Now love potions in particular were always tricky to mix – that was just one of the tricks of the trade, so she always paid careful attention when making these in particular. Now some potions and elixirs she could mix up blind folded, left handed, hanging upside down and in the dark – but not love potions – they demanded a lot more time and attention to detail.
She had spent all morning adding just the right amount of ingredients to the one she was working on. As it turns out she had been distracted on more than one occasion while putting this mixture together so she felt she really ought to have been done an hour ago. At least that was what she had planned. But when you are dealing with customers you just have to work around their schedules and needs and that is just the way that it is.
But she was getting close to completion now, she only had three more items left to add to create the magic necessary to complete their own brand of popular love potion. “Red rose petals, gold shavings from a wedding band and purple violets.” Susan muttered the remaining ingredients to herself over and over as she rummaged through her incantation rooms reserves, quickly locating the items.
All the shelves in their little store were filled with an assortment of jars, boxes and containers, each one filled with something unusual and intriguing. And these shelves and tables in the back were filled with items normally collected before a potion was made so that all ingredients would be in arms reach at any time during the brewing process. She had just grabbed the bottles containing the first two items, and was about to take the box filled with the third, when a noise from the front of the potion shop interrupted her concentration.
“Sue, I’m gonna take a break! Can you watch the front up here for me until I get back? You’ve finally finished the love potion, right? Sue?” Susan’s younger sister Emma popped her head in the door to the potion incanting room when Susan didn’t immediately answer her back. It was clear from Emma’s voice, that she was a bit perturbed over the delay this potion was making.
Guiltily Susan blushed as she glanced up at her sister. “Sure, oh yeah, go on ahead, I just have a few more things to stir in and I’m all done! Shouldn’t take but a couple more minutes.” Susan grabbed the last bottle quickly, and strode back over to her bubbling pot. She tried to focus once more on the recipe. It was just as important to be clear of thought as it was to add the right ingredients when mixing up a love potion.
The jingle of the front door bell told her Emma had already headed out of the shop for her lunch break. She knew her sister was already an hour overdue and didn’t blame her for being a little upset. Quickly she added the last three ingredients to the pot already at full boil. She hesitated momentarily as she glanced at the violets, frowning a bit at the light color of the dried flower. They should have been a dark, deep purple but instead were more of a lighter mauve color. “We need to talk with our supplier about these.” Susan muttered to herself. “These purple violets are really off color.”
She was always very specific about her ingredients when she placed her orders from suppliers. There was nothing that she detested more than someone who did not take good care of the products they sold to her store first, or someone who did not pay perfect attention to all the items they were sent or sent them the wrong thing all together.
Every single concoction, potion, elixir and tincture on the shelves of their little shop was carefully created and hand crafted, a labor of dedication by the two sisters. They took absolute pride in their work and full well understood the implications of a bad mixture, most importantly for their customers but for themselves and their reputations that they had so painstakingly created over years and years of work too. Susan took her role and influence in the town very seriously. She knew that many people still considered what they did to be a bit strange, maybe even odd if you asked some, if not downright fantasy.
But Susan had enough confidence and experience with her own skills to be absolutely certain that the spells she created always worked. Always! And sometimes too well. So she always made sure to warn her customers, that they be careful what they wished for, and be certain that they really wanted what they thought they did. Finally, when the last of the ingredients was added to the bubbling caldron, she sighed with satisfaction. She knew this potion was done. With a dramatic poof of fragrant mauve smoke, the potion condensed down and finally, a few minutes later, she was done.
Just then, their little shop’s front door bell jingled, letting her know that a customer had just arrived. “Hello, Welcome to Henry Sister’s,” Susan called out into the shop in the sweetest voice she could muster, as she brushed the hair back from her face. “I will be with you in just a minute!”
Susan carefully poured the contents of the swirling mauve liquid through a funnel, which filled out into another container, which eventually poured itself in a group of 10 awaiting tiny green glass bottles, all lined up perfectly in a row, to capture the fragrant concoction. She quickly closed all the little bottles with a cork plug and walked out into the front shop area, with the last bottle of the love potion still firmly in her hand. With her free hand she straightened her strawberry blonde hair, and raked free a stray sprig of peppermint as she walked to the front.
