Bewitching Bitters by Annabel Chase

Author:Annabel Chase [Chase, Annabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
Published: 2020-08-14T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Kate’s luck failed to improve the next morning. Her foot slipped on the Peloton bike and she pulled a muscle in her back as she tried to keep herself from falling.

The silver lining was her delivery from Amazon. The books she’d ordered on Friday night had arrived.

Kate set aside her other tasks and pored over every page. She studied the plants and their magical qualities the way she’d studied for college exams. She didn’t want an ‘A,’ she wanted a perfect score. She wanted her perfect life back. She used a black Sharpie to cross out any poisonous entries. There’d be no accidental deaths or injuries.

Using the index, Kate located the ingredients in her original cocktail and flagged the relevant pages. There were multiple associations with goldenrod, so she wasn’t entirely certain how to interpret its inclusion. She skimmed the summary and stopped when her gaze landed on a particular word.

Success.

Goldenrod was used in spells to manifest success. Yes, that made sense, except, somehow, Kate seemed to be experiencing the opposite effect.

The doorbell rang, forcing Kate to abandon her mission for the moment. She opened the door and was surprised to see Rebecca.

“Hi,” she said blankly.

Rebecca peered at her. “You forgot, didn’t you?” She held up the bag of cat food. “You asked me to bring you a sample of the one I use.”

Kate slapped her forehead. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry.” She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten. It wasn’t like her to screw up the schedule. Well, all bets were off these days.

“What has you so distracted?” Rebecca asked. “The book deal?”

“No, actually I’m working on magic.” She laughed. “That sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened. “More recipes appeared in the book?”

“No, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.” She waved her friend inside. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

Rebecca followed her into the kitchen where the books were still open on the island, along with multiple bottles of liquor.

“This looks like a science lab,” Rebecca said.

“I guess that’s accurate. I’m experimenting.” Kate inclined her head toward the books. “I want to mix a drink that counteracts whatever’s happening to me.”

Rebecca licked her lips. “You’re creating your own recipes?”

She gestured to the bottles. “Trying to.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Rebecca said.

“Why not? Libbie’s making her own recipes.”

“First, it’s not a competition. Second, Libbie didn’t create her own recipes right from the start. She let the magic reveal itself to her.”

“I’m not like Libbie,” Kate said. “I don’t wait for things to happen. I make them happen.”

Rebecca’s expression softened. “Maybe that’s the problem.”

Kate balked. “Who said it’s a problem?”

“You look like you’re trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. What if you mix a drink that hurts someone, like Chris did?” Libbie’s ex-boyfriend had tried to use one of Libbie’s cocktail recipes for his own selfish gain and ended up hospitalizing an old woman in the process.

“I’ve got it covered.” Kate held up a book where she’d put a black X across an entry.

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