Starfire (Grim Gate 2)

“Yeah. Can’t stand them when they’re close at times but now that I can’t have my mom drop by to drive me crazy, I miss her too.”

“I’m sure she’d come this way if you invited her.”

“Oh, she would. Maybe once we get to the bottom of this, I’ll plan some sort of party this spring.”

He turns to me again, lips curved into a smile. “We will.”

“Good boy!” I pull a treat from my pocket and give it to Ross. The blue tarp flitters to the ground and Mystery eyes it like it’s going to jump up and strangle him in his sleep. The sunlight is fading, and I’ve totally lost track of time out here in the pasture. Neither of my donkeys were handled much before, and while they’re friendly, they definitely need training and desensitizing.

And Ross just rocked not only stepping on the tarp but letting me pick it up and drape it over his back. Wanting to end on a positive note, I fold up the tarp and go into the barn to clean stalls so I can bring everyone in for the night.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I check for missed calls or texts. I can’t feel it vibrate through the ten layers I have on. Rene started a group thread with herself, Keith, and me. They’ve been texting frequently throughout the day, asking questions about being a witch and wanting to know what’s going on with “that weird Claire girl”. I appreciate so much that they’ve taken an interest in magic and demons. Really, I do.

I just don’t know how to answer most of their questions.

“Come on, guys.” I pat my leg, and Sundance runs to the pasture gate first, lowering his head for a treat. “This is my last one,” I tell him and pull it from my pocket. “Don’t let the others see.” I bring and Mystery in together, and then go back for the donkeys. I get everyone fed and tucked in for the night, sweating by the time I’m done hauling hay bales from one end of the barn to the other and then raking up loose hair from the dirt aisle. Dust clouds up around my face, making me all the more impatient for the new barn to go up with cemented aisles.

“Night, everyone.” I take one last lingering look at my horses and then switch off the light. The feeling of being watched hits me as soon as I’m out of the barn. What’s going on is real, but this is probably in my head. I’m out in the open now, and my mind isn’t preoccupied with the horses.

Picking up the pace, I hurry inside and strip out of my coat, my sweater, the pair of pajama pants I have on over winter breeches, and my extra layer of thick socks. Why do I live somewhere that gets this cold again?

“Hey babe.” Ethan looks away from his video game for a quick second. “Everything good out there?”

“It was great! Ross is really coming around. It’s crazy to think how far they’ve come in just over a month, isn’t it? They’re steadily gaining weight, and today Ross actually let me put the tarp on him.”

Ethan chuckles. “That’s all good, but I meant with demons.”

“Oh, yeah. It was fine.” I look through the living room and into the library. Hunter is sleeping on the couch, enjoying the fire. With it being so cold, we’ve had fires going pretty much anytime we’re home. The house was renovated and made more energy-efficient, but at the end of the day, we live in a house that’s over a hundred years old and heating this thing is kind of a bitch. The fireplace helps, and I wish there was one in the dining room and our bedroom upstairs.

Taking a blanket off the back of the couch, I join Ethan. He gets to a save point and then switches games to something we both can play, and I kick his butt in Mario Kart like usual. Two rounds later, we stop and make dinner together. I feel like I’m being watched again and keep looking over my shoulder. The feeling isn’t coming from outside, though, and I couldn’t really place it.

It doesn’t go away when we get into bed, and I get up twice to make sure all the curtains are drawn not only in our room, but in all the others. Romeo has been out all day, so I lock him up for extra peace of mind. When I get back into bed, Ethan pulls me against him, lips going to the back of my neck.

It doesn’t take long for him to fully distract me with mind-blowing sex. Though once I’m in the bathroom after, it’s like someone else is in the room with us. I pull on pajama pants and a tank top, and snuggle against Ethan, feeling safe in his embrace.