by Vella Day
“May I help you?” said a wobbly voice behind me.
I spun around, expecting to see Bertha. Instead, Hazel Silas, an ancient witch, was standing there, her shoulders hunched. I waited for her to recognize me, but when she didn’t, I introduced myself. “I’m Glinda Goodall, Fern’s niece.” I didn’t ask if she remembered me since I didn’t want to embarrass her in case she didn’t. We had met a few times.
“Oh, yes. You work at the Tiki Hut.”
Good. She did remember. “I do.” I scanned the store once more. “I’m looking for Bertha.”
“I’m sorry, dear, Bertha is visiting her ill sister in Atlanta.”
“That’s terrible—about her sister being sick, that is. When will she be back?” I wasn’t sure how long Iggy would be willing to wait.
“She doesn’t know. It could be days. It could be weeks.”
Decisions, decisions. If I had the ingredients in hand, it might put off Iggy for a while. “Maybe you can help me then. I need to do a spell.”
Hazel’s smile faltered. “Oh? What kind of spell?”
“I need to turn my pink iguana back to green.”
Chapter Two
“You want to change the color of that cute pink iguana that I’ve seen at the Tiki Hut to pedestrian green?”
Bright lime was hardly ordinary, but I understood her concern. “I do—or rather Iggy wants me too. He was originally green, you know, but when I conjured up my familiar many years ago, he ended up pink.”
She smiled. “He’s lucky to be pink.”
“How so?”
“Now the two of you match.” She grinned, exposing her missing two bottom teeth.
“I personally love having a distinctive pink familiar, but Iggy doesn’t think so. He’s getting some flak from the ladies.”
Her eyes sparkled. “How nice to get paid by the ladies.”
Paid? Where did she get that idea? Hazel must be hard of hearing. “No, the ladies make fun of him.”
“No one would do that. We all think he’s adorable.”
Okay, this wasn’t doing anyone any good. “Thank you, but Iggy wants to be normal looking again. Do you know of a spell that can help him?”
“I believe I do. I was looking through the books for another spell yesterday, and I think I saw one about returning an animal to his original form.”
That was exciting. “It won’t change anything but his color, right? I need for us to be able to communicate with each other.” If she turned my familiar into an ordinary iguana, it would kill both of us.
“Of course, dear. Just give me a minute to locate it.”
Did she even listen to what I’d just said? While Mrs. Silas searched through the books, I stepped over to the side tables. When I’d come in the last time, I’d leafed through a few. They contained love spells and curses, though it was possible there was something useful for Iggy inside of them. The tourists apparently loved these books. If I couldn’t find anything, at least I would enjoy the black and white drawings.
“Oh, Glinda,” Mrs. Silas called some time later. “I think I found something.”
I rushed over. Not that I didn’t trust Hazel Silas, but she was old, and this wasn’t her store. At least I knew she was a witch. Iggy had confirmed it at one time.
“What is it?”
She flipped the large book around. Sure enough, there was the spell for returning an animal to his natural color—color that was changed because of an evil spell. I took a bit of offense with the claim that only an evil spell would change an animal. There had been nothing malicious about what I had conjured up all those years ago.
When I was twelve, my mother had dropped me off at a small grove in Hendrian National Forest several miles from town. With my spell in hand, I pictured a black cat and recited the words on the paper, careful to pronounce everything correctly. To this day, I have no idea what went wrong, but somehow a pink iguana raced down a tree and ran right up to me. When Iggy spoke, I was so happy that I didn’t even consider that I’d done something wrong.
I wouldn’t mess up a second time though. Determined to be even more careful this time, I read the ingredients of this spell to make sure it wasn’t something crazy—like using the heart of a dragon or the eyes of an old witch. Okay, I made that up since dragons didn’t exist and no, a witch would never do a spell with human eyeballs, but I didn’t trust really old things.
Everything seemed to check out until I read the spell itself—or rather when I tried to read the spell. “What language is this?” I asked.
