Page 97 of A Witch in Notting Hill

It had been so long since I’d felt anything so deeply, and I let the waves of emotion roll over me, squeezing my chest and tingling my toes and reminding me I was alive and I had a big heart and that feeling and loving and trying were what the whole thing was all about.

“Thank you, Granny,” I said. “For everything.”

The bird flapped its wings hard, signaling an imminent takeoff, and I knew it was Granny telling me not to bother. She already knew.

“I love you,” I whispered. “A bushel and a peck.”

Even though she wasn’t there to finish, to whisper back, “And a hug around the neck,” I felt it all the time. Felt it in the sunrise and the snow and the warmth in my heart.

“And before I’m done communing with the dead,” I said as I got to my feet, wondering if any other spirits could hear me, “if you’re out there, Granduncle Arthur, might I just say leaving Coven and Codex to Oliver was the best decision you could have made. Thank you for all you’ve done for me and my family and for Oliver. I’ll try my best to make it worth it.”

Interstitial

Forage for Clinopodium menthifolium, grown locally. Prepare and consume locally in accordance with your preferences. ??

Conduct an Orientation spell with the Wharram Percy Pendulum. Use its direction as a guide. ??

Complete the Ritualistic Restoration Cleansing in a pond, lake, or slow-moving river to prepare the body for the Reversal. ??

Participate in a Full Moon Ceremony. Stay awake until the following sundown for maximum effect. ??

Commune with those who have passed on. They know more than any of us who remain in our mortal forms on Earth. ??

Convince a skeptic of the existence of magic. Use the experience to fortify your powers to effectively produce the Reversal.

Chapter 32

Oliver

“You still haven’t heard from her?” Lola asked, swiveling in my office chair and sipping a latte like we were in my living room and not at work.

“Don’t you think I’d have told you if I’d heard from her?” I said. I knew she was also upset Willow had shut us out of the quest, but I didn’t have the energy to manage anyone else’s emotions around that. I was frustrated and confused enough on my own.

But Lola had brought me lunch, so I couldn’t kick her out just yet.