Page 106 of Dragon Fires Everywhere
This is our only hope.
But that’s exactly what the Joywood have done, I think. Separated us. Made us forget magical creatures evenexisted. Cursed the crows and the fabulae they couldn’t kill. I’m breathing a little fast, because this isananswer, but it isn’ttheanswer.
Togetherness and unity are an abstract, not a battle plan.
But it’s clear that the only way we move forward is with everyone uncursed. And Azrael must come to accept the crows are partof it.
I reach out to my coven immediately, calling an emergency meeting at Wilde House, and only then do I read the rest.
I believe that this is possible. I believe that this is coming. If the good among us continue to raise our children to believein hope, love, and unity, we can dream of a day when black magic is no longer a threat.
I take a deep breath, let it slowly out. This might notfeellike a concrete answer, but it’s an answer all the same. It’s forward movement, looping in the past. Wehaveto find out how to uncurse the magical creatures. We have to bring us all together.
“I have to go, Dad,” I say, getting to my feet and hugging the book to my chest. I turn to face him, and he’s nodding at me.
“I’m very proud of you, Georgie,” he says, in that careful, serious way of his that makes me feel loved no matter what. Evennow. “I have all the faith in the world that you and your coven can make this right.”
I swallow at the lump in my throat. “If we win this, you were part of it.”
He smiles. “It sounds as if, should we win this, we must all be a part of it.”
I squeeze him tight and then don’t bother to walk. I magic myself right over to Wilde House, pausing in the foyer to glare at the makeshift newel post that isn’t Azrael, and to feel the quiet of the house all around me.
Everyone is coming, but it’ll take some time yet. Not everyone can drop everything at a moment’s notice for a meeting, noteven the meeting queen herself, Emerson.
I go to the kitchen and Octavius appears, weaving through my legs with a hearty purr.
Emerson is, unsurprisingly, the first to arrive despite likely having to rush out of her store without completing all herpreferred closing rituals. “What did you find?” she demands.
But I shake my head. “I want to say it one time, Em.”
She grunts in frustration and looks like she might argue until Jacob arrives—looking a little gray. Emerson instantly focusesall her worry on him. “Is everything okay?”
“Jaqui was attacked on her way to her waitress shift at the Lunch House,” he says. “It was black magic. She’s doing well,but it took a lot.” He looks at both of us. “She said the attacker kind of looked like Gil Redd, but only kind of.”
Gil, who has supposedly been missing. I don’t know how to make sense of that.
Rebekah appears with Frost then, and they exchange a look, as if deciding how to tell us something. I mutter a spell thatadds more frosting to the cupcakes before me.
“Apparently we can add Felicia to the missing Joywood members,” Rebekah says. “When I was at Holly’s coffee shop this morning,I heard some of the teachers talking before their classes, and she hasn’t shown up for work in days. Not a good look for theprincipal.” She catches the look on Jacob’s and Emerson’s faces. “Another attack?”
Jacob nods, and Rebekah curses softly, then looks at Frost again. For once I don’t need a translator—I can see how concernedhe is all by myself. Either he’s getting more mortal or I’m just getting used to him.
“I’m here, but I’m sitting on this couch and I’m not moving,” we hear Ellowyn yell from the living room.
Rebekah and Frost move for the living room. Then Jacob and Emerson do, arms around each other’s waists. Maybe Emerson’s armsmore around Jacob, given how grayed-out he looks after a long session of Healing.
As I finish the food, I magic it out to the living room. And once I hear Zander’s voice add a low rumble to the conversationhumming in the room, I head there myself.
Everyone’s in their usual spots and everyone’s eating, which brings me some comfort. Another black magic attack is bad, butat least we have some kind ofprogress.
“All right, Georgie,” Emerson says—notin her usual place, because I’ve called this meeting, which means I’m leading this thing.
“If this is a coven meeting, shouldn’t we go to the cemetery and get Azrael involved?” Ellowyn asks, stretched out on thecouch, a plate balanced high on her belly.
I think of his ultimatums about crows, and how much this involves crows. “Eventually, yes,” I say. “But I think a lot of whatI’m going to tell you guys is not news to him, no matter how little he likes it.”
“So our magical creature has been holding out on us. How surprising,” Zander mutters. He’s sitting on the floor, leaning backagainst the couch Ellowyn is sprawled out on.
