Witch on Ice

by Cat Larson

  Moving on… After Violet spelled him, she took off in his car and what… drove to Chicago? Is that where she was hiding out right now? And how did Sal end up with the car?

  Gah! My brain was going to explode. I had to suck it up and call Sage. I needed help, and she was the only one who could possibly give it. The only problem was, I couldn’t tell her everything. She’d never signed up to have a witch for a best friend.

  Oh, and there was the little matter of her blabbing to Griffin that I was home. Not that he wouldn’t have heard it from the rest of the town anyway, but Sage needn’t have told him. She knew I was engaged.

  I was dialing her number when I glanced over at Fernando. He was watching me.

  “Yello.”

  “Hey, Sage. It’s Eve.”

  “I know your voice, Samm. What’s up?”

  She was worse than my mom. “I didn’t mention this before because I didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but when was the last time you saw Violet?”

  “A few days ago. Why, what’s wrong?”

  “I just really need to see her, and the longer it gets, the more impatient I get. I can’t hang out here for too long and I really, really need to see her,” I repeated. Fernando began leaping around the room, changing from teal to orange to brown depending on what he landed on. It was oddly mesmerizing.

  “Samm?”

  “What?”

  “I was talking to you. Where’d you go?”

  I peeled my eyes away. Stay focused, Eve. “Just tired, I guess. Or maybe I respond better to Eve.”

  She huffed into the line. “Whatever. But about Violet… She must’ve told you something. Didn’t you talk to her before you came here?”

  “Yes, but when I got here she was gone.”

  “Now you’re scaring me.”

  That wasn’t my intent, but I couldn’t leave out all the details. “I’m sure it’s nothing bad. Actually, I’m positive it’s not.” I wrapped the cord around my hand. Who still used corded phones? But it did give me something to do while I considered how much I could divulge and still sound normal. “The truth is, we got into a big fight last night.”

  “What about?”

  “She doesn’t approve of Fernando. She asked me to drive out, probably to try and change my mind, but when I did, she wasn’t here. She, uh, did some things to him that were pretty cruel, and I think she took off right afterward so she wouldn’t have to own up to it. She knew how furious I’d be.”

  “What’d she do?”

  “You know how she can be when she acts without thinking. Now, multiply that by a gazillion. The point is I need to find her so I can make things right with Fernando again.”

  “Hmm. Are you sure Violet doesn’t have a good reason for feeling the way she does about him?”

  “Sage! Whose side are you on?”

  “Both of yours, because I don’t know who this guy is.”

  “You were excited for me when I first told you.”

  “Yeah, but then… I don’t know. I got a weird vibe from you when you were talking about him.”

  “That’s because I’m stressed to the gills right now!”

  “Okay, okay. Settle down.” I sat on the floor, cross-legged, and tapped my fingers on my knee. Fernando was off hiding somewhere. “Tell me what I can do.”

  “You know her better than me at this point. If she were going to lie low for a while, where would she do it?”

  “She loves her shop. That’s where she’d be.”

  “I thought you were supposed to be helping me?”

  “I’m trying but what kind of question is that?”

  “What if she had a car? Is there any place she ever talked about going? Maybe Milwaukee or Chicago?”

  “The only thing Violet likes less than the city is driving in one.”

  “Just because she doesn’t like to do it, doesn’t mean she wouldn’t. She’ll do whatever it takes to avoid me.”

  “Overreacting much?”

  No! I wanted to scream. Nothing about the situation involved me overreacting. If anything, I was making a molehill out of a mountain.

  “What about a friend’s house? Could she have slept there last night?” I asked calmly.

  “Like a slumber party? She’s not twelve.” Sage giggled, sounding like she was twelve. “But, hmm… I do suppose it’s a little strange that she never slept in her own bed. You know, maybe she booked a room at the hotel until things with you two settled down. Yeah, I bet that’s it. They probably even gave her a free room since they sponsor the ice festival.” Her voice perked up. “She’ll be back before you know it, especially with the festival tonight. She’d never miss that. Not when people line up to buy her famous hot chocolate.”

