Gray Witch (Black Hat Bureau 5)

Refusing to budge from his spot by my side, he speared me with his penetrating gaze. “What are you going to do?”

“First, I’m going to help Colby raise her ward again. Then I’m going to cast an illusion over the block to prevent any more witnesses. After that I…have no idea.”

“Solid plan.” He kissed me quickly. “Be safe.”

“You too.”

The familiar connection thrummed between Colby and me, warm and bright, and I set out at a jog around the perimeter, anchoring the spell to buildings, to lampposts, to curbs. I drew on the threads binding us to weave a powerful ward shrouded with a complex illusion that would have pushed me even at my black witch best.

“Rue.”

Heart clenching, I paused to scan for the owner of that tiny voice. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you.” Colby smacked into my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my neck. “We’re stronger together.” She buried her face against me. “I might also be a tiny bit scared. I didn’t realize dragons were that big. The eggs in Mystic Realms can’t be to scale. Do you think your dad will be okay?”

Shoving worries for Dad aside, I focused on her. “You need to hide. Dad can’t know about you.”

A pang shot through me, and I flinched away from confirmation I didn’t trust him, no matter how much I might want to, not with her.

Colby, it seemed, was the ultimate test of faith with me, and he didn’t make the cut.

“Hairbow mode activate.” She shrank to her smallest self. “Hair or bra?”

“Bra,” I decided. “Hold on to the strap, like old times.”

Fewer and fewer of my bras had tiny Velcro patches sewn onto the upper straps these days. A wardrobe staple there in the beginning, I had phased them out over time. The idea had been whenever Colby was overwhelmed, she could climb in my shirt and hold on to the loop side with the delicate claws on her feet. Nowadays, I was busier spelling the various shirt and jacket pockets in Clay’s wardrobe to suit her.

“Avoid the chain and the pendant if you can,” I warned her. “Retreat into the cup if necessary.”

“Eww.” She wriggled against me. “I’ll take my chances with the strap.”

Once she was secure, I resumed my careful prowl around the outskirts, keeping a wary eye on the combatants.

The smell of blood got my adrenaline pumping, and my heart was a drum within my chest. I could all but taste how that dragon heart would flavor my tongue with iron and salt. And power. So much power.

“Rue?” Colby rested her head against my chest. “Are you okay?”

“No.” I tried very hard not to lie to her. “But I will be.”

“Will Clay be all right?”

“Not much can hurt Clay.” I kept going, kept weaving my spell. “Maybe avert your eyes, though. The dragon burnt off his clothes.”

“Oh no.” A faint vibration from a laugh she tried to swallow hit me. “His poor wig.”

“This case has been brutal on his hairdrobe for sure.”

With us combining our focus, we managed to finish setting anchors without ending up charbroiled from the effort. Then came the fun part, summoning enough power between us to raise the barrier without falling to old habits. I could have taken a bite out of a heart and done it without breaking a sweat, but I would rather let the humans watch the monster brawl than cave in now.

There comes a point where you must stop looking back on the person you were and judging the person you are by their standards. You can’t be two people at once. You’re either New You or Old You. There is no in between.

Me? I had a crick in my neck from looking over my shoulder.

Finally, I was ready to…maybe not forgive…but cut my younger self a break for doing whatever it took to survive.

“This is going to be rough.” I found us a sheltered position where I could keep an eye on Dad and Parish. “We’ve never pulled this much magic.”

“We can do it.” Her wings twitched with determination. “We got this.”