Witch Way Now: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy (Raising Hell Downunder Book 4)

by Rhiannon Hartley

  "I don't know," Beatrix admitted, her voice quiet and a little defeated. "I might need to call in someone who knows more about this kind of thing. It's not my area, really."

  Jacob was about to ask if magic had different areas of expertise, but his brain, at that point, decided it was done with this whole situation. He picked up the coffee cup of vodka that Shauna had offered him earlier and downed it in one burning gulp.

  "I think," Beatrix said quietly. "That I might need one of those as well, please, Shauna."

  ✽✽✽

  "Well, this is a bit of a pickle, isn't it?"

  Jacob flinched under the unblinking stare of the man who had introduced himself as Wade McIntyre, Consultant Warlock, Arcane Advisor, and Tantric Master. Beatrix had rolled her eyes at that last part.

  "How'd you manage to even do a bonding curse, Onyx?" Wade said, his blue eyes bulging but his grin wide. There was something distinctly unsettling about Wade, Jacob thought. He was friendly enough - maybe a little too friendly - but definitely unsettling. He didn't seem to blink quite often enough, and he gave the impression that if he followed you into a revolving door, he'd come out first.

  "I wasn't trying to do a bonding spell!" Onyx protested, looking at Wade with a kind of pleading adoration. "I was just trying to give myself a little bit more ability. Invoke a bit of power. I didn't mean any harm, I swear!"

  "Didn't mean any harm," Beatrix muttered. "You know that you're shit at magic, and you stole my freaking wand and did this crap! Didn't mean any harm!"

  "Yikes, dude," Wade said after a moment, wrinkling up his nose as he looked at Onyx. "That's, like, pretty uncool."

  Onyx seemed to shrink in on himself further at being called uncool by Wade, and he sat there, shoulders hunched and looking very much like a miserable black crow. Still, Jacob couldn't bring himself to feel very sorry for him. This idiot had managed to literally bind him to Beatrix. And while he had definitely wanted to get to know the fiery and intriguing redhead better, a magical bond that yanked his stomach when tested wasn't precisely what he had in mind.

  And then there was the magic thing. Every time Jacob started to get angry with Onyx, his brain would come up against the magic thing and screech to a halt. Jacob rubbed his temples. The vodka had soothed his nerves a little, but he had one hell of a headache.

  "Alright, let's take a look at this thing then," Wade said. He pulled an amulet out from his shirt and half-closed his eyes, raising the amulet in front of him.

  Jacob jumped in shock as a swirl of colour and light appeared from thin air between himself and Beatrix.

  "What the fuck!" he said out loud.

  "It's okay," Beatrix said. "He's just visualising the spell. So he can see exactly what this idiot did." She shot a dirty look at Onyx, who was fiddling with his studded wrist cuff miserably.

  Jacob let out a breath. "That's insane," he said, looking at the swirling colours and lights hovering in the air. "It's like something out of a movie."

  "Movies never get magic right," Beatrix said grimly. "When I was younger, I sent a letter of complaint to Warner Bros about Harry Potter for gross inaccuracy. Never heard back."

  Even in his addled state, Jacob let out a chuckle. "Can't say I'm surprised," he said, their eyes meeting for just a moment. And maybe it was his imagination, but he thought Beatrix looked like she felt a little sorry for him, as an unsuspecting Ordinary. There was definitely something a little warmer, a little less disdainful in her eyes than there had been before.

  "You're taking all this pretty well," Beatrix said, indicating Wade between them, tracing a finger through the hanging colours and muttering to himself. "You know, the whole magic thing."

  "Am I?" Jacob said, with a half-grin. "I'd really like to get blackout drunk and forget this ever happened."

  "Okay," Wade interrupted suddenly. He rubbed his hands together, looking almost excited. "I think I've got this thing figured out. It's a pretty simple bonding curse, actually. If you two get too far from each other, then—" Wade made a noise like a tree being torn up by its roots.

  "Yeah, I had figured that much out," Beatrix said, looking impatient. "Can you get rid of it?"

  "Yes and no," Wade said, still grinning.

  "What do you mean 'yes and no'?" Beatrix asked through gritted teeth.

