by Rose Pressey
Maybe the men had decided to go back to the vampire bar, but I didn’t want to play a game of cat-and-mouse all night. It was time to give up for the evening. Maybe I would think of a new plan in the morning. I certainly hoped so because I was currently all out of ideas. I thought everyone else was out of ideas too. If they weren’t, they sure weren’t telling me about them.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When we arrived at the manor that night, the coven members had already returned. I had no idea how they had got there because they were tight-lipped about events. Heck, they could have flown back on brooms for all I knew.
A noise sounded in the middle of the night. The old manor made lots of creaks and groans, but I’d learned the difference. This was more than an old place settling. Something… or someone was down there.
Nicolas and I wasted little time jumping from bed. We headed downstairs to check it out. My eyes finally adjusted to the darkness as I descended the grand staircase. Nicolas led the way and I was right behind him, holding his bare arm. There was no sound now other than my heavy breathing.
With each step forward my anxiety grew. What if someone had broken into the house? What if another evil spirit had found its way to LaVeau Manor. There were too many what-ifs for my mind to even comprehend.
Noise sounded again and I knew it came from outside. When we reached the front door, Nicolas peeked out the front door.
“It’s Giovanni,” he said, opening the door and running out after him.
I took off after Nicolas. When my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, I spotted Giovanni running into the woods that surrounded LaVeau Manor. Oak and pine trees filled the area. Each time I stepped under the canopy of trees, it was like being carried away to another world.
Nicolas and I headed into the woods to see if we could find Giovanni. If that had really been him then we were determined to confront him. He had no reason to be at the manor. All he wanted to do was cause trouble.
After we found him and told him to get lost, then I had to try to find a spell that would banish him from returning forever. I didn’t care if he did claim the book was his—until I knew for sure, he needed to stay away.
We finally reached the line of trees and stepped into the darkened area under the shade of the tall trees. The air was cooler and silence encircled us. The scent of earth and pine filled the air. This was where Nicolas had first traced the delicate skin of my neck with his fangs. My heart sped up just thinking about it—the thought of something so intimate was a little thrilling and scary at the same time. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but it was something I would have to discuss with him soon. Giovanni was nowhere in sight.
“Are you sure you saw him?” Nicolas asked.
I nodded. “I’m positive. I don’t think he would have had time to get to the other side yet.”
We walked deeper into the woods, but there was still no sign of Giovanni. This was getting old quickly. He’d probably pulled off a spell that was concealing himself from view. I wouldn’t lie, it made me angry that he was better at magic than me. Maybe he should be the leader. I mean, after all, I had no clue what I was doing.
The air changed around us. It was like breathing through a thick cloud, energized with emotion. My senses were on full alert. I knew that Nicolas felt my anxiety.
“Do you feel that?” Nicolas asked.
I nodded. “Yes, I think he’s playing games with us.”
Nicolas nodded and looked around. “Come on, let’s keep going.”
Nicolas and I headed out across the area. I knew once we made it to the other side that we’d come upon my neighbor’s home. I hoped that Giovanni didn’t pay her a visit. She was a nice lady and she’d even kept some of my great-aunt Maddy’s things and given them to me.
The air continued to change around us and I grew more anxious by the minute. I expected Giovanni to pop out at any moment. We’d almost reached the edge of the woods when we stepped forward and smashed into something—something unseen by the naked eye. It was as if we’d stepped into a wall. We were slammed backward, landing on our butts. It took me a moment to realize what had happened.
“What the hell is going on?” Nicolas asked. He reached over and helped me to my feet.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. It was like we hit a wall.”
Nicolas narrowed his eyes. “I know this spell. Giovanni cast a spell blocking us from going forward.”
Okay, now I was really angry. Who the hell did he think he was? We tried to move forward again, but the invisible barrier stopped us once again. It knocked the air out of my lungs each time I tried to break through.
“Maybe if we try to go through at the same time and hold hands,” Nicolas said.
I nodded. “It’s worth a shot.”
Nicolas and I moved forward one more time. But we were thrown back again. I shook my head and tried to get over the shock. It knocked energy out of me each time we tried.
“Maybe we should go back. I want to get the car and drive over and check on my neighbor. I don’t want Giovanni messing with her because I’m sure he went to over there.”
Nicolas grabbed my hand and we made our way across the area again, careful of our footing and watching for the fallen branches. We reached the other side and just as we stepped on the edge, we were knocked back again, falling to the ground. It was as if a bubble had captured us.
Panic surged through me. I felt trapped. How would we get out of here and what was Giovanni planning to do to us? I jumped up in a panic and moved forward again, sure that I could break through this time. It didn’t happen though because I landed on the ground again. I was going to have some serious bruises. If I got a hold of Giovanni again I wasn’t going to let him get by with this.
As I moved forward again, determined to break through no matter how many times it took, I fell back, stumbling and trying to remain upright. Nicolas reached to grab me before I hit the ground. But before he could save me, he lost his footing too, and landed near me. I let out a groan.
