by Amy Boyles
Theodora stomped off, and I stood, heart pounding.
“Yeah,” Ratchet said, “you don’t exactly have friends here.”
“I’ve always gotten along with Theodora and Harry.”
“Well, you don’t anymore.” The raccoon pointed to the shop. “And that’s the reason why.”
I pushed up my sleeves and made a serious decision. This madness with Familiar Place being run by the animals had to end, and it had to end now.
I couldn’t believe I’d allowed the store to stay out of control like this. I must’ve been out of my mind.
I threw back my shoulders, inhaled a deep breath and said, “I’m going in.”
Ratchet’s eyebrows arched to the sky. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not. I’m going in there, and I’m going to take control of the situation. Right now.”
Ratchet threw himself in my path. “You can’t.”
I gently pushed him aside. “Watch me.”
I moved quickly so he didn’t have a chance to stop me. In one swift movement I threw open the door and stepped inside.
The squawking increased. The birds took one look and flew straight toward me. Mice and rats scurried at my feet, and puppies lunged for my legs.
I flared out my arms as CJ Hix started wailing nonsense.
Magic buoyed from me, halting the animals in their tracks. Power haloed around me, burning bright and golden.
“This ends now,” I commanded.
All the creatures froze. My magic pinned them in place. They couldn’t move even if they wanted to.
“You will no longer act this way,” I said. “You will not attack anyone, and you will go into your cages and perch on your stands. This madness stops.”
A macaw with blue feathers on his head spoke in my head first. Why should we listen to you? You’ve never cared for us before. You never wanted anything to do with us. You made us wild, Pepper. You made us this way.
“How?”
You never liked us. You didn’t stay. You didn’t care.
I raked my fingers through my hair. “I will stay. I will work, and we will all figure out how to do this together. Can y’all accept that?”
No.
I rubbed my lips together. It was foolish of me to think that I could walk in and undo a year of hostility and anger.
But I had to try.
“Okay,” I said sternly, “if you don’t want to work with me, I will keep all of you frozen. Forever,” I added ominously.
You wouldn’t dare.
I glared at the macaw. “Try me.”
The macaw, who naturally spoke for every other animal in my store, for some reason that I didn’t understand and didn’t care about, blinked.
Fine. But you will have to work with us. Not abandon us like you did before.
My heart broke for these creatures. I’d left them to their own devices, and in the end they’d become wild, savage—well, animals.
“You have my word.”
I clapped my hands and the force field faded. “Now. All of you to your places. We will have order around here, and we will start a new day.”
Even though most of them sulked, the creatures slithered and crawled to their respective places in the store.
I clapped my hands and stared at the mess. Ripped newspaper lay everywhere. Cedar shavings littered the floor. Popcorn-sized bits of paper covered nearly every surface, and worse, the place stank of fur and waste.
CJ Hix slowly pulled the helmet from his head. “Wow. How’d you do that, Miss Dunn?”
I shrugged. “I did it the only way I know how. To ask.” I clapped my hands. “Now. To get this place in order.”
I opened the front door to let in fresh air and magicked up a broom, mop and a bucketful of water. “CJ, let’s get to work.”
Within an hour the place sparkled and smelled of lemon. I created a sidewalk clapboard, chalked a welcome sign onto it and placed it out front.
Then I started waving folks down. “Y’all come into Familiar Place! Looking for a new familiar! I’ve got just the creature for you. Come in and shop here.”
That grabbed some attention. Within minutes the store had several customers. I successfully matched a teenage girl to a rabbit and a retired wizard to a turtle.
Business was looking good. But that wasn’t all of it. By the end of the day, with CJ Hix beside me, we’d easily sold twenty familiars. By the time I locked the doors, my feet throbbed, my legs ached and my mind was exhausted.
“Wow, Miss Dunn, where’d you learn to sell familiars like that? And why haven’t you done that before?” CJ accused. “I could’ve used your help ages ago.”
