9. Daisy

CHAPTER 9

Daisy

H er phone lights up as another message from Sloan comes in. Another message she's going to ignore. Pretty, perfect Sloan, with her impeccably styled hair and wonderful clothes, may think she deserves to work on this project, but Daisy knows differently. She knows that Sloan always gets what she wants, and this is something she's not getting her hands on. At least not if Daisy has any say in it.

As she continues to gather information for her community event over the next few days, pieces begin to fall into place. After talking with another venue, a fully formed idea lands in her mind's eye. She can picture every detail of what she wants to create and what exactly she wants to get from this event. It's not enough for her to simply put on a night of fun times. No, whatever she does needs to be memorable . She needs to show this town that they've always underestimated her. They need to see what they've been missing by brushing her aside. And what better way to do that than to run not just a single night, but an entire weekend dedicated to building community and welcoming those who have been outcasts back into the fold?

Standing with her eyes closed, she pushes her power out. She's been trying to practice using it to familiarize herself with her increased ability. Today, she wants to use it to help her pack. Focusing on where the clothes she wants for her girls' night at Petra's are in the closet and drawers, she pictures them in her mind, willing her magic to follow her silent command. A loud bang has her rapidly opening her eyes to see violet tendrils knocking over a lamp on her dresser while another pulls a drawer right out of it. With a sigh, she draws her power back in and begins packing by hand. Placing a folded shirt into her overnight bag, her phone vibrates in her back pocket.

Swiping across the screen, she answers, "Hello."

"Good afternoon. May I speak with Daisy Hale?"

"This is her."

"Miss Hale, this is Charlotte from The Dandelion Inn and Spa. I'm calling on behalf of Ms. McGovern, whom you spoke with the other day."

"Yes. We arranged for me to visit in a week for a consultation and to check out the space to see if it would suit the needs of an event I am planning for the supernatural council in town."

"Yes, she did tell me that. She wondered if, rather than merely a visit, you would be partial to coming for a weekend stay. Ms. McGovern feels it would give you a better sense of the property and its amenities."

Daisy hesitates for a moment, trying to figure out if she has the funds set aside to afford a weekend stay at the inn.

Charlotte must have understood the reason for the silence as she continued, "Ms. McGovern is willing to comp the entire stay in hopes that you would consider the inn to host your event. She has instructed me to tell you that the stay would be free of cost for you and a guest."

Holy shit! A free stay at a top-rated inn? Yes, please!

"That would be fantastic, thank you."

"Wonderful. Are you available next weekend? September ninth?"

Daisy runs the upcoming week through her mind quickly and can't think of any conflicts. "That sounds perfect."

"Wonderful. I have you booked in for Friday, September ninth, until Sunday, September eleventh, in one of our deluxe suites. Check-in will be at three p.m., and checkout at noon. Do you need directions?"

"That all sounds great, and no, I am familiar with the location," Daisy responds, holding back the squeal of excitement building inside her.

"We look forward to receiving you and your guest next weekend. Have a splendid day."

"Thank you, you too," Daisy replies and hangs up.

Her arms rise above her head as she lets out the excited squeal she's been holding in and runs in place. She bounces from one leg to the other, punching the air as she sings, "I'm staying at The Dandelion, I'm staying at The Dandelion. And it's all free," before collapsing onto her sofa with her legs kicking excitedly in the air.

* * *

"So, how have you been doing?" Petra asks, handing Daisy a drink and curling beside her on the couch.

"I've been great!"

"Really?" Petra responds, sounding unsure.

"Really. Why wouldn't I be?"

Petra looks down at the drink in her hand, pausing to find her words. "Well, given everything with your parents, I figured you might be having a rough time. I've wanted to call and check in but thought you may want some space."

"Ah. That," Daisy says, reaching for a handful of pretzels from the bowl on the coffee table. "Yeah, I've decided to shove all those feelings in a tiny box and bury them in the lake."

Petra chokes on her drink, spraying liquid all over the couch. "That seems…healthy," she says, wiping her chin before waving a hand and making the mess disappear.

"Meh. They deserted me and didn't seem to care about the consequences of their actions, so I don't need to care about them. If I don't have any feelings about them, I don't need to worry about them continuing to cause me harm," Daisy responds. She can tell by the look on Petra's face that she has failed miserably to hide the pain that still weaves its web under the surface.

"I see."

"Yep. Here's to being an orphan!" Daisy replies sarcastically, raising her drink to cheers the air.

"You're not an orphan," Petra says softly. "You have me. And Lach. You have a family. It may be unconventional, but we are here."

