by Carla Caruso
‘This isn’t my kind of place,’ Mina told Riley. ‘I-I just know one of the dancers.’
One good thing about his arrival was he’d obscured her view of Wizzy getting down to her birthday suit. She really didn’t need to know if Wizzy was, you know, a natural blonde, she just needed to corner her post-performance.
Riley shot Mina a lascivious grin. ‘Is your dancer friend another Italian? Because, you know, I could be open to sharing you.’ Oh dear. She detected alcohol also on his breath as he edged closer.
She put up a hand. ‘Freeze! Please. I’m seeing someone.’
Before she could stop it, an incantation skipped across her mind, like a reflex. Riley’s jaw dropped open and his cow-brown eyes grew glassy. Fark … what was becoming of her? The guy wasn’t suddenly lost for words; she’d snap-frozen him like peas. This was what happened when she hit the town while frazzled. That chick in The Worst Witch show had nothing on her. Who knew how long the spell would take to wear off?
Lotta returned to her side, bearing espresso martinis. After accepting hers, Mina spoke out of the corner of her mouth. ‘I-I need your help with something.’
Somehow Lotta hadn’t yet noticed a frozen Riley. ‘Er, isn’t that why I’m in this hellhole in the first place?’
‘With something else,’ Mina hissed. ‘Remember that insect guy I once dated? Well, this is him and I just accidentally froze him. We have to move him to a dark corner until the spell wears off.’
Before Lotta had a chance to speak, she shoved the cocktail back at her. Then she fumbled in her bag for sunnies for Riley to wear. The eighties flick, Weekend at Bernie’s had taught her something. Surprisingly, her black cat-eye prescription specs rather suited him. She tried not to think about what might happen if someone accidentally brushed against his icy frame in the meantime, or imagined he’d aggressively bumped into them.
Lotta was still gaping in his direction. ‘Good thing there are so many guys here with their mouths hanging open. Still, I need some liquid courage before we do anything.’
Mina just nodded. It’d be a long time before Lotta agreed to accompany her on another such caper. Normally, she was shielded from too much magical madness. Mina joined her sister in chugging down her martini, then ditched her glassware. Onstage, Wizzy was now pulling a rabbit out of a hat, the props thankfully covering her assets. As the audience cheered, Mina linked arms with Riley, Lotta following suit on his other side. At least he’d have no memory of what had happened when he defrosted.
‘Where to?’ Lotta asked, wide-eyed.
Mina looked around, deciding, ‘The corridor to the loos.’
It took considerable effort to drag his now rock-solid, six-foot-something frame through the crowd while trying to act normal and keep a clear path. But Mina wasn’t about to do any more magic to help their cause. She’d done enough damage in the past weeks to last a lifetime.
Lotta peered around at Mina en route. ‘Is it true what you were telling this guy before? That you’re dating someone new? I overheard you. You have been unusually happy lately, last night aside.’
Mina shot her sister a sideways look. ‘I’m always pretty happy, aren’t I?’
‘Not that kind of happy.’ Lotta paused for a beat. ‘It’s Jadon, isn’t it?’
Mina swallowed, unable to keep the secret from her sister any longer. Another of her secrets. ‘It’s hopeless is what it is.’
They neared the dingy hallway to the restrooms, shuffling towards it with Riley. The home stretch was nigh! A few metres in, a girlish voice sounded behind them. ‘Excuse me.’
Mina glanced back to see Wizzy, in her magician’s cape again, waiting to glide past. A stagehand must have taken her rabbit and other props backstage. This was it! Mina moved aside with her entourage to let her through. Wizzy barely looked their way. But even if she had, she wouldn’t have recognised Mina. She’d been wearing the same shades as Riley the last time they’d crossed paths.
Wizzy disappeared into the ladies’. Mina would have thought she’d have staff facilities to use, but maybe she was busting, and this was quicker. Or the cubicles out back weren’t working.
Mina didn’t have time to ponder it. She stared at Lotta. ‘That’s the girl I need to chat to. Do you mind looking after Riley solo for a sec? The back corner should suffice.’
Lotta’s eyes bulged. ‘What if, I don’t know, someone tries to talk to him or something?’
‘Fake that you’re canoodling,’ Mina quickly devised. ‘No-one will bother you then.’
Lotta’s eyebrows shot up. ‘I have a fiancé!’
