Changeling Witch

Coven Con

"'Ella's words would've made Casey's blood boil if she had any in her body,'" Hunter read aloud, feet propped up on Eda's booth. "'She pointed at her rival and said, 'I may be a vampire, but I'm a witch, too---and there's only one way that two witches can settle a score. So, Eleanor Putz, I challenge you to a witch's duel!"

"Show me the picture!" King said, bouncing up and down. "Show me the picture!"

Hunter showed him the illustration on the page.

"Eh, I can draw better than that. You know, they once called me the king of artists."

"Not the king of demons?" Hunter asked with a smirk. "You sure you're not just making this up right now?"

"Doesn't matter!" King proclaimed. "What matters is that my followers would leave me offerings in fear of me." He made his best attempt at a scary face.

"Weeeeell, I can offer you more of this action-packed book," Hunter said, waving his copy of the first Casey Cane book around (Eda had grabbed the rest of the series for him a couple days ago). "The author does a great job of describing the duel."

"Please stop reading that," Eda cut in. "Its old-timey language is an insult to witches everywhere, and it's driving away all of our serious customers!"

Hunter looked up at the empty marketplace. "Uh... what customers? We're literally the only people here."

Eda's face darkened. "This is a bad omen. Something terrible must be happening today."

"HUNTER!"

He brightened as he spotted Gus, Willow, and Amity running over. "Something amazing is happening today!" Gus cheered.

"It's the annual Covention!" Willow said, bouncing up and down. "Students get to see all of the different covens before they're placed into one! There's even a mystery guest this year!"

"Which is the only real reason I'm going," Amity said under her breath.

"Job fair for witches? Pog! Eda, let's go!" Hunter exclaimed.

Eda shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"I never joined a coven for a reason," she lectured. "Sure, they're like a fun magic club for witches, but you're also giving up your magical independence to become part of a crooked system!"

Willow and Gus's shoulders drooped. Amity hid a grin behind her hand.

"But, y'know, no pressure or anything," Eda amended. "Anyway, I haven't been to one since we were girls."

"We?" Hunter repeated. "Who's we?"

Eda froze.

"Ah-HA!" he said, pointing at her. "You have a mysterious past! Now we have to go!"

"No."

Hunter grinned. "Then you leave me no choice. King?"

King opened Casey Cane up and started reading randomly, ramping up the film-noir speech to a very high extent.

"So old-timey," Eda said, opening up the portal with a traumatized expression on her face. "So awful."

She walked into the portal, though King just followed behind her. And when she walked back out again, he was still reading.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Eda groaned, clapping her hands over her ears. "I will literally do anything to stop this!"

..............