A Charming Spell (Magical Cures Mystery Series) (2 page)

He thought I moved here to open a brick-and-mortar store instead of staying in the flea market booth.

The village was quiet, even though I knew Eloise Sandlewood had already walked the streets a few hours before, waving her incense burner in and out of every shop gate to bring fortune, health, and wealth to the community, just as she did every morning.

There was a faint light coming from the opposite direction on Main Street from Wicked Good Bakery. That was the first shop on the right when visitors drove in. Everyone loved the baked goods that Raven Mortimer created with her magical hands. I was sure if I stopped for a brief moment and took in a fresh breath of air, I’d smell Raven’s baked goodies.

But not today. There wasn’t time to dilly-dally. I had to get started on my cure that I could slip into Oscar’s food to bring back his memory and our newly blossoming romance.

The awnings over each shop flapped in the morning wind. I glanced around, looking at each shop to make sure there wasn’t any funny business going on. All the stores had a beautifully ornamented gate that opened up into the pathway leading up to a shop door, but they all seemed to be locked tight.

Creak, creak.
The wooden sign that hung on the wrought-iron post outside of the shop and read A Charming Cure, slowly swung back and forth on the hinges.

Mr. Prince Charming ran up out of nowhere doing his signature figure-eight move around my ankles and between my legs. He knew when my gut was unsettled and was there to protect me each and every time. This time was no different. My stomach gurgled with nerves.

“I’m fine.” I bent down and rubbed my hand along his body as he arched to my touch. “I’m sure I’m just nervous about the ceremony, not to mention Oscar.”

I stood up and bit my lip before taking one more glance around Main Street. Alexelrod’s plea was still swirling in my head, making me doubt the cautious feeling that was churning inside as I was about to take the reins as Village President.

Shaking off the notion that something was wrong, Mr. Prince Charming and I unlocked the front gate and headed up the path to the shop. The purple and white wisteria vine grew beautifully around the two windows, one on either side of the door.

A Charming Cure was everything that Darla and I had dreamed of. I only wished she were here to help.

“Let’s get to work.” I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Mr. Prince Charming darted in and took his spot on the counter next to the cash register where he normally sat most of the day.

I set my bag on the stool that butted up to the counter and took Madame Torres out and put her on her usual spot on the counter. She did like sitting there watching the customers as they came in and out all day. Not to mention, she gets her kicks from how they are in “awe” over her because they think she’s some sort of decoration.

I walked throughout the shop, turning on all the little table lights, illuminating the inside. Several small round tables dotted the inside of the shop, covered in beautiful red tablecloths.  Each table held different potion bottles for different cures.

Flipping on my cauldron – that was hidden from the public behind a small partition on the counter – I walked back to the shelf where I kept all the ingredients I use for my special cures. Tapping each one, I read their names out loud, trying to tap into my intuition. “Belladonna, Ferrum Phos, Sepia, Natrum Mur, Valerian Root.”

My finger warmed when I touched the Valerian Root, which was my intuition telling me to pick that ingredient.

“You’ve never failed me yet.” I said, referring to my spiritual gift of intuition. Gingerly, I picked up the hourglass bottle with the pink roses etched into the hazy glass that I kept the root in.

After grabbing a few extra ingredients, for good measure of course, I placed them all on the counter.

Tourists that shopped in the stores in Whispering Falls knew there was something mysterious about our small village, but they couldn’t exactly tell you what it was. There was magic at every turn. Every shop owner was a spiritualist and used their “gift” in their stores.

As gifts go, there was no way I could speak for every shop owner in Whispering Falls, but in A Charming Cure I created and sold homeopathic cures.

For instance, some of my clients believe they are coming to get a cure for a bad case of indigestion, but in reality, they might have a broken heart or financial problems. After being in their presence, my intuition gift kicks in and lets me know exactly what cure they
really
need. If they follow my instructions to a tee, their real problems will be gone.

Today…I had problems of my own.

The cauldron roiled at a low boil. With a couple sprinkles of Sage, a dash of Ledum, and a pinch of Valerian Root, the substance turned orange. Rose-colored bubbles popped in the air like little fireworks.

