Page 8 of Starlight Witch

Bree paused the movie. “Go on, tell him how you feel. You don’t have to be mean about it, but you definitely should clear the air and be honest about how this affects you.”

“All right.” I sighed, then texted: i’m upset at the situation. this hurts, maybe more than you realize. i’m trying to keep my mind off of it right now, so maybe we can talk later? take care of faron.

Relieved that he didn’t text back, I finished my plate of spaghetti and reached for the chips. “I don’t feel like bread, but man, I could eat the whole bag of these.”

“Chips always make it better,” Bree said, finishing her spaghetti, too. “Do you want dessert now, or later?”

“Let’s wait. I’m into salty right now.” I knew my cravings were emotional and I didn’t give a fuck right now. If potato chips helped me cope with my emotions, then bring on the bag. I didn’t feel like working through the pain.

My phone jangled again and I sighed, glancing at the text. “Stop texting me, dude.”

i’m sorry. i wish i could say something to make it better. the minute he remembers you—the way you remember him—i’ll let you know. i promise. but we have to trust the doctors. his health comes first.

i know that but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. tell faron i said hello. Then I added, wait—don’t tell him. he seems to think you and i are involved and i don’t want to misrepresent our friendship to him by letting him think we text a lot.

Again, there was a lull, then, talk to you later.

I tossed my phone on the sofa beside me. “I think I hurt Kyle’s feelings, but he’ll just have to deal with that for now. Let’s get back to the movie.”

We watched the rest of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, finishing off the chips. Then we moved on to The Day the Earth Stood Still, along with ice cream and the animal crackers. By that time, it was nearing ten.

“You want to watch another movie? I’m not all that tired,” I said.

“Me either. What do you want to see?” She flipped back to the menu and we scrolled through the movies.

“What about Shifter Island?”

The Shifter Island TV show started with twenty shifters on an island. The Castaways divided into tribes, and ran a variety of obstacle courses and challenges. Each week, the one with the fewest number of collective points became one of the Sacrifices, and left the challenge. At the end of a grueling finale that was worth up to half the points you could earn all season, the shifter with the highest number of points won the grand prize.

“A new season just dropped. Sounds good.” Bree settled back, focused on the screen.

I watched, but my mind was now split in two directions: one part of me thinking about my father’s journal, and the other half lingering on the situation with Faron. I was fixated far more on the contents of my mind than on the contestants in the game.

Morning came, and I woke early, thinking of my father’s diary. Bree was still sleeping on the sofa when I tiptoed out to the kitchen, where Grams was making breakfast. I fixed myself a latte while she dished up an omelet and sausage links for me. As I carried it to the table, Grams plated her own breakfast and joined me. We kept our voices low, so as not to wake Bree.

“Did you enjoy yourself last night?” Grams asked.

I nodded. “I always have fun with Bree. But I read the first entry in my father’s journal. Grams, it opened up so many questions.” I picked at my food.

“Morning,” Fancypants said, flying into the kitchen. He flew over to sniff at the food. “May I have cat food for breakfast?” The dragonette loved cat food. It was his favorite, as far as I could tell. I kept it for special treats, in case we needed to curb some bad behavior that might creep in. I had never dealt before with dragonettes, though May had, and I wasn’t sure what to expect as we went along.

Fancypants landed on my shoulder and rubbed his head against my cheek. “Morning. Are you okay? I can feel you’re upset. What’s wrong?”

Our bond was growing. One thing people didn’t understand was that being bonded to a dragonette or a familiar didn’t mean you formed an immediate connection. No, we could feel the bond, but it took time to grow. While we were linked, and being separated by death would be a shock to the system, the deep, lifelong connection had to evolve. Lately, I had noticed that I could feel Fancypants’s emotions easier, yet another sign of our growing bond.

“I’m all right. It’s true, several things have upset me lately, but I’ll be okay. Thanks, though. You’re the best dragonette I’ve ever met.”

“I’m the only dragonette you’ve ever met,” Fancypants said with a laugh.

“That means you’re the best.” I snickered, rubbing him on his head, between his eyes. He loved that, and he giggled, squirming. “I’ll be okay, little one. Don’t worry about me.”

Fancypants rubbed against my hand, his eyes luminous. “As you wish, dear friend.”

“So, what are your plans for today?” Grams asked.

“I’m getting tired of sitting around. Since my shop was destroyed, thanks to Gloria, I’ve been trying to figure out what I want to do next. I can live for a while on the proceeds of my father’s insurance policy, but I’d rather invest it and find a passion to pursue. I suppose after I learn more magic, maybe I’ll know, but right now, I feel at loose ends.”

“What about opening up a new shop?”

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