Skye takes off her coat and tosses it onto the circulation desk. She rummages around behind it to pull out several square books with vividly colored covers. After making her way to a clear area of floor, she waves the books overhead and calls out, “Who’s ready for story time?”
En masse, the children slide to a halt and turn toward her. Then they’re shrieking again, jostling forward, each trying to push to the front.
Skye sinks to the floor, her wide skirt spreading out to cover her crossed legs. “Okay, quiet down.”
When the children obey, the parents give a collective sigh of relief and slump into chairs surrounding the long wooden library tables.
I step close and lean one shoulder against a bookcase, my arms crossed over my chest.
Skye has the young ones vote on which book to read first, then cracks it open. What comes next can only be described as magic. She loses herself in the book and pulls the audience along with her, creating a different voice for each character and acting out the parts. Her tone conveys a range of emotions, each perfectly matched to the story. The children sit, leaning forward, completely mesmerized.
As am I.
When she finishes the final book, a stunned silence hangs in the library for several seconds. Then the children let out a combined groan of disappointment before asking herto read just one more.
“Sorry, everyone. That’s all the books I have for today.” She stands, and several of the smallest ones come over to hug her legs. Skye strokes their hair, wearing the softest, sweetest smile as she looks down at their little faces, all turned up to her as if they’re flowers basking in her sun.
That smile spears straight into my heart, planting the seed of a new obsession that immediately sprouts and grows to fill my entire body. My little witch wants children of her own.
AndIwant to be the one to give them to her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Skye
As soon as the parents peel the last of the children from my legs, I assure a slightly jittery Bumbleboots he’s doing a great job. He steps out of sight, and all around me, books the children played with slide back into place on the shelves.
I check my phone, grinning when I finally see the text I’ve been waiting for from Naomi—the dragons of Alarria accepted my proposal. My surprise for Luke is going to happen!
Luke stalks over to me, a strange intensity burning in his eyes. “That was amazing.” His voice emerges as a husky rumble that makes my knees go weak. “Youwere amazing.”
“Thanks!” I beam up at him, happy to bask in his warm regard. Even if he doesn’t want me romantically, it’s good to know he respects me.
It’s also a great sign that my surprise will be somethinghe’ll like, which makes me wish it could happennow. I’ve only got to wait a couple more days to surprise him, but it feels like forever.
Happiness bubbles up inside me, building on the high I already have from interacting with the kids. I adore reading to them, to seeing their little faces light up as they get lost in the magic of a book. If I can get more funding for my charity, I want to be able to buy enough books that each child who attends story time also gets to take home a book of their own.
And maybe someday, when I get control of my magic, I can do what Harriet did, and offer any magical child who needs it a way to actually experience a book.
For now, I’ll take the joy of knowing Luke’s going to love my surprise. I carry it with me as he gathers me into his strong arms and leaps into the air. We fly back to the castle, ready to continue our research.
The top of the towers rise above the trees ahead when golden sparkles surround us and the world starts to spin.
“Fudging fudge!”
Then I’m plopped down into the passenger seat of a car, with Luke behind the wheel as we hurtle down a country road.
“Skye!” he yells, taking a death grip on the steering wheel as the right tire bumps off the edge of the pavement.
“Snickerdoodle!” I grab for the wheel, steering us back onto the blacktop. “Take your foot off the pedal.”
We immediately start to slow.
And the golden shimmer of my magic picks us up and puts us right back where we started, going full speed onceagain.
I don’t ask permission—I clamber straight onto Luke’s lap, wiggling to fit between him and the steering wheel. Thank god the book character drives one of those huge pickup trucks with a roomy cab. I’d never be able to do this in a regular car.
Gripping the wheel, I keep us on the road. My legs dangle, barely reaching halfway down his shins. I’m like a little girl in a world of adults. So I press each of my heels into his corresponding shin. “Feel that?”
