Chapter 5
BLAIRE
“He wired you fifty thousand dollars today?” Winter stops mid-chew.
I swallow down the rest of the sandwich I’m quickly having for dinner before I have to return to the shop. “Yep. When the bank called, I was shocked. My aunt would be pleased to know the roof will be repaired by January.”
“She’d be so damn proud. Your parents can’t stop bragging back home,” Winter says. “Tell me more about this guy. He sounds like a godsend.”
I scoff. “He’s not. Trust me, I’ll be earning every single penny. Major pain in the ass.”
Josie walks in, pulls cranberry juice from the fridge, and pours herself a glass. The fading sunlight reflects through the sun catcher in the window. It casts rainbows on the wall.
“What’s going on?” She tucks her blond hair behind her ears.
“The new guy in town just paid Blaire fifty thousand dollars to remove a curse.”
The cranberry juice slides from Josie’s hand and spills onto the floor. The glass is thick and doesn’t break; it just bounces. It’s one reason I love antiques.
“Shit. I’m so sorry,” Josie says, rushing to clean her mess. “How do I become a witch? Do you offer apprenticeships?”
“I’d like to become one too,” Winter quickly adds.
“You don’t just become a witch. You’re born with the gift or you’re not,” I explain.
Josie sticks her bottom lip out and playfully pouts.
“I can teach you the craft and maybe help you unlock some of your natural abilities,” I add. “Readings and spell-making are the things that are learnable. It will take a lot of studying.”
“I can handle it,” Josie says, smiling. “I know a shit ton about crystals and stones. It was kinda my thing back home.”
“I trained as a psychiatrist.” Winter shrugs. “I’m great at reading people.”
“I think you’ve both got qualities that could help people.” I glance between them.
What surprises me is how badly I want to share this with them.
Teaching the craft while I’m still auditioning for the town title feels like I’m skipping steps. But neither of them is questioning my skills. They’re looking at me like I’m the one with the answers.
“Is that a yes?” Winter asks.
Last year, Flora predicted I’d pass the old ways down, and I laughed. It seemed ridiculous, considering I’d barely kept up with my practices while I worked full-time at Cozy Coffee with my two best friends. Now Autumn and Julie have found the loves of their lives, and then there’s me.
I smile back at them. “Yeah.” I nod and laugh. “Let’s do it.”
“Thanks for being our Yoda. We won’t let you down,” Josie squeals.
Winter nods, calm, like none of this was ever in question.
“We’ll start with the basics first. Learning crystals, cards, then continue with constellations. Then we’ll tackle more advanced topics during the winter and spring, when we’re slow in the shop. Oh, I have some books you both should read, the same ones Flora made me start with.”
I move into my aunt’s study. As I reach out for the knob, the door opens on its own, almost like it’s welcoming me inside.
My boots click across the wooden floor, and I stop in front of the tall bookshelf that goes to the ceiling.
I search for the beginner books and find them near the top.
I climb up the wood ladder, knowing I was the last one who read them.
“Hello, sweeties,” I say when I see what I’m searching for.
They’re leather-bound antiques, worn from reading. They remind me of an old library and summers spent in Pine Haven.
“I only have one copy of each of these,” I say, moving toward them. “Pick one to read front to back and then switch. Once you’ve taken it all in, we’ll start with lessons.”
“I’ll finish this in a week,” Winter tells Josie.
“That’s perfect,” she says, and I hand the books off.
Charlie pushes open the door and jumps onto the windowsill. I reach out to pet him, and he runs away.
“Just let me love you.”
“Men,” Winter says, and the three of us laugh.
“The guy who paid you fifty thousand dollars—was it the guy from last week?” Josie asks.
“Oh, you met him?” Winter leans in. “And? Tell me the truth because you know Blaire won’t.”
“He’s hot,” Josie admits. “Familiar, like a celebrity, but I haven’t been able to place him yet. I know I’ve seen him somewhere though.”
“I honestly think he just has one of those generally attractive faces. You know how the rich guys hang out at the ski resort in the fall. But I’d agree, he’s attractive. He’s the perfect height, and he has a really nice smile. But he seems very spoiled and entitled.”
