They slept for hours, and on their final night at the compound together, Katie and Yuli joined Zoya for dinner. She’d abandoned the funeral attire and the long black veil in exchange for a loose-fitting purple cloak. Her thinning gray hair was now shorn close to her head in a silver pixie cut. Uncharacteristically self-conscious, Zoya pressed her palm to the top of her head and then tucked an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear, clearly a habit she’d acquired that was no longer needed.
Yuli opened her mouth to say something, then closed it without speaking, then opened it again.
“Close your mouth, dear, you’ll catch a mosquito. I simply thought it was time for a change,” Zoya offered in explanation with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders.
“I love it!” Katie gushed in an attempt to cover the awkwardness. “You look great!”
Zoya laughed at her attempt to fill the silence. “You might be overselling it a skoosh, darling, but thank you just the same.” She eyed them as the maid rolled in a trolley of dishes. Terrance nipped at her feet, racing around the table, directing the placement of the platters.
Rack of lamb with mint jelly and a platter of enormous seared scallops were set at Zoya’s right hand. A basket of cheddar and chive biscuits rested on white linen, and pan-seared pork medallions with a mushroom and caper sauce waited on platters next to Katie.
“Dig in,” Zoya encouraged as she filled her plate.
“You don’t need to tell me twice.” Katie plucked a biscuit from the basket and passed it over to Yuli. She broke off a corner of the burnt orange crusty cheese and popped it into her mouth, surprised at the tender texture as it melted on her tongue.
“So?” Zoya said as she speared a slice of the lamb with her fork and slid it into her mouth. “How was the journey?”
“Spectacular!” Katie gushed. “It was like living inside a Baz Luhrmann film!” She shook her head, still gob smacked by the stunning beauty she’d witnessed inside the music box. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Me neither,” Zoya admitted. “It’s beautiful when life gives you a magical moment like our wedding day, but it’s also cruel.”
“How so?” Katie asked.
“Because you become addicted to the feeling. Once you know it, nothing will ever compare.”
“But isn’t it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?”
“Resorting to trite platitudes, are we?” Zoya’s sass had returned in full force.
Katie winced. “Sorry.” They ate a few more bites in silence when she asked, “If the eternal coven allows you to reincarnate, how will you find Sally?”
“That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it, darling?” Zoya asked. “I just know that I will recognize his soul in whatever form I next encounter it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“A soul always recognizes its counterpart.” Zoya took a sip of the vodka gimlet that had been set down in front of her. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you about Arlo.”
Katie leaned away and shifted uncomfortably in her seat, raising her glass of wine to her lips to avoid speaking.
“I believe he is your counterpart.”
Katie sputtered, choking on the wine. “You’re as bad as Yuli. Why is everyone team Arlo… er, I mean Brody, all of a sudden?”
“Katia…” Yuli started in. “Please listen.”
“Thank you, Yuli,” Zoya said. “Just hear me out. Yes, the quality of loyalty is admirable and its importance cannot be overstated. But you must understand I put him between a rock and a hard place. I knew he loved you, but I also knew he would do anything to be returned to his human form so he could have a real chance at a relationship with you. He was conflicted. He just didn’t see another way.”
“It’s just too weird. Having a romantic relationship with my former dog? Even if I was able to forgive him, I don’t know if I could get past that.”
“What if I was able to give you a little help?”
“What do you mean?”
“I could help you forget Arlo and open the door for Brody.”
“Hmm.” Katie considered her proposal. “Isn’t that cheating?”
“Not to me,” Zoya said. “Perhaps I had it wrong all along. Perhaps men aren’t dogs, after all, but they are the very embodiment of love and devotion.”
“I like this softer side of you,” Yuli whispered in awe, astonished at the change.
“Perhaps this is another lesson for me to learn. Maybe instead of weakness, vulnerability is true strength.” She turned to Katie and reached out to grasp her hand. “To walk through this world without armor is brave and, you, darling, seem to do it with ease.” Her tone downshifted to almost a whisper as she leveled her eyes on Katie. “Looks like we have a thing or two to teach each other yet.”
