by Kali Harper
“He never knew?” Ida asked, taking a seat beside me.
“Not even an inkling.”
“How can you marry someone and not know them?” I asked. It sounded impossible. “How can you even hide it?”
“Easy,” Lance said, propping an ankle on his knee, “you shift when no one else is around, which is exactly what she did. Joe’s schedule rarely changed, so she used what time she had to shift and keep her wolf under control during the few times she couldn’t.”
“But she never bought charms from Maggie,” I said. “I would’ve remembered.”
“Not everyone needs charms, Astrid.” This time he was speaking from experience. “In any case, when he caught her and got upset, her wolf took over. She bit him, which is how this all started.”
“Joe didn’t report it?”
“He was trying to protect her the same way she tried to protect him. He’ll receive a fine for endangering others and be put on probation. He’s also been asked to check in on a weekly basis so we can keep his shifting under control. Sadly, because of how long he’s had the virus in his system, there’s no way for us to reverse it.”
“The elixir—”
“Doesn’t work like that. It had to be introduced into the bloodstream within hours of exposure, not a week later.”
We were all quiet for a long moment, but something didn’t fit.
“If Marcy had the elixir before, why not use it on Joe right away?” I asked. “Why put him at risk?”
“Because she didn’t have it,” Lance said with a casual shrug. “Besides, if she had, I don’t think she would’ve used it anyway. Joe still would’ve reported her, I think. Maybe not right away, but eventually. Shifters need to be accounted for, mostly so we can keep an eye on them and the control they have other their animals.
It’s like this no matter where you go. Every shifter in Emberdale, including me, is registered in our town records. Aside from Max who was present at my time of signing, no one else had to know.”
“Which explains why he was so protective when I mentioned a wolf at Joe’s shop. How come no one knew about Marcy?” If all she had to do was register her name, I couldn’t see why she would’ve kept it secret for so long.
“She was running,” Lance said, oblivious to my thoughts. “There’s actually a warrant out for her arrest all the way in Utah. According to reports, she killed a packmate a while back and came here for a fresh start. So registering—”
“Would’ve put her back on their radar.”
“Yes. It also explains why she didn’t want Joe or anyone else to find out.”
“But when he came home early… wow.” It all made sense now. “So, now that the town knows you’re a wolf, do you think you’ll shift more often?”
“I shift when I have time,” Lance said, playing with a phantom string on his pants.
“He’s embarrassed,” Ida said with a smile. “Don’t pool yourself with the rest of them,” she said to Lance. “We all know you aren’t like her.”
“It isn’t something I like to talk about,” he admitted. “In any case, most of the town should go back to the way things were by the end of the week. I’ve asked Morpheus to help with the reversal since those infected by the elixir can’t be cured by it.”
“What about Max?”
“It’s hard to say, but if Morpheus can reverse the others, I’m sure he can do something for Max.”
“Oh, what about the man from animal control?”
“Already taken care of. Ivan’s reported it to the necessary authorities as an animal attack. We shouldn’t have any more folks poking around here. I wish it hadn’t come to this. Those outside our world may be keeping an even closer eye on our small town, so we’ll have another meeting next week to discuss proper procedure and precautions.
For now, you need to get some rest. What you did today and everything you did in my absence is well above the call of duty.”
“Funny,” I said with a smile. “It almost sounds like you’re proud.”
He returned my smile with one of his own. “Maybe I am. Night.”
“Night.” I didn’t move from where I was, unable to walk even if I’d wanted to.
Lance let himself out, and soon, Kat and I were alone in my living room. Maggie had already gone off to be with Ronan, so there was one less cat in the house as well. Sammy stirred and cracked open an eye to check on me but didn’t say much else.
“Do you think Ronan will propose to her tonight?” Kat asked, covering Sammy’s ears so he wouldn’t overhear.
The butterflies in my stomach weren’t for me, but for Maggie. “I think he will.”
“I think it’s adorable.”
“What’s adorable?” Sammy asked, lifting his head from Kat’s lap once she’d removed her hands.
“Ronan and Maggie,” Kat said with a laugh.
Sammy grunted. “Too cutesy for my tastes.”
“Aww, Sam, are you jealous?”
“Me? What for?”
“Never mind,” we both said, laughing to ourselves.
“I think it’s perfect,” I said, leaning my head back as I closed my eyes.
And I couldn’t wait until the wedding.
Epilogue
After two weeks of sitting at home, I was ready for a change of scenery. When Lance said he planned to put officers outside to watch over me, what he really meant was ones to keep me inside until I was well. It was almost as though he expected me to go out looking for trouble.
“You’re a crime magnet,” he’d said one night when I whined over the phone, bored out of my mind.
To be honest, he was as much to blame as I was. Wherever he went, bad things were sure to follow. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But after two weeks and missing my very first Halloween in Emberdale as a witch, the officers around Maggie’s house set me free. Maggie came home twice; once to gush over Ronan’s proposal and again to ask me about conjuring her a form he could see. I was still working on it, and if Lance kept grounding me the way he did, I’d never be able to.
