Author: K. E. O'Connor
Date: 2016-12-21 00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Paranormal; Cozy witches; Mystery; Small town supernatural; Cozy mystery with animals; Cozy romance; cozy murder; Small town witches
Description: A witch has a problem. Can the Thornheart witches help and will they solve the kissing curse and figure out their own tangled love lives? Ivy and Bryony Thornheart are no strangers to magic, light and dark. When the talented witches come up against a powerful kissing curse, they have to fight to save their client, Agatha Graytooth, from repelling every man she kisses. Human lives are put at risk by this curse, and the witches have to race to save the feeble red bloods and break the curse. Witched Kissed is the first in an exciting cozy paranormal mystery in the Old Sarum series. With enchantin

Witch Kissed

Old Sarum Witch Cozy Mystery Series, Volume 1

K.E. O'Connor

Published by K.E. O'Connor, 2016.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

WITCH KISSED

First edition. December 21, 2016.

Copyright © 2016 K.E. O'Connor.

Written by K.E. O'Connor.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Table of Contents

Title Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 1

“If Kim Elliott didn’t have so many dirty thoughts this wouldn’t be a problem.” Ivy Thornheart smacked a glass vial full of dried herbs onto the counter.

“We all have dirty thoughts.” Ivy’s sister, Bryony, gave her an indulgent smile. “I bet you’ve had several this morning.”

Ivy swiped her long dark hair over one shoulder. “But our client is permanently blue. All of Kim’s thoughts can’t be that bad.”

“Perhaps she reads a lot of racy novels,” said Bryony, inspecting one of the silver rings on her slim fingers. “Those thoughts might be considered naughty by the curse she’s under.”

“Whoever cursed Kim knows her well. It’s the perfect curse, changing color every time you think about something you shouldn’t.” Ivy uncorked the glass vial and dumped the herbs into a granite bowl before grinding them with a small pestle.

“I feel sorry for Kim. Nobody deserves to be cursed like that.” Bryony looked around the inside of the Love Cauldron, the store she’d run with Ivy for the last two years. It was a simple, mainly wooden structure, with a counter by the door, rows of ready prepared spell mixtures for clients to buy lining the walls, and a stack of spell books to browse. There was a comfortable green sofa and chairs they used when discussing spells with clients or for taking a rest from the popular business of spells and potion making. The store also had a small apartment upstairs where the girls lived, a stock room out the back, and a quiet room they used to raise familiars in.

“I bet she does deserve it,” said Ivy. “I’m never certain about Kim. She always seems so cheerful.”

Bryony laughed, her bright blue eyes sparkling. “You say that about me. Does that mean I deserve to be cursed to turn blue as well?”

“You’d probably benefit from a curse or two.” Ivy shot her younger sister a dark look. “I haven’t forgotten you ate the last brownie from the tin yesterday.”

Bryony stuck her tongue out. “A truly curse worthy error. I have already replaced them with a fresh batch.”

Ivy shook her head and tapped the herbs neatly into the center of the bowl on the counter. “Come see what you think of this mixture. If we add a few drops of chamomile and perhaps a dash of dried pumpkin, it could remove the curse.”

Bryony lifted her floor length cream colored skirt off the ground and walked to the counter. She dipped her finger into the herb mixture and tasted it. Her nose wrinkled and she grimaced.

“It’s not meant to taste nice,” said Ivy with a frown. “It’s meant to counteract the curse. Although it would help if we knew who created it in the first place. We all have our own talents when it comes to spell creation. If Kim figures out who cursed her, we can go straight to the source and discover what was used to create the curse and break it easily.”

Bryony sampled the herbs again. The gritty substance on her tongue tasted of cloves, thyme, and something bitter she couldn’t identify. She watched Ivy as she turned from the counter and extracted more ingredients for the counter curse spell. Ivy had a penchant for darker magic; spells that could frighten and scare. But she was also the expert when it came to new spell creation and had a knack for identifying the perfect combination of ingredients for a powerful spell or a curse breaking potion.

“You’re right about adding the chamomile,” said Bryony. “You need something to counteract the punch of arsenic in there.”

Ivy twisted towards her sister, her hands full of ingredients. “I’m impressed you can taste it.”

“It was a guess. But it’s your poison of choice.”

“It’s not a poison, not when it’s used correctly,” said Ivy. “I find it adds an interesting kick to most spells I create. No client has ever complained about it being used. And nobody has died.”

“Well, they wouldn’t complain, your spells always work.” Ivy might have a dark side, but everyone knew what an amazing witch she was. Possibly the strongest witch in Old Sarum.

“This one doesn’t want to work.” Ivy dropped the ingredients she held onto the counter. “This must be the tenth variation of a counter curse we’ve tried.”

“We’ll get there eventually,” said Bryony. “I’ve never known one of your mixtures to fail us.”

Ivy dripped three measures of liquid into the herbs and stirred vigorously. A few seconds later, a pungent scent of damp moss drifted around the store and black smoke filled the air. Ivy kept her head down, her long dark hair concealing her features.

Bryony gripped her nose. “Is it supposed to smell so bad?”

“Give it a few more seconds.” The speed of Ivy’s stirring arm increased and the smoke intensified.

“Maybe I should open the door.” Bryony hurried towards the glass paned door and grabbed the handle, her thoughts growing muddled as the strength of the spell increased.

“Just a few more seconds,” said Ivy, almost invisible under a cloud of smoke. “The smell will go away soon.”

“Maybe you added too much thyme?” choked out Bryony.

“There’s nothing wrong with my measurements,” growled Ivy. “Sometimes these spells have a little bite to them, that’s all.”

“I can smell the bite in this one.” Bryony inched the door open, letting some of the smoke drift out and a whiff of fresh air enter.

A large black paw sneaked through the crack in the door and scrabbled to make the opening wider. The sound of an indignant bark followed.

“Spike likes my spell.” Ivy pointed a finger at the paw jammed in the doorway.

“More like he wants to come inside and eat his breakfast.” Bryony pulled the door open wider and an enormous Rottweiler shot through, his teeth bared and ears flat against his head. It was Spike’s default look unless he was having his belly rubbed, and even then he grumbled like an imp being given a cold bath.

“You said he shouldn’t be inside the store,” said Ivy. “You think he scares the customers.”

“He does, they’re terrified of him,” said Bryony. “If only they knew what a softy he was underneath all that slobber and growling.” She reluctantly shut the door and walked over to Spike’s dog bed at the back of the store.

He gave his usual growl as Bryony approached, but she ignored his fierceness and petted his head. Spike’s eyes rolled back and then glowed red. He'd been Ivy’s dog since she was a baby, and had been a puppy when he’d joined the Thornheart family.

At the age of twenty-six, Spike was not your average dog. When he’d gotten old and the vet decided he needed to be put to sleep, a teenage Ivy had other ideas. She’d crept down to the basement in the family home, figured out a spell to keep Spike alive for as long as she was, and cast the magic. And it had worked, in a way. Spike did appear to be immortal, but the spell came with a few side-effects. Most notably, glowing red eyes, an almost incessant growl, and a habit of going for long walks in the dead of night and terrifying residents of Old Sarum. Other than that, he was the perfect dog.

“Spike is no worse than Sweetie.” Ivy waved a hand in front of her face, trying to clear some of the smoke.

“Sweetie is different,” said Bryony. “She’s useful. She fetches things for me.”

“She also attacked the high priestess when she came to visit Old Sarum,” said Ivy with a smirk.

“Sweetie thought the high priestesses hair was a nest. She was only looking for somewhere comfortable to sit.”

Sweetie was Bryony’s pet bird and was as affectionate as any enormous hawk could be. Bryony had discovered Sweetie after she’d been thrown out of the nest and had an injured wing. She’d scooped her up, brought the baby bird home, and hand fed her, teaching her to fly as soon as her wing had healed. And although Bryony encouraged her back into the wild, Sweetie bonded with Bryony and saw her as one of her hawk friends. Or perhaps Sweetie saw herself as human, Bryony wasn’t certain. She loved her hawk baby. Sweetie had a perch in each room and was free to come and go as she pleased. She was currently out doing a sweep of the village.

The store door banged open and Aunt Odessa strode through in a long floaty multi-colored dress, her grey hair loose around her face, flowers woven through it. She was the oldest of the girls’ aunts, and wore her age well, with only a few wrinkles around her eyes. She had a full, shapely mouth, which was smeared with dark red lipstick. Their mother described her as a hippy dark flower.

Aunt Odessa frowned as she wafted away the smoke that still drifted around the store. “What kind of malevolence is this?”

“Nothing malevolent, simply trying to unpick a difficult curse.” Bryony walked over and hugged her aunt, inhaling her comforting scent of patchouli and honeysuckle.

“Another curse,” said Aunt Odessa with a wink. “Anyone would think this village is full of witches.” She draped an arm around Bryony’s shoulders and they walked to the counter where Ivy still worked.

“It’s nothing we can’t handle.” Ivy’s hand covered the ingredients in the bowl.

“I know you’re more than capable when it comes to curses.” Aunt Odessa smiled at Ivy. “But you’re always welcome to ask for a little help. Don’t forget I helped set this store up with your mother.”

“How could I forget? Your names are still over the door,” said Ivy.

“You can take them down if they offend you,” said Aunt Odessa.

“No, we love the fact you and Mom established the Love Cauldron.” Bryony frowned at Ivy. “If it weren’t for you doing that, we wouldn’t have a business of our own. And we adore the store.”

“We’d have done all right,” muttered Ivy.

“Yes, you are both talented young witches, you would both have been fine. Having this store is a nice bonus for you,” said Aunt Odessa.

“It’s perfect.” Bryony smiled at her aunt.

“But I’m not here to discuss business with you. Will you both be around for the Old Sarum pilgrimage? The red bloods pass close to our garden boundaries. I thought it might be amusing for us to watch them.”

“I’d be happy to hurl a few hexes at them,” said Ivy. “That might liven up their dull pilgrimage.”

“Don’t be so mean,” said Bryony. “The humans do their best. And I like to see that some of them still recognize the importance of the area. They must be able to sense Old Sarum has some magic in it still.”

“They don’t sense anything,” said Ivy. “It’s just a dumb tradition they blindly follow. No red blood can sense our magic.”

“Some of them will have some latent magical abilities within them,” said Aunt Odessa. “There are records of witches and red bloods breeding, but it’s not common. Ivy is right, most humans have no idea what they are walking past.” And that was what made Old Sarum so magical. Located a stone’s throw from the renowned Stonehenge site in Wiltshire, Old Sarum was once a thriving village. It had been established alongside the ancient standing stones of the henge so worshippers had easy access to the site and the opportunity to rest after their often long journey.

All that was left of the village now were a few archaeological remnants, and shadows of former buildings etched into the dirt. At least that was what the humans thought, commonly referred to by the magic users of Old Sarum as red bloods.

“Every year they do the same thing,” said Ivy. “They stomp right past us, wearing those ridiculous backpacks and waterproof jackets. They miss all the real magic, intent on following the same worn path so many thousands of other ignorant fools have traipsed along. If they opened their eyes, they’d see what they were really walking past.”

“Stonehenge has its own power,” said Aunt Odessa. “It’s just a cruder form of what we practise.”

“But that doesn’t mean we should throw hexes at the innocent humans,” said Bryony to Ivy. “We should scatter them with positive magic. That might make their interest in the site deepen.”

Ivy shuddered. “What a terrible thought. We don’t want them coming back too often.”

“They don’t do us any harm,” said Aunt Odessa. “But they do bring entertainment to our quiet little haven.”

“It wasn’t so quiet earlier today when Jacob Merriweather ran past being chased by an enchanted cow. The poor thing had grown two heads and fangs,” said Bryony.

Aunt Odessa let out a peal of laughter. “That would be because Jacob Merriweather is showing too much interest in the Widow Daughtry.”

“Surely that’s a good thing,” said Bryony. “She needs a man in her life.”

“I’d agree with you if it weren’t for the fact her husband’s ghost is still around. And he doesn't think his wife needs a new man. I expect you’ll see a lot more of that enchanted cow chasing Jacob around the streets until he stops hassling the Widow Daughtry.”

“Widow Daughtry doesn’t need a man in her life anyway,” said Ivy. “They’re nothing but trouble.”

“Some of them are quite lovely,” said Aunt Odessa. “As you’d know if you decided to be a little kinder to them.”

“We don’t need any help with our love lives.” Bryony raised her eyebrows at Ivy. “Our lives are complicated enough as it is without involving men.”

The store door opened again, and an elf, half-hidden by an enormous bouquet of flowers walked in. He poked his narrow face around the side of the assorted colored roses. “I’ve got a delivery for Bryony Thornheart.” His dark eyes gleamed with pleasure as he took in Bryony’s curvaceous figure and blonde hair.

“What a surprise, you have an admirer.” Ivy grabbed some of the half empty packets of herbs and stuffed them back on the shelves with a grunt of annoyance.

“Who could it be this time?” asked Aunt Odessa with an amused laugh.

Bryony waved her hand to dismiss the question. “It’s just a customer happy with the work we’ve done.” She hurried forward and took the bouquet.

“Maybe they’re from your husband,” said the delivery elf.

“I’m not married,” said Bryony. “And I never will be.”

“Now don’t start that nonsense again,” said Aunt Odessa. “You know one day both you and Ivy will find suitable husbands.”

“Yes, just need to get over the curse issue first,” said Ivy with a snort of disgust.

“If you don’t like the man who sent you these flowers,” said the delivery elf to Bryony, “I’d be happy to take you out.”

Bryony switched her attention to the delivery elf, and he melted under her megawatt smile. “That’s sweet of you. But I’m not dating right now. I’m busy with the store, you see.” She guided him swiftly to the door and opened it. “Thank you so much for the lovely offer. Goodbye.”

The elf stood outside the store for a few seconds, looking bewildered as if he wasn’t certain what just happened to him.

“Another potential suitor dazzled by your charms,” said Aunt Odessa with a sigh.

Ivy gave a bitter laugh. “You didn’t have to be so nice to him, Bryony. You could have told him to get lost.”

“I didn’t need to do that.” Bryony inspected the name on the card. “He seemed like a sweet elf, but not my type.”

“Yes, he’s nothing like your ideal man. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Gabriel lurking around outside the store today,” said Ivy.

“Gabriel is just a friend,” said Bryony. “And he doesn’t lurk around the store, he visits when he needs supplies for his work.”

“Which is about three times a day,” said Ivy. “He needs to make a list so he doesn’t forget what he needs quite so often.”

“That’s nonsense!” Bryony dumped the flowers into an empty vase on the counter and threw the card into the trash.

“Or maybe he visits when he needs to get a fix of the witch he’s ridiculously in love with,” said Ivy.

“You know that’s not true. And even if he was, I wouldn’t date him.” Bryony shot her sister a meaningful look. “No man is going to come between us.”

Aunt Odessa’s eyes clouded with tears as she watched her beautiful nieces discussing men. She blinked them away swiftly. “Girls, back to the Old Sarum pilgrimage. Shall I let your mother know we can expect you? She will make food. And it’s been days since you’ve seen your other aunts. Just this morning, Isidore was worrying she had done something to offend you. She misses having you around the house. Ever since you moved into the apartment above the store, we hardly see you around the dining table.”

“Auntie Isidore couldn’t possibly do anything to offend anybody,” said Bryony. “But you’re right, we haven’t been around as much as we should. We’ll come to the Old Sarum pilgrimage. It will be fun.”

“I’ll be busy,” said Ivy.

“No you won’t,” said Bryony. “We will both be there. And we’ll get there early to spend time with Aunt Isidore and Aunt Lilith.”

“And your mother,” said Aunt Odessa. “She misses you, too. Although she’d never tell you that. She likes to think you girls are happy here.”

“And we are,” said Bryony. “She has nothing to worry about.”

“I look forward to seeing you there. It will be such fun.” Aunt Odessa opened the store door and stepped into the street. As she did so, Agatha Graytooth, a red headed witch, dashed past her, her grey eyes puffy and tears streaking down her plump cheeks.

“You have to help me. Something terrible has happened,” said Agatha.

“Whatever’s the matter?” Bryony grabbed hold of Agatha’s arm.

“I’m cursed to be alone forever.”

Chapter 2

After Aunt Odessa left the Love Cauldron, Bryony settled Agatha onto the sofa and sat next to her. “Tell me what happened? Why do you think you’re cursed to be alone?”

Agatha took in a gulp of air. “Every time I kiss a man, they go off me.”

“Have you ever heard of breath mints?” asked Ivy from behind the counter.

Bryony shushed Ivy, her attention still on Agatha. “Ignore my sister, she’s in a bad mood today. Tell me what happens? You kiss someone and they stop liking you?”

“That’s exactly it,” said Agatha. “I go on dates with guys and they seem to like me. We go to dinner or to the movies, or just for a coffee. Everything is going well. But then we get to the kiss. And every single time, right after we kiss, they say they don’t want to see me anymore. Some have even run away.”

“How many times has this happened?” Ivy emerged from behind the counter and dusted herbs from her hands.

“Every time I date someone.”

“And how many dates have you been on recently?” asked Ivy.

“Six or seven,” said Agatha. “I’m still searching for my Mr. Right. I thought I’d found him, but it went wrong. The kiss, though, that’s the problem. After it happens that’s it, end of dates. Surely I can’t have a toxic kiss?”

“Is this a recent occurrence?” asked Bryony. “Or have you always had this issue?”

“No, it’s brand new,” said Agatha. “Only in the last month.”

“You’ve dated six different guys in the last month?” Ivy perched on a chair next to the sofa and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ve been busy.”

Agatha hiccupped loudly and sniffed back tears. “I don’t usually date so much, but I’m not getting any younger and need to find someone to settle down with. It’s been my mission for this year, to find a husband. I’m the same age as you, Ivy, and neither of us are spring chickens.”

“I’m only twenty-six,” said Ivy coldly. “There’s plenty of time to go husband hunting.”

“Well, maybe you think you’ve got plenty of time, but in my family, the women start going grey at thirty. I need to get a move on and catch a man before my looks fade.”

“That’s a nice life ambition to have,” said Ivy with a shake of her head. “I’ll make some tea.” She left the room without a backward glance, Spike following her, hoping for some food, leaving a still hiccupping Agatha on the sofa next to Bryony.

“Can you help me?” asked Agatha. “I didn’t know where else to go. I know you specialize in love spells, but this is almost like an anti-love spell. I thought you might know how to reverse it.”

“You’re right, love spells are my speciality, but we branch out into all sorts of magic, even occasionally curses.” Bryony glanced at the still smoking spell on the counter. “Who do you think put a spell on you?”

“I’ve no idea,” said Agatha. “But I need your help. Surely there’s a way to reverse this?”

“The person who cast the spell is the best one to ask about that,” said Bryony. “To tinker with a spell I don’t know anything about is complicated and dangerous. I might make it worse and you could end up repelling everybody, not just the men you kiss.”

“Please, there must be something you can do.” Agatha grabbed hold of Bryony’s hand and squeezed. “I’ll pay you as much as you want. And you can have as many free magical brownies as you like.” Agatha’s family ran the bakery in Old Sarum, and their cakes were to die for. The magic ones, in particular, were a speciality. You could get cakes that made you fly, made you laugh or made you relaxed. Bryony had even tried one that changed the color of her hair for a day.

“It’s not so much a matter of payment,” said Bryony. “But without knowing the make-up of the spell, it will be difficult to reverse. Think carefully, who could have put this spell on you? And how did they get the spell into you in the first place? Have you had any strange brews lately or eaten something that tasted odd?”

Agatha shook her head. “Nothing comes to mind. And sure, I do eat a few strange things in the bakery, when we’re testing new recipes and spells, but no one else has experienced this. Only me. I don’t think it’s anything I’ve eaten or drunk.”

“Or they could have attached it from a distance, but that takes some serious spell power. We could be getting ahead of ourselves. Maybe it’s nothing so serious as a spell or curse,” said Bryony. “It could be you’ve got your own magic muddled. I do that sometimes, especially if I haven’t used my magic for a while. It’s as if my abilities go into overdrive and everything gets a bit too magically charged to be safe. I once exploded a toaster just by touching it.”

“I’m nowhere near as powerful as you or your scary sister.” Agatha glanced at the doorway Ivy had walked through. “And I use my magic daily in the bakery creating the cakes to sell in the store. I don’t think it’s that. I’m worried someone might have cursed me. I’m never going to find love. My plan to find a husband is ruined.”

“I’m sure it’s not that serious.” Bryony removed her hand from Agatha’s grip, her fingers cramping under her strong grasp. “Let’s start with a few tinctures and herbs for you to take. Try them for a week and see how you get on. This could simply be the side-effect of a spell you've used. And since it has only happened recently, there’s every chance it could wear off just as soon.”

“If you’re sure.” Agatha wiped tears from her cheeks. “I hate the thought of being alone. If I’m never able to kiss another man again, I’m not sure what I’ll do.”

“I’m single and it doesn’t bother me.”

“What do you do to occupy your time?” asked Agatha.

“I have the store, and my family, and Sweetie.” Bryony stood up. “And there’s always a good book to read.”

“I don’t want to be alone,” said Agatha. “Must be horrible.”

“It’s not so bad.” Bryony ignored the ache in her chest and bustled over to a shelf lined with herbs. She selected three different bottles, decanting them into small bags before tying the tops and handing them to Agatha. “Try not to be so gloomy. Think positive and hope the magic will disperse by itself. With a bit of luck and fairy dust, you will be free of all the symptoms before you know it.”

“I’ll only know that if I keep on kissing men, though,” said Agatha.

“Yes, that could be a bit tricky,” said Bryony. “Make sure you only kiss men you don’t like. You don’t want your dream man to be turned off by you.”

“Sound advice if ever I heard it.” Ivy entered the store, carrying a tray with three mugs of tea on and a plate of chocolate brownies. “I only ever get involved with men I can’t stand.”

“Such nonsense.” Bryony grabbed the tray from her sister’s hands and set it on the table, before offering a mug to Agatha.

“I can’t stop,” said Agatha as she stood up. “I need to get back to the bakery. But thanks for these herbs. I’ll try them out and see how I get on. I’ll be back if these don’t have any effect.”

“Any time.” Bryony opened the door for Agatha. “Let me know how you get on.”

“I take it she paid for those?” asked Ivy, as Bryony shut the door.

“It was only a few herbs,” said Bryony. “Honestly, I think she needs something she believes is a cure. I didn’t sense any magic on Agatha. And with a curse, there’s usually some kind of nasty residual around a person. But there were no traces of that.”

“I didn’t sense anything either.” Ivy slumped into a seat, grabbed a brownie, and bit into it. “But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t got some magic on her. It could be concealed. And if she’s not wearing something that has a curse on it, like a ring or brooch, it’s much easier to hide.”

“Poor Agatha, she seems so distraught.” Bryony sat next to Ivy and took a sip of tea.

“She was being hysterical,” said Ivy. “Perhaps we both need that curse put on us. It would stop us getting into any trouble.”

“What kind of trouble are you referring to?” Bryony arched an eyebrow at her sister.

“That kind of trouble.” Ivy gestured to the door.

Gabriel Galbraith walked through the doorway of the store, his tall muscular physique making the room feel small. His blue eyes settled on Bryony and a warm smile crossed his face. Right behind him, hurried a short squat dark haired warlock, with a lovesick look in his eyes.

Ivy groaned and stuffed more brownie into her mouth. “This should be interesting.”

“I wasn’t expecting you today.” Bryony jumped up from her seat, her tea discarded and attention fixed on Gabriel.

“I was in the area and wanted to make sure everything was okay with the store.” Gabriel’s voice was warm and deep as you would expect from an archangel. Well, a fallen archangel.

“That’s so sweet of you,” said Bryony. “We’ve just finished with a customer.” She dragged her gaze from Gabriel to the warlock standing behind him. “May I help you?”

“Yes, well, I hope so,” he stuttered. “I was here last week asking about a tincture for a cold.”

“I remember you,” said Bryony. “And how is your cold?”

The warlock beamed at her. “You remember me? How lovely. My cold is fine now, but I have a headache.” He rubbed his stubby fingers across his forehead. “Can you help me with that?”

“My sister will be happy to make you a treatment for your headache,” said Bryony, turning towards Ivy.

“No, it must be you!” said the warlock. “I mean, you’re so good at what you do. You cured me right away the last time I was here. It has to be you.”

“That’s kind of you to say,” said Bryony gently. “But of the two witches in here, my sister is by far the most powerful. If you really want your headache to go away, she’s the witch for you.”

“It’s not that bad.” The warlock pushed his way around Gabriel and reached towards Bryony’s hand. “But I really want you.”

“You really want Bryony?” Gabriel’s warm expression hardened and he looked down at the warlock.

“I meant to say that I wanted her to treat me,” said the warlock, staring up at Gabriel with wide eyes. “Unless, I mean, you wanted me to want you.” He turned his puppy dog expression to Bryony.

Ivy gave a loud sigh and dropped her half-eaten brownie on the tray. “Let me deal with this idiot.” She stood up from her seat and stalked towards the warlock, dark power and rage shimmering from her, casting a pale purple glow around the store. “You don’t have a headache, do you?”

The warlock gulped and took a step back. “I do.”

“What you have is a pathetic case of being love struck by my sister,” said Ivy. “As are half the men in Old Sarum.”

“I’m not love struck,” said the warlock. He glanced at Bryony. “Unless you want me to be.”

“If you want to date her, you need to get to the back of a very long line,” said Ivy. “And prepare to be disappointed, because she doesn’t date anybody. My sister is an independent woman who is happy where she is, with me, running this business. She doesn’t want you drooling over her and getting under her feet by pretending you need a magical cure for some fake illness. Do you understand me?”

The warlock stared into Ivy’s dark eyes, working up the courage to speak. “She might love me.”

“Bryony does not love you, and she never will.” Ivy grabbed hold of the warlock’s arm and swivelled him towards the door. “Now, unless you want to see just how powerful a witch I am, I suggest you leave. I need to discharge my magic soon and am looking for a willing subject. I was thinking of doing a spell that stopped a person talking. Would you like to try that?” She raised her thin fingers and pointed one of them at the warlock.

“No, I’m going. I don’t need any of your magic. My headache is quite better.” He yanked the door open but then looked over his shoulder. “Bryony, if you do have a change of heart, I will be waiting for you.”

Ivy flung a spell at the door, causing the warlock to fly out of it and the door slam shut. “I hate time wasters.”

“You’re not planning on doing that to me, are you?” A small smile played across Gabriel’s lips.

“Not right now,” said Ivy. “For some strange reason, my sister likes having you around. Must have something to do with your bulging muscles.” She returned to her seat, grabbed her brownie and took another bite.

“Ivy, you know that’s not true.” A blush crossed Bryony’s cheeks.

“You mean you don’t like me being around?” asked Gabriel.

“I do, of course. It’s just that, it’s not your muscles. I mean, your muscles are lovely. Not that I’ve been looking at you. Well, I have, but not like that.” Bryony’s hand went to her mouth in a vague attempt to stop the words spilling out.

Ivy barked out a laugh. “Sit down the two of you, you’re making our lovely store look untidy.”

After a few seconds of hesitation, Gabriel and Bryony sat down, Gabriel awkwardly perching on a too small chair.

“Tea?” asked Bryony.

“That would be nice,” said Gabriel. “Unless it's chamomile. That always makes me drowsy, and I'm on duty.”

“No, we only have that in the evening.” Bryony passed around the tea and remaining brownies.

“Gabriel, what do you want, other than to admire my sister?” asked Ivy.

“I had a bit of business with a witch over on Hever Street,” said Gabriel.

“The good old Charm Police in action again,” said Ivy.

“You do great work,” said Bryony to Gabriel. “The way you keep magic under control in Old Sarum is amazing. Ivy doesn’t mean to be disrespectful.”

“I’m sure she does,” said Gabriel with a pleasant smile.

“He’s right, I do,” said Ivy.

“So what’s been going on in Hever Street?” Bryony gave her sister a warning glare.

“A case of some illegal trading of dangerous charms,” said Gabriel. “Has anybody been in the store recently trying to sell any charms or merchandise?”

“I’ve not dealt with anyone trying to sell unlicensed magic,” said Bryony. “How about you, Ivy?”

Ivy shrugged. “I don’t recall any dodgy deals going down.”

“Some people never learn,” said Gabriel with a shake of his head. “There are always some magic users flouting the laws.”

In Old Sarum, you need a licence to sell certain types of charms. Anyone who sets themselves up in the business of charm distribution must undertake an annual audit and check of their charms and abilities by the Charm Police, Old Sarum's magical protection force.

“We sell dangerous charms here,” said Ivy. “Are you going to arrest us?”

“Your charms are licensed,” said Gabriel.

“Most of them are licensed,” muttered Ivy.

Gabriel shook his head again, his attention on Bryony. “So, how has your day been?”

As hard as she tried, the butterflies in Bryony’s stomach led a merry dance every time Gabriel looked at her. “We’ve been working on a reversal charm spell for a woman who turns blue every time she has a naughty thought. And we’ve just had someone come in who thinks she is cursed to be alone forever.”

“That must be terrible,” said Gabriel.

“Yes, it must,” said Bryony with a wistful sigh.

“I suspect it’s more to do with her kissing technique than a curse,” said Ivy. “Or she’s playing the needy card with her dates too soon and it scares them off. You heard what she said about husband hunting. It’s pathetic.”

“Getting married and having a family of your own is a great ambition to have,” said Bryony.

“It’s certainly on the top of my wish list.” Gabriel twisted the mug he held. “I can’t wait to have children.”

“I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone,” said Ivy.

“Ivy, don’t be rude,” said Bryony.

Gabriel’s warm expression turned frosty as he glared at Ivy. “I’m waiting for that special someone.”

“Don’t wait too long,” said Ivy. “You’re not getting any younger.”

Gabriel snorted a laugh. “The last time I checked, my lifespan was long enough.”

“Even archangels die eventually,” said Ivy.

“We may do, but only from exceptionally strong curses or at the hands of a demon with a blade of Ithicar.” He glanced around the store. “I don’t suppose you sell those in here?”

“I was thinking of ordering some in,” said Ivy. “One could come in handy if we get too many failed angels hanging around the store and being annoying.”

“That’s enough,” said Bryony. “Ivy, stop teasing Gabriel.”

Ivy unfolded herself from the seat. “I need to check on the toads. Have fun you two.” She sashayed out of the store into the back room where they kept the familiars they hand reared to sell to other witches and warlocks.

“Sorry about Ivy,” said Bryony. “It takes her a while to warm to some people.”

“Well, I’ve been here for a year,” said Gabriel. “I’m hoping she’ll defrost soon. In fact, the only person I’ve ever seen her be nice to is you. Oh, and that crazed dog she keeps.”

“She’s protective of me, that’s all,” said Bryony. “As my big sister, she thinks she’s entitled to oversee my love life. Well, every area of my life in truth.”

“You have a love life?” asked Gabriel with a smile.

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean I was interested in you. I didn’t mean you were my love life.” A blush spread from Bryony’s neck up to her hairline in a matter of seconds. “It’s just that my sister thinks every man is in love with me.”

Gabriel looked at the flowers on the counter. “There is evidence to support her belief. Every time I drop by you’re getting presents from other suitors.”

Bryony blinked. Gabriel almost sounded jealous. In a way, she wished he was. He was kind and intelligent and always took the time to speak to her whenever he was around. And then there were his angelic good looks. Every time she saw him she found herself blushing and stammering over her words. Bryony shook the thought out of her head. It was impossible. The two of them could never be together.

“I get gifts because I’m kind to people and help them with their problems when they come to the store,” said Bryony, knowing that was not entirely true. “There’s nothing wrong with being nice.”

“Absolutely not. I’m a big fan of nice,” said Gabriel. “But surely one of them must take your eye.”

“None of them do.” Bryony lowered her gaze. “As you heard Ivy say, we are far too busy with the Love Cauldron to consider dating.”

“That’s a shame,” said Gabriel. “I don’t like to think of you being lonely.”

Bryony realized there were tears in her eyes. “I’m not lonely. How can I be lonely when I have this store to run and Ivy to keep an eye on, and then all of my aunts just down the road? And then there’s Sweetie.”

As if on cue, a sharp tapping sounded on one of the window panes at the front of the store. An enormous light brown colored hawk was perched on the window sill, one large amber eye peering in suspiciously at Gabriel.

“And there she is!” Bryony was pleased to have the distraction and hopped up from her seat to open the door. Sweetie launched herself off the window sill and straight into the store, landing delicately on Bryony’s right arm, her vast wings almost engulfing her head.

“I’m still surprised you have a hawk as your familiar,” said Gabriel. “I thought cats or toads were the usual choice.”

“They are, but we found each other. I couldn’t abandon Sweetie when I discovered her thrown out of her nest. Maybe Fate intervened and decided we needed each other. It’s the first magical hawk I’ve met. But she took to the magic like she was born to do it.” Bryony fussed with Sweetie’s feathers, oblivious to the razor sharp beak and large claws inches from her.

Gabriel stood and moved his hand to stroke Sweetie’s feathers. She snapped her beak at him in warning and shuffled on her feet.

“Don’t mind her, she’s all bluster,” said Bryony.

Gabriel lowered his hand. “I believe her bluster. And I’d like to keep my fingers attached to my hands.”

“Sweetie won’t bite you, unless I tell her to,” said Bryony. “She knows we’re friends.”

Ivy strode back into the store, Spike by her side. “You’re still here.” Her dark gaze hardened when she saw Gabriel.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” said Gabriel.

