Jinxed | A Halloween Romance | Coven Corner #1

Chapter Five

That evening, Sky's crystal ball cast a blue glow throughout her house as someone tried to contact her. Hazel's voice called out in that school teacher tone, leaving no room for argument, only obedience.

"Sky Sangrey," she said. "We need to talk."

Sky dragged herself out of the kitchen and into her living room where she held sessions for her clients. The crystal ball was covered with a dark blue cloth but the pale light that emanated from it was still strong. She drew the cloth aside to see Hazel staring back.

"I'm assuming your visit to Spellbound didn't go very well today," she said.

Sky attempted to hedge in order to buy herself some time.

"What do you mean?" she said.

Even to her own ears, her voice sounded high-pitched and false. An obvious lie. She had never been very good at hiding the truth.

"I mean that I ran into Aiden today and he was still clearly bewitched," Hazel replied.

Sky swore and plopped onto the couch. She propped her chin in her hand with a sigh.

"I tried," she said. "I really did. But it's stronger than I realized. I've never cast a spell like this before. How am I supposed to break it?"

"Would you like some help?"

"No," Sky said in a rush.

Hazel's lips tightened into a thin, disapproving line. Sky was dancing her way towards a lecture if she wasn't careful.

"I appreciate the offer though," she hurried to add. "But I need to do this on my own. I got myself into this. It's only fair that I get myself out of it."

"Any other witch might take advantage of the situation," Hazel said in a rather blithe tone, as if the suggestion wasn't intended to drive home the point she had every intention of making.

"Well, I'm not any other witch," Sky countered. "I feel terrible it happened."

"And you're not enjoying Aiden's attention at all?"

Sky's reply hitched in her throat and she fumbled.

"That's what I thought," Hazel said.

"No!" Sky protested too late. "It's not like that."

Hazel remained silent. She blinked once, slowly, her head tilted to the side, as if daring Sky to continue carrying out that lie before it collapsed beneath her like every other lie she ever told.

"Fine," Sky said. "All right. I am enjoying it. A little bit. But I know it's not real. And I know it won't last. I just..."

She scrubbed her hands over her face.

"He's new to town, Hazel," she said, her tone miserable. "And this is how I welcome him? By casting a love spell over him, taking away his free will. He'll hate me when I tell him the truth."

"You can't know that."

"Not until I break the spell," Sky said.

"So dragging it out would ease the blow better?"

Sky huffed, grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it.

"I hate when you're right," she said. "Can't you abandon your practical sensibilities just this once?"

"I'm afraid not," Hazel said in an apologetic tone. "Especially if you decide to make it a habit of casting errant love spells on every good looking man you happen to cross paths with."