Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist (Maple Hollow #1)

“Vampire!” Willow shouted back as she let Wyatt run in.

“I heard the screaming. What’s wrong?” he asked, looking around frantically for the cause of the distress.

“It’s Agnes.” Willow pointed at the woman. “I think she’s going into anaphylactic shock or something.”

“Can vampires go into anaphylactic shock?” I asked.

“Apparently!” Willow wailed, pacing around as Agnes’s eyes started to roll back.

“Agnes.” I reached down to grip the woman’s shoulder. “Help’s coming. Stay awake. She reeks of alcohol. Maybe she’s drunk?” I darted looks between Willow and Wyatt. “She should stay awake, right? I don’t know vampire CPR!”

“She probably just fed off a drunk person,” my sister said. “That’s not what this is!”

“Well, I’m sorry I missed the vampire episode of Grey’s Anatomy!” I shouted. “I don’t know what to do!”

“I don’t know what to do either!” Willow cried, her hands racking through her hair.

“Hey, hey. She’s going to be okay,” Wyatt said, circling his arms around Willow and pulling her into his broad chest. “I saw some witches running across the square. They’re almost here.”

“Witches?” I looked up right as the café door opened and Jordyn and Iris stepped in like dark academia superheroes.

“Move!” the redhead shouted.

I scooted backward as the two witches knelt on either side of Agnes. Jordyn took a small vial of something from her messenger bag and uncorked it, and then she poured a strong-smelling liquid through the vampire’s cracked lips. But it didn’t seem to do any good.

I held my breath, and Jordyn and her friend joined hands and closed their eyes. They murmured something in Latin over and over, their voices growing louder, as if they were battling something away with their chanting. The still air of the café came alive, warping and bending around them, swirling up toward the wooden beams above.

Agnes’s eyes flared open, and she sucked down a giant gulp of air. Before my very eyes, the swollen red spots on Agnes’s face shrank and her mottled complexion returned to its smooth, pale porcelain.

I had the overwhelming urge to ask if vampires really needed to breathe, but I kept my mouth closed.

“Steady,” Jordyn said as she hooked an arm under Agnes’s armpit and helped her into a seated position.

It was probably not an appropriate time to think Jordyn looked incredibly sexy, but I couldn’t help but gawk at how calm and confident she was. The adrenaline coursing through me was probably twisting my emotions, but seeing her save someone’s life with her magic was incredible.

The redheaded witch rested a hand on Agnes’s arm. “What happened?”

“I have no idea,” Agnes said once her breathing had steadied. She smoothed down her black satin dress and rose to stand as if levitating on thin air. She was back to the preternatural creature she had been only moments before I’d served her. “I just ordered my normal cappuccino. The new girl served it to me.”

Everyone’s eyes landed on me. I wished harder than ever before that the ground would open under my feet and swallow me whole. Could Jordyn make me disappear? Or teleport me out of there? That would’ve been a miracle.

“What did you give her?” Willow’s voice was filled with accusation.

“Nothing,” I rasped. “I just made the cappuccino like you showed me and sprinkled it with cocoa powder and . . .” My stomach plummeted as I realized what I’d done.

“And?” Willow snapped, and Wyatt’s arms tightened around her.

“And I added a festive dash of cinnamon and nutmeg on top?”

Agnes clasped her hands together, her frown growing sharp and vicious like I was her next meal. “I’m allergic to nutmeg.”

“I-I-I’m so sorry.” I scrambled to find the words. “I didn’t even know vampires could have allergies!”

“You could’ve asked,” Agnes said coldly. She turned her violent red gaze to Willow. “I will tell the others to think twice before coming back here again. I knew we shouldn’t have allowed humans in this town.”

“Oh, Agnes, I’m so sorry,” Willow pleaded. “I promise it won’t happen again. It was a mistake. I’ll do all of the orders from now on?—”

Agnes held up her hand, cutting off Willow’s words. She eyed the witches. “Thank you, ladies.” She glared at me one more time then left.