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  I quickly glanced away without answering. Hurt filled Rufus’s eyes but only for a moment.

  “Ready, Pepper?” Betty said.

  My head jerked in her direction. “I’m ready.”

  “Open your mouth.”

  Against all my better judgment, against all that was good and holy, I opened my mouth wide.

  This was going to kill me, I just knew it. I would die by my own familiar’s hand—or flame. Why everyone thought this would end well was beyond me.

  “Now, Hugo!”

  Betty lowered her arm as if signaling to two race car drivers that the Indianapolis 500 had started.

  Hugo’s mouth opened, and I stared at the soft flesh of his ribbed throat. From out of nowhere, fingers of orange and red shot from his mouth and slammed into me.

  I thought it would hurt, I really did. I thought it would feel like I was literally on fire because, well, wasn’t it supposed to?

  But it didn’t. At least not at first.

  I felt nothing but air, and then the air turned cold. So cold I became frigid. At the point I thought I couldn’t take any more, Hugo stopped.

  “Hold her steady,” Axel barked.

  I felt myself fall. The cold was too much. Every cell in my body burned with fire from the chill. It was like I’d been blasted with a gigantic case of frostbite. Freezing pain raged all the way to my bones.

  I drifted toward Axel, felt myself falling, toppling over. I couldn’t see. Everything was white, and then suddenly it all faded away.

  “Pepper,” I heard Axel said. But he was so far away. I couldn’t cross the distance. Finally he stopped calling and I slipped into a lake of ice.

  THREE

  I didn’t wake up until the next morning. My head weighed a ton and my movements were slow, as if I’d drank half a bottle of Benadryl the night before.

  “Ugh,” I groaned.

  “She’s waking.” Rufus’s voice.

  I tried to blink. It felt like someone had jammed gum into my lashes. I had to work to pull them apart.

  “Easy,” Rufus said. I felt his hand on my arm. “The fire isn’t something everyone can take. It has residual effects.”

  I exhaled a deep shot of air and forced my lids open. Rufus sat beside me on the couch. A cast-iron pot of greens and grits bubbled on the hearth.

  Betty plopped a scoop of the thick, gummy concoction in a mug and handed it to Rufus.

  “Eat that,” she commanded. “It’ll help you get over the chills.”

  “What chills?”

  That’s when the chills hit me so hard I doubled over. “A blanket! I need a blanket!”

  Rufus took my shaking hands in both of his. “Pepper. Calm down. Eat this. It will help.”

  I nodded my trembling head. Rufus spooned a mess of white and green toward my mouth.

  “I can do it,” I argued.

  “No.” His eyes held a ferocity I wasn’t used to. “You can’t hold it. I’ll do it.”

  So I sat while Rufus fed me. He was careful, making sure nothing dripped from the spoon. He also didn’t overly fill the bowl. Every mouthful was perfect even if it was humiliating. But true to Betty’s word, the chills disappeared after a couple of minutes.

  “Where’s Axel?”

  “Doing intelligence.” Rufus handed the cup to Betty. “He wanted to find out the location of the Order.”

  My gaze flickered to the floor.

  “He wanted to stay,” Rufus added.

  “But he didn’t trust you to find out for him,” I said quickly.

  Rufus’s eyes hardened, but he said nothing.

  “When are they supposed to arrive?” Cordelia entered from the kitchen.

  “Soon.” Rufus rose from his position by the couch.

  I swiveled my legs to the floor. “Where’s Amelia?”

  “Work.” Betty lidded the pot. “I told her to stay away for a little while.”

  “Why?” I said.

  But no one answered because Axel swept into the house like a spring tornado, arms and legs moving at lightning speed.

  “They’re here.” He propped his back against the shut door. His gaze cut to me. “How do you feel, Pepper?”

  I nodded. “Fine.”

  “Can you stand?”

  I shrugged. “Haven’t tried.”

  Axel practically shoved Rufus out of the way as he lifted me to my feet. My toes gripped the floor, and my heels stayed steady.

  “How’s that?”

  I wiggled my toes, making sure I stood solid before answering. “Better. I’m okay.”

