Then, the phone in my pocket starts buzzing, bringing my mind back to the present moment. Manny lets me slide down his body, and I pull out my cell to see my dad calling.
I answer it. “Hey, Papa.”
“Is Manny with you? Are you almost here? We’ve got an eager crowd today!”
Through the phone speaker, I can hear voices chattering away.
“We’re close. Be there in a minute.”
When I hang up, Manny slips his hand into mine and tugs me forward, his eyes focused straight ahead.
Guess the guy is done talking. And kissing.
And I refuse to focus on how much I’d like to revisit that second one.
Soon enough, we’re breaking through the forest edge to arrive on the shores of Lake Galen. The water glistens in the sunlight, and a short ways away, a group has assembled. But the spectators aren’t only on the land. Out in the waves, a few pontoon boats float, anchored in the shallow water of the cove.
“There’re our champions!” my father calls out, waving us toward the gathering.
I see now that there’re multiple firepits set up, and I expect people will get them lit in a few hours once the sun has set.
Hopefully, this challenge doesn’t last as long as all that. I’m competitive, but after last night, my stamina is questionable.
The werewolf beside me is probably doing just fine.
I tug my hand from his, not wanting to deal with questions and gossip. I swear I hear a soft, displeased growl from Manny, but I ignore him and hurry forward.
“Now that the Pumpkin Princess and Pumpkin Prince have arrived, we can commence the next round of the competition!” Papa, nimble for his age, balances on the top of a barrel as he holds the attention of the crowd.
There’s a tap in the side of the container, and once more, I see most everyone clutching a cup of cider. Papa brews a batch specifically for this weekend. A onetime-only tasting event.
“What do you have for the lucky pumpkin royalty today?” Selena calls out to my father, an easy grin creasing the witch’s cheeks.
She sits beside a white woman with soft brown hair and an air of dangerous power around her. Violetta Radeva, the sea witch who now lives on a lake. The two magical women hold hands where they recline on a set of camping chairs.
“So glad you asked. Blossom, Manny, please join me.”
My dad waves to the shoreline by his barrel, and we come to a stop beneath him. When we both face the crowd on land, searching for a clue to our next challenge, he laughs and points out to the water.
“Hope you two are ready for a dip!”
With growing dread, I rotate and watch as Heath steps up to the side of one of the farther pontoon boats and upends a basket over the water. A cascade of apples topples into the gentle waves.
My father’s voice booms overhead. “Next challenge … bobbing for apples!”
9
MANNY
Ten minutes.As many apples as we can gather.
The catch—as if we need another one—is that we have to use our mouths to bring them to shore.
Ultimate bobbing for apples.
Blossom has a furious frown on her gorgeous face as we line up where the water meets the red clay shore.
She knows I have the advantage.
