Three's a Spell

Potion Commotion

[Elora]

As I walk inside, the air in my apothecary smelled of lavender, sage, and just a hint of burnt toast — a fragrance I preferred over the usual musty stone and fire aroma of my childhood. Most of my supplies were grown and gathered in my own garden, but rare ingredients were never to hard to come across through trading. The mothman that owned the hair salon next door never hesitated to trade orc hair for some fresh out-of-season berries and the the werecat dentist down the street now saves all pulled teeth for when I drop by to regrow all the catnip in her lobby.

Today is the Moonlight Festival, the one night a year when all of Summerset's magical folk came out to celebrate beneath the silvery glow of a full moon to remember the pack that founded the town.

I was busy arranging tiny jars of shimmering fairy dust and freshly harvested nightshade petals when the bell above the door jingled, not once, but with an almost musical ding-dong-ding. I looked up, startled, to see two impossibly handsome men step inside, dressed in black velvet coats that swallowed the light, their pale skin almost glowing under the shop’s warm lanterns.

It was not hard to guess by their mesmerizing eyes and the way they almost floated across the floor that they were vampires. As they approached, I felt a warmth begin to fill my core. My eyes got lost in the depth of their eyes as they appeared to become one entity. My heart began to race and I could feel my magic tingling in my finger tips almost as if it were trying to reach towards these people.

I felt an odd tension building in my body that was completely foreign to me- and then I felt it, the vial shatter in my hands.

One man smiled—a slow, wicked curl of lips that made my cheeks warm—while the other regarded me with a cool, amused gaze.

“Well, this isn’t where I expected to end up tonight,” the first said, his voice smooth like velvet wrapped in smoke. “Did you know you just spilled a potion on my shoes?”

My heart did a little backflip. “I—oh no! I’m so sorry! I wasn't paying attention. This is—” I gestured helplessly at the shattered vial in my hand while looking at the iridescent liquid now swirling on the wooden floor.

The second man crouched and touched the glowing spill cautiously. “Interesting effects. Your potion has turned my left hand a rather fetching shade of violet.”

“That’s not supposed to happen,” I admitted, biting my lip. “That’s my ‘No Wing Elixir.’ Usually it makes the color on fairy wings vanish. I guess it has a different effect on other species...”

The first man chuckled. “Well, I suppose I’ll be more purple tonight then. Vernon’s the name.”

“And I’m Sylas, his huband,” said the other, with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

I blinked, as I felt a slight disappointment settle in my chest. “You two are… married?”

Vernon grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischievous light. “For over two centuries, dear witch.”

“And no, we don’t bite” Sylas said as he caught me staring at his mouth, “without permission” he smirked.

I laughed despite myself, tension easing. “Well, this was certainly not in my plan for the evening.”

“Ours either,” Vernon said, helping me pick up the spilled potion. “But sometimes, magic has other plans.”

As we gathered the last of the glowing liquid, I noticed the way they moved—fluid, synchronized, a quiet intimacy that defied their dark, dramatic exteriors.

“I owe you a remedy,” I said firmly. “This violet hand? Not something you want to keep, I imagine.”

Sylas nodded. “Unless you’d like us walking around with purple hands for a little while Vernon,” he said as he looked innocently at his spouse.

Vernon grinned again, stepping closer to me. “We’d consider it a charming accessory if it meant seeing more of you.”

My cheeks heated. “Well, then I suppose I’ll have to see you both again soon.”

“It is time to check out this wound,” Sylas said as he reached for my hand. Getting lost in the presence of these men, I had almost forgotten the glass that had shattered in my hand only minutes ago.

The moment his hand touched mine there was a momentary shock between us. Our eyes darted to eachothers and I could see he had questions behind his eyes. He shot a glance to Vernon who was already pulling the first aid kit from the shelf above the counter.

I sat on a stool by my workstation a few feet away. As Vernon organized supplies on the table, Sylas began to clean and bandage my hand. They told me that they were looking for a moon witch. We have one in town that works at a shop with a few other witches that specialize in enchanted trinkets for specific species needs. They have a friend that just sired a new vampire and they are trying to help her find a witch to enchant a ring to allow the new vampire to walk in the daylight with the protection of the moon goddess. I told them where they could find the shop and was excited to let them know that they recently partnered with a crow-shifter that is the best jewelry maker in town.

"He makes the most beautiful pieces," I exclaimed. "I have no doubt he will be able to make a piece that your friend would be happy to wear forever!"

The men laughed and Sylas typed the information into his phone. Vernon held his hand out to me to assist me standing from the stool. As I grabbed his hand, I felt another shock. Vernon's eyes darted to mine and then quickly to Sylas.

"Wow, there must be something in the air today," I laughed as remembered shocking Sylas as well.

“About this purple hand, how long until you can have this remedy ready?” Vernon said abruptly.

“I can have it ready in an hour or so,” I replied. “I'll be closed by then so I can bring it to wherever you will be tonight.”

"Give Sylas your number, he will send you our address," Vernon stated as he began to walk towards the door.

And just like that, the most unexpected chapter of my life began, with a spilled potion, two centuries-old vampires, and a whole lot of magic waiting to happen.