Page 40 of The Neighborhood Vampire

Beatrice placed her hands on her hips. “There is more than one way to express your love for someone. But it must be shared together.”

“How did you get it?”

“This hat belonged to your great-great grandmother—my grandmother. She passed it down to me right before she passed. This was her witch’s hat. She kept it safe in there. It was passed down through generations. We’ve kept it hidden and safe.”

“Why?”

“People have fought and died over it. My grandfather and grandmother defended an entire town to keep it safe. There are those who seek it to use it for nefarious purposes. It’s been that way for ages. And now, the responsibility falls onto you.”

Alice shook her head and handed it back. “I don’t want it.”

Beatrice cupped Alice’s hands with hers. She gazed into Alice’s eyes. “Your mother didn’t want it either. If you don’t take it, there will be no one left. I’m an old woman. I can’t keep it forever. It could easily fall into the wrong hands, and then who will stop them?”

Alice leered at the scroll. Her eyes lingered on the weathered paper.

“I don’t know if I can handle the responsibility,” Alice said.

“I know it won’t be easy, but I believe in you,” Beatrice assured her. Alice raised up to meet Beatrice’s eyes. “Keep it hidden. Don’t tell anyone. And when the time is right, you’ll know when to try it for yourself.”

“How are you doing?”Hugo’s voice jolted Alice out of her memory.

A shiver ran down her spine.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You didn’t startle me,” Alice said as she rolled up the scroll and placed it back into the wooden box. She snapped her fingers. The box rose, entered its clandestine hiding spot, and the stone closed behind it. “I was only thinking.”

“What are you going to do?” Hugo asked.

Alice placed her hands on the workstation. She leaned her head forward, hiding behind the purple hair cascading down around her. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Will you answer me truthfully?”

“Always.”

She stood up, brushing her hair back behind her ears. She turned to face Hugo, tears in her eyes. “Why do you love me?”

“Why do I love you?” Hugo took a step back His head tilted and eyebrows scrunched like a curious puppy. “Is this a trick?”

“Please . . . please just answer.”

“Okay,” Hugo said as he took her hand.

She lost herself in his icy blues as they locked with her emerald greens. A glint in his eye.

“I love you because you’re kind, compassionate, caring, understanding, and patient.”

Alice smiled, holding back tears. She let go of Hugo’s hand to wipe away a tear and immediately took it again.

Hugo continued, “I’ve been in love with you since the moment you leaned over my fence promising to accept me for who I am. Ultimately, that’s why I love you. You accept me for who I am, and I accept you for who you are. Everything about you. Your witchy powers. Your love of wine making. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

“Thank you,” Alice said. “I love you because you accept me. I’ve loved you since I first met you in the backyard. I knew you caught me flying, and yet, you said nothing. That’s why I kept following you until you asked me out.”

Hugo smiled. “What brought this on?”

Alice slumped her shoulders. “I was thinking about what brought me here. How the spell turned my life upside down and led me here. How I’ve hated the spell since it was first given to me. How I never wanted it.”

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