Chapter Two
You Smell Like Trouble
Bellamy
Of course, the new guy in town is hot. Why wouldn’t fate screw me over like this?
I’m going to kick Elora’s ass when I see her later.
I know for a fact she had some sort of vision about this, which is why she conveniently had stuff to do.
We all agreed a long time ago that I should never be on the welcoming committee of anything.
I don’t have exactly the warmest face to see when, you know, coming somewhere new.
He is just standing there with this goofy, wide-eyed expression. Sigh. The sooner I get this over, the sooner I can get back to my house. Nyx snorts next to me as he looks between the guy smiling at me and my scrunched nose.
“You know, I believe I’m going to leave this one to you,” Nyx’s words gleefully whisper into my mind. Stupid bonded familiar luxury. He can hear my thoughts and talk to me, but I can only speak back to him.
“Don’t you dare leave. If I’m stuck with this, so are you,” I hiss back at him.
His only response is a full belly laugh in my mind as he poofs out of existence. The guy blinks as he slowly turns his head towards where Nyx just was. Staring at the spot as if he can’t believe that happened.
“Did that…” His words trail off as he points to where Nyx disappeared and looks between me and the spot.
My hip pops out as I put my hand on it. One eyebrow hooks up as I just stare at him, waiting for him to stop freaking out over a familiar leaving.
Bored already, I say, “Haven’t you seen a familiar before?”
“A what?”
“A fa-mil-iar?”
He scratches the back of his neck as he clears his throat. “I heard what you said. I’m just not sure what a familiar is. I definitely can say that I’ve never seen one before.”
He’s kinda cute, in a puppy dog kind of way.
His golden-brown hair is practically shimmering in the morning sun.
A soft breeze picks up, carrying his scent back to me again, you know, in case I didn’t smell it already .
Something about it is calling to me and I’m doing everything I can to not breathe it in.
“A familiar is a witch’s pet, sort of. At birth, our ancestors send a soul to guide us, protect us, and with Nyx, annoy us.” I wave my hand nonchalantly.
“Ah, okay. So not your typical pet. I was wondering why you had a fox next to you. Makes sense now.” His face lights up with a beautiful, broad smile as he steps fully onto his front porch extending his hand towards me.
I take a small step back, glaring at his hand like it might infect me with polio. He hesitates, pulling his hand back slightly, but his face is still beaming like the summer sun.
“Uh, my name is Miles. Miles Everhart. I’m assuming since you had a familiar that you are a witch?”
I blow a raspberry as I cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah, and?”
“Noth…nothing. Witches are great. I’m a wolf shifter.”
“Aren’t you, like, supposed to be with a pack or something? Are you even allowed to be here?”
“Yeah, I’m allowed to be here. I felt this urge to come here. Not really sure where ‘here’ is, but Elora said that you would answer all my questions and show me around.”
Of course she did.
“I don’t know about that. I’m really not the person you want showing you around. Plus, I have some hexes to be working on. Not giving the dog a walk around town.”
He takes a step towards me, reaching as if he is going to grab my arm before he thinks better of it, letting his hand fall to his side.
“Come on. Surely you can take a break from hexing and take me around town. I’m really excited to see what this town has to offer. It can’t be any crazier than Jasper, where I’m from.”
My face scrunches as I scowl at him. He can’t seriously want to spend time with me. There is nothing about me that is inviting or encourages the average person to even speak to me, let alone decide to stick around.
“I don’t think so. Here’s your first tip for living in Pumpkinridge. Be sure to sage your house and shut your chimney shoot. The crows here are gossiping hens and will do anything to find their next juicy piece. Including coming in through your chimney.”
His eyes scan my face as if he is testing the truth in my words before he looks around behind me. Likely looking for the crows that I’m mentioning.
I roll the basket handle down my forearm before holding it out towards him.
“Here.” I thrust it towards his clearly toned stomach as his butt thrusts back, avoiding colliding with the basket.
“This town is all about welcoming new guests but I am not. There's a bunch of things in there. Some I would throw away. Some I would keep. And some that won’t leave that basket. My sister left you a business card in there. I don’t recommend using it unless you really don’t like yourself. ”
With that I whisper, “fogarius swirlarious,” under my breath before turning and hurrying down the three front steps of his porch. The fog swirls up from the ground, giving the exact effect I was hoping for except…cough…cough…Oh my goddess.
The fog smells like rotten eggs boiling in the sun. I said the spell clear as day. I’ve never once messed up a simple spell like that before. Nearly gagging, I’m swatting at the fog as a body slams into me, sending us down the path.
I feel a deep rumble against my back as Miles laughs. “Is this a normal day in Pumpkinridge? If so, I can say that it will always be entertaining for sure. What was that back there?”
We come to a stop on the sidewalk, my feet dangling above the ground as he holds me like a rag doll clutched in the arms of a screaming toddler.
He acts as if I weigh merely five pounds.
My jaw clenches, neck muscles taut as heat crawls up my face.
Suspended in the air, I ball my fists, nails biting into my palms while I glare at the fog that failed me.
He’s still laughing as we continue to stand there, waiting for it to dissipate, when I hear the damn crows gossiping about me.
“Seems the Grimsbane witch had a minor issue with the execution.”
Cawk. Cawk.
“Isn’t she supposed to be the dark twin?”
Cawk. Cawk.
My head whips over to the power line dangling overhead, where three crows are all but laughing at me. Giving them a bird of my own, they squawk before flying off to the next power line a few doors down. Fucking birds.
“Can you put me down now?” I grumble as he continues to laugh.
“You weren’t lying about them being gossiping birds. So Grimsbane, huh? Is that your last name?”
Wiggling from side to side, I kick my feet. Hitting his shins, he swears before his stupid, well-defined arm lets me go. As soon as my boots hit the concrete, I brush off my skirt and walk down the sidewalk. Not even bothering to see if he followed me.
“Wait,” he shouts.
Before I even make it to the other side of the neighboring log cabin, he has already eaten up the space between us. Great.
“You can’t leave just yet,” he says as he gently pulls me to a stop.
I twist around to face him. His eyes are pleading with me to give him attention. Like a puppy dog wagging his tail slowly, waiting for the moment I’ll reach my hand out to pet him. He's looking at me as though I am the one he's always wanted.
My magic sparks at the tips of my fingers. Almost reaching out for him. That can’t be right. My magic never reaches for anyone. I snap my fingers to cover it up, hoping he doesn’t see it.
Pop.
His plaid shirt changes from white to a bright, bubblegum pink, and the words now sparkle with glitter.
He blinks as he slowly looks down at his shirt. A slow smile spreads across his face.
“Well, I’ve never been much of a pink guy, but I dig it.”
Throwing my hands up in the air, I damn this day.
What is happening with my magic right now?
Storming down the sidewalk, I don’t give him a chance to talk or stop me.
I’m going back to my black house, with my black furniture, and my quiet solitude.
I never should have let Elora talk me into doing this. Now my magic is acting out.