Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist (Maple Hollow #1)

I waited for Harlow to walk down the steps to my side, and then we started walking in stilted silence, taking in the town. Lou, to her credit, stayed a few paces behind, though she was incessantly humming “Call Me Maybe” to herself. Of course. Nothing like having the ghost of your ex humming a merry tune while you’re trying to date another girl.

“So,” Harlow said tentatively, breaking the silence, “how long have you lived here?”

“My whole life,” I said. “I’ve never lived anywhere else. No real desire to either.” Goddess help me, my conversational skills were about as interesting as beige wallpaper.

“No desire to travel?”

“Travel, yes, but I’ll always keep a base here, I think. I’d miss my coven too much.” I paused. “I told you I was a witch, right?”

“Yes,” she said with a laugh.

“Good,” I said tightly. “Normally, I’m better at keeping a lid on town secrets, but I guess I’m just, uh, nervous tonight.”

Harlow seemed pleased with that answer, taking a step closer to my side. “This whole town makes me nervous,” Harlow added, taking in the square. “At first, I was nervous about everyone here hurting me. Now I’m worried I’m going to accidentally hurt them.”

“Who would’ve known a vampire could have a nutmeg allergy?”

“Right?” she exclaimed, and I chuckled. “I mean, of all the things I could’ve messed up.”

“Was Willow really mad?” I asked. “She looked really mad.”

“I’ve been relegated to cleanup and kitchen duty for the foreseeable future.”

“Ouch.”

“It’s my fault. I get it. This place is important to Willow, and I don’t want to ruin it for her. I understand now why she loves this place so much. It’s certainly magical.”

My heart twinged for her. She seemed so dejected that she’d disappointed her sister. “It’s not that different than other towns.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” She let out a laugh, pointing to the gilded store signs dotted around the square. “The Cauldron Candle Shop. Bones and Tomes Bookstore. The Poisoned Apple Apothecary?” She let out a snort, and I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling at her. “Those aren’t exactly normal shops.”

“We really stick to the theme.” I gestured to the hair salon. “They’re pretty normal.”

She eyed the storefront of Luna’s Hairdresser, a howling wolf in silver appliqué on the front window. “Let me guess,” Harlow said. “They have a discount for werewolves?”

I let out a surprised laugh. “Look at you fitting in like a local already.”

“She’s adorable!” Lou called from behind me. “I think you should hang on to this one, Jords.”

I glared at her over my shoulder, and Harlow paused.

“You okay?” she asked hesitantly. “You seem like you’ve had something on your mind. Earlier today, too.”

“No.” I tried to paste on a pleasant smile. “I thought I had a gnat in my ear is all.”

“That’s a new nickname,” Lou said with a low whistle. “Can’t say I’m partial to it.”

“Here we are!” I said a little too loudly, gesturing to Midnight Market. The storefront was built like a Victorian manor despite it being wedged between two nondescript shops. It was painted in all black and sparkled iridescently like a raven’s wings.

I opened the door and Harlow stumbled backward at the sight inside.

“Whoa,” I said softly, catching her by the elbow. “You okay?”

“What in the Frankenstein?” she whispered, staring wide-eyed at Billy.

The shop was filled with black shelves holding glass jars of every type of chocolate and confectionary. To the left was the standard grocery store fare and to the right was an ice cream counter with Halloween-themed frozen treats. And manning that counter? Billy Bacchus, mayor of Maple Hollow and owner of the Midnight Market.

Billy had green skin, dark, sunken-in eyes ringed in black, white hair with shocks of black, and various stitches holding his peeling skin together.