Southern Potions

by Amy Boyles

  I quirked a brow. “You think Saltz did?”

  “Possibly. He would’ve wanted a potion like that for himself. Once he was in possession of it, he would’ve studied it, dissected it until he figured out the recipe. Give it a few years and everyone would forget that Shelly Seay had ever invented such a thing. He could pawn it off as his own. That’s what I’d do.”

  I glared at him.

  He chuckled. “It’s what I would do if I was a criminal mastermind.”

  “Oh, right. There’s definitely a distinction there.”

  “There is.” He hoisted an arm over my shoulders and pulled me to him. “Glad you realize my brilliance is nothing short of criminal.”

  I laughed. “I’m just elated you’re not really on the other side of the law.”

  “Same here.”

  We swung back by Familiar Place and picked up Betty before Axel dropped me off at the house. By the time I hit the front door I was dog-tired.

  I kicked off my shoes and melted onto the couch.

  “Rough day?” Cordelia stood by the kitchen door. She held a half-gallon of Witch Ice Cream, her elbow deep in the carton.

  “Wow. Have you eaten all that?”

  She shrugged. “It’s as good a dinner as any.”

  I peeled off my socks and tucked my feet under me. “Since we don’t have Betty to cook for us, it’s slim pickings around here. I’ll probably eat a bowl of marshmallows.”

  Cordelia snorted. “That almost sounds better than this.”

  I shrugged. “I doubt it.” She sank onto a chair across from me and stared down at her dinner. “I really miss Betty. I never thought I’d say it. Heck, I never thought I’d admit it, but I really do.”

  “She’ll be all right.”

  I hoped.

  Cordelia reached over the coffee table and squeezed my knee. “You’ve done so much to help her. So much. We all owe you our thanks. If Amelia wasn’t so wrapped up in this nonsense about being a genie, she’d be thanking you as well.”

  I dropped my head onto the back of the couch. “Don’t thank me. I’ve tried and tried, but nothing has worked. It’s all been a royal pain in the tush if you want the truth. The animals knew the potion. They knew every single ingredient except it still didn’t work.”

  I raked my fingers down my face. “I give up. I’ve tried everything, Cordelia. I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Of all the people I know, you’re the last one to give up.”

  I picked through a stack of magazines on the other end of the couch in an attempt to ignore her.

  “You’re not talking to me.”

  “Because this isn’t about me. It’s about Betty. She was trying to save us by taking part in the potion contest.”

  Cordelia’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  I nodded. “Yep. The only way Betty would be Shelly’s guinea pig was to make Shelly promise not to sell the potion to anyone. Betty was trying to save witches everywhere by her deeds. She doesn’t deserve to be stuck like that.”

  I pointed to the toad sitting in a bowl of water in her box.

  Cordelia dropped the spoon in the carton and set it aside. “You’re right, she doesn’t. I haven’t been the best this week. I’ve been worried more about showing my dad how angry I am than trying to embrace him.”

  I tipped my head and smiled. “It’s not your dad’s fault he wasn’t in your life.”

  “Oh yeah, now I know it was my mom’s, so I’m ticked at her.”

  I laughed. “She had a very good reason. Listen, Cordelia, it wasn’t her fault that your dad’s power went wonky around her. She was trying to keep you safe. Both your aunts were. What if they’d wished for something and it had backfired and hurt you? Wouldn’t that have been worse?”

  She hung her head. “Yes. It would have been. I’m mature enough to admit that, but it still hurts. You know? It was one thing I always wanted in my life—a father. Growing up with a chaos witch for a mother wasn’t easy.”

  “I have no doubt. But at least you have a mother and a father.”

  It was more than I had. I’d never known my mother, and my father had passed away without telling me about my witch lineage.

  Her cheeks crimsoned. “I know. I’m sorry for being so ridiculous. That’s what I mean about how you’re helping Betty. You only just met this family, and you’d dive into a pit of fire to help any one of us.” She rubbed her forehead. “I’ve been such a jerk. I’m sorry.”

