“It wasn’t her fault. My grandmother was in no condition to teach her much about magic. I’m surprised she learned what she did on her own.”
“Frankly, I’m surprised that Margaritte outlived your mother.”
“I’m not,” she said softly, thinking about the woman who’d raised her. As unconventional as she was, Margaritte did her best, under the circumstances, and they’d fared pretty well. So well that Willow had not been aware that her grandmother was different, and not just because she was a witch. It wasn’t until she was old enough to read her mother’s journals that she realized how different Grams actually was.
Vivian opened up the register and removed the money.
“Really?” drawled Willow. “You’re going to take all of their cash? Do you seriously need money when you have a wand that could probably find you a pile of it?”
Vivian smiled coldly. “You should talk. The owl?”
Her cheeks turned pink and she quickly changed the subject. “This is just ridiculous. We are wasting time here. Vivian, just, please help me get rid of this curse. Then, I can concentrate on helping you that much more.”
“Right,” she sneered.
Willow stared at her in disbelief. “I’ve saved your life and even brought you your wand back. And you still don’t trust me?”
“I don’t trust anyone,” she replied evenly.
“I guess not. Can I trust you?”
Vivian smiled. “Of course you can. We’re family.”
Willow snorted. “Is that a warning?”
She laughed. “You’re so paranoid. Just keep looking around. Once I find where they’ve taken Adrianne, I’ll remove your little curse and you’ll never have to see me again.”
Willow sighed. Obviously, she was going to have to wait. “Speaking of Adrianne, what are you going to do when you find her?”
“That’s not your concern. Keep looking.”
They continued to search the shop for the next few minutes when Vivian picked up the small figurine of a deer. She turned it over in her hand. “Interesting,” she murmured.
“What?”
“I don’t know. There is something special about this figurine. It’s just calling to me.”
“It’s certainly beautiful,” replied Willow, staring at the doe’s frightened eyes.
“It is, but I have this gut feeling that it’s extra special. I think I’m going to keep it. Until I figure out what’s drawing me to it,” she said, slipping it into her coat pocket.
Willow sighed. “I’m not finding anything.”
“Keep looking.”
Willow knocked over a couple of books. She bent down and picked them up. “I think we’re wasting our time here. They’re probably back in Salem, looking for me.”
“You might be right, but they’ll be prepared. I would rather catch them off guard or find where they are keeping Adrianne.”
“What about your coven? Maybe they can look for them in Salem?”
“Yes… my coven. Thank you for reminding me, I have something I need to do. You keep looking and I’ll be back in a half hour or so.”
Willow frowned. “What do you have to do?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I need to make sure that the rest of my coven knows that I’m alive and still their leader. Some of them would jump at the chance of taking over.”
“Sounds like a great lot,” said Willow dryly.
Vivian shrugged. “They’re selfish, conniving, and dangerous.”
“And they are your friends?”
“Only a couple of them are. The rest follow me because they are too afraid not to. Which, they should be.” She smiled darkly. “Nobody can do the things that I’m capable of doing. Don’t you ever forget that, Willow.”
Willow stared at her.
Vivian pointed at her. “You’ll join us one day. When you realize that it’s the only way to survive in the world of magic.”
Willow didn’t want to have anything to do with Vivian or her coven once the curse was removed, but she played along. “Yeah. If that’s what you want…”
Her eyes moved to her hand. The one holding Juniper. “What I really want is the power of your wand.”
“I’m certainly not giving it up,” said Willow, clutching it tighter.
Vivian smiled coolly. “I figured.”
She’d heard of Vivian’s escapades and it was clear that most didn’t trust her and even more feared her. She wondered if Vivian really wanted her to join the coven, or if she was only planning on taking the wand from her. As far as she was concerned, neither would ever happen.
Vivian looked over at the clock. “Like I said, I’ll be back in a little while. You stick around here until I return.”
“What if they come back to this place?”
She smiled darkly. “Then I want you to bring them to my house. The one in New York.”
“How am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know where you live.”
“They do. Just get them there. In return, I’ll make sure that the curse on you is lifted. Then you can not only join my coven, but you’ll also be free to go back to your little cabin in Salem without worrying about Meredith anymore.”
“You promise?”
Vivian stared at her for a minute and then smiled. “We are family, are we not?”
“So, I hear.” She had learned how Vivian treated her relatives, but held her tongue. She was tired of living in fear of the curse, and right now, she knew that Vivian had the means to help her. Some things were worth taking risks.
“Remember what I said, and if you double-cross me, you’ll have more than Meredith to worry about.”
Willow forced a smile. “Why would I double-cross you? I saved your life, didn’t I?”
Vivian’s eyes bore into hers. “You did and that’s why I’m helping you. But, you should also know that if someone betrays me, they don’t get a second chance. Not ever.”
“I understand,” replied Willow.
“I certainly hope so.” Then she raised her wand and disappeared.
Willow shuddered. She hated working with Vivian, but didn’t feel like she had any choice. She was a dark witch, and from what she’d learned, besides death, only a dark witch could truly remove a dark spell. It left a bad taste in her mouth but hopefully, it would soon be over and she could get on with her life.
