by Amy Boyles
I leaned my head on her shoulder. “Love you, Cordelia. We’re here for you. Both of us.”
Amelia grabbed her hand. “We’re sweet tea witches. We fight for each other.”
I shivered as a wind blew through the trees. Something was off. It felt like the night had eyes.
I rose. “Y’all want to go?”
“Yes,” they said.
As we walked home, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something followed us. But every time I tried to locate it, there was nothing to see.
I was the last person inside Betty’s. It was eight o’clock. Right when my cousins had to be back for curfew. As I shut the door, the feeling continued.
Something or someone was watching us. I would find out who or what it was.
I had to.
Chapter 9
I dreamed about the horrible creature again. I was still in the woods, but this time the creature was closer, grasping for my foot.
Its claws snagged my boot, and I kicked, managing to escape. In the distance I saw a cabin. Snow fell on it. I ran toward it, plunging face-first into the soft powder.
How could it be snowing, I wondered? It wasn’t winter yet, and it barely ever snowed in Alabama. How could this be happening?
I reached the door. The cold bit into my flesh. My fingers had already started to numb. I fumbled with the handle and finally got it open, throwing myself inside.
That’s where the dream ended. I woke up with a start and shook off the bad feeling creeping over me.
I readied myself for work and then went downstairs and made small talk with my family. I noticed dark half-moons under their eyes. Cordelia’s unrest I knew came from Garrick and what had happened last night. But the others?
I was too tired to ask.
I left and thoughts of being followed the night before chilled me. I threw them off and headed to Familiar Place.
I’d only been there a few minutes when the bell above the door tinkled.
“Idie Claire,” I said, beaming, “so good to see you. Are you here to talk about my hairstyle for the wedding?”
Ever since my cousins and I had returned from an alternate reality in which I was engaged to be married to Rufus Mayes and Axel was dating Cordelia, I had decided to change up a few things in my life.
One of which was my relationship to Idie Claire, the town hairstylist. Never, not once had she cut my tresses and that hadn’t changed, but I did hire her to design my hairstyle for the wedding.
Idie, it turned out, was tickled pink about the whole thing and had spent hours sketching up ideas. We’d agreed on an updo that still had lots of hair cascading around my face. The only thing was that we were trying to find the perfect flowers for my hair since my dress was a beautiful midnight blue. No, not the traditional color for a wedding gown in my world, but in the witch world it was absolutely the right choice.
Since the wedding was taking place in the winter, Idie and I had come up with a color scheme, she just had to find the perfect arrangement to be woven into my tresses.
She grinned from ear to ear. “Have I ever found the perfect flowers! I wanted you to take a look and see what you think.”
I clapped with glee. “Show me. I can’t wait another moment.”
Idie pulled a sheet of paper from a portfolio and laid it on the counter. “I thought, since it’s winter and all, we’ll add touches of holly with red berries into your hair, perhaps a few roses, too. What do you think?”
The idea of red and green against the midnight-colored dress was a great idea. “I love it. It’s so different.”
She smiled. “Exactly what a witch would want for her big day.” Idie squeezed my arm. “Now I can always change anything. If you have an idea between now and then, let me know. I’m open to suggestions. This isn’t the final product.”
I stared at the sketch of my hair pulled up and the beautiful colors dropped in like gems against a cloth. “I adore it. Honestly, I don’t think I could come up with anything different, but if I see something that catches my eye, I’ll let you know.”
“Great.” She exhaled a sigh. “I’m so relieved you like it. I was worried.” She rolled her eyes. “So worried that I had a dream about it.”
“Ugh. I hope it wasn’t a bad dream. Seems like that whole thing is catching around town, if you know what I mean.”
Idie shook her head thoughtfully. “No, I did have a bad dream, but not about that.”
I bent over to glance at the sketch one more time. A loose strand of hair fell in my face. I brushed it away and yawned.
“Well, what did you have a nightmare about?” I asked.
Idie didn’t answer.
I glanced up. “Idie? You okay?”
She stared at the cage of doves for my wedding. The birds cooed and shook out their feathers.
“Idie? Are you okay?”
“Those birds,” she said quietly.
“What about them?”
Her eyes were wide when she turned to face me. Her face paled as if in shock.
“Idie?”
Slowly she raised a finger and pointed at the cage. “I dreamed about those birds. Only they weren’t the sweet things you see now. In my dream they were horrible, biting and gnashing monsters.”
I chuckled uncomfortably. “Idie, they’re only doves. They’re not going to hurt you. They’re not going to hurt anyone.”
She shook her head. “They were, though. Something happened to them, and they attacked me.”
Visibly shaken, Idie backed away slowly from the cage. She reached for the sketch and snatched it from the table, stuffing it in her portfolio.
“You need to get rid of them, Pepper.”
“Idie, you have to be serious. They’re only doves.”
“No, they’re not. They’re horrible, horrible creatures!”
Her voice broke. Suddenly a ball of magic unfurled from Idie’s chest. It sailed through the air until it hit the cage.
Power coiled around the frame, entwining it like creeping vines. The doves flitted around, batting the inside as they tried to escape.
