Page 127 of The Blue Moon Café & 24-Hour Occult Emporium

As if set off by the word “opossum,” the deathpup growled ominously.

Relief welled up in Talula. “So I shouldn’t be worried?”

“No, but should I be worried?” Simon looked her up and down. “About you and Dahlia?”

Talula grinned her biggest, goofiest grin, the glow of her morning with Dahlia lighting her up from the inside out. The house noticed. Suddenly, the walls turned a gold-tinged shade of pink. Rose petals descended from the ceiling, their romantic aroma suffusing the room. Talula could swear she heard a harp playing.

“It’s going to be complicated,” Simon pointed out.

“She can handle it,” Talula said, watching petals spiral around them.

“I expect she can.” Simon nodded, pride shining in his eyes. “I expect you both can.”

The deathpup yipped excitedly and tried to bite a falling petal.

A smile tugged at Simon’s lips. “Come. Let’s get this little fellow home.”

The Volta seemed to coo over the tiny spectral dog, teasing it with blue-tinged tendrils. With Talula’s guidance, it opened a portal to a somewhat chaotic-looking magical vet’s office. After a quick kiss on the top of his furry head and a stern warning to stay away from opossums, Talula said goodbye to her latest four-legged friend. It was time to review the Samhain checklist.

In the past, Sara would adjust the magical parameters of the Volta for Samhain’s visitors. Magical beings would reserve a spot through an online system Talula had set up, arrive at their appointed time, grab one of Sara’s magical medallions, then go through the Volta. Unlike refuge-seekers—who needed magical help divining their new locale from Sara or Talula—Samhain visitors would just have to think of where they wanted to go, and then ta-dah! They’d arrive in a blink. The medallions would attach themselves to the visitor, transporting them back to the Blue Moon by midnight. Sara had handled the magic stuff for Samhain. All Talula had to do was guide visitors through the Employees Only doors. Until this year.

No one had heard from Sara yet—a thought that pressed on Talula’s heart heavily. And the Volta still needed to be adjusted for mass magical transport.

“What are you going to do?” Simon asked as they stood in front of the glittering, magical maw of the Volta.

Talula shrugged. “It hasn’t killed me yet.”

“Not for lack of trying.”

Talula walked up to the Volta. Blue ribbons of light twined around her shoulders.

“Hello,” Talula whispered, smiling. The Volta hummed at her. Talula let her mind empty out, letting the Volta in, just a little.

Do you remember this? she asked quietly, offering it memories of past Samhains. The Volta’s power flooded through Talula’s senses. Power and something else…something bright and effervescent. Talula got the sense that the Volta loved Samhain. The Volta pressed deeper into her mind, taking over the images Talula was offering it. She watched, mesmerized, as the Volta whirled to work, creating the necessary spellwork for the Samhain attendees.

Then, heart twisting, Talula remembered the hunters. She desperately wanted to keep everyone at Samhain safe from them. As if it overheard her thought, the Volta paused. In a torrent of blue-hued sorcery, the Volta reshaped itself while Talula watched, dumbstruck. A strange new blue archway appeared at the mouth of the Volta. White light sparked in runes around it, like specks of mica in the crest of a wave. Talula admired the Volta’s new look. “I’ve never seen the Volta do this before.”

“Remember, this is just part of the Volta. The rest of it, the giant magical well of raw power, is loosely contained by spellwork to keep it from becoming a giant magical explosion.” Simon’s furry brows furrowed as he read the runes imprinted on the new structure. “But what you’ve done here is interesting.”

“Interesting in what way?” Feeling drained, Talula sat down on the basement floor.

“There’s defensive sorcery embedded in the Samhain transportation enchantment. Anyone who goes through the portal will come out the other side with an aura of magical repellent. Any seeking magic that’s looking for them will only see itself.”

Talula rubbed at her temple. “It’s a magic-neutral portal now?”

“In a way, yes.” Simon turned to her, eyes searching. “Were you thinking of the trophy hunters’ mirrors? The ones on the cages that counteracted our scrying magic?”

Talula shook her head.

“The runes are nearly identical to the hunters’ ensorcelled mirrors.” Simon pawed at the ground thoughtfully. “Just when I think I understand what’s going on with your magic…”

“It wasn’t me. The Volta did this.” Talula beamed at the blue mist of magic swirling around the Volta. “It wanted to help.”

“While it is very helpful, you can’t treat the Volta like a puppy you can house-train.” Simon gave Talula his most withering teacher look. “It’s not a person. It’s a force. It doesn’t have feelings.”

Talula opened her mouth to argue, wanting to tell Simon just how much feeling there was to the Volta, but she was interrupted by the sound of the golden bell above the café’s front door. Excitement bubbled in Talula’s chest. She ran up the stairs and burst out of the Employees Only door to a sight she’d never thought she’d see.

The café was full to the brim. With Pine Hollowians.