  “Speaking of the ice festival, why’d you tell Griffin I was back?”

  “How does that remind you of Griffin? And why are you whispering?”

  “He asked me to go there with him.”

  “That’s great! Then you’ll also see Violet and everything will get resolved.”

  “No, it’s not great.”

  “Seriously, Samm. Why are you whispering?”

  I didn’t know where Fernando was, and I didn’t know how much English he comprehended. He had enough complications to deal with at the moment, and overhearing me talk about my ex-crush shouldn’t be one of them, but I also didn’t feel right about hiding things from him. I was so torn.

  “Never mind,” I finally said.

  “You’re acting bizarre. See what happens when you stay away too long?”

  “Or maybe it’s because I came back.” I noticed the supply closet door cracked open. Hadn’t I shut it earlier? “I just want to see Violet, that’s all. Then everything will be back to normal again.”

  “So, then go to the festival with Griffin and that’ll happen. He misses you, we all do. Does having a fiancé suddenly mean you can’t associate with anyone in your past anymore?”

  “You know there’s more to it than that. You yourself said you thought Griffin and I would end up together.”

  “And obviously that didn’t happen because you’re engaged to someone else. What’s the big deal? Go and have some fun. What are you afraid of—rekindling the spark? Are you planning on kissing him afterward?”

  “No!” Geez. If Fernando were next to me, I’d be covering his earholes right now. “I already told Griff I’m in a serious relationship.”

  “Do you want my opinion? If you were secure in said relationship, you wouldn’t even be worrying about this at all.”

  Was that true? It felt like she’d slipped into my head and was throwing my own thoughts and concerns back at me.

  “I guess, but—” A loud crash from the closet had me jumping up.

  “What was that?”

  “I’m not sure, but I gotta go.”

  I hung up and bolted to the room. A jar lay broken on the ground in a few large shards. There was a space missing on the top shelf where it must’ve fallen from. Fernando was sitting nearby, appearing no worse for the wear.

  I picked up the pieces. “Did you do this?” Luckily, the jar was empty so there wasn’t much of a mess to clean up. The lid stated it was feverfew, which meant nothing to me.

  I shooed him out with a slight smile. I couldn’t allow him to run wild and go on a destruction spree, but I couldn’t deny him a little excitement either. I imagined his current life was pretty dang boring. Hmm. Perhaps, I should reconsider and let him go on a free-for-all inside her shop.

  It would serve her right.

  I spent the next couple hours mulling everything over, and in the end, I called Griffin. I accepted his offer to accompany him to the festival. I’d decided I needed all the allies I could get, especially ones who had an in with local law enforcement. The longer Violet was MIA, the more I’d be in need of reinforcements.

  But my fingers were crossed that she would be there, standing behind her booth, even if I wasn’t holding my breath.

  While I was lying there, staring a
t the ceiling and contemplating, I came up with the most plausible explanation I could. Violet had to have stolen his car, and Mrs. Geller had to have been mistaken that morning. It was Sal’s car she saw, not Fernando’s. They were brothers; it only made sense that they would take an interest in similar things. And the chip… well, all it took was a drive behind a dump truck carrying rocks, and a ding in the windshield could happen to anyone.

  The most difficult decision of all was figuring out what to do with Fernando. As I spread out on the bed with him snoozing on my stomach, I debated bringing him along. I did not want to leave him alone, but I also couldn’t subject him to the cold for long periods. Short stints on a sunny day wrapped up in a scarf was one thing, dark snowy nights quite another when you were cold-blooded.

  Or, maybe… I shook my head, lifting him off of me so I could start getting ready. I refused to go down another rabbit hole by questioning if his enchantment somehow enabled him to keep the warm blood of a mammal. It wasn’t my spell; I had no way to know exactly what I was dealing with, so why drive myself bonkers with all the what-ifs?

