Come on, I willed the dead, using the last of my strength to send something, anything to knock Charmin out. There was something big enough to do it, too. I could sense it within the ground, its power calling out to me.

  Finish this.

  A few seconds later, a murmur ran through the crowd and from the corner of my eye, I could see the people parting. In the middle appeared the outline of a person. I could dimly make out the shape moving towards us. It was a woman and one I didn’t recognize.

  She was middle-aged, medium height, with shoulder-length medium brown hair. Everything about her seemed medium. Neither thin nor fat. Not beautiful, but not plain. Her eyes were an indecisive shade that couldn’t decide whether they were blue or gray. Her skin was sallow, her gait slow.

  She paused and then stooped to pick up a fist-sized rock. Ophelia’s neutral expression transformed into blank shock as the woman shuffled past her, shedding flecks of dirt as she walked. In fact, she was covered in the stuff. She paused and leaning over, coughed up several squirming white shapes that landed on the ground near Ophelia’s feet.

  Maggots and worms.

  Tituba!

  That meant… she must have been a zombie.

  I’d never seen one before, but I could sense my magic within her.

  I’d raised her, drawn her back from the afterlife.

  Charmin glanced up in time to see the zombie raise the rock, but he couldn’t free his hand from the coyote ripping at his fingers. The zombie slammed the rock into his temple with a sickening crack and silence fell, sudden and total. Charmin’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

  And that was that.

  Total silence descended on the crowd as Roy hurried over to check on Charmin, probably to make sure he wasn’t dead. As a warlock, though, it would take a lot more than a rock over the head to kill him. Roy took his pulse and then looked at Ophelia. “He’s alive.”

  “What does that mean?” Poppy asked, glancing from the zombie, who was just standing there, to Charmin’s unconscious body, to Ophelia. “Did Wanda win the duel?”

  “She did,” Ophelia said mildly.

  “But someone interfered or something interfered,” I said, shaking my head because I didn’t know how this could be. Yes, it was stupid that I was arguing with my own winning verdict, but I wanted to make sure it was a true victory. I didn’t want Charmin coming back later and demanding a rematch.

  “This zombie was raised by you, Ms. Depraysie,” Ophelia said. “And that means the battle was won with magic, just as the contest demanded.” She looked out at the crowd and in a louder voice, exclaimed: “Charmin Depraysie’s sale will be annulled and he will not be permitted to return to Haven Hollow unless approved by Ms. Depraysie, when she becomes High Witch.”

  The pressure in my chest loosened, and I could finally suck in the cool night air. My vision cleared, and I found myself staring at Ophelia in wonder. The night hag nodded to me in silent congratulations. Then she turned to face the zombie woman I’d raised from the dead.

  “I suggest you anoint Libby,” Ophelia said. “She won’t be able to fully return without a drop of your blood.”

  I stared from the zombie’s mute face to Ophelia’s. “You know her?” I asked.

  “Knew her, yes,” Ophelia answered and her smile was icy.

  “How?”

  She turned on one heel and began walking away, but not before adding: “I frightened Elizabeth Blackburn to death in 1958.” Then she turned to face me. “Take your zombie home and purge it of the maggots and worms, Ms. Depraysie. Can’t have her frightening the mundanes.”

  As soon as Ophelia strolled out of sight, the gathered crowd descended on me, while Roy picked up the unconscious Charmin and carried him over to Poppy.

  “Got anything to fix him up?” Roy asked her.

  Poppy nodded but then turned to face me as Marty patted me on the back, knocking the wind right out of me again.

  “Great job! I knew you could do it.”

  Poppy examined Libby’s generically pretty face with some trepidation. “So you can make zombies,” she said as she faced me again.

  I sighed. “I guess so.”

  She nodded and looked concerned. I didn’t blame her. “And what do we do with her now?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, not really thrilled with the idea of giving her my blood. Couldn’t I just… put her back? Not according to Ophelia’s parting words, but surely there had to be something I could do.

  “Like Ophelia said, you have to anoint her with blood,” Lorcan answered.