“Aren’t all Prince Charmings?”
We move back into the kitchen.
“Okay, but you do have a point,” Josie says, making herself another glass of cranberry juice.
“Not even entertaining the idea of seeing that man. He’s an asshole,” I tell them. “He doesn’t take my talents seriously and thinks I’m a joke.”
“Well, if you want to trade places, let me know,” Josie says.
“We’re meeting at seven,” I say. “Want to fill in then?”
Her eyes widen. “And tomorrow, you’re telling us everything.”
“You realize that’s in less than thirty minutes?” Winter asks.
“I do. I’m basically ready. Working myself up to being around him for a few hours. But I should go.”
“Details. Tomorrow,” Josie tells me.
I grab my witch hat and slide on one of my aunt’s velvet robes from the coat rack by the front door, hoping it gives me the strength to survive the next ten hours with Jamie. If that’s even really his name.
When I step outside, the cool air blows my hair from my face. Main Street glows amber. Most of the boutiques that line the sidewalks have transitioned their display windows to welcome in the fall.
The Charmed Cauldron sign is bright in the growing darkness.
Underneath it, there’s a tall figure. It’s Jamie, and he’s completely relaxed.
He leans against the brick, one ankle crossed over the other, with one hand buried in his pocket and the other holding his phone.
The expression on his face is like there’s nowhere in the world he’d rather be.
Our gazes lock, and that familiar pull returns. The undercurrent is threatening to take me under. It’s so intense. Part of me believes I should turn around and refund his money. But I can’t walk away from this man. Not to mention, I need the money to fix the roof.
It’s just ten hours, not a lifetime.
The street falls away, and I envision that symbol at the bottom of those two cups again.
A thrill rushes through me, and it scares me more than any curse he believes he has. Or maybe it’s a joke, and he’s seeing how far he can push.
He smells like cedar and cinnamon.
The universe is cruel for sending me this man.
“Fuck,” I breathe out, too low for him to hear as I close the distance between us.
“You’re late.” He smiles when he says it, keeping his voice low.
“As long as you aren’t.”
I pull my keys from my pocket and unlock the door. The bell gives a jingle, and when he’s through, I lock us in. I don’t turn on the overhead lights as I move through the store. I check to make sure he’s following me. His phone vibrates in his pocket, and he silences it.
I lead him past the shelves of potions and good-luck charms, through the same door that’s covered with beads.
“Did you tell your boyfriend you’d be with me tonight?” he asks.
I glance down at the phone vibrating in his pocket. “Did you tell your many girlfriends you paid fifty thousand dollars to hang out with me?”
Laughter releases from him. “You’re feisty.”
“I’m honest. Something you’re not used to.”
He shrugs. “I’d disagree. You haven’t met my family.”
I make a face. “Actually, I don’t like the energy radiating off of you. I have to clear it before we can begin.”
I move to the shelf for my anointing oil, and it’s not here. I close my eyes, blinking hard, hoping it will magically appear. It doesn’t. It’s a sign that we can’t do it here.
Jamie huffs.
My pulse takes off like I’ve run a marathon. “You have to come home with me.”
His brows pop up. “Already inviting me back to your place?”
“Hush. I don’t have what I need here. It’s important,” I tell him as we take the same path out of the store.
“This is how people get kidnapped,” he warns as I lock the door.
“No one would be stupid enough to take me. People would notice,” I say, walking beside him on the sidewalk.
“I’m not concerned about you,” he says with a brow raised.
“Oh, you think I’m taking you?” I can’t help but chuckle. “All five-seven of me, kidnapping all six-two of you.”
“Six-three. And kidneys go for a pretty price on the black market.”
“Right. I’m a witch, not an organ harvester.”
He grins. “But you could be both.”
Thankfully, the walk to the manor is short because the temperature has dropped significantly now that the sun has completely set. We stop outside of the gate, and I lift the latch.
“Coming?”
“You live here?” He looks up at the two-story mansion, then glances at the historical marker placed by the sidewalk for passersby.
“Yep. This is it,” I say, taking in the autumn decorations like I used to when I was a little girl. “Come on. Your hour will begin soon.”
