Maybe my face wasn’t as neutral as I thought. I grimaced.
“This is what I get in return, isn’t it?” Her eyes implored mine as if she thought I knew because I was a witch. “Some karmic law … what you put out in the world you get back.”
Truth was, I didn’t know. I did believe what you put out in the world came back one way or the other, but tragedy was a part of living, no one got through life without suffering. It seemed bitterly cruel to see terrible things happening to really good people when they deserved nothing but happiness, and the worst of the world seemingly walking around untouched.
“No, you didn’t deserve him cheating on you, Georgie. If he wasn’t happy with your relationship, he could have told you. He’s a coward. Men like him are weak. What happened with you and Ethan wasn’t your fault. Besides,” I lightened my tone in an attempt to make her feel better, “I’m pretty sure Sarah hanging you is well and truly enough punishment for that one mistake.”
She laughed as she cried harder, scrubbing at the tears tumbling down her face with the back of her sleeve. “I guess on the scale of trauma, finding out one of your best friends is a psychotic vampire, who kidnapped me and tried to hang me, would rate pretty highly on the karma scale.”
I chuckled. “Ten out of ten, I’d say.”
She groaned. “And finding out I slept with Ethan, even if I can’t remember it, is quite possibly even higher.”
My chest knotted at the thought of them sleeping together. I didn’t know why it made me feel uncomfortable. Maybe because they were both close friends and it was awkward between them now.
I huffed a laugh. “There you go. I think we can safely write a declaration that what Jeff did to you had nothing to do with karma.”
Georgie sat up straight and wiped her sweaty palms down her jeans. “He’s just a weak, pathetic, fucked-up asshole.”
I nodded as my arm slipped around her back once again and she rested her head on my shoulder.
“I’m so glad we found each other,” she murmured. “Thank you for being my friend.”
“We’re lucky to have each other,” I told her.
“Have you seen Leon around?” she asked. “I wanted to thank him for his help yesterday. I feel bad that I had everyone searching for me. I spoke to Pixie and Challis, and they haven’t seen him either.”
“Maybe he went home to spend time with his girlfriend. They’ve all been working extra hard lately and Karson probably gave him some time off.”
“You’re probably right.” She let out a deep, exhausted sigh.
The moment was broken when a cool breeze washed over the room as the front door opened and Karson strode in. His face and neck were more red than white, a long slash of red running the full width of his body across his chest. He looked like he had been in a war.
My heart froze and then took off into a canter. I sprang to my feet and ran across the room. “What happened, are you hurt?”
He stopped but wouldn’t meet my eyes. “It’s not my blood.”
“What happened?” Michael asked as he, Monique, and Kenneth emerged from the sitting room.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Michael frowned as he scanned Karson’s attire. “Please, tell me that the blood isn’t a witch’s?”
“Of course it is, I could smell the stench from a mile away,” Monique quipped, pleasure lacing her tone.
“Some of it is.” Karson brushed casually at something I couldn’t see on his shirt. “Some of it is not.”
Michael threw out a hand and said coolly, “If you continue to antagonize the witch population, we could very well be in for a war.”
Karson shrugged as he moved into the sitting room. “One they will not win.”
Michael followed him and uncharacteristically raised his voice. “This madness needs to stop.”
Karson pivoted abruptly, causing Michael to come to a sudden halt. “And I need to find out who Sarah has working for her, and until I do …” He matched Michael’s tone and then some. “I will not stop. Nor will I apologize for what I have to do to find out who is responsible.” He turned back and entered the sitting room. We followed behind. No one spoke as he poured a whiskey and slammed it down before pouring another.
Michael’s lips thinned. “You cannot just go around torturing witches to get answers.”
My stomach twisted. I flicked my gaze to Georgie hovering at the room’s edge; her face paled.
