Page 32 of Which Witch Is Wicked?
She raced toward the growing disaster and gripped the cauldron’s handle just as her door burst open. Tierra stood wide-eyed in the doorway. “What in the name of the goddess are you doing?”
“Stay back,” Claire yelled. Three-foot flames roared out of the kettle as she ran for the window. As she climbed through the opening, her curtains caught fire.
“Moira! Aerin!” Tierra screamed behind her.
Claire didn’t look back as she hurried across the porch roof and chucked the cauldron, contents and all, down onto the grass. She hoped the lack of a heat source and the moisture from the ground would stop the flames.
Instead, the blaze continued, the contents now beginning to take the shape of an undulating blob.
“Shit,” Claire hissed. She turned to find her three sisters peering out the window behind her. Thankfully, her curtains no longer burned. She strode toward them, pushing through until she was back inside.
“What have you done?” Aerin asked, fear in all of their eyes.
“A spell. To bring back my first love. Lucinda recommended it.”
“You trusted that lanky bitch?” Moira asked, reproach in her gaze.
“Look on the table. She brought back the Grimoire as an offer of friendship.” Though Claire wondered now if she’d been too caught up in what Lucinda had said to pay attention to any inner warnings. “I sensed no evil about her. Why shouldn’t I trust her? Why shouldn’t we?
She could be the help we need to save everyone.”
“You say this even as you try to burn down our house?” Tierra shook her head in disappointment. “Even I was smart enough to sense something was up with her.”
Claire recoiled. “You didn’t spend as much time with her as I did.
She only wants to be our friend.”
“Uh-huh.” Moira lifted a doubtful brow.
“I don’t have time to argue.” She shoved past them. “My cauldron is still burning in the yard. Whatever isbrewingisn’t done yet.” She raced down the stairs and outside, her sisters hot on her trail.
“Oh, shit.” Tierra said as the four of them came to halt at the edge of the lawn.
“What the fuck is that?” Aerin whispered.
The concoction had grown in size. The oily black blob continued to move and expand.
“I’d say it’s Satan’s spawn come to kick our ass.” Moira linked her arms through Claire’s and Tierra’s.
“We have to stop it.” Aerin opened the book she’d had clutched to her chest. “There must be a spell somewhere that can reverse it.”
“I don’t know where,” Claire said.
“Find the original spell,” Tierra suggested. “Sometimes reversals can be in small print at the bottom of the page.”
Claire took the book, frantically looking for the page with the red heart. “Here! It’s right here.” Her hands shook as she tried to read the small lettering in the dim light from the porch.
“I can’t see anything.” Tierra grabbed the book and moved closer to the light. “Yes, there’s one.” She quickly chanted the words, and the four of them turned to watch the growing mass.
Tierra’s spell failed to provide any obvious effect. “I’m not strong enough on my own.”
“We can’t join our powers, Tierra.” Aerin shook her head decisively. “You know what will happen.”
“Maybe just a couple of us can,” Moira said. “Maybe me and Tierra since this is a fire spell. Water and earth ought to put it out, right?”
The four of them looked at each other, and then Tierra and Moira joined hands without waiting for an official decision.
At the end of their incantation, the form hissed and spit, but didn’t diminish in size.
