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“Zinny! Jaz!” Magnolia ran to our cousins, and they embraced in a group hug, then Jasmine and Mags squealed and jumped up and down.

We didn’t know Jasmine was coming, but it was a welcome surprise, and I laughed as I watched them together. Jasmine was seventeen, shy, loved pink, and was the complete polar opposite of Mags in every way. Zinnia was our free spirit and hardly ever made it to coven events. We didn’t see her as much as we’d like, but she was here now, and we’d make the most of it.

They ran to us and we all took our turn dishing out the hugs.

“I’ve missed you,” I said when Zinnia was squeezing the life out of me.

Zinnia’s magic gifts had made her a powerful medium and highly sought after. Her profession, communicating with the dead and a few other things, took her all over the country.

“Missed you too.” She tucked some of her wild red hair behind her ear and grinned. “So you got yourself a mate.”

“I did.”

“He’s hot.”

I laughed. “I know.”

Her grin turned wicked. “He got any single friends?”

“He does.”

“Nice.” She chuckled. “Between the wolves and the hellhounds, I’m not sure what to do with myself.”

“You make the most of it,” Else said with a cackle.

“Oh, I will, Aunty Else, you know I will.”

“Seriously?” Jaz gave her sister a disapproving look.

“Loosen up, Jazzy, it’s way more fun.” Zinny gave her baby sister a playful shove.

Jasmine rolled her eyes then she strode over to Mags.

Else grabbed Zinny’s hand. “I know Jazzy has to go home for school, but why don’t you stick around? Willow and Iris’s rooms are free now. Come home for a while. I worry about you when you’re gone.”

Zinnia slid her arm around Else’s narrow shoulders and glanced at her sister, worry in her eyes. “I would love that…but Jaz needs me right now.”

“What’s going on?” Mom asked, following Zinny’s gaze.

“She has the gift.” Zinny slid her hands into the pockets of her faded leather jacket. “The spirit world came knocking. Jasmine woke up to a room full of souls, and she didn’t take it all that well.” She seemed to shake herself. “But we’ll get to that a little later.”

Poor Jasmine. Zinnia’s gift had always terrified her.

We headed down the path to the cemetery, no mates or familiars, just Else, Mom, Mags, Willow, Zinnia, Jasmine, and me. Zinny was here to cleanse the grounds. We needed her expertise to remove any remaining dark magic that Charity’s bones leached into the soil. The cemetery had started to come back to life, but there were still dead spots, and our main herb garden was struggling.

“So how do we do this?” Else asked.

Zinnia took off her jacket. “We get naked.”

Mags huffed out a breath. “Of course, we do.”

“And blood,” Zinny added.

“Could have guessed that one as well,” Mags grumbled as she pulled her sweater over her head.

Zinny laughed her throaty laugh. “Aw, you sound like younger me.”

Mags smirked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”