Page 80 of Foul Days

“You might not have. Sometimes enchantments can be insidious and lie dormant for many years before activating.”

“Right. And what would activate them?”

“Stress. Adrenaline. Strong emotions. You never know.”

“I’ll try to stay calm, then.”

Kosara sighed. He wasn’t getting how serious this could be.

Given his job, it was likely the enchantment he was under wasn’t anything pleasant. In fact, Kosara would bet on it being a curse. A curse that could compel him to do something terrible, at any given moment, and she wouldn’t be able to stop him. Not without her magic.

He could have been cursed without him even realising. Witches and warlocks were experts at hiding curses in otherwise innocent-looking talismans and amulets. Kosara had once met a man who thought he’d bought a love potion from a witch, except instead of making the beautiful woman he liked fall in love with him, it made him fall in love with the witch.

Asen yawned. “Maybe I’ll go to bed. I can’t believe how tired I am.”

“I can’t believe you’re still able to stand after you danced with the samodivas.”

“That’s nothing. I’ll take you to one of my family’s weddings one day, they last for three days.”

If Kosara wasn’t so worried, she’d have been more surprised he’d just invited her to a wedding. Most people wouldn’t consider bringing a witch to a family gathering.

Asen disappeared up the stairs. Kosara waited until she heard his snoring, then walked to the living room where an old mirror gathered dust on a high shelf. Vila had given it to Kosara back when she’d still been her apprentice. Kosara was supposed to only use it in emergencies. After a brief hesitation, she decided this counted.

She wiped the dust off the mirror’s surface with her sleeve, then tapped on the glass.

“Um, hello?”

“Kosara?” Vila’s irritated face floated in the mirror. She was in her nightgown, her white hair falling over her shoulders as she peered down into the bowl of water she used to communicate. “Do you know what time it is?”

Kosara checked the clock over the sofa. Three A.M. “Sorry.”

“I’m an old woman, Kosara. I need my sleep.”

“Sorry,” Kosara repeated. “But I need an expert opinion. Asen and I just got back from dancing with the samodivas but—”

“You did what? Why would you take him with you?”

“Let me finish. Their magic didn’t work on him.”

A second of silence, before Vila swore.

“What do you think?” Kosara asked, although she knew the answer.

“He’s been enchanted already. Do you know who’s done it?”

“Not a clue.”

“Does he know?”

“I don’t think so. It’s most likely someone he’d tried to arrest.”

Vila kept clicking her tongue, like she always did when she was thinking.

“This could be dangerous,” she said at last. “Are you sure the curse isn’t active? What if he’s currently acting under the spell?”

“I don’t think he is. He doesn’t act enchanted. His eyes—”

A loud tut interrupted her. “Forget about his eyes. Have you smelled his breath?”

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