Page 26 of Woods of the Raven

The two of them were very helpful. I had a system, and they perfected it. Delia was quick to point out that if I had the same setup on both sides of the table, it would get done that much quicker.

“And you don’t actually have to be the one to put them together, do you?” she asked. “As long as we hang them up after and you speak the words over them, won’t it be all right?”

“I’m not sure. Normally, as I string the different pieces, I set the spell for each item. That’s how I was taught.”

“Is there someone you can ask?”

“There is, but it’s more of a she’ll-tell-us-if-it’s-wrong thing.”

Delia nodded.

Since the ladders I made were for luck and prosperity, for happiness and warmth, and weren’t actual wards, it was possible that Delia and Cass infusing their own joy at being in my house with me would do amazing things to the ladders. As we sat together and started assembling them, I caught the distinct smell of lavender.

Cass inhaled deeply. “I love lavender. It reminds me of my mom.”

“Okay, good,” I told the girls. “My grandmother says we’re on the right track.”

When Argos came in, he jumped up on one of the chairs and watched us for a bit.

“Oh, he’s so pretty.” Cass leaned over to scratch under his chin and pet him. “Black cats are my favorite.”

“Mine too.” Delia petted him as well. “I fell in love with him the first time I was here.”

He was preening under their ministrations and flattery, and I was shaking my head. “You need to go away,” I told him. “We’re working.”

The look I got through slitted eyes told me I was nuts.

When I went to the cupboard for tea, hot chocolate with chilis was scooted into my hand, and though I was sure my grandmother was wrong, I called over to the girls and asked if they’d like some.

“Oh yes, please,” Delia replied. “I love spicy cocoa.”

“I’ve never had that, but it sounds yummy,” Cass agreed.

I could have sworn I heard my grandmother’s tut of pride. She did always know best.

It was fun to have company. I got to hear about all the boys in their classes, and somehow it got turned around to when I was in high school.

“Well, way back in the day,” I began, and they both laughed, “the people I went to school with were not happy with the fact that I liked boys instead of girls.”

“That’s so dumb,” Delia assured me. “Who even cares?”

“I don’t think anyone should, but they did.”

It got dark early in November, so Troy came by to pick up Delia and bring me lavender- and rose-infused honey because he was one of the nicest men on the planet. He wanted me to have them before they sold out at the festival.

“And are those two beautiful ladders Delia’s working on for me?”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” I groused at him.

“I need you to do your part, though,” he told me, smiling.

Picking them both up, I whispered the words of enchantment that had been in my family for centuries, and the two ladders shimmered for a moment.

“Did you see that? They sparkled,” Cass said, utterly stunned, as I passed them to Troy.

“I mean, I thought…” Delia trailed off.

“That Xan wasn’t really a witch?” Troy teased her.