Jinxed (Coven Corner #1)

by Charlotte French

  “You left Wildemoor?” Sky said. “You never told me that.”

  Cassandra shook her head and waved her off.

  “Oh, I never left. I just ran home. I hid in my mother’s pantry, huddled behind the jars of peach preserves and pumpkins.”

  Sky couldn’t picture her serene mother so rattled that she cowered in the pantry, afraid of a little love spell.

  “It lasted a week,” Cassandra said. “He tailed me like a puppy everywhere I went and I didn’t know what to do. He was so…affectionate. Not, you know, in a creepy way. Just very sweet. Attentive to every little detail—my favorite flowers, my sweet tooth for cherries especially. He even remembered that I took my tea with honey instead of sugar or milk.”

  “Did you try to break the spell?” Bryony asked.

  “Well, yes. A few times. But it seemed every attempt only made it worse. Eventually, I felt bad for him, making him even more lovesick than he already was. So I stopped and let the magic run its course.”

  At least Sky’s attempts had simply been ineffective rather than rendering the love spell more intense.

  “And then,” Cassandra continued. “The spell wore off. Poof, gone. Do you know the first thing your father did when he found out he had been bewitched?”

  “Was he angry?” Sky said.

  “Hardly. He marched up to my house, knocked on my door with a giant bouquet of wildflowers—my favorite, as he already knew—and said he was madly in love with the woman who had cast a spell over him.

  Later on, I found out that Owen had been working up the courage to ask me to dinner that week. The spell lowered his inhibitions, as well as mine. My magic conjured the spell from my heart well before my head knew what I’d wanted.”

  By now, Sky, Bryony, and Cassandra had reached The Eye of Newt. The display window was brimming with golden pastries topped with fat, plump berries, drizzled with glistening white icing or shining caramel. Bryony opened the door, releasing a wave of sugary, spicy scents that washed over them to compliment the sharp, earthy scents of autumn outside.

  Nearly every table was taken, humming with witches and warlocks talking, the clink and clatter of silverware, the hiss and crackle of magic.

  “Over here,” Bryony said. She pointed to a table by the window, overcast with magic to look like autumn leaves were drifting from the ceiling. But as soon as the spectral leaves touched the table, they vanished, leaving the plates, cups, and condiments uncluttered.

  Sky couldn’t stop thinking about what her mother had said.

  The spell lowered his inhibitions, as well as mine.

  She had never considered that her accidental use of magic might not have been an accident at all. At the time, she had been attracted to Aiden—if she was honest with herself, she was still attracted to Aiden, unfortunately—but her head would never have suggested casting a spell over him.

  It was her heart that she couldn’t reign in. And perhaps her heart had cast the spell, chasing what it desired most without her permission.

  The door opened again and the magical autumn leaves above Sky’s table rustled in the real wind. She glanced up out of habit and her heart hiccupped.

  Aiden and Bianca stepped into The Eye of Newt. Bianca had her arm around Aiden’s waist and she was smiling up at him, shining like the sun with joy. Aiden brushed his knuckles over Bianca’s cheek, bold with affection.

  Neither her heart nor her head was ready to see Aiden. But it didn’t matter. Because Bianca’s gaze fell on Sky and she beamed. She took Aiden’s hand, pulling him over to Sky’s table.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “We were just talking about you,” Bianca said to Sky.

  “Only good things I hope,” Sky replied. She didn’t look at Aiden. She couldn’t. Not with her mother’s words echoing so loudly in her head.

  My magic conjured the spell from my heart well before my head knew what I’d wanted.

  “Of course only good things,” Bianca said. “I told him that you read my fortune for me and it’s been a huge weight off of my mind. In fact, I was wondering if you had any tea that might help with…” She stopped with a light touch to her lips, trying—and failing—to hide a smile. “For morning sickness?”

  Sky blinked. Cassandra clasped Bianca’s hand.

  “Are you…?” she trailed off.

  Bianca smiled and that was answer enough. “It’s too soon to be sure, so I’d appreciate it if you kept it quiet for now. But I wanted to tell you, Sky. I couldn’t wait.”

