Page 14 of Wynter

Anger courses through me. Anger at Ghost for showing up in my life only to leave again. Anger at myself for letting him rattle me and for what I’ve done to Jewels Cafe. And anger at Minerva for trying to sabotage my dream job and messing with my friends.

When she doesn’t open the door, I cast a spell. One that sends one of the bakery’s tables flying at the door. They’re a lot smaller than those at Jewels Cafe. Small and round and delicate, but turns out they’re stronger than they look.

Glass shatters. The boards keeping the door firmly in place crack. And then the table clatters onto the sidewalk.

A glance reveals that I have an audience. The few supes who were left standing outside Jewels Cafe—and I say supes because I know the humans forgot the whole thing and went home—are now crossing the street to get a better look.

I ignore them and step over the toppled table and march inside. My footsteps echo across the dusty floor as I make my way toward the staircase.

“Minerva Montgomery, come out with your hands up,” I shout, even though I’m no longer Agent Wynter and I don’t have papers to bring Minerva in. Then again, she’s committed a crime, so I think I’ll just call this a citizen’s arrest.

I stomp up the stairs and notice that it’s almost as cold on the second floor as it is outside. Sun streams through an upstairs window, and I follow the dusty booted prints to one of the rooms, nearly mowing down Minerva as she steps out of the bedroom.

The witch is dressed in full winter gear—snow-pants, coat, hat, gloves—her red hair sticking out in greasy chunks. There’s dust on her forehead, and more on her clothes, and her cheeks look a little hollowed out. That and she kind of smells.

Behind her, I spot candy bar wrappers and a half-finished loaf of bread in a plastic bag on the floor. Like maybe she’s been living up here. Without heat. And probably without water—that or she’s decided it’s too cold to take a bath.

Either way, I almost feel bad for her. Almost.

“I know you’ve been stealing from our clients,” I announce. She probably needed to balance out all the candy bars and ate all those savory treats from Buttercup’s Bakery, too.

“What clients?” Minerva gapes at me.

“Don’t play games with me.” I narrow my eyes at her. “You tried messing with Amber and Julian, and now you think you can go after Wes?”

“Oh, you mean the Cleanly Den?” She rolls her eyes at me. “I’ve heard about that.”

“How? No one’s seen you in town in months!”

Minerva bites her lower lip and doesn’t reply.

“I’m going to call the cops.” I reach into my coat pocket and pull out my phone.

“Go ahead.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “I’m sure you have plenty of evidence. Like fingerprints? Or DNA? No? Don’t tell me you just broke into my house without any proof.”

My eyes narrow. I kind of want to hit her with something, but my only option is the loaf of bread, so I decide to pass.

“I think you should go,” Minerva tells me.

“Not happening. I know you’re behind the robberies, and I’m not letting you out of my sight until I find proof.”

For a few seconds, Minerva just stares at me. And then she snorts. “Works for me. So what are we doing next?”

Chapter Five

Zoe

I drag Minerva—who insists I call her Mini—back to Jewels Cafe and put her to work. Or try to. She just plops herself on the bar, crosses her arms, and watches me clean. But hey, at least she doesn’t try to flee.

Amber and Julian look on in horror as I gather a bunch of spells from my van. I don’t cheer them up with a magical show. I don’t turn the broken glass into snowflakes that glisten in the sun. I don’t animate the garbage bags and make them bark as they help me clean. And I don’t bother giving them wings as they float toward the garbage slots in the recycling station outside. It’s a sad, sad day when I just clean.

I activate a Windows N Doors scroll and get both fixed up while I try not to think about Ghost. How he made my heart race and break all over again, even after years apart. I can’t believe he betrayed me. Again. I can’t believe he just left me to clean up this mess and to foot the bill. While pocketing Julian’s deposit, no less.

I nearly break one of the Wobble Stopper vials, I’m so pissed. I have to fight back anger as I sprinkle the contents on the various tables and chairs and watch them get magically repaired. And then I almost spill the entire bottle of Spiff N Shine I’m about to spray on the walls and floor.

All the spells combined cost more than two of my paychecks. And as soon as I prove Mini is the thief and save the Cleanly Den, I’m going after Ghost to take back every cent. Hopefully sooner, rather than later, too. Not just because Ghost will probably skip town—but because the girl will not stop whining.

Can someone make me some coffee?