“You need to go,” said Ivy. “We have business to do and if you’re hanging around here bothering my sister, it causes us problems.”

“He’s not bothering me.” Bryony shot an apologetic look at Gabriel.

“I was leaving anyway,” said Gabriel. “Always a pleasure to see you, Ivy.”

“Yes, it’s the highlight of my day when you drop by for one of your little chats.” Ivy stroked her hand casually down Spike’s back several times.

“I’ll see you soon, Bryony,” said Gabriel. “Keep an eye out for any illegal charms that might cross your counter. Let me know if anyone tries to sell you anything they shouldn’t.”

“Of course, will do.” Bryony hurried to open the store door and waved goodbye as Gabriel strolled down the street.

“You’re so obvious,” said Ivy.

Bryony turned from the door with a sigh. “What do you mean?”

“Mr. Perfect. It’s so obvious you like him.”

“Why wouldn’t I like Gabriel? He’s a nice guy.”

“You know what I mean.” Ivy moved behind the counter. “You’d marry him and have his babies in a second if he asked you.”

“No, you know I wouldn’t,” said Bryony. “You’re all the family I need. Plus mom and our aunts.”

Ivy’s dark gaze settled on her sister. “If he really is the one for you, I won’t stop you from being with him.”

“I will stop myself.” Bryony walked over to the counter and grabbed hold of her sister’s hand. “You know that can never happen.”

“But if he makes you happy, truly madly head over heels in love happy, you deserve that.” The coolness in Ivy’s gaze melted away.

“Just as you do,” said Bryony.

“Which is something I am not interested in,” said Ivy.

“Just as I’m not interested in Gabriel.” Bryony squeezed her sister’s hand. “Although it would be nice, to have someone. For us both to have someone to love.”

“You never know, we are amazing witches. Perhaps we will be the generation who figures out our own family curse. If we break it, we’d not only be able to find love but so would everyone else in our family.”

The Thornheart family curse was an ancient and powerful one. If Bryony or Ivy fell in love, the other would become sick. The same went for any of the Thornheart women.

“I’m not sure how I feel about our mom having a boyfriend,” said Bryony.

“I’m more worried about Aunt Lilith finding love,” said Ivy. “I imagine she has a thing for fire breathing demons with horns.”

“Aunt Lilith would make an interesting choice when it came to a life partner.” Bryony grinned at her sister. “And maybe you’re right, we will be the ones to break the family curse and all of us will be free to love without any consequences.”

“There are always consequences when it comes to love,” said Ivy.

Chapter 3

Gabriel strode away from the store, his thoughts muddled and his heart doing somersaults. It happened every time he spoke to Bryony. He knew he should keep away from her. She was always sweet to him and happy to answer his questions, but every time he tried to take the next step in their friendship, she would freeze him out.

He’d invited her for coffee, and out to lunch, even dinner. The simple offer of a walk around the local enchanted park had been turned down. Gabriel knew Bryony wasn’t dating, and she’d never dated the whole time he’d lived in Old Sarum. He didn’t want to admit defeat. There was something about her that drew him in and he felt he’d never be truly happy until he had her by his side.

Gabriel shook his head and ran his hands through his short dark blond hair a few times. Maybe she’d put a spell on him? But he couldn’t imagine Bryony ever doing something like that. Her sister, Ivy, he could easily imagine jinxing someone or making their life a misery by dropping a love potion in their tea and then having their desires unrequited. Ivy could be spiky and scary.

Gabriel had heard a few rumors about the Thornheart witches since he’d moved to Old Sarum a year ago. None of the women in the family were in relationships. Maybe that was how they liked it. They didn’t want men in their lives messing things up and causing problems. But he was sure he’d seen interest in Bryony’s blue eyes. And sometimes, when she smiled at him, when she let her guard down for just a second, he was certain she liked him too.

Gabriel sighed. The timing might just be wrong. He knew how busy she was with the Love Cauldron; it was the most popular magic store in Old Sarum, and rightly so. The Thornheart witches were a powerful, ancient coven of witches; their legends and abilities stretched back to when records first began. Some of their blood was believed to have been mixed with both demons and demigods, creating a powerful magical mixture that sometimes leaned towards the darker side. Gabriel always thought Ivy had the darker elements in her magic and Bryony counteracted that with her innocence and sweetness.

He stamped along the cobbled street, feeling like an idiot. He wasted so much time thinking about Bryony and how he could win her over. Maybe he was wasting his energy. Gabriel hadn’t missed the looks he got when he walked through Old Sarum from the other female residents. As a former archangel, he had the physique of a Greek God, although he tried not to show it off, and his Charm Police uniform kept it well hidden.

But every time Gabriel considered dating somebody else, his heart felt as if it shrivelled in protest. He didn’t want anybody else, only Bryony Thornheart would do. And if that meant waiting until she was ready then so be it.

His right hand tingled, signaling a message coming in from one of the members of his squad. Gabriel extended his arm and opened his palm. A holographic style image shot upwards, standing about a foot high, a shimmer of bright light and color. It was Chad Thunder, his second-in-command.

“Go ahead, Chad,” said Gabriel.

“Just had a report of some illegal magic cast on the other side of the border.” Chad’s deep voice echoed through the magical connection.

Gabriel frowned. “What kind of magic?”

“Not certain at this point,” said Chad. “From the initial reports, it sounds like dark magic. Possibly a curse.”

“Why would someone be casting dark magic in red blood land?” Gabriel scrubbed at his chin. This activity was illegal and dangerous. Humans were fragile. Not only did they break easily, but magic had a heightened effect on them. You could never be sure what a spell would do to one of them until you’d cast it.

“Unknown at this time. Shall we send a team over the border and investigate?” asked Chad. Despite his professionalism, there was a hint of excitement in his tone. It was not every day the border of Old Sarum was crossed.

“Yes, we need to get over there and dispel the magic before it gets out of hand,” said Gabriel. “I’ll come with you. We need to make sure there’s been no permanent border damage so we don’t have any red bloods stumbling into Old Sarum.”

“Understood. I’ll meet you by Maggie Wing’s tavern in ten minutes. The magic was cast behind it.”

“See you there.” Gabriel closed his palm, severing the connection with Chad. He rolled his shoulders. His nearly obsessive thoughts about Bryony would have to wait. He had a job to do.

Chapter 4

“We’ve been summoned to dinner.” Ivy walked from the back of the store towards the counter where Bryony was working on a new spell concoction. “We need to be there in an hour.”

“I want to finish this spell before we go,” said Bryony.

“What’s this one?” Ivy leaned over the counter and inhaled the mixture of herbs Bryony was chopping. “There’s a lot of rosemary in there.”

“I’m looking for a cure for backache,” said Bryony. “We’ve had three cases through the door in the last month. I’m sure what we offer helps, but I want to give them some herbs to get rid of the pain for good.”

“Backache, how dull,” said Ivy. “We'd make better money if we sold more exciting charms and spells.”

“And then we really would have Gabriel in the store every day checking up on what we are doing,” said Bryony. “You would hate that. The magic we use works and it keeps people happy. We don’t need to start dabbling in the darker stuff.”

“I like dabbling in the darker stuff,” said Ivy.

“For now, you’re going to have to focus on the dull backache remedy stuff,” said Bryony. “Give me a hand and we won’t be late getting to dinner.”

Despite Ivy grudgingly helping Bryony, it was exactly an hour later when the girls dashed out of the store, turning the lock, and moving the sign to closed. Spike and Sweetie accompanied them as they sped along the narrow cobbled street their store was on, right in the heart of Old Sarum. The evening air was already cool and splashes of autumn peaked out, hints of deep red and bronze on the trees as the leaves slowly turned, admitting defeat and accepting autumn was on its way.

“Mom will not be happy you’ve made us late,” said Ivy.

“We’re only late because I had to clear up your mini explosion when you added too much yarrow to the mixture.” Bryony’s hands moved to her scorched hair. “I’m lucky to have anything left on my head.”

“A simple spell will solve that.” Before Bryony could protest, Ivy snapped her fingers and pointed at her sister.

Bryony batted her hands around her head, trying to remove the spell that flowed over her. “That’s not fair. I wanted Mom to see what a troublemaker you really are.”

“She already knows that,” said Ivy. “At least I didn’t turn your hair green.”

“You know that was an accident,” said Bryony. “And we were only five years old. I didn’t have full control of my abilities back then.”

“Maybe I don’t have full control of my abilities now.” Ivy smirked. “Relax, you’re as beautiful as ever. Men will still fawn over you.”

Bryony glowered at Ivy. “You know they only fawn over me because of our silly curse. It’s as if I’m the one fated to activate it.”

“Men do arrive at our door as regularly as junk mail seeking you out,” said Ivy. “And they only need to hear your voice and it’s true love.”

“But it isn’t,” said Bryony. “If they weren’t under the curse’s influence, none of them would be interested in me.”

“I can think of at least one blond loser who would still be interested,” muttered Ivy.

Bryony twisted a strand of her magically colored hair around one finger. This worried her. Did Gabriel genuinely like her? Or was the curse working its evil charms on him?

She waved at Mr. Brewster as they passed his house on Coval Lane. He was sitting on his small wooden porch, watching the world go by. Mr. Brewster was two hundred years old and descended from a species of now extinct dragon. It was wise not to get too close to Mr. Brewster when he had an off day. He had a habit of belching foul smelling smoke at inappropriate moments.

They turned the corner onto Henge Way, the exact center of Old Sarum. It was the most magical streets in the village and had been home to the Thornheart witches for hundreds of years.

“I’ll race you to the house.” Ivy sped off, Spike at her heels.

“Not fair, you didn’t even count down.” Bryony laughed as she hitched up her long skirt and chased after her sister, Sweetie soaring over her head and shrieking with alarm at the girls’ behavior.

They reached the dark green front door at the same time. It was surrounded by a swathe of late summer roses. Ivy pushed open the door into the warm incense infused hallway, which was littered with family photographs and pictures of familiars loved and lost.

“Girls, is that you?” Bryony and Ivy’s mother, Adeline, poked her head around the door of the kitchen, her dark hair hidden under the bright red headscarf she always wore when she made dinner. Adeline's honey colored cheeks had a light dusting of flour on them, and her eyes crinkled at the corners as she spotted her daughters.

“No, it’s the Dragon Wraiths of London come to eat your flesh and pick the marrow from your bones,” said Ivy. She kissed her mother on the cheek.

“You always say the sweetest things, my dear.” Adeline engulfed Ivy in a hug, before releasing her and kissing Bryony on the cheek, being careful to avoid Sweetie, who was perched on Bryony’s shoulder. Adeline stepped back, her pale blue gaze running over her daughter. “What magic are you hiding under?”

Bryony grinned. Their mom could always spot a spell. “It’s all thanks to Ivy. She tried to burn my hair off.”

“Not true.” Ivy walked into the kitchen, closely followed by Spike, his nose raised as he inspected the smells drifting around the room. “But her ridiculously perfect blonde locks were getting in the way. She needed a crop.”

“Children, magic is not something to play with.” Aunt Lilith appeared at the bottom of the stairs as if by magic. It most probably was. Her floor length black dress moved around her like smoke, fitting to her tiny form, her hands hidden under long bell sleeves. The color emphasized her pale skin and jet black eyes. Her hair was loose and hung like a silky dark curtain around her face. Aunt Lilith could be difficult to spot, happy to use magic to change her appearance to suit her mood. This evening, she favored the Morticia Addams look.

“We weren’t playing, Aunt Lilith. But Ivy decided to go crazy with a certain herb and I bore the brunt of it,” said Bryony, giving her aunt a hug.

“What’s for dinner?” asked Ivy, inspecting the contents of some of the pots on the table in the center of the large open plan kitchen. The kitchen floor had a slope to it and was covered in grey slate tiles. The units were old oak and had been handmade to fit the uneven dimensions of the room. There were bunches of dried herbs scattered everywhere, on surfaces and hanging from the wall, and the pleasant scent of a sweet apple pie drifted from the large range set on one side of the room. In addition to the delicious smells and piles of herbs, four black cats sat amongst the cheerful chaos in the kitchen. They were the house’s familiars; Herbie, Vixen, Fluffy, and Lucifer.

Bryony walked over to the cats and stroked them each in turn, making sure to show Lucifer, Aunt Lilith’s familiar, the proper respect. He lived up to his namesake’s reputation.

“Your mother conjured up the first of the autumn pumpkins.” Aunt Odessa drifted through the kitchen door, the number of flowers in her hair having increased since the last time she saw the girls in the store. She gave them both a peck on the cheek. “Pumpkin soup to begin with, followed by stew and dumplings. And you can most likely smell what’s for dessert.”

“What’s in the stew?” asked Ivy.

“It’s beef,” said Adeline. “But don’t worry, I’ve made you a separate vegetarian version.”

Bryony grinned at her sister. For all her eccentricities, Ivy had been a strict vegetarian since they were children. She couldn’t stand the thought of animals being killed so people could eat them. Bryony wasn’t sure if that restriction stretched to some of the dark magic Ivy dabbled in. Those spells often required a blood sacrifice.

“So glad you could join us.” Aunt Isadore bustled through the door, her arms full of herbs. She was short, plump and cheerful, her dark eyes always gleaming with pleasure and her brown hair a curly mess that bounced around her head. She dropped the herbs onto the worktop and hugged Bryony and Ivy.

“As if we’d turn down the offer of a free meal,” said Ivy as she squirmed out of her aunt’s embrace.

Aunt Isadore tweaked a strand of Ivy’s dark hair. “You would be a fool if you turned down your mother’s cooking.”

“I made the dessert,” said Aunt Odessa. “Hand-picked apples in that pie.”

“Where did you get the apples from?” asked Aunt Isadore.

“Well, I did have to climb over a particularly large fence to get them. The owner of the tree only shouted at me twice before I was finished. No harm done. There were plenty left.”

“So we’re eating stolen apples for dessert,” said Ivy with a grin. “Sounds delicious.”

They all settled around the table, Bryony and Ivy on opposite sides, their mother sitting at the head. Spike shoved underneath the table, his head on Ivy’s lap, and Sweetie settled on a perch in the corner of the kitchen, out of reach of the cats.

Adeline served the pumpkin soup from a large bright orange pot. “How was the store today, girls?” She looked from Ivy to Bryony as she passed them a bowl of soup each.

“Backache, fake headaches, and a witch with bad breath,” said Ivy.

“That’s not entirely true.” Bryony set her bowl down. “We were working on a longer lasting treatment for backache before we left this evening.”

“What’s this about bad breath?” asked Aunt Isadore.

“It’s not bad breath,” said Bryony. “We had Agatha Graytooth in this morning. She thinks she’s been cursed with a kissing curse. Every time she kisses a man they go off her.”

“Which is why I think it’s bad breath.” Ivy scooped up some soup.

Aunt Lilith smiled at Ivy as she passed the bread around the table. “Did you take the opportunity to kiss this Agatha yourself? Perhaps you would have seen first-hand if it was a case of halitosis.”

Ivy gave a shudder. “Agatha Graytooth is not my type.”

“A kissing curse,” said Adeline. “How interesting. It’s been a few years since I’ve heard of one of those being used. They were quite the rage when I was at witch school; girls hexing other girls because they’d kissed the wrong boy. Were you able to detect the curse on Agatha?”

“There was nothing there,” said Ivy. “Which is why I think it isn’t a curse.”

“Curses are tricky,” said Aunt Lilith. “And easy to conceal. Particularly if the cursed individual has ingested something with a curse on it rather than wearing the curse on a piece of clothing or jewelry.”

“I gave her some herbs to try,” said Bryony. “I don’t think it’s a curse either. More likely to be a side-effect of a spell Agatha used herself. But maybe I should take her concerns more seriously.”

“Easier if this Agatha were to stop kissing men,” said Aunt Lilith. “They are nothing but trouble anyway.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” Ivy stuffed her mouth full of bread.

“Have you seen anything of that lovely Gabriel recently?” Adeline smiled at Bryony. “He seems such a nice young man.”

“He’s a failed archangel,” said Ivy. “He can’t be all that lovely. He wouldn’t have been kicked out of the angel army if he was any good at his job.”

“He wasn’t kicked out, he left,” muttered Bryony. “There’s a difference.”

“Well, even so, have you seen him?” asked Adeline.

“He came by the store today.” A smile crossed Bryony’s face. “He was asking about illegal charms that might have been brought into the store.”

“He doesn’t think you’re selling illegal goods?” asked Aunt Lilith sharply. “I won’t have a failed angel pinning crimes on my nieces.”

“No, nothing like that,” said Bryony swiftly, knowing how quick Aunt Lilith was to exact vengeance when she thought a wrong had been done to the family. “He wanted to make sure no one had been trying to sell us illegal goods without us realizing.”

“Gabriel is a good man,” said Aunt Odessa.

“Yes, but he’s still a man,” said Ivy. “That makes it rather tricky don’t you think?”

Adeline reached over and patted both of the girls’ hands. “This curse won’t last forever.”

“Yes, it’s only been five hundred years,” said Aunt Lilith.

“That we know of,” said Aunt Odessa.

“I still believe we will break it,” said Adeline. “Even I’m hopeful of finding true love one day.”

Bryony smiled at her mom. She’d been honest with her and Ivy about their fathers and the curse ever since they were children. Adeline had chosen men who were strong, capable magic users; men who didn’t want to get involved and have a family of their own, but were willing to do what was required to ensure Adeline became pregnant with healthy children.

It had seemed cold to her, the first time Bryony found out how she’d been conceived. But it was the only way Adeline could have a family of her own, not fall in love, and ensure her sisters did not meet a grisly end. The Thornheart curse flowed through the entire female line. As a result, none of them had married, and they all did their best to keep their distance from men they were fond of.

“Do the girls know about our plans for the Old Sarum pilgrimage?” asked Aunt Isadore. “We will make a real fun event of it. There’s supposed to be a bigger than normal crowd this year. It’s some important anniversary of the pilgrimage.”

“It will be four hundred years since the red bloods decided to do this ridiculous pilgrimage,” said Aunt Lilith with a sigh. “Four hundred years of traipsing miles to come and look at some worn out stones and make believe they are communing with magic.”

“If only they knew,” said Aunt Isadore with a giggle. “If they opened their eyes and had a look around, they would find there’s a lot of magic to be had here.”

“Fortunately they can never come across into Old Sarum and discover it for themselves,” said Adeline. “I wouldn’t be able to handle having red bloods wandering around the streets getting in the way.” Old Sarum was cloaked from humans by magic. If anyone found their way in through the magic, and every hundred years or so it did happen, they lost their memory and found themselves several miles away, wondering what on earth happened to them. Old Sarum was not for humans. It was too dangerous.

“Yes, we’ve heard about the plans, and we’ll both be coming.” Bryony raised her eyebrows at Ivy, warning her to keep her mouth shut. “We’re looking forward to it. Will Oriel and Philomena be coming?” She looked over at Aunt Odessa.

“No, my girls are otherwise occupied. Maybe next year,” said Aunt Odessa.

“Before you ask, Raven, Jinx, and Seren send their apologies. But they think these things are a waste of time,” said Aunt Lilith.

“Only because you tell them they are,” said Adeline. “It's been almost a year since any of your girls have been for a visit.”

“They are busy defending the Hell Gate,” said Aunt Lilith. “You don't get paid holiday when there are demon butts to shoot back to Hell.”

There were a few seconds of silence as everyone looked at Aunt Isadore who fussed with Fluffy's long black fur who was perched on her lap. She didn’t have any children of her own, although still believed one day she would. Magic was powerful, but even it had its limits.

“We can make some food and sit by the boundary and watch the procession,” said Aunt Odessa. “We’ll be entertained for hours.”

“I have a few new spells I’d like to try out,” said Aunt Lilith. “The red bloods will be perfect targets.”

“I was thinking that too.” Ivy shared an evil grin with her aunt. They were both so similar in looks and magical preferences that Ivy could have passed for Lilith’s daughter.

“Less of the evil thoughts you two,” said Adeline. “We will all watch, but we won’t be mean to the poor humans. They do their best. They just don’t know what they’re missing out on by not having magic of their own.”

“I was thinking we could scatter them with happy magic,” said Bryony. “Especially if they’ve been traipsing through lots of mud and rain. By the time they get here they’ll be tired. A little magic boost could be just what they need.”

Adeline cleared the empty soup dishes and served the stew and dumplings. “That’s a lovely thought, my dear. But best we don’t expose any of them to magic. They are so temperamental when it comes to the after effects of spells. Do you remember that poor chap who stumbled through a gap in the magic around the village? He was so befuddled by the spells he encountered, his hair turned white and he started speaking Latin. Even when we got him back to the other side of the border, his English was still broken. I often wonder what happened to him.”

“That will teach him not to enter Old Sarum uninvited,” said Aunt Lilith. “He was fortunate not to have been hexed or cursed.”

“This kissing curse you mentioned,” said Aunt Odessa to Bryony as she cut into a dumpling. “Any idea who might be into that particular magic?”

“It could be Mad Mimi.” Aunt Lilith looked around the table. “I heard she’s been stirring from her castle. Whenever she does that, bad magic is never far behind.”

Bryony cringed at the thought of Mad Mimi causing problems. She was a crazed immortal creature who lived in the nearby Old Sarum castle ruins. Not much was known about her, other than the fact her mind was a tangled mess and she was a fervent user of unstable magic. It was rumored that was the reason Mad Mimi's mind had left her. Too much dark magic can send a spell caster over the edge.

“Why would Mad Mimi want anything to do with Agatha Graytooth?” asked Ivy.

“It might not be personal,” said Aunt Lilith. “Mad Mimi only has to see you to hate you. Perhaps Agatha was unfortunate enough to stumble into her path when she was searching for food and Mad Mimi decided to teach her a lesson.”

“It’s a good lesson,” said Ivy. “All Agatha wants is to find her dream man and settle down.”

“Yes, the perfect punishment,” said Aunt Lilith. “Mad Mimi has a way of figuring out people’s weaknesses and using it against them.”

“Who’s going to speak to Mad Mimi and ask her if she decided to hex this poor witch?” asked Aunt Odessa.

“I’ll go and see her,” said Ivy. “She doesn’t scare me.”

“Of course she does,” said Bryony. “And so she should. If you keep using dark magic, you will end up just like her; all mean and twisted.”

Ivy glowered at her sister. “I’m nothing like Mad Mimi. And I won’t end up like her.”

“Now girls, there’s no need to bicker,” said Adeline. “No one is going to speak to Mad Mimi. I’m sure she wouldn’t waste her considerable talents on cursing a simple witch. Does anyone want more stew?”

There were several acknowledged mumbles of yes please as Adeline served the food.

“You girls stick to your love potions and safe spells,” said Aunt Isadore. “No harm will come from that if you do. You’re making people happy and assisting them in finding their true love. There’s nothing better than that.”

“Yes, love is a wonderful thing if you can get it,” said Aunt Lilith darkly. “I must figure out how to find it myself at some point.”

The table fell silent as they ate their food and dwelled on the unfortunate curse that enveloped their lives.

As Bryony finished her stew, her thoughts kept returning to Agatha and her kissing curse. Perhaps she’d been too quick to write off her problem as the side effects of a spell. Something more serious could be happening to Agatha, and she needed to find out more and make sure she wasn’t ignoring a witch in need.

Chapter 5

“Here you are, Lacie. There’s a month’s worth of dried ragwort in this package, along with the bundles of charmed lavender, and six vials of the crab apple essence you requested.” Bryony tied the brown package with a neat string bow before handing it to her customer.

Lacie Paige gave Bryony a shy smile. “I’ve been working on a potion to help my herb garden. For some reason, all the vervain has failed to mature. I was hoping for a bumper crop this year, given the number of vampire sightings reported over the last few months. I know people will be queuing up to buy potted vervain for their windowsills. This potion will give the plants the power they need to be mature enough to sell in time.”

“Perhaps the vampires have been meddling in your herb garden.” Ivy climbed down from the ladder she was on, the heels of her black boots clicking as she hit the ground.

Lacie’s round cheeks paled. “The vampires wouldn’t come into Old Sarum. They know they’re not welcome here.”

“But if your vervain is as good as you say it is, they might decide to make an exception and pay you a special visit.” Ivy’s grin was shark-like.

“I’m sure vampires have not come to the village.” Bryony frowned at her sister. “And if they do, you’re in the perfect position to remain safe. You have a garden full of vervain! They are not likely to wander through that any time soon. And if they did, they would fry.”

Lacie clutched the brown parcel tightly to her chest. “Even so, Ivy could be right. I’ll make sure to finish my work outside before dusk, just in case any of them come to cause trouble with my beautiful herbs. I hate to think of those cold-blooded creatures prowling around the garden, poisoning the roots of my babies.”

“May the Goddess make your herbs prosper.” Bryony rounded the counter and gently steered Lacie to the door, concerned that she might collapse with worry if she stayed in the store and listened to Ivy any longer.

“Thank you, and the same to you, and your store.” As Lacie left, her gaze shot from side to side, as if expecting to see a gang of petulant vampires waiting to seek vengeance because of her garden full of vampire repelling herbs.

“You really are terrible.” Bryony shut the door and turned towards Ivy. “Lacie is such a sweet herbalist and you always tease her when she comes in here.”

“She’s too soft,” said Ivy. “It makes her an easy target. If she stood up to me I might respect her. But I only have to say the word vampire or troll within her earshot and she’s trembling in the corner like a frightened toad.”

“If you scare her too much we will lose a valuable customer.” Bryony returned to the counter, adjusted some of the flowers in the two new bouquets that had arrived for her this morning, and began work on the next order.

“She’d never stop shopping here; we’re the best at what we do.”

“There are other magic stores in Old Sarum. And Lacie could decide to start her own store and put us out of business,” said Bryony. “She’s talented enough with the herbs. Her gardens are like some magically scented wonderland.”

“But not with the magic.” Ivy waved her hands in the air and a shower of red sparks shot from her fingertips. “And that’s what people care about the most. Without the magic and the herbs combined, nothing is powerful.”

The store door opened and Kristoff Dash strolled through, dressed in his usual dark suit trousers and pristine white shirt, the collar undone. His shoulder length dark hair was pushed off his face, revealing a strong stubbled jawline.

“We’re about to close,” said Ivy as soon as she spotted Kristoff.

“You’ve only been open for two hours.” Kristoff grinned at Ivy, his six foot five frame towering over her. “Unless you want to close and allow me to take you for an early lunch.”

“You could do that,” said Bryony with a bright smile. “I can handle the orders if you want to go out with Kristoff.”

“I don’t eat lunch,” said Ivy.

Bryony laughed. “Yes you do.”

“We’re not going for an early lunch. Not ever.” Ivy folded her arms across her chest. “What do you want, Kristoff?”

“I’m running low on a few supplies,” said Kristoff. “Thought I’d come in and have a browse if that’s all right with you.”

Ivy sighed and turned away from him. “Just don’t get in our way.”

“I will be the soul of discretion,” said Kristoff. “You won’t even know I’m here.”

“Doubtful,” muttered Ivy. “Your cologne is strong enough to make my eyes water.”

Kristoff smiled at her again but she ignored him, stomped to the back of the store and began loudly shuffling glass vials around.

“How’s business?” He addressed the question to Ivy’s back, but she didn’t answer.

“We’re busy,” said Bryony, after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“Always good to hear.” Kristoff extracted a packet of herbs from one of the shelves and inspected it.

“And you?” asked Bryony.

“My services are always in demand.” Kristoff ran a private security firm specializing in the protection of wealthy or important individuals in the magical community. He also offered secure services to store and protect valuable and rare magical items. And then there was his nightclub, the Demon's Den, which he ran for his own pleasure. As a half demon, with superior strength and speed, plus the handy ability to manipulate fire, Kristoff was well placed to offer these services. His client list was extensive, and they paid well for the work he did and the discretion he showed.

“Stolen any rare objects recently?” asked Ivy.

That was an element of Kristoff’s business he kept quiet. He ran a retrieval service for items that had supposedly been stolen or lost. Sometimes he retrieved them for his own personal collection. It was a business that stood on the grey side of legality and meant he came to blows with Gabriel and the Charm Police when he crossed the line too far.

“My sweet Ivy, you make me sound like a common thief.” Kristoff placed several packets of herbs on the counter in front of Bryony.

“My sister doesn’t think that,” said Bryony.

“I like that she speaks her mind,” said Kristoff. “So many people get tongue tied around me. It can become quite wearisome. Honesty is a trait I admire.”

“They get tongue tied because they’re afraid they might disappear alongside all of the treasures you’ve hoarded,” said Ivy, her back still to Kristoff.

“So I’m not only a thief, I’m also a killer.” Kristoff quirked a dark eyebrow at Bryony, a smile playing across his lips. “I certainly know where to come if I feel my ego is becoming too large.”

Ivy turned to Kristoff. “I didn’t say you were a killer. I simply said you make people disappear. For all we know, you’ve got them chained in some dank dungeon somewhere.”

“I think you’ve been reading too many gothic novels,” said Kristoff. “And besides, my dungeons are not dank.”

“Will there be anything else?” Bryony swiftly bagged the herbs Kristoff had selected. “We are doing a special on charms this month. You get a discount if you buy three or more.”

Kristoff turned his attention to Bryony and his pale blue eyes sparkled at her. “I am not in need of any charms. My life seems full of delights without your, no doubt, wonderful magic to assist me.”

“You employ your own herbalist and spell maker,” said Ivy. “I don’t even know what you come in here for.”

“Because of your scintillating conversation.” Kristoff placed some money on the counter and picked up the bag of herbs. “I always enjoy your company, Ivy. And may I say how lovely you look in those black jeans and blouse. The color makes your skin shine.”

Ivy snorted and patted her leg. Spike skulked out from behind the counter, his eyes glowing red and saliva dripping from his jowls. “It’s time you left.”

Kristoff’s smile only broadened as he crouched down and clicked his fingers at Spike. “Come here, boy.”

Bryony’s hand went to her mouth. “Perhaps you shouldn’t.” Not many people commanded Spike and lived to tell the tale.

After a few seconds of angry snarling, Spike stood and padded his way over to Kristoff. He was still growling and his eyes glowed with an intense redness that lit up the store.

“He’s a handsome dog,” said Kristoff.

“Not everyone takes to his glowing eyes,” said Bryony.

Kristoff scratched behind Spike’s ears and rested his forehead against the dog’s soft head. “I think he’s a fine animal.” He stood and looked over at Ivy, his smile growing as he saw the startled expression on her face.

“He hates everybody,” said Ivy.

“He’s discovered a kindred spirit in me,” said Kristoff. “I have a way with hell beasts. If you ever want me to come on walks with the two of you I’d be happy to oblige.”

“Spike hates walking,” said Ivy.

“I can take him to some fascinating regions of the Underworld,” said Kristoff. “He would enjoy himself.”

“Spike does not like the Underworld,” said Ivy. “Spike, come here.” She slapped her hand against her leg.

“As you wish, my dear Ivy.” Kristoff turned on his heel. “It was a pleasure to see you both.” He left the store, the bag of herbs under one arm and his tuneful whistle echoing along the street.

Bryony blinked at her sister. “I can’t believe it. Spike didn’t bite Kristoff.”

“I need a new dog,” muttered Ivy. “Spike, how could you betray me like that? Kristoff is the enemy.”

Spike gave a whine, followed by a loud growl, before stalking back behind the counter and flopping next to Bryony’s feet.

“Maybe Spike thinks he isn’t the enemy,” said Bryony cautiously, knowing how touchy Ivy was about Kristoff. “No matter how mean you are to Kristoff, he keeps coming back. I’m sure he likes you.”

“He can like me all he wants,” said Ivy. “But it doesn’t change how I feel about him. He’s rude, arrogant, and has an ego the size of that giant troll who lives near the Old Sarum bridge.”

“Kristoff is good looking,” said Bryony. “And yes, he can appear a little arrogant, but that’s just his way. He’s a wealthy, successful demon. He could be trying to impress you.”

“Well, he doesn’t impress me,” said Ivy. “And he’s only a half demon. There’s a big difference.”

“Yes, two of the good differences being he doesn’t have horns or a tail.”

The air next to Ivy shimmered a dark purple color and the temperature in the room plummeted.

“Looks like we’ve got an arrival.” Bryony’s breath plumed out of her like smoke as the store grew icy.

“I don’t know why she can’t use the front door like most people.” Ivy rubbed her arms briskly and moved to stand next to Bryony.

A few seconds later, Aunt Lilith stepped through the purple shimmer into the store. Her hair was now flame red and she wore a jet black floor length dress, nipped in at the waist. She surveyed the store briefly before her gaze settled on her nieces.

“Good morning, Aunt Lilith,” said Bryony.

“Greetings, child.” Aunt Lilith completed a slow circuit of the store before turning to them. “I have brought you a gift.” She extended a hand, revealing a small black book.

“What is it?” Bryony emerged from behind the counter and took the book from her aunt’s hand.

“A book of curses,” said Aunt Lilith. “I was considering the case you are working on with your kiss cursed witch and remembered I had this book of curses from when I was a child. There might be something in there to assist you in unraveling the curse.”

Bryony flipped open the book and read through a couple of the curses. “There’s a lot of notes in the margins.”

“I enjoyed adapting the curses to make them more powerful and long lasting,” said Aunt Lilith. “You might like to experiment with some of my own curse creations. There’s a notes page in the back I have also filled.”

“We don’t need a new curse, we need to break an existing curse,” said Ivy. “And we’re not even certain Agatha is under a curse.”

