Page 59 of Impractical Magic

“Nice of you to finally show up!” Delilah snapped. “Where have you been all night?”

“I’ve been a busy little bee.” She held out the heavy reference book. “Got you this.”

Luna drifted closer, tilting her head curiously like a bird sizing up a worm. “What is this, exactly?”

“Myrmex Arcana. Supposedly, if any book has information on the dragonflies, it will be this one. Trouble is . . . I have no idea what language it’s in, or if that even is a language at all.” She held it out for Luna. “What do you say, Einstein? Can you make anything of this?”

Luna plunked down on the floor and flipped through, her face lighting up like a child at her first Christmas. “Wowwowwow . . . Multiple hortikinetic languages here . . . Oh, and I think this bit is Sumerian cuneiform . . . And this might be . . . Enochian? Maybe? This is . . . just . . . wow.”

“Is that a yes? Translation-wise?”

“Not off the top of my head, that’s for sure. I can work on it, though.”

“Let me get this straight, Scarlett,” Delilah said. “It took you all night to track down what amounts to a major research project for someone else to complete. Do I understand correctly?”

“Oh, will you relax? I’ve been all over town tonight. I attended the town meeting on your behalf—you’re welcome. Then I had some tea-flavored whiskey with Aphra. She’s the one who suggested the book. Then I went to Spellbound to acquire said book, and then I got attacked by an enchanted giant squid, but don’t worry because the Three Musketeers and Captain Quint from Jaws were on the case, and then there was the small matter of a raging fire in the bookstore, which was not my fault no matter what you may hear in the coming days, and then I almost had sex with Nate in, ironically, the DIY section, and then—”

“Stop.” Luna tossed the priceless book onto the rug. “You what?”

Delilah leaned forward, her usual sternness melting away. “Yeah, I’m going to need to hear more.”

“Alas . . .” Scarlett felt a rush of heat to her cheeks, a mix of leftover adrenaline and embarrassment. “There is no more. It almost happened, but it didn’t, because Polly walked in—which was unforgettably horrible—and anyway, it’s never going to happen again because afterward, I acted like a complete moron and as usual I said exactly the wrong thing and now Nate’s furious and I’ve ruined everything. It’s all over; that’s the story, the end.”

“Scar . . .” Luna rose up on her knees and took Scarlett’s hands in hers. “I’m sure you didn’t ruin it.”

“Oh, of course she did,” Delilah practically shouted. “This is Scarlett we’re talking about.”

Scarlett reluctantly met Luna’s inquisitive stare. They gazed into each other’s eyes, and Luna seemed to read every humiliating detail of Scarlett’s evening.

After a long silence, Luna said, very gently and with great love, “You really fucked it up, didn’t you?”

“Oh yeah.” Scarlett nodded. “Really badly.”

The sisters chuckled, which turned to laughter and then to a helpless hysterical giggling.

“I’m such an idiot.” Scarlett wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

Luna had to do the same. “You really are . . .”

Over at the desk, Del could only shake her head—when the two of them got going, there was nothing to be done but wait it out. She grabbed a box of tissues from behind the counter and tossed it in the general direction of the couch.

When the giggling fits had more or less passed, Luna dabbed her eyes and said, “Seriously . . . I’m sure you can make up with him.”

“Oof, I dunno . . . You weren’t there.”

“He’ll forgive you,” she said. “Knowing Nate, he’s forgiven you already.”

“Yeah,” Delilah agreed. “He’s always been dumb like that.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Thanks for your support, Del—much appreciated. I will say, though . . . I’ll never think of the term DIY in quite the same way again.”

“DIY, huh.” Luna giggled. “Were power tools involved?”

“Oh, ew. Stop.” Delilah made a face. “New topic please.”

“Happy to oblige,” Scarlett said. “So, why is a group of magicians hanging out at the coffee place right now? Hell, why is a group of magicians in Oak Haven at all?”

“Good question,” Delilah said. “I have noticed more of those morons in town lately.”