Wanda reached for me, like she was about to pat my shoulder and tell me to cheer up, but I was already hurrying for the front door. The only reason I got away with it was probably because I looked two steps away from bursting into tears, and Wanda just did not do crying.

  It was hard not to be upset, though. I thought I’d really figured it out after a random power outage just happened to interrupt my first real date with Andre. I mean—how could this just be coincidence? Just bad luck? It had to be a curse, didn’t it? I felt like I’d had hope for the first time in days, only to have had it snatched away again.

  I blotted my tears with the back of my hand as I hurried back to my car.

  ***

  Even though I barely had any stock left, and only a few safe supplies left to even attempt making more potions, I decided to keep the shop open late that night.

  Finn had gone over to Andre’s after school for another magic lesson, and I needed some kind of distraction from worrying or I was just going to end up climbing the walls or peering through his windows like a creep.

  So, I spent my time cleaning up the store and chasing down another supplier, while going through what oils I did still have, testing each bottle to make sure the labels actually referenced what was inside. It was tedious, but it had to be done for safety, and my own peace of mind.

  Throughout the entire evening, I felt like someone was watching me. It was that spine-prickling feeling like I was being hunted, followed. And after being chased and attacked by a vampire, it was a feeling I was way too familiar with.

  With the lights on in the store, and the streetlights outside softened through their frosted glass coverings, the windows became as opaque as dark water. Anyone could be standing just outside the shop, looking in, watching me, and I’d have absolutely no idea.

  Chapter Eleven

  I set a bottle down too close to its neighbor, and the little tinkle of glass clinking caused me to jump so badly that I almost dropped it.

  Enough was enough. I stood there for a second, one hand pressed against my chest like that would do something to calm the panicked thumping of my heart. There was no one out there, and even if there were, I’d arranged the display windows to attract the eyes of people walking along the main strip of town. No one was watching me.

  To prove it, I stalked over to the door and yanked it open, ignoring the clang and clamor of the rehung bell, and stepped outside.

  The street was deserted.

  I frowned. Haven Hollow wasn’t a huge city, or anything. Really, it wasn’t even a ‘city’ but more of a ‘town’, even a ‘village’. But we got a lot of tourists, especially in the warmer months. It was beyond unusual for Main Street to be dead like this, at the end of August, even after dark. Especially with the Half-Moon up the road, and Stompers Creamery on the corner.

  The sense of something being wrong got stronger as a cold wind gusted up the street, carrying bits of paper and litter with it. I shivered and tugged my sleeves down over my hands.

  “Well, still. There’s no one watching me.” I nodded, gave myself a little mental pat on the back for proving as much to myself, and then promptly had to fight to keep from wetting my pants as my phone blared.

  I fumbled it out of my pocket and shut the door behind me. And then, because I just couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of being watched, I flicked the lock before I answered the call.

  “Hello?”

  “Poppy.” Andre’s voice, smooth and rich, came across the line.

  I fought back a shiver and wrapped one arm around myself as my mom side then kicked in. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s alright.” I heard cloth rustle, like he’d turned or shifted. “I was just hoping you could come by. I think Finn will need a ride home.”

  The unease cranked up, my stomach roiling. My phone case creaked in my hand. “Need a ride home? Is he okay?”

  “He is,” Andre said, sounding firm. “But he had another dizzy spell, and I think we should wrap things up for the night, rather than pressing him further. I offered to drive him but he said he wanted his mother.”

  Oh, God. I’d thought Finn had been getting better about not pushing himself to his limits. He hadn’t fainted since Andre started giving him proper lessons, not like the last time he tried to help a friend with chronic pain and ended up passing out at school. He’s scared the heck out of me then—to the point that I’d wanted him to stop his magic lessons. What did it mean that it was still happening?

  “I’m on my way.” I was grabbing my things before the words were all the way out of my mouth. Purse, keys, and I was hitting the light switch with my elbow before locking up. “I’ll be right there.”

