Enchanted Objects: (Witches Of Bayport)

by Kristen Middleton

  “Don’t ever underestimate the enemy, Mark. I’ve told you that before. You do that and mistakes get made. Look at what happened with Kendra.” She smirked. “Of course, she does have my genes. That accounts for a lot.”

  He looked up from his game. “I haven’t made any mistakes.”

  She pointed her index finger at him. “Don’t even get me started about the mistakes you’ve already made. You’re lucky that I’m giving you another chance to redeem yourself.”

  With a wounded look, he shut off his phone and stood up. “How can you say that? Everything that I’ve done has been for you, mother. I… I even killed Adrianne for you.”

  “You almost killed her. There’s a difference. What angers me is that you left my wand with those imbeciles. You should have retrieved it right away after Adrianne was cursed.”

  “But, you have it back now. Look, I wasn’t about to stick around. Her meddling daughter, Kendra, and that old crone, Clarice, were both getting ready to attack me. I had to leave.”

  She rubbed her forehead and sighed. “Okay, look… just do what I ask and go back to Secrets. Find out what’s going on.”

  He opened his arms. “How am I going to spy on them? Obviously they know I’m on your side now.”

  She stared at him hard, the wheels turning in her head. Then her eyes began to sparkle. “I’ve got it.”

  “What?”

  She walked over to her desk, sat down, and began paging through an old book.

  “What’s that?”

  She looked up. “This was Isadora Jenkins’ spell book. You know, your birth mother? I told you about this thing, remember?”

  He smiled sheepishly. “Uh, yeah.”

  “You don’t remember.” She rolled her eyes. “You really need to pay more attention. This is one of the oldest spell books in the world. There are spells in here that have never been used by other witches. It’s very special.”

  “Really?” he asked, moving closer to the desk.

  “Yes, and that’s why you should covet this book. It’s mine now, but when I’m gone, it will be yours.”

  “Cool,” he said, sitting on the corner of her desk.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Get your butt off my desk.”

  “Sorry,” he said quickly, standing up.

  She began turning the thin, fragile pages. “Your mother and her sisters, Lisbeth, Margaritte, and Fedora were the most powerful women to ever walk the face of the earth.”

  “Lisbeth was your mother, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Whatever happened to her? You never talk about it.”

  She scowled. “My father shot her.”

  “Why?”

  She raised her voice. “Because he was a crazy old man. Mark, I don’t want you to ask any more questions about my father or Lisbeth. It’s really none of your business.”

  “Sorry. What about Isadora? How did she die?”

  “I have gone over this story. Many times,” she muttered. “Give it a rest.”

  Used to her shutting him down, he prodded her further. It was the only way he could ever get answers from her. “I know that she died, but why did it happen?”

  Vivian sighed. “Fine, you want to know the truth? She died trying to help me. Apparently, she was cursed.”

  His eyes widened. “Cursed? By whom?”

  She rubbed the bridge of her nose and smiled grimly. “My mother.”

  His jaw dropped. “What? Why?”

  Vivian shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess trying to kill your sister runs in the family.”

  “So, before your mother died, she cursed my mother. Then, my mother died trying to help you?”

  “Exactly. Your mother was trying to help get back at Adrianne for deceiving me. She died while trying to cast a spell on her.”

  His eyes hardened. “So, what it really comes down to is that Adrianne is responsible for my mother’s death.”

  “Exactly. That’s why you should hate her just as much as I do.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I do. So, what are you planning on doing now?”

  “I’m looking for a spell that will help get you into the store without being noticed.”

  “Okay.”

  “Have a seat and play your little phone game again, while I continue looking. It might be awhile.”

  “I’ll just wait,” he replied, sitting down in the chair across from her.

  She flipped another page, frowning. “I don’t care how you waste your time, just give me silence.”

  He obeyed and watched her go through several more pages. After a few minutes, a smile spread across her face.

  “You found something?”

  “Yes. Something that should work very well. Now, stand up.”

  He pushed himself out of the chair and stood up. “What are you going to do?”

  Vivian ignored him. Instead, she picked up her wand and began chanting.

  Mark sucked in his breath as his chest and shoulders began to ache. Soon, the pain spread into his head and then down to his stomach, bringing him to his knees. Howling from the agony, he closed his eyes and curled up into a fetal position. Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, the pain subsided. He opened his eyes and found her staring down at him, looking pleased.

  “Stand up,” she ordered, taking a step back.

  He cleared his throat. “Okay.”

  Hearing the change in his voice, she smiled. “Excellent.”

  As he raised himself from the floor, he noticed that not only did he stand taller, but he was wearing different clothing. Touching his hair, he rushed down the hallway to the bathroom and turned on the light.

  “What do you say, stranger?” she asked, coming up behind him as he stared in shock at his reflection. “Do you think that you can pull this off?”

  Their eyes met in the mirror and a chilling smile spread across his cheeks. “I won’t let you down.”

