The next morning, Wolf elected to stay behind in Katja's room while she went to her workspace, saying he'd like some privacy to "think about things."

While she didn't like being apart from him, she also gave him his space, since there was so little else she could do for him, and she turned her attention to preparing for the upcoming Lammas festival, a day the witches celebrated the importance of grain.

At one time, the day would have involved everyone going out and harvesting grain from a field by hand, but thanks to the proliferation of mills that easily turned grain into ready-to-purchase flour, the witches observed the day with baking and other celebratory activities rather than manual labor.

An air of excitement settled over the castle, with Hexen decorating and cleaning and cooking with increased vigor. Katja was so busy repairing last-minute items deemed necessary for the festival, the days flew by, although her heart tightened every time Wolf chose to stay in her bedroom rather than come to her workspace.

She missed his company, missed talking and laughing with him. She told herself this wouldn't last forever but, given that she'd never had a friend to disagree with before, she honestly wasn't sure how long the distance between them might last.

The evening of the Lammas festival, Katja closed her workshop earlier than usual and returned to her room to change for the celebration. Wolf came padding out from behind the screen in wolf-form and sat down on his haunches a few feet away.

"I think I'll stay here this evening," he said quietly, keeping his eyes on the rug. "I don't dance, and I'm not feeling particularly celebratory."

A mixture of emotions surged through Katja—sorrow her best friend wouldn't be there to join her at one of the few social events she willingly attended, anger he wouldn't discuss her proposal of going into the Schwarzwald further, and fear that something terrible was about to happen neither of them would be able to fix.

She wanted to shout at him, to shake him, to get some kind of a response from him other than this polite withdrawal from her life, but she didn't know what to say, other than the truth, so she replied in a tight voice, "I wish you were coming, but of course, it's your choice."

She did wish he was coming. Even though she enjoyed the food and music at the festival, she would have felt so much better with Wolf at her side, even in wolf-form, each noting things they could discuss and laugh about together later. She felt so much bolder when he was with her, and now she would be more focused on avoiding Elise than anything else.

In addition to that, festivals were always well-attended by travelers, and Katja had secretly hoped she might convince Wolf to attend the event in human-form, where he could easily pass as a visitor. Katja had been excited for him to see her in her nicest clothes, and she'd even entertained the faintest idea of perhaps dancing with him, although she'd never danced with anyone before.

Now none of that would happen, and she felt foolish for even considering such an unlikely possibility.

"Well," she swallowed sadly, "if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

Wolf nodded and retreated behind the wooden screen without another word, where Katja heard him flop down on his mattress with a loud sigh.

Katja gathered her things from her wardrobe, bathed, dressed, and considered herself in the mirror, trying to avoid focusing on her face. At least her dress looked nice, although the dark green skirt and sleeves reminded her a little too much of the Schwarzwald, which made her think of Wolf, but the black ribboned bodice fit her nicely and brought out the dark flecks in her eyes. She brushed her hair until it shone, wearing it down to block at least part of her face from view.

When she returned to her room to drop off her work clothes, Wolf didn't come out to say goodbye, and she took a deep breath to steady herself as tears rose in her eyes. Leaving her work clothes on her bed, she quietly left the room and made her way to the courtyard, each step as heavy as if her feet were encased in metal.

What was the point of having a friend if she couldn't share things like this with him?

Slipping into the celebration as quietly as she could, Katja made her way around the courtyard, then settled into a chair in a back corner, eventually allowing herself to sway a little to the music. While she hadn't seen Tante Winola or Tante Hedda, perhaps they simply hadn't arrived yet, and she hoped she might be welcomed to sit with them when they did.

The paper lanterns hanging overhead gave everything a magical glow, and the tree branches blooming with magical blossoms made it feel like the Hexen were celebrating in the middle of an enchanted forest, brightly colored fungi lighting up dark corners, the smell of cherry blossoms, spring rains, and summer sun filling the night air.

The stars shone down as if they, too, wanted to contribute and be a part of the celebration.

Katja glanced at the dance floor, trying not to let her longing show. She'd always thought dancing was such a graceful art; had she not been so shy, she would have loved to learn, both how to dance by herself and with a partner.

She watched two girls her age spin past, laughing at some private joke, as a bearded traveler moved swiftly by, guiding Tante Olwyn so that it looked as if her feet weren't even touching the ground.

The thought of a boy's hand on her waist made Katja shiver, but more from pleasure than fear. The only problem with dancing was there was nowhere to hide and no way to avoid having your partner stare at your face, which she most certainly could not stand.

