“Hmmmm,” Allie said. “Well, bad luck curses aren’t uncommon, of course…”
“Elves do them,” Riley said suddenly.
“Excuse me?” Allie said, caught off guard by what seemed to her to be a non-sequitur.
“Mess with people’s luck,” Riley said defiantly, even though her eyes were uncertain again.
“Sure,” Allie agreed, slightly perplexed. “Any of the Fey who can work basic spells, which is almost any of the Fey including the elves, could affect someone’s luck if they chose to. So could a human witch or mage.”
The young woman flushed and looked down at that, her emotions swinging into fear and worry. Allie looked at Faye, but the other witch was staring thoughtfully at the wall. “Okay,” Faye said. “So it could have been set by anyone, does it matter if we don’t know who set it?”
Riley’s eyes darted up to Allie at that, her emotions still that strange, inexplicable blend of fear and concern. Allie shrugged. “Not really. I mean theoretically if you knew who had set the spell it might help in understanding what the spell actually was, but you don’t need to know that to remove it. Since it’s multi-generational even knowing who set it probably wouldn’t help. I mean if it were a human they’d most likely be dead by now, and if it is an elf, well getting an elf to undo something like that would….well it would probably just be easier to find a way to remove it yourself.”
Faye was nodding, “That’s what I thought too.”
“What have you tried to remove it so far?” Allie asked. She couldn’t quite decide how she felt about the strange girl, but she kept trying to remind herself that if her family really was cursed she might have good reason to be so jumpy.
Riley gave her a long look and then seemed to decide something, nodding to herself before she spoke, “You’re really very nice you know that?”
“Ahh, thanks, I try,” Allie said, even more perplexed.
Faye smiled, “I told you she was.”
“I know you did,” Riley said. “But I didn’t think she’d actually care about my problems.”
“Well, I told you when you came in that I’d help you if I could, so that’s what I’m trying to do,” Allie said.
“Yeah, I can see that,” she said and Allie was surprised yet again when she felt a surge of guilt coming off the strange young woman.
Is she worried she’s wasting my time? It seems strange for her to have come in here at all if she thinks she’s bothering people asking about this Allie wondered before repeating, “So what have you tried so far to remove it?”
“Right,” Riley said, standing up a bit straighter and meeting Allie’s eyes. “Pretty much all the usual things. Salt washes. Uncrossing oil. Directing it into an object and burying it. Calling on outside powers, from angels to ancestors, to intercede.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty thorough,” Allie said, frowning. “And none of that had any effect at all?”
“Nothing seems to make any difference,” Riley said.
“Huh,” Allie said thoughtfully, looking at the rows of books on the right-hand side of the store. “Let me think.”
Faye and Riley stood patiently while Allie quickly went over what she knew about curses in her mind. There was something about the situation that wasn’t quite adding up but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Finally she limped around the counter deciding to check something in a book.
Riley watched her uneven gait with an oddly guilty look on her face. “Is your leg okay?”
Allie hadn’t expected the question; most people politely ignored the limp. “Oh, ahh, yeah, it’s okay. I hurt it, ummm, broke it. A while ago. It’s healed about as much as it’s ever going to.”
“Allie’s being too modest,” Faye said, and Allie felt her cheeks coloring, anticipating what the other store owner was going to say. “We had a group in town that was killing people, bad magic, really bad magic, and Allie helped the police and Elven Guard to catch them. She was hurt when they tried to get her out of the way.”
Allie cleared her throat trying to ignore Riley’s wide eyed look of admiration. “Yes, well. That’s behind us now, and the group has all been found and is either dead or in jail.”
“Why’d you do it?” Riley said following Allie into the aisle of books. “Help I mean. If it was dangerous.”
“Well, ahhh,” Allie mumbled. She didn’t like talking about the events with the dark coven but she also couldn’t think of a reasonable way to avoid the subject now that Faye had brought it up. “Well, it’s complicated. When I was asked to help it was just the right thing to do.”
Riley looked down, frowning. “I’m just trying to do the right thing too.”
“I can’t imagine anyone thinking that uncursing your family isn’t the right thing to do,” Allie said, earning another strange guilty look from the other woman. Allie started to wonder if maybe there was some family dynamic going on that she was unaware of, something that was causing the feeling of conflict in Riley. Shrugging the thought away she reached out for the book she’d been looking for on the shelf, an old grimoire that discussed some more complex methods of curse removal.
“You really do have a book for everything,” Faye said, smiling as Allie and Riley walked back out to the open area by the sales counter.
“I try,” Allie said, smiling back. “This is Blackmore’s grimoire. It’s mostly ceremonial magic but it does have a section on breaking curses. If you’ve tried everything from a witchcraft and low magic perspective then I’d say it’s time to mix it up and see what high magic has to say about it.”
“Works for me,” Faye said, looking genuinely curious. Riley nodded as well.
Allie went back behind the counter and started flipping through the book, looking for the section she remembered on curses. “Hmmm. Okay, this is a bit complicated but it should be do-able.”
“Complicated?” Riley said, biting her lip.
