Page 36 of Uncharmed

Hearing the suggestion aloud made Annie pause.

And, frustratingly, she could tell just from Hal’s cocked eyebrow that he was in agreement.

He had technically remained silent, but had leaned up on his elbows.

Annie could hear exactly what he was trying to say without taking sides in business that wasn’t his: ‘the kid’s right’.

She tutted at him, despite the fact he hadn’t actually said anything out loud.

‘I know that Morena will want to know how wonderful you are,’ Annie said coaxingly.

‘Morena has never thought anything was wonderful in her life,’ Hal said.

‘Except maybe medieval torture techniques. She told me she’d revel in putting me in the stocks once.

’ Annie shot him a look that made his eyebrows shoot up in innocence.

He reached for his Stetson and plonked it on top of his face as he lay back down in resignation. ‘Alright, butting out.’

The coven would absolutely want to hear about her findings with Maeve. But Annie also felt the creeping scratch of a realization that the Sorciety would expect her to share this information with them, too. The idea made her bristle, a strange wave of nausea taking hold at the prospect.

‘I just don’t really know why it’s any of their business,’ Maeve said sullenly. ‘At least not yet.’

Annie considered Maeve and Hal’s prediction: the possibility that the coven wouldn’t be as excited as she thought to celebrate an up-and-coming protégée.

That instead they might take no delight whatsoever in a spark of fresh potential.

The elder wicchefolk might be threatened and concerned.

Maeve would be nothing but their latest red flag.

Selcouth had always made it crystal-clear that it did not appreciate anomalies in the system and spikes in the use of magic usually led to intense, controversial debate.

Annie had even heard tell of powers being removed altogether.

Unwanted attention, strangeness, anomalies...These are never welcome things at Selcouth. It had never been something that she had considered before, but Selcouth’s determination to cap these things was not necessarily a bold and brave one. Maybe it was cowardice.

Annie thought back on what she’d seen of Maeve’s magic.

Wonderful things. Beautiful, impressive things, full of colour and life, youth and joy.

And the possibilities that it seemed to hold – so many that it felt fizzing, overflowing, sugary and wild.

Maeve’s magic was too special to allow them to seize it, just as it was beginning to blossom into something beautiful.

That especially applied to Glory and the Sorciety, too.

Something within Annie told her that, if she was ever going to break the rules, perhaps now was the time to try it, to go against what she knew she was absolutely supposed to do and choose what felt right to her instead.

She had Hal here now, a talented and respected warlock who could provide assistance.

And Maeve was always telling her to stop pleasing everyone.

Maybe the kid...Maeve, was rubbing off on her.

Annie released a deep-seated, healing sigh. Being bad just once in a lifetime felt surprisingly good.

‘Your secret’s safe with us,’ she said, pulling Maeve into a hug.

She felt Maeve’s shoulders sag with relief and it was the only sign that Annie needed to feel confident in her decision.

At least for now. She was competent enough to monitor Maeve’s magic while in a place that the girl felt confident and relaxed.

They could slow down, take time to learn more about it, understand its nature before the coven came barrelling in.

Hal gave a satisfied, triumphant hum and, without even removing his Stetson from his face, held up a hand for the girl to high five.

Their loud clap against the quiet brought a sudden, more pressing thought into Annie’s brain.

The moon swung heavily above them, like the polished pendulum on a sky clock. Surely it couldn’t be that late.

‘What time is it?’ Annie asked shakily, swallowing hard.

‘Just after midnight, judging by the moon,’ Hal said, lifting his hat to squint at her through the darkness, the three of them only lit to one side by the porch lanterns. ‘Why?’

Annie shot to her feet, spilling her drink across the last of the breadsticks as she frantically dusted dry grass off her jeans. She turned to Hal and Maeve, barely even registering their baffled expressions. ‘I have to take a bath.’

‘You don’t smell that bad,’ Maeve said.

‘No, no, you don’t understand. It’s...

’ Annie stumbled over her words, holding her forehead.

‘Hair wash night. Of course! Can’t upset my hair wash schedule,’ she called back far too loudly, followed by a slightly hysterical giggle as she turned to run.

She saw Maeve and Hal share a baffled side-eye, but she didn’t have time for that now.

She ran back to the blanket. ‘In fact, it’s way past bedtime. Everybody inside.’

Annie promptly hustled them back inside the cottage, hastily snatching up a bundle of dandelions that were growing in front of the porch as she coaxed them in.

She was fairly sure dandelions had some worthwhile qualities?

Perfect digestion, at least. They would have to do for tonight’s spell.

It had already slipped and paled, judging by her rash decisions to be bold and bad. She couldn’t let it fade any further.