Sighing, she sat down next to the counter and plopped the older witch’s satchel onto the wood. She then peeked inside.
“Whoa,” she whispered, opening it up wider.
Looking into the purse was like looking into a giant black hole, only there were things floating inside. Dozens of things. A teapot, several books, a radio, and even an old lawn chair. And those were just the items that she could make out.
“Find something interesting?” snapped a familiar voice.
Sucking in her breath, she looked up and found herself staring into the angry eyes of Clarice.
Chapter Eleven
Willow smiled weakly. “Look, I can explain.”
“I’ll take that back,” said Clarice, holding out her hand. “It is mine.”
She shoved the purse toward her. “Of course. Look, stealing it wasn’t even my idea.”
“Save it,” replied Clarice, grabbing the purse from the counter. She opened it up and her lips tightened. “It’s gone.”
“What’s gone?” asked Willow, her eyes wide.
I’d had enough of her little act. “You know exactly what she’s talking about,” I snapped, pointing my wand at her. “How dare you take off like that and steal our stuff! My mother is dying, and you don’t care about anything but yourself!”
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” said Tyler tersely.
Willow’s cheeks turned red and her shoulders slumped. “I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.”
“Right,” I muttered, shaking my head in disgust.
Her brown eyes met mine. “Look, I did it because I had no other choice.”
“W
hy don’t you explain what you mean by that,” said Tyler, removing his dark glasses.
She turned to him and her eyes immediately glazed over.
“Tell us why you stole the dark wand,” he demanded.
She licked her lips. “Because I wanted to have the curse removed and she promised me that she would do it. But, only if I brought her the wand.”
Tyler’s eyebrows furrowed. “Who are you talking about?”
“Vivian.”
We all stared at her in shock.
“Vivian?” I repeated in a strangled whisper.
“She’s dead. Is there another Vivian that you’re referring to?” asked Tyler.
“I only know of one,” she replied.
Tyler looked angry. “Cut to the chase and tell us who Vivian is.”
“Vivian is Adrianne’s sister,” she said softly.
My heart stopped. “She really is alive?”
Willow nodded.
“Are you seriously telling us that you gave the wand to Vivian, right after you left us?” asked Tyler.
“Yes,” she replied.
Clarice closed her eyes. “Of course. I should have realized that there would be others who would know about Juniper. Including Vivian’s coven.”
“What are you saying?” I snapped. “That Vivian is really still alive? What, you brought her back from the dead?”
Willow nodded. “Juniper did. A couple of witches brought her to me and I saved her with my wand. It removed the curse, which evidently brought her back from the spirit world. She promised to remove my curse afterwards, but only if I brought back her wand.”
I had mixed feelings. I was sickened by the fact that Vivian was still messing with our lives, but happy that Juniper had been successful in removing the bonding wand’s curse, even after death.
“This is what’s going to happen,” said Tyler. “You’re coming with us to remove Adrianne’s spell. Then, you’re going to help us get Vivian’s wand back.”
Willow raised her wand and brought it between herself and Tyler, stopping the hold he had on her. “No, I can’t,” she said, looking away.
“The hell you can’t!” I hollered, grabbing her arm.
She pulled away. “You don’t understand, Vivian is the only person who can remove this curse and if I defy her, she’ll never do it!”
“Is that what she told you?” asked Clarice incredulously. “That she is the only one who can help you?”
“Yes,” said Willow, looking slightly skeptical now. “She said that she had, um, a spell book. That it held every spell known to witches, including the one that would reverse mine.”
I turned to Clarice. “Is that really true?”
Clarice shrugged. “There are plenty of spell books…”
I thought about the one Vivian had taken from our attic. “Rebecca, remember the spell book we found in the attic? The one Vivian took?”
Rebecca nodded. “Yes, it was your grandmother’s. That might be the one she is referring to.”
I turned back to Willow. “If you help us now, I’ll find a way to get that spell book and we’ll remove the curse. For good.”
She looked at me suspiciously. “Why should I trust you?”
“Oh, come on!” I hollered, my patience completely worn. “You’re the one who has been dishonest since the moment we met.”
“If you had to live with a curse for almost twenty years, you’d know why. For me death is a constant threat!” she hollered back. “You have no idea what that’s like.”
I sighed.
Tyler cleared his throat. “You’re right. We don’t have any idea. But, we’re the good guys here. We mean you no harm and we’ll do whatever it takes to help.”
She looked at him and I breathed a sigh of relief when her pupils dilated again. She lowered her wand.
Tyler spoke again, his voice velvety smooth. “Willow, you need to come with us and save Adrianne. You will not trust Vivian anymore. You will not help her with anything. But, you will trust that we will do everything in our power to help you in the quest to remove your curse. Do you understand?”
Her lips trembled. “But, it takes a dark witch to remove a dark spell. Doesn’t it?”
He groaned. “No. Willow, listen to me. We will find a way to get that curse lifted. You need to believe that we are on your side.”
