Jinxed (Coven Corner #1) Read online

  Bryony hoisted the last vat into the air with a twirl of her fingers. But she paused at the door.

  “Oh, about that other thing,” she said with a pointed look. “I’ve got the perfect spot for an altar picked out.”

  “You’re building an altar for Mabon?” Seline called. “Can I help?”

  “No, Seline,” Bryony said.

  Seline ignored her and poked her head in the door.

  “Bryony never lets me help with her altars,” she said.

  “Because you’re only seven years old,” Bryony protested. She placed a hand on Seline’s head and pushed her back out onto the steps. “And don’t make me tell Mom you interrupted again.”

  Seline pouted. “Tattle tale.”

  Bryony tilted her head and raised her eyebrows in a look that said, don’t start that.

  Seline stomped off to the grass again, her back to Bryony.

  Bryony lowered her voice and leaned closer to Sky.

  “There’s a clearing down by the creek,” she said. “If you want to set up your altar there, it’s off the path so it’s a bit of a hike. But no one will bother you there. It’ll be nice and quiet.”

  Just like that, Sky’s enthusiasm vanished and reality came tumbling in.

  This was it.

  After tonight, her fantasy was over. If she was lucky, she might still be on speaking terms with Aiden.

  And if she wasn’t lucky? Aiden would ignore her existence.

  Sky scrubbed at her palm with her thumb.

  “I appreciate you going through all that trouble for me,” she said.

  Bryony shrugged. “It’s no trouble at all. You’re my best friend and you’re in a tight spot. I’m happy to help out in any way I can.”

  She nudged Sky in the ribs with an elbow.

  “See you tonight,” she said. “And don’t chicken out.”

  Sky sighed. “I won’t.”

  ***

  By the time Aiden arrived, Sky was a nervous wreck.

  She had chosen a purple skirt that flared out around her button-up brown boots. It wasn’t the wine or cream colored ensembles that she had considered earlier in the day but that was before she remembered today was not going to have a happy ending.

  Her heather-gray sweater was worn to softness and felt like a comforting hug as she waited on the steps for Aiden to arrive. She spotted him on the road well before he spotted her.

  He wore a black vest over a black shirt and black pants. He looked like a smear of ink against the blushing colors of autumn. His warlock’s hat was a sharp, dark peak, marking his presence as he moved down the street.

  When Aiden’s gaze finally settled on Sky, he smiled and quickened his steps. He pushed the little garden gate open with an absently cast spell and within seconds, he was standing in front of her.

  With Sky on the steps and Aiden on the solid ground, she was at eye level with him for once instead of at his elbow, like she usually was.

  Aiden crooked his arm and offered his elbow to her.

  “Good evening, Miss Sangrey,” he said, brightly.

  I’m going to miss this, Sky thought.

  She slipped her hand into the crook of Aiden’s arm. One hour. That’s all she would allow for herself. One hour of enjoying Aiden’s company and this easy companionship they had slipped into.

  Then she would leave him to build the altar and break the spell.

  “Tell me about New York,” Sky said.

  “I’d be happy to,” Aiden replied. “On one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Tell me about Wildemoor. Tell me everything you love about it and all the little things that irritate you, too.”

  “I’m sure it’s not very exciting compared to the things you’ve seen and done.”

  Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been here only a few months and I like the change of pace. People have been very welcoming and very kind.” He glanced at her and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “And the view is breath taking.”

  Sky’s heart stutter-skipped. She bit the inside of her cheek and released a shaky puff of air to compose herself. No one had spoken to her that way before but she liked the way Aiden said it, soft as a whisper, quiet as a secret, only for her.

  Aiden retrieved his broom—smelling of cedar and pine—from where it rested against the side of Sky’s fence. He waited as Sky wrapped her arms around his middle, her chin tucked into the crook of Aiden’s shoulder as she climbed onto the broom behind him.

  She knew she should take her own broom. In an hour—less than an hour now—Aiden would be out of her league once again.

