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I nodded and she led me and Bartleby through the front of the inn down a long, winding corridor that seemed to be reserved for staff. We had to dodge several more Brownies who were carrying trays to the dining room and various guest rooms but finally we came out onto a broad, back porch that faced a gorgeous garden.

The garden had fruits and vegetables and flowers all jumbled together and from the look of it, I would have sworn it was Summer instead of Fall.

“Do you like my garden?” Goody Albright asked, settling into a seat at a small table and gesturing for me to take the seat opposite her. There was a teapot and cups already waiting for us and she poured us both a steaming cup. “I have a perpetual grow spell on it, so it keeps going, even though it’s almost always Autumn here in Hidden Hollow,” she said.

“Wait…what?” I asked, frowning as I sat down and Bartleby jumped in my lap. “You mean you have this gorgeous weather all the time? I thought it was just because it’s October.”

“The Town Council voted and we all agreed that Autumn is our favorite season,” she said, smiling. “Accordingly, we have one month of Spring in April, one month of Summer in August, one month of Winter in December and all the rest of the time it’s Autumn here.”

I shook my head as I stroked the purring Bartleby.

“That’s amazing! I would love to live someplace where it’s always Autumn,” I remarked. “I live in Tampa where it always feels like Summer,” I added with a sigh. “I mean, except in January and February when it sometimes feels like Fall.”

“Well, there’s always room in Hidden Hollow for more witches,” Goody Albright told me. “The magical bubble around the town has been expanding steadily as more and more magical people find their way here. I’m told that the outside world is getting quite chaotic,” she added.

“It really is,” I admitted with a shudder when I remembered how depressing it had gotten lately. Back home, I had been doom-scrolling daily but now I realized I hadn’t been online in over twenty-four hours. And actually, I felt great. There was definitely something to be said for a digital detox, I decided.

“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying our weather and I would encourage you to explore the town and meet some of the people here,” Goody Albright said to me.

“I’d love to,” I said politely. “But I’m afraid I have to get home—though I understand that first I have to break the curse on Garrik. But I have no idea how to do that.”

“Hmm…” Goody Albright looked thoughtful. “It all comes back to what kind of witch you are. And since you’re able to straddle the line between worlds and touch a spirit that is trapped between them, I’d say you’re probably a Veil Witch.”

“Oh—the Veil is what Garrik says he’s guarding,” I remarked. “He calls it the ‘Gateway’ too,” I added.

“Yes indeed.” She nodded. “And since you have the magical power to interact with spirits trapped on either side of the Veil, I would say you’re the perfect person to break the Blackthorn Curse.”

“Yes, but how?” I protested, taking a sip of my tea which was sweet and cinnamony.

“Well…” She looked thoughtful. Then she clapped her hands and one of the Brownie’s came running. “Brelinda, would you please run to my office and bring me back Agamenon’s Big Book of All Purpose Spells?” she asked.

Brelinda hurried off and a few minutes later, she returned carrying a book that was so enormous I wondered how the little Brownie could lift it. It was bound in cracked brown leather and had a large golden clasp holding it shut. The pages looked yellow with age and the whole thing was about the size of a family Bible. I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that it weighed twenty pounds or more.

"Here you are, Goody," Brelinda said, depositing it on the table with a thump that made our teacups rattle.

"Thank you, my dear." Goody Albright smiled at her. "Would you mind bringing us a little more tea? I have a feeling we might be here for a while."

"Of course!" Brelinda hurried off again, leaving Goody Albright to open the enormous book.

"Now then, let's see what we can find." She undid the golden clasp and opened the book, which gave a little puff of dust as she turned the first few pages. "Hmm…let's see…Restoration Spells…Reanimation Spells…Resurrection Spells…ah, here we are! Spells for Reuniting Spirits with Their Bodies."

"Oh, that sounds promising!" I said, leaning forward eagerly.

"Indeed it does.” She adjusted her cat eyeglasses, and began running one finger down the page. "Now, let's see…The Rejoining of the Severed Soul. Hmm…that might work."

"What does it say?" I asked.

"Well, it requires a silver chalice filled with moonwater, seven drops of the caster's blood, and the feather of a Golden Phoenix."

"That doesn't sound too bad," I said hopefully. "I mean, except for the blood part. I've never been a big fan of needles."

"Oh, the blood isn't a problem," Goody Albright assured me. "Just a little prick of your finger will do. But I'm afraid the Golden Phoenix feather is going to be rather difficult to obtain."

"Why? Are they really rare?" I asked.

"Extinct, actually." She sighed and shook her head. "The last Golden Phoenix died over three hundred years ago. Such a shame, too. They were lovely birds, though rather bad-tempered."

"Well, great," I muttered. "I don't suppose they sell Golden Phoenix feathers on Amazon?"