  Axel gave me an encouraging smile. The corners of his eyes crinkled like a fan. “Stay strong. This will be an experience.”

  “Everyone get to the table,” Betty commanded. “Rufus, you stoke the fire. Pretend you’re working a spell. Axel, you help.” A line of sweat sprinkled Betty’s brow. “Pepper, you sit at the table; Cordelia, you set it. I’ll bring the food.”

  I moved slowly, shuffling over on wobbly knees. Axel took my arm. “What’s the plan?” I said.

  “You’re Amelia,” Betty answered.

  My eyes flared. “What?”

  Axel explained as he escorted me to a seat. “She’s a real person. She’s not here. It’s a perfect glamour that the Order shouldn’t question.”

  “So I’m going to look like Amelia?” I gripped the arm of a chair and sank onto it.

  “Yes.” Betty gently rested the pot of greens and grits on the table. She pressed her hands to my shoulders. “This won’t hurt a bit.”

  It felt like warm water was being poured over me. It drifted to my feet and was over as quickly as it started.

  “Well done.” Cordelia gave me an encouraging smile. “You look exactly like her. Make a few airheaded comments and it’ll be perfect. Let me just text Amelia and remind her not to come here—”

  A knock on the door made everything stop. Silence strangled the living room. I shot a fearful glance to Betty, who took a long look at me and nodded. She swallowed audibly and waddled to the front door.

  Rufus and Axel took their positions by the fire. Rufus started mumbling something about a work-around spell, and Axel dragged his gaze from me and fixed it on the hearth.

  The knock sounded again. I exchanged an uncomfortable look with Cordelia, who slid her phone onto her lap. She placed her hands on the pot and lifted the lid.

  “Look normal,” she whispered.

  “I’m coming,” Betty griped at the door.

  I exhaled a deep shot of air. If anyone was a pro at looking relaxed, it was Betty.

  She gripped the door handle and turned. I held my breath, unsure of what would stand on the other side.

  The door seemed to shoot back on its own, as if a swift breeze had grabbed it and forced it open. Betty shuffled to one side.

  Two witches and one wizard stood on the porch. The wizard, the tallest of the three, was positioned in back. He wore a long gray robe with a cowl pulled over his head. A beak-like nose peeked out, and dark, beady eyes stared blankly ahead.

  In front of him stood two witches. The witch on the right wore a cape with dark feathers shooting from the shoulders. Her crystalline eyes glinted with intelligence or insanity, I couldn’t tell which.

  Nestled in her hand was a long, narrow wand covered in what appeared to be poison ivy. Leaves of three, leave it be, so the saying went.

  The witch on the left wore a long golden robe. Her dark hair was pulled back softly from her face, and she wore long red gloves that came up to her elbows. She cradled a wand wrapped in silver.

  “Can I help you?” Betty said as if three strange people appearing on her doorstep was an everyday occurrence.

  Let’s face it, this was Magnolia Cove. Strange things happened almost daily.

  The crazy-looking witch on the right spoke. “I am Lacy Mock.” Her voice was high-pitched and hard. Almost tinny. She pointed to the witch to her right. “This is Bee Sowell and the wizard is Hermit Mage.”

  Bee smiled warml
y, and Hermit nodded.

  Lacy hooked her gaze on Betty. “We are from the Head Witch Order.”

  “You don’t say,” Betty said. “Come on. All of you. I’ve just set breakfast on the table. There’s plenty of grits and greens. If you can wait a few minutes, I’ll fry up a mess of eggs and bake biscuits so fluffy you’d be hard-pressed to find any that taste better.”

  Lacy shook her head. “We’re not here on a social visit.”

  Betty pulled out her pipe and tapped it against her palm, emptying it. “What sort of visit are you here for, then?”

  Lacy took an intimidating step forward. “We’re here for Pepper Dunn. We understand she’s been living here.”

  Betty scratched her scalp with the stem of the pipe. “She was. Moved out a little while ago. Decided she wanted to live with regular folks. See, she never got to know her power and never really took to our ways.”

  “Who’s been running the familiar store?” Lacy asked.

