CHAPTER 1
I squinted at the exam paper and tapped my black ink pen against the bottom of my lip. Now, was it a dash of turmeric or a sprinkle of ginger to reverse a transformation spell? I really should know that. It sounded just like the sort of spell Grandma Grant might use if she lost her temper.
The only sound in the room was the ticking of a clock and the scratching of pens over paper. Unfortunately, my pen wasn’t doing much scratching.
Despite reading my Spells 101 book every night for the past few weeks, the answer to question seventy-two eluded me. I sighed as I looked again at the exam paper. Yet another question I couldn’t answer. It looked like I was going to fail the most basic exam for witches. How humiliating.
I took a quick glance around the makeshift exam room.
There were only two other candidates taking the exam today, and both had their heads bent over their papers, writing away as if their lives depended on it. They clearly weren’t having the same problems with the questions as me.
At the front of the room, our exam proctor, a lady by the name of Diane Cunningham, paced in front of a white- board. I didn’t find her intense expression or her pacing particularly reassuring or relaxing.
Most of the witches I’d met, tried to disguise their witchiness in various ways, but Diane Cunningham didn’t at all.
She was tall and thin and dressed completely in black. She had a long beaked nose and sharp eyes, which missed nothing. I suppose that was a good feature for an exam proctor to have. The only things she was missing to make her a perfect cliché of a witch was a pointy hat and a broomstick.
My gaze focused on the clock above Diane’s head, and I felt panic build inside my chest. There were only ten minutes remaining. I had only answered half of the questions, and I wasn’t sure I’d answered them correctly. In fact, I was pretty sure I’d got at least ten of them wrong. Since a pass score was fifty percent, I knew I’d messed up this exam.
I refocused on the question and chewed my pen. Why was it so difficult to remember? A sprinkle of ginger root or a dash of turmeric? They seemed very boring ingredients for a spell to me. Just herbs and spices you could find in a normal kitchen. I suppose that was why I found it so hard to remember the spell’s ingredients. Things like pondweed and snakeskin I tended to remember. They stuck in my mind because they were so odd.
I shook my head as I read the question again and tried to concentrate. It seemed like only seconds had passed when I heard Diane Cunningham’s voice ring out loud and clear from the front of the room.
“Pens down. The examination is finished. Thank you all for attending.”
She was brisk and business-like as she walked to the first desk to collect the examination paper.
The late afternoon sun softly shone through the large windows. The witches’ society had rented out a meeting room at the Lormont hotel to use as the makeshift exami- nation room. Of course, they didn’t tell the hotel the examination was for witches. That probably wouldn’t have gone down too well.
After Diane had collected our papers, I slowly began to pack up my things, feeling thoroughly miserable.
One of the other candidates, a plump woman, who had introduced herself to me as Marion, had traveled all the way down from Peterson County to take the exam. She smiled brightly as she asked Diane, “When can we expect to get our results?”
I hoped Diane would say sometime next year, the later the better as far as I was concerned, but unfortunately, she looked benignly at Marion and said, “As there were only three of you taking the exam today, we should be able to deliver your results to you by the middle of next week.”
The other candidate was a young girl of sixteen called Kelly Murphy. We’d had a brief chat before the exam started, and I learned she had only just discovered her witchy abilities. Despite that, she was already so much more confident than me. She told me she expected to pass the exam with flying colors.
As Kelly picked up her bag, she leaned over to Marion and confided, “That was much easier than I expected.”
I scowled and felt an overwhelming urge to fling my pen at her.
Diane heard Kelly’s comment and said, “The early examinations aren’t too challenging, but you still have a lot to learn, dear.”
Kelly nodded her head meekly and said, “Of course.”
By the time I had finally packed up my bag and looped the handle over my arm, the other candidates had left the room. I hoped to slink out unnoticed, but Diane grinned broadly at me as I approached the door.
“Ah, Harper! It’s a pleasure to oversee an examination for a member of the Grant family. I have a huge amount of respect for your grandmother. She truly is a legend in the witch world.”
I raised an eyebrow. I had no idea Grandma Grant was so well-known outside of Abbott Cove.
“Thank you,” I said. “Although I must warn you, I’m probably going to be a disappointment. I’m not very good at spells.”
Diane’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “I find that very hard to believe, especially with a grandmother like yours giving you tips.”
I could see I wasn’t going to convince Diane of my terrible spellcasting skills, so I merely shrugged. When she graded my paper, she would soon learn I was telling her the truth.
