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She walked over to a small altar behind the counter, complete with candles and crystals. It looked like part of the witchy decoration. She mumbled a few words, and the entire coffee shop brightened for a second.
“That should take care of it.” She went to talk to Tansy, and I followed behind her.
“Hey, Griselda.” Shelby still looked scared but brightened at Griselda’s approach.
“Hey, Shelby.” Griselda eyed the children’s spell book on the table, then turned her attention to Tansy. “You just started learning. No wonder. Girl, you have to hide your magic better. It’s broadcasting your location. And there are plenty of bad people out there you don’t want the attention of.”
She picked up the book and opened it to a page in the middle. “This one. Learn this one first and keep it on at all times. It won’t drain your energy. It only activates when someone tries to detect it.”
“Oh, I know that one,” Shelby said. “It compartmentalizes your magic. It’s like putting part of it in a box so no one can see it.”
“I’ve warded the place so whoever’s spying on you can’t get in.” She handed the book back to Tansy. “Volume Two has wards and potions. But don’t rush to get there like I did, and set your house on fire.”
“Thank you,” Tansy said.
“Our vehicle is warded,” I said. “That must be why it didn’t find her until we left it.”
“Try to stay in warded areas until the wizard looking for you either gives up, or you learn enough magic to make yourself an unsuitable target. These wizards take advantage of the young and innocent. They don’t like controlling established magic users. Too much work.”
It was an evil spirit after her and not a wizard, but I didn’t offer the extra information. If Dean’s body didn’t have magic in it, that meant Amrita was working with a wizard to look for and spy on Tansy.
It was risky for any soul to work with a wizard. Amrita must be getting desperate. The wizard could turn on her, trapping her in soul form and siphoning her energy. That would get rid of Tansy’s problem. But now, Tansy was also a target for the wizards. I wondered what deal the spirit had made with the wizard.
“We should head back to the car,” I said. The plan had been to come in for drinks and treats to go. “Nugget is waiting.”
“Nugget?” Griselda asked.
“Oh, she’s my pet bird.”
“Wonderful! I have an African Gray upstairs. What type of bird?”
“A sun conure. She’s adorable but has an attitude.” Tansy’s excitement showed when she talked about Nugget.
The two exchanged naughty bird stories briefly, and then we were back on our way.
I walked back to the car with my arm protectively around Tansy. She leaned on me and seemed to relax at my touch. The charm kept her safe from magical spells, but if anyone tried to take her physically, they’d have one angry demon in their face.
Chapter 12
Eamon
Shelbyhadgrownupin a pretty little cottage-styled home covered in greenery. There were flower beds out front and an extensive garden in the back. There was even a small guest house back there hidden behind all the foliage.
Iris and Alex welcomed us into their cozy living room.
“Wow! Why would you ever give this up for city life?” Tansy asked.
“It wasn’t like this when I was growing up,” Shelby said, looking around at the houseplants filling every windowsill. “Grams and Gramps always had a big garden and some houseplants, but nothing like this.”
“Your grandmother went hog wild after realizing you had magic as well. She keeps me on my toes. That’s how I keep fit nowadays, trimming the hedges and pruning the plants. If I stopped, this place would be overrun.” Alex was a horticulturalist and a perfect match for his green witch wife.
Nugget was lost somewhere in the houseplants, but Tansy didn’t seem to be worried. Occasionally, a fluttering of wings had me looking around just in time to see a flash of yellow and orange. She was in bird heaven, and I wondered if I should add to my houseplant collection at the penthouse for her.
Iris bustled in from the kitchen carrying a tray laden with freshly baked cookies, a teapot, and a stack of teacups. I got up and took the tray from her.
“Thank you, dear.”
What she didn’t know was that I had ulterior motives. I’d been smelling those cookies since I’d stepped into the home and had been waiting for them to make their grand entrance.
