by Kathy Love
I calmed a little, enjoying the quaintness of it all.
Suddenly, the wind picked up and a purple cloud appeared over the water, rolling right toward me. My hair whipped around, and I struggled to stay seated upright. Then it vanished.
“It’s quite nice here, isn’t it?”
I jumped to see Baba Yaga, sitting on the bank beside me in a full pink and green neon, spandex workout outfit right down to leg warmers and matching pink Reeboks.
“I—uh, yes, it is.” I’d never actually been alone with our leader before. I wasn’t exactly sure how to act. I glanced around, looking for her minions.
She pointed a finger up at the trees, hanging over us. They were scattered around the branches, heads still bobbling, Spanish moss stuck to their heads like bad wigs.
“So, you are thinking about running away, huh?”
I gaped at her. It was eerie what this witch knew.
“I don’t think I’m the right witch for this job,” I admitted. “I’m sure there is someone else, who would be able to help the prince better than I can.”
Baba Yaga nodded as if she was considering the idea, then said practically. “But you were the one that healed the prince. No other witch could do that.”
“Yeah, but…” I frowned at her. “How did I do that anyway?”
Baba Yaga shrugged,and stared out at the water. “Do you feel that energy?”
I looked at her askance but tried to pick up on what she was talking about. I did feel something, but I assumed it was my breath-stealing, I-might-be-dying panic.
“That’s your energy.” Baba Yaga nodded sagely at me. “Your magic seems to stem from the bayou.”
“So, I’m a Bayou Witch?” I’d never heard of such a thing.
She nodded again, slowly. “I think you are.”
And I thought her crazy crash landings whenever she materialized had done some brain damage.
“Focus again,” she said. I did. “Can you feel that other energy? Something out there in the swamp? Something slimy and dank and dark, like the bayou mud?”
I shivered. I did feel it.
“There is something evil happening here. And it seemed to me only a Bayou Witch could help with that.”
I concentrated again. I definitely did feel an almost oozing evil out past this idyllic spot. I didn’t know whether to be excited that I could sense it or grossed out by the icky feeling. I shuddered again.
“But I get the feeling it’s not just concern over your magical abilities that has you contemplating running away.”
Okay, did she really have to be all this thought-intrusive or whatever she was? It was kind of annoying, actually. Oh crap, did she know I thought that?
She still looked out at the water but smiled slightly.
Great, I bet she did.
I sighed. “It’s this whole marriage thing. I mean, it’s just a business arrangement. I’ll help the prince and he’ll protect me.”
“Mmm, that does blow. Because he’s, like, really hot.”
“He is,” I couldn’t help but agree. “But it’s more than that.”
She nodded. “Witches deserve love, too, right?”
Was that what I wanted? I guess it was. “I just can’t imagine hundreds of years living in a loveless marriage.”
Baba Yaga nodded again, thoughtfully. “Well, a week ago you couldn’t imagine having magical abilities. Things change.” She patted my knee, and I noticed her long nails were the same neon green as the accents on her workout suit. “Well, I have to get back to Jane Fonda. These tight buns don’t happen by magic. I mean, they could, but they don’t.”
She patted my knees one last time and then she and her minions disappeared in a tornado of rainbow sparkles that almost rolled me down the bank and into the murky water of the bayou. Thank Goddess cat-of-nine-tails had some good, strong roots.
I hauled myself upright and struggled to my feet. I focused again. I did feel the energy Baba Yaga was talking about. Both my own and the evil out there. I looked at the houses all around me. If I could help, I had to try, right?
I headed down the path toward the prince’s house. As the stunning Victorian appeared through the trees in front of me, I really looked at it. The turrets, the wraparound porch with hanging baskets lining the eaves. It was so beautiful here. And oddly it did call out to me as if it were meant to be my home.
“She is my wife, and you will respect her.”
I stopped and ducked behind an ancient oak, spotting Prince Perfection. He was talking to Marcel.
Marcel glowered at his brother. “We can’t trust witches.”
“We have no choice. But all you have to do is look at Malachite and you can see she is a good witch. This marriage is a good thing.”
My heart fluttered at my husband’s adamant defense.
“So, that’s why she fled, no?”
Prince Perfection was silent for a moment, and my moment of joy was replaced by guilt. Marcel had a point. I had wanted to run.
“She will be back,” Prince Perfection said with that conviction he’d used when he talked about my magical abilities. “She has to learn to trust us just as much as we have to learn to trust the witches. I already trust her. She saved my life. She’ll be back.”
