I couldn't help the feeling that something was a something they didn't want to tell me, just like I had a few somethings I didn't want to go into either. So, I left it alone and moved on as best as I could.

  The foreclosure was taking up a lot of my extra thinking time.

  When the bell over the door jingled, I looked away from the monitor to see Crwys step in. He wore his usual leather jacket, jeans, sneakers, and smarmy smirk. When he stopped just inside and yanked the notice off the door window, I slipped off the stool. "Hey…you can't do that."

  "Yeah, I can. Because it's not happening."

  Grey stood up and made her way from behind the counter to receive her greeting from Crwys. "You want to explain that?"

  "Sit down. And I need you to listen to me."

  Grey returned to me and took up her position on her huge pillow behind the counter as I hopped on the stool. "What?"

  "You know I'm not human."

  "Right."

  "And you've probably guessed I'm long-lived."

  "Yeah."

  "So, it shouldn't surprise you to know I'm not financially strapped."

  I didn't say anything, because I wasn't sure what he was saying.

  "I had a little business to take care of this morning. I like this place. And I like you, even if you keep pushing me away." He leaned on the counter in front of me. I noticed a new ring. A silver dragon with a red ruby eye. "I want to help and I knew you'd never let me."

  I blinked at him. "What did you do?"

  "I paid the debt. There's a repair crew coming in this afternoon to get this place in shape, and you have a new duplicate shipment of whatever it is you sell coming in tomorrow. So in three days, you'll be back in business, just in time for the Christmas shopping rush to begin."

  I opened my mouth to protest. Yeah, I was appreciative, and yeah, I was trying not to climb over the counter and hug him but—

  Crwys held up his hand. "The only thing I want, Samantha, is to be a silent partner in the business. I won't take a salary. I won't ask to see records. I just want you to stay open. And if you keep doing the good work you're doing, this place is going to get dinged up again and again. So, my payback for you is to keep it running smooth. Okay?"

  I stared at him. At his red-amber eyes. His dark lashes. His full lips. I'd thrown this man out of my life twice, but he was still here. "No strings?"

  "No strings."

  I held out my hand and we shook on it. I hoped he didn't feel the guilt that still wrapped around my heart, a little tighter every day. I hadn't come clean about Arwen's death. I was afraid to let them know I was the one that murdered her. I'd carved her up in cold blood and stabbed her through the heart, tossing her soul into the open mouth of a demon.

  I didn't know if this was my punishment for using Arcane, or if there was something else to come.

  But Dionysus was still alive, and one day I'd see him again. And I would need to be ready.

  The door burst open and a young kid, maybe fourteen, ran in. He stopped in the center of the shop, spotted us, and pointed. "I need a love spell!"

  Crwys chuckled, patted the counter, and stepped away. "Get back to work, Hawthorne. Save the world."

  The series continues with Elemental Shadows.

  To join Phaedra Weldon’s mailing list and be alerted when she releases new books, click here.

  Sweet Desire

  A Transformed Story

  Stacy Claflin

  1

  The moon’s glow on my skin tingled. Then it intensified to a near-burn. It shone full and bright. I gritted my teeth and ignored the discomfort. My pain indicated something more ominous coming.

  Cawing from a murder of crows disrupted the quiet of the night. I shuddered at the irony of the group’s name because they announced ominous things to come. They circled the outline of the moon. It gave them an eerie glow. They grew louder.

  “Is this a warning for me?”

  Silence.

  Several woodland creatures scurried away.

  Goosebumps formed on my arms and neck. I swept my long hair to the side and twisted it around my manicured nails. The moonlight made it seem especially blonde.

  I took a deep breath and ran a finger along the skirt of my dress. “Do you have a message for me?”

  The black scavengers flew erratically, completely blocking my view of the moon. Their cawing sounded more like screams. I wanted to cover my ears but refused myself the comfort. The noise became deafening.

  I squatted to the ground, refusing to leave. I needed to figure out their message.

  The birds dispersed and disappeared from sight as quickly as they’d appeared.

  Gasping for breath, I stood and steadied my shaking arms. My heart thundered in my chest. I was no closer to understanding the message, but I had ways of finding out.

  The forest creatures came back out, one by one. Each seemed as nervous as I felt. I went over and ran my hands down the silky mane of a unicorn. He whinnied and nuzzled against me.

  “You feel it, too, don’t you?” I whispered.

  His wet nose brushed against my arm.

  I rubbed the fur between his ears. “We’ll figure this out, won’t we?”

  He let out a loud neigh and scampered away.

  It took me a moment to gain my bearings and stared at the towering pine trees. They always calmed me.

  I’d come outside to gather some ingredients for a locator spell. I’d promised a friend I would do everything I could to find the love of his life. So far, I’d come up with nothing, but it appeared I had another matter to look into.

  I hurried to gather what I needed, mostly plants—rowan, hemlock, and nightshade. The enchanted forest made the samples all the more powerful. It strengthened everything, in fact. My own powers had been growing by the day. The magic of the woods was the best source I’d ever drawn from.

