Chapter 10

Levi didn't easeoff the gas pedal for a long time.

Meanwhile, we talked about possible scenarios for what happened and the one that made the most sense was that after bumping into us at the gas station outside of Houston, the angels fanned out to search for us—for me. They stopped wherever they could, asking about me, and to not look like weirdos, they created this story about their missing friend.

"When we get to Heidi, she and I can create a ward around the house, something to mute our auras," Lacey suggested. "It won't have the same effect as the potion, but it could buy us some time while she makes it."

Because of Levi's heavy foot, we cut the trip by almost thirty minutes and arrived in Durango a little after four. There was a thin layer of snow accumulated on lawns, but the road was clean, as if it hadn't snowed in a few days.

Levi steered the car into a rural neighborhood, and after a few minutes, pulled the SUV into a short driveway. I glanced at the house, bathed in sunlight, and could see a witch living in there—maybe even a Halliwell from Charmed. It was a narrow three-story Victorian, with brown siding and white accents. The snow-covered front garden had a thick tree in the center and a few shrubs that acted like a fence.

As we exited the car, the front door opened, and a woman in a bright pink sweaterdress walked out.

"Lacey! Levi!" the woman exclaimed, opening her arms.

"It's so good to see you." Lacey raced to her and gave her a bear hug, while Levi raised his hand and greeted her from afar.

She let him be and then looked at me.

I tensed a bit. Heidi was a short woman in her sixties (or so, I thought. Nowadays, it was too hard to guess people's ages, especially a witch, who lived a lot longer than humans) with luscious brown hair, plump arms, and a warm smile. Her hazel eyes shone with contentment, even though we had brought trouble to her doorstep.

"Hi, there, I'm Heidi." She offered me her hand.

"Ariella." I slipped my hand in hers. "Nice to meet you."

She gripped my hand tight, and I could feel her magic around me. Her smile widened and she let go of my hand. "You have a good heart." She gestured to Lacey and Levi. "Just like those two."

Levi shook his head and walked into the house.

Lacey gave her a "really?" look. "You know he doesn't like it when you say that. Or that you tell others. He's supposed to be an evil higher demon."

"Well, he certainly acts like one most of the time," Heidi said. "And yes, his heart is darker, but ultimately, it's still a good one."

I frowned, considering this information. That, added to the fact that Levi had protected Lacey from their wicked father, I didn't know what to do with it.

I let it slip from my mind. It was better if I believed Levi was the evil demon he wanted to be.

"Let's get out of the cold, Ariella." Heidi guided us to the door. "Tell me what you need."

"First, we need to do something," Lacey said. She explained about the ward to mute auras.

"We can do that." Heidi pointed to the door. "Go in, Ariella, feel at home. The restroom is under the stairs and there's food in the kitchen."

I nodded and disappeared past the door, rubbing my cold hands together, while the two witches walked to the road in front of the house.

The door opened to a small foyer with stairs to the second floor, and beside it a hallway that led to the back. On one side was the living room and the other the dining room—all heavily decorated but comfortable looking, showing that someone really lived here. I stopped by the bathroom, then headed to the back, where the kitchen was.

Levi was there, grabbing a beer from the fridge. I glanced around. Lots of small appliances sat on top of the black counters along with some weird pieces, like the yellow metal chicken where the eggs were placed, and the ceramic open watermelon for the fruit. On the side was a tall counter with stools that separated it from the dining room, and on the opposite side was a bay window overlooking the backyard with bench seats and a wooden table.

I did a double take at the backyard—it was snowless, the grass so green and lush and full of colorful flowers.

Levi followed my gaze. "It's enchanted. Heidi doesn't like the cold, so she keeps the interior and the back of her house in a perpetual spring."

That was amazing. She probably kept the front with snow so the neighbors or anyone who drove by didn't become suspicious.

The entire house was quaint and old and with lots of character. "I like it," I said.

"Want something to drink, sweetheart?" Levi held the fridge open.

"Water, please."

He closed the fridge, grabbed a glass cup from one of the cabinets—he knew where it was located—and filled it with water from the fridge's water dispenser. He handed it to me.

"Thanks."

He leaned back on the counter and took a sip of his beer. "What Heidi said … she doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Doesn't she use magic to sense that?"

"She does, but I think she feels a sliver of good in the middle of my black heart and she holds on to that with both hands, as if she could will it to grow." He scoffed and took another sip. "It would be easier for hell to freeze over."

I didn't want to get involved, but I couldn't help my curiosity. "How do you know her?"

He offered me his trademark lopsided grin. "Wouldn't you like to know, sweetheart? Remember, I don't do small talk. We're here to get your potion and then we're leaving."

Without looking at me again, Levi walked out the door to the porch in the backyard. I could see him from the bay window but chose to turn my back to him.

Who cared how Levi and Lacey knew Heidi? Who cared if Levi had the potential to be good? As long as I got my potion, I surely didn't.

I found a casserole on the range and was about to lift the aluminum foil that covered it to find out what it was when Lacey and Heidi entered the kitchen.

"It's done," Lacey announced. "I would say the angels can't find us for the next twenty-four hours."

