Gretel came back a few minutes later. “He’s gone,” she said. “The doors are locked and I looked through the entire house. I can’t put up magic protections or anything though. I’m sorry. I’m just a healer.”

I glanced down at Joel, who was currently not dead because Gretel was “just” a healer. But I didn’t need to say a word because I could see it on her face when she realized what I was thinking.

There were so many things I wanted to say, but I was sitting here coated in my ex-boyfriend’s blood after an all-too-close call with death. So instead, I just motioned to Joel’s still form. “Help me get him in the house?”

Between the two of us supporting him on either side, we were able to get Joel through the back door. He came to somewhat as we moved through the house.

“The box…” he mumbled as we staggered through the kitchen.

“Gone,” I said.

“…Knew you could…”

Once Joel was back on the couch for the second time in twenty-four hours, Gretel and I finally had a chance to face each other.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey.”

Gretel brushed some dirt off of her work shirt and I looked down at my own ruined blouse. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft. “I should have told you about my abilities as soon as it seemed like we were going to get serious. I was so scared you’d hate me, but I waited too long and that wasn’t right.”

“No, I’m sorry for how I reacted,” I said. “I never meant to make you feel like I’d leave you for it. I should have known you wouldn’t treat me badly or differently because I didn’t have magic. You’re a different person, you’re not Joel.”

“I’m right here,” Joel mumbled from the couch.

I ignored him. “I want you,” I continued, stepping closer so I could cup her soft jaw in my hand. “Exactly as you are. And I want to keep living the life we have together. I love you, Gretel.”

Gretel was crying now and the tears in my own eyes were threatening to spill over. “I love you too, Dar,” she said. “And I never meant to hurt you. I don’t think of you as some monster or whatever it was you thought I did. And I don’t want you to think of yourself that way. I messed up. I just knew you got hurt in the past and wanted to do everything I could to avoid doing the same thing to you.”

“Again,” Joel mumbled, his eyes still closed. “I’m right here.”

“Shut up, you’re supposed to be resting.”

He was going to live, which was the only reason I felt safe snapping at him like that. But then my irritation softened as he opened his eyes and looked up at me.

“I was a dick,” Joel admitted. “And I’m sorry, too.”

I’d never quite imagined how the apology would go, despite years of half-hoping I might get a real one from him someday. And my imagined scenario would never have been as Joel was lying on my couch, recovering from a slit throat with the help of my magical girlfriend. But I guess life never goes exactly as planned, so I’d take it for what it was.

“Thanks,” I said. “It hurt then, but I’m over it now.”

“I shouldn’t have gotten you involved,” Joel continued, closing his eyes again. “And I swear, I didn’t mean to lead them to you, I really thought I lost them. I just… missed you. And I wanted to see you again while I was in town. And…”

He trailed off, and I waited a second to see if he’d say anything else, but there was nothing.

“So, what do we do now?” I asked Gretel.

She looked around the room helplessly. “Honestly?” she said. “I need dinner and a good night’s sleep. And I think you need that even more than me. You should call out of work tomorrow morning. I am.”

I glanced at the clock and groaned as I saw it was well past my usual bedtime. And then groaned again, even louder, when I realized that calling out was not an option for tomorrow.

“I have that wedding,” I said with a sigh. “The magical one that keeps blowing things up. And if I miss it, Angie will kill me.”

Gretel slid her arms around me, ignoring the blood on my shirt, and I leaned gratefully into the softness of her body. “Better get you to bed, then,” she said. “But first, let me make some dinner for all of us.”

***

I went upstairs toward our room, pulling off my clothes before I even reached the bedroom. My blouse was ruined, so I tossed it aside to throw out later. The pants I’d been wearing were stained with dirt and drops of blood. They could probably be salvaged, but the idea of wearing any of these clothes again made my stomach turn. So instead, I tossed all of them into the corner of the bedroom. Normally I didn’t like dirty laundry on the floor, but I was so tired that I was willing to make an exception.

The water pressure in our shower was nothing compared to the showers at the Landmark Hotel, but I’d take this vague drizzle any day if it meant keeping the life I had. I turned the water as hot as it would go, honestly looking forward to the lecture I was going to get from Gretel later. The coppery smell of blood got stronger as the hot water hit me and, despite my relief, my throat tightened as I looked down at the blood mingling with soap foam and water on my shower floor. We’d all almost died tonight, and I was nowhere near wrapping my mind around it.

I was tempted to crawl into bed, completely naked and with hair still dripping from the shower. But I could smell something good coming from the kitchen and I was impatient to get back to Gretel. So I pulled on my comfortable, deeply unflattering pajamas and went back down. Gretel was in the kitchen as I came down the stairs.

“Few minutes,” she said, turning to smile at me from the stove.

I smiled back and went into the living room, sinking down into the recliner. Just for a few minutes, until dinner was ready. I’d offer to help, but she’d kick me out.

I fell asleep in the chair seconds later, falling into vague dreams of the garden weaving its vines around my body. A snore from Joel on the couch broke through the dream and pulled me back up just as Gretel was walking into the room, a dish towel slung over her broad shoulder.

