Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
SALEM, PRESENT DAY
Addison couldn’t concentrate and if she got one coffee order wrong, she got almost every other one too and the day never stopped.
It was too hot in here, too many people snapping photos of the small, witchy coffee shop that served its coffee from a huge black cauldron.
What the hell was wrong with Morana? That wasn’t like her at all.
She was never mean to her for no good reason, and she hadn’t given her any reason to be earlier, had she?
Not unless she was jealous of Tyler, the delivery guy who flirted with her every single time he made a delivery.
He was not Addison’s type, but she found him funny and was flattered by his attention.
Was that what was wrong with Morana? Good old-fashioned jealousy?
She let the steam wand get too hot and the boiling milk frothed over the top of the milk jug, scalding the skin on her hand.
The pain was so intense she threw down the milk jug with a very loud, ‘Ah, fuck.’
Tommy turned the machine off and dragged her out the back to the sink to run her hand under the cold water.
‘Ah, that hurts.’
‘What were you doing, Addison, trying to make the hottest coffee in the world?’
She laughed, despite the pain. Huge blisters were forming on the back of her hand and she felt sick.
‘You’re gonna have to go to the hospital.’
‘I can’t afford it.’
‘Work will pay; it’s an accident in work’s time.’
‘No they won’t when they look at the camera and see I wasn’t paying attention.’
‘Then you need to get to the English Sisters’ Apothecary up the street. It’s over the road from the Witch House and just around the corner from the Black Veil shop. Get Sephy to give you some of her magic balm. She has a cream, potion or tea for everything. My mom swears by Sephy’s stuff.’
Tommy soaked a towel and wrapped it around her hand. ‘Go, now. Please, I’ll cover for you, otherwise you’re going to have to go to urgent care.’
She nodded and slipped out of the back door. The pain in her hand was unbearable but she really couldn’t afford urgent care.
* * *
She hurried up the street, eyes streaming with pain, and kept her head low, dodging the crowds as best as she could, which was almost impossible as there were people everywhere.
She had never been to this apothecary, didn’t think she’d even heard of it, but it was worth trying there first. She saw a pink shop which had a garland of pink and silver pumpkins, witches and flowers around the doorway and headed towards it, hoping that was it. There was no sign outside.
She went in and immediately a sense of calm washed over her. It was cool inside the shop, and it was empty which was unheard of this time of year. The most beautiful woman Addison had ever seen stepped out from behind a velvet drape and smiled at her.
‘Can I help you, dear?’
Addison burst into tears like a six-year-old kid and held out her hand.
The woman rushed towards her. ‘Oh, you poor, poor girl. Come with me out the back and sit down, let me take a look at that. I’ll get you fixed right up, is that okay? That’s why you came here?’
She nodded, feeling like an idiot for crying in front of a perfect stranger, but she had the kindest face and greenest eyes she’d ever seen. Addison let the woman guide her to a chair where she helped her to sit down.
‘Do you mind if I take a look, dear?’
She shook her head. What was wrong with her why couldn’t she speak?
‘It’s the shock. Once we sort you out, you will feel a little better and get your voice back.’
Addison’s eyes widened. The woman had read her mind as clear as day.
‘How did you…?’
Sephy let out a small laugh. ‘Oops, I am sorry for that mild intrusion. I’m a witch, dear, but you can call me Sephy.
It’s what I do. I can read your mind, your palm, tell your future, read your tarot cards, advise you which crystals will help you get your life back on track, and I can make that nasty burn feel much better and heal so fast it will be as good as new in a couple of days, if not sooner, if you allow me to.
I would never do anything without your permission.
I don’t usually read strangers’ minds, but you are so upset your thoughts are floating above your head as if they’re in those cartoon bubbles. ’
Addison laughed. ‘Oh, wow. Thank you, if you could stop this pain I’d appreciate it.’
Sephy began to unwrap the wet towel, gently holding on to her hand, and it felt good, it felt comforting. When the blistered hand was free, Sephy tutted.
‘That is a nasty burn, but my soothe-away balm will fix it and take away the sting.’
She turned around and went to a huge pine dresser that was filled with jars of so much stuff Addison didn’t know what to look at first. There were beautiful feathers of every colour, pretty crystals, jars of herbs, some she recognised, most she didn’t.
Bottles and jars with beautifully handwritten labels.
Sephy opened a cupboard and took out a huge tin and a wooden spatula. She placed them both on the table.
‘I’m going to have to pat your hand dry with some gauze, dear, it will hurt but not for long. The skin needs to be as dry as it can be around those blisters for my balm to take effect. Can you bear the pain for a little longer?’
Addison nodded. She had no choice and she trusted this woman more than she had ever trusted anyone in her life.
