Page 13 of Brews and Banishments
Before she could finish, Tessa and an older gentleman, Mr. Witherford, came rushing out the back door. He ran to his wife’s side instantly, tucking an arm beneath her and hoisting her up. Daisy rose alongside him, placing a gentle and cautious hand on the older woman’s back.
The moment she touched her, a chill rippled down Daisy’s spine. She jerked away, surprised at herself and the peculiar feeling. Tessa took her spot instead, turning to give Daisy a quizzical expression before helping the pair out to the driveway.
Daisy followed behind as if she was stuck in a trance, shutting the gate and sliding the clasp back down. The rest happened in a blur. Mr. Witherford managed to get his wife into the car, despite her ramblings about jumping ladders and fair-winning tomatoes. He gave Tessa and Daisy a good handshake before getting in the car himself and speeding off to the nearest hospital. Daisy doubted anything was really wrong with Old Lady Witherford, besides a bruised back or a sprain. She’d be right as rain and back to gossiping before the day was over.
Standing at the foot of the driveway, Daisy watched the car till it disappeared.
“You alright?” Tessa asked.
Daisy nodded absentmindedly. “I hope she’ll be okay.”
“On the bright side -”
“There’s a bright side?”
Tessa chuckled. “It seems you got your wish after all.”
Daisy’s head jerked. “W-What?”
“Something tells me that Old Lady Witherford won’t be getting back on that ladder for some time now,” Tessa said. “Looks like you’ll get that privacy you wanted.”
Even though Tessa was merely making a joke to lighten the chill in the air, Daisy turned back towards the backyard, towards the supposedlyjumpingladder. There was an odd feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, one that was quite similar to when she smelt that potion, or when she touched Old Lady Witherford on the back. None of it made sense, and yet, they all felt suspiciously connected.
Daisy pressed her lips together, and when she spoke, the words felt oddly hollow.
“I got my wish.”
4
Daisy
Daisy stretched her arms up in the air as she walked down her driveway. Fields’ Herbals normally opened an hour earlier, just like the rest of the shops in downtown Willowbrook, but on that morning, Daisy couldn’t get out of bed fast enough. Instead, she rolled over, snatched onto her phone, and gave Tessa a quick call, barely managing to force out the words:sleep in. Now, it was time to get to work, and a cloud of tiredness still hung over Daisy’s head like a low hanging fog.
“Didn’t you sleep at all?” Tessa called out from the sidewalk. She dressed in an eclectic dress, a thin shawl wrapped around her boney shoulders. Clips resembling flowers pinned her short, spiky hair back and out of her face.
Daisy shrugged, still trying to zip up her jacket. “Thought I did,” she murmured. “Till the alarm went off and I realized I hadn’t had a chance to sleep yet.”
“You wanna talk about it?”
“Honestly,” Daisy mused, looking in the direction of the slow-rising sun, “I’dkillfor a -”
Tessa reached Daisy on the sidewalk, a steaming takeaway cup in her hand. “Coffee?”
“Blessed be,” she whispered, almost snatching the cup out of Tessa’s hand, “You’re a lifesaver.”
Tessa shrugged. “Tell it to the local district Empath Magistrate.”
“Empath Magistrate?” Daisy repeated as they began to walk downtown. “Are you taking the exams again?”
Willowbrook stood as the hub for witches and warlocks on that side of the country. Men and women traveled miles upon miles to reach their humble town, in order to feel the natural magic that ran through the dirt and trees. It strung through the neighborhood and woods like a spiderweb, a boisterous power that fueled Daisy and Tessa’s strengths. While Daisy mastered her tests with flying colors to become a certified potion brewer, Tessa still trained and studied for her final tests.
The Empath Magistrate delivered a license that allows magic users to practice their empathy spells in a business sort of way. While Tessa could feel out emotions and thoughts wherever she pleased, she couldn’t exactly offer consultations or solutions through the shop before having a certification beneath her belt. Unfortunately for Tessa, the Empath Magistrate’s tests had been harder than usual that year, and she had yet to pass.
“Maybe.” Tessa shrugged again, a faraway look in her eyes.
Daisy tucked her arm around Tessa’s. “Why don’t we take the day to study?”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
