I smile at her sense of adventure, though I don’t consider walking around my own property “exploring.” Though really, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“Yeah. Let me put pants on first.”
“Good idea. And you might want to grab a hat. Ticks can be bad this time of year.”
We get up and head into the house. “It’s kind of weird to think of you growing up Amish,” I tell her. “Having to wear those dresses and hats…” I shake my head. “It seems so oppressive to women.”
“Some of it was. But others in the community have come a long way and women rule the roost. Not everyone was as insane as my aunt and uncle.” She heads up the stairs toward her room. She took the guest room on the opposite side of the house, farthest from the master bedroom.
This old brick house is huge, with more than enough rooms for us each to have our own. I swallow the lump that’s rising in my throat as the thought enters my mind. I’ve worked hard all morning to ignore the sour taste in my mouth that’s constantly reminding me we’re only weeks away from total destruction.
I sound dramatic, I know, but really…that’s what it’ll be. The guys are my family. I love them with all my heart. We’re unconventional, but we work. We work so fucking well.
I go into my room and change out of my swimsuit, putting on leggings and a tank top instead. I have to yank the leggings up over my sweaty legs, but the loose-fitting tank feels good at least. I grab socks, pull my hair into a low ponytail, and put on a hat. I get downstairs only a minute before Gemma, and we set out toward the backyard together.
“There’s nothing cool in the old shed?” she asks.
“Nope. Unless you think the biggest wasp nest in the history of wasp nests is cool.”
She laughs. “You haven’t taken it down?”
“I don’t want to. Besides…I got the lawn mower out and don’t need anything else from inside. I’ll pretend me leaving it up is helping the ecosystem or something.”
“Spoken like a true earth witch,” Gemma jokes, and swats away bugs. We make it another few yards when the motion sensor gets triggered, causing an alert on my phone.
“A deer?” Gemma asks as we turn around. The house is obstructing our line of sight to the driveway.
“I’m guessing no,” I say, pulling up the app on my phone. “Not at this hour. Jared, maybe. But he hasn’t texted me yet to say he was on his way.”
Gemma steps close, looking over my shoulder at the phone. “The internet is so fucking slow out here.”
“Tell me about it.” I take a few steps toward the house, irritated the stupid app isn’t opening. This whole security system is starting to seem like a waste of money. Finally, it pops up. “There’s someone at the house,” I say, watching a live-stream of a man in a black suit standing on the porch. He probably already knocked and is waiting for someone to answer.
“Should we hide?” Gemma asks, grabbing my arm. She flits her eyes to the shed, and I know she’s thinking about hiding behind it.
“No.” I roll my neck and feel the fire crackle inside me. “It might be a solicitor and I can tell him to fuck off. I’m not looking for Jesus and I already donate to the charity of my fucking choice.”
She nods. “And if it’s not a solicitor?”
I bring my free hand up in front of me, letting magic spark at my fingertips. “I’ll be ready.” I close my fist and put out the flames. “And witch aside, I’m a cop, Gem. I don’t run away from danger. It’s my job to go after it. Catch the bad guys and everything.”
“I know.” She nods. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
I roll my eyes. She fits in well with the family with her unnecessary worrying. I switch camera views and see a black sedan in the driveway. It’s running, and there’s someone in the driver’s side. It’s hard to make out any detailed features since the windows are tinted.
I switch camera views again and see the man in the suit standing back. His face is relaxed and his gaze is on the floor. His arms are behind his back, and he’s holding something in one of his hands. A piece of paper, maybe? It’s hard to make out from this angle. Plus the camera is clear and all, but it’s not like it’s shooting in 4K.
“Want to hang back?” I ask Gemma, giving her the option to sneak in the back or something. I know she’s freaked out.
“No,” she says, taking a deep breath. “I’m coming with you. If anyone wants to hurt you, they’ll have to go through me. Which probably won’t take long, so summon that fire fast.”
“I’m not letting anyone hurt you.”
Gemma meets my eyes and smiles. “I know. I believe you.”
“Just stay behind me. Let’s go into this suspicious but not obviously so.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
