Page 34

CHAPTER 34

“H oly shit.”

Elora blinked at the surprise in Charissa’s voice.

“What?” she asked as she took off her jacket and tossed it over the counter. Jonah and Cece did the same as Charissa turned the open sign to close and locked the potion shop’s door.

“Your aura is much more noticeable,” Charissa said. “Is your magic stronger?”

“A little,” Elora admitted.

Charissa gave her a look that told Elora she knew she was lying, but she let it go. “Come with me. She’s in the staff room.”

“How did you find her?” Elora asked as she, Jonah, and Cece followed Charissa past the beaded curtain leading to the employee-only area.

“My cousin’s coven,” Charissa said. She paused in front of the staff room door and lowered her voice. “Agnes is very old and powerful. She also has a short temper and,” her gaze flickered to Jonah, “isn’t fond of men. Stay quiet, all right, Jonah? If we piss her off, she won’t help us.”

Charissa’s aura had turned a deep green. She was nervous, something Elora had never seen before, and it sent Elora’s magic pulsing and shimmering through her in response, lighting up her body like a lightning strike.

Charissa opened the staff room door and ushered the three of them into the small space.

Elora studied the ancient witch sitting at one end of the loveseat that dominated the tiny room. Her aura was the strongest Elora had ever seen, a blue shimmer the colour of the ocean that surrounded her in a thick haze. Her scent brought forth images of crackling wood fires burning in the cold night air. The witch returned her look, peering out from a face so wrinkled it resembled an apple left to shrivel in some forgotten basket, her rheumy eyes sweeping Elora from head to toe.

Ignoring Jonah and Cece, she said, “Your magic is strong, but you have little control over it. At your age, you should have more control.”

Elora ignored the barb. “My name is Elora. It’s nice to meet you, Agnes.”

“I know your grandmother. I’m surprised she hasn’t done a better job of teaching you to control your magic,” Agnes said.

Elora sighed inwardly. She was not going to let this go. “My magic has just recently grown stronger. I am still… adjusting.”

“Right,” Agnes said. “Sit with me, Elora.”

Ignoring the trepidation she felt at being close to the old witch - the power radiating from Agnes made her twitchy and tense - Elora sat beside her.

Agnes didn’t say anything, and after a few minutes, Elora’s anxiety turned to annoyance. Working hard to keep it from her voice, she said, “Charissa said you know where Malencia is.”

“I grew up with your grandmother,” Agnes said. “You look like her at that age. She’s powerful, but I reckon your magic will overtake hers soon.”

“It won’t,” Elora said shortly.

Agnes just shrugged. “The WWC still trying to convince her to join them?”

Elora’s irritation flared, heightening her magic, and Agnes stared at the smoke drifting from Elora’s fingertips with something that looked like amusement.

Elora’s annoyance festered in her belly. She was trying to save a man’s life, and the old witch wanted to play catch up about her grandmother? She did not have time for this bullshit.

An incantation hovered on her tongue, something ancient and dangerous that she had no way of knowing, but there it was, demanding to be used, demanding to be unleashed on the witch who insisted on wasting Elora’s time.

More smoke drifted from her body, and she could feel the power thrumming through her. She stared at Agnes, her body vibrating wildly. The witch stared calmly at her, and something about that calmness, the peace that radiated from her when Elora’s body was on fire with a power she no longer felt in control of, sent even more anger racing through her.

Before she could speak the incantation, Jonah crouched in front of her. His hand cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “Elora, control your magic.”

She stared at Jonah, his dark eyes radiating love and warmth.

“Can’t,” she breathed as her magic rose to the surface. “Jonah, I can’t.”

“You can, baby,” he said. “I know you can.”

She clutched at his wrists, her hands a bright blue as tendrils of smoke curled around them. Her nails dug into his flesh as she struggled to win the battle within her, but he didn’t flinch or pull away. A cluster of candles sitting on a small table burst into flame, their wicks burning so hot and bright that the candles turned to puddles of wax in seconds.

She took a deep breath, gazing intently at Jonah as she fought to control the magic. After what felt like an eternity, the magic within her subsided, leaving her feeling shaky and weak. Her body slumped against Jonah’s, and he pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Good job, baby.”

