Chapter 22

22

"What? That's crazy," Melissa said dismissively. "You can't curse anyone. You don't even have any magic."

"I don't…" Sadie shook her head and backed away from the bar as if she was going to bolt.

King had just walked into the brewery and heard Sadie say she thought she was the one who'd cursed everyone the night before. And as crazy as it sounded, he thought that she might be right.

"Sadie!" he called as he hurried over to her.

She stood behind the bar, blinking at him like a deer in the headlights. "I think I'd better go… I don't know, somewhere besides here."

"Oh no, you don't." King slipped behind the counter and wrapped an arm around her waist, giving her the support she so clearly needed.

"But I have to. I have to figure out what I did. See a healer or something," she said, searching his gaze.

"Hold on." He looked at the women sitting at the bar and said, "Excuse us for a minute." Then he took her by the hand and led her to the hallway that accessed the restrooms just to give them some privacy. "Now, tell me what's going on."

She swallowed, looking a little shaken. "We were talking about what happened last night, telling Imogen about it. When we told her how everyone was acting afterward, she said it sounded like people were possessed. But we know that's not true because they are fine now. And then she said with everyone's emotions being heightened, it sounded like a spell. So I was thinking about that and how magic was sparking all around us while we were singing, and it hit me. I'm an empath. Somehow while we were singing last night, I caused everyone to go a little crazy. I think I did that and have no idea how, or why, or how to stop it in the future."

King let her words sink in for a moment before he nodded. "I think you might be right."

"Oh hell." She buried her face in her hands. "My second time singing for a crowd, and I made them go crazy."

He snorted out a laugh. "Usually that's the desired effect."

"I don't want people fighting or ripping each other's clothes off in the streets. That's insane!"

"I know." He pulled her into a hug and then looked out at the brewery. There were hardly any customers. Just her friends and Abby at the bar. It appeared that most of the town was taking it easy after the Halloween festivities. "But if it helps, I don't think it's your fault."

She pulled away from him, disentangling herself before smoothing her shirt. "How is it not my fault?"

"My mother cursed you," he blurted and then regretted it when her face went white. He wrapped his arm around her again and held on. "Take a deep breath," he coaxed. "That's it."

When color started to come back into her cheeks, she looked at him. "Your mother cursed me?" Then she frowned as her brows furrowed together. "Oh. My. Gods! She did curse me."

"How did she do it?" he asked.

"She shook my hand, and I felt a load of magic crawl up my arm, but then it seemed to go away. And then we went on stage, and the next thing I knew, people were losing it."

"So she shook your hand and transferred a curse," he said, wondering what kind of curse his awful mother had bestowed on her.

"I think so. Is it permanent?" she asked.

"There's only one way to find out." King took her hand in his and led her back out to the bar. "I have a favor to ask you gals."

Imogen turned to him. "And what's that?"

"Sadie thinks she cursed everyone last night, and before she freaks out too much, I'd like to do a test. I want to see if it will happen again if we sing together now."

"I'm out," Clay said from his spot behind the counter.

"I'll do it," Abby said, shooting her husband a dirty look. "This is all because you don't want that potion again, isn't it?"

"You're onto me. Sorry, King. I'm headed to the back. I wish you all the best. And if you end up spelled," he said to Imogen and Melissa, "just drink Abby's dirt juice. It really did help."

"Sounds appetizing," Melissa deadpanned. But then she looked at Sadie. "I'll do it. Just make sure I don't make a fool of myself afterward."

Sadie gave her a small smile but didn't look anywhere near pleased.

"I'll do it, too," Imogen said. "I know what it feels like to know something's off. If I can help, I will."

"Abby?" King turned to her. "Do you think you can have those potions on hand and ready to go?"

"Sure thing." Abby jumped up from the counter and retreated to the back while King led Sadie up to the stage.

He quickly went over the equipment, making sure it was set up to his satisfaction, and then he found a guitar for Sadie. They each took a stool on the stage in front of the microphone and waited until Abby returned.