  Aiden guided his broom into the air and Sky huddled closer against his back for warmth. Autumn had arrived, carrying with it a frigid chill, even though it was only late September.

  For a little while, it seemed as if time stood still. It was just Sky and Aiden, floating, warm and wrapped up in each other.

  All too soon, Pagan Posies spread out beneath them. Gold and white fairy lights sparkled from the orchard. Red streamers were draped from the branches, twining along the porch of the Torres’ cottage. Dozens of witches and warlocks were scattered across the clearing, wandering with plates of food or clustered in groups, talking. Children chased each other through the woods with flashes of illumination spells, making them look like late fireflies darting back and forth.

  Within a minute, Sky and Aiden were on the ground. Aiden propped his broom in the barrel by the arched entryway composed of sheaves of wheat, wreaths of apples and pine boughs, and a glittering crown of magical stars.

  “Sky, over here!”

  Bryony stood on tiptoe and raised a hand to get Sky’s attention. She was at the long buffet table, strewn with piles of food and pitchers of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate.

  Reluctantly, Sky withdrew from Aiden.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said. “Wait there.”

  Aiden folded his hands in front of him. “I hope you don’t intend to abandon me at a party full of strangers.”

  Sky managed a small smile and turned away but she couldn’t bring herself to respond. In a way, she would be abandoning him. She had let the charade run on too long instead of admitting her mistake to Aiden right away.

  Sky hurried to Bryony’s side, as if she could outrun that thought. She didn’t particularly like how she had handled this whole thing and she hoped the altar would sort it all out.

  Bryony offered her a persimmon pastry but she shook her head.

  “So,” she said. “You and Aiden Hall, riding double together.”

  Sky made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. She bypassed the harvest tea and went straight for the spiked punch. She patted her pocket.

  “I have everything I need to break the spell for good this time,” she said. “When tonight is over, that’s it. We’re…done.”

  Sky’s voice faltered on that final word. She gulped the punch, welcoming the burn of alcohol in her throat.

  “I’m proud of you,” Bryony said.

  Sky choked. “You can’t be serious. I’ve made a mess of everything.”

  Bryony shrugged and plucked at a bowl of currants. “But you’re doing the right thing. And you’re trying to do it in such a way that it won’t cause harm to either party involved. That takes guts.”

  She popped the currants into her mouth.

  “What takes guts?”

  Seline peered over the edge of the table, one grimy hand reaching for a bowl of caramels wrapped in brightly colored wax paper. Bryony caught Seline’s wrist and pulled her away from the table.

  “Look at your hands,” she said. “They’re filthy. Don’t touch anything until you’re clean.”

  Seline grumbled but she cast a spell and held up her hands. Clean of any dirt.

  “Now can I have a piece of candy?” she said.

  “Don’t make yourself sick on it like you did last year,” Bryony said.

  “That was because Basil thought he could eat more caramels t
han me,” Seline said. “I proved him wrong.”

  She poked through the bowl of caramels until she found the fattest, roundest piece and whispered a spell to unwrap it. The candy floated in the air and Seline caught it in her mouth like a fish jumping after a bug.

  Bryony made a shooing gesture. “You got what you wanted,” she said. “Stop eavesdropping.”

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping. And you’re hogging all the pastries.”

  Bryony crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Seline wiggled her fingers and a pastry shot off of the plate and into her palm. She grinned, triumphant, and took off running.

  “She reminds me so much of you,” Sky said.

  Bryony huffed. “That child is part hobgoblin. You can’t convince me otherwise. I was a delight.”

  “You still are.”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere, Miss Sangrey. Don’t try to change the subject either. We’re talking about you, not me.”

  Someone cleared their throat and Sky spun, heart racing. Hazel stood off to the side, dressed in a soft brown pant suit that made her skin look as smooth as porcelain. Her hair was curled loosely around her shoulders but she still had the air of a school teacher about her.

  “Aiden is clearly still bewitched,” she said.

