Of Potions and Portents

by Nyx Halliwell

He moves closer still, coming to stand right in front of me. His eyes soften as he looks into mine. “It is beautiful.”

  He’s not staring at the crystal, but at me. Heat flashes over my skin, the tingle in my breastbone is there, warming me with a special sensation now every time he’s near. “Beauty is extremely important in this world.”

  His fingers brush mine and send a sweet buzz through my system. “I never really thought about it until recently.”

  I have the sudden urge to kiss him, and I see his gaze drop to my lips as though he’s thinking about it as well. There’s no Sex Magick here, only a natural growing attraction.

  “Can you… show me your magick?” He takes the hand holding the necklace and tips it so the crystal is centered in my palm. He rubs his thumb across the pads of my fingers. “I mean, is it something I can see?”

  I don’t perform magick like a parlor trick, but I want to for him. I want so badly for him to believe that I’d whip up a hurricane just to prove the extent of my power.

  Instead, I force myself to work on a smaller scale, sending some into the crystal and making it vibrate. I’m used to downplaying my skills—have since I was young. Magick only ever brings ridicule and fear from most people.

  His eyes go wide as I cause the crystal to hover above my hand.

  Reaching out, he makes contact, another charge of energy pulsing through my aura, and centering in my heart. “Whoa,” I say, my voice barely above a squeak.

  He must feel it as well because he takes a step back abruptly, breaking the connection. “Whoa is right,” he murmurs, staring into my eyes. The crystal drops into my palm and I clasp it, trembling from head to foot.

  “Do you believe me now?” I ask cautiously.

  “I do.” But he takes another step back, looks away.

  I try not to be disappointed—I know this is a lot for him to take. I wish, instead of being surprised or unpleasantly shocked, he’d be delighted. Can you imagine his reaction if I had called up a hurricane?

  He returns to the area where he was taking pictures and clears his throat loudly. He makes a big deal out of scanning the ground, and a moment later, stops abruptly while snapping a photo and frowns as he examines a particular depression—the one where the wolf had hold of the demon’s neck, pressing it into the mud.

  “What is it?” I ask, slipping the necklace into the pocket of my skirt.

  A shake of his head. “Nothing. I just… I swear I’ve been here before. Like, in a dream or something.” Yes! This could be it—a breakthrough for him to remember.

  I’m about to ask him a question, my magick floating toward him to coax his memories and clear the lines of memory, when, without warning, Hoax bursts from the undergrowth.

  “Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!”

  I curse under my breath, realizing the forest has fallen silent. The breeze carries the faintest scent of something that screws up my nose. Goosebumps race over my skin. “Are you wearing the amulet?” I ask urgently.

  Tristan looks at me oddly. “Why?”

  I know he’s not. I can sense it. Grabbing his hand, I tug him toward the path while sending another layer of protective light around both of us. “We have to go. Now!”

  The scent on the air is faint but growing stronger. Sulfur.

  Tristan resists and I send magick into our locked hands, propelling him as if I’ve instantly become a circus strongman, or he’s suddenly light as a feather.

  “Spring, what’s going on?”

  I keep him moving, branches smacking at us as we go. “Run!”

  Hoax flaps right on my heels, urging me on. He mimics me, screeching and adding his own phrasing, “Run, you lousy muggle! Run for your life!”

  I see my father ahead. His eyes are closed, hands turned up and holding the walking stick between them as he chants something over it. Power radiates along that staff—so strong I don’t need the Sight to see it. It lifts the ends of my hair.

  A dozen crows fly in and around him, ready to do his bidding. Winter appears out of thin air on his right, her lips move with a spell, her hand drawing protective sigils in the air. I feel their combined magicks helping me propel Tristan out of harm’s way, even as a whoosh of dark energy swipes at our backs.

  It bounces away on a screech, the crows attacking and blotting out the weak sun.

  Blue-black feathers fall like rain as they distract the demon and it retaliates. My heart hammers as we fly down the path, jumping over the fallen branch and running around my father and sister. Tristan curses and shouts, but I ignore him as I continue to overpower his strength, forcing his legs to move.