  “Congratulations,” Sky said. “I can bring a blend by tomorrow if you like.”

  “That would be perfect,” Bianca replied, squeezing Sky’s shoulder. “Oh, but it’ll have to be in the afternoon. I’m having an O’Hara contractor come over to take a look at my house in the morning, now that I’ll need extra space.”

  Bryony sat up straighter, rigid like a razor blade.

  “Sean O’Hara?” she said.

  Bianca shook her head. “No, the other brother. Keegan.” She paused. “Wait…do you know them?”

  Bryony’s face went pale as a ghost. Then her cheeks flushed scarlet—a jarring comparison to her carrot orange hair.

  “Oh yes,” she said. “I know the O’Hara brothers. I thought they’d packed up and shipped out of Wildemoor after school. They promised they’d never come back here.”

  “Well, they did,” Bianca said. “But their mother is still here. She lives alone, poor woman. Down by Pepper Cove Lane. From what I’ve heard, her health is failing. So, Keegan came back to help out. Not sure what happened to Sean. But Keegan’s woodworking charms are magnificent and he offered a free estimate on my house. I certainly couldn’t turn that offer down.”

  Bryony pressed her lips into a tight, thin line. Sky recognized the name, O’Hara, but she struggled to grasp why Bryony might be agitated over it.

  Bianca looped her arm through Aiden’s elbow.

  “We’ll let you get back to your dinner,” she said. “I look forward to that tea, Sky.”

  Sky waved and it was only after Aiden had walked away that she realized he hadn’t said a word. Bianca was the one who chattered and with good reason.

  But it seemed strange that Aiden wouldn’t be gushing about having a baby, too.

  The scrape of wood against wood pulled Sky back to the present. Bryony had pushed her chair back and she was already storming to the door.

  “Bryony, wait,” Sky said, stumbling after her.

  Bryony was nearly at a dead run with furious, long-legged strides. Sky finally caught up, out of breath, panting, and sweating a little—a sensation she did not enjoy and tried her best to avoid at all costs.

  “Bryony, slow down,” Sky said. “I know you don’t mind getting grimy in the garden, crawling around in the dirt on your hands and knees the way you do. But I prefer to spend my days with a cup of tea by the window with my cat. I wasn’t meant for this kind of physical exercise.”

  Reluctantly, Bryony stopped and crossed her arms with a huff.

  “What is it that has you so upset?” Sky said.

  “I’m not upset,” Bryony said, acid in her voice.

  Sky raised her eyebrows with a pointed look. Bryony growled.

  “Where one O’Hara brother is,” she said. “The other isn’t too far behind.”

  Sky continued to stare with a blank expression.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t remember Sean,” Bryony said. “The one who tangled bubblegum in my hair? The one who jinxed my shoes so I tripped every single time I was called to the front of the class to perform a spell?”

  Sky withered. “Oh no. Not that Sean.”

  “He always hated it at Wildemoor. Keegan did, too. They couldn’t wait to get out and I couldn’t wait for them to leave.”

  “But Bianca said it’s just Keegan. No sign of Sean. Maybe he won’t come anywhere near Wildemoor.”

  Bryony shook her head so hard that her curls spun out around her head in a fiery orange halo.

  “Oh, if I know Sean
O’Hara,” she said. “He’ll show up just to aggravate me. Hell’s bells, Sky, he’s the last person I ever wanted to see on this earth again.”

  “A lot of time has passed since our school days though,” Sky offered. “You’re not kids anymore. Maybe he grew out of the pesky behavior.”

  She didn’t intend to make light of Bryony’s agitation at the possible reappearance of an old enemy. But she hated seeing Bryony spooled up so tight and there wasn’t any tea on hand. Words were all she had.

  “I’m sure Sean hasn’t changed a lick,” Bryony said darkly. “You know what I’ll do? I’ll run him out of town if he dares to show his face around here. I don’t care about Keegan. He was always more concerned with woodworking charms than people. But Sean…I’ll make sure he knows he’s not welcome.”

  Bryony started off, chin thrust forward with determination. Sky caught her elbow.