‘Sorry,’ Mina yelped. She was going to owe Lotta big-time after this, but she was running out of time. She made a beeline for the ladies’.
For a pumping nightspot, the bathroom was eerily quiet. Of course, only a small percentage of women attended strip clubs of that ilk … unless, like Wizzy, they were being paid. Mina guessed she was in the one locked cubicle down the end.
Heading for the basin, Mina rootled around in her bag for some lippy. With shaky hands, she painted on a coat, feeling like a toddler with a crayon. The flush of a toilet erupted behind her, and in the mirror, she saw Wizzy emerge from the cubicle. The blonde sidled up to the adjacent basin, the smell of strawberry-scented hand soap soon filling the air. Mina ditched her lipstick back in her bag, waiting as Wizzy dried her hands then fluffed her hair.
‘Fantastic performance,’ Mina blurted out, not knowing how else to break the ice … so to speak.
Wizzy turned, smiling in a way that didn’t quite reach her eyes. ‘Why thank you. Are you a … a regular here?’
‘No, actually. Although, I have to say, you do look familiar from somewhere.’ Mina tried clicking her fingers casually as blood galloped through her veins. ‘I’ve got it. Did you used to work at Lush Massage?’
‘I did.’ Wizzy frowned. ‘Were you a regular there?’
Mina shook her head. ‘I did have to drop something off there recently, though. To a woman called Nerida. I reckon you were there at the same time.’
Wizzy put a hand to her throat, her features tightening. ‘Nerida?’
Mina stepped closer. ‘I saw in the news that something happened to her. A fall. I still can’t believe it.’ The urgency reverberated in her voice, but she was on a roll now. ‘H-had you noticed any, like, changes in her or was it just an accident?’
Wizzy’s already anime-like blue eyes widened further. ‘You’re not a cop, are you? Or … one of them?’
It was Mina’s turn to frown. ‘One of who? I mean, I’m nobody, just a … concerned acquaintance.’
‘We did the same thing,’ Wizzy shrieked, her expression now as frantic as the words dropping out of her mouth. ‘I don’t know why she reacted differently. Maybe it was just too much for her, I don’t know. I’ve gone over it so many times in my head, b-but why do you think I’m here? She had a young son. Her parents have had to take him in. The least I can do is send them money, do something.’ Nerida had had a son? Just as quickly as she’d started, Wizzy clamped her mouth shut, like she’d said too much. ‘I’d better go.’
‘Please don’t!’ Mina tried but Wizzy was already swishing out through the door. Chasing after her seemed futile. She’d looked like she wouldn’t say another word, even under torture.
Mina ducked into the same cubicle Wizzy had been, her nerves catching up with her. As she tinkled, she thought hard about everything the blonde had said. So, she and Nerida had done something together … but did it mean that Wizzy had also tried out Mina’s un-love spell, hunting down the same items, with her own ex to get over? Mina might have been tempted to do the same, regarding Arlo, if she didn’t need the heartache as a reminder to never lose herself to love again—at least, love with blinkers on. Or had Wizzy and Nerida dabbled in something else entirely? And what had Wizzy meant asking if Mina was ‘one of them’? Had she also mistaken her for a reporter? Confronting Wizzy had, unfortunately, only raised more questions.
As Mina stood t
o flush, she noticed a tampon cord curling out of the sanitary bin beside her. She wrinkled her nose. Then a thought hit her. Was it Wizzy’s? There’d been a sanitary vending machine outside, near the paper towel dispenser. Which could have been why Wizzy had to use the public toilets! Even strippers got their monthlies and Wizzy might have been low in supplies. She probably even had to insert the protection whole to hide it while performing. Imagine!
If the tampon was Wizzy’s, Mina could take it home and ask her elders to do a ritual to see what they could detect in the blood. They had more experience in that sort of thing. Although, even for Mina, fishing a stranger’s tampon out of the bin was a low point. If only the situation wasn’t so dire.
After righting her dress, she gritted her teeth and yanked a wad of toilet paper from the dispenser. Then, using the sheets, she plucked out the tampon, rolled it up, and stuffed it in her bag. The things a witch had to do.
