Read Online Craved by Stephanie Nelson - Free Book Online Page B

when they took it as far as killing,
especially witches, then I took it personally. I wondered why Aiden
even knew someone like that, but I was afraid to ask, afraid of
what I’d find out.
    “Not yet, you’ll be the first person
to know as soon as the shipment comes.”
    I nodded my head, hoping the shipment
never came. I’d have to ask Micah and Wyatt if they knew of any
witches being murdered in Chicago since the vampires up there were
obviously brew addicts. If they weren’t stopped soon, we’d have a
big problem on our hands. I didn’t want to have to watch over my
shoulder for potential witch poachers.
    “Get some sleep, Gwen,” Aiden said,
kissing me softly on the lips.
    Aura jumped onto the bed once Aiden
left and I intertwined my fingers into her long, dark fur. Having
her beside me put me at ease, as if she were the missing puzzle
piece that I was lacking. The last thing I remember was the
rumbling of her purring reverberating against my hand, and then I
was out like a light.

 
     
    My morning had been nothing but hectic
since I set foot out of my apartment. Tourists were arriving so the
streets were flooded with humans pointing cameras at everything and
everyone.
    I hadn’t spent a lot of time at
Broomsticks since I’d been helping the FPD, so some of my inventory
was still unpacked and in cardboard boxes. I had at least fifteen
people browsing my shop and Penny was running late.
    A girl accidentally broke a
potion vial and was engulfed in dark purple clouds. Her mother
screamed and tried to vigorously fan the clouds away, but they
didn’t budge. Coming around the counter quickly, I picked up the
broken vial and the label read, Old
Bitty . I breathed a sigh of relief, this
spell was easily countered.
    “Ma’am, everything is going to be
fine. She isn’t in danger,” I told the hysterical mother. When the
eggplant colored clouds dispersed, the girl who was only twelve now
looked to be seventy. Her long strawberry blonde hair had been
replaced in a waterfall of gray. Her flawless young skin now had
deep, wrinkled valleys and her blue eyes held wisdom she had yet to
learn.
    “Oh my God!” The mother shrieked.
Everyone in the store had formed a circle around the mother and
daughter and gasped at the change in the young girl’s
appearance.
    “It’s a simple age manipulation spell.
Have your daughter drink this,” I handed her a bright yellow liquid
that she took with uncertainty. “It’s the counter to that spell;
she’ll be as good as new within five minutes.”
    “Take a picture first, Mom,” the young
girl said. Her mother looked at her like she’d lost her mind but
pulled out a small digital camera and snapped a picture.
    The girl poured the yellow potion into
her mouth. We watched as yellow smoke twirled around her small
frame. Although I knew everything would be all right, I felt
horrible for the mother. I could see she was afraid for her
daughter’s safety. I produced a tissue magically and handed it to
the distraught woman.
    Within seconds, the smoke faded to
reveal the young girl back to normal. Her mother enveloped her in a
hug and the surrounding witnesses all clapped.
    “Please feel free to pick something
out, it’s on the house,” I told her. Luckily after her daughter was
safe, the woman was fine and held no animosity toward witches, or
me in general. There are people who would have wanted to burn me at
the stake over something like that.
    Penny showed up an hour later,
allowing me to take a moment to actually breathe. I could see a
significant difference to the shelves, a lot emptier than when I
opened in the morning, and it was only noon.
    “I’m sorry I was late, Gwen. I just
found out a friend of mine died,” Penny said. I had been so busy
that when I stopped to look at her, I noticed her eyes were red and
puffy.
    “Oh Penny, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t
you just call in? I would have understood.”
    “I need to stay busy and you need the
help,” she said.
    “Are