Once the green juices were on the counter and the three women were seated, King signaled to Sadie to start.

Her fingers ran over the strings with expert precision, and King was both inspired and haunted by the chord progression. It was so good and so lovely that he wondered if they should put out an acoustic version.

Sadie glanced at him, and the pair of them started to sing. When King sang with her, every inch of his body felt alive. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced with another singer. But he didn't think it had anything to do with his mother's curse. He'd felt that way even when they were seventeen and just singing softly at the beach. Whatever was between them when they sang, it was just special… as if they'd been born to be singing partners.

They were just through the first verse when King started to feel the magic creeping over his skin. It was so faint that he almost didn't notice it. But when he looked over at the bar, he could see all three of the women were in some sort of heated discussion.

King and Sadie shared a look, and by unspoken agreement, they both stopped singing and Sadie put the guitar down.

"No, that's not how you eat fries!" Abby exclaimed, pointing her finger at Melissa's plate. "Mustard should be illegal."

Melissa glared at her, picked up the mustard, and aimed.

"Stop it, you overreacting drama queen!" Imogen cried and grabbed the mustard. The two women struggled, each trying to keep control of the mustard container. They'd slid off their stools and were yanking each other back and forth, each trying to dislodge the mustard container from the other.

Abby was scowling when she tried to step in between them and stop the fight, but as soon as she reached for the container herself, one of them squeezed and the mustard sprayed all over Abby's pink Herbs are Life shirt.

"No!" Abby cried, wiping fruitlessly at the yellow condiment now smeared all over her shirt.

"We have to do something," Sadie insisted. "Now, before they turn this place into the mustard palace."

King nodded, and together they ran from the stage toward their friends. But when Sadie reached them, she sort of danced around them, unsure what to do.

"Abby! Imogen! Melissa!" King cried. "Stop! You don't need the mustard!"

All three of them ignored King. It wasn't until Sadie placed a hand on Melissa's back that she stopped fighting and stepped away from the other two.

"What happened?" Melissa asked as she pressed her hand to her head. "Dammit. The headache is back."

King quickly grabbed one of the potions that Abby had left on the counter and handed it to her. "Drink this. It should help."

Melissa eyed the potion and then King before she wrinkled her nose and started to drink the green concoction. "Oh, gross. Clay is right. This does taste like dirt."

"It does not!" Abby called as she spun to look at Melissa. "It tastes like grass."

"If you say so," Melissa said.

"Got it!" Imogen held the mustard in the air, celebrating her win. But when she looked around and no one was paying her any attention, she tossed it back onto the bar and took a seat, looking a little unsure of herself.

"Here, drink this," Sadie said, putting a potion into Imogen's hand. Then she handed the final one to Abby.

Once the potions were sucked down, their three test subjects just sat at the bar in the brewery, looking a lot worse for wear.

"I guess that answers some questions," King said.

All four women looked at him, fire in their expressions.

He backed away with his hands up and then met Sadie's gaze. "I think we need to go see the healer."

"Yeah. We do." Sadie hugged each of her friends, thanked them for being her test subjects, and told them she'd keep them updated.

Melissa hugged her fiercely and held on as they had a whispered conversation.

"King?" Imogen said as she walked over to him.

"Yeah?"

"If the healer doesn't give you any answers, let me know. My sister Harlow isn't just a medium. She also understands curses and how to neutralize them. It's often the only way to send a ghost back to where they belong."

"That's… absolutely terrifying," King said. "But in a good way."

Imogen laughed. "You had it right the first time."

"I'm ready," Sadie said, appearing by King's side. He glanced at Abby and Melissa. Both seemed to be all right but still a little green around the edges. But he supposed that was inevitable when someone drank a bottle of grass potion.

"Are they okay?" King asked her.

"They are. It's just that they weren't expecting to go crazy over a bottle of mustard."

"Who would?" he asked, not expecting an answer, but he was gratified when she snickered.