“You can never have too many curses at your fingertips,” said Aunt Lilith. “And if you discover the origins of the curse and how it was created, it will help you in unpicking it and assisting this witch.”

“It’s a great idea,” said Bryony. “I’ll have a read of the book this evening and see what we can discover.”

Aunt Lilith nodded before her gaze turned to the door. “Somebody is coming.” The temperature in the room dropped again and she disappeared.

The store door slammed open and Agatha rushed in. “You have to help me.”

“I take it the herbs I gave you weren’t a success?” Bryony shut the curse book and walked towards Agatha.

“It so much worse than that.” Agatha let out a strangled cry. “I’ve killed somebody.”

Chapter 6

“What have you done?” Bryony’s normally tanned face grew pale. “Was it the kiss curse?”

Agatha nodded, tears streaking down her cheeks. “I had to know if the curse was still active, so I tested it out on somebody else after I left the store yesterday.”

“You kissed someone to death?” asked Ivy.

“No one from here,” said Agatha. “I couldn’t risk anyone being harmed here, or any more men going off me.”

“Perish the thought,” said Ivy.

“So who did you find to kiss?” asked Bryony. “And where are they from?”

Agatha clutched Bryony’s hands. “I’ve made such a horrible mistake. I didn’t think this would happen.”

Ivy hurried forward, grabbed hold of Agatha’s shoulders and shook her. “What did you do?”

“I’m so ashamed,” sobbed Agatha.

Ivy sighed and went to shake Agatha again, but Bryony disentangled her fingers from Agatha’s grip and put a restraining hand on Ivy’s arm. “Why don’t you show us what you’ve done? If we know what’s happened we’ll be able to help you. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think it is.”

“It is.” After a few more shaky breaths, Agatha nodded her head. “You’d better come with me.” She gestured for them to follow her out of the store.

“We can’t shut the store,” said Ivy.

“We can spare ten minutes,” said Bryony. “I’ll put up the back soon sign and lock the door. You two go ahead.”

Ivy grumbled something under her breath but then followed a still sobbing Agatha out of the store.

Bryony swiftly shut the store and hurried after them. Worry clenched her stomach. Curses were powerful and unpredictable. If Agatha had kissed someone who was weak or sick, the curse might have taken hold of them too strongly and done them harm. She needed to get to the bottom of this curse and break it for Agatha’s, and everyone’s, sake.

She caught up with Ivy and linked her hand through her sister’s elbow. “Has Agatha said anything else?” she whispered.

“Other than the occasional unintelligible garble and her continual crying, she’s not said anything of use,” said Ivy, speaking louder than she needed to. “She’s being ridiculous.”

“We need to check it out,” said Bryony. “Make sure nobody has been hurt.”

“Ever the good Samaritan,” said Ivy.

“You wouldn’t ignore her cry for help if you were on your own and Agatha came into the store asking for assistance.”

“I would if she kept sniffing and sobbing,” muttered Ivy.

Agatha stopped outside Maggie Wing’s tavern. The old building had a curious lean to the left, as if it was slowly toppling over but taking a century to do so. Thick dark stained beams crisscrossed the outside of the white fronted two-story building, and a low heavy thatch hung over the roof.

“Are we stopping for a drink first?” asked Ivy as they caught up with Agatha.

“No, but it happened over there.” Agatha pointed behind the tavern.

“You took some poor innocent drunk man out the back of the tavern and had your wicked way with him?” Ivy smirked and looked at her sister.

“It wasn’t anyone from Old Sarum,” whispered Agatha.

Bryony’s hand flew to her mouth, the knot of worry in her stomach cramping. “You didn’t cross the border?”

Agatha wiped her nose on the back of her hand. “I had no choice! I couldn’t risk anyone else in Old Sarum going off me. There are so many red bloods over the border. I thought if I tried the curse on a few of them it would help me figure out what’s going on. Help me to solve it.”

Ivy wrinkled her nose. “Gross. Kissing a red blood.”

“Some of them are cute,” said Agatha. “I’d even consider dating a red blood if it meant they still liked me after I kissed them.”

“But they didn’t like you,” said Ivy. “What did you do; kiss a red blood and he keeled over and died?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what happened,” said Agatha. “We need to cross the border again and see if he’s still there.”

“And you’re sure he’s dead?” asked Bryony. “Maybe he fainted. Magic makes red bloods do strange things.”

“I didn’t stop to find out,” said Agatha. “He seemed like a nice man. He was friendly and smiling, and I couldn’t help myself. I knew he wouldn’t mind. But then he collapsed. He grabbed his throat and started choking. As I fled, I did turn to see what he was doing. But he was on the ground, his eyes were open and he wasn’t moving. He looked dead to me.”

“Come on, let’s see what mess you’ve made.” Ivy grabbed hold of Agatha’s arm and shoved her forward. “You’d better show us where you breached the border. We can use the damage to the magic to get through more easily.”

Agatha inched forward, her hands outstretched as she tested the magic shielding Old Sarum from the human world. “It’s around here somewhere. I only made a small hole, one I could crawl through and then repair. But I can’t find it.”

“You’re sure this is the right place?” asked Bryony.

“Yes, I picked that bush behind us as a place marker so I knew how to get in and out.”

“You were planning to do more than one experiment with the red bloods?” asked Ivy.

Agatha’s blotchy cheeks grew darker. “I needed to be sure. And there are so many of them, a few injured ones won’t matter.”

“Agatha, that’s a terrible thing to say,” said Bryony. “They may not be like us, but that doesn’t mean we get to play with them because it furthers our desires.”

“I don’t know about that,” said Ivy. “There are a lot of red bloods. And not a lot of them are useful.”

Bryony glared at her sister. “That’s not the point at all. We help keep them safe, not do them harm. We keep them away from magic so they can’t get into trouble. We don’t use it on them whenever we want to.”

Ivy held her hands up. “Fine. Let’s just find this opening and see what’s happened.”

Another five minutes of frantic searching and they were no closer to discovering the hole.

“I’ll make a new one,” said Ivy with a sigh. She looked over at Bryony. “But if my magic use gets detected by your boyfriend, you’re going to cover for me.”

“Gabriel is not my boyfriend.” Bryony glanced around them, checking to make sure they weren’t being watched. “But be quick. As soon as the cut is made in the border, the Charm Police will know something is going on. We’ll have about ten minutes before a team is dispatched to see why the border has been damaged.”

Ivy shoved Agatha out of the way and made two large slashes through the border magic with her hand. “Let’s go.” She grabbed hold of Agatha again and the two of them walked across the border.

After one final check around to make sure they weren’t being watched, Bryony hurried after them, the torn magic sucking at her skin as she walked through it like a giant, hungry leech. A roaring sound filled her ears, popping them as she stepped through.

On the other side of the border, Bryony blinked. The red bloods world seemed so much drabber than their lively, colorful home. Despite standing in what looked like a park, the air was full of the unpleasant smell of car fumes. Every time the wind touched Bryony's skin, it felt as if something gritty brushed past her.

Ivy gestured over to her from a few feet away. “There’s no one here. Agatha must have got it wrong.”

“This is exactly where we were. I kissed him right on this spot.” Agatha’s eyes took on a hopeful gleam. “He didn’t die. The magic overwhelmed him for a short time, but then he was fine. He got up and went back to his normal life. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Well, you have done a few things wrong,” said Bryony. “You did breach the border, you did use a curse on a red blood, and you did think you’d killed him. Are you sure this is the right place?”

“Positive. This is it.” Agatha scrubbed the last of the tears from her cheeks. “I was worrying about nothing. He’s fine.”

Ivy shook her head. “So we came out of Old Sarum for nothing.”

“Looks like it.” Agatha blanched as she noticed Ivy’s angry expression. “Sorry about that.”

“Let’s get out of here.” Ivy turned back towards the border.

Agatha chewed on her bottom lip. “While we’re here, perhaps we should check on the others as well.”

Chapter 7

“The others!” Bryony shot Ivy a worried look.

“I kissed three red bloods when I was here,” said Agatha, a look of guilt on her face. “None of them were too happy about it afterwards. The last one really had a tough time. But it might be wise to make sure the other two are okay as well.”

Ivy groaned and tipped her head back. “Fine, you magic using idiot. But let’s hurry. If you get us in trouble, you will have more than a kiss curse to worry about.”

Agatha swallowed. “They’re not far away. We’ll be there in minutes. I left one sitting on a bench. He was half asleep when I stopped kissing him.”

The three of them ran along a gravel path and under a number of large oak trees, their limbs tipped over the path shielding them from the weak sun.

“He’s still there.” Agatha ran to a wooden bench tucked into one corner of the park. A slim, middle-aged man with receding brown hair and glasses sat on the bench. He had a half-eaten sandwich in one hand, and a newspaper spread across his lap.

“You left him like this?” Ivy peered down at the red blood. “Is he even breathing?”

“Don’t say that,” said Agatha. “He was still talking when I left him. Well, just about. He was making noises at me.”

“And you didn’t check to see if those noises were good noises?” Bryony crouched in front of the red blood and gently touched his knee. He didn’t stir.

“And this happened to him after you kissed him?” asked Ivy.

“Yes, almost straightaway. I pressed my lips to his and he went... strange.”

Bryony spent a few minutes checking him over. “He still has a pulse, even though he’s not breathing. And he’s not cold. I don’t think he’s dead.”

“Then what’s wrong with him?” asked Ivy.

“I’ve no idea,” said Bryony. “But we need to get him out of here, get the magic removed, and make him well again.”

“This isn’t our fault,” said Ivy. “Agatha should sort this out on her own.”

Bryony grabbed hold of her sister’s arm and dragged her away. “If we had taken Agatha’s curse more seriously when she first came to see us, this mess wouldn’t have happened. She wouldn’t have been desperate enough to cross the border and start kissing random red bloods in the hope of figuring out a cure herself.”

“It’s still not our fault,” muttered Ivy. “She’s the one being an idiot.”

“Agatha’s actions were not sensible,” said Bryony. “But we’re here now, and I’m sure we can help. You know we have an obligation to assist any human found in the thrall of magic.” It was an ancient agreement that the most powerful species would never subjugate or harm a weaker creature, and assist them when they had been harmed by magic. Anyone who did not live by that code was evicted from Old Sarum.

Ivy let out a dramatic sigh. “Let’s collect our booby prize and get out of here. Being in red blood land makes my skin itch.”

They returned to the bench and hoisted the red blood up between them.

“What are you going to do with him?” asked Agatha. “Can you cure him?”

“We’re going to try,” said Bryony. “You lead the way back to the border. We’re almost out of time and need to get across before we’re discovered.”

Agatha cast a worried look around the park. “I hope the other two red bloods got away in one piece. I don’t want to come back here any time soon. Red blood land smells strange.”

“If they were able to get up and walk away they will be fine,” said Ivy. “Get a move on, this red blood is heavy.”

Agatha hurried ahead of Bryony and Ivy, casting nervous looks all around until they reached the border. After a few seconds of searching, she discovered the hole Ivy made in the border magic and pushed through. Ivy, the red blood, and Bryony followed.

“Hold him for a second.” Ivy leaned the red blood’s weight onto Bryony before sealing the hole in the border.

“We need to use a spell to make sure no one notices what we’re carrying through Old Sarum,” said Bryony. “The villagers won’t like the fact we’ve brought a red blood inside.”

“How about we disguise him as a warlock?” asked Agatha. “I’ve got some old gowns in my house. If we shove a hat on his head and cover his clothing, we might get away with it.”

“Let’s use a cover spell,” said Ivy. “It will look strange if the two of us are seen dragging an unconscious warlock through the streets.”

“Good idea,” said Bryony. “But we’d better hurry. The Charm Police could arrive any second to see what the border breach is all about. Their magical detectors will be pinging like mad after what we’ve done.”

“Your Gabriel won’t think so kindly of you if he discovered you were the one to walk through the breach,” said Ivy with an evil grin.

“I don’t care what Gabriel thinks of me,” said Bryony, a blush shooting across her cheeks.

“Of course you don’t.” Ivy hoisted half of the red blood’s weight back over her shoulders and made contact with her sister to connect the cover spell to the three of them. “I’ll do the magic.”

Bryony braced herself as Ivy cast her cover spell. Her magic always felt uncomfortably cold, and as it crawled over Bryony’s skin, she felt goose bumps break out on her flesh. It still surprised her to feel that. Given her sister’s demon blood ancestry from her father’s side, the magic should have been warm. Bryony always felt panicky whenever Ivy performed magic. Sometimes its taint was too dark for her liking.

“I take it you can’t see us,” said Ivy to Agatha.

“All three of you are invisible.” Agatha gave a relieved sigh.

“Time to go,” said Ivy.

They hurried past Maggie’s tavern, Agatha’s gaze shifting fearfully every few seconds.

“Stop looking so worried,” hissed Ivy. “You’ll give us away if you keep jumping every time someone looks at you.”

“Sorry,” muttered Agatha. “I’m just worried we’ll be caught.”

They reached the Love Cauldron, and Bryony discreetly unlocked the door and Agatha pushed it open, allowing the girls to enter with the red blood still between them.

With a click of her fingers, Ivy’s spell dispersed. “Now we’ve got him here, what are we going to do with him?” She studied the red blood as if he was a curious fungus she’d discovered in the Enchanted Forest.

“Put him on the sofa for now,” said Bryony after she’d locked the store door. She didn’t want any customers coming in and getting a shock. “He’s too heavy to carry upstairs.”

“I’m not having a red blood in my room,” said Ivy.

Bryony shifted her grip on the red blood. “No, I wouldn’t feel comfortable having him sleep on my floor.”

“We could put him in the bath or in a closet. I could use a flying spell on him to get him up the stairs,” said Ivy.

“He’s had enough magic done to him for now,” said Bryony. “The sofa will have to do.”

They manoeuvred the red blood into what looked like a comfortable position on the sofa, his legs out straight and his arms folded across his chest.

“He looks dead lying like that,” said Agatha. “You will be able to fix him, won’t you?”

“We will do everything we can to make sure he’s back to his normal self in no time,” said Bryony. “First, we need some tea and brownies after that experience.”

“I could do with something stronger,” said Ivy.

“You’ll have to make do with tea for now,” said Bryony. “I need your magic in top fighting form so we can sort this mess out.”

“It’s not even our mess.” Ivy shot a narrowed eyed glare at Agatha, who shrank away from her and collapsed into a chair next to the sofa.

“I’ll be back with the tea in a moment.” Bryony headed into the kitchen.

Spike skulked out from behind the counter, emitting his usual fierce growls. He stalked over to the red blood and began a thorough investigation of him, sniffing him up and down, his red eyes rolling in his head.

“He’s not to be eaten,” said Ivy to Spike. “Well, only if he gets really annoying. Then you’re free to do what you like with him.”

“Spike would never eat a red blood, would he?” asked Agatha, her horrified gaze on Spike.

“He’s only met a few in his lifetime,” said Ivy. “I’m never sure what he makes of them. They do smell strange.”

“Kissing him wasn’t the nicest of experiences. They smell dead to me, as if they are shambling around like sad little zombies on the other side of the borde, living a horrible half existence.”

“Without magic, they might as well be,” said Ivy. “Not much of a life if all you do is go to work in a job you hate, go home to your partner you most probably don’t like, eat food that makes you fat and sick, sleep, and do it all over again for the next sixty years or so.”

“It does sound grim,” said Agatha. “I’d never choose life as a red blood. So dull and lacking in joy. And not even a simple happiness spell to make things feel better.”

“Which is why I still think we should scatter the upcoming red blood pilgrimage with some happiness magic.” Bryony entered the store with a large tray in her hands, three mugs of tea on it and a plate full of large triple chocolate brownies.

Ivy moved over to the sofa, and removed the red blood’s arm from Spike’s mouth, before sitting down. “Don’t waste your magic on them.”

“I agree,” said Agatha. “It doesn’t seem fair, giving them a taste of something they can’t have. It’s like feeding someone their favorite cake once and then ensuring they never have it again. They’ll always pine after it.”

Bryony handed around the tea and brownies. “Now, Agatha, what can you tell us about this curse?” She settled in the seat next to her sister. “When did it first start?”

“I’m not certain,” said Agatha. “I’ve been under its influence for at least five weeks. That was the first time I had somebody reject me after we’d kissed.”

“And what happened?” asked Ivy.

“We went out for dinner. And then my date, Marcus, walked me home,” said Agatha. “I gave him a kiss good night and he recoiled from me. He pulled a disgusted face and said he had to go. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong and called him several times to find out what happened, but he never returned my messages. I guessed we weren’t compatible.”

“It wasn’t a one-off incident?” asked Bryony.

“It happened again, and with a different man. This time it was Woody. We’d been on a couple of dates, and kissed goodbye at the end of our last date. And the same thing occurred. In fact, it was even worse this time. He gagged in front of me.” Agatha took a long drink of tea.

Ivy snorted a laugh. “Are you sure it’s not your terrible kissing technique? Do you floss?”

“I floss! And I’ve never had any complaints before about my kissing.” Agatha sniffed. “There’s something wrong. This has nothing to do with my kissing technique.”

“I’m sure your kissing style isn’t the problem.” Bryony ate a piece of brownie. “Weren’t you dating Bruce Creed?”

Agatha’s gaze dropped to the floor. “We dated for almost a year. But split up recently. It wasn’t working out.”

“Was it the curse?” asked Bryony. “Did your kiss repel him?”

“No, there were no problems in that respect. Bruce is all man, he can take anything I give him.”

“Revolting,” muttered Ivy, selecting a brownie from the plate and taking a large bite.

“So what happened with Bruce?” asked Bryony. “Why did you split up?”

“He got jealous seeing me talking to another guy.” Agatha pulled apart her brownie. “We had this huge fight and he ended up saying some horrible things about my mother. He tried to apologise afterwards, but I was so angry with him and told him to get lost. He didn’t come back after that. I assumed Bruce found somebody else or lost interest in me. Or he could have decided my mother was too much of a nuisance and I wasn’t worth the trouble. She can be overbearing at times.”

“And it was after your breakup with Bruce that you began having problems whenever you kissed anybody?” asked Bryony.

“I smell a suspect,” said Ivy. “Your ex-boyfriend cursed you so you can never kiss another man again.”

“Bruce wouldn’t do that.” Agatha’s eyes brightened. “But in a way, it’s sort of sweet if he has done this. It means he still likes me.”

Ivy groaned and slumped into her seat. “What a lovely way of showing someone you care. Give them a curse.”

“Well, yes, it is unusual,” said Bryony. “A curse is powerful magic. Is Bruce experienced with curses of this nature?”

“He’s your average warlock,” said Agatha with a shrug. “He can perform magic, but he’s not powerful and doesn’t often use it. The Creed family specialize in elemental magic; shifting weather patterns or ensuring the river doesn’t flood. Bruce is better at anything to do with mechanical things, though. There’s some gremlin in his ancestry.”

“Elemental magic can be strong if it’s channelled correctly,” said Ivy. “We should have a word with Bruce, see what he can tell us about this curse.”

“Agreed,” said Bryony. “Agatha, you mentioned you two argued about your mother. Didn’t she approve of Bruce?”

“She hates anyone I date,” said Agatha with a sigh. “She wants to keep me at home as her slave, fetching and carrying for her. We didn’t speak for almost a month when I moved into my own place. I don’t think she means to be nasty, but she’s lonely and doesn’t get out of her house much anymore. Her magic can be unpredictable, and she doesn’t like to put people’s lives at risk. Plus, her dragon nature can rub people up the wrong way.”

Bryony exchanged a knowing look with Ivy. They both knew Mavis Graytooth. She came into the store and always complained about the merchandise, or how cold it was, or how warm it was, or how much her back ached. Bryony could understand why Agatha didn’t want to live with her.

“I imagine your mom has considerable magical abilities,” said Bryony.

“She could have inflicted this curse on you without breaking a sweat,” said Ivy.

“Mom would never do that,” said Agatha. “Well, maybe she would. She can be mean when she wants to. But she wouldn’t get in the way of me being happy, would she?”

“She’s worth talking to,” said Bryony. “Maybe if you show her how unhappy you are, your mom will reveal what she’s done and reverse the curse.”

“I don’t want to talk to her alone,” muttered Agatha. “We had another argument recently. I’m not sure how receptive she’ll be. Do you know what our magic speciality is?”

“Graytooths are descended from dragons.” Ivy leaned forward in her seat. “Does that mean you can breathe fire?”

Agatha shrugged. “I do have a way with fire magic. And I’m working on being able to breathe it. But we don’t come into our full powers for decades. Can’t have too many fire breathing witches around at any one time. People get scared and houses get burned down.”

“We need to make sure we don’t annoy your mother if we do speak to her.” Bryony shot a look at Ivy.

“Yes, always a good idea to keep her calm,” said Agatha.

“So, we have a jealous ex-boyfriend and a needy parent to deal with in relation to this curse,” said Ivy. “Anyone else we should add to our list of curse giving suspects?”

Agatha chewed slowly on a piece of brownie. “We need to speak to Vanessa Damsel.”

“Vapid Vanessa!” Ivy laughed. “What have you done to annoy her?”

“We’ve hated each other since we were kids,” said Agatha. “She stole a boyfriend off me when we were in witch school, but then I stole him back. Ever since then, we’ve fought over men. I even took one away from her I didn’t fancy, just because I wanted to see the look on her face. Vanessa’s cheeks turn purple when she’s furious.”

“Have you seen Vanessa recently?” asked Bryony. “Could she have placed the curse on you without you realizing it?”

“I can’t remember the last time I saw her,” said Agatha. “But she lives out by the sleeping volcano, so our paths will have crossed. She could have slipped a curse on me without me noticing.”

“She’s not smart enough to come up with such a clever curse,” said Ivy. “She’s not called vapid for nothing. Bryony, do you remember the time she used magic in that cake baking contest? She tried a spell to make her sponge cake light and fluffy. When the judges cut into it, they discovered nothing but air inside the cake. Vanessa can’t even get a simple elemental spell right. Curses like this are way beyond her intelligence or ability.”

“An angry woman can do dark things,” said Bryony. “We should still talk to her. If she didn’t do it herself, she may have paid somebody to create the curse and inflict it on Agatha.”

“Anybody else?” asked Ivy.

Agatha was silent for a few seconds. “Well, there is my mystery man.”

“You have a mystery man?” asked Bryony.

Agatha gave an embarrassed smile. “I was out one evening at Maggie’s tavern. I’d had a few too many damson wines and was feeling flirty. There were a group of warlocks in the tavern. They were from another area, so I didn’t know any of them. But I got chatting to one, and we kissed.”

“You do a lot of kissing,” said Ivy.

“I'm allowed to. I’m a single woman,” said Agatha.

“Of course you are,” said Bryony. “And how did the kiss go? You didn’t repel him?”

“It went well,” said Agatha. “He came back several times for more kisses before he left the tavern.”

“You think this mystery warlock decided to curse you?” asked Bryony.

“The Mysterious Cursed Kisser of Old Sarum,” said Ivy. “There’s a new twisted fairy tale in there somewhere.”

“Be serious, Ivy,” said Bryony.

Ivy grinned and ate more brownie. “Why would he do that? Curse a woman who was giving him some hot loving?”

“It wasn’t that hot,” said Agatha, her cheeks glowing.

“Maybe that’s why he cursed you,” said Ivy. “You were too much of a prude for him.”

“I don’t know if it was him or why he’d want to do that to me,” said Agatha. “But he was the last person I kissed who hasn’t reacted badly to me.”

“I’m not adding mystery kisser to our list of suspects.” Ivy threw her final bite of brownie to Spike. “We would be here forever trying to track them down.”

“Maggie might know who he is,” said Bryony. “But perhaps we should start with a more solid suspect. How do you think Mavis would react if we turned up for dinner?”

“She’d no doubt complain, it’s what mom loves to do,” said Agatha. “But we can give it a try.”

“Let’s go tonight.” Bryony looked at the sofa where the red blood rested. “But before we do, we have a bigger problem to tackle.”

Chapter 8

Gabriel studied the red blood intently, trying to find any sign of life. “And you’re sure he’s still alive?” They were inside one of the interview rooms used at the Charm Police headquarters. The room was currently dressed in soft white tones, but its color changed depending on the interview and the suspect in question. The color helped the interviewer determine how safe a suspect was to interrogate.

Jacob Astor stood beside Gabriel, dressed in a smart black suit, covered by a white lab coat. He’d transferred to Old Sarum along with Gabriel and they were friends as well as work colleagues. Jacob handled the medical curiosities and ancient magicks that came their way.

“The red blood is not dead,” said Jacob. “He’s in a magically induced coma. Whatever magic was done to him, it overloaded his weak human system and he’s shut down. The shock could have done it.”

“What sort of magic would make a red blood’s system shut down?” Gabriel pressed one finger onto the cool flesh of the dark haired red blood in front of him.

“It would need to be something powerful.” Jacob tapped a finger against his clean shaven chin. “A dark spell or curse would do it. But you never know with these feeble red bloods.”

“It’s a good job we found him when we did,” said Gabriel. “If he’d been left outside for hours in a magical coma, he may have perished.”

“I’ll get to work on reversing the magic,” said Jacob. “But it won’t be easy since we don't know who enacted the magic and what its purpose is. Could take some time. The preliminary work is already underway.”

“Thanks. What about the other one?” Gabriel gestured over his shoulder to the second room along the corridor, where another red blood lay in the same unconscious state.

“It makes sense that he’s been tainted with the same magic.” Jacob peered closely at the red blood in front of him. “I’ll know more when I’ve looked at the test results. But they’re not in any direct harm for now. I’ll keep them warm and hydrated and set to work on the magic.”

“And I need to figure out who breached the border in the first place and make sure they pay for that crime,” said Gabriel. “Leaving a hole like that at the border could allow things to get in and out of Old Sarum. It was dangerous and foolish.”

“And they did it on two occasions,” said Jacob. “Seems we’ve got repeat offenders crossing into red blood land.”

“Two breaches on the same day is unusual. Some of the younger magic users like to test their abilities on the border, but the magical signatures left behind indicate strong magic.”

“And from different sources.”

“We could have a duo working together,” said Gabriel. “Two different magic users crossing the border in one day and these red bloods being discovered. There’s something strange going on.”

Jacob clapped Gabriel on the back. “You’ll figure it out.”

He nodded. “At least the breaches are repaired. No one can slip across. And I’ve stationed patrols at the site since it’s of so much interest. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll try to get through again. We can catch them in the act.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Jacob checked his watch. “I’ve started the first batch of tests, but I need to get going. Taking Gwen on a romantic date this evening.”

“You seem keen on this one.”

“It’s early days, but we’re getting along great.” Jacob grinned. “How about you and Bryony Thornheart? Had any success yet?”

“She remains distantly polite towards me. Can’t break through her barriers. It doesn’t help that her sister, Ivy, is always suggesting I’m getting in the way and bothering them.”

Jacob grimaced. “Ivy Thornheart is one to watch out for. With a demon as a father, she’s never going to be the sweetest person to be around.”

“You know that for a fact?” Gabriel shut the door of the interview room, leaving the red blood to his slumber, and walked with Jacob along the clean white corridor. “I’ve heard rumors about their father. Bryony isn't the offspring of a demon as well is she?”

Jacob laughed. “She couldn’t be farther from that. I don’t know all the facts; the family are secretive about their past. But I heard Ivy’s father is a demon and Bryony’s father is an angel. Neither stayed with Adeline after she conceived. I don’t know if that was her choice or theirs. She raised the girls with her sisters in the house they live in today.”

“It would explain why the sisters look so different.” Gabriel raised his eyebrows as another thought struck him. Could that be the reason he was so drawn to Bryony? Did they share a common ancestry with an angel?

“Don’t give up on Bryony if you like her,” said Jacob. “Bryony is a good one. She could be feeling loyal to her sister and not want to start dating until Ivy’s happy. Although it will take someone extraordinary to tame Ivy and put a smile on her face.”

“It could be that,” said Gabriel.

“Got to go,” said Jacob. “I’ll catch up with you when I’ve got more news about the magic the red bloods are under.”

Gabriel raised a hand as Jacob hurried away. Bryony as an angel? Yes, he could imagine that. He shook his head at his own foolish thoughts. He was going soft. Time to stop thinking about the woman he couldn’t have and figure out who breached the barriers between their worlds.

Chapter 9

“Kiss me!” Ivy grabbed hold of Agatha’s arm and yanked her closer.

“I don’t want to.” Agatha tried to back away from Ivy but her vice-like grip remained solid.

Bryony and Ivy had been testing different ways to break the curse on Agatha and the red blood all afternoon. So far, nothing had worked.

“I’ve tried this spell on you, now we need to see if it's effective. We’ll only know that if you kiss me.” Ivy took a menacing step towards Agatha.

“What if I harm you?”

Ivy smirked. “You couldn’t harm me.”

“Maybe we should let the spell develop,” said Bryony, who stood behind the counter in the store. “It needs time to mature before it reaches full strength. There’s no point in trying too soon.”

“The Goddess save me. Just kiss me!” Ivy grabbed hold of Agatha’s dress collar and dragged her towards her. “Don’t think I’m enjoying this.”

“It might not work because you’re a girl.” Agatha squirmed under Ivy’s hold but couldn’t get free.

“There’s only one way to find out.” Ivy planted a big kiss on Agatha’s lips.

Bryony leaned forward across the counter. “Well, what’s happening?”

Ivy shoved Agatha away. She wiped her hand across her mouth several times. “You taste... revolting. As if you’ve licked the contents of a full ashtray.” She smacked her lips together. “And there’s a hideous aftertaste of rotting socks.”

“That’s what I taste like when somebody kisses me?” Agatha’s hand flew to her mouth.

“I’m going to be sick.” Ivy gagged and grabbed a large glass of water from the table, downing half of it and rubbing her hand over her mouth several more times.

“The spell didn’t work,” said Bryony with a sigh. “We’ve tried dozens of combinations to break the curse. We need to find out who did this to Agatha. Then we can discover how to reverse it. It could take months otherwise.”

“I don’t want to spend months tasting like cigarette ends and mangy socks.” Agatha dropped her hand from her mouth.

“Maybe your mother will help us tonight,” said Bryony. “See what she can tell us about any curses she inflicted upon you.”

“I can’t believe it’s her,” said Agatha glumly. “She can’t really want me to stay at home with her for the rest of my life, taking care of her needs and being miserable as a result.”

“Parents can mess up their kids,” said Ivy.

“Your parents are lovely, though,” said Agatha. “Although your Auntie Lilith scares me a bit.”

“They’re all weird in their own ways,” said Ivy. “Come on, let’s go and see what we can scrounge for dinner off your mom and force a confession out of her about this dumb curse.”

“Don’t hurt her,” said Agatha. “If she has done this to me, I’m sure she’s sorry.”

“She’s got dragon blood in her. She can take care of herself,” said Ivy.

“We won’t hurt your mom,” said Bryony gently. “We just want to talk to her.”

The girls shut the shop, Spike following them out and Sweetie staying behind to guard the store. They walked through the cool early evening breeze, the sun already dipping behind the row of small thatched cottages they walked past.

Bryony paused for a second and looked down. “Better give these little guys a hand.” She plucked up half a dozen snails who were resolutely making their way across the road and deposited them underneath a bush on the other side.

“Let me grab dessert from the bakery,” said Agatha. “My cousin’s tarts are amazing. It might put a smile on Mom’s face.” The bakery, Fairy Delights and Magic Muffins, had been in the Graytooth family for years, and Agatha was right, their food was outstandingly good.

Bryony and Ivy waited outside the store as Agatha went in.

“Mavis Graytooth is a recluse,” said Bryony. “She might not welcome us into her house.”

“We have to welcome her into the store, even though all she does is complain,” said Ivy. “Besides, she won’t have a choice if she’s the one who’s inflicted this curse on her own daughter. I’m determined to figure out what it is. Otherwise, we’ll never get rid of Agatha and her bleating about not being able to find a man to kiss.”

“You’d be the same if the man you loved wasn’t able to kiss you.”

“I don’t love any man.” Ivy raised her carefully groomed eyebrows at her sister. “And neither do you, do you?”

“If I ever was fond enough of anybody to cause me concern, I’d let you know,” said Bryony. “Then you could run him out of town so I’d never see him again. I know the risks we face if either of us falls in love.” She picked at a loose piece of paint on the outside of the bakery store window.

Ivy sighed at the lovelorn expression on her sister’s face. “Is it time I did something about Gabriel? You can’t pretend you don’t like him for much longer. And he doesn’t seem to be giving up on you.”

“No, don’t get rid of Gabriel. He means well, and I think he’s on the verge of accepting I’m never going to date him,” said Bryony. “I don’t want you to frighten him off like you’ve done the others.”

“The others needed scaring off,” said Ivy. “That idiot with the muscles and the long hair was nothing but trouble. You even said yourself he was getting on your nerves at the end. And nobody irritates you.”

“You do sometimes,” said Bryony.

Ivy grinned at her. “I’m allowed to because we’re related.”

Agatha emerged from the bakery with two large wrapped pies in her hands. “Okay, let’s go and see my mom.”

Five minutes later, Agatha, Bryony, and Ivy arrived outside the front of a stone built cottage, with small lead lined windows and an uneven looking tiled roof. The front garden needed a good tidy and the paint on the front door was flaking off.

“Sorry about the state of the place,” said Agatha as she walked up the garden path. “I keep telling Mom she needs to spend some money on fixing things, but she’s always saving for what she calls a rainy day. The roof will have to fall down on her before she decides to do anything about it.”

