I sucked my lower lip between my teeth to keep from engaging, not in the mood for an argument. Yes, I’d run across bad people at the shop after I’d bought it from Nora, but those experiences had made me stronger. I refused to live my life anticipating trouble. I had appreciated times when Kyle had my back, but I didn’t need him standing guard over me twenty-four-seven.
“The world can be an ugly place,” he went on. “Trust me. I’ve seen things in my line of work.” He stopped, apparently remembering he was no longer an officer.
His patronizing tone sent ripples of annoyance over my skin. Time to change the subject. “Well, you’re home for the weekend now, and working on your house is a few steps across the street. It isn’t like you’re miles away.”
“Like when I’m gone all week. Is that what you’re saying?”
He was spoiling for a fight, but I wasn’t going to give it to him. I held hopes that our anniversary might shake off some of his gloom. “Why don’t you unpack and take a shower. I’ll make you a nice dinner, or if you’d rather, we can go out. What do you think?”
“We need to save our money until I’m gainfully employed again.” He took a long slug from his can of Pepsi and shot me a glare.
“Then I’ll fix what’s in the fridge,” I said evenly.
They say relationships are give and take, and I’d had my share of insecurities where Kyle was concerned. I’d forgiven him for cheating on me, accepted his help when I didn’t need it. Now that he needed help, he was shutting me out. As much as I reassured him his occupation didn’t matter, it mattered to him.
He picked up the rest of his Pepsi and downed it. “Is there any soap other than that smelly stuff you put in my shower?”
The lavender soap I’d left in his shower was meant to soothe him. So much for improving his mood. He fought me at every turn. “Your body wash is on the shelf over the toilet.”
He nodded, retrieved his duffle, and stomped out. I retreated to my workroom, where a grimoire lay open on the table. Prepared to mix a special order, I approached, but was surprised instead to find instructions for how to break a spell. Daria’s?
Have the subject collect one of each of the following:
Three mistletoe leaves
One stem from a castor bean plant (red)
One nightshade vegetable
Mix the ingredients with water to make a stew and have the subject partake two ounces of the broth, after which they must state the desire for absolution from the spell caster. If their heart is true, the spell may be relieved. Illness will follow as the spell is cleansed from the subject. In the absence of intervention, the spell will be resolved when its purpose has been accomplished.
I had no doubt the concoction would cause illness, although after earning my degree in ethnobotany, I knew the ingredients were the least lethal parts of the plants.
As if on cue, someone knocked on my workshop door.
Daria was back.
Chapter 3
Tears streamed down Daria’s face. “I was driving home when a deer ran across the road. The rental car I got from the insurance company is totaled.”
I sat at the patio table across from Daria.
She blew her nose. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I didn’t know where else to go. I was feeling so much better after we talked.”
“I’m going to ask you some strange questions,” I began. “Starting with do you know anyone who’s initials are M.S.?”
“My college roommate. Madeleine Stephens.”
“Is there any reason Madeleine might be angry with you about something?” I asked.
Her expression became guarded. “Yeah. We don’t talk anymore.”
I studied Daria, waiting for her to expound on her statement. She worried the tissue in her hands, staring at it instead of speaking. With nothing to lose, I pressed her about Madeleine’s potential eccentricities. “You asked me when we met if I was a witch. Did you think Madeleine was a witch, too?”
Daria snorted. “I should apologize to you for that. Compared to her, you seem so normal.”
Which didn’t answer my question. “Tell me about her. The more information I have, the better I can help you.”
Daria rolled her eyes. “Not one of my prouder moments, especially after I found out what really happened.”
I waited. The book had shown me what to do, but performing magic intentionally brought unintended consequences, and I’d had plenty of experience with bad outcomes.
“Anyone might have done the same thing,” she went on.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning. What happened?”
“It was a case of wrong place, wrong time. Her little brother was walking home from work when he saw two guys on a street corner. He said one of the guys pulled out a gun and started shooting. Madeleine’s brother took off running, and when he passed a gas station, he stole a car to get as far away as he could, to Madeleine’s apartment in Milwaukee. I was outside at the time and saw him get out of the car. When the police showed up five minutes later, they asked me if I’d seen the driver. I told them it was Perry, Madeleine’s brother.” Daria shook her head. “By the time Madeleine came out to tell me what was going on, it was too late. I’d already put her brother behind the wheel. She said they’d called the police to tell them what happened, but the police didn’t seem to care. He’d stolen the car, after all. They carted him off to jail. Long story short, in addition to the car theft, they pinned the drug deal he’d stumbled across onto him.”
That explained why Madeleine was angry with Daria.
“It’s not your fault.” I patted Daria’s shoulder. “If he was a victim of circumstance, like you say, a good lawyer should
