I pushed away from Jack and wrenched open the car door. Diving inside, I pulled it closed before I changed my mind and hit the lock. I rapped on the seat in front of me.
“Please, go. Now.”
Jack pounded on the window, and a sob burst from my throat.
“Just drive!”
The car jerked forward, sliding on the slippery gravel. It gained traction and shot forward, leaving Jack standing alone in the driveway, shouting my name.
Chapter 15
Delia
“What do you mean there’s car trouble?” I leaned forward and gripped the handrest inside the taxi as the driver pulled over to the side of the road and stepped out. He lifted the hood and smoke poured from the engine. I clambered out of the car, nearly slipping on the icy road, and peered into the hazy abyss that was the vehicle’s inner workings.
“What’s wrong with it?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I just drive the thing. Don’t worry, I’ll call it in and get someone else out here.”
There wasn’t time for that! I hovered my hands over the blazing engine, hoping some magical energy would call out to me. If I knew which part to fix, I could use a spell, but I wasn’t a mechanic. It all looked like twisted metal to me. Minutes were ticking by, and I needed to make it to the train station.
“Sorry about the trouble. I bet you’re trying to get home for Christmas. It might be a while, but we’ll get you back on track. Why don’t you wait inside the car? It’s freezing out here.”
We were in the middle of nowhere, without access to alternate transportation. There wasn’t even a house in sight or a parked car I could zap to life and commandeer in the name of saving Christmas. I shivered and slipped back into the taxi.
Reaching for my phone, I tried to dial the agency’s main line, but no one answered. Not that I expected the receptionist to be manning her desk during a party, but it would have been nice. Next, I tried Agatha, cringing when I got her perky voicemail. I considered leaving a snarky one-liner but changed my mind.
It was hopeless. There was no way I was getting anyone on the phone. I had to be there in person. Which would be a whole lot easier if the car was running! I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes, but the darkness only made it easier to visualize Jack’s tormented features.
I hated leaving like that, but sitting Jack down to explain that I was a witch sent to grant him a Christmas miracle, except I’d messed up, and now he was about to lose all his memories from the past three weeks, was not a ten-minute conversation. Besides, if I failed to reverse the rule, he wouldn’t remember any of it, anyway.
An hour passed while I waited inside the car imagining every horrible scenario. Jack called four times before I turned off my phone. Snow flurries fluttered in the air, making it seem like I was trapped inside a snow globe that someone had shaken and then perched on a shelf.
Finally, another taxi showed up to take me to the train station. As soon as the car braked, I jumped out of the taxi and ran to one of the self-serve ticket kiosks. Bouncing on my heels, I swiped through the screens. When I got to the end, I tapped the print button and waited. Nothing happened.
My eyes crossed as I hit the side of the machine with my hand like it was a vending machine and my chips were stuck. The move rarely freed the chips, and it did nothing to print my ticket.
I glanced at the manned ticket booth, but it was empty and dark. This was unbelievable. Somehow, I’d found myself in the plot of one of those movies where the universe and everything in it conspired to make you late. Closing my eyes, I pushed a wave of energy into the kiosk, hoping I wouldn’t scramble the thing permanently. It buzzed as the ticket printed and popped out into my hand.
Relief spread down to my toes as I raced toward the boarding train and claimed my seat. The snow had picked up, falling thick and fast outside my window, blinding the scenery as it rushed past. It made travel difficult, and by the time I rounded the corner in front of my towering office building, it was almost midnight.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” The doors were locked, and thanks to our security system, not even magic could penetrate the deadbolts. I pounded on the glass, seeing lights inside the reception area. Hope made me dizzy. They were still inside, and I’d made it in time.
A shadow bounced against the wall, and a man in uniform pushing a mop bucket stepped into view. He approached the door and gave me a curious smile.
“Can I help you?” he asked through the door.
“Yes. I work here, and I’m late for the party. Can you let me in?” I searched through my purse and flashed him my employee badge.
The man frowned and dread doused some of my hope. “I’m sorry, but the party was canceled because of the snow. I’m sure they will reschedule.”
“What?” My whole body seemed to collapse inward, and my arms dropped to my sides. There was no party. No one inside to help me reverse the spell that would take Jack’s memories.
“Are you okay? Do you need me to call for a ride?” The man asked, but I waved him away and walked away from the building. I shuffled through the snow for a few feet and sank onto a metal bench. A lamp post illuminated the furious flakes and the empty street as the clock ticked down to midnight.
Tears slid in hot streaks down the sides of my face, and I huddled inside my coat. It was Christmas morning, and I was alone again. But this time, there was no joy to soak in, no family to sit with around the fire. Worst of all, Jack had lost his memories.
I’d ended up on the wrong side of a miracle, just like Simon had warned.
