Somehow the two groups made it work despite the thin line of separation. At least, that’s what I had always figured.
Given the dissatisfaction on Liam’s face as we parked and got out, I was forced to question my assumption. He didn’t seem happy at the prospect of visiting Miriam’s store.
“Perhaps you should allow me to speak when we get in there,” I said, following him from of the car.
“I’m perfectly capable of speaking for myself,” Liam declared, stalking along the sidewalk.
Maybe so, but he was also perfectly capable of destroying any goodwill by doing so. Liam tended to use force to get what he wanted. That worked sometimes, but in cases like these,I’d found battering the truth out of someone rarely yielded the sort of results you wanted.
The store’s sign was flipped to“closed.” Not surprising, given most shops on the street shut down around nine.
Liam grabbed the doorknob and wrenched. The door shivered under his hand, but remained closed.
“That’s not a good idea,” I said.
“When I want your input,I’ll ask for it,” Liam said, jerking the door again.
My othersight caught a small pulse within the door—the ward readying itself. Before I could warn Liam, it flashed, reaching out and wrapping around his hand.
His face showed the slightest flinch of pain as he remained still, letting the ward creep up his arm. The smell of burnt flesh reached me, but other than that first small glimpse of pain, Liam’s expression remained neutral.
“Ready for my help now?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
“No need.” He bared his teeth at me, and with muscles bulging, he ripped the ward to pieces until all that remained visible in my othersight were small, barely glowing fragments.
“Very mature,” I told him.
“It worked,” he responded. This time when he yanked on the door, it opened with a screech.
I shook my head as he sauntered inside. What exactly was that supposed to have accomplished? All it likely did, was antagonize Miriam and ensure she didn’t talk to us.
“Why is it that every time you show up, the company you keep gets worse and worse?” Miriam asked from behind me.
“I don’t even know,” I said exasperated.
I turned to find Miriam looking over the remains of her ward with an irritated expression. She wasn’t what you’d expect when you heard the word“witch.” She didn’t wear soft, wispy clothes or embrace the fashion choices of the granola loving crowd. Nor was she dressed all in black, wearing pentagons or other witchy symbols.
She looked young—younger even than I.I’d been turned when I was twenty-six, which would be the age I appeared until my true death.
Miriam, on the other hand, looked barely twenty. Furthermore, she was dressed like she was off to rush a sorority with her blond hair pulled back into a high pony tail while wearing a bright pink and glitter shirt over a pair of loose cotton pajama bottoms. She came across as dangerous as a powder puff. Despite that, she was a powerful witch. As tricky as the day was long.
Liam gave the witch a fang-filled smile, one meant to be threatening.“Witch.I’ve got questions for you.”
Miriam failed to be intimidated, her gaze flicking to me as if to ask if I was serious. I shrugged at her. Liam was doing his own thing at the moment.
“I see you’ve failed to keep your freedom,” Miriam observed.
“Not quite,” I said, surprised when Liam didn’t have something snarky to add. He seemed content to let me lead, staying quiet as the two of us talked. Given his demonstration from moments ago when he’d broken into the shop, it was unexpected.“I’m still clanless.”
“But not unclaimed,” she said, indicating my forearm and the oak tree that was Liam’s brand.“It seems he’s a tad possessive, too.”
My attention shot to Liam, who gave me an innocent shrug of his shoulders and lifted his eyebrows as if to ask if I really wanted to discuss this in front of the witch.
Ass. I left the matter of the mark for later.
“What brings you to my shop?” Miriam asked, moving past me and into the darkened room.
When Liam still didn’t answer, letting the silence deepen as he moved through the store looking over the contents, I stepped forward.“We were attacked last night.”
