A Charming Spell (Magical Cures Mystery Series)

by Kappes, Tonya

  “The bookstore is a hit.” I was glad to see that business wasn’t affected by the recent turn of events. I stepped back and couldn’t help but wonder if Ophelia had anything to do with Alexelrod. I took the stand on innocent until proven guilty, but all the evidence did point to her.

  “I’m very pleased.” She averted her attention to me. “I can’t wait until tonight.” She winked before she turned to go back to work.

  There was still my little issue with Izzy. Why had she had hired a new sheriff without telling me? It was not that I doubted her; after all, she’d been the Village President for years and knew what she was doing. But it was odd that she hadn’t consulted me.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The glass windows of Mystic Lights did confirm what Ophelia had told me. I needed to get cleaned up. The reflection of my hair sticking up all over the place and my frumpy clothes didn’t look like the image of a good leader. I wasn’t feeling anywhere near to leading anyone except Annie. I would gladly lead her out of Oscar’s heart.

  I tapped on Mystic Lights door after reading the closed sign and jiggled the locked handle. Izzy would never be closed this long unless she was very sick or something was very wrong.

  A Charming Cure was fine with Faith running it and it was a much needed break for me to go see Aunt Helena at Hidden Hall A Spiritualist University and visit Wands, Potions, and Beyond. My cauldron had to be replaced and fast. If Ophelia was going to work her witchy way to help me get rid of Annie, Oscar was sure to come running back into my arms and I was going to have the potion all ready for him.

  “There you are.” Mr. Prince Charming darted in front of me as we made our way up the hill toward the path that leads to Hidden Hall. We came to the wheat field where there was a sign in the middle of nowhere that no one but a spiritualist could see.

  I tapped the sign and several wooden arms that pointed in several different directions popped out. I looked for the one that had Hidden Hall A Spiritualist University written on it and touched it. As always, like magic, the wheat field parted and a stone walkway made a nice path for Mr. Prince Charming and me to follow.

  I smiled at the small yellow cottage that had window boxes under each window that overflowing with Geraniums, Morning Glories, Petunias, Moon Flowers, and Trailing Ivy, leaving a rainbow of colorful explosion. The awning flapping in the light breeze read “Intuition School” in lime green calligraphy and made me smile as I thought back to my first day of intuition school.

  We passed the cottage and made our way into the college town. All of the fun hangouts were overflowing with college students.

  “Hello, June Heal.” The male voice spoke softly in my ear.

  Gus Chatham didn’t have to be present for me to know it was him. Gus was a medium who also had the cool powers of Teletransporting. He liked to freak people out with his on the fly comments in people’s ears without them seeing him.

  “Good afternoon, Gus.” I patted my hair down. It was probably a good idea that I had cleaned myself up before I came to Hidden Hall, and from all the crazy stares, I still didn’t look normal.

  Gus appeared, walking next to me. He looked as great as ever with his shaggy surfer-dude, ash-blond hair. Tall and lanky, his cargo pants still hung past the waist of his underwear.

  “What do we owe the pleasure?” Gus asked. He was Aunt Helena’s right hand guy. People referred to him as the eyes and ears of the dean. I’d call him a tattletale. “Helena didn’t say to expect you.”

  “I didn’t tell her I was coming.” I pointed toward Wands, Potions, and Beyond. “My cauldron broke and I need a new one.”

  I left out the little part about how it broke with me doing an illegal potion, in fear he’d tell Aunt Helena, who had considered herself my mother since Darla passed away.

  “Let me go get her.”

  Before I could tell him not to bother her yet, he was gone. Any minute I was sure a puff of smoke would appear and Aunt Helena would be standing in the middle. She always loved to make a grand entrance. I made it inside of Wands, Potions, and Beyond without the slightest sign of smoke.

  “Good afternoon.” The clerk waved from behind the counter. “Is there anything I can help you find?”

