Page 56 of All My Witches
Hutch brightened. “You tell him, baby! Does that mean you’re coming home withme?”
Lila didn’t look thrilled at the prospect. “I guess, but I hear they’re hiring a new actor soon and I’m sure he’s going to be my new love interest. This is onlytemporary.”
Hutch wasn’t about to be dissuaded. “That’s okay. I’ll just get you pregnantagain.”
“I’m alreadypregnant.”
“Who doesn’t love twins? Besides, if you have twins, it’s far more likely one of them will eventually die and you’ll get bumped up to leading lady when thathappens.”
Lila pursed her lips and nodded. “Goodidea.”
“Oh, I hate these people.” Thistle was disgusted. “I just … this is the dumbest world we’ve ever beento.”
“I kind of like it,” Clove said. “The music is great, and who doesn’t love a goodmontage?”
Landon, Marcus and Sam raised theirhands.
“Montages suck,” Landon said. “That’s still the worst thing that’s ever happened tome.”
“You’ll survive.” I squeezed his wrist. “We need to find you another shirt. Even though Lila has backed off, she keeps glancing over here. I think she might bedrooling.”
“If she touches me again I expect you to fight her off.” Landon was somber. “She makes my skincrawl.”
The simple declaration was enough to warm my heart. “Thank you.” I kissed his cheek. “Now, Aunt Tillie, I think we’ve been good sports. It’s time you sent us home.” I turned to the spot where she’d stood only moments before and found it empty. “AuntTillie?”
“I told you there’s no one here by that name.” Aunt Tillie’s voice echoed throughout the clearing – as if amplified by megaphone – and when I turned to the cabin I found she’d managed to move a good distance away. The bear was gone, but two shadowy figures had joined the fray, bracketing Aunt Tillie. Unfortunately, they looked exactly likeher.
“Oh, holy moly,” Clove complained, dumbfounded disbelief washing over her face. “There are three of her. How is that evenpossible?”
“The world is surely coming to an end,” Thistle complained. “Three Aunt Tillies? Someone just needs to smite menow.”
“I’ll do it,” Lilaoffered.
“Don’t you have someplace else to be?” Thistle shot back. “No one was talking toyou.”
“I’ll do it,” Clovevolunteered.
“I hate all of you.” Thistle made a disgusted face as she focused on the trio of Aunt Tillies. “What’s this? Are we back to science fiction? Is Aunt Tillie cloningherself?”
That was a very good question. “I don’t think so. I think it’s supposed to be a take on twins or dualroles.”
“Oh, so she’s triplets instead of twins because Aunt Tillie has to beat everyone,” Thistle mused. “That makessense.”
“You have no idea the power you’re messing with,” Aunt Tillie’s Alexis Kane persona uttered dramatically. “We’re stronger thanyou.”
“You’re … something,” I agreed. “We still want to gohome.”
“The story isn’tdone.”
“It is forus.”
“And yet it’s not.” Aunt Tillie’s smile was bright. “I don’t believe I’ve gotten the chance to introduce my sisters. This is Nikki Forrester and Marlena Bauer. They’re my more evil and most eviltwins.”
“Oh.” Realization dawned. “We really should’ve seen thatcoming.”
“Wait … more evil and most evil?” Landon was understandably confused. “How does thatwork?”
“One does the work of the more evil me and the other does the work of the most evilme.”
