Page 8 of Summer Solstice

“What would I do without you in this godforsaken town? And who would I buy my potions from?”

“Wanda, I’m okay.”

“Yeah, because I saved your sorry ass!” She shook her head again. “Sometimes I think I should just lock you up somewhere to make sure nothing bad ever happens to you.”

“That sounds a little stalkerish and weird.”

“Well, it can sound however it wants to! It doesn’t change the fact that you are going to give me a heart attack one of these days.”

I breathed in deeply as I thought about all the bad stuff that had been happening to me lately. And then I started to wonder... “Say, you’d tell me if you cursed me, right?”

“Cursed?” she repeated, frowning.

I nodded. “That would sure explain why my luck’s been so bad lately.”

Wanda’s eyes narrowed, her nostrils flaring. “If I cursed you, Poppy, you would absolutely know it.”

“I didn’t mean that you cursed me, silly.”

“It’s not so silly, considering you drive me insane sometimes.” She shook her head and breathed out. “You’re almost as bad as Lorcan, I swear.”

“Back to the subject...”

“Right,” she looked at me and gave me a subtle, magical once-over, just to make sure there was no curse or hex clinging to me. When she was done, she dropped her hands to her hips again. “Nothing. You’re just clumsy.”

I hadn’t really thought there was a curse on me, but it made me feel better to know that Wanda had now confirmed as much. It was just the lack of sleep that was making me a bit noodle-legged. A good night’s rest and I’d be good as new. With any luck, my dreams wouldn’t involve screeching brakes or horns.

When I finally got my breathing back to something normal instead of desperate gasping, Wanda gave me a sharp nod.

“Alright then. Let’s go, before you decide to cross another street and get hit by a truck.”

That at least got a laugh out of me, and I felt a little better as we headed down the sidewalk. And if Wanda kept herself firmly between me and the road, well, I didn’t mind so much.

***

Everywhere I looked was fire, walls of scarlet and gold reaching up to the sky. Wood crumbled to ash, and glass shattered. Every breath I pulled in was scorching hot and filled with smoke, and I doubled over to choke, dizzy and light headed.

It was spreading faster than I could track. The flames roared like a dragon, sending waves of sparks and embers shooting up into the sky. Everywhere I looked, there was no escape—I was engulfed. The world was on fire and I was stuck right in the middle of it.

I shot upright, my eyes opening as I realized I was still in bed. Relief coursed through me as I sucked in a breath, telling the panic to subside. Sweat had stuck my nightgown to my chest, and I kicked off the comforter, not able to bear it touching me.

My heart kicked painfully against the inside of my ribs, feeling like it could bruise the bones with each pulse. Raking my hair back from my damp face, I tried to force cool air into my lungs.

The scent of acrid smoke hit me then, and I froze for one terrified second before I threw myself out of bed and headed for the door.

Dear God it hadn’t just been a dream! But as I strode into the hallway, I didn’t see any signs of smoke or fire. So, where was the smell of smoke coming from? Was the farmhouse on fire? Oh my God, where was Finn?

There was no sign of anything wrong in the upstairs hallway, no heat or smoke or flickering lights. No fire alarm blaring. Nothing at all. I checked in on Finn, only to find him sound asleep. Still not convinced that I’d just dreamed everything, I thundered down the stairs to search the kitchen and living room. I even checked the basement, even though the old fieldstone was kind of creepy in the dark, and I had to be careful of the open-backed stairs.

But there was nothing. Not a spark, not a single curl of smoke—not even a stray match left unattended. I couldn’t even smell the acrid scent any longer. It must have just been a holdover from my nightmare. Something which was... very strange.

I managed to get back up the stairs somehow, even though my knees were shaking badly and threatening to give out with every step. I closed the basement door and half-fell back against it, letting the cool of the wood soak into my feverish skin.

“Mom?” Finn poked his sleep-tousled head through the kitchen doorway. “Are you okay?”

I straightened up and pushed a smile onto my face. “Everything is okay. I’m sorry I woke you up, buddy. I just... I guess I just had a nightmare. Go back to bed.”

He hovered there for a second, probably testing what I’d said for the truth, but eventually Finn nodded and stumbled back off the bed.

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