“Well more like time consuming. That’s pretty typical for ceremonial stuff. You have to do the same ritual at the same time each day for a week, as close to identically as possible. Let’s see…huh, the ingredients aren’t too bad, nothing Faye wouldn’t have or you can’t get at a grocery store,” Allie said turning the page as she talked. “You will need 7 iron nails though – you don’t carry those do you Faye?”
“Not in this town,” Faye said shaking her head. “But I have a friend with a store about a 45 minute drive from here in regular earth that I think does have some. I can call and check.”
Allie nodded then reached down and grabbed a loose piece of paper and pen. “Okay let me write this all down for you. Like I said it’s a bit complicated, but not too bad really. And if the curse was set by anything Fey the iron should help disrupt the energy.”
Riley looked taken aback, but before she could say anything Faye was speaking again, “What about using war water?”
“Iron charged water?” Allie said thoughtfully. “It’s generally used for hexing, but in this case…hmmmm… yeah maybe as a floor wash?”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Faye said. “As a floor wash and sprinkled around the property, and Hell even in a bath maybe.”
Allie flinched at the idea of a bath of iron diffused water, which would leave her at best with blisters, but nodded knowing a full human wouldn’t be bothered by it. “Yeah it can’t hurt, and at this point they might as well go all out.”
She finished writing out the directions for the spell and handed the paper over to Riley who read it over several times. “And you really think this will do it? Break the curse?”
“Well, I can’t promise anything with certainty but this is the magical equivalent of an elephant gun. If this doesn’t do it then the situation may be more complicated than your family thinks,” Allie said cautiously.
Faye made an agreeable noise but Riley frowned. “What do you mean?”
“There are other things that can have similar effects to a curse that aren’t actually a curse, per se,” Allie said. “I think it’s
really unlikely it would be anything that obscure, mind you, but the only reason that repeated unhexings and curse removals wouldn’t work, particularly this one, would be if there wasn’t a curse to remove,” Alli said.
“Oh no,” Riley said confidently. “There’s a curse. There is definitely a curse. We know, I mean the family knows, when it was placed and everything.”
“Well, then you should be all set with this,” Allie said. “Just follow the instructions and make sure to use the exact ingredients – that’s one annoying thing with ceremonial magic you usually can’t substitute. And make sure you do it at the same time each day.”
“Right,” Riley said nodding. She looked up at Allie and her expression was puzzled again, her emotions that odd swirl of guilt and appreciation. “Thanks.”
“Sure,” Allie said.
“Okay then,” Faye said, tugging lightly on Riley’s sleeve. “Thanks Allie, you’re a gem. Come on Riley let’s go get some lunch and then we can see how much of that list you can get at the Cauldron.”
The two women walked out into the afternoon sunshine, but Allie didn’t have much time to think about the encounter; as they were leaving one of her regulars was coming in. She smiled in genuine welcome at Aidan. “Well look what the wind blew in! Back from Ireland are you?”
Aidan smiled back just as warmly, the electric lights giving a yellow highlight to his red hair. His slight Irish accent always made her smile. “Hey Allie darling. Got back in about a week ago. How have you been?”
“Oh, could be worse,” she hedged, not wanting to get into the details of her bad week. “I haven’t gotten anything new in that might interest you yet but I do still have that copy of Verissilien’s behind the counter.”
He laughed at the mention of one of the few elven books out there that was, if not actually banned, highly frowned upon by the Fey. “Naughty girl. I bet you’ve read it too.”
“Of course I did,” she grinned back. “How else can I judge who it’s safe to sell the book to, if I don’t know what’s in it?”
“Should I be flattered that I made that short list?”
“Aidan, my friend you pretty much are that short list,” she retorted and they both laughed.
“It is tempting,” he admitted, walking up to lean against the counter. “Not that I have much use for necromancy or domination magic…but it makes a person curious, for certain.”
“That sort of magic, you can’t undo it or resist it if you don’t know how it’s done to begin with,” Allie said sensibly.
“Wise words,” Aidan said. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to give me a better price on it?”
“I think we could work something out,” Allie said. The truth was she’d picked the book up on a whim from someone looking to trade some used books for a store credit. They had been human and unable to read the elvish book but had kept it as a kind of novelty, with no idea how controversial that particular book was. When Allie had seen it she’d been curious why it was so frowned on, and she’d given in to her curiosity because she’d been able to get it for almost nothing. Having read it she did better understand its unsavory reputation; the book skated just barely on the Bright court side of some serious dark magic. On the other hand it wasn’t anything that even a child in the Dark court didn’t have a basic understanding of so while she wouldn’t sell it to just anyone she also didn’t see it as terribly dangerous either. Aidan’s particular obsession was protection magic and she knew he’d get a lot of useful information out of the book that he could apply to his own area of interest – also since her investment was minimal letting him have it cheap wasn’t going to hurt her any.
“Ah, you know just how to tempt me,” he smiled again, his teeth flashing white against his tan.
“With rare but affordable books,” she agreed.
“It’s a shame you’re spoken for lass, we would obviously get on well,” he said.