Jamie is right behind me.
Before I open the door, I turn and look up at him, hesitating. “I have to warn you about the spirits inside.”
He gives me an incredulous look. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Inside is dark and quiet. Josie and Winter are most likely upstairs or not home. I lead him into the front room, turning on the green banker’s lamp on the wooden table.
Jamie shivers.
I turn to him. “Cold?”
“There’s a chill in this room,” he says, rubbing his arm that’s covered in goose bumps.
“It’s the spirits.”
I keep a stack of logs fresh in the fireplace so it’s easy to light when needed. I light the dry wood and it crackles. Then I light the sconces along the wall with candles. I cross to the window and close the sheer curtains.
I leave him by the table and go to the cabinet against the far wall that’s kept stocked with everything I need. The amber bottle sits at eye level. When I close my hand around it, the glass is cool.
“Come,” I say.
He walks toward me in long strides. Firelight makes his shadow stretch long against the wall, next to mine.
“Before we start, you should know there isn’t a quick fix. You have to come to a place of neutral before we can move forward. No more being a grump.”
“So, you’re not going to sign the NDA before we begin?” he asks.
“You’re not in control right now. I am.” I’m direct and to the point.
“In any other setting, I wouldn’t tolerate that,” he admits.
“Do I have permission to touch you?” I ask.
He nods.
I uncork the bottle, and the sweet rosemary scent fills my senses. I reach forward, taking his hand, and twist his wrist. Carefully, I dab my finger with oil, and I slowly trace along the softness of his veins. His pulse races against my fingers.
“Anxious?” I ask, working small circles on his palm.
“No,” he says.
I whisper under my breath, and Jamie watches my fingers on his instead of my face.
His other wrist and hand get the same treatment. Negative energy surrounds him, clinging to him, covering him like an overgrown forest around a structure. It’s been there for a while.
I bring my oiled fingers up behind his ears.
He swallows hard and closes his eyes. I trace down to the dip above his collarbone and press two specific points.
Being this close to him is almost too much, but my breathing stays even.
Heat from the fireplace warms my body. His shoulders slowly start to relax, along with his eyebrows and jaw.
We go through this process three more times in twenty minutes. When I’m satisfied, I take a step back.
“There.” I cap the bottle. “How do you feel?”
He opens his eyes, but his jaw is no longer clenched. He rolls his shoulders back and moves his neck from side to side. “What did you do to me?”
“Adjusted you energetically.” I place the bottle back in its place on the shelf.
He tilts his head. “I think it worked.”
“Why do you sound shocked?” I sit at the reading table and wave him over.
The fire pops and cracks as he settles in front of me like a king who belongs there. Jamie is studying me closer than he did before. After a deep breath, he pulls a folded document from his jacket pocket.
“Before we go any further, I need you to sign this,” he says.
“Wow, you actually brought it.”
He clicks a pen and rests it on top of the page.
I almost laugh. “Does a person’s word no longer matter?”
“It’s an insurance policy that legally ensures that you’ll do what you say.”
I blink at him curiously. “You don’t need to mansplain things to me. I know what an NDA is, but I also greatly value trust.”
“The last thing I need is for rumors to spread around about this.”
I sit and scan over the two pages. It’s real. My name is at the top. I’ve never been this desperate to know what someone’s hiding and why I need to be legally bound to keep it to myself.
“And what happens if I refuse?” I ask, blinking a few times.
“Your defiance is adorable.”
I scoff. “I’m not being defiant.”
“You are. And it’s okay. I prefer people who don’t agree with me constantly, but I’ve lost my trust in people. I apologize that you’re experiencing the brunt of that. However, it’s a two-way NDA. Whatever you say, I also cannot speak about.”
“Why would you do that?” I ask, intrigued.
“Fair is fair. If you can’t discuss our meetings, then I shouldn’t be able to either. It’s sacred and private.”
“Sacred is an interesting word choice.”
He isn’t wrong, which is part of the problem.
“I don’t think anyone else can help me with this.” There’s too much truth in his words. “You’re it for me, Blaire Witch.”
I tell myself to think it through, then reach for the pen, placing my signature at the bottom.