I caught the flicker of a shadow, feeling the rush of energy before Ethan appeared beside me. “This is what happens when incompetent little witches play around with spells they shouldn’t be playing with.” He threw me a condescending look.
“You spelled that?” Josh asked, eyes wide, his head whipping from me to the forest and back again. “How in the world did you do that?”
I gave him a tight smile. “It’s a long story.” That part was true, at least. “Some other time.”
“You can move now, you’re kind of squishing me,” Georgie squeaked from behind him.
“Sorry.” Josh stepped to the side and Georgie appeared, paler than usual.
I was so happy to see her that emotion burned my neck. “Hey, I thought you were going back.”
“I am,” she answered. Tears shone in her eyes as she strode over and pulled me into a warm hug. “But when I found out what happened, I wanted to stay for you.” A swallow tapped down her throat. “I’m so sorry.”
My body slumped into hers. I didn’t think I had any tears left, but it turned out when emotions were involved, tears were in endless supply.
We pulled back from each other after a long moment.
“We wanted to come straightaway,” Josh said, his brown eyes soft with sympathy. “But Karson told us to wait, that you needed space.”
Karson would have been beside himself, and yet he’d let me breathe, let me deal with my emotions, as ultimately only the person going through them could. I scrubbed at the tears on my cheeks. “It’s good to see you.”
“Don’t expect a hug from me,” Monique quipped as she strode past.
“Oh, come on, you’d love a hug.” I chased her up the stairs, ignoring the twang in my leg muscles pulling like over-plucked guitar strings. “Bring it in.”
“Stop it, I don’t hug.” She batted away my hand and pretended to be annoyed, but her lips curled up. “You can come in, Josh.” She threw over her shoulder and then whirled ahead. She was leaning on the kitchen bench when I walked in.
I washed my hands in the sink. My palms had healed well—with faster healing one of the bonuses of being a witch—and the blisters had dissolved to just red skin now.
She ran her eyes over me from top to toe. “You look like shit.”
“Thank you, it’s good to see you too.” I turned off the tap and dried my hands.
Josh plonked down on the couch, spread his arm across the top of it, and looked around. “Nice place.”
“Yes, it was my secret place. I guess not anymore.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out.
“If you didn’t want people to find it, you really should be smarter than to use the same real estate agent Karson does.” Ethan tossed a business card on the bench. On it was a pictureof a dark-eyed guy, grinning like he was the cat that just ate the mouse.
Monique picked it up and slipped it into a drawer, snapping it shut. “Yes, well, he’s easy on the eye and he always gives me a great deal. And besides, you and Michael are the only ones who know that.” She waved his comment off with her hand.
“He’d kick his own mother out on the street if he thought he could earn a commission.”
Monique turned her back and took glasses out of the top cupboard. “I don’t want to marry him, just buy good deals and fuck occasionally.” She popped the cork out of a bottle of red wine.
So, he eats the pussy not the mouse. I smiled at the thought.
Ethan folded his arms. “Better you tangle with him than someone who’s going to break your heart.”
Monique flinched, the red wine she was pouring sloshing against the side of the glass. She placed the wine bottle down slowly, as if she was trying to contain her emotions, and turned back, also slowly, her eyes sharp as a blade. “You can’t talk. You’re not going to lecturemeon falling for the wrong person.”
That comment struck harder. The muscle in his jaw hardened. Sarah was a faux pas he’d live with eternal regret about. They glared at each other as if they were having a soundless argument. The tension in the room was palatable.
Josh jumped to his feet. “It’s so nice here.” He strode to the window, speaking quickly. “It would be fantastic in the summer swimming in the lake. No people, no cares, just a bottle of wine, a picnic rug, and a hot guy. Well, that’s if Amy didn’t bring her mutt. Getting your leg torn off might put a dampener on things.” He laughed awkwardly.
Georgie held up a hand. “I second the no-mutt thing.”
Ethan’s voice came out like a snarl as his eyes slipped between Georgie and Josh. “You’re not to tell anyone aboutthe wolf. If the witches find out what Amy did, they will have her head. If you breathe one word of it, I will tear out your windpipes.” His temper was at the short end of the stick today.