I winced. “Sorry, CJ. But better late than never.” I glanced at the macaw, who hadn’t been matched yet. “My goal for you tomorrow is to find your witch or wizard. How does that sound?”
The bird’s feathers trembled with excitement. I would love that. And Pepper, thank you. Thanks from all of us to you. You’ve made our lives rich again. Gave us something to hope for.
I stroked his head. The bird leaned into me. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I’d been neglecting you. I hope you can forgive me.”
The bird bobbed up and down. Forgiven.
“Let’s go home, CJ. Come on, Ratchet.” I locked up the store and said to the raccoon, “I’m exhausted. I can’t wait to get home, kick my feet up and relax.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
I frowned. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s the second night of the unity ceremony. Have you forgotten?”
I dropped my head onto the glass pane of the front door. “I did. Great. What are we joining again?”
“The hands. It’s the joining of the hands.”
I glanced down at my dirt-streaked clothing. “Is there time to go home?”
Ratchet shook his head. “Nope. We’ve got to head on over. Right now.”
Chapter 14
The joining of the hands went well, to say the least. Better than the day before with the skinks, though Betty still perused the bushes for the so-called demonic snipes.
I still wasn’t convinced that those existed. But whatever. It was Betty’s world. I just lived in it.
Saltz Swift chanted words filled with magic. The air sizzled with power, and this time the intensity was electric. I’d experienced a change when I drank the blood, but nothing like this. Magic wove all the way to my bones, making them pop and fizz with power.
Rufus and I touched our palms to one another. Magic flared like fire, and I felt myself falling into Rufus, falling toward him and forgetting about any and all others.
It was strange, as if a veil had been placed in my mind. Like I’d lost a bit of myself, a part of my memory that held something important, but I didn’t know what it was.
All I knew was that Rufus and I were meant to be.
After the ceremony, Rufus was all smiles. He handed me a glass of wine and slid his hand around my waist.
“I’m the luckiest man alive,” he said, toasting me.
The wine trickled down my throat and warmed my belly. I smiled widely. “I’m lucky, too, remember?”
“Ah, but not like me,” he said. Rufus kissed my cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
And I meant it. Something tugged at me, as if I wasn’t supposed to say that. Like I was supposed to have feelings for someone else, but nothing else was there.
I’d slipped effortlessly into the unity ceremony, and I’d forgotten about anyone and everyone but Rufus.
He was all I wanted.
Amelia bounded up to me. Sherman Oaks walked beside her. He nearly drooled as he followed my cousin.
“Well, I got my job back at the Vault,” she said proudly.
I hugged her. “That’s great. So wonderful. I knew you could do it.”
Amelia smiled. “Yep. Sherman here helped me.” She patted his shoulder. “It was good having the leader of the Head Witch Order there. It helped solidify
my devotion to the Vault.”
She clapped her hands and smiled. “So glad.” Amelia stared at Sherman, and he grinned widely.
“Where’s Garrick?” I asked.
“Oh.” Amelia grimaced. “I think he’s going to be laying low for a while.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, we sort of”—she sliced a hand across her throat—“ended things. I don’t know how happy he’ll be to see me around.”
“That’s a shame,” Rufus said.
She shrugged. Amelia coiled a hand around Sherman’s arm. “Care to grab a glass of wine?”
Sherman smiled. “I’ll lead the way.”
Which I was surprised that Sherman would lead because it appeared that Amelia was leading everything when it came to them.
I just hoped the whole breaking-up-with-Garrick thing didn’t come back to bite her in the butt.
A decent-sized crowd had attended the ceremony. Plenty of folks I recognized and some I didn’t. My gaze drifted across the knot of people until it landed on Betty.
She stood off to the side, on one corner of the lot, talking to Axel. A serious expression was chiseled on his face. Betty waved her arms, and Axel glanced up at me.
Our gazes locked, and a shiver ran down my spine.