  I shook my head. “You’ve had your own issues to work out. I don’t think Betty would blame you for your crisis. I mean, your dad appears, tells you you’re part genie but don’t use your powers because they might destroy a planet—it’s a lot for anyone to take in.”

  Cordelia laughed. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ve been ignoring a lot of things because of it.”

  “Like what?”

  “Garrick for one. He’s been so busy with this case that it’s been easy to do. He’s reached out to me, but I haven’t made myself emotionally available.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Once this case is over, I’m sure Garrick would love to spend some time with the smart-mouthed Cordelia we all know and love.” I unhooked my feet from under me and stretched my legs. “Want to watch some TV?”

  “Sure.”

  I flipped on the tube, and we settled into quiet for a few minutes. It was Cordelia who broke it. “So what’d you find out tonight? Anything that will help Betty?”

  “Oh, right.” I’d almost forgotten, my brain was so fried. “Bo told us that he taught Gale East how to make poppets but Shelly knew all about it. And that we need to be looking into Saltz Swift if we want to know who really killed Shelly and who might have the potion.”

  “That’s easy enough. You go to the school, break in and rummage around his office.”

  I laughed. “Right. So easy. But even if he did it, I doubt Saltz would keep the potion at the school. Seems he’d keep it at his house.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. The school has lots of places to hide things, and his potion lab is there.”

  I nodded. “Oh, you’re right. So it would be perfect.”

  “And,” she added, “I happen to know on good authority that the school is hosting a fundraising dinner tomorrow night.”

  I sat up. “How do you know that?”

  Cordelia blew on her fingers as if that proved her superior smarts. “Magic,” she said mysteriously. “Kidding. Because they’re all checking into the inn.”

  “Oh my gosh. So the school will be chock-full of folks tomorrow night?”

  She smiled. “Yep. There will be so many bodies ambling around that no one will notice if a few outside witches manage to sneak in and do a little sleuthing.”

  A slow smile crept across my face. “Wow, Cordelia. That sounds like the best sweet-tea-witch plan ever.”

  Cordelia poked the air and made a square. The lines appeared with the help of her magic. “I agree. Now. Let’s work out the logistics.”

  TWENTY-ONE

  “There’s going to be a huge party tonight at the school. It’s the perfect way for us to get in and see if Saltz is hiding the potion anywhere.”

  Axel stared at me over his cup of coffee. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  My stomach knotted. What was I forgetting? “Oh, you’re invited. It will be me, Cordelia and probably Amelia, but yes, I want you there as well. Obviously.”

  Amusement sparked in his blue eyes. I couldn’t help but trace my gaze over his smooth yet sharp features—the thick razor brows, his chiseled jaw. The grace his face possessed made my heart flip-flop.

  Seriously, how was he so beautiful?

  “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  His words snapped me from my inward drool-fest. “What do you mean?”

  “I was about to call Garrick and tell him what Bo said. He’ll be investigating Saltz.”

  I scoffed. “By the time Garrick walks in, Saltz will have time to make the
potion vanish or something. He’s a powerful wizard, Axel, and Garrick is too nice to cast some sort of freeze spell on Saltz to stop him from doing anything. Plus, that’s probably illegal.”

  His jaw tensed.

  “You know I make sense.” I leaned forward. “I’m not trying to usurp justice or anything.”

  He quirked a brow. “Then what are you trying to do?”

  “Save Betty.”

  Our gazes locked until he sighed in what I hoped was defeat. The good kind of defeat, not the bad kind.

  “You’re forgetting something else.”

  I slapped a thigh. “What else could I possibly be forgetting? Saltz Swift might have the potion. Check. A whole throng of folks will be covering up the school tonight. Check. Sneak in and root through his lab. Check.”

  I winked at him. “Seriously, I think I’ve checked just about everything off the list.”

  “Except me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Tonight’s the full moon.”

  “Oh. I did forget.” I traced a finger over my lips as I worked out the options. “Okay, well, I can come see the new building you’ve erected. That’ll be good.”

