Of Curses and Charms

by Nyx Halliwell

  I send a silent prayer to Hestia, asking for help. I’m still torn, knowing Hopper deserves someone who can give him a family, and that’s the one thing I won’t relent on. Besides, there’s the vision of him with another woman and kids.

  I sigh. “Did you grow up around here?”

  “Northern California. You?”

  “Born and raised in Raven Falls. We all lived in Winter’s cabin. It was our parents and is the largest.”

  “Must be nice,” he says. “We moved around a lot, never really put down roots. Then I left and joined the Marines. More years of wandering.”

  “Do you feel settled here?”

  He looks at the kittens and gives a small smile. “More so every day.”

  “I envy you. I’ve always wanted to travel,” I tell him. “Don’t get me wrong, I love it here. Raven Falls isn’t perfect, but there are worse places, I suppose. It’s just… I’ve never lived anywhere else. Never even went away to college. There’s so much of the world I want to see.”

  “Why don’t we go see some of it, then?” He makes a gesture with his hands like it’s no big deal. “Where do you want to go? Maybe I’ve been there. I can be your tour guide.”

  I laugh. “I know it’s rather cliché, but have you been to Paris? I’d love to go there.”

  “Mais oui, mademoiselle.” His French accent is awful, making me laugh even more. “And there’s Rome and Vienna. I’ve been there, too. You’ll love Paris, but I suggest we skip Rome and hit Milan. A little more laid-back and the food is better.”

  Off in the distance, I hear the boom of thunder. A breeze picks up, blowing my curtains from the open windows. “You’ve really been to those cities?”

  “I have, and I’m happy to take you to see them anytime.”

  Oh Hestia, I need a lot of help. I’m dying to ask if he wants a family, because what if he doesn’t? What if he really is the perfect man for me?

  Chewing on my bottom lip I consider blurting my question, just to put myself out of my misery. Instead I find myself saying, “I would love that.”

  “You’ve got a deal. Can I ask a favor in return?”

  He’s just offered to take me around the world. Pretty sure whatever he’s going to ask is something I’ll make sure I can do for him. “Anything.”

  “I’ve seen the marketing and promotions for your shop. You have a gift. I was wondering if you’d help me create some for mine?”

  A peel of thunder echoes through the forest, growing closer. I smell rain in the air coming in through the windows. “Yes, of course.”

  He holds out a hand, then remembers the Touch, and withdraws it. I see a new light in his eyes, though. “That’s why you didn’t want me to touch you yesterday, isn’t it? You were afraid you’d see something about my past.”

  It’s not the past I fear. The future is the problem. Another reason I need to remind myself not to fall so hard for this man. I’m not part of that future, if my vision is accurate.

  “Like you said, we all have secrets,” I remind him. “I never want to invade your privacy, even if it’s accidental.”

  “I get that and appreciate it, but we’ve shared a kiss, as I recall.” A sly grin crosses his face. “Does your gift only work through your hands?”

  Gift. I’m sure to many it seems like that. His gaze drops to my lips, and I fight the urge to lick them. He’s wondering if I pick up information through other parts of my body. It’s kind of cute. “Mostly.”

  He leans closer, still staring at my mouth. “Mostly?”

  Flustered, I chuckle softly. “I pick up things in other ways, too. I am a witch after all.”

  “Oh yeah? Do you know what I’m about to do right now?”

  I hear the patter of rain on the porch. “I don’t need psychic abilities to know that,” I tease.

  When his lips meet mine, my mind goes gloriously blank. Everything in me focuses on the kiss. I forget about Mariel, the kittens, Mrs. Sorensen. I even stop thinking about my sisters and our quest to save Mom. The only thing that exists is Hopper and the strong arms he wraps around he as he pulls me close.

  I don’t know how long we stay there, leaning into each other. Time ceases to exist, and there’s no hurry, no rush to move on to other things.

  The fire inside me burns hot and bright. I’m lost in it, and I don’t want to stop.

