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Mason Pierce, the sheriff’s brother and Alana’s best friend’s mate and fiancé, stood there with a grin. Alana was used to his teasing tone, very reminiscent of an annoying but loved little brother.

“The sheet isn’t the right color.” She gestured to the display window. “This is all wrong.”

“I’m not sure what you’re going for, but it looked just fine to me. Something bothering you?”

Alana took a deep breath, rolling the sheet into a ball in her hands. “Mrs. Francis was here a little while ago. She told me about some council news.”

Mason beamed at her. “Cool, huh? That means we'll be running this town when we’re as old as Mrs. Francis.”

She flinched. “You think I want to be dealing with your brother when I’m Mrs. Francis’s age?”

He threw his head back with a laugh. “That’s exactly what I think, dear Alana. It’s what everyone believes, too.”

Alana rolled her eyes. “There is something seriously wrong with our society if they think that your brother and I are secretly into each other. We dislike each other. Severely. Deeply. That’s not for show. It’s not going to change, Mason, because your brother is incapable of change.”

He didn’t reply but instead took the sheet from her hands and pinned it back up against the back wall of the display case. Once it was secured, he took Alana by the shoulders, and together, he made them take a few steps back. With their feet planted on the curb, the sun hit the window just right.

The two shades of blue didn’t clash anymore. In fact, they looked like they were made to fold together in her display case.

“All you needed is a change of perspective.” Mason winked before walking away in the diner’s direction.

“That’s very cute, Mason! Very cute. But just because you got me to like my own display window, it doesn’t mean you’re right about yo...” She stopped short, suddenly realizing that she was shouting in the street. A few people had stopped to listen to what she was going to say, so she clamped her mouth shut.

Mason turned to smile at her. “I wonder what you were gonna say, Alana. I’ll see you tonight for some wedding planning stuff.”

Alana returned her attention to her display case, quickly setting the rest of the decorations as she had planned. She needed to keep her hands and head busy, especially after she had spent the morning thinking about Cohen.

No, that was wrong.

Shehadn’tspent the morning thinking about him. It was the opposite. Alana had done everything in her powernotto think of Cohen Pierce, and that wasverydifferent.

* * *

There werea few people walking along Main Street, but they were locals, and most people from Half Moon Key didn’t use her store for anything more than a candle supply shop.

They rarely used what her store was really all about. Only a few did, and that was a secret Alana would take to her grave.

Witches had a love-hate relationship with small towns.

Sometimes, these insular communities would protect a witch as one of their own.

Others turned on their witch when things got bad in town.

It had happened so many times before. Alana knew witch historians had enough material to wade through for at least a hundred years. And that was without what would eventually happen to her, and the jury was still out onthat.

Either Half Moon Key would continue to protect her, or they would turn on her. Her situation in town was tenuous, especially given the magic she had to continuously maintain. The upkeep on big magic was always tricky, but she had to maintain a spell that wasn’t evenhers.

It was two generations deep, and she could feel its power draining.

Too much power for her to conjure all by herself.

Alana knew she would eventually have to tell the council that the protective magic on the town was breaking, but the moment she did, she knew they would cast her out. She was nervousbefore, but ever since Cohen Pierce’s arrival in town, Alana sensed danger.

Things were shifting.

She could feel it in the lake water, and she could see it in the stars.

Something different and new was happening.