Page 43 of How to Charm a Coven (How to Flirt with a Witch #2)

“My family.” She frowns into her cup. “My niece. She’s six. I’m the only witch in my family, and I want her to grow up in a world that’s safe.”

I think of my own family—my parents and sisters who think I’m getting ready for the start of term and who have no idea magic exists.

“I want that too. For everyone.” I draw a breath, gathering my thoughts.

“Sometimes, rules need to be questioned. We need to look at why they exist and if they’re still serving their purpose. ”

Fiona studies me. Her gaze doesn’t hold judgment or disdain, just thoughtfulness.

Troy clears his throat. “I’ve been thinking a lot about all this,” he says, his hands folded on the table. “About what it means for my job. For all Trackers.”

“What do you mean?” Natalie asks.

“Trying to trap magic, contain it, control it…” He shakes his head. “We’ve given ourselves the wrong mission, haven’t we?”

“Trackers are meant to keep people safe from feral magic, right?” I ask. “Can that be done without trapping them?”

He and Fiona exchange a look.

Troy nods. “Banishing spells.”

There’s a pause. A wordless conversation seems to pass between them, until finally, Fiona says, “This will need to be discussed over a series of town hall meetings.” She sighs.

“It’s likely we’ll rewrite the laws to state that bio magic must remain free in the natural world, and attempting to exploit it, seek it out, trap it, or absorb it in any way will be punishable. ”

My heart skips. This is progress. Maybe there’s hope of a world where natural magic and humans exist in harmony.

“You don’t think specific people could be licensed to use it?” Hazel asks. “Only for good? ”

“Absolutely not,” Fiona says firmly. “The potential for misuse is too great.”

“And it’s not meant to be absorbed, anyway,” I add.

“The chimera’s soul—or power, or whatever it is—isn’t meant to bind with a human’s.

I think it’s a violation of nature when witches do it.

” I recall the chimeras’ beauty as they shapeshifted in the forest, their thoughts entwining with mine, and the ancient wisdom in their eyes. “Some things aren’t ours to take.”

“Some magic should remain wild,” Natalie says. She squeezes my shoulders. “Just ask our resident Guardian.”

They all look at me, their gazes joining a few lingering stares from other witches in the lounge. And though a wave of heat rises in my face, I can’t help smiling.

The door to Natalie’s suite clicks shut behind us, and my shoulders drop for the first time in…

well, probably the full week-and-a-half since I landed in Vancouver.

The familiar space, with its dark wood furniture, tidy bookshelf, bonsai trees, and Ethel’s bed, feels like a sanctuary after all we’ve been through.

I stagger to the bed and flop onto it, groaning dramatically. “Sleep. Now.”

Natalie follows, the mattress dipping as she collapses beside me. “Agreed.”

We lay there on the duvet for a long minute, both of us on our stomachs, our breathing gradually synchronizing. The silence wraps around us, ringing and strange after everything we survived.

Natalie turns to me, her dark eyes searching my face. “You okay?”

I nod automatically, then catch myself. We’re past pretending .

“Not really,” I admit, rolling onto my back. “I keep seeing you falling, the blood everywhere, and I—” The words stick in my throat like thorns. The memory of her body crumpling, of the life draining from her as crimson soaked her clothes, flashes through me like a lightning strike.

Natalie shifts closer, her warmth seeping into me as she wraps her strong arms around my middle. I curl into her, breathing in her scent—warm and herbal with a hint of sweetness.

“We made it,” she whispers into my hair. “We’re here.”

“But we almost weren’t,” I say, muffled against her neck. “I almost lost you. And Hazel. And everything.”

She pulls back enough to cup my face, her eyes fierce. “I’m not going anywhere, Katie. You’re stuck with me now.”

I smile through my watery eyes and nestle back into her, letting her solid presence anchor me. We stay like that, breathing together, until Ethel jumps on our heads and ruins the moment.

“Ow! Seriously?” I push her onto the pillows. “Someone’s still riding the high of that adventure she had to Sophia’s place.”

Ethel meows before settling on a cushion like the princess she is, her tail twitching.

I sit up, my gaze falling to my open suitcase in the corner. Its contents have exploded across the room since I arrived, clothes spilling out and textbooks piled precariously beside it—a harsh reminder of the normal life I’ve been neglecting.

“God damn, I have a lot of studying to catch up on.” I run a hand through my tangled hair and pull out a leaf. “And I guess I should unpack instead of living out of a suitcase.”

Natalie sits up, a sudden nervousness crossing her face. “Wait. I want to show you something. I…” She hesitates, fixing her twisted T-shirt. “I saw this the other night. The timing wasn’t right to show you, but… ”

She goes to her desk and returns with her laptop. I lean in as she opens it, curious about what could make the fearless Natalie Zacharias look so uncertain.

“I—I’ve been thinking more about moving out of here,” she says, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. “Separating work and life. It would be good for me. For us.”