  “Yes.”

  “And I can give you the potion I made especially for you.” I smiled hopefully.

  Axel sighed. “I suppose you can do that.”

  “Promise?” He nodded. I clapped with glee. “Yes! Finally we can see if the potion works.”

  I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Had to keep myself in check. After all, nothing I had done so far had actually worked long term with Axel. I doubted this would, either.

  But it was abso-freaking-lutely worth a heck of a shot.

  “But back to reality,” I said, sobering up. “I will go to the school tonight. You know that, right?”

  Axel dragged his gaze from mine and sighed. “But you won’t be alone?”

  “No. Cordelia and Amelia will be with me. It’s not like we’ll be harming anyone. I’m only trying to see if Saltz has the potion. Like I said, by the time Garrick gets in there and questions him, all Saltz has to do is magically whisk the vial away. He doesn’t think anyone’s on to him right now. Don’t you think we should keep it that way?”

  “Pepper,” he warned.

  “Axel,” I warned in return. We locked gazes and laughed. “You know I’m right. Can you trust me on this?”

  He raked his fingers through his hair. “Do I have a choice?”

  “Actually, no. You have no choice because I’m going in whether or not you approve. It would be nice if you did, but a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do.”

  “And you’re that gal.”

  I winked. “You know it.” I sidled up to Axel and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Besides, what’s the worst that could go wrong?”

  He settled his hands on my waist and pushed me gently back. “Wrong question to ask.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What time are you heading to the house so you can be bricked in for the night?”

  “Very funny. Around four.”

  I kissed his nose. “See you then.”

  It was cold that afternoon in the Cobweb Forest. Axel and I had ridden our cast-iron skillets there. He landed on a smooth turf of grass. I landed on a bed of dried leaves. Their crunch was as loud as shotgun blasts beneath my feet.

  “Don’t try to sneak up on anybody,” I murmured.

  “There’s no one to sneak up on here.” Axel climbed off his skillet and took my hand. “Come on.”

  I followed him to a hedgerow. It was the same square frame of vegetation that he’d always been chained behind. When we came around, I half expected to see his old chain linked to a concrete slab.

  But that scene had vanished. The entire place was empty.

  “Are you kidding?”

  Axel waved a hand, and a brick structure bloomed into view.

  “That is so cool. I bet you’re going to tell me that magic had something to do with that.”

  He shook his head. “Just a touch.”

  “Why have you made it invisible?”

  “It just makes my life easier. Keeps vandals away.”

  My heart sank. “You will be accepted in town.”

  “One day, maybe. But there are still those who don’t trust me. I don’t trust me either; that’s why I’ve built this.”

  It was formidable. Brick and steel and windowless, no less, the structure was painted black and looked more like a charred and shriveled heart than something that would house the person I cared for one night a month.

  I pressed a hand to Axel’s bicep. “This will all work out.”

  He stiffened as he stared at the structure. “Maybe.” Then he smiled down at me weakly. “You ready to chain me up? Lock me in?”

  I pulled a vial from my purse. “And drug you so that you can connect with me?”

  He sighed, clearly resigned to my Southern girlie powers of persuasion. “All right. But let’s go inside first.”

  I grinned, my heart swelling in my chest. “Okay.” A chilly wind sliced through the air. “It’s cold out here. Do you have a heater in there?”

  He barked a laugh. “No.”

  “Rats.” I glanced around the woods. “Didn’t you say earlier that the forest can take me to the school?”

  He nodded. “If you ask it, it can.”

  “And then do I walk or fly?”

  “Walk.” Axel flattened his hand to the side of the brick. It shimmered before fading away.

  “Cool trick.”

  The inside of the building was a freezer. Colder than it was outside. I hated to dose Axel and run, but that’s pretty much what I was about to do.

  “Too cold for you?” He said.

  I shivered. “Just a touch.”

  He clapped his hands, and a fire roared in one corner. “Oh, thank you.” I rubbed my hands in front of it and sighed. “This is miraculous.”

