Page 96 of No Charm Done

“Listen to your sister,” Vex said. “Violence would be very bad for your brand.”

“Come on, Scar,” Luna said quietly. “Let’s go.”

Scarlett looked like she wanted to argue, but something in Luna’s expression must have convinced her. They turned toward the door.

“See you at the demo, ladies,” Chuck called after them. “Should be quite a show.”

“Want to go back in there and break some transformation spells? Priti’s class is in the basement.”

Luna considered. “You know what? Yes. Yes, I would like to go practice breaking magic in the basement of the establishment where Ashton Vex is currently eating lunch. That sounds extremely satisfying.”

“That’s the spirit.”

They circled around to the back entrance that led down to the pub’s basement. The stairs were narrow and steep, and the air got cooler as they descended. Luna’s despair began to lift. Yes, she was heartbroken. Yes, Ashton Vex was the worst. But Oak Haven was her home, and these people—these witches frantically practicing spells in bookstores and basements and yarn shops—were her people.

She wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from her.

* * *

When Luna and Scarlett returned to the Stargazer, the sun was setting and their feet were throbbing. They’d visited the park where a group of witches practiced breaking weather magic and stopped by Jerusha’s place, where the eldest witches were breaking containment spells. Everywhere, the story was the same: chaotic, occasionally disastrous, but ultimately progressing. Oak Haven was learning how to fight back.

The dining room was peaceful when they arrived, just a handful of guests finishing their dinners. Mama was already there, sitting at the family’s usual table with a glass of wine and an exhausted expression.

“How’s Margaret?” Luna asked as she slid into a chair.

“Successfully retrieved from Buenos Aires,” Mama confirmed. “And Oslo. Turns out she was in both places simultaneously. Poor girl’s going to have quite the hangover tomorrow.”

Delilah came rushing in shortly after, looking like she’d been through a war. Her hair was sticking up at odd angles, and there were scorch marks on her sleeves.

“Don’t ask,” she said preemptively as she collapsed into a chair.

“I wasn’t going to,” Mama said. “Wine?”

“Gods, yes.”

For a few minutes, they just sat in comfortable silence, passing the wine and letting the day’s chaos settle. Luna felt bone-tired but surprisingly hopeful. The town had come together. They’d practiced and struggled and occasionally turned each other into livestock, but they’d done it.

“So,” Mama said finally, “overall assessment?”

“We’re as ready as we’re going to be,” Delilah said. “My class can break most standard spells now, though their success rate drops significantly if they’re stressed or distracted.”

“Which they definitely will be, on the day,” Scarlett noted.

“Yes, thank you for that comforting observation.”

“Tomorrow is our last day.” Mama’s expression was serious now. “On the Fourth, we need to be absolutely ready to counter every single spell he tries to cast. If even one spell succeeds convincingly, those investors will see dollar signs, and we’ll lose our leverage.”

“No pressure,” Scarlett muttered.

“Exactly the right amount of pressure,” Mama corrected. “This is everything, girls. Our home, our way of life, our magic—all of it depends on making Ashton Vex look like an incompetent fool in front of the people whose money he needs.” She paused. “So yes. Pressure.”

“We won’t fail,” Luna said, surprised by the conviction in her own voice. “I’ve seen how hard everyone’s working. Vex doesn’t stand a chance.”

Mama nodded. “That’s my girl.”

They talked for a while longer, going over logistics and contingency plans and all the things that could go wrong. But underneath the practical discussion, Luna could feel something else—the same thing she’d been feeling all day as she watched Oak Haven pull together. Pride. Hope. Love for this impossible, magical, stubborn little town and everyone in it.

She was so focused on that feeling that she almost didn’t notice when the phone at the front desk started ringing.