“Idie,” I shrieked. “What did you do?”
“I don’t know! I didn’t mean to,” she said fearfully.
Annoyed, I reached the cage and flung open the door. Their cries of fear tugged at my heart.
“It’s okay, little guys.”
But that didn’t calm them. The magic continued to coil around the bars, reaching its fingers inside. It seemed to be seeking out the doves.
They flitted, molting their feathers. It looked like little bits of cotton were floating inside a shaken snow globe.
A line of magic ripped from my finger and zapped the invader. The vine of power snapped at it, killing my power.
“Idie, help me,” I called out. “This is your magic.”
She shook her head and kept backing toward the door. “I don’t know what I did.”
I rolled my eyes. I had a bunch of pooping, crazed doves that were scared to death, another witch frightened of them and magic that wouldn’t mind me.
Boy, I could really use some Betty right about now. I decided to try one more time.
“Come on, magic. Now, scat. Nobody wants you around here.”
I rubbed my palms together, working up the magic inside me. Power hummed, warming my palms. It built up and I felt the charge of it, the rise of magic inside me, like friction.
I opened my hands, and a clot of power tore away from me, splattering against the cage.
It collided with Idie’s power. The cage shook and rattled. The doves cried and beat their wings.
Then it stopped. The magic disappeared. Everything went quiet except for Idie.
“Oh no,” she said. “This is where it happens.”
I shot her a confused look. “What?”
She nodded. Her gaze never left the doves. Fear burned bright in her eyes.
I conjured my calming voice. “Idie, it’s all over. The magic stopped. The birds are okay.”
She lifted a finger and, without saying a word, pointed to the doves.
What would it take to convince her that nothing from her dream was going to happen? But just to ease her mind, I glanced in the direction she gestured.
A popping sound came from the cage. My brow furrowed until I felt my skin pinch tight.
I peered into the cage. “What is that?”
The popping occurred again, and I realized it was the birds.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
With each pop the birds grew. Their wings elongated, their beaks became monstrous and their talons thickened.
“What in the world?”
“I told you,” Idie said.
I whirled on her. “Help me stop it! Use your magic!”
At this point she had one hand curled on the doorknob and looked as if she was half a second away from bolting outside.
I fisted a hand to my hip. “Idie Claire, you’d better help me stop these birds right now.”
She swallowed. “It’s too late. Look.”
I turned as the cage burst apart, flying in all directions. I dropped to the ground to avoid being impaled by shrapnel.
The rest of the animals in the shop barked and meowed, shouting their protest.
I gasped as I stared at what had become of the doves.
They were like harpies straight from mythology. Sharp beaks snapped and bit, piercing talons looked ready to rip into skin and their wide wingspan meant they could cover yards within seconds.
A dozen of them filled the shop, and they continued to pop, which meant they were still growing.
A scream ripped from Idie’s throat. She bolted. The doves glanced in her direction, and now being the gigantic birds of prey that they were, they turned and shrieked.
Oh no. Idie had run from them like a scared rabbit. The predatory instincts that filled their tiny brains seemed to kick in. Within a second the birds pivoted toward the exit and darted out the door.
Idie had left it wide open.
Wings battered the air as the last of the birds zipped outside.
From my spot on the floor I whispered, “Idie.”
I ran outside. The birds hovered, ringing the air like a circle. People stopped and stared, pointing at the spectacle.
I spotted Idie down the street. She ran as fast as she could, screaming about man-eating birds.
One of the birds screeched. They’d spotted her, too. They formed a line and dive-bombed in her direction.
There was no time.
My cast-iron skillet leaned against the wall inside. I opened my hand and called it to me. In half a second the stem hit my open palm.
I hurled one leg over and darted toward Idie. “Out of my way,” I yelled. “Get inside! Those birds are dangerous!”
People seemed to hear me. They dashed into the shops or their homes, disappearing from sight.
I leaned forward and willed the skillet to go faster. I had to reach Idie before the birds.
The harpy in front opened its talons and threw up its wings in a move that said it was about to catch its prey. Idie was close, only a few yards away.
Which one of us would reach her first?
The talons grew larger, but so did Idie. Right as the dove was about to snatch her from the ground, I swooped in alongside, grabbed her by the collar and used my magic to get her on the back of my skillet.
“My dream,” Idie shrieked. “It’s coming true.”
I lifted us off the ground and headed into the sky. I stole a glance behind and realized an entire flock of nasty harpies pursued us.
My heart pounded. Sweat soaked my palms. I hated to ask, but I had no choice. “What happened in your dream?”
Idie’s arms snaked around my waist and gripped me tightly. “You don’t want to know,” she yelled.
“Yes, I do. I need to figure out a way to escape them.”
Shrieks ripped through the air. The hair on the back of my neck soldiered to attention.
I had to lose the birds, give us a few minutes to think, figure out a way to turn them back to doves. I headed to the Cobweb Forest, looking for cover—any cover I could find.
I pressed Idie. “How did it end?”
One of the birds came up alongside. It screamed and flexed its talons toward us.
