“He must be confused. Just waking up after being shot will do that to you,” I said and started the truck. “Anyway, I’ll see you at home in a few minutes.”
I was going to have to tell Thorn that something was wrong with my magic. It wasn’t something I could hide from him, but the truth was, I didn’t know either.
Chapter Thirteen
Christmas Eve…
It wasn’t going to be a Christmas like any we’d ever had before. It was my first Christmas with Thorn, but there was so much more than that.
The magical world was in an uproar. It wasn’t just me whose powers had failed them. Something had shifted in the balance, and every witch in the world found themselves with nothing more than a low-level hum of magical power. It was as if something had been reset, but nobody had any idea how or why.
Even gathering on the ley line in that ran through Coventry barely boosted our magic. Witches who had tons of power for decades now found themselves in their kitchens whipping up potions and spending hours relearning basic spells to give their charms and enchantments even a slight boost.
I was slightly alarmed by the change, but I also embraced it. I’d thought we should stop using magic so much, and now the universe had answered. I had to actually boil water to make tea using the stove. When I baked, the cookies took the entire bake time in the recipe. My elemental magic had been reduced to me being able to warm my hands up if they got cold.
We were still figuring out what was going on, but one thing hadn’t changed. Hangman’s House could still fill the fridge, and I found money lying around whenever I needed it. So, the house was still enchanted. It was just the witches who had lost a huge percentage of their powers.
There were whispers of some sort of upcoming witch Armageddon, but I told people to chill out. There was no evidence that anything bad was about to happen. If it did, we would deal with it when it came. Until then, everyone needed to stop freaking out and live their lives.
People also whispered that I was the cause. That somehow, I was blunting magic all over the world. It wasn’t me, though, but I did suspect it might be someone very close to me. That perhaps I wasn’t the witch in the prophesy would change the world. Maybe I was the mother of the witch who would change everything.
But that was not what I wanted to think about on Christmas Eve. I had my gorgeous husband, my snarky cat, and a roaring fire. I sat on a pillow in front of it with Meri purring contentedly in my lap. Peanut was kicking softly in my belly in approval of the fire’s warm glow. We were also waiting for Thorn to come back to the living room from the kitchen. He was fixing us some hot chocolate. Oh, and bacon for Meri. Always bacon for Meri. He got lots extra for the holidays too.
Thorn came back into the living room with the hot cocoa mugs and bacon on a tray. There was something else too. A small narrow box wrapped in sparkly red wrapping paper with a glittery bow.
“You got me present,” I said.
“How do you know it’s not for the cat?” Thorn teased.
Meri looked up and was probably about to say something sassy, but he remembered the bacon. Thorn put the plate down on the floor, and Meri jumped off my lap.
“It’s fine if it’s for the cat,” I said and played along.
Thorn had already gotten his present. I’d tried to make it a surprise, but he came home while my family was building and installing his new work bench out in the garage. He saw it and the new tools days before Christmas. He loved it, and having the surprise spoiled didn’t ruin it one bit for him.
“Of course it’s for you, my love,” he said and handed me the box.
I tore through the paper like my life depended on it. Inside the box, I found an exquisite bracelet.
“It’s citrine suns, sapphires, and the diamonds…”
“Are arranged like different phases of the moon,” I said. “Where did you get this?”
“I had it made for you,” Thorn said. “I hope you like it.”
“I love it,” I said. “But I love you more. Now, we should get to bed. I’ve got a big day tomorrow. It’s my first time making Christmas dinner without being able to use magic to cook everything.”
“Are you nervous about it?”
“No,” I said. “Mom and the Aunties will be here to help. Viv and Reggie too. I’m looking forward to it, actually.”
“Well, then let’s go to bed, love. I’ve hung mistletoe over the headboard, and I’ve got another big surprise for you,” Thorn said with a wink.
“Oh, you guys suck,” Meri groused. “Go away.”
“Done,” I said and took Thorn’s hand to lead him up to bed.
It was true that I was looking forward to a mostly normal Christmas. In fact, it was what I’d wanted since I was a kid. Just a normal, average life.
I had no idea what was in store for Coventry as I celebrated a blissful holiday with my husband and family. No idea at all…
Thank you for reading!
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Stormy Sky Magic
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A Witch Named Hazel
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© Sara Bourgeois 2020
This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is a coincidence.
Yule Be Magical (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 8) Page 12