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Head tipping back, I take a deep breath and let it out, imagining it sweeping away the lingering traces of madness brought on by the poison Bryant pumped into my body and leaving only goodness behind.
DANCE AWAY THE BAD
The fire lighting the sky draws people to the beach.
First Owen, Barron, and Jesse arrive, and our circle opens to include them, their energies joining ours. The wildness of their wolves and the darkness of Owen’s curse hold a power all their own, adding to the strength of our circle and uplifting everyone.
Wonder fills Owen’s face, and his voice is breathless as we dance in a circle around the fire. “What are we doing here?”
“We’re banishing negativity.” My eyes skip between the mesmerizing flames and the flashing barrier overhead. “Cleansing our town and welcoming positive energy.”
Barron lets out a laugh. “My whole body is tingling!”
More people trickle down to the beach, curiosity drawing them closer until a small crowd forms around the bonfire. The circle expands as more people join, and I tap out, breathless from dancing.
Tris and Owen join me a moment later, their faces flushed and their eyes bright.
Owen’s arms circle around me. “This is incredible.”
“It is.” My gaze sweeps over the circle.
While more and more witches step out, their places taken by wolf shifters and vampires, the glow of energy that surrounds everyone remains strong and vibrant. For the first time in a while, the citizens of Hartford Cove find harmony with each other and the world around them.
So much magic fills the air that it I could float away on it, all the way up to the barrier, which forms a solid glow around the town now, stronger than it’s ever been before.
My lips part in a quick breath as realization strikes. Hartford Cove doesn’t need the Wendall witch, or any singular witch at all, so long as the barrier stands. No yearly spells to renew the camouflage, no panic if their precious Wendall disappears.
All they need is this. To come together in peace and harmony. It generates enough magic to keep the town hidden forever.
Aspen approaches us, magic dancing in his eyes.
I point up at the sky. “Do you see it?”
“I do.” A light breeze dances his fine blond around his head. “The wolf shifters here are more powerful than normal. Maybe because they’ve lived surrounded by magic their entire lives. It’s wonderful and unheard of.”
Slowly, the dancing breaks up, but people linger, and a lively gathering forms. Blankets appear, along with food and beverages.
I find myself on a blanket with Tris and Owen, sharing a bag of pretzels and a lemon-lime soda that tickles my nose.
The fire continues to burn, pushing back the cold ocean breeze, and someone produces a Bluetooth speaker. Soon, music fills the air, and dancing of another kind starts up between the blankets where people sit and laugh.
Ginny comes to claim Tris, laughing as she pulls him off our blanket, and they disappear down the beach.
When they return, they carry a shirt full of clams dug up from the beach.
Tris nudges Owen with his sand-covered foot. “Tell me you know how to do a clam bake, because Ros was useless last time.”
Laughing, Owen takes charge, demonstrating the clam bake process by digging a pit in the sand.
Ros joins me on the blanket, leaning back on his elbows as he gazes around at the festivities. “It was never like this before.”
I dig my toes into the sand. “I don’t think clam bakes are normal anywhere except near the beach.”
“Not that.” His arm sweeps out. “This. The celebration. The mingling of different races. This is special.”
I turn to study his fire-lit face. “The witches and vampires never mingled in your mole city?”
He shakes his head. “Only if they were mates, and then only within the family group. Otherwise, the witches stayed separate. I always thought it was to protect them, but now I wonder.”
