Honey gasped, hand flying to her mouth. Roam's expression hardened. "So, you used them as guinea pigs."
"I didn't have a choice." Gregg yelled. "They saw too much. I had to protect my secret."
Roam struck the table in front of Gregg, making him jump. "You didn't have to kill them. But you chose to take innocent lives." His eyes flashed with fury.
Gregg shrank under Roam's wrath, his arrogance finally shattered. Honey watched somberly, heart aching for the slain shifters who had only been trying to guard their home.
Roam turned away in disgust from the cowering warlock before them. "Your crimes end today," he declared.
Honey nodded, knowing Gregg would now face the full consequences of his twisted actions. His corruption of the water from the falls would haunt the town forever. But justice had arrived at last.
Gregg deflated, the fight draining from his limbs as he realized there was no way to escape.
“I need to know one last thing. Why didn’t you just chop down an apple tree after you killed Lily and make your precious wands?” Roam asked.
Gregg’s head slumped. “I tried.”
“What?” Honey asked.
“I tried to chop one down. An axe won’t pierce it. Magic doesn’t penetrate them. Fire won’t burn them. Nothing I did worked. I’ve gone back so many times, trying to take what I sacrificed everything for, and still I have nothing.” Gregg began to weep.
The Aftermath
HoneysatwithRoamat the Boozy Cauldron pub, both quiet as they processed the day's events.
"I'm glad we caught him, but it doesn't make the loss we’ve all suffered any less painful," Honey said softly, tears pricking her eyes.
Roam slid his hand over hers. "I know," he replied gravely. "But at least now, they can all rest in peace."
Honey nodded, taking comfort in the company of the Shifter beside her. Though the darkness in Cauldron Falls was not fully banished, Gregg was on his way to the Pokey in Salem, and that marked a step toward healing. She knew light would return to the village, blossoming like the apple trees in Lily's beloved orchard. And she and Roam would face the future together, but she couldn't get past the evil that had manifested in Gregg Abbott. Knowing that level of malice and greed existed in their perfect little world was so scary. Yet, she knew she’d always be here to tackle it with Roam.
“We’ll always fight whatever we need to Honey, to keep Cauldron Falls safe. You know that right?” Roam assured her.
“I do. You know what’s weird? I can’t get the Leahnora's cryptic words out of my head. I don’t want to think about it right now. As a matter of fact, I want to forget about it for now. I need things to get back to normal first. Then I’ll think about it.” She smiled at him.
“Agreed. Give yourself some time to breathe and reset, and spend sometime with your Shifter.” Roam winked.
October, A Year Later
Itwasaparticularlybright Sunday morning, as Clive plucked ruby-hued apples. A crisp autumn breeze and sunshine blanketed him as he pursued the work of caring for Lily's legacy. This brought purpose to Clive's days and kept her spirit thriving. Though Lily was gone, the orchard still teemed with life thanks to Clive stewarding the land with love and care. He admired the sorcery of nature - each apple was perfectly formed, as if molded by a master artisan. These fruits would become the cider that was Tabitha's secret weapon, drawing happy crowds to her café, and so many more things to so many more people in Cauldron Falls.
"Let's get these over to Tabitha, shall we boy?" Clive said, scratching Cona behind the ears. The Irish Wolfhound howled excitedly, leading the way with a basket of apples dangling gently from his mouth.
At the café, Tabitha beamed with delight. "Bless you both. My supplies were running low." She hugged Clive warmly. "I don't know what I'd do without Lily's cider."
"Nor do I," Clive admitted. The drink was a piece of Lily that lived on, and would for generations to come.
Clive inhaled deeply, and caught the faint smell of cinnamon, rising from the basket that held a pie, as he strolled through Cauldron Falls with Cona delivering gifts from Lily around town. He waved to Sally Swanton as she arranged the stack of newspapers outside her shop.
"Good morning Ms. Swanton!" he called. "Anything good to report?"
"Always, Professor!" Sally replied cheerily, as she grabbed a single copy ofThe Curious Moonand handed it to Clive. "On the house, it’s sure to brighten up your reading."
Clive chuckled as he presented her with an apple pie. "You are too kind. I'll give you my next article on arcane Cauldron Falls History tomorrow. I plan on polishing it off tonight."
“Can’t wait to read it, and eat this pie.” Sally put the pie up to her nose and inhaled deeply.
As the pair continued down the bustling lane, Clive nodded politely to Miles Montgomery watering pumpkins outside his greenhouse.
