Priscilla froze mid-motion, her expression glazing over. “Yes, Mother.”
That seemed to satisfy Isadora.
As Priscilla shook her head, a scowl marring her face, Isadora bent and patted her gently on the crown. “Good, dear.”
“Really, Mother,” Priscilla said coolly. “You hardly needed tocompelme to get your answer.”
“Just a precaution,” Isadora replied lightly.
“What do you plan to do?” Priscilla asked, her tone settling back into bored indifference, as though she were making idle conversation.
Isadora smiled.
“You’re going to help me acquire my new house, Daughter.”
Chapter 14. Blaise
I could watch my mate brew potions all day.
There was a beauty to her magic—effortless and instinctive. She worked tirelessly, tending several cauldrons at once, her movements sure and practiced. Her face scrunched adorably in concentration, teeth worrying at her bottom lip as she thought. When an idea struck, her whole expression brightened, like she’d caught a spark only she could see. She drifted from cauldron to cauldron, dropping in ingredients as she went, leaning close to sniff the steam as though the scent alone told her what came next.
She was lost in her own little brewing bubble, blissfully unaware of me watching her. And equally unaware that a thoroughly miserable-looking Creep was observing from the living-room window, her glassy eyes tracking Caitlyn’s every movement.
As I unconsciously rubbed a finger over my now fully regrown brows, my thoughts drifted back to the night before. Priscilla, archenemy of my mate or not, had been genuinely worried about something. And I didn’t believe for a second that she’d been talking on the phone.
Which meant her warning had been for Creep.
“You promised you wouldn’t leave. It’s not safe.”
But why it wouldn’t be safe for Creep to be here was anyone’s guess. I’d sent my shadows out, carpeting the field, probing for any sign of something amiss. There was nothing. I’d opened my senses, stretching them wide, but there were no malignant emotions lingering in the air.
Maybe she meant a serial arsonist prowled these parts? A squatter waiting to stake a claim the moment we left? One ofthose thrill-seekers who liked to explore abandoned properties for kicks?
There wasn’t a single scenario my mind could conjure in which Creep couldn’t handle herself.
So why had Priscilla traveled such a distance just to deliver that warning?
Between admiring my mate and pondering scenarios in which Creep might not be safe, I turned my attention to the near-impossible task of erecting the tent. I liked to think of myself as a worldly, capable demon, but nothing could have prepared me for figuring out where all the poles went or how to build the damn thing single-handedly. It took a few online videos and every scrap of brainpower I possessed to produce something that roughly resembled a tent-shaped structure. I prayed there would be no wind or rain for the foreseeable future, otherwise we’d be sleeping in the back of my van.
Task somewhat completed, I turned my attention to the next item on the agenda.
Feeding my mate.
I was a good cook. I didn’t need to eat mortal food, but I’d been determined to learn. Every day we weren’t on a job, I made a point of cooking a meal from scratch—my guinea pig for these culinary experiments being Amb—
Snap.
I sucked in a sharp breath and rubbed at my wrist.
Unfortunately, the only supplies Caitlyn had magicked out of the pantry were ramen noodles.
As I set about boiling water over a makeshift fire—wondering whether Caitlyn would be annoyed if I snuck back into the kitchen for more supplies—my thoughts drifted back to our kiss that morning.
Everything about it had felt right. Initially, I’d wanted to take things slowly, assuming I’d need time to adjust to a new partner.But that all changed after our kiss. I’d had to physically stop myself from going further. My body responded to Caitlyn in a way I’d only ever thought possible with Amb—
Snap.
I clenched my jaw.
