Page 47 of Practically Magic

“Who knows? Oh! Look at those animatronic bats!”

Laney and I duck as a swarm of bats flies through the house and out the back door. People laugh as if it’s all in good fun, but I can feel my magic again, tingling faster and faster. I flex my fingers, try to shake them out. These aren’t costumes they’re talking about. Looking around, I see ghosts mingling among the living; those tiny creatures running across shelves definitely are not animatronics. They are actual gnomes. Behind me I hear a howl and wonder if someone let in an actual werewolf.

Laney grabs my arm. “Okay, those were vampires, weren’t they? Any chance we can call Harry now?”

I am done relying on Harry. Laney wouldn’t understand, being an only child, but I know I can fix this. I just can’t do it alone. As I scan the party for Colton, a gnome pushes a pricey vase off Mrs. Croft’s bookcase, and it shatters. A crowd has gathered around the shelves to watch them destroy the house. People raise their cups and cheer as if this is a big game.

A ghost floats through Laney’s right arm and she jumps. “Seriously, Kat. Someone could get hurt. Now is not the time to be proud.”

“You’re right,” I admit, feeling my magic tingling, my shoulders now like bricks. It’s a sensation I haven’t felt before, but I know something is happening, and it’s all in response to what is going on here at Colton’s. I need to warn him. “Let me just find Colton and tell him he has to shut this party down.” I hear another crash from the other room and a girl screams. “Give me ten minutes to find him. You stay here in the open. Where it’s safer.”

“Are you sure about that?” Laney gripes.

“Just stay here.” I race around the corner in search of Colton and instead crash right into someone tall and dark haired.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Hadley,” Zach says, steadying me with his too-big hands on my arms. It feels like I’m being smothered, in a warm and cozy kind of way. “I didn’t take you for the jumpy type,” he says. He’s wearing a tuxedo with an eye patch, his hair slicked back. The look works for him, not that I’m about to tell him that. My stomach, however, does a strange sort of flip in response. That’s new.

My smile is instant. “Are you supposed to be a Bond villain?”

“How’d you know that?” Zach asks, looking mildly impressed.

“My dad loves the movies. I’ve watched all of them with him,” I say.

“At least you’ve got good taste when it comes to movies,” Zach says sarcastically, and I nudge him. “Believe it or not, I brought you a peace offering. For getting us out of detention, even though you’re the reason we had it in the first place.”

“Agree to disagree,” I say. “It was an accident.”

“Uh-huh.” Zach reaches in his tuxedo coat pocket and pulls out a small bag of candy pumpkins. “These are for you.” A bat that is probably a vampire flitters over his head and past us, but Zach doesn’t notice.

Zach bought me a present?

My stomach drops. Oh no. He’s definitely another one of the boys under my sister’s love-curse-turned-enchantment.

“Thanks,” I say, trying not to sound as sullen as I feel.

“Don’t pretend you don’t love them,” he says, beaming down at me.

“They’re the least popular Halloween candy according to multiple surveys,” I say, but my heart isn’t in it.

“You aren’t most people,” Zach says. “And don’t pretend I haven’t seen you drooling over the bags we have at Witches Brew.”

Despite logic, my heart flutters. “You saw that?”

Zach leans in, and it’s then I realize he never let go of how he was holding me. “I always see you, Kat,” he says quietly.

My heart thumps in my throat. Zach Powell is looking at me like I’m the only girl in the world. Zach Powell is stroking gently along my upper arms, his thumbs warm and soothing. Zach Powell is leaning in like he’s going to kiss me, his eyes fluttering shut.

“I hate you, Harry,” I mutter.

“What was that?” Zach asks, eyes snapping open.

“Nothing,” I say, stamping in annoyance. It’s so embarrassing that my voice comes out all strangled, because my throat is burning and my eyes are prickling.

Because this isn’t real. Zach doesn’t really see me. This is just my sister’s spell, finding a new way to ruin my life.

“I have to find Colton.”

“Colton?” Zach asks, his face falling. Then his jaw clenches. “You need to find Colton.”