Page 3 of How to Charm a Coven (How to Flirt with a Witch #2)

The Worst Welcome Home Party

I thought becoming a Guardian meant I finally belonged somewhere—that the coven saw me as valuable enough to welcome me in. But as Fiona stalks toward me, it’s clear how naive I was.

From the crowd behind her, two more witches emerge, both wearing floor-length black traveling cloaks with utility belts.

Hayley’s sharp cheekbones and the distinctive scar running down the side of her face make her instantly recognizable, while Neil’s muscular frame and shaved head stand out beside her.

A hole seems to open in my sternum, letting my insides plummet into the ground.

The coven sent Shadows after me? Shadows are for criminals!

Reality hits me like a punch to the gut. That’s exactly what I am—I broke the coven’s strict laws, and I fled the city before I could face the consequences. They’ve come to intercept me now that I’m back.

“Nobody is touching you,” Natalie assures me, raising her hands. It’s not a gesture of surrender, but a promise that she’s ready to use earth magic to defend me .

My skin prickles at the charge in the air. The fluorescent airport lights flicker, casting eerie shadows across Fiona’s face. Travelers glance up as they rush past with their trolleys and suitcases, and a couple of gazes linger on our standoff.

If I’m not mistaken, Fiona hesitates at the look on Natalie’s face.

Stay put, Hazel, I think desperately, not daring to look back and get her dragged into this. Dammit, this is exactly what I didn’t want—my carefully balanced worlds crashing together.

I step sideways to see around Natalie, my fists clenched to stop my hands from trembling. “Isn’t this a bit much for a welcome home party?”

Fiona stalks closer, her heels clicking against the floor like a ticking bomb.

Her voice is low, for our ears only. “Katie Alexander, you’re under arrest for violating your oath to the Coven of Shadows and Alchemists for Managing Magic.

Come quietly, and we won’t cause a scene in front of all these people. ”

A chill floods my veins. Oh my God, my over-thinking anxiety brain was right for once: I’m actually under arrest.

All that time I spent living in C.S.A.M.M.—studying in the courtyard, eating in the lounge, retreating to the private suite I called home—dissolves into dust in my memory. Did it mean nothing? Am I so easily disposed of?

“I never violated my oath,” I say firmly. “I risked everything to protect magic.”

“You made a reckless, unauthorized decision that put our secrecy at risk, not to mention innocent lives.” Something flickers in Fiona’s eyes—not just anger, but something heavy and tired.

“Do you have any idea how much work you caused? How much effort we’ve expended trying to contain what you unleashed? ”

Forcing myself not to show fear, I open my arms. “You want to punish me for stopping the Madsens from getting magic? Come on, Fiona. ”

She narrows her eyes. “Your punishment depends on the jury. You agreed to our laws when you swore your oath, and our laws dictate we give you a trial. Don’t add to the fire by resisting arrest. Hayley, Neil, let’s go.”

Before they can move, a swipe of Natalie’s hands sends a bench skidding between us and them. Nearby people gasp and point at the possessed furniture, looking around for an explanation.

“Natalie,” Fiona snarls. “Not here.”

“Then back—off,” she warns, her voice low and dangerous. “Or this whole building is about to get a renovation.”

She forms a wall between me and the others, her body coiled and ready to strike. Dammit, I don’t want her to fight her coven on my behalf—again.

Fiona’s fingers curl into claws, a muscle in her jaw tensing. “Think about what side you’re choosing right now.”

Her words jab my stomach like a dagger, reminding me I’m no more than an outsider.

Natalie keeps her palms up. “I chose long ago.”

My heart aches. How many times can I ask her to choose me over her coven before it becomes too much? I can’t keep being the reason she fights with the people she’s known her whole life.

The baggage carousel beeps and whirs to life behind us. I don’t dare look back at Hazel.

Fiona signals, and Hayley and Neil skirt around the bench, advancing from the sides like wolves moving in for the kill. I meet their eyes, trying to find the sense of camaraderie we had a few months ago, but it’s not there. They have a job to do, and I’m just another target.

“I already confessed in my trial,” Natalie says, and there’s no hiding the panic in her tone. “It was my doing. Katie’s innocent.”

“Touching.” Fiona keeps her eyes locked on me. “The jury will decide for themselves how they feel about that. ”

My stomach twists. We should’ve known Natalie’s trial was a mere formality, given her status.

