Allure (The Hoodoo Apprentice #2) (Entangled Teen) Read Online Free

wrought to avenge her granddaughter Magnolia’s murder. “Wasn’t she chewing something when she cast The Creep on the pirate ship, too?”
    Miss Delia nods. “She was. Now I’ve got to figure out what was in that powder she threw when she worked those spells. In the meantime, Cooper needs a powerful protection charm. It won’t be potent enough to stop the curse, but it might buy us some extra time.”
    Pointing to the shelves, she calls out the ingredients we’ll need for a super-strong Protective Shield . After spending a week in the garden and her kitchen, I’ve memorized where everything belongs and can finally keep up with her. Within moments, jars filled with agrimony, bay, burdock, black snake root, rue, and verbena are lined up on the counter. Each has the power to turn back a minor jinx, but together, they bind to create a powerful white magic charm. Casting the spell in her ancestor’s magic mortar will give it even more power, enhancing its strength, and hopefully shield Cooper from the curse.
    I add each ingredient to the ancestors’ mortar exactly as she’s called them out knowing the order is nearly as important as what is used. Once they’re combined, I grind them together with a stone pestle, crushing the dried leaves and tiny chips to release their essential oils. Soon, the agrimony’s apricot scent and verbena’s lemony notes mix with the balsam flavor of the bay, sweetening the sharp and bitter odor of the black snake root.
    A gentle breeze blows around Miss Delia’s house. It’s a natural consequence of working hoodoo magic, which taps into the natural elements and uses their power. So is the yawn that works its way up my throat. Spells require energy to work, and every charm requires a tribute of sorts from its practitioner. The stronger the magic, the more energy it draws, which is probably why my lids feel like they suddenly weigh about three pounds each. Fighting to keep them open, I rub the pestle against the last remaining chunks in the mortar. My head swoons, begging for sleep, but I power through, knowing I’m nearly finished. Supposedly I’ll gain a tolerance for this magic eventually, but that day can’t come soon enough.
    Finally, the mixture is ready. Miss Delia hands me a small white pouch with an extra long drawstring. It’s a gris-gris bag or a mojo, meant to be worn either around the neck or kept in a pocket, as long as it’s close to the skin. “Pour the powder in here and cinch it up nice and tight.”
    I follow her instructions then wipe out the mortar for the next part of the spell, which will kick-start this charm into overdrive. After scattering a few pieces of charcoal in the bottom of the granite mortar, I strike a match and light the coals, then pull back as a wisp of black smoke rises and curls around my face. While it burns, I assemble the last few herbs we’ll need. A few minutes later, the briquettes are a dusty gray, a sure sign they’re ready. Miss Delia directs me to layer some agrimony first, then the sandalwood, and finally some verbena over the coals. As they heat, the kitchen fills with their creamy, fruity scents. Bracing myself for the hardest part of the spell, I step to the mortar and hold the gris-gris bag over the smoking fumes.
    Rubbing the red and white beads on my collier , the necklace that marks me as Miss Delia’s apprentice and grants me her protection, I close my eyes and clear all thoughts from my mind. An incantation springs to my lips.
    “May all the ingredients in this charm
    Grant Cooper protection from vengeful harm.
    Add in the love that dwells in my heart
    So he and his soul will never part.”
    The wind picks up, rattling the trees and whipping around the house. A gust of air blows in from the backyard, blasts through the kitchen and past the swinging door, then through the living room and presumably out on to the front porch.
    My limbs grow heavy. Blinking hard and fast, I force my eyes open. Just a few more minutes and