Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives

Author:Lizzy Ives [Ives, Lizzy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780996232449
Publisher: Sword & Rose Press

Saki dipped in and out of sleep, but the moment the sun came up she was fully awake and fully exhausted. Saki squinted down at the jar, her shame swelling again.

Minutes or hours later, Cresca yawned and stretched. Saki tensed as Cresca gave her a little wave and started checking her orb. It wasn’t long before Thrash was rubbing her eyes and sitting up too.

“Good morning!” Em called. “After a night of semi-peaceful driving, we’re somewhere along the border that runs between North Hecatanee and South Hecatanee. I can happily report no sightings of Thrash’s deranged mom.”

“Takes someone with deranged parents to know deranged parents,” Thrash said with a yawn.

“You wound me like this? Before I’ve even had breakfast?”

“The truth hurts.”

As Em and Thrash tittered, Saki peered at the dense trees along the leyline. What made her lean forward in her seat was a strange black vine she spotted climbing up the trees. In some areas, the vines crept up thick trunks like black, bulging veins; in others, they blanketed vast swaths of trees like a suffocating black canopy.

“What is that?” Saki whispered aloud.

“That’s zuku, an invasive species,” Em replied. “It’s slowly strangling the forests. Fun fact: the Hecatanees, together, employ more Growth witches than any other state to fight the zuku. Unfortunately, it’s basically resistant to magic at this point—”

“This is fascinating,” Cresca interrupted, “But I’m dying for a pastry. Saki, would you ’sant me?”

Saki stiffened. Cresca felt it—their arms were touching—and leaned forward to look her in the eye. Saki couldn’t bear the weight of her gaze. Her guilt was strangling her like the black zuku.

“Uh, are you okay?” Thrash asked.

“I lost my hat,” Saki blurted. “We have no food. And no warproot. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Her cheeks burned hotter than that one time she swallowed a whole spoon of wasabi.

Thrash folded forward and rubbed her temple, disappearing beneath a cloud of magenta hair. She muttered, “What else could possibly go wrong?”

Saki could answer that. As she opened her mouth to reply, Cresca reached across Thrash and gave Saki’s shoulder a firm squeeze.

“We’re gonna be fine,” Cresca said. “We’re literally only one state away from Wyckton. I think we can handle a little hunger.”

As if on cue, Em’s convertible bucked like an untamed unicorn. Saki gripped the Good Shit Jar closer to her chest as Em cursed under her breath and waved the wand.

The car came to a full and sudden halt that threw the girls forward. Thankfully, it was early, and there weren’t many cars on the leyline. A magic-channeling motorcycle swerved around them. The angry driver turned to flip them off, his silver helmet glinting like armor. A black flag mounted on the back of the motorcycle looked chillingly familiar, like a modern-day version of her tarot card. Death.

What was the universe trying to tell her? Saki was at a loss.

“Don’t do this to me you COWARD,” Em screamed at the failing wand. Well, at least Saki wasn’t the most disappointing member of the team anymore.

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