As for me? Everything I finally secured—my place in the coven, my relationship with Natalie, my chance to use my ability to help keep the world safe—could vanish with one verdict.

And Natalie must know it because she refuses to step aside.

Hayley and Neil are two strides away.

“Katie, run.” Natalie throws her arms wide, and a dozen luggage trolleys tear free from their owners’ hands, pulling the witches’ attention. Startled cries erupt as bags tumble off and the trolleys crash together like bumper cars.

“But—” I back up. If I flee, aren’t I proving that I’m a criminal?

Then again, if I surrender, I’ll find out what Natalie is so afraid of—and what punishment the coven’s justice system has in mind for me.

“Move!” Natalie tugs my arm.

Okay, we’re running.

I shed my heavy backpack, abandoning everything I have so it doesn’t slow me down. We take off through the crowd, my heart hammering. Can I outrun them, or am I just delaying the inevitable?

“Parking garage. This way.” Natalie stays at my side as we sprint through the airport, dodging startled travelers. Shouts and footsteps ring out behind us as Fiona and the others follow.

I tug at the strings cinching the hood around my face. It’s tied so tight that I feel like a carthorse wearing blinders. I swipe it back, letting the cool air wash over my face and neck. Freaking useless disguise.

Luggage tumbles across our path as the Shadows use magic to try and block us. Natalie apparently doesn’t care about subtlety, slashing the air to get as much out of the way as she can. But she’s one witch against three, and we’re forced to slow down as we jump and dodge obstacles.

I snatch a snow globe from a gift shop display, one with a miniature Vancouver skyline and glitter. “Natalie! ”

I toss it up, and she reacts quickly, sending it rocketing behind us. There’s a loud pop! and a tinkle of glass, and the pursuing footsteps falter for a precious second.

“Hate to do this, but…” Natalie spins, and there’s an enormous crash that might be a snack booth.

More shouts and screams.

We keep going, racing down the escalator. A stand of tourist brochures explodes at the bottom, and I can’t track who is doing what anymore.

“I’m s-sorry,” I gasp between breaths. “I’m always getting you in trouble with—”

“Don’t,” Natalie says firmly. “This isn’t your fault.”

But it is. If I were a witch, if I belonged here, I wouldn’t be running from my own coven. At the very least, I could fight back with more than just words and snow globes.

We bolt across the street to the parkade, tires screeching and horns honking around us.

“Sorry!” I blurt.

“This way.” Natalie veers left, her fingers lacing through mine and pulling me along. We pelt down the rows of cars, passing bewildered travelers loading their luggage.

At last, I spot Natalie’s black sedan peeking out. Relief surges through me as the lights flash and the doors unlock.

Wham! Something slams into my back, and the ground rushes up to meet me. My knees crack against the pavement. My hair falls forward and forms a curtain around my face, blocking my view of what’s going on.

“Katie!” Natalie’s voice breaks. “What the fuck, Hayley?”

“Stop running!” Hayley snaps.

A sneaker bounces beside my hand. Did I seriously just get taken down by a flying shoe ?

But considering Hayley has an entire utility belt full of God-knows-what, the fact that she hit me with a shoe tells me she doesn’t really want to hurt me. A tiny bubble of hope inflates in my chest. Maybe I can get out of this.

I gasp for breath, crawling toward the passenger door. We just need to get to somewhere safe.

The door flies open on its own.

“Get in,” Natalie says, spinning to face our attackers.

There’s a thump. A roar.

I reach the car and climb inside, wheezing, my hands and knees throbbing.

A bouquet of flowers sits on the dash—a gorgeous, colorful array of dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, roses, a pink lily…

My eyes sting with tears. This should have been our reunion.

I could have run to her, thrown my arms around her neck, and kissed her for a long, uninterrupted minute.

Instead, I’m running for my life, once again the liability she has to protect rather than the partner who stands beside her.

Concrete dust rises, and Natalie whips open the driver’s side door and dives in, coughing. “Welcome home, beautiful,” she wheezes, thrusting the flowers at me. The purple in her irises fades back to brown as she holds my gaze, her eyes saying everything her voice can’t.

“Thanks.” At this point, I’ll take whatever romance I can get. “Now go!”

She starts the car and shifts into drive—and before we’ve moved two feet, we lurch to a stop. Neil stands in front of us with his palms out, his face reddening as he strains to keep us from moving.