“It could be lovely here,” said Bryony.

“Yes, it could be.” Agatha pushed the front door open. “The inside isn’t much better.”

“Stay here,” Ivy said to Spike. “Don’t want you annoying the dragon lady.”

Spike grumbled at her as he positioned himself by the front door.

Ivy walked in behind Bryony and the scent of mothballs and damp washing filled her nose. The walls were a faded grey color, and she couldn’t decide if they had once been white and were simply dirty or if this was the owner's color of choice. The carpet underfoot was threadbare in places, and as Ivy streaked her finger along a cabinet, she collected a pile of dust.

“Mom, I’m home,” called Agatha. “And I brought some guests for dinner. And some pie.”

There was the sound of a pot clattering in the kitchen and Agatha gestured for them to follow her.

“Guests! I haven’t invited anybody. And that includes you.” The shrill voice of Mavis drifted out of the kitchen.

“You always say I can come to dinner whenever I like. And these are my friends, Bryony and Ivy Thornheart,” said Agatha. She glanced at the girls before pushing open the kitchen door and walking through. “I thought it would be nice to have some company.”

“I’ve got nothing to give them,” said Mavis. “I only made enough for myself. Didn’t know you were coming. Soup, bread, and salad just as always.”

“I’m not very hungry, Mrs. Graytooth,” said Bryony, standing in the open doorway. “We’d be happy with whatever you can provide.”

Mavis Graytooth’s head appeared around the pantry door, her jet black irises had a small ring of red around them, indicating her dragon ancestry. “You’ll have to make do with a cup of tea and a slice of bread.”

“That will be lovely,” said Bryony.

“Sounds great,” muttered Ivy.

“So, what are the Thornheart girls doing with my Agatha?” Mavis emerged from the pantry, glaring at Bryony and Ivy. She was wearing a knee length black dress and faded flower covered apron. Despite the fact she claimed to eat so little for dinner, she had a stout figure. Her skin had a faint green mottle to it. It was another remnant from her dragon ancestry.

“Mom, there’s no need to interrogate them.” Agatha placed the two pies onto the scratched wooden island in the center of the kitchen. “I thought it would be nice to have some company to dinner for a change.”

“Your company is good enough, when you bother to show up.” Mavis ripped the packaging from the pies and sniffed them both. “I’d have preferred rhubarb not apple. But I suppose these will do.” She shot another glare at Ivy and Bryony.

“Let’s go through to the dining room and leave Mom to finish making dinner.” Agatha ushered them out of the kitchen and shut the door behind her. She led them back along the hallway and into a dusty room at the front of the house. The wallpaper was a faded beige colored rose pattern and the walls were covered in pictures of proud looking dragons.

Bryony walked over to one of the pictures. A striking large red and black dragon peered back at her. “This must be one of your ancestors.”

“Yes, a distant great uncle.” Agatha pulled chairs out from the table before setting it for four with coasters, knives and forks.

“Do you still retain much dragon power from your ancestors?” asked Bryony.

“Not much,” said Agatha. “It weakens every time a new generation is born. We dilute the blood so the powers lessen along with it. No more pure blood dragons left to breed with. Well, none that I know of. Mom thinks dragons still exist, but I’m not so sure.”

“How about your mom?” asked Ivy. “She looks like she’s got some ability in her.”

“Not as much as she used to,” said Agatha. “She told me her powers fade the older she gets. But she’s still got a temper on her, so be careful when you’re questioning her about this curse.”

The door opened and Mavis walked through, a large bowl of salad in one hand and a plate of sliced bread in the other. “Agatha, get the bowls and the soup from the kitchen.”

“Yes, Mom.” Agatha dashed out of the room.

“You may as well sit down, girls.” Agatha placed the bread and salad on the table. “But it’s not much. That silly child of mine should have told me she was bringing guests to dinner. I didn’t even expect her to be here.”

“It’s not a problem.” Bryony sat down and Ivy took the seat opposite her. “And bread and salad will be fine.”

“It will have to be.” Mavis stared at the door.

“You have a lovely home,” said Bryony.

“It does me,” said Mavis.

“Do you live here on your own?” asked Bryony.

“I do now,” said Mavis. “Ever since Agatha abandoned me, it’s just me and the house ghosts.”

“You have ghosts?” Ivy raised her eyebrows in interest.

“It’s either that or the loose pipes in the basement,” said Mavis with a snort. She banged her hands on the table. “Where is that useless girl?”

“I’m right here, Mom.” Agatha dashed through the door, soup and bowls in her hands.

“Serve us,” said Mavis. “Or the soup will be too cold to eat.”

Agatha hurried around the table, setting out bowls and ladling soup into them.

Ivy eyed the lumpy green soup in front of her with suspicion. “What’s in this?”

“It’s spinach, potato, and turnip,” said Agatha. “I make soup at least once a week with the leftover vegetables that are on the turn.”

“Sounds delicious.” Ivy slid her spoon into the soup and sat back.

“May I ask about your husband?” Bryony salted her bowl of soup. “Does he no longer live here?”

Mavis slurped loudly on a large spoonful of soup. “He’s dead.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” said Bryony.

“We don’t talk about him,” said Mavis.

“Mom, that’s not exactly fair—”

“No, we do not mention that man’s name in this house,” said Mavis. “He did nothing but bring us misery and trouble. Better that he is dead.”

Bryony looked at her sister and grimaced. “I can see from all the pictures in this room you’re proud of your ancestors. It looks like you’ve come from a large and powerful family.”

“There aren’t many of us left,” said Mavis. “Old age kills off some of us and insanity the rest. Then, of course, you have the idiots who think capturing someone with dragon blood will mean fortune comes their way.”

Bryony knew dragon kidnapping happened on occasion. Pure dragon blood was powerful; a single drop gave an individual super strength and the ability to sniff out gold and jewels.

“Are your family any good with curses?” Ivy stared at her untouched soup.

“Curses you say?” Mavis shot her a narrowed eyed glare. “Dragons don’t have much time for curses. We have other abilities that are better regarded and more effective.”

“A curse can be a valuable tool in a supernatural’s arsenal,” said Ivy.

“I’ll leave those kinds of things to you girls,” said Mavis. “I imagine you sell a lot of curses in your store.”

“Not so many,” said Bryony. “Curses aren’t the kind of magic we supply.”

“Unless they pay us well enough,” muttered Ivy.

“No, we don’t deal in curses.” Bryony frowned at Ivy. “There’s always a way to rectify a problem without having to cause another individual misery.”

“Curses have their place,” said Mavis. “There are a few people around this village I wouldn’t mind cursing.”

“Anybody we know?” Ivy looked over at Agatha.

“None of your business. And I’ll get round to it when I have time,” said Mavis. “For now, I keep out of my tormentors’ way. I prefer a quiet life now I’m getting older.” She slurped up the last of her soup and wiped a chunk of bread around the inside of the bowl.

“It must be nice having Agatha living so near to you,” said Bryony.

“I preferred it when she lived here,” said Mavis. “There’s so much that needs to be done. But with Agatha gallivanting around Old Sarum with any man who catches her eye, it means she’s forgotten all about her poor mother.”

“I do not gallivant,” murmured Agatha.

“I see what you do, and I hear the gossip,” said Mavis. “You are not being discreet with your men friends.”

Agatha blushed a deep scarlet and hung her head. “I’m always here if you need me. You’re much more capable than you believe you are.”

“I’m old and frail. I need you here.”

“I’m ten minutes away on foot,” said Agatha.

“Which means you’re ten minutes too far when I take a fall and can’t get up,” said Mavis. “If you were here looking after me all the time, I wouldn’t worry so much.”

“It’s nice, though, to think of Agatha having a life of her own,” said Bryony. “You must want her to find a man to settle down with and have a family of her own. If she lived here, that might be tricky.”

“Men never gave me any happiness,” said Mavis. “She’s better off without them. She won’t have to suffer from any heartbreak or trouble if she’s not dating.”

“But wouldn’t you like grandchildren?” asked Bryony.

“Little snot nosed half dragons running around the place, coughing out smoke balls all the time and singeing my antiques? That’s not my idea of fun.” Mavis shoved her chair back and stood up. “I’ll collect the bowls.”

Mavis grabbed the soup bowls from the table, grunting with displeasure as she saw Ivy’s untouched bowl of soup. She left the room, the door slamming behind her.

“Sorry about that,” said Agatha.

“From what your mom said about curses, she doesn’t seem interested in them,” said Bryony.

“She could be lying,” said Ivy. “She’s not the most open of women I’ve ever met.”

“One thing she is lying about is my dad,” said Agatha. “He’s not dead.”

“Where is he?” asked Bryony.

“Mom drove him away years ago. She snapped and snarled at him for so long, he lost the will to live and escaped. He did ask me to go with him when he left, but I couldn’t leave Mom on her own. She doesn’t have a single friend left in Old Sarum. She drives everyone away with her bad moods. Dad is healthy and well and living in the magical commune by the Braunstone goddess statue in Cambridgeshire. I visit him a couple of times a year, so I know he is very much alive.”

“Why did your mom say he’s dead?” asked Ivy.

“Because he abandoned her,” said Agatha. “He walked out on her and left her alone. For all the good she gets from him now, he might as well be dead.”

“It must be tough, the man you married leaving you like that,” said Bryony. “But I can see how living in a situation you’re unhappy with will only make you miserable.”

“Your mom is mean enough to curse you,” said Ivy. “Perhaps she’s doing it as a ploy to get you to move back home?”

“I don’t think it's her.” Agatha looked forlornly at the closed door. “And I know she’d love to have grand babies, despite what she says. Although I know she’d like me to breed with another dragon blood to strengthen the family line. And there aren’t many of them around Old Sarum. At least, none that I like the look of.”

“I can sense your mom is more powerful than she says she is,” said Ivy. “Dragon magic doesn’t dissipate over a few generations. She might not be able to transform into a full dragon, but I bet she’s got some fire in her still.”

“Ivy, don’t go pushing her too far,” warned Bryony, recognizing the challenging tone in her sister’s voice. “We’re here to see if she is a suspect in setting the curse on Agatha. We don’t want to annoy her.”

“Yes we do,” said Ivy. “Leave it to me. And if you need to get out when things get a little hot, don’t concern yourself with me. I’ll be fine.”

“What are you going to do?” Agatha’s eyes widened as she stared at Ivy.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do the talking when Mavis returns.” Ivy pressed a finger to her lips and winked at Agatha.

Bryony opened her mouth to protest, just as Mavis shoved open the door, the two pies in her hands.

“We’d better eat these.” She dumped them on the table, a knife sticking out of the top of one of them.

“I’ll cut them up.” Agatha jumped from her seat, a worried look on her face as she sliced the pies into large chunks and handed them around.

Mavis returned to her chair. “Save some for tomorrow. We don’t need to eat them all now. And the girls said they weren’t hungry.”

“That’s right, just a small piece for me,” said Bryony.

“I heard a rumor the Graytooths are experts when it comes to hexing and cursing other magic users,” said Ivy. She waved away the piece of pie Agatha thrust at her.

“Your information is wrong. We don’t need curses when we have fire,” said Mavis.

“You've never used a curse on anyone?” asked Ivy.

“Never needed to.” Mavis stuffed a large piece of pie into her mouth.

“But your dragon abilities must be weak,” said Ivy. “The blood diluted dozens of times over. I bet the most you can do is blow a few smoke rings.”

Mavis’s dark beady eyes shot in Ivy’s direction. “Be careful what you wish for, girl. I’d be happy to blow a few smoke rings around you.”

“You won’t be able to,” said Ivy. “You’re too old and slow to do me any damage.”

Mavis’s dessert fork clattered onto the table. “Why do you care about my powers? Why would I bother with childish curses? I can do you plenty of damage if I want to. I don’t need to go begging and buying other magic.”

“But everybody thinks you’re weak,” said Ivy. “You hide away in this old house, never going outside and confronting the people who are talking about you behind your back. Surely a powerful supernatural with dragon magic would want to put an end to all the gossip.”

“Old Sarum has always been full of gossip and evil minded liars,” said Mavis. “And it got worse after my useless husband died.”

“You mean when he left you because your powers became as feeble as your body,” said Ivy.

“Ivy! That’s too much.” Bryony stood up. “We’ve outstayed our welcome and it’s time to go.”

“Wait just a minute,” said Mavis. “How do you know about my husband?”

Ivy raised her eyebrows. “Everybody knows about him and the reason he left. Your abilities grew weak and you had to fall back on other magic users’ powers to get by, and that included using curses. He decided he didn’t want to be with a second-rate magic user and left you to be with the goddesses instead.”

“What happens in my family is none of your business.” Crumbs of pie flew from Mavis’s mouth. “You Thornheart witches are all the same. Your mother was a troublemaker, dancing around with any man who took her fancy and ending up pregnant with the two of you. No wonder she never married. Couldn’t find a man to put up with her rude brats and her harlot ways.”

“Our mother has nothing to do with this,” said Ivy darkly. “I’m more interested in you and your abilities. Or rather, your lack of them.”

The temperature in the room rose sharply. “Let me give you a small demonstration of some of my powers. Perhaps then you can stop the lies being spread around this village.” Mavis stood up from the table, the little old lady transformed into a straight backed, red eyed, malevolent magical force.

Ivy grinned and looked over it Bryony. “You might want to take a few steps back. Looks like she’s building up to something impressive.”

“You don’t know the half of it, girl.” Mavis tipped her head back and a fountain of orange flames flew from her mouth in a wide arc around the room, joining together in a circle and spinning over their heads.

“Mom, stop! You’ll burn the house down.” Agatha took a step towards her, but the heat radiating off Mavis stopped her getting any closer.

Ivy nodded. “She does have some abilities, after all.”

Mavis wiped a hand over her mouth and the fire stopped. “Perhaps you’d like a close-up demonstration?” She took a large inhalation of air.

“There’s no need for that.” Bryony hurried to her sister’s side, worried that Mavis was about to go on the attack.

“Oh, there’s every need,” said Mavis. “You come into my house uninvited, eat my food, ask me dozens of questions about my family, and then have the cheek to suggest I have no powers left. That calls for a demonstration. A reminder that the Graytooths are still powerful magic users.”

“Bring it on,” said Ivy.

Mavis opened her mouth, this time the flames were directed straight at Ivy. Before the fire emerged, she was hit in the face with an enormous snowball.

Bryony stood there with her hand open, another giant, magically created snowball ready to throw.

Mavis spluttered and choked on the icy mess lodged in her throat. “You’d better run,” she coughed out.

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do.” Bryony grabbed hold of Ivy’s sleeve and yanked her to the door. “Sorry, Agatha. I hope you get things sorted with your mom.”

“So do I,” said Agatha, standing by Mavis’s side and patting her on the back. “We’ll be fine, but you’d better go before the fire magic heats up again.”

“I haven’t finished,” snapped Ivy.

“Yes you have,” said Bryony. “Let’s get out of here before you get burned to a crisp.”

“She’d never do that.”

“Mavis can’t now she’s covered in snow,” said Bryony. “But it won’t last.”

“You spoil all my fun.” Ivy reluctantly followed her sister out of the room.

The girls hurried out of the house and along the road, Spike gambolling along beside them.

“I knew Mavis had more power than she was letting on,” said Ivy. “Did you see that fire circle? It was impressive.”

“It was deadly, as was what she had planned to do to you,” said Bryony. “You’ve risked a dragon’s wraith by making her so angry.”

“Only to help her daughter,” said Ivy. “That’s what you wanted me to do, wasn’t it?”

“But not by putting yourself at risk,” said Bryony.

“I knew you’d have my back,” said Ivy. “The snowball was a neat trick. Definitely something Mavis wasn’t expecting.”

Bryony shook her head. “It was the first thing I thought of. Hadn’t meant it to be quite such a large one. I hope Mavis is okay.”

“She’ll be fine. She can burn away that snow in a few seconds.”

“We’ve not helped the family relationship with Agatha by going to see Mavis,” said Bryony. “If anything, we made things worse.”

“They’ll work things out. Families always do,” said Ivy. “But she’s still a suspect. Mavis may be powerful with some dragon abilities, but I bet she’s not beyond using a curse. She’s sneaky and sly. We can’t rule her out.”

“Fair enough, she can still be on the suspect list,” said Bryony. “But we’ve got more people to investigate. Agatha isn’t free from her curse yet.”

Chapter 10

Gabriel smoothed down his hair before walking through the entrance of the Love Cauldron. He warned the fluttering sensation in his stomach to stop. This was business, not pleasure.

“Afternoon, Bryony.” He smiled as he spotted his favorite blonde haired witch behind the counter in the store. “Have you got a minute?”

She smiled at him brightly. “Always for you. What do you need this time? We’ve had a new delivery of ragwort come in just today. Fresh from the fields and extra strong.”

“I don’t need to buy anything this time,” said Gabriel. “I’ve got a mystery case on my hands and wondered if you might be able to help.”

“You want me to be on an investigation with you?” Bryony’s face radiated delight. “How exciting.”

“I don’t want you quite that involved.” Gabriel was thrilled by Bryony's enthusiasm. “But I’m dealing with a tricky case and think it involves curse or hex magic.”

The smile slipped from Bryony’s face. “A curse? We don’t get many of those in here.”

“I know you don’t sell them,” said Gabriel. “But you have your ear on the magical grapevine when it comes to the magic that individuals need to get their hands on. And I know Ivy is a dab hand when it comes to the darker arts.”

“Which she doesn’t sell here,” said Bryony stiffly. “I wouldn’t let her put the store in jeopardy by doing anything so foolish.”

“No, of course not. This magic has most likely come from an outside source.” Gabriel wanted the smile back on Bryony’s face. He hated making her unhappy. “I can’t reveal too much information because it’s an ongoing investigation, but we’ve had somebody who’s been put into a magical coma because of the power of a curse or dark magic.”

Bryony’s plump tanned cheeks paled. “That’s terrible news. Is it somebody from Old Sarum?” She glanced over her shoulder as if expecting someone to appear.

“No, someone from out of town. In fact, it’s a male red blood.”

Bryony’s fingers went to her forehead. “A red blood has been cursed? How awful.”

“It’s bad news. Has anybody been in the store asking for curses or dark magic that would be powerful enough to do a human serious harm?”

“No. And if they did I wouldn’t sell it to them.”

“Do you know of anyone in Old Sarum who is peddling that kind of magic? Maybe someone down on their luck and in need of some extra money? Willing to break the rules and hand over dangerous curses?”

“Oh dear, no, nobody like that.” Bryony bit her bottom lip, it was a habit Gabriel found endearing. “And how is the red blood? Have you got him free from the curse?”

“Not yet, but we’re working on it,” said Gabriel. “We had to retrieve him from the other side of the border. Whoever inflicted the curse, broke through our magical border and attacked this human. It’s strange behavior.”

“It does sound strange.” Bryony turned away from Gabriel. “Well, I’m sorry I can’t be of any more help in your investigation.”

“If anyone comes in asking about curses like that, could you let me know?” asked Gabriel. “This may be a one-off, but the border was breached by two different magic users on the same day, so I don’t think this is an isolated incident. For whatever twisted reason, we’ve got someone in Old Sarum who has developed an interest in crossing the border and testing dark magic on innocents. I can’t let that continue.”

“No, I’m sure that’s not it.” Bryony turned back to Gabriel.

“Why do you say that?” asked Gabriel.

“Well, I mean, I don’t know anything about it,” said Bryony. “But I can’t imagine anyone here would want to do anything malicious to red bloods.”

“I wouldn’t mind trying out a few dark spells on them.” Ivy sauntered in from the back room of the store. “But you can rest assured, we don’t sell curses like that. And if we were thinking about it, I’m sure my sister would put me on the straight and narrow. You’re wasting your time coming here.” Her dark eyes speared into Gabriel, and he resisted the urge to take a step back as a shudder ran down his spine.

“I’m only making inquiries,” said Gabriel. “I don’t think either of you have anything to do with this.”

“We have nothing to do with the curse.” Bryony’s hands fluttered over the counter.

“This has nothing to do with us.” Ivy shot her sister a dark look. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a business to run.”

Gabriel’s own mood darkened. Every time he tried to have a pleasant conversation with Bryony, Ivy intervened. He didn’t know why, but she did not like him. “Well, like I said, if you do hear anything of interest about curses, let me know. The information may help save the red bloods.”

“Two red bloods!” Bryony leaned against the counter. “You found two of them?”

“Yes, both cursed by the same spell,” said Gabriel. “And both of them in a magical coma. We have them at the station until we can figure out how to help them.”

“I’m sure you’ll get to the bottom of it.” Ivy walked to the store door and opened it. “Don’t work too hard.”

“Thank you, Ivy.” Gabriel stalked out of the door and along the street. He felt like an idiot going to the store and wasting their time. Gabriel tried to convince himself there was a genuine reason for going to the Love Cauldron and asking about the case, but he knew it was so he could get a glimpse of Bryony. If he went more than a day without spotting her, his heart started beating in a strange rhythm and he lost his appetite.

He shook his head as he walked towards the Charm Police headquarters. He needed to get better hobbies. Something, anything, to keep Bryony Thornheart out of his mind.

Chapter 11

“What should we say is wrong with the car?” Bryony peered at the engine of their small red Mini.

“I don’t know. When we get to the garage I’ll pull out some of these leads and ask Bruce to take a look at it.” Ivy gestured to the engine. “That should break it enough and give us a chance to question him.”

“We can’t waste any more time on finding out who really set this curse on Agatha,” said Bryony. “After that visit from Gabriel earlier today, I haven’t stopped shaking. I’m sure he knows we’re involved.”

“You need to stop being such a dimwit,” said Ivy. “He doesn’t have a clue that we’re involved. And it was lucky I spotted him coming down the road and hid our own comatose red blood under a cover spell. Not that it really mattered. Gabriel was so obsessed with gazing into your blue eyes he didn’t even glance at the sofa. But if he had, he would have seen something was going on and we’d have been found out.”

“Do you think we’ll go to prison for our involvement in this case?” Bryony’s face looked distraught. “We are concealing evidence. And we do know who harmed those poor red bloods.”

“The Charm Police will fix them soon enough,” said Ivy. “And those poor red bloods deserved it. They shouldn’t have been so eager to kiss a strange woman without getting to know her first. And we have made some progress on reversing the curse on the one we’ve got in the store. I’m sure he opened his eyes for a few seconds today.”

“But he’s not fixed,” said Bryony. “And if Gabriel finds out what we’re up to, he may not think much of me.”

“Which is a good thing,” said Ivy. “He hangs around far too much as it is. If Gabriel turns up again, I’m going to run him out of Old Sarum.”

“Don’t you dare,” said Bryony. “He’s good at what he does. Come on, let's get this car to Bruce and see if he reveals anything useful about Agatha’s curse.”

They hopped into the Mini, Ivy driving, and drove the short distance to the garage Bruce Creed worked at.

Ivy stopped around the corner from the garage. “Get out here. We’ll have to push the rest of the way. I’ll pull out the leads and we’ll get Bruce to take pity on us when we arrive at his garage. Two sad looking witches with a broken car. There’s no way he’ll be able to resist helping us.”

Bryony grumbled as she climbed out of the Mini. “If I’d known we’d have to push this car any distance, I wouldn’t have worn my high-heeled boots.” She looked down at the green stiletto boots she balanced on.

“Go barefoot if you have to,” said Ivy. “Better still, use magic and we’ll just walk behind the car pretending we’re pushing it.”

“A little spell is always a good idea.” Bryony's face instantly brightened. “Are you ready?”

“The damage is done.” Ivy dropped the hood back down. “Let’s do this.”

Bryony cast a spell and the car slowly moved forward, the girls behind it. It trundled obediently around the corner and stopped outside of Bruce’s garage.

Magical Mechanics was an established business, and Bruce had worked there for several years. It was a popular garage, and fair with its prices.

“You go inside,” said Ivy. “He’ll respond better to your charms than mine.”

Bryony grinned at her sister and sashayed into the garage, putting an extra wiggle in her hips as she did so. Ivy couldn’t help but smile. For all her sister’s innocence, she knew how to work her witch given talents when she needed to.

A few seconds later, Bruce dashed out behind Bryony, his eyes on her wiggling hips.

“Bruce, you know my sister, Ivy,” said Bryony, giving her a discreet wink. “Bruce has kindly agreed to have a look at the car and see if he can fix it.”

“Sure. Got a problem with the car?” Bruce tore his gaze from Bryony’s curves.

“Seems like it,” said Ivy.

“No promises I can fix it until I’ve had a look at the mechanics,” said Bruce. “But let’s hope it’s nothing too serious.” He shoved his mop of sandy brown curls out of his face, revealing bright green eyes, dimples emerging when he smiled, and a faint dash of pale stubble across his cheeks.

“I’ll open her up.” Ivy slid back around to the driver’s seat.

“How’s business at the Love Cauldron?” asked Bruce as he lifted the hood and stared at the engine.

“It’s fine,” said Bryony. “We don’t often see you in there, though.”

“Don’t do much magic these days,” said Bruce. “I prefer to work with my hands and feel things as I repair them. I use magic now and again, but I’ve never been into all the spells and hocus-pocus that some of the villagers love.”

“Make sure you don’t use magic on our car,” said Ivy. “It needs to work perfectly and not break when your spell fades.”

“No, I never use magic on a mechanical repair,” said Bruce. “As you say, it needs to be a strong and sturdy repair. If I were trying to juggle mechanical spell repairs, I’d make a mistake and someone’s engine would fall out.”

“We don’t want that happening,” said Bryony.

“You can trust me with your repair.” Bruce bent lower over the engine and scratched his grease ingrained fingernails through his hair. “I think I see what the problem is.”

“You were recommended to us by Agatha,” said Bryony. “She said you are an excellent mechanic.”

Bruce looked up, surprise in his green eyes. “She did?”

“She said you’re the best mechanic in Old Sarum,” said Bryony.

“Well, at least she’s got one thing right.” Bruce returned to staring at the engine.

“Weren’t you two seeing each other?” asked Ivy.

“We were, but she ended it a month ago.”

“Do you think the breakup is permanent?” Bryony’s tone was full of sympathy. “Agatha seemed sad the two of you are no longer together.”

“That’s up to her,” said Bruce. “But she’s crazy. We were so happy and then she left suddenly. I couldn’t even get a real reason out of her.”

“Maybe you did something to annoy her,” said Ivy.

“No, we were happy,” said Bruce. He looked up at Bryony. “Did Agatha really seem sad about us breaking up?”

“Terribly so,” said Bryony. “Do you want her back?”

Bruce stepped away from the car, the leads Ivy had disconnected in his hands. “Maybe. I don’t know. She acted strangely when I last saw her and ran in the opposite direction to me.”

“Maybe she was late for an appointment?” suggested Bryony.

Bruce shrugged. “I guess so. Why the interest in my love life?”

“Idle curiosity,” said Ivy.

“Because we’re friends with Agatha, and you,” said Bryony. “If the two of you are happier together, perhaps you should give it another go.”

Bruce scratched his head again. “She can’t be that unhappy. I’ve heard Agatha’s been out on dates with other guys. Suggests to me she doesn’t care much about our relationship.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Bryony waved her hand to dismiss Bruce’s comment. “She could be trying to cheer herself up because she’s missing you so much.”

“Then she should come back to me,” said Bruce. “I've asked her to several times, but she keeps turning me down. After a while, I got frustrated and gave up. I can only grovel so many times before it gets humiliating.”

“Once would be enough,” muttered Ivy.

Bruce frowned at Ivy. “I found the problem with your car. These leads have been disconnected from the engine. Can’t see how they managed to work themselves loose. Looks like they were pulled out.”

“Who would do that to our lovely car?” asked Bryony, a picture of wide-eyed innocence.

“Beats me,” said Ivy. “Can you fix it?”

“Sure, they just need reconnecting,” said Bruce.

“So do you want to get back with Agatha?” asked Bryony.

“Only if she stops acting so crazy.” Bruce leaned back over the engine and reconnected the leads. “I mean, I love the girl, but a man can only take so much craziness before it stops being cute.”

“Do you want me to pass that message onto Agatha?” asked Bryony.

“If you think it will do any good,” said Bruce. “Although leave out the crazy part. She might not like that.”

“Will do,” said Bryony. “What do we owe you for the car repair?”

“Nothing, it only took a few minutes to fix. You can pay me back by convincing Agatha to come back to me.” Bruce shrugged again. “I know that sounds pathetic, but I do miss her.”

“I’ll do what I can,” said Bryony. “And I think she still cares for you. The two of you could be back together before you know it.”

After saying goodbye to Bruce, Ivy and Bryony climbed into the Mini and drove back towards the Love Cauldron.

“He didn’t seem like such a terrible guy,” said Bryony. “Agatha said they split up because he got jealous and was mean about her mom.”

“I can understand why he was mean about Mavis,” said Ivy. “But he struck me as a wet blanket. No real fight in him. He gave up on Agatha so easily. Bruce was probably glad to see the back of her. I know I will be.”

“But there was no sense of malice about him or desire to get revenge on Agatha for leaving him,” said Bryony. “He still wants her back. He wouldn’t put a curse on her that stops her kissing anyone if that's the case. It would mean she couldn’t kiss him either.”

“Maybe Bruce rigged the curse so he’s the only one who can kiss Agatha,” said Ivy. “Although that’s sophisticated magic.”

“And he’s not the sophisticated magic type,” said Bryony. “He didn’t use any magic on our car and doesn’t even seem to like it. He’s not the one we need to focus on in regards to this curse.”

“Agatha could have left Bruce because of the curse,” said Ivy. “We need to get the exact date for when she first noticed the curse was a problem.”

“It can’t have been when she was with Bruce,” said Bryony. “Because then he wouldn’t be interested in her anymore. The curse repels men from Agatha as soon as she kisses them.”

“It is a perfect curse for a vengeful ex-boyfriend,” said Ivy. “But Bruce isn’t warlock enough to do that to her.”

“We need to speak to Agatha again and find out why she lied about Bruce being so awful,” said Bryony. “I have a feeling she hasn’t told us the whole truth.”

Chapter 12

“No time like the present.” Ivy spun the car around and headed towards Agatha’s small cottage on the other side of Old Sarum. “If she’s not being honest with us, we can’t help her. She is wasting my time and that is valuable.”

“Maybe Agatha didn’t mean to mislead us,” said Bryony. “She could have a good reason for wanting to keep a secret.”

“If her secret means we’ve been dashing around speaking to people who have nothing to do with her curse, Agatha's going to find herself with a nasty case of boils and an embarrassing itch,” grumbled Ivy.

A few minutes later, they pulled up outside the tiny whitewashed cottage Agatha rented.

“That’s not Agatha.” Bryony pointed to the smartly dressed woman coming out of the front door of the cottage.

“That’s Jade Goodacre,” said Ivy. “She runs the rental agency in the village.” She jumped out of the car and walked over to Jade. “Is Agatha home?”

Jade pivoted on her high black heels, her trim figure wrapped in a smart purple dress. “Ivy! I didn’t know you were looking for somewhere on your own. Are you here to view the cottage?”

“No, I’m looking for the current occupant, Agatha Graytooth,” said Ivy. “Is she in?”

“Agatha doesn’t live here anymore,” said Jade. “She gave notice this morning that she’s leaving. I’m expecting a new potential tenant in a few moments. I thought it might be you.”

“Hi, Jade. Long time no see.” Bryony joined her sister by the cottage door and gave Jade a hug.

Ivy repressed a sigh. Her sister was friends with everybody.

“I know, it’s been far too long.” Jade kissed Bryony’s cheek. “I keep meaning to drop by the store and get some more herbs. But I’ve been so busy since I took over management of the business. I’ve not had any time to myself.”

“I heard you took over from Arthur,” said Bryony. “How exciting to be a business owner.”

“Yes, although stressful at times,” said Jade. “But you should know that, looking after the Love Cauldron.”

“Did Agatha say where she was moving to?” asked Ivy, bored of the small talk. “We need to see her.”

“She mentioned her mom was sick and she needed to be back home to be with her,” said Jade. “Agatha left in such a hurry, some of her things are still here. I’ll have to get them moved out before any new tenant arrives. It’s strange, though, she seemed so happy here. I hope her mom isn’t too ill.”

Ivy wrinkled her nose and looked over at Bryony. “Looks like we’re going back into the dragon’s den if we want to see Agatha and find out what she’s up to.”

Bryony grimaced. “Thanks for your help, Jade. Hope you find a new tenant for the place soon.”

Jade waved them goodbye as they walked back to their car.

“What’s Agatha playing at?” asked Ivy. “She lies about Bruce and now she’s going home to that dreadful woman.”

“Maybe Mavis is really sick,” said Bryony. “Perhaps her encounter with us gave her a funny turn.”

“She’s a strong dragon magic user, nothing would give her a funny turn. Dragon magic makes a person almost invincible,” said Ivy as they drove away from the cottage. “No, I bet she’s faking her illness just to get Agatha home.”

“We’d better go and see if everything is okay. I hate to think we’ve made Mavis unwell.”

“I’m sure Mavis will be thrilled to see us,” said Ivy.

“If you don’t rile her up this time, we’ll be fine,” said Bryony.

“I had to get a reaction out of her, to see how strong her magic is,” said Ivy. “We know now that Mavis is powerful enough to create a curse if she wants to. And she's certainly mean enough.”

They arrived outside of Mavis’s house and both stared up at the dirty windows.

“We could wait out here until Agatha comes out,” said Bryony. “We don’t have to go inside again.”