I closed my eyes and held my hands over the swirling liquid. Moving my hands in slow circles, I whispered, “I am peaceful, I am strong. Though dark may seem so long. For day must follow every night. Everything is all right. I am always safe from harm. The Order of Elders holds me in their arms.”

“There is not much we can do for you.” Mary Ellen levitated in the air with her arms crossed before she floated down and landed on her cute leopard-print cowboy boots. Her long black hair hung over each shoulder in braids.

“There has to be something.” I bit the side of my lip. I wondered if I was ever going to get used to the comings and goings of all the Marys, known as the Elders. They were going to be around for a while since I was appointed the new Village President. That was part of their job. To make sure the transition went smoothly.

There were three elders: Mary Lynn, Mary Sue, and Mary Ellen. They were equivalent to the President of the United States in the spiritualist world. The Village Presidents (me) are like the governors of the spiritual communities.

“I’m having a bit of a panic attack.” I dipped the ladle into the cauldron and took a small sip of the liquid. My nose curled. “Eww.” I shook my head like it was going to get rid of the bitter taste.

“Is it the first meeting as Village President that is bothering you or…” She adjusted her emerald green belt that accented her tiny waist.

“Or what?”

“Or…” Her eyes narrowed, casting a shadow down her cheeks. “Is it Oscar Park you are concerned with?”

“Both.” I sighed, heavily. The thought of being in charge of a community made my head hurt. That Oscar Park had lost all of his spiritual powers and memory of ever having lived in Whispering Falls because of me, made my entire body hurt. Especially my heart.

“He made the decision to stop being a spiritualist to help you.”

“He did it without asking me first.”

“He is a big boy.” Mary Ellen tossed a braid over her shoulder. “And a mighty fine specimen at that.”

I eyed her, letting her know that I didn’t like her comment.

“What is the potion for?” Mary Ellen changed the subject and peeked into the cauldron. She looked at me with a cautious eye.

Did she know what I was up to?
I’d take my chance and
lie.

“I need something to settle my nerves.” The bitter taste still lingered in my mouth. I grabbed the little jar of honey off the shelf and squirted a little in the cauldron. Stirring the mixture I said, “This should do the trick.”

Normally, I didn’t like to do chants in front of people. This wasn’t a normal situation. Mary Ellen wasn’t leaving and I had limited time before the shop opened.

It was already eight thirty and there was only a half hour until it was time to open.

With my hands back over the cauldron, I waved them back and forth, chanting, ““I am peaceful, I am strong. Though dark may seem so long. For day must follow every night. Everything is all right. I am always safe from harm. The Order of Elders holds me in their arms.”

The roiling mix came to an abrupt stop, letting me know it was ready.

“That doesn’t look like any ole calming potion to me.” Mary Ellen’s brows rose significantly. She stuck her finger in the hot mixture. The entire pot solidified like concrete causing my cauldron to shatter into pieces all over the counter and floor. “Ha! I knew it!”

“My cauldron!” I cried as I dropped to the ground to pick up the pieces that had crashed to the floor. Luckily, what was left was mostly on the counter.

“June Heal,” Mary Ellen stated sharply as she floated in the space between my head and the ceiling and waved a wand over me, “consider yourself on probation! You cannot go against the elders and their rulings. Oscar Park’s powers were taken away once and for all!”

She snapped her fingers. A puff of pink smoke filled the air before Mary Ellen disappeared.

Cough, cough.
I put my hand over my mouth careful not to breathe in the pink smoke. I rushed over to the window and pushed it up to let in some fresh air. I couldn’t let the customers think I had a batch of bad cures brewing.

“Probation? Whatever!” I fanned the air as I made my way back to the counter, but stopped when I heard an unfamiliar sound in Whispering Falls.

Construction.

I went back to the window and looked across the street. There was a woman wearing a pair of jeans with a white tight-fitting sweater and black wedge sandals. Her honey-blond hair tumbled down her back in beautiful loose curls. She was pointing something out to the man in the hardhat standing next to her. He used all his might to hammer something into the brick. When he was finished, they stood back and admired the sign.

