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Authors: Tish Thawer
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lunch at the Clam Box if you’d like.”
Trin smiled and opened her door. “That sounds fantastic.”
Following Caris inside, Trin felt transported the moment she crossed the threshold. Herbs hung overhead and the roughly plastered walls were lined with shelving units, dressers, and tables. The one to her immediate left held dark brown vials of oil, each within its own small cubby. There were consecrated candles atop silver platters, along with wands and athames lying atop a beautifully carved antique dresser to her right. Statues of multiple gods and goddesses were sprinkled throughout, some Greek, some Egyptian, and even Hindu, but the energy here was no doubt pagan. A true witch, like herself, owned this shop.
“Trin, I’d like you to meet, Lillian. She’s the owner of this lovely shop and a dear friend,” Caris announced.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Lillian. Your store is wonderful.” Trin shook Lillian’s hand, sensing her magic the moment they touched.
Lillian’s eyes sparked and she replied, “It’s nice to meet you too, Trin. Feel free to gather what you need, and enjoy your time in Ipswich.”
“Thank you.” Trin smiled at Lillian and Caris, then continued her exploration of the shop. It was much larger than it appeared from the street.
As Trin combed her way over each and every surface, she began to see a pattern. Some things mundane and commercial, such as a vial full of purple glitter claiming to be fairy dust, sat alongside others of true power like the jeweled pendant humming beneath her hand. It was a smart thing to do, for only a true witch would know the difference. Perhaps a dedicated Wiccan, such as Caris and Jason would feel a pull towards the objects of old, and even a tourist could pick something up by mistake not knowing what they had, but everything here would do no harm, regardless of who purchased it.
Trin chuckled internally as she reached the back of the store and noticed the locked cabinet draped behind a thick curtain. This was where Lillian kept the off-limit items. Trin pulled back the edge of the curtain and examined the contents. The bone fragments and human hair were of no concern to her, but the charred piece of a demon’s tooth rang with warning. The room started to spin, then Trin felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Steady there,” Lillian remarked. “You best come away from the case or you’ll have that demon’s tooth lodged in your neck, looking for another meal.”
“Another meal?” Trin ran a hand down the side of her throat.
Lillian guided Trin to a cozy sitting area near the office. “With the level of power you possess, I’m surprised you don’t know.”
“Know what?” Trin demanded.
“Our history.” Lillian stated flatly.
Trin rubbed a hand down her arm to dampen the nervous energy buzzing under her skin.
“Long ago, a race of demons whose only means of survival depended upon the consumption of a witch’s magic, decimated our line. Hunted as nothing more than a meal for the demons, all witches fled into a deep hiding. Protection spells were set in place by the remaining elders and the use of magic was practically forbidden.”
Trin sat wide-eyed and slack-jawed, listening to the story of her people.
“The elders feared any magical energy would call the demons to them, so they kept themselves hidden from the world, forced only to watch as it changed.”
“Changed how?”
“Without a ready food source, the demons began to die out. Forced to find other means of survival, they began to not only feed upon a witch’s power, but learned to use it to cast their own spells––locator spells, mainly, that would lead them to their next victim.”
“Demons casting witches spells?” Trin shook her head, appalled.
“Yes. But once the new world began to fill with men, Christianity gained a foothold and gave the demons another option. In a last desperate attempt, a powerful demon cast a spell to shapeshift into a human man that would change
Trin smiled and opened her door. “That sounds fantastic.”
Following Caris inside, Trin felt transported the moment she crossed the threshold. Herbs hung overhead and the roughly plastered walls were lined with shelving units, dressers, and tables. The one to her immediate left held dark brown vials of oil, each within its own small cubby. There were consecrated candles atop silver platters, along with wands and athames lying atop a beautifully carved antique dresser to her right. Statues of multiple gods and goddesses were sprinkled throughout, some Greek, some Egyptian, and even Hindu, but the energy here was no doubt pagan. A true witch, like herself, owned this shop.
“Trin, I’d like you to meet, Lillian. She’s the owner of this lovely shop and a dear friend,” Caris announced.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Lillian. Your store is wonderful.” Trin shook Lillian’s hand, sensing her magic the moment they touched.
Lillian’s eyes sparked and she replied, “It’s nice to meet you too, Trin. Feel free to gather what you need, and enjoy your time in Ipswich.”
“Thank you.” Trin smiled at Lillian and Caris, then continued her exploration of the shop. It was much larger than it appeared from the street.
As Trin combed her way over each and every surface, she began to see a pattern. Some things mundane and commercial, such as a vial full of purple glitter claiming to be fairy dust, sat alongside others of true power like the jeweled pendant humming beneath her hand. It was a smart thing to do, for only a true witch would know the difference. Perhaps a dedicated Wiccan, such as Caris and Jason would feel a pull towards the objects of old, and even a tourist could pick something up by mistake not knowing what they had, but everything here would do no harm, regardless of who purchased it.
Trin chuckled internally as she reached the back of the store and noticed the locked cabinet draped behind a thick curtain. This was where Lillian kept the off-limit items. Trin pulled back the edge of the curtain and examined the contents. The bone fragments and human hair were of no concern to her, but the charred piece of a demon’s tooth rang with warning. The room started to spin, then Trin felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Steady there,” Lillian remarked. “You best come away from the case or you’ll have that demon’s tooth lodged in your neck, looking for another meal.”
“Another meal?” Trin ran a hand down the side of her throat.
Lillian guided Trin to a cozy sitting area near the office. “With the level of power you possess, I’m surprised you don’t know.”
“Know what?” Trin demanded.
“Our history.” Lillian stated flatly.
Trin rubbed a hand down her arm to dampen the nervous energy buzzing under her skin.
“Long ago, a race of demons whose only means of survival depended upon the consumption of a witch’s magic, decimated our line. Hunted as nothing more than a meal for the demons, all witches fled into a deep hiding. Protection spells were set in place by the remaining elders and the use of magic was practically forbidden.”
Trin sat wide-eyed and slack-jawed, listening to the story of her people.
“The elders feared any magical energy would call the demons to them, so they kept themselves hidden from the world, forced only to watch as it changed.”
“Changed how?”
“Without a ready food source, the demons began to die out. Forced to find other means of survival, they began to not only feed upon a witch’s power, but learned to use it to cast their own spells––locator spells, mainly, that would lead them to their next victim.”
“Demons casting witches spells?” Trin shook her head, appalled.
“Yes. But once the new world began to fill with men, Christianity gained a foothold and gave the demons another option. In a last desperate attempt, a powerful demon cast a spell to shapeshift into a human man that would change
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