Fuck.
The upstairs floorboards creak as if someone was walking right above me. My mental shields are down. My mind is open to everything in the spirit world, and yet I felt nothing. Hands starting to shake with fear, I fight against the urge to go out the back door in the kitchen and run into the barn, hiding in Mystery’s stall.
I’m a witch, a witch who’s killed demons and faced darkness before. I can take care of myself. But I’m also a witch who’s only known about my magical abilities for a few months and is still very much figuring things out. Centering myself, I feel the warmth of the magical fire spring from my fingertips, and I concentrate hard to keep the fire from spreading out of control. The small, flickering glow of the flames around my fingers brings me comfort and a sense of power.
I’m fucking holding fire in my hand. I can face whatever is lurking in the shadows, hiding like a coward.
“I’m coming for you,” I say through gritted teeth, and take another step forward, this time with confidence. The floorboards creak again, and hushed voices echo down the stairs. I can’t tell what they’re saying, but I’m going to find out. Setting my jaw and pushing my shoulders back, I march forward.
A dark hand reaches out from under the love seat in the parlor, grabbing my ankle and causing me to trip. The flames surrounding my fingers extinguish, and everything is dark again.
CHAPTER 4
I wake with a start, pushing myself up. Blinking rapidly, I look around. I’m on the couch in the parlor. The lights are on, the TV is playing, and my phone is ringing.
“What the hell?” I whisper, my heart still racing. Was I dreaming? No…there’s no way. How did I end up in here? My soup is still on the coffee table. Shakily, I get to my feet and grab my phone. It’s Ethan, and his voice is going to be so welcome.
“Hey,” I answer, putting the phone to my ear and leaning back against the couch, nerves on edge.
“Hey, babe,” he says, and the sound of his deep voice brings me instant comfort.
“Everything okay?” I close my eyes and try to remember exactly what happened. I was sitting right here. I got up, but now I’m back here. It doesn’t make sense.
“Yeah, we found the demon and came back to one of the guy’s cabins and what would you know, Hunter found another demon lurking in the woods, no doubt attracted to us after we killed its friend. We’re going to head out now to hunt the fucker.”
“Oh,” I say, not meaning to sound as disappointed as I do. “Any chance that’ll take like five minutes and then it won’t be too late for you to head home?”
“If Hunter could attack in shadow form, probably. But he’s gotta stay dog-like and you should know he’s rolling his eyes at me right now, which is something I never thought I’d ever say about a dog.”
“He’s not a dog.” I smile as I say it. “I’m glad you’re safe, and that Hunter is staying entertained.”
“He is entertained, though not shifting into shadow form is driving him crazy, I can tell.” Ethan chuckles. “It would have saved us time. How are things on the home front?”
“Um, okay.”
“That doesn’t sound too convincing.”
I shake my head, letting my eyes fall shut for a few seconds. “I think I had a weird dream.”
“You think?”
“Yeah, or I fell victim to supernatural narcolepsy—again. I don’t remember falling asleep.”
“You say that almost every time we watch a movie,” he teases, and some of the tension leaves my chest. “Yet you’ve fallen asleep the last three movie nights.”
“Hey, the last time you tempted me with wine, and we both know a glass of red wine after like eight p.m. is a good way to knock me out. I’m an old lady with a low tolerance for alcohol.”
Ethan laughs again. “What happened in your weird dream?”
“Nothing specific,” I say, knowing where his train of thought is going. “I was right here, where I am now, and heard weird noises like there was a ghost in the house, but there’s not.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. If there’s one thing I’m certain about when it comes to my powers, it’s being able to detect spirits. There are none here. The house is…” I hold out my hand, reading the energy around me. “Peaceful. It had to be a dream.”
“Or maybe another memory coming back.”
“I didn’t think about that. You know, that makes sense. I’m randomly remembering things.” A sense of relief comes over me, but it’s fleeting. Because what happened didn’t unfold like the other memories. And the more I think about what just happened, the less I’m remembering.
“I hate cutting this short, but the guys are coming out of the house. I snuck away to call you.”