Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

INDI

"I've been waiting for this one for a long time." I didn't know why I was so excited about Mage Night on the Island. I'd flown as a bird before, but this . . . this was so much cooler.

Ria walked by and handed Daniel and me a broom. When I smiled too wildly, the broom vibrated in my hand. She chuckled. "Steady there, Indi. The race hasn't started yet."

"I'm so ready."

"Are we a bit competitive?" Daniel held his broom out to his side and eyed it carefully.

I bounced on my tiptoes. "You betcha. I'm planning to win this thing."

"So we are very competitive." He snickered and shook his head. "Why does that not surprise me?"

I couldn't help it. The moon shined down on us. It was bright and big, casting everyone in shadowy blue light. The trees rustled as the breeze drifted through the branches. We were away from the center of town and in the forest behind Dunn Farms. There was a good-sized group of us waiting for the race to start.

"I don't really know if I should be doing this." Torren shifted from one foot to the other. She gave a nervous hiccup and changed into an ostrich, another hiccup and she was back to herself. Her eyes widened and another hiccup slipped out and she turned into a panda, then another and she was back again. She shook her head. "Nope, I'm out. I'll see you at the finish line."

She shoved the broom toward Nash and took a step back. "You do it."

He turned and handed the broom to the next person in line. "The Vaunteros can't compete. We're the judges."

"Oh good. I'm practically one of you," she teased. "So that means I'm good to sit this one out."

"You've flown plenty of times." I tried to convince her to have some fun with me. "I know feathers on your ass are more fun, but riding a broom could be an awesome new experience."

She shook her head. "I'll stick to feathers coming out of my ass. Thanks."

"Suit yourself. One less person for me to beat."

Torren chuckled and turned away from me. "Happy to bow out."

Nash followed in her wake, and I watched them leave just as Will and Zita joined the rest of the group. I gave him a little smile and a head nod. I was tired of things being awkward between us. I just wanted to enjoy my time here for however long or short that might be. He returned my head nod with a tight-lipped smile of his own. Progress. Right?

Ria walked by and handed them both a broom. The other Bow brothers all joined behind Will, taking brooms of their own. They shoved into him, bumping him with their elbows and playing with him. His eyes didn't leave mine, and I had to turn away from him.

Carter marched out in front of us all and lifted her arms to quiet us down. "Quiet down, folks."

When the chatter continued, Lexington Prescott melted out of the shadow of the trees and stood right behind her. He was a towering menace with his hair combed back from his face. His blue eyes practically glowed in the moonlight. While everyone else wore fall outdoor clothing like jeans, boots, and sweaters, Lexington was in a three-piece black suit. The only evidence that he was ready for fall at all was the pristine scarf wrapped around his neck. He didn't say anything, just simply glared at the rowdy group.

We all quieted instantly.

Daniel leaned in closer to me and lowered his voice, " Dude has got some skills ."

I stifled a chuckle. "If only we were all so blessed."

Carter stood up straight and her bright-blue eyes widened. "He's standing behind me, isn't he?"

Everyone nodded. She sighed and glanced over her shoulder. Her face softened and she beamed at him, then turned back toward us. "Now that I have your attention, we can begin our race. The rules are very simple. You all get on your brooms and race through the course, following the glowing blue arrows that will keep you on track. Our two ghosts are on hand and ready to knock as many people out of the race as possible."

" Ghosts? " Brian paled.

Jimbo and Sal floated down next to Carter on their own brooms. They were covered from head to toe in white paint. Jimbo wore a gauzy looking outfit with strips of white fabric hanging off it and wrapped around his head. Sal was right next to him in a similar outfit, except he had long chains draped around his neck and down his arms. He rattled them at us and both of them smirked.

Carter motioned toward them. "I give you . . . our ghosts."

A round of cheers filtered through the crowd, and they both took off into the dark night sky, waiting to pounce on us and derail some of us from the race.

Carter continued, "There are floating gold rings through the course. If you go through them, a magical object will appear in your hand and you can use that to derail your competition. The winner will be determined by how many golden pumpkin coins you can collect and how quickly you cross the finish line. Lastly, you must stay on your broom at all times. So, to all my fae friends, no wings. If you use your wings, you're disqualified."

We all clapped and cheered. Excitement ran through my body as I straddled the broom.

"You didn't think we'd make it that easy for you, did you?"Carter waved toward something in the dark of the woods. "Come out, Peggy!"

Peggy emerged from the woods and gave a little curtsy, then turned back toward the forest. She pulled her wand from the pocket of her coat and held her other arm up. When she flicked it, magic shot from the tip and into the forest. The ground rumbled, and the trees all rose like a giant wall in front of us. Their branches were sharp and reaching. They looked like jagged, dark daggers against the night sky. The entire landscape changed and nearly blocked out the sky. Bright blue arrows pointed toward the entrance, and everyone kicked off the ground and hovered there.

"Good luck, everyone!" Peggy skipped off to the side and out of the way. "Bow boys— behave ."

