A Risky Potion Read online

  I nodded.

  “What do you think?”

  “Well,” I began. “There are always several sides to every proposal. On one hand, you have to be happy for Ethan and your mother. They enjoy each other, and they want to explore the next level. That’s a good thing, a positive thing.”

  “Yeah, and they don’t care who gets hurt by it,” Allie said.

  “I don’t believe that’s true. I think they care a great deal about you and Ada, but they have to look at the future. You’ll be going away to school soon.”

  “Not for another year.”

  “Soon. And who knows what will happen to Ada. She might well find someone she wants to be with.”

  “I don’t think so,” Allie said. “There’s really no one in the picture.”

  “Not at the moment. But look down the line. Neither Tessa nor Ethan is getting any younger. And sure, they can wait a year or two, till you’re away at school, but that’s just another year that they could have spent together. No one is guaranteed a long life. If you put off your joy for too long, it may not be there when you want it.”

  Allie stared a moment. “I’m being selfish, aren’t I?”

  “So are they, but that’s not a bad thing. Because no matter the living arrangements, Tessa will remain your mother, and she will always think of you. That won’t change...unless you want it to.”

  “If it will make her happy, she should do it, right?”

  “Allie, you can look at this two ways. One, it’s terrible, and you’ll hate your mother for what she wants to do. Or, you can look at it as an opportunity.”

  “Opportunity?”

  “Yes, a chance to change yourself, your life, changing it for the better. Think a moment. How can you turn this change to your advantage? What if it means a bit more freedom for you? What if it means another brain to use when you’re facing an issue? Ethan is intelligent and caring. He knows a great deal about many things. That’s never a bad thing.”

  Allie smiled, and while I was pretty sure she hadn’t bought into the program, I felt she would try to look at events from a different perspective.

  “You’re right, Aunt Sam,” she said. “As you usually are. I’ll try to make the change work for me. That’s great advice.”

  I laughed. “Now, that’s a first. And don’t be surprised if your first attempt fails.”

  “Like a spell, right? The first time you try, it doesn’t always work.”

  “Practice, practice, practice. And speaking of spells, Phineas just requested our help?”

  “Our help?”

  “All of us witches.”

  As I explained Phineas’ plan, Allie’s eyes widened. While she was not a member of the coven, she was a witch with her own power. She could help with the portal.

  “Of course, I’ll do it,” Allie said. “It’ll be cool. A portal?”

  “Not so loud,” I said. “And yes, a portal that comes with danger. You remember Apophis.”

  Allie nodded. Everyone remembered how the shapeshifter had killed Apophis, a magical being from the other world.

  “Can I tell Genevive?” Allie asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “And tell her that I’m going to call a meeting of the witches in town, so we can discuss the request.”

  “I can’t see us turning down Phineas,” Allie said. “Especially, if Chuckles needs to get back to the other world.”

  As I watched Allie leave, I had to agree with her. I didn’t see how anyone in Goodsprings could say no to Phineas. But I had been wrong many times in the past. People were still people.

  After Allie, I worked till lunch time, and then I headed for Good Eats, Tessa’s restaurant. I didn’t intend to talk about Allie, but good intentions never amounted to much in the real world. I had barely warmed the seat in my booth before Tessa slid down opposite me.

  “Alright,” Tessa began. “What did Allie say?”

  Chapter 4

  I laughed, which didn’t make Tessa any happier.

  “I mean it,” Tessa said. “I know she talked to you. She always talks to you. Sometimes, I get jealous because she talks to you more than she talks to me. But then, I have to remember that mothers and daughters never get along until they’re both over forty.”

  “That’s not true,” I said. “But here is what’s on Allie’s mind.”

  I outlined the conversation I had with Allie, and how we left things. As I talked, I saw the tension leave Tessa. She had expected much worse, as would most people. There was something about the human brain that gravitated to the worst possible event. That was why almost everything people worry about never happens. Perhaps, it’s a safer psychological construct than expecting the best.