  “I’m…handling it,” Sky said.

  “It has to end tonight, Sky,” Hazel said, her voice quiet and apologetic. “You’ve always been so romantic and I know there’s not much of a dating pool in Wildemoor. It’s such a small town. But this…it’s gone too far.”

  Sky glanced down at her punch. She suddenly wanted to cry. How could one little accidental spell cause so many problems?

  From somewhere past the Torres house, deep in the orchard, the faint strain of violin music began. Couples drifted together, dancing between the trees. Voices were pitched low in a pleasant murmur, punctuated with intermittent laughter.

  Movement caught Sky’s attention and she saw Bianca gliding into the trees, clad in a burgundy skirt that swirled around her ankles like mist.

  A hand encircled Sky’s waist and she flinched. Aiden’s mouth brushed her ear, his breath warm and soft at the curve of her neck where her scarf had come loose.

  “Dance with me?” he whispered.

  Sky kept her gaze trained down, away from the sharp look of disapproval that Hazel no doubt had on her face. And she couldn’t look at Bryony either, not after Bryony had admitted how proud she was of Sky.

  Aiden took Sky’s hand and led her into the orchard. He kissed her knuckles as he turned to face her, pulling her close until his hand settled at the small of her back and his cheek grazed hers. Sky let her palm come to rest between his shoulder blades. She closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of his hand in hers, the heat of his body, the lingering scent of cloves and incense.

  Sky and Aiden shifted closer and closer as the music faded into one song then another. Sky knew her allotted hour was almost up.

  Maybe she would travel after this. Get away from Wildemoor and meet other witches and warlocks. She had never been outside of Wildemoor.

  At times, she welcomed the community of it, the close knit families and friendships she had built over the years. At other times, she felt cramped and claustrophobic. There was a wide world out there she had never witnessed.

  The music faded and the lights went dim as the night grew darker. The wind kicked up, sending leaves swirling around Sky and Aiden in a hurricane of autumn.

  Aiden drew back to look at Sky and his hand cupped her cheek, his palm warm and firm against her skin. His thumb skimmed her cheekbone and Sky knew better than to do it but she leaned into his touch anyway.

  Goodbye, she thought.

  Then Aiden’s mouth was on hers, kissing Sky so softly, only a butterfly kiss against her lips. Sky’s breath caught in surprise but she didn’t pull away. Her hand slid over his shoulder and down his chest, clutching at the fabric of his vest as if she could imprint him on her palms and her memory.

  She stood on the tiptoe of her boots and kissed him back, pressing his mouth open. Breathing him in. Filling her lungs with the last gasp of a whirlwind romance that wasn’t even real.

  Sky pulled away just far enough to press her forehead to Aiden’s. Her fingers wandered up into his hair, exactly as she had wanted to the first time she’d seen him. His hair was silky smooth to the touch, curls spilling over her fingers as she had imagined they would.

  “I have something I need to tell you,” Sky said, her voice hoarse.

  Aiden nuzzled her cheekbone with little kitten kisses and hummed in acknowledgement. His fingers curved over the nape of her neck, thumb nestled at the hollow beneath her ear.

  “I put a spell on you,” Sky said.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Aiden went still.

  Sky closed her eyes.

  Then he…laughed.

  It was a quiet, deep, beautiful sound. With Sky’s hand on his chest, she could feel the vibrations of it and her heart ached all over again. It was yet another thing about him that she wanted to commit to memory, every little detail that she could soak up.

  “I know,” Aiden replied.

  Sky’s eyes flew open. She snatched her hand back.

  “You knew?” she said. “After all this time and you didn’t say anything?”

  He shrugged. “I seem to recall that you didn’t say anything either.”

  Sky searched his face. Aiden’s pupils were still too wide, dark with want. Even if he had known about the spell, maybe he was still bewitched. Maybe she had to break the spell to get him to understand the severity of her actions.