  It only took a few minutes to gather what I needed, and once I was done, I headed back into the castle. The enormous structure could be seen for miles. It was rumored to be the largest in the world, and I believed it. There were ten massive wings, all in immaculate condition, despite being around three thousand years old.

  In the hallways, as usual, the vampires glared at me as I walked through the hallways. It didn’t help that I was naturally drawn to their beauty. Even the ugliest vampire made the best looking human seem dull and boring.

  As I tried to pull my gaze from a stunning redhead in a low-cut silk dress, she jumped at me and hissed, baring her fangs. “Out of our castle, witch.” She sniffed. “Your scent is as revolting as a werewolf.”

  I turned around and took the long way to my guest room.

  Even being a personal guest to their king and queen didn’t bring me any less animosity—nothing would come in the way of their centuries-old hatred of witches. They liked to think of themselves as the most powerful creatures on this vast planet of ours. But they needed us, and they knew it.

  I was a rare witch who had made friends with a vampire, and not just any one of them—the queen. She had needed my help in her youth, and we had forged a friendship that had lasted through the years. Despite being in her good graces, the other vampires still didn’t treat me well. They merely tolerated me because of the queen’s wishes.

  The day I could leave the castle wouldn’t come soon enough. I was used to my life of solitude, and castle life was anything but that.

  Once I finally made it to my room—my temporary room—I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath. Unfortunately, the angry glares were nothing compared to what I would likely face outside the protection of the woods.

  It was well known among the supernatural creatures that this particular forest was run by vampires, so everyone else stayed away unless specifically invited. Those after me were stuck miles away, unable to come inside.

  At least by typical means. The scavenging birds were clearly a sign, and not one I could ignore.

  Had my old coven found me?

  I’d spent so much of my life hiding, I wasn’t sure what I would do once I had to face them.

  The window showed a clear sky. At least the crows were gone for the time being. One thing was certain. Scavengers never indicated anything good. Something bad was going to happen.

  I set my collection of plants on the table and went over to the window. If I hadn’t known better, I would think it was just another quiet night in a magical forest.

  My phone buzzed on the bed. It took a moment to bring myself into the mindset of modern technology.

  I turned on the screen and saw several new texts. Unfortunately—or fortunately?—nothing about the crows.

  They were from my werewolf friend, Toby. I had agreed to help him find his lost girlfriend, Victoria. While I’d spent many years living a solitary life, he had been one of my few friends, and I would do anything for him, including daily failed locator spells.

  Toby: Do the spells yet 2day?

  Gessilyn: No. Few complications.

  Toby: She OK?

  Gessilyn: Not her. U sure u don’t have anything else of hers I can use?

  Toby: No. Gave u all I had.

  Gessilyn: OK. If I learn anything, u will b my 1st call.

  Toby: U OK?

  Was I? That was yet to be seen.

  Gessilyn: Yes. Prepping spell now.

  Toby: Thx. 4 evrythg

  Gessilyn: Hope u find her.

  Toby: Me 2.

  I put my phone back on the bed and turned to the table. Sleep sounded better than anything else, but from the looks of it, I had a long night ahead of me. I separated the plants into piles. One was for the locator spell for Toby. Another was my own—yet another failed locator spell.

  I needed to find out where my coven was staying. They’d kicked me out long ago, but they could only fight nature for so long. Tradition had chosen another witch as coven leader, but even from a young age, my own powers had far exceeded hers. The coven had only managed to get rid of me by combining all their powers. I’d been so young, I hadn’t stood a chance.

  Now, however, it was a different story. And as much as I would have liked to simply live a quiet life in solitude, it wasn’t to be. I’d been chosen to be coven leader, and nature wouldn’t rest until that came to pass.

  Deep down, I was certain that was what the birds were about. Whether the coven had sent them was yet to be seen, but I knew what it meant, either way.

  My days of hiding were numbered.

  Heart pounding and mind distracted, I ran Toby’s locator spell. It was my daily ritual. I could perform it in my sleep, I’d done this particular one so many times.

  I spread out the plants I would need and crushed them in a little bowl. Next, I sprinkled on some faerie dust and closed my eyes, holding Victoria’s image in my mind.

  Nothing. As usual.

  Some unknown force was blocking me from finding her. If she’d have been dead, I would have been able to find her body. The fact that I came up empty-handed each time meant there was an active effort to keep her hidden.

  Maybe it was time to try something I’d put off trying because the last time it hadn’t worked out so well.

  But I had promised Toby I would try anything to help him.

  My heart thundered in my chest.

  At least the castle was made of stone, so I couldn’t burn it down. Or could I?

  I held out my hands in front of me, cupping them open over the bowl. My palms tingled, almost as though knowing what I was about to try. I cleared my throat and thought back to the words I’d heard my mother speak when running this very spell so many years earlier.

  My mouth went dry and I closed my eyes. Once I spoke the words, there would be no turning back.

  “Af góðu upphafi vonast góður endir.” Though I hadn’t spoken Icelandic in so long, the words rolled off my tongue.