  “He really is alright, Poppy. I promise you—so please drive the speed limit.”

  Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, and I had to blink rapidly to keep them from carving a path down my face. I didn’t want Andre to hear them, though, so I forced my lips into a smile. “Okay. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  I tossed my purse into the Jeep’s passenger seat, and it took me two tries to get the engine started, because my fingers were shaking so badly. I took a deep breath as I told myself to get back in control. The topper for a miserable couple of weeks would be to drive off the road because I was crying too hard to see properly.

  It was just too much. All of it was too much. Between my feelings for Andre, and planning the festival, trying to keep my business going, feeling bad about Marty, and not sleeping... And now Finn was hurt, again. Andre promised he was alright, but we still didn’t understand why using magic was exhausting him as badly as it was.

  Sure, people could overdo it with magic, reach a little too far beyond their capabilities, and that made them tired, exhausted sometimes. But to drain yourself to the point of collapse? With no warning signs? That meant there was a bigger problem somewhere. It meant that either there were signs, and Finn was ignoring them, or there weren’t, and he was at risk of passing out every time he did a spell or a trick, and I honestly wasn’t sure which was worse.

  I knew Finn loved being a Magician. In a town full of supernaturals, he’d felt like the odd man out for a long time. But did he want that life badly enough to hurt himself over it? He’d be furious with me if I asked him to wait a few years, and worse, there wasn’t really any way I could stop him if he ignored me.

  I didn’t have magic other than my potions and whatever oddities I’d picked up by joining the coven. Even if I asked Andre to stop teaching him, Finn could just dream walk while he was sleeping and learn from Ouire. And that would be worse. At least Andre knew what he was doing and could teach Finn—it was better than the alternative. As sweet as the sentient book was, I didn’t trust it with my son’s safety.

  I didn’t know what to do. What was the right answer? Was there a right answer?

  I just needed something to be easy and simple for once, until other things got back under control.

  When I was sure I could drive again, I put the Jeep in gear and tried not to break the speed limit but it was tough. Andre’s place was just up the road from mine, a beautiful old farmhouse that I’d actually looked at with him before he’d decided to buy it. It was larger than mine, and had been renovated before he moved in, but he’d kept all the charming old bits, like the fieldstone fireplace in the front room, and the beautiful ceiling medallions around the light fixtures. It also looked a lot better without the faerie mushrooms covering the hill outside. That was one less thing to worry about, at least.

  The door opened before I could knock. Andre must have been waiting for me. He stepped aside with a nod, clearing the way so I could walk up to Finn, who was sitting on the couch in the living room.

  He looked alright, if too pale. His freckles stood out like sepia ink on paper, and there were circles under his eyes dark enough to be bruises. Finn wasn’t his normal, bubbly self, sitting quietly with Ouire in his lap. The grimoire’s red ribbon bookmark wagged gently from side to side, like a dog enjoying a cuddle.

  I just about flew to my son, sitting down beside him and trying not to hover too badly.

  Finn gave me a solemn look. “Don’t freak out.”

  I did my best not to freak out. “I’m not, I’m just concerned. I don’t understand why this keeps happening.”

  “It’s not a big deal, Mom.” He wouldn’t look at me, his eyes on his hand as he gently stroked Ouire’s spine. “I just got tired, is all.”

  “Finn, you almost passed out. Again. That’s more than tired.” I wanted to hold him, to check him over. I wanted to take him home and tuck him into bed like when he was a little boy. Finn wouldn’t appreciate being treated like a toddler, though. Especially not in front of Andre. It was just hard to remember that with panic fluttering in my chest.

  Andre stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall. He’d rolled his sleeves back far enough to expose his corded forearms, and half a dozen numbers inked on his skin like magical tattoos. He also looked like a man being very careful not to get between a bear and her cub. The little curl of amusement that sparked helped beat back my panic a bit. Clearly, he wasn’t super concerned about Finn’s dizzy spell and that had to mean something.

