Familiarity Breeds Witchcraft Read online

  She tiptoed past the bedroom next door, where Enid’s gentle snores indicated that she still slept on in blissful ignorance of the new day dawning. The Ash sisters didn’t often get up before nine a.m. most days so Gemma being up and about at such an early hour felt very odd. Of course, everything in her life felt a little off these days.

  A shaft of brilliant sunlight lit the staircase as she headed down to the first floor to feed Bronson his breakfast. The kitchen appeared paler than normal in the thin light streaming in through the lacy curtains. Though she still felt traces of magic in the space, the room didn’t give off the familiar coziness she loved so much. She opened a container of homemade dog food and tipped the contents into the massive silver bowl set next to the basement doorway.

  Bronson bent over the bowl and scarfed down the food.

  “You’re welcome, my sweet chubby guy,” said Gemma with a laugh as she gave his shaggy head a quick pat. “Sorry I can’t take you out with me this morning. Don’t get into trouble while I’m gone, okay?”

  Bronson’s tail thumped against the wooden floor as he continued to eat. He couldn’t have cared less if the world was ending as long as his food bowl was filled.

  Grabbing a couple fresh pumpkin scones, Gemma headed out of the house. She paused on the porch and inhaled a deep breath of fresh air. The red and gold trees in the front yard glowed in the brightening light as deep gold rays began to filter through the trees. The hoary frost atop the lawn glistened and a fluttering sound nearby made her think of fairies dancing in the dawn.

  The walk to the Ash Academy took little time. Her boots stirred up small clouds of dust when she left the cobblestone street for a shortcut along a well-worn dirt path. She ate one of the scones on the way, leaving a trail of crumbs behind.

  A slight scuffling sound caught her attention. She turned in time to catch sight of a squirrel as the fluffy animal stood on its hind legs nibbling on the extra-large crumb she’d dropped. Once done, the rodent seemed to give her a smart salute before disappearing into the undergrowth.

  “You’re welcome.”

  She thought again of Bronson, back in the warm house, and rubbed her free hand over her opposite arm. The air always seemed coolest at daybreak…or so she’d heard since she hadn’t often been out and about at this time of morning. She didn’t think she wanted to repeat the experience any time soon, either. Gemma would much rather be asleep in her cozy bed with her covers tucked up under her chin.

  She emerged from the hidden path into an open space at the back of the school and looked around, eager to find her friend. Instead of seeing Fox, though, she caught sight of a faded bulldozer standing next to what remained of the front fence. The pickets lay in a neat stack along one side of the ruins.

  Fox hopped out of the massive mechanical beast as she approached. A dented hard hat obscured most of her hair, though a slight tale of her mohawk trailed down her back. “Morning!” She jogged over. “What d’you think?”

  Meeting Fox halfway, Gemma held out the scone. “Holy ghouls, where’d you get that monstrosity?”

  “You make this?” Fox took a bite. Her eyes rolled back and she moaned in pleasure.

  Shaking her head, Gemma said, “Enid did.” She wished she were a better cook.

  “Delicious!” In response to Gemma’s earlier question, Fox said, “Found our friend here in one of the towns nearby. Can’t remember which one, though. I’m not good at paying attention to signs.”

  “Don’t you think returning it might be a problem if you don’t know where to go?” Why would you ask her that question? Of course Fox is smart enough to return the thing.

  “Nah. I’ll recognize the place when I get there.” Fox popped the last piece of scone into her mouth and licked crumbs off the tip of her finger. “Thanks for the treat. I snuck out before Nana got up to make breakfast.”

  Gemma couldn’t tear her eyes away from Fox’s lips as the tip of her tongue flicked out to catch the crumb stuck in the corner of her mouth.

  “How does knocking this place down sound? We can make a good start on the project,” Fox said.

  Still staring at Fox’s lips, her mind filled with inappropriate thoughts, she responded in a distracted tone. “What if I just watch you work? Mundane construction isn’t my thing…”

  “Watch me work, huh? Sounds like someone is management material!” Her tinkling laugh filled the world with glittering light—not literally. “You can keep me company!” Fox gestured toward the bulldozer’s cabin.