“What’s that all about?” I murmured.
Rufus touched his hand to mine. “What’s that?”
Not wanting to cause him any worry, I waved off my concern. “It was nothing.”
Rufus nudged my arm. “Ah. It looks like one of the High Witch Council has decided to grace our ceremony.”
I glanced around. “Why?”
Rufus pointed. “There.”
A gentleman that was easily in his seventies with a shock of white hair and an emerald pinky ring on his finger slowly approached with the help of a cane.
“Argus Amulet?” I whispered. It couldn’t be. I’d met Argus ages ago at the First Witch Home. He’d been living there, a retired sorcerer. Betty and I had begged for his help after Rufus had spelled me so that whenever I used my power, he was able to drink it up.
Not long after saying he’d help me, Argus had been murdered. He was a good man. At least he seemed to be, but he was dead in my Magnolia Cove. Yet he lived here.
“Ah, Pepper Dunn,” he said warmly, extending his free hand. I took it, still shocked that I was really looking at a dead man.
Of course it was no different than Saltz Swift being alive, either. Or Sylvia Spirits not having committed a murder.
I was beginning to think I was the real problem. That I was such a different person in this Magnolia Cove that I was the reason some people had been murdered.
In the case of the magic eater, the creature never would’ve been unleashed if it hadn’t been for me and my cousins. But in the case of Argus, his killer had been a psycho nurse who liked to play God.
That had nothing to do with me.
But now Argus was part of the High Witch Council? He wasn’t even living in the retirement home. Wow. How fate had certainly changed things.
I took his hand, still in disbelief. “Argus. Thank you for coming.”
Argus shook Rufus’s hand but directed his comment to me. “Of course I came. I couldn’t resist. We have high hopes for you, Pepper Dunn. The High Witch Council does not appoint witches we do not believe in.”
Argus’s eyes sparkled. “If I may borrow your bride-to-be, Rufus? There are things we must discuss.”
Rufus kissed my cheek. “Of course. Pepper, I won’t be far.”
Argus extended his wrinkled and splotched hand. I took it and allowed him to guide me through the throng of people.
“It does an old man’s heart good to be on the arm of such a beautiful woman,” he said.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I murmured.
He grunted as if satisfied with that answer. “Pepper, we do look forward to your arrival at the council. We’ve been waiting for a witch as powerful and intelligent as you to take the reins of our organization. Since you’re so willing and ready to give yourself over, I wanted to see how ready you are.”
I hiked a shoulder to my ear. “Well, I’m selling Familiar Place; you know that.”
He nodded. “Yes. We know. You’re marrying a powerful sorcerer in Rufus Mayes. If he decides to join the council as well, you’ll make a nearly indestructible team.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
“I must say,” Argus continued, “after our last little chat things have turned out beautifully.”
“Our last little chat?” I asked.
Argus stopped. We stood on the outskirts of the crowd. He turned so we faced them, and he stared into the throng.
“The werewolf was never right for you,” he murmured. “I’m so glad you came to realize that. Defeating the Head Witch Order helped you, of course. We helped you. But you’ve made the right choice in Rufus. I’m so glad we were able to assist you in seeing that.”
My mind spun. Was Argus Amulet saying what I thought he was saying?
“But I defeated the Order on my own.”
Argus tsked. “Oh Pepper, do I really have to remind you that if it hadn’t been for the potion I slipped you, you never would’ve had the power to defeat Lacy? And of course it helped that you did defeat her, didn’t it? That made our little push so much easier.”
Argus stiffened. “We can’t have a witch in the council who’s married to a half-breed,” he said, meaning Axel. “I’m so glad your willingness to excel in your career came before pesky things such as love.”
My stomach dropped.
Shut the front door. Argus was telling me that here I hadn’t defeated Lacy on my own. The High Council had given me the tools to defeat her, and in return for that power, I broke up with Axel, chose Rufus and was going to work for the council.