“Ever After Books.” I smiled at the name. It was a very enchanting name and the store would certainly draw the tourists.

I pulled back when the woman turned my way and looked directly at A Charming Cure, and more specifically, at me.

I flipped the sign to
OPEN
, taking a quick peek across the street.

The woman was gone, but the crew was still there putting the awning over the door as the final touch. It rolled down in place, right above the windows.

“Ever After Books.” The purple lettering stood out on the khaki-colored canvas.

“Ophelia Biblio: five-foot five-inches with curly honey-blond hair. Very nice.” Madame Torres read off the new owner’s stats. “From a spiritualist community in Ohio. Single and ready to mingle.”

“Single and what?” I snickered at Madame Torres’s sense of humor. She was sometimes off-handed, but at other times very entertaining.

“That is what her old match profile said.” Madame Torres’s globe glowed with the Make-Me-A-Match dating site for spiritualists. Something I had recently heard about, but had no interest in using.

Apparently it was the newest rage in the spiritual world. After all, it was hard to meet someone that was compatible. You can’t put a palm reader with an astrologer. They’d fight over the sun, moon, and stars all of the time. Generally, we spiritualists were far too busy trying to help others instead of taking care of our own needs.

The bell ding-donged over the door bringing me out of my thoughts.

“Good morning.” Constance Karima greeted me when she walked in with Patience, her twin, not too far behind.

“Speaking of our needs,” Madame Torres mumbled. “You’d better snag you a new man or get on Make-Me-A-Match before you turn out like those two old spiritualist spinsters.” Madame Torres’s eyes filled the globe. “
Alone
.”

“Shh…” I warned Madame Torres to be quiet. She wasn’t the type of crystal ball that could help you out when you needed her to and be silent until you did. She was far too opinionated for that and she didn’t care who heard her.

“Why?” Constance Karima swayed back and forth on her small feet in her pointy black boots. Her black housecoat hung to her ankles. She picked at her short grey hair. Patience mimicked her sister’s every move.

“Why?” I asked back a bit confused.

“You told me to shush.” Constance narrowed her eyes, casting a shadow down her puffed up cheeks. She eased over and took a good look at the mess from the busted up cauldron.

“Yes, mm, hmm, shh.” Patience had a habit of repeating her sister.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was talking to Mr. Prince Charming.” I lied.

Growl
. Mr. Prince Charming let me know his dislike for my comment. On my way over to grab my apron off the hook, I ran my hand down his back to make him happier
. Purrr, purr.

I looked at the mess with great sadness. There wasn’t going to be any cure making today or for a while, until I could purchase a new cauldron. That wouldn’t be until I could make it to Wands, Potions, and Beyond. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be anytime soon, since it was at Hidden Hall A Spiritualist University, my alma mater and where my Aunt Helena was the Dean.

It had been awhile since I had seen her and there were a lot of questions I needed to ask. Even though she was a Fairiwick, she did dabble a bit in the unknown, which was just what I needed to find a cure for Oscar.

I smacked the broom on the floor when I realized Aunt Helena could help me with Oscar.

“June Heal, what is wrong with you today?” Constance grabbed Patience’s arm and dragged her toward the door. “We are leaving.”

“Wait!” I hollered after her after my odd behavior scared them. I didn’t want them spreading gossip about how I was acting, because it would put my secret cure for Oscar on their radar screen. Evidently, I was already on probation.

“You naughty, naughty girl,” Madame Torres’s voice dropped and a smile crossed her bright red lips, exposing her snow-white teeth when she read my thoughts about asking for Aunt Helena’s help. After all, Aunt Helena would surely help me find a way to cure Oscar Park without skipping a beat. “I love it.”

The twins stopped shy of the door. Nonchalantly, I made my way to the front of the store and gently invited the two of them back in.

“Where are my manners? What can I do for you two lovely ladies this morning?” I took two bottles of hand cream and handed them to the sisters. “On me.”

They snatched up the freebies as if they were a dead body.

“We have a little issue with Patience and the meeting tonight.” Constance reminded me of my first meeting as Village President, and how Patience’s future in the community was on the line.