A Charmed Life | Coven Corner #3

Chapter Twelve

Phoebe carried Luna around for hours during the Mabon celebration. She wrapped Luna in her scarf, emptied an apple basket, and tucked her inside it.

Nick was hesitant at first, worried that Phoebe might trip or accidentally hurt such a small creature. But Hazel reassured him that Phoebe knew what she was doing.

And yet he wouldn't stop hovering, keeping an eye on Phoebe and Luna, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

Hazel finally retrieved two cups of spiced cider from the buffet table and pressed one of the steaming cups into his hand.

"Let's go for a walk," she said.

Nick cast a wary glance at Phoebe, looking like he might protest further. But Hazel took him by the elbow and turned him away.

"She'll be fine," Hazel said. "Bryony and Sky are keeping tabs on the children. Phoebe included. Besides, this is her bonding time with her familiar. The first day is the most crucial for developing a lasting relationship that will nurture Phoebe's magic. That's exactly what she needs right now."

Reluctantly, Nick allowed Hazel to guide him into the orchard. The leaves were laced with crisp autumn colors—brilliant golds and blushing crimsons—with fat apples hanging ripe and ready for the picking on low branches. A few baskets sat nestled at the base of trees here and there, half filled with apples or lying empty, waiting to be used for the harvest.

Hazel and Nick walked in silence for a while, apart from the sounds of their boots crunching in the autumn leaves scattered on the orchard floor.

"You've done Phoebe a world of good, you know," Nick said. "She doesn't show it but she really does admire you."

"Me?" Hazel said in surprise. "I'm afraid I have a hard time believing that. She refuses to do nearly everything I ask of her. I've been waiting for some revenge magic ever since the fire."

Nick winced in sympathy. "I know she's a bit of a handful. It takes a while to crack through that ice but once you get to her, she'll shower you with affection and she won't stop chattering."

Hazel laughed softly and ducked her head. "I'd like to see that. Phoebe always seems so sparing with her words."

"I think you're getting there. Your idea for the familiar seems to have broken down a very big, very stubborn wall."

"Well, that's part of my job. When my students need help, I do everything I can to make sure they don't struggle alone. She's a very gifted witch, though. Her natural abilities are remarkable and if she applied herself, she could be at the top of the class in no time."

Hazel studied the smooth dark surface of her cider, trying to ignore how her steps continually drifted ever closer to Nick's side of the path, despite her best attempts to keep him at a distance.

She'd never had this problem before—drawn to a man despite breaking it off, knowing she couldn't have him. Even if a few years had passed and Phoebe moved on to another classroom, Hazel would still be the head of the school. Phoebe would be under her jurisdiction.

And she couldn't expect Nick to wait after Phoebe had graduated. That was twelve years from now.

In the past, when she broke off a relationship, Hazel had moved on quickly. She barely even gave it a second thought, apart from a sense of relief that she could now focus more attention on her students where she felt at home.

It wasn't like that with Nick. She caught herself gravitating back to him over and over again.

A burst of laughter in the distance made Hazel glance up.

Phoebe sat beneath a large oak tree with Seline, watching Luna playing with a sunshine yellow leaf. Luna rolled onto her back, biting at the leaf, only to scramble to her feet and dart beneath Phoebe's witch hat that lay on the ground at her knee.

"It's been a long time since I heard her laugh like that," Nick said quietly.

Silence settled between the two of them as they watched Phoebe and Luna. Magic twinkled like stars at Phoebe's fingers, making her face shine with a soft glow. It was a happy sort of magic, one that spilled out of her and made everything around her lighter, touched with joy. It wasn't an angry, sparking magic like it had been before when she'd set the school house on fire.

But Nick was human and he couldn't see it, the way Hazel could.

Hazel reached out and placed her hand on his forearm, temporarily allowing her magical vision to wash over him and grant him a glimpse of what she saw in Phoebe.

And the realization shown in his eyes. A slow smile touched his lips.

Then he looked down at Hazel's hand on his arm. She snatched her hand away, fiddling with her cup of cider.

"Sorry, I..." She trailed off when she realized how stiff and rigid Nick had become. He wouldn't meet her gaze either, wouldn't even look in her direction.

"It's late," Nick mumbled. "I should get Phoebe to bed."

He walked away and didn't look back, leaving Hazel in the orchard, standing there alone.