  And then through the open window, I hear Cinders squawk. Lightning flashes, and on its heels, thunder booms, as though right above my roof.

  It’s so loud, it rattles the windows, and both of us jump. The kittens begin to cry and we rush to soothe them.

  The storm rages for several minutes. My electricity goes out and I have to light candles. Once the thunder and lightning move on, the rain lingers. It’s a gully washer, but the kittens settle enough for Hopper and I to talk and laugh a while longer.

  By the light of a candle, I lift the lid on the first box and finger some of it. None would be considered high-end, but I love costume jewelry, and several pieces have genuine stones in them.

  With Hopper by my side, I grow bolder. I begin picking up different pieces and placing them in the palm of my hand, waiting for the Touch to kick in.

  It doesn’t.

  I’m somewhat relieved, and I sense Hopper is as well, but I’m also disappointed. Maybe there’s no way for me to figure out what happened with Mariel. Or perhaps I can go back to the necklace and try that again.

  Usually, things hold a single memory or show me a simple scene from the future. It’s not like watching a movie from start to finish, but only getting to see a very small snippet.

  I remove the lid from the second and my pulse picks up.

  There, in the midst of bracelets and earrings, is the one thing I’m betting will do the trick.

  The garnet ring I saw Mariel wearing in my vision.

  9

  “Gotcha,” I say.

  Hopper leans close to have a look. “What is it?”

  Using one of the scarves on the arm of the sofa, I pick the ring out and show it to him. “She was wearing this in my vision. Maybe it will give me some information about what happened the night I was shown.”

  He looks at me solemnly. “You better lay down.”

  I nod and grab a crystal before making myself comfortable on the area rug, now open because we moved the coffee table closer to the sofa.

  “What’s that,” Hopper asks about the stone.

  “Black tourmaline,” I tell him. “It repels negativity, and I’m hoping if there’s any black magick lingering on this, it’ll protect me. I think that’s what knocked me on my butt last time. Sometimes I have strong reactions, but it’s rare something renders me unconscious.”

  Lying prone, I close my eyes and hear Hopper moving to kneel beside me. “I’m right here,” he says reassuringly.

  Feeling his protection is as good as handling the tourmaline. I place the ring on my belly and remove the scarf. Opening my hand, I instruct Hopper to set the ring on it.

  The metal feels cool against my skin. A slight buzz tingles my palm. I’m tense waiting for something to happen, and I force myself to take a deep breath and relax my shoulders. Hopper watches me intently, and outside, I hear the last traces of thunder in the distance. Closing my eyes, I turn all my attention to the garnet and ask it to show me Mariel.

  A kind of static starts in my ears and my pulse jumps. Mentally, I call out to her spirit and ask it to show me something about her life. Her death.

  Seconds tick by and I’m holding my breath again. Come on, I think. Show me something.

  I wait.

  And I wait.

  Nothing happens.

  Out of the four of us, Autumn has the most patience, followed by Spring, then me. Winter has no patience at all. When nothing happens, I imagine Autumn’s voice telling me to stop forcing it and relax.

  I try again, seeing the ring in my mind’s eye. I send energy through my hand to it, imagining warming it, soothing it.

  Still, nothing
happens, to my great disappointment.

  Defeated, I open my eyes to find Hopper staring at me. “Are you getting anything?” he asks.

  I shake my head. “I’m sure I saw her wearing this. I thought it would work.”

  I hold the beautiful ring out so I can look at it, the garnet reflecting almost black in the shadows. Here and there, I see the flicker of candlelight in the stone, energy buzzing like lightning around it.

  “Is there anything I can do?” Hopper asks.

  I’m about to return the ring to the box when I have an idea. “Let me try one more thing.”

  I slide it onto my right-hand middle finger. It’s a perfect fit. This is how Mariel wore it.

  My heart gives a squeeze, a rush of tingling flies up my arm and into my chest. The garnet glows brighter.

  The next thing I know, I’m staring at Mariel’s hand instead of mine.