  Of course, we still hadn’t finished our conversation we’d started at the fondue restaurant, but now certainly wasn’t the time for that either. I’d already made the decision that I’d let Andre reach out to me when he was ready to discuss it (or finish discussing it), mainly because I wasn’t feeling bold enough to do the deed myself. Or maybe it was owing to the fact that I already had so much on my plate, I couldn’t handle one more thing or I might break. And this newest situation with Finn... well, it was all just weighing down on me so hard, it was difficult to breathe.

  I tucked my hair behind my ear with shaking fingers and turned away from Finn just far enough to talk to Andre. “Did you ever pass out like this when you were first learning?”

  “No,” he admitted.

  Finn’s jaw tightened, turning absolutely mulish.

  “But I was also older than Finn when I began my studies,” Andre continued. “I didn’t even start accidentally dream walking until I was in my late teens. It may just be that Finn’s magic is growing faster than his endurance. He might simply require time to allow things to level out.”

  I caught the grateful look Finn shot him, and my lips pursed.

  “But you don’t know for sure.”

  It wasn’t really a question, but Andre answered me anyway. “No, I don’t know for sure. I don’t like that working tricks drains him so badly, but it doesn’t appear to be doing lasting harm.”

  “Guys, I am still in the room.” Finn shot both of us an irritated look. “Can you not talk around me, like I’m not even here?”

  “I’m sorry, honey. I’m just worried.” I took in a deep breath and braced myself. I already knew before I said a word that it was going to go over about as well as a tennis ball made of uranium. “Maybe we should pause your lessons for a bit, and give you a chance to rest and get your energy back?”

  “Mom,” he started with a shake of his head.

  “We could look more into what’s making you so tired. It’s not healthy for you to exhaust yourself until you pass out, Finn.”

  Finn shot to his feet, pausing only long enough to set Ouire safely on the couch instead of dumping him on the floor. “I didn’t pass out!”

  “Well, you got dizzy and that’s on the way to passing out.”

  He shook his head. “It isn’t that big a deal, Mom. So, I got tired, so what? You think if it was basketball instead of magic that I wouldn’t come home exhausted?”

  Finn took a couple angry steps away from the couch before spinning around to face me again. He still looked wan, and tired, but his eyes were very, very blue. I hadn’t seen him this upset in a while.

  “That’s different, Finn.” But was it so different? I wasn’t even sure any longer.

  He braced his hands on his hips and scowled. “You’re just looking for an excuse to try and make me stop. You never wanted me to learn how to be a Magician in the first place.”

  “That isn’t true.” It was a fight to keep my voice even. Getting upset or yelling wouldn’t help anything. “I’m just worried about your safety, Finn. You know that.”

  “And what about your safety?”

  My head rocked back like I’d been slapped. “What?”

  Finn flung his arms out to the side. “What about your safety, Mom? How many times do I have to see you get hurt and end up in the hospital? I can learn these tricks and they can help keep us both safe. We wouldn’t have to worry about getting kidnapped by faeries, or attacked by vampires, or anything like that.”

  My mouth was dry. My heart felt thick in my throat, and it hurt to swallow around it. “We’ve talked about this, Finn. I’m your mom. It’s my job to keep you safe, not the other way around. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  His face screwed up, looking furious and frustrated. “But I do. Because it’s you and me. Who’s going to keep you safe if I don’t?”

  And then, almost reflexively, like he couldn’t quite help it, Finn glanced at Andre. Andre, who had stepped away from the wall, his arms outstretched like he was worried he was going to have to physically separate us. Andre, whose living room we were fighting in.

  Blood rushed into my face, and I cleared my throat.

  “We can talk about this at home,” I told Finn. Then I turned to Andre. “Thank you again. I’m sorry for all of this.”

  He shook his head, and smiled, but it was tentative. “Not at all.”

  I got the silently fuming Finn out to the Jeep, and waved once more to Andre. Finn flung himself into the passenger seat, apparently not tired anymore. I’d never seen anyone buckle a seatbelt so angrily.