“Don’t you want to see any more of her fire magic?” Ivy grinned. “That was one thing I liked about her. The woman can control her dragon mojo.”

“Not really,” said Bryony. “I’m sure the ends of my hair were singed.” She inspected the split free ends of her hair.

“We might not have to go in,” said Ivy. “I just saw Agatha’s head poke around one of the curtains.”

A moment later, Agatha appeared at the front door and hurried towards the car. “What are you both doing here? Mom will be furious if she spots you. She’s still ranting about your last visit.”

“Looking for you,” said Ivy. “Why are you lying to us?”

“I’m not lying to you.” Agatha stepped back from the car.

“Hold on a second,” said Bryony. “Let’s not go so fast.”

“Why do you think I’m lying?” asked Agatha.

“We’ve been to visit Bruce,” said Bryony. “He told us that you left him.”

“And that’s true,” said Agatha. “After the fight we had and because he was so jealous and rude.”

“But he doesn’t hold any grudge against you,” said Bryony. “In fact, he made it clear to us he wants you back. He said you were acting crazy just before you split up.”

“He’s talking nonsense,” said Agatha. She looked hopefully at Bryony. “Does he really want me back?”

“When did the two of you split up?” asked Ivy with a sigh.

“It was about a month ago,” said Agatha. “I can’t remember the exact date.”

“And why did you really leave him?” asked Ivy.

“Like I said, we had a big fight.”

“There must be more to it than that,” said Bryony. “You weren’t cursed when you were with Bruce were you?”

Agatha chewed on a fingernail. “There may have been a little incident before I left Bruce.”

“Define incident,” said Ivy.

“Well, oh dear, all this is such a mess.” Agatha glanced over her shoulder. “If I stay out here any longer, Mom will get suspicious.”

“Come with us,” said Ivy. “She won’t be able to see what you’re doing.”

Tears filled Agatha’s eyes but then she nodded. “Give me five minutes. I’ll make sure she’s settled and then come with you.” She hurried back to the house and disappeared inside.

Ivy tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as they waited for Agatha to return. “I knew she was hiding something.”

“It must be something bad if she’s left the man she loves and moved back in with her scary mother.”

Agatha dashed out of the house and Bryony hopped out a let her into the back of the car. “Mom is going to be fine for half an hour. I told her I was going out to get some cake. That always makes her happy. She has such a sweet tooth.”

“Let’s go to the store and you can tell us everything.” Bryony climbed back into the car. “If we don’t know the full story about your curse and where it came from, we won’t be able to help you or the red blood still in our store.”

“How’s he doing?” asked Agatha as Ivy sped away from the house.

“There’s a small improvement,” said Bryony. “Have you heard anything about the other two red bloods?”

“The ones that recovered?” asked Agatha. “I’ve heard nothing about them.”

“They haven’t recovered, you idiot,” said Ivy. “The Charm Police found them.”

Agatha groaned. “What happened?”

“The Charm Police went across the border and retrieved the others,” said Bryony. “We were lucky they didn’t find us there. Gabriel came to the store and told us what was going on. He asked if anyone had been in looking for powerful curses to inflict upon red bloods. He thinks someone is cursing red bloods deliberately.”

“You didn’t say I had anything to do with it, did you?” Alarm flashed across Agatha’s face.

“We should have done,” said Ivy.

“But we didn’t,” said Bryony.

“I didn’t do it deliberately,” said Agatha. “I’d have never kissed the humans if I knew what it would do to them. I thought they would react differently. I didn’t know it would hurt them.”

“Well, now you have to be doubly careful,” said Ivy. “With the Charm Police hunting you down, we don’t have much time to get this sorted out. So you need to start being honest with us.” She stopped the car outside the Love Cauldron and the three of them got out and hurried inside.

“This is such a mess,” said Agatha. “I wish I could go back in time and change it all.”

Bryony placed the gone to lunch sign in the window and locked the door.

“You can’t,” said Ivy as she perched on a seat. “So talk. What’s really going on?”

“This is all my fault.” Agatha twisted her hands together and paced up and down the store.

“We figured that out for ourselves,” said Ivy.

“Take your time,” said Bryony gently. She guided Agatha to a seat and sat next to her. “Start by explaining to us why you left Bruce? I have a feeling it all began there.”

“You’re right,” said Agatha. “Bruce was such a lovely boyfriend. We’d been together a while, and I had a feeling he wanted to get more serious.”

Bryony smiled. “You mean marriage?”

“Yes, he’d been talking about getting a house together, and kids in the future. I love him, but it scared me how serious he was getting.”

“I thought your only ambition in life is to get married and have children?” asked Ivy.

“It is! But when the reality hit me it seemed so grown-up. Not like in the fairy tales, but actually hard work. Spending your time with the same person for the rest of your life; buying a house together, raising a family. I freaked out and decided it wasn’t for me.”

“So what happened?” asked Bryony.

“I had an argument with Bruce over something silly,” said Agatha. “Can’t even remember what it was now. But I stormed out. I had a few damson wines to calm down, and I met a nice guy. We got talking and I told him all about Bruce. He said he had a little gift for me, something that would help me forget all about my horrible boyfriend. In fact, now I think about it, he said it would help me to get over all men.”

“This man cursed you?” asked Bryony.

“I’m not certain,” said Agatha. “But he kissed me. It was after that everything changed.”

“So his kiss transferred the curse to you,” said Ivy. “That was his gift.”

“Quite possibly.” Agatha sighed and looked at the floor. “After he kissed me his mood changed and he became dismissive. I asked him what was wrong. He told me I would repel all men from now on.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this in the first place?” snapped Ivy. “We’ve been chasing around after suspects when all we needed to do was find this creepy curse guy and force him to reverse what he’s done to you.”

“I didn’t believe it at first,” said Agatha. “So I kissed a few other guys to see if it was true. And it was. My attempt at kissing a red blood was a last resort. I had to know if every man I ever kissed would be disgusted by me.”

“Well, you’ve got your proof.” Ivy prodded the still unconscious red blood who lay on the sofa.

“I was also embarrassed,” said Agatha, a tear tracking down one cheek. “I never meant to kiss another man. And I do still love Bruce. I miss him terribly. But I can’t go near him until the curse is broken. If we do kiss and I’m still cursed, he will hate me forever. He could be my one chance at true love and I will not spoil that.”

“You’ve spoiled it already by kissing somebody else,” said Ivy.

Agatha looked horrified. “Don’t say that! I can’t have lost Bruce for good.”

“Maybe it’s not so bad.” Bryony patted Agatha’s hand. “We can still reverse the curse. And I could tell by the way Bruce spoke about you that he still cares. I’m sure he’ll take you back.”

“He may not want to when he finds out what Agatha’s done,” said Ivy.

“Ivy’s right,” said Agatha with a sigh. “And there’s no point in me going back to him until the curse is broken, even if he will have me.”

“You don’t deserve to have the curse broken,” said Ivy. “Sure, Bruce seemed like a bit of a wimp to me, but you cheated on him. You deserve everything you get.”

“I don’t deserve this,” Agatha said miserably. “Everybody makes mistakes. It was one tiny kiss, nothing more.”

“You made a simple mistake,” said Bryony, shooting a glare at her sister. “You got scared by how intense Bruce was getting. But you soon came to your senses.”

“She came to her senses because she’s been cursed and realized what an idiot she’s been,” said Ivy. “What’s to say Agatha wouldn’t have continued going around cheating on Bruce if this curse guy hadn’t zapped her with something nasty?”

“I won’t, I promise you,” said Agatha. “I feel terrible about what I’ve done. Bruce is a good man, he would never do anything to hurt me. And I’ve ruined everything. I’ve ruined my chance of marriage and a family and setting up a lovely home with Bruce.”

“We can fix this,” said Bryony. “But we need to add this mystery man to the list of suspects.”

“Sounds like he’s the only suspect,” said Ivy. “But if he cursed you then he’ll know how to reverse it. We have to find him.”

“We can start looking for him at Maggie’s tavern,” said Agatha. “That’s where I met him.”

“That’s a good place to start,” said Ivy. “After what you’ve told us I’m in need of a strong drink.”

Chapter 13

Gabriel scrubbed a hand across his face as he inspected the results of the tests Jacob had run. “Looks like you’re making progress.”

“We're getting there. One of the red bloods can string together a whole sentence in his more lucid moments,” said Jacob. “Not that the sentence always makes sense. Red bloods say strange things. But the curse is breaking down slowly. They’re going to be fine.”

“Time to have a chat with them both,” said Gabriel.

“Start with the one who is able to keep his eyes open for more than five minutes.” Jacob followed Gabriel out of his office and along the corridor to the interview room. “He’s the most useful one.”

Gabriel opened the door of the interview room and took the notes Jacob handed him. “I'll catch up with you later.”

Jacob nodded, did a quick peek into the room, and left Gabriel alone.

Propped up in a makeshift bed in one corner was one of the red bloods who had been infected with the curse. His shaved head was covered in stubble and his brown eyes were ringed with tiredness.

“How are you feeling?” asked Gabriel.

“Like I’ve been hit with a brick several times.” The man shifted on the bed and eyed Gabriel warily. “Can I leave this weird isolation place yet?”

“Not until you’re fully recovered.” Gabriel looked at the notes in his hand. “Your name is Ryan Peterson, is that correct?”

“That’s right. And before you ask me again, I’ve no idea how I contracted this virus. The last thing I remember, I was walking through the park on my lunch break, and the next I’m in here, and you’re telling me I’ve got some infectious virus that needs to be contained.”

“You must understand our need for caution,” said Gabriel. “We wouldn’t like a nasty virus like this to get out into the general public. You were lucky you were found before anyone else was contaminated.”

Ryan let out a sigh. “Any idea how I contracted the virus?”

“I was going to ask you about that,” said Gabriel. “Did you meet anybody in the park? Anyone who was acting strangely?”

Ryan ran his hands over his stubbled head. “The memories are blurry. I work over at the print distributors on Lion Lane. You most likely know it.”

Gabriel nodded, having no idea where that was. “Did you feel unwell when you were there?”

“No, just a headache from inhaling too many fumes from the printer ink. Decided to take a walk, clear my head, and get something to eat. I took a shortcut through the park, and that was it. I must have collapsed when I was walking.” His hands went to his knees where he had two large scrapes where he’d hit the ground as the curse took hold.

“Were any of your other work colleagues feeling unwell that day?” asked Gabriel.

“Not that I know of,” said Ryan. “They all seemed fine. But we were busy so I didn’t have the chance to chat to anyone.”

“Retrace your steps from the moment you left your work,” said Gabriel. “Did you pass anyone who was acting out of character?”

“Nobody stood out as unusual. Well, nobody looked sick or coughed over me if that’s what you mean. Would that be how the virus was transmitted?”

“Possibly, but physical contact may have been likely as well. Did anybody touch you when you were walking or give you something to hold?”

“No, that would be weird,” said Ryan. “Strangers don’t usually make a habit of touching each other.”

Gabriel looked through the notes again. Curses could be transmitted remotely, but few magic users had that kind of power. It was so much easier to give someone an item with the curse on or put it in their food or drink. Or you could grab hold of a person and speak the curse directly at them. It didn’t sound like any of that had happened to Ryan.

“When do I get out of here?” asked Ryan. “This place is strange. Never seen a hospital quite like it.”

“We’re a private facility,” said Gabriel. “We’re used to treat the more complicated medical cases. That’s why you’re here. You’re in the best place to ensure a safe and complete recovery from your illness.”

“You don’t look much like a doctor,” said Ryan.

“I’m a consultant,” said Gabriel. “We don’t all have to wear lab coats and walk around with stethoscopes around our neck.”

“Guess not,” said Ryan with a tired shrug.

“And you definitely didn’t meet anyone in the park when you walked through it?” asked Gabriel. “That’s where you were discovered. Illnesses like this can be fast acting.”

Ryan closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. “There is something. The memory is so hazy it seems like a dream.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve got this image of a redheaded woman. She sort of dances towards me and she’s laughing and flirting. But she seems too beautiful to be real. She’s all shimmery around the edges, like she’s a fairy or a ghost or something. I know, it sounds weird. I assumed it was a hallucination from the illness.”

“Go on,” said Gabriel. “You could be onto something. Did she say anything to you? Did she touch you?”

Ryan kept his eyes closed, a line forming between his eyebrows as he squinted through the memory. “She did speak to me. I can see her mouth moving. And she came really close. Maybe she did touch me. I don’t know, the memory is such a mess. I’m not even sure it’s real.”

“Keep trying to crystalize those thoughts,” said Gabriel. “You could be looking at the person who infected you.”

“Don’t like to think of her still out there harming more people.” Ryan opened his eyes and looked at Gabriel. “Is she doing it deliberately?”

That was a question Gabriel wanted to get answered. “Let’s hope not. She may not even know she’s unwell. If she is in some kind of fever or having an episode herself, she could be accidentally transmitting the illness to people.”

“I hope you catch her quickly,” said Ryan. “Sounds like she needs treatment too.”

“We’ll find her,” said Gabriel. “Don’t you worry about that.” No sneaky curse throwing magic user was going to get away with this kind of behavior on his watch.

Ryan gave an enormous yawn. “Sorry, can’t keep my eyes open. This illness is exhausting.”

“Get some more rest, it will help with the cleansing process.”

“You make it sound as if I’m on some hippy retreat not in a hospital,” said Ryan as he slid down into the bed.

“We are much better than your average hospital.” Gabriel left the room and shut the door softly behind him. A redheaded woman who looked like a fairy. That sounded like a resident of Old Sarum. But why slip over the border and do this to the red bloods?

“Get anything useful out of him?” asked Jacob as he walked along the corridor with an armful of test tubes.

“He’s given me a vague description of a woman he thinks he met. But he was vague. He’s not sure the memory is real.”

“He mentioned the redhead to you did he?” asked Jacob. “When Ryan’s asleep, he talks about her. But from the way he acts, it seems as if she repels him. As if he sees this beautiful thing but suddenly he’s repulsed and tries to get away.”

“He didn’t mention that,” said Gabriel. “I wonder what this fairy redhead did to him that made him scared of her.”

“Not so much scared,” said Jacob. “But as if she grossed him out. Whatever magic she did to him, he didn’t like it.”

“Repelling magic,” said Gabriel. “That’s interesting. Why would a magic user want to repel a red blood?”

“No clue, but maybe you should start talking to all the redheads in Old Sarum?”

“That’s one way to go about it,” said Gabriel. “But I need more information from our victims first. Otherwise, I could be chasing a red headed red herring and wasting everybody’s time.”

“I’m quite partial to redheads myself,” said Jacob. “I could take a break from the tests and go do some interviews of my own.” He winked at Gabriel.

“What happened to your latest girlfriend?”

“Gwen’s still around, but red hair is my weakness.”

“If I need your help when it comes to interviewing the redheads I’ll let you know.” Gabriel grinned at Jacob as he walked away. At least now he had something to go on. It wasn’t a great lead, but it confirmed his suspicions that someone had been illegally using magic on the wrong side of the border. Whoever it was they needed to pay for what they’d done, and he wasn't going to rest until he’d discovered their identity.

Chapter 14

Bryony gave the shelf in the Love Cauldron a final dust. It was almost closing time and they were heading to Maggie’s tavern after work to see if they could find Agatha’s mystery kisser.

The store door opened and Vapid Vanessa walked in, dressed in a skin tight red dress, fitted dark jacket, and platform shoes. Her blonde hair was combed into an elaborate beehive atop her overly made up face.

“Hi, Vanessa,” said Bryony, a duster in one hand. “Looking for anything in particular?”

“Just wanted a quick browse on my way home.” Vanessa lisped when she spoke.

“We’re doing a special on charms if you’re interested,” said Bryony. “And the ragwort is fresh in.”

“Sounds good,” said Vanessa. “Have you got any of that new age busting fairy dust they were talking about on Witch Radio?”

“I’ve not heard of that,” said Bryony. “What does it do?”

“You sprinkle it on your skin and it knocks five years off your age,” said Vanessa. “Not that I need any help in that department.” She tittered out a laugh.

“I’ll look into getting some supplies if it’s proving popular,” said Bryony. “Would you like a brownie?” She walked over to the counter and lifted a plate of macadamia nut and white chocolate brownies.

“They look yummy, but I’m watching my weight,” said Vanessa. “And I can’t eat a thing when I’m wearing this dress.” She patted her flat stomach, her gaze running over Bryony’s curves.

“Fair enough.” Bryony helped herself to a brownie and bit into it. “If you need any help let me know.”

“Will do.” Vanessa tottered to the other side of the store and browsed the ready-made potions.

“If that toad belches at me one more time, he’s going to the toad knacker’s yard.” Ivy stomped in from the back room. She stopped for a second as she noticed Vanessa.

“He’s just trying to assert his dominance over you,” said Bryony.

“Then I’ll let him belch all over you next time,” said Ivy. “Are we closing?” Her gaze went to Vanessa again.

“We’ve got another fifteen minutes yet,” said Bryony. “There may be a few more customers before we shut for the evening.”

“How effective is this speech enhancement spell?” Vanessa held aloft a small vial with purple liquid inside.

“You thinking of using it to get rid of your lisp?” asked Ivy.

“I love my lisp,” said Vanessa. “It drives the men wild. I thought this spell might be useful for my business. Sometimes when the voices come through they aren’t clear and I have trouble passing on the messages to loved ones.” Vanessa worked as a psychic medium for dead pets.

“The dead animals you talk to have their own voices?” asked Ivy.

“Yes, they all have their unique accents and voices. Just like humans.”

“You must be fluent in meows and barks,” muttered Ivy.

Bryony pushed past her sister and walked over to Vanessa. “I’ve never tried that spell on animals. You could give it a go, but I’m not sure how effective it will be on dead animals. Do you communicate with living ones as well?”

“No, can’t stand all the fur and smells they make. And they’re never responsive to me,” said Vanessa with a dramatic sigh.

“Can’t imagine why.” Ivy eyed the suspiciously real looking fur collar on Vanessa’s jacket.

“Perhaps I could give it a go,” said Vanessa. “If it doesn’t work, can I return it for a refund?”

“We don’t do refunds,” said Ivy.

“Of course we do,” said Bryony. “Try the spell and let me know what you think of it. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try something better suited to you.”

“I will try it,” said Vanessa. “It could give my business a little boost. I’ve been having trouble hearing some of the voices lately.”

“It could be all that hair getting in the way,” said Ivy.

“My abilities have nothing to do with my hair,” said Vanessa. “My clients are simply temperamental. You never know when you’re going to get a badly behaved dog coming through and insisting I pass on a garbled message about bones and buried undergarments. It can be confusing at times.”

“Sounds terribly complicated,” said Ivy.

“How’s your love life, Ivy?” Vanessa strutted to the counter. “Been on any dates recently?”

Ivy’s dark eyes narrowed. “It’s perfect, thanks. How’s yours? Lost count of the number of sugar daddies you’re involved with?”

Vanessa smirked. “I don’t need a sugar daddy. I’m a successful businesswoman. But I did hear that Bruce Creed is on the market.”

“He’s Agatha’s boyfriend,” said Bryony.

“He was. From what I heard, she left him and he’s single, and cute,” said Vanessa. “Agatha couldn’t keep hold of him. Maybe I will instead.”

“Have you been after Bruce for long?” asked Ivy, shooting a look at her sister.

“I’m always on the lookout for a good model of man,” said Vanessa. “I assumed he wasn’t worth pursuing. The rumor was he was planning to ask Agatha to marry him. He’d been seen lurking around Myers jewellery store, staring at rings like a dummy. But now it seems that’s off.”

“Know any good curses?” asked Ivy.

Vanessa wrinkled her button nose. “Curses aren’t my forte. Why do you ask? Looking for a gift for a friend?”

“No, but there are a few enemies I’ve got in mind who I wouldn’t mind cursing.” Ivy stepped out from behind the counter.

Bryony hurried over. “I’ll put the spell on your account, Vanessa. You can come in and pay me later if it works.”

Vanessa glared at Ivy but then nodded. “Very well.” She turned on her heel and stalked out of the store.

“She’s such a gossiping gollum. Let’s see what she thinks about this.” Ivy pointed a finger at Vanessa and her hair turned black as she walked along the road.

“Ivy, that’s not nice. She looks like a drag queen with her hair that color.”

“It suits her,” said Ivy. “Gives her a bit of character.”

“You should change it back.” Bryony stared at Vanessa’s retreating form and then giggled. “Well, leave it for a little while. It does sort of suit her.”

“Interesting that she’s got her evil sights set on Bruce,” said Ivy.

“It is. Agatha does like the complicated life,” said Bryony. “First she runs away from the man of her dreams, then she kisses a man she shouldn’t be kissing who may have cursed her. She has a terrifying mother to deal with and now she’s got Vanessa chasing after Bruce. I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.”

“Let’s deal with the problem she came to us with. The rest she’ll have to sort out herself. We focus on finding the creepy guy who put the curse on Agatha and make him reverse it,” said Ivy.

“You’re right,” said Bryony. “We can only do so much to help her.”

“Time to go. Let’s shut the store, find our evil spell caster and make him change his mind.”

“I’ll get the lights and you do the door,” said Bryony.

“Deal,” said Ivy.

Two minutes later, they were buttoned in their coats and the store secured, when a knock sounded on the window.

“Whoever it is, we’re closed,” shouted Ivy.

“You’re never closed for your mother.”

Ivy groaned and Bryony smiled. “Looks like our plans may have just changed,” she said.

Chapter 15

“We were in the area and wanted to see how things are going.” Adeline walked through the store door Bryony had unlocked, their Aunt Odessa with her, wearing a striking burgundy velvet dress, her long hair loose around her face.

“We’re going out tonight,” said Ivy.

“But we can always postpone our plans,” said Bryony. “It’s always nice to see you here.”

“What about Agatha?” asked Ivy.

“Are you still dealing with your kiss cursed client?” asked Adeline.

“We’ve almost solved the mystery,” said Ivy.

Bryony nodded. “We need to find a mystery man who gave Agatha the curse and get him to reverse it.”

“Let’s hope whoever did it is receptive to your request,” said Aunt Odessa. “The curse must have been given for a good reason. They may not want to reverse the magic.”

“They won’t have a choice,” muttered Ivy. “I’ll convince them it’s in their best interests to do so.”

“You always were persuasive as a child,” said Adeline, patting Ivy on the cheek. “Now, why don’t you tell me who this is?” She pointed to the red blood on the sofa.

Bryony shook her head. She should have known their mother would see through any magic she cast. “We don’t know his name, but he’s involved in the curse case. Agatha kissed a red blood to see what would happen. As you can see, the result wasn’t great.”

“And rumor has it,” said Aunt Odessa, “there are more red bloods in the village under the same magic. Does Agatha have anything to do with that?”

“Sadly yes,” said Bryony. “She got a bit gung ho with her affections over the border and ended up kissing three red bloods. The Charm Police got to them before we could, but we managed to save this one and have been trying different spells to get him to wake up from the curse.”

“He doesn’t look too well.” Aunt Odessa peered at the red blood, her nose only an inch from him. “And he has a strange smell. Are you sure he isn’t rotting?”

“Aunt Odessa, he’s not dead!” said Bryony. “He’s in a magical coma. That’s the best way to describe it. He has said a few words, but the curse he’s under is strong, and so far we’ve not been able to break it.”

“Have you tried samphire root and meadow flower?” asked Adeline. “You might like to add some dried bats wing and possibly a splash of gremlin blood, too. All powerful curse breakers when used in the correct quantities.”

“We’ve tried dozens of spells and potions,” said Ivy. “What we need is to get our hands on the sleaze who put the curse on Agatha in the first place. When we reverse that, the red bloods should wake up.”

“And throwing all this magic at the poor human won’t do him any good,” said Bryony. “I’ve left him alone today because I was worried too much magic would be a strain for him.”

The store door opened and Gabriel walked through. All four witches stood in front of the sofa, innocent smiles on their faces.

Gabriel paused, looking at each of the women. “I hope I’m not interrupting a family gathering.”

“No, come in,” said Bryony. “We were deciding what to do this evening.”

“How are you, Gabriel?” Adeline strode over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”

“I’m well, Mrs. Thornheart,” said Gabriel. “The Charm Police keep me busy as always.”

“None of this Mrs. Thornheart business,” said Adeline. “You know I’m a single lady.”

Gabriel smiled. “Of course, silly of me to forget. And how are you?”

“It’s so nice of you to ask,” said Adeline. “The family keeps me occupied as always. And I’m always worrying about my girls here.”

“We’re not children,” grumbled Ivy. “We can look after ourselves.”

“A mother never stops worrying about her children,” said Adeline. “I’m sure your mother is the same, Gabriel.”

Gabriel frowned. “Well, I haven’t seen her since the whole becoming a fallen angel incident. The people in charge aren’t letting her see me. It’s tricky, her being a full angel still. There’s always so much work to be done. Too many people need help and there aren’t enough angels to go around.”

“You poor thing,” said Adeline. “An orphan here in Old Sarum. I hate to think of such a thing. You must come to dinner. There’s always room at our table for another hungry mouth.”

“That’s very kind of you,” said Gabriel. “But I’m used to being on my own. And the Charm Police are like my family these days. I spend so much time at work, they may as well adopt me.”

“Isn’t that sweet.” Adeline patted his arm. “But know you are always welcome at ours.”

“Thank you, Mrs... I mean, Adeline.”

“Good boy,” said Adeline. “Now, did you want anything while you were here?”

Gabriel looked over at Bryony. “If I can tear you away for a second, I wanted to have a quick word.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” said Bryony, feeling her heart beat speed up.

“We could go outside.” Gabriel gestured towards the door.

“Good plan.” Bryony grabbed hold of Gabriel's arm and almost shoved him out of the store door in her eagerness to get away from the curious stares of her family.

“Hope I wasn’t interrupting anything important,” said Gabriel.

“No, we were just gossiping.” Bryony cast a quick look into the store to make sure the red blood was concealed. “What can I do for you?”

“This isn’t the best time.” Gabriel twisted his hands together. “I should come back.”

“You’re here now, don’t be silly. What was it you needed?”

“I’ve been thinking. I know we’re friends, but I wondered if you’d like to go out as more than friends. On a real date.”

Bryony’s eyes widened. “With you?”

“Yes! I’m not asking for a friend,” said Gabriel. “I like you, Bryony. And I think you like me, too. It is nice that we’re friends, but I’m hoping you think of me as more than that.”

Bryony felt her chin wobble and bit on her bottom lip. “Gabriel, that’s sweet of you to ask. But you know what I’m going to say.”

“That you don’t think of me that way? That you see me as only a friend? Is that why you’re blushing and your mouth is trembling?” asked Gabriel with a frustrated sigh. “I wish you’d give us a chance.”

“It’s not that simple,” said Bryony. “There are other people to think about.”

“Like who?” asked Gabriel. “I know you’re close to your family, but they like me. Well, most of them do. I’m still undecided about Ivy. Your mom just tried to adopt me! Surely the fact she likes me is a good sign that I’m worth taking a chance on. One tiny date, that’s all I’m asking for.”

“It’s a sign she’s not being sensible,” said Bryony. “Mom knows I don’t date.”

“I get that the Thornheart women are independent,” said Gabriel. “But you don’t need to be like your mom or aunts. You can rely on a man. You can rely on me if you want to.”

“I don’t need to rely on anyone else.” Bryony tilted her chin up. “We do fine just as we are.”

“No, I didn’t mean like that. I didn’t mean to say you needed a man. But maybe you’d like one,” said Gabriel. “Maybe you’d like me in your life.”

Bryony tried to ignore the way Gabriel’s blond hair dipped into his eyes. She wanted nothing more than to push it off his face, grab hold of him and kiss him. But that would lead into dangerous territory for her and her sister. “I’m sorry, but it’s not possible, not now. Maybe in the future, when things are settled and everyone is happy and safe.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” said Gabriel.

“It may not make sense to you,” said Bryony. “But it’s complicated, and I can’t explain it to you any better than that. All I can say is that in the future a date may be possible. But for now, I can’t see anything happening between us.”

“Is it because you’re so busy at the store?” asked Gabriel. “We could just see each other on weekends, or whenever you’re free.”

“No, it’s not the store, although it does keep me busy.” Bryony smiled at him, eager to break the tension between them. “Besides, you’d hate the fact you came second to a magic store. And if we were to have a relationship, I’d want to invest as much time as possible in you. I wouldn’t expect you to hang around waiting for my call and any spare five minutes I had. That wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”

Gabriel hung his head, defeat washing over him. “Nothing worse than a guy who sounds like a desperate loser.”

Bryony took hold of his hand. “You don’t sound desperate, or a loser. You sound sweet and utterly charming. And I do wish I could accept your offer. But not now, it’s not the right time.”

“Will you let me know when it is?” Gabriel raised his head and tightened his grip on Bryony’s hand.

“If and when the time is right, I will,” said Bryony. “But please, don’t wait for me. It could be years before I can date you.”

“I’m in no hurry,” said Gabriel. “And in case you’ve forgotten, fallen angels live a very long time. As do witches.”

Bryony couldn’t help but smile. “Well, that’s good news.”

Gabriel kissed the back of Bryony’s hand and then let go. “Sorry to interfere with your family meeting.”

“It was nothing important,” said Bryony. “Have a nice evening.”

“And you.” Gabriel walked away, turning and looking back at Bryony a couple of times as he did so.

Bryony let out a huge sigh before turning to the store. She did want to date Gabriel but knew how risky that was. If he turned out to be as nice as she thought he was, she’d be in real trouble, as would Ivy. Bryony pulled open the store door and walked inside.

“Did he just ask you on a date?” Adeline and Aunt Odessa stood by the door.

“You were obviously eavesdropping,” said Bryony, with a shake of her head. “You can answer that question yourselves.”

“He’s such a lovely young man,” said Adeline. “I wish there was a way the two of you could date.”

“But there isn’t,” said Ivy. “Unless you want me to die.”

“Bryony going on a date with Gabriel won’t mean you die,” said Aunt Odessa. “I date lots of men. I just make sure I never fall for any of them.”

“So you pick ugly trolls and mean spirited gremlins to date?” asked Ivy.

“No, I just know when to cut my ties with a man before it becomes serious,” said Aunt Odessa. “It makes me sad that neither of you girls will even go on a date.”

“It’s too risky,” said Bryony.

“What if Bryony and Mr. Perfect went out together and fell ridiculously in love on the first date?” asked Ivy. She wrapped a hand around her throat and made a choking sound. “Bye, bye Ivy Thornheart.”

“That’s not going to happen,” said Bryony. “I turned Gabriel down. There will be no dates.”

“But there was a kiss,” said Ivy. “He kissed your hand.”

“That’s not going to make me fall in love with him,” said Bryony.

“I wouldn’t put it past you,” muttered Ivy.

“Gabriel is a charming man,” said Aunt Odessa. “If he is the right one for our Bryony, then he will wait for her. And when the time is right, and our curse is lifted, they can be together.”

“How many times have you tried to break the family curse?” asked Ivy. “Hundreds of years have gone past, and no one has figured out how to stop it.”

“I never give up hope,” said Aunt Odessa. “Neither should the two of you.”

The store door opened again and a female elf in a bright green uniform walked through with a large bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. “Delivery for Bryony Thornheart.”

Ivy groaned. “I am doomed to die. The curse is making sure Bryony falls in love with someone. That’s the fifth delivery this week.”

“Either that or someone is trying to make Bryony fat,” said Aunt Odessa. “That box of chocolates is enormous.” She took the box from the delivery elf, signed for the order, opened the lid and tucked into the chocolates.

Bryony took the flowers and showed the elf out. “It’s a good job I don’t suffer from any allergies. All of these flowers are overwhelming.” She arranged the flowers next to several other bunches on the counter.

“I know the curse is making men fall in love with Bryony easily.” Adeline tucked a strand of Bryony’s hair behind one ear. “But she is so easy to love. I’m sure there would be plenty of bouquets of flowers and gifts even if the curse wasn’t active.”

“I’m guessing that doesn’t apply to me,” growled Ivy.

“You’re lovely too.” Adeline walked to Ivy and smoothed her dark hair from her face. “Your particular talents appeal to a more specific kind of man. One who may not see flowers and chocolates as acceptable gifts for such a powerful witch. But your match is out there, and he will fall in love with you too, when the time is right.”

“What about Kristoff?” asked Bryony. “No matter how mean you are to him, he keeps coming in the store. I’m sure he likes you.”

“Kristoff Dash?” asked Aunt Odessa. “He’s not suitable husband material.”

“No man is suitable husband material,” said Ivy. “I’m not seeing Kristoff or anyone else.”

“Best you don’t get involved with Kristoff,” said Adeline. “His demon ancestors are of a particularly chaotic nature. You need to find a nice warlock or half goblin perhaps? Someone with a little mischief about them, but no malicious intent. Involvement with the Dash family will not lead to a happy ending.”

“No warlocks. No demons. No goblins. I’m happy alone,” said Ivy.

“And so am I,” said Bryony. “We’re fine as we are.”

“I’ll have you both married before I turn up my toes,” said Aunt Odessa.

“You’re going to live for about five hundred years then,” said Ivy.

Aunt Odessa sniffed. “That’s entirely possible.”

“Let’s go and have some dinner,” said Adeline. “We can talk about this some more.”

“We’re busy tonight,” said Ivy. “And we’re meeting up tomorrow for the Stonehenge pilgrimage anyway. Unless you aren’t bothering with that anymore.”

