Page 7 of Minnie: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

I glance down at Amber’s hands, which she’s wringing like crazy. “Tell me what’s wrong.” Because something definitely isn’t right. What if—

Formula M sends a wave of calm coursing through me before I can worry about it. Amber doesn’t have the same luxury, so she just keeps wringing her hands like a crazy person.

I tap my manicured nails on the counter. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss your wonky shifting. It was always a dead giveaway that you were nervous, and much better than that thing you’re doing with your hands.”

“That’s one pregnancy perk I’m going to miss when the baby comes. Twenty-five weeks without a single wonky shift. I could get used to this.” Amber smiles, then frowns. “What if my shifting is even worse after I give birth? What if I shift and drop the baby? Or… or…”

“You’ll be fine. I promise.” It sounds heartfelt in my head, but I can’t help noticing my words come out in monotone. I give Amber’s arm a gentle squeeze to show her I mean it. “Your mates will make sure the baby’s safe. Perk of having three, right? And if all else fails, can’t you just wear your sister’s necklace?” It weakens the wearer’s magic—or in the case of chameleons like Amber and her sister, eliminates them entirely.

Amber sighs. “I know, but I also kind of miss being… me. I don’t think I’ve felt like myself since I conceived. I’m always tired, my feet are swelling, my center of gravity is off, I don’t like any of the same foods.” She lowers her voice. “And I can’t stand coffee—not even decaf. But…” she perks up, “speaking of Violet’s necklace, Pepp came in after you left yesterday.”

I roll my eyes. “What does Peppermint,” a cardinal shifter—the bird kind, not the Catholic kind—who works at the post office and stops by the cafe all the time, “have to do with the necklace?”

“She doesn’t.” Amber taps her short, gold nails on the counter, another nervous habit she seems to have acquired since she hasn’t been able to shift. “But she’s got a friend… oh goddess, what’s her name?” Amber frowns. “It’s something dolphin. Doll Fin? Dell Fine?” She groans. “Pregnancy brain. Just one more way I don’t feel like myself.”

I give her hand a sympathetic pat and prompt, “So this dolphin can do what, exactly?”

“I’m pretty sure it was Dell Fine.” Amber frowns again. “But here’s the thing…” she lowers her voice and then whispers, “I’m not supposed to tell anyone, so keep this between us, okay?”

I nod.

“She’s like a walking ward.”

“A what?”

Amber forgets to whisper as she practically bounces on her toes. “She’s a witch, but her powers cancel out everything magical she comes into contact with.”

The gorgon looks up from his phone, a slightly horrified look on his face. Not that I blame him. He’s probably worried about his snakes. Quite frankly, so am I.

I’m also surprised he’s actually listening to our conversation. I’d assumed he was so focused on whatever he’s reading up on his phone he’s completely forgotten that we’re here, but apparently that’s not the case. Behind his bored exterior, he’s paying attention to us. And possibly me.

I feel like blushing, which is Formula M’s cue to act bored. Really, really, bored.

I yawn. “Whatever.”

Amber completely misinterprets my response. She knows the basics of Formula M, and that the more bored I look, the more anxious I am. She just assumes I’m worried about the dolphin witch, not the gorgon.

“I think this is it,” Amber lowers her voice again. “She might be able to break your curse.”

“You’ve said that before.” Several dozen times, in fact.

“I know, but this is different. We’ve never met a witch like her before.”

She’s said the same thing when she convinced Juniper to help, and that was a colossal fail. “The curse can only be broken by the witch who cast it.” Which is so not happening.

“She wouldn’t break the curse… she’d cancel it out. I’m not sure how her magic works. It might just be temporary. But there’s a chance it could be permanent, and then…” she trails off, her eyes wide and hopeful.

Amber won’t have to keep being nice to me. She’ll finally be rid of me. She’ll finally be free. And I will, too.

Because at the end of the day, that’s why I’m still around. Until the curse is broken, Amber is stuck with me. Not as an employee—for some odd reason she actually wanted to hire me—but here in Silver Springs. Because as long as the curse is in effect, I can never leave. And neither can she.

Not as long as her mate, Julian, is in the picture.

Amber smiles. “Dell Fine could be the answer.”

I try not to get my hopes up, too, and nod. “When?”

“Friday, I think… I’ll text Pepp to double-check.”