Sinners' Kingdom #1: The Book of Lust (Complete)

6

Juliet Hatter was a bonafide witch, through and through. Her clothes and mannerisms were down to earth, but every part of her home was infused with magic, from the self-cleaning charms to the fireplace that obeyed the snap of her fingers to the window that showed a sunny meadow outside when I had just walked in from the snowstorm still going strong. There was no fanfare exploitation of magic to advertise her skills the way some hacks tried to set up to compensate for actual expertise.

She reminded me of my grandmother. My mother, too, though she hadn't been in the witch business. That was supposed to have been my job once I graduated high school, but far too late for that now.

Juliet motioned for me to sit on the stiff-cushioned loveseat opposite her armchair. The simple tea table between us held a steaming cup atop it, but I knew better than to drink it right away. The clear, green-tinted liquid swirled and swirled with no external cause, like it was powered by a hidden inner whirlpool, never slowing.

"Comfortable, Sandalwood?"

I nodded and folded my hands in my lap, waiting patiently. This was the part where she looked me over, gauging me for any signs of deception and malice. Most service witches had clairvoyant sight, though even if they didn't, they pretended to, since that was the industry expectation. It cut down on the danger of being mugged or exposed by fake clients. Most scumbags got at least a little nervous at the prospect of having their minds read.

Her hazel eyes gleamed with a familiar light, though. Reminded me of the real thing.

A moment passed, then she smoothed her brown waves of hair back from her temples and inclined her head. "You mentioned attic problems," she said gently. "Describe them. Waking dreams? Or only when you sleep? Are the hallucinations limited to only some senses, or do they affect all of them?"

Attic problems: issues with the head, or mind. In my case, it also meant I had no physical proof of the malignant magic at work, and everything was limited to the inside of my skull.

"Only when I fall asleep. I tried to stay up for a few days, and then it got worse. A lot worse. It feels even realer than when I'm awake."

"You stayed awake for a 'few days?'"

"Three. I was trying for four and it didn't turn out well."

"That's very dangerous. I see you're poorly rested, so the problem has also been present for at least a few weeks, I imagine. You should have reached out for aid the moment you knew something was wrong."

"I'm not part of the community. I was thinking of fixing the issue myself."

"You're entitled to distancing yourself from your people, but you do it to your detriment, especially in cases like these. The trouble you're experiencing is nothing simple. If you had come to me earlier, this might have been more manageable."

"I never said the community was my people."

"Please. I may look young, but I'm no spring chicken, which I know you've guessed. You're from a strong line of witches. I can see that even when it hasn't awakened in you yet. If you thought you could hide that kind of presence from me, you're very misguided."

I had no choice but to bite my tongue. Didn't really make sense that she could sense my latent bloodline magic when it was completely dormant, but lucky guess or no, it wasn't the point of my coming here. I didn't need her asking questions either, and the longer I stayed, the more likely it was she would be tempted to snoop. So much for the wise, gentle-seeming demeanor. Another nosey witch out in the sticks just trying to find gossip to fill her day.

"The curse is invading my dreams," I announced, changing the subject swiftly. "I've tried all the non-magical ways to purge it. It's too strong. Sexual component. It started out with sleep paralysis first, and the curse manifestation is a man. He was far away in the beginning, but he got closer every night."

"You say he was 'far away'. How far? Can you describe what he was doing?"

"From here to... there. Maybe twenty feet. It's the distance across the room to the end of my hallway. And..." I swallowed my embarrassment and forced myself to keep speaking. There were two people you should never lie to you in your life: your doctor, and your witch. "He would touch himself."

"Describe to what extent. Did he climax every time?"

"The nights I could wake myself up and fight out of the sleep paralysis, no, but the other times, yes. He would touch himself everywhere. His chest a lot of the times, while he masturbated."

"Did he ever speak?"

"No. Only this last time. And he knew my name, so whoever's responsible for the curse is specifically targeting me."

Juliet raised her eyebrows. "There are curses that make you hallucinate hearing your own name."

"I know the difference between when I'm imagining it myself, and when my name is being used against me by someone else. It came from the curse. I'm certain of it."

"And you tried to deny you're a witch."

Damn it. Well, too late now. "I had a small amount of education," I said begrudgingly. "I have no magic of my own. I just know how to identify some signs. You don't have to believe me, but it doesn't matter. I can't even defend myself from sleeping curses, so clearly I'm not lying about that."

"There are a number of reasons why a witch can't do witchly things," she hummed. "But you're right that it doesn't matter at this moment, since it won't help us resolve the situation. But I think I know what might. It'll require a degree of trust from you, though."

"Trust? Do I need to give you my real name for the counter-curse?"

"Unfortunately, I can't sense a curse at all on you, so I have no counter-curse at the ready. That said, I sense... something around you. Inside you, too. Something with a very strong living energy, and it's not yours. But most curses are inanimate, and only an exceptional few could be the possible cause. To know which one it is, I'll have to induce the curse again."

"Induce the curse — you want me to invite it?" I spluttered.

"Yes. And to do that, you'll need to sleep."