“Humans are still confusing and wrong most of the time. You eat far too many things that aren’t chicken, for instance.” She pats me with her paw. “But it’s true I understand more than I used to.”
“Okay, so… what if you go more places with me, like to the library or the bookstore? You could also visit the walking tulips, rolling pumpkins, and flying hearts while I shop downtown.”
“Yesss,” she hisses with delight, kneading her paws into my thighs.
“You’d have to be good and actually obey if I told you to do something,” I say. “I really mean it. There are still dangers you’re not used to, such as dogs and kelpies.” The fae waterhorses are huge and mean, and even though Rune now protects the town from fae threats, he’s only one werewolf. He can’t be everywhere all the time.
“I promise.”
My phone chimes an alarm.
“Time to go decorate. Come on. You can play with thetulips, pumpkins, and hearts while I’m busy.”
“I like this idea.” She hops down. “We can make this work.”
I’m glad I’ve got a fix for my familiar, though I wish it were as easy for me to get over losing the castle with its massive library and grumpy, gorgeous owner.
When I drop Princess Buttercup off at the greenhouse, she goes galloping into the greenery, with the tulips and pumpkins rolling after. A mass of flying hearts swoops out of the dogwood tree, adding to the chase.
“Are there even more of them?” I mutter to myself as I squint. Hoo, boy, there are! The new ones are pink. They’re intermixed with the original red, the two groups merging into one large flock. It seems the animating witch has struck again.
Hannah waits for me in the Town Hall’s meeting room, which has been transformed. The podium’s gone, and most of the chairs have been stored away, only a few left lining the walls. The refreshment table sits against the back wall, opening up the space for the dance.
My bestie’s official mayor keychain jingles as she wraps me in a hug. “How you doing?”
“Okay.”
She pulls back to study my face. “No, you’re not.”
“You’re right. I’m not.” Tears prickle myeyes. “But I need to be okay for now. It’s the only way I’ll get through all the decorating without crying.” It’s going to be a few hours of work at least.
“About that. You’re not decorating alone this year.”
The door opens behind us with the sound of multiple footsteps and the rustling of clothes. In a blink, I’m surrounded by several of the Witch Bitches, the center of a group hug, with Autumn, Kayla, Violetta, and Jasmine piling on.
“Feeling better?” Kayla asks.
“What I feel like is the filling in a human burrito,” I wheeze.
Autumn chirps, “If you can talk, we’re not hugging hard enough.”
At her words, they all squeeze tighter for a moment, until I really can’t breathe. But being wrapped in their care feels amazing—I wouldn’t stop them for the world. It unlocks everything inside me, and the tears finally come, streaming down my cheeks as I let out a choked sob.
“Oh, honey, no!” Jasmine says as they finally peel away.
Violetta presses a tissue into my hands with a gentle squeeze of my fingers.
Thunderclouds gather on Kayla’s face. “Give me the word, and I’ll make him pay. I don’t know how, but I’ll do it.”
“You won’t be the only one,” Autumn says, fire flashing in her eyes.
“What happened?” Hannah pulls me over to a chair.
My mouth opens, and everything pours out of me in a rush. Discovering how to stop my spell, the way Luke told me I was going home and stormed off, and calling Naomi toget me out of there as fast as possible.
Waiting all day for a grumpy knock at my door, dying a little inside with each quiet minute that passed.
“He didn’t… he didn’t do anything wrong,” I finish, the words hiccupping out of me. “He just didn’t want me around without the spell forcing us to be together.”
