Page 3 of Curses & Cold Brew
“Your girlfriend’s sister’s crush’s baby sister?” I asked, pointing out the many ways that relationship would fail before it even started. “The last thing I need is to get involved in werewolf politics. They’re messy as fuck. Maybe I can cast some sort of conjuring spell to find my perfect woman.”
I looked down at my book, but I knew damn well that there were no love spells within its pages.
Jordyn snorted derisively. “Yeah, ‘cause that has worked out so well for us in the past.” With a flick of her wrist, she magically shut my book. “Slow down there,Practical Magic. You’re going to sprain something.”
I ignored her and shouted to the ceiling, arms spread wide, “Moon Goddess, send me a hot lesbian?—”
Andrightat that inopportune moment, Ramona Henry walked through the door.
“Notthathot lesbian,” I grumbled to myself.
Jordyn burst into laughter. “Gotta be more specific with those prayers, Iris,” she teased as Ramona strode deeper into the apothecary. Her giggles died when Ramona gave her a cold, steely look. “Afternoon, Ramona.”
Ramona replied to Jordyn’s greeting with a mere purse of her lips. She gave off the same energy as the New York execs who were dragged around town by their children: cold, robotic, menacing. But beyond the expensive tailored suit and eyeliner so sharp it could cut glass, she was positively demonic. It was the way she moved and her eerie silver eyes that gave her away. She usually wore sunglasses during tourist season so no one would ask to take selfies with her, but today, her eyes were on full display and seemed to be tracking my every movement. Her raven hair was pulled back into a slick bun, not a single hair out of place. She wore shined Oxford loafers, bloodred nails, and a smudge of burgundy lipstick that demanded all of my attention. She was all angles, her features sharp and predatory as she twisted her head to look from Jordyn to me.
My mouth went dry when our gazes met. I braced my forearms on the desk. Every time Ramona made eye contact with me, my knees went weak. She was the most otherworldly and gorgeous being I’d ever met,andthe broker holding my debt. I shouldn’t want to mess with such a powerful demon, but I was drawn to her like a soul to a summoning circle.
“Can we help you with something?” I rasped, my pitch higher than my usual customer service voice.
“Yes.” She glowered. “Youcan.”
My stomach twisted, and I had to stop myself from leaping over the counter to answer any question she might have. Instead, I cleared my throat.
Come on, Iris! Play it cool!
Ramona dropped a white confectionary box on the desk. “Here.”
I opened the top to reveal six and half apple cider donuts from Full Moon Bakery.
“Oh,” I said, instantly reaching for one.
“Wait!” Jordyn called, stalling my hand as she walked over to inspect the box. “Only six left in a box that holds a dozen, and one has a giant bite taken out of it?”
Ramona shrugged. “The man I took them from won’t be missing them.”
Jordyn retracted her arm like one of the pastries had tried to bite her. “You gave us a dead guy’s donuts?”
The corner of Ramona’s mouth tipped up. “If you don’t want them, don’t eat them.”
I snatched one of the donuts that didn’t have a bite mark before Jordyn could stop me and shoved the entire thing into my mouth like a chipmunk with an acorn.
Jordyn’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
I could barely speak, my mouth was so full. Luckily, my best friend was fluent in Mouthful Iris as I said, “Eloise only makes thirty boxes of these a day, and I’m never up early enough to wait in line.”
Jordyn rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Ramona, who had moved to one of the herb baskets next to the checkout desk. “What are you looking for, demon?”
“This.” Ramona turned her hand over, and a copper bowl of burnt herbs appeared as if she’d pulled it out of some pocket realm.
My eyes widened in awe. Her magic flowed around her as easily as she breathed. Of all the magic-wielding beings who lived in Maple Hollow, none could manipulate the forces of nature like demons could.
Jordyn took the bowl, sniffed it, then set it between the two of us. It wasn’t hard to figure out that it was a mixture of common protection herbs. But there was something else that had been ground up and burned to ash at the bottom of the vessel. I dipped my finger in and brought it up to my nose.
“Well, that’s interesting.” I tapped the tip of my finger to my tongue and tasted the earthy mix of celery and licorice. “Angelica root.”
“Someone was trying to make gin?” Ramona flipped her hand again, and the bowl disappeared.
“I doubt it.” I pursed my lips, considering. “Though humans use it for alcohol, the most common use would be a psychic cloaking spell along with protection and purification.”
