Double-Sided Witch (Covencraft Book 3) by Margarita Gakis Read Free Book Online Page A

although she was quite good at it, demon magic still gave him a wrong-bad feeling. He’d had years of hearing his mother caution against it - paradoxical given what turned out to be her propensity for and skill with it. He casually sniffed the air again but didn’t scent anything demon-like. He could smell only cloves, peppermint and something spicy. He sent his magic out, like feelers in the air, circling.
    Jade turned around at him sharply before she sat down on the sofa. “It’s not demon magic.”
    “I didn’t say anything.”
    “Please. I can feel your magic checking the area out.” She motioned in the air with her hands. From the coffee table, she grabbed the spell book she’d been using, holding it up for him to see the cover. “It’s from this book.”
    Paris glanced at the cover quickly, happy to see it was a primary level spell book from the library. She handed it over to him, flipping it open to the spell in question - a spell to calm dreams. He could see why the smell of cloves was so strong. Not only was it the scent of Jade’s magic, but the spell called for five whole ones. He also noted cardamom, peppermint oil, salt and some candles. He glanced down at the table and saw she had large quantities of everything, far more than the spell called for.
    “Planning on casting it for the entire Coven?” he asked, eyeing what she had out.
    Jade looked bashful. “No, but… more is more, right?”
    “Not always.”
    “But if less is more, just think how much more ‘more’ will be,” Jade said, a faint joking tone in her voice - forced and slightly hollow.
    “Are you having problems sleeping?”
    Her shoulders slumped. “Sort of. I just… I thought… I hoped that I could cast some magic to help me just sleep more peacefully.”
    “Are you restless or are you having nightmares?”
    She stilled at his question and he immediately worried. He’d only been asking casually due to the nature of the spell, but her body went tense and she leaned slightly away from him.
    “Maybe a little of both.”
    Paris nodded. “I see. And have you tried this spell before?”
    “No. I didn’t really think about trying something till this morning. But I don’t know. Maybe it’s a bad idea.”
    Jade moved forward like she was going to start cleaning up the supplies.
    “No, no,” he said, holding a hand out to stop her. “If you’re feeling… troubled at night, let’s try this spell together and see if it helps.”
    She sagged a bit. “I tried it twice already, but it just… doesn’t feel like it’s working?” She fiddled with the salamander charm, running it back and forth along the chain like a nervous tick. “I mean, I normally get some kind of… ping?” Her eyes looked at him for confirmation and he nodded. He knew what she meant. When a spell worked, it aligned with a witch’s personal magic, and it felt like it ‘set’ in place. Jade continued. “But I haven’t got that. Or maybe it’s more like there’s a ping, but it’s not the right one.”
    Paris nodded again. “Okay, give it a go with me here and I’ll see if I can figure out what’s wrong.”
    It was Jade’s turn to nod and she took a deep breath, dropping her talisman back against her neck. It was slightly foolish of him, but he felt a little prideful that he always saw her wearing her talisman. He’d spent careful consideration on what he should chose for a charm for her, finally settling on a salamander. Not only was a salamander traditionally associated with fire, which Jade wielded well, it was also a symbol of courage and loyalty. Both were qualities he’d come to identify with Jade. He’d worried after he’d given it to her that she’d think it some strange trinket and put it in a drawer somewhere, never to be seen again. He’d yet to see her without it.
    Jade picked up a white candle from her coffee table and lit it, placing it in a large candleholder that was adorned with a generous saucer to catch the wax