Counter-Hex (Covencraft Book 2)

by Margarita Gakis

  It wasn't like she was about to call him up and ask him either.

  Maybe she could go back out there, to the preserve, and see what she could find. Jade tapped her fingers on the table. There was the distinct lack of a car that stood in her way and she didn't think that public transportation would get her out far enough. Although, Jade lived close to one of the preserves entrances, where she ran with Daniel. Maybe she could try to approach it from the other direction - going in from her running path and focusing on the weird mojo from there. It might be closer than she thought.

  "Plan, Bruce!" Jade exclaimed, standing up. He skittered backwards and his Elizabethan collar flapped a bit in response to her excited tone. "We're going to need our running gear and to pack a bag. Field trip to the forest."

  Ten minutes later she had her running shoes on, was dressed in several layers and was stuffing her laptop backpack with what she considered to be 'outdoors-y survival things.' She had a bottle of water, an afghan from the back of her sofa and two boxes of crackers from the kitchen.

  "It's not like I'm planning on being out there forever," she said to Bruce conversationally. He was stretched out on the sofa watching her. He'd looked a little shifty-eyed ever since she took the afghan. Jade suspected he'd been using it for naps and was put out that she'd confiscated it. "I'm just going to check a few things out. Recon. And then come back here." She zipped the bag shut and slung it over her shoulder. "It's not like anyone's gonna even notice I'm gone."

  Okay, the talking to herself thing was getting a little out of hand. Sure, Bruce was looking at her while she spoke, but it wasn't like he understood her. Probably. Jade hadn't realized how lonely she'd been until she started talking to aloud to him. While she'd never had close friends at work, she'd been social - saying hello to people, grabbing a coffee with them, discussing the latest quarter's results. At the Coven, she'd sort of made friends with Callie and Henri, but she was still on her own a lot of the time.

  Bruce flicked his tongue at her lazily, stretching out on the sofa. He never took his eyes off her as she bent down to put on her shoes, tying the laces tight.

  "So. Be a good lizard," Jade said awkwardly. "And if I'm not back in a day..." she trailed off staring at him and then made a disgusted sound at herself. "I've got to stop talking to you like you're a person."

  She pulled the door shut behind her as she left, hopping down the steps. She slowed down when she saw a car in front of her house.

  "There you are!" Veronica said, coming out of the driver's side. She stood, leaning over the top of the car casually, as though it wasn't the end of fall outside, the weather turning cold and sharp.

  "Uh, hey. Can I help you?"

  "I wanted to come by and chat with you, but I can't seem to make it up your walkway."

  "Oh, sorry about that," Jade answered. "I've got it spelled. You know, for a lock."

  Veronica smiled and Jade frowned. Her smile was strange, but Jade couldn't put her finger on why.

  "So I figured. I don't know if I've ever felt one like it."

  "It's demon magic," said Jade, wanting to cut the conversation short. If there was one thing that usually did it at the Coven, it was the mention of demon magic.

  But, that only made Veronica's smile seem brighter. "Really? How intriguing."

  Jade shrugged, hitching the backpack up on her shoulders. "Sure. Uh listen, I'm on my way out."

  "You look like you're going hiking," Veronica said, looking up and down Jade's outfit.

  Jade narrowed her eyes. The hinky vibe she was getting from Veronica was growing exponentially. "What do you want?"

  "I think a better question is, what do you want?"

  Jade was pretty sure her face made that screwed up expression she got when she didn't understand something.

  Veronica jerked her head a bit toward the passenger seat of the car and started sliding back into the driver's side. "We should talk. Just us girls."

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Jade was intrigued by Veronica. She could admit it. She drummed her fingers against her leg for a moment, deciding, watching Veronica smile as she got behind the wheel, pausing to check her lipstick in the mirror. She leaned over and unlocked the door to the passenger side, looking up at Jade expectantly. Jade took slow steps forward, pausing as she opened the door.

  "Is this the part in the horror film where the audience is screaming at me to not get in this car?"

  "I don't know, Jade. What is it you think I'm going to do to you? You've still got all your magic, don't you?"