Closing her eyes, she let Sephy gently swab at the skin then sucked in air through her teeth as Sephy began to carefully spread the balm over the blistered hand while quietly whispering.
The whispering was so quiet Addison couldn’t make out what she was saying, but instantly the burning began to cool down, until it eventually stopped altogether.
‘There, now, we need to leave that to soak in for a little while before I can dress it for you in a special bandage. How about I make us both a cup of tea? You’re still in shock and the tea will help with the pain and stop any inflammation and infection from spreading.’
‘Yes, please.’ Addison didn’t even drink tea, but if Sephy had asked her if she wanted to drink a cup of arsenic, she would have said yes to that too. She was enthralled by her.
When Sephy returned with two cups of tea, she put Addison’s a safe distance from her.
‘Just let yours cool a little, dear, we don’t want you to burn yourself again. Now, how did you manage that?’
‘I was distracted. I work in a coffee shop and let the steam bar get too hot for the milk, and it boiled over onto my hand.’
‘Ouch, that is painful. Are you normally so clumsy?’
She shook her head. ‘No, I was upset and not paying attention.’
Sephy blew the steam from her cup and took a small sip, then nodded.
‘You had a falling out with your friend, what over? By the way, I’m only picking up bits and pieces. I’m not poking around inside your thoughts, dear.’
Addison laughed. ‘You don’t want to either; there isn’t much good going on inside of my brain today.’
Sephy reached out to pat her unburned hand. ‘Pray, tell me what this friend has done to upset you so much you hurt yourself this badly.’
‘She turned up at my work and was mean to me, like really mean and she’s never like that.
It was as if she was a different person.
It shocked me to be honest. It was like there was a black cloak over her entire body.
She even looked different. She scared me a little.
I was only trying to help her, and she got all bitchy and super moody.
I’ve never fallen out with her ever and it made me feel sick. ’
Sephy was nodding. ‘Do you know why she was acting this way?’
‘No.’
‘It’s okay, she might have been having a bad day too, although not as bad as you are. How is your hand feeling now?’
Addison realised that the intense burning had calmed down so much she could speak properly again and form sentences. ‘Amazing, thank you so much.’
‘How did you know where to come?’
‘The guy I work with, Tommy, said his mom swears by you and he told me to come here because I couldn’t afford to go to urgent care. I can pay you, I have money, just not urgent care kind of money.’
Sephy waved her hand in the air. ‘Pft, I don’t care about that. I care that we have fixed your hand and stopped the pain. Have we managed to do that?’
‘Yes, you have.’ Addison was incredulous. ‘But how?’
‘I told you, dear, I’m a witch, it’s what I do. I have been doing it for a very long time; I’ve had time to perfect my practice. I’m so glad it’s helping, what about the tea?’
Addison picked the cup up and sipped it, relieved it didn’t taste as horrid as she’d expected. ‘It’s nice.’
Sephy’s smile reached from ear to ear. ‘That is good to know. I’m glad to have helped.’
‘How much do I owe you, Sephy? I ran out without my purse, but I can go straight back or Apple Pay, Venmo you.’
‘I told you, dear, I expect no payment but tell me a little more about this friend. Why is she acting so different towards you now?’
‘I don’t know, but it was like she had a dark shadow looming over her. She looked like she was standing in the shadows.’
Sephy’s spine straightened as she sat bolt upright. ‘How dark?’
‘Hard to describe it. She sort of looked like she had a thick, black spider web covering her entire body.’
‘Addison, are you a little baby witch. Do you practise at all?’
She shook her head.
‘Oh, well I have news for you. I think you may be descended from a bloodline witch with that ability to see shadows and auras. We could work on that if you ever wanted to. I hold beginner’s classes every November, once tourist season is over.
These are strictly for the locals; in fact, my niece will be joining the next one.
You would like Dora, she’s very much like you. ’
‘A klutz?’
Sephy laughed. ‘Yes, Dora is clumsy too and quite unaware of the power she holds. I’m a little bit concerned about your friend. Is she a practising witch by any chance?’
‘I don’t think so, I mean we both have books on witchcraft, and she sometimes sees things out of the corners of her eye, that kind of stuff.’
‘She should come along too.’
‘Well, before this morning she probably would have, but I’m not asking as she was so mean.’
‘I understand, I fear you may have to keep an eye on her. It sounds as if there is some kind of spiritual battle going on inside of her, if there was a dark shadow over her. She may need your help whether you want to or not. It would be the right thing to do.’
Addison smiled at the kind woman. She didn’t want to upset her by telling her as far as she was concerned Morana could step in front of a bus, she never wanted to see her again, so she nodded instead.