Once she’d washed her hands, she exited the bathroom and looked to the back of the hall. Sheesh. Lotta and Riley appeared to be in a steamy clinch. Her sister must have seen Wizzy leave and got creative. Somehow, she’d even positioned Riley’s hands on her behind. The girl could win a Logie!
Mina hurried over, tugging on her sister’s arm. ‘Thanks for getting in the spirit. You can drop the act now.’
Lotta disentangled herself from the embrace, her lipstick weirdly smudged. ‘Cool.’
‘Mina!’ Riley’s familiar voice suddenly sliced through the air. He’d thawed out? ‘I don’t know what happened. I’m so sorry.’
‘I should leave,’ Lotta said, taking off down the hallway.
A still stunned Riley called after her. ‘Can I at least get your number? That was magic.’
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Lotta returned over her shoulder.
Mina raced after her. Riley could think she was running off because she was peeved with him! She finally caught up with Lotta among the hordes, swinging her around. ‘Please don’t tell me you kissed Riley for real. I never said you had to go that far.’
Lotta casually shrugged. ‘He “woke up” mid-act and, I don’t know, I just went with it. After I’d given him a mint, of course. The garlic on his breath was killing me. Anyway, Alyssa Milano would have given the performance her all. And I guess I just wanted to see what it was like having a dark secret of my own, before I’m officially off the market. It was only one little kiss … all right, with the tiniest bit of tongue. You could call it retaliation for Dino’s lie.’
Mina wasn’t sure the retribution was entirely equal, but she let it slide. She’d never considered that Lotta might sometimes feel like she was missing out as the only non-witch in the family. Fancy that.
‘Oh,’ her sister continued. ‘And if Dino hears about any of this, we’re no longer related.’
Mina crossed her heart. ‘My lips are sealed.’
Chapter 20
It was ironic that Mina was back at the Hilforest Botanic Garden within days, though this time she was frocked up rather than barefoot and mucky. And the forest she was about to get lost in was a faux enchanted one, inside a sandstone two-storey on-site, rather than the real thing.
She paused on her way down the lantern-lit path. It appeared she was one of the last stragglers to arrive as usual. Music and chatter spilled from the building and the door girl, waiting at the entrance, looked suitably bored. Mina allowed herself a few deep breaths anyway.
Within moments, Jadon would get to see her, warts and all. Okay, not warts exactly. Not all witches were blighted with such growths. But he would be glimpsing a truer version of herself, even if he didn’t know it. It wasn’t just the practical side of her not having a proper costume; it also felt appropriate to strip herself back, for good or bad. To face up to everything that she was.
She made herself forge ahead, her buckle-adorned heels clicking on the pavers. The raven-haired lass on the door lifted the velvet rope for her while stifling a yawn. Charming. Mina fell inside, behind a full-figured elf and a Snow-White wannabe, and glimpsed around the jam-packed, green-lit surrounds.
The Friends of the Botanic Gardens group held a fundraiser every Christmas Eve with a different theme, according to Jadon. This year, they’d gone all out with tree canopy-like ceiling draping, ivy-entwined furniture, and curly willow branches in vases. The place really did feel like an enchanted forest. And if her heart hadn’t been pounding in time with the big band music, she might have felt right at home.
Mina weaved through the bar tables and people, on the hunt for Jadon. But first she caught sight of another familiar face in an antique mirror. Her own reflection, with a side-profile she no longer identified with. It was the literal equivalent of holding up a mirror to herself and seeing if she liked what was reflected. Quickly, she turned away again.
As she did, her gaze fell on a Robin Hood-alike on the edge of the dancefloor, wearing a brown leather vest, pants and boots, a billowy cream shirt, and a hat with a feather. On his back, he also carried a quiver of arrows. A few fairy lights overhead burned out; boy, she knew the feeling. With everything else going on that night, she hadn’t had much time to think about what Jadon might wear.
Her heart crumbled like a marzipan biscuit as she noticed a ‘forest fawn’ at his side. The fawn had gone for a sexier outfit than Mina, including wearing twigs as antlers, a flower crown, and a mini. Could his feelings for her have faded even sooner than predicted?
Suddenly, his gaze collided with hers and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. The fawn aspirant skittered away as if on cue. Okay, so maybe Mina had been a leetle too quick to jump to conclusions about his loyalty in her harried state. She took careful steps towards him, her pulse sprinting.
