Herbs, Blood and Love

The last of the Devil’s Dirt was sold. I huffed and placed the dusty Out of Stock sign on the table. Glancing around our Demon Apothecary Aka the back room. I noticed a trend: a lot of items were out of stock.

As I stepped through the curtains into the front of the shop, I recorded what we needed to resupply. I looked up from my notebook and halted, offering a polite smile to Ada Pimm, the owner of the shop. The most beautiful witch I’ve ever known.

”Miss Pimm,” I said with a smirk.

She leaned herself against the counter, playing with a pile of crystal bracelets.

Miss Pimm giggled and pursed her bright red lips, tossing her golden hair over her shoulder without a word. I cocked my head to the side, unamused, as I put the money from the sale into the drawer.

”Vampy,” She cooed at me, using the tone of voice I was all too familiar with.

I looked up from the shop logbooks and gave her my usual unamused glare.

Her flirty attitude and fake smile dropped immediately.

”You know I’m your boss, pretend to be happy to see me…”

I gave her a side smirk at that.

“What can I do for you today, Miss. Pimm?”

She rolled her eyes and waved her hands dismissively. “Close up for the day. The streets are dead. Let’s have tea.”

She swayed towards the back door of the shop, the one marked Employees Only. As she opened it, she looked back at me.

”And please, Call me Ada”

Her good attitude was back, and then she was gone out the back.

I made sure the curtain was drawn across the doorway to the apothecary. Then I tidied a few items in the gift shop. Once everything was to my liking, I locked the door, pulled the blinds, and slipped the Closed sign.

Ada Pimm, a High Witch of Salem, doesn’t like to be kept waiting. I finished closing the shop in a swift manner and was out in the garden, sitting at a rustic refurbished tea table with tin seconds - thanks to my vampire speed.

“Why so grumpy?” She asked as she poured us both tea. She was manic, acting like an old English lady as she served us.

I glared up at her from behind the lip of my teacup. The tea was a lovely homegrown hybrid of witches moon flowers and green tea.

”If you must know, I don’t enjoy daylight. And just because the sun is setting doesn’t mean it makes much difference.”

She rolled her eyes, dripped a scone in her tea, and nibbled at it. She knew I was waiting for her usual rebuttal.

She set her things down. Laced her fingers together, and leaned on her elbows.

With a smile, she said, “What’s the point of having the ability to walk in daylight if you never do?”

To avoid answering, I finished my tea with a slurp- just to annoy her. It worked. She wrinkled her nose and sat back.

I set my cup down and crossed my legs.

“Look vampy-“

”Radu”

She huffed. “Radu, look. I need the shop to be replenished.”

I watched her sip her tea and replied, “Do it yourself like always.”

”I can’t. Well-I could. But I want you to meet the seer in Brocken.”

I stood and dusted off the back of my pants from the outdoor tea chair.

”Miss Pimm-“

”Ada,” she corrected, standing in a challenging pose.

“Ada… Darling.” That got her attention. Now she was really listening.

”I would love to meet the seer in Brocken and hear whatever fortune he’s told- but as you know, he and I are not on good terms.”

She huffed. “Well, we need Devil’s Dirt!”

I crossed my arms and cocked my head to the side.

“Why can’t you go? The damn beast loves you.”

“Because he only sees one witch at a time.”

”Stop being cryptic.” My hands slid into my pockets as I rocked on my heels.

Ada rubbed her temples and then sat down with a huff, leaning forward. The sun had finally fallen as she spoke.

”There’s a new witch, you’re going to take her with you. I want to know her prophecy.”

I sat down again. And our eyes met.

“Powershift?” I asked.

Ada’s golden eyes turned black for a moment. “Possibly . Or it could be nothing…”

She slid me a list of items we were minding in the Apothecary. At the bottom of the list, a name: Marion Pimm.

My head snapped up.

For a second, under the fading sun and rising moon, I saw her- truly saw her. She looked older, duller… but then it was gone.

”Family?” I whispered.

”Family, yes”

She sat back and smiled.

”She wants to become a vampire. You’ll pick her up under the guise of being her teacher- the one who will change her. But you won’t; she needs to be a witch. She has to embrace her heritage.”

I stood up in protest.

“You’re willing to let your life force die so she can be a witch? And what will she do as a witch? Run the bloody apothecary?”

Ada Pimm just smiled at my outburst.

I sat back down a sighed looking up at the moon, lost in thought.

Ada Pimm, who always hides behind her manic and fake emotions, was finally giving me a genuine smile.

and my heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces.

Ada Pimm, the witch who helped the displaced witches of 1699 find home again.

Ada Pimm, the Witch who grows herbs of every kin to sell, but gives them away when others are in need.

Ada Pimm, the beautiful, curvy, blond, tall witch with golden eyes who always gets her way.

Ada Pimm, the witch who granted me life in the sun.

Ada Pimm, the witch I’m secretly in love with…wants to die.