  Jade pulled open the back door and tossed her bag in the back. As she got in the front seat, Veronica took out a compact and touched up her makeup.

  "So that's how you stay looking so perfect all day long," Jade said, eyeing Veronica as she touched up her makeup.

  "It's a pain in the ass, but necessary. People like you much better when you're pretty. Shallow but true." Veronica tucked her compact and lipstick back in her purse, smoothing her hair. "Don't you agree?"

  Jade half shrugged, half nodded. "I guess. People do tend to like and trust good looking people."

  "So, where are you going?"

  Jade decided just to put her cards all out on the table and not dance around the issue. "I am going to the preserve to see what Dex has done to Coven magic. But," Jade said, pausing as she saw Veronica's expression change from one of interest to one of knowing, "I'm getting the feeling you already know what he did, don't you?"

  Veronica apparently felt the same urge to address Jade frankly and responded back in kind, not even trying to tiptoe around. "Dex," groused Veronica. "His problem is he pushes. He pushes and pushes and pushes and doesn't know when to stop." She shoulder checked and pulled out into the street. "You were the wild card in this, Jade. You were the piece we couldn't predict. We thought the spell would work on everyone."

  "The spell on the Coven's magic?" Jade asked, feeling the need to clarify. She was completely taken aback. Of all the things she expected when she walked out the front door to find out what was happening, getting into a car with Veronica and having it all dumped into her lap was not one of them. She didn't feel in danger or threatened, but she was still ready to toss out some fireballs if it all went south.

  "That and the spell to make everyone remember Dex."

  "Whoa, what?"

  "There's a reason everyone likes him so much and it's not his sparkling personality," Veronica said wryly.

  "That's a magic spell?"

  "Yes, another one that didn't work on you."

  "Wait, so everyone likes him because of the spell?"

  "Yes, and remembers always liking him because of the spell."

  Jade blinked a few times, staring at the street signs as they went by. "That actually makes me feel a lot better about all this. Because he gives off serious creeper vibes."

  Veronica turned the car down the road toward the preserve, the same road that Paris had taken her on the other day, when they went to work on her circle magic. "Tell me about it. That's part of the problem with Dex. He doesn't know when to quit."

  "So are you and he...?" Jade asked, eyebrow going up.

  "No. Not for his lack of trying." Veronica sounded a little disgusted and affronted.

  "When I asked Dex what he did to Coven magic, he said nothing. I was testing him with magic of my own, to see if he was lying and he passed," Jade continued, thoughtful. "But if you're working with him, then was it you?"

  Veronica seemed tense. "I cast the spell that shifted Coven magic out of balance, yes. It's tied to Dex, for as long as he's here."

  "Why?"

  "So no one would feel Dex's memory spell. Changing someone's memory is... big. Changing an entire Coven's worth... it wouldn't have gone unnoticed."

  "Unless everyone's magic was broken," Jade finished.

  "Yes. They would be completely focused on fixing it and nothing else."

  "What's your deal? Why are you telling me all this?"

  "Because we had a plan and it's n
ot working. It's not working because of Dex and because of you and because of Paris."

  "Paris," Jade said. "What did he do?"

  "It's what he won't do," Veronica said hotly, slapping a hand on the steering wheel. "I'm attractive and even though Dex had to do a spell to make the Coven remember him, I actually do have a history with Paris and it should have been simple enough to get what I wanted. Unfortunately, he's got a goddamn noble streak and the Coven always comes first with him. The Coven and now you."

  "Me?"

  "You," Veronica affirmed.

  "I'm not... he's... We're not," Jade sputtered.

  "Stop before you hurt yourself."

  "Well, we're not," Jade replied firmly. "If he's not playing slap and tickle with you it's not because of me."

  Veronica made a sort of 'mm-hmm' sound and Jade resisted the urge to keep protesting. She smoothed her ponytail out, giving herself some time to find her words.

  "What do you want anyway? What's all this for?"

  Veronica turned her head to look at Jade and ground her jaw. "I suppose I may as well tell you, I'm telling you everything else. Sakkara's books. The one's you found."

