Free Bittersweet Sixteen (A Dodie Jenks Novel) by Lexi Witcher Page A

seemed to stand still. The room became silent and Grandma, Brody, and Anson were frozen in time.
    Leopold pulled his hand away from the flame and stood again. His palm was as if the glass had never shattered. There was no blood. No puncture wound. He looked at me and smiled.
    “I’m not a soothsayer. I do not foretell the future. I’m a warlock. There’s a great difference, but now is not the time to show you.”
    I nodded. “B-but your hand?”
    “It’s fine.” He waved his hand in front of the fireplace and the shattered glass fragments began to spin in a circle as they rose up then he moved his hand toward the flame and they followed, vanishing. “It’s time for dinner. Will you help me serve?”
    I swallowed. “Sure, b-but what just happened?”
    “Magic. I do possess powers, you know. Watch this.”
    He snapped his fingers, releasing time. Grandma and the boys once again spoke as he escorted me to the kitchen. Even in my bewildered state I noticed the table was already set for the meal so all we had to do was dish it up and bring it out.
    The copper pot was on the stove again, steam rising from its contents. Was this pot his witch’s cauldron? “What are you always cooking in there?”
    “That, dearest Dodie, is what is going to save you.”
    “Will I have to drink it?”
    He grinned and showed his dimple. “Don’t worry about that right now.” He stuck his hands in oven mitts and opened up the door, pulling out a roasted, stuffed chicken. “The potatoes and carrots are already dished up in the warming oven if you want to take them out to the table.”
    “Okay.” I took the extra set of oven mitts and carried both dishes out, then when I returned he handed me the basket of rolls. He followed me with the chicken platter.
    After setting the platter on the table, he walked over the doorway and called across the foyer. “Dinner is served.”
    “It’s about time,” I heard Brody grumble.
    I eyed Leopold to see if he’d heard him, but if he did, he didn’t let on. He came over and pulled out the chair for me, scooting me in once I’d sat. Then he took the place beside me, letting Brody and Anson sit together on the opposite side of the table.
    “It has been many, many years since this table has been full of young people.” My Grandmother took her spot at the head of the table. “I believe it was about this time of the year too. I had just turned fifteen a few weeks before and my older sister Portia was a few days shy of her sixteenth birthday. Our older brothers, Gellman and Noel were home from boarding school that weekend. We wouldn’t all be together again like that ever, but we didn’t know it.”
    “What happened?” Anson asked.
    “My sister took ill and suddenly died a few days later. She’d never been sick a day in her life, but she contracted a high fever.”
    “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” Anson reached for his napkin and placed it in his lap.
    “It’s okay. That all happened many moons ago. I have fond memories of my sister and our life together. There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
    Halfway through the meal Leopold reached over and took hold of my right hand under the table when I put my napkin back in my lap. He’d never done that before and it startled me.  But I didn’t pull my hand away because it felt nice, kinda natural for him to be holding my hand. I glanced at him and he gave a quick wink.
    The phone rang, and Grandma excused herself to go answer it.
    “So Leo, help me understand exactly what it is you are doing here with my sister.” Brody glared across the table at us.
    “It’s Leopold,” I corrected.
    “Whatever. It doesn’t really matter what your name is because I don’t like you. I don’t care that my parents are okay with you being here or that my grandmother has given you free reign over her house.”
    Leopold tightened his grip on my hand for a second. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
    “How old are you?” Anson asked, looking