Chapter 36
Gwen
Faith and I sat in a corner booth at the Witch’s Brew Café, watching visitors snap photos.
The town of Maple Hollow was everything I’d hoped it would be and more.
From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed like a kitschy town designed for tourists, but I felt the magic thrumming through the place.
It was spectacular. The locals really hammed it up so that it seemed too much like a gimmick for anyone to question whether the Halloween-themed attraction was hiding something real.
The café was still relatively quiet, not quite pulling in the big numbers that would apparently be flocking to town come fall.
Even so, Maple Hollow seemed to hang in a perpetual state of autumn—orange-and-red trees, a golden patch filled to the brim with ripe pumpkins, and people walking around in flannels and beanies even though a one-hour paddle through the swamp would still lead to a hot, humid summer across Lake Nevermore.
Faith and I had decided to check out the café before my meeting with our new boss to discuss my social media plans for this year’s Halloween Festival.
I was coming in late in the year, but considering I was the only social media marketer the town had ever known, I was sure that Billy would accept my plans with little pushback.
Faith and I had started our jobs at Midnight Market with Billy on a high note.
He’d already deemed us some of the most reliable workers he’d ever had, but still, getting someone unstuck from their old ways was difficult.
As some sort of apology, Astrid’s parents had managed to convince Billy to raise our wages, and they made sure to mention that their daughter would steer clear of us and not cause any more trouble.
Iris reported that Astrid was being punished with an extra year as a camp counselor for what she’d done at the talent show.
I wasn’t sure if that was the type of retribution I wanted though—I’d thought camp was fun, after all, and didn’t want to be subjected to her for an extra year—but seeing her tuck her tail every time she saw me around town was good enough.
I was pretty sure her parents had put some sort of hex on her that meant she couldn’t be within a hundred feet of me.
Goddess, it hurt every time I bumped into Iris.
I wanted so badly to ask how her sister was. Was Sabine enjoying New York? Had she mentioned me?
It was pathetic, but I couldn’t help myself. Maybe I needed my own hundred-foot hex to keep away from her.
Faith looked around the café like a kid in a candy store—booth and countertop seats, a witches’ broom coatrack, everything decked out in burgundy, orange, and gold.
Because it was still the offseason, many of the locals were occupying their preferred spots, the vibe more casual than busy.
It had been a bit of adjustment to identify all the monsters that resided in Maple Hollow, but I felt like I was quickly catching up.
“This place is so cool.” Faith grinned, taking it in.
“My hometown doesn’t have themed stores and cafés like this, just a lone crystal shop. ”
“It is pretty cool,” I admitted. “It’s still sinking in that this is our life now, you know?”
She gave me a toothy grin, and I let myself feel grateful for my own bravery. Because no matter the outcome, I’d taken a leap all on my own and could have a lifetime of memories just like this one if I wanted it.
Billy had put us to work straight away, but Faith and I were slowly discovering all of the little, local shops around the town square.
I still couldn’t help but wish that I’d explored this place with Sabine, that I could have seen it through her eyes.
I still felt this weird urge to look for her in a crowd, like she might suddenly reappear.
I wondered how long it would take before I wasn’t unintentionally trying to seek her out.
She didn’t want this, didn’t want me. I needed to let it go.
“You’re doing the sad puppy face again,” Faith said. “You need a hug?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“There she is.” Faith grinned. “You and hugs are like a cat and wet grass.”
“There are only three exceptions: my mom, my dad, and members of the Flower Moon cabin,” I said, wanting to add that it used to be four exceptions: Mom, Dad, my Flower Moon cabinmates, and Sabine.
“Technically, that’s eleven exceptions, but you’re clearly going through some stuff, so I’m not going to point that out.”
“Appreciate it,” I quipped.
A server with a white-blonde wolf cut and a mustard apron walked up to us, notepad out, ready to take our orders. “What can I get for you?”
“An iced chai latte for me,” Faith said.
“Same,” I replied woodenly.
The server seemed not to notice my surly mood. Her eyes snagged on my mouth and not in an “I want to kiss you” way, but more of a “Do you have fangs, and are you going to bite me?” way.
The server jotted something down. “And any allergies?”
Faith and I exchanged confused glances.
“Allergies?” I repeated. “Are there peanuts in the lattes here or something?”
“No, but”— she scratched the back of her neck with a pencil—“you can never be too careful, you know? Especially in a town like this. It’s a recent policy change.”
“We’re new in town,” Faith said. “We just came from the Summer Camp for Upstanding Witches.”
“I thought it was called man-hating witches?” the server asked.
“Yeah, they had to change the name for legal reasons,” Faith said, dropping her voice to whisper. “You know how sensitive men are.”
“Ah, gotcha,” the server said. “Most of the witches I know are ill-tempered, fiery, adorably stubborn, hot. What’s the opposite of upstanding—”
“Hey!” A brunette who was sitting at the counter swirled around on the stool, leaped down, and frowned at the server. “Maybe cool it on the adjectives, hmm?”
“Am I wrong?” the server asked with a smile, bending and kissing the brunette. She turned back to us. “I’m Harlow, by the way, and this is my girlfriend, Jordyn, a fellow member of your coven.”
“Oh yeah,” Jordyn said with a half wave. “Iris has told me all about you two! Welcome to Maple Hollow.”
“Thanks,” I said, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I’ll go get your drinks.” Harlow slung her arm over Jordyn’s shoulders and added, “And I’m pretty new to town too, so don’t worry. I’ll look out for you. A word of advice though: Stay away from any swamp monsters.”
Jordyn elbowed Harlow in the ribs, and Harlow barked out a rough laugh before she winked at us and wandered away with her girlfriend in tow.
The two of them still had that doe-eyed, moonstruck, honeymoon look in their eyes when they looked at each other.
It made my stomach curdle.
I’d had that, however briefly, with Sabine, and now it was gone.
I toyed with my friendship bracelet beneath the table and decided, without thought, to rub the stones.
My chest constricted when I remembered that Sabine had taken hers off, and even if she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be coming to find me.
It was a really pathetic thing to call for help on a magical bracelet when you knew no one was on the other end of the line.
When I looked back at Faith, she was frowning at me.
“What?”
“Yeah, we’re going to need some of those pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins too,” she said with a determined nod. “This is chocolate-level bad today. Be right back.”
She pushed out of the booth and went off toward the counter to fetch me some emergency support muffins.