The Beast Curse is my second book where my main characters are witches, so Juliet and Oakmoor use magic often throughout. And unlike Annalise and Dare in The Secret Soulbond, Juliet and Oakmoor are ordinary witches with no specialized focus to their magical powers and therefore cast a variety of spells. Also, as the powerful royal witch known for creating intricate and innovative spells, Juliet’s first instinct is to use magic, and she’s spent her lifetime studying it. Because of all that, a lot of new spells and magic are introduced in The Beast Curse, so I thought I’d describe some of them as well as ones they use frequently. Note: This book extra contains spoilers throughout.

Travel & Transporting Items

Travel and transportation spells are used frequently by many in Calatini, although those that aren’t witches rely on enchanted items like travel charms or transport boxes to do so. Travel spells are for moving living things, while transport spells are for inanimate objects. The farther the distance at a time for these spells, the more magical energy is required, which is why people travel long distances using caravan travel spells that only jump the distance in small bits spread over time rather than jump travel spells that are instantaneous. Most witches cast jump travel spells on doors, mirrors, bonfires, or pools, although powerful Rhiannon descendants like Juliet can cast them using will and without a travel medium.

Privacy Spells

Juliet and Oakmoor are both private people, so they use a lot of spells to ensure their privacy. They use wards (or ward spells) to keep people from joining them. They frequently use ignore spells or listening-ward spells to keep people from noticing or overhearing them. They use grooming spells and healing spells to repair their appearance before rejoining everyone. And they used tracing-ward or sight-ward spells to prevent witches from using magic to find or discover information about them. (In addition to Oakmoor’s extreme caution about destroying discarded items that can create magical links to him, like hair and blood.)

Information Spells

Juliet and Oakmoor often use spells to gather information, particularly about his beast curse. They use probing spells to inspect magic, while they use aura spells and healing-sight spells to inspect people, although only Rhiannon descendants like Juliet can manage aura spells. They use tracing spells and divining spells to locate things, while they use scrying spells to view other places, times, etc. Library spells allow them to read any book in the library that spell has as its focus. Finally, some witches have magical sight that allows them to view different times: foresight for the future (which mostly only seers possess), nowsight for the present (which many witches can manage), and hindsight for the past (which is less common but not rare.)

Sharing Spells

Witches can use magic to share resources when necessary. They can send one another physical energy or magical energy using energy spells, although energy spells can also be used to attack (often by shocking someone) as well, which Juliet does to Oakmoor several times throughout the years. Witches also use power sharing spells to combine their magical energy for more difficult spellwork. Usually witches casting the power sharing spell are providing their magical energy to the witch performing the difficult spell. Oakmoor does this to help Juliet perform spells to understand his beast curse. Finally, witches can use mind sharing spells to share memories and thoughts; however, this intimate spell isn’t always comfortable, often reveals more than intended, and inflames the bond between them. Juliet and Oakmoor risk using a mind sharing spell so that she can see Elvaira cast his beast curse.

Spells Juliet Creates

In Calatini, Juliet is the witch to talk to if you need a new spell created. In “The Royal Witch”, The Beast Curse‘s companion short story, Juliet creates then-Prince Devon’s protection charm. To honor the Orandian ambassador’s arrival, she helps Lord Islaye create a scrying spell he can mantain on Orandia even though its excess magic often blinds magical sight. When rescuing Pippa, Juliet creates a hole in Oakmoor’s trap spell then transfers its focus to her. Then she creates the counter-spell to break Oakmoor’s beast curse. At the end, Juliet resolves to help create a fertility charm that breeds only daughters as well as to create a better travel spell. (And that travel spell is perfected in The Beast Curse‘s bonus epilogue.)