Page 13 of Potions and Proposals
“Yes, I agreed, because I’m supposed to be impartial. However, as your mum, I’m not going to let you bind yourself to someone you don’t love,” Mum explained, removing a small, muddy root from a paper bag.
“How about you stop whatever spell you’ve concocted, and we go back to the coven? We can tell them that I’ve changed my mind, and to proceed with the vote at the end of the month so that Benedict and I have an equal chance to prove ourselves,” Lucy said, trying to find a neutral solution. “Using magic to manipulate a situation never ends well.”
Both women stared up at her, as if they weren’t the ones who’d taught her that very lesson.
“Are you mad? You can’t go back on your word. Not when Benedict has agreed. They’ll stand against you.” Mum took a deep breath. “I promise, your grandmother and I aren’t going to hurt or manipulate anyone.”
“We discovered there’s a flaw in Gwendoline’s ritual. If you find your true love before All Hallows’ Eve, your soul won’t bond with Benedict’s because you’ll already be connected to another,” Grams explained, while Mum grated the foul-smelling root over the cauldron.
Lucy hesitated, then laughed, thinking it had to be a joke. When Grams and Mum didn’t falter, her nervous laughter disappeared.
“You can’t be serious. You want to use a love spell on me?”
They stopped her from putting the lid on the cauldron.
“By ensuring you find your true love, your magic will never let you bond to another. Love is stronger than any magic, so the coven won’t be able to force your hand,” Grams insisted.
Lucy waved the makeshift spell in the air. “I hoped you’d have a plan to help, but love potions never work the way we want. Love magic usually ends up with some crazed obsession, or worse, even dying of a broken heart. Love can be lethal in certain doses. I’ve seen the horror stories in the archives to prove it.”
“There’s no need to worry. We’ve taken every precaution, and mixed two spells,” Grams started.
“Combining incantations with potions will only make the spell more potent!” Lucy groaned.
“It’s not an incantation – just a list of all the qualities we thought would make your perfect match. Technically, we aren’t making someone fall in love with you, nor you with them. We’re only setting you on a path to find each other, but not dictating it,” Grams said.
It sounded reasonable, but also insane. Was there such a thing as reasonably insane?
“What about the potion?”
“Just a simple mixture. It’ll draw the two of you together. We only have until the 31stOctober for you to find each other.” Mum seemed as convinced as Grams that their scheme would work.
“This is too risky! You can’t justdesigna man for me,” Lucy argued, pacing. “How did you even have time to come up with all this?”
“Risky is binding yourself to a man you can’t stand,” Grams muttered, but Mum interjected.
“When Gwendoline called the coven to gather, I knew something was up. This wouldn’t be the first time she has hinted at another successor, and when she showed me the review I knew she had the ammo she needed to put doubt about you in the other’s minds.” She took her daughter’s hand. “With the whole town seeing the review, my hands were tied. I do agree that Benedict is a worthy candidate, but a loveless binding is out of the question.”
“I wish you’d just spoken up at the meeting if you were so against it.” Lucy sighed, removing her hand. “It would’ve been far easier than casting whatever Frankenstein love spell you’ve got simmering away.”
“I would’ve been accused of nepotism.”
Unfortunately, Mum was right.
“We thought you’d be happy to hear our plan,” Grams chimed in, arching her eyebrow. “Maybe you don’t despise the man as much as you claim?”
Both women stared at her, as though she was harbouring some secret love.
“Just let me think! What if I find the person I love, but the coven finds out we cast a spell intending to disrupt the binding? They’ll view it as a betrayal.”
Mum gripped her hand and, before Lucy could stop her, pricked her finger.
“Ow,” Lucy hissed as her mum squeezed a droplet of blood from the wound over the sizzling pot. The potion shimmered, and the bubbling settled.
“Sorry, we needed it to strengthen the spell,” Mum said, releasing her hand. “Your concerns are valid, but we know how hard it is to be in power, and to do it with someone you don’t care for at your side would be a life sentence. We only wish tosee you happy. If the coven finds out, then we’ll worry about that when the time comes.”
Lucy pressed her finger to her lips, feeling guilty for questioning the two people who’d only ever wanted the best for her. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that a spell was too drastic, and she couldn’t believe they were willing to go so far to protect her heart. It was something the Mathersons would do, not the Hawthornes.
Gram took the list of qualities from the table and held it over the cauldron.
