Featured inside the multi-author anthology, Sigils & Spells, this is one story you won't want to miss!
The matchmaking cats of the goddesses are at it again. This time they're targeting a coven of witches in dire need of both familiars and fated mates.
Pippa is the first witch the cats are determined to match, but things don't exactly go as planned. Read on for an excerpt from Pippa's story in Hocus Purrcus.
At least Pippa wasn’t bored anymore.
Their spell had worked.
Sort of.
It had brought an inordinate amount of paranormals to Zero.
This meant their sleepy town of seventy-three residents ballooned to over five hundred in a matter of weeks.
First, a wolf pack moved into the area, then came a vampire coven followed by a coalition of Chameleons.
“Chameleons,” Tempest said in disgust when Pippa pointed out the newest arrivals had to be chameleons. “There goes the neighborhood.”
“Oh, don’t be so judgmental, Tempest,” Natalie said. “I have it on good authority that Coalitions avoid running their cons in the communities where they live, so rest assured, we’re quite safe—probably safer, in fact, than if we had no Chameleons in our midst.”
“As if we have anything of value to steal anyway.” Jo snorted.
“Personally, if they are chameleons, I’m impressed Pippa figured it out,” Morana said.
“Oh, they’re chameleons all right,” Pippa assured her.
“How exactly are you so certain?” Natalie demanded. “No one ever knows unless the chameleons admit it themselves.”
Pippa shrugged. “If you just think about it a minute, you’ll realize it’s quite obvious. They can’t be witches, unless we somehow screwed up our spell—”
‘We didn’t,” Natalie insisted.
“—and the wolves are all acting like they’re part of the pack while the vampires keep demanding to know how the chameleons are able to stay outside so long.”
“I can’t believe they told them a witch cast a spell on them.” Tempest scowled. “Those damn vampires have been pestering me for the fictional spell ever since.”
“Personally, I was going to be impressed that a witch managed to reverse the original spell,” Natalie said, “and a bit envious of the power it would have taken.”
“Me too,” Morana said.
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
“I told the vampires there was no such spell,” Pippa said. “Then I told the chameleons that unless they wanted us to out them, they’d better come up with a better excuse for not turning beat red when outside during the day.”
“We should have specified loners,” Amaryllis lamented, glaring at her shoes. “I’ll never be able to go into town again.”
“Oh, come on, Amari.” Pippa slung an arm over her shoulders. “There’s no need for drastic measures. Anytime you want to go into town, we’ll go with you. We’ll run interference as often as you need us to.”
“Just say the word, Amari,” Rowan promised.
Amari didn’t respond.
“I heard the bookstore is reopening,” Natalie said.
Amari peeked up at her, then redirected her eyes back to her shoes. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” Natalie said. “It’s the one good thing with so many moving to Zero. We’re actually on the road toward having a functional town again.”
“What I don’t understand is why we’re suddenly overrun with vampires,” Tempest said. “In what world are vampires eligible?”
“It’s all my fault,” Morana said. “I told you I shouldn’t participate in the casting. My magic did exactly what I said it would—it called the dead.”
“They’re not dead, Morana,” Tempest said in disgust. “They’re undead.”
“Yes,” Morana agreed, “and what do you think the undead are, but people risen from the dead?”
Tempest grunted, a look of dismay on her face. “You mean our spell really did call the vampires to town?”
“Of course it did,” Natalie said. “Why else would they be here?”
“I just thought it was a coincidence,” Rowan said.
“And I really hoped it was one,” Jo said, “because vampires are in no way eligible mates.”
“Who said anything about mates?” Pippa exclaimed in horror. “Why are you saying mates?”
Jo glanced around at the rest of the coven, all of whom looked as horrified as Pippa felt. “I thought that’s what we were casting for. Right? Our mates?”
“Are you kidding me?” Natalie exclaimed. “Tell me you’re joking.”
Everyone glared at Jo.
“Of course, I’m not joking. Isn’t that what we agreed to? We all talked about our need for mates, right here at this table, then we went outside and cast a spell calling them to us.”
“Not our mates!” Rowan snarled.
“We just wanted a bit of sexual fun,” Pippa said, feeling quite faint at the thought of a mate.
One man for all eternity?
What a nightmare!