Unlike the rest of us, Sammy wasn’t pleased about the upcoming wedding at all. They hadn’t set a date, but knowing Maggie, it would be sometime in the spring when the flowers were starting to blossom.
“You aren’t honestly going to wear that, are you?” Sammy complained from his spot on my dresser, joined by the other three cats as each one judged my limited wardrobe.
I studied the red dress in the mirror, the fabric stopping below my knees. I’d debated all day if I wanted to wear my hair up or down. In the end, I pulled it back and let a few tendrils free, framing my face perfectly. A small black box sat on the dresser in front of Sammy’s paw, a gift from Kat.
“What?” I asked him, removing the pearl studs from the box and gingerly putting them in. “You don’t like it?”
“It isn’t you,” Sammy said. “You hate dresses.”
“I can look nice,” I told him, ignoring his last comment as I put on a pair of red heels to match. I probably should’ve gone for another color, or spent more time in the sun. The dress was almost too red against my pale complexion, but there wasn’t much I could do about it now.
“He isn’t even taking you anywhere nice,” Sammy went on, licking his paw.
“He’s taking me out,” I corrected him. “What if I want to wear this?”
“You hate dressing up,” he reminded me, insisting I’d lost my mind.
“People change.”
Sammy grumped but didn’t say anything else, hopping off the dresser and excusing himself from the room. He teased, but some part of him must’ve been happy for me. In fact, I knew he was. He’d told me for days how Lance was going to ask me out. He’d insisted and even puffed out his chest, completely sure of himself. So then why did the dress bother him?
“Everything around him is changing,” a familiar voice spoke from down the hall, the deep rumble making me smile as I peered at the doorway. “Sammy’s neve
r liked changed, not in the many centuries I’ve known him.”
“Morpheus!” The Basset Hound panted and gave me the biggest canine smile he could. “I didn’t hear you come in.” Last I heard, he’d helped Lance get the town back in order before returning to Fairmount. “Are you staying long?”
“Lance asked me for one last favor,” he said, reading my mind. He was the only one who could ever since he placed a lock on my thoughts.
I shook my head and lowered onto the edge of the mattress. “He’s looking out for me.”
“With good reason,” Morpheus said with a nod, padding over to join me. “In the short time since you’ve awakened, you’ve done great things, and you’ll do many more, but you need to pace yourself.”
“I know.” It was the same lecture I’d heard from Lance.
“I’m not lecturing,” Morpheus corrected me, reading my thoughts yet again. “You’ve faced a significant amount of magical drain, more than any witch or wizard ever should. You’ve also grown faster than any witch I’ve ever known. It might not seem like it compared to what most are capable of, but they’ve had years, if not decades to hone their skills. You’ve been a witch for under two months.”
“I’m not trying to overdo it, Morpheus.”
“I know, which is why I think we need to move up your next trial.” He hadn’t spoken of my next trial as a witch since we left Fairmount, and even then, he’d only hinted at it. “Don’t be alarmed, I won’t ask you to do it now. However, in the next month or so, I think we should start preparing.”
“Preparing me?” I thought most witches and wizards had to do it on their own.
“Again, the others have had years to practice before their first let alone their second trial,” Morpheus said. “I want you to succeed. You’ll do great things one day.”
“If you know all of this now, why have the trials at all?” I asked, staring at my hands which I’d placed in my lap.
“Because while I might know your future, you’ll need confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to get there. For this reason, I’ve left you a gift.”
“Oh, Morpheus, you didn’t have to.”
“Actually, I did. The lock on your mind has been removed, but don’t fear. Your projections are under your control. It might not feel like it, but even in the last handful of weeks, you’ve changed. You can also start furthering your skills in conjuration, but do so carefully. Instead of trying to conjure Maggie a new form right away, conjure something small.”
“You can’t conjure something from nothing,” I told him.
“You see the brush on your dresser? Focus on it. Change it. Nothing too extravagant. It could be as simple a thing as changing its color, size, or shape.”
Concentrating on the brush, I imagined the beige bristles going dark, the handle turning white to silver. At first, nothing happened. My heart fell.
“Confidence, Astrid,” Morpheus said, nosing my hand. “Without confidence, your magic won’t work. Don’t let self-doubt get in your way.”
Wetting my lips, I tried again, squealing when the colors on the brush changed. “But how is this conjuration?” I asked him. “I’m altering it, aren’t I?”
“You are, but that was a test. Continue to work on it. All classes of magic, when you break them down, are very similar. Each one requires a deep concentration and confidence in oneself to work properly.”
“I didn’t need it for my shields to work,” I pointed out, looking at the brush as I changed the colors a second time.
“Instinct has a part to play as well,” Morpheus agreed. “That’s enough practice for now. Besides, don’t you have a date to get to?”
Oh no! I was so focused on Morpheus’ lesson, I almost forgot why I was wearing the red dress in the first place. “Lance is going to kill me.”
Morpheus laughed as he got to his paws. “No he won’t. Relax, it’ll be fine. Take a deep breath and let it out.” Once I did, he said, “Now, focus on your reflection and put on a bit of color.”
“But you said—”
“Tiny adjustments,” he said. “Nothing more.”
