The woman nodded. “Bella is leaving on Saturday. So, Friday is closing day.” She tapped the counter. “I’ll miss you, buddy.”
“Bella is also a witch?”
“Oh, yes. A fantastic one. Even if I could manage a shop on my own, I wouldn’t feel fit to step into her shoes.” She gave Shanna a side glance. “If you’re looking for a job, though, maybe she can still be convinced to sign it over …”
“Me? No.” Shanna laughed, even though a sliver of possibility weaved through her mind. It wouldn’t be such a bad fate. The clients would forget her, so she’d have to find someone to workin the store—like this young woman—but she could see herself, somewhere in the back, happily lost in making her jewelry charms, mixing herbs, embroidering sigils …
Maybe. One day.
The woman thanked her and wished her a pleasant day, and, sweeping up her two companions, Shanna left the store.
Next, they found the electronics store, where Simon spent twenty minutes politely arguing with the clerk.
“It’s my phone,” he said while Shanna window-shopped—if one could do so from inside a store.
“I know, sir,” the man responded.
“No, I mean it, I literally designed this—” Simon caught himself. “I want to say, I know how to fix it, so if you let me explain it, we’ll be done much sooner …”
“You’re going to make all the Kiwis hate us,” Chris said to Simon as they left the store—with the phone being taken into repair—half an hour later. “They’re gonna talk about that annoying American who thought he knew better.”
“I do know better!” Simon spread his arms. “I made the damn phone!”
“Relax.” Shanna smiled at him. “I’m sure they have competent people to fix it.”
“Why didn’t you buy another?” Chris asked.
Simon shook his head side-to-side. “All the pictures and videos are on this one, and I didn’t upload them to the cloud in case it led a trail back to me. I thought you wouldn’t want to lose them.”
Chris didn’t say anything, but she did manage a small smile.
“That’s so sweet,” Shanna said.
“Anyway.” Simon cleared his throat. “Between witch and phone antics, I think it’s time for a late lunch.”
Because of said phone antics, they had to stay until mid-morning the next day to get it fixed. As they finally drovefurther south, down the road hugging the lake’s eastern side, the radio miraculously sprung back to life again, greeting them with a not-too-thematic but mood-appropriateCalifornia Girlsby The Beach Boys. Chris, of all people, began to hum first, and a few seconds later, she and Shanna were singing out loud. Simon didn’t—claiming he had to focus on the road—but at least Shanna caught a smile from him.
And off they went, toward the end.
Chapter 17
“…and bring forth the clear skies!” Shanna finished her spell by tearing an image of a storm laid down in the center of the spell circle.
The smell of a barbecue wafted past her nostrils. No, wait, that wasn’t meat—it smelled like fabric burning …
“Shoot!” She rushed for the chair across the tent and frantically waved the lacy fabric until the fire was extinguished.Phew.She’d be happy if that was the only side effect of her spellcasting.
“I can’t help but notice it’s still raining outside.” The bride, Nessa, marched into the tent. “And the wedding is in thirty minutes.”
“I finished the spell. It’ll only take a bit for the skies to clear.”
Nessa’s eyes stopped on the blackened piece of fabric in Shanna’s hand. She let out a sound similar to a frightened deer. “My veil. You burned my bridal veil.”
Shanna looked down.Oh, so that’s what it was.She’d thought it looked very pretty…
Emphasis on past tense.
“You…” Nessa’s voice built up as she snatched the veil from her hands, “are the worst witch ever.”
