She lifts her glass. “More than ready.”
I turn the first page, only to discover a message printed on the white-marbled vellum. It’s written in loopy script that honestly makes me a touch envious.
But even though the script is pretty, the message is not.
Warning. The use of magic on those against their permission will have Devastating Results—and could lead to death.
“Um ...” Cristina grimaces. “Do you think that’s real?”
“It’s an old spell book and is probably just a bunch of nonsense.”
Even I don’t quite believe that.
Cristina taps her fingers against the rim of her margarita glass. Indecision is written all over her face. She’s seconds away from backing out.
“In our defense, we’re not using this spell to hurt Stone. Besides, it’s probably not going to work anyway.”
I laugh weakly, but Cristina doesn’t. “I don’t know. It feels like we’re dabbling in something we shouldn’t.”
My stomach twists into a pretzel. It doesfeellike that, and my inner compass, the one that generally points north, is spinning into a death spiral.
I can turn back now or I can move forward.
“Come on. Let’s just have some fun. It’s no big deal.”
I offer Cristina an encouraging grin and she slowly nods. “Sure. No big deal. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“We’re not going to kill him.”
“Right.” She sounds more convinced now. “Let’s do it.”
I dive into the book, flipping pages. The spells are written in English, which is a blessing, but some have Latin-looking names.
I sip the mango margarita Cristina made. It’s sweet with a touch of sour—just tart enough to make me keep sipping.
“What are we looking for?” she asks.
“I have no idea. But I’ll know the spell when I see it.”
“Okay.” She peers over my shoulder. “Here’s one to get rid of chin hair. I don’t think you want that.”
“Nope.”
I flip the page and discover remedies for increasing beauty and teeth-whitening. This book is for sure old, since both of those things can now be done with surgery and toothpaste.
We keep scanning but only find entries for reheating your tea and soup.
It’s not until we reach the middle of the book that the spells suddenly shift, and everything changes. The pages become more brittle. The ink, darker.
“Here’s one for making dandelions bloom prematurely,” my friend says. “Though be warned, bees might swarm.”
“Good to know ... Oh, here’s a spell for a light hex lift. Temporarily removes minor curses.”
“What about major ones?”
“I guess you’re screwed.”
She laughs and sips more of her drink. We turn the page, and both of us suck air.