  "Well, I could get rid of it," Wade said, tilting his head as though considering. "But it would be dangerous. I reckon it'd be safer to let it run its course."

  "Run its course?" Jacob repeated.

  "Well, yeah," Wade said, scratching his stubble. "It's not like it's permanent. It'll only last a few days, I reckon. Maybe weeks. A month at the most."

  "A month?" Beatrix was incredulous. "A month? You've got to be fucking kidding me. I'm not going to allow myself to be bound to anyone for a month, least of all—"

  "An evil property developer?" Jacob supplied, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah, I'm not thrilled about this one myself. Are you sure you can't get rid of it?"

  "Well, like I said," Wade shrugged. "I could. But it's risky. Memory loss is a strong possibility, or, you know, literally tearing your guts open when I break the bond."

  Jacob watched as Beatrix involuntarily clutched at her stomach as though protecting said guts.

  "Yeah, I don't like that option either," Jacob said. "Isn't there anything else you could do?"

  "Look, if I could, I would," Wade said, spreading out his hands. "Come on, it's not that bad. You just have to be in the same house or whatever. It's not like you have to go to the toilet together. Take a few weeks off work, and just chill. Watch some movies, smoke some weed..." Wade rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a bent and squashed looking joint. "Here, this will start you off," he grinned.

  "Not that bad," Beatrix repeated, snatching the joint from Wade and waving it at him angrily. "I've got a business to run! I don't want someone attached to me. And in my house!" she shuddered, giving Jacob a look that indicated she found him no less loathsome than before, despite clearly pitying him.

  "And I've got a site to develop," Jacob said. "I've got to do client meetings, walk-throughs. I can't do that with her trailing around behind me."

  "As if I'd ever trail around after you!" Beatrix rolled her eyes.

  "Let's take a deep breath here," Shauna cut in. "Both of you need to calm down. You're stuck together. You're just going to have to deal with it. Sniping at each other isn't going to help. Accidents happen."

  "This wasn't exactly an accident," Jacob glared at Onyx. "What are you going to do about him?"

  "Do you want me to resign?" Onyx asked, looking pleadingly at Beatrix. "Bea, I'm so sorry, you know I never would have meant to—"

  "Resign?" Beatrix said fiercely. "Not a chance! What, you think I'd let you leave me in the lurch at a time like this?"

  "I won't if you don't want me to!" Onyx said quickly. "I just thought...you might not want to see me around."

  "I don't," Beatrix said, scowling at him. "I need you to keep working here. But bloody hell, dude, I trusted you. You're one of my best friends. And you broke that trust."

  You couldn't have paid Jacob a million dollars to be in Onyx's position right now, under the weight of that disappointed gaze. There was a long silence, and Jacob actually felt a little sorry for Onyx.

  Wade looked around. "Awkward!" he forced a laugh. "Well, I'd best be on my way."

  "Wait!" Jacob stood up. "How will we know when this is over?"

  "Oh, that's easy," Wade said. "You won't be in horrible pain when you try to get away from each other!"

  "Thanks," Jacob huffed out a breath. "That's...that's really helpful, thanks."

  "No problem," Wade said earnestly and suddenly encased him in an uncomfortably tight hug.

  "Thanks, Wade," Beatrix said quickly. "For coming over so quickly."

  "Anything for my number one potions gal," Wade said, saluting Beatrix. "When this is all over, you need to come for dinner. Tammy misses you. Redheads unite, yeah?"

  Beatrix managed
a small smile. "I'll do that," she said.

  Jacob watched as Wade pushed open the double doors, stepping through without a backwards glance like he was a rock star leaving a concert hall.

  "Well, I need to get back to work," Beatrix said, getting up from the stool and picking up a tray of test tubes. "You can stay in my office," she said to Jacob, pointing at a corner of the workshop cordoned off by a bamboo screen. "You won't get in my way there."

  "Uh, you do realise I have a job to do as well?" Jacob was incredulous. "I can't just sit around waiting for you."

  Beatrix gave him a look of extreme annoyance but appeared to concede that this wasn't an entirely unreasonable point. She rubbed her face with her hands and suddenly looked tired and oddly vulnerable in a way Jacob hadn't thought someone as fierce as Beatrix could look. It made him want to reach out and hug her. If he hadn't been absolutely sure that she would have punched him if he had tried.