  Squinting through the green-tinted windows, Gemma saw two seats, an extra hard hat sitting atop the second one. The bulldozer seemed too small for two people to be needed to control the thing. Still, she knew enough to know she didn’t understand heavy equipment. She must have said something like that out loud, but couldn’t remember what.

  “So that’s a no on the bulldozer?”

  “Sorry,” Gemma said with a nonchalant shrug. “I’m not very handy.”

  “That’s okay! You’ll have a better view from outside anyway.” Fox hopped into the cab, buckled the safety belt, adjusted her hard hat, and gave a thumbs up.

  Gemma’s shoulders sagged with relief. She’d worried about being stuck in such close quarters with Fox. The other woman’s proximity caused her to feel even less in control of her unstable emotions.

  The bulldozer roared to life, the roar thrumming through the ground in a way reminiscent of the power she’d channeled through that same spot just the day before. Gemma glanced around as she realized they’d soon have an audience. The engine sounds at such an early hour would wake most of the closest neighbors; especially since most residents of Secret Hallow didn’t drive in town. The few cars and trucks in the area were used as a means to get to the nearby mundane communities, for the most part, because the village wasn’t much bigger than a few blocks. She only hoped people weren’t too upset by being awoken by the obnoxious sound.

  Fox looked guided the bulldozer toward the school in a very capable manner. She raised the front blade a couple feet and drove straight into what remained of the structure.

  The wood crumpled beneath the force of the machine. She heard the loud crack even over the sound of the engine as a cloud of dirt raised into the sky.

  An anxiety unrelated to the demolition came over Gemma. She watched, breath held, as Fox continued to attack the remnants of the old school until they turned into large piles of broken boards, shredded wallpaper, and torn carpeting.

  The engine throttled down almost as quickly as it had started. The silence pressed against her ears in an almost-physical way as the noise faded away. She felt thankful the machine hadn’t run long enough for anyone else to show up. Gemma didn’t think she could face her neighbors. In fact, she knew she couldn’t.

  “Well, broomsticks!” Fox hopped out of the cab and approached Gemma. She took off her hard hat, shaking out her tuft of purple hair. “Of course I forgot something. I didn’t get enough fuel for this thing!”

  “Too bad.” Again, Gemma thought about telling Fox she’d changed her mind about the school. The entire structure hadn’t yet come down so her ancestor might not be too upset about what she’d come to feel was a lapse in judgment.

  “Wanna come with me?”

  “Uh.” Gemma blinked. “Where are we going?”

  “I need to find that other town again. I didn’t go far, so even if we get lost, the worst that’ll happen is that we need to find some place to get lunch before we come back. In fact, going to lunch might be a good idea even if we find the place pretty fast.” She gave Gemma a wicked smile. “What do you say?”

  The thought of leaving Secret Hallow with Fox, just the two of them, made breathing hard for Gemma. She’d managed to contain most of her nerves so far because she was on her home turf and surrounded by familiar people. Would she be able to hide her feelings for Fox if they left her safe zone?

  “You okay?” Fox stepped closer, her voice dropping to a deep, soothing tone.

  Gemma clear
ed her throat. “Sorry, but I don’t think I can join you.”

  “That’s okay, babe.” Disappointment laced Fox’s words, even as understanding warmth filled her eyes. “I don’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Besides, you being there tonight is important. We might not get back in time if I get lost.”

  “Yeah, that’s right.” As she realized what Fox had said, Gemma frowned. “Wait, what do you mean? What’s happening tonight?”

  “The coven’s casting the love-seeking spell. Enid told me everything’s ready so there’s no reason to wait, right?” Fox patted Gemma’s arm. “Text me if you need anything. Your sister will be closer, but if you need something from the outside world, I’m your gal.” She leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Gemma’s cheek. With a quick wave, she ran off.

  Gemma put her fingers to the tingling spot where Fox’s lips touched her skin. She could still feel the touch lips even as the other woman disappeared from sight.

  They were casting the spell to find someone for the oh-so-wonderful Fox.