I dodged left. The bird grasped at us just as we zipped out of its reach.
“With me being eaten,” she shouted. “Go!”
“Fly true,” I murmured to the skillet, starting to work a spell. “Fly straight, and fly with all your might. I must see the end in sight!”
The skillet charged forward and dipped toward the forest. The tree line was a blur rushing underneath us so fast my stomach roiled.
“You’re not taking us in there, are you?” Idie pleaded.
“We’ve got to get some cover. Go, skillet!”
We submerged into the trees. Branches ripped at my face, scratching my skin. They tore my hair. I slung my arm over my face, shielding me from hopefully the worst of it.
“Look out,” Idie screamed.
I opened my eyes in time to see a row of thick firs coming on fast. It was too fast for me to stop. We would crash.
I closed my eyes and put on the brakes as fast as I could. “Hang on, Idie! We’re going down!”
Chapter 10
The skillet hit the tree hard. I flew forward, shooting into a web of branches before plummeting out the other end. The firs were so thick I couldn’t see through them. All I could make out was green upon green.
That was until Idie knocked me over.
The wind flew from my lungs. I gasped for air, sure I would never be able to breathe again. Then I told myself that was ridiculous. I’d had the wind knocked from my lungs on more than one occasion—since arriving in Magnolia Cove, I’d like to add.
My breath did come; it just took a minute for it to fill my lungs. Idie groaned.
I slowly rolled out from under her and assessed myself. Other than a few scratches and bruises I was miraculously unharmed. Pretty sure I owed the tree thanks for breaking my fall and not me.
I glanced around for the skillet. Once the birds were gone, I’d get Idie and me back on it and head out of the forest.
It only took a moment for me to find the iron skillet. Small sparks flew from its stem.
Disappointment filled me when I realized it had been cracked in two. The middle of the handle was broken and magic spewed from it, seeping into the ground in a messy iridescent puddle.
I groaned and picked up the pieces. I was about to try to fit them together when a crash broke my focus.
I whirled in the direction it had come from. Branches snapped and leaves were crushed. I pressed a finger to my mouth, signaling for Idie to be quiet. Then I slowly crept forward and peered between the thick branches of the fir tree.
The harpy doves had landed. They scoured the forest, pecking and scratching as they searched for us. I exhaled a shaky breath, trying to figure out what to do next.
The birds weren’t far away, and they would catch up to us soon. Behind us lay a large clearing and, on the other side of that, more forest. If we could make it to the trees beyond the clearing, we’d have a chance of escaping.
But it wouldn’t be an escape for long. I’d have to find Betty and Axel, let them know what had happened and recruit them to help deal with the doves.
I pointed at Idie and then to the clearing. Her lower lip trembled. I knew she didn’t want to go, but the birds’ calls were getting louder. They’d find us eventually.
Idie nodded and I helped her up. Once again I put finger to mouth, reminding her to be quiet. With light footsteps we made our way from the firs.
I glanced at my skillet, yearning to take it with us, but I couldn’t risk the noise. What if it made a crazy sound when I picked it up? Then we’d be done for.
It was only me and Idie against a dozen dove harpies. The odds were not stacked in our favor.
We tiptoed past the firs and made it to the clearing. I stole a glan
ce behind us.
No harpies. Good. I hoped to keep things that way. Leaves littered the tall grass of the meadow. If it had been summer, I would’ve been worried about snakes, but it was late fall and cold enough that the snakes would be well into hibernation mode.
I started trotting with Idie beside me until I felt confident enough to break into a run. The forest lay just ahead, within reach. I could practically reach out and touch it, it was so close.
I could taste freedom. I’d already planned what to do next. Enter the trees, go around the forest and leave the way we came. Head back to town. Call Betty. Call Axel. Tell them about the harpies. Make plans on what to do next, which would be to change the birds back and figure out if the dreams coming true was more than coincidence.
First Cordelia and now Idie. Would more become reality? And if more materialized, did that mean my nightmare would come to life?
I shivered and shook off the icky feeling creeping into my stomach.
We were almost there. I stretched out my hand as if reaching for the tape at the end of a marathon. I could smell the pines as the wind picked up their scent and wafted it up my nose.
Almost there.
It sounded like a helicopter above us. Felt like one, too. The wind chopped at the trees. The tall grass rippled like water as the flock of harpies descended in front of us, cutting off our escape.
I dug in my heels and grabbed Idie, yanking her with me. My heart, which hadn’t exactly calmed, became thunderous in my ears.
The birds’ red eyes glittered with malice. Their thick bodies were twisted from grossly enlarged muscles. Their sharp beaks opened, and long red tongues protruded as they shrieked.
One of them would attack first, but which one would it be?
I didn’t wait to find out. I opened fire on them. The magic hit one squarely in the chest.
It had no effect.
They screamed and scratched, glaring hatred at me the whole time. The harpies closed their ranks. They edged toward us as their circle tightened.
They would pin us in.
I opened my palm to hit them again when one of the birds glanced up and shrieked. A line of fire snaked through the air. The harpies screamed and lifted in flight, abandoning us.
