Page 61 of Surviving in Everton

“Oh. Well, that sucks. What was the spell for? The one you used his magic to make?”

“Hmm? What spell?”

“The spell you used Jim’s magic to make. What was it for?”

“Oh! This poor norm was desperate to get this girl to fall in love with him. I met him at a party and he told me all about it. He had just asked this guy to make him a love potion, but he wouldn’t do it. I told him I could totally make him one. While we were talking about it, I found out it was Rowen he wanted to spell! Oh, that just made my day! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make her life hell. I told him about this spell that I use that makes people do whatever you want and offered to add that to the love potion. He was delighted when I explained how it worked.

“And it’s worked for ten years! He kept that bitch away from you so I could have you. But you still wouldn’t be mine! So I had to settle for Jim. He always was a good little lap dog, though. I mean, he did let me use his magic to make a spell in college, just to get my attention. He followed me around for years. He was thrilled when I finally gave him the time of day. Didn’t even bat an eye when I asked for his magic to make the spell for Harris.”

“What did the spell do? The spell you made for Harris?” It’s like pulling teeth talking to her like this, but damn is she telling me everything and then some!

“Whatever he wanted it to! That’s the beauty in this spell. I stumbled across it in this book I found. It’s actually been a very useful spell for me. I use it all the time to get what I want. Like to get Emma in Declan’s class, totally used that spell on the registration lady. Even got her to keep his class schedule from him! What was I talking about?”

“You were telling me about the spell you gave to a norm to use on Rowen.”

“Oh, yeah! He didn’t have magic you see, so he had to give it to her in a potion. It was a really complicated potion though, because I added so many spells to it. I didn’t realize how complex my control spell was. It takes the user’s intent to help fuel the magic. This isn’t a problem for me, of course, because Ihavemagic. I’m used to using my intent with my spells, but apparently it’s not exactly safe for non-magic users. I guess if the spell can’t pull your intent through your magic, it just takes it fromyou. Which is really, a nice way of saying the magic sucks your will out of you. Apparently, your will is pretty important. You know how people say “he lost the will to live”? Well, that’s a real thing. Especially if your will is removed from you little by little over a span of years.”

“Whoa! So Harris died because of the potion he gave Rowen?”

“Oh, for sure! He was only supposed to give her the potion once, but he just kept giving it to her over and over. Every time he gave it to her, he spent a bit of his will. It really didn’t take a lot, but when you consider how many times he gave it to her, I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. He must have had a strong will. But the magic won out eventually.” She shrugs again.

“Do you know what continued spelling like that does to a person? What would happen to Rowen if he spelled her that often?”

She laughs at that. “Oh, Hudson! I don’tcarewhat happens to Rowen! Ihopeit has some negative effect on her like it did Jim and Harris.”

I see red. I seriously want to reach across this table right now and strangle her. How can she say that! How can she just notcare, hell evenwantsomething so awful to happen to an innocent person?! I grab my glass and throw back what’s left of it.

“I need another drink. You want one?”

She looks at her empty glass then smiles up at me. “That'd be great. Thank you, Hudson.”

I grab her glass and head back to the bar. Nate gives me a concerned look when he sees me coming.

“How’s it going?”

“I need another fucking drink. The potion worked. I just wasn’t prepared for her confessions. How could one person be so evil?”

Nate’s eyes bug out when I mention the potion, but I can’t even care right now. He hasn’t had to sit there and listen to the things I have and act like everything’s fine. I seriously don’t know how much more I can take.

“I don’t know, man. Has she told you everything yet? Do you know how to reverse the spell?”

“Spells. She used multiple spells in the potion. So we’re going to have to get both spells from her to create the potion.”

“Of fucking course she did. You having any luck getting the actual spells?”

“I don’t know about the love spell, but the control spell she apparently uses all of the time… No real surprise there. But she found that one in a book. I’m going to see if I can get my hands on that.”

“Alright, good idea. I’m gonna text Declan and see how he’s doing getting all the ingredients for the dissipation potion.”

“Great, I’m gonna get back to the psycho with a memory problem.”

I carry our drinks back to the table, handing the Cosmo to her as I sit down across from her for hopefully the last time. I need to get this over with, I’m ready to go home.

“Thank you, Hudson. This is my favorite! How did you know?”

“You told me, Brit.”

“Oh, I did?”

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