“You’ll do whatever is necessary to get that horn,” Gareth said. “Because that’s who you are.”

  “Let’s get this over and done with,” I said, securing the earrings to my lobes. “I need to get back to my normal life.” I paused. “Okay, my not-so-normal life, but still. There’s a murder to solve.”

  “I thought you said you had your eye on Franklin Sutcliffe,” Gareth said.

  “Astrid has been tailing him, but she hasn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. He’s also continuing to hang around Jemima at Mix-n-Match, which suggests his presence there might be genuine.”

  I felt a light pressure as Gareth kissed me on the cheek. “Not to worry,” he said. “Like I told you before, one step at a time.”

  Once I was fully dressed and wrapped in a coven cloak, I went downstairs where Daniel awaited me.

  “Breakfast is on the table,” he said. “I’d love to take credit, but Gareth beat me to it.”

  I shrugged. “He loves to cook.”

  “And it’s my house,” Gareth called from upstairs.

  I ignored my roommate and joined Daniel in the dining room where a healthy bowl of porridge sat on the table.

  “I wanted to cook eggs, but Gareth insisted porridge was better for a day full of…activity.”

  I mixed a spoonful of honey into the porridge and stirred. “Thank you both for being so supportive.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to fly you to the starting point?” he asked.

  After discussing the Grey sisters’ recommendation to ’start at the beginning’ with Gareth and Daniel, we decided I would go to Curse Cliff. At first I thought they meant Swan Lake—my beginning in Spellbound—but Curse Cliff made more sense since that was where the curse on the town was initiated.

  I shook my head. “I need to start this day on the ground because I have no idea what to expect later. I’m driving to the secret lair first to pick up the ingredients since it’s on the way.” I thought it was safer to store them in the secret lair than the house.

  I finished my porridge and washed it down with a nice cup of tea. It would’ve been a lovely start to the day if today’s events weren’t so nerve-racking. I set down my cup and noticed Daniel staring at me.

  “What?” I wiped my face. “Do I have porridge on my nose or something?”

  “Even if you did, I wouldn’t notice,” he replied. “You’re lit from within. Do you know that?”

  “Like a gas oven?”

  He reached for my hand. “Make jokes all you like, Emma Hart. I’m still going to love you.”

  “No matter how bad my jokes are? Because I can up the ante.”

  The angel tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I love you. No matter what happens today, carry that close to your heart.”

  “Always,” I whispered.

  Sedgwick swooped into the room and perched on the mantel. It’s time, Your Highness.

  I pushed back my chair and tried to steady my ragged breathing. Sensing my fear, Daniel wrapped his arms around me and I shivered with pleasure when his wings tickled my bare skin. I closed my eyes, enjoying the touch of his hands on the small of my back. It was the little things with Daniel that made me happy. Right here and now was the most comfortable place in the world. No matter where we were, the feel of his arms around me told me I was home.

  “You’ll be amazing today,” he said. “I feel it in my bones.”

  “I hope so,” I replied. “Or I’m getting to let down an entire town. Someone already poisoned my plant. Imagine what they’ll do to me if I fail.”

  “Try not to think about it that way,” he said, tipping my chin upward. “Think about it as a coven test. Pretend it’s one of your law school classes and you desperately want that A plus.”

  “I never got an A plus. The school didn’t offer them.”

  He pulled back and grinned at me. “Then here’s your big chance.”

  “If something happens to me…”

  He kissed my hand. “Nothing is going to happen. You’re coming back to me all in one piece or so help me, I will smite that unicorn myself.”

  I smiled. “You can smite? I didn’t realize you had the power to smite.”

  “Oh, I can smite with the best of them if the situation requires it.”

  “Even without your halo?”

  “My halo has no effect on my smiting abilities.”

  I inclined my head. “Have you ever hurt anyone?”

  Daniel stroked the back of my hair. “Physically, no. Angels tend to turn the other cheek. But you know the ways in which I’ve hurt others.”

  “Is there one instance you regret more than the rest?” I asked.

