Page 338 of Castings & Curses

Nine distinct grumbles ensued, but the women laughed and pulled out their androids and iPhones, linking to the Internet.

She didn’t mind pulling the witch card sometimes. It felt good to at least put her powers to some kind of use. These days, she didn’t much make it to the town coven meetings. Instead, she relied on a once-a-month brew with her inner circle and tonight was the night.

“Excellent. This is one of the best ways to watch and learn. Repeat after me. Videos are my friend.”

A chorus of feminine voices echoed her own and everyone began to laugh.

“Kate, you kill me.” Jessica grinned, holding up the bikini top she had been working on for the last two weeks. “Did you post it on Tiktok, too?”

“Last night. I was on there for hours.”

And she had been. If Kendall had shown up to help her set everything up, it would have gone off without a hitch. As it was, she’d spent a ton of time trying to master what the girl had told her.

Lighting.

Music.

Pictures that pop.

Hashtags.

It was a whole new world—and a world that was all Kendall’s idea.

“I use it for my side business, Kate. More followers equal more sales and we all need more sales.”

The girl wasn’t wrong.

But the fact that she hadn’t shown up wasn’t like her. And she hadn’t come in for her shift today, either.

No calls.

No texts.

Nothing.

She’d been a little fidgety lately, but hadn’t seemed the type to just bail on her. Sliding her phone out of her back pocket, Kate frowned. Still no return calls or texts.

Closing her eyes, she reached for the girl’s name badge, left on the back counter, and let her senses reach out.

Where are you?

Nothing but darkness greeted Kate and she frowned. Making her way toward the chair behind her computer, she sat down and eased the door shut between the class and her private space. They could still come around the front counter, but all she needed was a moment or two to set her spell in motion.

Her element was air and she would use it to find her missing friend. A spark of an idea formed. It had worked before when she needed to find her coven sisters.

She called the quarters to her, and reveled in her element of air. Wisps of magic floated around her and Kate hummed the simple spell under her breath.

“A simple kiss to find a friend, to thwart all mischief to an end.”

The kiss blown, she smiled as it rattled the door on its way out into the night.

“Goddess help her if she’s just playing hooky.”

A loud burst of laughter from the group brought her focus back.

Kate eased the door open and checked her watch. Only ten minutes left in class.

Jessica was grimacing and working on a troublesome stitch.

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