Page 105 of Upside Down Magic

Itwould’ve been the perfectChristmasseason but for theCouncil’smeeting request.

Ichecked my phone.Twentyminutes to the second.

Hardrock blasted through the speakers.NotthatIminded, sinceIan’smouth curved upward, and he accompanied the rhythm by drumming on the steering wheel.

Adorable.

Fluffyyipped in agreement from the back seat, whileRufusdeigned to give us a bark of approval.

Myheart swelled.

WhenIanhad insisted they all accompany me toMontel,Ihadn’t been sure it was a good idea—if there was bad news waiting for me at theCouncilbuilding,Iwanted some time to process it alone beforeIbrought everyone’s mood down.ButnowIwas ecstatic they were here with me.Thiswas my family, after all, and their support would carry me through no matter what awaited me inDoyle’soffice.

Alltoo soon we arrived inMonteland found a parking spot by theCouncilbuilding.Ianagreed to wait with the dogs at a nearby park, and after huggingFluffyandRufusand drawing in from their strength,Imarched purposefully into the building, ready to meet my fate.

“Welcome,Hope,”Doylesaid warmly whenIentered her office.

“Hello,Ms.Doyle,”Ireplied while trying to dissect her tone.Warmwas good.Verygood.Unlessit was pity warm.Hadit been pity warm?

“Pleasehave a seat.”

Definitelynot pity warm.I’ddone pity warm plenty of times in the past—you wouldn’t believe how many people get dumped at coffee shops—andDoyle’svoice lacked the correct undertones.

Still,Icould be mistaken.

Sittingnervously on the edge of the visitors’ chair,Ilicked my extremely dry lips.

Doylesat as well and turned to her monitor, which was angled away from me. “Iwas delighted to receive your positive report on the strange magic happenings inOlmeda.”

“I’mglad.”Ibarely got the words out, andIcleared my throat.

Shetapped on the keyboard. “Wealso got two letters of recommendation, praising your actions.”

Myback went ramrod straight. “Youdid?”

Doyle’ssmile widened. “Indeed.FromLilianValentiandTammySummers.”

Myjaw hit the floor. “FromTammy?”

“Yes.Theyboth highlighted your quick thinking and willingness to help those affected by the spell.Ms.Valentiwas very impressed with the alacrity with which you closed the shop so other paranormals wouldn’t be affected.”

Mycheeks burned. “Ms.Valentiis very kind.”

“Ihappen to agree with her.”

“You…Youdo?”

Doylepushed the keyboard aside and linked her hands on the desk. “Ido.It’scommon for establishment owners to put their businesses first in order to avoid gaining a bad reputation or appear as being the problem.Youractions during this crisis as well as past situations show that you put the paranormal community members above your ego.I’mproud of you,Hope.”

Theburning in my cheeks intensified.Sure,I’dhad my share of “don’t tell anyone for now” situations in the past, butIlikedto think common sense had always prevailed with my decisions. “Thankyou,Ms.Doyle.Thatmeans a lot.”

“Becauseof the severity of the spell,Ihad to escalate the incident to my superiors.”

Ideflated like a sad balloon.Hervoice might still be warm, but the words were ominous enough.Nothinggood ever came fromescalatingandsuperiorsin the same sentence.

“Theyagreed with my recommendation.”

“Isee.”Hereit came.Onprobation for another six months, ifIwas lucky.

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