  “Now hold on a minute,” Sky said.

  “What?” Bryony demanded.

  “This is Wildemoor. It’s a safe haven from the rest of the world for witches and warlocks. Unless Sean has done something truly unforgiveable and abused the power of his magic, there’s no legitimate reason to make him leave.”

  “I’ll put the fear of Saint Circe into him then,” Bryony said simply. “And before you tell me I can’t do that, there’s no law against being a little threatening.”

  “Maybe before you start marching off, we should wait to see if what Bianca said was true in the first place. You know how gossip gets tangled up as it’s passed around.”

  Gradually, Bryony deflated. She rubbed her arms against the chill of the growing twilight. Long blue shadows stretched across the road and the rustle of leaves at their feet sounded like ghostly whispers in the dark.

  “All right,” Bryony relented. “I’ll wait.” She held up a finger. “But the second I catch a whiff of Sean O’Hara sneaking around, up to his old tricks again and raising hell like he used to—“

  “Then I’ll personally propose a motion to the coven to have him forcibly removed.”

  Bryony smiled faintly. She wrapped an arm around Sky’s shoulder.

  “I’m not really in the mood for dinner now,” she said. “Let’s get your mom and grab some drinks at the Tipsy Cauldron.”

  Sky nodded. Her head was still spinning. Bianca’s baby. Silent Aiden just standing there like a statue, speechless and broodingly beautiful.

  And the relentless echo of her mother’s words in her mind.

  My magic conjured the spell from my heart well before my head knew what I’d wanted.

  Sky wished her head and her heart would stop wanting Aiden Hall.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Samhain was here.

  Sky was in Bryony’s massive kitchen with candy apples covering every available surface. Sky swiped her finger through the caramel dipping sauce.

  “I saw that,” Bryony said, her back to Sky as she maneuvered another tray of apples onto the table.

  “You’ve been stealing tastes all day,” Sky said.

  “Because I’m older than you. I can do that.”

  Sky scoffed. “That logic might work on your siblings but it won’t fly with me.”

  Bryony picked up two candy apples, dripping in lush, red caramel, drizzled with chocolate, sprinkles, and nuts. Sky accepted it, breathing in the intoxicatingly sweet smells that smothered it.

  A clatter of boots in the hall signaled the arrival of a Torres sibling.

  Seline skidded into view, her heavy brown boots two sizes too big for her, nearly reaching up to her knees. Her pants had a streak of mud from hip to knee on one side and there was a crown of leaves, berries, and pinecones tangled in her hair.

  “Mom says you have to help us pick pumpkins to get the jack ‘o lanterns lit,” she declared, hands on her hips.

  Bryony paused, mouth open to take a bite. She narrowed her eyes.

  “I’ve been making candy apples for hours,” she said. “Give me a break.”

  Seline tilted her chin up. “I’ll tell Mom.”

  Bryony grunted. She whisked an apple off the counter, streaked with bright pink frosting.

  “You’ve just bought yourself ten minutes,” Seline said. “Make the most of it.”

  She clomped out of the house again. Distantly, Seline’s voice could be heard as she showed off her candy apple to her siblings, and no, she wouldn’t share, not even a single bite, much to the chagrin of her brothers and sisters.

  Bryony sighed. “She’s become a demon of a haggler now that she’s selling to Spellbound. I blame it all on your Aiden.”

  Sky choked on a bite of her apple.

  “My Aiden?” she squeaked. “Sweet Nicniven, why would you say it like that?”

  Bryony shrugged and bit into her apple. Caramel smeared across her chin and a spot of chocolate got on the tip of her nose.

  “Because he is,” she said, as if that was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

  “But he’s not,” Sky said. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make it a habit of calling him that. Especially during Samhain where people will hear you,” she added with emphasis.

  “Hear what?”

  Basil stood at the back door, mud coating his bare feet, his short curls frizzing around his hair in an orange halo.

  “You’re supposed to knock, Basil,” Bryony hissed.

  Basil shrugged. “Why? I live here, too.”

  “Because it’s polite.”

