"Thickening gruel, please," the head of the coven said.
From her place at the sink, Laurel frowned. "No, that isn't right. The next ingredient is eye of newt.”
Lady Weatherby stared down her aquiline nose at Laurel. "I think you must be mistaken. I'm quite sure that it should be thickening gruel.”
Laurel went to consult the parchment. As her eyes scanned the list, she pressed her lips together. "I was certain of the order. I don't know how I mixed that up."
"Not to worry, Laurel," Lady Weatherby said. "You are still young and learning. Even simple spells take time to master."
"If this was such a simple spell, you would think you'd remember it," Millie grumbled.
Lady Weatherby didn't seem to hear her, which was probably for the best. She continued to stir and called for the next ingredient. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Laurel pulling her wand from her cloak pocket. Her gaze met mine and she silenced me with a look. I had no idea what she was up to, but I remained quiet.
"Lady Weatherby," Laurel said in a stern voice. "Why did you use a spell to rearrange the order of ingredients on the parchment?"
The head of the coven released the wooden spoon and fixed her attention on the youngest remedial witch. "What, exactly, are you accusing me of?"
Laurel straightened. "Exactly as I just said. You’re trying to trick us and I demand to know why."
I looked from Laurel to Lady Weatherby. What was going on? Lady Weatherby seemed to notice my confusion.
“Miss Hart, come stand beside me, please," she said. "I suspect your so-called friends are trying to sabotage the reversal spell."
I edged away from the remedial witches, uncertain what to do. Why would my friends try to sabotage my efforts to regain my memory?
"Emma, don't believe her," Begonia said. "She's up to something. Come back to us where it's safe."
I stood in the middle of the room halfway between Lady Weatherby and my friends. "She’s the head of the coven. Agnes's daughter. Why would she want this to fail?"
Millie's chin jerked upward. “I know why. Because if Spellbound breaks the curse, Lady Weatherby will be subject to someone else's jurisdiction. There’s no way she’ll be able to stay as the head of the coven. I'm sure there's a national branch of the coven that would likely come and perform an inspection. No doubt they'd want to replace her."
Lady Weatherby narrowed her dark eyes. “They wouldn't dare unseat me. I am the head of this coven. They have no authority over me.”
My head was spinning. “Are you the one who gave me the potion?"
Her jaw tightened. “It was simple enough to leave a cup at the bar with your name on it. Your assistant picked it up and delivered it straight to you.”
“Did you really think you wouldn’t get caught?” Begonia asked. “With all the paranormals who want to help Emma?”
Lady Weatherby ground her teeth. “Perhaps I should have known not to underestimate you all."
“Is this why you kept us at the remedial level all this time?" Millie asked.
“I’m the one who hid the old grimoire that Laurel found,” Lady Weatherby admitted. “I came upon the grimoire years ago, and told no one at the time. I should have destroyed it, but I was concerned it was warded with a protection spell and my actions would be discovered.”
“You must’ve been awfully upset when Laurel began translating the parchment,” Sophie said.
“As it happens, it isn’t just me," Lady Weatherby said. "There are other powerful paranormals who don't want to see the borders opened. Who knows what the end result will be? It could be catastrophic for the town.”
Sophie shook her head. "But the key members of the coven have been working on this. Even without Emma's memory, we’d be able to break the curse soon."
Lady Weatherby gripped her wand. "I don't believe that's true. We have the means, but we need Miss Hart’s power to fuel it. Without her, I don't think the spell will work."
“Not without the unicorn horn, either,” Begonia said. “You’re the one who tried to take it, aren’t you? That’s why we never found anyone with burned fingertips. You knew how to get around the booby trap.”
“You took the voodoo doll, too,” Sophie accused. “You burned Emma!”
Lady Weatherby inhaled deeply. “I’d intended to simply hide the horn, but I was interrupted and had to leave it in the vault.”
"Is this why you've been so slow to train Emma? To stunt her growth?” Laurel asked.
“That’s true,” Sophie said. “Your mother has spent far more time trying to help Emma than you have."
