Hazel’s jaw dropped, and she looked stunned. “Like what?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not telling you the details. Now give me my fucking coffee.”
Hazel chuckled. “When did this happen? Are you guys legit now? You guys a thing?”
I shook my head. “No, it just happened last night. We have a lot of things to figure out. And it was a one-time thing. Heat of the moment.”
She scrunched her nose up. “Sounds complicated and like you’re trying to convince yourself.”
I glared at her. “And I would like to be done talking about it. Now, give me my coffee for the love of god and tell me how the party went for you?”
She beamed, jumping a little but still not giving me my coffee. “I had so much fun. The witches and I were laughing all night. We are actually going out for lunch today.”
I smiled at her, leaning back in my chair. “You’ve made some good friends, sounds like.”
She nodded as she sat down. “I have. They are great.” She handed me my coffee. “But you’re still my best friend.”
I laughed as I grabbed my coffee, taking a sip. She stared at me. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me more?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” She didn’t need to be traumatized by the truth, but I had to admit it was nice to tell her a little.
An hour later, I headed to the library needing something to do. I needed to get my mind off what happened last night, and I knew books were a good way to do that.
I found Marium starting the coffee maker when I got in. The library was quiet today, and hardly anyone was in theparking lot when I pulled in. I took a deep breath in, feeling myself relax just from being in this atmosphere.
“Morning, Gabriella. What brings you in?”
“I was just going to look for a new read.” I headed over to the kitchen area, watching as she poured herself a mug. She tossed a few sugars inside and stirred. “What are you looking for today?”
“Do you remember what book I gave you last time I was here?”
Marium nodded. “The spell book? Yeah, I put it away as you asked. I don’t know how I lost it there in the first place. I must not have brought my good reading glasses.”
I chuckled. “And where exactly are those books held?”
“Second floor in the back. We have maybe two shelves of books. The witches look at them on occasion, but oftentimes they get their own. We have little kids who like to read through them now.” She took a sip of her coffee and placed the pot back on the burner. “So, what do you want with them?”
I came up with a good lie. “Hazel has been helping with the witches, so I just thought maybe I would look through it and see if it’s anything I could recommend to her for a read.”
Marium nodded, accepting my lie easily. “That’s smart. I figured after the last time you were here, you were going to ask me to burn them all. You looked so flustered.”
I waved my hand. “No, I just remembered something and was in a hurry.”
Marium shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first person to ask. I hear it all the time.”
I imagined she did. But I didn’t worry about her. She was a sweet lady, but she had a sharp tongue. She didn’t stand for anyone’s bullshit, and sometimes I wished I could be like her more.
“Thanks, Marium.” I turned and headed up the stairs to the second floor. I walked past the mystery section and the science wing. I could hear people talking, and someone was tapping their pencil on the table. There was a small seating area on the second floor with bean bags and low-riding chairs. There were tables pressed against the wall with little lamps.
And just down a little further was the witch area, but it wasn’t labeled. I could feel it in the pull and the way the aura just shifted—like people disliked the area so much that the emotion stuck.
I slipped into the aisle and scanned the rows. There were books with no title, and stacks of papers that had long been forgotten. It surprised me how it all looked compared to the rest of the library.
Marium kept things clean and organized, while this section looked abandoned. It ached my heart a little.
I looked over the shelves, trying to find the one I had picked up the other day. I ran my fingers over the bindings, feeling a tingle running through me.
I pulled my hand back and looked at it. I had been telling myself that what I felt before wasn’t real. I didn’t have magic, so I shouldn’t feel a pull toward these books. Yet, I was.