  Heat blistered my palms. I jumped back and a glowing ball, nearly the size of my head, fell onto the small bowl and smashed it. The contents caught on fire and shot into the air and spread across the table. The flames swallowed the rest of my herbs, turning the smoke purple and blue.

  I flew to my feet, scanning the room for anything I could use to put out the fire.

  A pitcher full of clear liquid sat on my nightstand. Some of the castle servants must have left me some water. Thank goodness something was going my way.

  I grabbed the handle and threw liquid across the flames. They sparked and grew, now consuming the table. I sniffed the pitcher. Wine.

  “Help!” I cried. The queen had posted guards at my door to protect me from the other vampires.

  The door burst open and two large vampires hurried in. One of them released a string of profanities. The other one ran out of the door and returned with a fire extinguisher. He aimed it for the table and sprayed white foam until the small blaze had disappeared.

  “What happened?” he demanded.

  I thought quickly. The last thing I needed was to give them reason to hate me for being a witch even more. “Trying to cook dinner,” I fibbed. “It didn’t work.”

  “Next time, just go to the dining hall. I’ll send word for a replacement table.”

  “Thank you.”

  They left the room, muttering about my cooking skills.

  Toby texted me. Did you happen to find her this time?

  Sorry. I tried something new, but it didn’t work. Maybe tomorrow.

  He didn’t respond. Not that I could blame him.

  I took a deep breath and stared at the mess. If only I’d had the chance to learn witchcraft from my mother before her death. The other witches in our coven had refused to step in and fill her shoes in that regard.

  My body ached. As tired as I was, I needed to see if I could find anything out about the crows.

  Luckily, I had put most of my ingredients on my bed, so I wouldn’t have to go out in search of more. I cleared off the desk and sorted the herbs I needed. Once they were in a fine powder, I took the others and placed them on a ceramic plate. My palms turned clammy and cold. I took a deep breath.

  I lit a match, with my hands shaking, and set the herbs on the plate on fire. Then I poured the fine powder over the flames. The room filled with a sweet odor.

  The flame reached for the ceiling and danced, fully in control. As I stared at it, a force pushed me back against the bed. I held onto the mattress, unable to look away from the fire.

  Everything around me disappeared as the orange danced to music only it could hear. It exploded, and I glanced around. I was outside. Wet sand stuck to my sandals and toes. The sun shone bright, like early morning just after sunrise. Water lapped on the shore. Dragons flew overhead.

  Children chased each other not far away, laughing and teasing each other in a different language. One I was intimately familiar with. Icelandic.

  What was the message? Had the birds been sent from here? Or was this where my coven was staying?

  A powerful magic drew me to turn around. The recently restored enchanted forest of Iceland beckoned.

  None of this surprised me. Iceland was the supernatural hub of the world. All magic had originated here. Though it had nearly been wiped out for centuries, it couldn’t be taken down. It was alive and well—thriving—now.

  I tried to move, but my feet refused. My legs wouldn’t carry me.

  A wind breezed by, tickling my nose with salty ocean air. Goosebumps trailed from my neck all the way down to my legs. Everything about this vision was so vivid—as though I were really there. That meant that the matter had been firmly established. I was being given information, not an opportunity to see something I could try to change. If the vision had been more like a dream, I might have been able to alter some aspect of it.

  Chanting sounded in the distance. It was soft and far away, but the sound was unmistakable.

  The words grew louder. Dauði. Andlát. Fráfall. Æævilok.

  I stumbled backward. All four words meant death in Icelandic.

  And it was my coven.

  They said my name. Gessilyn.

  I held my breath, listening for more. I couldn’t make out any other words. Only my name, which they repeated several times. Gessilyn. Gessilyn. Gessilyn.

  A clasp of thunder sounded. I closed my eyes.

  Dauði. Andlát. Fráfall. Æævilok.

  When I opened my eyes, I was back in my room in the vampire castle. My body went limp and I fell onto the bed.

  No more spells—or magic of any kind—for the rest of the night. Not that there was much left of it.

  I crawled under the covers, not bothering to change my clothes.

  My group wanted to find me, and they only wanted one thing.

  My death.

  2

  The queen entered my room, her eyes frantic. Her worry was the complete opposite of her regal gown and intricately braided hair style. A single brown curl had escaped above her ear. She pulled it back and stared back and forth between me and the ruined table. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m really sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. I’m more worried about you.” Alexis wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me tightly.

  I returned the embrace. “I can reimburse you after—”

  “Nonsense. Do you think we’re lacking anything?”

  I pushed aside some of the books and scrolls covering the bed and indicated for her to sit. “I’m going to have to move on soon.” I sat, waiting for her protests. She enjoyed having friends near, and I was no exception.

  “Why do you need to leave?” She sat next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

  Some hair fell into my eyes, and I pulled it back into a ponytail. “Something came up. I may need to borrow some of your ancient scrolls. I promise to return them.”

  “Anything you need, my friend. I can never repay you for all the help you’ve given me over the years.”

  I flipped through the pages of a book. “And maybe some items from the forest.”

  “Not a problem. Can I help with anything else?”

  “Unfortunately, I’m going to have to face my demons myself.”

 

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