Mena sat on her bed, running a comb through her messy, brunette hair. Deidre had given Mena a room all to herself. Deidre’s previous bakery and farmhouse had been destroyed in a messy batter incident, but this new bakery possessed all the warmth of the previous one. In fact, Gemini had been kind enough to resurrect the house from scratch with his powerful magic. Currently, Mena was in the guest room, which was designed for Deidre’s long vanished child. The walls were painted with green grass, daffodils and blue horizons, the bed was ultra-fluffy and comfortable and there was a nice bookshelf for all her future books.

There were two objects on her nightstand. A moving picture of her parents and a jar with two beetles in it. They may have looked like unassuming pests, but they were really two of Anguish the Blood Siren’s most trusted crones—Bubbel and Karen. Mena was tempted to let them starve for all the misery they caused her, but she didn’t. She wasn’t as mean and wicked as they were.

The young witch was dressed in lavender bedclothes Deidre had knitted her, but her purple witches’ outfit was folded over the chair at her reading desk. With an extra cloak, she was ready to steal away into the night once Deidre went to sleep.

There was a knock at her door, and once Mena managed a polite ‘come in’ Deidre stepped inside.

Deidre’s hair was all swirled in curlers and her face was devoid of make-up—the only time it ever was. She wore a chartreuse bed-robe and matching green slippers. “I hope you had a wonderful birthday, honey bun.”

“I did,” Mena said, putting down her brush. “Thank you so much, Dede.”

Deidre walked inside, and she sat down on Mena’s bed. “I’m sorry all of your magic friends couldn’t be here tonight.”

Mena gazed out the window and sighed. “It’s ok. I hope they’re doing alright.”

“I’m sure they are,” Deidre said, tilting her head slightly. “They all sound so wonderful. I’m very happy you could find a world apart from here, one where you could fit in.”

“I fit in here too, don’t I?” Mena asked quietly.

“Of course, you do, sugar,” Deidre said, and she smiled at Mena. “You’re an honorary member of the family of Love. And I’d have it no other way.”

Before Mena could even speak, she found herself wrapped in a tight hug from Deidre. Mena eased into the hug and hugged Deidre back. “I love you sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Dede,” Mena said, looking uncomfortably out the window. She was beginning to regret disobeying Deidre. She did love her caretaker as much as all her friends and even her aunt and her parents.

“That’s all I wanted to tell you, hun,” Deidre said, finally releasing Mena from her grip.

Deidre walked towards the door and turned around. “Happy birthday. Tomorrow we’ll do something real fun, like take a carriage ride through countryside.”

“I’d love that,” Mena responded, clasping her hands together.

“Goodnight,” Deidre said, and she closed the door.

Once her caretaker was gone, Mena threw her head back onto the bed. “Miserable magicaps. I’m so going to heck for this.”

Once the house was still, and even Cletus finished his nighttime chores, Mena wrapped herself up in her cloak. She watched the window and waited for the signal. A moving scarecrow bounced below the window and gave her a “straws-up.” That was when Mena made her move.

Sliding the door open with a quiet creak, Mena walked by the banister until she got to the staircase. There she tip-toed down and with increasing momentum, lightly ran to the door. She opened the front bakery door and exited into the night air.

“Wow,” Mena said, finally taking a breath. “You’d think, given my clumsiness that I’d make a lot more noise and expose myself…”

“You did,” a tiny voice said from behind her.

“AHH,” Mena jumped and turned around to see Mr. Gnominski with his pipe in his mouth. His arms were crossed, and he removed the pipe from his mouth.

“Not only are you a Zap Notes reading ne’er-do-well,” said Mr. Gnominski, “but you also sneak out at odd hours. I have absolutely no idea what Gemini sees in you.”

“About the Zap Notes,” Mena responded. She put her hand behind her head and grinned sheepishly. “There’s no way I was going to read that in the course of a day. Isn’t it good I knew the gist of it…at least?”

“That’s not why we have you read all that quality writing,” Mr. Gnominski said, “You realize actually reading things builds your intelligence and your writing skills? It’s essential to read books.”

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“I love reading books,” Mena said with a smile. “Simply not those ones. In fact, that’s why I was going out: To get more books.”

“Oh, are you?” Mr. Gnominski said, running his fingers through his long beard. “To that Book Fair?”

“You can join us if you want,” Mena said, with a toothy grin, hoping her ruse would work. “You can see what kind of books a beautiful young witch reads these days and incorporate it into your lesson plan.”

“Hmm,” Mr. Gnominski replied. “You have a point. I’m quite unaware of what today’s youth reads. Enlighten me if you will.”

Mena turned her head to see Straw-Woman bouncing towards her. “The coast is clear,” Straw-Woman said, “Even though we don’t live on the coast.”

“Excellent,” Mena said, and she scooped Mr. Gnominski into her knapsack. She also fitted Straw-Woman onto her back so no one would know she was an animated scarecrow. Together, they took a trip to the fair.

As Mena walked a short distance from Deidre’s bakery to the castle town gates, she observed all the merchants coming from strange lands. There were men in caravans with bandages wrapped across their faces, carrying ancient books into the town square. The castle guard stopped on of them. His helmet resembled a book cover. It was quite festive, Mena thought.

“Where do you hail from?” the guard asked.