  "Okay," Beatrix said after a moment. "If we go and get your laptop and stuff, can you work here? We've got decent internet, and I bet our coffee is better than yours."

  "Definitely is," Shauna said, pointing at the machine. "I was a barista for years. I think that's why Bea hired me."

  Jacob managed a tiny smile. "Is this what you meant when you said that there was a decent coffee place close by?"

  Beatrix returned his smile. "You got me," she said, holding up her hands.

  "I can work here," Jacob said. "But I'm going to need, like, a massive flat white. And probably more vodka."

  Beatrix sighed. "You know what, Jacob? So will I."

  8 Beatrix

  I cannot fucking believe this.

  The thought went through Beatrix's head approximately every thirty-six seconds. Every time she spotted Onyx, who was avoiding eye contact even more than usual, slinking about the workshop like a dark cloud of misery. And every time she looked over at her office in the corner, where she could see Jacob's black hair over the top of the row of succulents on one shelf.

  She knew that Onyx hadn't meant to do this. There wasn't a malicious bone in his body, much as he might wish he had a real heart of darkness. But that didn't make her any less angry. She had told him not to mess with magic, not when she wasn't around. She had told him, as kindly and gently as she could, that he didn't seem to have a knack for controlling unseen forces.

  And yet, he had done this. And look what had happened. At least, Beatrix thought with a grimace, he was unlikely to attempt anything magical again for a very long time. Maybe he'd finally be scared straight.

  Beatrix squeezed her eyes shut and tried to scratch her nose with the side of her arm as she decanted her Blemish Banish solution into tiny glass vials, ensuring that each one was sealed correctly so that none of its potency would escape. She'd usually let Onyx do this, but she didn't want to trust him with anything that wasn't computer-related at this point. He had lost his hands-on privileges.

  The worst part, Beatrix thought, was that when this long and exhausting day was over, she couldn't escape to the comfort and stillness of her quiet house. No, she'd still have Jacob bound to her, following wherever she went. There was no escape, no peace. The thought made her more tired than ever.

  She shot Onyx's back a look of bitterest anger, so fierce that she was surprised he didn't recoil from it like a blow.

  And Jacob... Jacob had the audacity to be sitting at her desk, in her chair, talking away on his phone and flicking through his laptop with a goddamn smile on his face. Like he didn't have a care in the world. She watched as he stroked his chin with one hand, the phone held to his ear by his shoulder. She had never wanted to see Jacob again. And now she was stuck with him.

  ✽✽✽

  "Are you finished?" Jacob interrupted, standing up and stretching. It was just the two of them left in the workshop now. Shauna had left at her usual time to pick up her boys from school, and Onyx had scampered off after her even though he never usually left until much later. Beatrix hadn't argued. She didn't want to see him anymore.

  "I'm never finished," Beatrix said with a roll of her eyes. "You don't get to be finished when you have your own business."

  "Well, are you done for the day?" he pressed. "I want to get home."

  Beatrix frowned. "But I don't want to go to your house," she said flatly.

  "Yeah, I figured," Jacob said, raising his eyebrows. "What do you think? Should we get a hotel with joining rooms? Would that satisfy the bond?"

  "I don't want to stay in a hotel," Beatrix wrinkled her nose. "They're...so full of people."

  "Well generally, yeah," Jacob said, looking at her strangely. "But I'm not seeing another option. You don't want me in your house, you won't come to my house, and hotels are too full of people. Unless you're keen on camping—"

  "Oh, hell no!" Beatrix said firmly. "Trust me, I've slept in enough canvas structures to last a lifetime. "We're not camping." She looked at him hard and sighed. "I should let you stay at my house," she said after a moment. "It's the most practical solution. You have a reason to be in Shepherd's Crossing. I don't have any reason to be wherever you live."

  "Kings Point," Jacob supplied.

  "That doesn't surprise me," Beatrix curled her lip. Kings Point was in Sydney's centre, full of old terraced houses shared by young creatives and shiny new apartments owned by executives who liked the nightlife just a little too much. It didn't surprise her that Jacob lived there.