Sighing, she sank further back into the shadows of her corner, relinquishing herself to the dark even as her eyes clung greedily to the well-lit scenes before her.

And then, something changed.

She felt it before she saw it, a shift in the crowd, a slight buzz that quickly grew, becoming a murmur, and then suddenly bodies were shifting ever so slightly, and everyone's attention was turning towards the back of the room.

Katja leaned forward, wondering what the excitement was. Across the dance floor, the crowd parted, and she would have gasped if her mouth hadn't fallen open.

There, dressed in elegant clothes, stood Wolf...in his human-form.

His hair was freshly washed and brushed back against his head, although she could already see a few pieces fighting to come loose and fall towards his face. Black woolen trousers highlighted his long legs, and a purple silk waistcoat peeked out from beneath a plum-colored frock coat. A black necktie with lavender embroidery was tied carefully around his neck, and while Katja had always thought of Wolf as nice-looking, she now found herself thinking he was actually quite handsome.

Staring at her best friend, Katja was certain her heart had forgotten how to beat. She placed a hand over her chest and for a second felt absolutely nothing, until it shook itself from its daze and remembered its duty to her body, thudding back into action.

Those on the dance floor had also noticed the arrival of the attractive stranger, and witches and travelers alike craned their necks for a better look at the new arrival. Murmured whispers rose loud enough for her to hear them, speculating over who the stranger was and where he had come from and whether or not he had arrived alone.

Katja couldn't take her eyes off Wolf, although he hadn't so much as glanced in her direction. He scanned the room, and while he seemed completely oblivious to the stir he'd created, she knew him well enough to recognize the tension in his shoulders. He was only pretending not to notice everyone noticing him, but he was doing a very good job of it.

His gaze finally settled on something to Katja's left, and one side of his mouth rose upwards as he strode forward. Katja's heart beat in time with his footsteps, hoping he was somehow trying to make his way towards her.

And then she saw what, or rather, who, he'd been looking at, and her heart crashed to her feet.

Elise was standing there, looking more beautiful than Katja had ever seen her in an airy, soft pink dress that floated around her like a cloud. Her blue eyes were fastened onto Wolf as if she was a magnet and he was metal, drawing him towards her, closer and closer.

Katja's entire torso tightened, and she struggled to breathe.

This couldn't be happening.

He'd said he didn't dance and wasn't in a celebratory mood. Why had he changed his mind?

Katja's head throbbed painfully but didn't produce an answer.

The music ended, and everyone clapped as Wolf came to a stop in front of Elise. Katja expected the musicians to start up another song, but it seemed they, too, were interested in the scene playing out in front of the entire Hexen.

Wolf stopped a few feet from Elise and bowed low.

"I'm so sorry to bother you," he said, his voice as smooth as molten silver, "but would you happen to be Elise?"

Elise beamed as if she'd swallowed the sun and golden rays were emanating from every part of her body.

"I am," she replied, her smile both an invitation and a promise as she took a step forward. "Although it isn't fair you know my name when I don't know yours."

Wolf straightened, and Katja held the tiny bit of breath she was able to draw as a slow smile spread across his face, a smile that reminded her of when he was in wolf-form...intriguing and enticing but also slightly feral and possibly dangerous.

"I," Wolf said, "was told you could help me find someone—do you happen to know where Katja Verrun is?"

To say Elise was taken aback was an understatement. As if it was happening in slow motion, she began to fade...her glow dimmed and her face fell and her eyes darkened as everything about her hardened.

While part of looked as if she wanted to attack Wolf with her bare hands, the rest of her had just enough composure to avoid further embarrassment in front of everyone. Tossing her head, she turned towards Katja, eyes blazing with barely-concealed anger.

"She's over there," she practically spat.

Wolf's smile widened and he bowed again, then lifted his head and began making his way across the room.

Katja knew everyone had to be watching them, but she was only vaguely aware of it. Her attention was fixed on Wolf, her eyes glued to the fluid movement of his body as he strode towards her.

She felt hot and then cold, wished she'd owned a prettier dress, tried to think of what she was going to say to him, wiped her palms against the side of her chair...and then suddenly, there he was, right in front of her. Looking up at him, she didn't even try to hide the surprise she knew had to be radiating from her eyes.

Wolf bowed low, and when he lifted his head, the wide grin he'd worn earlier had been replaced by a softer, gentler smile.

"If it's not an inconvenience," he said, "would you favor me with a dance?"

(Artwork by Michel Oeler from Unsplash)