Witch rose, p.3
Witch Rose, page 3
“Someone is sending poisoned flowers.” Gabriel’s forehead wrinkled with concern. “But why?”
“Whoever it is, they’ll be in trouble now.” Bryony clutched Gabriel’s black finger. “They’ve just poisoned one of our Charm Police.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Some of the anger Gabriel felt subsided as he looked at Bryony’s worried face. He’d do anything to make sure she wasn’t unhappy. “We’ll figure out who’s doing this and why, and get the magic removed.”
“Yes, we will.” Bryony lifted Gabriel’s hand as if she was going to kiss it, but then stopped herself. “Who would want to poison me?”
“We’re not certain who was the target in this store,” said Ivy. “It could have been either of us.”
“Yes, that doesn’t help much,” said Bryony. “But I don’t have any enemies.”
“I have plenty,” said Ivy. “It was most likely meant for me. There’s a long list of people I need to speak to about this.”
“We need to find out what the magic is first,” said Bryony. “There won’t be many magic users in Old Sarum who can do this kind of powerful spell. If it is a magical poison, not many dabble in that.”
The air in front of Ivy shimmered for a few seconds. “Girls! What’s wrong?” A hazy image of their mother appeared before them.
“How does she always know when there’s something wrong?” muttered Ivy.
“Because she’s our mother,” said Bryony. “Mom, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t believe that,” said Adeline. “I felt both of you panic.”
“I never panic,” said Ivy.
“We’ve had an unwelcome delivery at the store,” said Bryony. “But both of us are fine.”
“What was it?” Adeline peered around the store. “Is that Gabriel Galbraith with you?”
“Yes. In fact, he saved me,” said Bryony, smiling warmly at Gabriel.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Gabriel.
“Hello, dear,” said Adeline to Gabriel. “Have you been protecting my girls again?”
“Only by accident,” said Ivy. “I spotted the danger.”
“Tell me what’s going on,” said Adeline.
“Someone delivered a poisoned rose to the store,” said Bryony. “Gabriel picked it up and the poison transferred into him.”
“And the rose was for you?” Panic laced through Adeline’s words.
“No, well, we’re not sure who it was for,” said Bryony. “Since it was delivered here, we’re assuming it was meant for me or Ivy.”
“I’m sending reinforcements,” said Adeline. “Nobody poisons my girls and gets away with it.”
“There’s no need for you to come here,” said Bryony. “We’re looking into it.”
“I’m not the expert when it comes to magical poison,” said Adeline. “I’m sending your Aunt Lilith.”
“There’s no need,” repeated Bryony.
“This is not up for debate. She's coming now.” Adeline’s image blinked out of sight.
“Mom’s right,” said Ivy. “Aunt Lilith knows the best magical poisons.”
“I should go,” said Belinda. “Your Aunt Lilith scares the pants off me.”
“She’s not that bad,” said Bryony.
“She’s terrible,” said Ivy. “Don’t tell the others, but she is my favorite aunt.”
“Gabriel, maybe you should leave too,” said Bryony. “Aunt Lilith isn’t a fan of us being around men.”
“I don’t know,” said Ivy, her cool gaze running over Gabriel. “She might appreciate having someone she can test her spells on.”
“That doesn’t sound appealing.” Gabriel had encountered Bryony and Ivy’s aunt before. Lilith trod a thin line between the acceptable use of magic and the darker arts. And although he’d never admit it to either of the girls, she gave him the chills. “I need to get to the station anyway and report what’s happened. Someone there will know how to remove this magic.”
“Let us know how you do it,” said Bryony. “Then we can get the others sorted as well.”
Gabriel nodded, feeling reluctant to leave Bryony, but knowing he had to concentrate on this poisoning case. “Belinda, are you free to come with me now? With a bit of luck and a lot of fairy dust, we should both be able to get back to normal.”
“Sounds great,” said Belinda. “Much better than being blasted by Lilith Thornheart’s dark magic. No offense, girls.”
“None taken,” said Ivy. “Aunt Lilith is a powerful magic user. She’d crush you both in a second if you got in her way.”