  “Me,” Betty said quickly. “I’m not as good at it, but until we find another person talented enough to take over, I’ll have to do.”

  Lacy glanced over at Bee, who hiked one shoulder.

  Lacy pointed at Betty. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Search the house,” Betty offered. “Search the town. You won’t find her here.”

  Lacy’s eyes twinkled with malice. “I will, starting with this room.”

  She fixed her prickly gaze to the left, narrowing in on Axel and Rufus. She stared hard. Axel’s forehead broke into a sweat and Rufus tensed.

  When she glanced away, they relaxed. I hadn’t seen one iota of magic leave her body nor had I felt any magic drifting in the room, but Lacy must’ve used something to illicit that sort of response from the men.

  Her gaze danced over Betty until it landed on me. I sucked in a deep breath and held it.

  That was when the pain started. It felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my forehead. It was like this witch was trying to peel back my head one layer of skin at a time to get at the truth of me.

  Intuition told me that all I had to do was stay strong. Take the pain; it would be over in a minute. But that minute seemed to stretch forever.

  Finally Lacy’s gaze flickered to Cordelia and I was off the hook. Cordelia glared arrows of fire at Lacy the whole time.

  Lacy released Cordelia and turned to the other witches. “Search the house.”

  “You can’t just walk in and search,” Betty snapped.

  “We can and we will.” Lacy raised her poison ivy wand. “We have the right to do whatever we want. The High Witch Council listens to us. They will do what we ask.”

  Betty grumbled something under her breath but stepped out of the way. The witches swept into the house, disappearing in three different directions.

  Lacy floated up the stairs. I exhaled a deep breath. My gaze met Axel’s. He gave me an encouraging smile.

  None of us spoke. The only sound was the ticking of a wall clock as it notated the passing seconds.

  A few minutes later Lacy tromped down the steps. A second sound followed her. It wasn’t until her toes touched the floor that I saw what it was—Hugo.

  My heart rate ticked up a notch. Surely this meant nothing. I forced myself not to stare at Betty, not to make contact with Axel or Rufus, not to let the fear threatening to strangle me gain hold.

  “Whose dragon is this?” Lacy asked.

  We were silent.

  She glanced down at the floor, her expression thick with impatience. When she thrust her gaze back on us, anger filled her eyes. “I will only ask one more time, who does this familiar belong to?”

  “It was Pepper’s,” Betty said quickly. “Obviously she couldn’t take it with her, so she left it here.”

  “In whose room?”

  “It stays in Pepper’s old room. Makes a mess in there. Likes to lay on her clothes, so I leave some out for him.”

  It was the best lie I’d ever heard as my room was never tidy. There was always at least one article of clothing on my bed.

  Lacy’s mouth curved into a suspicious smile. “Since no one here owns this dragon, he comes with me.”

  My heart lurched. I shot Axel a frantic look, but his gaze remained leveled at Lacy.

  Bee and Hermit joined her by the door. “We will continue to look for Pepper. There’s important work we need her for. In the meantime, if you hear anything from the woman, let me know.”

  Lacy flicked her wand, and a business card framed in flames flared to life. Betty plucked it from the air.

  The witch twisted her wrist, and the door opened. Amelia stood directly in their line of sight. My cousin quickly took in the Order and then the rest of us, until her gaze settled on me.

  I opened my mouth to say something, to stop Amelia from giving me away, but it was no use.

  “Pepper,” she gawked, “why do you look like me? What’s going on?”

  Lacy, Bee and Hermit turned back. Lacy’s mouth curled into a snarl. “Well, well, well. It appears Pepper Dunn hasn’t left Magnolia Cove after all.” Lacy wagged a chastising finger at my grandmother. “Your attempt to hide her didn’t work.”

  Lacy took an intimidating step toward me. “Rise, girl. You’re coming with us.”

  FOUR

  I rose. Lacy pointed a finger at me, and I felt the glamour wash away.

  “I’m not going with you. I’m not going to fight werewolves, and I won’t be used by an Order I know nothing about.”

