“You want to take your husband and go to the healing witch who lives on Peachtree Lane. You want to reattach his hand. And then you want to leave us alone forever.”
I can see the struggle on my mother’s face. She’s strong in her own right, and spells don’t tend to stick to other witches well. What helps is that the first two commands Ame gave probably match up pretty closely with protective desires Helena has.
After a stretch, where the only sounds are Jack’s panting and my father’s sobbing groans, my mom goes lax in Ame’s grip. When my sister releases our mother, Helena hurries to collect the hand and ushers Alistair to their car.
They peel off.
Jack, the wolfman, engulfs Ame in his furry arms.
Suddenly, I find myself in a strong embrace as well. And it’s only when Bo’s arms are around me that I realize I’m shaking.
“They’re bad news, huh?” he asks while holding me close.
“Yes.”
“Will Ame’s magic keep them away?”
“No,” the answer comes from my sister. “They’ll be back.”
42
Mor
Not wantingto encounter my parents unannounced again, I seek them out this time. They’ve booked a room at a bed-and-breakfast on the edge of Folk Haven, the place owned by a selkie, who I’m sure has no idea what type of toxic people she’s let into her abode.
When I knock on the door to their room, my mother slips out on quiet feet.
“Morgana, dear.” She gives me a wide, toothy smile that has always felt too menacing to me. “You came to apologize, I expect.”
Uh, hell no.
“I wanted to talk to you,” I say instead of scoffing at her assumption.
“Of course. I saw a bench outside below an oak that is positively vibrating with magic.” She heads to the steps. “Your father is sleeping.”
“They fixed his hand?” I follow her down the steps and out the front door, also preferring to converse out in the open. Being inside with my parents feels too much like being trapped.
“Oh, yes. The healing witch here is much better than the one back home. Charges for the skills, but she reattached your father’s hand with barely a scar.”
“She is skilled,” I agree. Maybe I should say,That’s good, or,Thank The Dark One he’s okay, or apologize. But I can’t manage any of them. All I can say is, “How long are you here for?”
They wouldn’t want to stay in a town where a werewolf is ripping off limbs, would they?
“Haven’t decided.” And as if she read my thoughts of werewolves, my mother begins to pry. “That wolf. He went after your father because he’s Amethyst’s mate? Are they officially together?”
“Yes.” I keep the answer simple and unforgiving.
If our parents ever planned on matchmaking, they need to rethink it. We’re all accounted for.
Thoughts of Bo’s grin come to mind, and the back of my thighs tingle.
But all through this, I make sure to keep my mental and magical shields in place so my mother cannot pick through and dissect my emotions.
“Is Ame pregnant?”
“What?” I bark the question, almost losing hold of my composure.
Meanwhile, my mother stares off into the distance, in deep thought.