"I thought if I could slow her progress, attempt to sideline her, then no extreme measures would be necessary," Lady Weatherby said. "I know you won't believe this, but I don't want to see any real harm come to Miss Hart."
“Is that why you always call me by my last name? Because you knew you might have to take action against me at some point?” I asked. I’d noticed it, but I wasn't sure what the backstory was between us, so I didn’t raise it as an issue.
Laurel held up her wand in a threatening manner. "Who else is in on this? Who are you working with?"
Lady Weatherby’s expression darkened. “That’s none of your concern. Now put down your wand, Laurel.”
“Why?" Laurel shot back. "So you can do a spell on us? Make us forget what we've just learned? Not a chance." She turned to the four of us. "Once at the ready, girls. For Diana!"
Diana?
“Jacinda Ruth, you are a disgrace to the coven," Millie said, producing her wand.
Sophie took aim at Lady Weatherby. "For Princess Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta.”
“Wonder Woman!” I said, joining the rallying cry.
Lady Weatherby seethed. "I have no idea what any of those words mean."
"No, you wouldn't," Millie said haughtily. “Now hand over your wand or suffer the consequences.”
“I will do no such thing.” Lady Weatherby stood firm. Before anyone could react, she pointed her wand at me and said, “Ocean waters, dark and deep/lay this sorceress down to sleep.”
Nothing happened. I glanced down at my body, which remained fully erect.
Lady Weatherby didn’t get another chance to attack me.
“Wands at the ready!” Sophie cried, and they all jumped into action. “Wrap her in a bubble/to keep her out of trouble.”
A transparent shield appeared around Lady Weatherby, surprising the head of the coven.
“Well done, Sophie,” Millie said.
“Don’t sound so shocked,” Sophie shot back. A proud smile touched her lips.
“I don’t understand.” Lady Weatherby banged on the bubble, but it simply stretched and snapped back into place with every punch.
“I do,” I said. “Raisa put a protection spell on me. I’m impervious to any spell meant to harm me.”
“You went to see Raisa without your memories?” Sophie queried. “That was brave.”
“Or stupid,” Millie added.
“Let’s get your memories back, Emma,” Begonia said. She hurried to the cauldron.
“What can I do to help?” I asked. I hated watching them run around without pitching in.
“Bounce Lady Weatherby out of the way,” Millie said. “Her bubble is too close to the cauldron.”
I stood awkwardly in front of the head of the coven, debating the easiest way to relocate the bubble. “Good thing the bubble is flexible or her antlers could poke straight through.”
“As the head of the coven, I demand that you let me out this instant.” Lady Weatherby’s voice was muffled by the layer between us.
“Technically, I’m not a member of the coven,” I said, and rolled her bubble off to the side. “So you don’t have any authority over me.”
“We’re ready for you, Emma,” Laurel called excitedly.
I left Lady Weatherby and faced the four remedial witches with their wands drawn. “Okay, this feels way too much like a firing squad. Do you have to ai
m your wands at me?”
“If you want the spell to work,” Millie said, “then yes.”
“What are the ingredients in the cauldron for?” I asked. “Do you dip your wands in the potion or something?”
“You need to drink it,” Laurel said.
I cringed. “Are you serious? I saw what went in there.” Yuck! Bathing in Raisa’s protection spell was bad enough. This was much worse.
Millie handed me a cup with steaming greenish-brown liquid. “Drink up, Emma. Hold your nose and you won’t taste it.”
“Says the witch who doesn’t have to drink it,” I said.
“Hurry up before Lady Weatherby’s bubble bursts,” Begonia said.
“I think we already burst her bubble,” Laurel said.
I poured the vile concoction down my throat and tried my best to keep it down. “Holy Benjamin Franklin! That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted. It was lumpy.” I didn’t even like chunky peanut butter. Smooth, only smooth.
“Ready, witches!” Sophie said. They reformed in a line across from me and pointed their wands.
