Chapter One
My stomach had grown so large that if I turned the wrong way, it could block out the sun.
Worse, if I wasn’t careful, I risked knocking off all the decorations and food Beau had spent so much time meticulously placing on the half dozen tables in our backyard — potentially ruining my baby shower before it even started.
As if the twins sensed my anxiety, one of them sharply kicked, causing an intense pain at the top of my ribcage. I winced and massaged the spot to soothe it, and by the time I re-opened my eyes, Beau was at my side with his hand resting on top of mine.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“No, no, I’m fine. One of the twins kicked, that’s all.”
“Oh, it must’ve been a hard one then. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cringe like that. Here, take a seat and rest,” he said and ushered me to the nearest of the dozen plastic chairs he’d set out. He held it still while I squatted down as far as my aching feet and legs would allow, and I collapsed the rest of the way in a big huff of air.
Beau’s hands found my shoulders and began massaging the tight muscles there and at the base of my neck. “Better?”
“Very much so,” I moaned and tilted my head to the left. The bones in my neck cracked one by one like dominoes, producing a sound like a zipper closing as they snapped.
Beau groaned. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that sound.”
“Me neither.” I’d never been a neck cracker until I got pregnant, but since then it happened several times a day and I had to admit the sound was gruesome — but the relief it provided was worth it.
Beau kneeled in front of me and stroked my swollen stomach. “I can’t believe we only have another five weeks to go until our little kickboxers are here.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You aren’t the one who’s been getting their insides pummeled by them for the last ten weeks. It’s a good thing magical babies grow faster. I don’t think I could deal with this for forty weeks. I’m ready to meet the little boogers already.”
“Aw, you’re right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to minimize.”
I rested my hand on top of his and squeezed it. “It’s okay, I know you didn’t. It’s just my hormones acting up, don’t take it personally. I’m glad you’re with me for this, there’s no way I could do it alone.”
He stood and kissed the top of my head. “You just stay put and rest. I’ll finish getting ready before everyone gets here. There’s not much left to do, and you’ve overworked yourself already today, anyway. Can I get you anything?”
My stomach rumbled, but I hesitated. Beau raised his eyebrows at me. “Okay, look, I know this is gonna sound weird, but I’d kill for a pickle right about now.”
Beau chuckled. “It’s not weird, but you’ve got it. It’s a good thing I bought that giant jar the other day when it caught your eye.”
He dashed back into the house for the food and I sat rubbing my stomach and staring out at our small but cute backyard. Beau had taken up gardening and did an excellent job planting various colorful flowers along all three walls of the fence that blocked us off from our neighbors.
Claiming he wanted only the finest ingredients for his kids, Beau had also started a small fruit and vegetable plot in the far-left corner where fresh, plump tomatoes dangled from their wire supports. The sight of their swollen red exteriors and the thought of their juicy contents made my mouth water.
The quiet and serenity of the yard might otherwise have been unsettling, but given the unprecedented period of peace Moon Grove had experienced for the last ten weeks — which coincided nicely with the timing of my pregnancy — I doubted I had anything to worry about.
Still, I couldn’t shake a constant sense of dread that at any moment the other shoe might drop. Since moving to the magical town nearly a year ago, there’d never been a stretch of time this long in which something major hadn’t gone wrong, so no one could blame me for being nervous.
As Head Witch, if the broom hit the wall, it would fall on me to fix it and I could barely take care of myself, much less tend to a major upset. Thankfully, I had my counterpart, Head Warlock Heath Highmore, to deal with anything pressing while I focused on myself and the twins, and he’d made it abundantly clear that he wanted me to take advantage of that support.
“One large pickle, as ordered,” Beau said, startling me out of my daydreaming. He thrust it out to me in one hand, its base wrapped in a paper towel, and I snatched it from him without hesitation. If someone had told me a year ago I’d be pregnant with twins and smashing on pickles like they were the last pieces of food on earth, I would’ve laughed in their faces, but there I was.
I took a giant bite from the side, savoring the satisfying crunch and the sweet and sour taste. “Thankth,” I mumbled through the wad of pickle in my mouth. Juice dribbled down my chin, but I was too happy to care.
Beau bit his lower lip to keep from laughing. “Anything for you.”
The sound of familiar voices drifted from the front of the house, and my furious chewing froze as my heart jumped up into my throat.
“Sounds like the guests are arriving,” Beau said, beaming.
My eyes shot open and I thrust the pickle back at him. “Here, take thith, I don’t want anyone to thee me thith way,” I ordered and leaned sideways to spit out the wad I’d already chewed. Beau took the pickle and grimaced at the gift I’d left. I ignored him and bared my teeth. “Do I have anything stuck in here? Is there any juice on my shirt? Hurry, get me a breath mint before they come inside!”
“Relax, Zo, you look fine. Besides, you’re pregnant, you’re allowed to look a little messy.”
My heart hammered in my chest and I glanced down at my clothes in horror. “Messy?! You’re not helping!”
The sound of knocking echoed through the house and drifted out into the backyard. “Knock, knock!” Heath called, and I thought I might die.
“What if they come around the side of the house? Hurry, intercept them!” I ordered, and Beau dashed through the back door toward the front. I dragged the back of my hands across my face and chin and breathed a sigh of relief when both came back clean.
I couldn’t have gotten out of the chair even if I’d wanted to, so instead I straightened my shirt and stretched it out to keep my stomach from looking as monstrous as I feared it did. I’d just gotten settled when a hand found my shoulder and jolted me.
“There she is, the witch of the hour,” Heath’s honeyed voice said as he stepped in front of me, but the gesture was far from comforting. I glanced over my shoulder and found a trail of my friends and colleagues pouring down the back steps, some of which I hadn’t seen in months.
Holly Craft, my new secretary, led the charge, followed by Raina Woods, my magical mentor and Headmistress of Veilside Academy. They entered the yard and Mallory Crane, my best friend and partner in crime during my time at the Academy, dashed past them toward me in a whirlwind of untamed brown hair.
“Zoe, girl, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. None of us are dead, or at least as far as I know,” Mallory quipped as she hurried to throw her arms around me, and I tried not to laugh as her wild curls tickled my nose.