  He was quiet the whole ride back, and I didn’t want to risk kicking off the fight again while we were still in the car, so I was quiet, too. But the second I had the door unlocked, Finn was storming through the house, and thundering up the stairs without saying a word to me. I winced as his door slammed shut. Not knowing quite what else to do, I sank down onto the couch in the living room and set my head into my hands.

  No matter what I did, it felt like it was wrong. If I tried to keep Finn safe, he’d pull away from me, and keep practicing in secret and maybe hurt himself. If I let him carry on, he might still get hurt, but at least Andre would be supervising him.

  I hated that Finn was worried about me, though. He was still a child, as far as I was concerned. He didn’t need to worry about his mom. He needed to go to school and do homework, and make friends and think about girls and dances and parties. Not worry that his mother was going to get beat up in a faerie civil war, or cursed by witches, or savaged by a vampire.

  That last memory made me shiver, and I rubbed the skin of my shoulder. I still had scars from where Roscoe had sunk his teeth into me, and for months after the attack, I’d found myself tired by small exertions, and unable to catch my breath.

  I didn’t want that life for my son. I wanted him to be safe and happy.

  Maybe he needed to learn how to be a Magician in order to be safe and happy, though.

  But why did it feel like no matter what I did, everything seemed to be going wrong?

  Chapter Twelve

  I thrashed myself awake from nightmares of fire in the middle of the night, with the smell of smoke still filling my nose.

  My blankets were suffocating, and I kicked them away, hardly able to catch my breath. Tears of angry frustration leaked a slow trail from the corners of my eyes, and my breath burned in my lungs like I was sucking in ashes and embers.

  I tried to calm my breathing, inhaling the lavender scented air of my bedroom while my heart went from a frantic gallop to more of a trot. A glance at my phone told me it was just before four in the morning, and I groaned.

  Normally, the scent of Dreamtime Oil, or its new super-powered cousin, Sweet Dream Oil, made me feel drowsy and content. But right now, the lavender and vanilla undernotes just felt cloying. The room was unbearably stuffy, and I stumbled over to the window to yank it open, desperate for some kind of breeze.

  The summer wind wafting through my open window cooled the sweat on my face, thank goodness. I could tell the chances of me falling back asleep were pretty much non-existent, though, so I figured I might as well get dressed and get something accomplished instead of staring at the ceiling of my bedroom as the minutes ticked by.

  I started to step away from the window when a flash of color caught my eye.

  There was a woman out for a jog on the road in front of my house. It was her pale hair that drew my attention. It was caught back into a pony tail and seemed to reflect the light of the moon. She was dressed in black yoga pants and a red tank top with a red windbreaker thrown over it, and my sleepy brain was still trying to puzzle out why she was out there, either way too early, or way too late, when I realized the woman was Lacey.

  Well, my day was already off to a terrible start, but at least I might be able to get one thing accomplished. I just needed to catch up with Lacey to deliver my long overdue apology, before she disappeared again. And that apology was even more overdue if she was dating Marty. Sooner or later, he’d want to hang out (I hoped) and it would be important for his girlfriend and ex-girlfriend to get along.

  Plus, I was a little worried that Lacey was out there alone at this time of day or night or whatever the heck it was. Especially given the fact that things in the Hollow hadn’t been as safe as they could have been lately—a human out on her own wasn’t such a great idea. Furthermore, there weren’t any sidewalks in my neighborhood, and Lacey wasn’t wearing anything reflective while she jogged. If someone came across her in the dark and were driving too fast, they might not see her in time.

  I grabbed my house coat and hurried out the door, trying to fast-walk on the balls of my feet so I didn’t wake Finn up. The stairs were a pain, they liked to creak at the best of times, but I managed to hug the wall and avoid the boards that squealed the loudest. I barely paused to throw on a pair of shoes, and then I was out the door and down the front steps.