My brows furrow as I park in front of the courthouse, wondering why the fuck I’m here. But my body doesn’t even let me take a moment. It’s almost like a string is wrapped around my neck and dragging me through the entrance toward the Circuit Courts Office.
As soon as I open the door, I find Violet with her head in her hands. Is she wearing a nightgown?
Her head lifts and her bright blue eyes meet mine.
“There you are,” she says in an irritated voice. “We’re so fucked.”
Chapter 10
Iwake with a gasp, clutching my chest as Walter startles next to me.
“Happy Birthday, I guess,”he says through our connection, licking his gray paw and curling back up to sleep.
My familiar is ornery on the best day, but he has been crucial to me since finding out I was a witch. He just showed up on my grand-mère’s doorstep, told me he was my familiar, his name was Walter, and he doesn’t eat cat food.
“Something’s wrong, Walter,” I tell him, my body moving on its own accord as I slip on my boots.
I try to fight it and go into my closet and change, but I guess whatever is happening is going to happen in this silk, white nightgown.
Walter’s ears fly back as he stands on the bed and assesses me.
“What is it?”
“I…I don’t know. It’s like I need to go somewhere.”
“Don’t fight it,”Walter suggests.
I nod at the wise cat and grab my purse, tossing my wand inside. When I open the front door and look down, there’s asmushed cupcake. I inspect the container and it looks like there are teeth marks in the plastic.
What the hell?
I put it back down, not knowing where it came from as my feet take me to their destination. I wrap my arms around myself. The night air is cold. Even when I try to turn around and go back into my house to grab a sweater, my body won’t let me. Instead, I take out my wand and cast a warming spell, which works. But when I attempt to cast anything that will stop my momentum or take me back home, the wand seems to be useless.
Could the girls be pulling a birthday prank on me or something?
That’s my best guess as I walk down the path of my property a whole half mile until I reach the main street. At least I’m not as cold anymore as the sun rises, and I let whatever magic is affecting me lead the rest of the way.
My feet ache, and all I want to do is go back to bed, but it seems whatever is possessing me has other plans.
Nothing is open yet, as I finally reach downtown and my legs take me to the courthouse.
I glance around as the early birds trickle into the nearby businesses. I sit on the bench outside and shake my foot with anxiety. Deep down, I’m willing myself to get up and go back home, but my feet won’t move.
This is not how I saw my thirtieth birthday going. I was supposed to get breakfast with my grand-mère and just relax the rest of the day. It wasn’t going to be anything special, but it’s what I wanted.
With shaking hands, I pull my phone out of my purse and call my grand-mère. She refuses to reply to texts.
She doesn’t answer, and I sigh in relief as I leave her a voicemail.
“Hey, grand-mère. I woke up not feeling so great. Can we reschedule breakfast? I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to try and get some more sleep.”
I hang up the phone and just wait. My body is begging to be let into this building, and I have no clue why.
The first government employee comes to the door and glances at me. I must look ridiculous in this nightgown and boots. I didn’t even brush my hair.
As soon as the door is open, I’m pushing my way through. I go through security, but they all give me odd looks, like I’m on their watchlist. I probably should be, because whatever is happening to me feels certifiable.
The moment I open the door to the marriage license office, something in me calms down. I still can’t leave, and so instead I sit down on the bench and think.
