Mandrake and a Murder by Ruby Loren

Author:Ruby Loren [Loren, Ruby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-29T16:00:00+00:00

My aunts returned after lunchtime.

“You’ll be pleased to know that the curse is gone,” Minerva began.

“And we threw in a little dash of payback,” Linda added, looking delighted. “But you’ll have to wait and see what it is.”

I didn’t mind not asking. “Would you be able to make some protection charms and money bags for the shop? I sold out this morning. No one wants them if I make them.” That still peeved me.

Minerva walked over and rested a hand on my shoulder. “It will be the least we can do. The people living here are worried, aren’t they?”

I nodded. “I still don’t understand…” I began, but trailed off. Was I really about to whine to my aunts about not having a gift I didn’t even believe existed? I bit my lip and found a different question rising inside of me - one that had been growing ever since they’d arrived on my doorstep.

“Why are you really here?” I asked them. At first, I’d assumed that they’d needed a place to stay. Perhaps their lives had turned out even worse than mine. I’d been okay with the idea of offering sanctuary, but I didn’t think that was it. In spite of all the crazy that had happened since my aunts had come to stay, I knew they could take care of themselves. Which begged the question… why were they really here?

“We are here for you. We lost a sister, but you lost a mother. You need your family.” Minerva slid into a chair beside me.

I looked at her. Even though I wasn’t psychic, I could tell there was something else. Something I wasn’t being told. “What is it?” I asked, knowing she would understand.

“This is an important time of your life. At least… we think it is.” Linda glanced up at Hemlock, who blinked his green eyes at her.

“Don’t look at me. I don’t think you’re special at all,” Hemlock chimed in.

I glared at him.

“You really think I might have some magical talent that’s about to wake up in me?”

My aunts exchanged a glance. I wished they’d stop doing that.

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Minerva said.

“Or at least… it might be,” Linda added.

“I just want to know,” I said, fed up with secrets and half-truths.

“And you deserve to. We should talk more about it tonight… a good long talk. For now, I think you have business to attend to and probably more charm preorders to take. We’ll get started on a batch right away, won’t we Linda?”

“Ohhh, but I was going to spend the afternoon trying to make George Clooney fall in love with me.”

“Linda! You know that is misuse of magic. You got caught last time. Do you really want to go back to that witch detention centre?”

“Maybe. The guard was kind of cute. I think I made a great impression. Anyway… that was when there was still a Witch Council.” She grinned.

“You’re a hopeless case,” Minerva decreed, before looking past me and nodding with her head.

I followed her gaze.

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