  Fernando would be fine for a few hours holed up in Violet’s bedroom. I did a thorough check to ensure there was nothing that’d harm him, confirming the bathroom door was tightly shut. I bunched up the blankets to create a cozy den on top of the bed and gave him a fresh bowl of water, even though he had yet to take any interest in it.

  “There you are.” I placed him in the middle of the blankets. “All good to go.”

  The knock sounded at six o’clock sharp. Right on time. I brought my fingers to my lips then placed them on top of his head. I headed for the door but not before glancing back. Big mistake. “Please, don’t look at me like that. I’m doing this to help you. Help us. My cowardly sister can’t hide away forever, and I’m going to find her and make her fix this. I promise.”

  He blinked twice then pivoted, obviously preferring the wall to me. I almost canceled the evening right then, but instead, I pushed through with my plans.

  I opened the front door, motioning Griffin inside. His smile was wide. “Hey, Sammi. Thanks for agreeing to hang out with me tonight.”

  “It’s…” Never mind. I was done trying to correct people in this town. It was a waste of energy. “No problem.” I tugged on my boots. “Don’t mention it.” I meant that literally. I shifted my gaze toward the bedroom door. It was closed, but maybe he had supernatural hearing? Ugh. I couldn’t even make it thirty minutes before acting like a loon again.

  “You look nice.”

  I looked up and almost laughed. Sure, I looked real nice in Violet’s oversized hoodie and flannel-lined jeans. Maybe if I was going to the lumberjack’s ball.

  “Thanks.” Just because I found his comment hilarious didn’t mean I had to insult him over it. I slipped on my coat and put on a hat. “Ready,” I said, swiping a pair of heavier gloves. It was going to be a frosty one.

  We went out into the biting air, and I pulled my coat more tightly around my neck. I wish I would’ve grabbed a scarf, but I wasn’t about to go back inside in case I ended up calling everything off in order to appease my conscience. Going to the festival was still my best hope to discover a clue to Violet’s whereabouts.

  “You still want to go?” he asked. “We haven’t even stepped off the curb and you’re already shivering.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like I moved to Southern California. Chicago gets just as cold, you know.”

  In actuality, you’d think I’d be used to this weather by now. I’d lived through brutal winters my entire life, but my body still hadn’t adjusted. Luckily, it wasn’t too long of a walk to get to the lakefront. Nothing was too long of a walk around here unless you ventured out into some of the swankier neighborhoods.

  “I’m well aware where you moved to, Samm.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. I already felt mounds of guilt leaving Fernando behind, but now a fresh pile heaped over me reliving how I’d left Griffin without so much as a goodbye. He hadn’t deserved that.

  “I’m just not sure why,” he said.

  “How about we change the subject?”

  He nodded and we walked a bit farther in silence. The snow crunching under our boots was enough chatter for me. It was a bit awkward hanging out with him again, knowing how I’d treated him, but at the same time, it felt like the most natural thing in the world—like I’d never left.

  That was not a good sign. I didn’t belong here anymore.

  “Let’s talk about this guy you’re seeing.”

  “I’m not ‘seeing’ him. I told you it’s more serious than that.”

  “Okay, so let’s talk about this guy you’re not seeing.”

  “That’s not what…” I narrowed my eyes at him. “But if you must know, he’s great.”

  We crossed the street and passed a group of cackling young teenagers. A pang of jealousy ricocheted through me. They had no idea how lucky they were to grow up as normal kids.

  “That’s it? Just great? I’d expect way more from you.”

  “Can we change the subject again?” Boy, I’m going to be a fun one tonight.

  “All right then, Miss Difficult. How about you be the conversation starter and give someone else a chance to get knocked down.”

  He pursed his lips and stared straight ahead. Shoot. It was never my intention to irritate him. I glanced over again when we walked underneath a street light, and I detected the hint of a smile. He noticed me looking and it curved higher. Then he playfully shoved me.

  “Come on, Sammi Pajami. Lighten up.”

