Broom with a View (7 page)

Chapter 5: Charming Charms for Every Occasion

The day was getting on, and Violet knew she should probably head back to the Pensione Belladonna before Aunt Vera’s return. She intended to tell her aunt that she had gone for a brief stroll, but didn’t want to press her luck. Still, there were so many interesting things to look at as she walked along. There were still no Crafter shops in England that were completely open about selling magical items. They existed, of course, but you had to know where to go, and once there, you had to know the right thing to say before you gained admission to a small, dimly lit back room displaying a sparse selection of Crafter wares. In X, practically every third shop had a sign in the window offering fantastical transformation herbs or the latest charm-repelling amulets. Examining her lady’s pocket watch, Violet decided she could risk just a few more minutes to stick her nose in a shop called Lady Matilda’s Charming Charms for Every Occasion.

A chorus of little silver bells tinkled merrily as Violet entered the dimly lit shop. Once Violet’s eyes had adjusted, she realized she wasn’t standing in a shop
so much as an overstuffed broom closet. It was a tiny space, but what it lacked in width and depth, it made up in height. The ceiling skyrocketed towards the stars. Violet assumed it must have been some type of spell because the building she’d entered appeared to be only one story. But on the inside, towering shelves crammed with merchandise filled every conceivable inch of space, leaving only narrow passageways for patrons to navigate through the interior.

“Hello,” came a very chipper voice from somewhere over Violet’s left shoulder.
For fear of knocking something over if she moved too quickly, the girl turned slowly to face whoever had just greeted her. A kindly looking, squat little Witch peeped at her from behind a glass counter.

“Oh, hello,” Violet replied. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?” the shop Witch asked.

“Not in particular, no,” Violet replied. “You see, we arrived only yesterday, so I’m still sort of looking around.”

“Well then, welcome,” the squat Witch said, stepping out from behind the counter. She was practically as wide as she was tall, with a large volume of gray hair piled high on her head giving her the illusion of four extra inches. “We have everything here. Positively everything. Just ask and I’m sure I can find whatever you need.”

“Thank you,” Violet replied, more wishing the little Witch would give her a bit of breathing room to browse.

“Seeing that you’re new, maybe you’d like an orientation charm, so you always know you’re heading in the right direction.”

Before the girl had a chance to reply, the shopkeeper mumbled a few words and twitched her left eyebrow. The next thing Violet knew
, the floor seemed to rise under them at an alarming rate, and they were skyrocketed halfway up the side of the wall to reach a whole new set of shelves. Caught completely unaware, Violet almost lost her footing. This must have happened quite a bit to new customers in the shop because the squat Witch reached out with a steady hand and righted her. “So.” She beamed up at Violet. “An orientation charm?”

With dozens of such charms laid out before her, Violet was briefly tempted but ended up saying, “I think that would take too much of the adventure out of my first trip to X. Don’t you?”

“You’re probably right,” the older Witch agreed. “How about a wrinkle inhibitor?” She waggled her eyebrow again, and the floor fell away, dropping them several feet. “Your clothes will always look smart and fresh, even after a lengthy train ride.”

“I don’t think so, thanks,” Violet mumbled, pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket and pressing it to her lips, suddenly feeling a tad queasy.

“Have you got a sweetheart?” the Witch asked.

Violet was taken aback by the nature of the question. She wasn’t used to shop clerks immediately prying into her personal affairs, not to mention floors rising and falling beneath her feet without warning. “No,” she admitted, feeling a little bit flustered and quite a bit sick.

“What?” The older Witch was shocked. “A pretty girl like you? I don’t know what is wrong with the young gentlemen these days.” Then, she added, “I know exactly what you need.” This statement was accompanied by a severe arch of the eyebrow, and the next thing Violet knew, they were rushing full tilt towards the ceiling. This time, Violet knew how to brace herself for when the floor came to an abrupt halt, and she managed to keep her footing without too much wobble. “I keep all the love charms up here,” the Witch announced.

Violet began to get the feeling that if she didn’t commit to buying something
, the little Witch would keep her rising and plunging to the different shelves of her shop for the rest of the afternoon. “I’ll take it,” she stammered.

“Which one?”
The little Witch’s eyes were bright.

Violet had no idea. There were just so many choices
: blue sachets, purples poultices, mustard-coloured packets of the Goddess knows what. “Oh.” Her hand hesitated over the selection. “Is there one that’s quite simple to use?” she asked. The girl actually had no intention of taking advantage of a love charm at any time in the near future, but she guessed it didn’t hurt to have one at her disposal if the need should ever arise.

The shop Witch gave her an appraising glance. “I have just the thing.” Her hand flitted over the numerous vials and packets. “Here we are
.” She plucked a small sachet tied with a pale orange ribbon from the crowded shelf. To Violet’s untrained eye, it looked more like a bit of cheese cloth wrapped around some potpourri to air out the linen closet. “This is just what you need.” The Witch pressed the small bundle into the girl’s hands.

“How does it work?” Violet asked, giving the bundle a slight sniff. It smelled of dried orange peels.

