Page 90 of Extra Witchy

He actually broke into soft laughter and nuzzled his face into her hair as magic shimmered all around them. “My life has gottensodamn interesting since I met you.”

How can anyone be this precious?

“I hope that’s a good thing,” she whispered.

“So far it is. Provided I don’t get turned into a cat for knowing too much or something.”

“Is that really the only comparison you have?” she asked.

“I’m stressed! And I play video games more than I watch paranormal TV.”

“Fair enough.” Leanne moved away from him, keeping an eye on the enforcers as she grabbed her laptop and opened her email. As Gladys had said, there was a link waiting for her, and she beckoned to the enforcers. “Let’s do this in the other room.”

“I’ll just…chill here, then,” Trev said.

Before she clicked the link, she quickly cast the illusionary spell as instructed. All council members were supposed to use this to keep their identities secret. How that was supposed to work with two enforcers watching her do it, she had no idea, but that wasn’t her biggest problem. Probably, they’d get their memories adjusted after she sorted out this mess, presuming she got enough votes in her favor. It was hard telling how this would go or who would show up for this meeting. Might even be a blending of the incoming members and those who were ending their terms of service.

Soon, she was online in a video conference with so many people that their shifting facials were only tiny thumbnails on her laptop screen.Yeah, it must be the old councilandthe new.Too soon to judge whether that was good or bad for her cause. At this point, she could only move forward.

“I’ve been accused of allowing my nonmagical husband to discover I’m a witch,” she said. “But I told himnothingdirectly. That said, I assert this council stricture is both outdated and unnecessary. Witches shouldn’t have to hide from those they love. I move that we strike this codicil from the covenant and allow us to disclose freely. If this motion is carried, I also suggest we wait a reasonable time for those conversations to happen privately, and then…on a preapproved date, we come out to the world.”

Immediate outcry followed, so much shocked shouting that Leanne tuned it out. If they called on her to defend the proposition, she would, but for now, it seemed like there was support and opposition already in play. She listened to the arguments for half an hour, until they gradually slowed and came to a lull.

Into that silence, someone said, “This has been proposed before. We always decide it’s too risky.”

Fuck.If this failed, there would be consequences. For her. For Trev. For the enforcers.Time to earn my keep.

“Think about the advantages.” Leanne made her case, just as she had with Gladys. “How amazing would it be if we could earn a living through spell work? Instead of hiding our gifts and struggling with a day job that brings no joy. Some witches are lucky enough to find regular work they enjoy, but many are not. And others live in poverty because they’re forced to hide who they are.

“It would enrich our lives on so many levels. No more barriers between us and our nonmagical loved ones. We could stop wasting so much time and energy hiding our seasonal rites. In fact, I suspect they would become tourist attractions. People would drivehundredsof miles to experience the marvels we take for granted. And witches have been featured in so many modern media adaptations that I imagine we’d receive a lot of support from fans delighted to learn we exist. Old superstitions have largely died out. Folks don’t blame witches for random problems anymore. Science has explained so much, there’s no need to live like this. Make the right decision. Vote with me. Vote for freedom and disclosure.”

“It’s time,” another council member said.

“Wait, are we voting for both measures together? For the two-step process—speaking to our partners and families, and then later, the world?”

“Correct,” Leanne said, before anyone else could complicate the matter.

“It makes sense,” another council member said.

A confident voice added, “I’m sending a link to a poll. Your vote is yes or no. Your identity will not be revealed, so none can hold your stance against you. Ready to proceed?”

Leanne voted yes immediately, hoping hard for the correct result.

***

Trev noticed the glimmering energy ball dissipated as soon as the creepy MIB-looking pair followed Leanne into the bedroom.

But he couldn’t deny what he’d seen. That was…magic.

He paced the living room floor, fighting the urge to bail. Because this was beyond anything he could’ve expected. For real, he’d occasionally thought she got ready too fast or she was too gorgeous to be real, and he’d been baffled by the convo he’d overheard between her and Gladys, but had he everreallythought she was a wizard? Or a sorceress? He wasn’t even up to date on the correct verbiage. In video games, she’d likely be a magic user. Of course, she’d also be wearing a sexy dress that showed her thighs and be able to cast fireballs and summon lightning too, enchant magical weapons…what else? Oh, in one game, magic users could turn into spiders or bears.

Can Leanne turn into a bear? Fuck. I’m so freaking out right now.

With shaking hands, he went to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot. He didn’t even look at the bottle and drank it straight, whatever it was.Ugh. Gin.To his palate, it tasted like pine cleaner smelled. Trev gulped some water to get the traces out of his mouth.

It seemed like forever before Leanne came out, flanked by the two assholes who’d showed up to try and…arrest him? He was guessing about that, frankly, but based on his wife’s reaction, whatever they had planned wouldn’t be healthy for anyone involved.

At first, he couldn’t read her expression, but she turned to the two and said, “Get out. As of now, your job descriptions will likely change.”

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