The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

by Sangu Mandanna

“We’ve talked about this,” said Jamie mildly. “Murder can’t be your first choice every time you don’t like something.”

“You’ve talked about it,” Terracotta replied. “I still think it’s a good first choice.”

Her eyes very round, seven-year-old Altamira said, with perfect gravity, “That was some excellent Mary Poppins shit right there.”

“It’s not always enough to go looking for the place we belong,” Jamie said, his eyes on the house ahead. “Sometimes we need to make that place.”

It’s a leap of faith to love people and let yourself be loved. It’s closing your eyes, stepping off a ledge into nothing, and trusting that you’ll fly rather than fall.

He was the purest alchemy, lead to gold.