“Apparently not. You’re the supernatural equivalent of a learner driver with ‘Please be patient, I’m new’ slapped on your ass.”
I opened my mouth to argue and snapped it closed. He was right. “Are we even going the right way?”
“You are.”
The dark smear of trees and road below shifted, and with a few more drunken flaps, I finally angled toward the familiar glow of home. Summer Grove’s white columns rose out of the night like a very judgy wedding cake.
“Okay,” I muttered. “Landing. How hard can it be?”
Hudson tightened his grip. “You had to say it.”
I aimed for the lawn, tried to remember every bird I’d ever seen, and promptly dropped the last few feet like a sack of potatoes. We hit the grass in a tangle of limbs and wings, my knees buckling as my heels sank into the soil.
“Oof,” I wheezed, sprawled half on top of him. “Nailed it.”
“Zero stars,” he groaned. “Would not recommend as an airline.”
I peeled myself off him, breathing hard. The night air kissed every inch of bare skin, and only then did it fully register. Shredded dress, gone. Bra, gone. Panties also gone. I was literally naked in the front yard with blood-slicked wings dragging behind me like a feathered murder cape.
Of course, the porch light flicked on, illuminating Rebecca, Dave, and Sebastian lining the front steps like the world’s most sarcastic welcoming committee. Three sets of eyes blinked in unison.
Rebecca’s gaze swept over me, lingering on the wings, the dirt on my knees, and finally the heels still clinging to my feet.She glanced at Hudson’s wrecked shirt and undone fly. Her lips curved.
I straightened my spine, lifted my chin, and strode past them up the steps, wings trailing a bloody arc behind me. “Not one word.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It’s not that I attract chaos; it’s that chaos sends me handwritten invitations.
The kettle whistled, and I removed it from the stove and filled my cup, letting the peppermint tea steep. I rolled my stiff shoulders and neck. The damn cat had stamina and was on a mission to ensure every inch of my body smelled like him.Hudson’s breath tickled my ear as his hands shaped my waist from behind.
“Sore?” he murmured, skimming his mouth over my shoulder.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Principal.”
He chuckled, not calling me out on my clear bullshit. “What are your plans today?”
“I need to follow up with Marcia on her frog issue and check with Maggie about supplies and bookings. Robert left a message to call him back, and I want to check the effects of Donn removing some power from Eloise.”
“That’s a lot. What can I do?”
I dunked the tea bag and then removed it before turning to face him with the mug in my hands. “Nothing.”
He sighed. “You have to start leaning on me, Cora. We’re a partnership, and that means letting me in.”
“Fine. Talk to the aunts about my memory issue. I want to know how easy it will be to lift that wall and the possible side effects.”
Hudson froze. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“I just want to know what I’m getting myself into. I can’t save the world while being cut off from a part of myself. I’m no longer fighting the physical effects, so now I have more headspace for the psychological.”
“Okay.”
“You can also speak to the sheriff.”
“Consider it done.”
I actually needed a little privacy for where I was going. “Great. Let’s divide and conquer.”
