Page 20 of Witches and Wine
“Magic,” I whispered, making Riley perk up, his tiny paws rubbing together. “I’m something magical, Riley.”
Riley did several more circles, the most excited I’d seen him since we’d first randomly met in the woods years ago.
Tilting my head, I rubbed a knuckle over Riley’s puffed, furry chest. “You weren’t lost, were you?”
My ferret took my finger between his paws and rubbed his face against it.
“Oh, gods,” I moaned, remembering vividly now that Dion had to carry me home and put me to bed.
That begged the question, did he dress me in my pajamas, or had I? Was it horrible that I’d hoped itwashim who’d done it?
Dion had held me to him when I went into a panicked spiral, repeatedly telling me to relax. I’d have no hope of figuring out what I was, let alone bringing whatever power I possessed to the surface by clouding my thoughts with fears and worries.
Relax.
Closing my eyes, I envisioned myself packing the boxes before moving to the Cove. What had been stashed away in my closet that I’d forgotten about? There were numerous boxes shoved into corners of high shelves I hadn’t seen in years but kept because what was in them held value. Now, where werethoseboxes?
Flashing my eyes open, I was startled at the sight of Riley in the same pose, staring at me as if he were waiting for something. “What’s up? Do you need food?” When he didn’t budge, I continued to go down the list of essential possibilities. “Water?” The ferret still remained as motionless as a statue. Chuckling, I scooped him into my arm and carried him to the floor with me. “You can help me look through these boxes.”
There were only three boxes in my closet, but when I had no idea what I was looking for, the task still seemed so daunting. I could spend hours combing through every photo album, notebook, and memento and still have no idea what I was.
After staring at the boxes like they were an endless, orbiting abyss, I snatched my phone to call my little sister.
A high-pitched yawn was the first thing I heard when she answered on the second ring, “Hello?”
Considering she hadn’t said my name meant she didn’t look at her phone and that she was probably still half asleep.
“Lani? It’s me.”
“Oh, Chelsea, hi,” Elani responded, perking up, her voice wispier and more attentive.
Chewing my thumbnail, I peered at the boxes and scratched Riley’s head. “Did I call you at a bad time? Ugh, you weren’t napping, and I woke up the mother of a flying toddler, did I?”
“Chelsea,” Elani scolded, raising her voice. “You’re my sister. You’re allowed to call me whenever you wish, even if you don’t know if it’ll be inconvenient. I could’ve not answered the phone and called you back, right?”
I grumbled at how much more mature she sounded over me as of late. “Fine. You’re right. How are you?”
“Other than being tired and missingyourass, I’m doing okay, I’d say. But the real question is, how areyou?”
Sighing, I tore the tape from the first box, ready to take a few trips down memory lane with my sister acting as support on the phone. “I know you were younger than I was when mom died, but do you, maybe by some repressed memory, remember anything different about her?”
“Different? You’re going to have to be more specific, sis.”
Adjusting to sit cross-legged on the floor, I pulled out an old green and yellow blanket my grandmother had made me before Elani was born. It still smelled like lilac and mothballs even after all this time. Thoughts of her crocheting it as I played with wooden blocks pulled a smile to my lips. “I found out something recently—something that won’t be shocking to you, but still a bit surprising.”
“Are you pregnant? Is it Dion’s?”
I let the blanket flop onto the floor and let out an indignant “Lani.”
“What?” My sister asked, giggling. “I’m sorry. I’m all ears.” Shestillgiggled under her breath.
Riley kneaded the blanket and spun a few circles before settling on top of it.
“Remember I told you I moved to Arcane Cove? Do you know much about it?”
Subtle sounds of Hedone’s gurgles and coos sounded from the other side as my niece tried to steal Elani’s phone. She steadily shushed her child and blew several raspberries on Hedone’s cheeks before she wrestled with the phone again. “Sorry, yeah, I’ve heard of the Cove, but it’s mostly been in passing from Apollo and Hermes saying they frequent there. Do you like it?”
Removing a stack of notebooks with random story ideas, doodles, and thoughts, I rested them on my lap and thumbed through them. “I love it, but Dion told me something interesting about it.”