  I pick up a baby, a little boy whose smile is infectious as he looks at me with dark eyes. His fist swings in the air and I catch it with my lips and give it a kiss. His other hand grasps at my fingers, the ring. His feet kick as I pull him to me, and he makes a noise that sounds like delight.

  “We’re going to be all right this time,” I hear myself as Mariel say. “Your daddy will take care of everything.”

  I tuck the child into my chest and hug him, the weight of his tiny body melting into mine and reassuring me. Mariel is happy, content, and assured Kaan will protect them. She stares at the ring and it glows.

  But underneath her happiness, I feel fear. I taste it on my tongue, along with that metallic flavor from the previous visit. It feels as though the blood in my bones turns sluggish, and that in my heart pumps harder and faster. I’m filled with love for the child and hope for the future, yet, down deep, dread stirs. I understand no matter what Kaan does, I’m doomed. The baby with me.

  Two sides of the same coin. Utter happiness and sheer sorrow at what is to come. It seems to rip her heart in two.

  That pain sends me back to the present, where I gasp, and Hopper helps me sit up as I struggle to tug the ring off.

  He holds onto my shoulders. “What did you see?”

  “Mariel and one of her babies.” My throat hurts trying to speak. I set the ring on the coffee table and rub my hands together, a sudden coldness flooding me. “She was afraid for the baby, and herself, I think. But she wanted to believe Kaan would save them both.”

  “From what?”

  I shake my head, unsure, thoughts and feelings clouding my system as I try to weed Mariel’s from mine. “She definitely felt as though something was coming for them. Something awful.” I’m nearly in tears, wishing I could return and protect them. I rub the spot on my chest where I swear I can still feel the baby resting. “Oh Hopper, what happened to them?”

  He pulls me gently into an embrace, rubbing my back and allowing me to shed the tears. It grows darker outside, even though the thunder and lightning have moved off. The temperature has dropped considerably and I shiver.

  After a few moments, we break our embrace and he asks if he can get me something to eat or drink. I shake my head, and hang onto one of his hands, allowing myself to feel secure and grounded in his presence.

  He stares into my eyes and I know he wants to kiss me again. I want that, too. At the moment, I want it more than anything.

  But there’s something I have to know first. Before I let this go any farther.

  “I was holding that baby,” I tell him. “It felt good, right.”

  He runs his thumb over my knuckles, a soft caressing gesture. “I bet you’ll make a good mom someday.”

  “I’m not having children.”

  He seems to take this with no surprise. “Okay.”

  That’s it? “Do you want to have kids?”

  He shrugs.

  A non-answer. What does that mean? I stand and go to the small fireplace on the other side. I fiddle with a couple of the sticks, using my body to block Hopper’s view. I simply hold out my hands and start a small fire. “You don’t talk much about your family or growing up.”

  I hear him shift and glance over my shoulder. He looks away. “Not a lot worth discussing.”

  “What about marriage and family for you? Have you thought about it?”

  His focus returns to my face, questioning. “Where is this coming from?”

  Fair enough, I’m fishing. Not for the reason he thinks, though.

  I return to sit next to him. “I have to be honest. If you have any desire to have children”—the leftover emotions from Mariel are making me bold—“then you don’t want to start a relationship with me. I’m serious when I say I’m not having any.”

  He gives me a funny look. We’ve shared a couple kisses, and here I am talking about having kids with him. “Fine. You don’t have to.” He leans forward with a smile. “And you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

  A tiny spark of relief flares to life in my belly. “You don’t want to know why?”

  He shrugs again. “None of my business, but I assume you have a good reason, and that’s good enough for me.”

  I wait for more, but he doesn’t say anything else. He just keeps smiling at me.

  The rain eases and my lights return. I study his face carefully in the stronger illumination and still find no pretense. It’s too good to be true.

  This closeness, this vulnerability, makes me antsy. If I don’t do something to distract myself, I’ll jump his bones. “I think I’ll have some tea now,” I say, rising to my feet.

