With another yawn, I curled into a ball. “Just need to…just need to…just need to…sleep.”
I passed out.
Chapter 10
OLLIE
Iwatched the clean-up from my bedroom window overlooking the driveway, blue lights of witchcop vehicles flashing.
Feeling sorry for myself, I languished in another round of heavy defeat, the warmth of Isaac’s healing a cozy cuddle inside me. Like hot chocolate for the soul, and the only positive thing in this bedroom right now.
Man, a defeatist feeling wasn’t productive. But I couldn’t help it. I’d been as useful as wet leaves for a fire. I should’ve been more prepared. More damn capable at my job.
I scratched at my stubble, wanting to be down there with the army of witchcops who’d shown up to help defeat the giant shade and its minions. They’d taken the creature down as it flew over the sea, launching a tirade of bangle spells and gunfire at it. Itbroke apart over the water, its smaller companions going down seconds later.
And there’d been no deaths. The witchcops who’d had their energy drained were all recovering in hospital, according to the Brambles.
Riley had cast the protection spell by himself again, the mansion safe once more with fresh witchcops outside.
Yeah, safe until those crystal shades struck again. The fae woman was behind it, packing some serious power to break through our defenses from the other side of a different world, as well as manipulate the Hecate Crystals.
We weren’t dealing with any regular baddie here. She played on a different level, making Marcus look like a puppy.
A puppy with a set of iron grills, maybe.
To top things off, there’d been people lurking close by when things went down, possibly having filmed the incident. No one had been caught yet, but if someone had recorded it, this could blow up big time.
Were they drawn by the recent witchcop presence? Or just tourists wanting to see the famous house, happening upon the action?
Either was bad, and there were people on the case to nip things in the bud ASAP.
I needed a hot chocolate to go with the sensation inside me. A mug of the sugary good stuff always helped make me feel better.
I threw on a white vest and some blue jeans and headed out of my room.
After Isaac saved my life, Mum insisted I rest, despite feeling like a million quid. I couldn’t sit in this room anymore. Even making a hot chocolate would be better than sitting in my own mental mire.
I reached the kitchen, getting to work on my hot chocolate.
Jake appeared a minute after I started heating the milk.
“Hello, you,” he said, pale face etched with exhaustion, wearing a red hoodie and black trackies.
“I thought you’d gone home,” I returned. “But hi. Want some hot chocolate?”
“Sounds good. Yes, please.” He ran his fingers through his dark hair. “I’m crashing here tonight. Your mum insisted.”
I stirred the milk. “She can be pretty insistent.”
“Good thing I have spare clothes here,” he added. He tugged at his threads, lips cocking into his trademark cheeky smile.
Mum always kept some clothes here for him in case of emergencies.
I added dark chocolate shavings to the saucepan along with demerara sugar, bringing everything together.
Jake leaned on the worktop beside me, his arms folded. “What a night.”
“I’ll say.”
