“This witch that I know, Jareth—he used to make these bracelets for a werewolf family who were trying to protect themselves from a vengeful shaman,” I continue. “The person wearing the bracelet becomes temporarily immune to all magical effects, including wards, curses, that kind of thing. It still allows for shifting, and it will change shape along with you. It will only hold the charm for five days, but you’ll be able to come and go in Crescent Cove as much as you like this weekend.”
She stares at me, stunned. “You got this for me?”
“Yeah.”
“It must have been expensive. Especially with a charm that strong.”
No kidding. It made quite the dent in my inheritance. But somehow, I know Lou would have approved.
“It took some convincing to get Jareth to do the charm without going through the council for approval first,” I confess. “But he owed Lou a favor, and I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
“Are you serious?”
I shrug. “The festival thing seemed important to you.”
“Rick…” Her eyes sparkle with tears.
“Hey, now, this is supposed to make you happy.”
“Iamhappy. This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.” She takes the woven bracelet and slips it on, tightening it by pulling the string with her teeth.
“I wish the bracelet could have been nicer.” I rub my palms against my jeans. “Short notice, so I had to go with what Jareth had available.”
“It’s perfect. Now I’ll be able to enjoy the festival, listen to the music—and order coffee.” She gives me a saucy smirk. “That was your real motivation, wasn’t it? Luring me back to the Toast & Tide?”
“Hey, anything to get the customers in the door. I’m a man of business.”
“Then maybe we should get down to the business of toasting these marshmallows.”
When the marshmallows are crispy, bubbly brown on the outside, she teaches me her method of assembling what she calls a Mega S’more, complete with a layer of peanut butter, a layer of chocolate fudge, and a dash of sprinkles.
The s’mores make everything sticky, and being a restaurant owner, I feel weird if I go too long with crud on my hands, so after a while I stand up and say, “I’m gonna wash up if that’s okay.”
“Give me a second and I’ll come with you. The horses are secure for the night, so there’s nothing else to do here except put out the fire.”
Since the fire pit is a rustic one, a DIY job constructed of rocks, there’s no snuffer lid. After pouring water over the fire and stirring the ashes to make sure it’s out, Marlowe surveys her property anxiously, her eyes sweeping over the darkened fields, the barns, and the driveway.
“Do you think your sister will show up here tonight?” I ask.
“She might. If she does, she’ll come to the house. She won’t miss the chance to threaten me again before she starts causing actual trouble.”
“So the horses are safe.”
“Yes. Horses are off limits to our kind, remember. We don’t harm them. You, on the other hand… You’re running a risk by staying here, with me. You sure you want to stick around?”
“Hell yeah.”
The night air is cool, and a salt-scented breeze flows in from the sea. As we walk toward the house, I spot lightning bugs winking farther away, near a stand of bushes. One of the horses whinnies in the stable. Marlowe glances in that direction but doesn’t seem worried.
“Can you understand them?” I ask.
“Yes, but it’s not a language like humans have.”
“Still. Must be useful to have those extra equine instincts.”
“It is.”
“I noticed you don’t have any dogs or cats around here. Seems like the kind of place that would have other animals, especially since you take in traumatized horses.”