“Why is my grandmother such a legend in the witch world?”
Diane beamed and let out a happy sigh. “So many reasons. Too many to list, but my particular favorite is her ability to do dual transformations.”
“And what exactly are dual transformations?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t a stupid question. I’d already made enough of a fool of myself today.
“The ability to turn a person into two animals at the same time. A pig’s head on a donkey’s body, or a rat with frog’s legs. That sort of thing.”
I’m sure I looked as horrified as I felt. “Why on earth would anyone want to do that?”
Diane was disappointed with my reaction. “It’s pushing the boundaries of magic, Harper. It’s quite an amazing thing to witness. You should be very proud of your grandmother.”
I didn’t want to ask if she had witnessed my grandmother turning people back to their normal state. She was amazing at spells but not quite so great at spell reversals.
I decided I didn’t really want to know what else Grandma Grant was legendary for, so I said a quick goodbye and scurried out of the examination room.
In the hotel, life was carrying on as normal. A group of tourists were taking tea in the lobby, and the receptionist called out a cheerful goodbye as I shrugged on my coat and walked out through the large glass swing doors.
The steps down to the sidewalk had been salted and grit- ted, and I stepped over the puddles of mushy, gray snow. I’d had enough of winter now and couldn’t wait for spring to bring some life back to the area. The sky above me was gray, reflecting my bad mood. I wound my scarf around my neck and shivered.
I was pleased to see that Jess was parked out front, waiting for me. I walked over to the car, avoiding the slush, and she leaned over to open the passenger door for me.
I slipped into the car, buckled up and braced myself for Jess’s questions.
“So, how did it go?”
I debated telling her it went well. I figured at least I’d get a couple of days free of Grandma Grant and Jess nagging me to work harder that way.
But they would find out the truth soon enough.
I shook my head and reached forward to adjust the hot air blower. “It was awful. I didn’t answer all the questions, and the ones I did answer, I think I got wrong.”
Jess looked disappointed. “Oh, Harper. But you studied so hard.”
I sighed and slumped in my seat. “I know. But as soon as I saw the exam paper, I panicked, and everything I’d learned left my mind in a flash. I couldn’t even remember the simplest of spells.”
“I’m sure you did better than you think,” Jess said. “You’ll see.”
For some reason, my family refused to accept the fact I was a terrible witch. They continued to insist I just needed a little more study to bring me up to scratch.
“It’s all right for you,” I said to Jess. “You passed the examination first time, years ago.”
“Harper, there are more important things in life than examinations. I’m sure Grandma Grant would understand if you explained you didn’t want to take any more tests.”
I turned and looked at Jess incredulously. “Have you met our grandmother? She would never understand.”
Jess bit down on her lower lip and then conceded the point. “Yes, maybe you’re right. But don’t let her bully you. You’re good at other things.”
I huffed out a breath in frustration. My witchy skill was the ability to see ghosts, but right now, I would happily trade that skill for the ability to do some of the bog-standard witch stuff, such as casting a simple spell without messing it up. Was that really too much to hope for?
“Anyway,” Jess said with a smile as she pulled away from the curb and headed the car in the direction of Abbot Cove. “I’ve got something to take your mind off exams. A surprise.”
I wasn’t too keen on surprises. Not when they involved my sister or my grandmother.
“What surprise?”
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it?”
Now that set alarm bells ringing. If Jess didn’t want to tell me what her surprise was, it meant she was worried about my reaction.
“I don’t want any surprises,” I grumbled. “I just want to be left alone to be miserable this weekend.”
“Don’t be like that. You need to take your mind off things, and I’ve got the perfect event to do just that. Tomorrow morning, we are going to Cherrytown to watch a re-enact- ment of the Valentine’s battle.”
I sighed. I was sure that would be as boring as it sounded. Not long ago, Jess had started to date a young man called Pete Bell. He seemed very nice apart from his tedious hobby, which involved taking part in re-enactments of various historical battles. It was an all-consuming hobby, and Jess had been threatening to take me along to one of these re-enactments for a while now.
“Why do I have to go?” I whined. “Have you got anything better to do?” “As a matter of fact, I have.”
“What?”
“I’m going to lounge around on the couch, read a good book and eat lots of chocolate to cheer myself up.”
Jess laughed. “You’ll still have plenty of time to do that. Come on, it’ll only take a couple of hours, and you’ll get to know Pete a little better.”
She gave me a quick sideways glance, and I knew she could see I was weakening.