  She patted him on the back. “Let’s hope not.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “So, do you think that you can remember what I’ve taught you so far?” asked Adrianne, when we were done practicing. Now, not only did I know how to teleport and become invisible, but I could also create a wall of protection around me that would block against many spells. The trick was using it in time and believing, without a doubt, that it would really work.

  “I think so,” said Kala, looking a little lost. “I’d like to practice a little bit more, if that’s okay?”

  “That’s fine. I’ll help you, honey. What about you, Kendra?”

  “I think I’m good,” I replied.

  “Okay. Just remember to always be on the alert, and don’t underestimate anyone. Even your friends,” she replied.

  “Don’t worry, mom. I won’t,” I replied, putting my wand into my robe pocket.

  “You hungry?” asked Tyler, standing up. He’d fallen asleep on a recliner in the corner of the room while we’d been practicing and still looked a little groggy.

  “Yeah, I could go for something. I guess Clarice’s little energy concoction didn’t do much for you?”

  “I’m more of a coffee guy myself.”

  “Not me,” I replied. “My mom loves coffee but I can’t stand it.”

  “I bet she doesn’t make it the way that I do,” he said, following me out of the backroom.

  “Right. As far as I’m concerned coffee is coffee.”

  He looked at me like I was an alien. “Are you insane? Look, let’s go back to Vail and I’ll fix you something that will change your view on coffee forever.”

  “You want to go back to your house just for coffee?”

  He smiled wickedly. “Unless you have something else in mind. I am open for suggestions.”

  My cheeks turned crimson. “Uh, no. Coffee sounds good enough. Really.”

  He laughed. “You’ve skimmed around that pretty quickly.”

  “Oh, were you teasing me?” I asked, trying to look surprised.

  “Yes and no,” he
said, staring into my eyes.

  “You’re not going to hypnotize me again. Are you?”

  He frowned and looked away. “No. I wouldn’t use my powers for… for that. It would be despicable.”

  I grabbed his hand. “Tyler, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just trying to flirt with you. I guess I’m not very good at it.”

  He smiled and our eyes met again. “You are good at it. You’re good at a lot of things, Kendra.”

  I laughed. “Okay, now I know that you’re trying to hypnotize me. The next thing you’re going to say is how you have the best coffee in the world.”

  “I don’t have to make you believe that. Once you try it, you’re going to know the truth. You’ll get totally addicted to it, in fact. Which might not really be a bad thing.”

  “Oh, and why is that?”

  “Because I’ll use it in my favor.”

  “Is that right?”

  He lowered his voice. “A kiss per cup. I’d say that would be a fair price.”

  “A cup of the best coffee in the world is only worth one kiss?”

  He smiled. “If it’s one from you, yes.”

  My heart swelled. “I guess one of us really knows how to flirt with the ladies. And very well.”

  “I’m not just flirting, I’m stating the truth.” He squeezed my hand and pulled me toward the front of the store. “Let’s go make us some coffee.”

  I giggled.

  “Hey, mom,” he hollered at Rebecca, who was at the counter watering a couple of plants that looked like they were actually smiling at her. “We’re going back to our house. For coffee. You want me to bring some back?”

  She set down the watering can and picked up her wand. “I can make coffee. You don’t need to go all the way back home just for that.”

  He pulled at his shirt. “Actually, I’d like a shower and a change of clothes. Plus, I told Kendra here that she’s never had coffee until she’s tried my special concoction.”

  “As long as it’s coffee you’re serving her and nothing more,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

  His own eyes widened in feigned shock. “Okay, I resent what you’re getting at. What kind of guy do you think I am?”

  Her eyes twinkled. “One who just got done attacking her in the bathroom.”

  “He didn’t attack me,” I said quickly. “Um, it was a mutual thing.”

  She chuckled. “And how is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  Tyler groaned. “Mom, come on. It’s just coffee and maybe a sandwich.”

  She sighed. “Fine. Just clean up after and don’t leave your dirty clothes on the bathroom floor after your shower, Tyler.” She turned to me. “The last time he took one, he forgot to pick up his underwear and poor Clarice… she was mortified when she needed to use the bathroom.”

  His cheeks turned red. “Nice. Thanks for sharing.”

  She waved her hand. “Oh, it’s just Kendra. She should know that you’re kind of a slob when it comes to stuff like that.”

  “Wow, is there anything else you’d like to add?” he asked.

  “Yes – no hanky-panky when you get there. There is absolutely no time for that, Tyler. I mean it.”

  Rolling his eyes, he turned to me. “Quickly, teleport us, before she shames me further.”

  Laughing again, I raised my wand and we disappeared.

  ***

  “So, what do you think?” asked Tyler, thirty minutes later.

  I took another sip through the straw and nodded. “It’s pretty good. I have to say, I’ve never tried coffee like this. This must be what Starbucks’ and Caribou’s icy concoctions taste like.”

  He scowled. “I’ll have you know that neither of theirs can compete with this. I’ve spent months perfecting it and they couldn’t pay me enough to divulge any of my secret ingredients.”

  I licked my lips. “Let me see… caramel? Maybe a little butterscotch with finely chopped chocolate chips? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but you’re right – it’s a keeper. I’d definitely drink this any time of the day.”

