20. Serena
20
SERENA
S erena stood on her porch and adjusted her messenger bag concealing her potions as Logan's truck pulled up. The morning sun caught his gold-flecked brown eyes when he leaned over to open her door for her.
"Ready to confront a possibly dangerous witch?" Logan's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Serena climbed into his truck, catching a whiff of his woodsy scent mixed with coffee.
The tattoo parlor sat wedged between a convenience store and a laundromat on the other side of town. The neon sign reading "Bea's Ink & Iron" flickered despite the daylight. Through the window, Serena spotted intricate designs covering the walls.
"This is definitely the place." She pointed to a rune hidden in one of the displayed tattoos. "That's for enhanced strength."
Inside, the shop smelled of incense and antiseptic. A bell chimed as they entered, and a heavily tattooed woman with spiky purple hair emerged from the back.
"Can I help you?" She popped her gum.
"We're looking for Beatrice Hemlock," Serena said, straightening her spine.
The woman's expression didn't change. "You found her."
Serena blinked, thrown by the woman’s easy admission. She'd expected denials or at least some hesitation.
Logan stepped forward, practically radiating protective alpha energy as he positioned himself slightly in front of Serena. "You've been helping Silas Regan attack my sanctuary."
His voice carried that dangerous edge that made Serena's stomach flutter - though she'd never admit it. She watched his shoulders tense as he continued.
"Breaking down magical protections, helping him hurt innocent animals - that's low even for a witch who puts spells in tattoos."
Beatrice leaned against the counter, examining her black-painted nails. The movement made the snakes tattooed on her arms appear to writhe.
Serena's fingers itched to grab her potions bag, but she forced herself to wait. Sometimes the best defense was patience - something Logan had never quite mastered.
"You're going to tell us exactly what you and Silas are planning," Logan growled, his bear nature bleeding through. "And then you're going to undo whatever damage you've done."
Beatrice's smile curled like a cat playing with its prey. "Maybe I did help Silas. Maybe I didn't." She traced one of her tattoos, making the ink shimmer. "What's it to you?"
Serena's frustration mounted as she watched Logan's hands clench into fists. She touched his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles. The last thing they needed was for him to lose control and shift right here.
"Those animals will die without treatment," Serena said firmly. "I need to know what potions you used so I can counter them properly."
"Oh sweetie." Beatrice's laugh echoed through the shop. "You think you can counter my work? I've seen your potions. Amateur hour at best."
The words stung more than Serena wanted to admit. Her confidence, already fragile from her divorce, wavered. But then she remembered the sick animals at Logan's sanctuary, and how they trusted her to help them.
"Amateur or not, I'm still going to try," Serena lifted her chin. "Unlike some people, I use my magic to heal, not hurt."
Logan moved closer to her, his presence warm and solid at her back. The protective gesture made her heart skip, even as she tried to focus on the task at hand.
Beatrice's eyes glittered with amusement. "Such conviction. Tell you what - if you want to know what I used, you'll have to prove yourself worthy first."
"This isn't a game," Logan growled, his tone making the hair on Serena's neck stand up.
"Oh, but it is." Beatrice's tattoos seemed to dance across her skin as she moved. "Everything's a game if you look at it right. The question is - are you both ready to play?"
Beatrice's fingers traced patterns on the wooden table, leaving behind glowing purple lines that twisted into complex runes. The air shifted suddenly, becoming thick and heavy with magic.
"Let's see how good you really are." Beatrice's smile turned cruel. "These runes are releasing a toxin. Better figure out how to stop it before things get... unpleasant."
"We're leaving," Logan grabbed Serena's arm, but she shook her head. Her eyes traced the runes, recognizing components for binding and dispersion. The toxin was already circulating in the air.
"We can't leave," Serena muttered, pulling vials from her messenger bag. "It's already affecting us."
She uncorked a neutralizing potion and poured it over the first rune. Instead of dissolving, the purple lines flared brighter. Her stomach clenched as sweat beaded on her forehead.
"Wrong choice," Beatrice sang out.
Serena tried another potion, this one designed to break magical bonds. The runes pulsed, sending waves of nausea through her. She steadied herself against the table, fingers trembling as she reached for a third vial.
The air grew thicker, making it harder to breathe. Logan's presence loomed behind her, his breath coming in short bursts. She could feel his bear nature struggling against the magic.