  I don’t let him stop until we break through onto the cleared land. I’m coughing and out of breath, but he appears nearly fine. He probably runs every day to keep in shape, and our little sprint barely raised his pulse rate.

  “What the devil?” he says, not realizing how close to the truth that moniker is.

  Hoax stands at the entrance, shouting curses into the shadows and flapping manically.

  “Didn’t you smell the sulfur?” I huff.

  He hesitates a moment, frowning. “That? I smelled it at Annie’s when we were there.”

  I nod, still trying to catch my breath.

  Winter and Dad emerge, Winter looking even paler than normal. “It’s gone,” she says, “but I’m warding everything.” She faces the tree line and repeats her spell, once again drawing sigils in the air.

  Tristan glances between all of us, then locks his attention on me. “What was that?”

  “That,” I say, feeling a headache brewing, “was the demon that killed Annie and Jace.”

  15

  Tristan reels off questions as we move. On the path, we pass my gardens, the greenhouse, and Winter and Autumn’s cabins, all of us ignoring his demand for answers.

  “Explain what you mean, Spring, about the demon killing them.” His face is grim as he forces me to a stop.

  Dad motions him toward the stone path that leads to my cabin. “Perhaps we could take this inside.” He purposefully glances at the women across the way, now watching us.

  Tristan goes silent. He seems to battle himself on whether to agree or stand his ground. Finally, acknowledging our audience, he nods.

  As we get closer to my place, the women at the pergola whisper and watch Storm with a frown. Thank goodness they couldn’t see us running like maniacs.

  The back door of Conjure flies open and a woman I don’t know barrels out. She heads toward the pergola shouting at Storm. “Are you Spring?”

  Storm and several other ladies point toward me and the woman changes course. She’s tall, close to my father’s five-foot eleven stature, and she stomps the ground in motorcycle boots exuding anger. She’s dressed in black leather from head to foot, multiple piercings in her ears and eyebrows, goth style makeup on her face.

  Winter has caught up to us. Tristan steps forward, protectively, at the same time.

  “Shoshana?” He appears surprised. “What’s wrong?”

  This is Jace’s ex-girlfriend? She looks completely the opposite of tiny, mousy Annie.

  She points a finger at me over his shoulder. “She’s going around telling people I had an affair with Jace while he was married.”

  “Me?” I’m aghast, my nerves on edge from our close encounter with the demon. I shove past Winter and Tristan to face her. “I don’t even know you.”

  “Exactly.” Her eyes blaze. “You shouldn’t spread ugly rumors. I’ve had nothing to do with him since he left me for that witch Annie.”

  Tristan glances between us. Out of everything going on I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. “I’m not the one spreading rumors about you and Jace. I heard you were having an affair with him from…”

  As if I have summoned her out of thin air, Dara appears from around the corner of the parking lot, her son, Aaron, in tow. “Her,” I say, pointing.

  Dara is looking toward the pergola, as if searching for someone. Aaron stares at his feet a
s he walks. When Dara sees all the women watching the five of us, her attention follows. Her face lights up when she sees Tristan and falls when she sees me. A heartbeat later, fear crosses her features when she notices Shoshana.

  “Dara told me,” Shoshana spits, “you were, and that you had the hots for him.”

  My jaw drops. “I most certainly did not. I didn’t know him—or you—before they died.”

  We all glance at Dara as she crosses the expanse, passing the poet garden. Aaron, several feet behind her, stops to stare at the fairy house I placed in the center of it.

  “So, Dara told you”—Tristan says under his breath to me— “Shoshana was having an affair with Jace, and she told you” —he looks at Shoshana—“that Spring was.”

  We both nod, glaring at each other, but the truth dawns on us at the same time—Dara is the one we should be angry with, and we both turn on her.

  “How dare you,” Shoshana threatens, taking a step toward Dara.

  Tristan grabs her arm to stop her from charging. “Shoshana, let me handle this.”

