Emberlight

14. Secrets in the Wrong Head

Kelsey

The bell on the door rang as Kelsey barged her way inside the convenience store, but the cashier behind the counter didn't look up from his magazine. He flicked to the next page at a leisurely pace.

Kelsey combed a hand through her ruffled hair and adjusted her leather jacket. She browsed the chocolate bars at the counter, noticing how they were each wrapped in their nineties outfits, and perused the bottles of contraband that sat behind the counter. Tucking her bloodied hand into her sleeve, she conjured a devilish smile.

"Whiskey, thirty-five cl," she said.

"Got I.D.?" the man replied as he retrieved the bottle of amber liquid and placed it on the counter.

"Somewhere," she lied, puckering her lips.

He tapped the till a few times. "Thirty pounds. Sixteen for those with club cards." He pointed to the challenge twenty-five sign behind him.

Those are for Ashes, she thought with a wicked smile. As the man returned to his magazine, she snatched the bottle and bolted for the door.

"Hey, hey, hey," he barked, grabbing her good arm tight enough to bruise. He flinched at the spots of blood on her neck, but didn't waver long. "Twenty, and I never see you again."

Kelsey glared at him, knowing exactly what to do. "You might want to let go before this Ember starts burning you."

The man flinched. The anger faded from his eyes momentarily before he yanked her towards him. She latched onto the door handle and stood her ground. Maybe the Aversion wouldn't be strong enough in him for this old trick to work.

"If you don't let go, I'll cast my magic on you. I'll remember your face and everything," she added bitterly to herself. It didn't matter what she said—only a few choice words meant anything to him.

He blinked lethargically. His grip tightened but the hard line of his lips eased.

"Careful now," she warned, as she watched him fight the Aversion. "You don't want me to stay up all night casting spells against your family."

"You little witch," he hissed under his breath.

"Bloodwitch, actually."

With the final trigger word, the shopkeeper's fingers sprung open and he receded into a much happier place inside his mind. She hoped he would forget her entirely, but the Aversion wasn't a precise spell. She made a note to herself never to return here again.

Kelsey strode out of the off-licence victorious. Tristan shook his head at her from across the road, hands tucked in his pockets as he waited for her. She raised the bottle in the air like a trophy and bathed in his irritated expression.

"Relax, I already know what it tastes like," she said, fed up of his scowl. "I got it for its antiseptic goodness."

"Then why didn't you get antiseptic?"

"Because that's no fun. You're no fun."

"Yemi can heal you later," Tristan said, heading out of the village.

"I don't take advice from liars." She twisted off the lid and poured a dredge over her arm, biting into her tongue to hide her wince. She stored the rest in her jacket pocket for later.

"You're showing off, aren't you? You're angry because you didn't think I had it in me," Tristan teased.

"Oh, you think this is funny?" She laughed bitterly, hoping the noise would irk him as it bounced off the pavement and into the alleyways. "You know what, at first I blamed LOCA and their whining for the attack. I even blamed myself, because I'm the one who kicked off the Aversion and ran my mouth about magic. But you know makes more sense? Bloodwitches attacking you and your Ember parents, and gobbling up the Smiths as an after snack."