"Tick tock," Beatrice taunted.
Serena's hands shook as she combined two potions, creating a silvery mixture. The runes seemed to writhe on the table's surface, mocking her efforts. She poured the mixture over them, but it simply ran off like water on glass.
Her vision blurred at the edges as the toxin took hold. The room spun slightly, and she gripped the table harder. She had to figure this out - had to prove she wasn't as amateur as Beatrice claimed. But each failed attempt only made the runes pulse stronger, the toxin grow thicker.
Serena reached for another vial, her movements becoming sluggish. There had to be something she was missing, some combination she hadn't tried yet. The purple glow of the runes seemed to dance before her eyes, taunting her with their complexity.
Doubt crept into Serena’s mind like poison. Her hands shook as she stared at her remaining potions. What if Beatrice was right? What if she really was just an amateur playing at being a real witch?
Logan's ragged breathing behind her made her heart clench. The toxin was affecting him worse now - his bear nature fighting against the magical assault with all his effort. She had to protect him, had to get this right, but her mind felt fuzzy.
"I can't..." The words slipped out before she could stop them.
"Yes, you can." Logan's voice was rough but certain. His hand found her shoulder, warm and steady despite everything. "You're the most talented witch I know. Stop overthinking it."
"But every combination I've tried-"
"So, try something different." He squeezed her shoulder. "Trust your instincts."
Serena's chest tightened as Logan swayed slightly. The toxin was getting to him way faster because of his shifter nature. She couldn't let him down. Couldn't let him get hurt because she wasn't good enough.
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to think past the fog in her mind. What would she do if this was one of Logan's animals? She always knew exactly what to do then…
Her eyes snapped open. "That's it."
Instead of trying to break the runes, she needed to treat this like healing an animal - identify the source and neutralize it systematically. Her fingers flew over her vials, combining three different potions in quick succession.
"Hold on," she muttered, adding a drop of stabilizing agent. The mixture turned a deep blue, exactly the color she needed.
Logan's presence at her back steadied her as she carefully traced the outer edges of the runes with the mixture. The purple lines flickered, their glow diminishing where her potion touched.
"It's working," Logan's voice held pride that made her cheeks warm despite the situation.
Serena worked methodically, her confidence growing with each successful application. The runes' power ebbed and the toxin in the air thinned until she could breathe easily again. The runes faded completely and left only clean wood behind. Serena's confidence surged, warming her chest as she turned to face Beatrice.
Beatrice's laugh rang through the shop, but this time it held genuine delight rather than mockery. "Well done! I haven't seen anyone work out one of my puzzles that fast in ages."
Serena's knees felt weak with relief as the last of the toxin cleared from her lungs. Logan's hand steadied on her back, his warmth grounding her.
"The combination you just made?" Beatrice gestured to Serena's blue mixture. "That'll cure your animals too. Just adjust the ratios based on their size."
"Thank you," Serena managed, still processing that she'd actually succeeded.
Beatrice's expression turned serious. "Word of warning though - Silas was in early this morning. Got himself a strength enhancement tattoo. It'll let him break through most magical barriers and amplify his bear form's power."
Logan's deep voice vibrated through his chest. "Wonderful."
They turned and left the shop, stepping into the late morning sunlight. Serena barely had time to adjust her messenger bag before Logan swept her up in his arms, spinning her around.
"Logan!" She squeaked, grabbing his shoulders. His muscles felt like steel under her fingers.
"You were amazing in there." His eyes sparkled as he set her down but kept his arms around her. "The way you figured out that puzzle? Brilliant."
Her cheeks flushed. "It wasn't that impressive-"
"Stop that," Logan cut her off. "You outsmarted one of the most powerful witches in town. Own it."
Standing there in Logan's arms, the pride in his voice washing over her, Serena felt something shift inside her. For the first time since her divorce, maybe even before that, she felt truly capable. Powerful.
"I did do pretty good, didn't I?" She grinned up at him.
"Pretty good? You were incredible." His smile turned playful. "Though I could have done without the toxic puzzle part."
"You big baby." She poked his chest. "And here I thought bears were supposed to be tough."
His answering laugh rumbled through her, and for a moment, Serena forgot about enhanced Silas and all their other problems. Right now, wrapped in Logan's arms with the sun warming her face, she felt invincible.