“Let me see, honey.” Hazel pulled it closer and adjusted her glasses. “I have no idea, but you can read and recite, right? I don’t think comprehension is a necessity for the spell to work.”
Really? “What if I don’t pronounce the words right?”
“Ask Miriam Daniels. She’s a whiz at stuff like this.”
If I had some professional guidance, it would give me more confidence. “Thanks.”
Hazel checked the book once more before grabbing the many ingredients required to perform the spell. Thankfully, no one came into the store, which was a good thing since I certainly didn’t need her to be distracted. She was halfway through gathering the ingredients for the potion when her cell rang.
She glanced at the screen. “Sorry, it’s my sister. I need to take this.”
I couldn’t tell her to let it go to voicemail. It might be important. Hazel turned her back and then reached up to take something else off the shelf. She plucked two bottles and set them on the counter, all the while conversing. Just as I was about to clear my throat, she disconnected.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“My sister isn’t feeling well. She went to the doctors, and she’s awaiting the test results. She was nervous, that’s all.”
Given their ages, it might be serious. “I hope she’ll be okay.”
“Me, too,” Hazel checked the ingredients and smiled. “Good news. I have everything we need right here in the store.” From below the counter, she pulled out a Bunsen Burner, a ring stand, and a beaker.
“You have to cook it?”
“Oh, yes. This is not a simple spell. It’s better in its liquid form anyway. You will be drinking a half cup of it and Iggy a tablespoon. Please be sure to measure accurately.”
“Why do I need to take it?”
“To boost your powers so the spell goes according to plan.”
Since I didn’t want to mess up anything, I was willing to try it. After all, Hazel was the expert, and I planned to do everything possible to make this work. Bertha wouldn’t have put her in charge if she didn’t know what she was doing. Right? “Okay.”
Hazel set the beaker on the counter and carefully measured everything. Once she mixed the ingredients together, she placed the beaker on the burner and turned it on. What I didn’t expect was for the liquid to turn pink. “I kind of thought it would be green since Iggy wants to be green.”
Hazel looked a bit panicked, but when she looked over the instructions, she nodded. “It doesn’t say what color it will be, but this will be fine.”
I hoped so. “Can you copy the spell for me?” I didn’t want to have come this far only to mess it up. It wasn’t like I could memorize some incomprehensible words in a few minutes.
“Of course, honey. Give me a sec. I’ll take this book in the office and make a copy for you.”
There must be a scanner in the back. When she returned, she’d merely copied the spell by hand. I picked up the paper and tried to read it, but her shaky handwriting made it hard. “Is this an L, or an I?”
“Let me see?” Hazel adjusted her glasses and leaned over. “I think an L as in Larry.”
She thought it was an L? “Good to know.”
While I read over the spell, she let the pink potion cool before placing it in another container that she sealed. “That’ll be twenty-five dollars.”
For an hour’s worth of her time, that was a bargain. “Are you sure that’s all? You used a
lot of ingredients.”
“Yes. I love Iggy and want the best for him.” She giggled. “From the dust on the container, I’m thinking some of these ingredients are rarely used. Bertha really needs to do a little housekeeping.”
Oh, joy. I prayed the mixtures didn’t lose their potency over time like some medicine did. “Thank you.”
With the spell and potion in hand, I rushed out, anxious to give this a try. Before I went through with this, I had to stop at the Bubbling Cauldron Coffee Shop. Not only could I use a strong cup of coffee to calm my nerves, I had to ask for Miriam’s help. The pronunciation of some of the words looked near to impossible.
As soon as Miriam spotted me near the back of her store, she smiled and waved. Coming here might have been a mistake considering she was one of the five gossip queens of Witch’s Cove. Her twin sister, Maude, my Aunt Fern, Sheriff Steve Rocker’s grandmother—who worked in the sheriff’s office—and Dolly Andrews, the owner of the Spellbound Diner, were all prone to spread the latest gossip. I swear they lived for it. While I was worried that I might be the next headliner, I feared for Iggy’s mental health more if I didn’t do this spell.
