“That’s true,” said Cory.
“And do you currently make matches for people?” Hagatha asked her.
“I do,” Cory replied. “But not for money.”
“There you have it! Perhaps she didn’t help Poppy, but she is a self-proclaimed matchmaker! I maintain that her neighbor Laudine Kundry knew about this. When I questioned her weeks ago, asking if she had looked into Cory Feathering, she said that she had and that Cory was not breaking any rules. Now that we know Cory was indeed breaking the rules, we also know that Laudine was either inept, a poor judge of the situation, or that Cory Feathering bought her off. Laudine even took Miss Feathering to the witches’ trade show, which she knows full well only witches may attend. Whatever the reason, I say that Laudine Kundry should be stripped of her rights as president of Witches United. According to our rule book, she should be impeached as president, suspended from witchhood, lose her WU Today subscription, be expelled from the witches’ country club, and be subject to eternal torture, the type to be determined at some future date.”
Laudine tried to speak, but when her lips moved, nothing came out.
Cory glanced at her grandfather and mouthed the words, “I’m sorry. I have to do this.”
Lionel nodded and mouthed, “I know. It’s all right.”
Cory took a step forward and said, “Laudine Kundry is not guilty of any of the things you’ve accused her of doing. She did investigate me, but when she learned the truth, I made her take a vow that she would never reveal my secret.”
“Why would she agree to that?” demanded Hagatha.
“Because of what I am,” said Cory. Closing her eyes, she thought, Wings! They were there an instant later, glowing and iridescent. Every witch in the room gasped.
Cory thought about love then. She thought about Blue and how happy she felt when he was around. She thought about the pride that had shown on his face when she played “Lily Rose” at the Battle of the Bands. She remembered how much fun it had been to run the obstacle course together. And she remembered the joy on Quince’s and Micah’s faces when the judge pronounced them man and wife, and the way Wilburton Deeds looked whenever he was near Delphinium.
Even before Cory opened her eyes, the rosy glow behind her eyelids told her that she had banished the dark. When she looked around, she saw that her glow had reached to every corner of the room, even erasing the shadows. It was only when she looked down that she realized she was suspended six feet above the floor, and that she was holding her bow in one hand and her quiver in the other. The witches were silent as they gazed up at her with their mouths open. She almost laughed when she saw the awed expressions on the ogres’ faces. Although Lionel looked both pleased and proud, the only thing she saw on Blue’s face was love. It was more than enough.
“I am Corialis Feathering and I am Cupid!” she said in a voice that didn’t sound quite like her own. “Your rules and regulations about love do not apply to me!”
“She’s a demigod!” one of the witches cried; the words were taken up all around the room.
Cory turned to Laudine and their eyes met. “I release you from your solemn promise,” she told her friend.
The glow that surrounded Cory suddenly grew brighter. Laudine staggered and her hair blew back from her face as if wind had touched her for an instant. As Cory settled to the floor, the rosy glow faded, but the room still didn’t seem nearly as dark as before.
“I declare that Laudine Kundry is innocent of all charges,” the older witch announced. “She is still our president and I hope will continue to be for a very long time!”
“I love your wings and your bow!” a young witch gushed.
Cory glanced behind her. “Oh, I forgot,” she said, and thought, Wings! Bow!
Her wings, bow, and quiver all disappeared in an instant, making the witches around her gasp.
“Thank you so much, Cory!” said Laudine. “I couldn’t refute anything because I couldn’t tell them about you.”
“I know, and I’m sorry that I put you in that position,” Cory told her.
“And I’m sorry you had to tell them your secret,” said Laudine. “I hope it doesn’t make things harder for you.”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Cory confessed, but even as she said it, a vision started to form. To her surprise, she saw Daisy and a slightly older man in a strange uniform. Perhaps she did know what was going to happen after all.
Copyright © 2017 by E. D. Baker
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First published in the United States of America in October 2017
by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
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ISBN 978-1-68119-139-3 (hardcover) • ISBN 978-1-68119-140-9 (e-book)
E. D. Baker, The Magical Match
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