Page 8 of Minnie: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

I nod again and spot the gorgon’s curious eyes on me. How much did he overhear? And is he watching us because he’s worried the dolphin witch will hurt his snakes? Or maybe he’s as drawn to me as I am to him?

I feel like blushing, but I’m cool and collected Formula M Minnie. Especially since there could never be anything between us—and not just because his personality is obviously lacking.

“So…” Amber wrings her hands again, which is a dead giveaway that there’s more. “Have you heard of babymoons?”

I shake my head. “What’s that? Some sort of birthing ritual? A paranormal doula?” I wrack my brain for something else. “An ethereal epidural?”

Amber snorts. “No. It’s like a honeymoon, but you go while you’re pregnant. Kind of like one last vacation before you become parents.”

“Oh, that sounds nice. Are you thinking of going on one?”

Amber nods. “The guys and I were looking at options…”

“Like the B&B?”

“We were thinking about going a little further than that.”

“You mean Scarborough?” I ask, referring to the next town over.

Amber shakes her head. “Actually, we’ve been talking about the new supernatural cruise line. Have you heard of it?”

I shake my head.

Amber keeps talking, but I’m no longer listening. A heavy feeling settles in my gut and I start to panic. Formula M tries to calm me down. When that does work, it makes me yawn like five times, so no one can tell… well, no one except Amber.

“Minnie, you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I drawl, even though I’m not! How could I possibly be fine?

I can’t be that far away from Julian. And yes, I know that makes me sound like an obsessive ex—even though Julian and I were never a thing—but I’m not being clingy. It’s so much more than that.

It would kill me to be away from Julian. As in literally kill me. Because until the curse is broken, wherever he goes, I go. Forever.

Wave after wave of calm courses through me, but it does nothing. Literally nothing. I click my nails on the counter, annoying myself and only heightening my panic. I yawn. I roll my eyes. I wonder if the gorgon’s watching and thinks I’m a psycho.

“I’ve thought it through.” Amber sounds so certain that I want to scream.

If she goes through with the cruise, I’ll end up dead. I want to beg and plead and tell her she can’t do this to me. But Formula M doesn’t let any of my anxiety show, unless you count all the yawns and eye rolls.

“You have nothing to worry about, Minnie. I promise.”

There’s only one way that would be true, and we both know it. “Does that mean Julian isn’t going?”

“He is. But maybe Pepp’s friend can break the curse.”

Amber sounds so hopeful, but that’s all it is. Misplaced hope. “And if she doesn’t?”

“Then we were thinking maybe you could come on the cruise? Natty too, of course.”

I can’t afford that. But I also can’t admit I have money troubles. Not while I’m taking Formula M.

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

You know I can’t afford it, Amber! I mentally shout at her. She barely pays me above minimum wage. And we’re squatting at the bakery because I can’t even afford rent—not that Amber knows about that little problem—but she should realize that there’s absolutely no way I could save up enough for a cruise. I’m barely getting by as it is.

“Please come, Minnie,” Amber grabs my hand. “I need this. The guys and I all need this.” Amber starts to hyperventilate, and I miss the days when she used to crazy-shift whenever she was panicking. It was way better than this.

Amber sounds so desperate, I wonder what she and her guys would do if I refused to come. I doubt they’d leave me here to die… but if they don’t go on their babymoon, they’ll end up resenting me.