Miriam came over. “This is a nice surprise, Glinda. What can I get you?”
“My usual but add an extra bit of sugar this time.”
“What’s wrong?” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “Don’t tell me someone else died.” She then waved a dismissive hand. “No, I would have heard about it if they had.”
I’m sure she would have. “No one died. I’m here for your help.”
Miriam loved nothing more than to be in the thick of things. “Of course, I’d love to help. Let me put in your order, and I’ll be right back.”
The shop was mostly empty, which meant Miriam and I could have a conversation in relative privacy. Side note: Miriam loved to tell everyone her real age, which was seventy-three, because she looked a lot younger than her twin sister, Maude, who ran the tea shop across the street. Maude had been ill a few years back and hadn’t aged well as a result.
Miriam pulled up a chair. “What can I do for you?”
I showed her the spell and explained how I was going to attempt to change Iggy’s color from pink to green. “I want to make certain I can pronounce these words correctly.”
“Let me look.” She read over the six lines of the spell. “I can help you. Read it to me first, and I’ll see if you pronounce any words wrong.”
I did as she asked. The more I read, the more her lips pressed together. I wouldn’t have minded, but the sighing was a bit unsettling. I finished and put down the paper. “That bad?”
“No, not at all. With a little practice, your spell will be perfect.”
Her assistant delivered the coffee. I blew on the surface to cool it before taking a sip. It was delicious, as usual. “Just what I needed.”
Miriam waited patiently. “Try again.”
Since spells didn’t need to be read quickly, I recited the words slowly, enunciating everything clearly. When I finished, I held my breath. “How was that?”
She grinned. “Perfect, but I will miss seeing Iggy’s pink little body wiggling around the Tiki Hut.”
“Me, too.” I snapped my fingers. “I forgot to ask Hazel if I needed to light any candles or have incense when I did the spell.”
“Hazel?”
Uh-oh. “Yes, Hazel Silas. Bertha is away visiting her sister.”
“I knew that, but I wasn’t aware she’d asked Hazel to take over.”
Suddenly, the coffee soured in my stomach. “Do you think she doesn’t know what she’s doing?”
Miriam waved. “She’s fine. Hazel can read. As long as she isn’t required to substitute any ingredients, you have nothing to worry about.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “She claimed she had everything in the store. I’m more worried about me messing up. My spells haven’t been all that successful in the past.”
“I hear Gertrude Poole is giving classes in spells.”
“I didn’t know that. I will look into it. But what about candles and stuff for this spell? Should I go back and ask her what I need?” I had seen a few spell books that listed what was required—like candles and spices—in order to complete the spell. When my mother did her seances, she used those things.
Miriam’s lip twisted to the side. “I wouldn’t bother asking. I don’t think either could hurt if you add them. Like I always tell my sister, better to be safe than sorry.”
I had candles. I had incense. I also had some dried sage at the house. I was good to go. “Okay. I’ll do it all.”
Since I didn’t need Miriam’s help anymore, she left to attend to her store. I mentally went over what I had to do, and I believed I was as prepared as I’d ever be. For Iggy’s sake, I wanted this to work.
After I paid, I crossed the street and headed to the Tiki Hut. Not wanting to be grilled by Aunt Fern until I’d tried the spell, I entered through the side door. At the base of the stairs that led to my upstairs apartment, I inhaled. I could do this.
When I went inside my place though, I nearly stepped on Iggy. “Hey, be careful. I almost tripped over you.”
“Did you get it?”
“Yes, I have the potion. Give me a sec to put down my stuff.”
He hopped on top of the coffee table, his mouth open and his tail moving rapidly from side to side. “How does this work?”
“I light a few candles and some incense, spread some herbs around, and say the spell.”
