Page 14 of Love's a Witch
That we all harbored.
“Did you tell her we were coming back here?” Lyra asked, and I closed my eyes, replaying the conversation in my head.
“Small towns breed small-minded people. If you go back there, don’t bother contacting me again.”
I disagreed with my mother. Small-minded people could be found anywhere. But, somewhere along the line, Briarhaven, or our father, had hurt our mother so deeply that she was taking our return as a personal betrayal.
“Yup. It went as well as could be expected.” I shrugged, hiding the brunt of what Mum had said from my sisters, as I always did. I’m not sure why I still shielded them from her, as they were grown adults. Yet there was something about a mother putting herself first, over and over again, that reopened those childhood wounds that we had all done our best to heal from. “Shall we crack on? Divide and conquer?” I held up the list, signaling the discussion about our mother was done.
What was there to discuss, anyway? Mum wasn’t speaking to us, and Dad had disappeared without a trace years ago. We could go in circles about it or get on with living our lives. But as the snow piled up around us, I knew I’d rather move forward and get us back to cozying up before the fire while we shined up our childhood home.
“I’ll hit the Silver Quill for books,” Nova said, studying my list.
“I’ll go to Cauldron’s Cupboard for groceries.” Lyra rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “And a quick stop at Mystic Munchies, of course.”
“Right, then I’ll take the Pixie Dust Apothecary for medicine.” Despite myself, my lips quirked. “I do like the names.”
“Me too. I mean, if you’re going to be a theme park, might as well lean into it, right?” Nova agreed, waving to the man who now looked at us from the front window of the pub.
“Meet back here in an hour.” My sisters scattered, likely ready to be out of the snow, but I lingered a moment, studying the pub across the street. Last I could remember, it had been a community center of sorts. I supposed it still was, just now with food and beverage.
The Rune & Rose.
A pretty name for a pretty pub. Two arched windows, with paned glass, shone warm light against the snow that swirled outside. The pub was cream brick, with a bright red door, and the black-and-red sign had gold painting on the letters. A rose twisted around a dagger, with runes down the blade, and a shiver of knowing filled me. Celtic music lilted, muffled from inside, and a few people sat before a thick stone fireplace. Homey, warm, and welcoming.
Yearning filled me. It was true, what I’d said about being used to being untethered. That didn’t mean I had to like it. I’d long ago accepted that we needed to keep moving, that ours was the life of a nomad, yet that didn’t necessarily have to sit well with me. A part of me craved the predictability of being rooted in one spot, the sameness of small-town life, the ability to build a community of sorts.
“Never harm, always charm!”
I snorted as Mandy’s voice rang in my head. Okay, maybe notthatcommunity. I could never imagine myself being friends with the fembot of a coven leader, as she and I were worlds apart.
Turning, I wandered down the sidewalk toward the apothecary, breathing a sigh of relief when the snow lessened and a few shafts of sunlight split the blanket of moody clouds above. Crouching at a trio of pumpkins displayed by a front door, I brushed snow from the grinning jack-o’-lantern faces. I hoped the snow wouldn’t impact the Halloween festivities too much. It wouldn’t be entirely unusual, as I recalled a time or two when we went guising as children when we’d had to bundle up with warm jumpers under our costumes.
A memory of Broca, dressed entirely in sequins as Glinda the good witch, accompanying us as we went guising from house to house, brought a flicker of warmth to me. It hadn’t been all bad,I reminded myself, and pushed through the front door of a brilliant pink building with a turquoise door and mustard-yellow trim. Pixie Dust Apothecary was everything it promised to be, with mirrored glass shelves holding hundreds of bottles and vials of all shapes and sizes, and long wooden tables clustered with charming boxes of herbs and teas. Soft harp music played in the background, and a stunning woman wearing a shimmering velvet green dress slinked forward. Her blond hair tumbled past her shoulders, a tiara of rose quartz crystals pulling it back from her face, and diamonds winked at her ears.
“Raven O’Ryan!” I exclaimed.
“Sloane MacGregor. I knew you bitches had to be back in town when the weather turned.” Raven threw her arms around me and gave me a hug, rocking back and forth three times as I inhaled the scent of lavender. Pulling back, she held me at arm’s length and studied me.
“Bloody hell, Raven. You’re gorgeous.” I blinked at her. Raven had been an awkward child with buck teeth, messy hair, and a propensity for wearing the baggiest clothes she could find.
“Yes, much like Briarhaven, I’ve had a bit of a glow-up.” Raven twirled, her arms outstretched. “You like?”
“Knocked it out of the park,” I said. “This isyourshop? I’m impressed. It’s so pretty, Raven.”
“It is, it is. When the Douglases came up with the plan to revamp Briarhaven, I jumped at the chance to get my own shop. They held it for me until I was old enough to sign a lease, and I’ve been here ever since.”
“Is that right? That’s unusually nice of them.”
“They wanted the locals to invest in the town. And since they knew that all I did was study spells and medicine, well, it was a natural fit.” Raven came from a long line of healers, so much of her education wouldn’t have been found in books either. It was a smart move on the Douglases’ part, keeping her and her family tetheredhere, as the NHS was so backed up lately when it came to medical appointments. “It’s good to see you, Sloane.”
“Is it?” I nodded toward the snow that fell in fat flakes outside the window.
“Och, it’s nothing we haven’t dealt with before.” Raven waved away the snow like it was not an issue at all. “We’ll get it sorted, much like we do everything else that comes our way.”
“That’s a relief to hear, as not everyone has taken so kindly to our arrival.”
“Screw ’em,” Raven said, and I burst out laughing.