  Basil made a face and his gaze fell on the candy apples lined up along the counter. Bryony cleared her throat.

  “Don’t even think about it,” she said.

  “You gave one to Seline.”

  Bryony huffed and brandished a candy apple at him.

  “This is blackmail,” she said.

  Basil grinned as he bit into his apple. “And it tastes so good.”

  “You got what you wanted. Now shoo.”

  Basil shrugged. “I guess you’re not interested in the conjuring then.”

  “That isn’t supposed to start until sundown. At least for another hour.”

  “Not according to Aiden.”

  Aiden Aiden Aiden. Why did it seem like his name was haunting Sky no matter where she went?

  “Just because you work for him,” Bryony said. “Doesn’t mean you should believe everything he says.”

  “But he’s in charge of the conjuring this year,” Basil said.

  “That was Mother Hestia’s job,” Sky said. “She loves bringing in the ghosts. Why would she give that up?”

  Basil took another bite of his apple. Juice dripped down his chin and onto his shirt among the grass and dirt stains. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

  “She’s tired,” Basil said. “And conjuring takes a lot out of her. So, if you want to join in, you’d better hurry up and get down to the tree line. Aiden’s about to start any minute now.”

  Sky released a low breath. Everyone’s favorite Samhain tradition was the ghost conjuring, when witches and warlocks would stand side by side and summon the ghosts that wandered during the rest of the year. Wildemoor welcomed them to join in the festivities and to commemorate their passing, to pay respects to long lost family members and loved ones in a celebration dedicated to remember the dead.

  Bryony grumbled as Basil turned and walked out of the house, the door swinging shut with a bang behind him.

  “I’ll go talk to Mother Hestia,” she said. “See if I can’t convince her to do the conjuring herself.”

  Sky lingered in the kitchen, safe, warm. Hidden. She had been in this same position a few weeks ago, avoiding Aiden for as long as she could before her first trip to Spellbound.

  Aiden was moving on with Bianca, starting a family of his own. Sky had a business to run.

  “No,” she said.

  Bryony slid to a stop, hand halfway to the door knob.

  “Why not?” she said.

  “Because it’s time to bury the past,” she said.

  ***
>
  The pale wisps of ghosts drifted between the dark ribbons of tree trunks, black against white, death weaving between life.

  Aiden extended his arms, head bowed in a gesture of respect and supplication. Torres children and Hazel’s students from Windywings darted through the trees, chasing the ghosts and laughing when their hands drifted through the pale visages as easily as bubbles.

  Sky and Bryony were in the pumpkin patch, using their wands and basic spells to carve jack o’ lanterns into the bright orange flesh. Seline dutifully shuttled each jack o’ lantern to the entrance of Pagan Posies, creating a pathway lined with pumpkin faces to greet the visitors as they came in.

  A ghost shivered past Sky’s shoulders, admiring the ghoulish face she marked her pumpkin with. Another ghost was hiding behind the next pumpkin at her feet with a mischievous giggle.

  At the edge of the orchard, Bianca and Hazel had a group of students crafting miniature brooms from cinnamon sticks and pine needles.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Bryony said.

  She gave her wand one final flourish to finish the expression of surprise glowing from the pumpkin’s face. She blew a kiss and the pumpkin floated off to bump against Seline’s back. Seline wrapped her arms around the pumpkin that was nearly twice her size and carted it off to the entrance. Bryony maintained her thread of magic to ease Seline’s burden until the pumpkin was finally safely resting on the ground again, casting golden light across the entrance’s pathway.

  Sky brushed off another ghost, sending it tumbling in a swirl of white and gray like mist.

  “I’m thinking,” she said. “About taking up extra magic lessons on the side this winter.”

  Bryony paused, wand poised in midair, pumpkin half-finished and hovering at shoulder level.

  “Isn’t Yule your busiest time of the year?” she said.

  “Yes. But my spells could use some work.”

  A soft laugh echoed behind Sky.

  “Your spells are just fine, trust me on that score.”

  She spun around. Her pumpkin went crashing to the ground, one dark empty eye peering upward from beneath dried, brown leaves and tangled yellowing vines.