  “It was harmless,” Aiden said. “Those love potions on the counter are more for display. They’re weak at best, mostly just scented water. I learned the hard way a long time ago to keep the really powerful stuff behind the counter where it was safe from eager children with grasping hands.”

  Sky scrubbed at her forehead. Shouldn’t she be happy about this? The damage hadn’t been nearly as bad as she had originally thought. And if she had simply told Aiden right from the start about what happened, she wouldn’t have suffered such turmoil and conflict over the past few days.

  Aiden tilted his head to the side to look Sky in the eyes. He cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her head until she met his gaze.

  “To be honest,” he said softly. “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you wouldn’t come around again. I liked having you in my shop. I didn’t know how to get your attention otherwise.”

  Sky’s stomach pitched with delight and she sucked in a shivery breath.

  “You mean…” She started then faltered.

  “Your spell didn’t stick, Sky Sangrey,” he said. He bumped his nose against hers, his mouth a trembling inch away from brushing her lips. “You thought you would bewitch me with magic. Instead, you bewitched me with that sweet smile.”

  He traced his thumb over Sky’s bottom lip and she leaned into his touch, kissed the pad of his thumb. Maybe it was real after all…

  “Besides,” Aiden added. “I thought it would be fun.”

  Sky blinked and pulled back to look at him.

  “Fun?” she said. “What do you mean?”

  Aiden trailed his fingers along the column of Sky’s throat, knuckles grazing her collar bone.

  “Wildemoor is a quiet place,” he said. “It could use a little budding romance to brighten things up.”

  “So I was just…entertainment for you,” Sky said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Because you were bored.”

  Aiden’s eyes widened a fraction of an inch and he shook his head.

  “No. Hell’s bells, Sky, no, that’s not what I—“

  “It is,” Sky said. “You said it yourself.”

  “If you’d let me explain—“

  Sky put up her hands, shielding herself. A moment ago, she had felt the solid warmth of Aiden beneath her palms. Now she dreaded having him anywhere near her.

  “You’ve said more than enough,” she replied. “
I have to go.”

  “Sky, please, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Aiden said, hands spread wide in supplication.

  She turned away, the Mabon celebration a blur of red decorations and white lights through the tears welling in her eyes.

  She had been a fool in more ways than one. Her magic had always been weak and spotty. And then suddenly she believed she was strong enough to cast a spell over a powerful warlock?

  Aiden caught Sky’s elbow and attempted to turn her back to face him. But Sky wrenched her elbow out of his grip. Where his hand had been, she could feel the heat of his skin searing through her coat. Only two minutes ago, she had found comfort in that heat. Now she despised it.

  “I know what I did was wrong,” Sky said, her voice wobbling. “I didn’t mean to cast that spell over you, even if it didn’t stick. It was an accident but I never should have kept that from you. I understand that.”

  “Sky, please don’t cry,” Aiden said. His hands hovered in the air as if he wanted to reach out and touch her face, to reassure her, but Sky shook her head and retreated another step, putting even more distance between them.

  “But you had no right to toy with me like that,” Sky said. Her voice cracked and she covered her mouth with one hand. “I might be just a tea witch but that doesn’t mean you get to play with my affections, tugging me around like a marionette.”

  Aiden looked miserable. His hands dropped to his sides, his shoulders curved inward.

  “But…isn’t that what you did to me?”

  Sky blew out a frustrated breath. He was right. She had been toying with him like a puppet. She whirled around and ran through the orchard, past the buffet table, past the sheaves of wheat and the sparkling stars of magic, past the celebration of Mabon that welcomed changes and the death of summer into the rise of autumn.

  “Sky?” Bryony called. “Where are you going?”

  Sky kept running. She didn’t stop until she got home, pushed the little white gate open, clattered up the stone walkway and tumbled in the door.

  Ceylon meowed from the hallway and Sky gathered her up into her arms. She carried Ceylon to bed, climbed under the covers and buried her face in Ceylon’s fur.

  There was no doubt that the spell was broken. But in the worst possible way—a way she had never expected or planned for.