by T J Green
“But the smell,” Briar said, covering her face with her hands. “It was awful. I still feel sick.”
“Imagine being burnt alive—that would be far worse,” El reasoned. “Are you all right, Avery? Things seemed really weird under All Souls when she possessed you.”
Avery fell silent for a moment, trying to work through what had happened. “As much as I hate to say it, I don’t think she wanted me back in my body. I accidentally spirit walked when the spell broke, so she didn’t do that, but she sure didn’t want to let me back in, either.”
Alex was sitting next to her, and he snaked his arm around her and pulled her close. Avery shivered with pleasure, snuggling into him. He sighed. “I had a horrible feeling that would happen.”
“I know you did, but we needed her,” Avery said. “And at least we broke the spell, rescued Sally, and got the grimoire.”
“But will she come back?” Briar asked. “What if she tries to get back inside you?”
“I let her in last time, remember? I don’t think it can happen again.”
“I think another tattoo might be in order,” Reuben said with a wink.
Avery rolled her eyes. She looked up to the front of the van, where Sally was sitting in the passenger seat next to Newton, silent for now. She called over, “How are you, Sally?”
For a few seconds Sally didn’t move, and then she turned around to look at them all, finally resting her gaze on Avery. “I’m not entirely sure, Avery. In fact, I’m not sure of anything at the moment.”
Newton called back over his shoulder. “I’ve been trying to explain a few things to Sally, but—”
She finished the sentence for him. “There’s magic, and there’s magic, and I just need some time for it to soak in. And don’t you dare think about spelling it out of my head!” She said forcefully.
Avery raised her hands in surrender. “Witches honour—if you’ll keep this a secret!”
“Of course I will,” Sally snorted as she turned back to look out of the windscreen. “I don’t want to be carried off to the local loony bin.”
“And how are you, Newton?” Briar asked.
“I’m fine,” he said, still concentrating on the road. “Just hoping I can keep us all out of trouble with the police.”
“There’s no way the Favershams will report it, so I think we’ll be fine,” El said.
“And what about the magical explosion?” Briar asked. “I think we need to talk about that. We’ve released something that might have huge consequences.”
“Ah, yes,” Reuben said. “The creatures we will attract to White Haven.”
“You know what?” Avery said, “I just want to appreciate having got through tonight. Let’s discuss everything else tomorrow night. Meet at mine?”
There were nods of agreement, and then Sally said, “And make me a new hex bag, will you, Avery? Just way stronger than the last one.”
***
Before Avery went to sleep that night, she sealed her flat tightly with spells of protection—just in case the Favershams decided to retaliate—and then spent some time looking at both of her grimoires.
As she turned the pages, new understanding flooded through her. Spells that she had struggled to really understand and use now made more sense. And with a shock, she found in her new, or rather, old grimoire that she would forever call Helena’s, the spell that allowed transformation and flight—the mysterious way that Caspian Faversham could appear out of the air. A shiver of excitement and fear ran through her. She would practice that, and then teach the others. She allowed herself a smile at their victory.
Unable to suppress her increasing yawns, she headed to bed, thinking of Alex. Whatever was now happening between them seemed to be more than just physical. He had looked genuinely worried about her earlier, and sitting in the back of the van with his arm wrapped around her had provoked a feeling of peace and security she hadn’t felt in a long time.
But the last thought that flitted through her mind as she drifted to sleep was Sebastian’s warning about the creatures they might attract, and she wondered if that also included the Council—whoever they were.
***
When Avery woke up the next day, she looked out the window, expecting White Haven to look different. But it didn’t. The same people wandered down the winding streets, the sun still rose as normal, and her flat looked the same as it always had.
But, she realised, she felt distinctly different. The power they had released yesterday still coursed through her veins, and she felt a subtle awareness of her surroundings and an awareness of her own abilities more than ever. She thought of the other witches, and wondered if they felt the same.
Despite the late night and her lack of sleep, Avery felt full of energy and she headed down to the shop early, planning to ease her way into the day, but Sally was already there and looking surprisingly well, considering her ordeal. She sat at the small wooden table in the back of the shop with her coffee in front of her, and she looked up as Avery entered.
“Morning, Avery,” she smiled. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail, her eyes were bright with curiosity, and Avery realised she was looking at her with new knowledge and awareness that had never existed before.
“Morning, Sally! How are you?” Avery rushed over and pulled her into a hug, making Sally rise awkwardly out of her chair.
“I’m fine.” Sally said, a gentle reprimand in her voice. “How are you?”
“Good. Very good! But look, I’m so sorry about yesterday, you don’t need to be here today. Have the day off—in fact, have the week off,” she said in a rush, feeling guilt sweep over her.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Sam will wonder what’s going on. I don’t normally take a week off after a stock take.”
Avery grinned sheepishly. “Did he believe it?”
“Completely. I’m not entirely sure I’m comfortable keeping this a secret from him, though.”
Avery poured a coffee and sat down opposite Sally. “Do what you need to. I trust your judgement, and I trust Sam.”
