A Risky Potion Read online

  A Risky Potion

  by

  Constance Barker

  Copyright 2020 Constance Barker

  All rights reserved.

  Similarities to real people, places or events are purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter8

  Chapter 9

  Thanks for Reading

  Catalog of Books

  Chapter 1

  In Goodsprings, Georgia, summer extends past August. It stays warm and humid through September and sometimes half of October. While people clog the roads of New England and the Midwest to see the tree colors, in the South, the trees turn late, if they turn at all. The pine trees stay green all year long, as do some oaks. They’re called live oaks, because they don’t shut down during the winter. As green as envy all year long. People from the South are used to it. Imports from the North get surprised. Then, they book a week or two at some New England inn, so they can battle the throngs on the roads. I didn’t envy those people. Goodsprings was good enough for me and the other members of our coven.

  Or course, that meant I was a witch.

  The good citizens of the town, most of them, had no idea that an active coven of witches lived and worked among the non-magical. I was the earth witch, steeped in spells and charms having to do with plants and animals and gardens. My gardens, fertilized with magic, produced the best vegetables in the state. My orchards provide fruit par excellence. These were the ingredients for the smoothies I made at Happy Blendings, my smoothie shop. The produce, along with my “smoothie sense”, created the exact drink needed by a parched or worried neighbor. I knew that the smoothie business was never going to make me rich, but it did keep me in food and fixed the problems my old house seemed to produce, as I produced apples. Some days, I wished for a problem-free life. Some days, I was completely out of my mind.

  “You have to help,” Tessa said as soon as she entered the shop.

  Tessa was the coven’s fire witch. She could work wonders with a bit of flame, which helped her cook, that and a few years in Paris, where she learned the secrets of the best chefs in Europe. The food at her place—Good Eats—was the best around. It seemed as if her restaurant was always full. Yet, I knew she struggled as much as I did. We shared business problems, which were just as plentiful as the house problems. Some small business owners called those problems opportunities. I called them pains in the neck.

  “What’s the problem?” I asked.

  “Ethan,” Tessa answered. “He’s made a proposition.”

  “I would think you’re more than old enough to handle a proposition,” I said. “Especially, since you must have fielded a dozen per day when you were in Paris.”

  “Not that kind of proposition. Well, yes, that kind of proposition. He wants us to live together, Sam, live together.”

  Ethan Gallagher was a detective with the Goodsprings Police. In fact, his twin sister was also a detective. They had moved from the North several years earlier, in an effort to be closer to their father, who had subsequently passed away. That Ethan and Tessa found each other attractive was common knowledge within the coven and the town. That they were thinking about living together was news.

  “I can imagine your reluctance,” I said. “Have you broached the topic with Allie?”

  Allie was Tessa’s daughter and also a fire witch. Of course, two fire witches in the same house was a problem, as fire witches were prone to quick and incendiary actions. While Tessa and Allie got along good enough, they were still...fire witches. When they started arguing, I generally looked for a job to do.

  “I have not,” Tessa said. “Ethan just popped the idea, and well, I have no idea what to do with Allie.”

  “I think you should look into your heart before you approach Allie,” I said. “She’ll soon graduate high school, and if she’s anything like her mother, she’ll be leaving Goodsprings.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “Oh, I expect her to come back, but you’re not going to chain her in place. She wants and needs to be out in the world, just as you were.”

  “Oh Lord, not like I was. If she’s going to be that way, I’ll put her in a deep sleep for ten years. When she wakes, she might have some sense.”

  I laughed. Tessa talked like a tough mother, but she was far from one. We both knew Allie would do pretty much what Allie wanted to do.

  “And it’s not as if Ethan has mentioned the plan to Ada either,” Tessa added.

  Ethan lived with Ada, which was a good thing, since they were both half-vampires—human father, vampire mother. They exhibited some vampiric traits along with their human ones. I saw them every morning, when they came in for a “detective special”, a smoothie fortified with extra iron to battle their natural anemia. They were both clever and dedicated. In Goodsprings, they helped protect the coven.

  “Then, why are you here?” I asked. “It’s not as if everything is set in stone.”

  “Isn’t it obvious? I need help. I need good counsel. And Mara is out of town.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “You know what I mean. Mara is very well read into what is happening in Good Springs.”

  “That’s because she’s a reporter for the paper, as well as a wind witch.”

  As a wind witch, Mara could listen in on conversations—when she wanted. Of course, she didn’t listen often, but sometimes, the breeze brought her knowledge no one else had. That helped with her reporting. She wrote a column about all the gossip in town, and most people had no idea how Mara learned so much.

  “It doesn’t matter how she knows what she knows,” Tessa said. “What matters is that she knows a lot of stuff. That’s why I talk to her about my menus and things.”

  “Mara tells you what people say about your menus?” I asked.

  “You know we can’t trust what people write on the Internet,” Tessa said. “No one is honest on the Internet. They either gush or curse. Mara hears the real skinny.”

