Page 1 of Pushing Daisy
CHAPTER 1
Daisy
“Greetings, my favorite westie!” Daisy says, sliding into the chair opposite her best friend, Petra Rose.
Petra rolls her eyes at Daisy as usual. “That term is nowhere near as endearing as you think.”
“Shut up, it rocks,” Daisy replies, determined to make the “witch + bestie” term stick. “Anyway, what’s up? Why were you so eager to meet today?”
A barista delivers drinks to their table, a vanilla latte for Daisy and a caramel macchiato for Petra. Picking up a paper napkin, Petra begins tearing it to shreds. The air around her has shifted; what was once light now feels tense and full of electricity.
Daisy knows this pattern. Petra’s nervous about something. Something she feels will be important. With an audible sigh, Daisy leans back in her seat, steeling herself for whatever is coming her way. “Petra. Just tell me what’s going on before you tear that entire stack of napkins to shreds.”
“What do you mean?”
Daisy sips her drink, closing her eyes briefly as the deliciousness hits her tongue. Light. Smooth. Subtle. Everything that Petra is not right now. “Westie, you’ve already shredded two napkins. Just spit it out.”
Sitting up straighter and letting go of the remainder of the napkin, Petra raises her eyes to Daisy and shifts into what Daisy knows is her Premier Witch pose. This can’t be good. Daisy’s insides clench as her magic sizzles under her skin.
“It’s about your parents.”
Her chest tightens, a lump of burning coal forming in the space her parents once occupied in her heart. “And?”
“Well, they’ve been petitioning…” Petra hedges.
“Petitioning?” The room blurs and begins to spin. She hasn’t heard from or seen her parents in twenty years. Not since they were banished for causing harm to the Leeside community.
Petra’s hands remain clasped in front of her, ever the image of Premier Witch professionalism. “Yes. They’ve been petitioning for visitation. With you.”
“They want to see me?” Daisy asks. Her gut turns, unsure of whether to be excited that her parents still care enough about her to fight for a chance to see her or scared of what it could mean to have them back in her life after all this time. Assuming the council allows it, that is.
“Yes. They’ve been sending requests for a while, apparently. Some of the previous council members felt it unwise, but with the new direction we’re trying to take and with some strong encouragement from myself and Lachlan, we’ve decided to grant the request. The current council believes that you should not continue to be deprived of that connection.”
Daisy’s mouth hangs open in pure bewilderment. Her parents have been attempting for some time to be able to see her, their only child. And she didn’t know anything about it. All this time, she believed they left and didn’t care about her. She has complicated feelings about her parents, though, and as these thoughts run through her mind, she wonders if she wants to see them. What would it be like after all this time?
Once she’s able to find words again, Daisy asks, “When would this visit happen?”
“In two days. We have a neutral location selected, as they are still not allowed in Leeside. There will also be a couple of Lachlan’s trusted demon bodyguards present. They will keep their distance but be there as a protective measure.”
Daisy nods, trying to process all of this information.
“Daisy…” Petra says. Daisy’s eyes meet hers, and she sees a world of emotion on her behalf being reflected back at her. “You’re going to get to see your parents.”
“I’m gonna get to see my parents,” Daisy repeats softly. “I’m gonna get to see my parents.”
“There’s something else too,” Petra mentions.
“Hmm?” Daisy sounds, taking a sip of her drink.
“The council would like to request your presence at our meeting this week. We want to discuss the consultant position with you. We have a plan for your first assignment.”
“Sounds… ominous.”
Petra laughs lightly. “It’s nothing bad. I can’t say anything else right now while we get the pieces finalized. But I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“Ok, I’ll be there,” Daisy responds. “So, it’s been almost a year since you became the Premier Witch.”
“It has. It’s wild to think about.”