"Ah, c'mon, Ma!"

"We are angels!"

"We always behave."

Will chuckled. "She does have a point."

" WILLEM, " his brothers all hissed in his direction.

Peggy rolled her eyes, then vanished into the forest.

Cater held her hand up. "On your marks . . . get set . . . GO!"

My broom lurched forward, and laughter bubbled up my throat. The wind blew through my hair and sent it flying back. Blue arrows shined in front of me, and I leaned forward to follow them.

Daniel rode beside me but his face was a mask of serious concentration. He called out to me, "You got this?"

"I got this."

The arrows banked to a sharp right, and I turned to follow them. Behind me there was the sound of breaking branches and people crashing into the forest.

"Woo! That took a couple of them out." Daniel laughed as tried to keep up with me.

Below me I spotted a glowing, gold pumpkin-shaped coin. I dove down and ran right into it. The pumpkin disappeared into dust the moment I touched it. I pulled the tip of my broom up a second before I crashed into a root. My broom spun in a circle, and I fought to right it. A laugh escaped my lips as I caught up to Daniel and slid in beside him.

His eyes widened. "I thought you were gonna eat it."

"You wish!"

The path dipped and thick branches forced us to go lower. A gold ring appeared in front of me, and I turned right toward it.Daniel fell in right behind me and bumped the end of my broom. I jostled a little, but it didn't stop me from going through the ring. When I went through, it made a little dinging sound and a ball of bright-green slime appeared in my hand. I chuckled and threw it over my head. Whoever caught that in the face was gonna crash hard.

"Whoa, that was close," Daniel teased and bumped my broom once more.

"Oh shit!" There was a wet splat and the sound of branches breaking.

"That's what you get, Brian!" Will called out, and I knew he was hot on our tails.

The path banked to the left and I turned even harder. Branches caught my hair, but I made it around the corner.

Daniel groaned, and I heard one snap across his skin. "I'm too old for this."

"Then I'll see you at the finish line." I glanced at him over my shoulder just as he dropped the broom and let his wings pop out.

"Disqualified!" flashed in red letters in front of his face.

"Win it for us!"

Another golden pumpkin appeared, and I flew right through it. It disappeared and I cackled. I was gonna win this thing with both golden pumpkins. Will flew up beside me and glanced over. My heart leapt in my chest, but I refused to let up. Zita flew on my other side and pushed the broom harder. The sound of falling water filled the air, and I looked up just in time to see a magical waterfall coming from nowhere.

Zita tried to slow down but her wings popped out. She fluttered them furiously, yet the broom fell from her hands. The big, red Disqualified flashed in front of her, and it was down to me and Will.

I aimed right for the middle of the waterfall and accidentally hit another golden pumpkin. A golden ring appeared high above me, and I shot straight up for it. The second I went through it, a horn with a tiny ghost on the side of it appeared in my hand. I chuckled and pressed my lips to the end of it and blew as hard as I could. The sound of the horn echoed all around us.

Will pulled in front of me. "What the hell was that?"

"I have no idea!" I yelled back, clinging to my broom a little tighter.

Two ghostly cackles filled the night. Jimbo and Sal dropped from the sky and landed on either side of Will. Will's eyes widened as Jimbo waved his wand and gauzy white cloth flew right into his face.

"Join the ghosts, Grandson!"

Will fought to get the material off his face, so I took the opportunity to zoom around and collect three more golden pumpkins. Sal rattled his chain at Will and wrapped it around the front of his broom. Will tried to shove it off but it was too late. Sal yanked the chain and Will's broom spun like a tornado. He bellowed as it continued out of control. Sal and Jimbo cackled, and they both slammed into Will's sides. He abruptly stopped, but he was facing the wrong way.

We met eyes for a split second before he realized what was happening.

I glanced over his shoulder in the direction he was supposed to be flying. "Oh shit."

Another horn sounded.

Jimbo looked to Sal. "We've been summoned."

"Gotta go!" They pulled their brooms up at the same time and forced Will to shoot forward on the course while still facing backwards. A huge branch came into view, and he quickly grabbed the front of his broom and pulled up.

I dove below the branch only for Will to twist himself around in midair and drop in right next to me. We both didn't say anything, but I could see the checkered orange and black finish line up ahead. I forced the broom to move faster but so did Will. We fought back and forth for first place. The finish line came up fast. We were through it in seconds. I sat up from the broom and sucked in a deep breath. I felt so free and light. We circled around the end of the finish line and landed next to each other.

Will dropped his broom and walked over to me. His lips pulled up in a smile that sent butterflies dancing in my stomach. "I think I got you on that one."

"No way. I totally won." I dropped my own broom and met him in the middle.

"I guess it's a photo finish." He shrugged with a smirk on his face, then he held his hand out for me to shake. "Or we call it a tie?"