“Okay,” she replied.
He went on. “And everything that Vivian told you is a lie. She is only trying to manipulate you to do what she wants. She will continually use it to her benefit and always keep you on a leash, making promises that she never intends to keep.”
Her face darkened. “Yes, Vivian is trying to manipulate me and will never lift the curse.”
“That’s right. We are your friends and you can trust us,” he said. “Believe that.”
She nodded. “I believe it.”
He let out a ragged sigh. “Good.”
My jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you just do that in the very beginning? Back at the cabin?”
“He took an oath not to abuse his powers,” replied Rebecca. “So, he can only use it when there is no other way.”
I thought about how he’d hypnotized Mark at school and it made sense. There was no other way to reason with him either.
“Also, it doesn’t always work on magical beings,” he said.
“Okay, could you explain something to me again? Are witches really just magical beings because of their enchanted objects?”
“No,” replied Clarice. “A true witch has other natural powers that they hone over the years, and do not necessarily need enchanted objects to perform magic. That’s how Isadora was able to create the wands. She used her natural abilities and was one of the most powerful witches ever documented.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said, feeling a chill run down my spine. “What kind of powers are we talking about?”
“Levitation, psychic abilities, and natural teleportation. Some can even control the elements,” said Clarice. “You have a lot to learn, dear. We just don’t have a lot of time to discuss it now.”
“Exactly. Let’s go,” said Rebecca.
Tyler looked at Willow. “Ready?”
She smiled at him dreamily. “Yes. Thanks for inviting me.”
He smiled back. “Of course.”
The adoration on her face made me want to puke. “I hope this works,” I mumbled.
“It will,” said Clarice, patting me on the back. “Have faith.”
Chapter Twelve
When we arrived back at Rebecca and Tyler’s home, Kala was alone, watching over Adrianne.
Rebecca frowned. “Where did Bailey go?”
“He said he had to leave,” replied Kala, looking frightened. “It had something to do with his sister and he had to go and help her. The next thing I knew, he’d turned into an eagle and flew off of the balcony.”
Clarice’s face crumbled. “Good heavens, we were just there! I didn’t even notice if Trixie was still at the shop. I’m going back to look.” She then quickly disappeared.
“I didn’t notice either,” replied Tyler, looking worried. He turned to Willow. “Did you see a teenager with light blonde hair in the shop? Really thin with pale skin?”
She shook her head. “No. Before you showed up, it was just me and Vivian.”
“Maybe Mark snuck back into the shop and found her,” I replied.
“Let’s hope not,” he said.
“Obviously something is wrong if Bailey could sense it,” said Rebecca. “They have some kind of psychic connection.”
Clarice materialized. “It’s gone. The figurine. Oh, that poor child!”
Willow’s eyebrows shot up. “You said figurine? What are you talking about?”
“Trixie is a shape-shifter. She’d transformed herself into a small deer,” said Tyler. “It would have been on the shelf, near the register.”
“If it’s the one I’m thinking of, Vivian took it,” she replied. “She said that there was something drawin
g her to it. Wasn’t sure what it was.”
Kala groaned. “I knew leaving her there was a bad idea. I just knew it.”
“Okay, we have no time to spare now. Willow, you really need to remove the curse on my mother so that we can go and search for Trixie and Bailey,” I said, my stomach in knots.
“And find the spell book that will also remove my curse,” said Willow.
“Yes. Of course,” I replied. “We’re not like Vivian. She lies and doesn’t care who she hurts. I wouldn’t trust her if my life depended on it.”
“I did save her life.”
“Trust me, you still can’t trust her,” said Rebecca. “She’s killed too many innocent people.”
“Exactly,” said Tyler. “She killed my father and has tried to kill us more times than we can count. Save Adrianne and she’ll get that curse removed from you. She’s just as powerful as her sister, if not more. Plus, she’s a good person.”
Willow smiled at him. “Okay, take me to her and I’ll do what I can.”
We walked into the guest bedroom, where Adrianne lay. Her eyes were closed and her skin was so pale, she looked like she’d already left us.
“Mom,” I whispered, moving closer.
“Don’t touch her,” said Kala, grabbing my arm. “Remember.”
I froze and then turned to Willow. “Please, help her.”
Willow approached the bed and raised her wand. She closed her eyes and began to chant something under her breath. Within a few seconds, the air in the room began to feel almost… electrified.
Please, I prayed, closing my eyes. God, help her.
Kala sucked in her breath, breaking the sudden silence of the room.
I reopened my eyes and whispered, “Thank you,” as Adrianne’s eyelashes began to flutter.
Adrianne opened her eyes and smiled weakly. “Hey,” she said in a hoarse voice.
“She’s back,” squealed Kala.
We both stepped closer to the bed. “Are you okay?” I asked.
Adrianne licked her lips and whispered, “I think that I actually am.”
“Is it safe now?” I asked Clarice, who was standing in the doorway next to Tyler, smiling.
She nodded.
Kala and I threw our arms around Adriane, both of us crying now.
Enchanted Objects: (Witches Of Bayport) Page 7