Daisy chugs the rest of her drink. "I know. And I love that you guys are here for me. But it's not the same." She looks down at her hands, rolling the string from her sweatpants between her fingers. When she speaks again, her voice is thick with unspoken emotion. "You know what they've put me through. I appreciate everything you and Lach have done for me, but it's time for me to move on from them. I would rather talk about something else and continue to pretend my parents don't exist because, for all intents and purposes, they don't. The council made sure of that." She doesn't mean for the last bit to come out as bitter as it does, and from the corner of her eye, she notices Petra flinch as she says it. "Shit. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Petra responds reassuringly. She pulls herself upright into her Premier Witch stance. "I know what the council… what we decided was not an easy decision, and you are the one most impacted by the decision to wipe your parents' memories. I hope you know I never wanted to do that. I had to vote in favor based on protocols and for the community's greater good and safety. I love you, Daisy. You are my best friend, my witchy sister, and I would do anything to protect you, even if that means having to vote to rid our community of your parents." Petra's words are filled with love and care, but that doesn't mean they sting any less.

Daisy wipes a stray tear from the corner of her eye. Since the day they met in kindergarten, Petra has been a constant in her life. Petra has always been the one who would jump into a bubbling cauldron for her. Deep down, she knows that this decision was not made lightly, and it was not one that Petra would have wanted to make. But knowing that doesn't make it less painful. "I know."

Petra leans forward and places her hand on Daisy's. "I'm sorry. I truly am. But I am here for you anytime you need me."

"Thanks," Daisy replies before standing abruptly and moving toward the kitchen. "Do you need a refill?"

"No, I'm still good, thanks."

Daisy nods and then continues into the kitchen. Pausing next to the sink, she lets out a slow breath, attempting to calm the thrumming mix of frustration, anger, sadness, and grief from losing her parents again that flows through her blood, fighting to break through. Violet tendrils pool at her feet as her emotions start to take over, controlling her already chaotic magic. She thought she was doing pretty well. She had been feeling good these last few days with the grimoire and her increased power, but it doesn't want to respond to her calls for control in this heightened state. She really didn't want to talk about her parents tonight. She spends so much of her day doing her best to forget them that she was hoping tonight would be a bit of a reprieve. Some girl time with her best friend. She should have known better than to think that Petra wouldn't try to push her.

Realizing she's been gone for longer than it takes to make a drink, Daisy quickly tosses some random syrups and liquids into her glass and mixes them all together. She takes a swig and grimaces. A little tart, but it will have to do. She takes a deep breath and sends a final plea to her power for it to calm down. Thankfully, it agrees and retreats back inside as if nothing ever happened. She looks over her shoulder, checking nothing has been accidentally set on fire, then enters the living room again and purposely changes the subject. "So, I've been invited to stay at The Dandelion next weekend."

Petra's eyes widen in surprise. "The Dandelion? Really? Why?"

"Well, I called them to arrange a consultation for the council event, and they ended up calling back and asking if I'd like to come and stay for the weekend. They want to let me experience some of the amenities," Daisy shares, her smile emerging brightly. She's proud of this potential collaboration. She knows The Dandelion would be a fantastic venue and can see the approval written all over Petra's face.

"I'm happy things are going so well with the planning. I wasn't sure how it would go with you and Sloan together. You're getting along, I assume?"

"Yep. Sloan has been a wonderful partner," Daisy responds, being as vague as possible, hoping that Petra doesn't press for details.

Petra eyes her skeptically but must decide she's been pushing Daisy enough today as she doesn't ask any further. "So you have a potential venue. What else have you been working on?"

"Well… I have this plan for a sort of weekend retreat. I want it to be a chance for the guests to mingle and get to know each other in a safe and welcoming place," Daisy starts before launching into the list of vendors she's been in contact with and how she sees the event unfolding. Really, she wants the outcast community members to have a chance to build relationships with others. She knows it won't solve all of their problems, but if they can build a bit of a support system, it will be a great start to facing the challenges of trying to integrate with the rest of the community who has let them down.

"That sounds great. I'm so happy to hear it's all going so well."

"Thanks. Anyway, The Dandelion said I could bring a guest, and I was wondering if you would want to make a bit of a girls' weekend of it? Spend the weekend getting pampered and treated like the queens that we are. What do you say?"

"Yes! I'm in!" Petra says excitedly. While she has full access to everything in the community now as the Premier Witch, Petra has never been to The Dandelion but has always wanted to go. Daisy knows Petra just never felt comfortable spending the money on herself.

"Great!" Daisy replies, her heart feeling fuller now. Magic dances under her skin as she relishes in the temporary joy of this moment and lets the sense of accomplishment wash over her.