Page 74 of Love's a Witch
Nothing happened.
“How will we know when, or if, it has worked?” Nova asked.
“Look out the window,” Broca suggested, and we all turned. If anything, the snow had intensified, not lessened, and the wind howled as it battered our wee cottage.
Told ya.Blue rolled over and pawed me, wanting his tummy scratched.
“Just let me close the circle,” Broca muttered a few quick words, and that same disruption in the air shimmered around us before we were free to move about. Standing, I picked Blue up because I needed a cuddle. A part of me had really hoped it would be that easy. A quick ritual to ease this curse that haunted us, to stem the hatred flowing our way from those of Briarhaven who resented us, and to maybe, just maybe, allow us to finally put down roots. I stood at the window, Blue nuzzling into my neck, and watched as the snow attacked Briarhaven.
There was only so long we could stay here before the whole town turned on us.
It was inevitable, really, and I’d seen it many times before. I was used to this. Moving on, packing up, saying goodbye. That was our norm. We weren’t cut out for putting down roots, building lasting friendships—hell, even falling in love. Unless our partners were ready for life on the road, and that was a lot to ask of someone, particularly if they already had a good thing going in their own life.
It was just… for the first time in, like, ever, I wanted to stay. I wanted to get a drink with Raven at the Rune & Rose, and pick out new books at the Silver Quill, and shop for gifts at the Dragon’s Hoard. I hadn’t even been to Whispering Woods, the garden center, yet, and I had to imagine they probably hated us the most. Autumn would be a booming time for their business, as everyone prepped their gardens for winter. Feeling dejected, I turned back toward my family.
“I think we’re going to have to go.” I hated to say it, I truly did, but it needed to be put out there. The girls needed to start thinking about packing up, not settling down, and we needed to see about getting a more comfortable car for Broca to ride in so she could join us. Maybe a van would be the best option.
“You give up so easily.” Nova jumped up, stomping a foot, her face contorted in frustration.
“I’m not giving up.” I wasn’t giving up, was I? It was just the reality of the situation. “I’m not. It’s just… the writing might be on thewall, Nova. We need to be prepared. We need to be thinking about buying a nice van, maybe even a camper van, so Broca can travel with us. We need to be thinking about food supplies and amenities for Blue. We can’t just up and go in the middle of the night. Not like this. By failing to prepare—”
“You’re preparing to fail,” Lyra and Nova finished for me, their expression of frustration mirrored on each other’s faces.
“Well, I’m not wrong,” I shouted after Nova as she stomped upstairs.
“A camper van.” Broca snorted, and then shook her head sadly at me. “Have you met me?”
“It’s a viable solution to keeping you comfortable while on the go,” I protested.
“Listen to yourself. Viable solution? Sloane, you are twenty-five years old. When did you become so mired in the pragmatics of things?”
“When I had to be the one to make sure they were actually fed.” I flung my hand out in the direction of Lyra.
“It’s true, you did.” Lyra jumped onto the couch next to me and hugged me. “But we’re not kids anymore. And it’s time for you to maybe be a bit selfish.”
“Beyond time,” Broca agreed.
“You do know, don’t you, that we don’t always have to stay together now?”
My mouth dropped open at Lyra’s suggestion, because honestly, no, I had not considered that. We’d always traveled together. The MacGregor sisters were stronger together, as a unit, and just thinking about one of them being on the other side of the world from me caused my heartbeat to speed up and my mouth to go dry. Blue leaned up and licked my face, sensing my distress, and I cuddled him closer.
“So you’re going to leave me?” I asked, a bead of sweat breaking out and dripping down my back. I honestly couldn’t imagine being away from them. Maybe it wasn’t the healthiest thing in the world, and yes, I realized that codependency came out of thetrauma we’d experienced as children, but knowing something in your head and facing it were two totally different things.
“We didn’t say that.” Lyra smoothed my hair back from my face. “But if you try to leave here, we might decide to stay.”
“But we don’t have a solution.” The protest was weak on my lips, but still, my brain couldn’t wrap itself around not having a solution. Were we meant to just exist here, throwing Briarhaven into increasing harm, with no way to ease the torment for ourselves and our neighbors? Surely my sisters could see the insanity in that.
“One might show up. In time.”
“Like it did with our mother? You heard it yourself. The Charms kept her, us, here for as long as they did with an extraordinary amount of work. And magick. And they hated it. They resented her, resented the toll it took on them to do so, and where did it leave them? With an ungrateful witch who ran from town anyway.” I stood, anxiety coursing through me, needing to move around the room.
“They didn’t do it for your mother, Sloane.” Broca’s voice cut through my anxious thoughts. “They did it for you and your sisters.”
At that, the enormity of what we owed this town rose inside me, and I choked back tears. Turning, I looked helplessly at Broca.
“Which is exactly why we have to leave. We failed them then, and we’ll do it again. Our curse is hurting Briarhaven. Whether we do the stupid festival or not, it won’t be enough. Don’t you see? We aren’t repaying them by showing up here again. We’re just screwing them over.Again.” I grabbed my coat and wrenched the door open, Blue still in my arms.
“You were just children, Sloane.” Broca’s voice was quiet at my back as the snow swirled inside the door. “They didn’t expect anything of you three other than to grow and prosper. It’s not your job to break the curse, alone, without help. We can do this… together. You just have to be patient and believe a solution will present itself.”