  “That’s not so bad,” Tessa said when I finished. “I can live with that, I think.”

  “Do you think you can find me some lunch?” I asked.

  She laughed. “I did rush over here empty handed, didn’t I?”

  Tessa slipped away, and I wondered if I had done the right thing. I suspected that if things went South, I would be blamed—or was that just my own psychological defense mechanism kicking in?

  I was just finishing my lunch when Tomac arrived at my booth.

  “Ms. Greene,” he said in that announcer voice. “I can see from your plate that you’re about to leave. Before you go, have you had a chance to look over your collection? Perhaps find a time when I might view the books?”

  “To be frank,” I said. “I have not had the opportunity. I won’t be able to until the weekend at the earliest.”

  “I can wait. And in the meantime, I invite you to visit my shop. I think you might find some books interesting.”

  With a nod, he turned away, and I had the feeling that he knew far more about me, about Goodsprings than I had given him credit for. I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew of the coven, of all the witches and wizards, the Otter King, the vampires. He wasn’t afraid, which led me to believe he didn’t know. What person wouldn’t be wary of vampires?

  David had been gone an hour when Clarissa walked into my shop. She looked stunning, and I felt a sort of gravitational pull from her. I knew that was part of being a vampire, but I still felt it.

  “I’m meeting them here,” Clarissa said. “You don’t mind?”

  “I don’t mind,” I said. “Would you like a smoothie?”

  She shook her head. “Perhaps, next time. I’ll be at the back.”

  As she walked away, I went about mixing two “detective specials”, smoothies for the Gallaghers. I had just finished when they entered. They both looked a bit gaunt, as if they didn’t relish the idea of meeting their mother. I handed them the smoothies and nodded toward the back.

  “I don’t know if I’m ready,” Ethan said.

  “If you’re ready to live with Tessa, you’re ready for anything,” I said.

  He laughed. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

  They had no longer moved off when Genevive walked in. Genevive was young, perhaps too young to be the water-witch member of a coven. But she was the only water witch in town, and while her spells weren’t always perfect, she was willing to learn and experiment. That meant the world to the rest of us.

  “Hey,” Genevive said. “Allie texted that I should talk to you.”

  “I have a favor to ask,” I said.

  I outlined Phineas’ request, mindful to point out the pluses and minuses of the proposal. Genevive deserved no less.

  “Well,” she said. “I think that as part of the community, we should all help out. I mean, there aren’t that many of us in Goodsprings. We can’t let each other down.”

  “Good,” I said. “Phineas will be happy to hear that you’re going to help.”

  “Is that the vampire with Ethan and Ada?” Genevive asked.

  “You can’t tell?”

  “Oh, I can feel it. I’m not sure what it is, but I suddenly want to run back there and kiss her.”

  I laughed. “Yes, that’s about right. But don’t give in to the urge. She mig
ht kiss back.”

  Genevive laughed and waved goodbye. I knew what she was talking about. Clarissa was a siren, and I doubted there were many people in Goodsprings who could resist her call. In that regard, she was much like Mr. Bluth, although I always felt Mr. Bluth possessed the ability to temper his power. Of course, that made him doubly dangerous.

  The Gallagher family had been at it for almost an hour, when Mr. Bluth entered. I was busy cleaning blenders, and I didn’t have to look up to feel the difference in the room. Mr. Bluth’s aura was one of seismic power.

  “Hello, Mr. Bluth,” I said, even as I raised my head.

  “Hello, Ms. Greene,” he said.

  I couldn’t remember if he had ever been in my shop, and I was pretty sure he hadn’t.

  “Mr. Bluth,” I said. “Welcome to Happy Blendings.”

  “I have been meaning to get here before this,” he said. “But I’m afraid my acts do not match my intentions.”

  “Welcome to my world,” I said. “I always seem to be a dollar short of even-steven. Would you like a smoothie?”

