Page 29 of Brews and Banishments
“I’m being totally serious, Daisy!”
Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Daisy sighed. “You’d make a pretty good bad cop, don’t you think?”
“ButI’man empath!”
“Exactly,” Daisy replied with a shrug. “You know what makes them tick!”
They laughed together for a moment, the musical sound filling the stuffy arcane room. Daisy allowed herself to revel in the joy, to pay attention to the laughter rather than focus on the unknown. Despite that, a hidden truth lied in the distance, and Daisy grew more and more eager to figure it out.
Soon,she thought.Very soon.
9
Daisy
Tessa rubbed her stomach as they made their way up to Marigold Shadowbrook’s front door. For the fourth time since leaving Fields’ Herbals,Tessa complained about how hungry she was. Even from beside her, Daisy could hear the grumbles and mumbles of her stomach, calling out for some food. Daisy raised her watch. It was close to lunch time, and nearing ever so slightly closer to her evening date with Ethan.
But, as Tessa told her beforehand, there were important things needing to be done.
Daisy stopped a few feet away from the front porch. Lights were on through the windows, Marigold’s car parked in the driveway. She was obviously home, and that realization frightened Daisy more than she wanted it to.
Tessa paused at the few steps that led onto the porch. “Are you coming?”
“M-Maybe we should get some lunch first,” Daisy blurted. “That spell drained us.”
“We need to get you ready for your date after lunch.”
Daisy hesitated, fidgeting between her feet. “Tess, I’ve heard some things about Marigold. Like that she’s gone, well…” She paused, raising a finger to her head.
“Crazy?”
“Well, that’s such a blunt way to put it.”
Tessa laughed. “But that’s what you meant, right?”
Daisy pressed her lips together, embarrassed by her own feelings.
Leaving the porch steps, Tessa came in front of her and snatched onto her hands. “You aren’t alone, Daisy,” she reassured, the natural energy of her growing empath abilities seeping into her skin. “And let’s be honest about something. You can’t be liked by everyone.”
“I know that,” Daisy mumbled.
“Then stick to it. Marigold made her own decisions that led to her life being this way,” she continued. “Don’t let someone else’s life choices bog down your own, alright? Now,” Tessa squeezed her hands, “the sooner we get this done, the quicker I can get some food in my belly.”
Daisy lightly laughed, though her voice trembled and quivered still.
With their hands intertwined, the pair walked the rest of the way to the door. Daisy rapped her knuckles against the wood. The sound of scurrying and fumbling could be heard from the opposite side. Footsteps clashed against the floor as someone unsteadily approached the front door. Daisy squeezed Tessa’s hand, bracing herself for the uncomfortable conversation that was bound to follow.
The door was ripped open.
“You!”
Marigold Shadowbrook had always been stunning to look at. She wore her black, pin-straight hair down her back simply, sometimes a bandana or headband pushing it out of her face.Her skin was sun-kissed, only tanned and amber in a way. There wasn’t a blemish in sight, despite being the same age as Daisy, who wore her wrinkles fashionably and confidently. Marigold stood a head taller than Daisy, almost the same height as Tessa.
But these were all things Daisy could recite from memory. What they saw when the door opened was far from what they were actually expecting.
Marigold was dressed in a wide wedding dress. The lower half was made out of pluming skirts, the white fabric stretched out so far that it poked outside the front door. Marigold’s feet were hidden by the dress, though they could hear the sound of her sharp heels clicking against the tiled floor. Around her bosom, the wedding dress was tight and form fitting. The veil was thrown around haphazardly behind her head. Streaks of makeup stained her cheeks and chin. Dried tears along with fresh ones fell down her face like a waterfall.
And, the most surprising feature out of it all, was the amber-filled liquor bottle in her right hand. The liquid sloshed with every move she made, already half empty. It was obviously whiskey, a realization Daisy made from the scent alone.
