

  “I guess even the ones you think are so perfect have their flaws huh?” I said, producing a small smile. I leaned into Hutch; he wrapped his arm around me.

  “Nothing is perfect, doll.”

  “Then why risk pissing off another coven?” Some things weren’t perfect, but they could be tolerated if you just didn’t rock the boat.

  “It wasn’t something I planned. I saw a beautiful girl on the beach that night. Apologizing for everyone else and I felt like saving her.” He touched my face; his knuckle's grazing my skin.

  He kissed the corner of my mouth. I lifted my chin accepting his kiss.

  The wind crawled through my hair. I pulled away, suddenly realizing we were out on the beach a spectacle with the chance of being seen. And I knew I shouldn’t be kissing him.

  Hutch elbowed me. “When you go home, I want you to do a spell. I think this will help with Blondie.”

  I agreed. Anything would help with Audrey. I was going up against a very clever and devious witch.

  “Do you have any spells for pissed-off fathers?” I cringed. I was gone since last night. I prayed he figured I was at work, or that he was immersed in his life with Lynette, for once that didn’t sound so awful.

  “You’re a young woman. I’m sure he trusts you.” Hutch went back to the spells, so many spells and things to know. “She wrote it down, so when you get home take this paper and read over it carefully. And then I want you to do it and do it right. You have to do it exactly, or it’s not going to work.”

  I folded the piece of paper and slipped it into my shorts without reading it. I was nervous to see what I had to do, what I could possibly mess up. What if it was like on television and something else happened unwanted and unexpected.

  Hutch touched my hand. “I have faith in your ability. Now you just need to have a little faith.”

  I sighed. “I hope your right.”

  “I am.”

  “What if it works, what does that mean for me going up against Audrey?” I didn't think that far. A binding spell was supposed to protect me. And to keep Audrey from harming anyone else, but if it worked what, then, if I was the winner that meant Audrey was the loser.

  Audrey wanted Slade. I looked at Hutch deeply concerned. “I’m not sure why I am even doing this anymore.” I was losing my way, my meaning.

  Now that I met Hutch, I wasn’t sure Slade was the right guy for me. Or why I was struggling so hard to hold onto someone who didn’t want me as much as I wanted him. I thought Slade was the best thing that ever happened to me. I thought the world of him, but suddenly sitting on the beach next to Hutch. He paled in comparison. And that was nobody’s fault but his. Hutch took what he wanted, he had fight in him. Slade didn’t do much to hold onto the things he cared about—or maybe he just didn’t care about me.

  Hutch tugged me by the chin; he looked me in the eyes. “The only thing you should be concentrating on is getting away from something that will ruin you. This will ruin you.”

  I nodded. I was sure it could. I wasn’t as strong as Slade or Kidd. I wasn’t Lucy. I also didn’t know the first thing about surviving and keeping a dark coven happy at the same time. They would eat me alive. And Audrey would be the first one to take the bite.

  “If you care about your friends, then you do whatever you see fit. But I am going to tell you like it is, Hope. You are going to find out they are a lot more loyal then you might have thought.”

  I thought about the time Slade went to great lengths to rid himself of Ezra, so we could have a chance, and how he saved me from Tucker and his dad, the image of Slade driving a knife into my chest sent a chill through me. I sa
w his dark side that night.

  “Do you think he made the right choice?” I asked Hutch. He had no clue what I was talking about. So I explained. “That night, when Slade changed me. He also saved me from something horrible. I probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for what he did.”

  Hutch shrugged. “I’m not the one to answer that. Maybe he didn’t want to be alone.”

  “Yeah, but Slade could have anybody. He didn’t have to pick me.” Did he?

  Hutch grinned, shaking his head incredulously. “It’s always funny watching something so beautiful not know how beautiful it really is. It’s sad even.”

  I looked away; some flattering comments were overwhelming to hear from another person. I could never believe such a thing, even if he was being sincere. I didn’t see myself that way.

  “Don’t you see it,” Hutch asked. He pushed my hair from my shoulders, forcing me to smile. “He’s a lucky guy.”

  This made me frown, and shot me back into reality. “Just when I think you couldn’t get any more charming you take it up a couple more notches.”

  He traced my bottom lip. “And what about that is sad?”

  “I don’t know,” I sighed, laying my head against his shoulder.

  “Because I’m not the one you want to hear it from.” He laughed to himself, maybe he realized I was still hanging on to hope or lord knows what. I wasn’t sure.

  “Hutch, I’m sorry,” I said suddenly, pulling away from him. “I’m saying and doing all the wrong things. This probably would be considered leading someone on.” I had no idea. I had no prior experience other than Slade. I stood up. I had to get home. It was suddenly very clear I was growing too fond of Hutch. And I wasn’t in the position to take advantage of his good will.

  Hutch nodded, okay with letting me leave. “You take care of the things you have to take care of. And if you need anything you know where to find me.”