“We are bothering with that,” said Adeline. “But I’ve made a double portion of lasagne tonight. And there’s a strudel for dessert.”

“We could hunt for the curse giver another night,” said Bryony.

Ivy sighed. “That doesn’t sound terrible. We’ll come on one condition.”

“What’s that?” asked Adeline.

“No more marriage talk.”

“Or dating talk,” said Bryony. “We’ll figure out our own relationships.”

“Very well. Men are off limits this evening.” Adeline smiled at her daughters. “But as your aunt said, we will see you both happily married one day.”

The girls groaned.

“Excellent.” Aunt Odessa smiled brightly. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter 16

Gabriel wanted to curl into a ball and hide away from the rest of the world. Why did he think it was a good idea to go to the Love Cauldron after he’d had a couple of drinks in Maggie’s tavern? He was never great at holding his alcohol, and three large drafts of real ale later, he’d made the idiot decision to ask Bryony out on a date, again. He knew what the answer would be. She must have turned him down fifty times. Why would this time be any different?

He kicked a stone on the road, and it skittered off and clattered against something metallic. Every time he asked her out she refused him. When was he going to realize she didn’t like him in that way?

“Looks like you’ve got the weight of the world on those broad shoulders.” Vapid Vanessa stepped out of her smart white car and smiled at Gabriel. “I hear sharing a trouble halves the burden. And I have a free ear if you’d like to share.”

Gabriel stared at Vanessa through his ale tinted vision. She looked paler than usual, her new black hair didn’t do her any favors. He didn’t know her well, and never had any reason to call upon Vanessa's services as a communicator with dead animals.

“It’s nothing. Just work,” said Gabriel.

“I’ve been hearing rumors about cursed red bloods,” said Vanessa. “Is there any truth to that?”

“I can’t share information about an ongoing case,” said Gabriel.

“So it’s true.” Vanessa’s mouth formed an O of surprise. “How scary.”

“It will be sorted soon,” said Gabriel. His gaze turned to the Love Cauldron. He wanted to go back, no matter that Bryony had rejected him so soundly.

“I saw you coming out of the Love Cauldron,” said Vanessa. “Not talking to those Thornheart girls were you?”

“Only Bryony,” said Gabriel. “I don’t understand her.”

“There’s more going on in her head than her sweet smile and pretty blonde hair reveals, isn’t there,” said Vanessa.

Gabriel frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“I’ve known Bryony and Ivy since we were children,” said Vanessa. “We went to witch school together. We weren’t close, but I always saw them around. The two of them always hung out together, never had any other close friends. It was the two of them against the rest of the world. Does that make sense to you?”

“Yes, I know what you mean,” said Gabriel. “Sometimes I feel they have a brick wall up against everyone else. They let you in so far, and then just as you think you’re getting somewhere, the wall slams back into place and you’re left feeling bruised and wondering what you did wrong.”

“Sounds like Bryony has done a number on you,” said Vanessa. “You know, there are plenty more single women available in Old Sarum if you are looking for a date.” She fluttered her overly long black eyelashes at him.

Gabriel inwardly cursed. He hadn’t meant to speak his thoughts aloud. “I’m not interested in anybody else.” The ale was loosening his tongue but he didn’t care. “I wish I could find out why Bryony is so guarded.”

“You must know the legend of the Thornheart witches,” said Vanessa. “Don’t you think it’s odd that none of the women in the family have husbands?”

“It’s unusual,” said Gabriel. “I wouldn’t say odd. What’s the legend you speak of?”

“That family is a cursed one,” said Vanessa. “None of the women can ever marry.”

“That can’t be true,” said Gabriel. “Why would someone curse them to never be able to marry?”

“It’s a legend shrouded in mystery,” said Vanessa. “Someone took a dislike to the family and wanted to make sure the women could never further their lineage. It goes back generations, maybe hundreds of years. The Thornheart women have been secretly getting pregnant and having children before it was acceptable for a single woman to do so. It’s the only way their powers could have continued.”

“So they were cursed never to have children?” Gabriel scrubbed a hand across his forehead, an ale induced headache threading through his thoughts.

“No, that’s not what the curse is focused on,” said Vanessa. “The Thornheart women are sneaky. They figured out a way around it. They picked suitable men, became pregnant by them but never fell in love. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of this legend.”

“I don’t tend to listen to rumor,” said Gabriel.

Vanessa pouted. “It’s more than a rumor. It’s a fact. You've only been here a year, so maybe you're too new to know all of their secrets. But it may explain why Bryony is so prickly around you.”

“Hold on a second, does that mean Bryony can never fall in love?” asked Gabriel. “Is that what triggers this curse?”

Vanessa shrugged and inspected her painted nails. “The details are foggy, but I don’t think any of them would risk marrying in case it triggered the curse. As for falling in love, well, you don’t see any men around them for long.”

“So she could like me?”

“Oh, you sweet thing,” said Vanessa. “Don’t waste your affections on somebody you can’t have. There are so many other women around here who would welcome your attention.”

Gabriel nodded but his thoughts were elsewhere. Bryony Thornheart might like him. A small sliver of hope slipped through Gabriel. If he could discover what the curse was and get rid of it, Bryony would be free to date him.

“Why don’t we go out?” asked Vanessa. “There’s a dance this weekend and I’m looking for a partner.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m working,” said Gabriel, still thinking through the possibilities attached to this curse.

“Change shift with someone,” said Vanessa. “I bet you’re a good dancer.” She walked over and traced a hand down Gabriel’s broad chest.

“I can’t,” said Gabriel. “But thanks for the information. And you’re sure this curse is real?”

Vanessa pouted again and stepped away, sensing defeat. “As much as it pains me to say, the Thornheart women aren’t unattractive. Surely at least one of them would be married by now. Unless there’s something repellent about them we’re all missing.”

“There’s nothing repellent about any of them.”

“Ivy Thornheart is not much fun to be around.” Vanessa ran her fingers through her black hair. “I’m sure she did this to me.”

“Ivy’s okay,” said Gabriel. “She’s just protective of her sister. And if this curse is true, I understand now why she behaves the way she does.”

Vanessa shrugged. “If you’re not interested in asking me out to the dance, I’d better go. Plenty more people to see.” She turned and flounced back to her car.

Gabriel walked away slowly, absorbed in his own thoughts. The red bloods were still suffering from the magic they were under, and there were no clues to help figure out who inflicted the magic on them. And now this information about a curse Bryony and her family were under. He shook his head. Old Sarum was nothing if not an interesting place to live.

The news about the Thornheart curse was fascinating. Gabriel had to know more about it. Perhaps he could help Bryony, and her whole family, get free from the curse. Then he would know if she liked him or not. With another shake of his head, he continued home. The first thing he needed to do was sleep off this ale. Then he needed to never drink again. Then he would help Bryony.

Chapter 17

“That last spell was a joke. This toad is defective. And if one more idiot customer comes in asking about the benefits of dried four leafed clovers, I’m going to curse the lot of them.” Ivy thumped her hands on top of the counter.

“The spell was fine. Your toad is also fine. And our customers aren’t idiots, they’re just curious about the magical properties of dried clover leaf. Witch Radio did a report on it, so everyone wants to know more.” Bryony shelved the last book in her hand and walked over to the counter, scooping up the baby toad and shuffling him into his box out of Ivy's way. “Time for us to close?”

Ivy glowered at her sister and then sighed. She’d been out of sorts since the family dinner last night, mulling over everything her family said about not putting themselves at risk of harming anyone by falling in love.

She’d always assumed love was for wimps, but every now and again, Ivy found herself wondering what if? What if she did find somebody she loved? She’d never sacrifice her sister for the sake of that. But a long life as a witch on your own was a difficult thing to consider at times.

“Let’s close and get out of here. I’ve had enough of magic for one day,” said Ivy.

“I’ll take you to dinner. My treat,” said Bryony. “We don’t have much food in the apartment, and I hear they’re doing a new type of burrito over at Dolores’s diner.”

“Dolores’s food is good,” admitted Ivy. “Fine, but after that, we’re going to Bubbling Brews. I need something to take the edge off after today.”

“Just for one,” said Bryony. “We’ve still got to work on Agatha’s curse this evening.”

“Something strong and alcoholic will help us be more creative with our thinking about this annoying curse,” said Ivy. “I think better when I’m relaxed.”

Bryony laughed as she switched off the store lights. “Okay, we can try your method.”

“I’ll leave Spike in charge of the red blood,” said Ivy. “Don’t want him waking up and causing havoc in the store.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Bryony. “The last time you left the two of them alone, the red blood’s arm got chewed.”

“It was only his jacket sleeve,” said Ivy. “It’s a horrible jacket anyway. And Spike was just being curious. He didn’t really want to eat him.”

“Well, fair enough, but I’ll leave Sweetie here, too. She can watch the red blood from her perch in the corner.”

“Between the two of them, I’m sure they’ll keep him safe.” Ivy grinned evilly at her sister.

After Spike and Sweetie had been given their instructions and were installed on guard duty, Bryony locked the store and the girls walked arm in arm to Dolores Woodsmith’s diner, Enchanted Feasts.

Ivy pushed open the diner door and was hit with an enticing smell of Mexican spices and salsa. The diner was a low roofed building, with wonky floors and small wooden tables, set with bright red tablecloths. A mariachi band was setting up in one corner and most of the tables were full.

“Looks like it’s going to be a lively evening,” said Bryony.

“We can always go somewhere else,” said Ivy.

“No, the food here is amazing, you said so yourself,” said Bryony. “And I love Dolores’s themed evenings. They are so much fun.”

“We have different ideas of what’s fun.” Ivy grudgingly followed her sister to a seat in one corner of the diner and they sat down.

“What will it be, girls?” Dolores rushed over to their table, her red hair set in perfect spiral curls around her long face and her silver eyes shining. “We’ve got burritos, burritos or burritos.”

“That’s some choice,” said Ivy.

Dolores chuckled. “You get to decide the heat in them. I’m going for hot, extra hot, and blow your head off. You choose.”

“Can you make mine on the mild side of hot?” asked Bryony.

“The same,” said Ivy. “And two pints of bramble beer.”

“Make mine a half,” said Bryony.

Dolores jotted down their order. “Coming right up. Enjoy the show.” She dashed away to the next table of waiting customers.

“So, why such a glum face today?” asked Bryony.

“This is my default look,” said Ivy. “You know I rarely smile.”

“You smile enough for me,” said Bryony. “What’s wrong?”

“The curse is bothering me,” said Ivy.

“But we’re making progress with Agatha’s kiss curse,” said Bryony. “Hopefully, by the end of tomorrow, we will have found out who cursed her.”

“I don’t care about Agatha’s dumb curse,” said Ivy. “I mean our curse.”

Dolores returned with the bramble beers. “Food won’t be long.”

“Thanks,” said Bryony to Dolores’s already retreating form.

Ivy scooped the foam off the top of her bramble beer and sucked the sweet-and-sour bubbles off her finger. She studied her sister’s perfect face, her blue eyes looking back at her with clear concern. “Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Our curse is always on my mind,” said Bryony. “I hate that a sacrifice should be made if either of us ever finds true love.”

“You know I’d do it,” said Ivy. “If you ever truly fell in love and wanted to marry, you could do that. I want you to be happy.”

“But I wouldn’t be happy without you.” Bryony grabbed Ivy’s hand. “And there’s the problem. If I ever meet someone I want to be with, then I lose you.”

“As much as I hate whoever cursed the family, I do admire them,” said Ivy. “It’s the perfect curse.”

“It’s the suckiest curse ever.” A rare frown crossed Bryony’s face. “But it is clever. Although I do wish you’d stop chasing away all of the attractive men. I’m not going to fall in love with any of them, but they are nice to look at.”

“I don’t chase them all away,” said Ivy. “Some of them flee the village before I get to them.”

“Only because they know you’re coming for them.” Bryony smiled at her sister, a large foam moustache on her top lip where she’d taken a drink from her beer.

Ivy reached across the table and swiped the foam from Bryony's face. “You’re better than any lousy husband. I’ll never find a man who can make brownies like you do.”

“And I’ll never find a man who looks out for me the way you do,” said Bryony. “Who needs men when we have each other?”

“Grab it and growl, girls.” Dolores slapped down two enormous plates of salsa covered burritos, along with a tray of tortilla chips.

Ivy scooped up her first burrito and tucked in, happy to have a distraction from the difficult conversation with Bryony. She loved her sister and would do anything for her. Even if that meant sacrificing herself to this stupid curse her family were under. She hated to think Bryony was deliberately avoiding finding happiness just to keep her alive. Sure, Ivy didn’t want to die, but she also didn’t want to see her sister lonely. And that was the cruel twist of the curse; if either sister fell in love, the other one got sick. And if they went on to marry, then that sister died.

“These burritos are great,” said Bryony.

“It’s good food,” said Ivy. The mariachi band started and all conversation had to end as the raucous strumming of guitars and the loud wailing of the singers filled the room.

An hour later, the food and beer were gone and Ivy sat at the table, an amused grin on her face as she watched Bryony being danced around the other tables by one of the warlocks who served behind the bar. Wherever they went, Bryony attracted attention from men.

Their curse didn’t work on all men, but it was effective on a high enough number that it made Ivy want to strangle any male who walked through the door of the Love Cauldron, for fear that he would be the one Bryony finally fell in love with.

Ivy paid the bill and rescued her sister from the arms of the dancing warlock. “Time to go. We’ve got curse business to deal with.”

The warlock reluctantly released Bryony and returned to the bar. “Don’t forget me, pretty lady,” he called out as they left.

“She already has,” shouted back Ivy, before slamming the door behind her.

“That was such fun.” Bryony danced around Ivy as they walked along the street.

“We’ve got time for a quick drink in Bubbling Brews before we have to meet the family,” said Ivy.

“I’d almost forgotten it was the red blood procession to Stonehenge this evening,” said Bryony. “Are you sure we’ve got time?”

“We’ve got an hour. And we need to discuss Agatha’s curse.”

Bryony stopped dancing. “I hope this mystery man is easy to find. If he was only passing through Old Sarum, he could be anywhere by now.”

“If we can’t locate him, we’ll break the curse eventually. It will just take more time and more magic. Neither of which I’m keen on using on Agatha’s annoying problem.” They reached the entrance of Bubbling Brews, a tiny thatched building, with giant chimney stacks poking out of the thatch, and a mural of an enormous green gargoyle painted on the side of the building, in honor of the owner’s, Wilbert Giggles, gargoyle ancestry.

They walked into the bar and selected a seat close to the open fire. Ivy went to the bar and brought back two more pints of bramble beer.

“I’ll be tipsy if I drink any more,” said Bryony.

“You’re already tipsy,” said Ivy as she sat down. “Half a bramble beer is all it takes with you.”

“You’re right,” said Bryony. “But it always tastes so good.”

“So, tomorrow evening we’ll search for the curse giver,” said Ivy. “Once we find him, I’ll convince him to change his mind about putting this curse on Agatha.”

“I was thinking magic could have been used to make Agatha forget who gave it to her,” said Bryony. “That means they’re a powerful magic user. We need to be careful.”

“Powerful magic doesn’t bother me,” said Ivy.

“Maybe he put the curse on Agatha because he thought he had good reason to.”

“For whatever reason, he needs to pay,” said Ivy.

“It is odd, though, that a stranger comes to Old Sarum and curses Agatha. Why would he do it?” asked Bryony. “I suppose he could have been horribly wronged by a woman. He may have a vendetta against straying girlfriends and Agatha was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I’ve been wondering about that,” said Ivy. “I’m not convinced he’s acting alone. Someone asked our mystery man to put this curse on Agatha. Not many magic users can create such an effective curse. None of our suspects can, that’s for sure.”

“Vanessa could have done it.” Bryony sat up straight in her seat, her cheeks flushed from the bramble beer. “She was interested in Bruce when she was in our store. She could have had Agatha cursed knowing she’d leave Bruce when she could no longer kiss him. Then he’d be a free agent for Vanessa to date.”

“It’s a possibility,” said Ivy. “Vanessa can be malicious when she wants to be. But curses are expensive, and she spends most of her money on make-up and those ridiculous shoes she totters around in. But she’s still a suspect. I’d be happy to have a little chat with her. Vanessa could have persuaded one of her older men friends to pay for the curse.”

“I bet she’s not forgiven you for the black hair.” Bryony giggled as she raised her beer to her lips.

“Men like the dark and sultry look,” said Ivy. “She should be thanking me.”

“And then there’s Bruce himself,” said Bryony. “He could be seeking revenge because Agatha left him.”

“He could have found out about her kissing another guy,” said Ivy. “She did that after they had their argument. Maybe word got back to him about what she’d done and he decided to teach her a lesson.”

“So he cursed her.” Bryony raised her eyebrows. “Not Vanessa?”

Ivy shook her head. “But that doesn’t make sense. Bruce still likes her, despite the fact Agatha acted like an idiot.”

“What about Mavis? Her mom’s got exactly what she wanted. Agatha has moved back home to wait on her hand and foot.”

“I wouldn’t put anything past that old dragon,” said Ivy. “But she’d be too proud to get anyone else to do her dirty work.”

“So, when we do find our curse giver, we need to discover who paid him to curse Agatha.”

“My money’s on Vanessa,” said Ivy. “She may have had to go into debt to afford it, but it’s just the kind of malicious thing she’d do to get at Agatha. It sounds as if their competitive streak against each other goes back to their childhood.”

“Yes, but first we need to find the man who cursed Agatha.”

“And make him talk,” said Ivy.

“No, we’ll politely ask him to help us and explain the situation,” said Bryony. “No point going in all magic blazing if there’s no need.”

“I doubt this loser will take kindly to negotiation,” said Ivy.

“But let’s try first,” said Bryony. “We’ll see if he listens to reason. But if he doesn’t, then we can try a different approach.”

“Like blasting him into the ground and threatening to use his heart in a re-animation spell?”

“That could be an option,” said Bryony.

“I’m up for that,” said Ivy. “We need to drink up and head to the border. Otherwise, Mom will send out a search party for us.”

The girls finished their drinks and hurried out of Bubbling Brews. They took a short cut down a small side alley with overgrown nettles, popping out the other side, close to the border where magic protected Old Sarum from the prying gaze of the red bloods.

“There they are.” Bryony pointed to a group in the distance. “And it looks like they’ve brought food.”

Ivy rubbed her hands together. “Time to scare some red bloods.”

Chapter 18

Adeline turned and smiled as Bryony and Ivy approached. “I was wondering where you two were.” She kissed both the girls on the cheek. “I was about to send Aunt Lilith to come and find you.”

“No need for that,” said Ivy. “We stopped at Dolores’s for dinner and talked over some business.”

“I hope you haven’t spoiled your appetites.” Aunt Odessa flapped out a large checked blanket for them to sit on. “I’ve got treats for everyone.”

“There’s always room for treats.”  Bryony sat on the blanket next to Aunt Isadore. “I love your pullover.” She pointed to the knitted image of a sausage dog that wound from the front of Aunt Isadore’s pullover around to the back.

“I thought it was fun,” said Aunt Isadore with a smile. “I made it myself.”

“The fact one arm is shorter than the other gave that away,” said Aunt Lilith. Her hair was colored green that evening and she wore a matching jade green floor length dress.

“If you keep making comments like that, I’ll knit you one as well.” Aunt Isadore smiled up at her younger sister.

“A generous offer I think I’ll pass on,” said Aunt Lilith.

“The red bloods should be coming past any minute now,” said Aunt Odessa.

“Can we cast spells at them?” asked Ivy.

“No, they won’t want that,” said Adeline. “And we need to be especially careful about using magic since we have red bloods in Old Sarum with a magical curse on them. If we start causing trouble with magic, that lovely young man from the Charm Police may come and arrest us.”

“Gabriel would never do that,” said Bryony. “He’s too nice to arrest anybody.”

“She might not be talking about Gabriel, idiot,” said Ivy. “And I bet he would if we caused enough mayhem.”

“And if he never made an arrest he wouldn’t be a good Charm Police officer,” said Aunt Lilith.

“Well, he only arrests people who deserve it.” Bryony gave a loud hiccup. “And we don’t deserve to be arrested.”

“Ignore her, she’s had too much bramble beer,” said Ivy.

“How about we shroud the route in fog and make it eerie for them?” suggested Aunt Lilith. “They may enjoy a good stumble around in the gloom.”

“That doesn’t sound like fun,” said Adeline.

“Not even a tiny spell?” asked Ivy. “What are the red bloods expecting to see on this pointless pilgrimage anyway? It won’t be worth doing if they don’t experience anything supernatural.”

“It’s a special anniversary for them,” said Aunt Isadore. “And they are expecting to see some of the ancestors who mapped out the original pilgrimage route.”

“They think they’re going to see ghosts?” Ivy’s dark eyes sparkled in the gloom.

“I believe so,” said Aunt Isadore. “Although red bloods aren’t adept at seeing spirits.”

“They don’t have the ability to see anything exciting,” said Ivy.

“Unless we help them,” said Aunt Lilith. “We wouldn’t be doing harm if we assisted them in seeing something they wanted to see. We would make their pilgrimage even more special.”

“We may harm them,” said Adeline. “We shouldn’t use magic on red bloods. They react badly.”

“Technically we wouldn’t be using it on them,” said Aunt Lilith. “We can cast spells around them and make them see what they want to see. It would enhance their experience. We would be doing it for their own good.”

“You would be doing it for your own entertainment,” said Adeline.

“My entertainment, but their enjoyment,” said Aunt Lilith. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

“A few ghosts won’t do any harm,” said Ivy. “And we’ll be discreet with our magic. Most of the red bloods won’t even know what we’re doing. They’ll be so intent on not tripping over their own feet, I bet they miss most of the magic.”

Adeline sighed as she passed around a tin full of freshly made macaroons and another with chocolate chip cookies in. “Very well. But if I tell you to stop using magic because I think it’s harming the red bloods, then you won’t protest.”

“This will be great.” Ivy grinned at Aunt Lilith as she sat next to her on the blanket.

“I see the first few coming around the bend.” Aunt Odessa leaned forward as she stared through the boundary magic. “They’re wearing those funny waterproof trousers and they have sticks in their hands.”

“Remember, be gentle with them,” said Adeline. “There but for the grace of the Goddess go any of us. We were simply fortunate to be blessed into a magical community. If it weren’t for that, we’d be as bumbling as the red bloods.”

Ivy shuddered. “That would be horrible.”

Aunt Lilith raised her hands. “Time for a little ghost magic.” A grey mist seeped from her fingers, curling around the edge of the border, seeking a way through.

“Looks like there’s been an extra layer of magical protection put around the village.” Ivy frowned and stared intently at the magic that shrouded Old Sarum from red bloods.

“The Charm Police have strengthened the border,” said Aunt Lilith. “I’ll deal with that.”

“If you break their magic, it will alert the Charm Police,” said Bryony. “Gabriel could turn up and find out what we’re doing.”

“And if he does we’ll hide from him,” said Aunt Lilith. “Or I can blast him away with a spell.”

“Aunt Lilith, don’t be so mean,” said Bryony, a look of horror on her face.

“We aren’t doing any real harm,” said Aunt Isadore. “I’m sure once we’ve explained to your nice policeman friend that we’re helping the red bloods, he’ll understand.”

“Well, he may do,” said Adeline. “But he may also think we’ve been the ones cursing the red bloods. We could all end up in prison.”

“I’d like to see him try to arrest me,” said Aunt Lilith.

Ivy grinned, that was a sight she’d enjoy seeing too. “Looks like the magic is getting through now.” She watched as Aunt Lilith’s grey swirls crept through the border magic towards the red bloods.

“Let’s see what they think of that.” Aunt Lilith kept her hands raised as a steady stream of grey magic swept towards the walkers.

A bearded man in the procession paused, his eyes widening for a few seconds. “I see something.”

Several others in his group murmured and turned towards him. “What do you see, Peter?” An older bearded man walked towards him.

“Some sort of spirit form I believe. Could it be an ancestor joining us on the route?”

“We are close to important ley lines,” said a woman in a bright pink bobble hat. “Perhaps they have come to guide us the rest of the way?”

“There’s another one.” The older bearded man pointed in front of him and the group all uttered sounds of astonishment as a grey form walked towards them.

“Our ancestors are coming to greet us,” said Peter. “Blessed be.”

“This is fun,” said Aunt Isadore. “Mind if I add some color?”

“Be my guest,” said Aunt Lilith. “The red bloods think they have some spectral friends with them.”

A moment later, the grey shapes were surrounded by a swathe of rainbow colors that shimmered across their forms.

“It’s a miracle,” said the bearded man. “On this special anniversary, we have been blessed to see something remarkable. The first settlers of Stonehenge.”

The woman in the pink bobble hat fell to her knees, her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes shut.

“I wonder if she’s praying to us?” asked Aunt Lilith. “If she prays a little harder I might add a dragon into the magical mixture.”

“Don’t go too far,” cautioned Adeline. “You want to inspire them in their worship of the ancient ways not terrify them.”

“I wasn’t going to let the dragon breathe fire on them,” said Aunt Lilith. “Although that would be entertaining.”

“Let me add something.” Bryony pointed a chocolate smeared finger at the crowd. A multi-colored unicorn with an enormous horn appeared in the middle of the red bloods and they scattered in surprise.

“Oh dear,” said Adeline. “I don’t think that’s what they were expecting. Their ancestors weren’t unicorns.”

“But everybody loves unicorns,” said Bryony. “Should I add another? Or maybe they’d like to see a few leprechauns or a gremlin?” Bryony’s unicorn cantered around the terrified group of red bloods, tossing its rainbow mane and rising up onto its back hooves.

“The unicorn they are already seeing is more than enough,” said Aunt Isadore. “Time for your unicorn to go back in his stable.”

“They don’t love my unicorn?” Bryony’s bottom lip jutted out.

“Eat another cookie.” Ivy passed Bryony the largest cookie in the tin.

Adeline waved her hand and the ghosts and unicorn disappeared. “Let’s just watch the red bloods. We can always create some ghosts for the walkers at the back of the procession who haven’t been terrified by a cantering unicorn.”

The girls settled on the blanket as they ate more cookies and watched as a slow trickle of walkers passed by on the other side of the border.

“If only they could see what was right beside them,” said Aunt Isadore softly. “I’m not sure if they’d be terrified or amazed.”

“It’s best they don’t know about magic,” said Adeline. “They get spooked easily.”

“Speaking of spooks,” said Ivy. “Let’s have another go with these ghosts.”

“Be careful,” said Adeline.

“I’m always careful when it comes to magic.” Ivy pushed her sleeves back. “Well, most of the time.”

Assisted by Aunt Lilith, Ivy began conjuring up ghosts to the delight and fright of the red bloods who passed by on the procession route.

It wasn’t long before the rest of the Thornheart witches joined in, attracted by the allure of doing magic. Although there were no unicorns this time.

They danced colors and spectral images around the walkers until the moon showed them it was midnight, the last of the walkers faded out of sight, and all the cookies and macaroons had been eaten.

“Aren’t you glad we did this?” Bryony hugged Ivy to her side.

“Conjuring ghosts was fun,” said Ivy. “But you ate all the cookies, as usual.”

“You had your share,” said Bryony as she sucked chocolate from her fingers. “And my unicorn was fabulous.”

“Time to go home, girls,” said Adeline as she folded the last blanket and put the empty tins in a bag.

“So fabulous you’d do another one?” Ivy asked Bryony.

“They did like it, didn't they?” asked Bryony.

Ivy grinned at her sister. “They loved it. Go on, one more unicorn will make tonight unforgettable for the red bloods.”

Bryony gave her a sugar fueled smile, extended her fingers and let the magic fly. “Yes, this night needs to be unforgettable.”

Chapter 19

Bryony yawned and rested her chin in her hand, looking around the store with bleary eyes. “I’m never drinking bramble beer again.”

“You always say that,” said Ivy. “But then you always do. I’d have thought the mountain of cookies and macaroons you ate yesterday would have soaked up the alcohol.”

“And I ate too many of those as well,” said Bryony. “Beer and cookies do not make for a healthy figure.”

“No, but it’s a lot of fun trying to ruin your figure.” Ivy’s gaze ran over her sister’s well-defined curves. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. You’ve already had two flower deliveries today. The men of Old Sarum still love you.”

“And the unicorn! I can’t believe I did that.”

“Relax, no one got hurt,” said Ivy. “Like you said, everyone loves a unicorn.”

“I did have fun,” said Bryony. “Let’s hope we have as much of a good time tonight.”

“Tonight will be business not fun,” said Ivy. “We’re going to catch ourselves a curse maker and help him to see sense.”

“Agatha should be here in a few minutes,” said Bryony. “Let’s hope our mystery man is still around for her to identify or we’ll have to get to work on breaking the curse ourselves.” She walked over to where the red blood lay on the sofa. “He’s been here for such a long time, I’m getting used to him. We should give him a name.”

“He’s not a pet,” said Ivy. “And we can’t keep him. Spike and Sweetie won’t like that.”

“I know that, but it’s weird calling him a red blood all the time. He looks like a Julian to me. Or maybe a Ben.” Bryony smoothed the red blood’s dark hair across his forehead.

“Let’s stick to calling him the red blooded moron who decided it was a good idea to kiss a complete stranger,” said Ivy.

“Some of the men on the pilgrimage last night were cute,” said Bryony. “I can see why Agatha was tempted.”

“You think everybody is cute,” said Ivy.

The store door opened and Agatha walked through, wearing an eye poppingly revealing fitted top and a pair of tight black jeans.

“Are you coming out with us dressed like that?” Ivy cast a critical gaze over Agatha’s revealing outfit.

“Yes, why not?” asked Agatha. “I’m a single woman. I can dress how I like. You never know, there might be a hot warlock in the tavern tonight.”

“We’re not going out husband hunting,” snapped Ivy. “We’re going to get you out of this mess you’ve got yourself in.”

“We could dress up a little ourselves.” Bryony smoothed a hand down her light blue dress. “It never hurts to look nice.”

“We look nice enough as we are,” said Ivy. “I’m not getting dressed up only to ruin a good outfit if things get nasty.”

“Why would things get nasty?” asked Agatha. “I thought we were only going to ask some questions and see if we can find out who this man is?”

“And if we do find him, we need to teach him a lesson,” said Ivy. “Make sure he decides not to go cursing anybody else in the future.”

“I don’t want anybody getting hurt,” said Agatha. “What he did was mean, but I don’t want you to kill him.”

Ivy shook her head. “I’m not going to kill anyone. Well, unless they really get on my nerves. Something the two of you are doing right now.”

“There won’t be any killing or fighting,” said Bryony. “We’re going to do some simple asking around and find out who this man is.”

“And then grind his face in the dirt until he reverses the curse,” said Ivy.

“That will be the last resort,” said Bryony. “I’m sure with some gentle persuasion we can convince him what he did was wrong and make him reverse the curse.”

“I find face grinding an effective way to get people to do things you want them to,” said Ivy.

“I’m not sure about the face grinding,” said Agatha. “From what I can remember of him, he gave off a sense of power. I wouldn’t want to mess with him.”

“You don’t have to do any of the messing,” said Ivy. “Once we find him, you can leave that to me.”

“Well, if you’re sure.” Agatha cast a worried look in Bryony’s direction.

“I’m sure,” said Ivy. “You said you met him in Maggie’s tavern. Let’s start there first.”

“I may have met him there.” Agatha twisted a strand of red hair around her fingers.

“Only may?” Ivy’s dark eyes narrowed. “Explain yourself.”

“I went to a few places that night,” said Agatha. “I did go to Maggie’s tavern, and I did speak to some men. I’m pretty sure I kissed someone there, and it could have been this guy.”

“Where else did you go?” asked Ivy.

“Bubbling Brews and then the Demon’s Den.”

Ivy sighed. “You didn’t mention you went to that sleazy nightclub.”

“I haven’t been inside the Demon’s Den for years,” said Bryony.

“Nothing’s changed,” said Ivy. “It’s still the place to go if you want to hang out and pose and pretend you’re some lowdown dark magic user.”

“Do you go there?” asked Agatha.

“No,” said Ivy.

“We went there a few times when we were younger,” said Bryony. “And we know the owner, Kristoff Dash.”

“Oh, he’s that red hot half demon,” said Agatha. “Every time I see him I get chills. I can’t decide whether it’s in a good way or not.”

“Trust me, Kristoff doesn’t give good chills to anyone,” said Ivy.

“He’s amazing looking, though,” said Agatha. “It’s like he’s stepped out of a gothic horror novel, all sharp cheekbones and dark looks.”

“Kristoff is good looking.” Bryony grinned at her sister.

“But arrogant with it,” said Ivy.

“He’s in your store a lot,” said Agatha. “I see him walk past the bakery on his way here sometimes.”

“That’s because he’s in love with Ivy,” said Bryony.

“Is he?” Agatha turned a wide eyed look towards Ivy.

“No, he isn’t.” Ivy shot a dark look at her sister. “We’re wasting time. We have a curse giver to hunt down.” She grabbed her purse and shoved her keys into it.

“He likes you. Admit it,” said Bryony.

“I’m not admitting to anything,” said Ivy. “Maybe he comes here so often because he likes you; like most of the men in Old Sarum.”

“Kristoff barely looks at me when he’s in the store,” said Bryony. “And he only talks to me because you ignore him.”

“The last time he was here, he kissed you,” said Ivy.

“He kissed the back of my hand to make you jealous,” said Bryony.

“Wow, a half demon is interested in you,” said Agatha. “Would you ever date him?”

