Chapter Thirty
Bianca and Blair rushed to the window. ‘She’s right,’ Bianca said. ‘It’s an angry mob.’
‘At least they don’t have torches or pitchforks,’ Bianca said.
Blair exhaled. Should they let them in? Technically, these were their friends, but after the events of the day before, maybe the Briarwoods should be careful.
Blair searched her memories, but she couldn’t remember if any of these people were among those who rushed into the bakery yesterday after the so-called storm.
She didn’t know if any of them heard Calista Caldwell call the Briarwoods witches.
Or if they saw the Briarwood sisters with their hands joined, ordering the spirit of Hecate to leave Calista’s body.
‘We have to open the door,’ Belinda said.
Blair nodded. They couldn’t hide in here forever – especially since Blair had decided to stay in Moonbeam Hollow.
These people were her community. Bianca unlocked and opened the door, and seven people were immediately all talking at once, clearly distressed.
Blair couldn’t make out what they were saying.
‘Wait, wait,’ Blair said. ‘One at a time!’
‘We thought you were dead!’ Dottie said.
‘We’ve been calling the three of you all morning!’ Gladys added. ‘We thought something terrible had happened!’ She looked straight at Belinda. ‘I was so worried, dear!’
‘What happened to the café?’ Travis asked.
‘The sign’s gone again, and a window is broken!
People at the festival are looking for their pumpkin spice lattes!
I found your extra syrups; we can still open the booth if we serve just the one drink.
Do you want me to run to the restaurant supply store to get more cups? ’
Blair exhaled, feeling a pang of guilt. She hadn’t wanted these people to worry about them. They’d thought something terrible had happened, when the Briarwoods were alive and well and full of pancakes.
‘We’re fine,’ Bianca said. ‘Just had an issue with our phones.’
‘Shouldn’t you all be at the festival?’ Belinda asked.
‘That’s why we’re here!’ Agatha said. ‘There are so many issues, and we need the Briarwoods!’
Oh no. Did Hecate’s spirit appear?
‘What’s happening exactly?’ Belinda asked.
‘The florist can’t find that spray you made, Bianca,’ Aarushi said. ‘The one that makes the cut flowers last longer?’
‘The book truck is a mess!’ Gladys added. ‘I can’t find the pre-orders log. Belinda, didn’t we order new stickers for the festival?’
‘And I really want a pumpkin spice latte,’ Melody added. ‘I have one every Halloween!’
Blair frowned. These were all definitely issues with the festival, but they didn’t sound like issues that Hecate had caused. These weren’t magical mishaps, just regular Moonbeam Hollow problems.
Raj looked at Bianca. ‘Do you have any more full-sized pumpkins? Earl dropped the only large disease-free one this morning during the opening ceremony. I don’t know what we’ll use tomorrow!’
‘Wait,’ Blair said. ‘Did the opening ceremony happen today?’
Agatha smiled widely. ‘It did! And even better, Mayor Hazel was there!’
If the ceremony happened, that meant today at least, the festival was safe from Hecate.
Actually, safe from any witchcraft from dead or alive witches.
It was probably safe for Blair and her sisters to be there.
Blair knew this wasn’t the end of Hecate’s terror.
They hadn’t been able to stop the vengeful witch, and Blair had no doubt she would continue to terrorize the town and would be at the festival tomorrow if the ceremony was somehow prevented from happening.
But Belinda’s prophecy said that they were going to stop Hecate.
It said Luke was the key. Now that Luke knew about the prophecy, figuring out how he was going to stop Hecate might be easier.
They had time now, though. They could figure this out later and go to the festival today to support their community.
Blair looked at Bianca and Belinda, and the smiles on both their faces told Blair that they had the same thought she did.
‘Give us ten minutes to change, and we’ll head straight to the festival,’ Blair said, grinning. Moonbeam Hollow was their home, and their home needed them right now.
‘Wonderful!’ Agatha said. ‘I don’t know how we can have the festival without the Briarwoods! And put on costumes! It’s Halloween!’
Once the townspeople left, Belinda gave Blair and Bianca a confused look. ‘I haven’t worn a costume for the festival since I was seventeen.’
‘I usually wear my Harvest Moon apron,’ Blair said.
Bianca rolled her eyes, then started running up the stairs. ‘Why do I have the dullest sisters in the world? I’ll pick what you’re wearing. Hurry!’
