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I nodded, just as the last of the vines slid underneath the door. “Ready to go?”
He turned to me, an odd gleam in his eyes. “I smell like you.”
I shrugged, even as my heart shattered. “Close proximity.” Proud of myself at the steadiness of my voice, I smiled. “If you need a quick shower, you’re welcome to use the one in the bathroom.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. He knew I was lying, but he couldn’t figure out how. Or why.
He wouldn’t believe me if I told him five minutes before we were snuggling together on the bed. Ethan stared at me like it was my fault he was here, when I could barely even get out of bed.
I spread my hands out. “Your virtue is intact, Ethan. I promise.”
His scoff sent my hackles up. This version of his personality made me want to smack him. Was this always how he acted when he was around another female, or was he just an asshole?
Had I gotten this wrong—him wrong? I stared at Ethan, memorizing the angles and planes of his face, and holding the memory of his words, before the spell had resumed, in my heart.
And then, to save myself, I let him go.
“Evie will show you out.” My voice was strong and steady even though I felt anything but.
As if by magic (or Evie listening by the door), my friend appeared and gestured for Ethan to follow her. She gave me a sad look and a sympathetic smile and waited for him to walk out before shutting the door with a click.
When silence fell, and I knew I was by myself, I let out a shaky breath.
“Shit,” I breathed.
I lay back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling, feeling the bond in my chest stretch the further he was from me, and I wished I could tear it out of my chest and pretend it had never happened.
Evie came back in some time later and took Ethan’s place on the other side of the bed. She entwined our fingers and stared into my eyes for a long moment before she spoke.
“Sarah is green.”
I let out a hoarse cackle. “Like Kermit?”
Evie grinned. “Exactly like Kermit. She’s got a green tinge to her skin that didn’t improve when Ethan reappeared. Whatever you did to your mother, it fucked her up pretty good.”
We smiled at each other. “When you’re up for it, we’ll go poke that witch body to see if it explodes with worms or something.”
My nose wrinkled. “Eww.”
“I can sense the magic. The spell is still active, but it’s different. The first time you injured your mom, the magic changed, but it was slight. This one was a big change. I wouldn’t be surprised if chunks of Sarah start falling off soon.”
I grimaced. “Gross.”
Evie shrugged. “Better Ethan sees it now rather than later.”
I shuddered. “He’s going to need therapy when this is over.”
“My friend, we’re all going to need therapy once this is done.”
Chapter
Nineteen
Iawoke to see a stunning fae woman perched on the footboard, peering down at me. A shimmer of magic surrounded the room—a silencing spell.
My heart skipped a beat. “Fuck! Ari! Is that necessary?”
Ari Tavish’s face split into an unrepentant grin. “Just making sure you still had all your faculties.” She hopped off the bed and into a chair next to the nightstand.
