Of Curses and Charms

by Nyx Halliwell

  Hopper takes my hand and we smile at each other.

  Name’s Snow, Godfrey tells me. Her owners up and moved, left her and the kittens behind. She went to hunt for food, and when she came back, the babies were gone. She doesn’t know who brought them to us.

  I relay what the cat has said to Hopper, but he doesn’t seem surprised. “You can stay here,” I tell Snow. “You and your babies are safe now.”

  She thanks me, Hopper kisses me, and for the first time in several days, I feel happy.

  24

  My birthday dawns clear and bright, I’m up early to watch the sunrise. Summer Solstice…the best day of the year.

  I take a dip in the hot spring, Cinders keeping me company. Snow is taking good care of the kittens and I fed her before I left the cabin. She’s underweight and I plan to fatten her up as quickly as possible.

  After my dip in the rejuvenating waters, I find my sisters waiting at my place. Spring has baked my favorite cake, blueberry with powdered sugar icing, and Autumn has decorated the three tiers with tiny fairy figurines and real flowers.

  Brightly colored candles are inserted around the top layer and Winter asks what my wish is. My sisters have that look in their eyes, telling me they already know.

  I hold my breath, close my eyes, and imagine Hopper and I married with a couple kids. The Touch and my clairvoyance are gifts, not curses, and I’m trying to view them that way. If I’m lucky enough to have children, and they’re born with either of my skills, I’ll be able to teach them how to use them to help others.

  After we eat and drink raspberry tea from Spring’s stash, I hug my sisters and send them off. There’s nothing better than cake for breakfast, especially with the three of them.

  My birthday grants me a day off from the shop, and after I spend time with the kittens and Snow, I gather my tools for rock hunting.

  The cave mouth is twenty yards from the main hot springs, and I’m hoping to find a special crystal to mark my day. Usually, I don’t go alone, but my sisters don’t enjoy the hunt as much as I do, and they all have plenty to do for the party tonight.

  The sun is warm on my skin and I’m sure I’ll end up with a few extra freckles. I have my hat with the headlamp, and I’m thinking about what I’ll wear to the party as I climb the rocky slope past the bubbling springs and cabin ruins, making it to the cave entrance.

  “Good morning, birthday girl.”

  I look up to find Hopper waiting beside the entrance. He’s wearing good, sturdy boots, khaki pants, and a vest over a Rolling Stones t-shirt. The hat on his head echoes Indiana Jones, and he has a pick and a shovel in hand, a bucket at his feet, and a flashlight in his vest pocket.

  I smile. “What are you doing here?”

  “Before Winter puts me to work on building that wagon, I thought I’d do a little gold mining with my favorite witch.”

  “Hate to disappoint you but I haven’t located that vein yet. Mostly, I find quartz, amethyst, and a few other stones.”

  “I’ll make you a deal, if you find something you want turned into a ring, I’ll make it for you.”

  “You’re on.”

  The cave is cool and quiet, echoing our footsteps and voices back to us as I lead him toward an area littered with rose quartz. I love the world of crystals. It fascinates me, and I babble like the springs outside about my favorite stones.

  “I’m probably boring you to death,” I say, as he uses the pickaxe to loosen a chunk of the cave wall.

  “You are anything but boring.” Carefully, as though he’s handling a baby, he peels the piece loose and turns it so I can see a beautiful carpet of quartz. I shine the flashlight across them and am amazed at their clarity and the faint pink color emanating from them.

  They barely need cleaning. Since Spring has my rose quartz necklace, I’m already imagining a new one.

  We work at this section for a half hour, removing several large chunks of deeper pink. These will bring a nice price at the shop.

  I take Hopper to one of my favorite spots deeper inside the cave, several feet lower than the entrance. Illumination filters down from a natural skylight onto water pooling in a circle. The air smells cleaner here, sharper.

  The dappled sunlight has a rainbow effect on the surface and we stand for several seconds in silence, watching the ripples of color.

  “It’s beautiful,” Hopper says. “I see why you like it here.”

  I lean into his arm, enjoying the feel of his solidness. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Summer?”

  “Yes?”

  “I want to tell you my secrets.”

  Oh boy. I wasn’t expecting that. “You don’t have to.”

  “You were brave enough to share yours with me, so here goes.” He turns toward me and I see the soft light from the pool reflecting in his eyes. “Promise you won’t laugh.”

  Double on the oh boy. “I promise.”

  “I love to cook,”—he takes a deep sigh—“but I suck at it.”

  I try not to laugh. “That’s your secret?”

  “I’m serious. It’s really, really bad. I can’t even make toast.”

  “Okay.” I can’t hold back the laugh. “So that’s the reason you come to Conjure for breakfast every morning… Spring’s bakery goods.”

  “Nah, because of you, but those are a bonus.”

  “Good to know.”

  Another serious, heavy sigh. “Also…I have a lot of money.”

  I already know this but play dumb. “And why is that a secret?”