  He chuckled. “No, my dear, I came for them.” He nodded at the Gallaghers.

  It was at that moment that Clarissa, Ethan, and Ada stood and walked to the front. There, they stood in front of Mr. Bluth, as if standing for inspection.

  “I’m Clarissa. And you are?”

  “Mr. Bluth.”

  They stared at each other, and I was instantly aware that they knew exactly who was who. In the world of vampires, there was a pecking order. The power was not shared. It was gathered.

  “Ethan and Ada,” Mr. Bluth said. “How nice to see you again. It’s been some time, hasn’t it?”

  “You haven’t thrown a party in a while,” Ada said.

  “And there hasn’t been a murder at the manor for some time,” Ethan added.

  “I’m their mother,” Clarissa said. “You say you live around here?”

  “At Windermere Manor,” Mr. Bluth said. “You must come for a visit.”

  “I would like that,” Clarissa said.

  While Clarissa and Mr. Bluth acted politely, I couldn’t help but sense a rivalry, or perhaps bad blood even. They eyed each other exclusively, as if expecting some sort of attack. I could see that the Gallaghers also felt the tension. They looked from one vampire to the other.

  “Would you speak with me?” Mr. Bluth asked Clarissa.

  “If you wish,” she answered.

  “If you will excuse us,” he said, as he and Clarissa moved to the back of the room.

  “What is that all about?” Ada asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “Vampires are touchy sometimes.”

  “I felt it too,” Ethan said. “It’s like two alpha dogs sniffing each other.”

  I laughed. Ethan had hit the nail on the head. Powerful people often jockeyed for position.

  “We have to go,” Ada said. “Will you tell Clarissa?”

  “I’ll be happy to,” I said.

  The Gallaghers left, and I was almost finished when Mr. Bluth and Clarissa came back to the counter.

  “Thank you, Ms. Greene,” Mr. Bluth said. “You have been a most gracious host.”

  I was surprised that Clarissa did not accompany Mr. Bluth out the door. She stayed back with me, and I sensed an incredible power rippling through her, as if she needed to run for an hour or two.

  “Can I get you something?” I asked.

  “How long have you known Mr. Bluth?” Clarissa asked.

  “Not long, maybe a year. And really, in that time, we’ve had very little interaction.”

  “I don’t doubt that. So, you don’t know of his status among those of us.”

  I shook my head. “Is there something I should know?”

  She shook her head, and her smile washed over me, almost like a ray of sunshine.

  “We are known for long years and long memories,” she said. “I must do a bit more research about Mr. Bluth.”

  With that, Clarissa was out the door. I had no chance to ask her about what long memories she might have concerning Mr. Bluth. In a way, I didn’t want to know.

  My bike ride home was glorious. There is something to be said for the soft light of September, when the sun is not so high. I was reminded of my grandmother and how she would look at the setting sun and tell me we had had a fruitful day. That was all we could hope for, a fruitful day.

  Cassandra and Paula met me in the kitchen, wine in hand.

  “You two are going to turn me into a wino,” I said.

  “Oh yes,” Paula said.

  “Life is too short to deny yourself the benefits of wine,” Cassandra said. “Now, tell me why Mr. Bluth came to Happy Blendings.”

  “You knew he was there?”

  “Please, a vampire of his vintage can’t walk through Goodsprings without leaving a wake.”

  I laughed and sipped my wine. “Well, he came to talk to Clarissa, who was with the Gallaghers at the time.”

  “Oh my,” Cassandra said. “That can’t be good.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “He had to chase her down. According to what I know of vampires, the lesser must visit the greater, not the other way around.”

  “Courtesy?” I asked.

  “More like an unwritten rule. If you wish to live in the realm, you must visit the king.”

  “Surely, it’s not like that any more. There aren’t enough of them to worry about clashes.”

