Love Potions (19 page)

“There love, all settled.” Erik made a move to hold her.

Lydia pulled away. “No, love, not all settled.”

“What did we forget?”

“Since there is clearly no stopping your family from throwing your magick and your money around, I’m going to go tell Charlotte the doctors think she should live with me for the time being to make sure there are no residual effects. Then, when she is ready I’m telling her the truth.”

“Truth?” Erik sounded slightly worried.

“All of it.” Lydia scowled. She reached to the pile of junk food and began gathering the majority of it into her arms. “Now you go do whatever it is you do, and I’m going to eat and stare at Charlotte until she wakes up.”

“I can come with—”

“Alone.” Lydia strode away from him.

…

“Sweet! Free chips.” Euann reached down to a bag of potato chips Lydia had left behind and opened it. Grinning as he popped one into his mouth, he asked, “Where’s my new sister off to?”

Erik glanced at his brother, noting his bruised eye. “Banshee woke up, didn’t she?”

“Not to worry. Mission was accomplished.” Euann laughed. “And already messaged to every clan phone.”

“Malina’s going to kill ya for that,” Erik warned.

“She’ll try, but first she has to wash the color out of her hair. I enchanted it, so she’ll think it’s clean and then it will slowly start turning gray again until she washes it, rinse and repeat for about a month.” Euann ate another chip. “So, all settled here?”

“Aye.” Erik nodded. “But I think Lydia’s upset with me.”

“Ah, she’s a girl. Probably having her girlie time or something. It did look like she raided the vending machine for junk food. Just get her some chocolate and wait it out.” Euann motioned that Erik should come with him. “Da just called. He wants us to go look at some property downtown with Niall. Ya know our baby brother has no patience for business. He’ll offer a million dollars for it just to be done with negotiations. I’m on security and you’re on realtor duty. The elders’ orders.”

By elders Euann most likely meant Erik’s parents, as the uncles and aunts had yet to arrive in town.

“Aye, nothing more to do here.” Erik pulled his car keys out of his pocket. “Text me the address. I’ll meet ya there.”

…

“Lydia.”

Lydia stiffened at the Sheriff’s voice. She slowly turned, trying to calm the sudden thundering of her heart. Joe stood next to him. They wore street clothes and hospital bracelets. She automatically looked for Brad but didn’t see him.

“Hello,” she answered carefully, watching their faces to see what they might remember. Even knowing what she did, she couldn’t help the tremor of apprehension that wormed its way up her spine. They’d held her at gunpoint and kept her locked in a cell.

“Were you discharged as well?” Joe asked, eyeing her armful of candy. “Weird epidemic. I don’t even remember organizing a church potluck at the sheriff’s, but we’ve concluded that’s what must have happened.”

“No, I’m not sick. I was lucky,” Lydia said. “I’m here with Charlotte and to visit the rest of you, of course. Is everyone all right? No one was seriously hurt?”

“Few bumps and bruises, nothing too serious so far,” the sheriff answered. “I’m thankful my wife was out of town visiting her sister in Texas. She’s not going to be happy when she sees our yard.”

“I heard it was a contaminated batch of mushrooms and that some altered memories or memory loss was a side effect,” Lydia lied. “I even heard a doctor say retrograde amnesia.”

“We’re not sure what it was,” Sheriff Johnson said. “I’m trying to keep panic down. It’s possible everyone caught a bad flu virus that caused dehydration. You should have the doctor check you out, just in case.”

“I’ll do that.” Lydia nodded. She walked away slowly, pretending to look at room numbers as she listened to the men.

“If it is hallucinogenic mushrooms,” Joe said, “I’ll bet it was those vandals, Brad Williams’s boys. That family has been trouble since they moved in. I tried to do the Christian thing and invite him to church when he first moved here. He actually spit on me. I haven’t talked to him since, but the whole town knows his sons are responsible for the spray paint. I wouldn’t put it past them to drop a few drugs in the town supermarket as a prank.”

Lydia stiffened, recalling one of the
lidérc’s
memories. It watched Joe and Brad interact outside a gas station and entered both of their minds at the moment of heightened irritation. That single display of negative emotions let the creature slip inside and make himself at home within the men. It was the same way the two creatures had taken over the rest of the town, slipping in while their human hosts were emotionally vulnerable.

She shivered, not liking the sensation of being inside the creature’s thoughts. Hopefully, the aftereffects of her pulling Erik’s magick away from the shadow would wear off in time. It would appear she’d taken in some of the creature when she did so.