Sally smiled. “Thanks, Avery. It would make me feel better. Besides, who will I gossip to? Real witches in White Haven!”
“But you knew I was a witch!” Avery said, thinking of their conversation the other day.
“Maybe I didn’t understand it as well as I do now. And I think it would be a good idea to let Dan in on it, too. Your magical explosion last night may be the start of more weird things happening around here.”
Avery grinned, pleased to be letting more people into what had been her hidden world. “I agree. Thanks, Sally. I really appreciate that you’re not freaking out about this.”
“I’m your friend, Avery. And besides, what’s life without a little magic?” Sally watched Avery for a second or two, sipping her coffee. “Do you want to tell me what happened last night? All of it?”
“Sure,” Avery said with a grin, and she recounted everything in as succinct a way as she could. “Did you feel it? The explosion, I mean?”
Sally shook her head. “I’m afraid not. It must have bypassed us ordinary people. Unless it was because I was locked in a basement.”
Avery’s shoulders sagged. “Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?”
“I am. I was unconscious for most of it.”
Avery nodded, and hoped this meant Faversham had some morals. And then she felt a rush of guilt about Sebastian.
“Come on,” Sally said, watching her. “Let’s open the shop and keep ourselves busy.”
The morning passed in the usual way, and as soon as Avery had the chance, she let Dan know what had happened.
They were taking advantage of a quiet moment in the shop, and were both perched behind the counter on stools, nibbling on a pastry. Well, Avery was nibbling on a pastry. Dan had demolished his in two bites.
He looked at her, much as Sally had done, with new knowledge and speculation on his face. “So, does this mean weird old White Haven is going to get weirder?”
“It mi
ght,” Avery said, shrugging. “Did you feel anything strange last night? It would have been late evening?”
Dan looked thoughtful. “I was in the pub debating life, as normal—”
“You mean football,” Avery said, interrupting him.
He adopted a lofty expression and continued, “Debating life, sipping on beer, and yes, I might have felt something. Like a ripple of…” He hesitated, puzzled. “I can’t quite describe it. It was like a shift of some sort. And then it went.”
“A shift?”
He nodded. “Yes, like reality wobbled for a second. But then it went.”
Avery looked at him sceptically. “Are you sure you weren’t drunk?”
“I may have had a pint or two, but I was not drunk,” he said, mock offended.
“Do you think anyone else noticed it?”
“Maybe. For a second some people seemed to look around, and then it just passed.”
Avery nodded, thinking about when she had been spirit walking above All Souls and had seen people below on the street. So, some people had felt something.
“Thanks, Dan. I hope you still want to work here.”
He looked shocked, and then grinned. “Of course I do! This is great!”
24
Reassured after nothing unusual—or more unusual than normal—had happened in the shop or White Haven, Avery locked up at the normal time and went to her flat to prepare for the other witches.
She spent a good hour cleaning and tidying things away, and then organised some food. By the time Alex arrived, the smell of garlic was wafting around her kitchen and living room, and floating out of the open balcony doors, mixing with the smell of incense.
Candles were scattered around the room, and the place looked warm and inviting.
“Hey,” Alex said, joining her in the kitchen and plonking a pack of beer down on the counter. His long hair was loose and slightly wild, and his usual day-old stubble was actually looking more like a week’s worth.
Avery felt her heart flutter wildly just looking at him. “Hey, you. You’re early.”
“I know; I wanted to catch you alone before the others arrived.”
“Cool,” she said smiling. “Any time.”
He just watched her for a few seconds, his eyes dark and thoughtful. “You know, you scared the crap out of me last night.”
She turned to him, leaning against the counter. “I scared the crap out of myself, too.”
“I mean it, Avery. If anything had happened to you, if Helena had killed you or possessed your body, I’m not sure what I’d have done. You mean a lot to me. I just need you to know that.” He pulled her towards him, encircling her with his arms, and she looked up at him, willing her heart to behave.
“You mean a lot to me, too.”
“The meal the other night, we should do that more.”
“I agree. I loved it.”
His gaze wandered from her eyes to her lips and back again. “You’ve always been beautiful. You’re one of the reasons I came back to White Haven.”
For a second, Avery completely forgot they were standing in her kitchen.
“What? No, I’m not.”
“Will you stop telling me what I think? I came back for you. All that time I travelled, something was missing, and then I realised what it was. Look at you. You’re unfairly sexy.”
She unconsciously patted her head and smoothed her hair. “No, I’m not.” She struggled to think of something coherent to say, and failed. “What do you mean, you came back for me?”
He smiled and caught her hand in his. “Stop messing with your hair. I missed you. You know me. And these last few weeks have just proven that to me.”
“But when we were young, you were so … aloof, half the time.”
“So were you. We were teenagers.”
Avery had to admit that he was sort of right. “But you’ve been back for months, and have barely given me a second glance.”
“I’ve given you plenty of second glances, you just didn’t see them. Or want to see them. You put up very effective barriers.”
She gasped. “Liar!”
“You do. To everyone. You just don’t want to admit it.” He became suddenly serious. “I mean it. I like this. Us. I want it to work. Do you?”
