Feathers & a Dash of Magic

Chapter 33: Oh Thank Goodness They're Not Returning

"Alright, here we go," Mrs. Miller said as she set down a plate of cookies on the coffee table, making both Virgil and Roman turn to her. "Chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven! The rest is in the kitchen if you want more."

"Thank you, you didn't have to," Virgil told her, reaching over to grab one. The outside had hardened, but it was still warm to the touch.

"Nonsense, anything for my two boys! Besides, you two have been in here for a while, hiding from Randsted as they get their monthly delivery."

"I'm just glad Logan's with Patton right now, I really hope none of the hunters came this time. It took me forever to convince Patton that we shouldn't stop business with them, and if the hunters are there he would probably refuse to give them anything. We can't afford that! We need money for taxes and food, and so far we haven't found any other nearby towns that we could sell to."

"Don't worry, if you did the spell right, then the hunters probably won't have the guts to travel through the forest again. And maybe because of that fight I had in town with that one hunter, none of them are allowed to come back," Roman explained, taking a bite from the cookie. "Stars this is the best cookie I've ever had, how do you do that?"

"Cooking is my own magic," Mrs. Miller told him with a wink. "But I can still give you the recipe!

"I would be forever in your debt." He took another bite of the cookie, the outside crunchy but the inside still soft and warm.

"Oh hush, you've already done so much." She rubbed his hair as she passed by before sitting on the arm chair.

"You could make a fortune off of these cookies, what are you doing in the medical business?!"

"Well, one could say cookies work just like medicine, mine never fails to make people smile!"

"What if my spell didn't work?" Virgil asked, changing the conversation back.

Roman took his hand. "Vee, it's been three weeks, something would have been done about it by now if they remembered. Whatever creature you replaced us with has apparently scared them away for good."

"I'm just worried." Virgil brushed away crumbs from his lap with one hand, not wanting to let go of Roman's.

"If anything bad happens, you can stay with me until it passes. The ward around my house will keep you, and anyone else inside safe. But I'm sure that we're going to be fine, I know you did a good job. It seems like you're a natural at magic!"

The fairy smiled. "Well, glamour's a bit harder. But I was able to hold it for two hours! It felt so natural at first, like breathing! Of course, it got harder the longer I held it, but still."

The witch lifted Virgil's hand. "That's amazing! See, I knew you could do it! Better than me too, I haven't been practicing."

"I mean, witches have every kind of magic, so there's plenty for you to explore. You seem to mostly specialize in potions and nature magic, though you need to get better at healing."

"Healing other people is really hard! And it's not like I can get a lot of practice, I'd prefer it if no one got hurt."

"You and me both," Mrs. Miller agreed as she took a cookie. "I don't care if my job relies on healing others, I would rather this place go bankrupt if it meant everyone stayed okay."

"We wouldn't let that happen," Virgil told her.

"If no one needed medicine anymore, you can definitely go into baking. Maybe help Mr. Johnson at his bakery?"

"Oh his muffins are just the best!" Mrs. Miller exclaimed.

"Right, just his muffins," Virgil said under his breath, a small smirk on his lips.

"I am a married woman!"

"And Miss Kayda doesn't like men, but even her gaze lingers on him for a few extra seconds. I'm just saying, I wouldn't mind it if he had a son my age."

"It's hard to believe he's just a baker," Roman agreed. "I gotta ask for his exercise routine. Too bad I can't grow a beard though, I've tried but it doesn't grow well on me."

"You look better without a beard anyway, I like your clean face. But maybe some more muscles... well if you ever want to help around the farm I definitely wouldn't mind."

Roman's face lit up red. "Oh, um, well-"

Luckily for the witch, he was interrupted when the bell above the front door rang and they heard Logan's voice. "Virgil? Roman?"

"They're over here!" Mrs. Miller called, a bit disappointed the show was interrupted. Maybe if it had been just a bit longer, Virgil would have realized Roman's feelings for him. But it's not her place to tell them.

"Randsted left," he told them as he entered the room. "And even better news, they asked questions about what might live in the woods. The hunters weren't there, but they said that the surviving ones told them about a strange monster made of shadows. They don't remember you two!"

"They don't?" Virgil asked.

"No! And the people that came didn't seem to believe the hunters about the monster either. They said it was probably a wolf or they hit their head or something else. The hunters refuse to return to our woods as well!"

"You did it Virgil!" Roman told him. "I knew you could, those hunters won't bother us anymore!"

The fairy smiled brightly, tears pricking the edge of his eyes. "They're gone? They won't hunt in our woods anymore?"

"The woods are safe again, and even more importantly, you're safe now. No one is going to come here to hurt you two," Logan agreed.

Roman hugged Virgil tightly. "See! No more hunters!"

Virgil wiped the tears away. "Mom and Dad would be so happy."

"They'd be even happier to know that you're okay, dear," Mrs. Miller told him. "Yours and Patton's safety has always been their biggest concern."

"Does Patton know?"

"It seemed to take everything in him not to burst in joy," Logan answered with a smile. "I could tell it was hard for him to be sympathetic when they mentioned the deaths of those two other hunters."

"Yeah, Darrell did a number on them," Virgil said with an awkward laugh as he rubbed his arm. "Well, if they're gone then I should head back to help Patton with the stand."

"I'll pack some cookies for you guys!" Mrs. Miller offered, heading back to the kitchen.

"And I'm going to come with you," Roman said, standing up from the couch with Virgil's hand still in his.

"Will Darrell be okay with you being out this long?" the fairy asked.

"Yeah, I made a little doggy door for him to leave and enter the house as much as he wants so he can stay entertained, and he has plenty of food. I want to stay with you."