Page 18 of My Blind Date is a Warlock

“I know that now, Mommy, but little Sophia wasn’t so confident in herself and secure in your love to believe otherwise. And those assholes at Redwood knew how to play on those insecurities.

“I understand, and I’m thankful that at least you confided in your grandmother, even though I wish she had come to me.”

“My granddaughter sought me out in confidence. I wasn’t about to betray that and I will not apologize for it.” Gran sniffed and mother and daughter had a staredown in my living room. “But what I will apologize for is for letting that two-faced snake weasel his way back into our town and our coven and attempt to spread that poisonous filth.”

“Spread? You mean he was trying to indoctrinate people into this pure bloated mage garbage?” I blurted, outraged at such a thing. This was the first I’d heard of it.

“Sadly, yes. That it happened right under my nose and I allowed myself to be taken in by his charm is a failure I will never live down,” Catherine said. “He and his wife mostly targeted the younger ones who’ve come back from Redwood for summer vacation. Thankfully, none of them were inclined to join his crusade. It would have been nice if they’d come to me the moment Jerome approached them. But, apparently, they thought nothing of it since Jerome’s nonsense is spreading even on the grounds of the academy.”

“It’s been spreading for years, and Pritchard has been aware of it. Heck, he’s one of the ringleaders,” Piper huffed. “I’ve actually been reconsidering sending the girls there when the time comes and just teaching them everything we know right here.”

“Oh, best believe that I will confront Pritchard about this,” Catherine went on. “And as for sending the girls away, you might not have to. I approached the mayor about building a mage academy here in Mystic Cove. He and I are meeting with possible investors and benefactors soon.”

“So that’s what the investor meeting is about,” I exclaimed with a snap of my fingers.

Catherine nodded. “If all goes according to plan, the school will be up and running within two to three years. But back to the topic at hand. I came here, Sophia, to apologize on behalf of the entire coven for the way Jerome and others have treated you. It doesn’t matter that you have no magic. You are our sister—you are a child of this coven. That those charlatans made you feel like you don’t belong is unforgivable. Which is why we’ve ex-communicated the Clarkes from our coven.”

My heart skipped a beat. “The entire family?”

“No. just Jerome and Hailey—for now. Needless to say, his parents are beside themselves. But they both agreed that it had to be done. Martha and Ben never raised their son to be so hateful,” she explained. “They claimed to be quite at a loss for where Jerome could have picked up such a bigoted attitude, and I believe them.”

We discussed the matter for a few more minutes before they left, but not before Mom insisted that I come home for dinner and bring Jacob with me before he left town. Piper stayed behind when they left, claiming she wasn’t ready to face the chaos of her home just yet.

“Mama needs some me time. Dave said he’d take the kids out for pizza tonight and I don’t want to be alone. You mind?”

“Not at all. I’ll bring out the snacks and the booze and we’ll re-watch The Witcher or something.”

“Oooh, Henry Cavil. Yummy! And bring out the scotch. It’s my day off tomorrow and mommy’s going to make the most of her night.”

We were halfway through the re-watch when she suddenly paused it.

“What gives?” I complained around a mouthful of microwave popcorn.

“We’re cool, right?”

I frowned at the question and forced myself to swallow down the popcorn and set the bowl aside. “Of course. Why wouldn’t we be?”

“Because,” she stated as if that were enough of an answer, her face set in a frown while she formulated what she needed to say. I waited patiently until she found her words and listened when she did.

“I hate that I was too much of a coward to stand up for you. After having the girls, watching their bond grow stronger with each passing day…it makes me realize how crappy I was as your older sister. I would never want Rita and Charlotte to go through something like that and think that their sister did not have their back. I should have protected you, Fia, and it haunts me every day that I didn’t.”

“We’ve been over this before. You were a kid yourself. There was only so much you could do. I forgave you a long time ago. You should forgive yourself too.” I drew her into a side hug, kissing her on the forehead. “Ew, you smell like sick people.” I pushed her away. Piper swore at me and grabbed a fistful of popcorn. “Don’t you dare!” I warned too little too late and got a rain of popcorn in my face.

“So, what’s the 4-1-1 on you and the sexy warlock? Feel free to share all the juicy details,” she sunk deep into my couch with her glass of scotch.

“Who still says what’s the 4-1-1 in this day and age? The only sexy man we should be discussing right now is Geralt.” I grabbed the remote and pressed play, hitting my sister with a cushion when she laughed at me.

CHAPTER 17

“You know that hanging out in my workshop while I work does not count as a date, right?” I peered up at Jacob over the rim of my lab goggles, my voice muffled by the mask around my mouth. I was working on a potent potion, or rather, an herbicide for Mrs. Abernathy’s precious roses. Aphids were bothering her roses and she wanted something that would keep them away and her roses in good health throughout the year. Apparently, someone from a gardening journal she’d subscribed to was coming to do an article on her blooms that had been selected as finalists for a rose contest.

Jacob looked up from his great-great-grandfather’s journal, eyebrows arched in consternation. “I’m not the one who’s been coming up with excuses every time I want to take you out. You’re always busy with something or other, and if this is the only way I can spend time with you, so be it.”

It was three days after the solstice incident, and for the last two days, Jacob had either been hanging out in my workshop with me or helping at the boutique when he wasn’t busy combing through Tiberius’s Book of Shadows.

“How long are you going to hide out in our town with that? Have you heard anything from your cousin?” I transferred the pungent mixture from the flask I was using to brew it into much safer bottles, careful not to spill any of it. I was usually steadfast in my work, but with Jacob’s eyes on me, composure flew right out the window.

“Ouch. I thought we’d made some progress, but you’re trying to throw me out of town already.” He feigned a look of betrayal, clutching a hand dramatically to his chest. I rolled my eyes at his antics.

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