Mathilda, SuperWitch (Mathilda's Book of Shadows #1)(53)
“You know, Matty…” Viv whispered to me about the time Su was explaining the delicate act of balancing one buttock on a tree branch, “I saw the way you were after Darling got through with you – sorry, hon, but you were a mess.”
Great.
Then she went on, “It takes a witch’s intuition to read a guy like Sebastian so I’d say he’s falling for you.”
Hmm, seems to me Viv does not know about future-husband-and-father-of-my-two-boys-and-a-girl part of the story.
She kept talking. “It couldn’t have been easy for him to see you in that state. It wasn’t easy for any of us.”
Try being me!
And she kept right on going. “I think he’s controlling himself, trying to stay cool so he can protect you. After seeing you like that, not to mention seeing how well you’d done protecting your Spellbound, well, as you know, magic like that is seriously seductive.”
Er, no, I didn’t know.
“Anyway,” she forged on, “even the strongest man can lose control in the face of that. You know, the whole glamour of danger, glorying in life, celebrating your victory, seduced by your magic thing. I don’t think he intended to move that fast, although I do think he intended to make a move… just not that fast. Now he’s backing off. I may be wrong, but that’s what I think.”
Viv’s so clever.
I asked BecBec later before I poured myself into bed and she just said, ‘Eee… eeeeeee, eeh, eiyah,” then she giggled.
Whatever.
4 May
Finally!
They sure have taken their freakin’ time.
The Witches Council contacted me – sent a rolled up piece of lilac-colored homemade paper wrapped in a black satin ribbon.
Very dramatic.
It said:
On 14 May (the day after my birthday, by the way), at 23:45, Mathilda Guinevere Honeycutt will be tested for Potency of Magical Powers and Craft Integrity. These trials will be conducted at Ladye Bay by Endora Eccles (The Lady) and Seraphina Dingle (The Maiden).
As is custom, The Hag will rule.
Witch Honeycutt can bring her wand or athame (one or the other, not both), her cloak, her broom and one confederate, one familiar and one other.
Kind Regards,
The Witches Council
(Prunella Craddock, The Hag)
5 May
Beltane today.
Not too into the festival of fertility, love, union, yadda yadda, yadda.
BecBec is all crazy about it – made me decorate my tree with bright-colored ribbons (seemed to get happy vibes from tree so maybe not a bad idea).
Everyone else did the celebrating as well as the petal action in their sacred circles and then scattered them in the wood, around The Gables, The Dozen and the school, etcetera. (Couldn’t do it personally due to magical suspension.)
The petals give a little extra protection.
I guess, every little helps.
14 May
My birthday was yesterday.
The Good:
Presents (favorites noted):
Mavis: My own personal flying broomstick decorated with pink, blue and purple ribbons.
Viv (always super gift-giver): Fab, oversized, Jackie O sunglasses.
Lucy: The Practical Magic DVD. “Mate,” she said, “I’m not stupid.”
The Bad:
Josie: St. Jude medallion.
“We have our kind of protection too,” she said.
“But he’s the Patron Saint of Lost Causes,” I said.
She shrugged.
Ack!
The Ugly:
Was sitting under my tree (Beltane decorations looked kinda raggedy so had to get rid of them), taking Eleanora’s advice and meditating and communing with nature.
(Really escaping Gables where Nerissa had made a little mistake that caused a big explosion and I made the decision that I should be somewhere where I could breathe.)
Was wearing my birthday present to myself – lush mushroom velour yoga bottoms with powder-blue satin drawstring (low riders) and powder blue cami with satin ribbon threaded through to tiny bow at the vee in my cle**age (sweet). Plus zippered velour track top and blue ribbed skull-cap (with sequins knitted in – fab!) because warm weather mysteriously gone with April and now only watery-cold-sunlight. Blech.
I felt him before I saw him but I kept my eyes shut anyway.
When he got close enough, I said, “Well, if it isn’t the brilliant Dr. Aidan Knightly Seymour.”
“Hey, birthday girl,” he said and kissed me on the nose.
A little surprised at the kiss, and felt really nice (as in really) but I still didn’t open my eyes.
“How did you discover my middle name?” he asked.
“Me and the girls, doing a little bit of research these days.”
“Mm,” he mumbled.
Yowza.
Him saying “mm” all deep and both approving and disapproving sounded super-sexy.
Best open eyes.
So I did, saw he still looked hot as ever and I noted, “No longer indisposed, I see.”
“No.”
He was standing, leaning his back against a tree and staring down his nose at me.
Fancy, schmancy blokes who stare down their nose at you – damn them all the hell.
I stayed still (even though I wanted to get up and kick him on the shin), legs crossed, hands resting on my knees with palms up and fingers relaxed.