  "The demon grimoires?"

  "I need them. Paris' mother was...," she sighed, staring out the windshield. "There was no one like her. She had so much power, so much control and when I heard that she'd written demon grimoires... I need them."

  "How do you know about them? It's not exactly common knowledge."

  Veronica waved a hand, turning into the preserve with a one-handed grip on the wheel. "You'd be surprised what gets around." The car jerked to a stop and she put it in park, turning to face Jade. "I know you have at least two, and Paris has one. But I can't figure out where he's keeping his. You must have yours at your house, but no one can even get close."

  "Because of my spell. My demon locks," Jade murmured.

  "Exactly. It's not like we haven't tried." She leaned in a little closer to Jade. "What's in there about demon deals? Is there a way to break them? Can it be done?"

  "I don't know. I haven't read them all the way through yet," Jade replied.

  Veronica huffed. "You were in a coven all of two minutes before you found out about demon magic and started using it. And, I hear you're a natural. Better at it than regular magic."

  "Seriously, does everyone just gossip all day long?" Jade asked, a little outraged. "Aren't people supposed to be working?"

  "Idle hands," Veronica mused. "Not just the devil's playground."

  "And now you've gone turncoat against Dex. Why? Why did you agree to drive me out here?" Jade looked around, seeing the forest spread out in front of her. If she focused closely, she could feel the same thing from before - the strange wrong feeling deep in the woods.

  Veronica's fingers flexed, her knuckles white, the tips of her perfectly manicured nails glinting in the light. "I want out. It was supposed to be fast. Cast the spells and get in. With everyone's magic broken, no one would notice the spell on their memories. Find the grimoires, get them and get out. But it all went to shit with you in the mix. Neither spell worked on you and you hated him from the get go. Paris wouldn't tell me about the grimoires, and we couldn't get near your house."

  "Why both you and Dex together? Why didn't you just come on your own? You said you have a history here," Jade argued.

  "I do. I did manage to convince Dex to at least let me try with Paris first but..." Veronica sighed and then laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. It was harsh and brittle. "Paris talks to me like a colleague, nothing more, despite my efforts."

  Jade blinked at the statement wondering how much 'effort' Veronica had tried to use on Paris.

  "I hoped I could woo those books out of him. Dex was all over me, pushing me. I guess there's no honor among thieves. He probably trusted me to get the grimoires on my own about as much as I would have trusted him. Dex has always had big ideas. He wants power and he found out I wanted those books. I was supposed to go in and see if I could get them, or at least get Paris to tell me where they were. But Dex didn't give me enough time." She huffed. "Or maybe it doesn't matter. Paris didn't seem to be at all susceptible to my flirting. I did manage to find out you had two of the grimoires and then Dex and I tried to break into you house but you had this... lizard thing. It came out of your house and attacked. What the hell is that thing anyway?"

  "Bruce?" Jade questioned. She remembered the first night he stayed he'd gone outside, hissing at something in the bushes. "That was you?" Jade felt like a colossal idiot. She hadn't even realized there's been someone there.

  "That was us. After that, Dex wanted to try it his way - all flash-bang. He was convinced it would work and we could snatch the grimoires. But then you," Veronica continued, shaking her head slightly. "You didn't like Dex from the start and you somehow knew he was responsible, even if you didn't know how or why. It should have been done by now. We should have gotten those grimoires and gotten out. Now Dex wants to use more power and try the memory spell again. He thinks he can get it to work on you this time." Veronica shook her head. "But there's something... off about you." Despite the fact that Veronica was kind of a sociopath, her words stung Jade a bit. "I don't think the spell will work. I don't know what it is, but you don't react to magic like you should. I want to cut our losses, but Dex isn't giving up, and I need you to stop him. It's too much now."

  "You want me to clean up your mess," Jade said. "Why aren't you telling Paris this? He's Coven Leader. He's got all the good mojo. If you guys have a history and if you turn on some of your 'charm,'" Jade made air quotes around the word, "he'd help you."

