CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Kayla
The whole gang shows up to that evening’s Witch Bitch Spicy Book Club. While we line up to get our cupcakes and cocktails, I make an extra effort to say hello to Willow and the other witches I don’t really know so well, and they all look a little surprised before smiling happily back.
Yeah, I totally need to make more of an effort.
What can I say? I’m a work in progress. Maybe I should stop wearing my tee that says: I know I said hi, but that doesn’t mean I actually want to talk to you.
Spending more time with the Witch Bitches I’m closer to has been really nice.
If these fake weddings have done one thing, they’ve worked as cognitive behavioral therapy: I did a lot of social interacting and got good results, which helps to reprogram my anxiety response.
Some of it is also Shadow. His outgoing nature might be rubbing off on me a teensy bit.
Violeta pats the couch cushion, and I shove in beside her.
Hannah calls the meeting to order and looks around. “Anyone have anything magical happen? Any new powers?”
Disappointed head shakes fill the room, and I remember what it was like to hope I was a witch but to have no proof I had powers.
“So have you magically undressed Shadow again?” Jasmine asks, amusement glittering in her eyes as she takes a bite of cupcake.
“No, I’ve been sending magic into Victoria each day, trying to keep my ‘batteries’ from building up, so I don’t have another mishap.
” I sip my drink. “The green shirt scuttles around the edges of the living room or wraps around the trunk of Dewdrop’s cat tree.
I guess it’s happy or, at least, not unhappy.
It’s kinda hard to tell. But I sure don’t want to animate something else by accident. ”
“What about on purpose?” Hannah asks. “I think you should practice your magic.”
“You wouldn’t have to be so worried about it then,” Autumn adds.
Skye nods. “I know it was a big relief for me to figure out how to control my book magic.”
“What would I practice on?” I give a quick spasm of a shrug. “Whatever it is, I feel responsible for it.” It’s even uncomfortable for me to animate bits of fruit for Dewdrop. I know he’s going to eat the fruit no matter what, but once I bring something to life, I kinda like for it to stay that way.
“I’ve got an idea.” Hannah pulls out her phone and sends a text, nodding when it chimes with an immediate response. “Okay, the hubs will be here in ten. Eat up, Bitches!”
While we finish our cupcakes, Skye asks if anyone’s started her latest book choice, a spicy fantasy adventure with a slow-burn romance between a human dragon rider and her dragon-shifter mount.
“I meant to start that one. It’s exactly my kind of book.
” I take a bite of buttercream perfection.
“But with all the weddings and the werekittens, I’ve been a little busy.
” Not to mention all the sex. I usually read before bed, but not lately.
The memory of riding Shadow’s face last night flashes through my mind.
I shove more cupcake into my mouth to cover up my blush, and not long after, time’s up.
Hannah shoos us out to the town green, where the familiars race over to us along with the tulips, pumpkins, and hearts. Soon we’re surrounded by an excited maelstrom of activity, as the familiars try out their new translation crystals.
“Tell them I’m the leader,” Finn barks.
“Delusional canine, clearly it’s me.” Princess Buttercup sits and licks her paw regally, as if the discussion is beneath her.
“I don’t care about being the leader,” Babybelle bleats and gives three little hops right. “I want to play.”
Dewdrop lands on my shoulder. “I don’t want to be leader either. I just want friends.”
“There’s only one leader around here,” a deep voice says from overhead. Severin’s shadow wings cup the air, lowering him slowly to the ground, then disappear back into his tattoos. “I am king.”
He clearly expects his authority to squash all of their arguments.
He’s also very, very wrong.
“King of the shadow fae,” Finn yips. “Not king of the foxes!”
“I know I didn’t vote for him,” Princess Buttercup says. “But if he gives me chicken, I can be persuaded.”
“Do you vote for kings?” Babybelle asks.
Dewdrop flies down to join the others. “I think you’re supposed to be born one.”
As the familiars discuss monarchies and the inherited right to rule, the rest of us move several feet away.
