AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lira
“He was charming, and I was a total sucker,” I told Trixie, who was sitting next to me at the bar, listening to me retell how I had met Bruno.
I had no idea why I had flirted with him so hard in the gallery, or why I hadn’t been able to stop myself from putting my hand on his arm. I’d made sure I stood as close to him as I could without being indecent. To find out our time together had been based on a bet made with his brother was heartbreaking. My heart clenched knowing he had not taken us seriously . . . but then again, neither had I.
Millie should have been with him that day, not me, and he should have remained a client in name only. Not Bruno McCullough. Just the sound of his name sent hot waves through me, making me groan.
I wouldn’t be in this predicament if Millie had just gone to work that day. But she hadn't, and I’d thought it would be fun to play our old game of being the other sister.
Taking another sip of whatever concoction the bartender had given me, I looked back at Trixie, the young witch Charli had insisted I meet. She had black hair, too, with a round face and full lips. It was nice to talk to someone who wasn’t a ghost, especially one that looked similar to me. It felt a little like Millie was here.
“Being in love is awful,” I shared with her. Not that I was in love. I couldn’t be! We’d only gone on two dates. This was more like infatuation for eternity. I snorted. Who was I kidding? I’d fallen hard and fast.
“It sure is,” Trixie agreed, and it was enough for me to know there was a story there. “I think we should go dance the night away and let ourselves forget about our exes right now.”
“Hear! Hear!”
I didn’t want to be alone tonight. Not with everything going on. Millie had left me more than fifty messages over the last few days, but last night’s voicemail took the cake. She had met Jacob’s wolf and said that it was lovely. What in the world was she thinking being with him? People didn’t change into wolves! That was not a thing! But then again, people also didn’t find out they were witches when they were twenty-two years old.
My new friend tugged on my arm. “Come on. I see some of my friends over there. I’ll introduce you.”
I nodded. After taking another sip of my drink, I got out of my seat and followed her, hoping to drown out my thoughts with loud music and new friends.
There were two other girls sitting at the table, both looking like they would be fun to hang out with. Anything to get my mind off of Bruno.
“Lira, this is Mod and Piya,” Trixie said, gesturing to each of them in turn. “They live in the neighboring towns not far from here and are here for the coven meeting.”
“You’re both witches too?” Charli had not mentioned meeting more than one witch.
“We are. Is there something wrong with that?” Mod said, her voice slow and raspy. Her light brown pixie cut was spiked on all sides.
“No, not at all! I mean, it’s totally fine that you are. I just?—”
“Don’t believe, do you?” Mod said, sarcasm dripping off every word.
“Give her a break, Mod,” Piya said. “Come join us.” She patted the seat next to her. She looked the youngest in the group, as if she’d just graduated from high school. She had long, tight, blonde curls like Goldilocks, and they rained down the side of her face. Big doe eyes looked back at me, and I couldn’t help but feel like she was the prey while Mod was the hunter sitting next to her.
I took a deep breath and sat down next to Piya. “What’s the coven meeting about?” I asked.
“Evilness that’s attacking our way of life,” Mod said, looking at me over the rim of her glass.
“You should really join the meeting as it affects you too,” Piya said.
My heart started racing. I looked at the three of them to find they were all looking at me with expectant eyes. Charli had mentioned the coven meeting, but I wasn’t ready for that level of interaction. I’d agreed to meet up with one witch, which had now turned into three. That was about my limit right now.
“Do your hands feel warm? I know mine always do when I’m nervous,” Piya said, pointing at my hands.
I put down my glass and clasped my hands together. As Piya had said, my hands were warm. Warmer than if I’d been sitting in the sun for hours. The confirmation had me scrambling. “I just realized I have to go,” I said, getting to my feet. “I hadn’t meant to stay so long and lose track of time.”
I began to step over their legs in an effort to get away, but right when I thought I was free, a hand landed on my arm. I turned to see Trixie, who was looking at me with concern in her eyes. “Just a second, Lira.”
She let go of my arm slowly, as if afraid I was going to bolt. I wanted to, but something in her eyes made me wait. “Call me if you ever want to hang out again—as a friend, I promise. I’d love to have a drink with you sometime. No pressure.”
I nodded. Clinging to the last bit of strength I had, I turned and walked out of the bar. As always, fate or luck was on my side, and a taxi pulled up in front of me. It spat out a gaggle of college kids, and I hoped they would have more fun tonight than I did. Slipping into the back seat of the taxi, I asked the driver to take me home.
As the taxi drove away, I thought about the past year. I’d learned I was a witch, met my great-great-grandmother as a ghost, and found out the man I loved could shift into a wolf. I held back the tears that threatened to fall. Millie had it good. She didn’t have weird things happening to her; no images that would pop into her head unannounced, and most especially in the middle of the night. She didn’t have premonitions; things happening mere minutes after thinking about them—like this taxi showing up.
Of course, she would tell me it was all just a coincidence, but it happened so frequently that that excuse did not fly. There had been times when I was getting frustrated with my day, wishing whatever problem was happening at the time would fix itself, and not five minutes later, something or someone would come along, and the problem would go away. In those moments, this gift was fantastic.