  Hoax has been hovering behind us, seeming to enjoy the argument, no ill effects from running from the demon apparent. Silently, I ask him to go keep Aaron entertained. I also command him to keep his language clean and not curse the boy.

  He curses me instead and takes off hop-walking on his tiny bird legs. As Dara reaches us, she offers a fragile smile. “Chief MacGregor, what a coincidence to find you here. I brought Aaron to see Spring’s talking bird. She invited us.”

  She completely ignores Shoshana and me, and I swear I hear Shoshana raise a fist before Tristan stops her. “Shoshana, wait in the shop,” Tristan instructs. “Dara, I’m glad you’re here. I need you to clarify a couple things for me, but I have to talk to Spring first. Hang out with Aaron and the bird for a minute and I’ll be right with you.”

  Both women look slightly annoyed, but do as he says. He takes my elbow and steers me toward my cabin. Once we’re inside, all he does is raise his eyebrows and cross his arms over his chest, waiting for an explanation.

  Winter and Dad have followed, and they both stay quiet, looking at me to take the lead. They don’t know about the conversation I had with Tristan in the woods, as far as I can tell, but I’m done beating around the bush.

  “First of all, that mess out there”—I wave a hand toward Shoshana and Dara—“is not my circus or my monkeys. As I stated, Dara is the one who told me yesterday, when Winter and I stopped by her place, that Shoshana and Jace looked like they had resumed their relationship when she saw them outside Dickey’s bar last week. She also stated she told Annie."

  I take a deep breath and plunge on. "As far as the demon in the woods, that was the same one you and I encountered at the sauna. I’m sure of it. It seems to be attracted to us.” I point to Tristan and then myself. “Whenever we’re expressing feelings for each other, it feeds on our energy. Winter told me she thinks it thrives on it from male-female connections, and I believe she’s correct. It seems to thrive on attraction and desire. It’s not nearly as strong as the demon imprisoned on our land that kills people, but it’s still evil.”

  With every sentence, my father seems more surprised, his bushy brows continually rising higher on his tall forehead. Winter looks kind of proud, and Tristan shows no response at all.

  Maybe I’ve shocked him into silence.

  Finally, he finds his tongue. “And this killer demon,” he says, “the one you guys did the spell on? You’re sure he isn’t running loose?”

  “Yes. The containment spell worked, and that demon is much stronger than what you and I just experienced. The last time it was loose, it created earthquakes and wildfires, along with killing our mom. It’s pure, destructive energy and a hundred times more powerful than the demon feeding on passion and desire. Through some very strong magick, we were able to force it back underground.”

  “Then what is the thing that attacked you yesterday? From what you described; it doesn’t sound like either of these two.”

  “You’re right. He was strong, and it seemed to be after my magick, but it doesn’t fit them.”

  “So, there are three demons,” he states, skeptically. “Why would the one from yesterday want your magick?”

  His tone isn’t flippant, so I’m grateful for that. He seems enquiring, as if he’s really trying to understand. Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer.

  “Most of these types of entities live on other people’s energy. They don’t have a physical body like us, but some want one, so they possess people. In this case, the demon might’ve been after mine, but he definitely wanted my magick, and he sucked that out first, paralyzing me. If he’d succeeded at his task, he might have possessed my body as well.”

  I see the hesitation in Tristan’s gaze—how can he tell if the demon succeeded?

  We’re not a church, and I don’t keep holy water or crucifixes lying around. “You have to trust me,” I tell him. “I’m not possessed. I’m just me, Spring.”

  I see him struggle with the overwhelming idea of demons, witches, and magick. He’s seen it, felt it, but he still can’t make it fit into his version of reality.

  He sets his jaw, a muscle twitching in his cheek, and I wonder if he’s holding back cynical, hurtful words. I’ve heard them before and I don’t care for them.

  “Look,” I tell him, “magick exists and demons are real, whether you believe it or not. Yes, I’m a witch. I like you, but I can’t sit by and pretend differently when others are in danger. So, either get on board with helping us, or talk to Dara and Shoshana and keep chasing an invisible reason for the deaths of two people who didn’t deserve it.”

