Page 38 of The Witches Catalogue of Wanderlust Essentials (Natural Magic #2)

Flora’s Friend-Finder Charm

It was in Budapest that I first watched one of our signature Friend Finder Charms in action. Tucked beneath the collar of a young woman’s coat, the butterfly-shaped trinket sparkled, its amber wings slowly deepening to sapphire as she neared the door of a quiet bookshop. The proprietor noticed at once. They spoke tentatively at first, then with the ease of old friends. I left them still talking as the shop closed.

The charm itself is crafted from a rare iridescent alloy, almost weightless, and catches the light with a kind of deliberate grace. It can be worn on a chain, a lapel, the corner of a scarf, or even clipped onto a satchel’s clasp.

Its enchantment is simple: when someone nearby shares a strong affinity, be it a love of old languages, astronomy, folk songs, or freshwater mollusks, the charm responds. The wings warm, glow softly, and shift in hue through a secret spectrum known only to itself.

I’ve seen it blush rose-pink at a printmaker’s studio in Edinburgh. Turn golden near a rooftop apiary in Florence. Once, at a dinner party, mine went quite indigo during an impromptu toast to 1970s science fiction.

The artisan, when pressed, will only say: “It listens for the frequency of shared delight.”

Wear it with no particular expectation and be prepared to meet the kindred spirits you didn’t know you were waiting for.