Nicolas moved closer and looked into my eyes. “Are you okay?”
My head was pounding and my body ached. I wasn’t sure how many more times I could try to break through that barrier.
I rubbed my head. “I think I’m okay.”
Nicolas inched closer and wrapped his arms around me, looking into my eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll get us out of here,” he whispered.
The sound of branches falling echoed around us and my heart pounded. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the dire situation we were in or the look in Nicolas’ eyes and his nearness. He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. My tension eased and I felt comforted just knowing that we were in this together. If he said he would get us out of there, then I knew he meant it. He eased away and helped me up.
“We need to use magic to break through this. It’s the only way out,” Nicolas said.
My magic was drained and I didn’t think I could push forward any longer.
Nicolas and I held hands to use each other’s energy. To break the spell that had us captured, we’d call to the elements. Facing north, we recited the words: “Element of Earth, we call to you. Empower us with your energy to break free.” We turned to face the west, and recited the words: “Element of Air, we call to you to push away the negative that entraps us.” We shifted to face the south and recited the words: “Element of Fire, we call to you for protection and strength. Help us break free.” Completing the spell, we moved again to face the east and recited the words: “Element of Water, we call to you for force and guidance. Give us the force to break the obstacle that’s blocking us.”
When the energy from the spell began to fade, another blast of wind stirred. The foreboding feeling swirled within the wind. Little by little the wind carried the foreboding feeling away. Finally the magic around us disappeared and I knew that the barrier had been broken.
I’d never felt more trapped in my whole life and I wasn’t going to let Giovanni get away with that. N
icolas and I held hands and rushed out from the trees surrounding us. This time nothing stopped us.
After we got out of the magic barrier, we headed over to check on my neighbor. She was extremely unhappy with me when we showed up in the middle of the night, but at least I knew that she was safe and Giovanni hadn’t paid her a visit.
Chapter Twenty-Six
A couple days had passed and there had been no sign of Giovanni or Kelley. My mother had wanted to hold a witches’ festival for the longest time. Normally no one could ever get the licenses needed from the Enchantment Pointe Coven, but after I’d found Misty with Giovanni, she owed me.
My mother had wasted little time getting this festival together. I thought she would at least wait a month or two in order to get everything organized. But she just used her magic to whip it all up in two days. There would be crafts, food, games, and presentations on new spells and potions. Many vendors had set up booths with everything from amulets to magic-laced cupcakes.
Since fall was in full swing it was the perfect time for a festival. Winter would be here soon and my mother would be busy filling orders for the holidays. Enchantment Pointe and the shops in the historic section of town were a big holiday shopping destination for many towns away. My mother made special scents for the holidays that smelled of baked goods. But today was all about the witch festival and I was going to enjoy my time with Nicolas. There was nothing I could do about Giovanni at the moment, so I might as well try to enjoy myself.
Nicolas and I were checking out the different attractions, walking by the tables set up around town. I wanted to stop off for one of the new red velvet funnel cakes. Annabelle and Jon were walking around somewhere and I needed to meet up with them soon.
Nicolas picked up a silver bracelet and held it around my wrist. “This would look great on you.”
I looked down at the silver bracelet with red stones. “It’s beautiful.”
Nicolas motioned for the woman behind the table. He handed her the cash, then fastened the bracelet around my wrist. He leaned down and kissed me.
“Thank you. It’s lovely.”
We stepped away from the table and continued to the sidewalk. I was enjoying the leisurely pace. It was hard to push the thoughts to the back of my mind, but I was trying my best not to think about all that was happening.
When I looked out in front of me over the crowd, I spotted Kelley up ahead. She was speaking with a woman at a table. I really wanted to know what she was saying. “Hey. There’s Kelley. I want to confront her.”
Nicolas frowned. “You’re supposed to enjoy yourself today and not be stressed.”
I looked at him for a second. “I won’t let her stress me, I promise.”
He nodded. “Yeah, right.”
I grabbed his hand and we headed out across the crowd at a brisk pace. We weaved through the crowd and around the funnel cake stand. I tried to keep my eye on Kelley, but it was hard with all the people walking in front of us.
When I finally got around a group of witches wearing costumes with big black hats—for a moment I thought it was the coven—I looked at the table where I’d spotted Kelley. “She’s gone,” I said.
Nicolas and I looked around the crowd, but I didn’t spot her anywhere. She could have easily blended in with the crowd and I’d never notice her again. Nevertheless, I wanted to talk with the woman she’d been talking to. Maybe she could tell me where Kelley had gone.
We hurried over to the table. A couple of people were speaking with the woman about some of her items. I made eye contact and I think she sensed right away that I was in a hurry. I pretended to look at some of her items as I moved anxiously beside the table. Finally the people walked away and the woman approached.
“May I help you?” Bright red lipstick covered her full lips and she offered a half-hearted smile. .