I raked my fingers through my hair. No, no. This couldn’t be real. I couldn’t have done those horrible things. But I had and I knew that. I’d made a decision, and now my fate was sealed.
So was my heart.
As I stared out into the sea of people who’d attended the evening’s part of the unity ceremony, my gaze landed on Axel.
I’d felt something for him. I had. But now all my heart belonged to Rufus. There was nothing I could do about that. Absolutely nothing.
“So I hope,” Argus said, slicing through my thought, “that if the council needs your help again, before you come work for us, that you’ll answer the call.”
I dragged my gaze from Axel to Argus. This High Witch Council reeked of corruption and injustice. Wow. Maybe Argus should have been murdered in this Magnolia Cove.
Just kidding. Sort of.
“What sort of thing would you need me to do?”
Argus hiked a shoulder to his ear. “I don’t know. It’s not as if I can see the future any better than you can. But if certain elements become…unsavory, I’d like to know we can count on you.”
My gaze snagged on Rufus. He raised a glass of wine to me. My heart leaped in my chest. I’d do anything for him. Absolutely anything. This was our life, wasn’t it? What we’d planned, hoped and dreamed. We’d leave Magnolia Cove and be together.
Forever.
I plastered a smile on my face. “Of course, Argus. Whatever you need. I’ll heed the call.”
He patted my hand. “That’s a good girl.”
My mind flickered back to the wishing stone. To the entire reason I’d arrived in Magnolia Cove in the first place. Amelia was fighting what the stone wanted, but I didn’t see the point. We were supposed to go along with it, weren’t we? Live the life the stone had placed before us.
The wish had given me Rufus, and I wanted to keep him. We were joined in blood, and soon we’d be joined by the soul. It would all happen soon. Oh, so soon. We would be together forever.
A slow smile spread across my face. When I’d first arrived, I couldn’t wait to leave. Now I wanted to stay. If Amelia didn’t like it here, that was her problem.
Even
though some things were different and perhaps a bit unsavory, I’d made certain choices for a reason. I’d done everything to be better. I’d made an arrangement with the High Council to save not only me but my town.
That decision had placed me directly within Rufus’s trajectory. I’d said goodbye to Axel and embraced Rufus, the man I was joined to.
Soon we would be one.
That slow smile continued to curve on my face.
“Is something amusing, my dear?” Argus asked.
I steered us back toward the crowd. “No. Nothing is wrong. Absolutely nothing. Everything is perfect. Just as it should be.”
Argus delivered me back to Rufus’s waiting arms. I embraced him and kissed Rufus gently on the mouth.
“I can’t wait to be Mrs. Mayes,” I murmured. “It can’t get here fast enough.”
Chapter 15
“What did Argus have to say?”
Betty and I sat in front of the fireplace back at home. Cordelia and Amelia were still out and hadn’t returned from the ceremony.
I assumed both were out on dates.
“Um. Well.” I stared at the fire, unsure how much I was supposed to tell Betty and unsure how much Betty knew about my involvement with the council.
“Ah, probably just doing one of his last-minute pokings and proddings,” Ratchet answered for me. “You know how it goes—you get a new council member, want to make sure they’re still in line with everything.”
I shot Ratchet a grateful look. “That was exactly it. Argus just needed to make sure we were still on and that I was excited about joining him.”
“How was Familiar Place today?” Betty asked.
I sighed and wedged my back farther into the chair. “An absolute mess. But,” I added proudly, “I fixed it. By tomorrow you won’t recognize the place.”
Betty shoved a lit pipe between her teeth. “Is that so?”
“Yep. The animals are all happy now. CJ shouldn’t have to enter wearing one of those bee suits. Right, Ratchet?”
Ratchet scratched the back of his head. “That’s right. It even shocked me, but Pepper did it. She reined in the animals. If you’d asked me a week ago if that was possible, I would’ve said no, absolutely not. But she managed it.”
