Surprise rippled through her. “Why?”
Joshua’s jaw clenched, and he didn’t answer. Again. She stared at his profile, searching for some answer in his tightly guarded expression.
The Elder Council was just serving up their morning coffee when Joshua stalked into the room, Kira following behind him. They seemed annoyed, but Elder Priest Thera took her seat and folded her hands over the table.
“What is this about, Mr. Woods?” she asked calmly.
Joshua pressed his fingertips to the table as he leaned forward. “We need access to all of the witches’ books regarding any sort of camouflage that the demons might possess. We also need to learn what sort of attacks they made on the witch-shifter children in town,” he added.
One of the Elders, a man with eyebrows that would put Eugene Levy’s to shame, looked on with open surprise. “Is she pregnant already?”
His gaze dropped to her stomach, and clearly, he was doing some mental mathematics. Disapproval colored hisexpression. Funny how forcing them to marry in order to have children was fine, but the idea that they may have already been sleeping together, resulting in a pregnancy before the wedding, was somehow something to disapprove of.
“I’m not pregnant,” Kira snapped.
“Not yet,” Joshua corrected. She hated that he was speaking for her, but he kept talking. “A demon targeted Kira yesterday, but was able to hide itself not only from her, but from the means we use to trace the demons. We need more research to know exactly how the demon has done this.”
That actually was quite smart. Kira couldn’t think of a reason to argue against it.
“Do you have reasons for why the demons would attack her now, as opposed to her sister?” Thera asked.
Joshua nodded once. “Her magic has come in, and she’s able to do spells now.”
Kira’s heart stuttered. What? How did he know that? She didn’t tell anyone! A chill stole down her spine. Had someone seen her? Or… no. No, it couldn’t be. He couldn’t have been spying on her!
Thera frowned. “We do not like to let the materials leave the archives.”
“Perhaps we can come to the archives to read through them, then,” Kira suggested. She, Gwen, and Chelsey had done it before. “I won’t have a lot of time with my shifts at the diner, but—”
“I’ve already told Kelsie you won’t be coming into the diner for a few days,” Joshua interrupted.
Kira stiffened. “What?”
Joshua turned toward her. “Gwen is going to put a secondary protection spell over my property. We are aware that the barriers surrounding the town have weaknesses, and we can’t inspect the entire area. The diner is far too close to the edge of the protection to be safe.” He glanced back at Thera. “I will be bringing the records to Kira at my house. They’ll stay there while we are researching.”
That sounded quite a bit like, ‘She won’t be leaving the house.’ Kira opened her mouth to argue, but stopped herself. The Council hadn’t cared about her autonomy when they decided she was going to marry him. Why would they care about it now?
Arrangements were made to deliver various resources to Joshua’s house, and they left the town hall. Testing him, as soon as they stepped outside, she turned from the car and started toward Main Street.
“Where are you going?” Joshua demanded.
“To the bookstore.”
Joshua strode past her and blocked her path. She moved to step around him, and he blocked her again.
Kira shook her head slowly. “Don’t do this, Joshua.”
“We’re going back home.” His voice was hard, flat.
Kira hesitated. She could think of no good reason to capitulate, but she did anyway. Her mind raced as they drove back in silence.
Back at his house, she asked, “So am I your prisoner now?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Are you going to let me come and go as I wish?” One look at his face answered it. Kira drew herself up. “So I’m your prisoner now.”
Joshua shook his head. “It’s only temporary.”