Fifteen minutes later, Blair, Belinda and Bianca were on the way to the Moonbeam Hollow Fall Harvest Festival in Belinda’s car.
Bianca had dressed the sisters in her own clothes – long black skirts and gauzy black tops with lace shawls.
Blair had refused black lipstick or pointed hats, but the three of them actually looked like three witch sisters probably for the first time in their lives.
Blair texted Luke while Belinda drove, telling him that they were going to the festival after all.
He said he and his mother were still cleaning the bakery, but he would join Blair at the festival later and they could walk around together.
When they arrived at the festival grounds, the parking lot was completely full. They had no choice but to park at the far end of the gravel lot, a ten-minute walk from the entrance.
‘This looks even busier than normal,’ Belinda said.
It was a crisp fall day with blue skies and very little wind – it was no wonder that the festival had a packed opening day.
Because the festival was open long past sunset, it tended to get more visitors later in the day.
If it was already this full at three in the afternoon, it was going to be positively insane later.
‘Thank goodness that opening ceremony happened,’ Bianca said. Blair had just been thinking the same thing. There were a lot of people here today – if Hecate had been able to wield her lightning magic, then a lot of people would have been hurt.
‘I need to bring my refresher spray to the florist, then I want to check on the pumpkins,’ Bianca said when they got to the festival gates.
‘I’m heading straight to the book truck,’ Belinda said.
The sisters separated, and Blair headed to the food area to find Travis and the Harvest Moon stall, tucking her shawl into her bag so she could put on an apron.
Blair had always loved the harvest festival, but after being sure there wouldn’t be one this year, and after almost leaving town this morning, it seemed extra special to be here today.
The entire festival was on a huge open field, with a large wood stage on one side, and children’s rides and games on the other.
The vendor stalls and booths were mismatched – some wood stalls like Blair’s café, and some were tents with tables under them.
There were craft and jewellery vendors, gourmet food, and even some clothing vendors.
Little vignettes of scarecrows, pumpkins and fall flowers decorated the paths between vendors, and both children and adults, some in costumes, were laughing, shopping, eating and enjoying Moonbeam Hollow’s signature annual event.
The pumpkin carving stations had plenty of pumpkins, even if they were a little smaller than normal. The bright orange tents were near the hay maze where Luke first kissed Blair when they were teenagers. She planned to ask him to do the maze with her again tonight for old times’ sake.
Blair had no idea why she’d ever thought of skipping this. Or leaving town for that matter. The only thing that would make the festival better right now would be if the man she loved was with her.
When Blair got to her now-open stall, Travis had a line of people, so Blair joined him to help make pumpkin spice lattes.
An hour went by quickly. Blair and Travis worked like a well-oiled machine, keeping the steady stream of customers, both tourists and locals alike, happy.
Blair didn’t bother using any magic – she never had time to tailor her drinks for individual customers at the festival.
But at around five, the wind changed. Blair stilled, looking at the sky. It was still clear, but a cold wind was blowing heavily. The stalls next to hers had napkins and plates flying off the counter. Something was wrong. Blair felt it in her bones. She called Bianca.
‘I was about to call you,’ Bianca said immediately. ‘Something weird is happening.’
‘What’s going on?’
‘The rash – others are starting to get it, too. Not just the festival committee, but vendors and even some guests. The first-aid tent is packed. And the pumpkins . . .’ Her voice trailed off.
‘What’s wrong with the pumpkins?’ Blair asked, heart racing. These problems had Hecate’s signature all over them.
‘They’re growing warts. I can’t describe it; I’ll send you a picture.’
Blair looked at her phone as the text came through. It was a picture of an orange pumpkin covered with what looked like boils or warts. Honestly, it looked disgusting.
Blair put the phone back to her ear. ‘When did this happen?’
‘Like right now. I’m literally watching healthy pumpkins erupt with these things. They smell horrific.’
At that moment, a huge gust of wind came, sending two vendor tents flying in the air.
‘I think there’s even more happening,’ Bianca said. ‘Raj is talking to Agatha on the walkie-talkie. There’s apparently something wrong at the entrance – the committee is all meeting there now to investigate.’
‘We should go,’ Blair said. ‘We need to know exactly what we’re dealing with.’
‘I agree,’ Bianca said. ‘I’ll call Belinda.’