Chapter Two
Chapter Two
I s that the smell of burning pumpkins?
Sirena, half awake and confused, jumped up from her bed clad in a ratty athletic T-shirt and black-cat-printed pajamas. Possible situations floated through her tired mind as the burning smell intensified in her room. Did a hungry ghost come over for a treat? Maybe Herbie, one of the neighborhood gnomes, found the Caraway hide-a-key and wanted to cook up a third breakfast.
Sirena yanked her phone from the charger and sprinted out of her bedroom to rescue her griddle. With every hurried step she took downstairs, a murky haze, almost like incense smoke, wafted in the air. Jazzy music and off-key singing filled the air, so her nerves eased a little. Maybe things weren’t as dire as she first assumed. Lucy and Callie usually turned on their cooking playlist to signal to Sirena that the kitchen was in safe hands. Hearing Nina Simone croon with her unmistakable voice meant that Lucy was currently working the stove. Lucy probably heard about the Halloween clown prank and decided to make her breakfast before work. Once Sirena hit the bottom stair, she breathed in, trying to figure out what exactly was being cooked—or rather, burned. Sirena, in addition to instilling dishes with magic and emotion, had the uncanny ability to know just from a good whiff what was being made.
She lifted her nose. Brown sugar. Pumpkin puree. Raw magic. Buttermilk.
She reeled back. “Why is Lu making pumpkin pancakes again?”
Sirena loved pumpkins just as much as any other witch, but there was a limit to the gourd madness. Once fall started, Lucy and Callie doubled down on everything pumpkin spiced and pumpkin flavored. Callie even gifted Sirena a body wash set that made her smell like a whole bakery.
When Halloween finally arrived, Sirena had so many pumpkin-flavored muffins, treats, and drinks that she needed a year to recover from the taste. Why was Lucy extending the madness into November? There was mystic trouble brewing in the Caraway kitchen. Sirena walked into the living room and instantly froze.
“What the what?” she said in a horrified whisper. She gripped her phone in her hand.
Fake spiderwebs dripped from every corner and shelf. An orange and white flag banner saying “Keep It Creepy” hung crookedly on the wall. Thick black and orange pillar candles were clustered together on a mirrored chafing dish in the center of the table. Shadow, their ash-gray Chartreux cat, excitedly played with a discarded ball of webbing on the floor. He rolled on his back and meowed gleefully. She jerked back from the huge glittery papier-maché spider perched on the chair back. Hopefully, it wasn’t enchanted with an animated charm to start crawling around the house. The sultry notes of “I Put a Spell on You” played from the pillbox speaker on the mantel, giving the space haunted vibes. Callie, her little sister, tried to hit a note and missed, her voice cracking like a broken mirror. She, with her styled bob, was dressed in an orange and black polka-dot jumpsuit that showed off her curvy figure.
“Hey there, ghoul-friend! Check it out!” she sang.
Sirena blinked rapidly as if trying to make all the living room decorations disappear with just the power of her mind. She blinked several times. Nope. It was all still here. Who was going to clean all this whimsical crap up—again?
Callie stood in the middle of this fancy storm. “Wow. I’ve stunned you into silence.”
Exasperation skittered through Sirena. “Why did you put everything back up?”
They took the decorations down last night before Sirena went to the party, not wanting to come home to clean up a big mess. She was the only witch living in the Caraway house since Lucy lived with Alex and Callie lived in Meadowdale. Therefore, Sirena was the only Caraway left cleaning up the house after holidays. Not today, spider!
Sirena reached for the rhinestone spider, but Callie jumped up and waved her away.
Her sister’s face furrowed in surprise. “I just finished. Don’t take it down. I need photos for my website.”
Sirena bit back a sigh and dropped her hands. Of course. Callie made her money event planning for events all over New Jersey and often used their house to show off her decorating skills. Sirena couldn’t deny the truth that the living room looked as gorgeous as it did—a month ago.
“You had plenty of time to take photos,” Sirena reminded her.
“I’m not an illusionist! Give me a moment,” Callie said briskly. “We can take them down before Halloween, but let me have some time with them. They’re so pretty!”
Sirena glanced around the living space, not seeing the pumpkins in the corner. Wait. Where were the pumpkins she accidentally kicked? Sirena zeroed in on Callie’s words while her still-sleepy brain tried to process what was going on.
Wait. What did she just say? “Did you say ‘before Halloween’?”
Callie fist pumped the air. “Yes, I did! We’ve got thirty-one days to creep it real!”
