He didn’t reply, of course. But I was sure I could feel him smiling.
Chapter
Eleven
Isobel
I was at the Aurora Coven headquarters bright and early the next morning, armed with a plan to figure out what was wrong with my house. The idea had started forming while I’d been cleaning the garden the day before, but it had solidified when I’d woken at three a.m. with my mind racing.
Fortunately, Holly was at the desk again.
“You work a lot,” I said as I let myself in.
She grinned. “It’s an apprentice’s duty.” She gestured for me to sit in the chair across from her.
“Thanks, but I’ve got work to do. May I use the library again?”
“Absolutely. Have you figured out what’s wrong with the house?”
“Not yet. It’s not a ghost, and it’s not a curse. But I have a connection with the house—I’m sure of it. I just need to amplify that, and then maybe I’ll be closer to an answer.”
“Oooh, I like how you’re thinking.” She tapped her chin. “So you think your power is giving you a connection to the house?”
“Yep. I just need a spell to give my magic a boost, and then perhaps I’ll be able to understand more about what’s going on.”
“I have just the spell for you. Come on.” She rose and hurried. She selected a book that looked far older than the rest and carried it over to the table. “There’s something in here that will enhance your powers.”
She flipped through the pages, finally landing on a short spell. “You’ll also need some conduits. We’ve got some crystals that will help.” She pointed to a basket on the shelf near the door. “Choose about half a dozen of those.”
“Thanks.” I went over to the basket and sorted through colorful rocks. They were all shapes and sizes and textures, but I was primarily drawn to the amber-colored ones. They buzzed with power when I touched them, and I chose some that glittered with an internal yellow fire.
As I searched for the last one, Holly asked, “Have you ever thought of joining a coven?”
“Hmm?” I turned, torn away from my focus on the rocks. “A coven?”
“Yes. For work.”
“I don’t know.” The idea was enticing, though. Exciting, even. I would need to find something to do with my time when I finished fixing up the house, and the money my grandmother had left me wouldn’t last forever. “Maybe.”
“Emma left her position as apprentice to become a full-time member, so theoretically, there might be space if we have enough work to go around. That’s the one thing I can’t guarantee.”
The hope in my chest banked a bit. This wasn’t a huge town. How much work could a coven bring in?
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. I was just grateful these witches wanted to be my friends. I didn’t want to add the pressure of them trying to find me a job. “I’ve got a lot on my plate with the house right now, and who knows what the future will bring?”
“Well, think on it. I bet you’d make a great addition to the team.”
Her words warmed me, and I smiled. “Thanks.”
“I’m going to head back downstairs to keep an eye on the desk. Once you’ve got your crystals and you’ve memorized the spell, will you put the book back?”
“Will do.”
She headed downstairs, and I finished choosing my crystals and memorizing the spell. I carefully put the book back, then headed downstairs and said goodbye to Holly.
“See you at Potions & Pinot tonight,” she said. “Glad you’re coming.”
“Thanks.” I grinned at her, excitement fluttering within me.
On my way out of town, I stopped by Margot’s Tea & Cake Parlor, picking up a traditional Cornish pasty for myself and a sausage roll for Poa. I was going to need her help at the house, and I wanted to have a bribe on hand.
Fortunately, Poa accepted the offer of a sausage roll in exchange for her assistance, and after she’d eaten, we headed up to Lavender House.
As usual, it made its displeasure known as soon I entered, but I ignored it. Poa hissed, and I couldn’t blame her. Cats’ noses were probably more sensitive than humans’， and this place stank.
Be quick, Poa said. I can’t take much more of this. And if you expect me to live here, you have your work cut out for you.
“Can’t argue with that.” I resisted a grimace as I entered the main room and set the crystals on the ground at equal intervals along the walls. They hummed with power in my hands, and I was glad Holly had such excellent conduits to loan me. Once they were in place, I went to the middle of the rough circle they created. I sat cross-legged on the ground, and Poa climbed into my lap. Her warm body was a comforting weight on my legs, and I looked down at her, pleased.
She glared. What? I might as well be comfortable.
“I wasn’t complaining. I like having you there!”
Well, don’t get all marshmallowy with feelings, all right? I’m not that kind of cat.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Let’s get this show on the road. I’m to meet Penelope for lunch.
“On it.” I drew in a deep breath and pressed my hands to the ground in front of us. I wanted to make a connection with the house, if that’s what my power was actually connecting me to.
Poa began to purr as I let my power fill me. Slowly, I recited the words I’d memorized. They were in Latin, and I wasn’t great with Latin, but I could feel that they were working. Magic thrummed through me, growing in strength.
As it did, I could feel the house like it was a limb. Instinct made me lie down on the dirty floor to increase my physical connection to it. Poa gave an annoyed hiss but resettled herself on my chest, a heavy, purring weight whose magic enhanced my own.
As I continued to chant the words, I felt the connection with the house strengthen…and then a distinct sense of discomfort swirled through me. There was also the grumpiness that I’d been noticing since I’d entered, but now I had an idea of why.
The house didn’t like the condition it was in.
The fact that the house had any opinion at all was strange. It should be an inanimate object, with the strange goings-on attributed to a curse or a ghost, but the house was alive in its own way. There was an enchantment woven through its walls that was far older than I was. I could barely sense it, but I was sure it wasn’t evil, like a curse would be. The enchantment wasn’t meant to cause problems, I was sure of that. It was more like it had given the house personality. If I tried harder, I could probably get a good grip on what it was and how to remove it.
The house seemed to shudder at the thought.
“I won’t!” I called out. “I won’t remove the enchantment, I promise.” It would be like killing the house. If the house had a personality, that meant it was alive. Kind of. It didn’t matter that it hadn’t been born—I couldn’t just tear the enchantment away and kill it.
I was going to have to find a way to live with it.
“Can you tell me how this happened to you?” I asked. “I want to make you feel better.”
The house was silent, and I realized it was too much to ask it to speak. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t speak to it and try to get its cooperation. “I can tell that you’re alive,” I said. “Sort of. And that you’re uncomfortable. You probably don’t like being in such a state of disrepair, is that it?”