Page 1 of Hexes and Hiccups (Mystery In A Bottle #3)

D aisy

Daisy stared at the shut doors to the Witch Council’s meeting room.

They were ornate and white, resembling the rest of the decor in Gray Manor.

Though Daisy didn’t typically visit the Elder’s residence, in the recent weeks, she had stood within their revered halls more than she had ever expected to.

Daisy lowered her head, snagging a glance at the golden badge in her palm.

Coven Inquisitor.

The honor of being given such a title still lingered in Daisy’s mind.

How had a simple potion brewer who ran a small shop in downtown Willowbrook managed to wind up there?

She shook her head. It was as unbelievable as it had been when Iskra offered the position.

Tucking the badge within her fraying denim jean pocket, Daisy tried to ignore the pressure of it, though it remained with her still.

Days had passed since she had earned the badge, along with her closest friend, Tessa, and yet, everything felt as though it would never return to the way it once was.

Responsibility weighed heavily against her shoulders.

It was a responsibility that grew heavier with each passing second.

Daisy’s eyes followed Tessa, who paced in front of the shut doors.

Her flowing flower dress flew behind her like a cape with each turn she took turns.

Her short pixie cut hair was pushed out of her face with a bright headband.

Despite the generally happy colors she wore, Tessa’s face was the exact opposite.

Tessa chewed on her fingernails, a nervous habit Daisy remembered from their youth.

Though she used to do it quite often in school, Tessa had grown out of it for the most part.

In times like this, where not even her empath abilities could simmer down her nerves, Tessa returned to her youthful quirks.

“You shouldn’t be so nervous,” Daisy said. She pulled a brave smile across her face, one that did not resemble the unsettling swirling in her stomach. “The Council wouldn’t hand over Inquisitor badges to the both of us if they thought we couldn’t be trusted.”

Tessa pressed her lips together. “How can I not be nervous? You were there when I told Riven we’d make him a statue for helping us with the potion to save the town. You found the note in his petrified hands. What other assumption can they make, besides that I was the one behind it?”

Daisy held back her wince. Telling Riven, an arrogant dragon who required a different kind of flattery, that the Council would erect a statue of him in town center was enough to convince him onto their side.

Without it, Daisy doubted he would’ve gone through with it.

And when she came across the statue of him alongside Ethan, only to discover that it wasn’t a statue at all but Riven himself, Daisy never believed Tessa to have been behind it.

But the note…Daisy shook her head again. There was always another explanation.

Tessa Hala will cheat on her next empath test.

The note was straightforward, not daring to beat around the bush.

Daisy knew it was only gossip, something to frame Tessa as being someone dishonorable.

She had known the empath all her life. Even in grade school, Tessa never dared to cheat.

What would have changed to have made her do it now, when they were far from youthful ignorance?

“The Witch Council knows you,” Daisy finally said. “Just because Riven was turned to stone and had that note on him, that doesn’t make you the culprit. They aren’t ones to jump to conclusions like that.”

Tessa sighed heavily, obviously not reassured. “If it is their only clue, what else are they supposed to think?” She let her head fall into her hands, her next words slightly muffled. “If I were them, I’d naturally assume the same thing.”

Anger struck Daisy in the center of her chest. Her wonderfully kind friend could not see herself in the way Daisy did, and that was more frustrating than any stupid note. Daisy stepped closer to her, about to try and convince her further, when the doors to the meeting room began to open.

With short heels clicking against the tile, Serelith Grimwillow stepped out of the meeting room, waiting in the threshold.

She held her hands behind her back, a solemn look on her pleasant face.

The witch had a great affinity for creatures, as she had been blessed with Animal Kinship, an ability that allowed her to speak to animals.

Resting on her shoulder was a blue jay, the feathers so bright they dazzled Daisy for a moment.

“The Council is ready,” Serelith said, her monotone voice unexpected.

Daisy reached for Tessa’s trembling hand, pulling her to walk forward alongside her.

Serelith’s serious demeanor faltered, her shoulders flinching slightly. “U-Unfortunately, we need to only speak with Daisy.”

Daisy barely let the words settle in the air before she stepped forward, her chin raised confidently. “The Council knew the moment they came to us for help with the curse over Willowbrook that Tessa and I are a team. You do not get one without the other.”

“But –”

“Whatever dark magic that has struck Riven will be unseen by me if Tessa isn’t by my side.”

Serelith pressed her lips together before raising a slender finger and retreating back into the meeting room, the doors gently shutting behind her.

As silence passed over the hallway, Daisy tightened her hand around Tessa’s, hoping that all the words she wished to say were felt in the simple touch.

Beside her, Tessa gulped loudly, her eyes glued to the doors.

After a short moment, the doors were pushed open once more to reveal Serelith.

“Come in,” Serelith said, her eyes holding onto Daisy. “ Both of you.”

Daisy held back her smug smile as she walked into the meeting room confidently, making sure to keep her grasp on Tessa tight.

Though the empath only radiated nerves, Daisy was set on making sure she came along with her.

Within the meeting room, there was a long table striking down the middle.

The table was full of chairs, but only three were used on one side.

Serelith took a seat quickly beside her fellow Elders: Iskra Veilshade and Zirelle Duskwither.

Despite the circumstances, Iskra had that familiar smile on her face, her purely white hair hanging down her shoulders like a coat.

On her left, Zirelle did not hide her unpleasant expression.

There was an obvious grimace on her face, lips pulled down in a frown, sophisticated black hair short around her ears.

Daisy took some comfort in Iskra’s calm face.

The witch was a skilled divination expert, with a specialty in peering into the future.

If she didn’t look as haunted or displeased as the other two, it must’ve been a sign that it wasn’t as bad for Tessa as it seemed it to be.

Though, Daisy couldn’t ignore Zirelle radiating an uncomfortable energy.