“No one is happy about this. I’m already looking into the vandalism,” Sheriff Johnson assured him. “We can’t go accusing people without proof. The school is already aware the boys have behavioral issues, and they’re keeping an eye on them. Legally, I can’t arrest them for being misfits.”

The men walked down the hall, their words no longer detectable. Whatever the
lidérc
had done, it seemed its influences over Joe had worn off. That was a good sign. Maybe Erik was right that things in town were becoming normal again.

“Normal?” Lydia gave a dismissive laugh as she walked into Charlotte’s hospital room. “I’m in love with a hardheaded warlock. Nothing will ever be normal again.”

Chapter Seventeen

Lydia hated the blank look on Charlotte’s face as she drove her friend home from the hospital. The doctors had finally released her that morning into Lydia’s care. Their insistences that Charlotte not live alone for the foreseeable future felt an awful lot like a MacGregor spell and not real doctorly advice. They refused to let Charlotte leave until she agreed. Charlotte only agreed because she’d received a special delivery letter about her immediate eviction.

Erik pulled his car to a stop outside the old Victorian. Lydia had been trying her best to ignore him out of principle. He’d have to learn that she wasn’t going to submit to his will whenever he wanted. Ok, so she apparently would because they’d made love in his car outside the hospital. Lucky for them no one saw. A few charming words, that damned MacGregor accent, that handsome devilish smile, and she’d been drawn to him like Gramma Annabelle to moonshine.

“Wow. You really got the storm damage fixed fast,” Charlotte said, looking up at the house. Then, frowning, she said, “There was a storm right? I didn’t imagine that too?”

“There was a storm,” Lydia said, trying to hide the guilt she felt at not telling the whole truth. She wasn’t sure Charlotte could handle it. Her friend looked fragile, as if a stiff breeze might knock her over. “Erik and his brothers came and helped me. Malina helped me inside the house. Gramma’s old room is ready for you. I hope you don’t mind staying in there.”

Charlotte nodded and continued to look around the yard as if she was trying to recall something and couldn’t.

Lydia looked helplessly at Erik. He stepped around the car to take Charlotte’s elbow. “Iain and Rory will bring the rest of your things from your apartment later today.”

“I don’t want them in my house.” Charlotte pulled away from him.

“I went through and got anything that might be private,” Lydia said. “I promise I didn’t look, just put it all in boxes for you to go through when you’re up to it. They’re just bringing over the heavy stuff.”

Charlotte relaxed some and nodded. “I’m going to go rest.” She walked into the house.

When they were alone, Lydia said, “You should go. Charlotte needs me.”

“I don’t want to leave ya,” Erik said. “Ya have been at the hospital since we admitted her. Now that you’re home I want ya close. I need to know you’re safe.”

“I’m safe. You said it yourself, the threat is gone,” Lydia reasoned. “Charlotte needs me and your being here won’t help her relax. I have your number. I’ll call if I need you.”

Glancing over the Victorian, he said, “Yes, go and help her get settled. If ya get an idea of what you’d like to take up to the mansion I can have Rory and Iain help me grab the heavy stuff tonight and start moving ya in.”

Lydia could have argued, but she wasn’t sure it would do any good. Sighing, she said, “You really don’t hear me when I talk to you, do you?”

“What do ya mean, love?”

“Never mind. Just see if Malina will meet the guys here when they’re ready to drop off Charlotte’s stuff? I could use her help with a few things.”

Erik smiled. “It will be done.” He kissed her, and she felt his love and happiness pouring into her. It was hard to be mad at him when he was so free with his emotions toward her.

She waited on the drive as she watched him drive away. Then, going inside, she said, “Gramma, where’s the grimmie? We have protection spells to cast.”

“This house needs a good smudging.” Gramma Annabelle appeared. She looked around. “I don’t know who let all those little monsters in, but I think I’ve chased most of them away. Those field ghosts should just stay outside where they belong.”

“Field ghosts?” Lydia arched a brow.

“Don’t worry about them, dear. They died back in the Old West. You know in the 1800s they were always massacring each other or dying from pandemics.” Annabelle fluttered around the kitchen. “Violent deaths tend to keep the spirits around.”

“That’s comforting,” Lydia mumbled sarcastically.

“So who’s the handsome devil of a man who dropped you off?” Annabelle disappeared and reappeared beside the door.

“Erik MacGregor.”

“And why were you kissing Erik MacGregor?” Her grandmother shimmered, leaving the door to reappear in front of Lydia.

Gasping, Lydia stepped back as her grandmother surprised her. She covered her heart to still its rapid beating. “Apparently we’re engaged.”