  “Samantha, simply think about witches. We have our territories, do we not? I’ve known more than one witch to get her nose out of joint when another witch moves in. And we are infinitely more accommodating than vampires.”

  I laughed. “Cassandra, you have a way of getting to the truth quickly. All I can tell you is that there were no fireworks. Everyone was boringly civil.”

  “That’s no fun,” Paula said.

  “Indeed,” I said and waved, as I needed a shower before dinner.

  It was at dinner that Cassandra brought up another point.

  “I was in the orchard earlier, and I ran across a white snake.”

  “White?” I asked. “There are no white snakes in Georgia. I don’t think there are any in the whole world. Barring albinos, I guess.”

  “It could have been an albino, and it was rather large. Very fast. It slithered off into the brush before I could take a proper look.”

  “Albinos are rare, and they don’t normally live long. As you might expect, a white snake doesn’t blend in with the environment. So, we’ve probably seen the last of Mr. White Snake.”

  After dinner, I took the opportunity to go to bed early—but not before I checked the protection spells I had placed on the house and gardens. They were intact, which made me feel better, especially after I thought I had seen someone around the house the night before. Thinking about Clarissa and Mr. Bluth, I added an anti-vampire spell. Since it was not a familiar spell, I wasn’t at all sure it would suffice. Of course, if a vampire never got to the house, then, of course it worked...or not.

  My mind should have been rolling over and over with concerns about the Gallaghers and Clarissa and Mr. Bluth and Tessa and Phineas and Chuckles, but oddly, my mind was placid, like a lake with no wind. That suited me. Maybe it was the wine. I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. Others could worry. I was going to sleep. And I did sleep, all the way to morning. None of my spells had tripped, and for that I was very thankful.

  I loaded my wagon with produce before I took off for the shop. The extra weight made the ride down the hill a bit dicey, but as I had done it many times, I managed. David met me at the back door and helped unload. He said he had a new smoothie for me to try, and it smelled much better than the last one.

  “But does it taste good?” I asked.

  “Good enough, I think,” he said.

  What David thought was good enough might not be good enough for me or the people he wanted to sell to.

  “Not tasty enough,” I told David after a taste. “It needs some
zest. Too bland. Won’t jumpstart anyone’s heart, if you know what I mean.”

  “I do, I do,” David said. “And I think I can fix it. Tomorrow.”

  I laughed. Like most people, “tomorrow” was the day when everything would be right. It was human nature. Because most of us believed that tomorrow was coming—no matter what.

  We had been open only an hour when Genevive rushed in.

  “Sam,” Genevive said. “You have to come with me.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “The Otter King.”

  Chapter 5

  “Why?” I asked

  “I’ll explain on the way,” she said.

  I turned to David.

  “Go,” he said. “I can handle things.”

  I followed Genevive out the door and to her car.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Genevive said as she started the engine. “I know I can’t handle things by myself.”

  “What exactly is the problem?” I asked.

  “I’d rather the Otter King tell you. It’s not something I know much about.”

  “Alright,” I said. “Have you thought about what we talked about?”

  “Yes,” she said. “And I’m with the rest of you. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. Are there some special spells I have to learn?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I think we merely have to focus on the portal. I’ll find out from Phineas.”

  Genevive drove fast but not too fast. We went around Windermere Lake in a few minutes.

  “We have to meet him in the inlet, because he doesn’t want to be seen.”

  “Good idea. He can be intimidating. And I’m guessing people will drive him away if they spot him.”

  “He is worried about that.”

  “How do you know so much about him?”

  “Ever since I discovered my wildform, my otter self, I’ve hung out at the lake some. The Otter King has been very helpful. He’s an otter, you know. I’m not his size, but we’re similar.”

  “That makes sense. But I hope you’re not spending too much time as your wildform. Some witches decide to live as their alter-selves.”

  “Like Paula?”

  “Yes, like Paula. That’s not the worst way to live, but much is missed when you’re in your wildform.”