Page 73 of Charmed, I'm Sure

I think with horror,they are more likely to burn me at the pyre before ever lifting a finger to help me.

Chapter Twenty-Four

It Takes a (Haunted) Village

Bellamy

The problem isn’t the magic. I’ve got plenty of that. It isn’t anything like sacrificing baby animals or the blood of a virgin. It would be so much easier if it was.

Hello? Virgin here! Not by choice because I’ve got needs. But it’s kinda hard to get someone to date you when everyone treats you like you have the black plague and might die coming in contact with you. Which is fair, it was that way until a certain someone showed up.

Shaking my head, I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. Lady Bandit chitters and claps her paws. I’m starting to wonder if she’s a normal raccoon.

Nyx, popping into existence smelling of cheap cologne and stale beer, tilts his head when he sees the smile on my face.

“Don’t you start! You already have quite a bit of explaining to do.”

He holds up a paw in surrender. “I won’t mention how I saw this coming. What can I do to help you?”

I cringe a little, pulling my shoulders to my ears. “Eh, is it possible for you to wake everyone up who's gone to bed? Possibly encourage them to come help?”

I don’t like the look on his face, or the sly grin that spreads across. I probably should have worded that differently.

“Wait…” But it’s too late. He’s gone. Whoops.

Elora sucks her teeth. “That’s going to be bad. What can I do to help?”

Scratching the side of my head, I look around. Trying to gather my thoughts.

I snap my finger. “Can you go tell the coven? We are going to need all the witches we have. Each one has to be so many feet so we can create a link. With a witch every fifth person, holding hands with each neighbor, we will form a power share between each person. As long as our hands stay linked together, we will have an unbreakable chain.”

She nods her head before leaving. Now I’ve only got to gather the wolves and the fae. Shouldn’t be too hard…right?

I rush into the town square, spinning in a circle as I decide which species I should go to first, when I hear the first scream. My heart races—am I too late? Are the hunters here already? The first scream is still ringing in the air when the next one joins, followed by more. Before I know it, house after house is lighting up as people wake up from their slumber and pour out onto the cobblestone paths.

What is happening? I don’t even have to ponder it long as Nyx shimmers into existence next to me again. His sly smile is still firmly in place.

I run my hand down my face as I sigh heavily. “What did you do?”

Looking mighty proud of himself, he says, “Exactly what you asked me to do. Wake up the entire town. It might have been a nightmare about hunters burning down the village and a savior standing in the town square, but the point is, it worked.”

I glare at him. He doesn’t move or blink. Just stares, as if he’s daring me to be mad about it.

“You know that isn’t what I meant.”

“Yeah, well, I like my method better.”

Before I can lecture him more, Miles comes running upwith the wolves trailing behind him but I don’t see Clarissa in sight. While I’m grateful for the wolves, I really needed Clarissa.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he says, holding his hands up for mercy.

“Oh, do you now?”

He nods his head. “‘Where is Clarissa?’ Well…see, after I told her what I needed and why I needed it, she sent me off to grab the wolf pack. While she ran off to grab the fae. So, like, that’s really a win-win-win in my book.”

“You think you are so clever, don’t you?” I say as I pinch the collar of his shirt between my thumb and forefinger. Tugging at it as I stare into his eyes.

Blush spreads across his freckled cheeks as his hazel eyes flicker between his wolf’s and his. Oh, it’s going to be so much fun messing with him.