  He helps me stand, then follows me to the kitchen. “Got anything stronger?”

  I rummage in my pantry and pull out a bottle of blackberry wine. “If you like this, you can have the whole thing. Spring started making it last year, but it’s too sweet and heavy for me.”

  He eyes the bottle skeptically. “Maybe I’ll just have tea, too.”

  As I prepare two cups, I give him more details about what I saw and felt. “I’m confused about Mariel and Kaan. In the first vision, I felt sick when he gave Mariel the necklace and she knew it was loaded with black magick. Kaan didn’t appear in this vision, and I don’t know who gave her the ring, but she seemed to believe he would keep her and the baby safe. That’s at odds with what I was picking up from her before. And him.”

  Hopper takes a seat on one of my stools at the breakfast bar. “Any hint of black magick this time with the ring?”

  “None. That’s part of why I’m confused.”

  “So we’re at a dead end?”

  “I wonder if I could get anything else from the necklace,” I say as much to myself as him.

  “Do you want to try on any of the other stuff?”

  “Maybe.”

  I feel Autumn’s energy before she knocks. “Come on in, sister,” I call out.

  Hopper turns toward the front door. “Your sister is here?”

  My living room and kitchen are one big room and I see Autumn inch the door open. Her smile turns knowing when she sees Hopper. “Just wanted to check on you. Did you lose power?”

  “For a few minutes. Would you like a cup of tea?”

  Sirius, her dog familiar, noses his way in and makes a beeline for the kittens. He sniffs at them carefully and looks up at her.

  She pats his head and he sits. “We won’t stay.” She sees the ring on the coffee table. “Did you get another hit on that woman?”

  Although it’s still drizzling, she’s completely dry. I’m sure she used a spell to umbrella her and her familiar. In her hand, I notice a wrapped package.

  “Yes, but it’s not helpful in figuring things out about her death.”

  “If her husband was into black magick, maybe we don’t want to know more. We have enough on our plates without stirring that up.”

  Winter is the oldest but Autumn acts like our mother most of the time. Responsible, dependable, and always trying to keep the four of us out of trouble.

  Seems like it finds us anyway.

  “Kaan Fontaine is definite
ly a bad dude,” I tell her. “Who knows what he did to Mariel, and maybe to other women as well? If he’s killing people, we have to stop him.”

  She looks at me with dark eyes, so much like Dad’s. “We can’t save everyone, Summer.”

  Watch me. It’s a knee jerk comeback. She’s right, but I wish I could. “I know.”

  She brings the package over and sets it on the counter. “Dad dropped this off for you today.”

  A tiny bird of panic flutters in my chest. “He’s not going to miss my birthday, is he? He promised to be here.”

  “He will. He said you need this now.”

  Hopper lifts his cup. “It’s your birthday?”

  “On the twentieth, which is also summer solstice this year.”

  “The longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.” He takes a sip and sets the cup down. “Pretty cool to have it on that day.”

  It is like a cool gift since I love the sun.

  “She’s a Gemini, cusp Cancer,” Autumn tells him. “Her rising sign is Leo—that’s why she likes being in the spotlight. Moon in Sagittarius—she longs for travel.”

  Hopper nods, acting as though he followed all of that, but I can see in his eyes he’s not quite sure what she’s talking about.

  “Autumn is an astrology expert.” I grab the gift, admiring my father’s handiwork at turning pressed leaves into paper. There are hand drawn pictures of phoenixes, and I smile at his ingenuity. “She looks at people’s birth charts and can tell a lot about them from where the planets and stars were aligned that day.”

  “Fascinating,” he says, eyeing the package. “I think I’m a Pisces, but I’m not sure.”

  “Come see me,” Autumn says. “I’ll need your date of birth, time, and where you were born. I might be able to shed some insight into your personality, emotional triggers, and other fun stuff, like karmic challenges.”

  “She can even tell you things about your past lives,” I tell him as I begin to carefully unwrap the paper. I don’t want to wreck the pictures my father has drawn.