A Charmed Life | Coven Corner #3

Chapter Eleven

Mabon arrived, welcoming the autumnal equinox with a flurry of color and a sharp chill in the air. Pagan Posies was buzzing with activity, brimming with dozens of smells, from tea to fresh candy to hot pastries.

Baskets of apples and mushrooms were scattered across buffet tables. Fresh bushels of herbs from Bryony's greenhouses were stuffed in old jars for vases and blooming with late autumn seed heads. Everyone brought a little something to share, to spread the abundant harvest around with friends and family.

Hazel was busy in the orchard with her Windywings students, instructing them how to plant their magical trees that they'd been growing for the past month.

Phoebe's pot remained empty, still not using magic in her lessons. But she was willing to help Seline plant her tree at the edge of the orchard.

Hazel watched them playing together, laughing.

"Seline is good for her," Bryony said, coming up to stand at Hazel's side. "Don't tell Seline I said that. It'll go straight to her head."

Hazel smiled. "Seline doesn't have a shy bone in her body. She simply sweeps Phoebe up into her whirlwind."

"That's the Torres way," Bryony replied with a grin.

Sky came down the hill, bouncing baby Kaleb on one hip. It seemed he got chubbier by the day. But Sky was beaming from ear to ear, every time she got to baby-sit him for her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Bianca.

"Look who I have for the day," she declared, toying with Kaleb's little fist. "I told Bianca she needed some rest and the Mabon celebration would be the perfect way to spend an evening with Keegan."

Bryony pressed a wet, noisy kiss to Kaleb's cheek. He shrieked with laughter.

"Does Aiden know you've found another date for tonight's festivities?" she said.

Sky hitched Kaleb a little higher on her hip. "Aiden loves Kaleb just as much as I do, you know that. Don't you go trying to get me into trouble."

Bryony cackled.

Just past Sky's shoulder, movement caught Hazel's attention. Nick stood at the top of the hill, looking lost. Hazel touched Bryony's arm.

She'd explained everything to Bryony last week about Phoebe's need for a familiar and Bryony was more than happy to offer up a fresh kitten.

"Do you think we could look at those kittens now?" Hazel said.

"Sure," Bryony replied. "They're in the kitchen. I'll get Phoebe and meet you there."

She set off for the house. Hazel raised her arm and waved to get Nick's attention. He spotted her and hurried down the hill.

"Hey," he said, a little breathless. "I hope I didn't make you wait too long. I had a customer stop by the garage at the last minute. Tried to get it finished up as quickly as I could."

Hazel shook her head. "We just finished planting trees that the students have been growing for the past month. We're meeting Bryony in the kitchen for those kittens."

Nick fell into step beside her as they made their way through the orchard, toward Bryony's house.

"How's Phoebe holding up?" he said.

"She's doing better," Hazel admitted. "A little less sullen. But I think that could be the promise of a new kitten."

"And her magic? Is she doing her lessons?"

Hazel cast him an apologetic look. "I'm afraid not. If she doesn't start performing magic within another month or two, I'll have to hold her back. She won't be thrilled about having me for a teacher again but I can't force her to do magic if she doesn't want to do it."

Nick sighed. "We talk about it every night. I think magic reminds her of her mother. It's still a sore spot."

Hazel nodded. "That's understandable."

The door of Bryony's house opened and Phoebe clattered onto the porch in her brown lace-up boots. She waved both hands frantically in the air.

"Daddy! Daddy! Come quick! There are so many kittens and you have to see them!" she said.

"I'm on my way," Nick called back. He cast a glance at Hazel. "It seems a cat will be the choice of familiar. You were right."

Hazel smiled. "I'm partial to them myself."

Hazel and Nick climbed up the porch steps and found themselves tucked close together in Bryony's cozy, warm kitchen. Hazel tugged her black scarf off from around her neck to make herself comfortable.

Phoebe sat on the kitchen floor, kittens piled in her lap. She had the biggest smile on her face Hazel had ever seen. Phoebe went around to each kitten, patting their little heads, brushing their tiny tails that stuck straight up.

Hazel crouched down beside her and picked up a tortoise-shell kitten with white mitten paws.

"Do you have one you like?" she said.

Phoebe shook her head. "All of them. They're so tiny and fuzzy!"

Nick settled on the ground beside Phoebe and scratched behind the ears of a gray kitten that looked like a toddling cotton ball. But he wasn't looking at the kittens. He was watching Phoebe, seeing the joy light up in her eyes, just like Hazel was.

"Hold on a minute," Bryony said. She bent over to a basket in the corner of the kitchen, tucked between the stove and the broom closet. She pulled out a black kitten, smaller than the others, with sky-blue eyes and a white heart-shaped dot on the tip of its nose.

Magic sparked at the tips of Phoebe's fingers for the first time in weeks. She held out her hands and accepted the kitten as if it was as delicate as a feather.

"I think we have a winner," Bryony said.

The kitten reached up and batted at Phoebe's pigtails. She kissed the top of the kitten's head with a hum of contentment.

"This one," she said, matter-of-fact. "I like this one."

"What about a name?" Nick said.

Phoebe studied the kitten, head tilted to the side in thought.

"Luna," she said with a nod of finality. "'Cause it looks like she has a little moon on the tip of her nose."

Nick glanced up at Hazel with a soft smile of gratitude.

Thank you, he mouthed.