“Alright, you get your ass back in that shop and make your phone call,” Henrik instructed as he moved to grab a watering can. “I’ll try to keep these from catchin’ fire from how much I want you.”
She snorted at the thought, but shivered at the cold as she stepped away.
Right. Phone call.
Phone call, because...
Only a week and a half until they were back in Garoureve.
Chapter 15
VioletsatbesideHenrikin his truck, staring at the sign in front of them.
Welcome to Garoureve
It was there. It was right there in front of them. The town of Garoureve. The place where they were both born. Where they had grown up. Where they had learned to walk and talk and run and exist. Where she had shown her first signs of magic, despite her mother longing for her to show growth while visiting the coven in Maine. The place where Henrik had defended her against others who made fun of her for being a witch. The place where she had braided him flower crowns, and he had given her her first kiss.
The place where they had vowed to spend their lives together. The place where one stupid spell laid with the best of intentions had ruined their happily ever after.
“Looks the exact same,” Henrik finally said, breaking the silence that had settled over them the second they saw the turning sign for the small town. It had taken them far longer than she had expected it to, having to drive practically down and around for no reason. Was the town testing them, or were they not really welcome to return?
“Did you really expect the town sign to be any different?”
“I mean... maybe?”
Violet glared at him for a moment, then took another deep breath. Of course, the sign was the same—what had she expected, it to be hanging off the post? Actually, if the town was more or less deserted, that wouldn’t be too far off course, but...
“You realize it might not let us in, right?” Violet carefully pointed out as she stared at the road ahead. “I mean... I didn’t expect it to take us so long to even reach this place. And the magic... I don’t want to say it feels wrong, because it doesn’t, but it almost feels like it’s... reaching out...”
“Do you wanna get out the truck and walk over the line?” he asked her, and moved his glove-covered hand to settle over hers.
Violet scoffed. “And leave behind my plants? I think not. Just, drive slowly.”
It wasn’t the plants she was scared of leaving behind...
Henrik shifted the truck into gear, and they slowly moved towards the town line. Violet held her breath, her hands gripped at her sides, as they slowly crossed over the line, passing into the town of Garoureve. She waited to feel something more, to feel something loud or strong, to feel something pulling at her or pushing her away.
Instead, all she felt was... nothing.
No rise in her magic. No pulsing of the elements. No currents, no flows. It was simply... quiet.
Too quiet.
Almost like... like the town had pulsed at her, trying to gauge her, and then it... nothing.
Was she no longer witch enough for this supernatural town?
Henrik shifted the truck back into park, then fumbled with the door before stumbling out of it. She watched as he started turning, shifting, and sniffing the air. He was looking for something, or, smelling something.
“The pack. I can smell the pack. And... someone died recently. There’s scents I don’t recognize, in the wind. Not bad scents, just different. There’s new folk in town that weren’t here before.”
“It’s been fifteen years,” she pointed out while moving into the driver’s seat. “You look like you’re about to come out of your skin.”
“Think I need to shift,” he answered her, and rubbed his arms. “But I wanna test the line first, see if we can leave.”
“No!” she gasped, and nearly reached out to grab him. “Don’t!”
He stared up at her, a silent battle going on between them as all of her worst fears ran through her brain. What if he was able to leave, but couldn’t come back? What if she tried to follow, and it kicked her out all together? What if—