  “I’d rather put her back in the ground.”

  Lorcan laughed. “There is no going back. Once you bring the dead back, they stay back.”

  “Hmm.”

  “And living like that is no life at all,” he said and pointed at the zombie. I nodded as he took my hand and bringing it up to his mouth, he kissed it before spearing my index finger with one of his fangs.

  Chapter Nineteen

  A Few Days Later

  It was Christmas Eve and Marty, Poppy and her son, as well as their ghost hunting squad, had piled into my side of the duplex for a Christmas Eve celebration. Originally, they’d planned to have a much bigger party with all the supernatural folks of Haven Hollow at the Half-Moon Bar but Libby, the zombie, was still occasionally spitting up maggots and she seemed to detest Ophelia, so putting them in the same room was probably a bad idea.

  So, here we all were—everyone milling about, drinking eggnog and eating hors d'oeuvres, talking, laughing, and occasionally dancing. Even Hellcat seemed to be more festive than usual—I’d figured he’d disappear upstairs, but he was sitting on the couch, beside me, fastidiously complaining about any and everything.

  “They’ve forced themselves upon us, simply because the zombie woman dislikes Ponsobby?” he demanded.

  “It would appear so,” I answered, not able to conceal the dance in my step as I tapped my toes to Jingle Bell Rock.

  “Then all the other townsfolk are jollying it up at the Half-Moon?” he continued.

  I looked over at him. “As far as I know. Why? Do you want to join them?”

  “It would seem we’ve been left with the less... tasteful of the two crowds,” he answered.

  As I watched Lorcan walk across the room, eyes on me, and a glass of eggnog in his hand, I couldn’t help my smile. “There, I have to agree with you,” I said to Hellcat.

  “Here is your libation as requested, my dear sweetling,” the vampire said and then handed me the glass of eggnog as I took it with a smile of thanks. He then proceeded to pick up Hellcat and moved him over a couple of feet so he could take his place.

  “Rude!” Hellcat fired at him and raising his clawed paw, just missed Lorcan by an inch.

  “You behave yourself, you little fiend!” I reprimanded him.

  “I thought I was behaving myself?” Lorcan answered.

  I looked up at him and frowned, shaking my head. But, I also couldn’t help the smile that turned up the ends of my lips. Lorcan certainly was a fiend in his own right.

  We grew quiet for a few seconds as we watched the merriment unfolding before us. I looked from one bright face to the other. Everyone looked so... happy. And their easy smiles still unnerved me because I couldn’t escape the thought that something had to go wrong, because it always did. But no one seemed concerned. Instead, they drank and laughed and told stories and seemed to revel in the season. Even Libby was busy stringing popcorn into a garland. Ever a dutiful fifties housewife, she’d wanted to bake, but no one wanted to find a squirming surprise in their Christmas cookie.

  My eyes settled on Poppy and Marty who were standing in the far corner of the room, singing carols as Finn covered his ears and protested loudly.

  “Do you think he’ll ever get his chance with her?” Lorcan asked as his eyes followed mine and settled on Poppy as she started giggling—clearly having had a little too much to drink of the spiked eggnog. Marty chuckled along with her and, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, she leaned into him and the two of them continued with the worst rendition I’d ever heard of Baby, it’s cold outside.

  “It’s tough to say,” I answered with a shrug. “I’m sure if Roy was here, he’d be taking Marty’s place.”

  Lorcan nodded and then grew quiet for a few seconds as he looked around at everyone, and smiled.

  “Oh,” I said and reached down, on the other side of the couch. “I have something for you.” I retrieved the box which I’d wrapped in bright red, shiny paper and green bow and handed it to him.

  “I thought we all agreed no gifts?” he asked, taking the present with a look of surprise.

  “Well, this one is… special,” I said, hiding my laugh in another swallow of the eggnog. Now that I was down to the bottom of the glass, it was mostly rum.

  “Well, thank you in advance.”

  “Don’t thank me when you don’t even know what it is,” I answered, faux elbowing him in the arm as he chuckled down at me.