  I giggled. Giggled. Wow, I hadn’t heard that nickname in a while. I’d earned it in sixth grade after I’d mixed up my dates and came to school wearing pajamas, complete with bunny slippers, on formal day instead of pajama day. There was no part of me that hadn’t flushed crimson, but Griffin and Sage cheered me on, convincing me I was a trendsetter.

  “That’s better,” he said. “For someone who’s supposed to be happy, you haven’t been acting like it.”

  “Who says I’m supposed to be happy?”

  “You’re not happy?”

  Ack. “That’s not what I meant. Of course, I’m happy. Happy with my life in Chicago. I have a lot going on there. Things are just a little… upside-down at the moment. I came here to see Violet, and for her own self-serving reasons, she made herself scarce. It’s a long story, but I can’t leave until I talk to her.”

  “I always have time for a long story.” I shook my head. “Let me guess—another thing you don’t want to talk about?”

  “Yep.” He opened his mouth but nothing came out. I could almost feel his thoughts bubbling out, though. There used to be a time when we talked about everything. Nothing was off-limits. Well, except for my witchy heritage. “When was the last time you saw my sister?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. A week ago, maybe. But I suppose you’ll be leaving soon, now that you’ll be talking to her tonight.”

  “Yeah, I heard all about her legendary hot chocolate. I’m really hoping she’ll be there selling it, but something tells me she won’t.”

  “Why? She’s always—” My jaw dropped as I took in the sight before me, obviously making him pause and change course. “It’s like you’re seeing it for the first time.”

  I nodded. “It’s so beautiful.” I gaped at the entrance to the ice festival, already in awe and we hadn’t even gone inside yet. “I’d forgotten how much.”

  “I can see that.” He tugged on my arm. “So, what are we doing just standing here, then? Do you want to go in or admire it from afar?” He flashed me a smile, and I returned it.

  “I want to go in.”

  It may be my only chance in Bigfoot Bay to have a nice, normal night.

  Chapter Six

  The festival had only opened minutes before, but the place was already filling up. It was a preview of what was to come in a few months. It was the one event that would draw in hordes of both out-of-towners and locals alike for several w
eekends before settling back down in preparation of the busy summer season.

  While we waited in line, I marveled at the icy arch we’d need to walk under in order to enter the park. Everything in the exhibit was carved out of ice, from the castles to the tunnels to the large slide at the end. Mind-blowing didn’t even begin to cover it. Despite my less-than-thrilled attitude being back in my hometown, I was really happy to be here for reopening day. Chicago had a lot to offer, but Bigfoot Bay Ice Festival wasn’t one of them.

  “It’s a shame this isn’t open longer,” I said.

  “Agreed. Although, you’d probably change your mind if you were stuck inside a melting castle in the spring.”

  “Agreed.”

  The last time I was here, I’d also been with Griffin. We were just a couple of kids holding hands and loving life. It’d been so easy to get swept away amidst the snow sparkles and wintry palaces. It was magical without any magic involved… In other words, perfect. I had actually thought we’d be together forever. But what did anyone know about love at that age? It was crazy how silly teenage emotions could feel so serious once upon a time.

  A hand waved in front of my face. “Sammi?” I noticed that we’d made it to the front of the line. “Where’d you drift off to just now?”

  The purple and blue lights flickering off the ice tower ahead caught my eye, and I laughed and pointed in that direction. “I think I was hypnotized for a moment.” I lowered my head to root around for some cash, but when I looked up, he’d already paid for two tickets. “Griffin, I can pay for myself.”

  “I know you can, but that doesn’t mean you should. I invited you, remember?”

  We stepped into yet another line to go through the archway. “This isn’t a date.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “I think we’re both aware that you’re not seeing someone who’s too serious to see.”

  I chuckled. “Stop it.”

  “You’re the one making this into a big deal, Sammi Pajami. Just relax and have fun.”

  He was right. Which only made me question my motives. I convinced myself that I’d accepted Griffin’s offer for no other purpose than finding Violet, but I cringed at the thought of using him. But on the other hand, I especially didn’t want to think of myself as someone who spent time with their ex just for the sake of spending time with them. The past was called the past for a reason.