“I made some pasta,” she said. “Want me to bring it in here?”

I shook my head, standing up and wincing as my joints cracked. “I’ll come to you,” I said.

Her long hair was tumbling over her shoulders in a way that made me want to plunge my fingers into its softness. I gazed up at her and it was like seeing her for the first time. Her face was strained, clearly shaken from the events of the past couple days. But as I looked at her, she smiled, taking my hand and gently kissing my fingers.

“I checked all the locks,” she said. “I don’t know if that man will come back here, but I think we’re safe for now. Though I think we might want to talk to some other people in town with abilities that could protect us.”

I glanced over at Joel, who was still out cold, his arms wrapped around a fuzzy purple throw pillow. His shirt was still coated in blood, making the scene somewhat macabre. But at the same time, it was a stark reminder about how close he’d come to dying at Corman’s hand. And Corman hadn’t even needed magic to do it. Just a knife and a spot within striking distance.

I followed Gretel into the kitchen and scooped us both two big plates of spaghetti. The meatballs I’d meant to cook earlier were simmering in tomato sauce, so I added some to both of our plates, then brought them to the table.

Gretel sat down, her tired eyes lined and puffy as she did so. But she was luminous to me and I was still furious with myself for even considering giving this up.

“So, what now?” I asked as I twisted my fork into my bowl of pasta.

Gretel was quiet for a moment as she ate her own food. Then she wiped her mouth on a napkin and looked at me. “I’m not sure,” she said. “I still don’t know why his magic didn’t work after you broke the box. Which,” she pointed at me, “Amazing aim, by the way.”

“Season’s starting up soon,” I said, scooping up more food. “I’ve been getting in the practice where I can.”

“It shows,” she said.

“Sorry about Horace.”

Gretel shook her head, then lifted her glass of lemonade. “To Horace.”

I solemnly clinked my glass against hers, then we both dissolved into giggles. I’m sure they were partially hysterical, but it still felt good.

“But for real,” I said. “He was going to kill us, even after I broke the box. So why didn’t he?”

“Because he tied his own magic to it.”

Joel’s voice was hoarse as he came into the room. I was relieved to see he’d taken off the bloody shirt and replaced it with one of Gretel’s from the clean laundry. As he walked in, he motioned toward the food on the stove and Gretel nodded, pointing to where the plates were stacked. Joel took one, loaded it with pasta and meatballs, then came and sat at the table with us.

“Corman took a bet I didn’t think anyone would be foolish enough to do,” he said in between bites. “The box contains its own powerful magic, which is what it’s known for. But he tied his own natural abilities to what was inside it in order to intensify them. That’s what the glow was when he got the box from me. Which explains why he went so far to find me. When I realized how this would increase his abilities, that was when I stole it. Once Dar shattered it, though, his own powers were shattered too.”

“So he’s powerless now?” I asked.

Joel shook his head and dabbed a spot of marinara on his mouth with his finger. “Not quite,” he said. “But it’ll take a long time for his powers to recover. And he won’t have the additional strength provided by the box, so whatever plans he had in mind are going to need to be reconsidered. But from what I know of Corman, he’s a vengeful little man. Who now thinks I’m dead, which should keep him away from Salem. Plus, those two dudes he was apparently mind-controlling don’t seem too thrilled with him now, so maybe we won’t even need to worry. Though I guess this means I should forgive them for beating the shit out of me, then.”

Joel turned back to his food, silently shoveling pasta into his mouth as Gretel and I looked at each other. Apparently, we were silent a little too long, because he looked up at us. “What?”

“What do you think we should do next?” Gretel asked. “I’m thinking we need to connect with the magical community here in Salem. More deliberately, I mean. Because if this happens again, whether it’s Corman or someone else, we’re not going to get as lucky.”

“Meaning Randy Johnson over here might not be there to save our asses.”

Joel nudged me with his knee under the table and I laughed, my face hot. “So I guess I’m good for something then,” I said, my tone perhaps not as fully joking as I’d planned for it to be.

“That was a shitty thing for me to say,” Joel admitted. “I was doing it to get him to leave you alone, but I guess I should have known you weren’t going to believe that.”

“I know,” I said. “Listen, it’s okay. If you need to hear it or whatever, I’m not mad anymore.” I paused, reconsidering. “Well, I’m a little mad you didn’t tell me this before spending the night at my house and leading them here. But not about what happened before. You and I weren’t meant to be and we both know it.”

I didn’t expect the flash of hurt that went over Joel’s face at that, or how quickly he tried to hide it. But then he nodded and gave me a smile. “Of course,” he said. “It never would have worked out.”

Across the table, Gretel thankfully kept her thoughts to herself. I yawned widely, covering my mouth.

“I need to go to bed,” I said. “I’ve got the wedding from hell tomorrow.”

I stood and picked up my plate, bringing it over to the sink. Then I gave it a quick rinse, setting it on top of the small pile of dishes that were already waiting for a wash. But I’d get to them tomorrow. I gave Gretel and Joel a smile, then headed upstairs to climb gratefully into my own bed.

---

Continue to Chapter 17