“Well she doesn’t want to see you, Dahlia.”
“Amy,” she called out, “either you come out or the ratite bat ends up against a wall.”
Ethan said, “You realise, the Ratite is a flightless bird, and not a bat.”
“It was the most pleasant descriptive I could come up with.”
I walked quickly to the door. Ethan was leaning against the frame, arms and legs crossed, unperturbed.
Outside, the world was cool and dismal, the wind barrelled through the trees, and the rain came down in a slanted drizzle, gray sheeting everything. I stopped beside Ethan and wrapped my arms around my waist.
“Dahlia,” I said with a smooth tone, hoping to placate her. “I want to thank you for helping me, I appreciate it, I really do. But I can guarantee you, you have it wrong, I don’t have your skills, I’m not what you think I am.”
Dahlia raised an eyebrow. “Really, Amy, how do you explain the vision you got in the bar?”
Just because I got some weird vision. It didn’t make me a witch. Certainly, I couldn’t move anything with my mind. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You do.”
Somewhere in the distance thunder rumbled like an ominous warning.
“I think she said she doesn’t,” Ethan stated.
Dahlia ignored him. “Listen, you can either come with me willingly, or we can do this the hard way.”
Before I could respond, Ethan stood up straight, unfolded his arms and moved slightly in front of me.
“Is that a threat Dahlia? I would be careful if I were you.” His voice was chilling
Dahlia went rigid. She might be a witch, but she would be no match for Ethan.
“Dahlia, please just go, I promise you, I’m not what you think I am.”
She stared at me for a long moment, considering, before speaking slowly and deliberately, as if fighting to keep herself calm. “The coven needs to speak with you. It’s not negotiable. They aren’t known for their patience.”
I felt myself stiffen. “Obviously, ESP isn’t among your coven’s abilities or they would know you have the wrong person.”
Her eyes were razor sharp. “Listen, Amy?—”
“Dahlia.” Ethan cut her off. “You have five seconds to remove yourself from this property or I will do it for you.”
She glared at Ethan, then back at me as if debating. The tension climbed.
Ethan glanced at his watch and said, “Four,” He was as serious as I’d ever seen him. “Three.”
Dahlia’s jaw set tight, and for a moment I thought she might not heed his warning.” Fools. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She strode off through the drizzle, faint as a spirit at gloaming. Lightening pierced the sky above the mountain on the horizon as she jumped in her car, slammed the door, and drove off with a screech of the wheels.
I closed the door as the heavens opened their gates, and let out a relieved breath. Ethan looked at me with a curious expression. I threw up my hands, feeling bewildered. “I don’t even know what to tell you, she’s a fruit loop.”
When I went upstairs later that night, I sat on the bed and tried to move my hairbrush using my mind. I knew it wasn’t going to happen, I couldn’t do it, but she seemed so insistent I thought I should at least try. I held my hand out, stared at the brush and concentrated with all my might. As expected, the brush didn’t move, not even the slightest of wobbles. I put my hands down and huffed a laugh, feeling a little silly I’d even entertained the thought.
Chapter 46
Sequins and Suits
The next few days passed normally, with no sight of Dahlia. I hoped she’d given up and found someone else to harass. Something told me it was wishful thinking.
If I needed to go to town Ethan came, at home he didn’t invade my space, but I always knew he was there.
