Page 64 of How to Flirt with a Witch

Natalie gives me a look as if to silently ask if I’m okay.

I nod curtly and step forward, ready.

The room is circular, its stone walls rising into a domed ceiling with a hole in the middle to let in daylight and fresh air. Bookshelves and cabinets line the perimeter, and on the left, an oak tree has a bench swing hanging from its largest branch.

“I’ve asked Sebastian and his team to gather seven objects,” Fiona says, her heels clicking as she goes to stand against the wall. “Katie, tell me which one is cursed.”

I swallow hard. Right to business, then.

“I know you asked for unremarkable items, but I took the liberty of bending the rules a little,” the red-haired guy, Sebastian, says with a flourishing gesture to the table. “I think some of the team put a little more effort into the challenge than others. I’ll be taking this into consideration in their performance reviews.” He winks at me conspiratorially.

“This will do just fine, Sebastian,” Fiona says.

Natalie and I approach the table, where a row of items awaits: a succulent plant in a green teapot, an antique black typewriter, a bamboo tiki torch, a grimy orange traffic cone, a pink feather boa, tartan bagpipes, and a katana with a red handle and scabbard.

Given the fate of Rebecca the doll, I hope the traffic cone is the cursed item. I don’t want them to have to melt a plant or a valuable-looking sword because of me.

Will and Sebastian join Fiona at the wall. Will’s arms are crossed, his expression skeptical as he watches me like I’m a lab rat. Sebastian, on the other hand, meets my eye and smiles. He bounces on the balls of his feet like he can’t wait to see what happens.

Other than Natalie, he’s the first person to smile at me since I’ve arrived, so I’ll gladly accept the encouragement.

I pull my focus back, trying to ignore everyone’s attention.

“Just look. Don’t touch anything,” Natalie murmurs in my ear.

I nod, the tickle of her breath on my neck making it hard to concentrate.

With her constant warnings, I should probably start taking curses seriously. More and more, it seems completely reckless that I picked up that doll at the flea market. No wonder she freaked out.

As I study the row of items, a chill settles over me, starting in my face and traveling down to my belly, my legs, my feet. My heart beats harder as if in fight-or-flight mode—and it’s not just the pressure of the test. An invisible force tugs me closer to the table.

There’s a curse here. I can feel it.

A crinkling sound comes from along the wall, and I look up to see Sebastian unwrapping a KitKat. When he sees us all staring, he winces and raises a hand in apology.

“Sorry,” he mouths. He takes a slow bite, the crunch echoing through the quiet room, and Will smirks.

Annoyance flares. Is this just a fun little experiment to these people?

Natalie shifts, and I turn my attention back to studying each item.

Traffic cone. Feather boa. Bagpipes.

The curse’s pull returns, and anticipation surges through me, a familiar sensation now that it’s hitting me for the third time. It’s a feeling like reaching the front of a roller coaster line—a bit of fear, a bit of excitement, a long wait coming to an end.

It’s here. Grab it.

But which one?

With Natalie at my back and Fiona, Will, and Sebastian watching, my heart rate stays elevated no matter which object I look at.

Agnes’s shrill voice echoes in the back of my mind.You’d better be a witch, or else I’ll have to report Natalie…

My fate aside, what happens to Natalie if I fail? Will she get in trouble for bringing me here?

I study the bagpipes, a shiver rolling through me. Okay, this is it. I need it.

Or is it the katana?