  Oh, cauldrons! Tonight!

  Chapter 12

  GEMMA STEWED IN gloomy thoughts as she made the slow trudge home. She didn’t pay attention to her surroundings or notice her automatic responses to the curious questions of the people she passed; she assumed they’d been asking about the source of the earlier noise, but couldn’t be sure.

  The thought of Fox finding the love of her life in just a few short hours beat in Gemma’s head with the slow and measured cadence of a dirge.

  It wasn’t just that she was going to lose the chance to be with Fox. It was that Fox would be in love, wrapped up in someone new, and no longer obsessively sending silly messages and pictures to Gemma.

  She’d be alone.

  The logical part of her mind reminded her that she had Enid and Bronson and all the rest of the town so, in reality, she’d never be alone. People loved her despite her quirks. That was maybe the biggest magic in Secret Hallow.

  She wouldn’t have Fox, though.

  Gemma’s thoughts only got worse from there. If Fox pulled away, losing interest in Gemma’s life, that would mean the loss of the funding source they needed to rebuild the school. Rowan and her little family would leave. If the Middlebrooks vanished, surely others would to. It would start a mass exodus.

  In time, only Gemma would be left in a magical pocket of the world most others didn’t know about.

  She’d be alone and forgotten.

  “What was all that noise?” Adora poked her head out the front door of the coffee shop as Gemma drew close. “What is going on? People are trying to sleep, you know.”

  Not really comprehending what Adora said, Gemma smiled past her sadness. “Morning.”

  Adora Glenn may have been gruff, but she wasn’t ignorant. She instantly zeroed in on Gemma’s pain, hurrying over to seize Gemma’s arm. “Is it Bronson? Did Rowan get hurt? Castle Hallow collapse? What?”

  “Everything is okay.” Tears welled in her eyes as she came to a sense of her surroundings.

  “Did something else bad happen? That awful racket woke me from a sound sleep. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought some idiot decided to drive a tractor through the middle of town.” She frowned into Gemma’s face, her hand tightening. “Great goblins! Are you dying?”

  Flushing, Gemma shook off Adora’s hand. “You’re not wrong. You heard a bulldozer.”

  “Why in the name of Hephaestus Hallow would anyone use a tractor at this time of day? And here? There are much quieter ways to get things done, you know.” She gestured with a hand to illustrate, and bright orange stars fluttered from her fingertips. Magic was very quiet.

  Just like being alone.

  Unable to respond without bursting into tears, Gemma ran away, ignoring the questions Adora continued to shout in her wake. By the time she reached the house, tears streamed down her face, her throat tight and eyes burning.

  She hoped to find the house empty but, of course, ran smack into Enid as her sister bustled about the kitchen. She might have brushed past without calling attention to herself, since her sister tended to get lost in her projects, but the sound of bubbling water and strong smell of herbs stopped her in her tracks.

  “This is coming along well, I think.” Enid wiped her hands on the rough towel she held.

  Moving to the stove, Gemma looked into the pot. “What is this?” She sniffled, then hiccoughed, scrubbing at the tears streaking her cheeks.

  “The spell, of course. For Fox. You know…the entire reason Fox is here.”

  “Why?” Gemma couldn’t prevent the pained exclamation from escaping her as she turned on Enid. “Why are you trying to hurt me? I thought you loved me.”

  Her sister dropped the ingredients she held onto the counter and crossed to take her by the arm and guide her to a chair. Her eyes were wide with alarm. She must have been really wrapped up in her spell to miss the fact that Gemma was hurting, but once she was alerted to it, her attention was sharper than an arrow. “I don’t follow.”

  Gemma sat and rested her elbows on the rough table and dropped her chin into the palms of her hands as she sniffled again. “That!” She tilted her head in the direction of the cauldron where the spell stewed. The cast iron container looked just like a normal cooking pot, though elevated over the burner by short legs. “The spell you’re cooking up. If Fox finds the love of her life…”

  Unable to finish her thought, her voice trailed off.