“Yes, I do,” she said, breaking into a broad grin.
“Good,” he declared, kissing her and leaving her breathless and with desire stirring deep in her belly. And then the bang of the outside door broke them apart, and the others arrived with a clatter of chatter, wine, and beer.
They sat around the table, talking for hours about the events of the previous night.
Avery asked Newton, “Have you heard anything about Sebastian or the Favershams?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. There are no police reports that mention them, which is fortunate.”
“Is the house still standing?” Reuben asked. He looked better than he had in days, and Avery presumed he’d finally had a good night’s sleep.
“Yes, so they must have been able to limit the damage from Helena’s attack.”
“Good,” Avery said, relieved. “I understand her vindictiveness, I even share it, but I can’t condone murder.”
“So what now?” El asked, finishing her last mouthful of pasta.
“We learn to master our new powers and spells,” Alex said, grinning. “I still feel that magic we released flooding through me, although it has subsided a little.”
Briar nodded. “Me, too. I sense a difference in the town, too. You see auras, Alex. Can you see the magic we released?”
“Sort of. It’s like there’s an extra energy to the place. I see it swirling in certain spots—I wandered up to All Souls earlier, it’s certainly there—and there’s definitely a cloud of energy over White Haven.”
“So, what are the creatures Sebastian referred to?” Newton asked, worried. “Are they dangerous?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” El said. “I presume he meant more witches, and maybe spirits, too.”
“I doubt Sebastian would have called witches ‘creatures.’ What about more demons?” Newton asked, rubbing his hands through his hair. “I have to think of the town and the surrounding area.”
“Maybe,” Briar said, glancing at the rest of them. “Maybe other things, like vampires or shape-shifters?”
“Vampires?” Avery asked, almost spitting out her wine. “Are you kidding?”
“Just because we’ve never seen one, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. After all, we’d never seen demons before. We sure know they exist now.”
The table fell silent for a second, and then Avery sighed. “I might start researching, just in case.”
“Well, if we’ve caused this problem,” Newton began, and Avery smiled at the ‘we,’ “then it’s our responsibility to manage it, and I expect every single one of you to do that.” He looked around the table, meeting their gaze, one by one.
“Of course,” Avery said, feeling the enormity of what might happen start to sink in.
“And Caspian, will he seek revenge?” Reuben asked.
“I doubt it,” Alex said, sipping his beer thoughtfully. “Not yet, anyway, if at all. We defeated them last night. I think we’re status quo now.”
“I’d watch out for Helena, though,” Briar said to Avery. “I think she’ll stick around a while.”
A knock interrupted their conversation, and Avery frowned. “I wonder who that is?” She pushed her chair back and headed to her front door, noting that Alex followed her to the top of the stairs.
Half the door was made of opaque glass, and she saw a tall figure on the other side. She opened the door warily, and found a tall woman standing outside. She was dressed in an elegant black dress, and her long, black hair was wound on top of her head in an elaborate chignon. She had been facing away, staring down the alley behind Avery’s house, but as the door opened, she turned to face Avery, fixing her with a piercing glare of ice blue eyes. She was very striking, with high
, angular cheekbones and dark red lips, full and expressive.
She was a witch.
“Good evening,” the woman said, her voice low and compelling. Avery detected an Irish lilt to her accent. “My name is Genevieve Byrne. I am a member of the Witches Council, may I come in?”
For a second, Avery was speechless. Her grandmother had mentioned a Council; she thought it was just incoherent rambling, but apparently not.
Genevieve watched her, amusement mixed with annoyance on her face, and Avery finally found her tongue. “Of course, please come in.”
She stepped back as Genevieve entered, bringing in a cloud of perfume.
Avery glanced up at Alex, who was watching with a frown on his face. “Follow me, Genevieve.”
By the time they arrived in Avery’s living room, everyone was standing, and Genevieve’s gaze encompassed the room, as well as them.
Avery gave them all a meaningful glance. “Everyone, please meet Genevieve Byrne of the Witches Council.”
“Good evening,” Genevieve said in her low, lilting voice to the murmured greetings of the others. “I’m sorry to have interrupted you, but this is urgent.”
“Not at all,” Avery said, trying to subdue her worry and ignore the shocked faces of the others. “Please, take a seat.”
She gestured to her sofa, and they all sat, on the floor or the sofa, watching their visitor.
Genevieve frowned. “I understood there were five witches, not six.”
“I’m not a witch,” Newton said, watching her as if she might bite. “I’m Detective Inspector Newton.”
“Then you have no place here,” Genevieve said haughtily.
“Yes, he does,” Briar said immediately. “Anything you say to us, you can say to him.”
“Really?” Genevieve said, fixing Briar with her inscrutable gaze. “I decide that, not you.”
Avery was annoyed, and felt the wind begin to stir around her. “It’s my house, and I say he stays. Go ahead, Genevieve.”
“I will be brief,” she said, looking at them dismissively. “Your actions yesterday were rash and ill-advised. You have angered the Council with your choices.”