  “Let’s keep the focus on positive thoughts,” Daniel said. “I don’t want you to worry about me and my redemption. I can tell that’s what’s on your mind right now.”

  “You know me too well.”

  When he grinned, my heart skipped a beat. “Jumping off that big rock was the best leap of faith I ever took,” he said.

  “You’re my rock,” I said, placing my palms flat on his chest. Stars and stones, that was one firm chest. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

  He leaned down to kiss my forehead. “You’re our rock, Emma, and we’re all lucky to have you.”

  Chapter 16

  “Are you sure you have the hair of a rat’s tongue?” Millie asked, peering over my shoulder at the summoning checklist.

  I’d driven to the secret lair and found my friends already there, pacing the floor in anticipation of my arrival. Sedgwick opted to wait outside and the hunt for small lizards.

  “For the third time, yes,” I said through gritted teeth. “I am flawed in many ways, Millie, but organization is not one of them.”

  “You’re right,” she said, backing off. “I’m sorry.”

  Did my ears deceive me or did Millie just apologize? She was obviously taking the summoning very seriously. I took the apology in stride so as not to dissuade her from doing it again someday.

  “Why do you have everything lined up like that?” Sophie asked, observing the table.

  I pointed to the first item. “It’s like a recipe. I lined up each ingredient for the spell in the order in which I intend to use it. It was Gareth’s idea.”

  “Can the spell backfire?” Sophie asked. “What if you accidentally summon something horrible?”

  “That’s why I’m wearing comfortable shoes,” I said. “In case I need to run.”

  “You should bring your broomstick,” Millie said. “In case you need to fly.”

  “Not a good idea,” I said.

  Millie fixed me with her hard stare. “Emma, a broomstick can mean the difference between life and death. You should have one with you as a last resort.”

  “It’s not exactly convenient to lug around,” I said. “I’d have to strap it to my back like Wonder Woman’s sword.”

  “You at least have your wand, right?” Begonia inquired. “I know your magic manifests differently, but a wand is never a bad idea.”

  I patted my waistband. “Tiffany is present and accounted for.”

  “Do you think the whole town will be at Curse Cliff?” Sophie asked.

  I shook my head. “The council has warned everyone to stay close to home. They’ve asked residents to avoid the outskirts of town until tomorrow.”

  “That’s smart,” Laurel said. “We don’t want anyone interfering.”

  “How are you feeling?” Begonia asked. “Do you need a hug?”

  I held out my arms and she squeezed me tightly. The other girls piled on until we were one huge clump of arms and legs.

  “No matter what happens today,” I said, “you should all be proud of yourselves. If it weren’t for the remedial witches, we wouldn’t even have this opportunity right now.”

  We released our grip on each and I set to work gathering my ingredients and placing them carefully in my satchel.

  “Should we walk with you to Curse Cliff?” Laurel asked.

  I slung the satchel over my shoulder. “I’d rather you didn’t. Sedgwick will be with me. That’s enough company for one summoning.”

  “Good luck, Emma,” Begonia said. “Horn or no horn, we love you.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Millie said. “My love is conditional on achievement.”

  Laurel frowned. “You sound like your mother, Millie.”

  Millie’s hand flew to cover her mouth. “Stars and stones, I really do.”

  I waved goodbye and left the secret lair, carrying the dreams of an entire town on my shoulder.

  I reached Curse Cliff and kneeled on the ground, emptying the contents of the satchel. I placed seven rocks in a circle and followed the instructions exactly as Lady Weatherby had shown me. I wasn’t as adept at mixing ingredients as some of the other witches, but I’d improved with practice. Mostly I disliked touching disgusting items like the hair of a rat’s tongue, but when the fate of the town was hanging in the balance, it was easier to focus on the big picture.

  I chanted and danced around the perimeter of the rocks until a plume of smoke burst from its center. A blue flame began to burn.

  Is that supposed to happen? Sedgwick asked.

  “I hope so.”

  I stopped and waited. Nothing seemed different except for the blue flame.