"That should be enough time to make a potion," Heidi said. "Unless it's more complicated than it seems." She extended her hand to me. "Can I see it?"

I grabbed the small vial from my pocket and handed it to her. She brought it up against the kitchen's light and looked at it. "Hm, I need to go to my shed, find out what is in here, and then make my own."

She started for the back door and Lacey followed.

"Wait," I said. "About payment … I don't have a lot of money. I might be able to pay you half now?—"

"Who said anything about payment?" Heidi cut me off.

"But this potion costs a lot back home. I thought?—"

"Nonsense, girl. I'll make as much as I can and it's a gift."

"But …" I closed my mouth. This felt wrong, and at the same, I couldn't deny this was perfect. If I didn't have to pay, it would make a lot of things easier. "I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

She smiled at me reassuringly. "You're not, Ariella. I'm doing this because I want to." She exited to the porch and Lacey went with her.

I followed them.

We passed Levi, seated on the wicker bench on the porch, and took a stone path to a large shed several yards away from the house.

"Welcome to my shed," Heidi said, opening the doors wide.

I glanced around, amazed. It reminded me of Sylvie's workplace, and also of Khalisa's store and back room, but it was even more crammed and lively.

Shelves lined the walls, filled with all kinds of plants and ingredients, and a large wooden table took up the remaining space. It was piled high with books, mortars and pestles, a heating element, and there were even boxes underneath it. Two empty cauldrons stood on the left side, near a small window.

Heidi rounded the table. "I'll probably need to use most of this to find out what is in it. Is that okay?"

Shit. What if she used it and then found out she didn't have the other ingredients? Or that she couldn't do it?

I let out a long breath. "Sure."

She tipped the vial and let three drops fall in a white bowl. She took the bowl to the heating element. After a few seconds, an acrid scent filled the space and even the open doors didn't help. The liquid bubbled with the heat, and suddenly, it parted in seven.

Heidi lowered her head and took a big whiff. "Oh, I have everything."

Relief washed through me. "That's good."

She smiled at me as she grabbed a blue cloth from under the table. She placed it on the table and unfolded the cloth, revealing the Mage Bloom. "And here's the main ingredient."

"Was it hard to get it?" I asked, worried it would cost me a fortune.

"Hard? No, not really," Heidi said. "It isn't a common plant, but if you know where to look, you'll find plenty."

I frowned. Sylvie said it was a rare plant, expensive, and her supplier couldn't get more. She had even contacted other witches. Unless she, her supplier, and the other witches had really bad contacts, this didn't make sense.

Lacey took off her jacket. "Should we start, then?"

Heidi nodded. "It'll take us a couple of hours to prepare the ingredients, and then another handful of hours for the potion to brew. You should go back to the house, Ariella. Rest, watch TV, eat. Oh, there are two guest bedrooms upstairs, and they are ready for you."

"You and I can stay in the one with two single beds," Lacey said. "Levi can take the other one."

My shoulders sagged. I kinda guessed we would be here for a while, but it seemed we would have to sleep here and the potion wouldn't be ready until next morning.

I really hoped the ward around the house held.

"Can I help in any way?" I asked. I had no idea what it entailed, but they could give me directions. Anything to make it go faster.

Heidi leaned closer and half whispered, "Four hands is already too many, but I know Lacey won't let me shoo her away."

"Damn straight," Lacey said, bobbing her head once.

As if I wasn't there anymore, the pair turned to each other and started working like a well-oiled machine.

Slowly, I retreated.

Levi was still on the bench on the porch, his beer empty on the table beside him, and his phone pressed to his ear.

"I know," he said. "But you better have it done by the time I come back."

He didn't look at me as I walked by, and I didn't look at him. His words faded as I entered the kitchen and closed the door behind me.

I glanced around the kitchen as I had done before and my eyes found the casserole on the range. Should I eat? I was a little hungry and the witches had mentioned it would take them a couple of hours to prepare the potion.

There was Levi, but I wouldn't ask him.

I opened the cabinets, looking for plates, cups, and utensils. When I had grabbed one of each, Levi entered the kitchen.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" His gaze found the plate and utensils beside the range, and the casserole. "Look, Heidi is great at potions, but horrible at cooking. Whatever that is, it probably tastes like cardboard. I'm not eating that."

I shrugged. "Then don't."

"Come on." He started for the hallway.

"What?"

"There used to be an Italian restaurant not far from here. Let's go, sweetheart."

"I can't." I gestured to the house. "Heidi and Lacey warded the house. I shouldn't leave."

"Right." He raised a finger. "I'll be right back."

He walked outside to the shed. He disappeared inside it for a couple of minutes, then he came back, holding a necklace with a thin silver chain and a small circular pendant.

"What is that?"

"Heidi put the same ward on the necklace. It should hold for a couple of hours."

I reached for it, stunned. "Just for a couple of hours? Couldn't she do it permanently?"

It would be amazing to wear a necklace that could hide my aura, instead of drinking a potion every couple of days.

Levi tsked. "If she could, I'm sure she would have told us, sweetheart." He gestured to the door. "Coming or not?"