SovereignsChoice Read Free

genuinely
angry. Not just pissed or snappish but really irate. “Who told you that?” he
demands, striding toward me. He has long legs so it only takes two steps to put
him right in my face. I’m glad we have the counter between us, not that it
would be much of a deterrent if he really wanted to get at me.
    “No one told me,” I snap right back. “It’s
obvious. Look, you’ve got mugwort, that’s good for clairvoyance. Serpentavia
root and adder’s tongue for divination. Rosemary and cedar for purification and
love. Cinnamon for lust and ginseng for, uh, sexual potency.” I clear my
throat, feeling my cheeks get red at the intent way he is studying me.
    “And?” he demands.
    “And so you don’t want rue,” I say, nodding
to the shelf where the herb is kept. “Rue is for exorcisms and hexes. Adding it
to a true love divination serum would ruin the whole thing. I mean, you want to
find the girl…or guy, right?” What do I know about his sexual orientation? I
can’t even tell what kind of supe he is.
    His face darkens. “It’s a female I am
searching for, I can assure you of that.”
    “Okay sorry.” I hold up my hands in a don’t
shoot gesture. “But anyway, you want to find her and bind her to you, not
hex her. Rue would ruin a perfectly good serum.”
    “And you’re sure of this, how?” He leans
over me, looking into my eyes, obviously trying to intimidate me.
    I look right back and frown at him. “Besides
getting a degree in herbology and horticulture? An entire lifetime spent in
this shop learning the properties of every known herb at my mother’s and aunt’s
knees. Believe me Mr…”
    “James,” he says, drawing back marginally.
“Aiden James.”
    “Believe me, Mr. James,” I said, ignoring
his offered hand. “If a witch of my lineage tells you not to put rue in your love
potion, you’d better pay attention.”
    “It’s not a love potion,” he says,
frowning at me. “None of this is about love. I just need to find the right one.”
    “The right one for what?” I demand.
    “None of your business, nosy little witch.”
He glares at me frostily. “You don’t need to know.”
    That’s technically true but I don’t like
being insulted in my own store. Well, my family’s store but it feels like
mine since I run it. “That’s it.” I point to the door. “You can leave now if
you want to be rude.”
    “Is that so?” He leans forward again and
bares even white teeth. To my surprise, I see two long, curving fangs where a
normal male’s canine teeth would be. Holy crap he’s a vampire! I’m stunned and
more than a little afraid—I’ve never seen one who could hide it so well. He’s
scary as shit but still, I endeavor to hold my ground.
    “Yes,” I say, hoping my voice isn’t shaking
too much. “That’s so.”
    “Are you threatening to kick me out of your
store?” he demands.
    “If I have to.” I may not be a powerful
vampire or even a practicing witch but we do have some pretty effective “leave
me alone” type spells already made up in aerosol cans like magical mace. They
come in handy for a lot of witches who, as I said before, like to sleep around.
Sometimes a guy gets clingy and you need an out. Of course I have no idea if
they would work on a vamp but it looks as if I’m about to find out. Slowly, surreptitiously,
I reach under the counter for an aerosol can full of the distilled warding
spell.
    Aiden James still looks furious. “You
should learn to treat your customers with more respect,” he growls in a soft,
menacing voice. “Were you mine, you’d be severely punished for such a display.”
    “Well I’m not yours,” I point out,
my hand tightening on the smooth cylinder of magical mace.
    “A great pity,” he snaps. “There’s nothing
I’d enjoy more than teaching you a lesson, little witch. You’re badly in need
of some discipline.”
    I can’t believe him. What kind of caveman
is he, anyway?
    “Right,” I say. “Well, I’m afraid