Chapter Text
The crisp autumn wind whirled around the courtyard of the university. Leaves rustled around Dani’s feet. She pulled her sweater tighter as a chill shot up her spine in the cool evening air. Her fingers wrapped around the pendant at her neck, a nervous habit she’d developed over the years when she needed to feel close to him.
Dani always felt like part of him was with her; he promised her he would be, but he always felt especially close during the fall and the closer it got to Halloween. Sometimes Dani swore she could still hear his voice or the ghost of his lips against her cheek. She stood there for a moment, getting lost in the memory before kissing the black cat pendant and continuing on her path.
His presence was always a welcome feeling and, frankly, just what she needed on her new venture, moving into the dorms at Boston University. It was hard to leave Salem. Harder than she ever could have imagined. Salem was her home, where she felt closest to him. Despite her family moving on to various parts of the country, Dani couldn’t find it in her to leave. It felt too much like leaving him behind.
Dani’s last visit to New York to see Max and Allison was when Allison finally pulled her aside. She told Dani how concerned they were for her.
“He’s gone, Dani. It’s been years since his soul was finally set free. He’s at peace. You have to let him go. For both your sakes.”
Dani shook off the memory of her sister-in-law’s words. Allison and Max meant well, they really did, and Dani knew that. But the problem was that she didn’t know how. That Halloween, they all experienced things that changed their lives, yet she seemed to be the only one that remembered. Max and Allison moved on and were off in the big city, living their lives as if nothing had ever happened. Then there was Dani, unable to let go or move on. She wasn’t able to forget or simply pretend none of it was real. The Sanderson Sisters changed her life—
Thackery Binx had changed her life.
God, if her brother and sister-in-law knew how often she visited his grave or how she would sneak out late at night on Halloween to sit in that cold, lonely graveyard to cry over his headstone, they’d probably have her committed. No, nobody knew the truth of how deep she was for a young man that she had known for a single night. It wasn’t like she could tell them. They’d never understand.
Hell, did she understand?
When she tried to analyze things logically, something difficult to do considering the involvement of witches and curses, it sounded so ridiculous. She was eight years old when she met Thackery. How could she possibly fall for a cursed boy in the form of a cat? Had she really built up the image of Thackery in her mind to be some perfect soulmate? It was ridiculous!
Surely, she had a better grasp on reality than that. Although, her dating track record may say otherwise. Dani brushed that little factor off with the excuse of being young and wanting to focus on her career rather than boys. It wasn’t entirely untrue. She did want to focus on herself before settling down.
The Thackery thing was only a minor detail, obviously, since she was officially moved into a dorm and left Salem behind her.
Dani tore off her sweater and flopped down on her bed with a sigh. It wasn’t easy, but maybe leaving was what she needed. Perhaps Allison was right.
She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling and fiddling with the pendant, when her window popped up with a strong gust of wind. She shot up with a shriek, adrenaline coursing through her. The cold wind felt like it wrapped around her, drawing her to the window. Dani pushed herself from the bed to close it and lock it back into place.
When she glanced outside, she saw a small black cat looking back at her. Her heart was pounding. She knew better—that it was impossible even, but something about that cat entranced her. Even after so many years, she would never forget the tingling of magic. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up while she continued staring into the golden eyes of the cat below.
Dani tore away from the window to race downstairs. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be, not after so many years. However, the cat meant something–she could feel it and needed to find out what it was.
The cat was gone when she made it downstairs to the spot outside her window. She began searching the area, trying to call it out to her while people bustled around her, sharing looks and whispers of her odd behavior. Dani didn’t care. She needed to find that cat!
Just when she was about to give up, she spotted a long black tail waving from behind a tree. She carefully tiptoed toward it so as not to frighten it away. Somebody was there when she rounded the tree, petting the sleek black fur.
Lovely green eyes met hers, making her freeze half bent over, reaching for the cat.
“Oh, hello,” the young man greeted her politely. “Chasing my girl, I see.”
Terror kept her frozen, gaping at the man sitting before her. It wasn’t possible!
“Her name is Emily. Do I know you?” He asked abruptly, his smile faltering around the edges.
Dani didn’t know how to answer. The man slowly rose to his feet and helped her stand upright. His hand took hers while he searched her face with a concerned expression.
“You look so familiar,” he gave a nervous laugh. “Like I’ve seen you before. Are you alright? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
She couldn’t speak. She could only stare at him, her mind desperately trying to grasp how he could be standing there in Boston with her.
“My name is Zack.”
“D-Dani,” she stammered, her voice hoarse.
“Nice to meet you, Dani,” he beamed.
It should have been impossible. And maybe it was. She probably fell asleep on her bed. It wasn’t the first time she’d had realistic dreams of him. Meeting at university was definitely a new one, though.
She had no idea if she was awake. If she wasn’t, she had no idea how any of what was happening was possible. But with his warm hand still holding onto hers, while she looked into the eyes she’d dreamt about for nearly fourteen years, she knew one thing was for sure—It was him.
It was Thackery.