  Her sister’s face softened with understanding. “I didn’t know,” Enid said in a soft voice as she sat down and took Gemma in her arms, patting her back in a comforting way. “When did you realize?”

  “Don’t. Please.”

  “We know a lot about each other, but I don’t read minds, Gem.” Enid pulled back and turned Gemma’s face toward her so their eyes met. “That’s not how this works. You’ve got to tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “You know how much trouble I have expressing my feelings. You know me.” Gemma pressed a fist to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. Part of her mind screamed at her to shut up and not blame Enid, that even Gemma hadn’t known until recently, but she couldn’t keep from lashing out like a wounded animal. “Or I thought you did! Can’t you see anything beyond what you’ve been doing?”

  “I’m trying to help.”

  Help me! Gemma thought. What she said aloud was, “Just stop. This is hard enough.”

  Enid set her jaw. “You’re making this worse, Gemma. Not me.”

  Gemma threw back her head and laughed. Did Enid think she didn’t know that already?

  Enid misinterpreted her laughter. She got to her feet again, putting more space between the two of them. “No one can read your mind. Not me, not Fox, not anyone in this town. You shut yourself away. You haven’t been going to any of the esbats! You don’t join in on our spell sessions anymore.” She took a breath. When she spoke again, her voice came out in a softer tone. “If you just told Fox how you felt…”

  “Don’t you think I would if I could?” Gemma couldn’t stop the waterfall of tears from erupting from her. She turned away and wiped her cheeks yet again. “Life isn’t that easy.”

  As Gemma got to her feet, Enid took a few steps forward, holding her arms open. “Sis…”

  Gemma stepped away.

  Enid’s arms dropped.

  “You need to trust, beloved sister,” Enid said softly. “It’s not that you can’t tell Fox how you feel—it’s that you don’t trust her to take it well. Even if she doesn’t reciprocate, what do you think is the worst that could happen? She’s your best friend. She will understand. She will never stop caring about you.”

  “Let’s assume that’s true. What happens when that finds Fox’s true love?” She thrust a finger toward her cauldron. “She’ll still forget about me.”

  Enid’s eyebrows knitted. She picked up the spoon and resumed stirring. “Really? Do you think so?”

  The front door banged open.

&n
bsp; “Enid!” Orianna ran into the kitchen, breathless, her gaze flicking between the sisters. She didn’t seem to read anything aside from the presence of the two people in the room. “I’m glad you’re here too, Gemma.” She bent over to rest her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. From the way she looked, she’d run a long distance in a short time without stopping.

  Gemma felt a hitch of fear.

  “What’s wrong?” Enid set down the spoon and shut off the flame beneath the cauldron. “What do you need?”

  “Rowan.” Orianna straightened and held her side as though she had a stitch. “She’s gone into labor!”

  Chapter 13

  BY THE TIME Gemma, Enid, and Orianna reached the house, they found the rest of the coven already present.

  Most births in Secret Hallow worked the same way; everyone came into the world within the warmth of their family home, with the coven gathered outside casting healing magic over the proceedings. It was a beautiful, joyous thing, and nothing could keep the coven away: not even fights between sisters.

  Even so, Gemma felt a little surprised that Garrett hadn’t encouraged Rowan to leave town to go to a mundane hospital. From what she’d heard, most people outside Secret Hallow didn’t believe in home births, so she’d expected him to have the same wish, being such a new member of their world and all.

  Still, she felt a selfish gladness that he hadn’t. Though she hadn’t been joining in with many activities lately, even Gemma would never miss the birth of new life.

  A new member of her family.

  Her heart was pounding with something that very much felt like the first swoon of love, and she hadn’t even seen the baby yet.

  The scene looked like most outdoor Secret Hallow parties. Food and drinks weighed down long tables surrounded by the chairs provided by each person. Kids ran around, laughing and playing, and she looked over to find Fern in the middle of the group.

  Orianna sent her daughter a smile as they hurried past. Not too long before, Fern would never have joined in with the others. She’d always hung back, aloof, the way Gemma did most of the time, but Fern’s confidence had grown under Rowan’s tutelage. Now she was indistinguishable from the other witchlings.