  “I’m afraid people will only like me for it, so I keep it on the down low. I made it from selling my grandparents healthy collection of art work when they passed ten years ago. It’s one of the things that got me started in antiques.”

  “That’s awesome.”

  “You already knew that didn’t you?”

  I try to stay serious and keep the grin off my face. “Not about the collection.”

  He rolls his eyes. “I can hear animals, too.”

  What? I simply stare at him for a long moment, brow shooting up. Are the acoustics in here messing with my hearing? “I’m sorry. What?”

  “When I was in Special Forces in Iraq, I sustained a head injury. Lost my hearing for a while in both ears. When it began to come back, I could hear and understand certain animals.”

  My mouth falls open. “So, like Godfrey and the kittens?”

  He nods. “You probably don’t want to know what Godfrey says behind your back.”

  I’ll kill that cat yet. “And you didn’t tell me this sooner because…?”

  A grin is his only answer. “There’s one more secret.”

  “I’m not sure I can handle anything else.”

  He gently takes my hands, holding them by the fingers only. “I’ve been head over heels in love with you since the day I met you.”

  I don’t know what to say. “We met three years ago—”

  “—when you came into my shop looking for a nineteen-fifties pie bird for your mother’s birthday,” he finishes for me. “Yep, I’ve been pining over you that long.”

  My knees feel weak. I throw my arms around his neck. “I love you, Hopper Caldwell.”

  He buries his face in my hair, holding me close. “I love you, too, Summer Whitethorne.”

  Cinders flies in, squawking. The bird sips from the pool and stares at me. You two done yet?

  Romantic moment over. “You’re as bad as Godfrey sometimes,” I reprimand the phoenix.

  Hopper laughs and looks at the cave walls, glistening as if they’re wet. “Do you get information from the crystals when you touch them?”

  “Yes, but it’s different from the kind of messages I get from people.”

  “How?”

  I go over and touch the closest cave wall and feel the vibrations. I close my eyes, and in my mind’s eye, I see color, hear a musical frequency that normal people might not register. It’s much like a harmony, a symphony.

  Rocks contain great wisdom,
and their healing powers have been used throughout time by all cultures. “The Touch allows me to understand their frequencies. I know how certain crystals can help people feel better. I only wish more believed in them.”

  The next area I take Hopper to is a bounty for uncovering rubies and sapphires. I show him the area I’ve been working on for a while to find some for the shop. “Did you know rubies and sapphires are the same composition? They’re both corundum,”

  “Why do they come in different colors?”

  “Impurities. Chromium creates red. Iron and titanium create blue.”

  He begins to dig, handing chunks to me. Our buckets full.

  “Most of what I see coming into the shop is lab created,” he says, admiring the chunk I’m cleaning. “I love when I find a genuine ruby or sapphire in vintage jewelry.”

  Returning to the hot spring, we clean the rest. Cinders suns himself on a nearby boulder.

  I find a ruby that’s gem quality. “Look.” I hand it to Hopper. “I’d like a ring from this.”

  He holds it up to the sunlight and nods. “Perfect choice.”

  He follows me to my cabin where he checks on the kittens and strokes Snow’s fur. She purrs and rubs her head against him. He then kisses me and leaves, telling me he’ll see me later.

  After I clean up and make lunch, I share it with the mother cat. She seems to want my attention even after I feed her, and I follow her to the box with the kittens, who are noisily meowing. As we get closer, I realize I can understand some of their excitement.

  Snow and I both look inside, and I chuckle to myself. “Well, I’ll be darned. Look at that, Momma.”

  Both Mozart and St. Hildy have their eyes open. Chopin has managed to get one, and the three kittens are excitedly going on and on to the others about what they see.

  Later that afternoon, I walk to the gazebo where a wagon has suddenly sprung out of air, thanks to Hopper and Hale’s carpentry skills. I compliment them on it, and sneak a kiss from Hopper as he strings fairy lights on it.

  Inside, Spring is making all kinds of treats for the party, while Autumn runs the shop.

  Around three, Dad shows up, and he and I sit on the back porch, watching Hopper, Hale, and Storm transform the backyard into a midnight summer’s dream. Twinkle lights are everywhere, along with lanterns on the trees, swaths of fabric and lots of flowers and garlands.

  Autumn closes at five and Spring hustles me to my cabin to get ready. I pull out a long, tiered skirt, sparkling tank top, and a purple blouse with bell sleeves. Spring braids my hair and fixes a crystal headband around it. I add big hoop earrings and numerous rings.

  We do each other’s makeup as we listen to my favorite playlist of lighthearted music, and add a couple henna tattoos to our arms. We layer on scarves and laugh as we dance before we leave.

  Friends bring gifts and their significant others. A couple clients stop by to wish me well and enjoy the pastries. Winter emerges from her cabin, dressed as a fortune teller, and we set up a table for her. Within minutes, she has a long line of customers.