  Everyone is deathly silent and my heart races as I wait for Tristan’s response.

  He glances between the three of us and seems to come to some internal decision. “I’ll handle Dara and Shoshana. I won’t be putting any of this in my report, but if there’s anything else I should know, now’s the time to tell me.”

  Not exactly the ringing endorsement I was hoping for, but I’ll take it. “Dara told me Annie was convinced Jace was her soulmate and was determined to keep them together no matter what. There’s something I need to verify before I give you my theory on what might’ve happened, if you don’t mind hanging around a few minutes. It will give you time to talk to them while I’m looking into it.”

  He studies me for several heartbeats and nods. “I’ll meet you inside the shop.” He checks his watch, and I realize it must be getting close to his appointment. “I definitely want to hear it before I leave.” Tristan walks out and I heave a sigh.

  “Bravo.” Winter gives me a cocky smile and claps. “Well done, little sis. That took guts.”

  “How can I help?” Dad asks.

  I wipe a drop of sweat off my forehead. “I need to talk to Autumn, find out if Annie had past life charts done for her and Jace, like Dara claims, and I need to see off the women from the workshop and make sure everyone is okay after that exhibition.”

  Dad goes to the door. “I’ll find Autumn. You take care of your attendees.”

  Winter follows us out, her focus on Tristan, who is now at the poet garden, speaking with Dara. “I think I’ll just watch the fireworks from here.”

  I grab her by the arm and hustle her down the steps. “Find out everything you can about sex demons. I think that’s what this one is. We need to put a stop to it following Tristan and me, and make sure it can’t hurt anyone else.”

  She gives me a slightly disappointed look but shrugs. “Sex demons can’t be all bad, can they?” A wink and she’s heading for the shop, and I assume, whatever books she can find on the subject. Dad follows, shaking his head at her comment.

  I run my hands over my hair to tame the frizzies, tug on the hem of my shirt and square my shoulders before marching to the pergola and giving the ladies a big smile. I just have to pretend everything is fine. “How are you all doing with your crown?”

  Storm helps me wrap things up and see them off.
Because of the spectacle, I offer ten percent off any product in the store before they leave.

  Most hustle off to go shopping, only a few throwing glances toward Tristan and Dara, still discussing things at the garden. Hoax and Aaron are on the back porch of Conjure with Hale and Godfrey, and I see Aaron smile as the man and the bird do tricks for him. He strokes Godfrey’s fur and the diva cat actually seems to enjoy it.

  I don’t have time to worry about the boy, and I know I owe Hoax an extra treat or two tonight for his cooperation. He can be a handful at times, but he always comes through for me when I need it. The same can be said for Godfrey. I’ll have to thank our shop mascot later with an extra scoop of tuna.

  Once the ladies are gone, it’s only Storm and I at the tables. She pulls me into a bear hug and I melt a bit in her arms. I wish my mom was here. I wish Tristan understood. I wish the damn demons would all go back to the hole they crawled out of. I wish, I wish, I wish.

  “Are you okay?” she asks.

  “Everything’s a mess. I have a couple things to do before I can sit for a cup of tea with you. Can you stay?” I have to tell her all about this situation with Tristan. She’s going to die.

  “Of course.” Her eyes search my face. “Does this have something to do with that couple from town? I heard about them on the news. I didn’t realize you knew them.”

  At this point, I know them better in death than in life. “We’ll need a big pot of tea.”

  She laughs softly. “I’ll get Hale to help me clean this up, then I’ll go to your cabin and make some. You go do whatever you need to.”

  We hug again, and Dad walks up with papers in his hand. “Is this what you want?”

  There are two birth charts side by side, and some handwritten notes in Autumn’s slanted cursive. She has computer programs that can do this for her—show whether two people are compatible, and if they’ve had previous lives together—but she prefers to do it old school.

  Different colored lines are drawn between the charts and she’s highlighted certain planets. Across the top she’s put the name and the date. I look at it with a frown. “I wanted Annie and Jace’s, Dad.”