  Any sign yet? Sedgwick asked.

  “Not yet. Ask me one more time and I’m going to turn this car around.”

  You’re not in a car.

  “Forget it.”

  I surveyed the landscape, trying to figure out my next steps. It wasn’t long before a flock of white birds appeared in the distance. Instead of forming a V-pattern, they flew in a circle above a section of the forest.

  They may as well take the shape of an X, Sedgwick said.

  “And we are go for launch.”

  I left the blue flame burning and trekked across the rocky terrain to the start of the forest. The air immediately felt a good five degrees cooler and I was thankful for the cloak Gareth had insisted I wear. I tried to keep my nerves at bay, choosing to focus on the smiling faces of my friends and loved ones. I pictured how proud my parents and grandparents would be if they could see me now.

  “I am brave,” I whispered to myself. Maybe if I repeated the mantra enough times, I would start to believe it.

  Almost there, Sedgwick informed me. He was in a better position to see the birds since the sky had become obscured by the treetops.

  I stopped in my tracks. Um, Sedgwick. I think we’re here.

  In front of a cluster of white birch trees stood two of the Grey sisters, their white and grey hair knotted in braids down their backs.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked. “Where’s Lyra?”

  “We have been called upon to take part in the summoning,” Effie replied.

  “What about Lyra?” I asked.

  “Disallowed,” Petra said. Probably because I knew her too well.

  I took a careful step backward. “What have you been called upon to do?”

  “This phase of the summoning is a test of your mental clarity, it is,” Effie said. “Two plants are on the ground before you.”

  With those words, two plants pushed the dirt aside and emerged from the earth. One plant was green with white berries and the other plant was green with yellow berries. Other than the color of the berries, they appeared identical.

  “One of these plants is a deadly poison, it is,” Petra said. “The other has magical healing properties.”

  “And I need to figure out which one is which?” I queried.

  “There is more, there is,” Petra said. Her grey cloak billowed in the breeze. “Provide information that guides you, we will.”

  “Except one of us is lying and one of us is telling the truth,” Effie said.

  “And I have to decide which is which,” I said. As the shorter one opened her mouth to speak, I interrupted. “Let me guess. There’s more.”

  Of course there is, Sedgwick said, from his position above me and to the left.

  The shorter sister pointed a finger at my familiar and bellowed, “Alight.”

  I shrieked in horror as orange flames licked Sedgwick’s feathers. He plummeted to the ground and rocked in the dirt in an effort to smother the fire.

  “Sedgwick!” I ran and dropped to my knees beside him. Although the flames were extinguished, his wings were scorched and he looked close to death.

  “We are most sorry,” the taller one said with the utmost sincerity.

  “Now decide the correct plant more quickly, you must,” the shorter one said.

  I glared at them over my shoulder. “Like I needed any more pressure.” I focused on Sedgwick, stroking his winged feathers. “I’m here for you, buddy. I’ll figure out which one is the healing plant.”

  “Fail and he dies,” the taller one said.

  I stood and faced them. “Yes, I kinda figured that. So why am I not in pain? He’s my familiar. Shouldn’t I be feeling the burns?”

  “A magical test, this is,” the shorter one said. “You are granted a clear head free from pain.”

  “Not entirely.” Even though my body felt fine, my head was muddied with fear for Sedgwick’s life. I couldn’t screw this up or he would die.

  “Ask either one of us a question to help you,” Effie said.

  I studied the two plants, thinking. This was like a brain teaser. I was good at riddles and brain teasers when I was younger. I could do this. Sedgwick was depending on me.

  “Sedgwick, talk to me,” I said. “Say something snarky. Anything.”

  Your butt…looks big from this angle.

  Thank goodness. Still alive. “So I ask one of you which is the healing plant, and one of you will lie and one of you will tell me the truth?”

  They nodded in unison.

  “Are you both telling the truth now?”

  They nodded again in unison.

