by Ashley McLeo
There was no harm in that. And she’d be gone soon enough. Selma nodded. “I can do that.”
Mary smiled. “And as for where you’ll go—seeing as you’re looking to avoid men—do you remember me telling you about Gwenn and that woman she was dating a few years back as she traveled the States?”
Selma nodded.
“Well they’re still close. It seems Rena, that’s her name, moved to a magical commune in Oregon. It’s all women right now so men wouldn’t be a problem. It’s called Terramar.”
Selma had heard about Oregon but never thought she’d actually see it. Images of lush greenery and soft rainy nights filled her head. So different from the bustling, claustrophobic city outside.
“That all sounds wonderful. Could you ask Gwenn for Terramar’s number so I can inquire if they take visitors? Oregon sounds like a great place to start.”
Mary’s smile widened. “You got it, babe.”
Hasta Luego
Three weeks later, Shefali held out one of the two bags of possessions Selma was taking with her.
It was funny to think that months ago she’d lusted over Prada gowns, but once she’d finally gotten her hands on one she turned around and sold it to another woman for cheap. It was a sad decision, but a practical one too. She wouldn’t need any of the fancy shoes or dresses she’d purchased since moving to the city. Not where she was going. What would she do with them? Wear Gucci while harvesting carrots? In fact, Selma would have gladly given them all to Shefali, but her new friend’s tall, full frame would never fit in the dresses meant for Selma’s petite stature. Still, she made sure not to leave her friend—the woman who had helped her heal in more ways than one—with nothing.
“I’ll miss you so much,” Shefali cried, throwing herself at Selma and squeezing her tight.
“I’ll miss you more. Even our meditation practices. They were boring as hell, but I can’t lie that they helped me heal faster.” Selma played with the black tresses tumbling down Shefali’s back before pulling out of the hug. “You can come visit me wherever I end up. In Oregon I’ll even have my own cabin. We can stay up all night long and play cribbage.”
Shefali gave her a watery smile.
“Look in your closet once I leave. I left you a little something.”
Shefali’s eyes lit up. “No! You shouldn’t have Selma! It’s too much.”
“Nonsense. You kept me safe from myself, my magic’s sneaky takeover, in this house. It was the least I could do. Plus, you’ll need it in winter. Your silk saris are cold.” Selma winked, knowing her friend was imagining the gorgeous Dior jacket she’d been pining over. The exact jacket in her closet.
“Thank you,” Shefali murmured.
The cabbie honked.
Selma rolled her eyes. “I’ll miss a lot about the city but the honking will not be one of them.” She embraced her friend once more before hefting her bags. “I’ll call you when I land.” Selma blew Shefali a kiss which her friend returned as Selma walked down the stairs. As she reached the gate she heard the safe house door clicked shut behind her. Selma knew Shefali would have rather helped her to the cab, but it was best that humans not see too much of the coven members going in and out of the safe house. Especially when they were as well dressed and lovely as Shefali. The image of such a put together person did not correlate with the rundown exterior of the house and could raise suspicion.
Her hand was on the cab door handle when Selma felt a pair of eyes land on her. She turned and her mouth fell open.
Richard stood before her, a bouquet of roses in his hands, looking sheepish.
“Hey,” he said and his voice vibrated through her like a gong.
She waited. Her magic stayed quiet, her hormones level, trained by the men-less weeks spent at the safe house and hours of meditation practices. Practices which allowed Selma greater control over her magic and consciousness in a world that would do everything it could to steal both from her should she not pay close enough attention.
“Hey. What are you doing here?”
“Mary called and said you were leaving? Moving? I guess I wanted to see you once more, make sure you were OK and say goodbye. Looks like I made it just in time.”
Selma studied Richard. He looked embarrassed, unsure if he should be there. What must he think of her? Shortly, after the news of Vivienne and Andrew’s divorce became mainstream, her photo had been splashed all over the tabloids. Vivienne’s last attempt to shame Selma, no doubt. Yet, Richard had still called Selma a handful of times, never mentioning the news, only wanting to chat. Perhaps he hadn’t heard, though Selma found that hard to believe.
“Sorry if that was presumptuous—” Richard started once more, trying to fill in the lull.
“No. Please, I should be the one apologizing to you.” Selma stepped forward and took the flowers. “Thank you for these. And thank you for coming. I should have told you I was leaving, but I think I was embarrassed to. You should know Richard, I haven’t been entirely honest with you, but I do find myself . . . drawn to you. I’m moving and I won’t apologize for needing space from the city and wanting to find myself. However, if you’d like to keep in touch, you can find me here.” Selma scribbled the number the leader of Terramar Commune had given her, the number connected to Selma’s personal cabin, on a piece of paper and handed it to him. “I’ll be there for a month at least. Maybe more if I like it. I'm not sure when I’ll be back—if I ever come back—but if you want to talk, call me.”
Richard’s eyes lit up, and he took the sheet of paper. “Asking a bartender if they want to chat is dangerous. You’ll be racking up a huge phone bill in no time.”
Selma laughed. Though they’d only spoken a few times she had a feeling what he said was true. Richard had an easy way about him, a charm people wanted to be around, to connect with. She knew it because she felt it, too.
“That’s fine by me,” she gripped his hand and looked him straight in the eyes. “To be honest, I wish we’d had more time to get to know one another. My life might have turned out differently.” She released his hands and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Thank you, for these. Goodbye, Richard.”
Selma turned and walked to the cab.
“It could still turn out differently,” Richard called out. Selma glanced back and saw he was holding up her number, a wide grin on his face. “Have a safe flight, Selma. I’ll call soon.”
She returned his smile and lowered herself into the cab.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this novella, please consider leaving a review on the website you purchased it from. Reviews help readers find new books and I would be ever so grateful!
If you’d like to join my readers group, go to www.ashleymcleo.com and sign up for the Coven!
All the magic,
Ashley McLeo
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my husband, Kurt, without you I would not be able to do what I love everyday. Also, you’re a great CP cusp beta reader. :)
To my critique partners, Kelly N. Jane, April Taylor, and Susan Robinson, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your input and advice. I love talking fantasy with you ladies. You rock!
To my beta readers, there are too many to mention here as Siren Falling took many writing passes to get right, but I appreciate your time and care with my work more than you know. And to Emily Tackitt, a member of my advanced reader team turned proofreader extraordinaire, I’m so thankful for your keen eye on my work. You’re such a gem.
Finally, thank you to my readers. Selma’s story is not a pretty one, nor was it easy to tell. Some of you may even hate her now, though I hope not, because I still love her. After all, sometimes our stories are not always ones we’re proud of, but they’re still our stories.
All the magic,
Ashley
About the Author
Ashley lives in Portland, OR with her husband, Kurt and their dog, Flicka. When she’s not writing she enjoys traveling the world, reading, practicing and teaching yoga, co
oking, and connecting with family and friends.
Find Ashley at www.ashleymcleo.com or Ashley McLeo author on Facebook
@amcleowrites
Also by Ashley McLeo
Prophecy of Three, Book One of The Starseed Trilogy
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Souls of Three, Book Two of The Starseed Trilogy
Rising of Three, Book Three of The Starseed Trilogy
Rogue Fae, A Starseed Universe Novella
Hawk Witch, The Bonegates Series (#1)
