Page 3 of Black and White, Twice the Might (Cadenbury Town #8)

I make it to the breakfast room just as Larry brings food to the boys. I look at what is being put on the table. Is that a plate of muffins? I didn’t know that was an option.

I walk up to the table. “Morning, Larry.”

“Morning Ebby, the boys put in a hot food order for you all. Enoch wanted a muffin as well. It’s not something we really offer, but just this once won’t hurt. They’re also fresh out of the bakery’s oven.”

“Thanks, Larry,” I say.

Enoch blinds him with his cute smile. “Yep, thanks. You’re awesome.”

Larry laughs and shakes his head. “You all know the drill. Help yourself to any of the continental breakfast.”

“We will, thanks,” I say, as Larry pats Xander on the shoulder and walks off to check on another table. I sit down and look at Enoch. “Muffins?”

He laughs. “I was dreaming about them all night. Larry got one for each of us.”

“All he did was ask nicely and smile,” Xander says with an eye roll.

“We have muffins?” Sly asks, coming up to the table.

Xander nods. “We do. We also put your breakfast orders in.”

“Thanks. Ebby, coffee?” Sly asks.

“Please,” I reply, smiling at him and watching him walk away.

“Gah,” Enoch groans.

I turn to look at him. “What?”

“You had that sappy look on your face.”

“What sappy look?”

“The one you always get when you look at Sly,” Xander replies for his brother.

I shrug. “You should be used to it by now.”

“We are, but you could at least wait until after breakfast,” Enoch says, eating his muffin.

“What should wait until after breakfast?” Sly asks, putting our drinks on the table and sitting down.

“The sappy look Ebby has on his face when he looks at you,” Enoch tells him.

Sly grins at me. “Aww babe, you sappy looked?”

“Apparently.”

We’re saved from more talk when Larry and his wife, Janice, come over to our table, carrying plates of cooked food. “Here you go,” he says, putting one in front of me and the other in front of Sly. Janice puts hers in front of the boys.

“Enjoy your breakfasts,” she says, smiling at us.

“We will, thanks,” Enoch says, grinning at her.

“You’re going to break hearts one day,” she says with a final smile, walking off.

“Thanks, Larry,” we say, and with a laugh, he is off.

I watch as Enoch takes the large mushroom off Xander’s plate and then passes over his cooked tomatoes.

I pick up my sausage and give it to Sly, and he gives me his mushroom.

I told him he didn’t need to do that, but because I always give him my sausage, he gives me his mushroom.

I’m weird, I like sausages, but only the thin ones.

These ones seem to be massive, so Sly always gets mine.

We happily munch on our breakfast, not really talking about anything because this breakfast is yummy.

A lot of places we’ve stayed at offer a full English breakfast, but they come swimming in grease.

But this one is non-greasy and one of the best we’ve had.

It doesn’t take long for us to finish, and now we’re sat nursing our drinks when Janice comes over to clear our plates away. “So, what are you all doing today?”

“We’re not sure yet,” Sly replies.

“Well, the Haunted Farm opens at lunchtime today. It’s the first time we’ve had a funfair with the haunted house, and we’re all excited to go to the opening. Apparently, the area will have different things during the day and the night,” she tells us.

“We’ll have to go and have a look then,” Sly replies.

“Yay,” both boys say happily.

Janice laughs. “I’m sure I’ll see you there later then,” and taking our dirty plates, walks away.

“I thought we were house hunting,” I remind them.

Three sets of pleading eyes stare at me.

I heave a sigh. “Fine, we’ll go to the opening.”

“Yes!” Xander says, high-fiving his brother.

Sly grabs my hand. “This will be fun.”

As we have a few hours free, we wander around the town. It sounds mad, considering we have been here for a week, but we’ve not really looked around the town. We know the bakery well, but that’s pretty much it.

“Can we go in here?” Xander ask as we walk by a glass shop.

“Yep, just keep your arms by your sides,” Sly tells them.

“I’m sure if we accidentally break something, either you or Ebby can fix it before anyone notices,” Enoch says, before opening the door.

“Wow,” Xander says, walking in and looking around.

I echo that sentiment. This shop is stunning. The glass items on display are works of art.

“Welcome to Shattered Glass,” the lady behind the counter says with a cheerful smile. “You’re welcome to look around, and if you look through this window,” she says, pointing to a large internal window, “you can see the artists at work.”

Enoch and Xander rush to the window.

“Wow, so cool,” Xander says, mesmerised.

Sly and I walk over and join them. We see two men working. One of the men is blowing through a tube and making a glass bubble bigger. The other is standing up, spinning a metal tube with a glass blob on the end, making it longer.

There is something weird about one of the men, and I send some magic out to have a look. I see Sly has done the same.

Both men suddenly look up and stare at us while they work. They both look confused and then look at each other.

“We should go,” Sly says quietly.

“Come on then,” Enoch says, and we all turn and start to walk out.

“Thank you,” I call to the surprised-looking lady as we all but dash out of the shop.

“Over there’s an alleyway,” Xander says, and we walk quickly and hide in the alleyway for a moment.

“Do you think they picked up on the fact we’re witches?” Enoch asks quietly, looking scared.

“I think they might have done,” Sly said. “Did you notice the man blowing through the pipe? His magic was grey.”

“I noticed. How is that possible?” I ask.

“I don’t know,” Sly says.

“But when you two, work together, your magic is grey” Xander points out.

“Yeah, but that’s when we work together, separately, our magic is black and white. That man wasn’t connected with anyone,” I say.

“Could he have been connected to the other man in there?” Xander asks.

Sly shakes his head. “No, his magic was white. If they were connected, they would both have been grey.”

Enoch bit his lip. “So, what do we do?”

“We go on as we have been and keep out of their way,” I tell him.

“We’ll keep you both safe,” Sly says. “You know, not all white magic users use their magic to hurt.”

Enoch nods.

I pull my brothers into my arms and hug them both.

Sly joins in. “You’re safe, I promise. If I need to, I’ll destroy every witch in this town, no matter their colour, to make sure you stay that way,” he tells them.

And you know what? I’d let him.