You’ll regret the day you were ever born.
With this knot I seal this hex,
You will never sleep, you will never rest.
Suffer now because I refuse to wait,
With this knot, I seal your fate.
Smitten, shattered, cheated…
“Jasper. Stop,” Claire demanded before he could finish reciting the spell.
Startled by the alarm in her voice, he suddenly looked up and asked “What’s wrong?”
Taking several deep breaths to regain her composure, Claire finally said, “You almost cursed everyone in the room.”
“What? I don’t understand. How is that possible? I’m not a witch,” Jasper countered. Not quite sure he believed Claire.
In a soothing, therapeutic voice, Roger said, “Jasper. You don’t have to be a witch to curse someone.”
“What? That’s preposterous,” Jasper replied.
“I’m afraid he’s right, my friend,” Armand said. “In my day, there have been plenty of curses cast by scorned women who were not witches.”
“True that,” Roger answered with a shake of his head. “Let’s just be grateful that we didn’t bite the bullet. This time. However, your little rhyme does explain a lot. Now, we know why Sophie has been unable to sleep and why Chez Parée Deux, or as Sophie fondly refers to it as the Den of Sin, resides in her closet.”
“I get it,” Sarah finally said.
“You do,” Cole asked with a confused look on his face.
“Yes,” she replied with a smug smile. “When Sophie bought the house, she inherited the curse. It didn’t die with Old Man Miller. That’s why she’s been unable to sleep.”
“Bravo, Sarah. Would you like to explain the rest, Claire?” Roger asked with a knowing smile.
“Why not? Before Chez Parée Deux found its new home in Sophie’s closet, it resided in New Orleans. In my vision, I saw an article that briefly mentioned how the gentleman’s club and all of its inhabitants suddenly disappeared. There was no investigation because part of the curse involved wiping the memory of its existence. Since the witch eventually took her own life, the spell was never released, which is the reason Armand and Iggy are once again humans.”
“Wow! So does this mean that Sophie reversed both spells,” Cole asked, intrigued by the turn of events.
“Unfortunately, no. Chez Parée Deux is still in her closet and she’ll still have trouble sleeping at night,” Claire replied solemnly.
“Are you telling me there’s an entire club full of people still stuck in her closet?” Jasper asked, anger rolling off him in waves.
“I’m afraid so,” Claire responded in a calming voice, hoping to counteract some of the beta’s anger and frustration.
“Then what are we going to do about it?” he finally asked.
“Call in reinforcements,” Cole said, matter of fact, right before he excused himself from the table to make a phone call.
Chapter 9
Serena wanted to strangle that mouse of a witch with her bare hands when she reversed the spell that had been placed on Alec. How dare she interfere in a lover’s quarrel? It was none of her damn business, and she would make that abundantly clear to the meddling witch and her friends soon enough. She need to get home, clear her head, and plot her revenge.
By the time Serena made it home, her anger was off- the-charts, and it was obvious because the Dark Magic swirling around the room was enough to make Brittney take a few steps back. This was the last time she’d be betrayed by a man who was supposed to have loved her. When she thought about the way Alec had wrapped Sophie in his arms and kissed her so passionately that it made even her swoon, she wanted to rip his balls off. Pacing back and forth and murmuring to herself, she barely heard her cousin’s question.
“What in the Goddess’s name is going on? Why are you so angry?”
“She reversed my damn spell, Brit. How was she able to reverse my spell so easily? I swear, I’ll make her pay.”
“Okay, let’s try this again. Who are you talking about?”
“Sophie, you dimwit,” Serena snapped.
“Hey. Not nice. There’s no need for name calling,” Brittney said, as she put a little more distance between her and Serena.
“Don’t try my patience tonight, Brit. It wouldn’t be in your best interest. Besides, your lover boy, Jasper, was there as well, helping her.”
“What?” Brittney quickly asked.
“That’s right. You heard me. Jasper helped the witch reverse my spell. From what I could tell, he also had a boner for the auburn-haired beauty who was helping Sophie with the chant. Guess he’s moved on to his next bootie call and you’re not it,” Serena said with a mischievous glint in her eye, relishing the defeated look on her cousin’s face.
