Page 42 of Brews and Banishments
“My plan all along,” Tessa teased, though a serious expression was beginning to stretch across her face. She twisted her arm around Daisy, pulling her close. The calming energy wafted off of her in short bursts. “That Sebastian Crowe. Always gave me a bad feeling, even before everything he did.” She shook her head, grumbling something beneath her breath.
Daisy didn’t need any reminders about Sebastian Crowe’s character. Out of all three of the suspects they’d managed to think up, he was the most serious, the most powerful, the most inherently dangerous. Maybe women like Marigold and Drusilla gathered the courage to act upon their anger, but it would never amount to the power of a curse. Someone like Sebastian Crowe, who came from a legendary family of Willowbrook-born witches and warlocks, was more than capable.
“We can’t handle him like the others,” Daisy said.
Tessa’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Can you imagine trying to talk a man like him down?” She shook her head. “The only reason Sebastian ever listened to is his own. We wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“I’d call him crazy, but I wouldn’t go so far as to think him capable of real harm.”
Daisy eyed her. “Is that your expertise as an empath, or as my friend?”
Tessa hesitated. Even if she didn’t say it, the look on her face proved it all. There was a sort of fear there, where Sebastian was concerned.
“We can get the Council involved this time,” Tessa said.
“I don’t -”
“Why not?” she blurted. “After everything he did, Daisy, how can the Council not be concerned? Heisa magic user!”
Daisy pressed her lips together.
“All we’d have to do is tell the Elders what he did.”
“No,” Daisy said.
Tessa tilted her head.
“I-I can’t, Tess,” she murmured. “Sebastian was supposed to be my friend after Gary passed. The hurt, thebetrayal,of how he tried to manipulate me…it isn’t a pain I’m ready to give away so easily.” Her stare hardened. “I plan on handling this myself.”
After a moment of silence, the pair kept on walking, Tessa’s hold over her arm growing tighter the further they went. Daisy, then, grew overwhelmed with emotion at the idea of not having Tessa around. Everything in her life would’ve been different if it wasn’t for her best friend, especially in these very moments.
Tessa steered them through downtown, but slipped past the local ice cream parlour. When Daisy was about to ask where they were headed, they stepped into a courtyard, where garden benches and trimmed bushes lined up to create a cozy seating area in the shade. The local animal shelter had turned the courtyard into an adoption expo, with kennels and roped areas to section off the different strays. Dogs yipped from their kennels, standing over each other to get a look at the street. Cats curled within their carriers, not caring for the noise too much.
At the center of it all, little old Anne wandered about the small path between the cages. She pushed around a tray of food and bowls, struggling to handle the excited animals and prepare their breakfasts.
“Changed your mind on the ice cream?” Daisy asked.
Tessa shrugged sheepishly. “Maybe playing with some dogs would help you feel better.”
The pair entered the courtyard eagerly, surprised to not see any interested patrons. Despite being early in the morning, locals and tourists lingered in the streets, window shopping and slipping into cafes. A few glanced in their direction, but didn’t pay the animals' attention. Daisy frowned. Since when was adopting straysunpopular?
“Morning, you two!” Anne called out from within the pack. “Come to play with the animals?”
Tessa grinned eagerly, already stepping within one of the kennels. She had a wondrous way with animals, which happened to be a side effect from the empath training. Not only had she grown up with handfuls of dogs and cats, but Tessa’s inherent ability naturally drew them closer to her. She knelt in the kennel, greedily swooping the dogs up. Their frantic excitement settled into a need for human contact.
“Are you running all this yourself, Anne?” Daisy asked as she twisted around the cages to help the older woman feed the rowdy animals. A few dogs, too mixed to know exactly what they were, leapt to lick at Daisy’s hands. She gasped, holding back a loud laugh as the animals howled and barked for her attention.
“Well,” Anne breathed, “you know how things are!”
“Sure, but this seems like quite the feat for one person.” Daisy scooped into the kibble, filling bowls and lowering them into crates. “I remembered that you volunteer with the local shelter, can they send some more help?”
Anne shook her head. “Everyone else is quite involved in more important work, Daisy. Unfortunately for Willowbrook, there isn’t a great need for strays, it seems.”
“When is there never a need for strays?” Daisy shook her head and huffed.
“Only so many volunteers can be spared,” Anne continued. “Especially for cases like ours. All these creatures are out of a home! I’m afraid for their future, if the event happens to go as poorly as suspected.” Turning away, Anne began to push the cart through the pathway, her eyes kind but her smile heavy with sorrow.