  “Unless you’ve decided to gift me a severed head or something equally disagreeable, I’m quite sure I will be grateful.”

  “Damn it!” I said, laughing. “A severed head—the perfect gift for you!”

  He shook his head and gave me a smirk as his gaze moved around the room again and he leaned back into the couch, propping one of his long legs over the other one.

  “It’s not so bad here, is it?” he asked as his eyes found me again and he appeared pensive. “It’s not your coven, but they’re still good people.”

  “Well, they’re the only friends I’ve got now, right?” I asked.

  “Perhaps so, but regardless, they’re good friends to have,” he answered before looking at me again. “And I hope you count me among them?”

  I looked up at him, expecting him to laugh, but he was serious. “Open your gift and stop fishing for compliments.”

  “I’m not fishing!”

  “You were completely fishing.”

  Lorcan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the gift in his lap and picking it up, shook it. “What is it?”

  “For Hecuba’s sake, just open it! You are so annoying!”

  Lorcan tore the paper away with a chuckle and lifted the lid. Then he faced me with a surprised expression. “The doll?” he asked.

  I nodded and exhaled a deep breath as I looked down at my little abomination, Acmonides, where he lay in the box, completely and totally no longer alive.

  “Then you killed the aberrant thing?” Lorcan asked, clearly surprised.

  “I didn’t kill him. I merely rescinded my magic from him, so he’d stop harassing you.” I looked down at the little thing again and felt a twinge of something akin to sorrow. “And now he’s just a doll.”

  “Albeit a very ugly one,” Lorcan said as he made the shape of the cross on his chest. “May he rest in peace.”

  “May he rest in peace,” I repeated, nodding. Then we both grew quiet for a few seconds.

  Lorcan looked from the box to me and shook his head, as if he were struck dumb. “Never in my life have I received such a thoughtful gift.” I couldn’t help but smile as I realized he was being completely honest. “Thank you with all my heart, Wanda. I was afraid that thing was going to cost me my sanity.”

  I laughed. “You’re welcome.”

  “I have a gift for you too,” he added quickly, with that cheeky smile of his that caused a thousand butterflies to swarm in my stomach.

  “You didn’t have to…”

  “You’re sitting under it,” he interrupted as I glanced up and found a piece of mistletoe tied hastily to the end of a string that dangled precariously above me, affixed to the top of a floor lamp I hadn’t realized was there.

  “Mistletoe?” I asked.

  “I thought perhaps you’d like another taste of the vampire’s kiss?” the bastard said as he leaned into me and closed his eyes, making fish lips. I immediately stood up, laughing.

  “Nice try, undead penis-head.”

  I could hear his chuckle as I made my way into the kitchen, determined to get a refill of the eggnog which had been spiked with either bourbon or rum or maybe even both. As soon as I turned the corner, into the kitchen, I noticed Poppy standing beside the oven, wearing a mitt, and waiting for something to finish cooking. I almost turned right back around again, but she looked up and smiled at me.

  “Wanda! How are you feeling after… well, after everything?”

  I took a deep breath and approached the eggnog bowl, ladling myself another full glass. “Well, let’s just say I’m glad I beat Charmin and I’m not going to face the rest of my life as one of his harem members, even if I inherited a zombie along the way.” I glanced back to see Libby who was now trying to sing carols next to Marty and RJ, but her jaw unhinged and then fell onto the couch below her. Looking embarrassed, she immediately reached for it and then shoved it back into place.

  “We’re going to have to come up with a potion or something for her,” Poppy said as she studied Libby with a concerned frown.

  “Right. She can’t just walk around town with all her bits and pieces falling off,” I added as I then decided to check the eggnog to make sure there weren’t any stray fingers floating in it.

  There didn’t appear to be. Phew.

  Poppy laughed as she watched me, clearly understanding what I was doing. “I’m glad you beat Charmin too. And… I wanted to thank you for including me in the agreement you made with him.”

  “What agreement?” I asked as I looked over at her.