  I had to agree that Mara knew the “skinny” about Goodsprings, although I had never quizzed her about what she overheard. That felt like eavesdropping to me. Besides, I wasn’t sure I wanted the unfiltered opinions of my fellow citizens.

  “Well,” I said. “I recommend you and Ethan work it out before you ask anyone else. Because I’m certain you’re in for some push back from both Allie and Ada.”

  “You’re probably right. You don’t know of a spell that will soften the blow, do you?”

  “A spell?”

  “You know, some sort of ‘bad news’ spell. Something that will put them in a good mood before we tell them.”

  “Grow up, Tessa. You know how to deliver bad news. And do it quick. Because, we both know they will sense something is wrong. The sooner you tell them the better. Bad news never gets better with age.”

  “Don’t I know it. And you’re right, Samantha, you’re right. I’ll talk to Ethan, and we’ll get it over with.”

  “Have you decided which house to live in?”

  Tessa looked at me as if I had told her she had some incurable disease. “No, we haven’t. I just assumed...leave it
to you to get down to brass tacks.” With a wave, Tessa was out the door. A moment later, Phineas walked in, Chuckles on his shoulder.

  Phineas was the town eccentric. He walked about with Chuckles, a rooster on his shoulder. To the locals, Phineas was just another Southern oddball. But I knew better. Phineas was an accomplished wizard, and Chuckles was some creature from another dimension. Chuckles was so valuable, that the other side had sent a shapeshifter to kill the rooster. That the coven and others had stopped the shapeshifter was almost pure luck. And as Phineas was quick to point out, the danger hadn’t been lessened. If anything, it had increased.

  Then, Phineas was also a sort of danger barometer.

  That was because when Phineas ordered his usual wheatgrass smoothie, after listening to my litany of daily specials, things were going well in Goodsprings. When Phineas ordered the first smoothie off my list, things were not well. He wasn’t a perfect barometer, but he was pretty good.

  “The special today is celery, strawberries, thyme, lemonade, and a dash of mango,” I said.

  Phineas shook his head. “Go on.”

  I recited the specials, and at the end, Phineas smiled and said, “I think a wheatgrass will do today.”

  I was ready for the punch line, and I smiled. “Coming right up.”

  Phineas had retired to the patio, a place he seemed to find particularly appealing, or maybe, it was Chuckles that liked the fresh air, when David hurried in.

  “Sorry, boss,” David said. “Got into a yelling match with one of my suppliers, and well, it took some time to straighten things out.”

  David was my righthand man. Most mornings, he beat me to work and had the place open and spiffy by the time I arrived. Most mornings. Lately, after he had become involved in his own business (as a partner), he was sometimes late. Since the business was growing exponentially, his absences were to be expected. I didn’t hold that against him. And he was good about calling and texting when he was going to be late. I was thankful for that, but we both knew his time in Happy Blendings was coming to an end.

  “Glad you’re here,” I aid. “Want to take over for a few minutes?”

  “Sure. I’m good for the rest of the day...I think.”

  I was about to ride my bike home and grab some peaches, when Ada Gallagher arrived. I could tell from the look on her face that Ethan had said something to her.

  I immediately went to work on a “detective special” and pointed to a table at the back. “I’ll bring it to you,” I told Ada. She nodded and headed back. I wasn’t in the mood to listen, but I was a friend, and listening was what friends do.

  “You know,” Ada said, as soon as I put the smoothie in front of her.

  “Tessa was here earlier,” I said. “She mentioned it.”

  “Yeah, and Ethan mentioned it to me. I have to tell you that I don’t like it, not one little bit. Ethan and I have lived together for a long time. I’ve never lived with anyone else. And now, he wants to dump me for Tessa.”

  “Don’t think of it that way,” I said. “He doesn’t want to dump you. He has a chance to find some happiness with Tessa, and I think he wants to test the waters before he jumps in—if you forgive my metaphor.”

  “I can forgive a lot. I know what you’re saying. And I know I’m supposed to be happy for him. Hell, I am happy for him. And I’m envious too. I wish I had someone I wanted to move in with. But I don’t. I’ll be all alone. No one to talk to, no one to share with.”

  “That’s not true. You always have me and the other members of the coven. In fact, if you want to move in with me, you’re welcome.”

  “Thank you, Samantha, but I can’t do that. You already have Cassandra and Paula. Well, Paula, being a bird, hardly counts, but you know what I mean. You’re not here to be the landlord of last resort.”

  “Then, look for a roommate,” I said. “Mara might want to move out of her mother’s place. And I don’t know how Allie might take the new arrangement. She’s getting old enough to live on her own.”

  “I’m sure Allie would like to test her wings, but I would never do that to Tessa, or Ethan. I split up Tessa and Allie, and Ethan will never forgive me.”

  What Ada said was true. Tessa and Allie were tight. I was pretty sure Tessa didn’t want Allie to move.

  “I tell you what,” I said. “I’ll move in with you if you need someone.”

