Page 36 of Love Spell

But there was one bright spot, one hope: Noah wasn’t the source of all this trouble, was he?What had really happened to Timo?Was it possible, really possible, that Julian had somehow cursed him?It was completely ridiculous.But so was his whole life right now.Something was happening, something beyond Timo’s control, and this man in black who turned out to be an astrologer of all things, might possibly know something about it.

To save himself any slip-ups in his new casual attitude towards Noah, Timo left for work half an hour early just to escape.Even the smell of Noah’s shampoo turned out to be alluring.

The day cartwheeled past in a blur until lunch when Timo dashed to the Tube, then to the south London coffee shop several minutes early.

He started for the small queue to get his drink and wait, only to spot Julian, all in black again, already at a table, reading on his phone, coffee mug in front of him.

Timo thought he was going to keep calm for the chat.He thought he was going to ask what was happening and keep an open mind and clearly but firmly state that it all had to stop.Then he saw that man with his black boots, his amulets, and arrogant expression, chill and unconcerned as a tray of ice, and Timo knew in a flash that what he really wanted, deep down, was to murder him.

He dropped into the chair opposite Julian and sat forward, arms on the little round table, pulse pounding, chest hot.

“What the hell have you done to my life?”Timo growled.

Julian looked up from his phone.“Good morning.Fine, thanks for asking.I’m Julian.”

“Don’t fuck with me.You were at the wedding.You said you cast magic spells.I said that was bullshit.You said I’d see one, or you’d cast one on me or something.The next day my whole life was in tatters.What did you do?”

“Is that so?Sounds like you’re the one who needs to tell me what I did.”Julian sat back, taking his coffee cup with him.His expression was hard to read but possibly bored.

“No.You tell me what you did and how it works.What is going on with me?”

“I really couldn’t say, but I can offer referrals for professional help if you —”

“I’m not playing around.I want to know what you did and I want to know how you’re going to undo it.Now.”

Julian simply looked at him while Timo fought with his own tone and the burning anger that bubbled up against his throat.

He tried again.“Will you please tell me if you’ve done something to me?”

“What difference would that make?You said yourself my magick wasn’t ‘real’.So why ask?”

“I don’t know about that.All I know is that I was fine when I went to the wedding, then I ran into you and I started having problems.”

“Yeah, I’m going out on a limb to say, I didn’t cause your problems.”Julian took a drink.

“So you didn’t do anything?This is all in my head?”

“Did I say I didn’t do anything?”

Timo leaned in.“What is going on?”

“How should I know?You haven’t even said what’s wrong.”

“What did youdo?”

“Nothing sinister.Just demonstrating that bit of magick you were so eager to see.I’d have thought the effects were obvious, but perhaps one of us missed something.”

“Obvious how?What’s it do?”

“My spell?The spell I didn’t cast on you because there’s no such thing?”

“What’s it do?”

“What do you think it does?”

“Makes me obsessed, a single-minded addict, destroying my work, taking over my life, absorbing all my time, looping thoughts, recurring dreams dropped into sleepless nights.”

“Sounds about right.Also known as a love spell.”

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