  “I guess that didn’t count, since you both answered the same way.” Okay, time to do this. I needed to give myself a pep talk. “It’s a logic puzzle. I may not be able to choose the best outfit, but I can do logic puzzles.”

  “Tick, tick, tick,” Effie and Petra said in unison.

  I crouched on the ground in front of the plants. I drew an X in the dirt in front of the first plant and a Y in front of the other plant. “There are two possible scenarios. If I ask the sister who lies which plant is the healing plant, she will say…” I paused, thinking. “No. There’s a trick.” I remembered a game I’d played with my grandfather—something involving knights. “I need to ask one of you what the other sister would say if I ask which one is the healing plant.”

  The Grey sisters remained silent. I glanced over my shoulder at Sedgwick, still motionless on the ground.

  “Petra, which plant would Effie say is the healing plant?”

  Petra met my steady gaze. “Effie would say the plant marked by an X is the healing plant.”

  I stared hard at the plants, praying that my understanding of the puzzle was correct. “I choose the plant marked with a Y as the healing plant.”

  I didn’t wait for confirmation. I ripped a piece of the plant from the ground, along with the yellow berries, and rushed to Sedgwick’s side. His eyes were closed and his body limp.

  “The berries or the leaf?” I asked no one in particular.

  “Both,” one of the sisters replied. I hoped it was the truth teller.

  I squished the berries and broke apart the leaf. A clear liquid dripped onto Sedgwick’s feathers. I rubbed the juices over his damaged body until my hands were dry.

  “Sedgwick?” I asked hopefully.

  His large eyes opened. How did you know? And please don’t say you took a risk when the other plant was a deadly poison.

  “It doesn’t matter which sister I ask, I would choose the opposite plant of the one I was told because the result is the same.”

  How?

  “If Petra is the sister who lies, then she will tell me that Effie will point me toward the poison plant. If Petra tells the truth, then she will tell me that Effie, the lying sister, will point me toward the poison plant. Either way, the opposite plant of the one I’m told must be the healing plant. Do you see?”

  Sedgwick closed his eyes again.

  “Sedgwick?” I couldn’t keep the panic out of my voice.

  I’m fine, he said. I just have a headache from your explanation.

  “Since you nearly died, I’ll forgive your snarky attitude,” I said.

  He rose from the ground, his wings flapping as though nothing had happened. Good as new. Let’s carry on.

  “No, not you. You need to go home,” I said. “I don’t want to risk you getting hurt again. I can do this on my own.” He was a liability, not because he was incapable, but because I cared about him.

  Are you sure? he asked.

  I nodded slowly. I didn’t trust myself to speak and change my mind.

  As you wish, he replied, and flew away.

  I watched him go, clamping down on the stirrings of regret, until he was out of sight.

  Chapter 17

  When I turned my attention back to the Grey sisters, they were gone. I took the path that cut between the birch trees and immediately heard the sound of rushing water. I came upon a creek that I'd never seen before. It must feed into Swan Lake. I hadn't even realized it was here.

  Gently flapping wings caught my attention and I noticed a beautiful butterfly beside me. Its wings were a brilliant shade of blue with yellow markings. Blue and yellow again, like the pot on my mantel and the wallpaper in my parents’ kitchen. Those two colors seemed to be a theme in my life.

  "Hey there, pretty fella," I said. "Any chance you can lead me to the unicorn?" It was a long shot, but worth a try.

  The butterfly hovered beside me, uncommunicative. I continued to walk alongside the creek, wondering whether I was meant to use it as a guide. The sound of fluttering wings increased and I looked behind me to see that several more butterflies had appeared. They were all the same blue with yellow markings. I didn't recall that butterflies socialized like bees. I had always considered them to be more solitary creatures. They followed behind me and I thought maybe they were curious about my presence here. After another minute of walking, I realized that the sound had become more like a dull vibration. There were now about sixty butterflies trailing behind me in a menacing cluster. Crap on a stick. I was beginning to get the sense that these butterflies were more than just an audience. Was I just being paranoid? It would be understandable after what had happened with Sedgwick.

 

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