Page 20 of Destiny of the Witch

‘Lucille!’ Mum laughed and clapped her hands with delight. ‘Well, I can see you’re feeling better! She’s been a little under the weather lately.’ Lucille ran up to where she was sitting, leapt on the sofa and ran circles around her.

Mum laughed again, and my happy glow was back. She was pleased, and that was all that mattered.

Chapter 13

Once we were sure that Ria and Meredith were settled, Oscar, Bastion, Benji and I made tracks. As Frogmatch watched us go from the window, he gave me a cheeky salute and a wink. I found that I was oddly comforted that he was there; I had no doubt he would give his all to keep the occupants safe.

I gave him a solemn salute, which made the smile slide off his face. He gave a deep bow then disappeared to protect my witches for me.

Bastion and I followed behind Oscar in the Coven car. We parked in the garage and started upstairs – until a loud noise from the common room made me veer off the steps.

There was a huge gathering. There was music, nibbles and drinks. There were bowls of crisps, sweets, a huge vat of jelly and a can of squirty cream. I raised an eyebrow at Ethan and he came across to join me.

‘Things have been tense,’ he offered as an abrupt greeting. ‘They needed an opportunity to let their hair down – they deserve it. I sent out a Coven-wide email.’

I hadn’t checked my email all day. A nagging part of me worried that I was letting the Coven down; I was so busy chasing evil witches that I hadn’t taught a lesson in weeks, let alone checked on the potion store or authorised some holiday leave.

I looked around. I rarely enjoy parties: I’m a book and a hot drink kind of a girl, but we’re not all the same.

I could see Henry sitting a little too closely to Sarah on the couch. He seemed to be getting over his ‘true love’ of Ria awfully fast now that she wasn’t in the picture. Sarah was twirling her hair around her fingers and smiling flirtatiously at her best friend’s boyfriend. I wanted to tell her that was a bad idea, one she’d regret, but it wasn’t my place. At a certain point, you have to let the kids make their own mistakes. Teenage hormones are a terrible thing.

John and Venice were talking animatedly about potion ingredients. He was promising to show her a rare ingredient later and I cringed, hoping that wasn’t a euphemism.

Briony, Timothy and Ellen, who I thought of as the ‘lazy’ witches, were in another corner. Melrose was talking to Ethan’s husband, Jacob, and Hannah’s guard, Edward.Hannah herself was nowhere to be seen. That settled in my stomach like a stone, but I tried not to let it show on my face.

The music changed from pop to rock and I saw Benji grin and nod his head in time to the beat. ‘If you like that,’ Henry said, pulling his eyes off Sarah for a moment, ‘I have some awesome tunes for you to listen to.’

Oscar and Benji exchanged a glance, and Oscar shrugged indulgently. They went and sat by the teens. Henry fished out some earbuds for Benji to listen to something on his phone.

John spotted me and came over. ‘How are you, Coven Mother?’

‘I’m fine thanks, John.’

‘I heard from Sarah that you successfully created a potion for energising familiars. Is someone’s familiar ill?’

Damn it. I hadn’t told Sarah that the potion was to be kept on a need-to-know-basis. In my rush to help Lucille, it hadn’t even occurred to me that the potion I’d created could also be used by evil witches to heal their sick familiars. Bloody hell: once again I’d painted a huge target on my back, and Sarah was out there telling everyone about it.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. ‘I need to teach Sarah about discretion,’ I said and sighed. I’d make sure to speak to her tomorrow.

‘Don’t be too hard on her. I noticed this morning that you’d logged out some velvet bean, motherwort and griffonia. I would have guessed you were making some sort of strengthening potion. But for whom?’ he asked again.

I smiled and patted his arm lightly. ‘That’s on a need-to-know basis.’ My tone was friendly but the insinuation thathedidn’t need to know was clear.

John nodded, his expression serious. ‘No problem. I’ll speak to Sarah about discretion, shall I?’

‘Thanks, that would be great.’ I removed it from my mental to-do list. ‘John, before you go, have you seen Hannah lately?’ I asked as casually as I could.

He frowned, ‘Now that you mention it, no – I haven’t see her for a couple of days.’ His expression cleared. ‘ But I have been very busy at the Shoppe. A newspaper put us in a very complimentary article and we’ve been busy with Common realmers coming in.’

The Spice Shoppe helped fill the Coven’s coffers. Though the majority of the profits were reserved for helping Covens in need, it was still positive news. ‘That’s great. Thanks.’

He gave me a smile and a slight bow, then made a beeline for Sarah. I watched, hiding my own smile as he frowned at her and gestured wildly. He even shook his finger a little. I watched as she shrank back. Hopefully she would remember to employ a little more discretion next time she was sent on a Coven task.

Part of me thought that I should stay and socialise with my witches, but having the boss there would dampen the party atmosphere. Besides, I had plans with Bastion. He may not remember them, but I certainly did.

I sidled towards the door and Bastion followed me with a faint smile. As we left, he reached out and snagged the can of squirty whipped cream.

Okay, maybe he remembered we had plans too.

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