“You’ll need to unbind her. Your magic won’t work while she has the noose on her hands,” Gabriel explained gravely. “It will be dangerous.”
“I can handle it,” I said confidently, and Gabe pursed his lips.
“I need you both to stand back and let the coven work,” I ordered as my children gathered around the circle. Gabe glanced up, and I felt his rage flare the moment his eyes landed on Stanton, the witch Shemhazai had hooked up with at the club.
His nostrils flared in anger, and his gaze connected with mine, a perfectly manicured eyebrow raising in question.
I sighed. “I didn’t have much choice. I needed thirteen, and he was one of the only ones left.”
“When we free your friend, you will dismiss him from this coven, or I will kill him,” Gabe told me flatly, and I made ayikesface.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“It will be if you don’t get him out of my fucking sight.”
Shemhazai chuckled and snaked his hands around Gabe’s waist, tugging him back into his chest and leaving gentle kisses on the side of his neck.
“I like it when you get all possessive and jealous, little bird,” he crooned. Gabe snarled, turning his angry citrine eyes on his lover.
“He had his tongue in your mouth. He’s lucky I haven’t removed it from his fucking face.”
Stanton paled slightly, his eyes widening. He held up his hands in a‘woah, woah’motion.
“I didn’t know he was spoken for. I’m sorry,” he said, and I chuckled softly at the look of pure hatred Gabriel turned on him.
“If you want to punish someone, punish Shemhazai, Gabriel. It’s not Stanton’s fault Shem’s a big hoe,” Luna chirped.
“Hey!” Shem objected, but Luna just laughed.
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re not, but still.Rude.”
“Whatever. Go sit on a cactus.”
“Go sit on a what?”Shem gaped, and Gabe roared with laughter, draping his arms over his partner’s flabbergasted shoulders and pressing a firm kiss into the side of his head.
“Hmm. Maybe Iwillpunish you,” Gabriel hummed, and Shem gave him an incredulous look.
“You could try, baby.”
“Alright, as entertaining as this is, we need to get to work,” I interrupted, eyeing Willow as her body convulsed and arched as if the angel inside her was trying to break free of the noose.
I turned to Luna.
“Open the circle, but close it assoonas I’m inside. Then, I need you all to start raising power. I’ll need as much help as I can get until I’m reunited with the other parts of me.”
Luna nodded firmly.
“You’ve got this.”
I pulled her into a tight hug, and she squeezed me into her, kissing the side of my head fiercely.
“Be careful.”
“I don’t need to be careful. Not when I have you looking out for me.”
We pulled back and stared at each other, our friendship bond burning brightly between us.
