Page 3 of Spookily Yours

Some witches made a business of it. Even within our community, there were only a few blessed with the sight, putting them in high demand for their skills.

Luna didn’t like to call herself a Seer, but she had strong precognition skills. Instead of opening her own fortune telling shop, or moving to the human world to offer her services there, she’d chosen to pursue her passion.

Baking.

On the other hand, I hadn’t figured out my true,genuinepassion yet. I was good at running our business, managing both sides and running the coffee shop, but it had never trulyfulfilledme. Not like it did Luna. She was only three years younger than me, but she already seemed to have so much more figured out.

Maybe that was why I said what I did. Why I decided I’d stop living my sad little witch life, the one where I practically floated in stasis. Like my hands were holding me up, but not moving. I wanted to move—tofly.

To live.

“You know what… Let’s do it.”

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at me over the bowl of icing. “What?”

“Let’s go to the bar. We deserve a night out. You can wear one of those dresses I know you have stashed in the back of your closet, just waiting for the occasion.”

She squealed, throwing her arms around me. “Oh, Wil! We’re going to have so much fun!”

Her eyes dragged over my outfit, from the knee length orange corduroy skirt to the black body suit I’d tucked into it, topping it off with my favorite hat. Sure, it wasn’tsexy,but it was me. Comfortable. And the skirt had pockets.

Luna frowned. “You’re not wearing that, though.”

I sighed. “Promise you’ll go easy on me?”

Her face lit up. Trust my sister to be the one pastel-loving witch in this town. “I know just the thing.” She looked around before making ashooingmotion with her hands. “Now go! Get out of here! I’ll come over once we’re all closed up.”

Thankfully, running a coffee shop and bakery in a small town meant having set hours, since no one really needed anything after about 4pm. After that, there was the diner, and the bar, and we were all too happy to close up early.

“Fine, fine,” I huffed, snagging another scone and levitating it over towards me. “But I’m taking this as collateral.”

Luna winked before ushering me out of the kitchen. I had a few things to finish up before I could actually leave, getting things ready to open for the day. Brewing the coffee, I steamed a cup of milk, sighing in satisfaction as the smells mixed.

I might not have had everything figured out, but at least I had coffee.

If nothing else, it kept me going.

* * *

Leaving the shop, I ate one last bite of my second scone, sipping on the coffee I’d made myself before Eryne had arrived. She was my favorite hire of the last year, down from her redheaded bob to the cute witchy earrings she wore to work every day. It was hard not to be festive when you worked in a store like The Witches’ Brew. Today’s were a pair of brooms.

It wasn’t even seven am yet. The morning was still young. I supposed I could go to the library, or maybe pop into my favorite apothecary shop. No doubt my reserves on herbs and supplies were running low at home, though I had plenty of time to restock before the next coven night.

I could go to the pet shop, but… I didn’t know if I was ready yet. It might have been months, but I still felt like I needed time.

Rubbing at the back of my neck, I sat on a bench on main street, taking in a deep drink of my pumpkin spice latte. This spot gave me the perfect view of our town, Main Street just beginning to come alive as people began to scurry about town, heading to their jobs and lives. Most of the shops didn’t open until nine, so even though the roads were busy, the sidewalks were still quiet.

It was the perfect way to enjoy the morning. Pulling a book out of my tote bag, I opened to the page I’d left off, letting the silence of the morning draw me into the world.

There was nothing quite as magical as getting lost in the pages of a good book. I’d always loved that feeling—looking up, and realizing I’d just spent the last three straight hours reading without a break.

When I finally put my bookmark back in, I checked the time. I’d agreed to meet Luna tonight, but what did I do with my free day? Sure, I’d done my job this morning—prep, but I didn’t need to balance the books. I’d already placed the orders for the next two weeks.

That meant… I really was free to do whatever I wanted.

Should I go to the pet shelter like Luna suggested?

I thought about the black cat from this morning, the one with no collar around his neck. No home. Was there a cat there, as lonely and desperate for companionship as I was?

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