  Even though I had been in the store several times, I stood there with my mouth open taking in all it had to offer. Floors upon floors of wands, potions, ingredients, how-to books, cauldrons, cloaks, food, clothes, and anything else a spiritualist would need.

  “I’m looking to buy a new cauldron.” I smiled and pointed up to the one hundred and twentieth floor where I knew the large ones were located. There was even a dash of smoke coming from that floor over the staircase railing from all the display cauldrons.

  “I’ll get your ride.” The clerk picked up a phone. “Customer needing to go to floor 120,” her voice said over the intercom.

  Within seconds there was a young sorcerer assisting me to the elevator and escorting me to the cauldrons.

  “Take your time and push the button when you are ready.” He pointed to the pole near the elevator that was marked for assistance.

  “Thanks.” I smiled and took in row upon row of cauldrons. They have come a long way from the black ones from long ago or even the plastic cauldrons we used at Halloween when I was a child.

  They came in all shapes and sizes. There was even a tricked-out one with sparkly bling wrapped in pictures. I made it over to the regular aisle, the cheaper ones. I wanted one exactly like the one I had before. I knew how it worked and didn’t have time to even think about learning how to use a new one.

  “It’s about time you upgraded.” Aunt Helena turned the corner with her arms wide open – her signature black cloak swinging with each step. Her long fingers with long red fingernails curled around me, squeezing me tight.

  “It’s so good to see you.” I hugged her back. There was something so comforting knowing that I wasn’t alone in the world. “I’m not here to upgrade. I want a new one just like the one I had.” I pointed to the same exact one.

  Aunt Helena clapped. The cauldron disappeared.

  “Done.” She brushed her hands together. “It’s in your shop now.”

  “Thanks.” I was glad to know that I didn’t have to pay any shipping or handling or haul it back by myself.

  “Let’s have lunch.” Her brows and lips lifted into a smile. I didn’t have time to protest before her pointy red boots clicked along the store tile and made our way to the elevator where the customer service sorcerer was already waiting for us.

  He bowed when he saw Aunt Helena and she nodded back so he could stand up.

  “I’m sorry I had no idea you were June Heal, the dean’s niece.” There was more fright in his eyes than his shaky voice.

  I shooed my hands in the air. “No big deal. Really. I’m a big girl.”

  “I’m so glad you are here.” Aunt Helena and I made our way out of the shop and on to the street. I could feel Gus around us without seeing that he was there, secretly floating next to us. “How long are you staying?”

  “Just for a quick lunch, then I have to get back to the shop.” I didn’t know if I should ask her now for a potion or what. So I decided to wait until we were seated at the Black Magic Café, a deliciously wonderful little café on the edge of campus that served anything you wanted.

  Raven Mortimer had worked there while she was in college.

  “I’ll have the crow burger with eye-of-newt bun.” Aunt Helena told the waitress who was still in a full-blown bow before she was given the get up nod.

  “I’ll have the same.” It was so much easier to order two instead of taking time to look at the menu. I glanced down at my watch and noticed it was already four o’clock. The time flew by, leaving me little time to get back to Whispering Falls to work on Oscar’s potion, find Izzy, and meet Ophelia at seven.

  During our lunch I told Aunt Helena about the potion. She already knew about Oscar, and I waited to see what she had to say.

  “You need to leave it alone
,” She warned. “Let nature take its course just like your mother and father.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” I was a bit confused. Aunt Helena loved a good potion and loved testing them out on different subjects.

  “No.” She drew in a breath before she snapped her fingers and disappeared before my eyes.

  “I guess that is a no,” I whispered and picked up my cup to take a sip.

  “But I can help.” The ever-so-devious Gus appeared next to me in Aunt Helena’s seat. “I’ve been dying around here, I’m so bored.”

  The look in his eye was deep, holding onto a secret that I couldn’t wait to see unfold.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  With a little bit of planning with Gus underway, I headed back to Whispering Falls. Mr. Prince Charming darted in and out of the wheat field, swaying his tail in sync with the wheat.