  Axel pulled off his shirt. “Do you like my digs?”

  My gaze bounced around the room. Even though the outside was black, the inside was painted a much more muted color that reminded me of light lemon. He’d lined one wall with floating shelves and had a framed picture of me sitting in the center.

  My lips bowed into a sort of happy pout. “You put a picture of me in here.”

  He wrapped his arms around me. Heat wafted off the silky-smooth skin of his chest. “Of course I have a picture of you in here.” Axel nuzzled my neck. “I love you.”

  I patted his chest. “I love you.” We stared at each other. I traced the top of his pec. “So how is this place more secure?”

  Axel dropped his arms. “Once I’m in the werewolf state, no one can get in and I can’t get out.”

  I quirked a brow. “No one?”

  He sighed. “Okay, there is one way, but it’s basically impossible.”

  “What would that be?”

  “I’d have to let you in.”

  “As a werewolf? That is impossible.”

  He smirked. “You understand what I’m saying. I don’t have any control as the wolf, so I can’t let anyone in.”

  “And you can’t get out.”

  “The walls are reinforced magically.” His head snapped toward a wall. “We’re losing light out there. We need to hurry.”

  “Let’s do it.” I pulled two potions from my purse and handed him one. “Since I don’t know the exact dose, I figure if we just each drink one, it should be enough.”

  “But it won’t kill me.”

  I elbowed his perfect abdomen. “No.” Pause. “I don’t think.”

  “Very funny.” We tapped potions. “Cheers!”

  “Cheers.”

  The potion tasted of honey as it trickled down my throat. You would think I would’ve tasted my own potion before now, but I honestly hadn’t thought about it. I’d been more concerned with other things.

  But darn, did it taste good. It didn’t even need jellybeans to sweeten it. I considered that a win.

  When we f
inished, I smiled up at Axel expectantly. His face twisted into a scowl. He doubled over.

  Oh my God. I’d killed him!

  I reached for Axel. “Are you okay?”

  His head snapped up. Coarse dark hair sprouted from his cheeks. “Get out! You have to get out. Now!”

  “Wait. I don’t understand.”

  Axel grabbed my shoulders in a vise of death and thrust me toward the missing wall. “Go. Now!”

  I twisted back as I was thrown from the building. Axel’s spine bowed and protruded grotesquely. Rage and passion filled his face. His bones and muscles cracked and popped.

  In that instant I knew what I’d done. I hadn’t made the connection with Axel better. I hadn’t helped him. I’d made it worse.

  I’d brought on the wolf fast and furious. I curled my fingers in my hair trying to figure out what I’d done wrong.

  “Axel!”

  “Go,” he roared.

  “The door. The wall! You have to brick it up.”

  The face of the man I knew flashed before me for the briefest of seconds. My heart constricted as if a huge hand were squeezing all the life from it.

  The absolute pain that flushed his features made me sick. Axel lifted one warped and distended hand. The brick reappeared, and I could no longer see what was happening inside.

  I pressed my palm to the cold black brick. “Axel?”

  A roar was my only response. Maybe, just maybe I could still reach him. I closed my eyes and dropped my forehead to the frigid surface. He wasn’t completely the beast yet. Part of him still lived inside. I knew it did.

  I entered a world of black—black walls, black floors. It was dark and didn’t exist in any real time or space.

  Axel?

  He was only a few feet from me. I’d reached him before. I could do it again.

  Axel! Can you hear me?

  A shriveled voice sprouted from the darkness. I couldn’t quite make it out. It just sounded low and lost, aimless.

  Axel?

  A roar split the dark. It pierced the air and sliced my eardrums.

  “Ah!” I sprang from the wall.

  He was gone. Absolutely gone. The beast had completely taken over, and it had been all my fault. What had I done wrong? Where had I messed up? Mattie and I had worked for an entire week on that potion. It should’ve been right. It shouldn’t have caused him to become the wolf prematurely. It shouldn’t have allowed the beast to consume him like this. It should have given us time together, time to tether our connection.