Bewitch Me - A Halloween Collection by Lily Rede Read Free Book Online Page B

for something, anything that could help her. She knew she was responsible for the fast-encroaching Ice Age that enveloped the neighborhood, brought on by stress and anger and frustration after walking away from the dance floor last night, and despite being flooded with warmth over the prospect of a date with Tom, oh God, the cold just wouldn’t go away. 
    A panicked call to her oldest sister Ivy had proved pointless. Shouting over the raucous party behind her, she had advised Cass to relax and get laid. Twenty minutes of sisterly bickering, and Cass had finally gotten Ivy to grudgingly admit that there might be a spell to counteract the condition somewhere in her old schoolbooks, currently taking up space in Cass’ attic, along with all the other junk the sisters dumped on her at regular intervals. It was convenient having a sister with a house.
    “You’re making such a big deal out of this, Cass. Your magic is an extension of you. You chill out and – hey, that was funny! Seriously, sis. Forget the incantations and spells and just go out, have a drink, and wrap your hands around a nice, big, throbbing –”
    Cass hung up on her.
    Long hours later, Cass was shivering on a low stool in the attic, wishing her flannel nightshirt was warmer, reading through yet another spell book, her anxiety mounting. What if I can’t make it stop and the whole town stays in deep freeze forever? I can’t really date a mortal, can I? What if Tom finds out what I am? What if he finds out that I killed his pumpkins? What if he doesn’t like how I look naked?
    It was a lot for a girl to consider, and Cass was a little desperate as she tossed away the book in her lap and reached for another one. Please, please, please. She wrenched it open and – there it was.
    “A spell to build heat, to drive away the cold, and to swell with all the warmth of passionate intent. Close enough.”
    Even if it was only temporary, it might stave off the icy blast long enough to save Tom’s pumpkins. Her sisters would be home in a few days and they would step in and handle the situation in two seconds flat.  She’d never hear the end of it, but it was the best she could do. Cass scanned the spell – a simple incantation, a rune drawn in the dirt under a full moon, and presto. She glanced at her watch – almost midnight. Ripping the page out of the book, she flew down the stairs, sliding her feet into the closest available footwear, a pair of fuzzy boots. Throwing her coat over her flannel nightshirt, she hurried outside.
    The neighborhood was asleep, bundled securely inside their warm houses. Frost glittered on every surface, and trees and plants were rigid with ice. Holding her coat closed and clenching her teeth against the cold, Cass regretted not stopping to put on real clothes, but dismissed it and swiftly headed toward Tom’s property, which was as dark and silent as the rest of the houses on the block.
    Here we go.
    Cass let herself into the pumpkin patch and carefully made her way across to the special crop in the corner. The lot was crystalline with frost, and only the panes of the greenhouse were fogged over as the heat inside held back the cold. Cass pulled back the blankets carefully tucked around the gourds and puffed out a sigh of relief – not good, but not completely frozen yet.
    She grabbed a nearby stick and knelt to trace the rune into the dirt, not an easy feat as the ground was rock solid. When she’d managed to carve it an inch deep, she tossed the stick away, brushed her hair out of her eyes, and reached for the incantation.
    “ C alidum magicae relegant frigus …”
    It was long and intricate, and Cass stumbled on a few words. She’d never bothered taking sorcery classes with her sisters – what would be the point? Finished, she stood back and anxiously regarded the pumpkins. For a long moment nothing happened.
    Come on, come on.
    Suddenly, a spark appeared, small and bright and winking in the cold night air. Then another,