With a bang like a gunshot, the windshield cracks, a deep line snaking from bottom to top. My window shatters, and I scream as glass rains down on me. As the engine whines and dies, Neil races over and reaches in to grab my arms .

“Sorry about this,” he mutters, hauling me out through the hole. I shriek as the sweater rips and tiny shards stab my skin.

“Neil, you’re hurting her!” Natalie barks, her voice filling the car.

His grip falters, but it’s too late to change the fact that I’m halfway out with glass crumbling beneath me. “Then stop fighting the coven’s laws!” he growls.

I grit my teeth, hating that once again, I’m the damsel in distress while Natalie fights for me. How long before she resents having to constantly defend me?

Through the windshield, an SUV screeches to a halt, Hayley in the driver’s seat. Fiona hops out and holds the back door open.

It’s not the first time someone’s tried to force me into a car since I met Natalie—Oaklyn tried last winter in a UBC parking lot, and Freddie Madsen succeeded in Fort Langley a short time later.

Now, here I am up against a witch SWAT team.

But unlike before, when the Shadows were on my side, Natalie is the only person fighting with me.

Sky’s words from that day in Gastown rush back: “There’s a place for you here, Katie. Even if Fiona and the others don’t see it yet.” I believed her then. I still want to believe her, but it’s getting harder.

My eyes burn. I need to fix this. I need the coven to trust me again. Because if I’m going to help Natalie find her dad and the Madsens, we all have to be on the same team.

“Stop, Natalie,” I rasp, the fight draining from me like the blood oozing from my sides.

I grit my teeth as Neil hauls me all the way out. Hazel’s hoodie and pants are torn, but owing her a new outfit is the least of my worries. God, I hope she’s still back at the luggage carousels, far away from any witches and any chance of being sucked into this.

Natalie whips open the driver’s side door and jumps out. “Katie—”

“It’s not worth it.” I wrench out of Neil’s grasp and stand on my own, breathing hard.

Fleeing will just confirm what they already think of me: that I’m an outsider and a threat to their secrecy.

But if I surrender, I can make my case at my trial.

“I won’t keep running. I swore an oath, and I’m going to prove to you that I meant it. ”

And prove I deserve to be part of the coven, I think, hoping desperately that Natalie understands.

I want a future where she doesn’t have to keep choosing between me and her coven.

Where I’m not just her girlfriend but a respected member of her community.

I’m ready to fight to earn their respect, no matter what it takes.

Natalie’s expression twists in anger. “You don’t have to do this, Fiona.”

“Frankly, we do.” Fiona’s voice is icy, her nostrils flaring. “You’ll be detained until your trial, Katie.”

“Fiona!” Natalie barks.

“It’s fine,” I say with as much courage as I can muster. “I’ll face the consequences.”

“There should be no consequences!”

“We’ll hope the jury feels the same,” I say. I have to believe it—it’s my only way out. If the witches are going to chase me until they catch me, then I have to stop running and face them.

Natalie’s chest heaves as she stands with her fists clenched, looking ready to keep blasting the others with magic.

I hold her gaze, silently begging her not to make this worse. From what I’ve seen, the coven has a pattern of controlling its members, and opposing their established order won’t accomplish anything.

The agony in her eyes says more than words ever could. I nod. I know she would go to war for me if I asked—which is why I don’t. I know what needs to be done.

“I’m coming with you,” Natalie says, striding closer.

“Get in your own car,” Fiona says, pointing .

Natalie growls, her fists tightening like she might punch her out. But after a pause, she makes the smart decision and steps back, her gaze locked onto me. “I’ll be close behind you.”

I nod. “I know.”

She’ll be there for me. She always is.

“Hayley,” Natalie says. There’s murder in her eyes as a silent exchange passes between them.

Hayley nods, dropping eye contact.

Accepting my fate, I climb into the back of the SUV—away from Natalie, away from Hazel and Ethel, and away from any hope of a normal return to Vancouver.

There has to be a way out of this, right?

As the vehicle surges forward, I twist in my seat to get one last glimpse of Natalie. Her jaw is set…but her eyes are terrified. Like she knows something about the coven’s justice system that I don’t—something that made her willing to fight a Director and two Shadows to keep me from this trial.

Which makes me wonder if I should have kept running, after all.