“How many candles? Too many, and the spirits might be blinded. Light too few and they’ll think you aren’t serious.”
I chuckled. “There was no mention that I even needed them. I thought it might get us in the mood if we have candles and incense.”
His eyes closed for a moment. He then bobbed his head and opened his eyes. “I agree.”
Good. “First, I need a measuring cup and a tablespoon. We each have to drink some of the potion.”
“We have to drink it? I’m not sure I want to. What if it makes me sick?”
“I have to drink it too. Are you having second thoughts?”
He lifted his head. “No.”
“Good.” I went into the kitchen and retrieved what I needed.
Once back in the living room, I put down the pink potion, along with the measuring cup and tablespoon. I located the candles and incense sticks and lit them. I then gathered the herbs. With everything all set, I finally sat down. “Ready?” I asked him.
Chapter Three
Iggy nodded his assent. I still couldn’t believe I’d agreed to this crazy spell. I took out the paper with the magic words on it. “First, we drink, and then I say the words.”
“How long will it take before I turn green?” Iggy asked.
“I don’t know. It will take as long as it takes.”
“That’s not an answer.” He was getting huffy again.
“It’s the best I can do. Hazel didn’t give me a time frame.”
“Hazel? As in Hazel Silas?”
My heart nearly stopped again. “Yes, why?”
“What happened to Bertha?”
I told him about her sick sister. “It will be okay. I had Miriam go over the spell with me.”
“Hazel is pretty old. I think her eyesight is bad. I don’t trust her.”
He was just nervous. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. We can do this.” Or were those merely famous last words?
Not wanting to waste any more time, I chugged the pink potion, not sure what to expect. To my surprise, the taste was actually pleasant. It was a cross between peppermint candy and Pepto Bismol. Iggy waited a beat, probably to see if I would keel over. When I didn’t seem to have any adverse reaction, he lapped up the liquid.
With the drinking portion complete, I slowly read the spell out loud, thankful Iggy didn’t interrupt me. He was probably chomping at the bit to complain the words weren’t in English. A few of them sounded somewhat familiar though. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d
say it was either very old English or some kind of Gaelic dialogue.
I put down the paper and waited. Iggy didn’t move or blink. He just stared at me. Even the air was still. It was almost as if the world was waiting for the change. He lifted a leg, looked down, and wiggled his toes. At least the spell hadn’t harmed him physically.
“How do you feel?” I asked. I was more interested to know if he could still communicate with me.
“The same. You?”
“The same.” Thank goodness, he could talk. I picked up the paper again and reread it, wondering what had gone wrong.
“You have no idea how long this will take?”
He’d already asked me that. “No. Be patient.”
I was trying to be upbeat, but in truth, I was devastated—for Iggy’s sake. He desperately wanted this.
Ten minutes later, my patience had run out. “I’m fixing some tea. Do you want a sip of water or some arugula?” It was Iggy’s favorite food—besides hibiscus flowers.
“No.” He hopped down from the coffee table and crawled over to his stool of safety. Waves of disappointment washed off him.
I was tempted to go back to Hazel and have her call Bertha, but what good would that do? The spell was done. It didn’t work. The end.
I fixed my tea and made a plate of greens for Iggy. Eventually, he’d eat it. Unless he decided to go on a hunger strike just to show his disappointment. When I returned to the living room, he was gone. “Iggy?”
Claw marks scraping against the wooden floor sounded in the hallway. As tempted as I was to try to make him feel better, I let him go. He was probably going to either chat with Aunt Fern or seek solace with Aimee. Both might be better company than me right now.
I polished off my tea and set the arugula leaves on Iggy’s empty stool. It was time to tell Aunt Fern that I failed—again. I headed downstairs, half expecting Iggy to be perched on the counter top, but he wasn’t there. My aunt was chatting with a customer at the checkout counter. When they spotted me, the man smiled and then excused himself. He seemed happy for the excuse to get away. I understood. Aunt Fern could talk the ear off of anyone.