“I’m pointing mine in a non-threatening manner,” Begonia reassured me.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“On the count of three,” Laurel said. “One, two, three.”
In unison, they said, “Like the fond reunion of a lover/let Emma’s Swiss-cheese mind recover.”
“What kind of spell was that?” I heard Laurel say, as my head began to throb.
“Agnes,” Millie replied, as though that explained everything.
Pain pierced my skull and my hands flew to my temples to try to relieve the pressure.
“Emma?” someone said. I couldn’t listen. The memories came flooding back in a powerful rush. It wasn’t like scenes from a film. It was a haphazard mess, like puzzle pieces scattered in the wind.
“She’s in pain,” Begonia cried. “Is that normal?”
“It’s her missing memories snapping back in,” Laurel said. “It should only hurt for a minute.”
Easy for her to say. Her mind wasn’t currently in a vice. After another few painful pricks, the throbbing eased and I rubbed my eyes.
“Emma, do you know your name?” Sophie asked.
Millie rolled her eyes. “If she didn’t already, you just told her.”
Sophie giggled. “Oops.”
“Ask her something she didn’t learn since she lost her memory,” Laurel said.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I remember everything. My bachelorette party, the potion…it tasted like apples.” I caught my breath. “Thank you, all.” I glanced at Lady Weatherby. “How are we going to handle Jacinda Ruth?”
Lady Weatherby’s face twisted in anger. “Stop it! How dare you call me that.”
“I think we should bounce her over to the Spellbound Care Home and let Agnes deal with her,” I said. “It’ll be like old times, right? Your mom will dole out your punishment.”
Lady Weatherby glared at me. “My mother cannot even dole peaches out of a can.”
“You underestimate her,” I said. “You always have. Agnes is as smart as they come.” And as soon as I saw her again, I’d thank her for this spell.
“Agnes is a lunatic,” Lady Weatherby said.
A thought occurred to me. “It isn’t that you underestimate her, is it? She’s in that care home to keep her from getting in your way because you know exactly how smart she really is.”
Lady Weatherby stared at me in hostile silence.
“We should get Professor Holmes,” Sophie said.
Begonia scrunched her nose. “I don’t know. What if he sides with Lady Weatherby? What if he’s one of the paranormals she was talking about?”
“I wasn’t kidding about Agnes,” I said.
“We can’t get Lady Weatherby to the care home without drawing attention,” Laurel said.
The gears began clicking in my restored mind. “Okay then. I’ll bring Agnes here. She’ll be thrilled to get fresh air.”
“Use a cloaking spell,” Sophie suggested. “They might not let her go without paperwork.”
“If they won’t let her go,” I said defiantly, “then they’ll have to answer to an angry bride.” And nobody wanted that.
Chapter 15
I skipped all the way home, excited to be fully myself again. Lady Weatherby’s treachery aside, today was a good day. I couldn’t wait to see Daniel and share the good news. Thankfully, he was waiting for me at the house, much to Gareth’s dismay.
“I’m back,” I screeched, throwing myself into his arms.
Daniel gripped me tightly. “I can see it in your eyes. Thank my lucky stars.” He kissed each hand and then my lips. “Welcome back. I love you so much, Emma.”
“I love you, too.”
He gazed into my eyes. “I suppose you remember all my flaws now. That’s the downside of getting your memories back. I only tried to remind you of the good bits.”
“I’ve missed you,” I said. “All of you.”
It didn’t matter that Daniel was flawed, because so was I. He was still perfect for me, though, and I loved him enough to let him be the angel he was. I didn't need him to wear a halo to love him, although I knew he desperately wanted to restore his good name.
“I’d give every feather in my wings for the chance to love you,” he said. “It wouldn’t even matter whether it was reciprocated. My love for you is truly a gift.”
I sighed. “I think that’s the loveliest thing you've ever said to me."
“You deserve so much more than a lovely remark every now and again, Emma. Those are breadcrumbs. I want to nourish you with a feast every day for the rest of our lives.”
“You’re on a roll, Mr. Starr,” I said. “Are you practicing your wedding vows or something?”