My heart stumbles as she pulls up a real estate listing.

It’s a small cottage with weathered cedar siding and a sagging slate roof, surrounded by bushy trees and open fields.

The photos show a rustic interior with exposed wooden beams, a stone fireplace with a cracked hearth, and windows that would flood the rooms with light if they weren’t so grimy.

“It’s outside Vancouver,” Natalie says, scrolling through the images.

“About forty minutes from the city. There’s space for a chicken coop, a garden plot, and—” She clicks to the next photo, which shows a magnificent willow tree beside a pond, its branches creating a green curtain.

“Your dream. It’s a fixer-upper, I know, but with a little magic and elbow grease… ”

My breath catches. “It’s perfect.”

I reach over to click through the pictures again—a kitchen with crooked open shelves, a reading nook built into a bay window with peeling paint, a bedroom with skylights above where a bed would go.

The possibilities zip through my mind like bees in a hive.

I can imagine brewing tea in that kitchen while Natalie reads by the fireplace…

We could paint the walls and plant vegetables in the garden, and Natalie could use magic to fix the roof while I hang curtains.

“I was thinking we could go see it this weekend,” Natalie says, watching my face carefully. “If you want. And if you like it, I’d put in an offer.”

I turn to her, hardly daring to believe what she’s suggesting. “You want to buy it?”

She nods, her eyes never leaving mine. “And I want you to live there with me. ”

The idea hangs between us, breathtaking in its simplicity and enormity. A home away from here. A project that would be just ours. Moving in together. After everything we’ve been through, this feels more exhilarating than all of it combined.

“I could still attend classes from there,” I say, my mind racing ahead. “I’d need to get a car, but—”

“We’d figure it out,” Natalie says, hope brightening her eyes in a way that makes my heart swell. “So is that a yes?”

“Absolutely,” I say, giddy with emotion. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Natalie’s face lights up, and she leans over to kiss me so fiercely that we fall back onto the bed, laughing.

“I love you,” she says, the words still new enough to make my heart dance.

“I love you too,” I reply. It feels more natural each time I say it, settling into my soul.

We kiss again, letting it deepen, and I lose myself in her—in the promise of all the days stretching before us.

When we finally break apart, breathless and smiling, I bite my lip, a thought forming.

“What?” she asks.

“Since we’re thinking of, you know, moving into a house together…” I go get my phone and sit back down next to her. “You should meet my parents. It’s only fair now that I’ve met both your dad and sister.”

Natalie swallows hard, her eyes widening slightly. “Oh—um. Yeah. Sure.”

I wait for her to raise an argument—and when she doesn’t, I grin. “They’re going to love you. But just a heads-up, they’re kind of a lot.”

Natalie smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “After what we went through, I think I can handle meeting your family.”

“You say that now,” I mutter, clicking the call button before I lose my nerve .

An excited, nervous flutter swoops through me as it rings.

Mom answers with a bright smile, the living room behind her looking so normal that a pang of homesickness hits me—one that will probably never go away, and I’m okay with that. “Katie!” she cries. “There’s our busy girl. We already miss you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I say, my heart expanding as I see her face after what’s felt like months. “Hey, is the rest of the family there? There’s someone I want you all to meet.”

Mom’s eyebrows shoot up, and a knowing grin spreads across her face. “Everyone!” she calls over her shoulder. “Katie has someone she wants us to meet!”

An actual thunderstorm seems to take place off-screen, and suddenly the frame is crowded with faces—Dad squeezing in beside Mom, Pearl pushing her way to the front, Alyssa leaning over them all, and Nicky hovering in the background.

“Hey dude!” Pearl shouts, shoving the others back.

“I knew it!” Alyssa shouts. “I knew you were seeing someone! All those secret phone calls? Ugh, so obvious.”

“She did totally call it, to be fair,” Nicky says with a glance at Alyssa, crossing her arms. “I thought you were just being a recluse.”

“Shush!” Mom and Dad say together, waving their hands.

They fall quiet, and my mouth goes dry. I clear my throat. “Um, everyone, this is Natalie. My girlfriend.”

Natalie leans into the frame and waves, her smile confident, but I can feel the slight tension in her body. “It’s so nice to meet you all.”

All three of my sisters open their mouths, but Mom speaks first.

“Lovely to meet you! What are you studying, Natalie?” she asks diplomatically.

“Science. I’m planning to be a vet,” she says without missing a beat.

I glance over at her, and she catches my eye and smiles .

“We need to meet you in person next time we come visit,” Pearl says. “I’ve already compiled a slideshow of Katie’s most embarrassing moments. It’s alphabetized.”

I cover my face and groan while everyone else laughs.

As my sisters talk over each other with questions and stories, a sense of rightness settles over me. After all the danger we faced, after nearly losing everything, here we are—planning a future, building a life, taking all the steps of a normal relationship.

Yes… This is exactly where I’m supposed to be.