  “When you told him he wasn’t allowed to return to Haven Hollow and that he’d never be able to kick me out.”

  I nodded, but didn’t say anything more. Poppy smiled and seemed to detect my discomfort because she continued talking, saving me the need to do the same.

  “Finn and I really like it here, so far,” she said, leaning her hip against my counter as she looked up at me. “You know, we moved here maybe a month or so before you did.”

  “I didn’t know that,” I said, mostly because it was true.

  She nodded. “I feel like, for the first time ever, we finally fit in somewhere and it feels good to be making a home for ourselves, starting over and all that.” She paused for a moment and appeared pensive. I could only hope she wouldn’t start tearing up because that was something I most assuredly could not handle. “I think you’ll come to love Haven Hollow too, Wanda. Everyone here… they’re different—not like people I’ve ever met in other places. They’re all so kind and genuine and I know they’ll welcome you with open arms.”

  I smiled. At least, I tried to, but I wasn’t sure if it looked more like a grimace.

  “And maybe, in time, you and I can be friends?” Poppy continued as I debated whether or not to spell her with a shut-up charm. But, there was one little problem—I hadn’t cleaned up Charmin’s potions from my house yet which meant they were still in effect and I couldn’t do magic.

  Balls.

  “Oh,” I started, when it became clear she was waiting for a response. “Yeah, I… uh, I’m excited to be starting over here too.”

  “I was thinking… that if you’re free… maybe tomorrow I could come by with some Reversing Oil and we could work on cleaning up whatever residue is still left of Charmin’s potions?” she continued. “So you could, you know, get your magic working again?”

  “Um,” I started, not even sure what to say. I’d never met a person like Holly Morton before—as far as I was concerned, her kindness could have rivaled Mother Theresa’s. And I still wasn’t sure how I felt about that or her or any of them, really.

  “I mean, if you’re free,” she said, clearly feeling a bit uncomfortable.

  “Why do I feel like you’re asking me out on a date?” I asked.

  She immediately started giggling. “I know… it kind of felt like that, didn’t it?”

  I joined her laughter. “Totally did.”

  “Well, what do you say Wanda? You want to spend some time with a middle-aged, divorced and single mom?” She finished with another laugh and I was suddenly struck by the idea that I’d misjudged her. And, furthermore, I was beginning to actually, dare I even think it, like her.

  I steeled myself, taking a deep breath as I looked over at the gypsy who was supposed to be my enemy. “I would really like that, Poppy… thank, ahem,” I cleared my throat. “Thank you.”

  And what happened, then? Well, in Haven Hollow they say—that Wanda Depraysie’s small heart grew three sizes that day.

  The End

  ~~~~~

  Return to Haven Hollow in:

  Faerie Enchantment

  ~~~~~

  Return to the Table of Contents

  FAERIE ENCHANTMENT

  Haven Hollow #3

  (Poppy’s Potions)

  by

  H.P. MALLORY

  &

  J.R. RAIN

  Faerie Enchantment

  Published by Rain Press

  Copyright © 2021 by J.R. Rain & H.P. Mallory

  All rights reserved.

  Ebook Edition, License Notes 2.0

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Faerie Enchantment

  Chapter One

  “And here we have the Ghost of Christmas Presents, and the Ghost of Christmas Pests,” I grumbled, discreetly adding a shot of rum to my eggnog as I looked at my two uncles and shook my head.

  Finn and I had just come home from a Christmas Eve party at Wanda Depraysie’s, my neighbor, an hour ago when out on the porch there arose such a clatter, I went to see exactly what was the matter. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but Uncle Joey and Uncle Tobias with a case full of beer.

  My uncles were on my mother’s side and both in their sixties. They were white-haired, blue-eyed, and a little stooped over, with enough mischief on their lined faces to shave years off their appearances. Even though they weren’t twins, the resemblance between the two was striking. Really, the only way to tell the difference between them was that Uncle Joey always wore a baseball cap and Uncle Tobias always sported a thick handlebar mustache that looked more like a squirrel perched on his upper lip.