At last, she stood before him, lights creating a fallen-leaf effect on his outfit and the dancefloor. He tilted his head, gazing at her. ‘Ah … you’re a witch.’
She nodded solemnly, her heart in her mouth. ‘I am.’ A real one, her mind screamed. Before she’d jumped in a taxi from the strip club, she’d undone her nose-minimising spell, just for that night. She was only glad she hadn’t gone an extra step and used charcoal toothpaste to stain her smile for effect.
Jadon shook his head with a sigh. ‘The most beautiful witch I’ve ever seen, I should add. I would have come as a warlock if I’d known; we could have been a matching pair.’ Then he placed a hand on the small of her back and drew her in for a kiss. She allowed herself to luxuriate in the sensation, knowing such affection would soon run out.
Pulling back again, he tweaked her nose, making her lose her breath. ‘You know, you could have added a hook nose or something, actually made yourself look scary.’
‘I’m wearing a prosthetic,’ she lied.
‘Really?’ Jadon wrinkled his own sexy nose. ‘I can’t tell. You look right to me.’
Happy hormones promptly flooded her body. If only the feeling, and his lust for her, could last. She diverted the conversation, teasing, ‘So, where’s deer girl gone?’
Jadon raised his eyebrows. ‘You mean the woman telling me about the tree spirit that ‘guides’ her daily? And I thought you liked plants. I actually told her my girlfriend had arrived.’ He coughed. ‘Hope that was okay.’
‘Oh,’ Mina whispered, the word girlfriend thunking on her heart. Inside her, exhilaration mingled with despair. Once again, she’d let things go too far.
‘Guess I said the wrong thing,’ Jadon said quietly, his eyes on her face.
‘Sorry,’ she croaked. ‘I-I just feel like I need to protect myself a bit, knowing that you’ll soon be leaving.’ And since forever-love was impossible for her. She wasn’t even sure she deserved it.
‘Maybe we could try things long-distance.’ He shrugged, though he looked anything but casual. ‘I mean, if you wanted to.’
Her heart strings twanged. She’d never seen him looking so unsure of himself.
‘That rarely works,’ she returned, knowing she had to nip things in the bud once and for all. ‘But it’s
cool. I’m not the type of girl to get a happy-ever-after. I’m used to it.’
Jadon grabbed her hands, and she allowed herself to swim around in his hazel gaze for a moment. ‘We don’t always become our parents, you know.’
‘You’re wrong,’ she fired back, unable to help herself. Because her family history was so much more complicated than his.
Jadon squeezed her fingertips, not letting go. ‘Look, there’s something I’ve been mulling over. I didn’t want to scare you by telling you too soon, but …’ He blew out a breath. ‘Here it is. The thing is, I’m planning to return home to start up my own furniture brand, with a focus on salvaged timber. It’d be a subsidiary of the antique shop and it’s always been a dream of mine. But it never felt like the right time to take the leap … until now. I mean, I’d still have to sort out a few things in Milan—work, my apartment etcetera. But what I’m saying is this doesn’t have to be the end for us, necessarily.’
‘Oh …’
Sadness welled up inside her, like she’d just seen a tree being felled. She was lost for words, though he was obviously expecting some sort of answer from her. Unfortunately, seeing Arlo move on with someone else had been devastating enough; watching Jadon do so would ruin her.
Dance music thumped from the speakers, rescuing her from saying anything more. Spotlights shone on models strutting through the crowd. A fashion show! It was the perfect (temporary) distraction. Though, Mina still felt the loss as Jadon dropped her hands and they turned to watch it.
The clothing being paraded ranged from a floaty yellow dress, inspired by autumn leaves, and a frothy pink gown, resembling almond blossoms. She recognised some of the bling too—double-hoop earrings and armour-like cuffs by Amantha. The dark witch was probably backstage.
Needing some air—some time to think—Mina pulled her phone from her bag and mouthed at Jadon that she had to return a call. Another lie. Jadon just nodded, even though his questioning look lingered. She pushed her way outside.
The night was unusually balmy for the hills, the warmth caressing her skin. Good thing the door girl was nowhere to be seen so Mina didn’t have to pretend to play with her phone. She glanced around her, not knowing what to think about anything. To her left, the lit-up palm house on its hilly slope glittered in the night. A reminder that the famed corpse flower would soon bloom, its stench as rotten as her lot in life.