“I don’t want your witch to terrify the kids.”
His nostrils flared almost imperceptibly. Had I offended him? “Give me some credit,” he bit out, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Tell me you don’t use Gloria for torture.”
He gave me a patient look. “Of course I use her for torture. She feeds on pain and suffering, and I sometimes need information that people are reluctant to share.”
Ask a stupid question.
“Okay. Tell me she’s not going to do anything that will scare them.”
“She won’t. I will watch her carefully, and she knows not to cross me, no matter how delicious she finds the terror of children.”
I scowled. He was fucking with me now. He smiled and reached out slowly, giving me enough time to knock his hand away if I wanted to.
I allowed his touch, and he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I miss you,” he murmured.
“What do you mean? I’m right here.”
“I miss the sight of you in my bed. The feel of your skin against mine. The noise you make when I–”
“Samael!” I shot a look over my shoulder. Evie was stretched out on the couch, but she gave me a knowing smirk as my face turned red.
“So recalcitrant when it comes to admitting that you want me too. Do you never get tired of fighting this thing between us?”
All the time. “I’m not talking about this now.”
He lifted his hand and magic tinged my skin as he broke his ward. “If you have your way, you’ll never speak of it,” he said. “I’ve called the witch. She is on her way.”
“How did you call her?”
He gave me a look and I swallowed. He could speak in her head. Could he speak in mine?
Of course I can,he said, and I jumped, backing away. On the sofa, the kids turned, watching me curiously.
Did you just read my mind?
Your face, witchling. I choose not to speak to you this way because I know you loathe any intimacy between us.
I swallowed. He was right. Itwasintimate.
Good. Keep it that way.
I turned my back on him, ignoring his low laugh, and narrowed my eyes as Gloria walked in.
Samael’s hand stroked along my lower back as he walked past, and I attempted to ignore what his possessive touch did to my stomach.
“I heard you have need of a spell,” she said, smiling at the boys.
Gloria had to be in her seventies or eighties, but she walked with a spring in her step. Her gray, curly hair was braided back from her face, and she wore a gray pantsuit and sensible heels. Gloria was a black witch, and her power crawled through the room, raising the hair on the back of my neck.
I hadn’t liked her when I found out Samael had allowed her near my unconscious body— I hadn’t much liked him either— and I still didn’t like her. Unlike Hannah— another black witch who’d helped me in the past— there was something about Gloria that rubbed me the wrong way. While Hannah made no secret of the fact that she was a black witch, Gloria had the innocent old lady act down.
She smiled at me and I bared my teeth. If she hurt the kids, scared them in any way, she was dead. My power felt like an ocean of lava as it lapped against my shields, and Samael sent me a warning look.
I walked over to the sofa and sat next to Zip. He grinned at me, shooting Gloria a suspicious look. Cil eyed her with interest.
“Which one of you boys is the bravest?” she asked, and I scowled at her. I opened my mouth, but Evie was on it.