  "Fine, I'll stay at your place," Jacob raised his hands in surrender. "But I'll have to go home at some point, too. I need stuff. I've got spare clothes in my car, but I need to pick up food for Prada. And what the hell am I going to tell Ant?"

  "Who's Ant?" Beatrix asked curiously. "Do you have another dog?"

  Jacob laughed. "Ant's my roommate."

  "You have a roommate?" she was surprised. "Don't you... I mean, I thought property developers were rich. Didn't think you'd need a roommate."

  "Well, it's not really a financial thing," Jacob said, looking away for a moment. "He's my best friend, and he needed a place to stay, and I kind of wanted the company, so—" He shrugged.

  Beatrix looked at him strangely. Jacob had his own house - a whole house to call his own - and he had actually chosen to have a roommate, with no financial need to do so? He wanted the company? It was unimaginable, she thought.

  "I don't have any roommates," she said, probably unnecessarily.

  "What about Gumbo?" Jacob said with a teasing smile. "He's big enough to count as a roommate."

  "Except Gumbo," she agreed, and okay, that had made her smile a little bit. She didn't like Jacob, and she sure as hell didn't trust him, but she found it pretty hard to be cold to anyone who took an interest in her dog. "But he's the only acceptable roommate. Never has guests over, doesn't leave a mess around the place, gives me plenty of peace and quiet."

  "You like having your own space, huh?" Jacob said, looking at her with curious interest.

  "Yes," Beatrix said, nodding in a way that she hoped meant he wouldn't ask any more questions. "I do."

  ✽✽✽

  "Who keeps that many spare clothes in their car?" Beatrix grumbled, watching as Jacob pulled out both a gym backpack and garment bag from his once sleek but now mud-splattered black car.

  "Someone who has a dog, works on building sites, and has to look professional at a moment's notice?"

  Beatrix shook her head. She supposed it was strangely lucky that he did. "Fine then," she said. "I suppose you'd better come inside."

  "That's nice of you," Jacob grinned, Prada close on his heels. "I thought you might put me in a shed outside or something."

  "Don't give me any ideas," Beatrix said darkly, but she opened the door and let him - and Prada - inside just the same. She clapped twice, and the lights came on, illuminating the polished concrete floors, wood panelled walls, and black ceilings.

  "Is that magic?" Jacob asked, his mouth dropping open at the sight. Beatrix couldn't help but laugh.

  "Nope," she said. "Just
technology. Come on, you can put your junk in the study, and I'll get the futon out for you."

  "Thanks," he said, following her down the hallway. "I like your place. Very minimalist. Like something from a design magazine."

  "It's relaxing," Beatrix said, feeling oddly defensive at the compliment. "The workshop's so busy, and I like this to be my sanctuary. My private space." She opened the door to the study, and Jacob carefully laid his garment bag over a chair. "Except, now..."

  "I'm here?" Jacob supplied as he set his gym bag on the ground. Then he looked at her desk, picking something up. "What's this?" Jacob held up her latest embroidery project, which featured a design of flowers arranged into what was unmistakeably the female reproductive system. "Did you make this?"

  "Put that down!" Beatrix said, snatching it from him, her cheeks flushing. "Don't touch my things," she added.

  "Sorry," Jacob said, raising his hands. "I know you like your space. You don't want me here."

  Beatrix folded her arms and didn't say anything. She knew it wasn't Jacob's fault that he was here and that she shouldn't take it out on him.

  "I bet you're hungry," she said instead. "And that you expect me to feed you."

  "Well, we're probably a bit far away to get delivery," Jacob shrugged. "But I promise I'll cook as soon as I can buy some groceries. I don't want to be a burden. Besides," he said. "Cooking for you? Closest I'll ever get to taking you out for dinner." And he actually winked at her as he said it.

  Why was he still being so bloody good-natured about everything? It was infuriating. Why wasn't he as unsettled by all of this as she was? After all, she was the one who was a witch. He had only just found out that magic was real, and yet he was taking this whole bonding curse in his stride like it was merely a minor annoyance, like a patch of mosquito bites or a parking ticket.