Brittney was a good kid for the most part, but she grated on her last nerve. Not to mention, she was cute, perky, busty, and all the men lusted after her. Why she had set her sights on a loser like Jasper was beyond her. Her cousin needed a man who understood her needs and was willing to cater to her every whim. Serena thought she had found that with Alec, especially in the beginning when he listened to her woes, wooed her with flowers, dancing, and of course, dirty, unbridled sex. Lots and lots and lots of dirty, no-holds barred sex. The Goddess only knew how she had been in an orgasm induced haze for a week after their first sexual encounter.
“Serena,” Brittney snapped. “Did you hear what I said? How do you know all of this?”
“I know all of this dear cousin because I saw it with my own two eyes when I was spying on the witch earlier.”
“Wait! Why were you spying on Sophie if you had already cursed Alec?”
“Because I had a sneaky suspicion that he would enlist her help. I have no idea how he did it, but I assure you, he’s going to pay dearly for his betrayal and indiscretion.”
Realizing her cousin had fallen off her rocker, Brittney held her hands up in surrender and said, “You know what, I think I’m going to bail. I don’t want Baba Yo Mama on my ass when she finds out what you’ve done. I mean, let’s face it, the odds aren’t in your favor.”
“Are you doubting my powers, little cousin?” Serena asked in a deadly voice.
“Um. No. I am just concerned for your safety because Sophie is being protected by three of the most powerful sisters in the universe.”
“You forget that with this Dark Magic coursing through my veins, I’m their equal. I no longer fear anyone.”
“Then you’re a fool,” Brittney mumbled under her breath.
“What did you say?” Serena asked, as she glared at her cousin.
“What? Oh. I said that’s really cool. Good luck!” Brittney quickly responded, as she plastered a fake, mega-watt smile on her face. The last thing she needed was for her psychotic cousin to direct her anger and Dark Magic toward her. She had enough problems of her own and none of them involved a heart broken witch who’d lost her ever-loving mind.
Ignoring her cousin, Serena rushed into the kitchen and started frantically looking through the drawers for three black candles. She knew exactly what to do to reverse the spell and make them all pay, but she had to hurry because dusk had almost set. Once she found them, she immediately placed each one in a candle holder and lit them. When they began to burn, she summoned the Dark Magic and began chanting the following spell five times.
Spirits of the abyss, hear my plea,
It’s time to put down a nagging flea.
Broken spell, broken curse,
Infuse power into these candles with this verse.
Make them live and learn while they crash and burn,
Three times three, I command this hex to return.
Their time is up, so let my story of revenge be told,
Whatever is sent out, returns to them three-fold.
Brittney watched in fear as the cloud of Dark Magic swirling above Serena’s head picked up speed. She wanted to leave, but her feet wouldn’t move. She continued to watch in horror, as the kitc
hen window opened and Serena sent the cloud of Dark Magic in the direction of Sophie’s farmhouse to do her bidding. What had her cousin just done? More importantly, what had she gotten herself into?
Chapter 10
Once Cole had finished bringing Zara up to speed on the situation of Alec, Sophie and Serena’s love triangle, he turned to head back into the living room and instinctively knew something was wrong. If all the alarm bells going off in his head wasn’t an indication, then Sarah’s scream was a dead giveaway.
“Sarah. Baby. What’s wrong?” he yelled, immediately running back to where he had left the others.
“They’re all gone,” she replied in a shocked voice.
“What do you mean gone? What happened?” Cole asked.
“Well. Not really gone. One minute we were all sitting around the table discussing Serena and the next, a cloud of Dark Magic whooshed through the window, turned everyone into a mouse, and then they disappeared.”
“It has to be Serena. How did she know Sophie had reversed the spell? More importantly, why didn’t the spell affect you?” Cole inquired.
“I’m not sure. I think Sophie and Claire did something to try and counteract the curse, but it was too late. We need to call the sisters for help and fast. I have a bad feeling about all of this,” Sarah said in a worried voice.