I put my hand in his and instantly regretted my choice to wear leather gloves. I'd known we were holding on to wooden brooms and had had far too many splinters in my work to want to risk it . . . but I would've loved the excuse to feel his skin against mine again. My face warmed. "I can handle a tie . . . with you."

Silence. We just stared at each other, my gaze locked on the flecks of light in his amber eyes. My hand was still in his, and even with the glove on, it sent little pulses of electricity shooting up my arm. My pulse fluttered.

Other people began to fly through the finish line over our heads.

But I couldn't peel my eyes off of Will.

He licked his lips, and my gaze tracked the movement. "Not bad out there," he said softly without letting go of my hand.

"Thanks." I cleared my throat through the hot lump of emotion lodged in there. "Impressive Sal and Jimbo didn't take you out."

He scrubbed his other hand down his face and rocked back on his heels as he sucked in a breath. "That's part of growing up with Jimbo for a grandfather."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our winner!" Carter's voice boomed out loud and she appeared at our sides in an instant.

We both jumped and yanked our hands back.

"Or should I say winners ." Carter chuckled.

" What? " I playfully shouted as if I was appalled. But I didn't mind sharing the title with Will." No ties!"

"No way!" Will chuckled as he pretended to be outraged with me. "I wanna see the photo finish."

Others started to gather near the finish line, and a magical golden circle swirled around us. It landed on the ground, encircling us as it glowed brighter. Carter moved into the circle to stand between us.

She held her wand like she was holding a microphone and her voice boomed, "Will came in first place . . ."

He raised his hands over his head. "Ha! I knew it?—"

"But Indi has the most golden pumpkins," Carter continued.

"Ha! There we go! I won!" I teased as I did a little dance.

Carter held her hand up, silencing us both. "Therefore, you both won and for different reasons."

Ria walked into the circle with a tiny plastic trophy in hand. It was like four inches tall and had a gold pumpkin on the top. "Here you go."

I pointed toward Will. "He can have that."

"You sure?" He reached out and took it from Ria.

I nodded. "Yeah, you survived Jimbo and Sal. Everyone deserves a trophy for that."

Ria rolled her eyes. "Buttheads. Really?" She flicked her wand, and the trophy duplicated.

"Oh." Will chuckled and handed me the other one. "I'm a terrible mage, aren't I?"

Carter moved out of the circle and pulled her phone from her pocket. "Smile."

Will held his hand up. "Hold on. I have an idea."

He pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it at me. I didn't even flinch. I trusted Will. That realization hit me hard in a split second. Magic fired from the tip and my outfit changed from jeans and a sweater to a bright-red collared shirt, blue overalls, brown work boots, and a red hat.

I took it off my head and looked at the front. "Really?"

He stood next to me in the same outfit, but instead of red he wore green. His overalls weren't blue denim though. Instead, they were white. "What?"

"Mario and Luigi." I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. "Really? You picked Luigi. You came in first. You should be Mario."

"Yeah, but I'm taller." Will motioned to himself. "And I'm fire-Luigi, duh. He's awesome."

"You guys look great. Now smile!"

We didn't move closer to each other. We just stood there and smiled like two kids who'd won the most important race ever, even though it was just a festival moment.

Carter took a few pictures, then held her thumb up. "Got it, guys. Thank you. I'll send them to you both."

I gave her a little wave as she and Ria walked away. The crowd began to disperse, and I knew Torren would find me soon enough, but I had to stop this awkwardness with Will. I didn't know how much longer I could deal with the tension when really all I wanted to do was have fun on the Island. "Hey, Will?"

He turned to face me. His cheeks flushed pink. "Yeah?"

I swallowed. "Is it just me or are things?—"

"Awkward between us?" He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels."Just like Lex said in the lighthouse?"

"Yeaaa." I folded my hands in front of me and squeezed them together. "I don't want them to be."

"Me either." He ran his hand through his hair. "You know, it was . . . a long time ago."

"Right." God, I hated the way this was going already. "And we didn't really end on bad terms."

He hesitated. "I mean . . . yeah."

He almost sounded like he didn't agree, but that was not why I wanted to talk to him. There was no use rehashing the past. It was best to leave it there.

"I just think we can get along. There was never a time that we disliked each other."

"No, there wasn't," he admitted, but his tone was guarded.

"And we're going to see each other on the Island." I felt awkward, like I was rambling.

He nodded. "It does seem inevitable."

This wasn't coming out right at all. I was struggling for words when conversations between us always flowed in the past. This was like pulling teeth. "What I'm saying is . . . let's not be awkward anymore."

"You want to be . . . friends?" He said the world like it was pulled from his throat.

I nodded. "Maybe we start with just . . . not awkward? Work our way back to friends?"

He swallowed hard, then let out a deep breath. "Yeah . . . yeah, that's . . . uh . . . yeah. Not awkward, then friends. We can do that."

"Cool. I'll . . . um . . . go find Daniel and Torren now." I shifted into my parrot and fled with my heart in my throat and everything I'd ever eaten threatening to come back up.