  "He would," Veronica murmured and then gave a wry laugh. "But then I'd have to look him in the face and tell him what I did." She gazed out into the forest, her eyes going a bit glassy. "And I don't know if he's brutish enough to go up against Dex." She looked Jade up and down. "You are though."

  "Gee, thanks."

  "I mean it as a compliment," Veronica said with a shrug. She jerked her chin toward the forest. "He's in there now, trying to alter the spell, trying to get you in it, or pull it apart and reshape it. I don't think it can be done and when he figures that out, he'll go for something else."

  "This is your plan?" Jade asked incredulous. "Drive me into the woods and set me loose like some kind of sniffer dog? You're not even going to help?"

  Veronica at least had the decency to look away, ashamed. "I can't. Dex... knows things about me. He knows where to push." She rubbed at her lips and jaw with her hand, smearing her makeup and not seeming to notice. Her hands fluttered slightly. "He and I are like junkyard dogs that huddle together for warmth, but also circle each other, waiting for a weak spot, both hungry for a scrap of steak. He's a bigger dog than me, and I've got to be smart about this. I don't have the power to go up against him. But you do."

  Jade wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Sure, she had power. She had lots of power apparently. She was also green like a ten-dollar ring and according to Paris, and wasn't supposed to use any magic until she learned better control.

  "What exactly is it you think I can do, Veronica?"

  "You'll do whatever you have to do. And you won't balk at it."

  Well, she wasn't wrong about that. Jade wasn't above fighting dirty. Jade drummed her fingers on her thighs, deciding. Without realizing she was going to speak, she started asking Veronica questions.

  "What kind of magic does Dex like?"

  Veronica thought about it for a moment. "Showy. Even if no one's around, it's got to be showy. He'll always go for a trickier spell than necessary."

  "How good is he?"

  "He's good. His emotions don't get in the way."

  "And his elements?"

  Veronica made a so-so motion with her hand. "He doesn't go for much elemental magic. He likes the spells and the incantations. Blood magic, wet work." At Jade's expression Veronica paused. "Has Paris taught you about blood magic yet?"

  Jade shook her head. "No. There were some things in the grimoires
, but I thought..." Jade had thought it was strictly a demon magic tool. "What's it like, blood magic?"

  Veronica grimaced. "Messy. Thick. Cuts deep. I'm not making puns here or anything, that's what it feels like. That's how it works."

  "What kind of blood are we talking about here? Animal, human?"

  "Depends on what he wants." Veronica pulled up her sleeve showing a white strip of gauze wrapped around her inner elbow. "We used our own for the spell on the Coven. I guess since he doesn't have me, he'll have to double up on his own blood to invoke it again."

  Jade stared out into the woods, narrowing her eyes, trying to find the feeling she'd found before - the strange-wrong-bad feeling in the forest. She was quick to find it this time or maybe it found her, she wasn't sure. Was she getting better at this or was the feeling worse because Dex was out there right now casting spells he had no right to? Jade turned back and looked at Veronica, who was watching her intently, waiting. She studied Veronica up and down. Jade didn't think she was lying - she didn't give off a weird or creepy vibe like Dex did. If there was one thing Jade thought herself good at, it was reading people. She hadn't liked Dex from the start and clearly, she was right. But Veronica....

  "You're not really evil, are you?" Jade mused.

  Veronica huffed. "Not sure if that's a statement or a question but no, I'm not. I just need those books."

  "Why?"

  "I'm smart, Jade. I'm damn smart," she said without a hint of artifice. "Smart enough to get my own coven even though I don't quite have the power for it. People have overlooked it so far probably because I'm damn good looking too." Jade shrugged and nodded along. Veronica was probably right. "But I knew I wasn't going to be young and good looking forever and I needed more power."

  "What did you do?" asked Jade, already getting a sneaking suspicion.

  "I made a deal. A demon deal for more power. At first..." she sighed. "It must be so easy for witches like you, having this power all the time. I could do any spell I wanted. My Coven ran more smoothly, I could fix things that were broken, and it was like people knew, they could sense I had more power. And then..."