Chapter Twenty-Nine
After grabbing the key, I slowly lifted the lid of the box. A pent-up breath escaped my lips when I saw the book nestled between the velvet lining. It looked exactly like the others. To my relief the table of contents listed more spells. I scanned the list until I spotted the spell that I’d been looking for. Finally, I could be myself again. I clutched the book in my arms and carried it back to the kitchen. At least I didn’t have to worry about walking like Nicolas anymore. That had been hard work.
Nicolas was standing in the kitchen when I entered. He was looking through Aunt Maddy’s herbs. When he turned around, he smiled. His expression quickly turned into a grimace when he saw his own reflection again.
“I found the book,” I said, holding the book up.
“That’s a relief,” he said. “I can help you with the spell.”
“If it’s all the same, I’d rather do this myself, if you don’t mind.” I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
He stared for a beat, then nodded. “Okay, yeah. Let me know if you need anything.”
When Nicolas had disappeared out of sight, I flipped through the pages until I had the correct spell. If this didn’t work I would be completely screwed. What would the Coven say about this mistake? They’d have to revise the ‘what not to do’ pamphlet.
I pulled all the ingredients together, dumped them in the cauldron and recited the words faster than ever. This had to be some kind of record for fastest-performed spells. After I was finished and nothing had happened, panic set in.
The click-clack of my shoes rang in my head as I ran to the bathroom down the hall. My stomach was twisted into a knot. I eased the door open and shut my eyes. Slowly, I opened them and said, “Oh, thank you. Thank you.”
My own reflection stared back at me. Thank goodness that nightmare was over. One thing I’d noticed though: other witches weren’t calling to complain that I’d messed up their spells while performing mine. That was definitely not a coincidence.