Evie entwined our fingers. “I don’t like seeing you like this. You’ve always been the rock steady one. I’m supposed to be the only one who’s a mess.”
“Aww. You can still be a mess if you want to.”
Evie snorted. “No need to be an ass about it.”
She fell silent for a moment. “So…I saw Ethan here the other night. How’d that go?”
“Surprisingly well. Though I have no idea how he got here or home. He was out of potions.”
Evie looked everywhere but at me.
“You!”
Her cheeks colored. “He called Rowan and asked if I’d be willing to offer transport.”
“What reason did he give?”
“He wanted to ask you for your chocolate chip cookie recipe.” Evie pressed her lips together to keep from smiling, but she couldn’t resist. “It was sooooo cute,” she gushed. “I couldn’t resist.”
“You are such a sucker,” I grumbled.
“He didn’t ask you for your recipe, did he?”
I grinned. “You know he didn’t.”
Evie clapped her hands together and laughed. “Just like a movie.”
“Yes, well, this movie doesn’t seem like it’s going to have a happy ending.”
“Not now, maybe,” Evie said. “But I have no doubt you’ll figure a way out of this.”
“Mom won’t stop. If I can find her soon, I’ll have the upper hand. But if she recovers all her power, there’s a strong possibility I’ll lose. She’s always had more raw power, and I never received the training I needed. Mom held a lot of things back to keep me dependent on her.”
Evie’s eyes narrowed. “Huh. I’m remembering a certain time in my life when I felt helpless and hopeless when it came to my wacky magic, and I am pretty sure someone told me to suck it up and help myself.” She tapped her chin. “Do you remember who that was?”
I rolled my eyes. “Whoever she is, she sounds like she sucks.”
Evie laughed. “The good thing is witchcraft is much easier to learn than being a chimera. And we have a ton of fae who can help, especially with herbs.”
“I’m handy with herbs. It’s the other stuff I don’t know.”
“The first thing we need to do is figure out how to keep that spell from draining your energy, so I don’t find you slumped on your couch like you’ve been on a three-day bender. Then we figure out a new blood source for now so we can buy us some time to determine if Dad messed you up or if something else is going on.”
“I vote it’s your dad’s fault. He’s been a terrible boyfriend this week.”
“To be fair, no one can really figure out what the hell you are, so you’re kind of a guinea pig.”
I grunted. “Truth. Let’s piece me together like Frankenstein’s monster, then we can kick Mom’s ass.”
“We have to. You can’t take her on in your current state. A stiff wind would blow you right over.” She poked me in the ribs. “You were already thin before. Now, when I hug you, I feel like I might impale myself on your collarbone.”
“Stop body shaming me,” I muttered.
Evie’s lips thinned. “Losing weight so quickly cannot be good for you. And it’s certainly not good for my continued health.”
“Yes, we all know it’s all about Evie.”
She rose and slapped me on the thigh. “We’ll figure it out. Until then, do all you can to keep unraveling that spell. We need to get it out of you as soon as we can.”