He kissed her again before retreating. Behind them, Charissa was extinguishing the burning puddles of candle wax. Cece remained near the door, her curvy body trembling. Her aura surrounded her in a pale green shimmer. It was beautiful, Elora thought dimly, her gaze dropping to her own hands before the truth of what she had just seen rocketed through her. Apprentice witches didn’t have auras.

She snapped her gaze back to Cece, but no aura surrounded her. Cece smiled tentatively at her, and Elora gave her a faint smile in return. She hadn’t seen an aura surrounding Cece. It was just a weird blip in Elora’s magic.

“So, are the WWC still after her to work for them?” Agnes asked. If she had an idea that Elora had been a few seconds from casting a curse on her, she made no indication and certainly didn’t look afraid.

“Yes,” Elora said. “She keeps turning them down.”

“Ayuh,” Agnes said, “Helen never was much for the politics of witchcraft. Why are you not asking her for help?”

“She’s visiting her sister in the old country,” Elora said.

“Ah, doing the Ritual of Remar, no doubt,” Agnes said.

“Yes,” Elora said.

The old witch’s aura shimmered gently, rippling around her body like a living, breathing thing. Agnes studied Elora for a few seconds before saying, “Malencia and I were friends until she turned to dark magic. She was powerful, but it wasn’t enough for her. I warned her of the dangers of using dark magic to increase her power, but she was so stubborn, she never did listen worth shit.”

“How long has she been practicing dark magic?” Elora asked.

“Almost a decade.”

“Ten years? How has she not been caught by the WWC?” Charissa asked.

Agnes scoffed. “The WWC is so worried about dangers that might happen, they don’t see the dangers that are happening.”

She eyed Elora. “Charissa told me you went to the WWC, and they were useless.”

“They put her on a list,” Elora said.

Agnes snorted laughter. “Ayuh, the infamous dark witch list. Bunch of bullshit, that is. Back in my day, the WWC took care of dark witches quickly and efficiently. Weren’t no lists or bureaucratic bullshit taking place.”

“So, you can tell me where Malencia lives?” Elora said.

“You won’t defeat her,” Agnes said. “Don’t care how powerful you are. Malencia’s dark magic has corrupted her and made her more powerful than any witch has the right to be.”

She nudged Elora with one trembling finger. “Some of her dark magic transferred to you during your fight with her. It’s why you were so close to cursing me over nothing.”

Elora stared wide-eyed at her. “I don’t… I don’t do dark magic, ever.”

“Maybe not, but you got the urge to now, don’t you?” Agnes said.

“No, I -”

“Ain’t no point in lying,” Agnes said.

Keeping her gaze on Agnes’s face, Elora whispered, “Yes.”

“The lure of dark magic is hard to resist. Especially when you’ve had a taste of it.”

“I don’t want it,” Elora said.

Agnes shrugged. “Fight a dark witch as powerful as Malencia, and it’s inevitable. You fight her again, she’ll either kill you or convert you to her side, and neither option is exactly sunshine and roses, is it?”

“I need to know where she is,” Elora said.

“You best walk away,” Agnes said. “Some battles you can’t win.”

“I won’t,” Elora said. Her gaze turned to Jonah, and she hated the guilt she could see radiating from him. “His brother will die if I do.”

Agnes followed her gaze before rolling her eyes. “Nothing good ever happens from loving a man. You ever think of trying ladies instead? I can vouch for how much better they are in the sack.”

Cece made a weird cough, and Charissa outright laughed. Agnes turned to them. “I might be old, but I still know how to woo the ladies.”

“Tell me where Malencia lives,” Elora said impatiently, the fresh flare of her magic sending both dread and elation through her.

“I don’t know,” Agnes said.

“You don’t know?” Elora said as her temper snapped. “Then what fucking good are you to me?”

Agnes’s aura deepened, and anger flashed across her face before it subsided, and the old witch grinned at her. “Your temper reminds me of your grandmother.”

Elora stood. “We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go.”

Agnes’s hand curled around her wrist, strong despite her fragile appearance. “I don’t know where Malencia is, but I know where her daughter, Shawna, is.”