Star Witch

Helen Harper

Contents ( 25)

STAR WITCH

BOOK TWO OF THE LAZY GIRL’S GUIDE TO MAGIC TRILOGY

HELEN HARPER

For Audra, Sonny, Jo and David -

my fellow Friday night Survivor mates

Table Of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty Two

Epilogue

About the Author

Other titles by Helen Harper

Hallowed Order of Magical Enlightenment Hierarchy

First Level

Neophyte
Zelator
Theoricus
Practicus
Philosophus

Second Level

Adeptus Minor
Adeptus Major
Adeptus Exemptus

Third Level

Magister Templi
Magus
Ipsissimus

Chapter One

Sofa time!

I pressed down on the accelerator to speed past the group of women with designer-label shopping bags, whose arms were elegantly raised in the air in an attempt to flag me down, and ignored the repeated pings on my phone that were supposed to alert me to would-be customers. I’d made enough today to pay my bills so I was on my way home to put my feet up. The joys of being self-employed. I can clock off when I want and, darn it, that’s exactly what I was going to do.

I turned up the music and grinned happily to myself. If I took the right roads I could be home in fifteen minutes. Then I slammed on the brakes, almost giving myself whiplash in the process.

A red-robed witch was standing at the corner up ahead. Hello… I pulled up alongside her and rolled down the window. ‘Where to?’

‘I thought you weren’t going to stop,’ she said with surprise. ‘I’m heading to the Order headquarters.’ She looked at me nervously as if she were expecting me to decline politely. She obviously didn’t recognise me, but I wasn’t anti-witch. Far from it: I used to avoid the Order like the plague but things are different these days.

‘Excellent!’ I beamed. ‘Hop in.’

She clambered awkwardly into the back, the flaps of her robe almost getting caught in the door. She tugged at them, finally managed to pull them inside with her and we took off.

‘It’s a bit late, isn’t it?’ I enquired.

She gazed at me blankly in the rear-view window. ‘Huh?’

‘For work,’ I said helpfully. ‘It’s a bit late for work.’

She scratched at her arm. ‘I’m on call.’ There was a pause. ‘It’s a confidential matter.’

I almost snorted. I didn’t give two hoots why she was on her way to work at this hour. Nonsensically, the Order still keeps its machinations to itself as much as it possibly can; if they want to hide away from the real world, that’s up to them. I was just trying to make conversation. Frankly, I prefer the more taciturn customer. Sometimes, making the effort to discuss the weather or politics or whatever is just a pain in the arse.

I took the back roads, avoiding the rush-hour traffic, and dropped her off right in front of Runic Magic. Another witch was waiting outside and ambled over to get in my taxi. I pretended not to see him and took off down the campus road before he could open the door, keeping my eyes peeled as I went.