“Come on, Harper, for me, please?”
“All right fine! I’ll do it. If only to stop you nagging me.” Jess grinned. “Great.”
“What is the battle they’re re-enacting? I haven’t heard of it. Was it a local one?”
We turned left onto the Cove Road, and I stared up at the heavy sky, wishing it was blue instead of gray. The trees grew closer together as we neared Abbott Cove. Their
bare branches reached up and twisted toward the low clouds.
Jess thought for a moment. “I’m not really sure. Pete did mention something about it, but I’m afraid I tend to tune him out when he talks about the battles. I know that’s terrible of me, but I can’t help it. I’ve never heard of the Valentine’s battle before, either. All I know is that if Pete’s re-enactment group is involved, it will probably be a very old one. I’m sure we’ll learn more about it tomorrow.”
“I can hardly wait,” I said deadpan.
My lack of enthusiasm wasn’t because I didn’t want to support my sister. It was just standing in the middle of a freezing, muddy field in February wasn’t really my thing. But I had to admit Jess was right. It would take my mind off things, and right now that was exactly what I needed.
I mean, how bad could it be?
CHAPTER 2
Just minutes later, Jess pulled up outside our small cottage. We lived halfway up the hill in Abbott Cove, in a small clearing surrounded by trees. The higgledy-piggledy cottage had thick walls and a stone exterior. The small porch had been added on in recent years. It could do with a little updating. The heating system could certainly use some work, so we tended to use the old-fashioned fireplaces often in the winter.
Our cottage was pretty isolated from the rest of the town, but right now, isolation was just what I needed. I wanted to be alone to mope and feel sorry for myself.
Jess was going out on a date tonight with Pete, which meant I would have the place to myself. So, I was planning to wallow in misery to my heart’s content. I had plans for a bubble bath followed by a calorie-laden pasta dinner.
Unfortunately, my plans hadn’t figured in Grandma Grant.
I thought I’d have a little while to plan how to break the news that I had failed my exam to my grandmother. But when I opened the front door, I realized I was out of luck. The door was unlocked, and as I stepped inside, I saw and felt the heat of a small fire roaring away in the old fireplace in our small living room.
I sighed and turned to face the inevitable.
My cat, Smudge, was curled up in Grandma Grant’s lap, enjoying the attention as my grandmother stroked her fur.
“So, how did the exam go?” Grandma Grant asked straightaway.
She wasn’t one for beating around the bush. My grandmother was a small woman, but what she lacked in height and girth she made up for in attitude.
I shrugged off my coat, hung it on the peg and pulled off my soggy boots.
“Not well,” I said bluntly. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I failed.”
I sat in the armchair opposite Grandma Grant and stretched out my feet to warm them by the fire.
“How is that possible? You learned all the spells in the book, didn’t you?”
“I tried to. But when I was in the exam room, I couldn’t remember anything. My mind went blank.”
Jess walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on her. She tried her best.”
“Hard on her?” Grandma Grant scoffed. “I’m never hard on anyone.” But her expression softened as she looked at my miserable face. “Don’t look so despondent, Harper. Some people just aren’t cut out for exams.”
I felt my spirits lift. Did this mean Grandma Grant would understand if I didn’t want to take any more exams?
“I’m so glad you said that because I just don’t have the energy to try and take the exam again anytime soon.”
Grandma Grant shook her head. “Just because you found it difficult, Harper, doesn’t mean you should give up. The best things in life don’t come easy.”
I scowled. I should have guessed she’d say something like that.
I was a grown woman, so I should be able to stand up to my grandmother, but I knew she only wanted what was best for me. Somehow, I needed to get past this mental block. I knew I’d never be brilliant at spells like Jess, but I should be able to manage some of the more basic spell- casting.
“You just need more practice, that’s all. A little practical experience.”
Jess stepped a little closer to the fire. “You know, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Harper hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to casting spells. It wasn’t that long ago that she turned Athena’s fur blue.”
I shot Jess a look. “Thanks very much for the support.”
Athena was my grandmother’s cat, and in an attempt to impress her and Jess, I’d cast a spell to change the color of Athena’s collar. Unfortunately for Athena, I’d managed to change the color of her fur instead. I was sure she still hadn’t forgiven me. Every time I’d visited Grandma Grant’s house since, Athena had stayed well out of my way. I couldn’t blame her.
“I wasn’t trying to be mean, Harper,” Jess said. “But it might be safer if you focused on the theoretical side before you start casting spells.”
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