Page 35 of Witch You Would
“I’ll get the reagents, and you prep the equipment,” I told Leandro.
He nodded and started digging into the cabinets. That surprised me. For some reason I’d expected him to argue or clown aroundmore. Maybe he really would take this seriously. I could only hope.
I raced to the supply area, which was through the exit and down the hall in the other direction. It was somewhere betweenthe size of a dollar store and a grocery store, taking up the whole back part of the warehouse. Aisle after aisle of ingredientsbeckoned, with shelves high enough that I’d need the conveniently provided wheeled ladder to reach some things.
I grabbed a cart and went nuts. Every so often I saw something that looked like it might be worth adding to our spell and tossed it in, too. Dylan passed me at one point, and we shared distracted smiles. Amy paced frantically, and I asked her what was wrong.
“Have you seen any origami paper?” she asked. “I thought it would be near the inks, but...”
“Paper is by yarn and textiles,” I said. “Don’t ask me why, I don’t make the rules.”
Amy laughed, her eyes scrunching up behind her red glasses. “I bet you’re the kind of person who gets asked for help in storesa lot.”
She was right. “I also put stuff back where it goes when I find it on a random shelf.”
“Well, thank you. I appreciate it.”
Felicia avoided me like I was contagious. Whatever.
By the time I got back, Leandro had everything in place: bowls in rows by size, cast iron pot on the stove, vacuum pump assembledand waiting. Again, a surprise. I’d assumed he would be messier.
I unloaded the stuff I’d picked up, trying to keep our area as neat as he had. One by one, I made sure the prepacked reagentshadn’t expired, then opened them to check that the insides matched the labels. Everything looked and smelled fine.
“You chop, I mash?” Leandro asked, peering at the herbs and flowers. “Unless you’re not as good with a blade as I am.” Hetwirled a knife like a fancy Japanese chef, grinning.
“Well, now I’m definitely doing it,” I said. “With my luck, you’ll drop that on my foot.”
“I’m careful.” Spin, spin.
“Give.” I held out my hand, and he offered me the knife hilt-first with an elaborate bow.
I chopped. He used the mortar and pestle to grind what neededto be a paste. I started water boiling, glancing at the clock again. Six forty-nine. Ah! What next?
On and on we went, step by step, reagent by reagent, building our spell up. When it came time for the first cooling of thefluid components, I carefully poured the pot’s contents into a heatproof bowl and covered it with plastic wrap. Leandro heldthe fridge door open, and I carried the bowl over, trying not to trip over my own feet. Inside it went, and when he closedthe door, I sighed in relief.
“Handshake?” Leandro asked, waggling his eyebrows.
“Handshake,” I agreed. We grabbed each other’s hands, did our quick dance move, and made the appropriate explosion noise atthe end. I turned around, smiling, to check my notes for the next part of the recipe.
Then thunder crashed right on top of us, so loud I jumped away from the table and backed into Leandro. Without a flicker ofwarning, the power went out.
Chapter 8
Penelope
The warehouse was pitch-black with the lights out since they’d boarded up all the windows. Outside the soundstage, peopleyelled, and random flashlight beams appeared and disappeared. Something rattled; glass shattered. Someone shouted a nastyphrase in Spanish that would have made my dad’s eyes get big, and he cussed like it was his job.
Leandro wrapped his arms around me. Thunder cracked again, and I flinched, grabbing his forearms. He squeezed me tighter,his chest pressed against my back. He was definitely smuggling muscles under his loose shirt. Rosy would love that bit ofcheese.
What I wouldn’t tell her was how nice it felt, this emergency hug. Kind of... cozy? Safe? Which was weird, consideringhis entire career revolved around hecking up spells. Bro was spinning a knife around a minute ago like nothing. I should havebeen flipping out, but I wasn’t. And his smell... Sweeter than most guys went for. I liked it.
Something brushed my hair. His nose? Was he sniffing me? No way. My brain was all like, you smelled him first! But one, shutup, and two, I was smelling the air, and it wasn’t my fault he was in it.
The lights flickered on. Either the power was back, or this building had a generator.
“Check your spells, everyone,” Syd said, their voice raised to be heard over Isaac shouting at the crew from the other sideof the wall. Tori listened to something through her earpiece that must have pissed her off, because her face went throughlike fifty microexpressions before she stomped out.
I stayed where I was for a few more seconds, then squirmed. Leandro let go, but he moved his hands to my shoulders and turnedme around.
