Page 56 of Best Hex Ever
“Did you mean what you said?” Dina asked.
“About what?”
“About saving our, um, bonking for later.”
Scott smiled, and moved his head toward Dina’s, meeting her lips with his own. She savored the warmth of his mouth, the taste of him. Scott tipped her face to the side, his mouth meeting her ear.
“Oh, believe me, I meant it.”
Chapter 22
“Put it down, Immy—don’t make me use a stun spell.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Don’t try me. Put the eyeliner down.”
With a dramatic sigh of reluctance, Immy put down the black liquid eyeliner she’d been threatening to use on herself. Dina scrambled to get it out of the bride’s reach, throwing it to Rosemary, who cleverly tucked it away somewhere Immy wouldn’t be able to locate it for the next twenty minutes.
Dina looked at her friend, who was currently staring mournfully at herself in one of those illuminated Hollywood mirrors.
“This isn’t cold feet, is it?” Dina asked.
“No, nothing like that. I just don’t—this doesn’t feel like me,” Immy replied, gesturing at the full face of contour makeup featuring a bronze smoky eye and dark nude lip that a makeup artist, one that Eric’s parents had booked, had just finished.
“You look beautiful,” Rosemary chimed in, and Immy smiled weakly.
“She’s not wrong,” Dina added, “but if you don’t feel like yourself then we need to fix that, don’t we.”
“I can just feel how heavy it is on my skin, and these eyelashes are seriously weighing me down.” Immy looked pointedly at Dina. “Is there anythingyoucan do to fix it?”
Spells to alter things like paint and makeup weren’t Dina’s strong suit; she fared much better with baking spells. Thankfully, therewassomeone nearby who could fix this.
Dina tapped one of the pendants around her neck three times.Mama, can you come up to the bridal suite, please: We need your help.
Dina felt her thought travel into the pendant, which felt warm to the touch. A moment later, the shadow of a voice echoed in her mind.I’m coming.
Nour swayed into the bridal suite in a teksheta of midnight blue and gold, complete with billowing silk sleeves embroidered with golden crescent moons.
“Wow, Nour, I don’t think you’ve ever looked more like a witch,” Immy exclaimed.
Nour laughed. “It’s a good thing I’m here to work my magic then.” She strode purposefully across the suite to Immy’s chair.
“Oh, habiba, what did they do to you!” she tutted, squishing Immy’s face between her hands.
“Can you fix it, Mama?” Dina asked.
“Mmm. I came prepared.” Nour reached into a pocket deep in the folds of her teksheta. She removed a small paper pouch that smelled strongly of saffron and nutmeg. And magic—ascent that Dina couldn’t truly describe. Like the air before a summer storm, the shivers you get when you listen to a beautiful piece of music, mixed with that feeling of waking up and seeing the first snow of winter.
“What’s that?” Immy inquired.
“This is a little concoction I use myself, but it’s not to be trifled with. I need you to focus, Immy. I’m going to count to three, then I’m going to blow this powder onto your face.”
“…Okay,” Immy said, sounding unsure.
“And when I do, I want you to imagine how you’ve always wanted to look on your wedding day. How you imagined yourmakeup, but more importantly how you wanted to feel inside. All that joy, all that excitement. Keep your eyes closed. Understand?”
“I think so,” Immy replied. She looked to Dina for reassurance, so Dina smiled back.
