Page 106 of Spring L.A.W.
Crowe started laughing first. He tried to hide it. Failed spectacularly. “Oh no,” he said. “This is beautiful.”
Brianna glared at him. “I’m so glad my confusion brings you joy.”
“It does. Immense joy.”
The owl remained on the branch, calm as a tax auditor. Its golden eyes fixed directly on Brianna with the expression of a creature that had tried patience, subtlety, and what was left now was judgment.
Sahara’s voice went thoughtful. “It keeps returning to you.”
Magda slowly grinned. “No.”
Crystal’s eyes widened. “No.”
Rayna pointed at Brianna. “Oh, hell. No.”
Brianna looked from one face to another. “What?”
Joell folded her arms and leaned her hip against Crowe’s. “Sweetheart, that is not bad luck.”
Brianna blinked. “It isn’t?”
Lioness shut her sketchbook with a slap. “That owl is your familiar, you absolute fluff-head.”
The guests nearest them fell silent, then immediately pretended not to eavesdrop while eavesdropping so hard it should’ve counted as cardio.
Brianna stared at the owl. The owl stared back. Then, with solemn dignity wholly unappreciated by the people present, it launched from the branch, glided down, and landed on the Maypole crossbeam like it had been invited and found everyone disappointingly slow.
Brianna put a hand on her chest. “My familiar is an owl?”
“Apparently,” Victoria said.
“I thought I didn’t get one.”
“That owl clearly thought otherwise,” Sahara replied.
Magda laughed so hard she had to hand off the punch pitcher. “You’ve been ghosting your own familiar. During Beltane. I cannot imagine anything more on-brand.”
“It was daytime,” Brianna protested weakly. “Owls aren’t supposed to be out in the daytime.”
Joell shrugged. “Neither is half this coven, emotionally speaking.”
Rayna choked on her cider.
Crystal pressed her lips together, then gave up and laughed. “Have you truly been walking around thinking the Goddess skipped you while your familiar’s been perched outside like a feathery Uber?”
“I did not ask for a judgmental owl.”
The owl fluffed once, as if offended.
“Oh, it’s judgmental all right,” Lioness said. “Look at that face. That is the face of a creature who has seen your choices.”
Brianna took two cautious steps toward it. “So… now what?”
Crowe grinned. “Now you say hello before it files a complaint.”
The owl dropped from the Maypole and landed neatly on Brianna’s forearm.
She yelped.
