Page 56 of No Charm Done

“Go away.”

“C’mon,” Delilah said, “Mama wants us back at the inn.”

Her sisters herded Luna back toward home like a pair of smug sheepdogs. Elias followed behind, taking a moment to replay the hard turn that meeting had taken. And the kiss, too. He replayed that more than he probably should have.

Halfway down the street, Luna turned back to look at him. Not shy, not bold, just . . . weighing something.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.” And then: “Everything.”

He shrugged. “Whatever you say, doll.”

The night air smelled like summer, with a hint of ozone around the edges. Whatever Violet’s spell had shaken loose wasn’t done settling. Oak Haven was bracing for something. And Elias wasn’t going to sit this one out.

Chapter 18

Killing a Unicorn

The building that housed the Double, Double Boil and Trouble pub had begun life as something else. A warehouse, maybe, or a mill, back when Oak Haven was young. The exposed beams overhead still bore the scars of their former purpose, and the wide-plank floors had been worn smooth by generations of feet. Fairy lights wrapped around bottles behind the bar cast everything in a warm amber glow, turning even the most stressed-out witch into something softer.

Luna slid into the booth and felt about fifteen percent more human. The town hall meeting had left her wrung out, nerves jangling, stomach knotted with anxiety. Wedged between Elias, who rested his hand on the table, and Delilah, who offered a supportive smile, Luna found comfort in the gentle murmur of conversation. She could almost pretend everything was fine.

Almost.

Across from her, Scarlett was scrolling through her phone with the manic energy of someone who’d had too much adrenaline and not enough food. Nate sat beside her, one arm around her shoulder; whether he was anchoring or restraining her, Luna couldn’t tell. At the head of the table, Kelly Melrose surveyed her assembled troops with the expression of an exhausted general.

Jasper, wedged in beside Delilah, was reviewing his letter to himself again, occasionally glancing up to check if the real world matched his notes. “So the elderly pirates are real,” he muttered. “Good to know.”

“Very real,” Delilah confirmed. “And very armed, as you saw.”

“Right. Noted.” He made a small mark on the letter.

Elias’s knee brushed against hers under the table. Possibly accidental. Or maybe not, given the way the corner of his mouth twitched when she looked at him.

Focus, Melrose. Remember what Mama always says. Crisis first, feelings later.

Except her feelings had terrible timing and no respect for priorities.

“All right,” Kelly said, her voice cutting through the ambient noise. “Let’s start with the basics. We need food, we need drinks, and we need a plan. In that order, because I’m not strategizing on an empty stomach.”

“Hear, hear,” Scarlett said without looking up from her phone.

Dayo appeared at their table. She was a tall woman with warm brown skin, her locks pulled back in an intricate wrap, and a grin that made newcomers feel like old friends. Pausing beside the group, she pulled out her notepad. “Evening, everybody. Heard you had quite the meeting. What can I get you?”

The beverage orders came rapid-fire: Earl Grey for Delilah, chamomile for Kelly, sparkling water for Nate, lemonade for Jasper. Luna asked for whatever was on tap, and Elias seconded that. Scarlett, still absorbed in her phone, waved a hand vaguely. “Same.”

Dayo was turning to go when a voice cut through the low chatter of the pub like a knife through butter.

“Singapore Sling. Double.”

Everyone froze. Jaws tightened, eyes darted. Jasper’s fingers stilled mid-scribble. For a breath, nobody moved—a collective flinch at the intrusion.

Luna turned to see Jerusha settling herself at the end of their table with all the ceremony of a queen claiming a throne. She was 125 if she was a day, but Time had given up trying to erode her.

“Um . . .” Dayo said carefully. “You want a what?”

“Did you not hear me? Singapore Sling, double the gin. Nah, triple.” Jerusha gazed at all the shocked faces. “What, did you think I made it past a century and a quarter on herbal tea?”