I nodded. “There was a woman talking with you just a few minutes ago. Do you know where she went?”
She shook her head. Her dark hair swung from side to side with the motion.
“You don’t even know who I’m talking about yet. How can you shake your head that you don’t know?”
She stared at me for a moment, then said in a curt tone, “Who is this woman?”
Why such hostility? “She’s about twenty-five with pretty long dark hair. She was wearing a white blouse and jeans. She was just standing here a couple minutes ago,” I said.
The woman frowned as if she didn’t know what I was talking about.
“Come on, Hallie. Let’s get out of here,” Nicolas said, grabbing my arm.
A strange look crossed the woman’s face. “Are you Halloween LaVeau?” she asked with wide eyes.
“Yes, I’m Hallie LaVeau.”
“You’re the new leader of the Underworld?”
I nodded. “Yes, and who are you?”
“I’m Eva David. I’m from the next town over.” She kept busy moving items around her table, mostly avoiding my stare.
I asked again, “Do you know where the woman went?”
“Well, there was a woman here. I didn’t want to share this information with a stranger, you know. You can never be too careful,” she said with a faint smile.
I smiled briefly. “I understand. What was she looking at?”
The woman looked down and grabbed a book. “She purchased a copy of this spellbook.”
“Do you know this woman?” I asked.
She shook her head no, but I couldn’t read her expression to know if she was telling the truth.
I took the book from her outstretched hand. The book had a black cover with gold letters on the front. I flipped it open. At first glance the spell book looked innocent enough, but at the back there were spells that could be used for black magic. Of course there was a disclaimer not to perform the spells, but what were they doing in the book if they didn’t want anyone to perform them?
The woman must have noticed which spells I was looking at because she said, “Those spells are for entertainment only.”
Yeah, right. I handed the book back to her. “Thank you for the help,” I said.
She nodded with a little smile. “Sorry I couldn’t help more. Please come back any time.”
I started to turn around, but stopped. “How much is the book?” I asked.
“It’s fifty dollars,” she said.
“I’ll take one,” I said, grabbing my purse.
She waved her hands through the air. “Oh no, it’s no charge for you. Think of it as a gift from me.”
I shook my head. “That is very nice of you, but I’d rather just pay for it.”
She frowned. “Really, I’d like for you to have it.”
I sighed. “Well, okay, that is very nice of you. Thank you.”
“Would you like me to put it in a bag for you?” she asked.
I waved my hand. “No, thank you. I’ll just carry it like this.”
She reached out and touched my arm. “I think it would be better if you put it in a bag.”
I studied her face. Apparently she was completely serious about this. I nodded. “Okay, if you say so.”
She reached down and grabbed a brown gift bag and placed the book inside with some white tissue paper. She handed the book back to me. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you again,” I said, holding the bag up.
“That was an odd exchange,” Nicolas said as we walked away.
“Yeah, she didn’t want me to carry the book without the bag, I wonder why.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s another strange thing to add to the list of many strange things going on lately.”
Nicolas and I walked away from the table. When I looked back, the woman was staring at me. She was probably lying for Kelley, but I had no way to prove it, right? I could try a spell to get her to tell the truth, but if I was going to all that trouble, then I should just try a spell that would lead me to Kelley. Which, now that I thought about it, was exactly what I was going to do. Why did it take me forever to think o
f these things? I’d save myself a whole lot of trouble if I could just get my act together.
But if I was going to do this, I needed a place away from all the witches to cast the spell. If I tried it with all of them around, not only would they sense my magic, but if it went like most of my spells, it would have negative effects on all other witches for miles around.
“I need to cast a spell to find Kelley,” I said, as we walked along the sidewalk.
“Here?” Nicolas looked around. Even he knew what that would cause.
I shook my head. “No, we need to go somewhere quiet.”
He concentrated for a moment, then said, “How about the park? Everyone is probably here at the festival and it should be almost empty.”
“Sounds good. Let’s go.” I grabbed his hand.
“What about the book?” Nicolas asked when we reached the park.
A squirrel skipped across the green lawn and stopped by a nearby tree to nibble on his found treasure. A stone fountain bubbled in middle of the space. It had a paved pathway around it with benches and picnic tables just beyond the area.
“What about it?” I asked, putting the bag down on the picnic table.
“Is there a spell that you can cast from the book?”
I looked at him. “I hadn’t thought about that, but maybe there is a good spell.”
Since the book contained black magic, I had to be careful. One wrong move and it could be catastrophic.
I pulled the book from the bag and checked the index. “There’s a spell to find something that you’ve lost.”
“Well, you’ve lost Kelley, so I think that would work,” he said.
I nodded. “Yeah, let’s give it a try.”
I flipped to the page listed in the table of contents. Luckily, it was a pretty straightforward spell and would only require words and our energy.
“Let’s hold hands,” I said.
Nicolas reached for my hands. His touch was warm and comforting. I looked into his eyes and began reciting the spell’s words.
