Crescent Calling: The Crescent Witch Chronicles - Book One by R Nicole (essential reading TXT) 📗

main road, swinging from the branches of the hawthorn like a monkey.

I wasn’t long inside when there was a knock at the front door. Tiptoeing down the hall, I peered through the stained glass but couldn’t see anyone outside. Flipping the deadbolt, I opened the door a crack, but it was to fresh air. I was about to shut it again when a robust meow echoed through the air.

Glancing down, I saw Buddy sitting on the welcome mat, peering up at me with his big green eyes.

“Oh, it’s you,” I declared.

Buddy—aka Boone—meowed and sauntered inside, his body small enough to shimmy through the crack.

Closing the door, I saw him tear up the stairs in his cat form before a thump sounded overhead.

“You know, you don’t have to show up as Buddy anymore,” I called out. “Besides, you keep forgetting your clothes. People are going to start talking about your nakedness.”

“If I kept showin’ up as myself, they would definitely talk,” he replied wryly, his voice muffled. “Mary keeps tryin’ to send me off to the matchmakin’ festival in Lisdoonvarna. Obviously, I can't go.”

“What matchmaking festival?” I demanded, squashing down a pang of jealousy. Ugh, Mairead was so right.

“They have it in this tiny village in County Cork,” he explained, coming back down the stairs, fully clothed. “It’s a whole big thing. People from all over the world go hopin’ to find someone.”

“Where did those clothes come from?” I made a face. “Do you have a closet full of red and black checkered shirts or something?”

“Aye. Two weeks’ worth, labeled with each day of the week.”

“Really?”

“No, not really.” He laughed and went into the kitchen.

“Good,” I said, following him. “Because that would be weird.”

“Weirder than bein’ able to change into a cat?”

“Totally weirder.”

“I left a few things here when I moved out,” he explained, opening the fridge. “Where’s all your food?”

“You mean, where’s all the microwave meals?” I tapped the freezer. “Eat your heart out.”

He flung open the freezer door, and his eyebrows rose when he saw the stockpile I’d amassed. I had roast chicken, beef, lamb, casserole, curry and rice, lasagna. Every food group was represented in a pre-cooked, snap-frozen form.

Boone shook his head, his curls falling into his eyes. “Ah, this is terrible.”

“Hand me a frying pan, and I’ll burn the house down,” I said, puffing out my chest. “But hand me a microwave, and watch me surf the waves.” I wiggled my hands like I was doing the hula, and Boone burst out into laughter.

Smiling, I pulled out a chicken dinner and opened the box, glad our fight yesterday seemed to be forgotten. At least until we knew we were out of the woods craglorn and crazy ancient witch-wise.

“You can't eat that nonsense,” he said, taking the plastic tray out of my hands.

“Are you going out to get some real food?” I put my hands on my hips.

“Ack, not tonight,” he commiserated, handing me back the frozen Frisbee. “I better make a selection.”

“Try the beef. That one has a lot of vegetables in it.”

Once we were armed with steaming plastic trays of food and decked out with cutlery and drinks, we set ourselves up in the lounge room among the cheesy floral furniture.

“You don’t have to come over like this anymore,” I said, stabbing a rubbery square of potato. “I’m fine.”

“You know I can’t let you out of me sight once it’s dark. Not right now.”

What he really meant was, I can’t let you out of my sight because your stupid talisman spell is probably going to get your soul sucked out by alien parasites.

“Fair enough,” I muttered, frowning when I saw he was staring at my boobs. “What are you looking at? My face is up here.”

“The talisman,” he said, causing my cheeks to flush crimson.

Glancing down, I saw the crystal had slipped out of my top and was sitting against the fabric of my dress…right over my boobs, which he wasn’t staring at, at all.

“It was clear yesterday,” he mused. “Now it’s got a golden tinge.”

“Is that to do with Crescent magic? You said Aileen…”

Boone nodded, raising his chin so he could gaze into my eyes. “You found your magic.”

“Sure did.” I rolled my eyes.

“It was a mistake, Skye,” Boone murmured. “We all make them. I’ve made plenty.”

I snorted and stabbed my fork at the little compartment of peas in front of me.

“Your talisman worked,” he went on. “It’s a clever thing to make.”

“I can’t be afraid to use my magic,” I said. “I just need to hold back a little. I’ve been heavy-handed.”

I expected Boone to start chastising me again, but he dropped his fork and raised his head, his eyes widening.

“What’s up your ass?” I pouted.

“Shh,” he hissed, holding up a finger.

Setting my own fork down, I listened to the silence outside. Before I arrived in Derrydun, I was so used to there being all kinds of noises. In the city, it had been the whoosh of cars on the street outside, doors slamming, neighbors playing music, dogs barking. At the beach, it had been the constant crashing of waves and the howling of the wind. Here, other than the rustling of leaves and the odd bird chirp, it was oddly quiet.

Whatever Boone was listening for, I couldn’t hear it at all.

“There’s nothing there…” I began, but he set his dinner aside and rose to his feet.

“It isn’t close, but…”

“But what? Is it a craglorn?” I felt like puking.

“I’ll be back,” he said. “Stay here, and whatever you do, don’t go outside.”

“I’m so not going out there. But what about you? What if…”

“I’m goin’ to change. Don’t worry about me. This is me duty.”

I didn’t like the way he referred to us hanging out as some annoying task he was forced into doing, but I had no choice. I wouldn’t admit it to his face, but I was afraid. Not just for me, but for him. I had no idea what a craglorn looked like in person, but the last time Boone went up