Born to be Witchy - A.J. Macey Page 0,4

he winked at me, while Aris groaned at the familiar joke. He loved to try to convince her to be an Eideann, but with so many last names, it was hard to pick one since we were all secretly hoping she’d choose our own.

“I think we make one up, something like Caliseidearsey. Don’t you agree, Xan?” she asked sweetly, staring up at him with an innocent smile. It took everything in me not to laugh at his horrified expression. Years ago, I would have been making the same expression my father had, but Aris and the others had made it possible for me to find the fun in life, instead of being too stuck—too rigid—to enjoy it.

“No,” a firm voice said from behind us, and she stifled a laugh as I glanced back at Kye. He glared at her around a bite of Hex Mix, clearly not as amused as I was. “Obviously, it’ll be Tanodinisto.” With that, he quirked an eyebrow up and turned to walk away, never cracking a smile.

“Was that a joke?” she gasped, dissolving into laughter when a chuckle finally burst out of Dad.

Yup… living with our coven every day is going to be so much fun.

May 31st

Wednesday Evening

Aris

My feet hurt, and my cheeks ached from how much I’d been smiling throughout the day, but I was happy. The weather outside was beautiful, the stars and moonlight shining brightly overhead in the night sky as we walked through the streets of Crystal Borough to Caspian’s shop. Reaching the main street, the Hells Bells & Tarot Spells sign was big and bold above the door, the sight making me smile. Cas had worked so hard for his store, and knowing he was getting to do what he wanted, made it that much sweeter.

“Can’t believe we did it!” Cas whooped happily, nearly skipping along.

“Yeah, me either. I mean, seriously, who in their right mind let you graduate?” Tor teased, ducking out of the way when Caspian tried to splash a wave of water on him.

The small cottage-like building was on the corner of the square, giving him a yard to work with. We’d all helped him plant herbs and plants he would use in his potions, the vibrant colors drawing eyes right to his store.

Walking into Caspian’s shop was like walking into a whole new world. The inside wasn’t large, but he had such a perfectly organized style, it worked, which was funny since Caspian was such a chaotic but sweet soul, and couldn’t keep his schoolwork organized to save his life.

His glass shelves were meticulously stocked, each product showing his branding, and a swell of pride filled me every time I saw it. One section had jars of ingredients, another spelled candles and salves, and another premade potions in his personal line. The middle of the room was left wide open, making it feel light and airy. His desk ran from wall to wall, dividing the room, a bar flap allowing us to get behind the counter but keeping customers away.

Behind his desk, he had herbs hanging out to dry and two large windows that brought in the Aether breeze and sunshine. The small workbench under that had a large mortar and pestle, and a few other tools he used to bottle the herbs when they were ready, but the real work happened in the back room. A large firepit stood in the center with a spelled fire that Torryn had helped him perfect. He had to mutter only a word, and it regulated temperatures they’d pre-spelled. Over the fire was a large cauldron we’d all gifted him as a present when he opened. It was thick cast iron, but the outside was a shiny metal coating with deep blues, swirling together with gold that glinted beautifully over the mage fire.

Around the perimeter of the room were several workbenches, each covered in his organized chaos; no one else was allowed to touch. The only space left without clutter was Coral’s personal spot. He’d built her a small pond to float in and a comfy nest next to it for her to curl up in. We’d all made ways to keep our familiars comfortable and nearby—from Ruby’s hammock next to Torryn’s desk to Petunia’s comfy beds in Drayce’s office and classroom.

“Who’s up for movie night?” Drayce asked, walking into the backroom behind me.

“Oh, me!” I cheered, following him to the door leading to our house. Torryn had spelled it the same way he did his bag, making an