“Then it’s definitely time to go,” said Belinda.
Gabriel opened the store door and Belinda walked outside. “I should take the rose as evidence.” He gestured to where the rose lay in one corner of the store, its leaves already turning an unhealthy shade of purple.
“We’ll dispose of it,” said Ivy.
“A crime has been committed here,” said Gabriel. “The rose is important as part of the investigation.”
“You’re not having the rose,” said Ivy sharply.
“I could take it,” said Gabriel.
“But there’s no need.” Bryony stepped in front of her sister. “I promise you, we will bring it to the station. Go and get your hand looked at and get that poison out of your system.”
“Very well. But don’t touch the rose,” said Gabriel. He couldn’t understand why he was agreeing so easily to Bryony’s request. It felt as if a fog descended over his brain and he lost all intelligent reasoning every time they spoke. There was something about this incredible witch that made him powerless.
“We won't touch it,” said Bryony.
“And you’re sure you’re okay?” Gabriel asked Bryony. “You didn't get any of the poison on you?”
“She’s fine.” Ivy grabbed hold of Bryony's hand. “Go and get your rotten finger sorted out and leave us alone.”
Bryony frowned at her sister. “I am fine. Just worried about you. Make sure you get that magic removed. I don’t like to think what it will do if it’s left for long.”
“It will most likely kill him,” said Ivy. “That’s what magical poison usually does.”
“Thanks for that reassuring comment, Ivy,” said Gabriel. “It’s nice to know you care.”
“You’re all I think about, day and night,” said Ivy.
The air in the store chilled rapidly. “You’d better go,” said Bryony. “Aunt Lilith is about to arrive.”
Gabriel gave Bryony’s arm a brief squeeze before hurrying away from the store with Belinda.
“How’s the finger?” He pointed to Belinda’s hand.
“Numb,” said Belinda. “And it’s spreading.” She held up her hand and showed Gabriel three thin black lines that traced across her palm.
“We have some of the best magic users in Old Sarum working for the Charm Police,” said Gabriel. “Let’s get to the station and see what they can do for us.”
***
“That is one evil spell you’ve got there.” Quinn McCain turned Gabriel’s hand over and peered at the back of it. “And you were pricked by a poisoned rose? Sounds like something out of a fairy tale.” Quinn’s shoulder length blond hair was tied back from his face with an elastic band and a pair of thick black rimmed glasses sat at the end of a long straight nose.
“Nothing that dramatic,” said Gabriel with a wry smile. He was in an examination room with Belinda at the Charm Police headquarters. “The poison must have been on the stem of the rose. It could have been painted on so whoever touched it had the poison transferred to their skin.”
“And how about you, beautiful?” Quinn turned his jade green eyes to Belinda. “Looks like you’ve got the same problem.” He clasped her hand between his two large palms.
“It feels better when you hold my hand,” said Belinda, her wide mouth breaking out into a smile.
“Of course it does,” said Quinn. “I have some magic siphoning abilities. I’m drawing a little of the spell you’re under into my own system. It won’t remove the spell, nor will I be fatally poisoned, but it will give you some relief.”
“Quinn is handy to have on the team,” said Gabriel. “Good to have around when someone is throwing curses and dangerous spells at you.”
“I bet he is.” Belinda batted her eyelashes at Quinn. “How long can you hold my hand for?”
“A couple of minutes should do,” said Quinn.
“Can you sense how toxic the poison is?” asked Gabriel.
“It doesn’t feel good from where I’m standing,” said Quinn. “It’s got a nasty vibe to it. Whoever used it meant business. This poison doesn’t just make a person sick for a few days.”
“It’s not fatal, is it?” asked Belinda.
“I’ll make sure you stay alive,” said Quinn.
Gabriel frowned. “Can we speak outside for a moment, Quinn?”
“Do you have to leave?” Belinda asked Quinn, clutching hold of his hands.
“I’ll only be gone for a moment, and then I’ll come back and we can pick up where we left off.” Quinn gave Belinda a dazzling smile before disentangling his fingers from hers and following Gabriel into the corridor.
