5
Anxiety had been nipping my heels since I left Colby behind at the inn, and soon the nips turned to sharp bites I could no longer ignore. She had yet to check in, and Clay had a wig to unbox for the Amherst kids, so I nudged the guys into returning to the inn before my tendency to helicopter parent caused me to takeoff.
>How’s it going?
Okay, fine, so maybe my rotors were whirling too fast to stop cold turkey.
>>This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life.
A pang shot through me as it hit home she would never participate in a group activity like that one.
>I’m glad you’re having fun.
Thumbs poised above the keys, I debated ordering her back to the room until we got a lead on the Boos, but I couldn’t pull the trigger. She might never experience this again, and we would be back there in ten.
>>Can I stay out a little longer? They’re about to summon the undead.
A chill of foreboding prickled the skin on my arms, but I forced myself to remain strong.
>Thirty minutes.
That was all I could allow her without breaking into hives.
>>Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I glared at my hand until it cooperated and put away the phone to prevent me from hovering via texts.
Sure.
Yeah.
Blame my hand. Not my heart. Which ached and feared for her in equal measure.
A blip of time later, I stood on the lawn in front of the inn, puzzling over the purpose of the glamour. The Amhersts might have tried camouflage to hide from the black witch, hoping they would keep on driving. I hated to tell them, leaving a fresh magical signature behind was akin to loading cheese in a mouse trap.
“We need to ward our rooms.” I studied the building, searching for cracks in the illusion. “Since this is the Amhersts’ home, they’ll notice the casting. We need to get in contact with the parents ASAP and explain we’re not in cahoots with the black witch so they don’t panic.”
Asa’s shoulder brushed mine. “How sure are you they know about the other witch?”
“If a baby gazelle is sharing a pen with a hungry lion,” I drawled, “do you think it will notice?”
The allusion left me salivating, and I hated the instinctive hunger that rose in me every time I thought about the taste of fresh meat, the pull as it tore away in my teeth, and the boost of power that followed.
I’m not that person. I’m better now. I’m not going to break. I am stronger than my weakness.
Without a word, Asa slid his hand into mine and squeezed my fingers in solidarity.
Here I was, imagining punching my fist through the chests of our hosts, and he was worried about me.
He really must be in love.
“I’ll go ahead and call Trinity.” Clay whipped out his phone. “You told Colby thirty minutes, right?”
“Yeah.” I packed away those thoughts. “That leaves me twenty to ward our rooms.”
If the kids were practicing too, they might get a tingle as I worked my magic. I didn’t want to spook them before I got a chance to speak to their parents and assure them I hadn’t come for a family meal deal.
I hadn’t gotten that vibe off the kids, but I had been wrong before. The biggest reason white witches were facing extinction was their elders’ refusal to train the next generation. Unless they unlocked their power, they weren’t a tempting target for people like me.