Page 160 of How to Flirt with a Witch

Agnes crashes into her from behind. “Why did you—oh.”

She sees us and straightens up, baring her teeth at me like an angry dog. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You’ve unleashed feral magic!Biomagic! It’s just—” She flaps her arms. “Running amok in the world now!”

“So we’ll push it back into nature,” Natalie snaps.

I open my mouth to defend my decision, but no words come. Guilt squeezes my airway until I can’t speak, can’t even breathe.

“You have to admit this was the only way,” Sky says, drawing everyone’s gaze. “Imagine what would’ve happened if Sophia got into that room while the magic was still caged. We might as well have handed it to her on a platter.”

Fiona points at her. “Don’t you— That’s not what—” she splutters, but no argument forms.

I swallow hard. Sky’s words mean more than she knows. Standing in the middle of this mess, I could easily regret what we did—but she’s willing to argue with two Directors to defend our actions, and that counts for something.

Though as a hippopotamus lumbers down the street, getting in trouble with CSAMM authorities is the least of anyone’s worries. Right now is about dealing with the consequences of what we’ve done—and staying alive amid a stampede of pissed-off magical forces.

“We can finish this conversation later,” Fiona hisses.

She, Agnes, and Sky dash into the mayhem, raising barricades to try and force the chimeras into the clouds and away from civilians.

I scan for Millie and Sebastian, but they’re nowhere to be found. I have to assume they made it out okay—that they’re on their way somewhere safe.

Natalie faces me, hooking a finger under my chin so I have no choice but to turn my attention to her. “Katie, I have to help drive the chimeras off before they hurt someone. I didn’t think it would be this…” She looks around, her eyes wide. “We have to get to safety. Figure out what to do about—about all of this.”

I nod, wishing I could help. My whole body is trembling with exhaustion.

She holds my gaze, hesitating like she wants to say more—and then her mouth is on mine, her lips moving feverishly, her soft hands cupping my face.

I kiss her back, responding on autopilot, holding her against me. Through the haze of fear clouding my brain, something else beats stronger, a burning rush pulsing through my veins. I pour that into her—everything I want to tell her when we reach the other side of all this.

Too soon, she breaks away, spinning around in time to launch a parking meter at a tiger chasing a meal delivery guy on a bike.

As the tiger morphs into a duck and flies away with an angry “quack!”, Natalie freezes, going rigid as she spots something back the way we came.

I jump out of my hiding spot to follow her gaze, a chill sweeping over me.

Back at the steam clock, Sophia and Oaklyn Madsen have appeared—and my stomach gives a sickening lurch as I see Oaklyn carrying her brother’s lifeless body. Wyatt stalks between them, looking around vigilantly, his teeth glinting as he snarls at the chaos. Sophia uses magic to yank an abandoned car toward them with a screech, and they all pile inside.

Natalie sets her jaw, a dangerous gleam in her eye.

“Natalie, don’t,” I say, because as much as I want to go after them and stop them, now is not the time. We need an army and a rock-solid plan to fight against the Madsens.

But she’s already advancing, fists clenched, shoulders tight.

I race after her. “Natalie!”

Sky is there in a blink, grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop.

“Not now, dumbass,” she says sharply. “You’ll get killed.”

Natalie rounds on her. “Sky, they’ve captured Dad. They took his phone. Forced him to get earth magic for them.”

Sky freezes, turning pale. “Wh-what?”

A bellowing sound interrupts them, a harsh reminder that there isn’t time to discuss this. There’s no time to do anything but run.

A bull the color of flames gallops toward us down the sidewalk, as big as a car, its horns the size of my legs.

Natalie’s hand finds mine, and she tugs me behind a delivery truck in time for the bull to charge past, grunting angrily. I lean against it and press a hand to the still-oozing hole in my thigh, unable to get enough air into my lungs.