“I know what you’re going to say, boss,” said Quinn.
“This is serious,” said Gabriel.
“It couldn’t be more serious,” said Quinn. “What you’ve got is fatal. We need to get this poison out of your system. If it spreads to your heart, you’re dead.”
Gabriel suppressed a shudder, thinking how close he’d been to giving the poisoned rose to Bryony. “How do we treat it?”
“I’m only the siphon. But the magical geeks in white coats are running tests now. It won’t be long before they figure out how the poison was created. Then they can get to work on an antidote.”
Gabriel peered at his finger, which was now completely black. “They’d better find an antidote fast. This poison is in a hurry to turn my whole hand black.”
“So long as it doesn’t get to your chest, you’ll be fine,” said Quinn. “You will feel strange, though. Even just taking a small amount of the poison from you and Belinda isn’t making me feel great. You’re in for a bumpy ride, my friend.”
“I can handle it,” said Gabriel. “I'm more interested in locating our poisoner.”
“Do you want me to arrange for Bryony and Ivy to be interviewed?” asked Quinn. “They might have some more information about who sent them the poisoned flower. If we can find whoever made the poison, it will speed things up.”
“Let me handle them,” said Gabriel. “I don’t want to alarm them that anything is wrong.”
Quinn looked at Gabriel’s hand. “Something is wrong. You’ve been poisoned.”
“You know what I mean,” said Gabriel. “There’s no point in them worrying over nothing. I’ll go back to the store later and speak to them.”
“Make sure you cover your black finger before you go.” Quinn grinned at Gabriel. “You don’t want to put Bryony off you.”
“A black finger won’t put her off,” said Gabriel. “Bryony’s not into me, she’s made that clear.”
“It doesn’t stop you from trying, though,” said Quinn. “Do you know there’s an office bet doing the rounds, with odds on whether you’ll ever get a date with Bryony?”
Gabriel grimaced. “What are the odds looking like that I’ll get a date with her in the near future?”
“They’re not good.” Quinn slapped Gabriel on the back. “I’ve got a beautiful half banshee’s hand to hold. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Gabriel shook his head as Quinn walked back into the examination room. Right now, he wasn’t sure he’d place any money on getting a date with Bryony. But at least he’d saved her from being poisoned. That would be a mark in his favor. Now, if he could get past her guard dog of a sister, he might convince Bryony that he is worth spending time with.
Gabriel gave another shake of his head as he inspected his hand. Now was not the time to worry about how he was going to get Bryony to date him. He had a poisoner to hunt down.
Chapter 4
Ivy waved her hand in front of her face as the thick swirl of purple mist dispersed around the store. Spike gave a whimpering growl and ducked behind the counter.
“Hello, Aunt Lilith,” said Bryony.
“You always like to make impressive entrances,” said Ivy.
Aunt Lilith stood in the middle of the store, dressed in a floor length scarlet gown, her hair transformed to a brilliant sapphire shade. “This is how I always transport. Your mother sent me.”
“We told her not to,” said Bryony. “We’ve got things under control.”
“Clearly not if somebody is trying to poison one of you,” said Aunt Lilith. “Tell me what happened.”
Bryony exchanged a glance with Ivy. “Nothing dramatic. We were in the store with Belinda and Gabriel.”
“That do-gooder from the Charm Police?” asked Aunt Lilith. “Is he still interested in you?” Her dark gaze focused on Bryony.
“Not like that,” said Bryony swiftly. “We’re friends.”
Aunt Lilith waved a hand in the air. “Continue. What was Belinda doing here?”
“She needed help with a problem. One of her fingers turned black, just like Josie Spicer’s,” said Bryony.
Aunt Lilith swiped her fingers through her long hair. “Two customers with the same problem. And you think it’s a poisoner in Old Sarum? It has been a while since we’ve had any problems of that nature.”
“Who could it be?” asked Ivy.
