Page 18 of The Trouble With Spells
Probably. Possibly. It would be fine.
Michael looked so relieved when he turned to face me, and I knew in that moment I couldn’t take the offer back even if I wanted to. He needed my help. He truly believed the spell was the cause of all the bad things that had happened to him the last day and a half, and if I could make that troubled look in his eyes vanish, I was going to try.
“You will?” His voice was full of relief, and I nodded. Hex meowed loudly at me, his tone telling me he wasn’t on board with my plan in the slightest. Yeah, he was as worried as I was about this.
“Yeah, it’s a simple reversal spell.” I sounded way more confident than I felt, my palms growing sweaty. Taking a steadying breath, I offered him a smile I hoped conveyed my skill.
You have no spell casting skills, Callum, and this is a very, verybad idea.
“Thank you, Callum.” The way Michael said my name, low and silky, had goosebumps racing down my spine and all my blood rushing straight towards my dick. “Thank you.”
Brushing past him to hide the bulge in my jeans his words had caused, I flipped the open sign to closed, and locked the door, pulling down the shade. We didn’t need any tourists witnessing me doing any actual spell casting. Especially if something went awry.
Not that it would. I had every confidence that this time my spell would work. Mostly.
“Let me grab one of Daphne’s candles.” I hurried to the row of Daphne’s spelled candles we sold. Grabbing a green one that was for reversing bad luck, I placed it on the counter and lit it.
Hex arched his back, swiping at my hand that held the lighter with his paw.
“Stop that,” I ordered the cat, moving the candle away from him, before he accidentally flicked his tail in the flame. Or knocked the candle over and set the shop and house on fire. I’d never be able to explain that to my family.
Oh hey, you know how we all agreed it was a bad idea for me to spell cast? Well, this really cute guy came in that I crushed on in high school, and he batted his eyes at me, and my dick got hard, so I said I would help him reverse a tiny little spell he had on him. Before I could evenget started, Hex knocked the candle over and poof! Fire! But it happened before I actually did anything, so really, it’s the cat’s fault.
Yeah, that wouldn’t go over well at all.
Turning to Michael, I smiled tentatively. “I need to go look up something in my Gran’s grimoire. I’ll be right back. Make sure Hex doesn’t knock the candle over, please.” Pointing at the cat, I shot him a stern look before hurrying through the curtain and up the stairs to Gran’s room.
Ten minutes later, I returned to find Michael pretty much where I had left him, occupying himself with petting Hex. The cat looked to be in heaven, his purring loud enough I could hear him when I came back into the shop, his earlier displeasure with me replaced by the lavish attention being heaped on him. He was such an attention whore.
“All set.” Standing in front of Michael, I took his hands in mine, feeling a tingle of awareness spread through my body.
He shook his shoulders, his arms wiggling like noodles, but his fingers wrapped around mine with a firm hold. “Should I do anything?”
“Close your eyes.” He did, shutting his intense blue gaze from me. He took a breath, then slowly let it out, trying hard to relax.
My voice was quiet, but steady, as I chanted the spell. With each word, I grew more confident.
“Banish bad fortune and fear, make this spell disappear. Bring good fortune and luck today, only good karma shall stay. Banish all that blocks and binds, conjure thee and make it mine. Return this spell from whence it came, with my power, I mote it be.”
Michael’s eyes fluttered open and we stared at each other for a few seconds, neither saying a word. Finally, he whispered, “Is that it?”
Nodding, I reluctantly dropped my hands from his, breaking our connection. “That’s it.”
He blinked and took a step back. “I don’t feel any different.”
Snorting, I chuckled. “Did you feel different before?”
“Oh, no. I don’t think so,” he shook his head, “I just thought I’d feel…I don’t know…something different. Thank you, Callum. How much do I owe you?”
Waving a hand to dismiss his question, I blew out the candle. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Surreptitiously casting my eyes over the shop, I looked for anything that might be amiss, but everything seemed normal. Breathing a sigh of relief, I turned to find Michael watching me with concern.
“Everything okay?” he asked, putting his wallet back into his pocket from where he’d pulled it out.
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” I tried to sound as normal as possible, while still checking for anything that might be amiss.
He shrugged, “I don’t know, you tell me. You look a little…I’m not sure. Like you’re looking for something.”
