Taking a dainty lace handkerchief from her robe pocket, Faith dabbed away her tears. “It’s all right, dear. Part of me admires you for wanting to stick it out in this town, but I’m worried about you, too.”
The words were unexpectedly heartwarming. I’d never met this woman before, but she had allowed me in and told me at least part of our family history, a history that was very painful to her. On top of that, she cared about me.
“Thanks. I feel like if I knew more about magic, I could be better prepared for anything that might happen.”
Faith scrutinized me, her expression thoughtful. “Did you cast that protection spell with a wand?”
I nodded, then pulled the small length of wood from my bag. Her eyes sparkled, making her look years younger. “How did you feel when you picked it up?”
Looking down, I let my eyes run the length of the wood. “It felt like…I found a missing piece of myself. The wand just sort of feels like an extension of my hand and arm.”
I looked up to see Faith laughing. “I think you’re a spell caster, like me. How did the protection spell go?”
Though I tried to look modest, a triumphant smile tugged at my lips. “I got it the first time. I’ve had trouble with some other simple spells, but Jade says I have a knack for it.”
Faith glanced down at Jade, who was licking the bowl, trying to find any lingering crumbs. She looked up and gave a sort of shrug. She messed up that chair in Celeste’s living room and smacked me with a pillow, but she’s decent.
I shot her a sarcastic look. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Faith stood up and started rummaging through the stack of magical books, muttering to herself as she did so. “Aha.”
She stood up, clutching a book that had been near the bottom of the pile. Plopping it on my lap, she pointed to the cover.
“‘Basic Charms and Spells for Everyday Use.’ This is the best guide I’ve found on the basics of spell casting. You hang onto that, young lady, and study it.”
I ran my hands over the blue leather cover, a slight tingling coursing through them at the contact. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure! You need it more than I do, honey. You read that and then come back and we’ll practice. I’m here all the time, so come whenever you finish it. Sound good?”
“Okay.”
But another problem occurred to me as I gazed down at the book on my lap. “Where can I find replacement potion ingredients for the apothecary?”
Faith laughed heartily. “Oh goodness, I can’t tell you how many ingredients expeditions my sisters and I went on. We could get anything herbal from Willa’s garden, obviously, but we had to hunt for more exotic ingredients like toad skin and fish scales. Nowadays, everyone uses WitchNet, apparently.”
I raised an eyebrow. “WitchNet?”
Faith nodded. “It’s a website on the interwebs. I’ve never used it as I’ve no use for a computer, but your generation seems to love it. Celeste, Willa, and I used to drive down to New Orleans and get the more exotic stuff from witches down there, but it cost a fortune. We had a lot of fun, though.”
Her expression grew wistful, and I felt a sudden, deep sorrow that I’d never known my grandmother or Aunt Willa.
“I guess we should get going,” I said, giving Jade a gentle nudge. She gave me a grumpy glare, probably hoping for more crackers and cheese. I made a mental note to get some at the store.
I stood up, trying unsuccessfully to cram the book into my shoulder bag. Eventually, I gave up and set it down on the sofa. Turning to Faith, I opened my arms hesitantly for a hug. She reached out and pulled me in tightly.
“You take care of yourself, honey. Just come back if you need any more help, okay?”
I felt a surge of gratitude that I’d decided to come see Faith, and that she’d let me in. As we pulled apart, I looked down at the book. “Aunt Faith, my friend Theresa has gone missing, and I’m under suspicion over it. Are there any spells in here that might help me find her?”
Faith’s eyes grew wide. “You mean Theresa Farrow?”
Chapter Eleven
“Yes,” I replied slowly. To my surprise, Faith’s brow creased with concern.
“Oh, that’s a real shame. She’s one of the only decent Farrows.”
I let out a breath, feeling my shoulders slump with relief. “You know her, then?”
Faith smiled. “I bet she told you not to mention her name.”
I let out a chuckle despite the gravity of the situation. “She said it would make things worse.”
Faith’s face lapsed back into worry. “She’s right, in a way. She probably felt that she was endangering you by being friendly, and I’m sure she didn’t want to endanger me, either. Poor girl.”
I cocked my head, my expression growing thoughtful. “She mentioned shopping at Grandma’s store, too. Was she friends with the both of you?”
She ran a couple fingers along her jaw, considering. “I don’t know the entire Farrow coven too well, as I try to keep my distance. I’ve had interactions with Theresa, mainly at the shop, and she’s always been pleasant. She shopped there in secret, trying to keep us safe. I imagine not all of the Farrow coven members enjoy being under Chandra’s thumb, especially those who were born into it and never chose that life for themselves.”
A frown grew on her face as she focused on me. “I’m not sure I like the idea of you trying to find her, Sage.”
I shook my head stubbornly. “It might be my fault that she was captured. We were eating out at Deena’s, and she got some kind of text that really scared her. And she decided to be my friend, even knowing that I’m part of the Black Family. I owe it to her to find her.”
Faith pressed her lips into a thin line, but didn’t protest. Motioning to the book, she shrugged.
“I’m sure you’ll find something in there to help with your investigative work. It’s really the best guide for beginning spell casters. I’ll see if I can think of anything too, okay?”
I smiled. “Okay.”