She tipped her head and offered a solution. “I could soften your inhibitions, open your heart and your mind, just enough to give you the space to let him in. It would take nuance and finesse and most likely a significant portion of my remaining resources. Truth be told, it might even make me more hideous to look at.” She laughed as if she’d told a joke. “But I believe it is worth it. After all, it might be your only chance to feel the sun on both sides.”
Katie closed her eyes, thinking Zoya’s proposition over. If she was honest with herself, she’d longed for it since the day Zoya shared the concept with her. It was as if a lock inside a hidden chamber of her heart had found a key. Now that it had been opened, the longing was increasing with each passing day. It seemed that all the lessons she’d been learning since her awakening were converging together into the only one that mattered. Love is all there is, and it was worth the risk to feel the warmth that Zoya was offering her.
“I hope I don’t regret this.” Katie finally gave in when she was able to put words together. “But I want to try.”
“Fantastic,” Zoya said with a pert nod of her head. The grin on her face made the crow’s feet crinkle at her eyes. Katie was struck by the sheer mature beauty of her genuine happiness but knew better than to draw attention to it.
“There is something I need to say as well,” Yuli stated as the eyes of the other two women drifted over to her. She cleared her throat.
“What is it?” Zoya finally asked when the silence stretched out too long veering into uncomfortable territory.
“I need to thank you,” Yuli finally said. “You sacrificed to save me, Zoya, and have proven to me that you are a changed witch. I didn’t make it easy for you to earn my trust and respect, but you have, and I am grateful.”
Zoya bit on the corner of one wrinkled lip. Clearly affected by Yuli’s gratitude, she pulled the linen napkin from her lap and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear you say those words until now. Thank you.”
The sentiment choked up Katie, who reached out a hand to Yuli. The breakthrough made their amulets glow. The tears falling down their faces worked down their cheeks, to their jawlines, and then changed direction, beelining to their amulets causing them to glow ever more brightly. There was a surge of tingling energy, and Katie felt the urge to stand and pull the other two women into her arms. Once their hands were joined together, the tingle worked its way from woman to woman on a circuit as healing energy snaked through them all. They began to glow and emit light, and Katie had to squint, eventually closing her eyes to shield them from the brightness. In the distance, a tuning fork began to hum and then stilled, and behind her eyelids, Katie noticed the room darken. When she opened her eyes, she felt fully refreshed and completely restored. She gasped in awe when she caught first sight of Zoya’s dramatic physical transformation. She’d been rejuvenated into an age-appropriate yet vibrant centurion. The decay evaporated into the ether and her face held a sweetness it never had. Her silken pixie cut was once again a radiant white, though much thinner. The age spots lightened, yet still snaked their way across her skin, but it was her smile that ignited a beautiful light from the inside that took Katie’s breath away.
“You did it, Katia,” Yuli whispered.
“No, we did it together,” Katie said. It was a truth that resonated in her heart and rang so true none of the women could dare to dispute it. “Zoya, now that your heart is your most beautiful attribute, all we had to do was unite and encourage the outside to match the inside. Before, you were physically stunning but your heart was hideous. Your selflessness encouraged the flip, and all our magic did was restore the equilibrium.”
Zoya nodded. “I understand now, in a way I never have before.” She leaned closer. “Yuli, my beautiful granddaughter, your outside now matches your beautiful, forgiving heart. I hope your next lifetime brings you the peace you deserve.”
“And Katia, you are now the strongest and most capable witch in the mortal coven. It brings me great peace of mind and joy to know our bloodline will be protected by your valiant heart and capable hands. Trust your instincts. You have everything you need inside you right now to take this coven to its highest heights.”
“Agreed!” Yuli weighed in with a huge smile.
There was a collective exhale from the group, and it was as if a weight they’d all been carrying around for decades had finally been lifted. Katie felt capable and calm. She’d come so far since her awakening and was now confident in her ability to lead the mortal coven. She glanced from Zoya to Yuli and back again, grateful for all the breakthroughs they had together. Her heart filled with a sense of contentment that seeped outward like a warm blanket wrapping around them all.