“I got an email from the HOA warning me to take down the Halloween decorations,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “So dumb.”
He shifted onto his stomach, pushing up to rest on his elbows. Then he reached over for his glasses on the nightstand and put them on, somehow looking more handsomely astute with them. “Do you need help getting them down?”
“No.” I kissed his forehead. Images from the last few delicious hours played in my mind, making my thighs clench. I was sore everywhere but greedy enough to still want more. It was rare to have time alone, even rarer to have that and feel reassured that Aspen was fine and cared for. But I trusted Lynx and Hazel with him—Atlas, too, despite his currentcondition.
“But that’s not the point,” I continued. “Why do they even get a say?”
“Because they are the HOA.” He shrugged, his hand drifting over my thigh, stroking up and down, up and down. More moments flooded my mind of him turning me into the puttied state I was now in after innumerable orgasms. I’d probably have his Recollection flowing through my veins for a week.
I took a deep breath, trying to focus. Saros was smiling smugly at me, all too pleased about the transference now that he wasn’t concerned I’d see his worst memories.
“But who are they?” I asked him. “Do you know anyone on the HOA? Do the other streets have them?”
“No. They like to remain anonymous.” He pressed a kiss to each of my thighs before he sat up next to me. “I’m not sure about the other streets, but there’s a reason why Starry Night has won awards every year. It’s supposed to be the safest, most aesthetically pleasing, most coveted coven to be part of.”
“Well, don’t you sound like you drank the Kool-Aid?” I chuckled. “Besides, we know that isn’t true or there wouldn’t be disappearances.”
He combed his fingers through my hair and brought my head down to rest on his shoulder. I nuzzled against him, savoring the contact. A few sensual moments from last night raced into my mind, making my thighs clench.
Clearing my throat, I squeezed the comforter, trying to ground myself using some tips Saros had shown me. “Don’t you think it’s strange that they meet once a quarter and make all these rules for our street and we don’t even know who they are?”
His brow furrowed, body stiffening against me. “Show me that email.”
I scrolled down to it and held the phone out for him. His eyes jolted to the board a moment, and I squinted in the darkness, trying to figure out what he was noting. “What is it?”
“Hold on a sec.” He swung his legs over the bed and snapped to turn on the light. Picking up an orb, he flicked his finger across its glassy shell. Images flared each time he did, moving too fast for me to make them out. When he finished with one, he moved to another, doing the same thing with the next four orbs.
“What?” I crawled over to the edge of the bed, watching him.
“I remembered seeing similar wording in the emails we checked for the folks who disappeared,” he said, flipping through another few orbs. “I didn’t think anything of it because your sister didn’t have one. She didn’t fit the pattern, though.”
“Because she wasn’t part of it,” I added, filling in the blanks for myself.
“Exactly.” He pointed at all the orbs, back in their situated timeline spots, each with a similar-looking email. “Every witch who disappeared received at least three warning emails. They came once a week, and stopped after the new moon. After they had vanished.”
I stood up from the bed, walking over to read each one.
Dear Lark Household,
This is your third and final warning to remove the flock of ravens from your lawn. We have had numerous complaints from residences along Starry Night. Failure to do so will break your contractual agreement with the HOA that was signed upon move in. Your property will be inspected in 24 hours. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Keep Starry Night stellar,
Your HOA
“So the HOA could have something to do with the disappearances?” I asked, squinting at another orb.
Dear North Household,
This is your third and final warning to repaint your front door to its original evergreen. Bubblegum pink is not an approved color. As listed in theHOA Code of Conductunder Section 4.51:All door color changes must have prior approval.
Failure to do so will break your contractual agreement with the HOA that was signed upon move in. Your door will be inspected in 72 hours. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Keep Starry Night stellar,
Your HOA
“It definitely doesn’t seem like just a coincidence.” I continued to read through. There were warnings ranging from color or structural changes to leaving up birthday decorations to letting the grass grow toobscenelengths. Each final notice came within weeks of the disappearance, the household always vanishing as if into thin air after the new moon.
