Chapter 1
Potions could fix a lot of things, but the challenge lay in deciding if they were worth the risk—especially when it came to giving one to your ex-boyfriend.
“Come on, Kitty.” Elaine pushed open the door and walked into Mansfield Book Haven.
I clutched my purse, which held my cell phone and the potion-laced cookies I’d brought from my family’s bakery, and followed my friend out of the crisp autumn air into the bookstore.
The bell over the door chimed softly as we entered, and the scent of old paper and wood polish wrapped around me like a favorite sweater.
I double-checked the text from Graham’s roommate. “That’s what Jaxon said.”
“I knew giving him the cookie at the bookshop was the way to go.” She smiled and glanced at me. “And you have the cookie?”
“Yup.” I pulled out the bag of baked goods from my purse, which now smelled like vanilla and sugar. I’d brought two of each cookie in case something happened; one could never be too careful when dealing with potions.
“Then you should be good to go.”
Good to go wasn’t exactly how I’d describe myself, considering I still wasn’t even sure if I should give Graham a cookie.
It wasn’t too late to call this off. I could throw everything in the trash and head home to do some statistics homework, something with nice, clear-cut answers.
But if I did that, I’d never learn the truth.
“I think you should choose just one cookie.” Elaine glanced at the bag in my hand. “More than that and you might look like you’re trying too hard.”
“Yeah, I was only planning on giving him one.” The question was which one.
Elaine insisted the love potion was the way to “make him fall in love with me again,” which would mean giving my ex-boyfriend one of the bat-shaped red velvet cookies with buttercream frosting.
I was pretty sure I didn’t want Graham to fall in love with me again and instead was leaning toward the veritas potion I’d put in the ghost-shaped sugar cookies so I could finally find out the truth of what happened before our last breakup.
“But now that we’re here, I’m unsure if I should,” I said.
“Shouldn’t you be the poster child for love potions and baked goods considering your bakery sells them?” Elaine asked.
“That’s exactly why I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”
Elaine grinned and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. “Because of what happened with Mr. Jenkins?”
Despite my worries, my lips curled up at the corners.
Last week, Mr. Jenkins bought a slice of our mystic midnight pie for his wife and a love potion to spike it with, claiming he wanted to up the romance for their anniversary—something I tried not to think too hard about—but somehow their cow had eaten the pie instead.
For a week, Miss Butterbelle had followed him around town, mooing nonstop whenever he was out of sight.
“You know why,” I said. Mom had just gotten in trouble for abusing her magic, and while this wasn’t nearly as serious as what she’d done, it still made me uneasy.
“It’ll be fine, Kitty. You’re worrying too much,” Elaine said. “Besides, your mom was already released.”
If only I could brush off my mother’s arrest as easily as Elaine did.
Elaine was Unmarked—the slightly obnoxious word the Marked used for humans untouched by magic—and didn’t feel the gravity of the situation since she was more removed from it.
Every time I turned around this past month or two, it seemed like my family was caught up in some sort of scandal.
And considering we were the only half-witch, half-fae family in town, we were already treated differently.
I chewed on my lower lip. “Maybe it’s better if I just let it go.”
Elaine whipped her head around to face me. “Why wouldn’t you want to get back together? Since your last breakup, you’ve told me multiple times how much you miss him.”
“I’m not sure Graham is right for me.” I thought I missed him, but the more time that passed, the more I suspected I actually missed Mom not nagging me about being single.
Elaine scooted down the row so we could have a better view of the door. “Because of how your magic reacted before your breakup?”
“Sort of. Yeah.” My chest squeezed at the reminder of that moment when my magic had hinted that something was up with Graham, that the balance in our relationship had subtly shifted. It wasn’t long after that that we broke up.
“I thought you talked to Graham about it, and he said there was no one.”
“He did.” But that didn’t stop the doubts, even if it should have.
To avoid Elaine’s piercing blue eyes, I dropped my gaze to the overstuffed armchair by one of the massive bay windows where the owner’s cat curled up in the chair, soaking in a sun puddle.
“This could be your chance to start fresh.” Elaine took my hand. “This love potion will help him fall in love with you once more. Plus, if he eats it, you’ll never have to worry about him cheating again.”
I blew out a breath. Elaine was wrong about the love potion—that wasn’t how they worked—but she was right about one thing.