  Lacy stiffened. “They’re threatening our people. This is not about what you want. It’s about the safety of all witches.”

  Axel stepped forward. “Werewolves don’t wage war on witches. Not without cause.”

  Lacy glared at him. “Stay out of things you know nothing about. Wolves are encroaching on our land. Taking what they want by force. This is not a joke.”

  Bee stepped forward. “We’re asking for your help.” Her voice was like birdsong—light and comforting, as if her magic resided in her throat. It was a net cast out to catch all who heard it. “Please,” she added.

  Lacy shook her head in disgust. “We will only ask once. You are needed. Your powers will add to ours—whether you give them or we take them.”

  Rage bubbled inside me. How dare these witches waltz in and command me this way and that.

  I closed my fists. “I won’t go anywhere.”

  Lacy’s mouth curled into a hateful smile. “You don’t have a choice. You will come with us. You will help—one way or another.”

  Bee frowned. She flicked her silver-wrapped wand in the air. “But it’s easier if you come with us.”

  “What? Than be taken and my powers drained from me? Is that what you mean?”

  Bee yanked Lacy’s dress. “Maybe we should let the woman make up her own mind.”

  “No,” Lacy said. “We don’t have enough witches to help us.”

  “Wonder why,” I whispered under my breath. Lacy’s eyes darted to me, and I took a big bite of courage. “It’s no wonder, really, is it? You walk in demanding people do what you want, against their will.”

  “Enough!” Lacy bunched up her hands. She took a deep breath and slowly released her fists. “We have spoken to you nicely, and you have said no. Now you will come with us.”

  She took a threatening step forward. Axel and Rufus both moved to stop her, but Hugo beat them to it.

  Lacy opened her hand while Hugo’s jaw unhinged. A line of fire spewed from his mouth.

  The witch raised her arm, shielding herself with magic. The fire shot to the ceiling, scorching the exposed wooden beams.

  Hugo’s wings flared. The immature wings he’d had as a baby were no more. In their place spread leathery, cobwebbed sails that were nearly ten feet long from end to end—if I had to guess, that was.

  It wasn’t like I had a measuring tape on me.

  The blaze receded, and Lacy stared at us. Her gaze flickered back to Hugo, and she paused.

  The witch sniffed the air a
s if a bad smell had wafted up her nostrils. “You can remain today, Pepper Dunn, as I see there are more of you than there are of us. But I will call in more of the Order. We will overrun this town to the point that the folks in Magnolia Cove would rather hand you over than keep you.”

  Her lips coiled into a cruel smile. “Mark my words.”

  Lacy threw her cape over one shoulder and, with a flick of her wand, vanished. Bee and Hermit followed suit, disappearing moments behind her.

  Amelia stepped through the open door. “I’d ask what I missed, but I think I’m pretty much filled in on everything.”

  Axel’s gaze dragged over each of us until it finally settled on me. “We’ve got a lot of work to do if we’re going to be ready when they return.”

  Betty nodded. “First thing, Pepper—you’ve got to learn to use your magic. It’ll be the only way to protect yourself. Otherwise they’ll snatch you in the night and none of us will know where they’ve taken you.”

  I nodded slowly. “Who will teach me?”

  Rufus stepped up. “I will. I know the most about your head witch powers. I’ll do it.”

  Axel studied Rufus but said nothing about the offer. “I’ll see what I can find out about this skirmish with the werewolves. Discover where it is and what’s going on.”

  Betty ran her thumb down her jaw. “All they might need is an ambassador to straighten out the mess. You’d be the best person.”

  Axel nodded. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead. When Lacy returns, it’ll be serious. She won’t take no for an answer a second time.”

  My lower lip trembled. I bit down and waited until the tremor stopped. “How long do we have?”

  All faces turned to Rufus. He shrugged. “Days, maybe. Hard to tell.”

  Betty rubbed her hands together. “Then let’s get to work.”

  “The first thing you must do is learn to see your magic.”

  Rufus and I stood in the Cobweb Forest. He said it was the most honest place to work.

  “This forest holds no opinions about you or your power. It won’t judge like a person’s house might.”