She smiled at the mild flirting, knowing that it was more teasing than serious. Aidan had been a regular customer since her grandmother’s time, and he’d never flirted with her until he found out she was in a relationship. She was certain he just saw it as a fun game, but hadn’t taken the chance when she was single that she’d take him seriously. “Oh now, you had your chance sir. We probably would make an excellent couple, until we lost each other in stacks of books or got into a fight over who would get to read the new edition of something first. But the world will never know.”
He laughed again, his good mood lighting up the room and making the emotional atmosphere outside her personal shields feel light and airy. “Indeed, I’ve no intention of contesting with your lovers for you. Besides you clearly prefer a higher sort of Fey.”
She gave the leprechaun a long look, “Don’t tell me people are saying that sort of thing. I’m hardly a snob – lesser Fey, elves, pretty much all annoy me equally.”
He laughed loudly at that, a deep belly laugh, “You have a tongue on you don’t you, saying such a thing! Why not date a human then?”
“Meh, humans,” she rolled her eyes, skyward, as if praying for patience.
“Well then I think you’re out of options,” he said, still laughing.
“Now you see my problem,” she smiled. “But Jess and Bleidd aren’t so bad.”
“Less annoying than most?” he teased.
“Most of the time,” she agreed.
He sobered, “I’m glad you found some happiness, you deserve it.”
“Thanks,” she said. Then “So you want to look at the book?”
He nodded, “I suppose someone has to take it off your hands.”
*******************************
By the time she closed that afternoon and Jess arrived to pick her up she had put the visit from Faye and the out-of-town girl out of her mind. It had been unusually busy for a Monday and she was feeling tired although her good mood from earlier was still lingering.
Jess met her at the front door as she locked up. “How was the day?”
“Good. Busy actually which was nice,” she said, smiling as Jess pulled her into a hug. “How was your day? Did someone come out to look at the heater?”
“Indeed, it has been replaced,” he said. “Fascinating, process that.”
“Replaced?” Allie frowned as she walked with him to the dark green Elven Guard car parked by the curb. “They couldn’t just fix the old one?”
“No,” he said, unperturbed. “They seemed quite impressed it had lasted as long as it had actually. They installed a new one and I checked before they left to be certain it was functioning properly.”
Allie was caught between annoyance at the extra cost and amusement at the picture her mind painted of that scene. The place she’d called in a panic this morning was one Liz had always dealt with before for furnace issues, and Allie liked and trusted them, but she also knew they were entirely human staffed. Even the mage they employed to set the spells to keep the electronics working – spells she or Bleidd would re-do and make stronger in the immediate future – was entirely human. And she knew that the last crew they’d sent out had found Bleidd so intimidating she’d worried someone was going to slip and hurt themselves under his scrutiny. So the idea of Jess hovering over the work crew watching every single thing they did, and probably giving the poor guys ulcers in the process, struck her as inappropriately amusing. I am such a bad person for finding that funny she thought, hoping they’d be willing to come back next time she called. That inevitably led to her imagining them hiding under their desks when her number came up on their office phone’s caller ID and she fought hard not to giggle.
She cleared her throat as she climbed into the car, throttling down her amusement. “Did they leave an invoice or are they sending a bill?”
He clicked his seatbelt giving her a look out of the corner of his eye. “It’s been taken care of.”
“Jess,” she started, embarrassed and annoyed in equal measure.
He cut her off. “It’s pointless to be upset now,
it’s done and can’t be undone. Besides we’d agreed that since I’m living in the house now it is only fair that I contribute a portion.”
“Well yes, but…”she trailed off uncertainly, still wanting to protest but unable to find any weakness in his logic.
“No arguments,” he insisted pulling out into traffic. “And now tell me about your day.”
“It was good. Busy, which is good, especially since I have to open late tomorrow to go get the car registered.”
“It seems a good vehicle.”
“Yes, Bleidd did me a huge favor getting it,” she agreed.
He gave her another long sideways look as he drove, “I do not think he intended it as a favor my heart. I think it was a gift.”
She looked out her side window, “Yes, of course. Speaking of Bleidd, do you think everything is alright with him?”
“What do you mean?” Jess asked, distracted at least for the moment from Allie’s discomfort about the car.
“Just that he’s been in a strange mood since before you got back.”
“Are you worried about him?” Jess asked.
Allie sighed, thinking of Bleidd drinking again. “I suppose maybe I am. But there is something strange going on, even Ciaran can sense it.”
Jess frowned, turning the car down the road they lived on. “Yes the kelpie’s warning is very concerning. I have to return to the Outpost tomorrow, to check in and find out what my next assignment shall be. While I am there I shall endeavor to find out if anyone else has felt similar unusual energy, or is aware of other such warnings.”
“Oh I hadn’t even thought of that, that it might be a widespread thing,” Allie said, feeling foolish. She had simply assumed it must be something personal.
Jess smiled, parking the car in his usual spot and then reaching over to take her hand, “Do not fear my love. Whatever is going on, whether it is community wide or focused on this house or a few residents we will track it down.”
She smiled back squeezing his hand before she got out of the car. Yes things do seem to be getting better anyway. I might be worrying over nothing she thought and then promptly tripped over the curb and fell gracelessly to the ground.
Heart of Thorns: a Between the Worlds novel Page 12