This was my chance to start fresh. I’d give Graham the veritas potion and find out whether he cheated.
If I could confirm that in the next twenty-four hours before it wore off, I’d know if my magic was still stable or if something had happened.
Then I’d move on permanently. No more on-again, off-again relationship with Graham.
“Okay, I’ll give him the cookie.” I didn’t specify which cookie as I pulled a veritas-laced ghost cookie from my bag and put it on a small pumpkin napkin. “Thanks, Elaine.”
“Of course. That’s what friends are for.” She knocked my shoulder with hers.
The door opened, and Elaine and I glanced toward it, but instead of Graham, Caleb walked through the door.
Elaine’s smile widened and stepped out from our hiding space into the aisle.
At twenty-two, one year older than me, Elaine was passionate about three things: trying different cafes, watching old movies, and Caleb.
She’d told me more than once she was “100%, totally, completely in love with him.” So when he’d broken up with her—briefly—two months ago, she spent a week in pajamas crying into microwaved popcorn.
When they’d gotten back together, she’d bought matching maple leaf necklaces to celebrate since fall was Caleb’s favorite season.
“Hey.” He leaned down and pecked her on the cheek. “Do you want to walk me to work today? I thought we could swing by and grab some tea from that place you love.”
“Oh, how sweet. I’d love that.” Elaine turned to me. “Is that all right, Kitty?”
“Sorry. Were you two in the middle of something?” Caleb pulled his hat off and ran a hand through his dark hair.
“No, not really.” I hid the cookie behind my back.
“Are you waiting for Graham?” Caleb’s mouth twisted.
It was no secret that Graham worked here and that he and Caleb had never gotten along.
Caleb had never said so explicitly, but it was the little things, like how he’d reacted just now or how he’d always been busy when Elaine and I had tried to plan double dates in the past.
A book floated by to reshelve itself onto a nearby row, the spines of the series standing like soldiers in precise red uniforms.
“Just figured I’d say hi.” I tripped over something as I dodged another book.
“Are you okay?” Elaine knelt next to me.
“Yes.” I pushed away a lock of hair that had escaped my headband and gave a rueful smile to the cat that had wound around my ankles. “I just didn’t realize the cat was there.”
“Animals love you, huh?” Elaine petted the cat. “Speaking of, I think Sir has been missing you.”
Sir Whiskers, or Sir as we affectionately called him, was what we’d named the abandoned cat we found last year. Elaine had made a joke about how cliché it was for Kitty to rescue a kitty and taken the cat home since I couldn’t. After that, we’d become fast friends.
“I’ll have to come visit soon,” I said.
“Here, Kitty. I think you dropped this.” Caleb handed me the miraculously unbroken cookie and the napkin. “Don’t worry. It landed on the napkin, not the floor.”
“Oh, thanks.” I accepted it and climbed back to my feet, pushing away another strand of hair that had gotten caught in my lip gloss.
One of Caleb’s friends called to him from the front of the shop, and he walked over to say hello.
“Here.” Elaine rummaged through her purse and handed me a compact mirror. I grinned at the tiny “Drink Me” bottle in her bag, then put down the cookie to straighten my chestnut curls, containing them with my favorite orange headband. “Are you planning an Alice in Wonderland costume for Halloween?”
“It was supposed to be a surprise.” Elaine sighed. “How did you know?”
“The bottle in your purse was a big clue.” I laughed and adjusted my black sweater, then returned her mirror and picked up the cookie and napkin.
“Don’t tell Caleb.” She flashed a quick grin at me. “He doesn’t know about my costume choice yet, but he’s coming over tonight so we can work on them.”
I held a finger to my lips as he came up behind her.
“Well, should we go?” he asked Elaine.
“Okay.” Elaine gave me a quick hug and whispered in my ear, “Tell me how it goes.”
At their departure, the enchanted paper bats hanging upside down from the rafters rustled and squeaked. I inched closer to the fireplace that filled the store with a cheerful crackle and the scent of cedar.
The bell above the door chimed again as someone else came in.
I peeked around a shelf at the tall man with a buzzed head, dark skin, and sparkling brown eyes who came in.
I watched him for a beat too long before jerking back to attention.
What was I doing staring down a stranger like that?
Albeit an attractive stranger, but still.