Page 79 of Sweeter than Honey

“Aw, don’t be a spoil-sport, Ren,” says Xia. She’s cruising right behind the other witch, riding her broomstick like it’s a surfboard. She wears short, dark robes and a big grin on her face. “Besides, Astrid is using the east wing. Her and Amrita are doing a demonstration of how to summon a Demon.”

I glare at Xia. “They’re summoning a Demon…inmy hotel?!”

“Well, I don’t think it’s Satan, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Xia says with a shrug. “They asked Him, but He had plans already. Friday night, you know.”

“Are you serious,Xia?” I ask her, furiously.

“Yeah, Him and Astrid have been getting along a little better now that the twins are fully grown. There are still some hard feelings, though. You know how difficult co-parenting can be.” She gives me a knowing look.

“Whatare you talking about?”

Before she can respond, Amara flies down the hallway toward us, her golden robe billowing around her and her hawk familiar at her side. She sees my expression. “Sorry, Renata! I told them that you asked us not to use this hallway.”

“Could you try to keep them contained, please?” I snap. “I’ve got a wedding in the other room!”

“Ok, ok,” Xia says, rising into the air. Her and Amara fly away toward the other broomstick-riding witches, trying to corral them into another area of the hotel.

I cross over the hallway and into the east hall. I’m immediately assaulted by the crackle of powerful magic and the hum of voices chanting in unison.

“Goddammit,” I mutter under my breath.

The lights of the hall have been turned off, and there are hundreds of candles suspended magically in the air, all lit with purple and red flames. On the hall’s stage, Amrita and the witch with a pentagram etched on her forehead are leading a chant, wearing thick robes, their eyes closed.

“Renata!” shrieks a voice in my ear.

I turn, to find the Hecate coven High Priestess staring angrily at me with yellow eyes, her white terrier familiar quivering in her arms. She’s surrounded by a small troop of other good witches, all wearing matching golden robes. “Yes, High Priestess Nox?”

She gestures wildly to the two witches on the stage. “This is completely unacceptable! We cannot summon a Demon here, of all places!”

“Well, I’m glad at least someone agrees with me,” I reply, crossing my arms. “But I don’t know what we can do…”

“This is sacrilegious, and I will not have it take place at a Triple Council-approved gathering!” Lavinia continues, as though she hasn’t heard a word I’ve said. Her group of witches all nod and murmur their agreement. “That’s it, I’m summoning Hecate!”

“Oh, noway!” I tell her. “Lavinia…”

“Yes!” she declares. The witches around her cheer, and begin pulling an assortment of brightly coloured gems and candles from the pockets of their robes. They create a throng around the other witches, and cut through the low humming chant with their own incantations.

“Well, shit,” I groan, putting a hand to my forehead.

Lexi pops up beside me, sipping daintily from her Stanley tumbler. “Hey, Ren! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. There’s a strange Icelandic man in one of the seminar rooms. He says you owe him some magic beans.”

For some reason, this is the last straw. I shake my head in frustration.

“You know what,” I say to Lexi, my voice oddly calm. “Why don’tyoufigure it out for once?”

She tilts her head. “Really?”

“Really! I’m going up to my office, and I’m not coming back down until these witches are out of my hotel!”

And with that, I storm out of the east hall, and back up to my office.

I keep the lights off, and the door locked.

The lake looks so peaceful from up here. The water is still and clear. It’s overcast, barely a star in the sky. The moon peeks out from behind a dark cloud.

I hate to admit it, but a part of me knows that they were right. Nomatter what I do, no matter how hard I work, I can’t control everything. I can’t fix everything. I could spend my entire existence trying to hold things together, but they’re just going to fall apart again, time after time. It was always going to break me, in the end.

And what am I trying to control it for, anyway? At the end of the night, it’s just me, alone with a big view of a quiet lake.