Page 3 of Dewitched

“Ah, dude, that sucks. Maybe somewhere here can help. I’ll ask around.”

Owen stopped abruptly and spun to face his guide. “No!” He cleared his throat and took a step back. “I mean, um, you don’t need to do that.”

“Don’t stress. It’s no problem.” Arlo beamed and continued down the hallway. “I bet there’s at least one person here who knows about ass-pears.”

“Accipere,” Owen corrected, but he had a hard time not laughing. It wasn’t the first time the guy had mispronounced the word, and he got the distinct impression he did it on purpose.

“Right. That.” At the end of the corridor, he exited through a large door and hung a left, leading him across a manicured lawn. “I have to ask, though, why didn’t your parents teach you about this stuff?”

Owen squinted as the sunlight glared off the lenses of his black-framed glasses. After the dark atmosphere of the castle, the morning now felt unusually bright, almost painful.

“Well, both of my parents are human.” He didn’t find offense in the question, but he wanted to make it clear that his parents weren’t negligent people who didn’t care about him.

“Really? Like, completely human?”

Owen nodded.

“And no one else in your family is paranormal?”

This time, he shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“Man, that’s rough. Does that happen a lot?”

“You’re asking me? I learned what I was from the internet.”

Arlo laughed, a high-pitched, melodious sound that practically sparkled. “Okay, fair point. Don’t worry, though. We’ll get you sorted out.” Approaching a row of small cabins with covered porches, he pointed toward the one on the end. “Here we are.”

Nestled along the tree line of the forest, the private cabins sat atop a hill that overlooked the lake below. The view was absolutely stunning, and the tiny gourds decorating the steps provided a cute touch for autumn.

“I better get back to work.” Arlo tucked his hands into his pockets and shuffled backwards. “I’ll let you know if I find someone who can help you. In the meantime, just try not to touch anyone.”

Again, Owen couldn’t even be offended. “That’s the plan. Thanks for the assist.”

“Anytime, bro.” With that, he gave a little wave, turned, and jogged back toward the castle.

Owen took a moment to appreciate the quiet peacefulness of the morning before continuing on to his temporary lodgings. It didn’t surprise him at all to find that the inside of his cabin looked just as adorable as the outside. A queen-sized bed took up most of the space, but it also offered a small dining table, a dresser, and a flat-screen television.

While certainly small, it was more than enough for him.

Dumping his backpack on top of the dresser, he flopped back on the bed and stretched his arms over his head. So far, things had gone much better than he’d had any right to expect. Even Arlo had been nice to him. He still didn’t know how he felt about asking a total stranger to help him, but it might be his last hope.

So, just maybe, the trip wouldn’t suck after all.

Chapter two

“Nightstar? Like Orrin Nightstar?”

Princess Iliana giggled as she bobbed her head. “Orrin is my brother.”

“Are you adopted?”

“Not that I’m aware. Wouldn’t that be interesting, though?”

The hotel employee, a human male with a kind smile and big doe eyes tilted his head. “Have you always been his sister?”

“Pretty certain.”

“But he never mentioned you. How did I not know he had a sister?”

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