“You want us to write our own vows?” he asked.
“What’s the alternative?” Probably an issue we should have discussed by now.
“Use the standard Spellbound vows,” he replied.
I wasn’t familiar with the standard vows, but I knew I’d be happier if we wrote our own. As far as I was concerned, a wedding ceremony should reflect the two paranormals getting married and no one else.
He stroked the back of my hair. “I can think of a few more things I’d like to say right now.”
I leaned against his chest. “More lovely things? I’ll be spoiled. Care to try them out on me now? See if I swoon?” Oh, I’d swoon. Of that, I had no doubt. Daniel could recite the ingredients in Speedy Star Cookies and I’d swoon.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” he said.
“No Shakespeare,” I scolded him. “Our vows should be completely our own.”
He pretended to pout. “You mean I can’t plagiarize any of the great poets?”
I kissed his downturned lips. “Maybe a little. For inspiration.”
“You inspire me to be the angel I was meant to be,” he said. “Even if my halo is never restored, I feel like I’ve become the best version of myself because of you.”
His words stirred the deep love I had for him. “I can’t think of a higher compliment.”
Gareth appeared in the room and immediately groaned at the sight of us.
“We’re discussing potential wedding vows,” I told him. “Any thoughts?”
“Keep it short and sweet so we don’t get bored,” Gareth said. “The guests are more interested in what comes after the ceremony.”
Daniel nuzzled my neck. “Now it’s your turn for vow suggestions.”
“Ugh, take it upstairs,” Gareth moaned. “This is a respectable home.”
“I haven’t come up with anything yet,” I said to Daniel. “I’ll have to surprise you.”
“You always do, Emma,” my angel said. “You always do.”
As soon as I got the chance, I drove to Raisa’s cottage to thank her for the protection spell that saved me from Lady Weatherby. I didn’t bother to let Sedgwick know. I knew how much he disliked coming to the b
oneyard cottage.
“Back so soon?” she asked, when I breezed my way inside.
“I got my memories back,” I said.
Raisa scratched a brown spot on her sagging skin. “I see. And this brings you to my doorstep?”
I sat in the wooden chair and rested my head on the table. “I want to say thank you for the protection spell. I also need somewhere to vent.”
Raisa’s chair creaked as she sat across from me. “Second thoughts, dearie? Is the bloom off the rose so quickly?”
I turned my head enough so that my voice wasn’t muffled. “No. Nothing to do with Daniel. It’s Lady Weatherby.”
“The head of the coven? Did that horrible witch expel you?” Raisa sniffed. “She always was a difficult one. Very insular.”
I lifted my head. “Yes, exactly. Insular. She’s the one responsible for the memory potion. Do you want to know why?”
“I can probably guess.” Raisa reached for a jar and removed the lid. “A sweet for my sweet?”
I eyed the colorful contents in the jar. “Since when do you keep sweets? You always have gross stuff like eyeballs and tongues.”
Her lips stretched into a hideous smile. “Those can be sweet as well, when you bake them right.”
Ugh. “She doesn’t want to break the curse on the town. Can you believe that? She’s been part of a secret effort to thwart the coven’s progress over the years.”
“She feels threatened, dearie,” Raisa said. “We all do questionable things when we feel threatened. She has a position of power in Spellbound. She’s respected. Open the borders and who knows what will become of her? She risks much more than she stands to gain.”
I straightened. “You almost sound like you’re defending her.”
Raisa’s bony shoulders lifted. “I can understand her motivation. Her actions don’t make her evil, only misguided.”
An image of my recurring dream flashed in my mind. The old woman with Raisa’s face.
“When I came here to ask you about my dream,” I began, “you acted like you didn’t know anything.”
Raisa avoided my gaze. “And now you believe I do?”
“I’m sure of it.” I knew I should be deathly afraid of the dead witch, but something kept fear from flooding my system. Maybe the fact that she gave me a protection spell. She wouldn’t have done that if she’d intended to hurt me.
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