The butterflies in my stomach from earlier grew as I leaned in close to the mirror, conjuring a touch of blush for my cheeks and a light mauve for my lips. “Too much?” I asked, straightening my posture as I regarded the hound beside me.
“Just enough,” he said with a smile. “Go on. Lance is outside.”
“I guess I shouldn’t ask how you know that.”
“I’m a troll. We know everything.”
My breath caught when Lance spotted me from the foyer, his eyes doing an up-down sweep of what I hoped was an acceptable outfit for the evening. The bit of color on his cheeks told me all I needed to know.
Running my fingertips along the railing, Lance’s cologne drifted up to greet me, the crisp scent making my entire body flush. Thankfully, the bit of rouge I’d conjured on my face would hide the worst of it from Lance, but I couldn’t help my downward gaze when he met my eyes, his being more intense than I remembered.
“You look…” he released a breath, “beautiful.”
“You didn’t think I had it in me, did you?” I asked with a laugh, accepting his hand when he offered it to me as he helped me down onto the landing.
“I, uh…”
“Don’t answer that,” I said. “I honestly didn’t think so either. Is it too much for where we’re going?”
Under his gaze, it felt as though I wasn’t wearing enough. I had too much exposed skin, especially around my neck. Compared to his pressed white shirt, blazer and slacks, I felt completely naked.
“Just enough,” he told me, his words tickling my ear as he leaned in to move a wisp of hair from in front of my face.
“You’re going to the movies,” Sammy grumbled, sitting at my feet. “That’s hardly a reason to get all dressed up.”
“Dinner first,” Lance corrected him, placing a hand on the small of my back as he helped me with my jacket, “then maybe a movie.”
“Maybe?” I asked, feeling a little better once I put my jacket on.
“We could also walk around town. Hit the park.” He shrugged. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“Dinner first,” I told him, then looking at Sam I said, “Don’t wait up.”
“With you and Maggie out of the house, maybe I can finally get some sleep,” Sammy said.
Lance and I both laughed, and once I locked the door behind us, he walked me to his car. “Here you are, m’lady,” he said, bowing as he opened it for me.
“Such a gentleman,” I told him, fixing my dress before putting on my seatbelt. “It’s almost like we’re someone else tonight.”
He closed my door, then slipped into the driver’s seat. “Maybe, for one night, we are. No chasing down murders. No crime.” He smiled and reached across the seat for my hand. “Just two adults enjoying each other’s company.” And, curse him, he kissed it!
The air rushed from my lungs which refused to work, every one of my nerve endings prickling from his barely-there touch.
“You’re cute when you blush,” Lance said, a playful lilt in his voice.
“And you’re… you’re…”
“Handsome? Dashing? Your knight in shining armor?” he asked, obviously fishing for compliments.
“Putting me on the spot,” I told him, unable to hide my giddy smile even if I’d wanted to.
“I thought we needed a redo after the first date we had.”
“You mean the one we almost had,” I corrected him. “Are you sure you don’t have a case?” I wouldn’t mind going over clues. At least that was something I knew I could do, but going on a date? With lance?
Lance shrugged and turned on the ignition. “Whatever it is, I’m sure Max can handle it. Tonight, I’m all yours.”
“What about Ivan?”
“He headed home the day before yesterday, but I’m sure he’ll be back.” Turning around in the tiny cul-de-sac, he said, “Is that a problem?”
&nb
sp; “Not at all.”
“Good, because tonight, I want you to enjoy yourself.”
The drive into town didn’t last nearly as long as I would’ve liked. Being this close to Lance put me on edge but in a good way. My thoughts, however, were to the point of obsession. For a brief moment, as we waited for the light in the middle of town to change, I thought for sure I might’ve been projecting.
If I had, Lance didn’t say as much, keeping whatever thoughts he might’ve overheard to himself. Thoughts that flew completely out the window when he pulled up behind the fanciest restaurant we had in town.
“Carol’s?” I asked with a laugh.
“We could go to a place outside of town,” Lance said, peering at the bright neon lights on the side of the building, “but a little bird told me you happened to love Carol’s burgers.”
“Now I do feel overdressed,” I said, looking down at my outfit.
“So I fibbed,” he said with a shrugged, “but to be fair, you aren’t the only one who’s a little over the top tonight.”
I’ll say. If Lance had on a tie, he would’ve been as formal as most people get. Even his shoes, when I bothered to look, had a nice shine to them. Not sneakers, but black dress shoes.
“Besides,” Lance said, pulling me from my thoughts, “you shouldn’t have to go someplace nice in order to dress up. You should be able to do it whenever you want, even if it means getting grease all over a nice dress or a brand new suit.”
I gasped. “You bought a new suit for tonight?”
“Didn’t you?”
He had me there.
“It isn’t like I could rent one knowing we’d end up here. You have any idea how hard it is to get grease out of a nice suit?” He laughed, cutting the engine before coming around to my side of the car. “Any last words? We can turn back if you’d like.”
I accepted his hand and fixed my dress once I got out of the car. “No turning back and no regrets,” I told him. My stomach twisted in knots when he placed his hand on the small of my back, walking me to the back door of Carol’s restaurant.