“The wastelands of Lantern Valley,” the man grunted, his mouth talking behind the bandages. “We are bringing newly discovered tomes from the lost library of Black Sands.”

“Very well,” the guard said and allowed his rolling caravan into the village.

Mena pulled her hood over her head, hoping desperately that the guard wouldn’t recognize her from the execution.

As she tiptoed by, she held her breath, fearful of catching his attention. She passed him bit by bit, but right when she was in the clear, she heard a sharp, “YOU.”

Turning pale, Mena hesitated to turn around. But the book-headed guard insisted. Mena carefully turned around. “What is it?” she asked.

“Good books don’t feature any straw-men,” the guard responded with a mischievous grin on his face, “So what are you doing bringing one to the book festival?”

Mena bashfully squirmed and remained silent. “I’m kidding,” the guard said, “May you enjoy this wonderful world of writing.”

Mena bowed her head and scurried into the city. As soon as they were out of range, Straw-Woman whispered, “The nerve of that guy. One, I’m a Straw-WOMAN, and two, all books should feature straw-people. We need more representation.”

“I don’t think that’s what he means,” Mena responded, but before Straw-Woman could offer a reply. Mena gasped. “Wowie zowie, that’s a lotta books”

The whole town square was filled to the brim with stands displaying books of all varieties. In fact, only in the library of tomes, did Mena ever see more of them. There were stories for children, recipes, fairy tales, compilations of philosophy, painted illustrations and Mena’s favorite: romances. Seeing a large heart shaped pillar at one corner of the square, Mena dashed over with a loud, “squeee.”

Mena looked over the stands, licking her dry lips and breathing heavily. “Romance books eh?” Mr. Gnominski said, deep within her knapsack. “I shoulda known, nothing captures the mind of an air headed teen like a romance book. I suppose we can read Gnomeo and Juliet at some point in the curriculum.”

“What’s this?” Mena exclaimed, ignoring him. “Where in the world is Love in The Days of Magic?”

“Magic?” a voice said, causing Mena to jump.

A figure in a brown hood placed a hand on her shoulder. “What gives?” she asked.

“You might want to come with me…” the figure said. Their voice was surprisingly low, and Mena couldn’t determine if it was a man or a woman.

“Uh oh…” Mena said, her chest started pounding at a quicker rate. Who was this mysterious hooded figure? Were they going to expose her for being a witch? Leaving her no choice, the figure lead Mena away from the crowds, towards a dark alley way.

“To find magic books,” the figure said casting a shaky hand over a garbage strewn alleyway. “You must go to Magic Alley.”

“But how do I get there?” Mena asked quietly. She still wasn’t sure if she should trust this mysterious person.

“Magically,” the figure said. “Click your heels together and if you are a person of magic, a whole new street of vendors will appear before you.”

Mena’s feet shuffled back and forth, before she heeded their words.

Click click…

”Miraculous Magicaps…”

The alley wall pulled backwards like it was made of rubber and many neon-colored street-stands sprang up before her eyes. Many more figures in colorful hoods roamed the streets, and Mena realized this was the place where magic users could go in Growden without exposing themselves to the anti-magic government. Steam rose from the streets and Mena could hardly wait, she ran as fast as she could, breathing in the sights like air.

A towering stand at the far end of the street caught her attention immediately. It was an enormous fixture that resembled the grinning blond head of her favorite heart-throb—Fabias the Famed. In big sparkling letters it read, “LOVE IN THE DAYS OF MAGIC FOURTEEN: LOVE ACROSS DIMENSIONS.” Almost by magic, the handsome fixture winked one of its cardboard eyes at Mena.

“EEEEE Fabias,” Mena screeched, as she darted down the alleyway, As she got closer, she smacked face first into the back of a line.

A girl with a large retainer wrapped around her head, turned around. She hissed at Mena, “Waatsh it, Brace-Face.” the girl lisped. “Can’t you see the line. Penwell has released her latest mashterpiece on the day of the Book Fair.”

“I’m sorry,” Mena said softly. “I didn’t see.”

“This book’s going to be extra spechial,” the girl responded. “Apparently, it’s the firsht magic romance that’s interactive…”

“Interactive?” Mena said, her eyes extra wide. She took a step back. Would she, Mena Willow, finally get to speak with the man of her wildest dreams and fantasy?

Mena couldn’t wait. Her heart felt like it was on fire. This was going to be the greatest night ever… if she could get ahold of this brand-new book, at least. As the line traveled slowly, Mena prayed they wouldn’t run out. It seemed like hours were passing, and Mena endured a pang of jealousy every time another girl skipped off with a brand new, interactive Fabias book. At long last, the time finally arrived for Mena to purchase one but when she arrived, the vendor placed a damning “Sold Out” sign on their merchandise.

“DRAT RATS,” Mena cursed hard. Tears welled up in her eyes. This was going to be a magical night, but it seemed her luck had run out. She walked back dejectedly towards the alley way, but suddenly, a voice whispered to her. “Girl.”

Mena turned aside to see the hooded figure at a stand of their own. “Yes, you girl,” the figure said in their low voice.

“What do you want?” Mena asked, and then, the figure said something that drew her attention like nothing else.

“Perhaps, I have the book you’re looking for…All you have to do is give me what I want.”