  Ada laughed. “Now, what good would that do? You’d be running from pillar to post to get your garden produce to the shop on time. No, Sam, no, that won’t do. I’ll be fine. I’ll find a roommate soon enough. But, as you know, I have to be careful. Ethan and I are not like other people.”

  “I’m well aware of that. We all are. I just want you to know that we all want the best for you, the absolute best. And we’ll do what we can.”

  Ada suddenly became alert, staring over my shoulder. Something was going on, and I turned.

  The woman walking toward the counter was pretty, almost beautiful. I guessed she was thirty-something, and she looked very fit in shorts and a tee. She needed to work on her tan, as her skin was pale, but otherwise she was a knockout. I could tell by David’s smile that he saw it too. Women like her didn’t often happen into my smoothie shop in Goodsprings. There was something else too. There was an aura about her. Not a real aura, nothing I could see. But there was something that beckoned to me, that made me want to go up and meet her. I had experienced that feeling once before.

  “You know her?” I asked Ada.

  “Yes,” Ada said through clenched teeth. “That is my mother.”

  Chapter 2

  Even as I watched, the woman at the counter turned to Ada and me. The woman’s smile didn’t change, but I knew immediately that she had recognized her daughter. Vampires had that knack. They knew their own. Witches knew their own too, but not like vampires. I supposed it had something to do with rivalry. Vampires were predators by nature. In the presence of other predators, vampires became aggressive. After all, there was only so much blood to go around. If I had been a vampire, I was certain I, too, would view other vampires as poachers.

  “Don’t move,” Ada said under her breath.

  Ada didn’t have to warn me. I was fully aware of what a vampire could do. While I had a spell ready, I wasn’t at all sure the spell would stop Ada’s mother. Although, I immediately knew why Ada’s father had married the woman. She was every bit as alluring as a stack of gold.

  “Hello,” the woman said. “I’m Clarissa Gallagher.”

  She held out her hand, and I took it, noticing just how cold it felt. I wondered if I looked like dinner to her.

  “Samantha Greene,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’m not certain you mean that,” she said. “But I will give you the benefit of the doubt.” She turned to Ada. “Hello, Ada, it’s been a long time.”

  “I’d like to say too long,” Ada said. “But that would be a lie. So, I have to ask you what you’re doing here.”

  “I would like to talk to you and Ethan.”

  “I think it’s time I went to work,” I said.

  “Please don’t leave,” Ada said. “My mother can guess that you are a close friend, and that you know all about her.”

  “Witches are more than clever enough to recognize my species,” Clarissa said. “And I want both of you to know that I mean no harm. That is not why I am here.”

  I didn’t move. I knew Ada wanted me to stay, and I was pretty sure Clarissa wasn’t going to try something in the middle of a smoothie shop. Of course, later, at night, I might be the hunted. It was hard to tell with vampires.

  “What do you want?” Ada asked.

  “May I sit?” Clarissa asked.

  Ada nodded, and Clarissa slid onto a seat next to me. I was immediately aware of her power, a deep and old power that seemed to ooze out her pores. I had no doubt that she was an accomplished and formidable vampire.

  “I have been looking for you for some time,” Clarissa said to Ada. “And I hope Ethan
is with you.”

  “He is,” Ada said curtly.

  “Then, I am indeed lucky. Because I came to make amends. I want to restart our relationship. I want you to be part of my life. I want to be part of yours.”

  “You’re a little late,” Ada said. “We were very young when you left us.”

  “When your father took you away.”

  “I believe you had taken up with the skull before we left, isn’t that so?”

  Clarissa’s smile hardened, as if she didn’t like to remember what had happened. “Yes, that’s so. And it was a mistake I am now trying to rectify. I don’t expect you to understand. You were young, and I was in some kind of spell or something. I couldn’t think straight. No, I suppose that’s an excuse. I was completely smitten with my own power and my own desires. I was a drunk on a binge. My thinking included nothing about my family or anything else. I joined a band that was dedicated to wallowing in blood. We could not be satisfied, and while under that influence, I did...unspeakable things. I am now ashamed. I am now offering to make it up to you in some fashion. I would tell you of the things I did, but you hate me enough already. Let’s just say I was completely out of bounds. And I will admit that I am lucky to be alive. There were many who would just as soon have me dead.”

  Clarissa paused and took a deep breath, as if pained in some way. I was about to offer a smoothie, but I felt Ada grab my leg.

  “You probably won’t believe this,” Clarissa said. “No, you won’t believe it. But I left the group of my own accord. And as soon as I did, I returned for you and Ethan and...your father. I owed the three of you so much. But you had moved, and your father was clever at hiding his tracks. It’s taken me many years to find you again. And yes, I know he’s dead. That hurts me more than you will believe. I so much wanted to make amends before he died. Sometimes, it’s funny how your good intentions get axed by reality.”

  “Are you planning on staying?” Ada asked.

  “I am,” Clarissa said. “As I said, I want to spend some time with you and Ethan. I know you’re half what I am, and I think I might be able to help you in some ways.”