Sirena scrambled to turn on her phone. The digital display turned on and flashed the month and day. She stared at the date. It was October first. Um. That was suspicious. She flipped the phone over again, noticing the faded sticker-covered case. This one wasn’t her new phone—it was the one she had dropped. This was weird. She checked her hand; the ache was gone from her clown misadventure. She took her braids into her hand, letting out a shocked squeak. They were sealed and done up. That thrilling tingle of magic strummed on her skin, just like it had the night before—or in the past? She clicked open her Empty Fridge app and checked her delivery list. The last delivery was made on September 30—it was a new month.
Realization dawned on her. I got my wish.
Callie reorganized a handful of pillar candles. “So, what are your plans for today?”
“I worked,” Sirena mumbled.
Callie groaned. “You never take a day off. Have fun. Eat. Drink. Be witchy.”
Sirena licked her lips, trying to collect herself. “Having fun costs money. I’m on a budget.” Those words felt so familiar on her lips. She’d said them before—she knew it in her heart she said them last month.
Callie took her hands off the candles. “Today’s the Harvest Festival. That’s free if you don’t play any games or buy any food.”
“Then it’s not free,” Sirena said. “Besides, how can our town afford so many festivals?”
Callie shrugged. “I thought we had a werewolf millionaire or faery godmother footing the bill for everything. I stopped asking questions years ago. Anyway, you’re welcome to join me at the festival. I need fresh pumpkins to complete this whole vibe.”
Sirena blinked. “That’s right. It’s Saturday.”
Callie fussed with the faux spiderwebs, extending them out on the corners. The Harvest Festival was held every Saturday in October in the grassy town square and city hall parking lot in the center of Freya Grove. Sirena never found the time to attend the Harvest Festival since she worked Empty Fridge every Saturday, delivering brunch. Her stomach had grumbled in disapproval whenever she caught a hint of the funnel cake and popcorn.
Lucy came out of the kitchen holding a serving dish filled with pumpkin pancakes.
“Morning, peeps!” Lucy sang with a happy trill. She brought the plate over to the living room table and set it down. “Eat up, my loves. I’m sorry I have to reschedule brunch this afternoon.”
Sirena studied her big sister. She wore a candy-patterned apron with the words “Trick or Treat” sewn on the front over a swing dress. Her curly Afro was teased out, and a polka-dot bow was pinned in her hair. There was a delightful shimmer to her rich brown skin that made her look like an autumnal princess. Lucy looked lovelier the second time around.
“I loved this outfit,” Sirena said, then backpedaled. “I mean, I love it.”
“Oh, thanks. I just bought it,” Lucy said, doing a little spin. She gave Sirena a quick look. “Are you feeling okay, Si?”
“Yes, I just need to wake up.” Sirena bit the inside of her cheek.
She’d have to be careful and not give away the fact that she’d cast a time spell. Who knew how long it would last, and she couldn’t risk her second chance on an accidental misstep. Callie took a pancake in her hand and ate it like a bagel. Sirena peered down at the pancakes; her stomach hurt at the idea of another month of pumpkin treats. Last time around, Lucy spent her free time and weekends on traveling all over the county looking at wedding venues. Eventually, Lucy and Alex stopped looking at venues because they were all out of their price range and planned on getting married in the backyard this coming spring. But that decision hadn’t happened yet. Maybe Sirena could help them find an affordable place this month.
Callie finished her pancake. “Lucy, you can go with me to the festival!”
Lucy gave a small pout. “I wish. I can’t go. I’m looking at wedding venues with Alex. I swear, it’s all so expensive. I might just get married in the ocean.”
“Déjà vu,” Sirena muttered.
Lucy faced her. “What’s that, Sirena?”
“Nothing. I need a lot of caffeine.”
Lucy let out an annoyed grunt. “If I’m not wedding planning, I’m lesson planning or trying to save money. Why did I join the curriculum team this year?! Make a unit plan, they said; you’ll have fun, they said. I barely have enough time to work with my seniors because I have so many meetings. Most of the meetings could be emails! If I have one more conversation about rigor, I’m going to quit teaching and sell saltwater taffy on the boardwalk.”
“No, Lucy,” Callie said. “At least you have the wedding to cheer you up.”
Lucy grumbled. “Don’t get me started on that stress fest. I can’t decide what type of flowers we want. Do you know how many types of roses exist in the world? It’s more than five! I’ve started drinking coffee because I have so much wedding planning to get done after work.”
Sirena held back a gasp. Lucy rarely drank coffee because she lived for her cup of tea. She had to be seriously exhausted if she was relying on java rather than her jasmine to help her get through the day.
“I’m this close to eloping,” Lucy groaned.
Callie cheered. “Do it, please. I can finally break out my new elopement binder. No one’s ever eloped in our family. Let’s viva Las Vegas.”
