Page 48

"Well, then she must have been a very sensible woman," Tansy said approvingly.

Our next stop was the spice aisle, which was absolutely enormous. There were shelves and shelves of little bottles, jars, and tins, all filled with strange powders and dried herbs. Some of the labels were familiar—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger—but others were completely foreign to me. I walked down the aisle, reading the labels with interest.

Gripe Ease—For Unpleasant Wind and Flatulence.

Flitter Flutter—Reduces Wind Resistance for Winged Creatures.

Hush-a-Bye Powder—Sprinkle on Pillows for Peaceful Dreams.

And then I saw one that made me stop in my tracks.

Lust A Lot Spice Elixir—Spice Up Your Love Life!

I picked up the bright pink bottle and read the label, which had a rather alarming warning about not using more than two drops at a time.

"Good heavens," I murmured. "This stuff sounds dangerous!"

"Oh, it can be," Tansy agreed, fluttering closer. "Very potent, that one. You certainly wouldn't want to use more than the recommended amount."

"What happens if you do?" I asked.

"Well, let's just say you might wind up having a much more exciting evening than you originally planned,” she said and giggled.

I hastily put the bottle back.

"No, thank you. I've already had enough excitement for one lifetime."

"Oh, I don't know," Bartleby remarked, giving me that knowing look again. "Perhaps you ought to buy a bottle. Might come in handy at Blackthorn Manor."

"Bartleby!" I exclaimed, feeling my cheeks heating. "I am not buying some kind of magical aphrodisiac to use on Garrik!"

"I never said anything about Garrik," he purred innocently.

"You didn't have to!" I snapped.

Tansy was looking from me to Bartleby with an expression of delighted interest.

"Oh, my," she said softly. "So there's something going on between you and our handsome haunted gentleman, is there?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "There is absolutely nothing going on! I'm just trying to help him break his curse!"

"Of course, dear," she said, smiling. "Whatever you say."

I could tell she didn't believe me, but thankfully she didn't press the issue. Instead, she led us farther down the aisle to a section marked SPELL-CASTING SUPPLIES.

"Here we are!" she announced. "Now, let's see…Whisper Dust, Whisper Dust…ah, yes! Right over here."

She flew up to a high shelf and retrieved a small silver tin with a beautiful crescent moon engraved on the lid. When she brought it down, I could see that there were tiny stars painted all around the sides.

"Whisper Dust," she said proudly. "One of our most popular spell-casting aids. It's especially helpful when you're calling the corners without the assistance of a coven."

"That's exactly what Goody Albright said!" I exclaimed. "How does it work?"

"Oh, it's quite simple." Tansy opened the lid and showed me a fine, shimmering powder inside. "You sprinkle a little at each of the four corners while you recite the calling words. The dust amplifies your voice so that the magical elements can hear you more clearly."

"Magical elements?" I repeated.

"Earth, Air, Fire, and Water," she explained. "They're very important in spell-casting, especially when you're working powerful magic. Calling the corners is simply a way of asking them to lend you their power."