As Daisy and Tessa took seats across from the Council Elders, the hex expert’s ebony brow rose sharply.

“Thank you both for coming on such short notice,” Iskra said. “We managed to study the statue, and investigated it to the best of our ability.”

Zirelle leaned back in her seat, the chair creaking beneath her. “I will say,” she mused, “seeing Riven turned into a petrified state is quite gratifying to those who’ve been on the receiving end of his unavoidable arrogance.”

“We do not condone such acts,” Iskra quickly added, eyeing her fellow Council member warily. “What we have uncovered is that Riven was rendered into this state through a powerful potion.”

Daisy’s ears perked up. “A petrifying potion? Can’t say I’ve seen one in action.”

“Though it is dark magic,” Iskra continued, “we aren’t entirely concerned about Riven's current state.”

“Why not?”

Serelith crossed her arms over the table as the blue jay walked over her limbs nonchalantly.

“It looks like he has been simply put to sleep, if that makes sense. He isn’t experiencing pain, isn’t even aware of what’s happening, luckily.

And he’s not in any danger of becoming dehydrated or anything of the sort.

Which means we don’t have to do anything reckless to turn him back. ”

Daisy tried to hide her shocked expression.

Though she hadn’t dealt with a petrifying potion in her recent years, just off the top of her head, Daisy could imagine the sorts of ingredients needed for a cure.

The potion had to be strong to render a dragon into such a state, which meant brewing the solution would take longer than other potions.

Daisy pressed her lips together, however, and let the thoughts simmer within her head.

There was something more pressing to deal with if the Council was not concerned with reverting the potion.

“We need to know who could do such a thing,” Serelith continued. “And what the reasoning was behind it. I believe it is safe to assume that the attacker might strike again in the coming days.”

Tessa, much to Daisy’s surprise, leaned forward to speak. “Wouldn’t Riven know who attacked him? If we managed to secure the cure, then –”

“Don’t worry,” Zirelle interjected, her voice brusque, though that was normally how she sounded. “We’ll be spending our time trying to free him.”

“Which is why we need the Coven Inquisitors to uncover the meaning behind it,” Iskra finished.

Beneath the table, Iskra retrieved the torn note that had been pulled out from Riven’s hands.

Daisy recognized it instantly. Resting the page flat against the table, Iskra pointed towards the borders of the note.

“Do you see these edges? There is a golden border along the page, which gives us some idea where it came from.”

Daisy glanced at the ornate border of the page. “How can you know where it came from by just the border?”

Silence passed over the table as the Council Elders faced Serelith, whose face was beginning to turn a delicate shade of pink.

The bird hopped up the witch’s arm before nestling against her neck in a comforting fashion.

Serelith scratched the top of the blue jay’s head, avoiding meeting anyone’s gaze.

“Well,” she murmured in a small voice, “I saw… well, I was shown by Riven a book that has a golden border on all the pages.”

“I didn’t realize you and Riven were friends,” Daisy commented.

Tessa huffed. “I didn’t realize Riven had friends.”

“Well, you see,” Serelith started, “I wouldn’t have called it friends, but… Oh, why does it matter?”

Zirelle leaned across the table, a mischievous smirk on her lips. “Let’s call it what it was: a date.”

“ Hey !” Serelith whined, her face growing redder. “I told you: no teasing!”

Iskra, who sat between the bickering pair with a surprisingly calm expression, let out a sigh. “On a more important note,” she said, “Serelith explained to us that the book contained gossip about practically everyone in Willowbrook.”

“You’re kidding,” Daisy blurted. “He had a book like that?”

Serelith grew more embarrassed. “Not the best thing to see on a first date, mind you.”

“Anyways,” Iskra continued, “we haven’t the foggiest idea who could’ve taken the book from the dragon, or why they would in the first place.

We can only assume that the book is at the center of Riven’s predicament, which means finding the book a top priority.

You find the book, you find the culprit. ”

Before Daisy could say anything, Iskra leaned forward more, her eyes holding onto Tessa.

“Let me make something clear.” Iskra breathed deeply, as if preparing herself. “As the protectors of Willowbrook and the magic within it, we need to be cautious and pursue every avenue available. We cannot rule out Tessa as a suspect without further evidence.”

Daisy’s mouth opened, the argument ready to tumble out of her.

“We know you two are a team,” Iskra quickly added. “And we will respect that.” Though there was still some hesitation in her face, Iskra slid the page across the table, till it was directly in front of them. “You both understand that, don’t you?”

Tessa spoke before Daisy had the chance. “Of course,” she said. “Of course we understand.”

Taking the slip of paper, Daisy let her fingers run over the lettering and the golden border.

Luckily, since it had been torn from a book, Daisy could brew a potion to locate the rest of it.

Even so, as she held onto the paper, a ripple of unease crawled up her spine, pulling a shiver out of her.

Something about the situation felt off, even more so than it inherently was.

Perhaps it was the Council’s hesitation, or the way they watched Tessa, as if she had already been found as the culprit.

Determination flared in Daisy’s chest. If there was one thing she could do, it was find the true witch or warlock behind turning Riven to stone.

“We will find the book,” Daisy said, the sincerity evident in her voice. “And the real person behind all of this.”

Daisy turned to give Tessa a confident smile, but faltered, met by her friend’s radiating unease.

Though she was still training to be a professional empath, her abilities did not cease to grow stronger with each passing day.

No matter how much she tried to hide her growing fear, Daisy could recognize it as easily as happiness.

Beneath the table, Daisy reached for her friend’s hand and gave her a tight, reassuring squeeze.

Tessa squeezed back, though it wasn’t as strong as she hoped for it to be.

The uneasy feeling returned, and Daisy forced herself to look towards the Council once more.

“Consider it done.”