It’s a little unreal sometimes, how they tap into the knowledge and intelligence of the witch they’re bound to, knowing things no normal animal would know.
It’s yet another example of how amazing magic is, and I love it!
“At least you brought them together.” Hannah gives her husband’s shoulder a consoling squeeze.
He scowls at the animals. “United in their inability to recognize my authority, you mean.”
“If it works. It’s not like they pay any attention to me as mayor either.” She shrugs. “Now, about what we talked about the other day…”
The two of them sit, and Hannah gestures for the rest of us to do so.
As soon as I’m settled on the grass, the pumpkins and hearts surround me, while the tulips are clearly torn between me and Severin. I scoot over until I’m by his side, and they join us, little flower heads bobbing as they stretch their long leaves toward first me, then him.
Severin scoops one of them up, cradling the mass of roots it uses as little feet.
He points to the brown bulb at the base of the plant, which has a smaller white bulb growing from the side.
“I noticed the other day that a few of the flowers have grown a daughter bulb. For normal tulips, you separate the bulbs, and the new flower will take a year or so to mature before blooming. But I can grow it immediately.”
“Then you can animate the new flowers so they can join their parents,” Hannah says. “They’ll be just as protected as the rest of the tulips, and you won’t have to worry about them.”
Happiness blooms inside me, warming my chest. More of the adorable tulips and the chance to practice my magic? Yes, please. “This is perfect! Let’s do it!”
Severin sends a pulse of plant magic into the tulip, and the baby bulb detaches and falls into his hand.
Once he sets the parent plant on the ground, he sends more power into the daughter, and the bulb grows, sprouting leaves and roots like a time-lapse video on fast-forward.
When it gets big enough, it sends up a bud-tipped stalk, the flower soon blooming to full size.
He lays it gently on the ground. “Your turn.”
“Okay.” I let out a breath. This is the first time I’ve ever tried to do this on purpose.
I reach inside, calling up my magic as I do when I feed it to Victoria.
It comes in a tingling rush, leaping and eager, and I focus on my intent: I want the tulip alive and joyful and able to join its family in running across the town green.
I brush my fingers over its flower head, releasing my power. It pours down my arm like a bubbling stream, filling the tulip until it wiggles on the ground. With a joyous laugh, I help it stand, and it takes its first toddling steps on little root feet.
All the Witch Bitches give happy gasps, and Violeta whispers, “Such a cool power.”
Then the other tulips surround the new plant, touching flowers like giving little kisses. When they finally part, the new tulip leans its head against my knee, its long leaves hugging my leg.
It does the same to Severin, who gives it another little pulse of plant magic before looking at me. “Shall we do another?”
“Yes!”
There are two more tulip babies, and making each one of them come alive so they can join their family is one of the greatest joys of my life. The feeling is piercing, coming from the very heart of me and my magic.
The tulips race around the green exuding joy, soon joined by the rolling pumpkins and flying hearts.
We all stand, and the Witch Bitches surround me with hugs and congratulations.
“Look how happy the tulips are,” Violeta says as we hug. “You made them that way.”
I startle. “I hadn’t thought about that. I now know that whatever I make is imprinted with my intention, but I had no idea when I first made them.”
“And you still made them so they’d be happy—all of them, the tulips, the pumpkins, and the hearts.” Jasmine hugs me. “It’s pretty amazing.”
“It sure is.” Autumn squeezes me tight. “The pumpkins exude so much fun.”
“The hearts always surround me with the most wonderful feeling of love,” Skye adds, tackling me in one of her excellent hugs.
“Thank you for thinking of this,” I say to Hannah as she hugs me.
“Of course. What are friends for?”
Then a deep voice speaks from behind me, “You were amazing, my witchy beauty.”
“Shadow!” I spin. “I thought you were staying in tonight with your family?”
“I was, but Jace texted me to come see this, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Admiration fills his eyes as he cups my cheek. “You were magnificent. I’m so proud of you.”
My heart leaps against my ribs, soaring to new heights. For the first time in my life, I don’t care that other people are watching as I pull Shadow close for a kiss.