Page 81 of Rewitched

“You’re pushing your luck at the moment, darlin’. Now, I don’t want to have to report it to Violet, my suspicions and all.” Christopher tapped his pen impatiently against the Filofax on his desk, one leg resting on the other thigh. “But it was out of order to take time off. I’d expect it from the weekend kids, but I thought you knew better than to try and pull one over on me. You left me high and dry. All for some guff story about your mum, who’s suddenly, miraculously, fine now, is she? Funny that.”

Belle blinked. The man was not normal. “Sorry, can you say that again? I thought for a second you were accusing me of lying about my mum nearly dying.”

“I’m not saying that, I’m not, I feel for her, I really do.” Christopher threw up his hands in feigned innocence. “I just think it’s very convenient that it all kicks off on the days that you knew would leave me stuck here. I break my back doing everything around here while you lot swan in and out as you please. It’s like you don’t even care about the place.”

She was squeezing her fists so tightly that her fingernails stung against the skin of her palms. She could feel the prickles of magic ready to burst, settling into the lines of her hands.

Conviction in thy words must hold,

Speak a truth that’s brave and bold.

Something went off like a firework in her mind. Something flourished, a fizz in her chest. Without allowing her brain to connect too many pathways together, to contemplate what she was about to say and what the reality of it all would mean for anything else, a decision fell into place. It took hold, brave and bold.

“You know what, Christopher?” Belle stared him down, even dared a little airy laugh as she looked at him with pure contempt. “It’s been a joy and a pleasure getting to know you, and as always your company leaves me feeling as though I might profusely vomit at any moment.”

That made him look up from his pager.

“But I quit. That’s it. I quit.”

A look of utter confusion dawned on his sweaty face. “You what?”

“We are done here,” she said, perfectly calmly. “I have officially had enough of being treated like I am some insignificant child who is lucky to be running around after you, picking up all of the slack that you drop, when in fact I am far more capable and skilled than you could ever possibly dream of being.”

Christopher snarled. “Is that right?”

“It is. I’ve got…conviction in thy words—I mean, my words. I deserve better, I deserve more. You can expect my resignation letter tomorrow.”

“You can’t…” He barked a laugh. “You can’t quit.”

“Yep. I can. I absolutely can,” Belle said, surprised to find that it was, in fact, true. Of course she could. She’d figure it out. She always did.

Be thy assured all shall be well,

A fortune magic cannot tell.

“It’s either leave this place of my own free will, right this moment, or launch myself into space if I have to stay here under your revolting, beastly presence for even one more hour. So I quit being any part of your soul-destroying plan to turn this beautiful gem into a despondent hell-hole with immediate effect and wish you all the luck in your future endeavours at being the most first-class, unpleasant maggot to ever walk the planet.”

Christopher spat as he spoke. “You haven’t got another job lined up, so you can’t quit. You can’t go anywhere. And I won’t be giving you a recommendation after this little tantrum display, you can be sure of that.”

“Actually, I don’t need anything from you. In fact, I’d worry about your own job, if I were you. But while we’re on the subject, should I ever need a reference, you’ll be giving me the most radiantly glowing recommendation that the book world has ever seen, having done your job for you for the past three years. Otherwise, everyone you’ve ever worked alongside will be hearing in great detail about the abysmal way you treat every single woman you encounter, all of them with more talent in their little finger than your entire loathsome being.”

Christopher’s face turned such an alarming shade of cardinal red that Belle faltered for a second, wondering if her words were causing serious health problems. “Belle Blackthorn, if you walk out of here, you will never set foot through that door again, not if I’ve got anything to do with it.”

“Luckily, I wouldn’t count on you having anything to do with it for much longer. Toodle-oo!”

It was only once she crossed the threshold of his office and stepped back onto the floor of Lunar Books that Belle sunk under the weight of what she’d just done.

“Belle, are you all right? Maybe you should sit down…” Monica gulped, craning her neck around the Stellar Reads to see her boss sway on the spot, clutching her suddenly very sweaty forehead.

“I think I might be sick,” Belle said.

The thought of leaving Lunar behind, of feeling it fade away from her like the last moments of a firefly, was too much to bear. But there was another way, if she could just hang on to this new-found bravery. She could keep the firefly safely in her pocket, bring it back to life, if only she’d allow herself to try.

“VI, IT’S ME. I think it’s time. I mean, I know it’s time. I want to buy Lunar Books, like you’ve always said I should. You were right. We’re supposed to do this, I’m supposed to do this. I have so many ideas…It’s going to be…Well, call me when you get this. Okay, bye. I’m excited. Bye. Bye bye bye.”

Belle left her convoluted, chaotic message on Violet’s answering machine and promptly bit down on the phone cord like a feral dog, the pumping adrenaline still coursing through her. Along with the flourish potion, which must still be streaming through her veins; otherwise, she’d never have been able to take the leap of faith she had today.

But…Belle tapped the phone against her chin as a confusing thought popped into her mind. She’d tried magic for bravery and boldness before, every version of it under the sun when she was younger. Those times had even showed up in her manifests for Selcouth—how she’d left herself bruised and battered with desperate attempts to change who she was, trying to rush something that wouldn’t come. And they’d never, ever worked. Only reminded her of everything she felt she should but could and never would be. So what made this spell different?