“Really?” Gramma Annabelle clapped her hands. “Tell me everything. And don’t leave out a single detail.”

“Only if you help me re-cast all of your old protection spells while I talk,” Lydia said.

“Done,” Annabelle agreed. “So, who are we trying to keep out?”

“Erik MacGregor,” Lydia answered.

“Oh, intrigue! I can see I’m going to like this man of yours.” Her grandmother swept her way to the basement door. “Well, come on, let’s go get the book. You might want to grab your gardening gloves.”

…

“You want me to magickally help you carry Charlotte’s furniture upstairs so that my brothers don’t have to be invited into the house?” Malina looked from Lydia to Annabelle’s spirit. “Then you want me to help make sure your barrier spell is strong again because you plan on torturing Erik by keeping him out?”

“Well, not torture really, just give him a reality check until—” Lydia began.

“I’m in,” Malina interrupted.

“But I’m not going to hurt him,” Lydia insisted. “This is just to make him realize he can’t dictate the terms of our life together.”

“Yeah, torture him a bit, I’m in.” Malina nodded, rubbing her hands.

“Ah, dear,” Annabelle said, floating sideways over Malina’s head. “You know you look much too young to let your hair go gray. Hair color will take care of that. If you need help, Lydia will show you where you can buy box color. It’s not like your day. We have modern advances.”

“Gramma, this is her day,” Lydia said. “She was just born several hundred years ago.”

Malina frowned and marched into the living room to a small antique mirror they’d managed to magickally mend the day before. As she watched the color drain out of her hair to be replaced by banshee white, Malina growled. “Euann.”

“Gramma, go keep an eye on Charlotte. She should be sleeping,” Lydia said. “But don’t show yourself. She’s been through enough.”

“Malina, are you going to help me test the barrier? I did everything Gramma said, but I want to be sure the house is safe. Not just for me, but for Charlotte.”

“Yeah, coming,” Malina mumbled, glaring at her reflection.

…

Iain and Rory were not happy about being banned from the house. Erik and Niall had come down to join them. The men kept trying to find a way inside, as if it was a personal challenge between Malina and her male relatives. It didn’t help that Malina taunted them from the kitchen doorway.

Hearing the shuffle of footsteps, Lydia hissed, “Malina, stop. Charlotte’s up.”

“Charlotte,” Malina repeated. Rory lowered a glowing ball of light and Iain’s taunt died on his lips. As the magick settled, the lawn became darker in the evening light. Malina had assured her that Euann’s security kept people from the town from seeing the magickal glow. When Lydia gave Malina an insistent look, she said, “What? You wanted the barrier tested. It’s tested. They can’t get in.”

“I thought you’d do some kind of mumbo-jumbo spell sensing thing,” Lydia answered quietly, mindful of where Charlotte’s steps sounded on the top of the stairs.

Malina shrugged. “This way is more fun.”

“Charlotte,” Lydia called, instantly softening her voice and making it light and non-threatening. The lights were off so it was hard to see Charlotte’s face. “How did you sleep?”

Charlotte walked down the stairs like a zombie—stepping and pausing, stepping and pausing. Her hands hung at her sides, and she gave a little moan.

“That good, huh?” Lydia said. “What would you like? Tea or coffee?”

Charlotte moaned again.

“Charlotte?” Lydia frowned as her friend came closer. Her eyes were glazed and she carried a small blue bag clutched in her dusty hand. “Uh, Malina, help, please.”

“What is it?” Malina joined them. “Oh, I see!” Matter-of-factly, she said, “Your friend has a hitchhiker.”

“A what? The
lidérc
?” Lydia panicked.

“No.” Malina smirked. “I’d say the grandma.”

Lydia let loose her captured breath. “Gramma, put Charlotte back!”

Charlotte’s mouth opened, and she drooled.

“Gramma, now!” Lydia ordered. “Put Charlotte back and get out of my friend.”

Charlotte slowly turned to make her slow way back upstairs. She dropped the bag on the floor. Lydia picked it up and peeked inside. A small cloth with blood and strands of her grandmother’s hair were inside. She tossed it on the table. “Ew.”

“Malina, enough play, go get Lydia.” Erik’s voice actually made her smile. Lydia stepped where he could see her.

“
Fíorghrá,
let me in,” Erik said, giving her a handsomely charming look.

Lydia grinned. “No.”

“But,” he glanced around the part of the kitchen he could see without getting too close. “Why’d ya reinforce the barrier spells? It had come down. I was in your house looking for ya the night ya disappeared, and I noticed ya had an infestation. I want to make sure those spirits are gone.”

