One Solstice Night by Elora Bishop

Author:Elora Bishop
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Gay & Lesbian, Fiction, Romance, Genre Fiction, Lesbian, Lesbian Romance, Literature & Fiction
ISBN: 1467927287
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2011-11-09T03:00:00+00:00

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What bound two people together? Was it a shared memory, like a poem, memorized and always on the tongue, ready to live again and be said aloud? Was it a moment the two had possessed together, if only for that moment, or was it a connection that spanned from one heart to the other, an invisible thread, unending?

Isabella considered this as she ran her fingers along the rim of the barrel of hard candy at Mrs. Goose’s store. The smoothness of the wood, the mellow mint of the sugar dusted her nostrils, and she curled her toes in pleasure as she tasted the piece of candy Eliza had given her, tasted it like the poetry on the tip of her tongue.

Tonight, the Winter Solstice celebration began. Tonight, she would do her yearly spell, and tonight, after the festivities, the Changer would creep through the forest, to the witch’s cottage…

And she did not know what would happen after that. She had thought on it many times, a perverse amount of times, really. Did Emily feel the same way as the witch--smitten? Was she only coming to tea and dinner, or was she coming for a different reason?

Alice laughed at her every day, licked her little paws and said not a word. But cat and witch both knew something was coming; something soon would change. And it was tremendous and exciting and frightening all at once. Isabella sucked on her candy and ran her fingers now along the bolts of cloth.

She would do her best with the spell. As Mrs. Goose had reminded her many, many times, it was all a mere formality. The Wolf of Winter had not been seen in generations, and--really, the shopkeeper had said, expression indulgent as she took Isabella aside--it was more the ritual of togetherness that began the festivities than the actual spell. This had taken a vast deal of worry off Isabella’s shoulders, and she had stopped being so concerned that every last little bit of her spellwork would have to be perfect. It was a formality! The Wolf of Winter hadn’t been seen in generations! She needn’t fret at all!

Somewhere in the back of Isabella’s mind lurked a tremendous, hulking shadow of uneasiness--but the witch did not focus on it, instead pondering every small thing shelved in the dry goods shop.

She was going to get Emily a present.

It was a silly idea, but one that filled her with great delight. Isabella couldn’t imagine that Emily had any use for a pretty little bauble--but must everything have a practical use? Perhaps something lovely was its own reward. Still, the witch was uncertain and felt looming awkwardness at hand.

Out in the streets, the last few townsfolk were getting ready for the holiday, bustling across the snow with their little sleds and brightly colored packages. Mr. Ox was hanging a great evergreen wreath on his door--handmade by Mrs. Goose, Isabella knew--and Mr. Toad was helping Miss Wren hang the silvery string of lanterns down the village street.

Isabella’s heart fluttered as she looked through the shop one last time.

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