The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic(88)

“It’s your lucky day,” she said, busying herself with his order. She didn’t ask what he wanted. She already knew. A vanilla cappuccino with nutmeg and cinnamon on top.

“I just got off,” he said. “And wanted to see—”

“How I was doing?” she finished for him. “I’m fine,” she added with a smile, pushing the cappuccino toward him and then turning to package up a piece of honeyed peach and lavender tart with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. She pushed the tart toward him.

“Hey, Sade?” He paused at the door.

“No, you may not have your dog back, Jake. But if you’re on your best behavior, I might let him have a sleepover.”

His laugh trailed after him down the street, leaving little starbursts of light in the air.




“Can’t we wait until tomorrow?” Seth complained.

“Absolutely not,” Sadie said, scandalized. “Excuse me but I hardly think this is the time to lollygag.”

“Who even uses the word lollygag anymore?”

“I have another choice few words I could use instead.”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.”

“Outside,” she said. The aunts and Florence were in the kitchen, pouring over Gigi’s journal and old recipe books, still looking for any clues they’d missed, anything that might set them on the right path for saving Seth. And she preferred to do this in nature, anyway.

Sadie made a circle out of oak branches in the clearing between the garden and the forest edge before pouring moon-blessed oil over them.

“Adina said this calls on our ancestral magic,” Sadie said as they both stepped inside the circle. She held out her hands to Seth, who grasped them with a deep breath.

“Sadie,” he said quietly. “What if this doesn’t work either?”

“Then the next one will.”

“But what if it doesn’t? We need to talk about what’s going to happen after.”

“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “Not yet. Manifestation is powerful. You have to believe. Please, Seth, just believe.” Simon slunk out from behind the peach tree and slowly circled the twins, with wary green eyes.

He stared at her for a long moment but nodded his head. She closed her eyes and began.

“Par la force de l’équilibre, je convoque les esprits de la magie ancienne,” she began, and Simon mewled loudly in what felt like a warning. “I implore you, blood of our ancestors, to remove this curse and restore harmony to our bloodline. Let not one twin perish, but let the magic of light and blood flow through us both, uniting us in strength and power. So mote it be.”

The scent of peach drifted from the garden and mixed with pine from the forest. Sadie could feel the magic brewing in her veins, ancient and powerful, but something felt off. Her eyes snapped open as the hair on the back of her neck stood to attention. Her gaze was drawn to the forest line. Right at the spot she’d entered when she’d tried to call Gigi’s spirit. The figure was back.

It was a man-shaped figure, and the more she stared, the clearer he became. He wore white pants and a matching white suit jacket with a white hat. Well, she’d certainly never seen a better-dressed spirit. She squinted and saw a brown cigarette in his fingers. And as though he didn’t like her staring, he vanished. Just as he did, the circle of oak that surrounded them burst into flames and caught the hem of her pants on fire.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Seth pushed her out of the circle, and faster than Sadie thought possible, had his jacket off and was hitting the flames until they died out.

They were both on the ground, panting, her terror reflected in his eyes.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, it didn’t burn my skin.” At that moment, Bambi shoved through the screen door and yipped wildly as he ran toward them.

“You saw that? In the forest?” Seth asked, catching the dog in his arms and giving him a reassuring pat.

She nodded, swallowing hard, unable to form words.

“Safe to say that one didn’t work, I guess.”




Eleven days.

Another failed attempt. This time from Calliope again. Seth had adamantly refused, and so Sadie tried the summoning on her own and suffered three long gashes in her forearm that wept angry red pus and smelled like rotten bones.

Seth rubbed ointment in and wrapped the wounds with a disapproving look that said I told you so.

They all sat in the living room. Florence, Anne, Kay, Tava, Brian, Suzy, Raquel, Seth, and Sadie. Sage was asleep upstairs. The grandfather clock kept sending out sad, quiet chimes. The curtains shuddered like they were trying to hold in their tears.

They’d been over every notebook and letter, Gigi’s journal, and exhausted every resource they could think of.

And so they were silent, but together. And that made them feel like they still had a chance. Even if part of that chance felt like a lie.




Ten days.

The Wilde family didn’t live in town anymore and weren’t answering her calls.

The Blacks were on their yearly pilgrimage to Stonehenge and unreachable.

The seven founding families of Poppy Meadows had done what they could, and it wasn’t enough.

And still, the scent of Jerusalem cherry tea trailed her around corners, and she woke with it curled up on the pillow next to her.