Maudlin's Mayhem (Bewitching Bedlam #2)(68)

Next stop was to pop into the laundry room, where I found a pair of clean jeans and a pair of panties in the dryer, along with a tank top. One of my bras was hanging up on the drying rack, and I quickly slipped out of my wrinkled clothes and into the clean ones. Feeling halfway presentable, I hurried back to the parlor.

Garret was drinking a glass of wine, which Sandy had poured him. She held up the bottle. “Want one, Maddy?”

“No, but I need caffeine, stat. Could you be a love and make me a latte?”

She nodded, setting the wine on the sideboard. “How many shots?”

“Four, and add in a couple shots of chocolate syrup, if you would.” I waited till she left, then turned to Garret. “I’m sorry I took so long. I had a run-in with somebody last night, and it left me knocked for a loop today.” I wasn’t about to explain any further to Garret, given I knew next to nothing about him, and to my relief, he didn’t ask.

“No problem. Well, I have your hex-breaker for you.” He pulled out a paper bag and brought out a complex series of twigs and roots that had been intertwined in an intricate design. The wood practically glowed and I could feel the magic emanating off of it from where I sat.

“What do I do with it?”

“You burn it and breathe in the smoke. Anybody who got hit by the hex should do so as well. And the smoke will filter around your house and seek out any hidden elements of the hex and counter it.”

Sandy reentered at that moment, handing me a large mug. “I heard the last of that. Does that mean that both Max and I should be here?”

“Yes, and Bubba, even though we already broke the spell on him. I want him here just in case there’s any residue hiding in that little furbrain of his.”

“I’ll call Max and have him pick up Bubba and head on over.” Sandy moved to one side.

“Will this work on somebody who’s asleep?” I was thinking of Aegis. I really didn’t want to have to wait another moment to break the spell on any of us.

“Yes ma’am, it will do that. And it’s simple enough. There are no incantations or anything else that you need to do to trigger it. The fire will be enough.” Garret leaned back with a satisfied smile. “It’s rare I get asked to make these anymore. At least around here. When I was younger, I helped my grandma make a lot of them. I guess back then, working roots was a pretty common way to get revenge on someone you were pissed at.”

“What do I owe you for this?” I asked. I had asked before, but I wanted to make sure. I wasn’t sure where my purse was, but Sandy would know.

But Garret surprised me again by shaking his head. “No charge. One thing I promised my grandma when I moved away was that I would help folks in need. She never worked roots against people—well, maybe a few, but they were always on the wrong end of a deal. She only went after those who took advantage of others. She made me promise when she passed on the power to me that I would use it wisely, and that when someone in real need asked, I would help. And I continue to keep that tradition. I make my money through the spells that shore people up, that nourish their lives.” He paused, then laughed and added, “And I grow a mighty fine strain of marijuana, should you ever feel the urge.”

With that, he glanced at his watch. “I have to go. I have an appointment with my acupuncturist.”

I stared at the hex-breaker. It was alive with energy, practically jumping in my hands. This would do the trick, that much I knew. I walked him to the front door and, when we were on the steps, out of earshot of Sandy, I said, “I found out who the Dirt Witch is. She’s new to town, and frankly, I’d like to send her packing. She hexed me for a relative of hers, someone with whom I have a rather fractious relationship.”

Garret’s eyes twinkled. “Let me guess, a certain inn owner?” At my look, he shrugged. “I keep up on the local news.”

“Ralph’s cousin…her name is Honey. I didn’t even think about her being the one. She’s probably part wood nymph, though I can’t be a hundred percent sure.”

“If one wanted to drive out a Dirt Witch, one might want to find her grounding root. Sprinkle salt on it and it will wilt just like a snail or slug, and the Dirt Witch will leave.”

“Grounding root? What’s that?”

“Dirt Witches carry pots of soil from their home base with them—a lot like a vampire bringing his coffin with him. If you disrupt the soil, the Dirt Witch will have to leave because otherwise, they’ll lose their anchor to their center of power. And most Dirt Witches only carry one grounding root with them at a time. Otherwise, they’re too obvious.”

I thought about the pot of soil Honey had been carrying earlier. Maybe it had been just dirt in a pot, or maybe… “How do I find it? Where would she keep it?”

“Somewhere in the room she sleeps in. There’s no other way to protect it from either a stray animal chewing on it, or somebody coming along and dislodging it or trampling it. When you find the root,” Garret said, lowering his voice, “don’t wait. Just tip it over, find the root buried beneath the soil—there will be no plant growing off of it—and salt it with sea salt. Use a good cup at least, for a small pot. Mix the salt into the earth and rub the root with it. The root will look a lot like a scrawny, ghostly white potato. It’s usually twisted, as well.”