Page 5 of With This Witch
“Because you loooveee meee…” Declan responds, drawing out the words, teasing Lachlan.
“No, that’s definitely not it,” Lachlan deadpans, sipping his drink.
* * *
Lachlan returns home and changes into his typical bar uniform—jeans and a gray T-shirt—before heading to the Acorn. When Lachlan arrives at the bar, he sees Petra’s car, which means that Daisy and Petra are already there. Daisy is stocking the bar with beer, and Petra sits on the bar top, her legs dangling off the edge when he enters.
“Hey, Lach!” Daisy calls as she notices him walk through the door.
“Daisy,” he responds with the smallest of head nods. Looking over at Petra, he says, “You alright?”
“Hmm? Oh. Not really.”
Daisy turns her head to Lachlan. “She got some other news last night.” She shares a silent look.
“Oooh, that sounds juicy.”
Petra cuts a harsh look at Lachlan, causing him to flinch. “It’s not juicy. Gammy stopped by last night, and apparently, she’s dying,” she snaps.
Lachlan moves to stand in front of her, feeling like a complete ass. “Shit. I’m sorry. I’m a dick.”
Petra looks anywhere but at him, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, clearly holding back tears. When she seems collected enough, she continues, “And the council is worried about my ability to be a Premier Witch, so I’ve been summoned to an emergency council meeting tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. But damn, now I know why I’ve been called in,” Lachlan responds, keeping his face blank.
“You didn’t know?”
He shakes his head. He doesn’t like that he’s being left out of council plans. He also hopes Grog doesn’t have enough gall to try anything super shitty; the troll has never liked the Rose family, especially Gladys.
Petra fidgets with the cuff on her sleeve. “I’m not thrilled about going in front of council, and I’m a little nervous about what will happen.”
Lachlan places his hand gently under her chin and slowly raises her head so her eyes meet his. “I know it’s scary, and the council can be no joke. But they want something from you, so they will likely behave better. Go in with an open mind and hear them out. Ultimately, they only want what is best for our collective community.” He says the words, but he’s not sure he fully believes them. He hopes Petra doesn’t get caught in the crossfire of whatever political games are going on.
Petra smiles and places her hand on his forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze. She may not say it, but he takes that as a thank-you.
Lachlan turns away, heading back behind the bar to start his opening prep. “Besides, if they want to harm you, they’d have to go through me, and they don’t want that.” He allows his eyes to quickly flash demon-gold before returning to his usual steel blue.
Petra hops off the bar top and walks over to Lachlan, now at the far end, squeezing his shoulder as she walks behind him. “Thanks, Lach. I appreciate it. But keep the demon in its cage tomorrow. The last thing I need is more council attention than I already have.” Petra waves to Daisy, who is out on the floor, and winks at Lachlan before heading out the door, the chimes signaling her departure.
CHAPTERTHREE
Petra
Another morning with a group of preschoolers proves just as chaotic as usual. While outside this afternoon, in twenty minutes, Charlie fell and got a bloody nose, Max caught a bee and was stung, Seraphina lost her prized stuffy, and Petra herself tripped over a ball that had rolled behind her and fell on her ass.
All day, she tries to convince herself that the meeting tonight will not be an issue. That everything will be okay. And yet, something inside her warns her that something big is coming her way. She pushes these thoughts aside as she returns to her preschool room after her lunch break and plasters on a smile to greet her little ones for the afternoon. She is welcomed back warmly by Max and Seraphina, who rush into her before she has time to close the door.
“Miss Petra!” they exclaim in unison as they bury their faces in the side of her thighs, giving her big hugs.
“I made a castle with the playdough,” Max says. “Come look!”
“And I made a dragon that’s going to attack his castle,” Seraphina tells her.
Petra smiles at them and watches as they run back to the table with the playdough, wondering what the world could be like for them in a few years. Would it be more accepting of their abilities—Max’s super speed and Seraphina’s fae wings currently hidden under her oversized sweater—or will they still be at risk of hate from the small groups of humans who rally against the magical beings? Could this be something she is able to shape as a future Premier Witch?
Max shouts across the room, “Miss Petra! Come look! Come look!”
Petra joins Max and Seraphina at their table, ready to delve into their world of dragons and castles. Watching these two play together and work so well to create their own world ignites a glowing ember inside Petra. She works hard to guide the next generation and teach them how to care for others and themselves. She knows that the little ones around her are watching everything she does and that she needs to model for them how to approach the world with compassion. Her group of children are a mix of human and supernatural, and every day she teaches them about each other, helping them to understand they are stronger together.