“None of the poisoners I have encountered have lived to tell the tale,” said Aunt Lilith. “There must be someone new in the village or perhaps it's a resident with powers they have previously repressed.”
“Have you ever been poisoned?” asked Ivy.
“Only a dozen times or so,” said Aunt Lilith.
“A dozen times!” said Bryony. “How have you survived so much poison?”
“As if you even need to ask, child,” said Aunt Lilith with a sly smile.
“Did any of your fingers turn black when you were poisoned?” asked Ivy.
“There were occasions when my skin changed color. But never black.”
“Where’s the best place to start looking for information on this poison?” asked Bryony.
“Gather up the Poisoners' Almanacs,” said Aunt Lilith. “They are a solid source of information. And Digby’s Guide to Magical Malaise should also be inspected.”
“We’ve got them on our shelves.” Bryony dashed over to the bookshelf and extracted five large volumes.
“That will take us weeks to read through.” Ivy groaned and slumped onto the sofa. “Can’t we just go and interrogate anybody we think used this magic?”
“We will if the almanacs don’t reveal useful information,” said Aunt Lilith. “It sounds like a creeping ailment spell could also have been used. Mix in something fatal and link it to this slow acting magic, and you have your spell.”
“Would it help if you inspected the poisoned rose?” Bryony looked over to the corner of the store where the rose still lay. The petals were tinged with black.
“Yes, bring it to me,” said Aunt Lilith. “But handle it carefully. There may still be some poison residue.”
Ivy pushed Bryony out of the way. “Let me get it. Don’t want you accidentally poisoning yourself.”
“As if I would,” said Bryony.
Ivy raised an eyebrow at her sister, before scooping the rose in the hem of her skirt. She returned it to her aunt and placed it on the coffee table.
Aunt Lilith settled on the sofa and Ivy and Bryony joined her. She bent over the rose and inhaled deeply before passing her hands over the top of it several times.
“Are you sensing anything?” asked Bryony.
“Darkness. This spell is dangerous magic.”
“Is there still poison attached to the rose?” asked Bryony.
“It is more than poison,” said Aunt Lilith. “There is power trapped within this rose.”
“There’s more poison in there?” asked Ivy.
“Look in the first almanac under information on slow acting poison spells that repeat,” said Aunt Lilith.
Bryony grabbed the book and flicked through the pages. “There’s something here on a poison that rots its victims from the inside out.”
“No, that’s not what we’re looking for,” said Aunt Lilith. “Look for something darker.”
“That seems dark to me,” said Bryony.
Aunt Lilith dabbed her finger against the rose and pulled back sharply. “Look at the blended spells section. There’s not only poison at work here.”
“There’s more magic hidden inside the rose?” Ivy toed the rose with the tip of her pointed boot.
Aunt Lilith slapped her foot away. “Yes, and you’d be wise not to activate it.”
“You just touched the rose,” said Ivy.
“That is because I do not have much care for my own safety,” said Aunt Lilith. “And I am more powerful than you. However, I know your mother would be most aggrieved if you came to any harm under my watch.”
Bryony shared a smile with Ivy. That was the closest Aunt Lilith came to saying she cared about them.
Spike stalked over from behind the counter, took one sniff of the rose, turned tail and disappeared.
“It must be bad if a demon dog doesn’t like it,” said Bryony.
“He knows not to mess with something more dangerous than he is,” said Aunt Lilith.
Bryony returned to flicking through the almanac. “The blended spells section outlines different combinations of powerful spells that can be mixed. There’s reference to love potions and devotion, envy and jealousy, hatred and revenge. Here’s something on poison. There are several options; blood poisoning and eyesight loss; poisoning and sickness.”
“Keep going.” Aunt Lilith prodded the rose again with a fingernail. “There’s something else here, but it’s hidden from me. It’s most vexing.”
“You could cut it,” said Ivy. “Maybe whatever is hidden inside the rose will reveal itself when the flower is pulled open.”
“Get me a sharp knife.” Aunt Lilith plucked off one of the petals and held it up to the light in the store. “The discoloration on the rose suggests the magic is still active.”