“Yeah, we will see,” Marcel said, not sounding the least bit convinced. He turned and stormed away. The prince watched his retreat for a moment, then he headed back to the house. From his posture, I could see he wasn’t really sure about me. About whether I would return or stay.
In that moment, I knew I had to. I wanted to. He was putting his trust in me and I wanted to trust him, too.
I gave the prince a moment to get back to the house, then followed.
As I came around the corner of the porch, I saw my family and the prince’s family were all outside now. The guys all played football with the little ones. I smiled, noticing that my J-Team was there too. The boys shyly waved as soon as they saw me. I waved back. My sisters and Mom and Thea all sat on the porch, watching and drinking coffee. I noticed, even from a distance, Jocko was with the women, his Barbie mug in hand. I wondered who he talked into giving him morning nip. Somehow, he always managed to get his drink on.
“Mally,” Hugo called, running toward me. “We thought you disappeared.”
I saw the prince look in my direction, relief in his hazel eyes.
“Nope, still here, buddy.” I ruffled his dark hair. Lisette followed her big brother, only to trip a few feet away from me.
I rushed to her, just as she began to cry. A nasty scrape on her knee oozed a little blood. Her father noticed, dropping the football to head in our direction. Without even thinking, I crouched down and placed my hand over the wound. My fingers instantly sparkled, rose gold wrapping around my hand and her pudgy, little leg.
I held my fingers there for just a second or two, and when I lifted them, the scrape was gone.
“No more boo-boo,” I said, smiling at her. She stared at her leg for a moment and then gave me another shy smile.
“Mally healed Lisette’s knee. She healed her knee,” Hugo announced, waving his arms up in the air as if I’d scored a touchdown.
I set the little girl on her feet, and she chased after her brother to show everyone my handiwork.
“I guess your magic wasn’t a fluke, after all.” Prince Perfection said, offering me a hand. I took it, feeling the same electricity I’d felt the other times we’d touched. I quickly released him as soon as I was upright. I would stay, because I knew I needed to do this, but I also had to be careful. I could already tell, if I didn’t guard myself, I could feel too much for this man.
I glanced toward the porch to see Thea inspecting Lisette’s leg. She glanced at me, and I thought I saw something like admiration in her eyes. My mom also looked impressed. In fact, everyone seemed surprised and pleased. I had to admit it felt pretty darned good not to be the dud witch for once.
“I was worried that you had decided to leave us.”
I loo
ked at my prince. “Nah, I’m gonna stick around for a while. I think you might need my magic to kick some evil in the butt.”
He grinned lopsidedly and he looked redonkulously gorgeous. Darn it.
“I think you’re right. I’m glad you are here, Mally.”
“I’m glad I’m here too, Etienne.” I couldn’t call my husband the prince or Prince Perfection forever, I supposed.
His smile widened, and my heart pounded in my chest.
Okay, I was definitely in trouble with this guy, but hopefully Baba Yaga was correct.
Things could change, right?
Magic and Mayhem Universe
To check out all the side-splitting books in the Magic and Mayhem Universe, go to https://magicandmayhemuniverse.com/
And if you would like to read the book that started all the madness, Switching Hour is FREE!
https://robynpeterman.com/switching-hour/
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Coming next from Kathy Love in Robyn Peterman's Magic and Mayhem Universe…
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HOODOO YOU NEED
Mally Jourdain went from being the worst witch ever to being a princess—after a sabotage wedding. So, now she's married to the crowned prince of the rougarous, who also happens to be the sexiest man/wolf in existence. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, it's a marriage of convenience, which royally sucks, because, you know, the whole smokin' hot thing. She's also suddenly a stepmother, which might be okay. The jury's out on that one. But at least her non-existent magic seems to be working now. Sort of. And those things are currently the high points of her life.
In the category of the low points, half the rougarou pack hates her. A witch as their princess isn't going over well. Her magic, while working, is far from predictable. And it appears that she suddenly has a whole lot of enemies, who want to do not so pleasant things to her. Plus, she needs to help her hottie-pants husband find his missing brother.
No problem. Just another day in the life of a Bayou Witch—which by the way, she didn't even know was a thing until she apparently became one. So much for lounging on the porch in a crown, sipping a mint julep and listening to zydeco. So far, being a princess is not all that it's cracked up to be. Being a witch, well, here's hoping she can kick a little butt and save herself and few others along the way.
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