“And a cult that sacrificed virgins was?” Wrath drawls. He looks bored suddenly and sighs as the room goes quiet as a tomb. “My lovely wife here is looking for opportunities to incorporate Outsider traditions into our way of life. If we do that, we can create more revenue on account of them visiting our town. As we see it, the Autumn Festival is quite worn out as a tradition. Replacing it next year with Halloween is the most logical solution, don’t you think? I don’t see anything wrong with a trial run at ushering in a new holiday this week to celebrate the change of heart this town has had. Why, there will even be candy and who can say no to that?”
None of the naysayers deserve a single Halloween gumdrop and Wrath is being kind when he says the Autumn Festival is out of tradition. It was the festival the town held after the Blossoms all got their throats slit and buried in the woods. I shiver and wrap my arms around myself just thinking about what it would be like to have it return next year. My hands start to shake so I tuck them under my thighs.
No. The Autumn Festival cannot return next year.
Not ever.
“He’s right. The festival has to go,” I say, surprising myself. I hadn’t thought I’d speak but the words bubbled up before I could stop them. “I vote yes on Halloween.” My voice carries in the silent town hall.
Annie splutters and looks around for support but she was never a Blossom. She doesn’t know what it’s like to get sacrificed on your wedding night but I do and so do the other Blossoms. It’s them that speak up next.
Nina raises her hand. “Hells yes to Halloween! And I say yes to the ghosts. I’m going to go home and put up five tonight! A whole troupe of phantoms!”
Nina died in the Founders’ Circle. If anyone gets to vote on ghosts it’s her. One by one the other Blossoms all add theirvoices to the votes until everyone in the room is shouting yes and chantingHalloween! Halloween!With a randomGhosts Rule!from Charlie that just makes Annie Bustos’ eyes twitch. I laugh and some of the weight moves off my shoulders. Maybe this is okay, the town hall meeting will go on like normal and I’ll be able to talk to Buffy after and set things straight but that’s when things go off the rails.
Lyle Covington raises his hand and I want to flip him off. He’s my cousin. He’s also been hanging around Annie and some of the others that toe the line after getting moved to the outskirts of town.
“Yes, Lyle Covington. What is your question?” Wrath asks.
Lyle doesn’t speak right away and I can see the gears turning in his rat brain. He was always the one plotting and scheming on how to move up in the cult. There isn’t an honest bone in his body.
“And what of the demons that have been attacking Sweet Tooth as of late? What plans do you have to keep us safe, Esteemed Ruler?”
Esteemed Ruler?
Lyle might be cool with Annie but he’s hedging his bets to make sure Wrath knows he still worships him. I giggle when Nina sticks her finger down her throat like she’s gagging.
“Kiss ass,” she whispers to me and I nod. She’s right, Lyle is the world’s biggest kiss ass. If there’s power the man will make a play for it but I don’t see how that ties into bringing up the demons.
The hall goes quiet and all eyes are on Wrath and that’s when I see what Lyle is up to. He’s putting Buffy and Wrath on the spot. The little shit has a move he’s trying to make. Hells, I have to do something. The magic I told Sunday wasn’t sparkling around me buzzes in my fingertips. I don’t know how to use it but I feel like I can. Maybe I can silence him? Make his throatclose right up and steal his voice like that cartoon Buffy and I used to sneak watch on the television. I start to pull my magic into me and it feels almost solid, like something I could chuck right at Lyle. I almost do but stop myself. What if this goes wrong and I miss? I don’t even know if I can actually throw anything, and even if I do, what if they think it’s Sunday and not me?
I can’t do anything to Lyle, not until I know what the hells I am. I let go of the power I was gathering with a sigh and lean back in my chair.
“The demons are being handled,” Wrath says. We all wait for more but when it’s clear that’s all he’s going to say the town hall erupts in voices.
“What do you meandemons?”
“Handled how? Where are they coming from?”
“We never had a problem with demons untilyoucame here!”
The last one has Buffy standing up from where she’s sitting. She doesn’t shout or yell, she just holds up her hand like Mrs. Landry used to when we were kids and she took over lessons for us. Buffy waits for everyone to be quiet before she speaks.
“The demons that we have observed are coming from the woods. We’ve noticed their attacks have increased in frequency since they began three weeks ago. We suspect the full moon has something to do with it all. Isn’t that right, Nina?” She looks at Nina and the woman sitting beside me stands with a nod.
“She’s right. From what I’ve studied it looks like there’s a major power spike. It’s affecting all magical items in the area and its zenith should be at the full moon. We’ve identified a pattern after the last attack yesterday.”
Yesterday.
She means Charlie’s house.
My mouth drops open. I had no idea any of this was happening. Not even when it was me that found Charlie’s house blown to smithereens. Why didn’t she tell me? Hurt pierces myheart. I look up to Buffy to see that she’s staring out at the crowd, looking every bit the leader she’s grown into.
“But that’s tonight!” Lyle snaps.
Buffy nods. “It is but we’ve been tracking the demons and I’ll hunt them tonight alongside Wrath, Sunday, and the others. We will not let the demons come into Sweet Tooth. You have my word on that.”
“This is the problem with magic. It always createsmore problems,” Annie barks.