She finally happened to catch a glimpse of her customer standing at the front counter, a handsome young man. Immediately she found that she was somehow a bit startled by him for some reason, not just because of his attractiveness, because he was really a good looking man, but because something about him, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, just seemed a little different.
Judging by the nervous expression marring his striking features, he was clearly uncomfortable being in the shop. Moving up to the counter, closer to the handsome young man, Susan set the love potion she was holding down on the counter and smiled her best, encouraging smile at her new, handsome, yet fidgety, uncomfortable customer.
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Free Chapter Preview: The Master of the Hunt: A Paranormal Romance
I hope you enjoy this free Chapter Preview in one of my other books, The Master of the Hunt: A Paranormal Romance:
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(Present Day)
Elizabeth Fox had always been a horse lover. In fact, even long before her family bought their first horses, many years ago, she would spend hours and hours looking at pictures of them in every book, newspaper or magazine she could find. Everyone in her family knew that one day she would make a fine horsewoman, and she certainly lived up to that and well surpassed all their expectations.
She worked hard learning all she could about horses and eventually bought her own boarding stable. Needless to say, her uncle was so proud of her and her accomplishments. To top it all off, today was a wonderful winter’s day – and an incredible day to take a ride. She sighed happily as her mare’s hoofs crunched through the dry snow as they headed out once again. It was a perfect winter morning for a trail ride through the snowy forest that lay directly behind her boarding stable.
As usual, she had been the first to arrive at the barn that morning. She and her mare, Braveheart, had managed to tack up and slip out onto the trails long before any of the stable workers arrived to start their morning chores. Elizabeth had ridden these trails easily several hundred times just by herself, but she still enjoyed wandering through each of these meandering paths. She and Braveheart could probably navigate them all blindfolded with one leg tied behind their backs if put to test.
As it were, the winter sun began to rise a bit higher in the cold morning sky, warming the snow. And at that same time an early morning fog began to roll through the woodlands. Absolutely breath taking! Elizabeth loved days like this out on the trails. If only she had thought to have brought her camera along.
Soon the entire forest looked like something out of a dreamy fairytale she remembered from her childhood, or maybe a story in a fairy
tale told time and time again. Misty clouds crept through the trees like a stranger in the night and the air hung wet with mist. This was the sort of weather that made you think you could turn around and see a unicorn peeking out from behind a pine at any time. Elizabeth chuckled at her fanciful thinking. Braveheart was the closest thing she would ever see to a unicorn – her beautiful white coat made her an excellent stand in for the mythical creature.
Eventually Elizabeth directed her horse down to the lower path, which would soon lead out of the woods to an open corn field that all the animals seemed to flock to. Perhaps, she thought to herself, visibility would be better in the open there. Elizabeth soon realized her mistake though, as the fog became even heavier about them and made seeing anything around them almost impossible. The clouds of vapor were settling onto the lower ground, making visibility even worse, instead of better. “Bad choice, Elizabeth,” she thought to herself a little bit aggravated.
As the two kept traveling slowly towards the area where the field should be, the fog got so thick Elizabeth couldn’t see more than a foot past Braveheart’s nose. Elizabeth sighed and dismounted her horse at that point. It was time she turned her mare around and headed back to the barn. There was no sense continuing on this way, they couldn’t see anything at all more than a foot ahead of them in any direction, any way. No matter how well anyone knew these trails, it was ridiculously dangerous to ride when you couldn’t see an unexpected animal or obstacle pop up out of no where right in front of you.
So Elizabeth took Braveheart’s lead and they changed direction, heading back in the direction from whence they came. Leading her horse back up the hill, Elizabeth stopped when Braveheart whinnied to another horse in recognition, even though Elizabeth had heard nothing.
