Page 93 of Kiss and Spell

Xavier glanced around, looking for a scrap of paper, a receipt, anything to let her know what happened. Ursula’s aquamarine notebook lay on her dresser. He should leave a note so she wouldn’t worry about him. Xavier went for it, then stopped. What could he say to her that would be enough? If he wasn’t a prince anymore, then how could he give her the happily-ever-after she wished for?

What would it say? I don’t trust myself to love you. Goodbye. No, he couldn’t be so heartless. Xavier didn’t have the right words to tell her that he couldn’t stay. He’d leave her a reminder of their time together. He dropped his necklace on the bed. She deserved more, but it was all that he had to give her. Xavier had no use for it at home. Father snapped his fingers, and they disappeared in an instant.

June

THIS MONTH’S BIRTHSTONE: ALEXANDRITE

Alexandrite is worn to invite good luck and increase wisdom to the wearer.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ursula let the crystal dangle over the foldout map on the Caraway kitchen table. She hadn’t scryed for a lost item in a while, but she figured she’d give it a shot. Her heart put out a call. Where can I find my fae? Sirena, who stood by the cutting board making lunch, made a sympathetic sound.

“I don’t think he’s on the East Coast anymore, Sula,” she said. “He’s not even in this world.”

Ursula let the crystal ease over the map. It kept landing on Grove Park. She swung it again, but it landed on Grove Park once more. It was probably useless to scry for a fae who wasn’t lost, but she had to do something.

“This crystal is broken,” Ursula said, letting a little whine bleed into her voice.

Sirena glared at the map. “No, you need to take a break. Get something to eat.”

Ursula put the crystal down with a loud thud. The table rattled. “He didn’t leave a note!”

Sirena grunted. “Not this again. Not everyone leaves handwritten notes like a Masterpiece Theatre drama.”

Ursula exhaled deeply. “No, they don’t.” But Xavier did leave her notes or texted her. Always.

With every passing day, the truth was becoming clear. Xavier wasn’t coming back. Or maybe he didn’t want to come back. That truth didn’t sit well with her.

How could everything change in an instant? One moment she’d been in the shower flirting with Xavier through the door, and the next, time seemed to freeze and she didn’t hear him outside. She came out of the bathroom dripping wet only to find the food on the table and their items exactly where they left them. Once she spied his necklace on the bed, her brain went into overdrive.

Her Caraway family had gathered around Ursula when news of Xavier’s sudden departure spread through the town. Mama gave her afternoons off from the psychic shop. Lucy sent over soothing tea blends to calm her nerves. Sirena cooked meals whenever Ursula came over for dinner, which was every other day. She took sanctuary in the family garden among the honeysuckle and roses. It was nice to be around family again.

“Sula.” Sirena placed the turkey sandwich and kettle chips in front of Ursula.

“Thanks.” She didn’t move to eat it, but instead reached up and stroked his necklace. “He always left a note, but this time he didn’t. Something’s wrong.” Ursula shook her head.

“It’s been almost two weeks,” Sirena said lightly. “Whitney promised she’d tell you if she heard anything else. Lucy’s reading the tea leaves. Callie’s calling in every favor around town. Everyone’s doing what they can, so you’ve got to take care of yourself.”

Sirena slid the plate closer to her.

Ursula stared at the sandwich. Her stomach grumbled, and she took a few bites. Sirena poured her a cup of sweet tea and placed it on the table. Before she knew it, she’d eaten half the sandwich and most of the chips. Ursula gulped down the tea easily. Her stress melted away and she felt much better now that it felt like her body and soul were fed. Bless Sirena’s hands, because every meal she made was filled with love and compassion.

“Let’s talk about something fun,” Sirena said. “Have you gotten your gown yet? The ball’s next week.”

Ursula sighed. “I haven’t found anything special. I’ve been distracted.”

She pressed her hands against her eyes. When she slept, she dreamed of Xavier, dressed in his regal finery in the middle of the crystal-green ballroom, so she didn’t. She’d stayed up so late last night that it hurt just to blink. When she was awake, she kept thinking about what went wrong with Xavier.

She hadn’t felt this way even when Lincoln left her at the altar. Back then, she hadn’t invested her whole self into their relationship. Now with Xavier she’d given in to the fairy tale and she’d fallen head over butt for him. Her heart felt as if it were dangling off a cliff’s edge, waiting to drop and break into a thousand pieces. Her mind went over their last night together in painstaking detail. The kiss. Him suddenly falling ill. They fell asleep holding each other. He’d whispered something in her ear—but she couldn’t quite remember it. Was it a location? A place? No… it was something else.

A name. His true name. If only she could write it down.

Ursula opened her eyes. “Do you have something I can write on?”

Sirena went to the kitchen junk drawer and searched through it. “Lucy always has an extra notebook floating around here.”

Sirena rummaged through a few cabinets, until she found a spiral-bound notebook and pencil, then handed it to Ursula. She opened it to a fresh page, then scribbled down all the possible names he could have whispered. Was it Islefair? Thistleglen? Could it be Hazelspark?

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