Page 68 of Practically Magic

“I think it’s working now!” I yell to Harry over the roar of the crowd, people cheering and yelling our names.

“The sacrifice is done,” Harry says, clutching Beatrice’s spell book again. “Now we just need the intention. Everyone! Repeat after us: This circle is cast, protect Mystic Hollow at last. Say it over and over again till we tell you to stop. Got it?”

“Yes! Yes! Hurry! The Horseman is almost here!” the mayor says.

Harry and I rejoin the circle and begin to chant along with the others. I clasp hands with Harry and with Zach, and feel my magic surge under my skin. A small crackle of energy and a light that begins to glow from within. It’s working! I want to cry, but just as it starts to pulse, I feel it fade away again. Something is wrong. Is our love not enough? Just when I’m ready to fear the worst, there is a large pop and a massive gust of wind.

A vortex of swirling light appears like a cloud, and I can see through it to another space and time. Into a . . . ballroom?

And then Aunt Viv and Aunt Diane step out, decked from head to toe in the sparkliest formal wear.

“Aunt Viv!” I cry, wanting to break from the circle. “Aunt Diane!”

“Girls! Oh, thank the stars!” Aunt Diane says, looking misty.

Aunt Viv looks from us to the crowd, then to the Horseman’s army, inching closer. “I see we made it just in time.” She muscles into the circle beside the mayor. “Croft? Give me your hand. Get in here, Diane!”

As soon as they join us, I can feel the difference in our magic immediately. Mine is pulsing now, the energy in our joined hands growing big and bigger before a bright white light forms over our massive circle. And still, we keep chanting, until finally there is a blast that sends waves of energy over the circle with such force, we’re knocked to the ground. Every light gutters, the scarecrows and the torches, the jack-o’-lanterns—even the poop one.

And then comes the wind, a screaming gale.

“Don’t let go!” my aunts scream, and we all hold each other’s hands tighter.

The wind forms a cyclone, whipping up first the gnomes and the gremlins, then the vampires, the werewolves, the kraken. Finally, only the Horseman stands, a few yards away.

He doesn’t need a face to convey his rage.

He raises his gloved finger, points it at me, and kicks his steed into a gallop.

“Kat!” my sister yells, trying to yank me away, as the Horseman’s mount leaps up, black hooves flashing.

I squeeze my eyes shut, clinging to my sister.

“Oh stars,” I hear my aunts whisper.

I open my eyes slowly to the stone-white hoof of a horse statue. Atop it sits a headless figure, axe raised, finger pointing straight at me.

29

Mystic Hollow Community Page

New post from Mayor Croft: Dear Citizens, we have much to celebrate thanks to the Hadley girls. Cleanup will continue throughout the weekend. Just remember: What happens in Mystic Hollow stays in Mystic Hollow. Have a great time!

“I don’t remember Great-Aunt Aida’s portrait looking so cheerful,” Harry says as she lifts the mended painting off the floor and places it back on the wall.

I walk over, broom in hand, to look at it myself. The drab oil painting has definitely changed. Sun is streaming through the window behind Aida, and her dress has gone from brown to a pretty mauve. “I think she’s actually smiling now.”

“I, for one, was sick of her scowl,” says Aunt Diane as she uses magic to move a few vases and knickknacks. They float through the air and return to their regular places. “Apparently, she was too.”

“Mom’s going to notice,” Harry and I say in unison, then look at each other. “Jinx!” Phoebe winds her way around both of our legs, meowing happily.

“Your mom will not notice. She’ll just be happy you two made up,” Aunt Viv insists as she waltzes by, spelling things here and there to make sure everything in the house is back to normal.

I’ve been concentrating on the wallpaper that peeled in the dining room, imbuing glue with my magic, and slowly and surely the walls have returned to their normal selves as well. My aunts and Harry can’t stop talking about how impressed they are with my magic skills. I know I still have a long way to go, but it feels good to understand my own magic now and know that while it hasn’t manifested in the same way as the other Hadleys, it’s just as strong.

We’ve worked hard together to use magic to fix what was broken. Colton’s head is firmly back on his body. The ice realm is gone. The dead have returned to their resting places. The greenhouse is accessible again too. This morning, I checked on Victor, and the Venus flytrap is back to his normal size. He was happy to hear me sing “Monster Mash” to him again. Harry’s magic is working once more, and she was able to charm her hair into cooperating again. And as for me? Every boy who confessed their dying love to me is back to ignoring me. A day later, all is back to normal. Almost.

I feel a rush of cold air on my neck. “I came to say my goodbyes,” says Eleanor, floating through a wall to greet us. “I wish I could stay and see your parents, but my sister is expecting me.”