“Breathe, baby. Zara and Zoe are on their way,” Cole said in a soothing voice, as he wrapped her in his arms.
* * *
“What in the Hades is going on? Why are we in front of Chez Parée Deux, again?” Alec hissed. Although he knew the answer, his mind wanted to remain in denial for as long as possible.
“The Wicked Witch of the West has struck again,” Jasper groused. It was sort of funny when Alec had been turned into a mouse, but not so much now that the roles were reversed. He was going to strangle Serena when he got his hands on her.
“Wait! Where’s Cole and Sarah?” Alec asked, suddenly realizing they were short two people.
“They’re still at the farmhouse,” Sophie said in a calm voice, hoping that some of it would rub off on Alec. When he looked at her utterly confused, she cupped his cheek and whispered in a low soothing voice, “Breathe. When Claire and I realized what was happening, we tried to counteract the effects of Serena’s Dark Magic, but it didn’t quite work out as we had hoped.”
“I don’t understand,” Alec said, breathing in her scent to calm his nerves. They’d barely been together a day and she already had the ability to tame his beast. How in the Goddess’s name had he ever lived without her?
“We had hoped to once again reverse Serena’s spell and aim it toward her, but she infused it with Dark Magic and made sure no harm came to her,” Sophie replied.
Alec was going to murder Serena when he got his hands on her. But for now, he needed to calm down, focus, and find a way out of the current predicament they found themselves thrust into once again because of a psychotic, vindictive witch.
“It sounds like there’s not much we can do, but wait until Cole and Sarah contact the sisters for help. So until then, why don’t we go inside and enjoy the entertainment,” Roger suggested in a soothing, yet excited voice.
Alec knew the man was busting at the seams to finally see the mythical Chez Parée Deux, and he wouldn’t fault him for his eagerness. He also agreed that they were in a holding pattern until the sisters figured out a way to counteract Serena’s spell and deal with her once and for all. Unable to deny Roger something he had been wishing for since probably childhood, especially given his penchant for porn, Alec looked at the eager man and simply said, “When in Rome…”
Picking up on his new friend’s queue, Armand bowed, waived his hand toward the entrance, and said in his thick Spanish accent, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Chez Parée Deux, the second, most prestigious gentleman’s club in all the world.”
Alec wasn’t sure how Little Lola had done it, but they had made it just in time for her show and she didn’t miss a beat. He also knew the moment Roger and Jasper had discovered the buxom blonde because their eyes lit with lust. He had to give her props, she knew how to work a pole. He also had no doubt that every man in the room would have been willing to trade places with that pole. Not only had she made it her bitch, but it was obvious she owned it—body, heart, and soul.
“She’s magnificent,” Roger whispered, obviously mesmerized by Lola’s beauty and stamina.
“Tell me about,” Jasper concurred, ignoring the scathing glare Claire’s sent him over her shoulder.
Alec knew once his beta pulled his head out of his ass and accepted that Claire was his other half, their mating would be explosive. Until then, he’d sit back and watch them spar while they fought their desire for one another. It was their problem to solve. Besides, he had enough problems of his own.
When he turned to Iggy, he realized there was bigger problem that needed to be addressed immediately. By the way the man was sneering at Roger and Jasper for ogling Little Lola, it was obvious fists were about to start flying and he didn’t want to be in the middle of it. Sophie seemed to realize the problem as well and temporarily distracted Iggy by asking him to buy her a drink. He hoped by the time they rejoined them at the table, Iggy would have calmed down. But just in case he hadn’t, Alec seized the opportunity to apprise Roger and Jasper of the situation.
Fifteen minutes later, apologies had been made, and everyone including Little Lola who was now perched on Iggy’s lap was enjoying some cool refreshments as well as the entertainment. In the case of the love birds, it seemed as though absence did make the heart grow fonder.
* * *
Cole and Sarah anxiously waited for Zara and Zoe to arrive. When the front door of the farmhouse was blown off its hinges, Cole simply smiled. His best friend always knew how to make an entrance.