  “Thank you,” he replied. “Although, I’d recommend only drinking it in the day, if you ever want to get any sleep. After you finish it, you’ll definitely see why.”

  “Lots of caffeine?”

  “You could say that. Plus, a few natural herbs that my mother told me about. I used to drink these when I was studying for exams at UCLA.”

  My eyes widened. “You’ve been to college? How old are you?”

  “I’ll be twenty-one in a couple of months. I was just starting my third year, but had to pull out when we found out about Vivian going after your family.”

  “I’m sorry,” I replied, feeling funny that he’d done something like that for us. “It doesn’t seem fair that you had to do something so drastic just to help us.”

  He shrugged. “I really don’t care. Frankly, the only reason that I went to college was to appease my mom. She wanted me to try and have a normal life. The truth of the matter is – I’d rather be doing stuff like this. I mean it just feels right when I’m surrounded by magic. When I’m away at school, I feel like I’m pretending to be someone I’m not. Right now, I’m where I should be. I’m in my element. It feels good.”

  “Well, that’s good.”

  He smiled. “Plus, there is that fact that I may have never met you if I wouldn’t have volunteered to help.”

  I smiled back. “Something tells me we would have met eventually.”

  He took a sip of coffee. “The magic world is a lot smaller than the real world in terms of population. So, yeah, we may have. But, at least now I really have a chance with you.”

  I blushed.

  He put his coffee cup down and walked over to me. “You’re even prettier when you blush, you know that?”

  My blush deepened. “Um, thank you.”

  He took my coffee glass and set it on the counter.

  “What are you doing?” I asked as he slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. His hair was still wet from the shower, and I could smell a hint of some kind of cologne. It was a light woodsy scent that covered the vanilla, but not in a bad way. If anything, it made me want to jump his bones. But, I’d never jumped anyone’s bones, so I just stared up into his green eyes and hoped he felt the same way.

  “You have a little whipped cream on the side of your lip,” he whispered. He then bent his head down to mine and licked it off with his tongue.

  My stomach became fluttery. I slid my arms around his neck to hold myself up.

  Smiling down at me, he tightened his hold on my waist. “You okay?”

  I nodded quickly. “Even better.”

  He chuckled.

  “Did you get it all?” I whispered, wanting him to kiss me.

  “Oh, wait, here’s more,” he teased. Then he brought his mouth down and licked the other side of my lip. When he lifted his head back up, I decided that enough was enough. I wanted him to really kiss me. I pulled his face back down, crushed my lips against his, and held him firmly.

  Realizing that I wasn’t messing around, he deepened our kiss, which sent shivers of pleasure all the way down to my toes. Soon, our tongues were dancing and I didn’t think that I could feel any more euphoric.

  “Not that I wouldn’t mind doing this all day long,” he whispered after a few minutes, “but I have this feeling that one of our moms will be checking on us momentarily. We should probably finish our coffee and get back to Secrets.”

  “Yes,” I agreed, although I wouldn’t have minded getting caught at that moment. It would have been so worth it.

  “When this is all over, we’ll have plenty of time for ourselves,” he said, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “Alone time.”

  “Then I hope it’s over soon,” I whispered.

  “Me too.”

  After one more kiss, he released me and I immediately missed his warmth.

  “So, are you hungry?” he asked, walking toward the refrigerator.

 
; Before I could answer, Kala appeared out of nowhere.

  “Hey,” I beamed, still elated from kissing Tyler. “You’re really getting this teleporting thing down, aren’t you?”

  “You guys need to get back to the shop,” she replied, looking upset. “Willow and Meredith are almost at each other’s throats. It’s freaking me out.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Meredith is at Secrets?”

  She nodded quickly. “Yes, Clarice brought her back with her.”

  I groaned. “This can’t be good.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  When we returned to Secrets, Rebecca and Adrianne were trying to calm Willow down, who looked like she wanted to throttle Meredith. They were in the corner of the store, whispering loudly, while Meredith and Clarice stood near the register, at a safe distance.

  “Hello, Kendra. Young man,” said Meredith, nodding. She’d changed clothes and was now dressed in a robe like ours.

  “It’s Tyler,” he reminded her.

  “Yes. Sorry,” she replied, forcing a smile. “Forgive me. I’m not quite myself today. Especially under these circumstances.”

  “Nothing to forgive. This day has been crazy for all of us,” he answered.

  Willow grunted loudly at something Adrianne said, and then stared venomously at Meredith.

  “So, what’s going on?” I asked, intrigued with the change of events.

  Before anyone could answer, Willow stormed over. “I’ll tell you what’s going on – Clarice betrayed me by bringing Meredith back here. And after everything that I told her!”

  “I wasn’t trying to betray you, Willow,” replied Clarice, frowning. “I just want you to hear Meredith out.”

  Willow wrinkled her nose. “Why? So she can tell more lies and turn all of you against me?”

  “I haven’t lied to you,” said Meredith. “We have never even spoken. How could I have already lied to someone I’ve never had two words with?”