“What is it, girl? Do you hear someone you recognize?” Obviously Elizabeth couldn’t see anyone, but she tilted her head, listening intently anyway. Finally there was an answering whinny from somewhere up the path, along with the faint sound of several horses moving, and even that of a few dogs barking off in the distance.
The source of these new sounds were simply way too far away for the sounds to be coming from the stable area. But the sounds didn’t seem to really be coming from that direction in the first place – the weather can play tricks on you in situations like this so she really wasn’t absolutely certain where the sounds were coming from. And that concerned her just a bit. Another group of riders must be braving the foggy trails this morning. Who would be out in force this time of the day and in such awful riding conditions? Then she clearly heard it – the clarion blare of a hunting horn, followed by the soulful baying of a large pack of hounds.
Elizabeth chuckled to herself and nervously combed Braveheart’s mane with her fingers as she stood there listening to the approaching sound of the hunting party. She had forgotten that a fox hunting club had asked for permission to use the land next to her property for a hunt. They didn’t actually hunt living foxes – instead they had a “drag hunt” – where the club laid out a scent trail for the hounds and horses to follow well in advance of the actual day of the event. This way you could have all the fun and excitement of a hunt, without all the animal rights issues. She had thought the hunt was going to take place next weekend; obviously she must have gotten the dates mixed up somehow.
At this point the details of the hunt she had forgotten previously somehow didn’t really matter. So Elizabeth waited a few minutes, listened carefully for the group to figure out their location, remounted her horse, and then moved to the side of the path, very cautious of what could happen if she were not paying complete attention. She didn’t want the hunters and hounds blundering into her by accident.
“Ware the hunt!” She called out in her loudest voice. “Rider on your path. Ware the hunt!” she repeated just to be sure she was heard!
Listening carefully still, she could vaguely hear the warning being passed back amongst the members of the hunting party that was steadily approaching her. Soon enough, Elizabeth saw the fog part, and the Master of the Hunt came riding towards her at a brisk trot. His bright red jacket was beautiful as it appeared so brilliantly in contrast against the white snow, white fog and brown tree bark all around him. There would be no missing him in that outfit in this circumstance. He rode atop a blue roan so dark the horse was the color of a turbulent and fiery thunderstorm.
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End Notes
Did you like this book? I certainly hope that you’ve enjoyed being in the land of shape shifting Were’s, wolves, witches and she-cats, if only for a few moments.
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And if you are looking for even more books by Susan G. Charles please feel free to check out some of my other works below:
The Master of the Hunt: A Paranormal Romance – Everyone in her family knew that one day Elizabeth Fox would make a fine horsewoman, and she certainly lived up to that and well surpassed all their expectations. But one foggy winter morning an ordinary ride turned into something completely unexpected as she encountered a handsome stranger and his small hunting party while out on the trail. Should she join them or not?
Paranormal Beverages, Potions and Tonics – Who would ever have thought that a simple chain of events could have such an everlasting effect on a persons life? Now imagine if that whole cycle of events were based on a series of mistakes? But just what would be the outcome when an unexpected stranger came to purchase a potion and received the wrong one by mistake?
Toots and Poots in a World Full of Snoots: The Amazing True Story of One Boys Gas-tly Abilities – is the story of a kindergarten aged boy, Timothy Oscar O’Toole, AKA, Toots, with a talent for farting – a skill he obviously loves to share with all his friends. A great story for kids of all ages!
For the most up to date information about the works of Susan G. Charles, please feel free to visit my facebook page, website or my Amazon author profile.
Table of Contents
Preface
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 1)
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 2)
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 3)
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 4)
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 5)
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 6)
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 7)
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 8)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 1)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 2)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 3)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 4)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 5)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 6)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 7)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 8)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 9)
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 10)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 1)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 2)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 3)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 4)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 5)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 6)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 7)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 8)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 9)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 10)
Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 11)
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Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (Chapter 12)
Free Chapter Preview: Paranormal Beverages, Potions and Tonics
Free Chapter Preview: The Master of the Hunt: A Paranormal Romance
End Notes
The Animal Sagas: A Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance Page 13
