Placing my finger on our silver star-shaped panel stuck to the side of the garage door, I waited a moment for it to groan open. When the screen came to life, its red light blinked, reminding me what I already knew.
Low Magic
I swiped through the automated messages, switching the house to manual mode until Hazel got back. I couldn’t risk it taking the last dregs of my magic.
Looking over my shoulder, the brilliant waxing crescent stared down at me as if the Goddess wanted to remind me that the full moon would be here in a few days—like any witch ever forgot.
Our gifts recharged once each lunar cycle, absorbing into our skin from its swelling illumination. Seeing it used to bring up anticipation and excitement, signaling a great time of reconnection. Intimacy.
Now all I felt was dread.
If I skipped another full moon, another month would fly by without refilling my magical stores. Ticking away a few more after that spelled an even bigger problem…
Losing it completely.
Covens didn’t want a magicless witch around, and I was already an outsider here. If I continued to let my magic wither, where would we go?
The mortal world?
Just the idea of that made me shiver.
Other than Lynx, I hadn’t met anyone else from the coven. Hazel had said she would take me around when I got settled…which hadn’t happened yet. I wasn’t outgoing or assertive enough to insert myself into the goings on of the neighborhood. But the full moon was when they would traditionally gather and embrace its newest members.
At this point, that was probably when I’d end up meeting most of them.
I’d never been more out of touch with my gift or my body. They barely felt likemineanymore. The idea of recharging—especially after so many moons of dry spells—seemed daunting. I wouldn’t even know where to begin if I wanted to. And there was still a huge part of me that was wary of inviting my gift back with everything that came along with it.
The magic, I missed. The gift I needed to recharge in order to access it—that was another thing all together.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the nerves rioting through me. Atlas was going to be enough for me to handle in a few days with his…Atlasness.The fact that he’d be here during the full moon added a whole other layer of problems.
Luckily, Hazel would be back before then. She’d help me navigate what to do.
Chapter3
Lynx
Idumped the second scoop of neon-yellow instant-energy elixir in my shaker cup, then glanced down at my watch. Thirty more minutes until my group training session. Double checking that my playlist was ready, I scanned my duffel bag to be sure I had everything I needed before walking out the door.
Last night was not what I’d expected. I’d gone over to meet the new neighbors, thinking I’d just hand off the casserole, quickly introduce myself, and then head home. Instead I’d invited myself in, hunting for any excuse to keep the conversation going—even offering to help Oakley unpack.
Anything to not have to leave without knowing more abouther.
Checking my phone, I looked to see if she had texted. Unfortunately, aside from a bunch of work-related messages I’d have to decipher after class, there was nothing.
I passed by Café au Luna, giving a quick wave to Saros before heading toward the small outdoor pavilion set next to the Coven Community Center. I loved how convenient it was to get to work from the house, and even after a year of being in the neighborhood, I still had a steady stream of clients coming to classes.
Pulling out the portable weights, I swiped them through the air, releasing some magic from my fingertips before setting them down where they expanded to full size. As usual, oncetheysaw me setting up, the Crescent Crew—as I coined them—made their way out of their homes. Did they just watch from their windows each day, waiting for me to arrive? They always came to class early, using it as an excuse to gossip and socialize.
There were five families that lived on Blessed Crescent, which looped behind the community center. Their homes were tall and imposing in comparison to the ones on Starry Night Lane. Each grew in size and luxury, their owners all an eclectic and tight-knit bunch.
Laurel Pierce was the first of the Crescent Crew to make it out this morning. She was wearing a black tank top, leggings, and baseball cap that she believed hid her Bluetooth earbuds during class. A river of pale-blue loneliness trailed her footsteps. Her husband, Wade, was always away for work, and I was pretty sure it was the reason she attended bootcamp religiously while also training with me on the days class wasn’t in session.
Every time I went to her house, I got to check out all the coolest Pierce Protections gadgets and security equipment on—and off—the market. Cameras were installed in every space inside and outside the house, which was both really cool and creepy as fuck. He was definitely an overly paranoid and cautious man, but in his line of business, I guess that came with the territory.
Cordelia and Brax Blossom headed down through the grass, passing the coffee truck and grabbing their usual bright-yellow shooters, dropping some cash on the counter without a second glance.
They’d made a small fortune through their BooTube channel, filming a weekly segment called Iris’s Imaginarium where their daughter, whom the show was named after, would unbox and test out different magical toys. Parents making millions off their kids doing that shit appalled me, but apparently there was an audience for everything.