  There was no time to worry about going back to the shop. Ophelia had told me to clean up and I had just enough time to do that before I met her.

  “There you are.” Colton sat on the step of my front porch when we walked up. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  “Oh.” I pulled out my key and opened the door.

  Rowl! Mr. Prince Charming darted off the porch and headed down the hill.

  The inside of the cottage looked like a tornado had hit. The kitchen table and chairs were overturned, as well as the couch.

  “Oh no.” We stepped over broken picture frames to get inside. Everything that I owned lay strewn all over the floor. In the corner of the room, there was a faint glow. “Madame Torres!”

  I almost broke a leg getting to her. The globe pulsed slowly, like she was starving for air. There was a small crack in the glass from being thrown.

  “No!” I screamed. “No!”

  “What’s wrong?” Colton rushed over and bent down next to me.

  “It’s my crystal ball. She’s barely hanging on to life.” I snuggled her close to me, wondering what I was going to do to help her. I felt an acute sense of loss. “They win!”

  “No, June, they don’t.” Colton rushed around the cottage with his gun drawn searching to make sure the intruder was gone. “They will not destroy our village.”

  “I will help.” A faint whisper appeared in my ear. It was Gus. “Shh…don’t tell him I’m here. Leave Madame Torres near the Gathering Rock when you leave to meet Ophelia.”

  I didn’t even nod. If Gus didn’t want Colton to know, then he wouldn’t know. I had to save my friend and nothing was going to stop me. I was going to find this killer before they destroyed us.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Colton had to get Gandolf involved, which was fine since he was the acting sheriff. When I asked Gandolf if he had seen Izzy, he said he hadn’t because he was too busy creating a case against Ophelia. I could see Colton snarl.

  Colton definitely didn’t like Gandolf’s old-school ways.

  “What’s going on?” Ophelia stepped into the cottage and quickly withdrew when she saw Gandolf and Colton. My intuition told me that they made her uncomfortable; at least Gandolf did.

  Gandolf looked at the door where Ophelia had been and then back to me. He pulled out his little notebook and wrote something down.

  It was a few more minutes before the two men collected some fingerprints and other things they deemed as evidence of the break-in, and then they left.

  Once they were safely at a distance, Ophelia reappeared. My mood sharply turned from fear to anger as I told Ophelia about what had happened to my cottage and Madame Torres. My soul seethed with mounting anger. There was no gut feeling telling me she had anything to do with it. I quickly found some clothes to wear out of the mess that had been strewn all over the floor from the intruder dumping my drawers out.

  “Let’s go.” Ophelia waved her hand in the air and before I knew it, we were seated in a restaurant right behind Oscar and Annie, only they couldn’t see us. I glared at Annie’s perfect bun she had pinned up on her pretty head. I cringed, knowing she’d be pretty even if she were bald.

  “There they are.” I pointed to them.

  “I know.” A devious smile crept up on Ophelia’s face and she pointed to Annie right as Annie was taking sip of wine.

  Instantly, the wine glass tipped, sending dribbles down Annie’s chin and landing on her white eyelet dress leaving a waterfall of red wine stain.

  “Oh my,” Annie squealed.

  Like the good gentleman he was, Oscar stood up and dabbed Annie with his napkin and they laughed it off.

  As Annie laughed, a pair of dentures flew out of her mouth. Annie’s hands juggled them in the air as she tried to catch them, only they landed right in Oscar’s mashed potatoes.

  My mouth and cheeks puffed out ready to explode as I held in my laughter. It was like watching something from a movie.

  Ophelia winked. “The show has just begun.” She pointed her finger again. Annie’s hair fell out of the bun and off her head. “Extensions.” Ophelia giggled.

  Annie burst into tears and ran out of the restaurant with Oscar hot on her heels.

  “Little miss priss isn’t as lovely as she wants everyone to believe.” Ophelia snapped her fingers and we were back at my cottage.

  “I feel awful.” There was a little sadness in my heart, and some guilt sitting in my stomach like a rock. “I don’t think we were very nice.”