“Do you want Mom to hex me into next year?” Lucy demanded with a dry laugh. “I’m not going to be the first witch to do it. We want to take our time. I don’t want to rush. Next subject. You’re working today, right, Sirena?”
Indecision kept her from answering. She glanced down at her phone in her hand. The Empty Fridge app was still open and waiting for her to accept a delivery request. How many times had she had this same conversation with Lucy and Callie? She clenched her jaw, knowing her answer would be yes—because it never changed. Sirena worked and cooked, because that was all she felt that she was good at doing.
She looked to Lucy. “Maybe. I haven’t decided.”
Lucy and Callie exchanged surprised looks.
Callie let out a gasp. “Are you… playing hooky today?”
“Maybe,” she sighed.
“Sirena Caraway’s day off,” Lucy quipped. “I like the sound of that.”
Callie trilled happily. “There are so many things to do! Zombie walk, Poe’s ghost story hour. What about the haunted house? I want to be scared!”
“If I wanted to scare myself, I’ll look at my student loans,” Lucy said faintly.
Callie rolled her eyes. “Okay, Lu. I hear you. There’s the Farmers Square giving out food samples at the festival. That’s free. We can get there before they run out of kettle corn!”
The familiar urge to turn Callie down bubbled up in Sirena’s mouth, but she said nothing. She claimed that she couldn’t take a day off, but—Sirena knew now—taking one day from responsibility might do her some good. It’d motivate her to work a bit harder and give her a chance to relax. It was time to change her fate.
She’ll work tonight on Empty Fridge and cover for an extra shift at Night Sky next week.
“Let’s go,” Sirena said, turning off her phone.
“Seriously? Yes!” Callie clapped her hands and bounced on her heels. “I’m borrowing your infinity scarf!”
She squealed and ran upstairs, singing along with the music. Sirena noticed Lucy was staring carefully at her as if she just turned into a she wolf. Her lips were twisted to the side in disbelief. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
Sirena squirmed under her attention. “Fix your face. I’m capable of having fun.”
Lucy raised a single brow. “Yeah, but you’re always on your grind. What’s changed?”
“It is the season of the witch,” Sirena said with a chuckle. She had heard that tune played over so many witchy layouts and photos online, but now she reconsidered the trippy song. Maybe this second chance was the best time to be a little strange.
Lucy nodded, seeming to accept this answer. “Well, I’ll wrap up the pancakes while you get ready. Reheat them when you get back from the festival.”
Sirena kissed her cheek. “Thanks for the food. I’ll pick up some maple syrup.”
“Buy some kettle corn,” Lucy said. “If they have any harvest tea for sale, get me a bag.”
Something clicked in Sirena’s mind. “Did you restock the tea pantry recently?”
Lucy’s brow rose in surprise. “Whoa, that’s freaky. I’m restocking it next week. I found something cool I wanted to make.”
“Yeah. What did you find?” Sirena knew the answer, but she needed to know exactly where this magic tea came from for her own peace of mind. Time travel wasn’t for the faint of heart and she needed to know that she was meant to have this second chance.
Lucy pointed over to the stock of photo albums. “I was looking in Nana’s wedding album for inspiration and found a handwritten label and recipe for Wish Tea. I mean, she never wrote down her special blends, but she was using it as a bookmark! It was kismet. We’re lucky she left this last spell for us.”
Sirena’s spirit lifted at Lucy’s story. Nana had given her one last gift with this wish tea and there was no way in the world she was going to waste it.
Sirena dipped her chin. “You haven’t made the tea blend yet?”
“I need golden rosehips to complete it,” Lucy said. “I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
Sirena hugged Lucy, then went back upstairs to get dressed. As Sirena picked through her cardigan pile, sniffed out a clean shirt, and found her best pair of booty-hugging jeans, she considered her role in their witchy family. Lucy was the stay-at-home academic, Callie was the live-out-loud party girl, and, of course, Sirena was the kitchen witch. Everyone remained in their own zone and didn’t step into each other’s domains very often. Callie planned birthday parties, but Sirena cooked the menus and ordered the cakes. Lucy might have cooked breakfast for the family once in a while, but Sirena hosted the holiday dinners and large events.
Rule thirteen: Kitchen witches make sure everyone leaves with a plate after a family dinner.
But lately, with everyone else’s wishes coming true, their roles transformed and shifted, right before her eyes. Lucy went to scholarly conferences and weekend retreats, coming back with massive binders filled with cool materials. Callie finished her degree and graduated from college last year and had plans to expand her premier event-planning business. But Sirena merely hustled and cooked. In the end, she ended up with nothing tangible in her life that truly belonged to her and no one else. Not this time around. Sirena was getting out of the kitchen and seeing what waited for her at the festival.