Page 19 of Magic's Rise

Levi’s lips purse together in a tight line as his gaze sweeps around the graveyard. “Do you mean money? We don’t have a ton, but I’m sure we can figure something out.”

A snort escapes me, and I wave away the suggestion. “Forget that. I’m a bajilionaire.”

His attention cuts back to me. “That’s not a real number.”

“There are more zeros in my bank account than I can spend in a lifetime.” My hands rest in my lap. “Offer me something I can’t buy.”

“You’ve never been to Silver Hollow before.” His boots crush the well-manicured grass as he paces in front of me. “What could you possibly want from us?”

“Good question.” I tap my knees as I consider my options.

The truth is, I want his amulet. Or rather, the spell for how to make one. I’m not so cruel that I’d demand he give up an heirloom. While he said the spell was lost, I know a thing or two about sneaky witches, so I don’t trust what he thinks is true.

The thing is an antique, though, and the likelihood of the same line of witches still being around, or that they passed the spell down to someone else, is slim. Just look at the Wendalls.

They kept important magics secreted away, passed down within the family line instead of sharing them with the very people those spells are meant to help. If Aspen has taught me anything, it’s that witches hoard their knowledge.

Which means speaking to the coven at Silver Hollow, and if they don’t have the spell, then I need them to direct me to where I can find the witch who does.

However, none of that is something Levi can give me. Sure, he can make the introduction to his local coven, but from there, it will all be on me to do the bartering.

Off in the distance, the sound of festival preparations rises and falls, but in the graveyard, it’s just me and Levi, cut off from the rest of Hartford Cove.

“Tell me more about Silver Hollow,” I say at last. “Its history, how it came to be, the type of people who live there… Just throw it all out.”

“Right here?” Levi glances around the graveyard. “Can’t we go somewhere less…disturbing?”

“Hey, if I can handle being buried here, you can handle standing on my grave.” I kick my heels against the gravestone I perch on for emphasis. “But if you’d like to go into the sheriff station, where there’s another werewolf, I suppose we can.”

His eyes shift toward the closed back door before he shakes his head. “What about the mayor’s office? You said that was on the other side of the graveyard? That should be private enough.”

“In Owen’s domain? The werewolf who wanted me to shoot you?” I arch an eyebrow. “Seems like you’d be pushing your luck with that one.”

He sighs in frustration. “Out here is delightful.”

“It has its charm.” The cold stone beneath my ass numbs me through my fleece-lined leggings. But it’s the most private place in Hartford Cove where we can talk without interruption. “Now, spill the deets about Silver Hollow.”

Levi moves to squat across from me, his back to the sheriff’s office. “Where do I even start?”

“With the werewolves.” A shiver of anticipation runs down my spine. “That’s your area of expertise, right?”

“True enough.” He nods thoughtfully. “Silver Hollow was founded as a sanctuary for werewolves centuries ago. Our ancestors were tired of constantly being hunted and persecuted, so they came together and created a safe haven where our kind could exist in peace.”

“Sounds better than turning into blood-crazed murder-monsters every month.” The idea of a whole town dedicated to cursed werewolves both fascinates and terrifies me.

“Yes, it is.” He leans his head back against the brick wall and closes his eyes. “We could have a community, have families, live like other shifters do.” His lips quirk at the corners. “We could be civilized.”

His eyes open, and he stares up at the cold blue sky. “As time went on, children were born, but the curse didn’t pass down to all of them. A second population, this one of humans, grew alongside the werewolves. Then word spread about our little town, and other paranormals started showing up. First a murder of crow shifters, then a clowder of cat shifters.”

“Wow.” I try to imagine what life must be like in such a diverse community. “So, everyone just… lives together? No conflicts or anything?”

“Of course there are conflicts. We’re not perfect.” Levi chuckles. “But we’ve learned to coexist, for the most part. There’s a council made up of representatives from each paranormal faction, and they help maintain the peace.”

“We’ve just recently done the same.” It sounds like Silver Hollow is actually ahead of us on that one. “Until a couple of months ago, this place was wolf exclusive, except for, you know…” I twirl my finger to encompass the graveyard.

“It must have been hard being the only witch family among a wolf pack,” Levi says.

“I wouldn’t know. No one told me I was a witch until I came back.” The stone of my grave numbs my ass, and I shift in an attempt to regain circulation. “Adding more witches, and now vampires, has made some people here uneasy.”

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