Хармони Харт - Basic Witch

“Stick with me, Gemma. I’ll show you everything you need to know about Salem, and more. Grab a table. I’ll get our food. You’re going to love it!” Destiny flitted up to the counter and placed an order, pausing to call out and ask me what I wanted in my coffee. I posted up at a table near the front window, a perfect spot to read a book and watch the residents of Salem as they roamed about town.

Destiny appeared a few minutes later with a silver tray topped with two cups of coffee, three soft-boiled eggs in porcelain eggs cups, a stack of small, golden, pepper-flecked biscuits, and an assortment of butter, and jams. I helped her by moving everything from the tray to the table, then broke a biscuit open, allowing the steam to waft up as I slathered whipped butter across the top. I placed one half on a small plate, along with one of the soft-boiled eggs, and set it on the ground beneath my chair for Titus.

“Alphita’s Black Pepper Buttermilk Biscuits are the stuff foodie dreams are made of,” Destiny proclaimed.

One bite, and I was sold. I moaned with satisfaction as the flaky, buttery goodness soothed my hungry stomach. “Oh my goddess,” I mumbled. “This is freaking incredible!”

Destiny pushed a small jar toward me. “Pear and Sage Honey Jam. You need it in your life.”

I unscrewed the top and dipped my knife into the jam, then spread it across a second biscuit before taking another bite. “Wow,” I murmured. I sat back in my chair, staring at the table in disbelief. “Do they use magic in these?”

She laughed. “No, but it sure tastes like they do!”

“I seriously might never leave this place.” I tipped my coffee cup against my lips and sipped.

“Alphita’s has gotten me through many a heartbreak,” Destiny said.

“I can see why. With baked goods like this, who needs men?”

“Not me! These are amazing! Can we take some home?” Titus asked.

“How about we clean the kitchen before stocking it with delicious food?”

“Unless we’re talking about Beau Bacchus, am I right?” She winked, and I couldn’t help but laugh with her. Destiny’s natural glee was contagious.

“So right.” I relaxed against the chair as I sipped my coffee. “Speaking of gorgeous men,” I began. “What’s up with the High Council?”

“Girl,” she put her spoon down, growing serious. “You don’t know the half of it. Salem Men are stupid gorgeous. I guess the women are, too. Which is probably why the dating scene is so competitive. But my goddess .” She slapped a hand on the table and leaned forward. “So who did you like best? Dish .”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I spent the most time with Beau, so—”

“Nope. No way. You’re not getting off that easy. The first time I saw the High Council all lined up in one place, I nearly died from a testosterone overdose. We already established that Beau is a hot commodity. I wanna hear how you fared in that room all by your lonesome.”

I pressed my lips together in an attempt to hide the smile threatening to break out. It had been forever since I engaged in inane girl talk like this, the kind that just makes you forget all of your problems while you bask in the glory of the world’s finer things. Destiny blinked her pale blue eyes at me and rested her chin on both hands, making it clear she wasn’t going anywhere until I spilled.

“Okay, fine,” I said. “They were all smoking hot. But if I had to choose three? Bennett Covington, Gabriel Black, and… Cade Asterion.”

“Fine choices,” she agreed. She pointed her coffee cup at me. “You’ve got a thing for older men.”

“Do I?”

“Oh, yes. How old are you?”

“Thirty-three.”

“Me too! See? Meant to be BFFs!”

I wasn’t sure how being the same age translated into premium friendship points, but I didn’t argue. “Beau doesn’t seem that much older than me.”

“He just ages well. They all do. Beau is in his mid-40s. Gabriel, too. And Bennett? He stopped keeping track after a few centuries, but he’s up there. Anyway, I hear the added years translate to a more satisfying experience… if you know what I mean.”

I knew exactly what she meant, but I wasn’t ready to go there with her yet. Maybe on our third friend date. Better to steer the conversation to a safer topic. “Are you seeing anyone?” I asked.

Please don’t say Beau. Please don’t say Beau. Please don’t say Beau.

“Well,” she teased, “there is this one guy… we’ve gone on a few dates. And I’m beyond smitten. But my brother would kill us both if he knew. So it has to be a secret.

“My lips are sealed.”

“Patrick McAllister.”

“The leprechaun Taoiseach?”

“Eeeee!” She covered her face with her hands. “I know! I know! David would be livid! But he’s so hot, Gemma. And he has a real naughty streak that I can’t wait to see more of.”

“Wait. David the Fairy Prince? He’s your brother? Does that make you a… an actual Fairy Princess?”

She waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t let the title fool you. Fairy Princesses are a dime a dozen around here. Literally. I’m one of twelve girls. As the only boy in the family, David is Daddy’s pride and joy. That’s why he got the Council seat.”

“Why wouldn’t David approve of you dating Patrick?”

“Fairy politics,” she said. “I won’t bore you with the details, but the Fairy seat on the High Council is supposed to govern all fae in Salem—fairies, pixies, elves, banshees, leprechauns—there are too many to count, really, but the point is, someone has to keep the peace, and our family has been Fae Royalty since Salem’s creation, so the task fell to us.” She emptied her coffee cup and continued. “Anyway, at some point the leprechauns tried to overthrow our family and take charge of the fae population. They claimed that because they controlled the money in town, they should be granted more power. My family disagreed, but the Coven granted the leprechauns a seat on the High Council to keep the peace. That was two hundred years ago, and the two factions have been feuding ever since. Patrick says he wants to keep it casual. If either of our families found out about it, it would be an epic battle. But I really, really like him, Gemma.”

“It sounds like a tough situation,” I said. “Maybe see how things play out with Patrick before you commit to risking a magical war?”

“You’re probably right,” she said. “Hey, listen. Thanks for the talk.”

“Of course.” I shrugged. I didn’t do much talking, but it was clear Destiny needed a confidante. “What are friends for?”

We bussed our table and headed back out to the street.

8

So is it creepy, sleeping in a dead man’s apartment?”

I let my head drop back and blew out a breath. “So creepy. And it smells weird. Like death. If I’m honest, I’m not exactly thrilled about living or working there.”

“Oh, but you have to, Gemma! The town understands that you need a few days to get settled in, and it’s only right to close the shop until after Morty’s funeral. But if you don’t reopen soon, people will start to panic.”

“Why?”

“Didn’t the Coven tell you? Mortimer Montcrief has a monopoly on magical goods in town. He gets the plants, crystals, and essential oils from the farmers and miners, and wholesales them to other businesses. If Montcrief’s shuts down, a lot of businesses in Salem will have to cease operations. The apothecary, the salon, the day spa, the candle shop, all of the healers.” She counted off on her fingers as she listed them. “Oh, and the wandmaker! What a disaster that would be!”

“Can’t they just buy directly from the source?” I asked. “Now that Morty’s dead, it seems like it should be easy enough to break up his monopoly.”