  Hale stokes a small bonfire and we pipe music outside from the shop. I show the group how to do a Celtic summer dance around the fire. Hopper is by my side through it, completely uncoordinated and trying not to fall over his own feet. A couple times, he nearly takes me down with him. I find his willingness to try extremely sexy.

  By the time we’re done, we’re all laughing so hard we collapse. I lay there, looking at the stars and feeling lucky.

  Autumn insists we do pictures using the wagon as a back drop. Clouds are moving in and a light rain puts a damper on our outdoor festivities. We move everything but the wagon inside.

  Winter’s friend, Avalon Fantome, from Atlanta, joins us. She’s visiting relatives in town. She sees ghosts like Winter, but she’s “in the closet,” and doesn’t want the general public to know. As an event planner, she might find her biz belly up if word gets out. Plus, her mom is mayor. Winter has so few friends that I’m happy Ava came, although it gives my sister a reason to shut down the popular fortune telling table.

  My eldest sister may not have many good buddies, but she always says, “One best friend is all you need. I have four.” I love thinking I’m one of them, but I know she sometimes feels more alone than she lets on, especially without Mom.

  Autumn, on the other hand, has tons, and even a few guys who use the party as a reason to stop by and see her. She laughs a lot and sends them all on their way after a bit. Her heart belongs to one guy—her childhood sweetheart—the one man she believes she can’t have, since he left Raven Falls several years ago after his brother died. It broke her heart.

  Hopper bemoans the fact he didn’t get his fortune told, but rounds up the rest of us for a game of charades with movie titles. Storm gets The Wizard of Oz to act out, Hale does Up! Spring gets Jaws. When it’s his turn, Hopper reads the movie title on the paper and says, “Oh, this’ll be too easy.”

  At that, he lays down, eyes staring vacantly up at the ceiling.

  By the goddess. It’s my vision of him on the floor at his shop all over again.

  Only, he’s not lying on his, but mine.

  Relief bubbles up inside me so fast, it feels like I’ve downed a bottle of champagne and its fizzing right up my throat.

  Winter shouts, “Dead man.”

  Autumn glances at me, sees the expression on my face and smiles.

  Hopper jumps to his feet, snapping his fingers to let Winter know she’s correct. Then he starts an exaggerated walk across the floor.

  “Dead Man Walking,” Dad says.

  Hopper points to him and then to his nose. “Told you it was too easy.”

  I’m so in love with him I can’t hold back the absolute relief that rushes over me. I hurry from the main room, fly through the kitchen, and out the back door to the porch.

  Rain falls softly. Godfrey and Snow are sitting on the top step and both turn to look at me as I grab hold of the railing and laugh hysterically.

  All that worry, all that fear. I wasn’t seeing Hopper dead from a run-in with black magick. I was seeing the future and a silly party game.

  Behind me, the screen door squeaks as Hopper joins me. “Hey, are you okay?”

  “Perfect,” I say. “Everything is perfect.”

  “I’ll have your ring done by Monday.” He draws me to him and kisses my cheek. “How about we go to dinner before I give it to you?”

  I press my palms against his cheeks ready to answer, and the Touch kicks in, right through my lace gloves.

  It’s my original vision—Hopper, two kids, all of them smiling and laughing. He’s pushing one on a swing and looking back at a woman, saying something.

  But this time, my vision pans out like a movie camera. I’m the woman. I see myself, wearing a ring—a beautiful ruby set in silver, a tiny dragon holding the stone in place.

  My phoenix pendant heats on my collarbone. I see beautiful architecture in the distance. Two women walking by are chatting…

  In French.

  I’m in Paris. With Hopper. And two beautiful children.

  The little girl runs up to me. “Mommy, Mommy, will you push me, too?”

  I lift her into my arms, burying my nose in her neck. “Bien sur.”

  She fingers my necklace. “It’s glowing, Mommy.”

  “Just like my heart,” I tell her.

  In the next moment, Hopper is beside me, the boy in his arms. The kids look almost identical. Twins.

  “Starting to rain,” Hopper says. “Let’s come back tomorrow.”

  He leans forward and kisses me softly.

  The touch of his lips in that future timeframe snaps me back to the present.

  I’m looking into his beautiful gray eyes, his brows drawn down. He’s holding me close. “Another vision?”

  I smile past my happy tears. “Yes,” I say. I’m going to marry this man and have his children. We’re going to Paris someday. “And this one is the best of all.”

  *
* *

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  Simple Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

  Ingredients

  * * *

  ½ cup butter, softened

  ¾ cup sugar

  1 egg, room temperature

  1 tsp. vanilla

  2 cups flour

  2 tsp. baking powder

  1 tsp. salt

  2 cups fresh blueberries

  ½ cup buttermilk

  1 Tbsp. sugar, for sprinkling on top

  * * *

  Instructions

  Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

  Toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour.

  In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

  Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

  Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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  Lavender Lemonade Recipe

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  Ingredients

  1 cup honey

  2 cups boiling water

  1 Tbsp. dried, organic culinary lavender (or 1/4 cup fresh lavender blossoms, crushed)