Lib Novel Page 14
Iris swept up some bright red and yellow powders from the floor after yet another failed spell. “We’re going to need more salt if we’re going to try again.”
“Don’t bother.” I huffed, shutting the book I was flipping through with a dull thud. We’d already used a bucketful, and the impending cleanup was only adding to my annoyance. “We’re reaching with these spells. We need something more powerful.”
“We can do darker, but I don’t think that’s the sort of magic you want to tempt onto this plane,” Iris assured me.
“I know, you’re right,” I grumbled. “Thanks for helping me try.”
She gave me a bright smile. “You know I love this stuff. Beats refilling bottles and replying to emails.”
“True.” I chuckled.
“You already know how to get rid of me, Jords,” Lou said in a teasing singsong.
I rolled my eyes.
Iris studied my face and frowned. “She’s really giving you hell, isn’t she?”
“You have no idea.” I rubbed the tomes’ dust from my aching eyes.
“Just go ask her out,” Lou pushed. “One date.”
I balled up my fists and set my knuckles on the table.
Iris huffed. “What did she say?”
“She wants me to ask Harlow out,” I repeated loud enough to make a point. “A woman I don’t even know, might I add.”
“I mean . . . ,” Iris hedged with raised shoulders.
I pinned my supposed best friend with an aggrieved stare. “Not you too.”
Iris spread another spell book across the table. “If it’s only going to take one date, then that’s easier than me spending days hunting down a spell.”
“You just said that you love hunting down spells,” I countered.
“I do,” she conceded. “But you might as well try option B while I’m painstakingly sifting through hundreds of years of texts for you, okay?”
“Ugh. The guilt!”
She was right, of course. Which only made Lou giggle at my defeat.
“The worst she can do is say no,” Iris said. “Why are you so reluctant to ask this girl out?”
“Yeah,” Lou added. “Why?”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Okay, fine! You win!” I grabbed my coat off the chair behind the counter. “I’ll go ask her out.” I pointed to Iris. “But you keep working on the spells in case of the very real possibility that I come back with crushing rejection stamped on my face.”
Iris nodded.
“And you.” I rounded on Lou. “Stay here with her.”
Lou cackled as she followed me to the door. “No way! I have to see this for myself. How else will my soul know you’re putting in effort?”
8
HARLOW
When I got back to the café, I gave Willow the bag of ground cloves with a confident nod. I hadn’t managed to mess up the first thing she’d trusted me with, and the small, grateful smile she gave me was my reward.