“No, because I’m not interested in him, and he’s not interested in me.” Ivy flung the store door open and gestured to the others. “Shall we go?”

Bryony exchanged a smile with Agatha, before shrugging on her fitted red jacket and heading out into the cool evening air with Ivy and Agatha.

“Where to first?” asked Ivy. “Sounds like we’ve got a lot of ground to cover this evening.”

“I started in Bubbling Brews,” said Agatha. “Let’s begin there and see if anyone remembers what I did and who I spoke to.”

Bubbling Brews was already filling with customers who came in after work for a relaxing drink and a gossip with friends. The girls ordered their drinks, bramble beer for Ivy and Agatha and sparkling water for Bryony, and remained by the bar, doing a slow survey of the clientele.

“See anyone who looks familiar?” Ivy asked Agatha.

“As I said before, the whole evening is a bit of a blur,” said Agatha.

“Let’s see if Wilbert knows anything.” Bryony beckoned Wilbert Giggles over with a finger.

He strolled towards them, a half smile on his pale green face. “What can I do for you lovely ladies?”

“Can you help with some information about a customer who was in here a few weekends ago?” asked Bryony.

“Weekends are my busiest time. Get a lot of people in from out of the village.” Wilbert puffed up his narrow chest. “My brews are the best in the county.”

“Can you describe him to Wilbert?” Bryony asked Agatha.

“Not really,” said Agatha. “He’s taller than me, and I think he had dark hair. I do remember he has a lovely voice, deep and soothing. It sounded like he was singing to me when he spoke in my ear. And he was a great kisser. His lips were lovely and smooth. I like a man with a full mouth.”

“Does that help at all?” Bryony asked Wilbert.

“A tall dark haired man who sings to women and is a good kisser?” Wilbert gave a deep laugh and scratched his head. “I can’t help you there, don’t make a habit of kissing the male patrons. But I remember you in here a few weekends ago, Agatha. You were certainly enjoying yourself.”

“I didn’t do anything too embarrassing, did I?” asked Agatha. “Did I kiss anyone?”

“Your secrets are safe with me, my dear,” said Wilbert with a wink. “But if it helps, I didn’t see you speak to any dark haired men and there was no kissing. You had a couple of drinks, flirted with me, if you can believe that, and then left. Said you were looking for something special.”

“So no mystery man from here.” Ivy downed the rest of her bramble beer.

“Why are you looking for this man anyway?” asked Wilbert. “He’s not done anything wrong has he?”

“Nothing that a few harsh words won’t sort out,” said Ivy.

“Save your harsh words for another venue, Ivy Thornheart.” Wilbert’s brows lowered. “I don’t want my lovely bar smashed up by you.”

“As if I would,” said Ivy.

“As if you wouldn’t,” said Wilbert, leaning his muscled forearms on the bar.

“Let’s drink up and try Maggie’s tavern next,” said Bryony. “Maybe we’ll have better luck there.”

Ivy glowered at Wilbert as they left. “He’s still not forgotten my encounter with that toothless crone a few months ago.”

“That toothless crone is Wilbert’s wife!” said Bryony quietly. “He’s not likely to forget.”

“What happened?” asked Agatha.

“Ivy complained about the beer being warm and Wilbert’s wife, Harriet, tried to throw her out,” said Bryony.

“I didn’t want to leave,” said Ivy. “I was still enjoying the beer, even though it was warm.”

“So Ivy threw Harriet out of her own bar and then stole a barrel of beer,” said Bryony.

“I didn’t steal it,” said Ivy. “It was by the side of the building and I simply rolled it home. It looked lonely outside all on its own. That fool, Wilbert, would only have let it get warm and then it would be ruined just like the stuff his crone of a wife served me.”

“But you did throw Harriet outside?” asked Agatha.

“She may have decided to get some fresh air,” said Ivy. “And there may have been magic involved in that decision.”

“Wilbert only lifted the ban on Ivy a couple of weeks ago,” said Bryony.

“He had no choice; I’m an excellent customer,” said Ivy.

The girls walked the short distance down the road and around the corner to Maggie’s tavern. They ordered their drinks and sat in one corner studying the growing crowd.

“Any tall dark and dangerous men catch your eye?” asked Bryony.

Agatha squinted as she surveyed the men in the bar. “It could be one of half a dozen men in here. But none of them seem to recognize me. I keep catching their eye and smiling, but I’m not getting any vibe from them.”

“What sort of vibe are you expecting?” asked Ivy. “If you had kissed them, they’d be repelled by you.”

“Oh, that’s a good point,” said Agatha. “I should be looking out for men who seem disgusted by me.”

Ivy’s sighed and sloshed her drink from side to side in its glass. “What about the creep watching us from the corner of the bar?”

“Who do you mean?” asked Bryony.

“Dark hair, green suit jacket that’s too big, and a glass of red wine in front of him. Be discreet. He’s had his leery gaze on us ever since we walked in.” Ivy’s sighed again as the other two gaped at the man. She watched his smile broaden as he saw them staring at him. He raised his glass of wine in their direction.

“Could that be him?” Bryony looked over at Agatha.

Agatha stared at the man for another few seconds. “It might be him, but I’m not certain.”

“Why don’t you go and kiss him?” suggested Ivy. “If he flees in terror then he’s not of interest to us. But if he thinks kissing you is a good idea then he has no clue about the curse.”

“I don’t want another man to be put off me,” said Agatha. “Soon they’ll be none left.”

“That will teach you to go around kissing anyone you like the look of,” said Ivy.

Maggie dashed over from the bar, a tray in her hands with a bottle of wine and three glasses on it. “Compliments of the creep at the bar.” She dumped the tray onto their table.

“The guy in the green suit jacket?” asked Ivy. “I don’t recognize him.”

“He’s from out of town,” said Maggie. “Doing some business with Kristoff. No doubt something underhand. He’s been in every evening this week for a few drinks. He’s a good tipper, but too hands-on with the women for my liking. I had to warn him off a couple of the local witches because they wanted to hex him.”

“Maggie, I’m dying of thirst over here,” called a gremlin from the other side of the tavern.

“Can’t stop, annoying customers to serve.” Maggie strode away towards the gremlin.

“It can’t be him then,” said Ivy. “If he’s only been here a week, he wasn’t around when the curse was cast.”

“We can ask him ourselves,” said Bryony. “He’s coming over.”

Ivy groaned as she poured out the wine. “Just because he buys us a few drinks doesn’t give him the right to talk to us.”

“Be nice to him,” said Bryony. “We may have encouraged his attention by looking at him.”

“We can just as easily encourage his desire to leave,” said Ivy.

“Good evening, ladies,” said the man, his voice gravelly. “I couldn’t let the three prettiest women in here think they were not appreciated.” He gestured at the wine.

“We appreciate ourselves well enough,” said Ivy.

“Thank you for the wine,” said Bryony. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

The man extended his manicured hand to Bryony. “I’m Dominic Churchland.”

“I’m Bryony Thornheart. This is my sister, Ivy, and our friend, Agatha Graytooth.” Bryony made the introductions as she shook his hand.

Dominic dropped his hold on Bryony’s hand and turned his brilliant green gaze to Ivy. “Ivy Thornheart. That’s a name I’ve heard a few times since I’ve been in Old Sarum.”

“All good things I’m sure,” said Ivy.

Dominic grinned as he settled in a chair on the other side of the table. “Whenever Kristoff speaks of you, it’s always positive.”

“What’s Kristoff Dash got to say about me?” Ivy’s dark eyes narrowed. “He doesn’t know me.”

“He said you are beautiful and brilliant, which seems accurate to me.”

Ivy snorted. “He’s so shallow.”

“He also said you are one of the most powerful magic users he’s ever met,” said Dominic.

“Ivy’s talents are extraordinary,” said Bryony.

“Kristoff is a moron,” said Ivy.

Dominic’s grin widened. “He did also say you could be a touch on the prickly side. He warned me to be careful if I ever encountered you in case you decide to hex me.”

“Ivy doesn’t hex people,” said Bryony. “We only use our magic for good.”

“Maybe you do,” muttered Ivy.

“I heard about your work at the Love Cauldron,” said Dominic. “I must stop by and see what spells I can purchase.”

“We’re refurbishing at the moment so we’re not open for business,” said Ivy.

“That’s not true,” said Bryony. “Stop by whenever you’d like, Dominic. You’d be very welcome. We do all kinds of different spells, charms, and ready-made dried concoctions so you can make your own spells at home. We also do a range of enchanted essential oils, and much more.”

“I’m sold,” said Dominic. “Perhaps I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

“Don’t trouble yourself.” Ivy looked at Bryony as she drained her wine glass. “We should go. Looks like there’s nothing here of interest.”

The smile on Dominic’s face faded. “I know when I’ve outstayed my welcome.”

“Good for you,” said Ivy. “What business are you doing with Kristoff?”

“Business? I’m honored you know so much about me when we’ve only just met,” said Dominic.

“It’s a small place,” said Ivy. “Word gets around.”

Dominic glanced towards the bar. “I imagine it does. But it’s just a little matter at the club that needs dealing with.”

“How do you know Kristoff?”

A feral smile crossed Dominic's face. “We go way back. I’ve known Kristoff since we were teenagers.”

“That’s not reassuring,” said Ivy.

“Kristoff likes it that way,” said Dominic. “He likes to keep people off balance. Gives him more of an upper hand. From the way he describes you, I get the impression you do the same. Keep people at arm’s-length until you trust them.”

“I’m planning on keeping you at a very long arm’s-length,” said Ivy. “In fact, I might make it several broomstick lengths.”

Dominic stood up. “Then you’re a good judge of character, Ivy Thornheart. Enjoy the rest of your evening, ladies.” He turned and walked to the bar.

“That wasn’t polite,” said Bryony. “He was being nice to us.”

“Anyone who does business with Kristoff isn’t a nice person,” said Ivy. “Besides, he gives off a strange vibe.”

“Yes, there is something strange about him,” said Agatha. “It’s as if he’s got some glamor on him. While you were talking to him, I kept trying to see through it, but it’s strong magic and I couldn’t get anywhere. It gave me a headache to keep staring at him.”

“See, even Agatha can spot there’s something not right,” said Ivy.

“There’s nothing wrong with giving people a chance,” said Bryony. “The wine he brought us wasn’t cheap. And he was polite and interested in us.”

“It tasted corked to me.” Ivy grabbed her jacket. “Let’s go to the Demon’s Den and see if we can find Agatha’s mystery man hanging out with the posers and sleazebags of Old Sarum.”

Chapter 20

“There’s already a queue to get in,” said Bryony, as they approached the dark wooden building that housed the Demon’s Den. Two pillars of flames shot up in irregular bursts at the front door. “But it’s so early.”

“Tonight is one of Kristoff’s stupid theme nights,” said Ivy. “They always attract crowds who want to get a look at his latest weird show.”

“I heard rumors Kristoff holds supernatural fight nights in the basement of the club.” Agatha pulled on the hem of her fitted top.

“So have I,” said Ivy. “But if he does they’re very secret. I’ve tried to get in several times and never been able to.”

“I can’t believe he does that,” said Bryony. “If he got caught, the Charm Police would shut him down. Fight clubs are illegal.”

“Doesn’t mean Kristoff doesn’t do them.” Ivy marched to the front of the queue, stopping in front of a burly brown troll. “I’m here to see Kristoff Dash.”

The troll looked Ivy up and down slowly. “Are you on his guest list?”

Ivy flicked an irritated glance at her sister. “Yes. Ivy Thornheart and two guests.”

The troll immediately stood to attention. “Of course, Miss Thornheart. I should have recognized you. Go straight in.” He moved out of Ivy’s way. “Enjoy your evening.”

“Thanks,” muttered Ivy and walked straight past the troll, Bryony and Agatha close on her heels.

“I didn’t know you were on the guest list,” said Bryony. “When did that happen?”

“Kristoff has always said I’d be welcome in the club.” Ivy navigated the dark purple corridor, turning towards the sound of heavy drum music. “I never take him up on the offer. Don’t know why he wastes his time.”

“Because he likes you.” Bryony swatted her sister’s arm. “And you kept it a secret from me.”

“I wouldn’t have if I knew you liked to come here,” said Ivy. “Which I know you don’t.”

“Still, it’s exciting a man wants you on his VIP list on the off chance you might stop by for a drink,” said Agatha. “Especially when that someone is Kristoff.”

“We’re not here for the alcohol, we’re trying to find this loser curse giver of yours,” said Ivy. “Let’s not hang around, though. Word will get back to Kristoff that we’re here and he might come and see what we’re doing.”

“I bet you’d hate that,” said Bryony.

Ivy glowered at her sister. “Let’s get this over with.” She stalked ahead, pushing through a set of double doors, the music leaking out and enveloping the girls with its invigorating rhythm.

Bryony linked her arm through Agatha’s elbow. “Let’s find your mystery man.” They followed Ivy through the door and into a vast open plan dance area. The DJ booth sat above the dance floor, and a chrome bar covered most of the walls, behind which were a dozen servers dashing around keeping up with customers’ orders.

“This amount of people won’t make it easy to find the guy who cursed me,” said Agatha.

“Especially since you have no clue what he actually looks like.” Ivy appeared in front of them, three bright green drinks clasped in her hands.

Bryony took two of the drinks from her sister and passed one to Agatha. “Let’s do a circuit of the club and mingle with the crowd. We might get lucky. He could be in here working his evil charms on someone else.”

“Let’s hope Agatha doesn’t get lucky tonight,” said Ivy. “Otherwise we’ll have more guys repulsed by her.”

Agatha frowned at Ivy. “I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“It’s your lips you need to be careful of.” Ivy led the way through the crowd of swaying dancers, occasionally giving them a gentle shove when they wouldn’t get out of her way. They stopped several times to study handsome looking dark haired men, but Agatha decided none of them were her guy.

“How about him?” Bryony pointed to a man in dark fitted jeans with slicked back black hair and purple eyes.

“I don’t remember him having bright purple eyes,” said Agatha. “That’s not the sort of thing I’d forget. It’s my favorite color.”

“We’ll keep looking,” said Bryony.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” said Agatha, as she turned away. “Need to powder my nose.”

“We’ll wait here,” said Bryony to Agatha’s retreating form.

“Hello, beautiful.” A short, plump well-dressed hobgoblin swept Bryony from her feet and spun her in a circle. “Have you finally succumbed to my flowers?”

Bryony squirmed in the hobgoblin’s tight grip. “You sent me flowers? How sweet of you.”

“I sent you ten bunches of flowers in the last month,” said the hobgoblin. “My name’s Hoklim. You must have received them. I always put several large kisses at the bottom of the card. Which is what I’d like to do to you. Lots of large kisses all over you, my goddess.”

Bryony pulled a disgusted face at Ivy. “We do get a lot of deliveries at the store. I may have missed them.”

“We also get a lot of flowers from other love struck idiots,” said Ivy. “You’re nothing special.”

“Bryony is to be my wife,” said Hoklim. “I fell in love with her the first day we met, and I know she likes me too. She’s always so kind to me.”

“That’s because she’s kind to everybody,” said Ivy. “Put my sister down and leave her alone.”

Hoklim’s bottom lip jutted out. “You be nice to me, we’re going to be family soon. Once I’m married to Bryony, we’ll be related.”

“No we won’t because you’re not going to marry her,” said Ivy. “If you don’t put her down, I’ll have to ask you to leave the club. And I never ask nicely.”

Hoklim’s bottom lip trembled but he held on tightly to Bryony. “But we’re to be married.”

Ivy raised her hand, purple magic dripping from the ends of her fingers. “I won’t tell you again.”

“Ivy, I hope you’re not terrorizing one of my important guests.” Kristoff Dash’s hand covered Ivy’s, extinguishing the magic she was threatening.

“He’s not important to me.” Ivy yanked her hand from Kristoff’s grip. “And he’s bothering my sister.”

Kristoff leaned down close to Ivy’s ear. “He’s important to me. And you’re in my club, which means you play by my rules.” The scent of burning wood and hot coals drifted around him.

Ivy stepped away from Kristoff. “Fine, so long as he leaves us alone.”

“Hoklim, I have an excellent single malt with your name on it in my office,” said Kristoff. “And I’ve been wanting to speak to you about a business matter. Perhaps you would meet me in there while I make sure our female friends are happy?”

Hoklim slowly released his hold on Bryony. “Make sure you take excellent care of my future wife. I must ensure she is content.”

“Of course. I take excellent care of everyone here.” Kristoff nodded at Hoklim. “I’ll be with you in a few moments.”

Hoklim slowly walked away, shooting evil glares in Ivy’s direction, which she returned with equal fierceness.

Kristoff focused on Ivy. “It’s nice to have you here. I did wonder when you would take me up on my offer.”

“I’m not here for you,” said Ivy.

Kristoff extended his hand. “Do make use of all the facilities in the club. And drinks are on the house.”

“We pay for our own drinks,” said Ivy. She didn’t want to be in any debt to Kristoff. His offers of help and hospitality came with an unpleasant price tag.

“I’m sure you can. I know how well the Love Cauldron does. But you will be my guests here tonight, and I never let guests pay for anything.”

“That’s kind of you, Kristoff,” said Bryony. “But we won’t be here for long. We’re just looking for someone.”

“Is it someone I know?” asked Kristoff. “We keep records of all individuals who come into the club. I may have details of the person you need.”

“We don’t know much about them,” said Bryony. “But he’s tall, with dark hair, and has a nice voice.”

“You won’t be able to help us,” said Ivy. “Besides, we can look after ourselves. We don’t need you.”

“You may not need me, but I’d like to help,” said Kristoff. “Why are you looking for this mysterious person?”

“We’re helping a client of ours,” said Bryony.

“Not that it’s any of your business,” said Ivy.

“He may be able to help.” Bryony shot her sister a cautionary look. “If Agatha did meet him in here, there will be a record of his visit. We can use that information.”

“I’m certain I can help you,” said Kristoff. “I have photographs of many of our regulars as well.”

“You like to keep worryingly accurate records of your clientele,” said Ivy. “Bet they won’t be impressed to know you’re tracking their every move.”

“It’s a small price they’re happy to pay to ensure their dealings remain confidential and the service they receive is outstanding,” said Kristoff.

“So far, I’ve been distinctly underwhelmed by the place,” said Ivy.

Kristoff’s gaze hardened. “I need to deal with Hoklim. But once I’m free, you can come to my office and we’ll see if we can find this individual.”

“There’s no harm in trying,” said Bryony. “It could save us time.”

“You can go if you like,” said Ivy.

“Ivy, why don’t you want to be in my office?” Kristoff leaned towards her. “Is it because you find my charm too much to resist?”

“No, it’s because I choke every time I get a breath of your cologne,” said Ivy. “You don’t need to use half a bottle.”

Kristoff shook his head. “I can see you are not in the best of moods this evening.” He turned to Bryony. “But you would be most welcome to come to my office. My services extend to all Thornhearts.”

“Thanks, Kristoff,” said Bryony. “And ignore my sister, you smell lovely.”

Agatha dashed to Bryony’s side. “I just bumped into a witch in the bathroom who said there are some minor royalties due to come in this evening. Maybe we can hang around and see if we spot them.”

“Your information is correct,” said Kristoff, touching Agatha’s arm. “But do keep it to yourself. We don’t want everyone trying to get in tonight. This is going to be a fun themed evening for VIPs only.”

Agatha glanced at Kristoff and then did a double take. “It’s you!”

“The last time I checked it was indeed me,” said Kristoff. “Have we met before?”

Agatha took several steps back. “I mean, it’s him! It’s the man who cursed me.”

Chapter 21

Ivy’s mouth fell open. “This is the man who cursed you? Kristoff Dash cursed you?”

Agatha shook her head. “It’s as if seeing him again brought the memories back. But I’m sure that’s him. The last time I was here, we kissed. And after that, I was cursed.”

Kristoff held his hands up, strobe lighting dashing across his skin in a range of bright reds and oranges. “You must have mistaken me for somebody else. Why would I want to curse you? We barely know each other.”

“Because you’re a sleazy, good for nothing, half demon who enjoys ruining people’s lives.” Ivy stepped towards Kristoff and jabbed a finger at his chest. “Did you curse Agatha with a kissing curse?”

Kristoff’s tongue slid across his lips. “Like I said, I don’t know Agatha.”

“Doesn’t mean you didn’t decide to curse her,” said Ivy. “You most likely did it because you were bored and wanted to have some fun. Maybe ruin a few people’s lives while you were at it.”

“That doesn’t sound like me at all,” said Kristoff.

“It was you,” said Agatha. “I’m sure of it. The more you speak the more I’m remembering. It’s definitely him.”

“Reverse the curse,” said Ivy. “Get rid of the kissing curse from Agatha, now.”

“I cannot reverse something I haven’t done,” said Kristoff.

“Ivy, maybe Kristoff isn’t involved,” said Bryony. “Why would he want to curse Agatha?”

“Thank you for your support, Bryony,” said Kristoff. “Your sister is acting irrationally.”

“I’ll show you irrational.” Ivy grabbed hold of the collar of Kristoff’s jacket and they spun through the crowd of dancers in a shower of multi-colored sparks.

Bryony took hold of Agatha’s arm. “I hope you’re right about this. Ivy does not back down when it comes to a fight.”

“I am,” insisted Agatha. “As soon as I saw him and he touched me, the memories started flicking back through my mind, almost as if he’d deliberately hidden them or tried to remove them so he wouldn’t be implicated.”

“But why would Kristoff want to curse you?” Bryony scanned the crowd anxiously as she tried to spot Kristoff and Ivy. “Do you owe him money or are you in his debt in some way?”

“No, nothing like that,” said Agatha. “And he’s right, we don’t know each other.”

“Well, it looks like Ivy is going to find out the reason for you.” Bryony pointed across the dance floor. “Come on, we need to follow them and make sure she doesn’t do anything she’ll regret later.”

They hurried through the already parted crowd and over to a shower of magical sparks that shot up intermittently from the middle of the dance floor.

“Why did you curse her?” Ivy’s fingers were still clutching Kristoff’s collar.

Kristoff laughed and attempted to dance Ivy around the floor. “I have already told you, you’re making a mistake. I don’t even know Agatha.”

“You don’t need to know someone to curse them,” said Ivy. “Tell me and I’ll let you go, and won’t embarrass you in front of all of your VIP guests.”

Kristoff’s eyes glowed red, the humor draining from his face. “You could never humiliate me. You like me too much to do that.”

“Don’t tempt me,” said Ivy. “But this can all be over if you reverse the curse on Agatha.”

“Give it your best shot,” said Kristoff.

Ivy growled in his face and shoved Kristoff away from her. She spun her arms in a wide arc, conjuring a ring of flame that danced around the edge of the floor, making club goers skip out of the way to avoid being singed.

“Play fair, Ivy,” shouted Kristoff. “You don’t want to hurt innocent bystanders.”

“If they’re in your club then they won’t be innocent,” said Ivy. “Maybe it’s time for them to leave anyway.” She raised her hands and the flames grew higher, causing shrieks of alarm in the room.

“Fire magic is also my speciality,” said Kristoff. “I could extinguish your flames in a second.”

“Then do it,” said Ivy. “Because I won’t stop until you tell the truth. By then, this place will be nothing more than ashes; just like your reputation.”

Kristoff waved his hands in the air and conjured a swirling mass of water, which he fired at Ivy, drenching her from head to toe.

She retaliated with an enormous fireball that Kristoff met halfway across the club with another cascade of water. They fired at each other several times, water and fire blasting through the club. Within a minute, the club was emptied of other partygoers and the floor awash with water and stuttering flames.

“I won’t stop,” growled Ivy. “I’ll bring this place to the floor if you don’t reveal to me what you did to Agatha.”

Kristoff leaned against the bar, his black hair singed and his suit burned in several places. “I do rather like this place. It would be a shame to see it destroyed. I would have to rebuild somewhere else in Old Sarum. Perhaps you have a site you would like to sell me? The Love Cauldron is prime retail. I’d give you a fair price.”

“Stop wasting my time.” Ivy raised a fireball between her hands. “What did you do to Agatha?”

Kristoff examined his nails for a few seconds. “You must understand, this was purely a business arrangement. I don’t share any malicious intent towards Agatha.” He glanced over to the door where Bryony and Agatha stood, alarm on both of their faces.

“So you did do it,” said Ivy. “Why?”

“I owed someone a favor and they called it in,” said Kristoff. “That’s how business works.”

“Who made you curse Agatha?” asked Ivy.

Kristoff’s gaze narrowed. “That is confidential information.”

Ivy fired the ball of flames at him. “I will destroy your precious club.”

Kristoff rebuffed the fire with a wave of his hand.

For a few seconds, they stared at each other. The air hissed around them as fire and water mingled together in smoky pools on the floor.

Kristoff broke Ivy’s stare with a sigh and gestured Bryony and Agatha over. “This information goes no further.”

“I just want to know who cursed me and why,” said Agatha, approaching slowly, Bryony next to her. “Who did this to me?”

“Was it Vanessa?” asked Bryony.

“No one called Vanessa was involved in this transaction,” said Kristoff.

“Could it be my ex-boyfriend, Bruce?” asked Agatha.

“You need to look closer to home,” said Kristoff. “I have previously done business with your family, and a member decided to call in a favor I owed. That favor was to curse you.”

Agatha took a step back. “It can’t be my mom. She wouldn’t be so mean.”

Kristoff nodded. “I must admit, I was surprised by what she wanted me to do. But in cursing you, I cleared myself of all debts to the Graytooth family. And as you have experienced yourself, your family can be petty and bitter minded when they have a hold over you. I was glad to do it and be free from owing Mavis anything.”

“And all you needed to do was ruin somebody else’s life.” Ivy stalked towards Kristoff.

“And not just Agatha’s life,” said Bryony. “There are also the red bloods. They are still sick from the curse.”

Kristoff raised his eyebrows and looked at Agatha. “I did wonder if my kissing curse had something to do with their arrival. I take it you’ve been experimenting with the boundaries of the curse? My magic impacts on all species.”

“I know that now,” muttered Agatha. “Are you sure it was my mom who cursed me?”

“I did the actual cursing,” said Kristoff. “But she gave the order. Seems you have a little family business to sort out.”

Agatha nodded, misery etched across her face as she turned towards the door. “I need to go see her.”

“Before you go,” said Ivy, “Kristoff needs to do something for you.”

Agatha turned back and wiped a hand across one cheek. “What does he need to do?”

“Reverse the curse,” said Ivy with an exasperated sigh.

“Oh, yes, of course!” Agatha looked over at Kristoff. “Will you do that?”

“I can’t,” said Kristoff. “I’ve canceled out a long-standing debt by doing this. I don’t need it back.”

“You can always say we forced you to do it,” said Ivy. “I’m sure your demon pride won’t mind being bested by a couple of witches.”

“The Graytooths are malicious,” said Kristoff. “I don’t need them in my life again.”

“That’s not a problem I care about,” said Ivy. “You shouldn’t have gotten into debt with them in the first place.”

Kristoff and Ivy glared at each other, sparks of magic shooting out from both of them as they struggled to control their tempers.

“Kristoff, we’d appreciate it if you did help us out here,” said Bryony. “Agatha has been miserable ever since she was cursed and you can help solve that.”

“That’s the whole point of curses,” said Kristoff, breaking his stare with Ivy. “The cursed person is supposed to be miserable.”

“Well, yes, but Ivy and I will be so happy if you decide to remove the curse,” said Bryony.

Kristoff looked over at Ivy. “Will you be nice to me if I remove the curse?”

“I won’t destroy your club if that’s what you mean,” said Ivy.

Kristoff grinned and some of the tension slipped from his shoulders. “Well, that’s a start. But I won’t forget what I’ve done for you tonight. And I always collect on my favors.”

Ivy frowned. “Just get on with it.”

Kristoff beckoned Agatha towards him. “I need to touch you in order to reverse the curse.”

Agatha walked slowly towards Kristoff. “Once the curse is gone will I be able to kiss people without making them hate me?”

“Yes, there will be no after effects from this curse,” said Kristoff. “As soon as it is lifted, you will be free to kiss as many men, goblins or red bloods as you see fit.”

“There’s only one individual I want to kiss after this,” said Agatha. “What do we need to do to remove the curse?”

Kristoff clasped Agatha’s face between his hands. “We need to do this.” He leaned down and kissed her, his mouth sliding over hers as the kiss intensified.

For a second, Agatha struggled, but then she relaxed and her hands went around Kristoff’s neck and she stepped into his embrace.

“Give me a break,” muttered Ivy. “Is that necessary?”

Kristoff raised one finger towards Ivy but continued kissing Agatha.

Ivy snorted and walked over to Bryony. “This had better work. I’m sure what he’s doing is pointless.”

Bryony plucked a few charred embers from Ivy’s dark hair. “It may be, but Agatha is enjoying herself.”

Agatha gasped as Kristoff let go of her and staggered backwards.

“The curse is now broken,” said Kristoff.

“Thank you.” Agatha touched her swollen lips.

“You are welcome, my sweet,” said Kristoff. He looked over at Ivy. “Would you like to be next? I always have kisses to spare for beautiful witches.”

“Not likely.” Ivy folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the ground.

“When you change your mind you know where I am,” said Kristoff. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

“This wasn’t business,” said Ivy. “This was you putting right a wrong.”

Kristoff looked around the club. “I have some work to do now my wrong has been corrected.”

Ivy grabbed hold of Agatha’s arm and yanked her towards the door.

Bryony waved a hasty goodbye to Kristoff and followed after Ivy and Agatha.

“Let’s get out of here before you start jumping on Kristoff again,” said Ivy. “You got what you wanted.”

Agatha stumbled along next to Ivy. “Yes, I did.” A smile brightened her face. “I’m free of my curse.”

Chapter 22

Gabriel attached his Charm Police issued belt around his waist, containing a stun gun, magical neutralizer, and several immobilizer charms.

“You ready to go?” Chad peered into Gabriel’s office, his blue eyes alert. “Got another report of the ongoing incident at the Demon’s Den.”

“Yes, let’s go.” Gabriel followed Chad along the corridor and out to their vehicle. “What’s the latest?”

“Two demons fighting with each other,” said Chad.

Gabriel slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Got a description of the suspects involved?”

“Someone said it’s the owner, Kristoff Dash, and a female. Description has her with pale skin, long dark hair and angry looking.”

“Anything else?” Gabriel sped out of the Charm Police headquarters towards the Demon’s Den. They got calls to the club at least once a month, but so far, they’d never been able to pin anything on the owner. But Gabriel knew Kristoff was not to be trusted.

“Well, by all accounts, I don’t think it is two demons. I think it’s a demon and a witch,” said Chad. “It sounds to me like Ivy Thornheart is involved.”

Gabriel looked over briefly at Chad. “What makes you say that?”

“She fits the description. And someone reported her sister being there as well,” said Chad. “They never go anywhere alone. The fire magic being used has Ivy Thornheart written all over it.”

Gabriel's fingers twitched on the steering wheel. “Why would they be in the Demon’s Den?”

“Perhaps they fancied a drink and a dance,” said Chad.

“I can’t imagine Bryony ever wanting to go there,” said Gabriel.

“Is your girl too good for a place like that?” Chad grinned at Gabriel.

“She’s not my girl,” said Gabriel. “But I do think she’s too good for a pit like the Demon’s Den.”

“Gabriel, this is base, come in,” said the radio on the police car’s dashboard. It was Christiana Firefly.

“Go ahead, base,” said Gabriel.

“You’re not going to believe this, but the red bloods have woken up,” said Christiana.

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “The magic on them has broken?”

“Whatever magic was effecting them has gone,” said Christiana. “It happened just as you left base. Someone heard noises in one of the rooms and went to investigate and discovered the red blood trying to pick the lock on the door and get out.”

“Keep them contained until I get back,” said Gabriel. “We need to investigate what’s going on at the Demon’s Den before I can deal with them. Use sedation magic on them if you have to so they don’t get stressed.”

“Confirmed,” said Christiana. “I’ll make sure they stay nice and calm until your return.”

“Thanks.” Gabriel looked over at Chad. “I wonder what triggered the magic dispersion?”

“Perhaps the spell was only supposed to last a certain number of days,” said Chad. “A timed magical spell that broke down and vanished.”

“Or somebody could have broken it,” said Gabriel.

“Maybe the magic user who put this spell on them in the first place had a change of heart.”

“We’ll have to figure that out later.” Gabriel pulled up outside the Demon’s Den. “We need to get to the bottom of whatever Kristoff is up to.”

Gabriel and Chad exited the car and strode towards the entrance of the club. Even from outside, the acrid scent of burning wood could be detected.

Gabriel looked up and down the road. He paused as he spotted three figures hurrying away from the club. Gabriel couldn’t be sure, but one of them looked like Bryony, her blonde hair a beacon in the gloom of the evening. A part of him wanted to chase after her and see what she was doing at the Demon's Den, but he had to focus on the task at hand. Turning towards the club entrance, he pulled open the double doors and walked through.

“Looks like there’s been quite a party in here,” said Chad. Water was still pooled on the floor and smoke drifted from a number of recently extinguished fires.

“Let’s locate Kristoff and find out what happened,” said Gabriel.

As if he’d heard Gabriel, Kristoff emerged from a back room and strode towards him. “I wondered if I’d get a visit from the Charm Police.”

“We’ve had reports of a disturbance in your club,” said Gabriel. “What’s been going on?”

“Nothing for you to worry about,” said Kristoff. “A simple matter of an overexcited customer. They have been dealt with and no harm has been done.”