“It’s quite simple. You activate it with a few drops of blood then just slip it into the pocket of your heart’s desire or possibly leave it in his shoe. Anywhere in his wardrobe will do, but the connection won’t be as strong.”

Violet wasn’t at all sure about the practicality of pricking a man with a needle in the hopes of making him fall in love. “But how am I to get his blood?” she asked.

“Oh,” the little Witch said with a chuckle. “I never specified it had to be his blood. That would make things more complicated to be sure. Rest assured that any blood will do. And it really only takes a few drops. In fact, you should apply the blood sparingly, if you don’t want the charm to be too strong. There’s a fine line between devotion and obsession.”

Violet paid for her purchase on the ground floor and was happy to escape the shop. She would have to be careful, she cautioned herself
; if all the merchants in X were so aggressive, her trunks would be filled with useless charms and talismans. Stopping at a newsstand, she purchased some stamps and selected a few picture postcards. Noting the time, she thought she’d better hurry back to the pensione. Vera was sure to be back at any moment.

With all the sights, sounds
, and smells of X swirling around her, Violet found it nearly impossible to rush. Her footsteps lagged as she crossed the main square, her eyes practically spinning like pinwheels in her head, trying to take in every fresh experience. She’d known X was a place of magic, but she hadn’t expected it to be practically in the air she breathed.

The square was crowded with locals and tourists alike. Violet found that she had to watch her step or she would bump into someone accidentally. A group of Crafters that seemed to be in rather a hurry rushed past her. She caught a snatch of their conversation
. “It’s just so unheard of. Nothing like this ever happens in X. If you ask me, it’s all the refugees making the trouble.”

“What trouble?” Violet wondered aloud. Didn’t magical folk come to X to avoid trouble?

The voices in the square grew louder. There was obviously some kind of argument that was spreading through the crowd. Violet thought she’d just better quicken her pace and get back to the Pensione Belladonna as fast as she might.

The square went from a loud crush of voices to absolute silence. There was a brief moment when everyone appeared to be frozen in their fury. Then a flock of pigeons took wing, madly flapping at the air. That’s when a ball of blue fire shot across the square, hitting a man in a green velvet cape directly in the chest. There were several screams as the man collapsed.

The world started spinning very fast. Everyone was running and shouting. The Warlock, who had shot the flame, was snatched off his feet by a large Vampire and torn in half right before Violet’s eyes. Blood sprayed across the square, and the Vampire buried his mouth in the gaping wound. Repelling charms were directed at several Vampires. Another Witch was cut down only three or four yards away from where the girl stood. She tried to run, but each time Violet turned her feet in a direction that appeared to be a clear path to safety, her way was immediately blocked by the battle. Horrible shrieks of pain and death cries filled her ears.

A powerful Witch climbed upon the fountain and began directing sun rays with full concentration at anyone baring fangs. Members of the undead to receive one of these blasts were instantly incinerated. The sky grew thick with ash
, and Violet had to cover her mouth with her handkerchief to keep from choking.

The cobblestones of the beautiful square were covered in gore. Ash settled on the ground, mixing with the blood to make a copper
-colored muck. Small rivulets of red trickled along the crevices of the stonework as if following miniature viaducts. Violet backed away from one small stream of blood, only to find her way barred by another. She had been steadily making her way further from the heart of the battle, but a third stream of gore inched her towards it again. She knew she should fly, or at least draw her wand to defend herself, but the horrors she saw all around left her mind feeling muddled and dull.

An incineration spell obviously meant for one of the undead zoomed by her head so closely that she could feel a few strands of her hair start to burn. Slapping at her Gibson girl up-sweep, Violet’s feet found motion on their own
, and she turned to run, no matter what the consequences.

Her burst of speed only lasted a few brief steps as she
ran straight into the arms of a large gentleman clad in a suit of the deepest purple brocade. Knowing immediately that her blind flight had meant her undoing, she looked up at his face to see the eyes of a Vampire made bright by the proximity of so much blood.

Violet gasped and tried to pull away
, but there was no escaping his iron grasp. The Vampire looked down at her; the smile playing across his lips belied the crazed look in his eyes. Violet thought for a brief moment that maybe she was mistaken and this undead being meant to do her no harm. That was until his smile cracked open wider, and his lips peeled back revealing a set of jagged teeth that were already coated with a layer of red. The creature had recently been feeding and obviously meant to make Violet his next delicacy.

“I should have listened to Vera,” the girl thought and was then instantly annoyed that on the precipice of death, her aunt’s future admonishments filled her brain. Her head began to swim
, and she felt the blessing that she would lose consciousness before the Vampire had a chance to feast on her blood. The last thing she remembered before the dark closed in was the figure of Sebastian charging towards her.

“Curious,”
she thought muzzily. “What’s he doing here?”

Chapter 6: The World Always Changes When You Least Expect It

Violet regained consciousness by emitting a small shriek, her hands flying into the air to deflect the plunge of the vampire’s fangs but her eyes staying firmly shut. She had no wish to see death as it descended upon her.