Page 54 of Cherish

“Without all the ceremony?” she asks, brows raised.

“Something like that,” I answer.

“Fair enough.” She waves a hand, mutters a few words, and all the spells are lifted.

Flint and Eden spring to their feet, Hudson’s hair grows back in ten seconds flat, and Jaxon just grows and grows and grows—which looks pretty hilarious, considering Hudson is still holding him in his hand when he first starts to change back.

He drops him, of course, and then everyone is back to normal. Except Heather, who is currently standing in the corner of the room, laughing her ass off at the rest of us. Apparently, my best friend has quite the mean streak.

“Well, you’re here now,” Viola says after everyone is back to their regular selves. “What do you want to talk about?”

32

I Spy with My

Little Lorelei

I take a deep breath. Do I really want to discuss this in front of a bunch of witches I don’t know? But this seems like a now-or-never kind of moment, so I exhale slowly, then say, “We have a problem.”

Viola’s gaze falls on Jaxon, who is currently crouching over Mekhi to check on him. “I can see that.”

“We have to take him to the Shadow Realm, which means we need help opening the portal in the piazza.”

Her expression goes from vaguely interested to completely blank. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I want to call her bluff—no one goes that blank that fast without a reason. But considering Viola is our biggest ally in the Witch Court, antagonizing her seems like a really bad idea.

“And why would you want to take him there?” Viola asks.

“He’s suffering from shadow poison, and we believe its effects will be slower in that realm.” I take a deep breath and decide to trust her with the entire plan, hoping beyond hope that I read her right and she’s the kind of witch who would help us. “We’re going to find a cure for the Shadow Queen’s twin daughters, a way to separate their souls, and trade it for a cure for our friend.”

Her eyes go wide as the other witches gasp. “There is no way to separate two bound souls, Grace,” she says gravely. “And offering such to the queen and not following through would mean a certain and painful death.”

I shake my head. “We have a way to do it. We just need to find the Curator to locate something for us. But that’s only after we first go to the Shadow Realm, slow the poison killing Mekhi, and make a bargain with the queen she can’t renege on. Will you help us?”

I bite my lip, afraid I’ve overshared and put the whole plan in jeopardy. But Viola holds my gaze and then gives me a short, curt nod. “You are a woman after my own heart, Grace. No secrets. No subterfuge. Just candor.” She turns to the witches alongside her. “It’s so refreshing to see at Court, is it not, ladies?”

A tall, elegant witch with long brown curls whispers to another older and rounder witch with bright red hair. Their murmuring draws the attention of Viola, who asks, “Should we reward such behavior, witches?”

My heart is pounding in my chest as I realize this is it. They’ll either help, or they won’t and Mekhi will die. Jaxon must figure this out as well, as I see him start to step forward, but I give him a sharp look, and for once, he gets it and remains still.

The three witches seem to come to a decision without consulting the rest of the witches in the room, so I guess this trio is in charge here. Viola turns back to me and says, “Honesty is always the best policy, my dear. Therefore, we will grant your request and offer a spell that will activate the portal to the Shadow Realm. However, this doorway only works in one direction. You will need to find your own way home.”

My shoulders sag with relief. “We have an idea how to get home. Thank you, ladies. Thank you so much.”

“Lubella here will teach Macy the spell while you and I share a private word, yes, dear?”

It’s a statement, not a question, and I nod, wondering what she has to say to me that she doesn’t want said in front of the others. I reach out and give Hudson’s hand a squeeze, mouthingI’ll be backbefore following the regal witch through a door in the corner.

Once we’re both safely on the other side of the door, in a small room with two couches and an ornate coffee table dominating most of the space that must be used for intimate gatherings, Viola turns to me.

Her eyes narrow. “Is there another reason you’ve come to my Court, dear?”

Of all the things I was imagining she wanted to discuss, a secret motive was not one of them. “I mean, I hoped I’d see my cousin while I was visiting, too,” I say.

One brow arches. “And no one else?”

“I definitely didn’t come to see the king and queen, if that’s what you’re asking,” I say on a half laugh.

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