“Dealt with how?” asked Gabriel, knowing Kristoff had his own rule book when it came to dealing with trouble.

“By being asked to politely leave. Which they did.” Kristoff smiled smugly at Gabriel.

“Your club looks like it’s taken quite a hit,” said Chad, kicking aside a piece of charred wood. “What happened in here?”

“Someone got handy with their fire magic,” said Kristoff. “But their flames of desire were soon quashed. There is nothing you can do here to assist.”

“Was anybody harmed?” asked Gabriel.

“The only thing harmed will be my bank balance when I make the repairs,” said Kristoff. “I do not make a habit of harming customers; it’s bad for business.”

“Who used the fire magic in your club?” asked Gabriel.

Kristoff grinned. “I’ve never seen her in here before. I don’t know the witch’s name.”

“So it was a witch?” asked Gabriel.

“It could have been.” Kristoff shrugged his shoulders. “But like I said, no harm done. Even if I did know who it was, I wouldn’t want to press charges. Wouldn’t have you fine Charm Police officers filling in lots of paperwork on my account.”

Gabriel frowned. “We had a couple of reports to say Ivy Thornheart was involved. Is that true?”

“I know Ivy Thornheart well,” said Kristoff, a smirk drifting across his face. “I would have recognized her.”

“So the Thornheart sisters weren’t in the club tonight?” asked Gabriel. “If I go and interview them about their involvement, they will tell me they know nothing about this incident?”

“I couldn’t say what the charming Thornheart sisters will tell you.” Kristoff lounged against the bar. “For all I know, they may have been in here and I didn’t see them. This place gets crowded most evenings.”

Gabriel shook his head, realizing he wasn’t going to get anything useful out of Kristoff. He liked to keep his club discreet and exclusive. And although Gabriel could never prove it, he knew certain underhand dealings went down here. He’d love to shut the Demon’s Den, but so far, the half demon had eluded him.

“Shall we have a look around?” asked Chad.

“I’m sure Mr. Dash won’t mind us having a brief look,” said Gabriel. “To make sure it is just the building that’s been harmed.”

“Gentlemen, be my guest.” Kristoff tapped his knuckles on the bar. “And if you want a drink, help yourself. My courtesy always extends to law enforcement.”

“Before you go,” said Gabriel. “You wouldn’t know anything about the red bloods who are in Old Sarum? They’re under the influence of some interesting magic.”

Kristoff smiled. “I did hear a rumor that we have some tainted red bloods in the village. But they don’t interest me. I can’t imagine there’d be much fun had experimenting on red bloods. They’re too feeble to withstand my magic.”

“So you have nothing to do with them being in their magical state?”

“Innocent as charged,” said Kristoff. “Now, you must excuse me, I have a club to rebuild.”

Gabriel watched Kristoff walk away. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn this slippery half demon was involved with the magic used on the red bloods. He’d probably get some perverse pleasure out of trying spells on people who couldn’t defend themselves.

“Let’s do a circuit of the room,” said Gabriel to Chad. “See if we can find anything suspicious. But knowing Kristoff, there won’t be anything. He’s good at cleaning up his own mess.”

As the two of them examined the room, Gabriel’s thoughts drifted to the sight of Bryony disappearing from the club. Why would she visit the Demon’s Den? Surely she couldn’t have had anything to do with what happened here tonight? However, her sister, Ivy, could well be involved. And Chad was right; wherever Ivy went, Bryony was never far behind, always keeping a lookout for her wayward sister.

He’d have to pay a visit to the Thornhearts and find out if they knew anything about what happened at the club tonight. Gabriel cared about Bryony, but he couldn’t allow her to get away with criminal damage. He sighed as he focused on the mess in front of him; being involved with the Thornheart family was complicated.

Chapter 23

“I can’t believe I’m free of my curse.” Agatha skipped ahead of Bryony and Ivy. “I feel like a new witch.”

“You’ll be a dead witch if you keep making so much noise,” said Ivy.

“But it’s great news,” said Agatha. “I should celebrate.”

“What’s not such good news is who cursed you,” said Bryony gently. “Why would your mom do such a thing?”

“Because she’s a mean, vicious dragon,” said Ivy.

Agatha stopped skipping and her smile faded. “Yes, I’m going to have words with her about this. Mom led me to believe she’s weak and needs my help. I moved back in with her because she said she’d had a fall and hurt her ankle. But I saw her walking around fine on it when she thought I wasn’t about.”

“She could be lonely,” said Bryony. “Maybe she wants some company and it was the only way she could think of to get you back in the house.”

“She could have just asked,” said Agatha. “Mom didn’t have to curse me. It’s not fair that she expects me to spend my life alone just because she’s lonely herself.”

“Are you going to curse her as revenge?” asked Ivy. “That’s what I’d do. A twisted dark curse that would have her wishing she’d never met you.”

“Oh, no. Although what she’s done is terrible, I don’t want revenge. She is my mom after all,” said Agatha. “But I’m not staying with her. She’s deceived me several times now and needs to learn that’s not the way to keep her family close.”

“Remember she has her dragon temperament to cope with too,” said Bryony. “Full dragons were never good at expressing their emotions. Perhaps your mom’s behavior is linked to her ancestry.”

Agatha nodded. “I understand that. Sometimes my temper gets the better of me, and I can be impetuous as well.”

“I’d never have guessed,” said Ivy. “Your behavior with the red bloods appeared so rational and level headed.”

“I regret doing that to them,” said Agatha. “I hope they’re going to be all right.”

They reached the entrance of the Love Cauldron and Bryony unlocked the door. As she stepped inside, she heard a low growling and a shriek alarm call from Sweetie. Bryony flicked on the overhead light swiftly. In the corner of the store, stood a shaking, pale faced red blood, Sweetie flapping over his head and Spike's salivating muzzle an inch from his groin.

“He’s awake!” Bryony ushered the others into the store and locked the door behind them.

“That’s amazing.” Agatha peered at the red blood. “And he looks unharmed.”

“Seems like your lust fest with Kristoff didn’t only break the curse on you,” said Ivy. “We have a wide-awake red blood as well.”

“Get these creatures away from me,” shrieked the red blood. “This monstrous dog has tried to bite me twice.”

“He’s doing what he’s trained to do,” said Ivy. “Stop people intruding in our store.”

“I didn’t intrude! I woke up here,” squeaked the red blood. His wild looking gaze lifted to Sweetie. “And why is there a buzzard in here?”

“Sweetie isn’t a buzzard,” said Bryony. “She’s a beautiful hawk.”

“I don’t care what she is, those talons will take my eyes out,” said the red blood. He jumped backwards, smacking his head on a shelf, as Spike nipped at him. “This dog is demented.”

“That’s an accurate description,” said Ivy. “And I can’t vouch for Spike not biting you. He barks to the beat of his own demon dog drum.” Spike gave a menacing growl and inched towards the red blood, his nose jabbing into the man’s groin.

“Please, get them away from me,” said the red blood. “They’ve had me pinned in this corner ever since I woke up.”

Bryony held out her arm and whistled to Sweetie, who swooped across the ceiling of the store and settled on her wrist. “Good girl.”

“And the dog?” asked the red blood.

“He’s probably hungry,” said Ivy.

“He can’t eat me!” said the red blood.

Ivy sighed and clicked her fingers. Spike gave one last growl and stalked over towards her, drool sliding from his mouth and his red eyes glowing.

“That dog looks rabid,” said the red blood with a relieved sigh. “You should put him down.”

“I’d rather put you down,” said Ivy.

“This must be quite a surprise for you,” said Bryony to the red blood. “Do you know where you are?”

The red blood shook his head, his eyes still wide as he looked at the girls. “Not a clue.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Bryony stroked her fingers through Sweetie’s feathers.

The red blood swallowed. “Walking through my local park. Someone approached me and said something to me, and that’s it. Then I woke up here.” He looked around the store. “Where is here exactly?”

“You’re in Old Sarum,” said Ivy. “It’s the oldest established magical community in the country.”

“Magical community?” asked the red blood. “As in you’re a bunch of crystal waving hippies?”

“More like we’re a bunch of magic wielding goddesses,” said Ivy. “Let me give you a demonstration.” She raised her hand.

Bryony grasped her sister’s wrist and pushed her arm down. “This must be a lot for you to take in. Have a seat and we can explain everything.” She gestured to the sofa.

“I’d rather go home,” said the red blood.

“We can take you home,” said Bryony. “What’s your name?”

“Jim,” said the red blood. “And you are?”

“I’m Bryony. That’s my sister, Ivy, and our friend, Agatha. And you’ve already met Spike and Sweetie.”

“You haven’t kidnapped me have you?” asked Jim.

“Are you worth kidnapping?” asked Ivy.

“No, I’m no one,” said Jim rapidly.

“Figures,” said Ivy.

“Is this your place?” asked Jim.

“Yes, this is our store. And it’s full of magical dangerous things, so no touching,” said Ivy.

Jim squinted at Ivy. “You’re strange.”

“And you’re boring,” said Ivy. She looked at Bryony. “Let’s get him out of here.”

“That’s the plan,” said Bryony. “Jim, are you sure you’re feeling quite well?”

“A bit of a headache,” said Jim. “And I’m hungry. It’s as if I haven’t eaten for days.”

“Well, you haven’t really,” said Bryony. “We gave you what we could, but being that you were unconscious the whole time you were here, it was difficult to feed you.”

“How long was I out for?”

“About a week,” said Bryony.

“A week! People will be worried about me.” Jim clutched at his crumpled shirt. “And work! I was only supposed to be out for thirty minutes. I may not have a job to go back to.”

“They’ll understand when you tell them the fairies stole you,” said Ivy.

Jim scrubbed a hand across his face. “Why was I unconscious for such a long time?”

“You were kissed by a witch who had a curse on her,” said Ivy. “The magic she was under must have impacted on your weak mortal shell and you collapsed.”

“A cursed witch kissed me?” Jim’s eyes widened. “I’ll have an interesting time telling that to my doctor.”

“You won’t tell anybody,” said Bryony. “When we take you back over the border, we’ll wipe your memory so you won’t remember anything. We do it with every red blood who comes into Old Sarum. It doesn’t happen often, but every now and again, one of you breaks through and we simply send you back in the right direction and make sure you forget all about your visit.”

“The border?” Jim gave a bewildered shake of his head. “Where am I exactly? And no rubbish about a magic community this time.”

“There’s no point in explaining it to you,” said Ivy. “You’ll forget it all.”

“I am sorry for what happened to you, Jim,” said Agatha. “I was the witch who came over the border and kissed you. You seemed like such a nice man, and you had a lovely smile when I met you. You were happy enough for me to kiss you.”

“You’re the person who did this to me?” Jim glared at Agatha. “I don’t remember you.”

“I didn’t mean to do you any harm,” said Agatha. “But you are fine now. I’m sure when you go home everything will be back to normal for you. I can put in a good word with your boss if that would help. Sprinkle a little magic on them so you don’t lose your job.”

Jim looked at the three witches with alarm in his eyes. “I’ll just leave now.” He edged towards the door.

“We’ll take you to the border,” said Bryony. “Don’t want you getting lost.”

“I can find my way out,” said Jim.

“No, you really can’t,” said Bryony. “Much safer if you stick with a local while you’re here. You never know when a hungry troll might pass by. I believe they like snacking on red bloods. At least that’s what your human fairy tales say.”

Jim blinked at Bryony. “Witches, magic, and trolls. Maybe I’ve had a harder knock to the head than I realized. I’ll definitely go and see my doctor when I get home.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Bryony. “I’m sure your doctor will give you some herbs and a poultice to take away that nasty headache.”

Jim’s mouth fell open and he nodded dumbly.

Bryony placed Sweetie on her perch in the corner of the store, unlocked the door, and gestured for Jim to go outside. “Let’s get you home.”

They left the store and hurried through the streets with Jim wedged in between them.

“This place is amazing,” said Jim, after they’d been walking for a couple of minutes. “Is it a recreation of a movie set? All those tiny cottages and whimsical looking places. It doesn’t look real to me.”

“It won’t be in a few moments,” said Ivy. “Make the most of it while you can. You won’t be coming back.”

“The tourists must love coming here,” said Jim.

“Stop talking,” said Ivy. “Or the trolls will get you.”

“It’s like a theme park,” said Jim. “Is that what this place is? It’s been created as a magical wonderland for visitors?”

“If that makes sense to you, then that’s exactly what it is,” said Bryony. “But it’s also our home.”

“It must be a weird place to live,” said Jim. “Do you all work here?”

“One more word,” said Ivy, “and I’ll put a silencing spell on you.”

“We should use some cover magic,” said Bryony. “If anyone spots as walking through the village with a red blood, word will get back to the Charm Police. We could get into trouble.”

“I’m not sure he’s up to having more magic cast on him,” said Agatha. “He looks pale.”

“We’re almost at the border,” said Ivy. “Let’s get him crossed over and his memory wiped as quickly as possible.”

“I’m not so sure about this memory wiping business you keep on about,” said Jim.

“Shut up, idiot,” said Ivy. “I warned you what would happen if you didn’t stop flapping your lips.” She pointed a finger at Jim and zapped him with a haze of red light.

Jim opened his mouth and started talking again but no words came out.

“Get a move on.” Ivy shoved Jim in the direction of the border behind Maggie’s tavern. “Agatha, you make a hole in the border and we’ll go through and get rid of this fool.”

Agatha nodded and hurried ahead, already casting the magic to break through the border.

“I’ll be glad when this is over,” said Ivy.

“We’re almost done. And we solved Agatha’s problem,” said Bryony. “She’s free from the curse. And we know who did it.”

“I should have known that creep Kristoff was involved.”

“Sounds like he didn’t have much of a choice, though,” said Bryony. “I wouldn’t want to be beholden to Mavis Graytooth for anything.”

Ivy shrugged. “Still shows what a creep he is.”

“But he’s a handsome creep,” said Bryony. “And I detected a hint of jealousy when he was kissing Agatha in the club.”

“Not from me,” said Ivy. “I don't want anything to do with Kristoff.”

“Speaking of relationships,” said Bryony with a grin, “I have a feeling Agatha’s still holding a torch for Bruce. We should help that along.”

“She’s had enough of our time and help,” said Ivy. “What more do you want to do?”

“Let me figure that one out.” Bryony smiled at her sister. “Let’s get Jim home first.”

Bryony and Ivy crossed the border, leaving Agatha as a lookout, and dragging a reluctant Jim with them.

“Home sweet home,” said Bryony to Jim. “This is your park isn’t it?”

Jim pointed to his mouth but then nodded.

“We just need to wipe your mind and then you’re free to go,” said Bryony. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt. Well, it may tickle a little, but you won’t remember that.”

Jim took a few steps back and held his hands up.

“We can’t let you leave until we’ve done the magic,” said Bryony. “Can’t have you going and telling everyone about our magical wonderland. Everyone will want to visit.”

Jim shook his head again and glared at Ivy.

“Can you remove the silence spell from him?” said Bryony to Ivy. “He might want to say goodbye.”

“Doubtful. He’s probably going to insult us.” Ivy pointed a finger at Jim. “Magic removed.”

Jim let out a gasp. “What kind of freaks are you?”

“The magical kind who saved your butt and brought you home safely,” said Ivy. “Be grateful. Other magic users might have kept you and used your flabby body parts in a magic spell.”

“I’m getting out of here,” said Jim. “You’re both crazy.”

“Just before you do,” said Bryony, “let me get rid of those bad memories for you.” She lifted her hands and a ball of pink smoke emerged between her fingers. She blew it towards Jim.

“You can keep whatever that is away from me.” Jim ran backwards, stumbling as he turned. The pink smoke pursued him as he ran, gaining on him swiftly, before covering him from head to toe.

“He won’t remember anything,” said Bryony, watching with satisfaction as her magic worked on Jim.

Jim stopped running and stood still, his arms hanging by his sides.

“Looks like the red blood is free to go,” said Ivy.

“We should just double check. Don’t want him having any memory of Old Sarum.”

They walked over to Jim and Ivy prodded him in the arm. “Do you know who I am?”

Jim’s bleary gaze came into focus as he turned and looked at Ivy. “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“Do you know my sister?” Ivy pointed at Bryony.

“No, but I do like blondes.” Jim extended a hand to Bryony. “I’m—”

“We don’t care who you are,” said Ivy. She grabbed Bryony’s arm and they walked towards the border.

“A job well done,” said Bryony. “But I’ll be glad to get back to Old Sarum. This place always gives me the chills.”

“It’s not my favorite place either,” said Ivy as they reached the border. “My favorite place is at home in bed with a large plate of brownies in front of me, my new curse book, and Spike sleeping on my feet. That's what I'm looking forward to.”

“Sounds like a perfect end to the day,” said Bryony. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter 24

“I’m so happy I’m no longer turning blue.” Kim Elliott twirled in front of Bryony, a huge smile on her broad face. “You are a miracle worker.”

Bryony returned her smile. “It’s all in a day’s work. But it was tricky magic to remove.”

“I knew you’d help me.” Kim paid the bill Bryony gave her. “Now I can get back to reading my favorite romance novels and no one needs to know what’s on my mind! I've just picked up a copy of Forty Shades of Gargoyle and can't wait to get started.” Kim waved goodbye as she left the store, a spring in her step as she walked along the street.

“What have you been up to?” asked Ivy from her seat in the corner of the store.

“What do you mean?” Bryony grabbed a pile of spell books from the counter and walked to the book shelves.

“You’ve had that silly smile on your face all morning.”

Bryony’s smile grew. “Just tying up a few loose ends.”

“You’re playing matchmaker.”

“It’s the final thing we need to do to make sure Agatha is happy,” said Bryony.

“She’s happy enough,” said Ivy. “She’s free from the curse.”

“It will be easy to reunite Agatha and Bruce,” said Bryony. “Doesn’t everybody deserve a truly happy ending?”

“I wouldn’t mind one,” said Ivy.

“You’re happy, though, aren’t you?” Bryony gave her sister a worried look.

“I’m not so happy about the new delivery of baby toads that arrived this morning,” said Ivy. “We haven’t sold enough of the others so I’ve had to double up their living quarters. They’re already causing mischief. One pair blew the door off their cage.”

“But you are happy?” Bryony walked away from the books she was stacking and took hold of her sister’s hands. “We have this store, and we have each other. And you have Spike. What girl wouldn’t be thrilled to have a demon immortal dog as a friend?”

Ivy recognized the look of concern in her sister’s eyes. “I’m fine. I’m happy enough. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I do worry. You’re my sister and my best friend,” said Bryony. “Are you thinking about what happened at the Demon’s Den? Do you think Kristoff will come after you?”

A rare blush crossed Ivy’s pale cheeks and her fingers went to a necklace around her neck; a dark red garnet stone set in a thin whorl of silver. “I’m not worried about him.”

“Is that a new piece of jewelry?” Bryony reached for the necklace. “I’ve not seen it before.”

Ivy’s fingers tightened around the necklace. “I got it today. It was on the doorstep when I opened up.”

“A gift from someone?”

“From Kristoff,” said Ivy.

Bryony laughed. “You try to destroy his club and he buys you a gift. I will never understand him.”

Ivy shook her head. “Neither will I. But I think this means he’s not going to come after either of us for what I did in the Demon’s Den.”

“You need to start causing him more problems if he buys you gifts every time,” said Bryony.

“I don’t want any more gifts from Kristoff,” said Ivy. She ignored the feeling of pleasure that ran through her every time her fingers touched the stone. It was a rare garnet stone and she’d been looking for one just like it for months. She had no clue how Kristoff knew that, but it was the perfect stone; ideal for storing powerful spells in and having them on hand whenever you needed. She didn't dwell on the fact garnet also represented passionate devotion.

The store door opened and Bruce walked through. “I came as soon as I could. Is it another problem with your car?”

Bryony smiled brightly at him. “No car problems this time. In fact, we want to do you a favor.”

“I told you I don’t want paying for the car repairs,” said Bruce. “You don’t need to do anything for me.”

“Sit down and have a cup of tea,” said Bryony. “You’re going to like this.”

Bruce eyed the girls warily before moving to the sofa. “I can’t stay for long. I’ve got two exhausts to replace and a tune up to do before lunch.”

“This won’t take long. And I promise you it will be worth the wait,” said Bryony.

Bruce accepted a cup of tea from Bryony. “So what’s going on?”

“We are looking for new candidates to try a shrinking spell on,” said Ivy. “Thought you’d be ideal.”

Bruce stared at Ivy in silence for a few seconds. “I don’t want to be a part of that experiment.”

“Ivy’s talking nonsense,” said Bryony. “We aren’t going to do any magic. That’s not why you’re here.” She hurried to the store door and opened it.

“Why am I here, then?”

“Drink your tea and be grateful,” said Ivy. “My sister has decided to help you out and she never does a bad deed. Whatever Bryony has in mind for you, you’re going to like it, so relax.”

“I can see your surprise coming along the road now,” said Bryony.

Bruce raised his eyebrows. “You’ve got me a gift?”

“In a way,” said Bryony. “You’re going to love it.”

A few seconds later, Agatha walked through the door. “I got your message. Can’t hang around for long. I’m moving out of Mom’s house, again. But this time it’s for good.”

“This shouldn’t take long.” Bryony stepped to one side, revealing Bruce on the sofa. “I thought the two of you might like to spend a little time together, now everything has been resolved.”

Bruce jumped up from his seat. “Agatha!”

“Oh, hi, Bruce.” Agatha twisted a strand of hair around her fingers. “It’s nice to see you.”

“You too.” Bruce cleared his throat. “I didn’t know you’d moved back in with your mom.”

“Only for a few days.” Agatha’s cheeks glowed as she looked at Bruce. “She lied to me about having a fall.”

“Tell him everything,” said Bryony gently as she moved to sit by Ivy.

Agatha nodded. “She was also the reason I left you.”

“She was?” asked Bruce.

“I’ve got some explaining to do,” said Agatha. “I never wanted to leave you, but I didn’t have a choice. Mom cursed me.”

“She did what?” Bruce strode towards Agatha and took hold of her hands. “Why would she do that?”

“Because she wanted me to stay at home with her.”

“What kind of curse did she put on you?”

“A kissing curse,” said Agatha. “But there’s more I need to tell you. After we had that stupid fight and I walked out, well, I did something stupid.”

“Couldn’t have been more stupid than me,” said Bruce. “I drank far too much and woke up on the floor in the garage still fully clothed. My head ached for days.”

“That’s nothing,” said Agatha. “Please don’t hate me for what I’m about to tell you.”

“I could never hate you,” said Bruce.

“I got scared. All the talk about marriage and moving in together and having children, it made me realize how grown-up we now are. And for a while, I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted.”

“You mean you don’t want me?” Bruce’s gaze moved to the ground.

“I do want you,” said Agatha. “But I’ve been such a fool.”

“Why? What did you do?”

“After our argument, I kissed someone else.”

“You kissed another man?” Bruce dropped his hold on Agatha’s hands. “So you don’t want me.”

“The second I did it, I realized my mistake,” said Agatha. “But the worst thing is, that kiss cursed me.”

“Hold on, you said your mom cursed you,” said Bruce.

“She did! She made someone put the curse on me. My mom deliberately sent someone to test me and make sure I could never be intimate with another man again.”

Bruce shook his head. “How did you discover you had this curse?”

Agatha hung her head. “Well, I may have tried it out on a few other men. I wasn’t sure if it was a one off or not.”

“We have one argument and you go off and kiss lots of other guys,” said Bruce. “I should feel lucky you aren’t interested in marrying me. What’s to say you won’t go off and do it again the next time we bicker?”

“Don’t say that. I’ll never do anything so foolish again,” said Agatha. “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. When I realized I had this curse, I knew we couldn’t be together until I’d figured out how to get rid of it. With the help of Bryony and Ivy, I’ve got the curse removed. So we can be together, if you still want me after what I’ve done.”

Bruce glanced over to the sofa where Bryony and Ivy sat. “Is that why you came to my garage? Did you think I was involved with cursing Agatha?”

“You were one of the suspects,” said Ivy.

Bruce frowned. “I knew those leads in your car had been pulled out deliberately. But I couldn’t figure out why you’d done it.”

“We didn’t really think you were a suspect,” said Bryony. “But we had to be sure. As soon as we’d spoken to you, we realized you couldn’t be involved with the curse Agatha was under.”

“You're not powerful enough,” muttered Ivy.

That comment earned her a glare from Bruce.

“Bruce, can you forgive me?” asked Agatha. “I’ve been such an idiot. I do want to be with you. I do want to set up a home and have a huge family with you as well. And I’m already moving out of Mom’s place. We had a dreadful row over the curse. She’s refused to apologise and I’m not letting her get away with it.”

“Does that mean you’re homeless?” asked Bruce.

“I was planning on staying at the local bed-and-breakfast until a place comes available for rent,” said Agatha. “It’s not ideal, but at least it means I can get away from Mom and all her meddling in my love life.”

“Your mom may have been trying to protect you,” said Bryony. “I agree that she went about it in the wrong way, but maybe she was worried you’d get hurt and wanted to keep you safe.”

“She has a funny way of making sure her daughter is safe,” said Bruce. “That curse made Agatha miserable.”

“Yes, not the best thing to do,” said Bryony. “Give her some time, she may come around and realize what a mistake she’s made. You don’t want to lose contact with your mom for good, Agatha.”

Agatha sighed. “I’m so angry at the moment, I don’t care if I ever see her again. But you’re right, I know she’s a lonely old cold hearted half dragon who feels frustrated because she doesn’t have any other dragons to breathe fire at.”

“We could always put out some feelers in the supernatural community and see if we can link your mom with a few other dragon descendants,” said Bryony. “There might be a few scaly old male half dragons looking for a mate.”

Agatha’s eyes widened. “Mom dating! That would be terrifying.”

Bryony smiled. “I’ll see what I can do. I do love to see a happy couple together.”

Agatha nodded and turned her attention to Bruce. “Are we still a happy couple?”

Bruce scrubbed the pale stubble on his chin. “We’ve got lots to discuss before we can be an officially happy couple again. But I’d like to start with your living arrangements. I’ve just put in an offer on a place a few doors along from the garage. It needs a lot of work, but it’s far too big for one person. I was thinking of doing it up and selling it to make some money. But if you’re interested, there’s plenty of room for all of your things; including a spare room for a nursery, when you’re ready.”

“You’re asking me to move in with you?” Agatha stared up at Bruce, a look of surprise on her face.

“After we’ve done our talking about you kissing strange men,” said Bruce.

“It will never happen again, I promise.” Agatha threw herself into Bruce’s arms. “I can’t believe it, we’re going to live together.”

“I do love a happy ending,” said Bryony with a sigh.

Gabriel walked through the doorway of the store and took in the scene of Bruce and Agatha embracing. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Bruce and Agatha broke apart, their hands remaining clasped together. “No, we were just leaving,” said Bruce. He looked over at Bryony and Ivy. “Thanks for everything you’ve done.”

Agatha grinned. “Yes, thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Bryony waved them goodbye as they left the store. “I’m going to have to get myself a new outfit to go to their wedding.”

“You can count me out of that,” said Ivy. “All that love rubbish makes me feel queasy.”

“I enjoy a good wedding,” said Gabriel.

Bryony smiled at him. “What can I do for you today? Are you after a poultice? Or a ready to go spell mixture? I’ve got some new books in on ancient runes.”

“No, nothing today,” said Gabriel. “I’m here on Charm Police business. I wanted to talk to you both about the red bloods who have been in Old Sarum.”

Ivy exchanged a look with her sister, hoping she’d keep her mouth shut; Bryony was a terrible liar. “We heard about those.”

“The magic on them has broken,” said Gabriel. “But there’s still the puzzle as to who put a spell on them in the first place.”

“And?” asked Ivy. “What’s that got to do with us?”

“Do you think we were involved?” asked Bryony.

“I can’t imagine you cursing people,” said Gabriel softly. “But I wanted to know if you’d had any thoughts as to the person who may have put a spell on the red bloods? We believe it was curse magic.”

“We don’t deal with curses here,” said Bryony. “Customers come in and ask occasionally, but it’s not something we like to deal with. Curses are tricky.”

“Yes, this one especially so,” said Gabriel. “We tried numerous curse reversal spells and potions, but nothing raised the red bloods we had in the station. Then, it was as if the curse broke on its own and they regained consciousness at the same time. Whoever did it, it was a dark spell. Not something to be messing with.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear the curse has been broken,” said Bryony. “And the red bloods weren’t harmed in any way?”

“They were disoriented,” said Gabriel. “But once we crossed them over the border and helped them with a gentle memory wipe, they were fine. They won’t have any lasting after effects from the magic. But I still want to know who put the curse on them.”

“You’ll figure it out,” said Bryony. “The main thing is the red bloods weren’t hurt and Old Sarum is back to normal.”

Gabriel looked at Bryony in silence for several seconds. “There was mention that the two of you were at Kristoff’s club on the night the curse was broken.”

“We don’t go to the Demon’s Den.” Ivy’s fingers strayed to the necklace she wore. “We don’t like the owner.”

Gabriel nodded. “Kristoff is an acquired taste. So you weren’t there three nights ago?”

“We were in all night,” said Ivy. “Can’t stay out all night partying when there’s work to do the next day. Isn’t that right, Bryony?”

“Yes, we don’t like the Demon’s Den.” Bryony moved to Sweetie’s perch and fussed with the bird’s feathers.

“It’s just that I’m sure I saw you leaving the club,” said Gabriel. “We had a report there was a fight, and someone mentioned you being there, Ivy. When we arrived, I thought I saw you both at the end of the road.” He looked towards the door. “Come to think of it, that could have been Agatha with you as well. Are you sure you weren’t out that night?”

“Like I said, we were here.” Ivy stared coolly at Gabriel.

“So why were people reporting you fighting with Kristoff?” Gabriel returned Ivy’s glare.

“I look like a lot of witches around here,” said Ivy. “Dark hair and pale skin are not so unusual.”

“But the use of advanced fire magic is,” said Gabriel. “That’s not a talent many witches in Old Sarum have.”

“We were here. There’s nothing more to say.”

Gabriel frowned. “Well, Kristoff doesn’t want to press charges about the incident anyway, so there’s nothing more I can do about it. But stay away from his club. Trouble is never far from that place.”

“We’ll never go there again,” said Bryony. “I mean, not that we’ve been there recently anyway.”

Ivy sighed and shook her head at her sister. “Is there anything else we can do for you, Gabriel?”

“No, that’s it for now,” said Gabriel as he opened the store door. “Let me know if you hear anything about this curse. I’m not going to let it drop.” He shot a brief, longing look at Bryony before leaving the store.

Bryony let out a long sigh. “Do you think he suspects our involvement?”

“Of course he does,” said Ivy. “He saw us leaving the club. But we’re not to blame for the curse itself. And Kristoff got everything he deserved when I fought him in the club. We’ve not done anything wrong.”

“Other than withhold evidence,” said Bryony. “I don’t want Gabriel to dislike us.”

“He can dislike me if he wants to,” said Ivy. “Gabriel is too nosy for his own good.”

“That’s what he’s paid to do,” said Bryony. “Discover everyone else’s secrets and make sure people are safe.”

“People are safe from us,” said Ivy. “So long as they’re not rude to me or rude about you.”

“Gabriel will forget about this curse soon enough,” said Bryony. She returned to the book shelf and began to hum under her breath. “I am glad Agatha and Bruce are reunited. They make such a sweet couple.”

“He’s too soft,” said Ivy. “He took Agatha back despite knowing she’s been running around the village kissing half the population of Old Sarum.”

“He loves her,” said Bryony. “She made a small mistake and she realized it. And she was protecting him from the curse. That’s romantic.”

“That’s ridiculous,” said Ivy. “Besides, true love is not so great. It’s not something we ever need to experience.”

“Maybe we will one day, Ivy. We’ll break our own curse and be free to love whoever we like.”

“You mean Gabriel,” said Ivy.

“You can talk, you’ve barely left that necklace alone,” said Bryony. “You like Kristoff just as much as I like Gabriel.”

“So long as all we do is like them then there’s no harm,” said Ivy.

The lights in the store dimmed and a shimmering image of Adeline appeared. “Girls, come over to dinner this evening. It’s been far too long since we’ve seen you. I’m forgetting what you both look like.”

“Mom, we were at the pilgrimage feast a few nights ago,” said Ivy.

“Like I said, far too long. Be here no later than six this evening. I’m doing a pot roast and your Aunt Odessa is making a triple layer chocolate cake with home-made ice cream for dessert.”

“Sounds wonderful,” said Bryony. “We’ll be there.”

“You’re such good girls. See you tonight.” Adeline blew Bryony and Ivy kisses before her image faded.

“We don’t have to go to dinner every time we’re asked,” said Ivy with a groan. “I don’t know why we bothered to leave home, we’re there so much.”

“You know you’d miss them if they weren’t so close,” said Bryony. “Better to have them as our family than a dragon mother like Agatha has. We’ve definitely got a good deal when it comes to our relatives.”

“A mother as a dragon could be fun,” said Ivy. “I’d never have to hold back on my fire magic.”

“No, because she’d roast you alive before you’d had a chance to test your abilities,” said Bryony. “Now, I’ve got those books to sort out and you’ve got some misbehaving baby toads to deal with before we can go to dinner.”

Ivy gave another groan. “Don’t remind me. Who’d have thought the life of a store owner would be so glamorous?”

“It’s always going to be like this,” said Bryony with a smile. “This is Old Sarum, after all.”