“Where is that Spawn of Satan?” Zara asked, breathing heavy from the energy she just exerted blowing up Sophie’s door.
Zoe couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Zara’s antics. When everyone simply stared at her little sister—unsure of what to say, she finally put them all out of their misery. “Overreact much? Besides, you know mom is in the pokey. We’ll have to come up with a different name for Serena. You’ll also need to fix Sophie’s door before we leave. Got it.”
When the rage began subsiding from Zara’s face, Cole seized the opportunity to say, “Thanks for coming. Is Zelda on her way?”
“We left a message for her, but she hasn’t called us back yet?” Zoe replied in a calm voice.
“I don’t mean to doubt your abilities, but will you be able to handle Serena’s Dark Magic by yourselves,” Sarah asked, concern written all over her face.
Before anyone could respond, Zeva, Mikhail, Ariel, Dillen, and several others from the Shifter community walked into the living room. Sarah looked around and realized that at least half of the magical community was standing in her sister’s living room. They weren’t alone.
“We would have knocked, but it seems as though someone has taken out Sophie’s door,” Zeva said.
When everyone turned and looked at Zara, she simply shrugged and said, “Hey, I didn’t know what we were walking into after my phone call with Cole. I might have been a little overzealous when we arrived at the house. Sue me.”
When everyone started laughing, the tension in the room dropped a couple of notches. Although nothing had changed and Serena was still a dangerous threat, everyone knew panic and chaos wasn’t going to solve the problem.
Once everyone was seated, Zeva said, “Serena isn’t our only problem. Something bigger is going on. I can feel it.”
“What do you mean?” Zoe asked.
“I don’t know. It’s like Magic is waning. Slowly disappearing, but not temporarily. This seems more final, which is more than a little disconcerting. Zoe. Zara. Have you spoken with your sister or father since they returned home?”
“Now that you mention it, not really. We’ve left them several messages, but they haven’t returned ou
r phone calls. Dad hasn’t even popped in lately. We just assumed it was because Zelda and Mac were getting ready for the twins,” Zara replied.
“Do you think their lack of response has something to do with the waning of Magic?” Zoe asked. It was taking more of her energy than usual to ward off all of the emotions coursing throughout the room.
Zeva’s response was suddenly interrupted when Baba Yaga teleported into the room. “Did someone ring for help,” she asked in a nonchalant voice.
“This can’t be good if Baba Yo Pain in My Ass showed up,” Zara mumbled under her breath.
“I heard that smart ass,” Baba Yaga replied without any real heat in her voice. “Unfortunately, you’re right.”
“Told you so,” Zara replied. Only this time, it was loud enough for everyone to hear. Sighing heavily with dread, she finally asked, “What’s going on?”
“It seems as though your sister and father won’t be able to join you in this little adventure because they’re a bit preoccupied at the moment,” Baba Yaga hedged.
“What do you mean, preoccupied?” Zoe asked with suspicion.
“It seems as though Zelda’s cravings got the better of her and she accidentally ate the gingerbread roof of an old, nasty witch’s house. Said witch is a teeny bit upset by the events and is now being a hard-ass by refusing to do her duties,” Baba Yaga said in a dry voice.
“Wait! You’re not telling us everything. I can feel it. Who is this witch and what are her duties?” Zoe asked, knowing immediately they weren’t going to like the answer.
“Okay, fine. There’s no easy way to say this. Zelda ate Marge’s roof that was made out of gingerbread because she was craving carbs.”
“And…” Zoe demanded.
Sighing like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, Baba Yaga finally said, “It wouldn’t have been so bad if Marge weren’t a Creator Witch and my sister,” Baba Yaga said, making sure to mumble the last part.
The room is silent for a brief moment until Zara bursts into laughter. “Who in the Hades eat’s a freaking roof? Leave it up to big sis to go all Hansel and Gretel on an old woman’s house. What’s next? Candy Cane Forest.”
Magic and Mayhem: Witch With An Axe To Grind (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Magick & Chaos Book 4) Page 7