Jinxed | A Halloween Romance | Coven Corner #1

Chapter Fourteen

"We were just talking about you," Bianca said to Sky.

"Only good things I hope," Sky replied. She didn't look at Aiden. She couldn't. Not with her mother's words echoing so loudly in her head.

My magic conjured the spell from my heart well before my head knew what I'd wanted.

"Of course only good things," Bianca said. "I told him that you read my fortune for me and it's been a huge weight off of my mind. In fact, I was wondering if you had any tea that might help with..." She stopped with a light touch to her lips, trying—and failing—to hide a smile. "For morning sickness?"

Sky blinked. Cassandra clasped Bianca's hand.

"Are you...?" she trailed off.

Bianca smiled and that was answer enough. "It's too soon to be sure, so I'd appreciate it if you kept it quiet for now. But I wanted to tell you, Sky. I couldn't wait."

"Congratulations," Sky said. "I can bring a blend by tomorrow if you like."

"That would be perfect," Bianca replied, squeezing Sky's shoulder. "Oh, but it'll have to be in the afternoon. I'm having an O'Hara contractor come over to take a look at my house in the morning, now that I'll need extra space."

Bryony sat up straighter, rigid like a razor blade.

"Sean O'Hara?" she said.

Bianca shook her head. "No, the other brother. Keegan." She paused. "Wait...do you know them?"

Bryony's face went pale as a ghost. Then her cheeks flushed scarlet—a jarring comparison to her carrot orange hair.

"Oh yes," she said. "I know the O'Hara brothers. I thought they'd packed up and shipped out of Wildemoor after school. They promised they'd never come back here."

"Well, they did," Bianca said. "But their mother is still here. She lives alone, poor woman. Down by Pepper Cove Lane. From what I've heard, her health is failing. So, Keegan came back to help out. Not sure what happened to Sean. But Keegan's woodworking charms are magnificent and he offered a free estimate on my house. I certainly couldn't turn that offer down."

Bryony pressed her lips into a tight, thin line. Sky recognized the name, O'Hara, but she struggled to grasp why Bryony might be agitated over it.

Bianca looped her arm through Aiden's elbow.

"We'll let you get back to your dinner," she said. "I look forward to that tea, Sky."

Sky waved and it was only after Aiden had walked away that she realized he hadn't said a word. Bianca was the one who chattered and with good reason.

But it seemed strange that Aiden wouldn't be gushing about having a baby, too.

The scrape of wood against wood pulled Sky back to the present. Bryony had pushed her chair back and she was already storming to the door.

"Bryony, wait," Sky said, stumbling after her.

Bryony was nearly at a dead run with furious, long-legged strides. Sky finally caught up, out of breath, panting, and sweating a little—a sensation she did not enjoy and tried her best to avoid at all costs.

"Bryony, slow down," Sky said. "I know you don't mind getting grimy in the garden, crawling around in the dirt on your hands and knees the way you do. But I prefer to spend my days with a cup of tea by the window with my cat. I wasn't meant for this kind of physical exercise."

Reluctantly, Bryony stopped and crossed her arms with a huff.

"What is it that has you so upset?" Sky said.

"I'm not upset," Bryony said, acid in her voice.

Sky raised her eyebrows with a pointed look. Bryony growled.

"Where one O'Hara brother is," she said. "The other isn't too far behind."

Sky continued to stare with a blank expression.

"Don't tell me you don't remember Sean," Bryony said. "The one who tangled bubblegum in my hair? The one who jinxed my shoes so I tripped every single time I was called to the front of the class to perform a spell?"

Sky withered. "Oh no. Not that Sean."

"He always hated it at Wildemoor. Keegan did, too. They couldn't wait to get out and I couldn't wait for them to leave."

"But Bianca said it's just Keegan. No sign of Sean. Maybe he won't come anywhere near Wildemoor."

Bryony shook her head so hard that her curls spun out around her head in a fiery orange halo.

"Oh, if I know Sean O'Hara," she said. "He'll show up just to aggravate me. Hell's bells, Sky, he's the last person I ever wanted to see on this earth again."

"A lot of time has passed since our school days though," Sky offered. "You're not kids anymore. Maybe he grew out of the pesky behavior."

She didn't intend to make light of Bryony's agitation at the possible reappearance of an old enemy. But she hated seeing Bryony spooled up so tight and there wasn't any tea on hand. Words were all she had.

"I'm sure Sean hasn't changed a lick," Bryony said darkly. "You know what I'll do? I'll run him out of town if he dares to show his face around here. I don't care about Keegan. He was always more concerned with woodworking charms than people. But Sean...I'll make sure he knows he's not welcome."

Bryony started off, chin thrust forward with determination. Sky caught her elbow.

"Now hold on a minute," Sky said.

"What?" Bryony demanded.

"This is Wildemoor. It's a safe haven from the rest of the world for witches and warlocks. Unless Sean has done something truly unforgiveable and abused the power of his magic, there's no legitimate reason to make him leave."

"I'll put the fear of Saint Circe into him then," Bryony said simply. "And before you tell me I can't do that, there's no law against being a little threatening."

"Maybe before you start marching off, we should wait to see if what Bianca said was true in the first place. You know how gossip gets tangled up as it's passed around."

Gradually, Bryony deflated. She rubbed her arms against the chill of the growing twilight. Long blue shadows stretched across the road and the rustle of leaves at their feet sounded like ghostly whispers in the dark.

"All right," Bryony relented. "I'll wait." She held up a finger. "But the second I catch a whiff of Sean O'Hara sneaking around, up to his old tricks again and raising hell like he used to—"

"Then I'll personally propose a motion to the coven to have him forcibly removed."

Bryony smiled faintly. She wrapped an arm around Sky's shoulder.

"I'm not really in the mood for dinner now," she said. "Let's get your mom and grab some drinks at the Tipsy Cauldron."

Sky nodded. Her head was still spinning. Bianca's baby. Silent Aiden just standing there like a statue, speechless and broodingly beautiful.

And the relentless echo of her mother's words in her mind.

My magic conjured the spell from my heart well before my head knew what I'd wanted.

Sky wished her head and her heart would stop wanting Aiden Hall.