“Ah…” Lydia pretended to think. “No.”

“They’re gone. We took care of it.” Malina offered, smirking at her brother as she leaned against the countertop. “Well, almost all of it. There’s a dead grandma in here wearing Charlotte, but we made her put the woman back to bed so it’s fine.”

“
Cum do theanga ablaich gun fheum,
banshee.” Erik growled.

“
Thalla gu Taigh na Galla
,” Malina retorted.

“English,” Lydia demanded.

“He told me to shut up. I told him to go to hell,” Malina translated.

“What is this about, love?” Erik asked Lydia.

“It’s the only way I can think of to make you stop and listen to me.” Lydia stood on her side of the barrier. Even though he was near the bottom of the outside steps, with his height she didn’t have to look down far to see him.

“I’m listening,” he said.

“We are not engaged,” Lydia stated.

“But you’re my
fíorghrá,
” Erik protested. “Of course we’ll get married. I want to be with ya, forever.”

“
Fíorghrá
means true love,” Malina piped in.

“And I am not living in your mansion. This is my home. I’m staying right here and my business, for now, is staying right here.” Lydia crossed her arms over her chest.

“But, the mansion is safer,” Erik said.

“And full of crazy warlocks throwing magickal pranks on each other,” Lydia insisted.

“She has a point,” Malian put forth.

Erik glared as his sister.

“If you want to be with me, Mr. MacGregor, then you need to understand I won’t be dictated to, no matter how cute you are naked.” Lydia pictured him naked and was instantly sorry for it.

“Yeah, I’m not touching that one,” Malina mumbled.

“Enough with the peanut gallery comments,” Lydia said, glancing over her shoulder to get the woman to shut up.

Malina grinned, completely unconcerned.

“Is this because I didn’t ask ya?” he inquired.

“The MacGregor men are a bit dense, Lyd,” Malina said. “You’ll have to spell it out for him.”

“Yes. You just assumed I’d say yes to everything you wanted to do. You didn’t respect me by asking me what I wanted. That’s not how this works.” She smiled at him, thinking of how his chest moved when they made love. Crap. Now her focus would go completely off course and she’d soon start coming on to him.

“And ya couldn’t just say that? Ya had to block me from the house?” He again looked around, as trying to find a way in.

Lydia leaned closer and lowered her tone. “That’s to keep me from falling for your charms and your magickal touch so I don’t lose myself again.”

He grinned. Now that detail he seemed to fully understand. “I don’t care if we live here, but you’ll have to let me in.” His eyes shimmered with meaning and she felt him trying to seduce her.

“I do plan on living here. I’m not sure where you’ll live.” She arched a challenging brow.

“Well, then,” he lifted his hands to the side in a small gesture, “will ya marry me, Lydia Barratt?”

“No.” She smiled victoriously.

Erik frowned. “But…”

Malina’s hard laughter cut him off. Even his brothers and cousins chuckled at her answer. Iain said, “Ma is going to be so mad ya messed this up, Erik.”

“That’s not a proposal,” Lydia said. “That’s a question in the middle of a forced conversation. I want a proposal. I want a story I can tell my friends. I want a ring and I want to feel special and I want to announce it together. I want to feel all giddy inside not irritated that my man is so dense I have to spell out the obvious to him.”

“But…?” Erik tried to speak.

“Oh, you heard her,” Malina said, whipping her hand forward to slam the kitchen door in Erik’s face. The blue barrier lit up a few times as Erik knocked on it. Malina touched her shoulder. Her tone uncharacteristically serious, she said, “Good for you, sis. It takes a stubborn woman to put a MacGregor warlock in his place. You truly are his
fíorghrá
because you know just how to handle him. Make him sweat it a bit. I can guarantee he’ll never take your opinion for granted again.”

…

Lydia waited up for hours, expecting Erik to show up with flowers and candles to recite bad poetry on her lawn, or even—heaven forbid—sing her one of his horrible ballads. The proposal never came. Malina went home to the mansion. Charlotte slept in her new room. Gramma Annabelle pouted at the kitchen table staring at the spell bag she couldn’t move for about an hour before disappearing.

“What? There was an empty place in Charlotte where they took her memories. I just slipped in.” Annabelle had defended her actions. “Charlotte will never know the difference, and I needed a body.” Apparently, the ghost had been attempting to walk the spell bag outside to expand her haunting territory. Lydia wasn’t sure letting her grandmother loose on the town was a good idea.