Page 38
Farrah leaves out little trinkets for the woods—compostable things, of course—replacing what we’re taking with gifts of her own: herbs and fruit.
I shove my hands into my jacket pockets, burying myself in the warmth.
“What can you tell us about the harvest festival this year?” Dave asks conversationally, peering into the darkened road.
We’re right at a crossroad, a fork between two paths, which is likely why Scarlet is filling a jar with dirt. I’ve never practiced this sort of magic, relying on the stars for the energy behind my spells, but this is grounding. I’m connecting with nature differently, focusing on what I can see and feel rather than on something so far away.
“Not much,” I say. “I’m planning a, like, meteor shower event.”
I still don’t know how I’m supposed to pull it off, but they don’t need to know that. No one does. Fake it until you make it, right?
Oh, who am I kidding? No amount of faking it is going to fix this. My magic is still broken. I’m out here in the dead of the night, and the stars aren’t so much as whispering to me. How am I supposed to do a ritual I can barely find any books on?
“Thank fuck,” Scarlet says. “Maybe that can replace the midnight picnic.”
I blink. “Midnight picnic?”
Sounds fun to me, but Scarlet appears to have some kind of disdain for it.
Dave rolls his eyes. “She’s bitter.”
“Of course, I am. No one ever bids for my picnic basket.”
“Not true. I bid on you last year.”
“That doesn’t count. I want someone who actually likes me to bid on me.”
I laugh and tuck my hair back in a ponytail at the nape of my neck. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
Scarlet sits up, resting on her knees. “There’s a charity bid. Everyone bids their little picnic baskets and a date night—a midnight picnic.”
“It’s actually really fun,” Farrah chirps, but she withers from the look Scarlet gives her. “But… I mean, I understand why the bid part of it may be getting old. It’s a small town, and every year we’re bidding for the same people.”
I nod, an idea forming in my head.
“It’s sort of predictable, sure,” Dave says. “The married people all bid for each other, and then we bid for… well, our friends. I bid on Scarlet last year, and Farrah the year before.”
“Thanks for that,” Farrah says.
Dave winks. “No problem.”
Even though the conversation would seem flirty by most people’s standards, Farrah laughs it off like it’s nothing. I haven’t seen any signs that they're more than friends, and Dave is a total charmer.
Unlike some witches.
“So, you don’t like the auction?” I ask. “But you like the picnic. Would you say that’s like, the consensus in town?”
“I think,” Dave says, “we could all use a break from the auction. That’s all.”
Curious.
Very curious.
Chapter 11
Sterling
I hold Jewel’s office door open for Aurora, and she smiles at me as she passes. In a good mood today, I guess. To say we’ve been getting along over the past few days would be a lie, but we’ve been ignoring each other, and I think we’re on the same page. At least she waited until I was present to share our plans, which I take as a sign of respect.