  “Oh, who cares about nice?” Ophelia snapped again and she was gone.

  “I care!” I shouted, feeling even more doom and gloom. I waited for a moment to see if she was going to respond, but she didn’t.

  I headed on down to Ever After Books to get a little validation as to why I had asked her to do it. It was sort of like beating a dead horse. I needed to beat that horse to justify why I was breaking Oscar’s heart when I should truly be happy for him if he did care about her.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “You better put me down now!” The voice caught my attention.

  There was a glow floating down the hill right behind me.

  “I said now you big buffoon!”

  I knew that voice. “Madame Torres?” I questioned as the glow got closer.

  “Tell him to put me down,” she screamed into the night.

  Gus appeared to be holding her with both hands. He shoved her toward me. “If I could have strangled her I would have.”

  I took her in my hands and kissed her crack-free globe all over. Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!

  “Oh, stop it!” Blech, blech, blech. Madame Torres spit.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I threw my arms around Gus and planted a big ole kiss on his cheek. “You are the best. I have to run!”

  I darted off in the direction of Ever After Books. Now that I had Madame Torres back, I was happy and I wanted Oscar to be happy. I had to get Ophelia to help me rectify the situation we just caused with Oscar and Annie.

  “But I have to tell you about…” I heard Gus shouting into the night.

  I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but it had to wait. Oscar was my main concern.

  “I’ll come find you tomorrow!” I screamed back into the night and hugged Madame Torres tight to me.

  “She’s going to figure it out,” I heard a woman whisper as I approached Ever After Books.

  “Shh…” Madame Torres warned me to be careful and quiet. I slowly nodded my head and tiptoed around the side of the bookstore.

  “I know she’s going to figure it out, so let her.”

  I peeked around the corner and saw Colton talking to Ophelia. They were in a heated discussion about someone.

  “We aren’t on June’s radar.” Ophelia confirmed that I was so totally consumed with Oscar that I didn’t realize Whispering Falls was crumbling right in front of me, even though I said it wouldn’t.

  “She could figure it out any minute.” Colton warned her.

  “So what do you suggest we do? Kill her?” Ophelia had a half-joking, half-not joking grin on her face before Colton grabbed her and laid
a kiss on her that she would probably never forget.

  I rubbed my neck to loosen the tense muscles.

  “Is she going to strangle me?” I asked Madame Torres. I rubbed harder trying to get out the knot that had settled there. The tension traveled to my stomach and then fell all the way to my toes. “Wait.”

  I brought Madame Torres closer to my face. She stared at me. I didn’t like the look in her eyes.

  “Are they,” I gulped, “the killers?”

  Madame Torres swirled and twirled in her globe until she shut off. Everything played in my head. All the times Colton had come to my house, he was probably prepping me. Was he the one who broke into my house? After all, he was the only one who knew I was gone because I was dumb enough to ask him to watch my house.

  I had confided in him. I told him everything about the “Mysteries and Magical Spells” book. If he and Ophelia didn’t have it, who did? Did Ophelia and Colton believe that I had the book and tear up my house? Did they hurt my sweet…okay, sweet was a far stretch… my trustworthy Madame Torres?

  Alexelrod.

  Did he know something about Ophelia? Enough for her to kill him, or did Colton kill him for trying to tell the truth about Ophelia, or did Alexelrod know something about Colton?

  All sorts of scenarios played out in my head. There was only one person who could answer my questions. Isadora Solstice.

  It was time to see her, whether she wanted company or not.

  With Madame Torres safely under my arm, I tiptoed my way to Mystic Lights where it was dark, except for a faint glow coming from the back of the shop. I jiggled the door handle, but it was locked.

  I covered my eyes as though I was shielding the bright moon. I wanted to get a good look inside. There were two lights glowing and they begged me to come in.

  I jiggled the handle one more time to confirm it was locked. There was no time to dilly-dally. The only way to get in – rather, break in – would be to go around the back where no one could see me.