Hudson’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Fine, don’t be long.”
I leaned over the center console to kiss his cheek, but he turned his head at the last second and captured my lips. Little tiny sparks of heat spread over my body. I pulled back a little breathless and tumbled out of the car. Hudson gave me a wink as I slammed the door closed.Oh, well played, Principal, making me rush to get back to your lips was a clever technique.
He sped off toward the house and I began making a circle of the property boundary. I strengthened my wards against evil intent to anyone inside the house, extending it from only me. In hindsight, that was a little selfish. I also reinstated the ward which clanged in my head every time someone crossed the boundary. I’d altered it to only wrap around the house when Hudson had moved into my now flattened stables. Times were uncertain, and I felt sure I would appreciate the early visitor warning.
I came full circle and pulled the mail out of the box nailed to a post alongside the gate. I started flipping through the pile as I walked toward the house. Bill, bill, more bills. Luckily, they were getting easier to pay. The bed and breakfast was doing well, and my reputation as a supernatural doctor had strengthened with an endorsement from the pack’s chief medic—Norbert. The final item was a magazine. I twisted it as a flush crept up my neck. I would murder Maggie and Rebecca.
I took the first steps up to the house and paused as a new black card fell from between the pages of the offending magazine. I glanced over my shoulder and scanned the quiet scene. Birds twittered in the trees, the light breeze rustled the leaves, but there was no sneaky, creepy character delivering odd mail. I kept going as I studied the card, the faint magic seeping from the words. ‘Do you dare?’ was printed on one side this time. On the other, another line in approximately the same position as the other one, except it was shorter and at a forty-five degree angle.
The door swung open and Rebecca appeared before me. She’d curled her ice-blonde hair and was wearing a knee-length red dress with gold buttons all the way up the center. She smiled at me.
I waved the magazine at her. “You are in big trouble, missy.”
She had the audacity to look innocent.Yeah right, I believe you.“What’s that?” Hudson asked as his head appeared from behind a tree he and Dave were erecting in the corner of the parlor, while The White Furry Menace was eyeballing the large tree like she was considering attacking it. I’d come to learn Bella liked to hide in trees.
I jerked the magazine behind my back. “Nothing.”
Maggie’s eyes widened as she scuttled past me with a jingling box of ornaments.That’s right, run from me.
Hudson’s gaze narrowed. No way was I showing him the freaking bridal magazine one of these meddling supernatural idiots had subscribed me to. No way.
“Just in time,” she declared.
I frowned and stepped past her into utter glittery chaos. “It can’t be that time already,” I muttered, spinning in a circle. “We had Thanksgiving a few days ago.”
“Two weeks ago,” Rebecca clarified. “It’s now officially Christmas.”
Some of the guests were joining in with the decorating while helping themselves to freshly baked cookies.
Aunt Liz appeared from the kitchen and jerked her head at me to follow her. I gladly welcomed the distraction and practically ran toward her.
“When did you get here?” I wondered as we escaped to the kitchen and I dropped the magazine displaying a beautiful festive bride.
She smirked at me and gestured to the table where a plate of sandwiches waited. My stomach rumbled as I sat and began demolishing the yummy goodness. Damn, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.
“Dave called me from Peach Tree. He updated me on what you found and thought you might need some elemental back-up.”
Dangerous Dave needed to keep his dangerous mouth shut. “Rockhard and Lenson tested the devil’s trumpet flower. It was used to deliver elemental magic, but the reason remains a mystery.”
Her forehead crumpled into a frown as she slid into the seat across from me with a mug of tea clutched between her hands. “They suspect elemental involvement?”
I would need to tread carefully. Liz might be my aunt, and I adored her, but Eloise was her mother, and accusing the head of The Order was akin to treason.
“An extremely powerful elemental would need to be involved.”
She blinked. “You think my mother is involved?”
Okay, so careful had been knocked on its head, but not by me. “I don’t know, but she’s commanded me to open the third vault.”
Aunt Liz sucked in a breath. “I see.”
She didn’t ask what my grandmother wanted. It was an unwritten rule among the Roberts women. But the fact she wanted in the third vault after a truck-load of magic had been expended in Peach Tree killing the residents, was a coincidence we couldn’t overlook.
“You need to be very careful,” Liz said. “Your grandmother is a force to be reckoned with. I don’t doubt she loves you, but ultimately, if it comes down to you or The Order, I don’t like your chances.”
“Me either.” It wasn’t news, but it still stung.
“What are you going to do?”
