Page 32 of Witch Please

Danica couldn’t go back to the shop in this state. Before she talked to Clem, she needed to clear her head. In a daze, she wandered until she found herself at the memorial bench where she’d eaten lunch with Titus. Her magic snapped wildly in her veins, threatening to overflow, and she sat there willing herself calm until a plaintive meow drew her attention. Goliath gazed up at her with adoring eyes, then sauntered around her ankles, purring audibly as he rubbed against her.

“You stalker! I thought David defeated you.”

The cat responded with a haughty swish of his tail. On closer inspection, she noticed that he wasn’t wearing the camera collar; apparently nothing stopped him from getting out of the house. She was in no mood to deal with Hazel, but she couldn’t leave this needy ginger unattended either.

“Fine, let’s go. I’m not carrying you and I’m not waiting for Hazel to pick you up either. You walked this far to find me. You can do it again.” As she set out, Goliath chased after her, as she’d known he would. This cat would follow her to compete in the Iditarod, so getting him to walk home with her was no challenge. “You know this can’t happen, right?”

Goliath mewed. For such a large cat, he had an absurdly squeaky voice.

“Okay, I get that. But Hazel would be so sad if you abandoned her. You’re the only one she has to talk to.”

Another mew.

“Well, it’s not my fault either!”

Danica attracted a few looks conversing with Goliath as they made their way back, but she was used to being considered “quirky.” Most people viewed her eccentricities as cute, but the truth was, she did get impressions from animals, especially those that desperately wanted to bond with her. It was an extension of her magic, though she didn’t otherwise have a knack with living creatures. Priya, on the other hand, could literally talk to squirrels; it came with vivimancer territory. She could also mutate living things, which resulted in some truly exotic houseplants.

By the time Danica got to Hazel’s house, she was calmer. She knelt on the porch and rubbed Goliath’s head. He practically fell over in ecstasy, as she rarely did this. If she didn’t wash her hands straightaway, she’d be sneezing with red and swollen eyes for a full day.

“Thanks for being a good friend,” she said.

Then she rang the bell to return the cat to his crotchety caretaker. For once, Hazel didn’t scold Danica, only gathered Goliath in her arms like a baby. “I’m calling David. He’s the only one who can figure this out.”

“Good luck,” Danica said, heading home.

To test her magical control, she unlocked the front door with a flick of her fingers, then went upstairs and took a full shower, rinsing off any cat residue. Too bad she was allergic; she did like cats and having one as a familiar would be amusingly on brand. To keep busy and stop obsessing, she fixed a quick meal of spaghetti pomodoro and salad, and she was setting the table when her cousin came in.

Clem sniffed the air appreciatively as she kicked off her shoes. “You cooked? What’s the occasion?”

“I was hoping you’d yell at me less if you were full of delicious carbs.”

“Why, what did you do?”

“Let’s eat first, then talk.”

“You know I’m not the patient type,” Clem said.

But she did come to the table, and they ate quietly while Danica figured out what to say. As she made them both coffee for after dinner, she decided it was best to spit it out. She carried two steaming cups to the table, hoping Clem wouldn’t be too mad.

“Okay, there’s no easy way around this. The minute I saw Titus today, I realized I’m already falling for him. You were right. I need to put a stop to it, but I don’t think I can go cold turkey.” Battling deep inner alarm, she reached across the table and took comfort when Clem clasped her hand. “What should I do?”

“You’re lucky I’m a nice person, or I’d be saying ‘I told you so’ right now.” Her cousin squeezed her hand once and then got up to pace, wearing what Danica termed her “problem-solving” expression.

Over the years, Clem had applied herself to all sorts of conundrums, from sneaking out after curfew to getting revenge and, really, any problem Danica might have. If she asked her cousin for help, Clem never backed away from the challenge.

I can always count on her.

Overcome with a wave of love, Danica bounded out of her chair and hugged Clem. “We’ll figure it out, right? I can’t stay away from him on my own, and I don’t want to lose my magic. It’s so sad, seeing how my mom lives.”

Softly, Clem embraced her and patted her back. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.” Then her cousin snapped her fingers. “Where’s the spellbook Gram gave you? She said the magic would activate when you need it most, right?”

With a wild thrill, Danica realized her cousin was right. “You think there’s a new spell waiting? Should I use it if there is?”

Clem nodded solemnly. “This is serious. We can run it by the others first if you want, but I think it’s time to bring out the big guns.”

***

The next day, Titus went to Fix-It Witches with a batch of gingersnaps.

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